INTERNATIONAL
UN Imposed New Sanctions on North
Korea
On 7 March The UN Security Council approved a new
regimen of sanctions against North Korea for conducting an underground nuclear
test recently, imposing penalties on North Korean banking, travel and trade in
a unanimous vote that reflected the country’s increased international
isolation. The resolution, which was drafted by the United States and China,
was passed in a speedy vote hours after North Korea threatened for the first
time to launch a pre-emptive nuclear strike against the United States and South
Korea.
Obama Signed ‘ Violence Against Women
Reauthorization Act 2013 ‘
On 8 March the US President, Barack Obama signed
the reauthorization of the ‘Violence Against Women Act 2013′ on the eve of
International Women’s Day. The Violence Against Women Act was first passed in
1994. Reauthorised since then, the new Act offers support to the organisations
which serve to the victims of domestic violence.
Uhuru Kenyatta Won Kenya
Presidential Election
On 9 March In Kenya, Deputy Prime Minister Kenyatta
has won presidential election with a slim margin of 50.03 percent of votes. He
defeated his rival Raila Odinga.
Japan & Ten EU Countries
Exempted from US ‘Iran Sanctions Act’
On 13 March The US has renewed the exemptions for
Japan and ten European Union countries from tough American sanctions imposed on
nations buying oil from Iran.The third six-monthly exemption to Japan, under
the Iran Sanctions Act.The 10 European Union countries, Belgium, the Czech
Republic, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Spain, and the
UK, have also qualified for a renewal of the exemption from sanctions because
they have not purchased Iranian oil since July , 2012.
Pakistan Parliament Completes
Full 5 Year Term
On 16 March Pakistan’s Parliament has made history
by becoming the first National Assembly in the country’s history to complete a
full term of five years, with the conclusion of the House’s 50th session,
setting the stage for the holding of elections.Pakistani President Asif Ali
Zardari announced that general elections would be held on 11 May 2013.
Cyprus Gets New Bailout Deal
Cyprus secured a 10 billion ($16.2 billion) bailout
from its international creditors on 24 March 2013.Eurozone finance ministers
had also approved a new bailout plan for Cyprus, putting an end to
uncertainties over the fate of the Mediterranean island country in the euro
area.The new bailout program includes deep restructuring of the country’s two
biggest banks, Bank of Cyprus and Popular Bank of Cyprus.Under the new
agreement, all bank deposits under •100,000 will be secured and guaranteed by
the state.
South Africa, China Sign Deals To
Boost Cooperation
On 26 March South African President Jacob Zuma and
his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping met in Pretoria ahead of the fifth BRICS
Summit.The two leaders signed a number of agreements, focusing on trade,
tourism, education and social cooperation.The two sides agreed on future
collaboration on research and development initiatives, manufacturing, marketing
and the construction of cross-border infrastructure throughout the continent.
North Korea Declares ‘State of
War’ with South Korea
On 29 March North Korea declared that it had
formally entered a “state of war” with South Korea.The announcement was made in
a joint statement attributed to all government bodies and institutions.The two
Koreas have thus technically remained at war for decades.
INDIA & WORLD
India, South Korea Hold Security
Talks
On 1 March 2013 India and South Korea hold
discussions over emerging dynamics of global and regional security, cooperation
in cyber security, defense and space sectors and reviewing bilateral ties.
Arvind Gupta,Director General of IDSA, led the Indian side while Lt.G (retd.)
Bang, Hyo-Bok president of KIDA and former vice army chief,represented the
Korean side in the talks.
India,UK Signed MOU To Strenghen
Cooperation In Earth Sciences
On March 1, India and UK signed a Memorandum of
Understanding (MoU) to strengthen their cooperation in Earth Sciences and
environmental research by sharing information on meteorology,hydrology and
climate variability.The MoU between the Earth System Science Organisation of
the Ministry of Earth Sciences and UK’s Natural Environment Research Council
was inked in New Delhi in the presence of Science and Technology Minister S
Jaipal Reddy .
India and Bhutan signed Double
Taxation Avoidance Agreement
On 4 March India and Bhutan signed the double
taxation avoidance agreement (DTAA), a move that will facilitate exchange of
information on banking between the two nations and help check tax evasion.This
is the first ever DTAA for Bhutan with any country. The treaty was signed by
Finance Minister P Chidambaram and his Bhutanese counterpart Lyonpo Wangdi
Norbum, on behalf of the Royal Government of Bhutan.
India and Republic of Portugal
Signed a Social Security Agreement
On 4 March A Social Security Agreement (SSA) was
signed between India and Republic of Portugal ,after the both countries meeting
end at NewDelhi.The agreement was signed by Vayalar Ravi, the Minister of
Overseas Indian Affairs and Paulo Sacadura Cabral Portas, Minister of State of
Foreign Affairs of Portugal.
India World’s Third Largest ‘Spam
Spewing Nation’
On 6 March According to statistics from SophosLabs
,India has been placed third on the list of the countries distributing spam
across the world.US is still firmly on the top, distributing more spam than any
other country in the world.China took the second spot and India the third, with
8.2 percent and 4.2 percent of the world’s spam.
India’s Tourism Industry
Competitiveness 65th in World
According to the fifth Travel and Tourism
Competitiveness Report by the WEF, India has moved up by three notches to 65th
out of 140 countries in terms of the competitiveness of the travel and tourism
industry.India has been ranked in the 11th place in the region and 65th
overall, gaining three positions since the last edition.
India and Romania Signed Two
Agreements
On 8 March India and Romania signed on Avoidance of
Double Taxation and the Prevention of Fiscal Evasion with respect to Taxes on
Income.The agreement was signed after External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid
held talks with his Romanian Foreign Minister Titus Corlatean on the entire
gamut of bilateral relations, regional and international issues of mutual
interest.
India and Bhutan Signed $100m
Currency Swap Agreement
On 8 March India and Bhutan signed a currency swap
agreement for up to $100 million to further economic co-operation between the
two countries.The currency swap arrangement was signed between the Reserve Bank
of India and the Royal Monetary Authority of Bhutan (RMAB).
Iran and Pakistan Launched Gas
Pipeline Project
On 11 March Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and
his Pakistani counterpart Asif Ali Zardari was officially inaugurated the final
construction phase of the multi-billiondollar Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline
project.The 1,244-mile pipeline would each day transport more than 750 million
cubic feet of natural gas to Pakistan from Iran’s South Pars gas field in the
Persian Gulf.This Project was started from Chabahar city in Iran to Karachi in
Pakistan with $7.5 Billion. Initially they have an idea to extend this project
to New Delhi in India but India was dropped from this project in 2009.
Britain & India Signed
Agreement To Support R&D Projects
On 13 March Britain and India have signed an
agreement to launch a joint programme to encourage industry and business in the
two countries to work together towards commercialisation of research leads in a
range of key areas, including energy and health care.As part of the deal,
Global Innovation and Technology Alliance (GITA) sponsored by the Indian
government’s Department of Science and Technology and UK’s Technology Strategy
Board (TSB) will support UK and Indian businesses and academics in joint
R&D and innovation projects over a three-year period.
India Ranks 136 in Human
Development Index
On 14 March According to the Human Development
Report 2013 released by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) ,India
has been ranked 136 among 187 countries evaluated for human development index
(HDI).Norway (1st rank), Australia (2nd rank) and the Netherlands (3rd rank)
lead the Human Development Index (HDI).The other countries ranks are:-
Netherlands (4th rank) , Japan (10th rank), Denmark (15th rank) , South Korea
(12th rank).
China Unveils 5-Point Formula To
Improve Ties With India
On 18 March China’s new President Xi Jinping has
unveiled a five-point formula to improve relations with India, and that the
resolution of the boundary dispute between the two nations won’t be easy and
pending its final settlement ‘peace and tranquility’ should be maintained on
the border without affecting the overall ties. The Xi Jinping 5 Points are :-
1. “First,to maintain strategic communication and keep bilateral relations on
the right track. 2. Second, we should harness each other’s comparative strength
and expand win winwin cooperation in infrastructure, mutual investment and
other areas. 3. Third, we should strengthen cultural ties and constantly
increase mutual understanding and friendship between our peoples. 4. Fourth, we
should expand coordination and collaboration in multilateral affairs to jointly
safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of developing countries and
tackle global challenges. 5. Fifth, we should accommodate each other’s core
concerns and properly handle problems and differences existing between the two
countries.
India – Egypt Signed Seven
Agreements
On 19 March In a bid to deepen ties and strengthen
economic bonds, India and Egypt signed 7 agreements after Prime Minister
Manmohan Singh and Egyptian President Mohamed Morsy held bilateral talks in New
Delhi.The seven agreements included a memorandum of understanding (MoU) in the
field of cyber security, cooperation in the field of protection of intellectual
property rights and prevention of illicit traffic of antiquities besides
others.The two leaders also agreed to enhance cooperation in Defence and in
international forums like UN.
India Signed Social Security
Agreements With 18 Countries
On 20 March India has signed Social Security
Agreements (SSAs) with Belgium,France, Germany (social insurance for posted
workers only), Switzerland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Hungary, Denmark, the
Czech Republic, Republic of Korea, Norway, Germany, Finland, Canada, Japan,
Sweden, Austria and Portugal.Bilateral labour Memorandum of Understandings
(MoUs) have also been signed with United Arab Emirates (UAE), Jordan, Qatar,
Kuwait, Oman, Malaysia and Bahrain for ensuring protection and welfare of
overseas Indian workers.
India Votes Against Sri Lanka at
UNHRC
On 21 March India has voted for the resolution
against Sri Lanka at the UN Human Rights Council session in Geneva.The UN Human
Rights Council adopted a US-sponsored resolution on human rights violation in
Sri Lanka.The 47-member Geneva forum adopted the resolution with 25 countries
in favour, including India.13countries opposed it, including Pakistan. 8
abstained and one delegation was absent.The US-backed resolution that addresses
alleged war crimes by Lankan forces during the country’s civil war with the
Tamil Tigers.The 26-year civil war that ensued, which ended with the LTTE’s
military defeat in 2009.
Japan Grants India $2.32 Billion
Aid For Infrastructure Building
On 27 March India and Japan have agreed to promote
their bilateral strategic and global partnership especially in economic and
security areas, with Tokyo granting a $2.32 billion aid for infrastructure
building. Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida ,External Affairs Minister
Salman Khurshid discussed about both countries bilateral issues the meeting
held at Tokyo .During the meeting Kishida unveiled a 220 billion yen (USD 2.32
billion) aid to India for infrastructure building and a 71-billion-yen loan
($753.17 million) for the subway project in India’s financial capital Mumbai.
NATIONAL
Cabinet Approves Bill for Time-Bound
Services to Citizens
On 7 March the government gave its nod to a Bill
aimed at providing time-bound delivery of services like passports, pensions and
birth and death certificates, among others, to the citizens.The Right of
Citizens for Time- Bound Delivery of Goods and Services and Redressal of their
Grievances Bill, 2011, was approved by the Union Cabinet at a meeting chaired
by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh .
President Released the
Commemorative Postage Stamp on Sahir Ludhianvi
On 8 March the President of India, Pranab Mukherjee
released the Commemorative Postage Stamp on Sahir Ludhianvi on occasion of his
birth anniversary at Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi.Sahir Ludhianvi died on 25
October 1980 and was a renowned Urdu poet.He fought for recognition of lyric
writers through the Film Writers Association.
India’s First All-Women Post
Office
After announcing India’s all women public bank, the
central government on 08 March 2013 started an all women post office in New
Delhi on the occasion of the International Women‘s Day. Communications &
Information Technology Minister Kapil Sibal inaugurated the post office at
Shastri Bhawan – the hub of central government offices in central Delhi. All
the employees in these post office are women only.
Cabinet Approved Electronic
Delivery of Services Bill
On 18 March the Union Cabinet approved a bill that
aims to provide access to all central and state government services such as
passport, ration card and driving licences electronically.The Bill requires
public authorities to deliver all public services electronically within a
maximum period of 8 years.
Cabinet Approved Food Security
Bill
On 19 March the union cabinet has approved the
National Food Security Bill which aims to give the right to food to around 67%
of India’s 1.2 billion people.The bill was introduced in the Lok Sabha in
December 2011 and had been sent to a parliamentary standing committee for
further consideration.In the bill, the government had proposed 7 kg of grain
per month per person to priority households and at least 3 kg of foodgrain at
half the price for general households.
Rajya Sabha Passed Criminal Law
(Amendment) Bill 2013
On 21 March the Rajya Sabha passed the Criminal Law
(Amendment) Bill 2013 that provides for capital punishment in cases of brutal
rape, and also deals with several other crimes against women.On 19 March Lok
Sabha passed the Bill with an aim of providing a strong deterrent against rapes
and gang rapes, the Bill states that an offender can be sentenced to rigourous
imprisonment for a term which shall not be less than 20 years, but which may
extend to life, meaning imprisonment for the remainder of that person’s natural
life and with a fine.
Supreme Court upholds Death for
Yakub Memon
On 21 March the Supreme Court upheld the death
sentence of Yakub Abdul Razak Memon in the 1993 Mumbai blasts case that had
claimed 257 lives and left 713 injured.The Supreme Court also upheld the
conviction of actor Sanjay Dutt under the Arms Act in the terror attack and
sent him to five years in prison.The capital punishment of the other 10 death
row convicts was commuted to life sentence by a bench of justices P Sathasivam
and B S Chauhan which also upheld the life term awarded to 16 out of 18
convicts.
68 million Indians Living in
Slums
On 21 March According to the first such census
report on slum households prepared by the Registrar General of India,
approximately 68 million Indians are living in slums. In all 1.73 crore census
houses have been reported in houselisting blocks, categorised as slums in
India, comprising 1.37 crore slum households.The report also noted that in 19
cities with million-plus population, 25 per cent of households live in slums.A
majority-71 per cent- of these are located in six states of Maharashtra, Andhra
Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, west Bengal, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.90 per cent
of slum households use electricity, 70 per cent slum households have
television, 72.7 per cent have telephone facility while 10.4 per cent
households have computer or laptop in their house.
STATES
HPCL signed MoU for Rajasthan
Refinery
On 14 March Min of Petroleum & Natural Gas
Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) and Rajasthan Government signed
a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) at Jaipur for setting up a Rs 37,320cr
refinery-cum-petrochemical complex in Barmer, Rajasthan. The project will be a
joint venture between HPCL and Rajasthan State Refinery Limited, apart from
other equity partners.The MoU was signed by Subhash Pant, Secretary Mines and
Petroleum, Government of Rajasthan and K.Murli, Director (Refineries) of HPCL.
Madhya Pradesh Spice Park
Inaugurated in Guna
On 16 March In Madhya Pradesh, Union power ministry
inaugurated a Spice Park in Mawan area of Guna district. This spice park has
been built at a cost of fifty five crore rupees.
Delhi Launched a Comprehensive
Five-In-One Vaccine
On 12 March the Chief Minister of Delhi,Sheila Dikshit
launched a comprehensive five-in-one vaccine in order to provide protection to
children against certain diseases such as tetanus, diphtheria and pertusis.The
CM announced that instead of three injections, now there will be a requirement
of only one injection for providing protection against the diseases.
Karnataka State Assembly
Elections Schedule Released
On March 20 The Election Commission of India has
announced the dates for Karnataka Assembly Elections 2013.The elections will be
a single-phase election and counting would take place on May 8.The Polls would
be held on May 5.
Three High Courts Opened in Tripura,
Manipur and Meghalaya
Tripura, Meghalaya and Manipur on 23 March 2013 got
their own High Courts. Justice Abhay Manohar Sapre, Judge of Chhattisgarh High
Court took oath as the first Chief Justice of Manipur High Court on 23 March
2013. Justice Deepak Gupta along with three other judges would be administered
the oath to the High Court of Tripura .Justice Meena Kumari took oath as the
first Chief Justice of Meghalaya. With the opening of the three high Courts in
the North Eastern states of India, the total number of high Courts in India has
gone up to 24 from previous 21.
Arunachal Pradesh Became the
First State to Introduce e-GPF
Arunachal Pradesh became the first state to
introduce e-GPF or electronic GPF.The state Finance Department facilitated the
online access to 34000 GPF accounts through its redesigned Web site, which was
launched by Chief Minister of Arunachal Pardesh Nabam Tuki.
Housing stock, Amenities and
Assets in Slums Report
On 29 March Union Minister for Housing and Urban
Poverty Alleviation released the report on Housing stock, Amenities and Assets
in slums based on Houselisting & House Census, 2011.Registrar General
presented the important features of the report and outlined its importance.In
all 1.73 Crore Census houses have been reported in the House listing Blocks
categorized as Slums in India, comprising 1.37 Crore slum households.There are
19 cities with million plus population where more than 25% households live in
slums.A majority (71%) of these are located in six States namely, Maharashtra,
Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.Out
of these 19 cities, five cities namely, Vishakhapatnam, Jabalpur, Mumbai,
Vijayawada and Meerut have more than 40% slum households.Out of total slum
houses, 92.7% are occupied and 7.3% are vacant.84.9% Census Houses are used for
residence/residence-cum-other use.58.4% residential census houses are in good
condition, 37.5% are livable and rest 4.0% are in dilapidated condition.70.2%
Slum households are owned.
Punjab, Haryana, Delhi Top in
Well Being Index
According to the Tata Strategic Management Group
Survey report , Punjab, Delhi, Himachal Pradesh and Haryana have been ranked at
the top of the Well Being Index,while southern states, Gujarat and most of the
north-eastern states emerged as the most secure ones for women in the Female
Security Index.The states of Punjab, Delhi, HP, Haryana and Kerala, Tamil Nadu,
Andhra Pradesh were ranked at the top of the Well Being Index. On the Female
Security Index, Chennai and Bangalore were at the top.
CONFERENCES
24th Arab League Summit Held in
Doha
The 24th summit was held in Doha (Qatar) from 21 to
26 March 2013.A total of 15 heads of state of Arab countries attended the
summit.The Arab League currently consist of 21 countries, after Syria was
suspended form the league due to excessive violence during the Arab Spring.
However, the Syrian opposition umbrella organization, the Syrian National
Coalition, will attend this year’s summit and will be offered a seat formerly
occupied by Damascus.The Arab League summit called for an international
conference in the framework of the United Nations for Syria’s reconstruction.
The Qatari leader meanwhile proposed a mini- Arab summit, led by Egypt and
leaders of Fatah and Hamas, in Cairo as soon as possible to achieve Palestinian
national reconciliation. He also called for Arab countries to establish a fund
of 1 billion U.S.dollars to support the Palestinians, pledging that his country
will offer a quarter of the amount. The Arab League was formed in 1945.
5th BRICS Summit Held in Durban
The 5th BRICS Summit was held in Durban, South
Africa from 26 to 27 March 2013. The summit an international relations
conference attended by the head of states or heads of government of the five
member states Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.Theme of the summit
was , “BRICS and Africa: Partnership for Development, Integration and
Industrialisation”.BRICS Leaders President of Brazil Dilma Rousseff ,Russian
president Vladimir Putin,Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singhm,Chinese
president Ji Xinping, South Africa’s president Jacob Zuma also discussed swap
arrangements among the national currencies as well as reserve pooling. BRICS
nations have decided to establish a new development bank to finance
infrastructure projects and to create a USD 100 bn contingency fund to tackle
any financial crisis in emerging economies, in what is seen as a major win for
India’s campaign to reform global financial architecture. BRICS Summit took
place in South Africa for the first time. BRICS, originally “BRIC” before the
inclusion of South Africa in 2010, is the title of an association of emerging
national economies: Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (BRICS).
AWARDS & HONOURS
Indian-Origin Writer Anil
Ananthaswamy Won “ British Physics Journalism “ Prize
On 1 March Anil Ananthaswamy, a London based Indian
origin writer, has won the inaugural “Physics Journalism” Prize sponsored by
the Institute of Physics (IOP) and the Science and Technology Facilities
Council (STFC). The Edge of Physics”, has won the prize for his article “Hip
Hip Array,” which focuses on the Square Kilometre Array, an international
project to design and build the largest radio telescope ever conceived.
Pranab Mukherjee Honoured with
the “Bangladesh Liberation War Award “
On 4 March The President of India, Pranab Mukherjee
was conferred with the Liberation War Honour Award by the President of
Bangladesh, Zillur Rahman. The award was given away to Pranab Mukherjee for
contributions to the Liberation War.
Indian Women Selected For State
Dept Award For Environment Awareness
On 5 March Dr Shubhalaxmi Vaylure has been selected
for the US State Department’s International Exchange Alumni Member of the Month
for March for her dedication to build greater environmental awareness in India.
Shubhalaxmi first came to the US in 2003 as part of the Fulbright Indo-American
Environmental Leadership Programme which took her to the University of Montana
to study educational nature centers.Upon eturning from this programme, she drew
inspiration from her Fulbright programme as she implemented innovative
educational programs at the Mumbai Conservation Education Center.
Arun Jaitley, Karan Singh, Sharad
Yadav Best Parliamentarians
On 6 March Senior BJP leader Arun Jaitley, Congress
veteran Karan Singh and JD(U) chief Sharad Yadav have been selected for the
‘Outstanding Parliamentarian Award’.Jaitley, who is Leader of the Opposition in
Rajya Sabha, gets the award for the year 2010, Karan Singh for 2011 and Sharad
Yadav for 2012. The Indian Parliamentary Group had instituted the award in 1994
which is conferred each year.
Tagore Award For Ravi Shankar
President Pranab Mukherjee presented the first
annual Tagore Award for Cultural Harmony to late Pandit Ravi Shankar at
Rashtrapati Bhavan on 07 Marchi 2013.Sukanya Shankar, wife of Ravi Shankar,
received the award.
Stree Shakti Award For ‘Nirbhaya’
President Pranab Mukherjee presented the ‘Stree
Shakti’ award on International Women’s Day( 08 March 2013) for ‘Nirbhaya’.
‘Stree Shakti’ award as a tribute to her courage and strength.The award was
recevied by her family members.As a measure of recognition of achievements in
individual women in the field of social development, the government had
instituted of 6 national awards which are called ‘Stree Shakti Puraskar’. The
awards are in the name of the eminent women personalities namely Devi Ahalya
Bai Holkar, Kannagi, Mata Jajabai, Rani Gaidinliu Zeliang, Rani Lakshmi Bai and
Rani Rudramma Devi (which is open to both men and women). Nirbhaya was honoured
with the Sree Shakti award of Rani Lakshmi Bai.The Rani Rudramma Devi Award for
the year 2012 was awarded to Smt. Pranita Talukdar from Assam. She was honoured
for her commendable work for the overall development of women.
US Bravery Award for Nirbhaya
The Delhi gang-rape victim, Nirbhaya was honoured
by the US government with an International Women of Courage Award for 2013.In
this year this award was given to 10 women in Washington on March 8, which is
also International Women’s Day.
National Tourism Award Winners
2011-12
National Annual Tourism Awards for 2011-12 was
announced by Tourism Ministry on 12 March 2013. The Ministry announced 86
awards in 36 Categories. The awards presented by President of India on 18th
March. Winners of National Tourism Awards for 2011-12 :-
Best State/ UT Comprehensive Development of Tourism
(Rest of India): – Andhra Pradesh (First Prize) – Rajasthan (Second Prize) –
Gujarat (Third Prize)
Best State/ UT Comprehensive Development of Tourism
–(North East, Jammu and Kashmir) – Jammu & Kashmir
Best Civic Management of a Destination Category ‘B’
City – Municipal Council of Mandav (Mandu),District Dhar, Madhya Pradesh
Best Heritage City – Warangal City, Andhra Pradesh
Best Airport ( Class X Cities) – Rajiv Gandhi
International Airport, Hyderabad
Best Airport (Rest of India) –
VishakhapatnamAirport, Vishakhapatnam The special National Tourism Awards for
Yann Martel, author of the book, Life of Pi, for promoting the county
(Puducherry and Munnar) through the film as well.
Tan Twan Eng Declared Winner of
2012 Man Asian Literary Prize
Tan Twan Eng on 14 March 2013 was announced as a
winner of the 2012 Man Asian Literary Prize. With this, he became the first
Malaysian author to win the most prestigious literary prize of Asia.Tan Twan
Eng won the 2012 Man Asian Literary Prize for his novel The Garden of Evening
Mists.
Poetess Sugathakumari Selected
For Saraswati Samman Award
On 17 March Sugathakumari, the Malayalam poetess
was selected for the Saraswati Samman 2012 for the poetry collection
Manalezhuthu, which means The Writing on the Sand in English. The Saraswati
Samman is constituted by K. K. Birla Foundation.
60th National Film Awards
On 18 March The prestigious 60th National Film
Awards for the year 2012 were announced in New Delhi.Irrfan has won the Best
Actor award for his powerful performance in Tigmanshu Dhulia’s ‘Paan Singh
Tomar’ and Marathi actress Usha Jadhav has won the Best Actress award for
‘Dhag’.
The List of Award Winners :-
Best Feature Film: Paan Singh Tomar
Best Actor: Irrfan for Paan Singh Tomar and Vikram
Gokhale for Anumati (Marathi)
Best Actress: Usha Jadhav for Marathi film Dhag
Best Child Artist: Virendra Pratap for Dekh Indian
Circus (Hindi) and Minon for 101 Chodiyangal (Malayalam)
Best Popular Film for wholesome entertainment:
Vicky Donor (Hindi), Ustad (Malayalam)
Best Animation Film: Delhi Safari
Best Children’s Film: Dekh Indian Circus
Best Film on Social Issues: Spirit (Malayalam)
Nargis Dutt Award for Best Feature Film On National
Integration: ThanichallaNjan (Malyalam)
Indira Gandhi Award for Best Debut Film of a
Director: Chittagong (Hindi) and 101 Chodiyangal (Malayalam)
Best Special Effects: Eega (Telugu)
Best Hindi Film: Filmistan Best Telugu Film: Eega
Reliance Industries Bags ‘Refiner
of the Year Award’
On 23 March Reliance Industries has been awarded
the prestigious ‘International Refiner of the Year’ 2013 at HART Energy’s 27th
World Refining & Fuel Conference at San Antonio, Texas, USA.This is the
second time that RIL has received this Award for its Jamnagar Refinery, the
first being in 2005.
Indian Manish Kumar Among 28
Naturalised at White House Ceremony
Manish Kapoor from India was one among the lucky 28
to be granted the American citizenship at the White House in the presence of
the US President, Barack Obama.List of 28 service members, who were naturalised
at the White House ceremony included three from South Asia Manish Kapoor, Nazo
Raoufi from Afghanistan and Mohammed Hossain from Bangladesh.
Paris Honours Nelson Mandela
On 26 March the city of Paris made antiapartheid
hero Nelson Mandela an honorary citizen, but refused to grant an honour to
Venezuela’s late leftist firebrand leader Hugo Chavez.
2013 Abel Prize To Belgian Pierre
Deligne
Belgian mathematician Pierre Deligne who is
regarded as one of the most celebrated mathematicians of the 20th century, has
been chosen for this year’s prestigious Abel Prize in Mathematics.Award is
given to him for his “seminal contributions to algebraic geometry and for their
transformative impact on number theory, representation theory and related
fields.
Veteran Lensman Pranlal Patel
Honoured with Lifetime Achievement Award
On 28 March The 2nd National Photo Awards- 2011-12
were conferred by the Speaker, Lok Sabha, Ms. Meira Kumar to eminent
photojournalists at a function held in Vigyan Bhavan, New Delhi.The Life-Time
Achievement Awards were given to eminent photographers Shri Pranlal Patel, Shri
T.S. Nagarajan and Shri T.N.A. Perumal.In the Professional Category, the ‘Best
Professional Photographer of the Year 2011-12’ has been given to Shri Salil
Bera.
SPORTS & GAMES
Duty Free Dubai Tennis
Championship-2013
Men’s Singles: On 2 March Serbian Novak Djokovic
won the ATP Dubai Open Tennis Men’s singles title after defeated the Czech
Republican Tomas Berdych in the final at Dubai .
Women’s Singles : This title was won by Petra
Kvitova (Czech Republic). In final she defeated the Sara Errani(Italy).
ATP Mexican Open 2013 Tennis
Tournament Winners
Men’s Singles: Rafael Nadal won ATP Mexican Open
2013 Tennis Title after he defeated the top seed and defending champion David
Ferrer on 2 March 2013 in the final. This is the 38th clay court title of
Nadal.
Women’s singles : In the women’s singles Italy’s
Sara Errani won the title after defeated Carla Suarez-Navarro (Spain) in the
final.
Services Won Santosh Trophy Title
On 3 March Services team won the final of the 67th
Santosh Trophy in Kochi at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium by beating hosts Kerala
.The Man of the Match title was clinched by Services striker Lalian Mawia. The
Services team bagged their third Santosh Trophy title
Delhi Won Vijay Hazare Trophy
On 3 March Delhi team won Vijay Hazare Trophy after
defeated Assam in the final at the ACA-VDCA stadium.
All England Open Badminton
Championship Winners
Women’s Single’s : On 10 March Tine Baun (Denmark)
won the women’s singles title after defeated Ratchanok Intanon of Thailand in
the All England Open Badminton Championship at Birmingham.
Men’s Singles : Chen Long won the singles title
after defeating Lee Chong Wei of Malaysia at Men’s singles final.
Laureus World Sports Awards 2013
“On 11 March Laureus World Sports Awards 2013 were
organised in Rio de Janeiro.The Prestigious awards were claimed by sports
stars- Jessica Ennis, Usain Bolt , Andy Murray and Sebastian Coe.
The List of the Awardees :- Laureus ‘World
Sportsman of the Year ‘ -Usain Bolt Laureus ‘World Sportswoman of the Year ‘ –
Jessica Ennis Laureus ‘World Team of the Year’ – European Ryder Cup Team
Laureus ‘World Breakthrough of the Year ‘ – Andy Murray Laureus ‘ World
Comeback of the Year’ – Feliz Sanchez Laureus ‘World Action Sportsperson of the
Year’ – Felix Baumgartner Laureus ‘ World Sportsperson of the Year with a
Disability’ – Daniel Dias
Ukrainian Women Won World Chess
Championship
On 13 March Women’s chess team of Ukraine won the
World Chess Team Championship. The second place went to team from China, and
the third to the Russian , Fifth place to India.
India Won Eight Medals in Asian
Grand Prix Archery Championship
On 14 March India won a total of eight medals in
the inaugural Asian Grand Prix Archery Championship at Bangkok . India won two
gold, two Silver and four bronze.
Australia Won Azlan Shah Trophy
On 17 March Australia, the World Champions won the
Sultan Azlan Shah Hockey Tournament title for the seventh time after defeated
defeated Malaysia in the final.
Kimi Raikkonen Won Australian
Grand Prix
On 17 March Finland’s Kimi Raikkonen won the
Australian Formula One Grand Prix in Melbourne.It was the 20th Grand Prix win
for Raikkonen, the 2007 world champion.
Indian Wells Tennis Tournament
Winners
Mens Singles : On 18 March Rafael Nadal of spain
won the Mens singles title after defeated Juan Martin del Potro of Argentina in
the final at California .This is Nadal’s third Indian Wells ATP Masters title
and first hard court title since 2010.
Women’s Singles :- Maria Sharapova defeated
Caroline Wozniacki in the women’s final in straight sets to win her second
Indian Wells ATP Masters title.
Swiss Open Badminton 2013 Winners
Men’s Singles :- On 18 March Wang Zhengming
from china won the Swiss Open Badminton Men’s singles title after defeated Du
Pengyu in the final at basel.
Women’s Singles:- In the Women’s singles Wang
Shixian from china got the title after defeating Ratchanok Inthanon (Thailand)
in the final.
West Zone Won Deodhar Trophy
On 13 March Defending champion West Zone won the
Prof. D.B. Deodhar Trophy for the 12th time after defeated North Zone’s
challenge in the final at the Nehru Stadium.
Neha Tripathi Won Sixth Leg of
Hero Women’s Pro Golf Tour 2013
Kolkata’s Neha Tripathi won sixth leg of Hero
Women’s Pro Golf Tour 2013 in Panchkula on 21 March 2013. This is the third
victory of Neha Tripathi in 2013 season. With this victory, Neha Tripathi
overtook Smriti Mehra in the Hero Order of Merit 2013.
Sebastian Vettel Won F1’s
Malaysian Grand Prix
On 24 March Three-time world champion Sebastian
Vettel won the Malaysian Grand Prix 2013 at the Sepang International Circuit.
ECONOMY
Nine Indian Women in Forbes Asia
Power Business Women List
On 1 March ICICI Bank CEO and MD Chanda Kochchar,
Biocon founder Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw and film producer Ekta Kapoor are among the
nine Indian women named in Forbes magazine’s inaugural ‘Asia Power
Businesswomen list’.The list also includes Britannia Industries Managing
Director Vinita Bali ; HT Media Chairman and Editorial Director Shobhana
Bhartia ; AZB & Partners Founder and Senior Partner Zia Mody ; Axis Bank
CEO and Managing Director Shikha Sharma ; and Tractors & Farm Equipment
Chairman Mallika Srinivasa; Kapoor, TV and movie producer.
Mukesh Ambani Is Richest Indian
on Forbes’ list
As per an annual ranking published on 4 March 2013
by business magazine Forbes,Mukesh Ambani has retained his title as India’s
richest person for sixth year in a row,with networth of $ 21.5 billion.In the
overall rich list of world’s billionaires, Mukesh Ambani is ranked 22nd, while
the second-richest Indian Lakshmi Mittal is at 41st position with a networth of
USD 16.5 billion.Mexican business tycoon Carlos Slim has topped the rankings
with a networth of USD 73 billion, followed by Bill Gates (USD 67 billion),
Spain’s Amancio Ortega (USD 57 billion), Warren Buffett (USD 53.5 billion) and
Larry Ellison (USD 43 billion) in top five.
Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad Airports
Among Top 5 in the World
Airports of Delhi, Mumbai and Hyderabad are among
the top five airports in the world providing international standard
services.Airports Council International (ACI),a global body of airports, has adjudged
Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International (IGI) airport as second best after Seoul’s
Incheon airport in the category of airports handling 25-40 million passengers
per annum (MPPA) for their service quality for the year 2012.Mumbai’s
Chhatrapati Shivaji International airport was adjudged the third best in this
category.Hyderabad’s Rajiv Gandhi International airport (RGI) has bagged the
second position for their service quality in the category of five to 15 MPPA.
Japan’s Nagoya airport was adjudged the best in this category. Seoul’s Incheon
ranked first, Singapore’s Changi second and Beijing was placed at the third
spot.
RBI to Launch Plastic Currency
Notes in 5 Cities
On 12 March The Union Government and RBI decided to
introduce one billion pieces of 10 Rupees bank notes made of plastic on a field
trial basis in five cities.A 10 Rupees note in polymer/plastic on a field trial
basis will be introduced first; Minister of State for Finance .The field trail
is supposed to be conducted in five cities of Kochi, Mysore, Jaipur,
Bhubhaneswar and Shimla with varied geographical locations and climatic
conditions.As per the RBI, the primary objective of introduction of polymer
notes is to increase its life, it could also help in combating counterfeiting.
Gujarat Tops in FMCG Consumption
On 12 March According to the ‘Evolution of Indian
Rural Markets During 2004-05 to 2009-10’ report released by the Associated
Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (Assocham) , Gujarat has garnered
maximum growth in per capita food and non-food consumption expenditure across
the country between FY05 and FY10 with growth rate of about 28% and 33%
respectively. Besides registering a growth of about 24.69%, Gujarat has also
topped in terms of household consumption of fast moving consumer goods (FMCGs)
during the fiveyear period.West Bengal has seen least growth of just about 1.6%
and about 8% in per-capita food and non-food consumption expenditure,
respectively.The per capita food and non-food consumption expenditure across
India has increased at over 14% and 17%, respectively, between FY05 and FY10.
India Top Rice Exporter in FY
2011-12
On 13 March As the export price of Indian rice was
more competitive than the Thai rice, India has displaced Thailand from the
position of top exporter of rice during 2011-12, Minister of State Commerce and
Industry was informed to Rajya Sabha.In 2010-11, the rice exports stood at
24.71 lakh tonnes from 21.56 lakh tonnes in the previous fiscal.Rice exports
were at 74.67 lakh tonnes during April-December 2012 against 71.75 lakh tonnes
in the full fiscal year of 2011-12.
India 5th in World Billionaire
Rich List
According to the Knight Frank “Wealth Report 2013”,
India stands 5th among the top 10 countries with the largest number of
billionaires with 122 and the number is expected double by 2022.Mumbai has
secured the 7th spot in the list of top global cities with a High Net Worth
Individual HNWI population.Presently, the city has 2,105 HNWIs and is expected
to touch 4,988 with a 137 per cent rise by 2022. Delhi is not too far behind
Mumbai; it ranks 11th with a current HNWI population of 1,945 which is likely
to grow by 120 per cent and reach 4,278 by 2022. In the cities that that matter
to HNWI’s , New York and London are the first two places in the list.
India May Become 5th Largest
Manufacturing Nation
According to the Boston Consultancy Group (BCG)
report titled ‘People productivity-Key to Indian manufacturing
competitiveness’, India may become the 5th largest manufacturing nation from
9th position at present, if the country is able to increase the share of
manufacturing in GDP to 25 per cent.The National Manufacturing Policy envisages
that India’s manufacturing sector should increase its share of GDP from 15
percent at present to 25 percent by 2022, in line with global peers.It will
help India become the fifth-largest manufacturing nation.
Hindujas are Britain’s Richest
Asians
Leading NRI businessmen Srichand Hinduja and Gopi
Hinduja, Chairman and Co-Chairman of the Hinduja Group, have emerged as the
richest Asians in Britain in 2013.After playing second fiddle for years to
steel tycoon Lakshmi Mittal, the Londonbased Hinduja brothers have come out top
this year with net wealth assessed at 12.5 billion pounds – up 3 billion pounds
on the 2012 figure.
Mumbai Falls to 66th Rank Among
Leading Global Financial Hubs
According to the latest Global Financial Centres
Index (GFCI), Mumbai which is India’s financial capital has slipped to 66th
rank in the list of leading financial centres around the world, with New Delhi
failing to even make a mark.GFCI offers profiles,ratings and rankings for 79
financial centres around the world positioned Mumbai at the 66th place, which
is down three places from last year when it was ranked 63rd on the much coveted
list.Mumbai is the only Indian city on the list. London topped the list,
followed by New York ranking second in the list. Hong Kong and Singapore in the
third and fourth place respectively.
RBI Cuts Repo Rate by 25 Base
Points
On 19 March The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) cut the
repo rate by 25 basis points to 7.5 per cent from 7.75 percent in its
midquarter review of the monetary policy. Consequently, the reverse repo rate
under the LAF stands adjusted to 6.5 per cent from the earlier 6.75 per cent
and the marginal standing facility (MSF) rate and the Bank Rate to 8.5 per cent
with immediate effect.The Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR) has been retained at 4 per
cent.
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
Spinning Black Hole Observed for
the First Time
The Spinning black holes are first identified by
Paranal Observatory astronomers in Chile.The enormous black hole at the center
of the spiral galaxy NGC 1365 is spinning about 84 percent as fast as
Einstein’s general theory of relativity allows it to, researchers determined.
NGC 1365, located about 56 million light-years from Earth.
Pinaka’ Rockets Successfully
Test-Fired
On 1 March Indigenously developed ‘Pinaka’ rockets
were successfully test-fired by Indian army from a multi-barrel rocket launcher
(MBRL) by an armament establishment from a base at Chandipur-on-sea, about 15
km from Balasore.’’Pinaka’ is an area weapon system with a range of 40
km.’Pinaka’ system can fire a salvo of 12 rockets in 44 seconds ,adding that
the battery of six launchers can neutralise at a time a target area of 3.9 sq
km.
Large Meteorite Found in
Antarctica
On 1 March the international group of researchers
has discovered the18-kg meteorite in eastern Antarctica, the largest found in
that area in 25 years.
Astronomer Measured Exact
Distance to Our Closest Neighbouring Galaxy
On 7 March Astronomers have for the first time
accurately measured the distance to one of the Milky Way’s neighbouring galaxy
and it is just 163,000 light-years away.
Japan Pioneers Gas Extraction
From Seafloor Methane Hydrate
On 12 March Japan has become the first country in
the world to extract natural gas from frozen methane hydrate successfully off
the central coast. According to the Japanese study, it was estimated that
around 1.1tn cubic metres of methane hydrate existed in the offshore deposits.
This is equal to the gas consumption of Japan in more than 10 years.
World’s Largest Telescope
Inaugurated in Chile
On 13 March The world’s largest radio telescope has
been inaugurated in Chile on a mountain high above the Atacama Desert, wielding
unprecedented power to peer into the remotest regions of the universe.The
ceremony attended by President Sebastian Pinera and other dignitaries.The ALMA
space observatory consists of 66 antennae creating a telescope array 16
kilometres in diameter.
UAE Inaugurated World’s Largest
CSP Solar Power Plant
On 17 March United Arab Emirates (UAE) President
Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al-Nahyan inaugurated the 100-megawatt solar plant
“Shams 1 “ in the desert of Abu Dhabi,the world’s largest concentrated solar
power plant in operation.Covering an area of 2.5 square km, the
600-million-U.S. dollars project incorporates the latest in parabolic trough
technology and features more than 258,000 mirrors mounted on 768 tracking
parabolic trough collectors, capable of delivering green electricity to 20,000
homes.
India Successfully Test Fired
World’s First Underwater Supersonic Cruise Missile
On 20 March India has successfully test fired its
submarine-launched version of BrahMos supersonic cruise missile of the over 290
km-range in the Bay of Bengal off the coast of the southern port city of
Visakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh).The launch of Missile is counted as the first
test-firing of an underwater supersonic cruise missile anywhere in the world.
The missile travelled its complete range of over 290 km.
Big Bang Radiation Map Unveiled
On 21 March The European Space Agency (ESA) has
unveiled the most detailed map yet of relic radiation from the Big Bang,revealing
new data it hopes will shed light on the creation and expansion of our
Universe.The map results suggest the universe is expanding more slowly than
scientists thought, and is 13.8 billion years old, 100 million years older than
previous estimates.
India and US Agreed for Future
Cooperation in Moon and Mars Missions
On 23 March India and the US agreed for cooperation
on future missions to the Moon and Mars after successful collaboration in
Chandrayaan-1 lunar mission. The highly successful Chandrayaan-1 lunar mission
which was launched by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) in October
2008 led to strong evidence of the presence of lunar water.
Crew Reaches Space Station in
Less than 6 Hours
On 29 March An astronaut from the U. S.with three
Russian cosmonauts took a short cut to reach space station and saved around 45
hours of journey. The crew took only 5 hours and 45 minutes to reach the space
station from the Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan.This is for the first time
that any crew has used this express route to reach space station in the minimum
possible time.Three members on this Russian Soyuz are Chris Cassidy from NASA,
Alexander Misurkin and Pavel Vinogradov from Russia.
NTPC Commissioned New Solar Power
Project in Andaman & Nicobar
On March 30,NTPC Ltd has commissioned a 5-MW solar
photo-voltaic power project at Port Blair in Andaman & Nicobar Islands.It
is the first grid-connected solar photo-voltaic project in these islands and
also the first greenfield renewable solar PV project of NTPC.
New Indian Ship ‘ASWC Kiltan’
Launched in Kolkata
INS Kiltan is an anti-submarine warfare corvette of
the Indian Navy built under Project-28. It is the third of four Kamorta class
corvettes under various stages of induction with the Indian Navy. The ship was
built by the Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers, Kolkata and launched on
26 March.The ship takes its name from the Kiltan island, a coral island that is
part of India’s archipelagic Union Territory of Lakshadweep.The Kiltan is to be
armed with a range of indigenously developed cutting edge weapons and sensors
including a medium range gun, torpedo tube launchers, rocket launchers and a
close-in weapon system.
PERSONS IN NEWS
A) APPOINTMENTS
Nagaland , Tripura , Meghalaya
new CM’s
On 5 March Neiphiu Rio of Naga People’s Front (NPF)
party was sworn in as Chief Minister of Nagaland for the third straight term. –
On 5 March Mukul Manda Sangma of Congress party was sworn-in as the Chief
Minister of Meghalaya for the second term. – On 6 March ManikSarkar of CPM
party was sworn in as chief minister of Tripura for the fourth consecutive time
.
Panabaka Lakshmi Assumes
Additional Charge of Textiles
On 5 March Union Minister of State for Petroleum
and Natural Gas Panabaka Lakshmi assumed additional charge as Union Minister of
State for Textiles.Lakshmi was minister of state for textiles until she was
shifted to petroleum and natural gas ministry in the same rank after the
reshuffle in end October 2012.
IAEA Chief Amano Wins Second Term
The UN atomic agency’s board of governors on 06
March 2013 approved giving Japanese director general Yukiya Amano a new
four-year term without even resorting to a vote.
Nicolas Maduro sworn in as
Venezuela’s Interim President
On 8 March Venezuelan Vice- President Nicolas
Maduro was sworn in as Venezuela’s acting president, despite the Opposition
resistance as it is being considered to the violation of the country’s
constitution.
New Governors For 5 States
On 9 March President Pranab Mukherjee appointed new
Governors for 5 states – Former CBI Director, Ashwani Kumar appointed as
Governor of Nagaland. – Congress veteran SC Jamir appointed as Governor of
Odhisa . – Governor of Tripura DY Patil transferred to Bihar – Bihar Governor Devanand
Konwar shifted to Tripura – Nikhil Kumar, who was serving as Governor of
Nagaland, has been transferred and appointed as Governor of Kerala .
Aung Suu Kyi Re-elected As
Opposition NLD Leader
On 10 March Myanmar opposition leader Aung San Suu
Kyi has been re-elected head of the new executive board of the National League
for Democracy at a landmark maiden party congress.
Jorge Bergoglio Elected As 266th
Pope
On 13 March Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Argentina is
selected as the new leader for 120 crore Catholics across the world.George was
the Buenos Aires Archbishop and he was chosen as the new Pope by 115
qcardinals.He changed his name as Francis- 1.He is the 266th Pope (head of the
Roman Catholic Church).Francis-1 is the first Pope from the Jesuit community.
He is also the first pope from Latin America. He is also the first pope to be
selected from a non European country in the modern history.There are five
Indian also among the cardinal electors.
Xi Jinping Took Over As China’s
New President
On 14 March Xi was elected as President by
3000-strong National People’s Congress, which also endorsed his appointment as
the Chairman of the Military Commission. China’s parliament formally elected Xi
Jinping as president, four months after he took charge of the Communist Party.
Khil Raj Regmi Sworn as Nepal PM
On 14 March Chief Justice Khil Raj Regmi was
sworn-in as the new Prime Minister of Nepal .Khil Raj Regmi will be the head of
interim government which will have its elections by 21 June 2013. This is the
first time in Nepalese political history that a sitting Chief Justice is being
named as the Head of the Government.
Sundar Pichai To Take Over as
Google’s Android Chief
Google on 13 March 2013 , announced that Andy
Rubin, who was heading the company’s Android division, is stepping down. He
will be replaced by SundarPichai, an IITian, who also heads Google’s Chrome
division.
Li Keqiang Appointed as China’s
new Prime Minister
On 14 March Li Keqiang was appointed prime minister
at the annual session of China’s National People’s Congress.Mr. Li is the
latest Communist Party leader. He succeeds Wen Jiabao in a position that
entails steering the economy and government operations through the State
Council, or cabinet.
Bobby Ghosh is Time International
Editor
Eminent Indian journalist Bobby Ghosh had been
named the new editor of Time International. Ghosh was appointed on 15 March
2013 as the first non-American world editor in TIME’s history.
Indian American Appointed Vice
Chairman of Illinois Innovation Council
On 18 March Indian-American politician Raja
Krishnamurthy has been appointed vice chair of the Illinois Innovation Council
by the Illinois Governor Pat Quinn. Krishnamurthyis currently the president of
Sivanathan Laboratories.
Mir Hazar Khan Khoso Sworn in as
aretaker Prime Minister of Pakistan
On 25 March Justice Retd. Mir Hazar Khan Khoso took
oath as the sixth caretaker Prime Minister of Pakistan on 25 March 2013 in
Islamabad.
Renee Ramaswamy Nominated to the
National Council of the Arts
On 22 March Renee Ramaswamy, founder of the
Ragamala Music and Dance Theatre in Minneapolis, Minnesota, has been nominated
by President Barack Obama to the National Council of the Arts for a fiveyear
term.
Obama Appoints First Woman Secret
Service Director
On 26 March President Barack Obama chose veteran
agent Julia Pierson as Secret Service director, the first woman to lead the
male-dominated agency.
Ralph Waters new World Cup 2015
Chairman
Ralph Waters has been named new chairman of the
local organizing committee for the 2015 World Cup hosted by Australia and New
Zealand. Waters was previously the deputy chairman of the committee and
succeeds James Strong, the previous chairman.
B)RESIGNS
UP minister Raja Bhaiya Resigned
UP’s food and civil supplies minister Raghuraj
Pratap Singh alias Raja Bhaiya, who is an accused in the murder of a deputy
superintendent of police, on 04 March 2013 met chief minister Akhilesh Yadav
and tendered his resignation.
Odisha Law Minister Raghunath
Mohanty Resigned
A senior Odisha minister, Raghunath Mohanty,
resigned on 16 Marchi 2013, after his daughter-in-law accused him of torturing
her for dowry.
Mukesh Ambani To Exit Board of
Bank of America
Reliance Industries Chairman and Managing Director
Mukesh Ambani will step down as the board of director of Bank of America He has
served on the Bank of America board since March 2011 and became a director
prior to the establishment of the global advisory council.
Five Cabinet Ministers Resigned
On 20 March the 5 Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK)
party Cabinet ministers resigned from the Union Council of Ministers, which
were accepted by the Pranab Mukherjee President of India. Pranab Mukherjee,
also allocated the charge of Chemicals and Fertilizers Ministry to Srikant Jena
who is Minister of State in the same ministry.The five cabinet ministers are :-
(i) M K Alagiri ( Minister of Chemicals and Fertilizers) (ii) S S
Palanimanickam (Minister of State (Finance) ) (iii) S. Gandhiselvan (Minister
of state for Health and Family Welfare) (iv) S. Jagathrakshakan (Minister of
State for Commerce & Industry) (v) D. Napoleon (Minister of State for
Social Justice and Empowerment).
Italy Foreign Minister Giulio
Terzi Resigned
Italian Foreign Minister Giulio Terzi resigned on
26 March, over his government’s decision to return two marines to India to face
trial for the murder of local fishermen while on anti-piracy duty.
C)DEATHS
Venezuelan President Chavez Died
On 5 March Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez died at
Caracas .Hugo Chavez was the President of Venezuela from 1999 till his death in
2013. He Served as the President of Venezuela for three times.A coup attempt
was made in Venezuela in April 2002 to overthrow Hugo Chavez from his office.
Former West Bengal Governor Viren
J Shah passed away in Jordan
On March 9th,the former West Bengal Governor and
industrialist Viren J Shah died in Jordan. He was also member of the Rajya
Sabha twice from 1975 to 1981 and from 1990 to 1996. He was the Governor of
West Bengal from 1999 to 2004.
Bangladesh President Zillur
Rahman Died
On 20 March Bangladesh President Mohammad Zillur
Rahman, died at Singapore .Rahman, was made the ceremonial head of the state in
2009 after Awami League was elected in the landmark December, 2008, general
elections.
Pietro Mennea, the Italian
Athlete Died
Pietro Mennea, the Italian athletics died in Rome
on 21 March 2013. Pietro Mennea was the gold medal winner in the 200m at the
1980 Moscow Olympics.
Nigerian Author Chinua Achebe
Died
On 22 March Renowned Nigerian author Chinua Achebe
has died at the age of 82 .One of Africa’s best known authors, his 1958 debut
novel Things Fall Apart, which dealt with the impact of colonialism in Africa,
has sold more than 10 million copies.
Two Time Pulitzer Winner Anthony
Lewis Dies
On 25 March Anthony Lewis, who has died aged 85,
was a New York Times columnist and author who twice won a Pulitzer Prize, the
highest award in American journalism.Anthony Lewis was a prominent public
intellectual, who wrote for The New York Times op-ed page and The New York
Review of Books, among other publications.
Grammy Award Winning Producer and
Engineer Phil Ramone Died
On 30 March Phil Ramone, the Grammy Award-winning
engineer and producer who applied his platinum touch to recordings with Ray
Charles, Billy Joel and Paul Simon, has died at the age of 72.Ramone won 14
Grammy awards and worked with Frank Sinatra and Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder
and Paul McCartney, Elton John and Tony Bennett.
D)VISITORS
President of India Visited
Bangladesh
President of India, Pranab Mukherjee visited
Bangladesh from 3 – 5 March .During the visit he met with the Prime Minister of
Bangladesh Sheikh Hasina and discussed the Teesta and land border issues.
President Mukherjee Visited
Mauritius
The President of India, Mr. Pranab Mukherjee,
visited Mauritius from 11 to 13 March .During the visit he attended the
Mauritius 45th Independence anniversary celebrations as a Chief Guest. He met
the President of the Republic of Mauritius, Mr Rajkeswur Purryag , Prime Minister,
Dr. Navinchandra Ramgoolam and discussed the bilateral double taxation
avoidance convention.
World Bank President Jim Yong Kim
Visited India
Jim Yong Kim the President of World Bank, visited
India from 11th to 13th March.During the visit Jim Yong Kim met Prime Minister
Manmohan Singh and Finance Minister P.Chidambaram and discussed India’s major
initiatives aimed at fostering equitable growth. This is the Kim’s first visit
to India after taking over as President of the World Bank Group 2012 July.
Egypt’s President Mohamed Morsi
Visited India
Egypt’s President Mohamed Morsi visited India from
18 to 20 March .During the visit Morsi met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in
NewDelhi and discussed the forge closer cooperation in economic and other
fields.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh
Visited South Africa
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh visited South Africa
from 25 to 28 March.During the visit he attended the BRICS Summit and met
Russian president Vladimir Putin and discussed about the substantive progress
being made on the other remaining phases of the joint nuclear energy programme
between India and Russia at Kudankulam. Manmohan Singh also met China new
president Xi Jinping and discussed the issue of Beijing’s proposal to construct
three dams across the Brahmaputra river on its side.
E)MISCELLANEOUS
Salman Rushdie Named in
Al-Qaida’s ‘Most-Wanted List
Indian-origin British author Salman Rushdie had
been named in the ‘most-wanted list of Islam critics to kill’ released by
al-Qaida in the new issue of its English online magazine. A fatwa was issued
against Rushdie by Iran’s late leader Ayotollah Khomeini in 1989 over passages
in his book The Satanic Verses.
Maldives Ex-President Nasheed
Arrested
On March 5,Former Maldives President Mohamed
Nasheed had been arrested, to face charges of abuse of power during his tenure,
after he failed to appear for a hearing and evaded two arrest warrants. He is
charged with illegally ordering the arrest of a senior judge, a move that led
to his fall from power in 2012.
Czech Senate Accuses President
Vaclav Klaus of High Treason
On 5 March Czech President Vaclav Klaus dismissed a
decision by lawmakers to press high treason charges against him as politically
motivated.The Senate’s actions were prompted by an amnesty granted by President
Klaus , which will free over 6,000 prison inmates and halt the prosecution of
prominent business executives and officials charged with asset stripping,
bribes and fraud.
12 Year Old Neha Ramu has IQ
Higher than Albert Einstein
On 5 March Neha Ramu, 12-year-old Indianorigin girl
in UK has stunned everyone after she scored an incredible 162 on her IQ test –
even higher than Albert Einstein and Stephen Hawking.The score puts the tween
in the top one per cent of brightest people in the UK and means she is more
intelligent than physicist Hawking, Microsoft founder Bill Gates and scientist
Albert Einstein, who are all thought to have an IQ of 160.
Navneet Kaur Dhillon Crowned
Femina Miss India 2013
On 24 March Navneet Kaur Dhillon was crowned Femina
Miss India 2013 in a star studded grand finale of the 50th edition of the
beauty pageant.The first and second runners-up were Sobhita Dhulipala and Zoya
Afroz respectively.
PLACES IN NEWS
Strong Earthquake in Taiwan
On 27 March a strong earthquake struck central
Taiwan , killing at one person and injuring 19 as it damaged buildings on the
quake-prone island.The Central Weather Bureau said the magnitude-6.1 earthquake
was felt throughout the island.The U.S. Geological Survey placed the magnitude
at 6.0.Nantou is a rural county about 250 kilometres south of Taipei.
ABBREVIATIONS
BRICS - Brazil, Russia, India, China,
South Africa
NABARD - National Bank for Agriculture and
Rural Development
AWACS - Airborne Warning And Control System
CMIE - Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy
OECD - Organisation for Economic Co-operation
and Development
AICTE - All India Council for Technical
Education
NDMA - National Disaster Management Authority
DTC - Direct Taxes Code
AAPSO - Afro-Asian Peoples’Solidarity
Organization
TIEA - Tax Information and Exchange Agreement
DTAA - Double taxation Avoidance Agreement
AFSPA - Armed Forces Special Powers Act
NOIDA - New Okhla Industrial Development
Authority
IAAI - International Airports Authority of
India.
FBI - Federal Bureau of Investigation
BOOKS IN NEWS
Vice President of India Released
Walking With Lions: Tales from a Diplomatic Past
The Vice President of India, M. Hamid Ansari
released a book titled Walking with Lions: Tales from a Diplomatic Past,
written by K. Natwar Singh, the former Union Minister for External Affairs on 1
March 2013. This was Published by Harper Collins India.
Yuvraj Singh “The Test of My
Life” Book Released
On 19 March Indian cricketer Yuvraj Singh launched
his new memories Auto biography book ‘The Test of My Life’. The Test of My Life
is a book that talks about Yuvraj Singh’s battle with cancer and his love for
cricket. The book was launched in Mumbai where all his fellow cricketers came
to show their support.
Taliban Shooting Victim Is
Publishing A Memoir : ‘I Am Malala’
Malala Yousafzai, the teenage girl shot by the
Taliban for promoting girls’ education, is to tell her life story in a book due
out later this year.In a deal reportedly worth around $3 million. The book will
be entitled “I Am Malala”.
COMMITTEES
Govt Appoints Mukul Mudgal
Committee To Probe Wal-Mart Lobbying Activities
On 5 March The union government has appointed a
one-man Inquiry Committee, headed by former Chief Justice of Punjab &
Haryana High Court Justice Mukul Mudgal, to inquire into reports on the US lobbying
activities of Wal-Mart for access to India market. The Committee has to submit
its report within three months and it is being provided administrative and
functional support by the Ministry of Corporate Affairs in its probe.
IMPORTANT DAYS AND DATES
May 1 – International Labour Day
May 3 – World Press Freedom Day
May 3 – International Energy Day
May 3 – World Asthma Day
May 4 – Anti – Tobacco Day
May 4 – World Athletics Day
May 8 – World Red Cross Day
May 11 – National Technology Day
May 13 – National Solidarity Day
May 17 – World Telecommunication Day
May 20 – World Metrology Day
May 21 – Anti – Terrorism Day
May 24 – Commonwealth Day
May 31 – World No Tobacco Day
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Full credit to currentaffairs.freejobalert; the article is shared here for easy of reference to aspirants.
(courtesy @ currentaffairs.freejobalert)
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