CURRENT AFFAIRS-JUNE 2013

MICA-MAY,JUNE,JULY
NEWS AND EVENT—MAY
B.SC- JUNE,JULY
PD – JUNE,JULY
WEEKLY G.K. For (17- MAY-20-JUNE)
MICA- MAY: 2013
ABBREVIATIONS:
 FSDC : Financial Stability and Development Council
 RGESS : Rajiv Gandhi Equity Savings Scheme.
 DFC : Dedicated Freight Corridors.
 MCX : Multi Commodity Exchange.
 LLP : Limited Liability Partnership.
IMPORTANT DATES AND DAYS:
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08 March : International Women Day.
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15 March : World Consumer Rights Day.
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20 March : World Sparrow Day.
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21 March : International day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination/ world poetry day/ world
forestry day
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22 March : World Water Day.
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23 March : World Metrological Day.
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24 March : World Tuberculosis Day
BOOKS AND AUTHORS:
 Walking with Lions: Tales from a Diplomatic Past- K Natwar Singh
 The Style Diary of a Bollywood Diva- Karenna Kapoor.
 Those Pricey Thakur Girls – Anjuna Chauhan.
 Witness to Blunder – Ashfaq Hussain.
 In different Form – Yuvraj Singh
APPOINTMENTS
 T.S.VIJAYAN: Former LIC chief T.S.Vijayan took over as the chairman of the Insurance Regulatory and
Development Authority (IRDA). Vijayan succeeds J. Hari Narayan, who completed his five year term. IRDA
chairperson‘s tenure is for five years or till the age of 65 years.
 ANURAG G. THAPLIYAL:Veteran navigation and direction specialist Vice Admiral Anurag G.Thapliyal took
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over as the 20 Director General of Indian Coast Guard succeeding Vice Admiral M.P.Muralidharan.
 NEIPHIU RIO: Neiphiu Rio was sworn in for third Straight term as Chief Minister of Nagaland along with 11
ministers by the governor at a glittering function at the Raj Bhawan. All the 11 ministers are from his own party,
the Naga people‘s front (NPF), which had won 38 seats in the 60-member house.
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MUKUL SANGMA: Mukul Sangma was sworn in as the 23 chief Minister of Meghalaya with the state governor
administering the oath of office and secrecy to him at a grand ceremony in the Raj Bhawan in Shillong. 47-years
old Mukul, who led the Congress to a spectacular victory with 29 seats in the 60-member Assembly, just two
short of a simple majority, became the chief minister for the second straight term. After Lapang resigned on April
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19,2010, Sangma was subsequently sworn in as the chief Minister on his 45 birthday.
 MANIK SARKAR: Manik Sarkar was sworn in Governor D.Y.Patil for a fourth Straight term as chief Minister to
head the fifth consecutive Left Front Government in Tripura along with 11 ministers.
 JORGE MARIO BERGOGLIO: Argentine Jorge Bergoglio has been elected pope, the first ever from the
America and the first from outside Europe in more than a millennium. He chose the name Pope Francis.
Bergoglio had reportedly finished second in the 2005 conclave that produced Benedict XVl who became the first
Pope to resign in 600 years.
 KHIL RAJ REGMI: Chief Justice Khil Raj Regmi was sworn in as Nepal‘s new prime Minister to head an interim
government that will hold election in three months, ending a long political deadlock in the country.

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 XI JINPING: Xi Jinping was named as china‘s new President and head of the military succeeding Hu Jintao,
completing a generational transition of Power in the world‘s most populous country. Also the NPC elected Li
Yuanchao, a reformist and politburo member of the CPC, as Vice-president.
AWARDS/HONOURS
 INDIRA GANDHI PRIZE FOR PEACE, DISARMAMENT AND DEVELOPMENT: The President of India, Pranab
Mukherjee presented the Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace. Disarmament and Development for the year 2011 to
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Ela Ramesh Bhatt of self Employed Women‘s Association (SEWA) at Rashtrapati Bhawan on February 18
2013.
 VYAS SAMMAN: Eminent Hindi Litterateur Narendra Kohli has been selected for the prestigious Vyas Samman
for 2012 for his historical Novel ―NA BHOOTO NA BHAVISHYATI‖ which is based on Swami Vivekananda and
the era he belonged to. Instituted by the K.K. Birla Foundation in 1991, the award is given annually for an
outstanding literacy work in Hindi published during the past 10 years.
 TAGORE AWARD FOR CULTURAL HARMONY-2012: President Pranab Mukherjee conferred the first ever
Tagore Award for cultural Harmony,2012 on Sitar Maestro Pandit Ravi Shankar at Rashtrpati Bhawan. Since
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Pandit Ravi Shankar passed away on 11 December, 2012 the Award was presented to his wife, Sukanya
Shankar.
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The Tagore Award for cultural Harmony has been instituted as a part of the commemorations of the 150 birth
Anniversary of Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore and an announcement to his effect was made by the then
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Finance Minister in his Budget speech on 28 February,2011.
OBITUARIES
 HARI SHANKAR SINGHANIA: Leading industrialist and president of JK organization Hari Shankar Singhania
passed away. He was 81.
 BRIJ MOHAN VYAS:Veteran actor Brij Mohan Vyas passed away in Mumbai. He was 93.
 Ganesh pyne:Legendary painter Ganesh pyne died. He was 76 years old.
NATIONAL
 India and France Signed MoU to Strengthen cooperation in Railway sector: A memorandum of
Understanding (MoU) was signed between the ministry of railways, Government of India and the French
National Railways, for technical cooperation in the field of Railways. The MoU was signed by Vinay Mittal,
chairman, railway board, from Indian side and G.Pepy, chairman and CEO SNCF from the French side. The
MoU was signed in the presence of Francois Hollande, the President of France.
 MoU SIGNED BETWEEN NACO AND MINISTRY OF SHIPPING:As a part of its efforts to mainstream issues
relating to HIV/AIDs, the Department of AIDS control, Ministry of health and Family welfare signed the first MoU
with the ministry of shipping. According to the MoU, NACO will provide HIV/AIDS/STI preventive, care support
and treatment service to port workers as well as community around major ports including fishermen. Seafarers,
truckers, single male migrants and other vulnerable population etc.
 INDIA, BANGLADESH SIGNED DEALS, EXCHANGE MAPS OF DEMARCATED STRETCHES: In a major
step forward to resolve the land boundary issue, India and Bangladesh exchanged maps of demarcated
stretches, as New Delhi said it was ready to release USD 50 million out of a USD 200 million credit line to
Dhaka.
The two sides also readied themselves to lunch the Akhaura-Agartala rail-link, besides signing MoUs on several
issues including amending the double taxation avoidance treaty, opening of additional border hats in Tripura
and Meghalaya among other things.
 WORLD‘S HIGHEST RAIL BRIDGE TO COME UP ACROSS CHENAB: Arguably one of the toughest
engineering challenges in hand, Railways plant to complete the Chenab bridge in Jammu & Kashmir by 2016,
making it the world‘s highest rail bridge.
 ARMY, HAL SIGNED RS.300 CRORE DEALS FOR 20 CHEETAL CHOPPERS:The army signed a Rs 300
crore contract with the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited for procuring 20 cheetal helicopters to boost its capability
in carrying out high-altitude operations in areas like Siachen.
The cheetal helicopters are the upgrade version of cheetah/chetak choppers in the Indian Armed Forces and
have been equipped with stronger engines to enhance their performance.
 PSLV-C20 LAUNCHED 7 SATELITES: Indo-French oceanographic study satellite ―SARAL‖ and six foreign mini
and micro spacecrafts were successfully launched by ISRO‘s PSLV-C20 rocket from this spaceport. Indian
Space Research organizations (ISRO) workhorse polar satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) lifted off from the first
Launch pad of Satish Dhawan space center and placed in the orbit the satellite about 22 minutes later.
Beside SARAL , two micro-satellites UniBRITE and BRITE from Austria, AAUSAT3 from Denmark and STRaND
from United Kingdom as also one micro-satellite (NEOOSSat) and one mini satellite (SAPPHIRE) from Canada
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were Launched by PSLV, which yet again proved its versatility recording its 22 successful flight in a row in its
23 missions of which the first one had failed.
 INDIA PORTUGAL SIGNED SOCIAL SECURITY AGREEMENT: A social Security Agreement (SSA) was
signed by Vayalar Ravi, the minister of Overseas Indian Affairs and Paulo Sacadura Cabral Portas, Minister of
state of Foreign Affairs of Portugal. The bilateral Social Security Agreement is significant requirement from the

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 futuristic point of view to take advantage of the emerging employment opportunities and to further strengthen
the trade and investment between the two countries.
 ARUN JAITLEY, KARAN SINGH, SHARAD YADAV BEST PARLIAMENTARIANS: Senior BJP leader Arun
Jaitley, Congress Veteran Karan Singh and JD (U) chief Sharad Yadav have been selected for the ‗Outstanding
Parliamentarian Award‘. The Indian Parliamentarian Group had instituted the award in 1994 which is conferred
each year.
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.
 S.Jaipal Reddy Conferred the National Award for Women‘s Development through Application of Science
& Technology: Union minister for science and technology and earth Science S. Jaipal Reddy conferred
National Award for women‘s Development through Application of science & technology at a glittering function
held in New Delhi to mark the International women‘s Day. He also inaugurated a national conference on
‗women‘s health and nutrition- A Community Based Approach on this occasion.
 KAPIL SIBAL LAUNCHED NATIONAL INTERNET REGISTRY: Kapil Sibal, Union Minister for Communication
and Information Technology launched the portal of national Internet Registry (NIR). NIR is entities which
coordinates the allocation of Internet Protocol addresses with other Internet resources management function at
a national level in the country. NIXI was recognized by APNIC in March 2012 to become the NIR for the country
after successful demo of the indigenous software and system developed for the allocation and management of
Internet resources.
 PRESIDENT RELEASED A COMMEMORATIVE POSTAGE STAMP ON SAHIR LUDHIANVI: The president of
India, Pranab Mukherjee released a Commemorative Postage stamp on late Sahir Ludhianvi on the occasion of
his birth anniversary (March 8, 2013) at Rashtrapati Bhawan.
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INDIA TOURISM FILM ―FIND WHAT YOU SEEK‖ GETS FIRST PRIZE AT 11 GOLDEN CITY GATE:
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Ministry of tourism‘s new film ― find what you seek‖ received first prize at the 11 Golden City Gate Tourism
Media Awards ceremony held in Berlin to coincide with ITB Berlin 2013. The golden city gate is an international
film, print and media contest for the tourism industry. The award ceremony is held every year at ITB Berlin, the
world‘s leading travel trade show.
 INDIA‘S BIGGEST SHOPING MALL OPENED IN KOCHI: Billed as India‘s biggest shopping mall, the lulu
shopping mall was inaugurated by Kerala chief minister Oommen Chandy. Is owned by EMKE group of United
Arab Emirates businessman M.A.Yousuf Ali.
 Long Range Cruise Missile Nirbhay Launched: Long range cruise missile ‗Nirbhay‘ was successfully
launched from Launch complex, Chandipur in Odessa, meeting the basic mission objectives successfully. For
the first time, India test-fired its indigenously developed medium range sub-sonic cruise missile ‗Nirbhay‘ from
the Integrated test Range at Chandipur. The missile blasted off from a mobile launcher positioned in the launch
pad 3 of ITR.
 DELHI, MUMBAI, HYDERABAD AIRPORTS AMONG TOP 5 IN THE WORLD: Airports Delhi, Mumbai,
Hyderabad are among the top five airports in the world providing International standard services. Airport 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 airport handling 25-40 million passenger per annum
(MPPA) for theirs service quality for the year 2012.
 SONIA GANDHI COMPLETED 15 YEARS AS CONGRESS PRESIDENT: Sonia Gandhi Completed an
unprecedented 15 years as congress president, a feat unparalleled in the annals of the 127-year-old
organization. The highpoint of 66-year-old Gandhi‘s political career came in May2004 when she successfully led
the congress to power at the Center via the Coalition route. She took over the reins of the organization in March
1998 in the wake of the party‘s dismal showing in the 1998 Lok Sabha polls that saw the exit of the late Sitaram
Kesri from the post.
 CENTRE APPROVED RS 2,892.61 CRORE DROUGHT RELIEF PACKAGE FOR SEVEN AFFECTED
STATES: the centre decided to release a relief package of more than Rs. 2892 crore for seven states, including
Maharashtra, to help them tackle the impact of droughts, floods and landslides faced last year.
 RAJIV GANDHI NATIONAL QUALITY AWARDS ANNOUNCED: Prof.K.V. Thomas Ministry of state for
consumer affairs, food and public Distribution has announced Rajiv Gandhi National Quality Awards for the
year2011.
STATE
 Jammu and Kashmir bagged best ‗All seasons Destination‘ award for Gulmarg: The state of Jammu and
Kashmir has been ‗all seasons destination‘ of the world for its famous Gulmarg tourist resort by Pacific Asia
Travel writers Association (PATAWA) at Berlin Tourism fair.
INTERNATIONAL
 Pakistan, China Inked Deal To Handover Gwadar Port To Chinese Firm: Pakistan and china signed an
agreement to hand over control of the strategic Gwadar deep sea port to a Chinese company, the move would
give new impetus to bilateral relation and economic cooperation. The agreement would give new impetus to
Pakistan-China relation and take bilateral political cooperation into the realm of economic cooperation.

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 Russia to hand over INS Vikramaditya to India in November: Russia will hand over the much-delayed INS
Vikramaditya aircraft carrier to India in November, giving the country‘s navy a strategic advantage in the Indian
Ocean region.
 Raul Castro re-elected for Second term: Cuban President Raul Castro has been re-elected for a second five-
year term. The 612-member National Assembly of People‘s Power elected Castro , as president of the State
Council.
 South Korea sworn in first female president: Park Geun-Hye was sworn in as South Korea‘s first female
president, vowing zero tolerance with provocation from North Korea and demanding Pyongyang ‗abandon its
nuclear ambitions‘ immediately.
 Chuck Hagel sworn-in as new US defence secretary: Former Republican senator Chuck Hagel was sworn in
as the new US Defence secretary, in the midst of controversy over his remarks that India ‗financed problems‘ for
Pakistan in Afghanistan.
 Indian-Origin writer won British Physics Journalism prize: A London-based Indian-origin writer has won the
inaugural Physics Journalism Prize aimed at inspiring the next generation of physicists by encouraging
journalists to spread awareness about the complex subject.
Anil Ananthaswamy, a consultant at New Scientist Magazine and author of ‗The Edge of Physics‘ , has won the
prize sponsored by the Institute of Physics (IOP) and Science and Technology Facilities Council(STFC).
 President Pranab Mukherjee and Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the
locomotives and tank wagons supplied to Bangladesh: President Pranab Mukherjee and Bangladesh
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina jointly inaugurated the locomotives and tank wagons supplied to Bangladesh
under the 800 million US Dollar line of credit provided by India. The freight train which was inaugurated at the
Dhaka cantonment railway station comprise two locomotives, twenty broad gauge tank wagons and one brake
van.
 World‘s Largest space observatory opened in Chile: What is thought to be the world‘s largest ground-based
observatory opened in northern Chile, wielding unprecedented power to peer into the remotest regions of the
universe?. The ALMA space observatory was inaugurated on a desert plateau some 5,000 meters above sea
level.
ECONOMY
 NORTHERN COALFIELDS LTD AMONG 50 MOST CARRING COMPANIES: Northern coalfields ltd, a Mini
Ratna company and subsidiary Maha Ratna company of coal India Ltd, has bagged the award of ―50 most
caring Companies of India‖ in the world Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) congress 2013 held in Mumbai
on February 18, 2013 0n world‘s CSR day.
 EPFO TO PAY 8.5% INTEREST ON PF DEPOSITS FOR 2012-13: Retirement fund body EPFO decided to
pay 8.5 per cent interest rate to its over five crore subscribe on their PF deposits for 2012-13, higher than 8.25
per cent provided in the previous fiscal. According to the EPFO‘s estimates, payment of 8.6 per cent Interest
rate would result in a deficit of Rs 240.49 crore whereas 8.5 per cent interest rate on PF deposits for current
fiscal would leave a surplus of Rs 4.13 crore.
 DOUBLE TAXATION AVOIDANCE AGREEMENT (DTAA) SIGNED BY INDIA AND BHUTAN: The
government of the republic of India signed a Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement (DTAA) with the Royal
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Government of Bhutan for the prevention of fiscal evasion with respect to taxes on income on 4 march, 2013.
 GOVERNMENT DECIDED TO SELL 12.5 PER CENT STAKE IN RASHTRIYA CHEMICALS AND
FERTILIZERS THROUGH THE OFFER FOR SALE: The government has decided to sell 12.5 per cent stake in
the Rashtriya Chemicals and Fertilizer (RCF) through the offer for sale (OFS). The empowered Group of
Ministers (EGoM) on disinvestment, headed by Finance Minster P.Chidambaram, met in New Delhi and decided
on the stake sale.
 GOVERNMENT APPROVED ADDITIONAL FIVE MILLION TONNES OF WHEAT EXPORT: The government
has approved the export of five million tonnes of wheat in view of huge surplus stocks. The wheat stocks will be
exported from the FCI godowns in Punjab for the crop procured during the year 2011-12.
 INDIA, ROMANIA SIGNED AMENDED DTAA: India and Romania inked the Avoidance of Double Taxation
and the Prevention of Fiscal Evasion with respect to taxes on income to bring in change in domestic laws in line
with international standards.
 INDIA, BHUTAN INKED $100 MILLION CURRENCY SWAP AGREEMENT: India and Bhutan signed a
currency swap agreement for up to $ 100 million to further economic cooperation between the two countries.
 FDI inflows dipped 34 per cent to USD 22.7: India has attracted foreign direct investment (FDI) of USD 22.78
billion in 2012, a decline of 34% over the previous year due to global economic uncertainties. The country had
attracted FDI of USD 34.62 billion in 2011, according to the department of Industrial Policy and Promotion data.
The dip in foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows is mainly due to uncertainties in the global economy.
 World Bank to give India $ 3-5 billion assistance annually: The World Bank will provide $ 3-5 billion annual
assistance to India over the next four years to help eradicate poverty and improve healthcare mainly in the low-
income states, World Bank Group President Jim Yong Kim said.
SPORTS

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 Samaraweera retired from international cricket: Sri Lankan batsman Thilan Samarweera retired from
international cricket after selectors dropped him from the opening Test against Bangladesh which starts in Galle.
 Bolt, Ennis won Laureus Sports awards: Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt and British heptathlete Jessica Ennis
won the Laureus World Sportsman and Sportswoman of the Year Awards for their dominant performances at
the London Olympics.
 ICC CWC 2015 named Ralph Waters as new Chairman: Cricket Australia and New Zealand Cricket, the joint
hosts of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015, appointed Ralph Waters as the New Chairman of the Local
Organising Committee for the Tournament.
MISCELLANEUS
 HIV cured baby in the US for first time: In a breakthrough, a two-year-old baby girl in the US born with HIV
has been ‗functionally cured‘ for the first time, scientists have said.
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Google most trusted online brand in India, Facebook is 2 : Google is the most trusted online brand in the
country, with Facebook coming in at number 2, says a study by Brand Trust Advisory. Yahoo has emerged as
the second-most trusted search engine after Google.
 Eight Indians among Forbes Asia‘s 50 top businesswomen: Eight Indian Women, including media baroness
Shobhana Bharti, hotelier Priya Paul and banker Chanda Koachar, figure among Forbes Asia‘s list of 50
businesswomen in Asia who are performing at the centre stage in the world‘s most dynamic region.
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India ranked 28 in women representation on companies‘ boards: Women account for nearly 40% of the
total workforce of India Inc, but their presence is less than 7 % when it comes to board-level positions , survey
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has found. India is ranked at 28 in terms of the presence of women directors in, a slight improvement from last
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Year‘s 30 position, according to women On Board 2013.
 Mukesh Ambani India‘s richest for sixth year: With a net worth of $ 21.5 billion, Mukesh Ambani has
retained the title as India‘s richest person for sixth year in a row, while Mexican business tycoon Carlos Slim has
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emerged as wealthiest in the world for the 4 consecutive year. In the overall rich list of world‘s billionaires, as
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per an annual ranking published by business magazine Forbes, Mukesh Ambani is ranked 22 , while the
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second-richest Indian Lakshmi Mittal is at 41 position with a net worth of $ 16.5 billion.
 ONGC retained top slot among PSUs, BSNL worst performer: ONGC has retained the top position in the
coveted list of 10 most profit-making PSUs, while BSNL was the biggest loss-making state-run company in
2011-12, according to a government survey. ONGC earned a net profit of Rs. 25,122 crore in 2011-12.BSNL, on
the other hand, suffered losses of Rs. 8,850 crore in the same period, replacing Air India as the biggest loss-
making PSU.
Power major NTPC is the second biggest profit-making state-run company, the same position in 2011-12
survey.
 Sonia Gandhi topped the list of 20 most popular women in India: UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi tops the
list of ‘20 most popular women in India in 2012‘ in which her current political rivals Mamata Banerjee and
Jayalalithaa Jayaram also figure.

NEWS & EVENT:JUNE -2013

INTERNATIONAL
 HEART OF ASIA CONFERENCE: The Heart of Asia Conference was held at Almaty, Kazakhstan. Foreign
Minister Salman Khurshid represented India in this conference .Kazakh president Nursultan Nazarbayev called
a bid to integrate India into Central Asia‘s Politics of oil, gas and communication links.
 G-8 FOREIGN MINISTERS MEET: A two-day Foreign Affairs Ministers meet of G-8 countries was held in
London. Foreign ministers from the G-8 nations condemned North Korea‘s aggressive rhetoric and the
development of its nuclear missile programmes, saying that Pyongyang‘s recent action threaten international
security. Ministers also adopted a ‗historic‘ declaration committing the international community to tackle sexual
violence in conflict zones.
 EU ENDS MYANMAR SANCTIONS: European Union (EU) Foreign Ministers agreed to lift the last of the bloc‘s
trade economic and individual sanctions against Myanmar, hailing ‗a new chapter‘ with the once embargoed
state. The EU began easing sanctions against Myanmar a year ago as the military, in power for decades,
progressively ceded power to civilians and implemented wholesale reforms of the economy.
 SAARC NATIONS EXTEND MDG TARTGET TO 2015: The eight SAARC countries, including India, decided to
extend the target of the grouping‘s development goals to 2015, coinciding with that of the MDGs, at the
conclusion of its third ministerial meet on poverty alleviation. The MDGs( Millennium Development Goals) are
eight international development goals that were officially established following the Millennium Summit of the
United Nations in 2010. These goal include-eradicating extreme poverty and hunger, achieving universal
primary education, promoting gender equality and empowering women, reducing child mortality rates etc.
 KERRY VISITS CHINA, JAPAN TO EASE TENSIONS: US diplomat John Kerry visited China and Japan to
discuss nuclear threats as North Korea warned South Korea for a nuclear war.
 SANDY REMOVED FROM LIST OF HURRICANE NAMES: The destruction caused by Hurricane Sandy has
prompted the World Meteorological Organisation to remove the name from a list of storm titles. ‗Sandy‘ will be
replaced by ‗Sara‘ after meteorologists decided that use of the name can be upsetting.
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 SAUDI ARABIA REGISTERS FIRST FEMALE LAWYER: Saudi Arabia has registered it first female trainee
advocate, paving the way for women to practise as lawyers in the kingdom where strict Islamic Sharia law
applies. Arwa-al-Hujaili is the first woman to be registered as a trainee lawyer.
NATIONAL
 HAMID ANSARI VISITS TAJIKSTAN: Indian Vice-President Hamid Ansari was on a four day goodwill visit to
Tajikistan .During his visit he met top Tajik leaders including President Emomali Rahmon and Prime Minister
Akil Akilov, and discussed bilateral and international issues-especially terrorism and Afghanistan problem. India
and Tajikistan agreed to elevate their strategic partnership to a new level by expanding cooperation in several
key areas, including information Technology (IT), energy, health, education, trade and commerce, mining and
agriculture.
 DBT EXPANSION TO 78 DISTRICTS: The government decided to extent Direct Benefits Transfer (DTB)
subsidy scheme to 78 more districts in July and also expand the ambit to include LPG subsidy in a phased
manner to cover 20 districts by May 15 and more districts along with the expansion of Aadhaar enrolment.
 INDIA, RUSSIA INK PACT: India and Russia have signed an agreement to formalize a mechanism to
cooperate in the field of ‗emergency‘ management and contribute to the well-being and safety of the people of
both countries in disaster situations.
 NATIONAL CHILD POLICY: For the first time since independence, India adopted a policy document at the
highest level to recognise every child‘s right to survival, development, protection and participation and define a
child as a person below 18 years of age.
 INDIA-TANZANIA INK PACT: India and Tanzania has inked an initial pact for gorging alliance to explore
mineral wealth in the African nation.
 AAP IS REGISTERED AS POLITICAL PARTY: The Election Commission has formally registered social
activist Arvind Kejriwal‘s Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) as a political party. The AAP has a 23- member national
executive and Mr. Kejriwal is its convener.
 CHIDAMBARAM , AAMIR AMONG TIME‘S MOST INFLUENTIAL PEOPLE: Union finance minister
P.Chidambaram and actor Aamir khan have been named by Time magazine among the 100 most influential
people in the world in its annual list of global achievers that also includes teenaged Pakistani activist Malala
Yousafzai and US president Barack Obama.
 INDIA-AZERBAIJAN EXTRADITION TREATY: India and Azerbaijan signed an extradition treaty and
agreements for mutual legal assistance in criminal and civil matters to combat terrorism.
STATES
 HIMACHAL‘S LUHRI PROJECT : The Union Minister of Environment and Forests has accorded stage-I forest
clearance to a redesigned Luhri project with the installed capacity scaled down from 775 MW to 588 MW to
address environment concerns.
 MP TOPPLES BIHAR IN ECO GROWTH: Provisional data released by Central Statistical Organisation for
2012-13 for states shows that BJP-led Madhya Pradesh has dislodged champion Bihar from its numero uno
position in terms of highest growth of gross state domestic product. Bihar‘s growth has slowed, slipped from an
impressive 13.26% last year to digit 9.48% this year as against 10% clocked by MP.
ABBREVIATIONS
CMVR: Central Motor Vehicle Rules
IPR: Intellectual Property Rights
FGFA: fifth Generation Fighter Aircraft
SFC: Strategic Forces Command
CIIE: Centre for Innovation Incubation and Entrepreneurship
GALEX: Galaxy Evolution Explorer
MRI: Magnetic Resonance Imaging
RESOLVE: Regolith and Environment Science and Oxygen and Lunar volatile Extraction
HCII: human-Computer Interaction Institute
BOOKS AND AUTHORS
 The sea of Innocence: Kishwar Desai
 My Afternoon Poems: Ashok K. Mohapatra
 Colourless Tsukuru Tazaki and The Year of his Pilgrimage: Haruki Murakami
 Punjabiyat: Col Jasbir Singh Khurana
 Solo: William Boyd
 Walking Disaster: James McGuire
 Twisted Perfection: Abbi Glines
 Spellbinding : Maya Gold
 The Collector: Victoria Scott
 Come on Inner Peace!: Sachin Garg
DEFENCE

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 MIG-21 COMPLETES 50 YEARS IN INDIA: To mark completion of 50 years of MIG-21operational in India
,General Director of JSC ‗Russian Aircraft Corporation‘ MIG, Sergei Korotkov, presented a memento to the
Indian Ambassador, Ajay Malhotra, at Moscow. It was 50 years ago that MIG-21, the first supersonic fighter jet
in the Indian Air force fleet, flew over Indian skies.
 APACHES FOR IAF, NOT ARMY: The defence ministry has rejected the Army‘s case for ownership of the 22
heavy-duty apache helicopters, armed with hellfire and stinger missiles, which India is all set to acquire from the
US in a $ 1.4 billion contract.
 NAVY OFFICER COMPLETES RECORD WORLD TRIP: The Indian Navy‘s Lt Cdr Abhilash Tomy became the
first Indian to circumnavigate the earth in a sailboat- solo, nonstop and unassisted. Tomy, a maritime
reconnaissance pilot was accorded a ceremonial welcome by President Pranab Mukherjee , when he arrived at
the historic gateway of India .
BUSSINES & ECONOMY
 FIRST AUTOMATIC TOLL COLLECTION SYSTEM: The country‘s first interoperable RIFD- based electronic
toll system rolled out on the Ahmadabad-Mumbai National Highway and the system would allow vehicles fitted
with electronic tags to sail through six toll plazas automatically.
SPORTS
 INDIAN WOMEN CLINCH ODI SERIES: The Indian women‘s cricket team rode on a disciplined bowling
performance to register a 58 run victory over Bangladesh in the third and final one day international.
 SACHIN TENDULKAR‘S WAX STATUE: Amid enthusiastic singing and chanting by his fans, Sachin
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Tendulkar‘s wax statue was unveiled at the Sydney Cricket Ground just few days before his 40 birthday on
April 22.
 COMMONWEALTH GAMES 2018 EMBLEM UNVEILED: The logo and a countdown clock for the Gold Coast
2018 Commonwealth Games were unveiled at an official launch ceremony, making five years to the opening
ceremony. Commonwealth Games Minister Jann Stuckey said the logo, or emblem, captured the essence of the
tourist Gold Coast strip
AWARDS
 TIMES OF INDIA FILM AWARDS: The maiden Times of India Film Awards culminated in a night of grandeur
and glamour as Bollywood and Vancouver came together to honour the best of Hindi Cinema at the BC Stadium
in Vancouver, Canada.
Best Film: Barfi! , Best Director : Anurag Basu (Barfi!) , Best Actor Female: Priyanka Chopra
Best Actor Male: Ranbir Kapoor , Best Actor Debut Female: Ileana D‘Cruz
Best Actor in Negative Role: Rishi Kapoor
APPOINTMENTS
 HIGH COMMISSIONER IN MALDIVES: Rajeev Shahare is made India‘s High commissioner in Maldives
presented his letter of credence to President Mohamed Waheed.
 NASSCOM CHAIRMAN: Mindtree‘s Managing Director and CEO Krishnakumar Natarajan took over as
Nasscom Chairman for the year 2013-14.
 NIA HEAD: Senior IPS officer N.R. Wasan given the charge of director general of National Investigation Agency (NIA).

MICA : JUNE-2013
ABBREVIATION
 DIPP - department of Industrial Policy and promotion
 DGCX - Dubai Goodland Commodities Exchange
 GSPA - Gas sales and Purchase Agreement.
 SCSS - Senior citizens saving Schemes.
 NIE - national institute of engineering.
IMPORTANT DATES AND DAYS

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7 April World Health Day

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17 April World Hemophilia Day.

th
18 April World Heritage Day.

nd
22 April Earth Day.

rd
23 April World Book and Copyright Day.

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25 April World Malaria Day.
BOOKS AND AUTHORS:
 When Hope and History Rhyme- AMINA CACHALIA
 India‘s voice at the United Nations- E.Ahamed
 Almost Single- Advatia Kala.
APPOINTMENT

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 SENAYANGBA CHUBATOSHI JAMIR:Veteran congress leader and former Governor of Maharashtra and Goa,
Senayangba Chubatoshi Jamior was sworn-in as the governor of Odessa.
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ASHWANI KUMAR:Former CBI Director and Himachal Pradesh DGP Ashwani Kumar was sworn in as the 17
governor of Nagaland at the Dubar Hall of Raj Bhavan.
 DNYANDEO YASHWANTRAO PATIL:Well known educationist and Padam Shri awardee Dnyandeo
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Yashwantrao Patil Was sworn in as the 34 Governor of Bihar at a function.
 NIKHIL KUMAR:Former Indian police service Officer Nikhil Kumar, who has also served as Congress Lok
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Sabha member and Nagaland governor, was sworn in as the 20 governor of Kerala.
 ABHAY MANOHAR SAPRE:Justice Abhay Manohar Sapre was sworn in as first chief justice of Manipur High
court by Governor Gurubachan Jagat at a simple function at Raj Bhawan.
 T.MEENA KUMARI: Justice T.Meena Kumari was sworn in as the first chief Justice of Meghalaya High Court
by Governor Ranjit Shekhar Mooshahary.
 DEEPAK GUPTA:Former judge of Himachal Pradesh High Court Justice Deepak Gupta took the oath of office
as the chief Justice of Tripura High court.
 DEVANAND KONWAR:Former Assam Congress Minister Devanand Konwar, who was the governor of Bihar,
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took oath as 13 Governor of the state of Tripura.
AWARDS/HONOURS:
 LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD: Veteran Bollywood actor Manoj Kumar was Presented the lifetime
th
Achievement Award 2012 at the 5 edition of Nasik International Film Festival (NIFF).
 DADA SAHIB PHALKE AWARD: Pran Krishan Sikand, popularly known as Pran, the veteran film actor, has
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been conferred the Dadasaheb Phalke Award for the year 2012. He is the 44 Dada Saheb Phalke Award
Winner.
OBITUARIES
 MOHAMMAD ZILLUR RAHMAN: Bangladesh president Mohammad Zillur Rahman, died at a Singapore. He
.
was 85 President Rahman was elected by Parliament to the largely ceremonial in February 2009.
 GEORGE LOWE: George Lowe, the last surviving climber from the team that made the first successful ascent
of Mount Everest, has died, he was 89. Lowe and his friend Edmund Hillary were the only two New Zealanders
on the 1953 British led attempt to climb the world‘s highest peak.
 CHINUA ACHEBE: Renowned Nigerian Author Chinua Achebe has died at the age of 82. One of Africa‘s best
known authors, his 1985 debut novel Things fall apart, which dealt with the impact of colonialism in Africa, has
sold more than10 million copies.
 ANTHONY LEWIS: Anthony Lewis, a Pulitzer prize-winning journalist, author and New York Times columnist,
has died. He was 85. Lewis was married to Margaret Marshall, former chief Justice of the Massachusetts
Supreme Judicial court. Lewis won the Pulitzer in 1955 for national reporting for the Washington Daily News and
again in 1963 for national reporting for the New York Times. From 1969 to 2001, he wrote the column ― abroad
at home‖ for the Times.
 SUKUMARI: Sukumari, one of the most colourful personalities in the Malayalam film industry for nearly sis
decades- and who was lovingly called ―Amma‖ passed away in Chennai. She was 74.
 UAN JOSE BIGAS LUNA: Celebrated Spanish director Juan Jose Bigas Luna has died. He was 67. Bigas Luna
made his debut as a screen writer and director in 1976 film ‗Tatuaje‘ and became known for making erotically-
charged movies like ‗Bilbao‘ (1978).
 ROBERT EDWARDS: British scientist Robert, who was awarded a noble prize for his pioneering work in
developing in vitro fertilization (IVF) leading to the birth of the first test tube baby, died. He was 87. He was
awarded the Noble Prize for medicine in 2010, three decades after the birth of the world‘s first test tube baby,
Louise Brown, in 1978, and five decades after he first began experimenting.
 RAMA PRASAD GOENKA: Industrialist Rama Prasad, better known as RP Goenka, died, he was 83.
NATIONAL:- INDIA TO LAUNCH FIRST NAVIGATIONAL SATELLITE IN JUNE: India plans to launch its first
navigational satellite in June. The first satellite of Indian Regional Navigation Satellite system (IRNSS) constellation,
IRNSS-1 will be launched by PSLV-C22.
IRNSS is an independent regional navigation satellite system, designed to provide position accuracy of better
than 10 meters over India and the region extending about 1,500 km around the country.
It is designed to provide an accurate real time position, Navigation and time (PNT) service to users on a variety
of platforms with 24∗ 7 service availability under all weather condition. India has planned 12 missions in the next
one year.
 PRESIDENT PRESENTED THE NATIONAL TOURISM AWARDS: President Pranab Mukherjee presented
National Tourism Awards for the year 2011-12. Andhra Pradesh has bagged the best state award for
comprehensive development of Tourism in the rest of India category of National Tourism Award 2011-12. The
Tourism ministry has also announced special national Tourism Award for Mr.Yaan Martel, author of Book ―Life
of Pi‖, for promoting India (Pondicherry and Munnar) through the film.
 DINSHA J.PATEL CONFERRED NATIONAL GEO SCIENCE AWARDS-2011:Dinsha J. Patel, union Minister
for Mines, conferred the national Geosciences Awards-2011 to outstanding Geoscientist at a function organized

8
 by the Ministry of Mines. The Awards are given for outstanding contribution in the fields of Basic and applied
geosciences.
 LOK SABHA PASSED CRIMINAL LAW AMENDMENT BILL 2013 ENSURING STRINGENT PUNISHMENT
FOR CRIMES AGAINST WOMEN: The Lok Sabha passed the criminal Law Amendment Bill 2013 ensuring
stringent punishment for crimes against women. The bill was unanimously adopted by a voice vote after
negating the opposition-sponsored amendments. The bill widens the definition of rape and prescribes
punishment which may extend death sentence if the victim dies during the commission of offence or is reduced
to persistent vegetative state.
 INDIA AND EGYPT SIGNED FIVE MoUs ON CYBER SECURITY, IT AND SPACE COOPERATION: India and
Egypt signed five MoUs and two agreements in areas of cyber security, information technology, space and
education. The pacts were exchanged after delegation level talks between Visiting Egyptian presidents Dr.
Mohamed Morsy and Prime minister Dr. Manmohan Singh in New Delhi.
 CABINET APPROVED AMENDMENTS IN THE NATIONAL FOOD SECURITY BILL TO PROVIDE UNIFORM
MONTHLY ENTITLEMENT OF 5 KILOGRAMS OF FOODGRAINS PER PERSON: The cabinet on Tuesday
approved change to the landmark food security Bill grant to the nation‘s 67% population the right to get monthly
quota of 5 kg food grain at highly subsidies rates of Rs.1-3 per kg. the amendments to the bill will guarantee 5
kg of food grain per person per month, while families in the poorest of the poor will continue to get 35 kg of grain
per month.
Rice will be sold through ration shops at Rs.3 per kg, wheat at Rs-2 and millets at Rs-1 in the first three years of
the implementations of the Act. This is much lower than the market price of over Rs-20/kg for rice and Rs-16/kg
for wheat.
 INDIA TEST FIRED SUBMARINE-LAUNCHED VERSION OF BRAHMOS MISSILE: India successfully carried
out the maiden test firing of the over 290 km-range submarine-launched version of BrahMos supersonic cruise
missile in the Bay of Bengal becoming the first country in the world to have this capability.
 TRIPURA, MANIPUR AND MEGHALAYA GOT THEIR OWN HIGH COURT: Tripura, Manipur and Meghalaya
have got their own high courts. Justice Abhay Manohar Sapre, Judge of Chattisgarh High Court, has been
sworn-in as the first chief Justice of Manipur High court. The state governor Gurubachan Jagat administered the
oath of office to justice Sapre in Imphal.
Justice T.Meena kumari was sworn in as the first chief Justice of Meghalaya High court by governor Ranjit
Shekhar Mooshahary in Shillong. Kumari was earlier a judge of the Patna High court.
The chief justice of the new Tripura High court Dr.DY Patil will be sworn later. Former judge of Himachal
Pradesh High court Justice Dipak Gupta was sworn in as the first chief Justice of Tripura High court. The center
has constituted three new High courts for north eastern states. With these, the number of high courts in India
has now gone up from 21 to 24.
 NAVNEET KAUR WON FEMINA MISS INDIA: Chandigarh girl Navneet Kaur Dhillon won the Femina Miss
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India 2013 contest in a getting grand finale of the 50 edition of the beauty pageant. Sobhita Dhulipala became
the first runner up while Zoya Afroz was adjudged the second runner up for the prestigious beauty pageant.
 COUNTRY‘S FIRST AVIATION UNIVERSITY IN RAE BARELI:The first aviation university in the country will
come up at the Rai-Bareli in Uttar Pradesh and its academic session would begin in July next year. The
national Aviation University (NAU) would train technical personnel, including engineers, and impart all aviation-
related skills to its students. Rai-Bareli is the Lok-Sabha Constituency of Congress President Sonia Gandhi.

ND
SPEAKER, LOK SABHA CONFERRED 2 NATIONAL PHOTO AWARDS: The second national Photo
Awards-2011 to 2012 was conferred by the Speaker, Lok Sabha, Meira Kumar to eminent photojournalists at a
function held in Vigyan Bhawan. The life time achievement Awards were given to eminent photographers
Pranlal Patel, T.S.Nagarajan and T.N.A Perumal.
 CENTER APPROVED RS373 CRORE PACKAGE FOR SECURITY FORCES IN EXTREMISM AFFECTED
AREAS: the cabinet committee Economic Affairs, CCEA, approved continuation of the scheme for special
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Infrastructure in left Wing Extremism affected states during the 12 plan period. Of the total cost of 373 crore
rupees, 280 crore rupees is the Central Government share and 93 crore rupees the state government. The
proposal includes an added objective of up gradation and critical gap filling of training infrastructure residential
infrastructure, weaponry, vehicles and other related items pertaining to Special Forces of the affected states.
 NUCLEAR CAPABLE AGNI-ll MISSILE SUCCESSFULLY TESTS FIRED APRIL-8:The medium range nuclear
capable Agni-ll missile was successfully test-fired with a strike range of more than 2,000 km from the Wheeler
Island off Odessa coast. The 20- meter long Agni-ll is a two stage, solid-propelled ballistic missile. It has a
launch weight of 17 tones and can carry a payload of tones and can carry a payload of 1,000 kg over a distance
of 2,000km.
 SHABANA AZMI, RANBIR KAPOOR, PRABHU DEVA, RECIVED ‗PEOPLE OF THE YEAR‘ AWARD: to
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mark the centenary year of Indian cinema, the 24 edition of Limca Book of records has honoured cine stars-
Shabana Azmi, Jahnu Barua, Prabhu Deva, Mike Pandey, Ranbir Kapoor among others, with the ‗people of the
year‘ award.
 INDIA, GERMANY AGREED TO EXPAND BILATERAL COOPERATION: India and Germany have agreed to
further expand and intensify bilateral cooperation in a number if fields, including trade and infrastructure.

9
 Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma and German Minister of Economics and Technology philipp
roseler reached the accord at a bilateral meeting.
 INDIA, MAURTIUS INKED AGREEMENT ON ELECTION MANAGEMENT: India and Mauritius signed an
agreement for cooperation in the field of election management and administration. Chief Election Commissioner
V.S Sampath and electoral commissioner of Mauritius Mohammad Irfan Abdool Rahman singed the MoU. The
MoU aims at promotion of exchanges of Knowledge and experience in electoral processes, exchanges of
information, materials, expertise and training of personnel, production and distribution of materials pertaining to
electoral systems, voting technology, voters‘ education and participation of women and minorities in electoral
process.
 INDIA AND GERMANY SINGED SIX NEW PACTS: India and Germany inked six key MoUs including that for
putting together € 7million for next four years towards joint research in the field of higher education and a pact
for a soft loan of € 1 billion for strengthening the green energy corridor.
INTERNATIONAL
 BOBBY GHOSH NAMED TIME INTERNATIONAL EDITOR: Eminent Indian journalist Bobby Ghosh has been
named the new editor of Time International. Ghosh was appointed as the first non-American world editor in
Time‘s history. Bobby joined TIME in 1998 after 10 years as a journalist in India and two on the staff of the Far
Eastern Economic Review in Hongkong.
 PAKISTANI NATIONAL ASSEMBLY MADE HISTORY: Breaking a jinx, Pakistan politics has achieved a major
milestone with the national Assembly completing its full term for the first time, even as the country‘s leadership
continues to be divided on the issue of choosing a caretaker premier to oversee polls. The national assembly or
lower house of parliament completed its constitution five-year term and the cabinet of prime minister Raja
Pervez Ashraf stood dissolved, marking the first time an elected setup has not been removed by the military or
other politician forces.
 UAE INAUGURATED WORLD‘S LARGEST SOLAR POWER PLANT-18 MARCH: The oil-rich United Arab
Emirates (UAE) officially opened the world‘s largest concentrated solar power plant, as USD 600 million project
which can provide electricity to 20,000 homes. President of UAE and the Ruler of Abu Dhabi, SHEIKH
KHALIFABIN ZAYED AL NAHYAN Inaugurated the ―Shams 1‖ solar power station in Madinat Zayed.
 US MILITARY SATELLITE LAUNCHED INTO ORBIT: An unmanned rocket has launched a new US military
satellite in to orbit. The Atlas V (five) rocket lifted off from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station carrying the second
satellite of four planed in the space-Based infrared system.
 OBAMA NOMINATED INDIAN-US TO NATIONAL ART COUNCIL:US President Barack Obama nominated
Indian-American Renee Ramaswamy, a Bharatnatayam exponent, to the prestigious National Council of the
Arts for a five year term. Ramaswamy founded the Ragmala music and Dance Theatre in Minneapolis,
Minnesota in 1992 and has been popularizing this classical dance from in America.
 PRIME MINISTER MET CHINESE PRESIDENT; RAISED BRAHMAPUTRA ISSUE: In the first high level
contact after the new Chinese leadership took over, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh met President Xi Jinping
and raised the issue of Beijing‘s proposal to construct three dams across the Brahmaputra River on its side.
This the first face-to face meeting between the two leaders at the highest level after the recent change in power
structure in china.
 INDIA WOMEN PROFESSIONALS AHEAD OF THOSE IN US, GERMANY, JAPAN: India‘s women
professionals are realizing their carrier ambitions remarkably well and are far ahead of their counterparts in the
United States, Germany and Japan in some critical ways, according to a latest report.
 PAKISTAN TESTED NUCLEAR-CAPABLE HATF-lV MISSILE: Pakistan successfully test-fired nuclear-
capable hatf-lV ballistic missile with a range of 900 km that can hit target in India. The Launch of the hatf-lV,
also known as the Shaheen-1, would strengthen the country‘s deterrence capabilities ―manifold‖
ECONOMY
 Indian-American engineer made head of Google Android: Indian-Origin Sunder Pichai, an IIT-Kharagpur
alumnus has been named as the new head of Google‘s Android division, making him one of the most powerful
executives at the Internet giant.

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India may become 5 - largest manufacturing nation: India may become the fifth-largest manufacturing
nation- from ninth position at present-if the country is able to increase the share of manufacturing in GDP to 25
% , a Boston Consultancy Group report has said. The National Manufacturing Policy envisages that India‘s
manufacturing sector should increase its share of GDP from 15 % at present to 25 % by 2022, in line with
global peers.
It will help India become the fifth-largest manufacturing nation, said the BCG report.
 RBI cuts interest rate by 0.25% : Reserve Bank of India (RBI) cut its key short-term lending and borrowing
rates by 25 basis points, but left unaltered the reserve ratios that can pump more money into the commercial
lending system.
The repurchase rate, or the interest on short-term borrowings by commercial banks, has been cut from 7.75 %
to 7.5 % and the reverse repurchase rate, or interest on short-term lending, automatically stands lowered to 6.5
% against 6.75 %.

10

th
India 4 largest energy consumer in the world: With its rising energy needs, India has emerged the fourth
largest energy consumer of the world after the US, China and Russia, but its per capita energy consumption
remains lower than that of developed countries.
India is the fourth largest energy consumer in the world after the United States, China and Russia, the US
Energy Information Administration(EIA) said in its latest report (for 2011) .The country depends heavily on
imported crude oil, mostly from the West Asia.
 NRI won Healthcare Business award ,2013: The founder-chairman of Vitabiotics, UK‘s largest supplier of
mineral and vitamin supplements to the retail trade, received the honour from UK‘s Home Secretary Theresa
May at a ceremony.
 PPF, post office small savings interest rates cut by 0.1%: Millions of small savers and PPF account holders
will earn less on their post office savings schemes, with government deciding to reduce interest rates on them
marginally by 0.10%.The interest rate of Public Provident Fund(PPF) has been lowered from 8.8% to 8.7 % with
effect from April 1, 2013. However, the rates on savings deposit schemes and on fixed deposit of up to one year
run by post offices has been kept unchanged at 4% and 8.2% , respectively.
 Japan to grant India USD 2.32 billion Aid: 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.
 Exim bank provided USD 9 million loan for export of solar panels: The Export Import Bank of the US has
provided a USD 9 million loan to a California-based firm to export thin-film solar panels to India that was used in
the construction of an 11.6 megawatt power project in Rajasthan
 Fiscal deficit touched 97.4% of budget estimates in Apr-Feb: The government‘s Fiscal deficit touched 97.4
% of the budget estimates (BE) in the April-February period of the current fiscal. In absolute terms, the fiscal
deficit, or gap between expenditure and revenue receipts, stood at over Rs. 5.07 lakh crore at the end of
February, according to the data released by Controller General of Accounts (CGA).
 India‘s external debt at end-December 2012 stood at US $ 376.3 billion reflecting an increase an increase
of 8.9%: Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance has been compiling and releasing quarterly
statistics on India‘s External Debt for the quarters ending September and December every year. Now it has
released statistics relating to India‘s debt at end-December 2012.
 India and Liechtenstein Signed Tax Information Exchange Agreement: India and Liechtenstein have
signed a Tax Information Exchange Agreement(TIEA) at Bern, Switzerland.
 Rajan Bharti Mittal appointed President of ICC India: Bharti Enterprises Vice Chairman and Managing
Director Rajan Bharti Mittal has been appointed the President of International Chamber of Commerce (ICC)
India.
 India and Singapore signed enhanced air services agreement: India and Singapore signed an enhanced air
services agreement on the existing 216 weekly flights and meet the growing demand of air connectivity between
the two countries.
 Centre Approved decontrol of Sugar: Cabinet committee on economic affairs (CCEA) has decided to
decontrol sugar.
Thomas said that sugar will continue in public Distribution System, PDS. He said the subsidy burden will go
from Rs 2700 crore to Rs 5300 crore after the decontrol. He said states would be free to purchase sugar from
the open market in a transparent manner and supply the same to the ration card holders.
 Gopalakrishanan elected as CII President: S.Gopalakrishanan, co-founder and executive co-chairman of
Infosys, has been elected as the President of the industry body CII for the year 2013-14.
Ajay S.Shriram, chairman of DCM Shriram Consolidated Ltd, is president of CII for the year 2013-14.
 Indian economy to grow at a higher pace of 6 % in FY‘14: Multilateral funding agency ADB said India‘s
growth rate will improve to 6% in the current fiscal on the back of stronger external demand and progress on
reforms.
 Gujarat topped in attracting private investment: Gujarat has ranked on top for attracting investment across
the country-cornering about 14% of total outstanding private sector investment worth over Rs 75 lakh crore as of
December 2012, according to an industry body Assocham.
SPORTS
 Rahi Sarnobat clinched gold in ISSF World Cup: Rahi Sarnobat scripted history by becoming the first Indian
pistol shooter to clinch a gold medal in the ISSF World Cup when she pipped local hope Kyeongae Kim 8-6 in
the final of the 25 m sports pistol event in Changwon , Korea.
 Tamil Nadu to host World Chess Championship in November: Tamil Nadu will host the World Chess
Championship, Chief Minister Jaylalithaa announced in the state assembly. The government would release Rs.
29 crore to conduct the Championship, being held for the first time in India, she said while making a Suo Moto
statement on the floor of the assembly.
 Bangladesh to host 2014 Asia Cup: The Asia Cup cricket tournament will be held in Bangladesh for the
second time in a row after India, who had earlier agreed to host the 2014 edition, backed out citing a packed
international schedule. Bangladesh had hosted the last edition the tournament in 2012.
SCIENCE
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 India, US agreed for future cooperation in Moon, Mars Missions: India and the US have agreed to
cooperate on future missions to the Moon and Mars after successful collaboration in Chandrayaan-1 lunar
mission.
MISCELLANEOUS
 Oprah Winfrey voted most influential celebrity: Talk show queen Oprah Winfrey has been voted the most
influential celebrity for 2013 by Forbes Magazine. Winfrey has topped the category even after her popular TV
show ‗The Oprah Winfrey Show‘ , which made her a household name, ended two years ago.

th th
Mumbai 16 most expensive city in the world: Mumbai is the 16 most expensive city in the world in terms of
owning a prime residential property with a price tag of around Rs. 57,000 per sq ft, real estate consultancy
Knight Frank has said in a report.
 Abu Dhabi airport named best in Middle East: The Abu Dhabi international airport has been named the best
in the Middle East by the Airport Council International .This was announced in the Airports Council International
(ACI) Airport Service Quality Survey, which gauges passenger satisfaction, a key benchmark for customer
service in the global airports‘ industry. The awards, announced by the ACI in Montreal, Canada, showed that the
Abu Dhabi airport had the biggest overall improvement in ASQ satisfaction results in the region for 2012. The
airport excelled in categories that measure operational efficiency and quality of service.
 David Beckham remained on top of best-paid list: David Beckham is out in front as the highest-paid player in
world football, according to a report that appeared in Football magazine. The veteran Englishman, who Joined
Paris Saint-Germain in January on a short-term deal until the end of the season, is nearing the end of his
playing career but still comes in ahead of world player of the year Lionel Messi and prolific Real Madrid star
Cristiano Ronaldo. France Football report that Beckham will earn 36 million Euros ($46.7m , £30.9m) in 2012-
13, leaving him just ahead of four-time Ballon d‘Or winner Messi.

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Mumbai slipped to 66 rank among world‘s leading financial hubs: India‘s financial capital Mumbai slipped
th
to 66 rank in the list of world‘s leading financial centers, but New Delhi failed to make a mark, according to the
latest Global Financial Centers Index (GFCI) released.
New York ranked second in the list followed by Hong Kong and Singapore in the third and fourth place
respectively.

BSC-JUNE-2013
.
ECONOMY
 AirAsia to kick off India operations soon: Kuala Lumpur headquartered airline AirAsia has brought forward
the start of its domestic operations I India from May-June this year.AirAsia had announced a tie up with the
Tata Group and Arun Bhatia‘s Telestra Trandeplace for a scheduled domestic airline. The Tata Group will hold
30% in the company and AirAsia will have a 49% stake.

th th
BoB‘s 100 global brand in Dubai: Finance Minister P Chidambaram has inaugurated the 100 overseas
office of state-run Bank of Baroda at Dubai International Finance Centre(DIFC) recently. DIFC is an offshore
financial centre strategically located between east and West that provides a secure and efficient platform for
business and financial institutions to reach out to the emerging markets of the region
 UBI plans branches in BRIC, South Africa: The listed public sector bank, United Bank of India(UBI) , is
planning to apply for licences to the Reserve Bank of India(RBI) for opening overseas branches in South Africa
and BRIC countries.
 NSE unveils India‘s first debt trading platform: The country‘s largest bourse, National Stock Exchange,
launched a dedicated trading platform for debts with capital market regulator SEBI giving the green signal for
this.
 NTPC awarded as most efficient Maharatna: NTPC Limited, India‘s largest power utility has been awarded as
th
the most efficient Maharatna in manufacturing for the year 2012 by a leading Stock Magazine at the 4 Dalal
Street Investment Journal (DSIJ) Award, held in New Delhi.

th th
4 Clean Energy Ministerial meeting held: The 4 Clean Energy ministerial (CEM) meeting was held in India
recently. Among other things, it assessed the steps being undertaken by various countries to pursue green
initiatives. Energy ministers from 23 countries, including US energy Secretary Steven Chu, came together in the
national capital to review the progress of clean-energy initiatives.
 CCL records highest ever coal production: The central Coalfields Ltd(CCL) , a subsidiary of coal India
limited and the first Mini Ratna company of Jharkhand has recorded highest ever coal production and dispatch
in FY 2012-13.
 Mini Ratna Status for Neepco: President Pranab Mukherjee has conferred the status of miniratna-category 1
on the North Eastern Electric Power Corporation (Neepco) recently. With this elevation to Miniratna- category 1
status, Neepco will now able to take certain investment decisions on its own without going through the Union
power ministry, Neepco was earlier a schedule A corporation.
 Ambani Brothers join hands for telecom biz: In the first business deal since they split the Ambani Empire in
2005, billionaire brothers Mukesh and Anil sewed a multi-million dollar deal where the younger sibling will share
his fibre-optic network to help the other roll out his telecom venture. The agreement will allow Reliance Jio

12
 Infocomm Ltd, a unit of Mukesh Ambani‘s Reliance Industries Ltd, to used younger brother Anil‘s countrywide
network to start the fourth generation broadband service.
ABBREVIATIONS
 AMPC: Automated Mail Processing Centre
 CIC: Core Investment Company
 EBSU: electronic Banking Service unit
 LTE: Long Term Evolution
 FGFA: Unified Financial Regulatory Agency
 IVRS: Interactive Voice Response System
 NOFN: National Optical Fibre Network
NATION
 India‘s first automatic toll system: The country‘s first interoperable Radio Frequency Identification
Device(RFID)- based electronic toll system has been rolled out on the Ahmadabad-Mumbai National Highway
and the system would allow vehicles fitted with electronic tags to sail through six toll plazas automatically.
 Mukhyamantri Yuva Swarozgar Yojana: In Madhya Pradesh, the State government has launched
Mukhyamantri Yuva Sawrozgar Yojana. The scheme aims to provide loans through banks to youths to set up
their own industries or business. Under this scheme the state government will give bank guarantee for setting
up of industries or business worth up to 25 lakh rupees and 5% loan subsidy for 5 years.
 Malkhambh declared state sport: The Madhya Pradesh government has decided to declare Malkhamb as
state sport. It has also decided to start a new scheme called ‗Mission Olympics 2020‘ for special coaching to
selected players to represent the country in Olympics 2020.
 First railway station in Meghalaya soon: The first railway station in Meghalaya at Mendipathar in the North
Garo Hills would be inaugurated very soon. Stating that there was a lot of support for the first railway station
from local people, NGOs and social organisations in the Garo Hills.
WORLD
 Heart of Asia conference in Kazakhstan: An international conference called ‗Heart of Asia‘ was held in
Kazakhstan. The conference was a part of the ‗Istanbul process‘ that aims to stabilise war torn
Afghanisan.External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid attended the conference.
 Russia launches bio-satellite: Russia has launched an ‗orbital Noah‘s Ark‘ satellite into space- a bio satellite
packed an array of mice and other small creatures to study the effects of long flights on living organisms.
Russia‘s latest BION-M1 biological research capsule carrying 45 mice, eight Mongolian gerbils, 15 geckos,
snails, fish eggs , micro-organisms and plants blasted off abroad the modernised Soyuz-2 rocket from the
Baikonour launch pad in Kazakhstan recently.
 Third ministerial level meeting of SAARC: The third ministerial level meeting of SAARC on poverty Alleviation
was held in Kathmandu . The eight SAARC countries, including India, decided to extend the target of the
grouping‘s development goals to 2015, coinciding with that of the MDGs (Millennium Development Goals)
 India, Tajikistan to act for peace in Afghanistan: India and Tajikistan have agreed that nations in the region
and the international community should work towards strengthening Afghanistan‘s capacity to maintain peace,
stability and prosperity of the Afghan people.
 Gandhi among top three most admired: Mahatma Gandhi figures among top three most admired leaders of
the world. A survey conducted by an accountancy firm among 1400 CEOs around the world said Winston
Churchill tops the list of 10 most admired leaders, while Gandhi figures at the third position after Steve Jobs(co-
founder of Apple computer)
APPOINTED/ELECTED
 Giorgio Napolitano: In an unprecedented development , Italian President Giorgio Napolitano was re-re-
elected to the country‘s highest office recently after Italy‘s Electoral College failed to elect his successor in five
rounds of voting.
 Nicolas Maduro: Nicolas Maduro has been sworn-in as the new president of Venezuela.
 Hazar Khan Khoso: Justice Hazar Khan Khoso has taken oath as the caretaker prime minister of Pakistan to
hold general election there.
 Raj K Agarwal: Raj K Agarwal, an Anglo-Indian Pharmacist and businessman , has commissioned as the first
Indian diplomat in Wales.
 Rajan Bharti Mittal: Bharti Enterprises Vice Chairman and Managing Director Rajan Bharti Mittal has been
nd
appointed the President of International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) India at the conclusion of 82 Annual
General meeting of ICC India. ICC India is the Indian affiliate of the Paris-based ICC, the world business
organisation with presence in over 90 countries.
 Aruna Bahuguna: Senior IPS officer Aruna Bahuguna has been appointed as the new Special Director General
of the country‘s largest paramilitary force CRPF.
DIED

13
 Shamshad Begum: Legendary singer Shamshad Begum, one of the first playback singer in the Hindi film
industry and voice behind hit songs like ‗mere Piya Gaya Rangoon‘ , ‗Kabhi Aar Kabhi Paar‘ and ‗Kajra
Mohabbat Wala‘ died recently.
 Anthony Lewis: Two-time Pulitzer winner Anthony Lewis , whose New York times column championed liberal
causes for three decades, died recently.
 Phil Ramone: Phil Ramone, the legendary US music producer died recently at the age of 73. Ramone, a 14
time Grammy winner, was once dubbed the ‗pope of pop‘.
 Robert Edwards: British scientist Robert Edwards, who was awarded a Nobel prize for his pioneering work in
developing in vitro fertilisation(IVF) leading to the birth of the first test tube baby, died .

RESIGNED
 Giulio Terzi: Italian Foreign Minister Giulio Terzi resigned following criticism of the government‘s decision tos
end back to India the two Italian Marines accused of killing Indian Fisherman.
SENTENCED
 Sanjay Dutt: Sanjay Dutt has filed a review petition in the Supreme Court challenging his conviction and five
year jail term in the 1993 Mumbai blasts case.
VISITED
 Olafur Ragnar Grimsson: The President of Iceland Visited New Delhi recently.
 Sunita Williams: Indian American astronaut Sunita Williams, who holds the world record for the longest space
flight by a female astronaut, visited India recently.
 Pushpa Kamal Dahal (Prachanda): Prachanda visited India on a four day visit recently. Ahead of his India
visit, Nepal‘s Maoist chief- Prachanda hinted at playing hardball with India, saying that India‘s security concern
would not addressed. If his call for economic assistance to his country doesn‘t get a positive response.
PLACES IN NEWS
 Ladakh: A platoon of Chinese soldiers entered Indian territory on Apr 15 to set up camp in the Depsang valley,
While Chinese helicopters provided cover by entering Indian Airspace.The Indian army has deployed unmanned
aerial vehicles to track the Chinese Army‘s activities near Daulat Beg Oldi, where India established a landing
strip during the 1962 war.
 Boston: A massive bomb blast a few metres short of the Finishing Line of Boston Marathon claimed three lives
and left many injured.
SPORTS
 BWF‘s Female Player of the Year Award: Ace Indian shuttler Saina Nehwal has been nominated for the
Female Player of the Year Award 2012 of the Badminton World Federation (BWF) on the back of an impressive
performance in the season which had seen her win a bronze medal I London Olympics.
 Rupesh Shah wins Asian billiards championship: Reigning world champion Rupesh Shah has won the high
th
quality final match of the 12 Asian Billiards championship 2013. The championship was held at Indore in
th
Madhya Pradesh. This is India‘s 10 Asian Billiards title and Rupesh is a new entrant to this elite club.
 Amit Mishra first bowler to take 3 hat-tricks in IPL: Amit Mishra became the first bowler to take three hat-
tricks in the IPL when Sunrisers Hyderabad beat Pune Warriors by 11 runs. His hat-tricks at the IPL have come
one each for Delhi Daredevils, Decan Chargers and Sunrishers Hyderabad.
 Clark Named junior national coach: hockey India has named South African Gregg Clark as the chief coach of
the junior men‘s national team.
 First medal in World Youth Weightlifting to India: Jamjang Deru gave India the first medal in the World
Youth Weightlifting championships recently, as he won silver in the 50kg boys, category.

AWARDS
 Indian Multinational of the year Award: Tata Motors has been conferred with the prestigious Indian
Multinational of the year Award at the AIMA Managing India awards 2013.
 RIL bags Refiner of the Year Award: Reliance Industries has been awarded the prestigious ‗International
th
Refiner of the Year‘ award 2013 at HART Energy‘s 27 world Refining & Fuel Conference at San Antonio,
Texas, USA.
 Birla award for Jadavpur professor: Professor Nibir Mandal of Jadavpur University has been selected for the
GD Birla Award for Scientific Research for his work in the area of structural geology. The award set up by the
KK Birla Foundation for scientists below the age of 50, carries a cash prize of 1.5 lakh.
 Queen receives honorary BAFTA award: Queen Elizabeth II , who was described as the ‗most memorable
bond girl yet‘ for her helicopter stunt as part of the London Olympics 2012 opening ceremony, has received an
honorary British Academy Award in recognition of her support to British film and television.

14
 Indian-American economist wins ‗Baby Nobel‘: Raj Chetty, a young Indian-American economist from
Harvard University whose pioneering work was cited by US President Barack Obama in his last year‘s State of
Union Address, has won the prestigious John Bates Clark medal, often described as the ‗Baby-Nobel‘.
 PFA player of the year award: Tottenham‘s Gareth Bale has been named the Professional Football
Association‘s player and young player of the year for 2012-13. He has become only the third person to clinch
the double accolade in the same season.
MISCELLANY
 Two women make poll history: For the first time in Pakistan‘s history, two tribal women decided to contest
National Assembly elections. Badam Zari is from Bajaur tribal agency, Nusrat begum is from the adjoining
Lower Dir District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa(formally North West frontier Province) .
 TCS ranked no.1 employer in Europe: Tata Consultancy Services, India‘s largest software exporter, has
been ranked by the CRF Institute as the number one employer in Europe for 2013. Founded in 1991 CRF
Institute is an independent organisation that identifies top-performers in human resources worldwide.
 World‘s lightest material developed: Chinese scientists have developed the world‘s lightest substance,
carbon aerogel, with a density only one-sixth that of air.
 UN International Year of Water Cooperation: The fulfilment of basic human needs our environment, socio-
economic de elopement and poverty reduction are all heavily dependent on water. The UN General Assembly
declared 2013 as the United Nations International Year of Water Cooperation.
 Assamese ‗Gamosa‘ enters Guinness Records: The Assamese ‗Gamosa‘ etched its name in the Guinness
Book of World Records with weavers from the state creating a 1.5 km long motif depicting the traditional towel.
An initiative of Assam police constable Abhijeet Baruah, himself a multiple record holder, the effort was
endorsed by officials of the Guinness Records at the lawns of India Gate in New Delhi as the longest handmade
towel.
BOOKS & AUTHERS
 The Test of My Life: Yuvraj Singh
 Samundra Manthan - Sino-Indian rivalry in the Indo-Pacific : C Raja Mohan
 Book Three of the Clifton Chronicles: Jeffrey Archer
 Faith and Freedom: Mushirul Hasan
 Breaking Ground: Rami Chhabra

PD – JUNE: 2013
NATION
 Prime Minister Manmohan‘s Visit to Germany: PM along with a high level delegation in Berlin on a three-day
visit to Germany. He was accorded a red carpet welcome at the Tegel Military Airport.
The two nations signed six pacts including one under which a German loan of Euro one billion will be provided
for a green energy corridor in India.
 Nuclear-capable Agni-II Missile Test-fired successfully: India on April 7, successfully test-fired it nuclear-
capable Agni-II strategic ballistic missile from a military base in Odisha. The medium range missile with a range
of 2,000 km has already been inducted into the army, and is part of the strategic forces arsenal for nuclear
deterrence.
 India, US to Cooperate on Moon, Mars Missions: India and the US have agreed to cooperate on missions to
the Moon and Mars after successful collaboration in Chandrayaan-1 mission. Building on NASA‘s collaboration
in India‘s highly successful Chandrayaan-1 Lunar Mission in 2008, NASA and ISRO agreed to explore further
cooperative space exploration work, including future missions to the Moon and Mars.
 New, Harsher Anti-Rape Law comes into Force: President Pranab Mukherjee has given his assent to the
anti-rape Bill, which provides for life term and even death sentence for rape convicts, besides stringent
punishment for offences such as acid attacks, stalking and voyeurism.
 The new law states that rapists can be sentenced to 20 years jail term but it may also extend to life term
with a fine.
 The law, for the first time, defines stalking and voyeurism as non-bail able offences if repeated for a second
time.
 Acid attacks will attract a 10-year jail term. It also defines acid attack as a crime besides granting a victim
the right to self-defence.
 India-Africa Ties Getting Stronger with Youth Participation: The government‘s efforts in forging closer ties
with Africa by engaging the youth of both the regions in a big way and helping them harvest their ideas for
business and social ventures is becoming a success story.
 Indo-Swiss Body to work for Recognition for Ayurveda: In an effort aimed at taking Ayurveda to the world
by helping it get recognition as a full-fledged medical system promoting research, clinical practice and teaching,
institutions in Switzerland and India have set up the Indo-Swiss Ayurveda Foundation (ISA).

15
 One of the objectives of ISA would help people understand that the promotion of the Indian system of medicine
was not to project it as a competitor but complementing factor to other systems of medicine.
 Indo-China Border Tiff- India Asks China to Revert to Status Quo: India on April asked China to restore
status quo at the Daulat Beg Oldi sector in Ladakh where troops of both countries came ‗face-to-face‘ after
Chinese troops intruded 10 km inside Indian Territory on April 15, 2013. More than 200 incursions(the
government refers to them as transgressions) are reported every year in the Ladakh sector, Arunachal Pradesh
and Sikkim along the disputed border.
 Kurien elected Chairman of Asian forum of parliamentarians: Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman P.J.Kurien
was unanimously elected the Chairman of the prestigious Asian Forum of Parliamentarians on population and
development (AFPPD) in Bangkok. The ASPPD is a regional NGO which serves as a coordinating body of 25
National Committees of Parliamentarians on Population and Development.
 Quota for Women in Police: The state Cabinet gave its nod to the home department‘s proposal to grant 35%
reservation for women in the recruitment of constables and sub-inspectors in reserved and unreserved
categories of the state.
 Ahmadabad first city in South Asia to Launch Heat Action Plan: The Indian City of Ahmadabad a first of its
kind Heat Action plan. With this it became the first city in South Asia to launch a Heat Action Plan (HAP).
 First Public Health University in India to be set up in Odisha: Odisha decided to set-up the first public health
university in India. This university will be set-up under Public-Private Partnership mode at Gramadiha village in
Jatni Tehsil on the outskirts of Bhubaneswar.
WORLD:- China Offers Tours to Disputed Islands: Adding further uneasiness to its neighbours China has
announced plans to launch cruises for tourists to a chain of disputed islands in the South China Sea claimed by
Vietnam and Taiwan. It also expressed concerns over North Korea‘s rhetoric about waging war with the neighbouring
South Korea.
The disputed Paracels islands in the South China sea, called Xisha in China has been under Chinese control
since a short war with the then South Vietnam in 1974.
 Former‘s British PM Margaret Thatcher Passes Away: Britain‘s first woman Prime Minister, known as the
Iron Lady, passed away in London following a stroke, she was 87.
Thatcher was Conservative Prime Minister from 1979 to 1990. Thatcher, born as Margaret Roberts becomes
the conservative MP for Finchley, north London in 1959, retiring from the commons in 1992.
 Pakistan Test-fires N-Capable Hatf-IV Missile: Pakistan successfully test-fired nuclear-capable Haft-IV
ballistic missile with a range of 900 km that can hit targets in India. Officials said that launch of the Hatf-IV also
known as the Shaheen-I would strengthen the country‘s deterrence capabilities manifold. The launch was
described by the military as successful. ‗The missile incorporates a series of improvements in range and
technical parameters of the existing missile,‘ the military said in a statement.
 US Hikes Pak Aid by 40% in 2014 Budget: US President proposed a 40% increase in American aid to
Pakistan, amounting to $ 1.4 billion, as part of his $ 3.77 trillion budget that focuses on job creation and
economic growth.
 A Thin Victory for Maduro in Venezuela Presidential Election: In the Venezuelan Presidential election held
the President Hugo Chavez‘s hand-picked successor won by a stunning narrow margin indicating rising
discontent over problems ranging from crime to power blackouts. Maduro won with 50.66% votes according to
official tally.
 Polio Vaccine Developer Koprowski Dies: Dr. Hilary Koprowski, the Polish-born researcher who developed
the first successful oral vaccination for polio, died in the second week of April his Philadelphia (USA).
 Bangladesh gets a new President: Bangladesh‘s veteran politician and parliamentary Speaker Abdul Hamid
was elected unopposed as the country‘s President, a day after the ruling Awami League nominated him for the
th
top post .Abdul Hamid is the 20 President of the country.
ACRONYMS
 AAD- Advanced Air Defence
 AIUDF: All India United Democratic Front
 ASATM: Anti-Satellite Missile
 BITA: Bilateral Investment and Trade Agreement
 CCI: Competition Commission of India.
 DBT: Direct Benefits Transfer
 IOR: Indian Ocean Region
 PMEAC: Prime Minister‘s Economic Advisory Council.
APPOINTMENTS
 S.Gopalakrishnan: S.Gopalakrishnan , co-founder and executive co-chairman of Infosys, has been elected as
the President of Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) for the year 2013-14. He succeeds Adi Godrej, chairman
of the Godrej Group.
 N.Ravi: N.Ravi , director of Kasturi and Sons Limited publisher of ‗The Hindu‘, and a former Editor of the paper,
was unanimously elected President of the Editors Guild of India.

16
PERSONS IN THE NEWS
 Kamala Harris- First ethnic Asian Indian American to become Attorney General in US : Harris, was born in
Oakland to an Indian mother, who migrated to US , and a Jamaican Father.
 Abhilash Tomy Navy officer Completes Circumnavigation: President Pranab Mukherjee accorded a warm
welcome to Indian Navy‘s Lt. Cdr. Abhilash Tomy who became the first Indian to circumnavigate the globe , solo
and non-stop , over a 150 day voyage.
 Perilla Bhandari Swartz: Perilla Bhandari Swartz could possible be the only Indian Women-a captain no less-
in the US Marines. She has seen action in three combat zones, including Iraq and has a number of awards
under her belt like Soldier of the Year (2004).
DEATHS
 Les Blank: Les Blank, the renowned independent film maker, who won a BAFTA for his movie on Werner
Herzog, died of cancer in April 2013 in the USA.
 Russian Tycoon Berezovsky: A self-exiled and outspoken Russian Tycoon Who had a bitter falling out with
Russian President Vladimir Putin was found dead in the last week of March in Southeast England.
 Chinua Achebe: Nigerian novelist and poet Chinua Achebe, widely seen as a grandfather of modern African
literature, passed away in Logos.
 P.B. Srinivas: Veteran playback singer, P.B. Srinivas died followed brief illness.
 Human Computer Shakuntala Devi Passes Away: Mathematical genius Shakuntala Devi, nicknamed ‗human
computer‘ for her ability to make complex mental calculations, sided in Bangalore following respiratory
problems.
Shakuntala Devi found a slot in the Guinness Book of World Record for her outstanding ability and wrote
numerous books like ‗Fun with Numbers‘ , ‗Astrology for You‘ , ‗ Puzzles to Puzzle you‘ ,and ‗Mathablit‘. She had
the ability to tell the day of the week of any given date in the last century in a jiffy.
 Lalgudi Jayaraman: Lalgudi G. Jayaraman, the violinist whose tonal quality and chiselled rendering elected
Carnatic music to new heights, died in Chennai.
AWARDS/HONOURS:- Ravuri Bharadwaja Selected for Jnanpith Award 2012: Ravuri Bharadwaja the
Telugu writer was selected for the prestigious Jnanpith Award 2012. He got the award for his contributions to Telugu
Literature for over a period of six decades. Ravuri on his credit has written 37 volumes of Short Stories and 17
Novels. He was selected for the award by the Jnanpith Award Committee Chaired by the noted poet Sitakant
Mahapatra.
 2013 Pulitzer Prize Declared: All 21 categories of the Pulitzer Prizes for 2013 were awarded, assuaging fears
of a repeat of 2012 when the fiction prize was not given. The New York Times won four prizes, for investigative
reporting explanatory reporting, international reporting and feature writing. The public service award was
awarded to the Sun Sentinel for its coverage of off-duty police officer who recklessly speed and endanger the
lives of citizens. The fiction prize was awarded to Adam Johnson‘s novel the Orphan Master‘s Son, set in North
Korea, and the biography award went to Tom Reiss‘s The Black Count, about Alexander Dumas‘s Father.
 2013 Time of India Film Awards (TOIFA) : The 2013 Times of India Film Awards(TOIFA) ceremony took place
in BC Place, Vancouver. The top winner of the awards was Barfi! Which bagger the best film, best director, best
actor and best actress trophies.
The list of the Awards is as follows:
TOIFA Best Film: Barfi!
TOIFA Best Actor: Ranbir Kapoor
TOIFA Best Actress: Priyanka Chopra
TOIFA Best Supporting Actor Male: Annu Kapoor (for Vicky Donor)
TOIFA Best Supporting Actor Female: Dolly Ahluwalia (for Vicky Donor)
TOIFA Best Director: Anurag Basu(for Barfi!)
REPORTS/SURVEY
 Fast-growing India Slow to Spread benefits: India as behind sub-Saharan Africa in environmental
sustainability and social spread of economic benefits as it is among top six countries for amassing foreign
exchange since 1995, a United Nations report says.
 India Lags behind China in Research Publications: According to the Nature Publishing Index(Asia
Pacific)2012, India stands7, much below China, ranked number two, in terms of the number of research articles
and scientific progress among 16 countries in Asia Pacific.
 The researchers from University of Calicut in the fourth week of April 2013 reported that they have
discovered a new subspecies of wild banana, named Musa velutina subs. Markkuana.
 Delhi‘s Sulabh International Museum of Toilets: The Sulabh International Museum of Toilets in the Palam
area of Delhi entered the list of top 10 Weird and Unusual museums of the world.
BOOKS & AUTHERS
 Mofussil Junction Indian Encounters 1977-2012: Ian Jack, Penguin, Viking
 Of Mother and Others: Editor of Jaishree Mishra, Zubaan
 Faith and Freedom: Gandhi in History: Mushirul Hasan Niyogi Books
17
 Distant Traveller: Attia Hosain
IMPORTANT DAYS
 3 June: Father‘s Day
 4 June: International Day of Innocent Children
 5 June: World Environment day
 14 June: World Blood Donor day
 26 June: International Day against drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking
SPORTS
 ICC Test Rankings: Cheteshwar Pujara and Ravi-Chandran Ashwin are the only two Indian Cricketers to figure
out among the top-10 in the latest ICC Test rankings in batting and bowling respectively released on April 21,
2013 Pujara with 777 ranking points retained his position at number seven in the batting chart of the ICC
rankings released.
 Chris Gayle hit Fastest-Ever Century in the history of cricket during IPL: Chris Gayle, the West Indies
opener, hit the fastest ever century in the history of cricket by reaching 100 in merely 30 balls during Royal
Challengers Bangalore-Pune Warriors IPL match on April 23, 2013.
 American Serena Williams Tops the Women‘s Tennis Ranking: American Serena Williams was ranked
number one in an unchanged top 10 issued on April 8, 2013 by the WTA (Women Tennis Association).
 Adam Scott wins the Augusta Masters Golf Tournament: Adam Scott won the Augusta Masters Golf
Championship. He beat Angel Cabrera in the play-off for the title.
 Rupesh Shah Becomes Asian Billiards Champion: Reigning world Champion Rupesh Shah added another
th
feather in his cap by clinching the 12 Asian billiards Championship with win over compatriot Alok Kumar in the
fiercely fought final.
 Jamjang Deru Wins Silver in World Youth Weightlifting Championship 2013: Jamjang Deru won silver in
the 50 kg boys category at Tashkent, Uzbekistan in the world youth weightlifting championships 2013.
ECONOMICS
 SEZ Norms Liberalised: Amid dwindling interest in SEZs, the government announced a ‗package of reforms‘
including easing of land requirement norms and an exit policy to rekindle investor interest in Special Economic
Zones.
 PMEAC‘s Review of the Economy 2012-13: PMs Economic Advisory Council (PMEAC) has released the
document ‗Review of the Economy 2012-13‘.
The highlights of the document are:
 Economy is projected to grow at 6.4% in 2013-14.
 Investment rate is estimated to be 35.8% of GDP in 2012-13. There has been a sharp decline in the
productivity of capital as the Incremental Capital output ratio (ICOR) has shot up from its historical level of
around 4.0 to much higher levels.
 Domestic Savings rate is estimated to be around 30.8 % of GDP 2012-13.
 Current Account Deficit is estimated to be $ 94 billion (5.1 % of GDP) in 2012-13 and is projected to be $
100 billion (4.7% of GDP) in 2013-14.
 India‘s External Debt Stands at $ 376.3 billion: India‘s external debt stock at end-December 2012 stood at
US $ 376.3 billion, recording an increase of US $ 30.8 Billion over the level of US $ 235.5 billion at end-march
2012.
 ADB Projects India GDP Growth at 6% in 2013-14:In its flagship annual economic publication, Asian
Development out-look 2013(ADO 2013) , ADB projects India‘s GDP growth to edge up to 6% in the fiscal year
to end March 2014.
 Mukesh Ambani Retains Wealthiest Rank Among Indians: Mukesh Ambani retained the top spot among
Indians on Forbes annual list of the wealthiest world‘s billionaires with an estimated worth of $ 21.5 billion.
 Asian Development Outlook 2013: ADB‘s Asian Development Outlook (ADO) 2013 estimates that regional
economic growth in the Asia Pacific region will pick up to 6.6% in 2013 and reach 6.7% in 2014.This is a distinct
improvement on 2012, when growth stood at just over 6%. Consumer prices are expected to rise by 4% in 2013
and 4.2% in 2014, up from 3.7% last year.
Highlights of Asian Development Outlook 2013:
 Developing Asia‘s Gross domestic product is forecast to expand by 6.6% in 2013 and 6.7% in 2014,
following the slower 6.1% pace in 2012.
 India‘s growth has the potential to pick up from 5.0% in 2012 to 6.0% in 2013 and 6.5% in 2014, but the
South Asian giant must create a more favourable environment for investment if it is to sustain this higher
rate.
 World Bank‘s International Debt Statistics 2013: International debt Statistics 2013 contains comprehensive
data from developing as well as high-income countries .Following are some key trends and developments:
 The combined stock of developing countries‘ external debt increased by $ 464 billion to $ 4.9 trillion at
end 2011, but at an average of 22% , remained moderate in relation to Gross National Income(GNI), and
to exports.

18
  Net external debt inflows to developing countries fell 9% in 2011to $ 465 billion due to the sharp
contraction in inflows from official creditors, which fell to $ 30 billion (from $ billion in 2010)
 Saradha Group Scam: Saradha Realty India Ltd, a company established by Sudipta Sen has come into
intense focus. Sudipta Sen started as a real estate broker in circulating schemes began in the mid-2000s.this
eventually morphed into nearly 100 companies, including his flagship Saradha Realty India, launched in 2008.
 Monetary and Credit Policy 2013-14: RBI Governor Dr. D. Subarao announced the Monetary and Credit
Policy for the year 2013-14.
 The baseline GDP growth for 2013-14 is projected at 5.7%.
 Aggregate deposits of scheduled Commercial banks are projected to grow by 14.0 %
 By far the biggest deficits can potentially spill over into the CAD and undermine its sustainability even
further.
 It has been decided to reduce the policy repo rate under the liquidity adjustment Facility(LAF) by 25 basis
points from 7.5% to 7.25% with immediate effect.
 The reverse repo rate under the LAF, determined with a spread of 100 basis points below the repo rate,
stands adjusted to 6.25 % with immediate effect.
 The marginal standing Facility (MSF) rate, determined with a spread of 100 basis points above the repo
rate, stands adjusted to 8.25% with immediate effect.
 The Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR) of scheduled banks has been retained as 4% of their net demand and time
liabilities (NDTL)
 Final Population Date 2011 Released: Union Minister of home Affairs Sushil Kumar Shinde, released the
Primary Census abstract-Data High lights of Census 2011 in a function organized by the office of the Registrar
General and Census Commissioner, India, in New Delhi.
According to Primary Census Abstract-data highlights of Census 2011 , India‘s total population as on March 1,
2011 is 1,210,726,932 or 1.21 billion, an increase of 181.96 million persons in absolute number of population
during 2001-11.
During this decade, population of India grew by 17.7% as against 21.5% in the previous decade. As per census
,833.5 million persons live in rural areas and 377.1 million persons lives in urban areas.
Density of population as per current census is 382 persons per square km against 325 person per square km in
2001.
 World Bank proposes $ 12-20 billion programme for India: The World Bank has come out with a multi-
billion ($ 12-20 billion) four-year plan aimed at bringing down poverty levels in seven low-income Indian states,
where majority of the country‘s poor live, to just 5.5% in 2030 against 29.8 % in 2010.These states are Bihar,
Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh.

MICA: JULY -2013

ABBREVIATIONS:
 DTAA- Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement
 NULM- National Urban Livelihoods Mission
 NPR- National Population Register
 FTA- Free Trade Agreement
IMPORTANT DATES AND DAYS:

st
1 May- International Labor Day

rd
3 May- World Press Freedom Day

th
8 May- World Red Cross Crescent Day

th
12 May- International Nurses Day

th
17 May- World Information Society Day

nd
22 May- International day for Biological Diversity

th
29 May- International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers

st
31 May- World No-Tobacco Day
BOOKS AND AUTHORS
 A Shot at History: obsessive Journey to Olympic Gold – Abhinav Bindra
APPOINTMENTS:

nd
Siddaramaiah: Siddaramaiah was sworn in as the 22 Chief Minister of Karnataka at a grand show at a
stadium , making the return of the administration back to the hands of congress after more than seven years.

19
 Kapil Sibal: Kapil Sibal, assumed the additional charge of the Minister of Law & Justice. After taking over the
charge, he said that the rule of law is the foundation civil society and the processes of law must be quick and
non discriminatory.
AWARDS/HONOURS
 Dadasaheb Phalke Award: The minister of Information and Broadcasting, Manish Tewari personally
presented the prestigious Dadasheb Phalke award for life time achievement to Pran Krishan Sikand, popularly
known as ‗Pran‘.
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Pran is the 44 recipient of the award, that was instituted in 1969, the birth centenary year of Dadasaheb
Phalke, considered the father of Indian Cinema.
 Jnanpith Award: Telugu writer Dr. Ravuri Bharadwaja has been selected for the prestigious Jnanpith Award for
the year 2012.
OBITUARIES:
 Alfredo Guevara: Cuban prominent Filmmaker , intellectual and cultural leader Alfredo Guevara had died. He
was 87.
 Shakuntala devi: Legendary Mathematics wizard Shakuntala devi, dubbed as the world‘s fastest ‗human
computer‘ and who made complex mental calculations as a child prodigy, died.
Devi figured in the Guinness Book of World Record for her outstanding ability and wrote numerous books like
‗fun with numbers‘ , ‗Astrology for You‘, Puzzles to puzzle you‘ , and ‗ Mathablit‘. Hailing from a simple orthodox
Karnnada Brahmin family.
 Francois Jacob: French Biologist Francois Jacob, who won the 1965 Nobel Prize for Medicine for his research
into enzymes, had died
 E.L.Konigsburg: An Author who twice won one of the top honours for children‘s literature. She won the john
Newbery Medal in 1997 for her book ‗The view from Saturday‘ and in 1968 for ‗From the Mixed-up files of Mrs.
Basil E. Frankweiler.‘.
 Jagdish Sharan Verma: Former Chief Justice of India Jagdish Sharan Verma, who headed the government-
appointed committee to frame a tough law to tackle crime against women in the wake of the December Delhi
gang rape incident, died.
 Dr. Asghar Ali Engineer: Renowned Islamic scholar, progressive thinker, author and Dawoodi Bohra reformist
leader Dr. Asghar Ali Engineer passed away.
NATIONAL
 BSF declared 2013 as ‗Year of the Jawan‘: In a first of its kind scheme to reach out and help lakhs of its
troops, country‘s second largest paramilitary force BSF has decided to observe 2013 as the ‗Year of the Jawan‘
 India, Costa Rica Signed MOU to Enhance Trade Ties: The Minister of state in the Ministry of Commerce
and Industry , Dr. Purandeswari held three bilateral Meetings and signed one important Memorandum of
Understanding in Costa Rica. She first met Daisy Maria Corrales Diaz, Costa Rica‘s Minister of Health. Followed
by it, she met Alejandro Cruz Minister of science and Technology, Costa Rica.
 Centre Approved 8 % increase in dearness allowance for government employees and pensioners: Union
Cabinet approved the proposal to increase dearness allowance to 80%, from existing 72%, benefiting about 50
lakh employees and 30 lakh pensioners of the central government.
The hike would be effective from January 1, 2013 and the employees and pensioners will be entitled to arrears.
 Cabinet Cleared national policy for children: The cabinet approved the national policy for children, 2012
which recognises child survival, health, nutrition, education, development and protection as undeniable rights of
every child. As per National child policy every person below the age of eighteen years as a child and that
childhood is an integral part of life with a value of its own.
 Anil Goswami Appointed as New Home Secretary: Anil Goswami, secretary, Ministry of Social Justice and
Empowerment as Home Secretary, Ministry of home affairs for a period of two years from the date of taking
over the charge of home secretary, vice Raj Kumar Singh.
 LPG subsidy directly in bank accounts from Oct 1: The government plans to provide subsidy to 14 crore
LPG subscribers directly in their bank accounts from Oct 1, using the Aadhaar payment platform. The
Government has decided to launch ‗Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) for LPG throughout the country tentatively
from October 1.
 India‘s total population is 1.21 billion: India‘s total population stands at 1.21 billion, which is 17.7 % more
than the last decade. According to the final census released by home minister Sushil Kumar Shinde, India‘s total
population as on March 1, 2011 is 1,210, 726, 932 or 1.21 billion- an increase of 181.96 million persons in
absolute number of population during 2001-11.

20
 President released stamps on 50 film personalities: President released commemorative postage stamps on
the eve of 100 years of Indian Cinema depicting 50 iconic Bollywood personalities including Dev Anand, Samita
Patil and Yash Chopra.
The personalities depicted in Stamps include, Ashok Kumar, Bhalji Pendharkar, Durga Khote, dev Anand, Yash
Chopra, Samita Patil ,Rajesh Khanna, Shammi Kapoor, Suraiya, Geeta Dutt, Sohrab Modi, Tapan Sinha, C V
Sridhar, Bhanumathi etc.
 Sex Ratio in Haryana, Worst among all states: Haryana has the dubious distinction of having the worst male-
female ratio among all states while Kerala fares the best. According to the 2011 census, the number of females
per 1000 males in Haryana stands at 879.
INTERNATIONAL
 Narayan Murthy, Adi Godrej bagged UK Asian Awards: Top Indian industrialists Narayan Murthy and Adi
Godrej besides actor Anupam Kher were among a number of personalities from Asia to be recognised by the
UK for their contributions in various fields.
Infosys co-founder Narayana Murthy was named ‗Philanthropist of the year‘ at the third edition of the annual
Asian Awards in a gala ceremony. Industrialist Adi Godrej bagged the ‗Entrepreneur of the Year‘ award for his
contribution to Indian Industry while Ravi Ruia, vice-chairman of the Essar Group, won in the ‗Outstanding
Contribution to Sustainability‘ category, for his company‘s high sustainability ratings.
 Napolitano re-elected Italy‘s President: Italy‘s parliament re-elected Giorgio Napolitano to an unprecedented
second term as President, after party leaders persuaded the 87 year old to serve again in hopes of easing the
hostility that has thwarted formation of a new government.

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Abdul Hamid elected as the 20 President of Bangladesh: Advocate Abdul Hamid has been elected as the
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20 President of Bangladesh .He was the acting president and speaker of the Bangladesh parliament.
 Sudarsan Pattnaik bagged Moscow Choice Prize: India‘s noted sand artist Sudarsan Pattnaik has won the
‗Moscow Choice Prize‘ in Russia with a 12 feet creation of the Hindu elephant god Ganesha, who he says a
symbol of world peace.
 Bangladesh got first woman speaker: Bangladesh‘s parliament elected Shrin Sharmin Chowdhury, currently
the State Minister for women and child affairs, as its first woman and youngest speaker.
 Najib Razak sworn in as Malaysia‘s Prime Minister: Najib Razak was sworn-in as Malaysia‘s Prime Minister
for a second time, a day after his ruling coalition, one of the world‘s longest serving, swept to power in general
elections.
ECONOMY
 An Agreement(DTAA) and Protocol Signed Between India and Malta for the Avoidance of Double
Taxation and the Prevention of fiscal Evasion with respect to Taxes on income: India and Malta had
signed the new DTAA at Valetta, Malta. The Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement (DTAA) was signed by the
Preneet Kaur, Minister of State for External Affairs of India and Dr. George Vella , Foreign Minister of Malta.

nd
India 2 biggest destination for UAEs postal service: UAE‘s Emirates Post has said that its express parcel
service saw the second biggest increase of 41% in parcel volumes to India in the first quarter of 2013.
 India accounts for one third of the world poor: India accounts for one-third of the world poor, people living on
less than $ 1.25 (about Rs 65) per day, a World Bank report on poverty has said.
The report said that 1.2 billion people still living in extreme poverty across the world.
 NRI‘s pharma firm received Queen‘s award in UK: Vitabiotics, a company founded by NRI entrepreneur
Kartar Lalvani, has received the coveted Queen‘s Award for Enterprise in Innovation for its research on
vitamins.
 Sunil Bharti Mittal Appointed Vice Chairman of ICC: Bharti Enterprises Chairman and Group CEO Sunil
Bharti Mittal has been appointed as the Vice-Chairman of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) , one
of the world‘s oldest global business organisations.
 PMEAC pegged GDP growth rate at 6.4% in 2013-14: Improvement in performance of agriculture and
manufacturing sectors is expected to push the economic growth rate to 6.4% in 2013-14 from 5 % in the
previous fiscal, PM‘s economic advisory panel said.
 GDP estimates by CSO for 2011-12 and 2012-13 could be revised upwards.
 Investment rate estimated at 35.8% of GDP in 2012-13
 Domestic savings rate pegged at 30.8% of GDP last fiscal.
 CAD estimated to decline to 4.7% of GDP in FY 14 from 5.1% in FY 13.
 WPI inflation expected at 6% this fiscal.
 Japan‘s Nakao Elected new ADB President: The Asian Development Bank(ADB) announced that Takehiko
Nakao has been unanimously elected as President by its Board of Governors. He will finish the unexpired term
of his predecessor Haruhiko Kuroda which ends Nov 23,2016.

21
 Loans to get cheaper as RBI cuts key policy rates: The Reserve Bank of India cut key policy rates by 0.25%
, a move that will make auto, housing and other loans cheaper and help accelerate economic growth.
 Key short-term lending rate(repo) cut by 0.25 pc to 7.25 pc.
 Cash reserve Ratio kept unchanged at 4%.
 RBI says assessment of growth-inflation dynamics limits scope for further easing of policy rate.
 Inflation to remain range-bound around 5.5 pc in FY 14.
 CAD is the biggest risk to the economy.
 Banks asked to stop differential treatment to home-branch and non-home branch customers.
SPORTS
 Sachin Tendulkar‘s wax statue unveiled at SCG: Sachin Tendulkar‘s wax statue was unveiled at the Sydney
Cricket Ground. Tendulkar Waxwork was unveiled at the SCG where he has played some memorable innings.
 Bahrain‘s Sheikh Salman Voted new AFC President: Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa was voted the
new president of the Asian football Confederation, replacing disgraced ex-leader Mohamed bin Hammam.
MISCELLANEOUS
 Mahatma Gandhi among top three most admired world leaders: Mahatma Gandhi figures among the top
three most admired leaders of the world. A survey conducted by an accountancy firm among 1400 CEOs
around the world said Winston Churchill tops the list of 10 most admired leaders, while Gandhi figures in the
third position after Steve Jobs.
 Sonia, Manmohan among top 5 influential Asians: Congress President Sonia Gandhi, P.M Manmohan Singh
and AICC vice president Rahul Gandhi have been named among top 5 in the world‘s 100 most influential list of
Asians topped by China‘s new President Xi Jimping.
 Chidambaram , Aamir Khan among Time‘s most influential list: F.M. P. Chidambaram and actor Aamir
Khan have been named by Time Magazine among the 100 most influential people in the world in its annual list
of global achievers that also includes teenaged Pakistani activist Malala Yousafzai.

th
Mukesh and Anil Ambani 20 richest in World: India‘s leading industrialist brothers, Mukesh and Anil
th
Ambani, have been together listed as 20 richest in the world in the Sunday Times Rich list 2013.

th
India ranked 38 in Index of Democracy: Even as it acknowledges India as the world‘s most populous
th
democracy, the economist magazine‘s Index of Democracy 2012 ranks India 38 among 165 nations with an
overall score of 7.52.
 DDLJ voted favourite Indian film of the past 100 years: Cinema lovers have voted ‗Dilwale Dulhania Le
Jayenge‘ as their most favourite film from the past 100 years of Indian Cinema in a poll conducted by Sanona.
The UKs largest online Pay Per View (PPV) Indian Movie steaming service

BSC: JULY-2013
ECONOMY

 RBI panel moots India Bill Payment System: RBI panel has mooted ‗India Bill Payment system‘ (IBPS) , a
GIRO-based electronic bill payment system for payment of dues of essential services, insurance premium, utility
payments, taxes, university fees, examination fees and school fees. This model will enable the setting up of a
centralised infrastructure bringing all the billers and banks to the bill platform through the aggregators.
 RBI gears up for the trial of plastic notes: The RBI is gearing up for a trial of plastic currency notes soon. On
an average, one out of five paper notes in circulation(over 20%) gets disposed of every year after getting soiled
and the number of such soiled currency bills stood at over 13 billion units during the fiscal ended 31 march
2012.
 Cabinet clears IKEA investment: The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs(CCEA) has approved the Rs.
10,500 cr foreign direct investment(FDI) proposal of Swedish furniture major IKEA in the single-brand retail
sector. In its application, IKEA has proposed to invest the amount for setting up 10 furnishing and homeware
stores as well as allied infrastructure.
NATION
 Third unit of Jharli power plant opened: Union Minister of State for power (independent Charge) Jyotiraditya
Scindia recently dedicated to the nation the third unit of Indira Gandhi Super Thermal Power Project at Jharli in
Haryana. This plant is a joint venture of Delhi and Haryana Govts and has been set up by National Thermal
Power Corporation at a cost of over Rs. 8,500 cr.
 BrahMos Missile Successfully test-fired: India has successfully test fired the 290-km range BrahMos
supersonic cruise missile from the Navy‘s latest guided missile frigate INS Tarkash.

22
BOOKS AND AUTHORS
 The Childhood of Jesus: JM Coetzee
 Manuscript Found in Accra: Paulo Coelho
 The Sea of Innocence: Kishwar Desai
WORLD

th
India at the 50 AU Summit: Vice President Hamid Ansari represented India at the golden jubilee partners of
the group invited for the occasion. Ansari addressed the gathering of top African leaders in the Ethiopian capital
on May 25 focusing on the road ahead, especially in the fields of peace-keeping and security, besides
cooperation agriculture, information technology, HRD , education , trade and investment.
 Turkey joins shanghai Cooperation Organization: Turkey has joined the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation
(SCO) as a dialogue partner. After signing the agreement the Turkish Foreign Minister Ahamed davotuglu said
that its destiny is in Asia. China , Russia and four central Asian nations Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and
Uzbekistan formed the SCO in 2001
 Heads of government meet in Colombo: The commonwealth secretary General Kamlesh Sharma recently
announced that he saw no reason to deny Sri lanka of the honour of staging the Heads of government meeting
in November.
PERSONS IN NEWS
 David Beckham: British footballer and Paris Saint-Germain Midfielder David Beckham played and captained
his last match recently. The 38 year old British soccer star announced he would not be returning for another
season of playing for the Paris St Germain Football Club .
 Thein Sein: The Myanmar President visited the US to hold talks with the US President Barack Obama in
Washington.
SPORTS
 Indian Archers bag three medals: Deepika Kumari played two finals but had to settle for silver in both the
events as Indian archers bagged three medals , including a bronze, in the first stage. World Cup Archery
tournament in Shanghai.
 Indian Athletes bag 11 medals in Asian Grand Prix: Indian Athletes bagged 11 medals, including four gold,
in the first leg of the Asian Grand Prix series in Bangkok.
 Mandeep wins gold medal in Limassol Boxing: Indian boxer Mandeep Jangra won a gold medal in the
International Limassol Boxing Cup tournament in Cyprus.
AWARDS
 Aparajita Datta gets Whitley Award: Hornbill conservator Aparajita Datta has won the Whitley Award, also
called Green Oscar, for her work to save threatened hornbills in the forests of Arunchal Pradesh. Datta is one of
eight grassroots conservation leaders, awarded a share of prize funding worth £295,000 by the Whitley Fund for
Nature.
MISCELLANY
 First made-in-India rotavirus vaccine: Indian scientists have unveiled the first completely indigenous and
affordable vaccine to prevent severe rotavirus diarrhoea, which kills more than one lakh children under the age
of five in India every year. The results of the phase III clinical trials of the Rotavac vaccine, a culmination of
efforts spanning 28 years, released at an international conference pegged its efficacy at 56% in the first year of
life.
 St Lucia observes Indian Arrival Day: St Lucia, a tiny island nation of 176,000 people in the eastern
Caribbean, held its first Indian arrival Day programme to commemorate the arrival of the first group of Indian
indentured workers over a century and a half ago. The Indian association is considering plans to ask the st
Lucian govt to notify.

PD: JULY-2013
NATION
 India, Japan to speed up talks on civil Nuclear Deal: A joint statement issued at the end of exhaustive talks
between Dr. Singh and Mr. Abe said that the two leaders reaffirmed the importance of civil nuclear co-operation
between the two countries while recognising that nuclear safety was a priority for both governments.

23
 Chinese Premier Li Keqiang‘s Visit to India: Chinese Premier Li Kequiang paid a three-day visit to India in
the third week of May. During this visit India and China expressed a strong desire to resolve pending issues and
take the relationship forward in new spheres such as civil nuclear energy during two rounds of discussions in
New Delhi.
The two leaders decided to entrust the task of ensuring incident like Depsang do not recur to the two Special
representatives(SRs), who have also been asked to speed up work in their core area of demarcating and
delineating the border by trying to achieve closure on the second of the three-stage process of resolving the
border question.
 Cabinet Nod for National Skill Development Agency: In an effort to give a single-point focus to skill
development initiative, the government cleared a proposal to set up a National Skill Development agency
(NSDA) subsuming other bodies engaged in this initiative. The union cabinet gave its nod to NSDA replacing
Prime Minister‘s National council on Skill Development (PM-NCSD), the National Skill Development
Coordination Board (NSDCB) and the office of the Advise to the PM on Skill development.
The new skill body will coordinate and harmonise the skill development efforts of the government and the
th
private sector to achieve the targets of the 12 plan and beyond.
 India to develop Iranian Port: India announced its participation in the Chabahar port project-a move that
would reinforce New Delhi‘s strategic ties with Tehran and Kabul ahead of next year‘s withdrawal from
Afghanistan by the United States. The decision to forge a trilateral partnership was announced in Tehran by
External affairs Minister Salman Khurshid.
 Cabinet Nod for Urban Health Mission with PPPs: The Union Cabinet approved the Rs. 22,507 crore
National Urban Health mission (NUHM) that seeks to address healthcare challenges in towns and cities with
focus on urban poor. Through the proposal is in time with the PM‘s announcement of unified National Health
Mission last year, a few paragraphs on Public Private Partnership(PPPs) have been added. The mission will be
implemented in 779 cities and towns, each with a population of more than 50,000 and cover over 7.75 crore
people.
 Kudankulam Nuclear Plant Cleared, with Caveats: The Supreme Court has cleared the decks for the
commissioning of the Kudankulam nuclear plant. A bench of justices K.S.Radhakrishnan and Deepak Misra, in
concurring judgements, however, made it clear that the plant should not be made operational unless the Atomic
Energy Regulatory Board (AERB), the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd.(NPCL) and the Department of
Atomic Energy(DAE) gave their final clearances.
 Creamy layer- Cabinet Raises Income Limit: Revising the criteria for applying creamy layer criteria for other
backward classes, the Union Cabinet raised the income limit to Rs 6 lakh per annum from the existing Rs. 4.5
lakh per annum that will allow more persons to take advantage of reservation benefits for OBCs in government
jobs and admission to Central Educational Institutions.
 India Gets Observer Status in Arctic Council: India‘s bid for 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.
 Navy Gets First Fighter Squadron in 30 years: The Navy has commissioned its first fighter squadron in three
decades with the 303 ‗Black Panthers‘ squadron getting formal status but will have to wait till the end of this year
for the INS Vikramaditya aircraft carrier to arrive from Russia to start sea-borne operations.
The Naval squadron, which has been nick-named ‗Black Panthers‘ , is the first fighter squadron to be
commissioned after the sea Harrier fighters were inducted in December 1983. It comprises 16 aircraft that have
till now collectively clocked 2500 hours in training missions and has been termed as the ‗sword arm‘ of the
Navy.
 Govt. Signs IBSA Resolution to Empower women: union Minister for women and Child development Krishna
Tirath signed the fifth India Brazil South Africa(IBSA) Women‘s Forum Resolution. The joint resolution between
the three countries will look at recognising the key role of governments with the support of civil society in
ensuring and accelerating efforts towards achieving gender equality and empowerment of women.
 Malayalam Gets Classical Status: Malayalam‘s long wait for ‗Classical‘ status is over, The Union Cabinet
decided to grant the coveted recognition to the language, spoken by 3.33 crore Malayalis all over the world.
 Three lakh Newborns Last hardly a Day: Over three lakh newborns in India die within 24 hours of their born
every year- the highest number in the world. With a total of 3,09,000 babies hardly surviving a day, India tops
the list for such deaths, according to a report titled ‗State of the World‘s Mothers‘ released in New Delhi.
WORLD
 U.S., Russia Agree on Syria Peace Process: Russia and United States have 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.

24
 Australian PM Gillard Introduces Disability tax Bill: In a rare departure from her characteristically tough
style, a teary-eyed Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard introduced a new tax Bill to Parliament that would fund
better care for Australians with severe physical and mental disabilities.
 G-7 Finance Ministers Meet in Aylesbury, England: Group of seven finance officials agreed to press on with
measures to deal with failing banks and gave a green light to japans‘ efforts to galvanize its economy.
Osborne said the G-7- the United states, Germany, Japan, Britain, Italy, France and Canada- reaffirmed that
fiscal and monetary policy should be aimed at domestic concerns , not currency manipulation.
 India-Backed Rail Link Commissioned in Sri Lanka: The first phase of Sri Lanka‘s northern railway project,
funded by a line of credit facilitated by India, was commissioned. Coaches chugged along from Medawachchiya
in Anuradhapura, the North Central Province, to Madju Road, marking the return of a crucial transportation link.
Tracks along the 43 km stretch were reconstructed as part of the $ 800 million project, being executed by the
Indian Railway Minister‘s IRCON international Limited to restore the 252 km-railway line that would connect
different parts of the country.
 Nawaz Sharif‘s Party wins Majority in Pakistan House: Nawaz Sharif‘s Pakistan Muslim League- Nawaz
(PML-N) has secured majority in Pakistan‘s National Assembly after 18 independent candidates joined the
party, allowing it to form government as the centre without striking alliance with any other party.
 Ex-Dictator of Guatemala jailed for Genocide: Guatemala‘s former dictator Effrain Rios Montt‘s conviction of
genocide was a historic moment offering the country‘s oppressed indigenous communities their first chance to
be heard, human rights activists said.
 Ex-Philippine President elected Mayor of Manila: Philippine‘s Former President Joseph Estrada was
declared the winner of Manila‘s election , his first ballot victory since his ouster in a 2001 anti-corruption revolt
and a possible prelude to a return to higher office.
 Samina Baig: First Pakistani Woman to Scale Everest: Samina Baig became the first Pakistani Woman to
scale Mount Everest .She did so in the company of Indian twin sisters , among others.
 US Senate Approves First India-born Senior Judge: The United States senate approved the first Indian-
American, Sri Srinivasan, as judge of the US court of appeals, DC circuit.
ACRONYMS
 AERB- Atomic Energy Regulatory Board
 ASHA- Accredited Social Health Activities
 CCEA- Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs
 NUHM- national Urban Health Mission
 NWM- National Water Mission
 SHGs- Self Help Groups
APPOINTMENTS
 Roberto Azevedo: Brazilian Roberto Azevedo has been named to take the helm of the World Trade
Organisation(WTO) The Geneva-based body is at present headed by Frenchman Pascal Lamy who is to be
replaced by Azevedo.
 Lokman Singh Karki: Moist nominee Lokman Singh Karki was sworn in as the Chief of Nepal‘s anti-graft body,
despite strong objections from various quarters, including political parties and civil society members who cited
his controversial image.
 R.K.Mathur takes over as Defence Secretary: Radha Krishnan Mathur, a1977-batch IAS officer from the
Manipur-Tripura cadre, took over as the new defence secretary in south block.
PERSONS IN THE NEWS
 Robert Tufts- Four years old boy is Mayor of Town in Minnesota: A four year old boy who can sing and
dance and guide his citizens safely across the street, big stick in hand is the Mayor in a small town in
Minnesota. Robert Tufts was selected mayor last year of Dorset town, with a population of mere 22 people.
 Kong Dongmei: China‘s former chairman Mao Zedong‘s granddaughter has become one of china‘s richest
persons sparking a debate about the rise of prince lings in the Communist state.
 Pawan Bansal, Ashwini Kumar: Pawan Kumar Banal resigned as Railway minster a week after it emerged
that his nephew had taken bribe to fix the appointment of a senior railway official.
Union law Minister Ashwini Kumar, however quit after more than two weeks of high drama that included noisy
scenes in parliament demanding his scalp for ‗vetting‘ the CBI‘s affidavit in the Coalgate affair before it was
submitted in the Supreme Court.
AWARDS
 President of India Gives away Sangeet Natak Akademi FellowShips and Akademi Awards for 2012: The
president of India, Pranab Mukherjee conferred the Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowships on Violinist N. Rajam,

25
 Grammy award-winning percussionist T.H. Vikku Vinayakram and veteran playwright Ratan Thiyam for the year
2012.
 Ramdarash Mishra and Narendra Kohli Awarded Vyas Samman: Professor Ramdarash Mishra and Dr.
Narendra Kohli were conferred with Vyas Samman for the year 2011 and 2012 respectively. Professor
Ramdarash Mishra (89) was honoured with award for his collection poems Aam ke Patte published in 2004.
Dr. Narendra Kohli(73) was honoured for his historical Novel Na Bhooto Na Bhavishyati published in 2004. The
book has portrayed Swami Vivekananda, the culture of his time and his quest to be a Sanyasi for National Unity.
 American Writer Lydia Davis Wins 2013 Man Booker International Prize: American Writer Lydia Davis won
2013 Man Booker International Prize for her innovative and influential writing. The winner of the prize was
announced at the awards ceremony at Victoria and Albert Museum in London. This was the fifth Man Booker
International Prize.
 Malala Yousufzai Selected for UNA-USA‘s Champion for Global Change: The Pakistani activist was
selected for UNA-USA‘s Global Leadership Award called champion for Global change award for 2013.Malala
was shot in 2012 by Taliban for promotion of girl education.
 National Florence Nightingale Award 2013 Presented: The president of India presented National Florence
Nightingale Award 2013 to 35 nursing professionals for their services with devotion, sincerity, dedication and
compassion in New Delhi. The awards were given on the occasion of international Nurses Day.
The Florence Nightingale Award was instituted by the Health Ministry to appreciate the selfless services
rendered by Nurses with devotion, sincerity, dedication and compassion.
 Oommen Chandy Wins United Nation‘s Public Service Award for Mass Contact Programme: The CM of
Kerala, Oommen Chandy won United Nation‘s Public Service Award for his mass contact programme . In the
Mass Contact programme, he engaged with masses of Kerala to address the grievance. He was conferred with
the first prize from the Asia Pacific region along with other awardees that are selected on yearly basis from five
different zones of the world.
 Singer Hariharan Conferred with the Lata Mangeshkar Samman Alankaran 2013: Singer Hariharan was
conferred with the Lata Mangeshkar Samman Alankaran in Indore. The Lata Mangeshkar Samman Alankaran is
conferred by the Madhya Pradesh government on playback singer, Hariharan. The first recipient of this award
was music composer Naushad.
BOOKS AND AUTHORS
 The Outsider : Jimmy Connors
 A Garland of Memories : Ruskin Bond
SPORTS
 Mumbai Indians Lifts its First IPL Trophy: In the final match of IPL 2013, Rohit Sharma Led Mumbai Indians
defeated Chennai Super Kings by 23 runs to lift the title for the very first time at Eden Gardens.
Previous IPL Winners:
 Rajasthan Royals
 Deccan Chargers
 Chennai Super Kings
 Chennai Super Kings
 Kolkata Knight Riders
 Mumbai Indians
 Sreesanth and Two other of Team Rajasthan Royals Arrested for spot-Fixing: Indian Fast Bowler,
Sreesanth and his two teammates from Rajasthan Royals namely Ajit Chadila and Ankeet Chavan were
arrested by Delhi Police on charges of Spot Fixing in Indian Premier League.
 Sachin Tendulkar Announces Retirement form IPL: Sachin Tendulkar has announced his retirement from
IPL soon after Mumbai Indians won their maiden title defeating Chennai Super Kings by 23 runs in the final.
 Rafael Nadal Wins Madrid Open 2013: In the Men‘s singles title clash of the Madrid Open played , World No.
Five Nadal Defeated Swiss Stanislas Wawrinka , in straight sets.
 Rafael Nadal wins Italian Open 2013: Rafael Nadal beat Roger Federer in the final match played to lift his
seventh Italian Open title.
 Serena Williams wins Italian Open: Sarena Williams won her fourth consecutive tennis title after thrashing out
the former world number one Victoria Azarenka.
 P.V. Sindhu Wins Malaysia Badminton Grand Prix Title: India‘s rising shuttler P.V. Sindhu won her maiden
grand Prix Gold title winning Malaysia Open women‘s final.

th
Akshay B.Gaikwad Wins Three Gold Medals in 15 Asian Youth Weightlifting Championships: He has
th
won three gold medals on second day of 15 Asian youth Weightlifting Championship in Doha.
ECONOMY
26
 Food grains Output 2012-13 Revised upward by 2% to 255.36 MT: According to the data released by the
Agriculture Ministry. Country‘s food grains production has been revised upwards by over 5 million tonnes to
255.36 million tonnes in 2012-13 crop year from earlier estimates on account of higher output of rice, wheat and
coarse cereals.
 Cabinet Approves De-control of Sugar: The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs(CCEA) has approved a
proposal to abolish the levy-sugar mechanism, under which private millers have to sell a specified quantity of
the sweetener to the government at concessional rates.
CCEA also dismantled the regulated release mechanism, which allows mills to sell only a specified quantity
within a fixed timeframe. This decision of de-control the sugar has followed. The recommendation of C.
Rangrajan committee on Sugar-de-control.
 India Signs $ 252 million Loan with ADB: The Asian Development Bank and the Government of India have
signed a $ 252 million loan to continue improving rural roads in the states of Assam, Chhattisgarh, Madhya
Pradesh, Odisha and West Bengal.
The loan represents the first tranche of a US $ 800 million financing facility under the Rural Connectivity
Investment Program.
 ONGC Retains Country‘s Most Valued Company status: ONGC has reclaimed the spot as the country‘s
most valued company, pushing IT giant TCS to the second slot. In the ranking of top-10 companies, ONGC was
at the top position, followed by TCS, RIL, ITC, CIL, HDFC Bank, SBI, ICICI Bank, HDFC and Infosys.

th
University Commodity Exchange Becomes India‘s 6 Commodity Exchange: The Universal Commodity
Ex-change(UCX) the national level electronic commodity exchange in India, has gone live.
Promoted by Commex Technology in joint venture with IDBI Bank, IFFCO, NABARD and REC, the exchange
has started trading in 11 contracts across nine commodities gold, silver, crude oil, chana RSS4 rubber, mustard,
soyabean, refined soya oil and turmeric.
 Global competitiveness Index 2012-13: In global Competitiveness Index 2012-13, the top 10 nations remain
dominated by a number of European Countries, with Switzerland, Finland, Sweden, the Netherlands, Germany
and United Kingdom.
Along with the United States, three Asian economies also figure in top 10, with Singapore remaining the second
th th
most competitive economy in the world, and Hong Kong SAR and Japan placing 9 and 10 .
 India Slips to second in Nielsen‘s global Consumer Confidence Index: According to the Consumer
Confidence Filming from Nielsen, a leading global provider of information and insights into what consumers
watch and buy, consumer confidence in India dropped one point to 120 in Q1 of 2013, after topping the list at
121 in Q4 of 2012. Indonesia topped the list of confidence index with 122 in Q1 of 2013.
 Global FDI Recovery derails: INCTAD: Global FDI flows fell by 18% to an estimated US $ 1.3 trillion, down
from a revised US $ 1.6 trillion in 2011, as significant investor uncertainty continues to hamper the FDI recovery.
This uncertainty is driven by a weakening macroeconomic environment with lower growth rates for GDP, trade,
capital formation and employment , related to the Euro zone crisis, the United States fiscal cliff, changes of
government in a number of major economies in 2012 , and broad-based policy changes with implications of FDI.
 Commodity Transaction Tax(CTT): The government of India is likely to impose the ‗commodity Transaction
tax‘ on the transaction of commodity future. The CTT is most likely to be imposed from July 1, 2013.The
important features of CTT are the following:
 CTT will be levied on non-agricultural commodity futures contracts.
 Under the New arrangement, sellers will have to pay 0.01 5 tax, that is Rs 10 for a transaction value of Rs
1lakh
 Both buyer and seller of commodity futures have to pay the CTT.
 GDP growth Slumps to 5%, A decade‘s Low During 2012-13: With the 4.8 % growth rate of GDP during the
fourth quarter of 2012-13.The GDP of Indian economy grew by 5.00 % during 2012-13.The past appears to
have returned to haunt India‘s dreams for the future with this lower level of growth . The growth was
substantially below the 10 years average growth of 8 % and is inching closer to the 3.5% levels averaged
between the 1950s and 1980s-the so called ‗Hindu Rate of Growth‘.
 World Bank‘s Approval for $ 100 million loan to NHB: The World Bank has approved a concessional loan of
$ 100 million for the National Housing Bank(NHB) for the implementation of a low-income housing programme.
 World Bank Cuts India‘s GDP Growth Projection in 2013-14 to 6.1%: The World Bank in its latest India
development update release scaled down its growth projection for India for the current financial year from 7 % to
6.1 %.

27
 CURRENT AFFAIRS FROM 17-MAY-20-JUNE 2013
17 May
 Bangladesh assesses cyclone damage as toll climbs to 17: Bangladeshi authorities started delivering aid to
thousands of families whose homes were destroyed by Cyclone Mahasen, which officials said killed 17 people.
More than 49,000 thatched houses were destroyed when the cyclone hit the Bay of Bengal late , the chief of the
country‘s disaster management department Abdul Wazed told DPA by phone.
 Judge appointed to probe Sarabjit's murder: A serving judge has been named by a Pakistani court to probe the
murder of Indian death row prisoner Sarabjit Singh, who died earlier this month after being assaulted within the Kot
Lakhpat Jail in Lahore. Lahore High Court Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial appointed Justice Syed Mazhar Ali
Akbar Naqvi to investigate the matter and submit a report to the court.
 Sanjay Dutt surrenders before TADA court, goes to jail: Actor Sanjay Dutt, convicted for illegally possessing
banned weapons, surrendered before the special TADA court to serve out the remainder of his jail term even as
hundreds of his fans bid him a tearful farewell..
 Sreesanth, 2 other Royals‘ players held for spot-fixing: Three Rajasthan Royals players, including India
paceman Sreesanth, were arrested for their alleged involvement in spot-fixing in the Indian Premier League (IPL).
The trio allegedly received upto Rs 60 lakh for conceding runs in a pre-determined over from bookies with possible
Mumbai underworld links. The special cell of the Delhi Police arrested Sreesanth and his teammates — Ajit
Chandila and Ankeet Chavan. A Delhi court has sent the three players and all bookies to five-day police custody.
 Legendary Footballer, David Beckham announced his Retirement: Legendary Footballer and Former England
captain David Beckham announced his retirement from professional football and gave an end to his illustrious
career of more than two decades. He will retire from the professional football after the end of this season. The 38
year old footballer recently helped his team to win a league title in the fourth country with Paris Saint Germain.
 UN Public Service Award 2013 for MP Cottage and Village Industry Department: Cottage and Village Industry
Department of the Madhya Pradesh Government bagged United Nations Public Service Award for year 2013 for
their initiative named Graamin Haat. The United Nations honours outstanding public welfare works at international
level under different categories every year. The Cottage and Village Industry Department of Madhya Pradesh was
successful in winning the honour of United Nations for their initiative of Graamin Haat. The initiative of Graamin
Haat was started in the state with the aim of strengthening and empowering the women's self-help groups. The
initiative has helped the self help group in becoming more self-reliant economically and ensured participation of
women in social decisions.
 Nirbhay Sharma appointed Governor of Arunachal Pradesh: Nirbhay Sharma appointed as governor of
Arunachal Pradesh as the term of present incumbent Gen (retd) J J Singh ended in January 2013. The tenure of
65 year old Nirbha Shrama will come into effect from the day he assumes charge of his office, a Rashtrapati
Bhavan.
 ISRO planned to launch GSLV D5 to place the Communication Satellite GSAT-14 in Orbit: Scientists at ISRO
will launch a Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle, GSLV D5 from the spaceport in Sriharikota in July 2013.
The announcement of the launch schedule was announced by Union Minister, V Narayanasamy . The GSLV D5
that is fitted with the indigenously developed Cryogenic Engine will place a communication satellite GSAT-14 into
orbit. Russia denied India from offering a cryogenic engine as a result of which, the Indian scientists started their
work for development of the GSLV D5 with cryogenic engine.
18th may
 Manipur girl scales Everest: Bidyapati N. has become the first woman mountaineer from Manipur to scale Mount
Everest, joining a band of excellent sportspersons, including Olympic medallist Mary Kom, the State has produced.
Along with two others from Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim, Ms. Bidyapati formed the first batch of mountaineers
that scaled the peak .
 Bill Gates reclaims world‘s richest title: Bill Gates, the 57-year-old co-founder of Microsoft, captured the title of
world's richest man from Mexican investor Carlos Slim, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, as the
software maker hit a five-year high on the Nasdaq.
 India retains fifth position in global wind energy market: Despite poor pace of capacity addition in the states
like Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Maharashtra , India retained its position in top five world wind
energy markets in 2012 . India remained third largest market for new turbines in 2012 with capacity addition of
2441 mw, revealed World Wind Energy Report 2012. World's wind turbine capacity addition grew at 19% to 44,609
mw, which is lowest in more than a decade. "The Indian wind market has a very good future potential, however,
policy uncertainties and unpaid electricity bills have damaged investors' confidence," noted World Wind Energy
Association, which is expecting China, India, Europe and North America to drive the growth in coming years. India
added 2827 mw of wind power generation capacity in 2011. Indian Wind Power Association is claiming that
withdrawal of accelerated depreciation benefit has resulted in lesser attraction for wind energy among the
investors.
 Zhejiang University in China Produced World‘s Lightest Substance Called Carbon Aerogel: Zhejiang
University in China in May 2013 announced that the team of scientists produced an ultra-light substance known as
carbon aerogel, which has the density of 0.16 milligrams per cubic centimeters. The scientists claimed that this
28
 was the lightest material ever produced by anyone.The carbon aerogel is made of granite as well as the carbon
nanotubes which can absorb around 900 times its own body weight.
 World Telecommunication and Information Society Day Celebrated World Wide: World Telecommunication
and Information Society Day was celebrated on 17 May 2013. It is celebrated on this day every year to raise
awareness about the positives of Information and Communication Technologies, ICTs, among people. The day
aims to make information and communication more accessible to people living in remote areas. The theme of the
day this year was - ICTs and improving road safety.
 14th Round of India–EU BTIA Negotiation Concluded in New Delhi: The Chief negotiators met in New Delhi
from 15 May to 17 May 2013 for 14th round of negotiation for India EU BTIA (Broad-based Trade and Investment
Agreement). All issues on the table were discussed. Negotiators felt that some positive movements have been
accomplished though many critical issues are still needed to be discussed further. Negotiators reiterated their
commitment for a balanced and ambitious agreement.
 19th May
 Deepika bags two silver in archery WC: Promising Deepika Kumari was done in by some sheer class of more
experienced opponents as she settled for two silver medals, including one with Jayanta Talukdar, to help India
finish fourth in the Archery World Cup Stage 1 that concluded in Shanghai .
 45th Azhagiyasingar of Ahobila Mutt passes away: Sri Narayana Yatheendra Mahadesikar 45th
Azhagiyasingar of Sri Ahobila Mutt, passed away here shortly after midnight night. He had been ailing for some
time. The swami, who was in Chennai, developed breathlessness and was brought to Srirangam he developed
renal failure. His successor Sri Ranganatha Yatheendra Mahadesikan and close disciples were by his side when
the end came. The 45th Azhagiyasingar was the eighth swami in the hierarchy of Sri Ahobila Mutt to bear the
asrama name ―Narayana‖.
 Nawaz Sharif party gets majority : Nawaz Sharif‘s PML-N has attained a majority in Pakistan‘s National
Assembly after 18 independent candidates joined the party, placing it in a position to form government at the
centre without striking an alliance with any other party. Several independent candidates belonging to influential
political families of Punjab and Sindh provinces are among those who have joined the PML-N, which emerged the
single largest party in the May 11 general election.
 Mumbai-born software tycoon Vivek Ranadive buys US NBA team Sacramento Kings: As the hours-long
euphoria over Vivek Ranadive securing a deal to buy a majority stake in popular California NBA team Sacramento
Kings wound down, the Mumbai-born Silicon Valley hotshot told ET Magazine: "This is a great moment for a man
who came to the US in 1975 with less than $50 in his pocket a team led by Ranadive, the founder and chief
executive of Tibco Software, which is widely credited with digitising Wall Street, agreed to pick up a 65% stake in
the Sacramento Kings for $535 million.
 N Korea fires 3 short-range missiles : North Korea fired three short-range missiles from its east coast , South
Korea's defence ministry said, but the purpose of the launches was unknown. Launches by the North of short-term
missiles are not uncommon, but the ministry would not speculate whether these latest launches were part of a test
or training exercise. "North Korea fired short-range guided missiles twice in the morning and once in the afternoon
off its east coast," an official at the South Korean defence ministry spokesman's office said by telephone.
 45th Session of the Indian Labour Conference Concluded in New Delhi: The 45th Session of the Indian
Labour Conference concluded in New Delhi on 18 May 2013 with a resolve to provide universal social security
coverage and assured pension to the entire working population.The conference was a two-day affair.
20 MAY
 First Pakistani woman to scale Everest: Samina Baig became the first Pakistani woman to scale Mt. Everest
morning. She did so in the company of Indian twin sisters, among others. After scaling the peak, the trio hoisted
Indian and Pakistani flags side by side atop Mt. Everest, as a message of peace, friendship and collaborative
action
 Saudi woman conquers Everest: Raha Moharrak, a 25-year-old native of Jeddah, has become the first woman
from Saudi Arabia to climb the world‘s highest mountain, prompting extensive allusions to the state of gender
equality in the kingdom in the international media.
 Work on World's Biggest Hydroelectric Inga Dam on Congo River to Start in 2015: The Democratic Republic
of Congo (DRC) declared that it will start the work on world‘s biggest hydroelectric Inga dam on Congo River in
October 2015. The meet on the development of the dam involved multilateral lending institutions. The planned Inga
dam Project will produce 40000 megawatts power and provide electricity to half the African Continent. Whereas,
the World Bank has estimated that DR Congo‘s total hydropower resources can generate up to 100000
megawatts.
 India, Bangladesh to unveil war memorial in Meghalaya: History will come alive 42 years after the 1971 war in
this border town of Meghalaya as India and Bangladesh will come together to unveil a war memorial for this
country's valiant troopers who fought against a Pakistani Army attack. Chief of Border Guards
Bangladesh (BGB)Maj Gen Aziz Ahmed will arrive in India and travel with his counterpart, BSF Director General
Subhash Joshi on May 25 to inaugurate the memorial -- a black granite pillar -- installed recently by India as a
tribute to nine courageous BSF men who laid down their lives while repulsing an audacious attack launched by 200
Pakistani Army regulars on May 25, 1971.
29
 Serena takes title, Nadal tames Federer: Serena Williams won her fourth consecutive title of the year in
dominating fashion, beating third-seeded Victoria Azarenka 6-1, 6-3 in the Italian Open final.The top-ranked
American will enter the French Open, which starts , on a career-best 24-match winning streak.
 Indian women first twins to scale Everest: Two 21-year-old Indian students from Dehrahdun became the first
twins to climb the Mount Everest . Nunshi and Tashi Malik were among the 135 people to reach the summit of the
world's highest peak at 8,848-metre above sea level along with their two sherpas who are also twins, Gyanendra
Shrestha, an official said. The two sisters had been staying on mountains in the region to acclimatize to the
atmosphere since March.
 Laxman Singh Rathore Elected as the Member of Executive Council of WMO: Laxman Singh Rathore, the
Director General of Meteorology & Permanent Representative of India with World Meteorological Organization
(WMO) was elected as the Member of Executive Council of WMO during the 65th Executive Council of WMO
meeting which is ongoing at Geneva. He had served a term as the Vice President of Commission of Agriculture
Meteorology of WMO and was also elected to serve the Executive Council in an individual capacity.
 Opportunity Rover of NASA Broke the 40-Year-Old Extraterrestrial Distance Record: The Opportunity rover
of NASA broke the 40-year-old extraterrestrial distance record on 16 May 2013, after 9 long years of Mars
exploration. The six-wheeled robot, Opportunity created record by travelling a total distance of 35.760 kilometres
ever since it landed on Mars in 2004. The team that operates Opportunity received a confirmation in transmission
from the Red Planet that opportunity drove 80 metres on 16 May 2013, thus bringing its overall odometry to 35.760
km since its landing on Mars.
 ADB provided 110-m Dollars loan for Urban Services in Jammu &Kashmir: The Asian Development Bank
(ADB) in Month of May 2013 has provided a 110-million Dollars loan to Jammu and Kashmir in order to help in
improving urban services, including water supply. As per Asian Development bank, more than two million people in
the two cities are supposed to be benefitted from improved access to water supply, functional drainage systems
and better road facilities.
 Scientists from Switzerland created World's Smallest Droplets: Scientists from Switzerland created the
smallest drops of liquid ever made in the lab. Scientists carried out a series of experiments at the Large Hadron
Collider, the world's largest and most powerful particle collider located at the European Laboratory for Nuclear and
Particle Physics (CERN) in Switzerland. Evidence of the tiny droplets was obtained following the collision of
protons with lead ions at velocities approaching the speed of light. These short-lived droplets are the size of three
to five protons-that is about one-100000th the size of a hydrogen atom or one-100000000th the size of a virus
according to scientific calculation. These small droplets flow in a same manner as quark-gluon plasma does. It
can be defined as a state of matter that is a mixture of the sub-atomic particles that constitutes protons and
neutrons and only found at extreme temperatures and densities.
 Indian National Defence University to be set up in Gurgaon: Indian National Defence University, a dedicated
first-of-its-kind institution for training and research in military studies will be set up in Gurgaon on 23 May 2013.
The sprawling 200 acre campus will be set up in Binola village with an estimated cost of 300 crore rupees.

21st May
 Ansari‘s Uzbekistan visit begins : Vice-President M Hamid Ansari's four-day visit beginning tomorrow to the
Central Asian country Uzbekistan is aimed at cementing ties between the two countries at a time when Western
forces led by the US are in the process of a draw-down from the neighbouring war-torn Afghanistan in about a
year. It also coincides with the visit of Afghan President Hamid Karzai to India. Both India and Uzbekistan are
plagued by terrorism emanating from their neighbourhood. Ansari's would be the first visit by any vice president of
India to Uzbekistan. Indian exports to Uzbekistan have seen a rise from $79.9 million in 2008 to $163.4 million in
2012. Imports to India from Uzbekistan too have risen from $11.1 million in 2008 to $37.82 million in 2012. Besides
visiting historical places, the Vice-President would meet Uzbek President Islam Karimov.
 51 killed as tornado rips apart Oklahoma: A tornado of rare power roared through an Oklahoma City suburb,
killing at least 51, flattening neighbourhoods with winds up to 320 kph and destroying at least one school. Officials
said children were among the dead. The death toll was expected to rise, an Oklahoma Medical Examiner‘s Office
spokeswoman said. Rescuers swarmed the debris as darkness fell. More than 140 people were being treated at
hospitals, including about 70 children. Some were in critical condition.
 Israel is largest drone exporter: Israel is the world‘s largest exporter of drones, mainly to Europe, Asia and Latin
America, in a trade worth more than $4.6 billion over the past eight years. A study by the business consultancy
Frost and Sullivan found that unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) account for almost 10 per cent of Israel‘s military
exports. Sales have declined from a peak in 2010, but Israel has recently signed a $100-million deal, not included
in the figures, with India to upgrade its drones.
 India and China signed Eight Agreement during Chinese Premier Li Keqiang‘s visit to India: China's new
premier Li Keqiang‘s visited India on his first foreign trip to India from 19-22, May 2013 since taking his office in
March 2013. Both the countries are looking for speeding up their efforts to settle a decades-old border dispute and
strengthen economic ties. The leaders of both the countries had a thorough exchange of views on bilateral
relations and regional and international issues of common interest in a sincere and cordial atmosphere and
reached broad consensus.

30
 India and China set 100-billion targets for Financial Year 2014-15: India and China on 20 May 2013 decided to
scale up its two-way trade to 100 billion dollars by 2015 from 67.8 bn Dollars in 2012-13. It is worth mentioning
here that bilateral trade between the two countries scaled up from 2.1 bn Dollars in 2001-02 to 75.6 bn Dollars in
2011-12 and suddenly it dropped down to 67.8 bn dollars during 2012-13.
 2014 Declared As the Friendship Year to Promote Understanding between India and China: 2014 was
declared as the Friendship Year by Chinese Premier Li Keqiang for increased people-to-people interaction
between India and China. 2014 was declared as the year of exchanges between the two countries in order to
enhance friendship and understanding. As a measure, Li Keqiang declared that they would support Chinese
enterprises to increase investments in India and help Indian products to have access to Chinese market.
 Singer Hariharan Conferred With the Lata Mangeshkar Samman Alankaran 2013: Singer Hariharan was
conferred with the Lata Mangeshkar Samman Alankaran in Indore on 20 May 2013. The Lata Mangeshkar
Samman Alankaran is conferred by the Madhya Pradesh government on playback singer, Hariharan. Madhya
Pradesh government instituted the award in 1984. The first recipient of this award was music composer Naushad.
 World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development, 21 May: World Day for Cultural Diversity for
Dialogue and Development was observed on 21 May 2013. The day is observed every year to raise awareness
about the importance of intercultural dialogue, diversity and inclusion. The day provides an opportunity to learn to
live together in harmony. The theme this year is, Do one thing for diversity and inclusion. The day was adopted in
the wake of the 9/11 terrorist attacks in the US, which claimed around 3000 lives. UNESCO adopted the Universal
Declaration on Cultural Diversity in 2001, and in December 2002, the UN General Assembly declared 21 May as
the World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development.
 Anti Terrorism Day Observed Across India on Death Anniversary of Rajiv Gandhi: Martyrdom of former
Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, also known as Anti Terrorism Day is observed across the country on 21 May 2013.
The day is celebrated as the 22nd anniversary of martyrdom of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. On 21 May
1991 , Rajiv Gandhi died at the hands of terrorists.
Rajiv Gandhi memorial, Vir Bhumi in New Delhi is where President Pranab Mukherjee, Vice President Hamid
Ansari, Congress President Sonia Gandhi and Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi paid homage to
him. Gandhi was assassinated on May 21, 1991 at Sriperumbudur in Tamil Nadu during a poll campaign.

22 May 2013
 BrahMos supersonic cruise missile successfully test-fired: India successfully test-fired the 290-km range
BrahMos supersonic cruise missile from the Navy‘s latest guided missile frigate INS Tarkash off the Goa coast.
The missile performed the high-level ‗C‘ manoeuvre in the pre-determined flight path and successfully hit the
target. BrahMos officials said the vertical launch configuration of the supersonic missile enhances the stealth
capabilities of the ship as the missiles are under the deck and not exposed.Jointly developed by India and Russia,
the BrahMos is capable of carrying a conventional warhead of 300 kg.
 Defence Secretary Shashi Kant Sharma to be new CAG: Defence Secretary Shashi Kant Sharma was named
as the new Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG). The 1976 Bihar cadre officer will succeed Vinod Rai,
who superannuates after five and a half years of eventful tenure as the head of the Constitutional financial
watchdog. ―The President of India has appointed Shashi Kant Sharma, IAS, as the Comptroller and Auditor
General of India. The CAG is appointed for a term of six years or till the incumbent attains the age of 65 years,
whichever is earlier. CAG audit reports on 2G spectrum and coal block allocations during Rai‘s tenure triggered a
number of controversies and raised the hackles of the government, besides bringing in the concept of presumptive
loss in audit..
 Sahara Pune Warriors withdraw from IPL : The scandal-hit Indian Premier League suffered another blow with
the Sahara Group-owned Pune Warriors Indians withdrawing from the event due to the BCCI's lackadaisical
arbitration proceedings to lower the franchise fee and it's decision to encash the team's bank guarantee. Sahara,
which bought the franchise for Rs 1700 crore in 2010, said it was "disgusted" by the BCCI's attitude towards it and
will not rejoin the league even if the entire franchise fee was waved off. Sahara Group said it was tempted to
withdraw from the Indian cricket team's sponsorship also but refrained from doing so in the interest of the player.
 Arunima becomes first Indian amputee to scale Mt Everest: 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. 25-year-old 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, an official of the Tourism Ministry
of Nepal said. Sinha, a resident of Ambedkar Nagar in Uttar Pradesh, was pushed out of the general compartment
of Padmawati Express for resisting a chain-snatching attempt by some criminals, while travelling from Lucknow to
Delhi on April 12, 2011.
 Switzerland hosts international conference on disaster risk reduction: At the United Nations here, ministers,
ambassadors, mayors and other stakeholders from across the world met to draw a strategy on disaster risk
reduction which will replace or revise the existing Hyogo Framework for Action which was agreed upon by all UN
member states in 2005 following the Indian ocean tsunami.
 10 Percent of UK Wildlife Is Endangered: State of Nature Report: Around 60 percent of the British animal as
well as plant species declined in last 5 decades, leaving one out of 10 species to disappear revealed the latest

31
 State of Nature report. The State of Nature report is compiled together by 25 wildlife organisations, which include
RSPB and British Lichen Society. The report assembles assessments of 3148 species, while also hinting towards
59000 species of UK. The species in which largest declines were observed included hedgehogs, turtle doves, red
squirrels and water voles. The report indicated that there were various reasons for the decline in these species but
major factors were habitat degradation and rising temperatures.
 New Delhi Ranked First on List of Top 10 Favourite Indian Destinations for Foreigners: Report: Hotel Price
Index (HPI) report of 2012 by Hotels.com revealed that the metro cities of India remain at the top most positions in
the list of top 10 favourite Indian destinations for the international travellers. The national capital of India, New
Delhi ranked first followed by Mumbai.
 International Day for Biological Diversity observed on 22 May: The International Day for Biological Diversity.
The International Day for Biological Diversity was observed on 22 May 2013. The day is observed on the 22 May
every year, to increase the understanding and awareness of biodiversity issues. The theme this year is Water and
Biodiversity. A number of programmes were organised across the globe to mark the day. The theme, Water and
Biodiversity, was chosen to coincide with the UN designation of 2013 as the International year of water
cooperation. The theme speaks of the important role of biodiversity and ecosystems for water security, and
therefore for sustainable development.
 Malala Yousafzai, the Pakistani Activist Selected for UNA-USA's Champion for Global Change Award: The
Pakistani activist, Malala Yousafzai (15) was selected for UNA-USA's Global Leadership Award called Champion
for Global Change Award for 2013, in the month of May 2013. Malala Yousafzai was shot in 2012 by Taliban for
promotion of girl education. She will receive the Champion for Global Change Award for 2013 at Gotham Hall on 6
November 2013 in the event which will be hosted by UN Foundation and benefits UN Foundation and the United
Nations Association of the USA (UNA-USA)'s Global Classrooms Model UN programme.
23rd May
 Finance Ministry to release Rs.1 lakh crore oil subsidy: Following the intervention of Prime Minister Manmohan
Singh, the Finance Ministry has been pushed to release nearly Rs.1 lakh crore in petroleum subsidy for 2012-13
for the three oil marketing companies (OMCs) with a caveat that the Petroleum Ministry would shift to export parity
price (EPP) for pricing of petroleum products. This move is likely to save Rs.18,000 crore in subsidy outgo. The
move to shift to a new formula for pricing of petroleum products would be done soon after the submission of a
report by Kirit Parekh panel, which is looking into the issue.
 Indian basketball coach Subramanian passes away: A seasoned coach of Indian basketball, Dr. S.
Subramanian, passed away in Patiala in the early hours of Wednesday, after being hospitalised for about two
weeks following heart ailment. He was 75, and is survived by wife, daughter and son.The president of the
Basketball Federation of India (BFI) and the president of the Punjab Basketball Federation (PBF), R.S. Gill,
condoled the death of Dr. Subramanian, and heaped praise for his dedicated service to Indian basketball for more
than four decades.
 'Sonia Gandhi, Nooyi among 10 most powerful women globally': UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi and India-
origin PepsiCo chief Indra Nooyi figure among the top 10 in the global list of most powerful women, in the league of
leaders like Angela Merkel, Michelle Obama and Hillary Clinton. Gandhi is ranked ninth while Nooyi is at the 10th
place in the global list of world's 100 most powerful women leaders compiled by Forbes magazine for 2013.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel tops the list for the the third consecutive year, followed by Brazil's President
Dilma Rousseff, Melinda Gates of Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, US First lady Michelle Obama and
philanthropist Hillary Clinton
 India, Thailand to ratify treaty to swap prisoners: India and Thailand are on the verge of ratifying a treaty, seen
as extremely significant by both the countries, that would enable them to swap prisoners. There are currently 60
Indians serving terms in Thai prisons mostly on charges of drug trafficking and a few attempted murder and theft.
When ratified, the 'Treaty on transfer of sentenced persons' will enable the swap of prisoners which will be strictly
done on a case by case basis, depending on the nature of crime they would have committed.
The swap will be decided by the "sending state, receiving state and person involved.
 Man Booker International Prize 2013: Lydia Davis wins: Lydia Davis, an American author best known for her
short stories, has won this year's Man Booker International Prize. The winner was announced tonight at the
Victoria and Albert Museum in London, where seven of the ten shortlisted authors were in attendance.The prize,
worth £60,000, recognises one writer for his or her achievement in fiction. It is awarded every two years to a living
author who has published fiction either originally in English or whose work is available in translation in the English
language. Previous winners include Philip Roth (2011), Alice Munro (2009), Chinua Achebe (2007) and Ismail
Kadare (2005). The winner is chosen solely at the discretion of the judging panel. Unlike the UK Man Booker Prize
for Fiction, publishers cannot submit authors' works for consideration. She has also translated a number of French
classics, including Flaubert's Madame Bovary, and has written one novel.
24th May
 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. The award was given away at the White House in Washington. The Library of Congress
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 Gershwin Prize for Popular Song, also known as, Gershwin Prize is conferred upon the performer or
composer for lifetime contribution to popular music.
The award was created in 2007 by the Library of Congress.
 Government of India reconstituted the Board of Governors of MCI: The Government of India
reconstituted the Board of Governors of Medical Council of India (MCI) after the President of India; Pranab
Mukherjee promulgated the Ordinance amending Indian Medical Council Act, 1956. Dr R K Srivastava was
appointed as the new Chairman of the Board of Governors of Medical Council of India.
 Himachal Pradesh Assembly Celebrated Golden Jubilee; President to Address Special Session: The
Himachal Pradesh assembly celebrated its Golden Jubilee. On the occasion, the President of India, Pranab
Mukherjee will become the second president to address special session of HP assembly in Shimla. In the
year 2004, the former President of India, APJ Abdul Kalam addressed the Himachal Pradesh assembly but
during that time, the session of the state assembly was in progress. Himachal Pradesh assembly is nestled
in the historic building known as Council Chambers. It is the same place where the central assembly during
the British Raj was held as well as inaugurated by Lord Reading on 27 August 1925. Lord Reading was the
then viceroy of India.
 NASA to Lease Historic Launch Pad of First Moon Mission to Commercial Operators: National
Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is looking forward to lease out the historic launch pad in
Florida that was used for the first moon mission and by the Atlantis Shuttle to commercial operators. The
Launch complex of 39A at the Kennedy Space Centre in Cape Canaveral has not been in use since the
retirement of Atlantis in 2011. NASA expects that at least two privately-owned space exploration companies
can bid for the contract.
 Indian National Defence University to be Established at Binola, Gurgaon: Indian National Defence
University (INDU) is to be developed in Gurgaon.Foundation stone of Indian National Defence University
(INDU) was laid down by the Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh at Binola, Gurgaon. INDU is India‘s first
defence university and will be an autonomous institution of national importance.
 Union Cabinet of India Approved to Classify Malayalam as the Classical Language: The Union Cabinet
of India approved to classifyMalayalam as the Classical Language. Earlier, the Government of India had
notified Kannada, Tamil and Telugu as the classical languages. Two major annual international awards for
scholars of eminence in classical Indian languages. A Centre of Excellence for Studies in Classical
Languages will be established . The University Grants Commission will be requested to create and start with
at least in the Central Universities, a certain number of Professional Chairs for Classical Languages for
scholars of eminence in classical Indian languages.
 A New Variety of Mango was named Nirbhaya after Delhi Rape Victim: A new variety of mango,
harvested at Uttar Pradesh's famous mango centre Malihabad, was named Nirbhaya after the 23-year-old
Delhi girl who was brutally gang-raped on 16 December 2012 and died of her injuries two weeks later. The
new variety is a way of honouring the bravery and spirit of the young physiotherapist, whose rape and death
galvanized the entire nation.

25th May
 United Nations released its Report on World Economic Situation and Prospects 2013: United Nations
released its forecast report World Economic Situation and Prospects 2013 (Update as of mid 2013) in the
third week of May 2013. The latest Economic Forecast from United Nations (UN) projected that the global
economic growth can gain a slow momentum for the rest of the year as a result of improved global financial
conditions. The forecast has cleared that after a down-turn of over two years, it is expected that the global
economic activity will gain momentum in the second half of 2013 and 2014 being backed by the
accommodative monetary policies in the developing and developed economies. As per the forecast the
moderate pick-up activity will be witnessed by the world but the growth will be seemingly below potential.
The employment gains mainly in the developed economies will remain weak. The short term risks associated
with the economic slowdown in the large developing nations, fiscal adjustments of US and the worsened
situations of the Euro Area have gone down but haven‘t diminished.
 Ramdarash Mishra and Narendra Kohli awarded with Vyas Samman: Professor Ramdarash Mishra and
Dr Narendra Kohli were conferred with the Vyas Samman for the year 2011 and 2012 respectively.
Professor Ramdarash Mishra (89) was honoured with the award for his collection of poems Aam ke
Patte published in 2004. The collection of poems has tried to establish a relationship of man with ordinary
objects like pen and table and has reminded their unnoticed importance in human life. Dr Narendra Kohli
(73) was honoured for his historical novel Na Bhooto Na Bhavishyati published in 2004. The book has
portrayed Swami Vivekananda, the culture of his time and his quest to be a sanyasi for National Unity. Vyas
Samman was instituted by the K.K. Birla Foundation in 1991 and is awarded annually in recognition of the
hindi literary work published in past 10 years in genres like plays, novels, poetry, short stories, critiques and
others. The award carries 2.5 lakh rupees and a citation and a plaque.
 Dan Brown‘s book Inferno irked Authorities of Manila: Inferno a novel written by Dan Brown in the third
week of May 2013 came into attack by the Philippines authorities for its portrayal of Manila as - the gates of

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 hell. In the novel Inferno, Brown has included a character a doctor, who describes Manila as a city of horrible
traffic jams, poverty, child sex-trade and crime. In Inferno, the character described by Dan Brown states I‘ve
run through the gates of hell about her experiences in Manila

26th May
 Conference on Sports & Youth Affairs Concluded in New Delhi: The two day conference of Ministers of
States/UTs in charge of Youth Affairs and Sports concluded in New Delhi.During the conference several new
initiatives were discussed. The initiatives taken by Department of Youth Affairs were highlighted such as to
reposition NSS as National Service and Skill Development Scheme (NSSDS) with a view to enable students
to gain employable skills while undertaking community work that brings about social change. It was decided
during the conference that Sports Authority of India (SAI) will set up 25 centres of excellence or COX across
the country. Each COX will specialize in 3 to 4 sports disciplines. He requested the State Governments to
provide free land and built up sports infrastructure for setting up of new centres of excellence in the states.
He said the Government of India will set up two National Institutes - one for sports medicine and the other for
sports coaching.

27 May
 Antony inaugurates Sukhoi airbase in Thanjavur: Strengthening India‘s presence over the Indian Ocean
region, Defence Minister A K Antony inaugurated the first fighter aircraft base here in southern India where
the IAF is stationing its most lethal Su-30MKI combat aircraft. The establishment of the premier fighter base
is important in the view of current geo-political scenario and threat perception in the peninsular region and in
the Indian Ocean.
 Manmohan optimistic ahead of Japan visit: Prime Minister Manmohan Sin, in statement before his
departure on a three-day visit to Japan, said that he proposed to invigorate India‘s relations with Japan in the
political, security and energy spheres. Calling Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe his ―good friend‖,
Manmohan Singh said that he ―will build on the momentum imparted by successive summits to the India-
Japan Strategic and Global Partnership‖. The annual bilateral summit was to be held November last year but
was postponed as Japan went in for elections.
 Economists see Q4 GDP at 4.8%: Economists forecast a sub-five per cent readings in the March quarter
GDP, pulling down the overall economic expansion in FY13 to a decadal low of around five per cent. Credit
Suisse Director and Chief Economist Robert Prior-Wandesforde pegged the March quarter GDP growth at
4.8 per cent, which is also concurred by Nomura and DBS. The government will announce the FY13 GDP
numbers on May 30, where it expects the readings to be around 5.2 per cent. Till the third quarter, the
economy grew 5.1 per cent, with the Q1 being the highest at 5.5 per cent and Q3 being the lowest at 4.5 per
cent.
 Serena retains top spot in WTA rankings: Serena Williams stayed top of the WTA women‘s tennis
rankings : 1. (1) Serena Williams, United States, 11,620 points 2. (2) Maria Sharapova, Russia, 10,015 3.
(3) Victoria Azarenka, Belarus, 9,005 4. (4) Agnieszka Radwanska, Poland, 6,125 5. (5) Sara Errani, Italy,
5,835 6. (6) Li Na, China, 5,335 7. (7) Petra Kvitova, Czech Republic, 5,175 8. (8) Angelique Kerber,
Germany, 5,135 9. (9) Samantha Stosur, Australia, 3,645 10. (10) Caroline Wozniacki, Denmark, 3,625.
 Mumbai Indians outplay Chennai Super Kings to win IPL VI:
Mumbai Indians finally annexed their maiden Pepsi Indian Premier Legue title upstaging a jittery Chennai
Super Kings by 23 runs in the final here yesterday to bring the curtains down to a tarnished sixth season of
the cash-rich league. Mired in spot-fixing controversy after the arrest of owner N Srinivasan‘s son-in-law
Gurunath Meiyappan, Chennai Super Kings found the 149-run target, usually an easy ask by their standard,
a little too much as they finished on 125 for nine on a difficult track.Kieron Pollard (60 no and 1/34, 1 catch)
was the man-of-the-match for his all-round effort. Skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni now lost back-to-back IPL
finals despite being the lone man standing in the end with an unbeaten 63. As soon as the last delivery was
bowled by Pollard, senior pros Sachin Tendulkar, Ricky Ponting along with Team Mentor Anil Kumble rushed
to the ground. Just like 2011 World Cup final, Tendulkar did a lap of honour with the teammates like
Harbhajan carrying him on their shoulders.
 TENDULKAR BIDS GOODBYE TO IPL: Sachin Tendulkar bade goodbye to IPL after his team MI won the
title for the first time. He said he had made up his mind before the start of the tournament.
 Cannes Film Festival: Blue is the Warmest Colour wins prestigious Palme d'Or award: For the first
time, a gay themed love story 'Blue is the Warmest Colour' directed by French-Tunisian filmmaker Abdellatif
Kechiche has won the top honour - the Palme d'Or - at the 66th Cannes Film Festival.
Filmmaker Steven Spielberg, head of the competition jury, announced that he and the other jurists including
Oscar-winning actorsNicole Kidman, Christopher Waltz andBollywood actress Vidya Balan, had decided to
formally recognise not only the movie's director but also its two young actresses, AdeleExarchopoulos and
Lea Seydoux. 'Blue is the Warmest Colour' is a three-hour coming-of-age movie in which Exarchopoulos
plays a 15-year-old, who falls in love with an older woman, played by Seyd.

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  Punjab Government approved Policy to Check Exploitation of Ground Water: Punjab government in
third week of May 2013 has approved a policy stipulating guidelines for the release of electric connections
for agricultural pump sets in the state for 2013-14 to prevent exploitation of ground water. As per the
Agriculture Power Tube Wells Policy, Punjab Electricity Regulatory Commission has prescribed the state
government to decide on the number of agricultural pump set connections to be released each year for
reasons of ecology, inadequate ground water potential and declining water table.
 Global Index of Religion and Atheism Report: Number of Atheists Increased on Global Level: The
new poll called Global Index of Religion and Atheism, by WIN/Gallup International which measures self-
perceptions on the beliefs on global level, indicated that 13 percent of the world population identified
themselves as atheists. Around half of the Chinese population comprised of non-believers. The poll indicated
that in the United States, religiosity was declining notably.
The 2012 Global Index of Religion and Atheism surveyed over 50000 people in 40 countries. These people
were surveyed on categories- religious, non-religious and convinced atheists. Overall, the results declared
that 59 percent of world population was religious, 23 percent was non-religious and 13 percent was
convinced atheist.
 India and Saudi Arabia to further Strengthen Counter-terrorism Cooperation: India and Saudi Arabia
decided to further strengthen and deepen their counter-terrorism cooperation. This was decided during the
4-day visit of External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid to Saudi Arabia. The counter-terrorism issue is
emerging as a key area of cooperation between India and Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia deported deported
Abu Jundal, wanted in the 26/11 Mumbai terrorist attack about a year back. Saudi is concerned about the
rise of extremism in the region, including in Pakistan, notwithstanding their close ties.
 Baleshwar Aggarwal, the veteran journalist passed away at 91: Baleshwar Aggarwal, the veteran
journalist as well as the secretary general of Antar Rashtriya Sahyog Parishad (ARSP) died. He was 91
years of age.
 Congress Party Convoy Attacked by Maoists at Dharba Valley in Chhattisgarh: Group of armed
Maoists trapped and attacked the Congress party convoy at Dharba Valley in Chhattisgarh. In the attack, 17
people were killed on the spot as well as around 20 injured. Among the injured was former central Minister
and senior Congress leader V.C. Shukla. The Maoists triggered the blasts with heavy Improvised Explosive
Device (IED) on the road as well as opened fire in dense forested area of Darbha, which is situated around
40 km away from Jagdalpur district. There were approximately 100 Maoists that opened fire on the Congress
convoy. The Maoists abducted Chhattisgarh Congress president Nand Kumar Patel along with his son.

28th May
 Lost Apollo 11 Moon Dust Discovered After 40 Years in California Lab: In a rare kind of discovery,
various priceless vials of Moon dust which were gathered by one and only Apollo 11 by the late Neil
Armstrong, and Buzz Aldrin were found after almost 40 years in the lab warehouse of California. Vials of the
Moon Dust brought on Earth by Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin were discovered in the month of April 2013
by an archivist, Karen Nelson in the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, California. Apollo 11 returned
from the historic flight in the year 1969. Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin collected the lunar soil and brought
to Earth, which was sent to around 150 laboratories across the world. One of these labs was Space
Sciences Laboratory in Latimer Hall on the UC Berkeley campus.
 RBI imposed Restrictions on Bank Loans against Gold: The Reserve Bank of India on 27 May 2013
imposed restrictions on banks and NBFCs for providing loans against gold coins as well as units of gold
ETFs and mutual funds to curb demands for gold. Also banks were asked to ensure that the amount of loan
to any customer against gold ornaments, gold jewellery and gold coins (weighing up to 50 grams) should be
within the board approved limit. Banks are currently permitted to grant advances against gold ornaments and
other jewellery and against specially minted gold coins sold by banks. However, no advances can be granted
by banks for purchase of gold in any form, including primary gold, gold bullion, gold jewellery, gold coins,
units of gold exchange traded funds and units of gold mutual funds.
 European Union lifted Arms Embargo on Syrian Rebels: European Union on 27 May 2013 lifted its arms
embargo on the Syrian opposition, which has paved 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.
 3rd National Sub-Junior Hockey: Odisha clinched Boy's Title: Odisha on 27 May 2013 clinched the
boy‘s title while Haryana won the girl‘s championship at the third National Sub-Junior Hockey tournament.
Odisha crushed Jharkhand, 8-0 while Haryana beat Madhya Pradesh, 3-2 in the finals played at Bhopal ‘s
Aishbagh stadium. The goal scorers for Haryana were Sonika (3 min), Ritu (35 min) and Navneet Kaur (49
min) while Karishma (4 min) and Neelu (24 min) scored goals for Madhya Pradesh.
 Minister of Civil Aviation Appointed Five Part-Time Directors on Board of Air India: The Minister of
Civil Aviation, Ajit Singh appointed five part-time Directors on Board of Air India in the Last week of May
2013. This has been done in order to use the specialised skills as well as suggestions of the Directors in

35
 order to achieve the targets which are set up by the Government of India in the Turn Around Plan and
Financial Restructuring Plan for Air India.
 TRAI Released the Telecom Commercial Communications Customer Preference Regulations, 2013:
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) issued The Telecom Commercial Communications
Customer Preference (Twelfth Amendment) Regulations, 2013 in the last week of May 2013. The Telecom
Commercial Communications Customer Preference (Twelfth Amendment) Regulations, 2013 prescribes
further measures to tighten the framework for controlling Unsolicited Commercial Communications (UCC). In
the recent past too, TRAI issued various measures for curbing UCC. The Telecom Commercial
Communications Customer Preference Regulations, 2010 was also issued on 1 December 2010 and came
into force on 27 September 2011. In order to address the operational issues as well as for tightening the
regulatory framework, various amendments have also been issued apart from various directions.
 Planning Commission finalized 2000 Crore Nagaland Plan for 2013-14: The Annual Plan of 2000 crore
rupees for the financial year 2013-14 was finalized for Nagaland by the Planning Commission of India. The
plan size was finalized in a meeting between the Deputy Chairman of Planning Commission, Montek Singh
Ahluwalia and Chief Minister of Nagaland, Neiphiu Rio. During the 12th Five Year Plan, Nagaland is aimed
to focus on development of the agricultural sector in the state as it carries a good potential of f006Coriculture
and horticulture. To encourage growth of agriculture, the state needs better infrastructure and good
connectivity via roads and in developing a better infrastructure (accelerating road construction), the planning
commission will provide help to the state.

29th May
 NTR Literary Award presented to Noted Oriya writer Manoj Das: Manoj Das, the Noted Oriya writer on
was presented the NTR National Literary Award. The NTR National Literary Award was chosen by the jury of
NTR Vignana Trust, headed by its chairperson N. Lakshmi Parvati which carries a cash prize of 1 lakh
Rupees and citation. The award recognises Das‘s contribution to literature, both in Odiya and English.
Manoj Das was also conferred with Padma Sri award and had his stories figured in the compilation of best
literary works released in the US.
 External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid visited Saudi Arabia: External Affairs Minister Salman
Khurshid ended his four-day visit to Saudi Arabia. During this visit, he discussed a number of issues
including the controversial Nitaqat law, counter-terrorism measures and energy security with top Saudi
leaders. Significantly, India and Saudi Arabia decided to further strengthen and deepen their counter-
terrorism cooperation. Saudi Arabia had deported Abu Jundal, wanted in the 26/11 Mumbai terrorist attack in
2012. It also tried to mitigate India‘s fears over the Nitaqat law.
 India, USA and Australia joined Hands to develop Climate-resilient Crops: India, the United States and
Australia in the third week of May 2013 came together to develop new climate-resilient varieties of rice and
wheat, two of the major crops in the world.The United States Agency for International Development (USAID)
will work in collaboration with the Australian Centre for Plant Functional Genomics (ACPFG) and India's
Vibha Agrotech.This collaboration will seek to develop new rice and wheat varieties having greater tolerance
to drought and salinity. Now, farmers can have more stable production in wake of sudden drought and salt
water intrusion.
 Oldest Person of the World, also the Last Living Male of the 19th Century : The oldest person of the
world, 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 third week 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. Most of these 19th
century women are in Japan and US, while others are in Canada and Europe. But amongst the male,
Jiroemon Kimura is the only alive person of 19th century.
 President of India Gave Away Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowships and Akademi Awards for 2012:
The President of India, Pranab Mukherjee conferred the Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowships (Akademi
Ratna) on violinist N Rajam, Grammy award-winning percussionist T H Vikku Vinayakram and veteran
playwright Ratan Thiyam for the year 2012. The awards were given away at a ceremony at Rashtrapati
Bhavan in New Delhi.
 Jamjang Deru of India Bagged Three Medals in 15th Asian Youth Weightlifting Championships:
Jamjang Deru of Arunachal Pradesh, India won three medals, which included two gold and one silver the
opening day of 15th Asian Youth Weightlifting Championships in Doha. He won the medals in the boy's 50kg
category. Jamjang Deru won a silver with 87 kg and bagged a gold with 113 kg lift. Finally, he signed off with
the gold with a total of 200 kg.
 Indian Telecom Sector Became the Second Largest Telephone Network in the World: The Indian
telecom sector became the second largest telephone network in the world, after China by registering
exceptional growth during last nine years. The reasons for growth of telecom sector were reform measures
by the Government of India, active participation of the private sector as well as wireless technology. National

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 Telecom Policy-2012 (NTP-2012) was announced with an objective to maximise public good by facilitating
reliable, secure and affordable telecommunication as well as broadband services in India. When NTP 2012
was implemented, a range of telephonic connections increased considerably. The telephone connections in
India till January 2013 were 893.14 million. The rural telephone connections increased by around 10 million
in the year 2012. Overall, the teledensity was 73.07 percent till January 2013. Rural teledensity crossed the
40 percent mark. Comparatively, in March 2004, the overall teledensity was 7.04 percent while the rural
teledensity was 1.7 percent.
 Kushal Singh Appointed as the Chairperson of NCPCR : The Ministry of Women and Child Development
appointed Kushal Singh as the Chairperson of National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR).
She was selected by the Committee which was headed by Krishna Tirath, Minister of Women and Child
Development.

30th May
 Kiran Mazumdar Shaw and Three Other Indians Figured in Forbes Philanthropy List: Kiran Mazumdar-
Shaw, P N C Menon, Vineet Nayar and Ronnie Screwvala – figured 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.
 Foreign Minister of Cuba Bruno Rodriguez Parrilla visited India: The Foreign Minister of Cuba, Bruno
Rodriguez Parrilla paid an official visit to India from 25 May 2013 to 27 May 2013. During his visit, Foreign
Minister Bruno Rodriquez Parrilla held talks with his Indian counter-part and discussed bilateral, regional and
international issues of mutual interest. India and Cuba share a historic, warm and friendly relationship which
has been marked by growing cooperation in diverse areas such as Sports, Hydrocarbons, IT, Biotechnology
and Development Partnership.The two countries share common perspectives on a wide variety of issues in
the global arena.
 Seventh Edition of the Regional Pravasi Bhartiya Divas was held in Sydney: The seventh edition of the
annual Regional Pravasi Bharatiya Divas will be held here.The seventh edition of the annual Regional
Pravasi Bharatiya Divas will be held in Sydney in November 2013. India's Minister of Overseas Indian Affairs
Vayalar Ravi and Premier of New South Wales Barry O'Farrell jointly announced this during a video
conference conducted between their offices in New Delhi and Sydney.
 Peter Higgs, Francois Englert received Award for God Particle Discovery : The Asturias Foundation
announced that Physicist Peter Higgs and Francois Englert and the European organization for Nuclear
Research won the 2013 Prince of Asturias Award for Technical and Scientific Research in recognition of their
work establishing the existence of the so-called God particle.Higgs and Englert - along with the late Robert
Brout - formulated in 1964 the existence of a subatomic particle that came to be known as the Higgs boson.
But it was only in 2012 that the European Organization for Nuclear Research, or CERN, was able to confirm
the existence of this particle through experiments conducted with the Large Hadron Collider.
This finding, which has been called the greatest discovery in the history of the understanding of Nature,
enables a glimpse at what happened immediately after the Big Bang.
 Akshay B. Gaikwad Won Three Gold Medals in 15th Asian Youth Weightlifting Championships:
Akshay B. Gaikwad won three gold medals on second day of 15th Asian Youth Weightlifting Championships
in Doha. On the other hand, Lalu Taku won a silver as well as two bronze in the championships. In the 15th
Asian Youth Weightlifting Championships, India now has a total of eight gold, five silver as well as four
bronze medals overall.
 Rituparno Ghosh, National Award Winning Filmmaker died at the age of 49: Rituparno Ghosh, the
renowned Bengali film maker died of cardiac arrest at his south Kolkata residence. 49 Years old Rituparno
Ghosh is the winner of 12 national and some of the international awards. Ghosh came into limelight by his
direction of a children's film Hirer Angti in year 1994. His film Unishe April won national award winner in
1995. Some of his famous films include Dahan, Asukh, Chokher Bali, Raincoat, Bariwali, Antarmahal and
Noukadubi.
He had won the Best Director National Award for Abohomanin year 2012. Rituparno Ghosh was born on 31
August 1963 in Kolkata. His father was a well known documentary filmmaker.

31st May
 OECD scaled down India's Growth Rate at 5.3 Percent: The Organisation for Economic Co-operation
and Development (OECD), scaled down India‘s growth estimate to 5.3 per cent for 2013 from 5.9 per cent.
The report warned that investment and growth potential could face constraints because of structural set up.
However, the report stated that GDP growth is likely to rise gradually over the next two years. The report
added that growth will gradually recover in 2013. The OECD further forecasted that China‘s economy would
grow 7.8 per cent in 2013, lower from a previous estimate of 8.5 per cent. It also noted that China will have
the highest growth rate among major nations until around 2020. However it could be then outshined by India.

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 China is likely to surpass the United States as the world‘s largest economy in the next few years as per the
report, and India will overtake Japan to become the third largest.
 HRD Ministry Constituted National Testing Agency (NTA) : The HRD Ministry decided to set up a seven
member Task Force under the Chairmanship of Sanjay Dhande. It will have the representatives from CBSE,
UGC, NCERT, AICTE and from the Ministry. It will prepare a blue print for creating a special purpose vehicle
to take the concept of National Testing Agency (NTA) forward. The rationale for setting up the NTA lies in
ensuring that multiplicity of entrance examination leading to stress on the students is addressed in a
comprehensive manner by formulating a uniform entrance examination for admissions in different branches
of higher learning.
 CSO:Economic Growth declined to a low of 5 Percent for the 2012-13 Fiscal: According to data
released by the Central Statistical Organisation (CSO) economic growth slowed to 4.8 per cent in the
January-March quarter and fell to a decade's low of 5 per cent for the entire 2012-13 fiscal due to poor
performance of farm, manufacturing and mining sectors.The economic growth or gross domestic product
(GDP) had expanded by 5.1 per cent in January-March quarter of 2012-13.The Indian economy had grown
by 5.4 per cent, 5.2 per cent and 4.7 per cent in the first, second and third quarters, respectively, of 2012-13.
The country had clocked 6.2 per cent growth in 2011-12 fiscal.
 UNESCO declared Nicobar Islands as World Biosphere Reserve: The United Nations Educational,
Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) in the Month of May 2013 had declared India's Nicobar
Islands as a world biosphere reserve under its Man and the Biosphere Programme. Such reserves are
established by Member countries. The UNESCO basically recognizes them under the programme to
promote sustainable development based on local community efforts and sound science. The World
Biosphere Reserves are considered as sites of excellence, where new and optimal practices to manage
nature and human activities are tested and demonstrated. The Nicobar Islands are an archipelagic island
chain located in the eastern Indian Ocean. The island chain is home to 1800 animal species and some of the
world's most endangered tribes. It is among 12 new sites added to the global network of biosphere reserves
in Paris.
 Hindi Journalism Day Celebrated In India to Mark 187 Years of Hindi Journalism: 30 May is celebrated
as the Hindi Journalism Day in India‘s journalism every year. On 30 May 1826, the first Hindi newspaper of
India called Udant Martand was edited and published. With this, the Hindi Journalism completed its 187
years in India. First Hindi newspaper was initiated by Jugal Kishor Shukla. Hindi daily publishing took place
in Braj and Khari languages. Jugal Kishor Shukla helped in creating journalism as the fourth pillar of the
Indian democracy.
 PM Manmohan Singh re-elected to Rajya Sabha from Assam for the Fifth Time: Prime Minister
Manmohan Singh was elected to the Rajya Sabha for the fifth time from Assam. Indian National Congress
(INC) won both the seats to the Upper House from Assam. The Other candidate of Indian national Congress
from Assam, Santius Kujur was also elected as he has secured 45 seats. Manmohan Singh bagged 49 first
preference votes in the 126-member Assembly. The other party, All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF)'s
Aminul Islam, was defeated as it was polled only18 votes.
 Anti-Tobacco Day Observed across the World: According to World Health Organisation, World No-
Tobacco day is observed every year on 31 May 2013. The Theme this year is Ban tobacco advertising,
promotion and sponsorship. It is a global tragedy that diseases are allowed to be caused by tobacco
consumption. WHO urged Governments (with its message free yourself) everywhere to address this
needless threat to public health.The day is meant to highlight the risks associated with tobacco usage and
reduce its consumption. Tobacco is the single largest cause of preventable death globally and approximately
5.5 million people die around the world every year - with India accounting for nearly a fifth of this. The
primary risk of tobacco usage includes many forms of cancers. The ultimate goal is to contribute to protect
present and future generations not only from these devastating health consequences, but also against the
social, environmental and economic scourges of tobacco use and exposure to tobacco smoke.
 13 Year-old Indian-American Arvind Mahankali won National Spelling Bee: Indian-American Arvind
Mahankali, after years of close calls, won the Scripps National Spelling Bee . It was the 86th version of the
competition. Arvind who hails from Bayside Hills, New York correctly spelled knaidel, a German-derived
Yiddish word for a small mass of leavened dough to win the competition.The bee tested brain power,
composure and, for the first time, knowledge of vocabulary. Arvind finished in third place in both 2011 and
2012, and both times, he was eliminated on German-derived words

1st June
 MCX-SX Granted Approval by SEBI for Separate Debt and SME Trading Platform: MCX-SX, the third
bourse on the equities and equity derivatives trading block declared declared that it received approval from
SEBI for operating separate debt as well as SME trading platforms. Trading in these segments on MCX-SX
would begin in coming weeks. SEBI, the market regulator gave final approval to MCX Stock Exchange
(MCX-SX) for trading in the debt segment. In-principle approval was granted for Small Medium Enterprises
(SME) platform.

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  Avinash Chander appointed as the New chief of Defence Research Development
Organiastion(DRDO): Avinash Chander, the principal architect of India‘s long-range missile programmes
appointed Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) chief and scientific advisor to defence
minister. Avinash Chander, will succeed V.K. Saraswat. He is an eminent missile scientist, who is considered
the chief architect of the long-range Agni ballistic missile programme. As the Director-General of DRDO,
Chander is supposed to hold the posts of Scientific Advisor to the Raksha Mantri (SA to RM); and Secretary,
Defence R&D. He was also awarded with Padma Shri in 2013.

2nd June
 Srinivasan steps aside as BCCI chief: N. Srinivasan agreed to ―step aside‖ as BCCI president under a
compromise formula that brought back former chief Jagmohan Dalmiya as head of a four-member ―interim
arrangement‖ to run the Board, more than a fortnight after the spot-fixing scandal rocked cricketing world. In
a decision in which the pro-Sharad Pawar group appeared to have suffered a dent, the Working Committee
of the Board decided that Mr. Dalmiya will conduct its day-to-day affairs after Mr. Srinivasan announced that
he will not discharge his duties as the president till such time the probe is completed. The meeting also
urged Secretary Jagdale and Treasurer Ajay Shirke, who have resigned from the posts a couple of days ago,
to rethink their decision and get back to the Board in 24 hours.
 Top court rules Egypt‘s legislature illegally elected: An Egyptian court ruled that the nation‘s legislature
and constitutional panel were illegally elected. The ruling by the Supreme Constitutional Court also said that
the legislature‘s upper house, the only one currently sitting, must be dissolved when parliament‘s lower
chamber is elected later this year or early in 2014. The same court ruled to dissolve parliament‘s lower
chamber in June, a move that led to the promotion of the toothless upper chamber, the Shura Council, to
becoming a lawmaking house. It was not immediately clear whether the ruling on the 100-member
constitutional panel would cancel the charter it drafted. The constitution was adopted in a nationwide vote in
December 2012.
 FDI dips by 38% to $22.4 bn in 2012-13: Government‘s efforts to promote India as an investment
destination does not seem to be yielding fruits as FDI inflows registered 38 per cent decline to $22.42 billion
in 2012-13 compared to the previous year. FDI inflows were worth $35.12 billion in 2011-12. The
government had taken several policy decisions in the past few months to attract foreign investments.
Important among these include allowing FDI in multi-brand retail and civil aviation sectors and seeking
legislative approval for increasing FDI cap in insurance and pension sectors.
 Bounty Star wins Nilgiris Gold Cup: Mr. M. A. M. Ramaswamy's Bounty Star (Rajendra Singh up) won the
Nilgiris Gold Cup, the chief event of the races held here. The winner is trained by R. Foley.
 Serena Williams beats Vinci in 4th round at French Open: Serena Williams earned a berth in the French
Open quarterfinals and extended her career-best winning streak to 28 matches by beating Roberta Vinci 6-1,
6-3. The 15-time Grand Slam champion next plays 2009 winner Svetlana Kuznetsova. With a victory,
Williams would earn her first berth in a French Open semifinal since 2003. She won her lone Roland Garros
title in 2002.
 Pakistan‘s new Parliament sworn in: Newly elected members of the Pakistan National Assembly took oath
as the House began its landmark session marking a peaceful democratic transition. Outgoing speaker
Fehmida Mirza administered oath to 301 MPs, including Nawaz Sharif whose party formally designated him
as prime minister. Nawaz entered the Assembly hall amid clapping by PML-N members, whose number has
swelled to 186 in the 342-member house with the joining of a large number of independents and others thus
surpassing the requisite 171 magic number for election of the premier.
 Rajeev Shukla resigned as Chairman of IPL in the Wake of Spot-Fixing Scandal: Rajeev Shukla
resigned as Chairman of IPL in the wake of the raging spot-fixing scandal. The resignation of Shukla came
on the eve of the emergency meeting of the BCCI working committee scheduled to be held in Chennai .
Rajeev Shukla was an Indian journalist, political commentator, television host and the Minister of State for
Parliamentary Affairs and Planning, Government of India. He is a Member of Parliament since 2000. He
serves as secretary of the All India Congress Committee.Rajiv Shukla was first appointed as the chief of IPL
at the BCCI AGM held on 18 September 2011. Rajiv's appointment came after Chirayu Amin's decision to
step down. He was reappointed as IPL chairman in 2012.
 Infosys appointed Narayan Murthy as Executive Chairman of the Board: In a major top management re-
shuffle, Infosys appointed N R Narayana Murthy as executive chairman of the Board. He would serve as
board chairman for 5 years. K V Kamath stepped down from his position as Chairman of the Board and took
up the position of Lead Independent Director. In fact, Narayan Murthy was appointed as the chairman for the
second time. Prior to this, he was the chairman from 2002 to 2011.The Board has taken this step keeping in
mind the challenges that the technology industry and the company faces in the present day.
 India and Nepal agreed to address Each Other's Security Concerns: India and Nepal agreed to address
each other‘s security concerns and curb illegal activities across the open border. The agreement took place
during the annual Home Secretary-level talks held in Kathmandu. Both nations agreed to increase vigilance
and cooperation in border areas against criminal activities such as human and drug trafficking, smuggling of

39
 Indian counterfeit currency and trade in illegal substances. The Indian Delegation was led by Home
secretary RK Singh, while the Nepali delegation was led by his counterpart Navin Kumar Ghimere.
 UN Security Council imposed Sanctions on the Syrian Rebel Group: The UN Security Council on
imposed sanctions on the Syrian rebel group, Al-Nusra Front on account of its links with Al-Qaeda. The
move comes after the UN sanctions committee, chaired by Australian Ambassador Gary Quinlan voted to
blacklist the group due to its terror links with Al-Qaeda-related individuals and entities.
3rd June
 India largest contributor to UN peace missions: Reflecting the important role it is playing in promoting
peace operations worldwide, India has become the largest contributor to UN missions since inception. So
far, India has taken part in 43 peacekeeping missions with a total contribution exceeding 160000 troops and
a significant number of police personnel. About 8000 Indian UN peacekeepers, both men and women, are
currently deployed in nine missions across the globe, including Congo, South Sudan, Liberia, UNDOF, Haiti,
Lebanon, Abeyi, Cyprus and Cote de Ivoire. India‘s contribution to UN peacekeeping operations came in for
a huge applause at an event to commemorate the tenth anniversary of the International Day of UN
Peacekeepers at the Permanent Mission of India to the UN earlier this week.
 PML-N leader Ayaz Sadiq elected Speaker of Pak Parliament: Veteran PML-N leader Ayaz Sadiq was
elected Speaker of Pakistan‘s National Assembly with a thumping majority. The parliamentarian from Lahore
bagged 258 of the 313 votes that were cast in the election of the Speaker in the lower house of parliament.
 First international arms trade treaty to be signed: Governments will sign the world‘s first internationally
binding agreement to regulate the trade in conventional weapons. Adopted by the UN in April 2013 after a
vote of 154 to three, the arms trade treaty will seek to control the global trade in arms and ammunition. The
treaty, which will regulate the sales of battle tanks, large-calibre artillery systems, combat aircraft, attack
helicopters, warships and small arms and light weapons, will be signed by top arms exporters including the
UK, Germany and France. The US is expected to sign later this year.
 Dhoni receives ICC ODI Championship Shield: Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni received the ICC
Shield for finishing as the No. 1 ODI team in the Championship table on the April 1, 2013 cut-off date. In a
simple ceremony at the Swalec Stadium in Cardiff, former ICC president David Morgan presented Dhoni a
silver salver and a cheque for USD 175,000.
 Sutirtha wins gold for India in Slovak Junior Open: Promising paddler Sutirtha Mukherjee beat
compatriot Manika Batra to win the girls‘ singles title at the Slovak Junior Open in Senec, Slovakia, as India
rounded off its best-ever show in an international event by bagging four gold and two silver medals. For
India, gold each came in the junior doubles event (boys and girls) on the final day of the competition, besides
two medals (gold and silver) in the girls‘ singles.
 Central Information Commission puts political parties under the RTI Act: Setting a new bench mark in
transparency in politics, the Central Information Commission held that political parties are answerable under
the Right to Information Act. A full bench of the Commission comprising Chief Information Commissioner
Satyananda Mishra and Information Commissioner M L Sharma and Annapurna Dixit held that six parties -
Congress, BJP, CPI-M, CPI, NCP and BSP - to whom RTI queries were directed, fulfill the criteria of being
public authorities under the Right to Information Act.
 Government raised the Import Tariff Value of Gold to 459 Dollars per 10 Grams: The Union government
of India increased the import tariff value of gold to 459 dollars per 10 grams, while it was reduced to 737
dollars per kg for silver imports. In May 2013, the tariff value of gold was at 440 dollars per 10 grams and
silver at 761 dollars per kg. The notification in this regard was issued by the Central Board of Excise and
Customs (CBEC) on 1 June 2013. Government raised the import tariff value of gold as its prices are
increasing at global level. India‘s gold import in April-June 2013 period is likely to register a record level at
300-400 tonnes, as against 153 tonnes in the corresponding period of 2012 as per the World Gold Council
(WGC) estimate.
 India witnessed a Five-Fold Increase in Power Generation: India witnessed a five-fold increase in the
additional power generation capacity during the last nine years as per the official data released by the union
government. It has gone up from over 3900 MW in 2004-05 to 20660 MW in 2012-13. Over 9 lakh million
units of power was generated in 2012-13 as against 5.8 lakh Million Units in 2004-05. The total installed
capacity of electricity generation was more than two lakh 23 thousand MW as on 31 March 2013 while the
demand was one lakh 35 thousand MW. Power sector has grown positively over the 11th plan period
registering a growth rate of nearly 4 per cent in 2012-13.
 Rami Hamdallah Appointed as the New Prime Minister of Palestine : The President of Palestine,
Mahmoud Abbas named Rami Hamdallah as his new Prime Minister. Rami Hamdallah replaced Western-
favoured economist Salam Fayyad who had left the office of Prime Minister in April 2013 and formally quit
now.
 Direct Benefit Transfer for LPG (DBTL) Scheme Launched in 18 Districts of India : The Minister of
Petroleum & Natural Gas, M. Veerappa Moily launched the Direct Benefit Transfer for LPG (DBTL) Scheme
in 18 districts on 1 June 2013 at Tumkur near Bangalore. The scheme was also flagged off by Chief Minister
of Andhra Pradesh Kiran Kumar Reddy. DBTL Scheme became operational in 18 districts of India. Now, the
40
 subsidy on LPG cylinders in the districts would be provided directly to consumers in their Aadhar linked bank
accounts. More than 67 lakh LPG consumers in 18 districts of India will enjoy the benefits of DBTL Scheme.

4th June
 India further extends military training facilities to Singapore: India and Singapore have signed a fresh
agreement to extend the use of training and exercise facilities in India by the Singapore Army for a further
period of five years from August this year. The agreement was signed by the Defence Secretary Radha
Krishna Mathur and the Singaporean Permanent Secretary of Defence Chiang Chie Foo in the presence of
the two Defence Ministers of both the countries, AK Antony and Dr Ng Eng Hen, according to reports
received from Singapore. It may be recalled that a bilateral agreement for utilization of facilities in India by
the Singapore Air Force and Army was signed in October 2007 and August 2008 respectively. The
agreement for training and exercises of Singapore Air Force in India was extended up to October 2017
during the visit of Singapore‘s Permanent Secretary of Defence to India in July last year. Singapore is the
only country to which India is offering such facilities.
 Up to 5 per cent of world GDP lost due to malnutrition: UN: Up to five per cent of global economic output
may be lost due to malnutrition, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said noting that
increasing obesity was compounding chronic undernourishment problems. The direct health care costs and
long-term damage from lost productivity could amount to $ 3.5 trillion per year, or $ 500 per person, the
Rome-based agency said in its yearly The State of Food and Agriculture report. FAO estimated that while
12.5 per cent of the world‘s population — 868 million people — does not have enough to eat, there are 2
billion people who suffer from nutritional deficiencies and 1.4 billion people who are overweight, including
500 million who are obese.
 Fiscal deficit lower at 4.89 % in 2012-13: Even as the low GDP (gross domestic product) and core
infrastructure growth numbers came as a disappointment to the government, the fiscal deficit figure for 2012-
13 was something to cheer about. With larger than anticipated mop-up by way of taxes coupled with higher
non-tax collection, the fiscal deficit for 2012-13 worked out lower at 4.89 per cent of the GDP, significantly
below the revised estimate of 5.2 per cent. While the government had budgeted for a revenue realisation of
Rs. 10.38 lakh crore during 2012-13, the revised estimates had pegged the direct taxes mop-up at Rs. 5.65
lakh crore with another Rs. 4.69 lakh crore coming from indirect taxes. During the course of the fiscal year,
while there was a marginal slippage in direct tax collection, the revenue mop-up through indirect tax mop- up
ended up exceeding the revised estimates. Alongside, with the total expenditure pegged at Rs. 14.30 lakh
crore, the government‘s expenditure was consciously compressed through strict monitoring of spending by
various departments. In the Budget, while the government had pegged the fiscal deficit at Rs 5.20 lakh crore
or 5.2 per cent of GDP for 2012-13, the data released by the Controller General of Accounts (CGA) show the
fiscal gap between expenditure and revenue at Rs 4.89 lakh crore, or 4.89 per cent of the GDP.
 Raghav Joneja, 15, becomes youngest Indian to climb Everest: At the age of 15 years and seven
months, Raghav Joneja from Moradabad became the youngest Indian to scale the Mount Everest when he
along with his five schoolmates summited the fifth highest peak in the world.
Raghav broke the record set by Manipur's Nameirakpam Chingkheinganba, at 16 years seven months and
11 days, as recently as last month, surpassing Arjun Vajpai's feat by a week.
 Burundi's Lydia Nsekra became the First Woman to be Elected to FIFA: Burundi's Lydia Nsekera
became the first woman to be elected to the FIFA Executive Committee (ExCo) for a full term of four years at
the FIFA Congress in Mauritius held on 30 May 2013. The two other women Moya Dodd of Australia and
Sonia Bien-Aime of the Turks and Caicos Islands, were coopted on for one year. Nsekera was also the first
woman to be coopted on for one year at last year's congress in Budapest. The ExCo comprises a total of 24
members. FIFA executive committee comprises a total of 24 years.
 Ayaz Sadiq Elected as the Speaker of the National Assembly of Pakistan: Leader of Pakistan Muslim
League- Nawaz (PML-N), Ayaz Sadiq was on 3 June 2013 elected as the Speaker of the National Assembly
of Pakistan. He won with 258 votes out of 313 votes which were cast in the election of a Speaker in lower
house of the Parliament of Pakistan. The strength of National Assembly of Pakistan is 342. His opponents,
Shaheryar Afridi of the Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf and SA Iqbal Qadri of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement got
just 31 and 23 votes respectively. The outgoing Speaker Fehmida Mirza administered the oath of Speaker‘s
office to Ayaz Sadiq. He became the 19th Speaker of the lower house of the Parliament of Pakistan.
 India's Foodgrain Production registered a Growth of 30 Percent: India's foodgrain production registered
an impressive growth of over 30 percent in the last nine years. It went up to 259 million tonnes in 2012-13
from 198.36 million tonnes in 2004-05. This is result of government initiatives like National Food Security
Mission, NFSM, and Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana. While NFSM is an area and crop specific scheme, RKVY
is a highly flexible mega scheme to incentivise states for investment in agriculture. The flow of agricultural
credit was raised from 86981 crore rupees in 2003-04 to 5.75 lakh crore in 2012-13.The Minimum Support
Price of major crops also increased by more than hundred per cent during the period.
 India to Dominate Global Saving and Investment Along With China: World Bank Report: The World
Bank report titled Capital for the Future: Saving and Investment in an Interdependent World released on 3

41
 June 2013 forecasted that India and China will become the largest investors among various developing
nations of the world in the year 2030. The report also indicated that both these countries will account for
around half the global manufacturing investment. The World Bank report indicated that the share of India in
global investments would be twice by 2030. However, maximum part of the investment would be from China
because the report indicated that India, Russia and Brazil would account for over 13 percent of the global
investment in all. This reflected that the share of India in global investment would be less than 13 percent.
When the share of India, Russia and Brazil would be combined, it would come out to be more than that of
the US. World Bank Vice-President and chief economist Kaushik Basu explained that the global investment
would be dominating area of the developing countries. The largest investors would be India and China. India
and China, will have a combined account of 38 percent of global gross investment in 2030.
 Jiah Khan, the 25-Year Old Bollywood Actress Died: Jiah Khan, the 25-year old Bollywood actress died
at her Juhu residence in Mumbai. She allegedly committed suicide.

5th June
 V.G. Sekaran is Chief Controller R&D, DRDO: V.G. Sekaran, chief designer of long range missile Agni-V
and Director of the Advanced Systems Laboratory (ASL), has been appointed as Chief Controller R&D
(Missiles & Strategic Systems), DRDO and Programme Director, Agni.
 WAN-IFRA elects Brunegård as president: Tomas Brunegård, chairman of Sweden‘s Stampen Media
Group, is the new president of the World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers. He was elected
to a two-year term during WAN-IFRA‘s annual meetings here. He succeeds Jacob Mathew of the Kerala-
based Malayala Manorama.
 Nawaz Sharif formally elected as Pakistan‘s PM: PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif was formally elected
Pakistan‘s Prime Minister by an overwhelming majority in the National Assembly, setting the stage for an
unprecedented third term as premier. Mr. Sharif, 63, received 244 votes in the 342-member lower house of
parliament during the election conducted through a division of the House. The PML-N chief made history
when he returned to parliament after a long gap of over 13 years. His last stint as premier ended when he
was deposed in a military coup led by former Army Chief Pervez Musharraf in 1999.
 Govinda is HI selection panel chief: More than a year since he was unceremoniously dumped from the
Indian squad for the hockey Olympic qualifiers, Arjun Halappa has returned to Hockey India fold — as a
national selector. In a release, Hockey India named the new national selection committee that will take
charge from July 1 for one-year tenure, with an emphasis on youth. The team includes two other new faces
— former captain Gagan Ajit Singh and R.P. Singh. While Olympian B.P. Govinda has been named
chairman of the nine-member committee, those who have been dropped are Col. Balbir Singh and Thoiba
Singh.
 India approves $160 million for power projects in Nepal: India has approved a soft loan of $ 160 million
for three power projects in Nepal, fulfilling its commitment made to the power-starved neighbouring country.
Handing over an approval letter to the Finance Ministry yesterday, the Exim bank of India informed about
sanctioning of the loan for a 220-KVA Koshi corridor transmission line, 132-KVA Solu corridor transmission
line and 32-MW Rahughat hydropower project, under construction. The loans have been sanctioned under
the first phase of a 250-million dollar loan package commitment made by the bank a couple of years ago.
The commitment was made by the Indian government during a visit to India by the then Nepal Prime Minister
and Maoist Vice-chairman Baburam Bhattarai.
 Mundra Port docks largest container ship in India: Adani Ports and SEZ's (APSEZ) Mundra Port handled
one of the largest and longest container vessels in the world--MV MSC Valeria, having a capacity of 14,000
TEUs, sources said.According to marinetraffic.com, a leading website on marine traffic, MSC Valeria docked
at about 1023 hrs in the morning at Mundra port -- the largest private port in India.
 Cabinet nod to real estate regulator : A Bill providing for setting up a regulator for the real estate sector
and having provisions like a jail term of up to three years for developers issuing misleading advertisements
about their projects repeatedly was approved by the government. The Real Estate (Regulation and
Development) Bill seeks to provide a uniform regulatory environment to the sector. It also intends to make it
mandatory for developers to launch projects only after acquiring all statutory clearances from the authorities
concerned.
 India, NZ pledge to conclude FTA soon : India and New Zealand decided to speed up negotiations on a
free trade agreement (FTA) between the two countries. An FTA is an immediate goal for us. In pursuing the
FTA, we believe that the potential of the relationship between New Zealand and India will be unlocked,‖ New
Zealand Foreign Minister Murray McCully said after wide ranging talks with External Affairs Minister Salman
Khurshid here.
 Prime Minister of India was on four days Visit to Japan from 27-30 May 2013: The Prime Minister of
India, Manmohan Singh, visited Japan on 27-30 May 2013 for the Annual Summit of the Prime Ministers.
Both the Countries of India and Japan held extensive talks on bilateral, regional and global issues on 29 May
2013 in Tokyo. Both the Countries welcomed the launch of the bilateral Maritime Affairs Dialogue, the first
meeting of which was held on 29 January 2013 in Delhi.Both the countries expressed concern on the issue
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 of import of Indian shrimp by Japan and hoped that this issue would be resolved soon. Both the countries
confirmed the 6th EAS Declaration on ASEAN Connectivity that includes consideration be given to the
Connectivity Master Plan Plus in the future anticipating the Economic Research Institute of ASEAN and East
Asia (ERIA) to provide useful inputs towards this. Prime Minister of both the Countries re-affirmed their
support for the East Asia Summit (EAS) as a forum for dialogue on broad strategic, political and economic
issues of common interest and concern with the aim of promoting peace, stability and economic prosperity in
East Asia.
 Odisha reopened White Tiger Safari at Nandankanan: The White Tiger Safari at the Nandankanan
Zoological Park, Odisha was reopened on 4 June 2013. The safari was shut down for over a period of one
month due to safety reasons. The park officials closed the safari after a seven year old tiger walked into it on
29 April 2013 and the decision of reopening the safari came up after the return of the tiger. Nandankanan is
provides first-of-its-kind white tiger safari in the country. The safari is the home of about 24 tigers of which
eight are white.
 World Environment Day was observed on 5 June 2013: World Environment Day was observed on 5 June
2013. The theme for the year 2013 was Think, Eat, Save Reduce Your Foodprint. It aims at an anti-food
wastage and loss campaign to encourage people to reduce their foodprint. It also calls for more awareness
about the environmental impact of the food choices people make and empowers them to make informed
decisions. The theme Think, Eat Save Reduce your Foodprint is aimed at encouraging everyone to reduce
the wastage of food by becoming more aware of the environmental impacts of food waste. According to the
United Nation‘s Food and Agriculture Organisation, FAO, every year 1.3 billion tonnes of food is wasted. This
enormous wastage of food results in devastating effects on natural resources and effects the environment
adversely.World Environment Day is held each year on 5 June. Through this day, United Nations (UN)
stimulates worldwide awareness of the environment and enhances political attention and action. World
Environment Day was established by the United Nations General Assembly in 1972 to mark the opening of
the Stockholm Conference on the Human Environment. Another resolution, adopted by the General
Assembly the same day, resulted into the creation of UNEP (United Nations Environment Programme). It is
hosted every year by a different city.

6th June
 A.M. Homes wins Women‘s Fiction Prize: American novelist A.M. Homes has won this year‘s Women‘s
Prize for Fiction with her sixth novel, ―May We Be Forgiven.‖ Ms. Homes beat award winning writer Hilary
Mantel and three other finalists for the $ 45,000 prize, previously known as the Orange Prize, one of Britain‘s
most prestigious literary awards.
 Indian institute celebrates one millionth free eye surgery: An Indian eye care institution is celebrating its
one millionth free eye surgery with a special ceremony at the Churchill Dining room in the House of
Commons. NRI Punjabi MP Virendra Sharma, who represents the Ealing Southall constituency in UK
Parliament, has agreed to preside over the occasion.Founded by a husband and wife doctor team from
Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, Dr RV Ramani and Dr RadahaRamani, the Sankara Eye Foundation has branches
both in the US and the UK.
 India exempted from Iran oil sanctions: United States exempted India and eight other countries from
sanctions for importing oil from Iran, noting that these countries have significantly reduced their dependence
on Iranian oil in the last six months. US Secretary of State John Kerry said that India, China, Malaysia,
Republic of Korea, Singapore, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Turkey, and Taiwan have qualified for an exception to
sanctions under America's Iran Sanctions Act, based on additional significant reductions in the volume of
their crude oil purchases from Iran or for reducing those purchases to zero and remaining there.
 Bypolls | BJP sweeps Gujarat; JD(U) loses to RJD: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has won all the six
by-elections inGujarat, including two Lok Sabha seats and four assembly seats, boosting Chief
Minister Narendra Modi‘s clout ahead of the party‘s national executive meeting in Goa later this week. All the
six seats were earlier held by the Congress. With this, Modi can claim that his popularity in the state is intact.
In the 2012 assembly elections, his tally had come down from 117 in 2007 to 115. Now, with the by-
elections, it has crossed 117. n West Bengal, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) retained the Howrah Lok
Sabha constituency despite the Saradha chit fund scam, defeating the Communist Party of India (Marxist) by
nearly 27,000 votes. In 2009, the TMC had contested Howrah in an electoral understanding with the
Congress and won by a margin of 37,000 votes. This time, victory was a prestige issue for West Bengal
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who campaigned personally for her candidate, footballer Prasun Banerjee.
However, the biggest shock value was the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD)‘s victory in the Maharajganj Lok
Sabha seat in Bihar, where a valued colleague of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, education minister P K Shahi,
lost the election by a massive 137,000 margin. As advocate-general of Bihar, Shahi was largely responsible
for prosecuting mafia leaders and local strongmen by invoking the Arms Act against them and pursuing the
cases aggressively.

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7th June
 India among worst perfroming nations in women entrepreneurship: India has been ranked among the
worst performing countries in the area of women entrepreneurship in gender-focused global
entrepreneurship survey, released this week by PC maker Dell and Washington based consulting firm Global
Entrepreneurship and Development Institute ( GEDI). Of the 17 countries surveyed India ranks 16th, just
above Uganda. Countries like Turkey, Morocco and Egypt have outperformed India. Status of higher
education in women in India came out to be lower than most countries in the world
 Prof Xaxa replaces Aruna Roy in NAC : The Centre has reconstituted the National Advisory Council (NAC)
— headed by Sonia Gandhi — with Prof Virginius Xaxa, Deputy Director at the Guwahati campus of Tata
Institute of Social Sciences, being inducted into the panel following a vacancy caused by the exit of Aruna
Roy. The government also extended the tenure of the remaining 10 members: Narendra Jadhav, Pramod
Tandon, NC Saxena, AK Shiv Kumar, Deep Joshi, Anu Aga, Farah Naqvi, Mirai Chatterjee, Mihir Shah and
Ashis Monda . The National Advisory Council (NAC) of India is an advisory body set up to advise the
Prime Minister of India. NAC is also called as Shadow Cabinet.
 Woods reclaims world‘s best-paid athlete tag: Tiger Woods has become the world's best-paid athlete
once again after reclaiming golf's number one ranking, according to business magazine Forbes. Woods had
total earnings of $78 million over the past year — $65 million in endorsements and the remainder from
appearance and prize money, Forbes said in its annual sporting survey.
 Brazil drop to record low 22nd in FIFA rankings : Five-times world champions Brazil plummeted further
down the FIFA rankings as they hit a record low of 22nd place, leaving them sandwiched between Ghana
and Mali. The latest rankings were also hugely embarrassing for Asia, whose highest-placed team Japan
were a modest 32nd, with South Korea and Australia the region's only other teams in the top 50.
 Dhoni ranked 16th on Forbes‘ list of highest-paid athletes : India skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni, with
earnings of $ 31.5 million, has been ranked at 16th place on Forbes‘ list of highest-paid athletes, which has
been topped by golfer Tiger Woods.The magazine said 31-year-old Dhoni moved up 15 positions this year.
In 2012, he was placed at 31st position.
 K R Kamath Re-Elected as the Chairman of Indian Banks' Association (IBA): The Indian Banks'
Association (IBA) announced on 6 June 2013 that K R Kamath, the chairman and managing director of
Punjab National Bank (PNB) was re-elected as the Chairman of IBA for 2013-14 tenure.
At the 66th annual general meeting, IBA also elected Aditya Puri, managing director and CEO of HDFC
Bank, as its Deputy Chairman. Indian Banks' Association (IBA), formed on 26 September, 1946 as a
representative body of management of banking in India operating in India - an association of Indian banks
and financial institutions based in Mumbai With an initial membership representing 22 banks in India in 1946,
IBA currently represents 173 banking companies operating in India. IBA was formed for development,
coordination and strengthening of Indian banking, and assist the member banks in various ways including
implementation of new systems and adoption of standards among the members.
 Highest Krishi Vigyan Kendra to be Opened at Nyoma, Leh: Nyoma, Leh: Highest Krishi Vigyan Kendra
is to be set up in the region. The highest Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK) of India will be set-up at Nyoma, Leh
district of Jammu and Kashmir at an altitude of about 14000 feet. The main aim of the KVK center in the
location is to improve fodder production of the region and provide fine health care to roaming animals in the
area. It also aims towards introducing vegetable production under protected environment and impart training
to women on animal care.
 First All-Women Police Station became Functional in Itanagar : To deal with the Crimes against the
women, the first all-women police station started functioning in Itanagar, Arunachal Pradesh on 4 June 2013.
With the opening of the first all-women police station, the state Government has tried to showcase its
concern towards the protection of women in the state
 8th June
 World Oceans Day observed with theme Together, we have the Power to Protect the Oceans: World
Ocean Day was celebrated across the world on 8 June 2013. Together, we have the Power to Protect the
Oceans is the theme for 2013. For the first time, World Ocean day was introduced in 1992 at Rio de Janeiro
with a motive of raising awareness of people towards the crucial role that sea plays in our lives. The official
designation of World Oceans Day is an opportunity to raise global awareness of the current challenges faced
by the international community in connection with the oceans. In the year 2008, United Nations General
Assembly decided to designate 8 June as the World Oceans Day from 2009
 SCE to assess Global Competitiveness of Indian Financial Sector Constituted: The Union Government
of India on 7 June 2013 constituted a Standing Council of Experts (SCE) to access global competitiveness of
Indian Financial Sector in the Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance.
 RBI directed banks to Periodically Audit Documents of Credits of 5 Crore and Above : Reserve Bank
of India (RBI) directed the banks to periodically audit and re-verify the documents of all credits of and above
5 crore rupees, till the loan is completely repaid. The directions came in order to control frauds. RBI issued
this notification in Mumbai and said that the banks should provide quarterly review notes of such audits that
include information like number of accounts where rectification is required, list of deficiencies observed by
44
 auditors and steps taken to rectify the deficiencies. It also asked about the action taken on issues of pending
accounts from earlier quarters.
 RBI put restrictions on Co-Operative banks for Loans against Gold coins: Reserve Bank of India
extended the restriction on advance against gold on co-operative banks set to curb the demand for gold. The
decision taken by RBI was in the backdrop of Government raising the import duty on gold to 8 per cent from
6 per cent. As per the RBI, while granting advance against the security of specially minted gold coins sold by
banks, state/central co-operative banks should ensure that the weight of the coin(s) does not exceed 50
grams per customer.

9th June
 Serena Willimas won Women's Singles Title of French Open 2013: Serena Williams won the Women's
Singles title of French Open Tennis tournament. In the final, she defeated Maria Sharapova in straight sets
by 6-4, 6-4. This is Serena's second French Open title and 16th grand slam. It was the 31-year-old
American's 16th Grand Slam title win. It was Sharapova‘s 10th straight loss to Williams. It was the first
French Open women's final involving the two top seeds since 1995.
 Government Decided to launch Rashtriya Uchhtar Shiksha Abhiyan: The Union government of India
decided to launch National Higher education Campaign, Rashtriya Ucchatar Shiksha Abhiyan, to focus on
equity based development, improvement in teaching-learning quality and research. Under it, funds will be
provided to public Universities and Colleges so that higher educational institutes do not rely heavily on the
affiliation fees.
 World Leaders signed Agreement to tackle Malnutrition: World leaders signed a global agreement to
fight malnutrition in children and made commitments of up to 4.15 billion dollars to tackle under nutrition up
to 2020. The agreement, called Global Nutrition for Growth was signed during the central London summit.
The summit was participated by two Presidents and four Prime Ministers from Africa, philanthropist Bill
Gates, former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan and Unilever chief executive Paul Polman.

10th June
 Makarova, Vesnina win French Open women‘s doubles : Fourth-seeded Ekaterina Makarova and Elena
Vesnina of Russia won their first Grand Slam title by defeating defending champions Sara Errani and
Roberta Vinci of Italy 7-5, 6-2 in the women‘s doubles final of the French Open .It was the first major title for
Vesnina and second for Makarova, who won the mixed doubles with Bruno Soares at the U.S. Open last
year.
 Vettel wins Canadian Grand Prix: Sebastian Vettel won the Canadian Grand Prix , leading almost the
entire way to extend his lead in the Formula One points race. Starting from the pole position, the Red Bull
driver finished 14.4 seconds ahead of Fernando Alonso‘s Ferrari. Lewis Hamilton was third after holding the
lead for three of the 70 laps after Vettel made an early pit stop.
 Qatar has highest density of millionaires, study: Qatar has the highest density of millionaires in the
world, with 14.3 per cent of the oil-rich Gulf nation's population holding private wealth of at least $1 million,
according to a report. The figure shows 143 out of every 1,000 households in Qatar holding private wealth of
at least USD 1 million, much higher than the global average.
 Modi prevails, gets top BJP poll post: Bowing to ―popular‖ sentiments emerging from the grassroots level
and overruling the dissidents led by party patriarch LK Advani, the BJP declared Gujarat Chief Minister
Narendra Modi as chairman of the election committee and ended the raging speculation on the issue. As
head of the committee, which will lead the BJP into the 2014 General Elections, the controversial Gujarat CM
has now shifted to the penultimate step before his ultimate goal - the party‘s prime ministerial candidature.
 India offered 150 Million Dollars Credit to Myanmar: India offered 150 million Dollars credit to Myanmar
for establishing a Special Economic Zone at Sittwe in Myanmar's Buyer's Credit Scheme under National
Export Insurance Account. The offer was made at a meeting the Commerce and Industry Minister, Anand
Sharma had with the Myanmar President U Thein Sein recently in Nay Pyi Taw. Cooperation in Energy
sector also came up for discussion during the meeting. India appreciated the Myanmar Government‘s
decision to allow United Bank of India to set up a representative office in Myanmar. Bank of India and State
Bank of India would also be permitted to operate in that Country. India has made significant progress in
improving road connectivity with Myanmar which will create new opportunities for India's north eastern
region.India also offered to help in revival of 300 apparel factories in Myanmar. It also offered 5 million Us
dollars Line of Credit for revival of these factories. The South India Textile Research Association (SITRA) will
provide technical assistance in formulation of revival plans for these factories.
 Rafael Nadal won Men's Singles Title of the French Open 2013: Rafael Nadal won his 8th Men's Singles
Tittle of the French Open Tennis Tournament. In the final at Paris, Nadal beat Spanish compatriot David
Ferrer 6-3, 6-2, 6-3. With this, he became the first player to win 8 Singles Titles at the same Grand Slam
Tournament. It was his 12th Grand Slam title overall. It also gave Nadal his 59th win out of 60 matches
played in Paris. Last year, he passed six-time Roland winner Bjorn Borg with his seventh title. Only one

45
 player of his generation, Robin Soderling in 2009, has been able to register a victory over him at Roland
Garros.
 Uttarakhand NGO bagged French award for its Contribution to Protection of Human Rights: Central
Himalayan Environment Association (CHEA), an NGO in Uttarakhand bagged a French award for its
contribution to protection of human rights. The Central Himalayan Environment Association (CHEA) is a
voluntary organisation based in Nainital. It was honoured with Special Mention of the 2012 Human Rights
Prize of the French Republic in appreciation of its work in the field of defence of socio-economic rights and
sustainable development of people.

11th June
 Kiran Bedi honoured with Nomura Award: Former IPS officer Kiran Bediwas honoured with USD 10,000
'Nomura Award' in Singapore for her humanitarian works. The activist has decided to donate the reward
money for the education of prisoners' children. Bedi was given the award constituted by Nomura Group of
Japan for "improving the world for future generations". The group is one of the leading financial services
group.
 RBI penalises Axis, HDFC, ICICI banks: The Reserve Bank imposed a fine of Rs 5 crore on Axis Bank, Rs
4.5 crore on HDFC Bank and Rs 1 crore on ICICI Bank for violation of KYC norms and anti-money
laundering guidelines after inquiring into charges levelled by a online portal Cobrapost. After considering the
facts of each case ... the Reserve Bank came to conclusion that some of the violations were substantiated
and warranted imposition of monetary penalty...‖ the central bank said in a statement. The penalty follows
scrutiny carried out by the RBI of books of accounts, internal control, compliance systems and processes of
these three banks at their corporate offices and some branches during March and April 2013. The scrutiny
was conducted to investigate into the allegations of contravention of Know Your Customer (KYC) or anti-
money laundering guidelines against them following expose by the online portal.
 Infinity Tower, the Tallest Twisted Tower launched in Dubai: The world‘s tallest twisted tower,
the Infinity Tower was launched in Dubai Marina on 10 June 2013. The Infinity tower features, its unique
ability of twisting to 90 degrees and the shape of the tower being aesthetically unique also allows reduction
of the wind forces on the tower because of its twisted shape. Every floor of the tower is designed in the same
way and is like a pile of books with each book twisted slightly to get the twist and the rectangular floors of the
tower is surrounded by a cylindrical shaft that contains lifts.

12 June
 Indian Railways to start Mobile Payment Ticketing Facility : Indian Railways decided to start offering
train tickets via mobile SMS. The services of IRCTC, the subsidiary of Indian Railways will come into effect
from July 2013. The fees that will be charged to avail the services will be around 0.15 to 0.25 US dollars. To
book the tickets through this service, the traveler of Indian railway will have to get his mobile number and
bank account information registered first an further the banks will provide a mobile money identification code
or MMID, and password to authorize payments.
 The Monetary Allowance to Gallantry Awardees Doubled: The Union government of India doubled the
special monetary allowance given to gallantry award recipients of police and paramilitary forces. The
monetary allowances attached with the President's Police Medal for gallantry, has been enhanced from 1500
to 3000 rupees and for the Police Medal for gallantry, from 900 to 2000 rupees per month.This would be
effective from 10 May 2013. The Government also decided to grant monetary allowance at enhance rate of
500 rupees per month to the Sena / Nao Sena / Vayu Sena Award Medal awardees, where the awards have
been given for Gallantry. This will be payable to those who have been given these awards on 26 January
1999 or thereafter.
 Naveen Jindal and Dasari Narayana Rao named in Coalgate FIR : The Central Bureau of Investigation
(CBI) on 11 June 2013 registered an FIR against the Congress MP and Director of Jindal Steel and Power
Limited (JSPL) Naveen Jindal and former Minister of State for Coal Dasari Narayana Rao (congress leader
from Andhra Pradesh) on charges of cheating, criminal conspiracy and misconduct in getting the Amarkonda
Murgadangal coal block in Jharkhand. CBI also registered the FIR against five private companies. For the
first time, CBI has named a Government functionary for his alleged involvement in the allocation.
 World Day against Child Labour celebrated on 12 June 2013: World Day against Child Labour was
celebrated on 12 June 2013. The theme this year was, No to Child Labour in Domestic Work. According to
International Labour Organisation, ILO, throughout the world, there are around 215 million children who
work, many of them, full-time. In fact, the ILO is marking the day by calling for action to build a worldwide
movement against child labour.The International Labour Organization (ILO) estimates 10.5 million children
around the world are working as domestic workers in hazardous, sometimes slave-like conditions
 BCCI suspended Raj Kundra for betting in IPL VI: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI)
suspended Raj Kundra, the co-owner of Rajasthan Royals for allegedly betting on IPL matches. He has
been suspended from having any involvement in cricket till the police probe in the matter was completed.
The decision on Raj Kundra was taken by the emergent working committee of BCCI that met on 10 May
46
 2013. Retail inflation drops to 9.31% in May: Falling for the third straight month, retail inflation stood at
9.31 per cent in May due to easing of prices of edible oil and protein-based items, even as vegetable prices
inched up sharply.The Consumer Price Index (CPI) based inflation stood at 9.39 per cent in April. It was
10.39 per cent in March.The overall food and beverages segment saw an inflation of 10.65 per cent in May,
higher than 10.61 per cent in April.The prices in the vegetables basket rose sharply to 9.78 per cent in May
from 5.43 per cent in April, according to data released .

13th June
 Dot, dash, full stop: Telegram service ends July 15: Come July 15, one of India‘s oldest communication
services — the telegram — will become history. Financial constraints have forced the Bharat Sanchar Nigam
Ltd to wind up the telegraphic service, which would be remembered mainly as a historically inexpensive but
relatively quick method of sending alerts related to births, deaths and emergency situations. In India, the first
telegraph message was transmitted live through electrical signals between Calcutta (now Kolkata) and
Diamond Harbour, a distance of about 50 km, on November 5, 1850; and the service was opened for the
general public in February 1855.
 World Bank cuts growth outlook as world enters 'new normal': The World Bank cut its outlook for global
growth, saying the economy should expand more slowly this year than last as it cited a deeper-than-
expected recession in Europe and a recent slowdown in some emerging markets. In its twice-yearly Global
Economic Prospects report, the bank warned that large developing economies, which have driven global
growth in recent years, will not experience the same boom as they did before the global financial crisis and
will have to focus on structural reforms to keep expanding. The bank forecast the world's gross domestic
product will grow 2.2% this year, slightly below last year's growth of 2.3%. In its last forecast in January, the
World Bank estimated the world economy would expand 2.4% this year.
 Bank credit grows 14%; deposit growth at 13.4%: Bank credit increased 14.1 per cent year-on-year (y-o-
y) in the fortnight ended May 31, while deposits rose 13.4 per cent. According to data released by the
Reserve Bank of India (RBI), banks disbursed credit worth about Rs 48,900 crore during the fortnight, while
they accumulated deposits of about Rs 92,200 crore. For this financial year, RBI‘s projections for credit
and depositgrowth are 15 and 14 per cent, respectively. In absolute terms, credit and deposit growth was a
tad better compared to the year-ago period. While banks disbursed loans worth Rs 21,000 crore in April-May
2012, this April-May, they disbursed about Rs 33,000 crore; they accumulated deposits worth about Rs
62,000 crore, against Rs 44,000 crore in April-May 2012.
 Facebook Announced to Introduce Twitter and Instagarm Trending Hashtags : Facebook Inc.
announced on 12 June 2013 that it is introducing the hashtags, which are basically the number signs used
on services such as Instagram and Twitter for identification of topics for discussions. Hashtags allow the
users to search for the topics if they have hashtags used before the word because it creates the link to that
word. For instance, in case a user makes use of hashtag before the name of Mount Everest, the word will
turn into the link which will be clickable and will allow the users to find other posts related to Mount Everest.
 Cauvery Supervisory Committee rejected Tamil Nadu‘s demand for its Share of Water: The Cauvery
Supervisory Committee on 12 June 2013 rejected the demand for its share of water by Tamil Nadu stating
deficit inflows and low storage level in the reservoirs in Karnataka. The supervisory committee met in the
chairmanship of the Union Water Resources Secretary SK Das and representatives from both states,
Karnataka and Tamil Nadu were also present in the meet. The committee noted that the water available was
comparatively lesser than the average water.
14th June
 ECONOMY-Mineral Production during April 2013: Provisional Data Released: The index of mineral
production of mining and quarrying sector in April 2013 was lower by 16.9 percent compared to March 2013
as per the data released by ministry of mines. The mineral sector has shown a negative growth of 3.1
percent during April 2013 as compared to that of the April 2012. The total value of mineral production
(excluding atomic & minor minerals) in India during April 2013 was 17772 crore rupees. The contribution of
coal was the highest at 5673 crore rupees (32 percent). Next in the order of importance were: petroleum
(crude) 5671 crore rupees, iron ore 2712 crore rupees, natural gas (utilized) 1883 crore rupees.
 Government target to achieve 80 percent Literacy Rate by 2017 with Focus on Female Education: The
Union Government of India announced that it has set a target to achieve 80 percent literacy rate in the
country by 2017. The literacy rate of the country at present is 74 percent. The government is aimed to
strengthen the Panchayati Raj Institutions as it serves as a vital leverage to promote education in general
and literacy in particular. Government of India‘s Saakshar Bharat Programme that is operational in 372
districts covering nearly 1.5 lakh gram panchayats spread over 25 states will work as an instrument of
literacy and empowerment as well as the agent of change to create equal and inclusive India. The Prime
Minister launched Saakshar Bharat, a centrally sponsored scheme of Department of School Education and
Literacy (DSEL), Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD), Government of India (GOI), on the
International Literacy Day, 8 September 2009.

47
  World Blood Donor Day observed on 14 June: World Blood Donor Day was observed on 14 June 2013
across the world. This day is observed every year on 14 June with an aim of creating a worldwide culture of
voluntary blood donation. Theme selected for the year 2013 is Give the Gift of Life: Donate Blood. The main
objective of the campaign is to thank donors and their life-saving blood gifts and to promote the voluntary
unpaid blood donation. The 10th anniversary of World Blood Donor Day will focus on the value of donated
blood to the patient, not only in saving life, but also in helping people live longer and more productive lives.
 Indian-American Girl appointed to United States Military Academy at West Point: Sneha Singh a girl of
Indian origin and Graduate from Avon High School, Connecticut got admission in the prestigious United
States Military Academy at West Point. Sneha became the first Indian woman cadet to get entry to the
United States Military Academy, in the Academy's prestigious 211-year history. She will join the academy on
1 July 2013 to begin her 47 months journey that will help her to gain the Bachelor of Science degree and will
be commissioned as the second lieutenant in the United States Army.
 World population to reach 8.1 billion in 2025: UN: A new U.N. report is forecasting that the world‘s
population will increase from 7.2 billion to 8.1 billion in 2025 and 9.6 billion in 2050. The report, released ,
said most of the population growth will occur in developing regions which are projected to increase from 5.9
billion in 2013 to 8.2 billion in 2050.
 Bolt wins with world leading time in Oslo: Piqued by suggestions of a possible decline, Usain Bolt
responded with a blistering season debut at 200 meters and a new track record at the Bislett Games .
 World Bank sees India's growth touching 6.7% in two years: The World Bank, lowered India's growth
outlook for the current fiscal to 5.7% from 6.1% estimated earlier and also lowered the growth projection for
the world economy to 2.2% from 2.4% that it estimated in January this year. Citing slower-than-expected
expansion in China, India and Brazil, and a stubborn contraction in Europe as reasons for the slower growth,
the bank said that India's gross domestic product in factor cost terms is projected to grow 5.7% in the current
fiscal (ending March 2014), and then accelerate to 6.5% and 6.7%, respectively, in the subsequent two
financial years.
 India‘s first navigation satellite set for July 1 launch: Indian Space Research Organisation has now
scheduled the launch of the country's first navigation satellite for July one after rectifying an anomaly.
―Review is on. It's scheduled to be launched at 11.43 PM on July one", ISRO sources told PTI . The Indian
Regional Navigation Satellite System-1A (IRNSS-1A) was scheduled for launch on board Polar Satellite
Launch Vehicle (PSLV-C22) on June 12, 2013 at 01:01 hours from Satish Dhawan Space Centre,
Sriharikota. The spacecraft had gone through all electrical checks and was ready for propellant filling. The
PSLV-C22 was fully integrated and was undergoing electrical checks.

15th June
 Kanji Ram became the Second Hindu to enter Pakistan's Punjab Province: Kanji Ram became only the
second Hindu to be part of the Pakistan‘s Punjab assembly after Seth Bharta Ram who was elected a
lawmaker in 1997. Kanji Ram is scheduled to take oath on 17 June 2013. Moreover, Saradar Ramesh Singh
Arora on 1 June 2013 became the first ever Sikh to be elected as the member of the House since Pakistan‘s
creation in 1947.
 Anish Kapoor Became First Living Indian-Origin Sculptor to be Honoured with Knighthood: Anish
Kapoor, the Indian-origin sculptor was honoured with Knighthood, which is the highest honour of Britain. He
was conferred the award by the Queen Elizabeth II in her birthday honours list 2013 for Visual Arts services.
Knight, in general, is the person who is granted the honourary title of knighthood by political leader or a
monarch. In early days, Knighthood was conferred on the mounted warriors in Europe. However, since Early
Modern period, this title is considered as absolutely honorific.
 Norway Became First NATO and European Country to Draft Women in Military Service: The
Parliament of Norway, called the Storting, voted to recruit women in armed forces. With this, Norway became
the first NATO and also the first European country to make military services obligatory for males as well as
the females. It is worth noticing that Norway has always led the fight for gender equality and for this, it also
introduced measures like making it mandatory for all the public limited companies to fill minimum 40 percent
board seats with female members.
 World Population Prospects Report projected India to be most Populous Country by 2028: The UN
report titled World Population Prospects was released on 13 June 2013, forecasted that India will be the
most populous country of the world by 2028 leaving behind China. The report also claimed that by 2025 the
world population will increase by one billion and reach to 8.1 billion from 7.2 billion at present. By 2050, the
world population will be 9.6 billion as per the report. The report has also projected that maximum growth in
population will take place in developing nations; population in these regions will increase from 5.9 billion in
2013 to 8.2 billion in 2050. The report also projected that the population of the developed countries will
remain unchanged largely to 1.3 billion people.
 US Supreme Court: Human DNA cannot be Patented : The US Supreme Court on 14 June 2013 ruled
that human genes cannot be patented. However, artificially copied DNA can be claimed as intellectual

48
 property. The court rejected patents held by a Utah-based firm on two genes linked to breast and ovarian
cancer. The court opined that DNA came from nature and was not eligible for patenting.

16th June
 U.K., tax havens sign deal: Britain‘s campaign for a crackdown on tax evasion by multinationals and
wealthy individuals appeared to be bearing fruit after its Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies,
regarded as safe tax havens, signed an agreement promising more transparency.The agreement, reached
ahead of the G8 Summit starting in Northern Ireland, was hailed by Prime Minister David Cameron as a ―very
positive step forward‖.
 Moderate cleric Rouhani elected Iran‘s President: Iran‘s moderate candidate Hassan Rouhani has been
elected President, trouncing his conservative rivals by a wide margin and raising hopes of mainstreaming
reformists who had faced political marginalisation over the last eight years.

17th June
 Kharge made Railway Minister, 8 new faces inducted: Four Cabinet Ministers — Sis Ram Ola, Oscar
Fernandes, Girija Vyas and K.S. Rao — and four Ministers of State sworn in . In perhaps the last reshuffle
and expansion of the Union Council of Ministers, Mallikarjun Kharge was made Railway Minister as eight
more were inducted with veterans Sis Ram Ola and Oscar Fernandes making a comeback. After yesterday‘s
reshuffle in the party, senior leader from election-bound Rajasthan Girija Vyas and K.S. Rao from Andhra
Pradesh were brought in as Cabinet Ministers exercise which was an all-Congress affair. Three new faces
— Santosh Chowdhury, J.D. Seelam and E.N.S. Nachiappan were made Ministers of State along with
veteran Maharashtra leader Manikrao Gavit. With the fresh inductions, the strength of the Union Council of
Ministers has gone up to 77. Sisram Ola, 85, gets labour and employment portfolio. He was first elected to
Rajasthan assembly in 1957. Oscar Fernandes 72, gets road and highways ministry. He is Rajya Sabha
member. . Girija Vyas, 66, gets housing, urban development and poverty alleviation. She is former NCW
chairperson and MP from Chittorgarh. KS Rao gets gets textiles ministry. He is 5-time Congress MP from
Elluru in Andhra Pradesh. Manikrao Gavit, 78, is ministers of state, social justice and empowerment.
Santosh Chowdhary, Lok Sabha MP from Punjab, gets health & family welfare. EMS Natchiappan, 65, MP
from Tamil Nadu, gets commerce and industry ministry. JD Seelam becomes minister of state for finance.
Mallikarjun Kharge becomes Railway minister. He didn't have to take oath as he was already a minister in
cabinet.
 Sushil Modi resigns as GST panel chief: Sushil Kumar Modi, who ceased to be Bihar Finance Minister
following the JD(U)-BJP split, resigned as Chairman of the Empowered Committee of State Finance
Ministers looking into the implementation of the proposed new indirect tax regime -- Goods and Services Tax
(GST). In 2011, Mr. Modi replaced Asim Dasgupta, who had resigned following defeat of Left-front
government in West Bengal.
 RBI keeps interest rate, CRR unchanged: Reserve Bank kept the key interest rates unchanged citing
elevated food inflation, rupee depreciation and uncertainty over foreign fund inflows. The repo rate at which
the RBI lends to the system has been retained at 7.25 per cent, while the cash reserve ratio will continue to
be 4 per cent. To reduce the current account deficit (CAD) to a sustainable level; the near term challenge is
to finance it through stable flows,‖ the statement said. The Highlights: Key short term lending rate (repo rate)
kept unchanged at 7.25 per cent; Cash reserve ratio unchanged at 4 pc; Rupee fall.
 Govt appoints S.K. Roy as LIC Chairman : The government appointed S.K. Roy as the Chairman of Life
Insurance Corporation of India. The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has already cleared his
name. The notification in this regard has been issued, sources said. Mr. Roy, who at present a Managing
Director in the organisation, would be succeeding D.K. Mehrotra, whose term as LIC chief ended on May 31.
 AirAsia India appoints TCS‘ Ramadorai as Chairman : AirAsia India moved closer to getting off the
ground by appointing S. Ramadorai as its Chairman, ending months-long suspense and having in place the
entire top management team. A day after getting Tata Group patriarch Ratan Tata as the chief advisor,
AirAsia Group chief executive officer Tony Fernandes announced the name of Tata Consultancy Services
vice-chairman S. Ramadorai as the chairman of his proposed low-cost airline venture. Subramanian
Ramadorai was also formerly the chief executive of the country‘s largest software exporter.
 World's highest wind tunnel to open in Dubai: The world's highest wind tunnel, standing 20 meters tall
and five meters wide, is set to open in Dubai this summer. InFlight Dubai's glass wind tower will beat its
rivals in the United States at 15.8 meters and in Singapore at 17.2 meters, a report in The National said.
 JD(U) parts ways with BJP Jitters for NDA as JD(U) dumps 17-yr-old ally after Modi elevation: Denting
the NDA ahead of the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, the JD(U) parted ways with the BJP in Bihar to protest
against the elevation of Narendra Modi, bringing to an end a 17-year-old alliance that had held firm in
national politics.The NDA is now left with only three constituents — the BJP, the Shiv Sena and the
Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD). JD(U) president Sharad Yadav and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar announced
the breakup at a press conference, exactly a week after Modi was made the BJP's campaign committee
chairman. Yadav also quit as NDA convenor.
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  Lee Chong wins 5th Indonesia title : Malaysia‘s top seed Lee Chong Wei won the Indonesia Open Super
Series Premier men‘s singles title for the fifth time, beating German Marc Zwiebler 21-15, 21-14 .
 India won Silver in Archery World Cup in Turkey : Rajat Chouhan and Manjudha Soy of India won silver
medal at the World Cup (Stage-II) Archery competition in Turkey on 16 June 2013. The Duo lost the
Compound Mixed Team final by 149-150 in a thrilling contest by the Italian world champions Sergio Pagni
and Marcella Toniolli. India has never won a gold medal in the Compound Section of the event and before
this India‘s best performance in this format was in the Ogden World Cup 2011 (Stage-III) when the Women's
team of Manjudha, Gagandeep Kaur and Jhano Hansdah had won silver.
 Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) reduced Roaming charges for calls,SMSes: Telecom
regulator TRAI on 17 June 2013 announced reduction in the national mobile phone roaming charges which
will come into effect 1 July 2013.Trai has also come out with conditional a free national roaming plan that is
aimed at bringing down cellphone roaming charges.
 Prof Michael Stratton and Three Others Knighted for Services in Health Sector : Prof Michael Stratton,
the scientist who made identification of the genes causing breast cancer, was awarded prestigious
knighthood in the Queen Elizabeth II Birthday Honours. The research conducted by the Prof Michael Stratton
on Cancer Genome Project at the Sanger Institute helped considerably in diagnosis as well as treatment of
cancer. Apart from Michael Stratton, three more knighthoods were awarded in healthcare sector. These
included Professor Andrew Hall for services to public health, Professor Peng Tee Khaw for research in
glaucoma as well as Stephen O'Rahilly for research on the causes of human obesity.
 PM takes oath as Rayja Sabha Member from Assam for 5th Consecutive Term: Dr. Manmohan Singh,
the Prime Minister of India on 17 June 2013 took oath as the member of Rajya Sabha. He was elected to
Rajya Sabha for the fifth consecutive term from Assam. In the election, he was the only contestant for the
first preference vote seat. Chairman of Rajya Sabha, Mohammad Hamid Ansari administered the oath to
Manmohan Singh in his chamber in the Parliament House.
 John Ashe elected as the President of UN General Assembly for its 68th Session: John William Ashe,
the ambassador to the United Nations for Antigua and Barbuda in the month of June 2013 selected as the
President of UN General Assembly for its 68th session.John William Ashe was chosen as the consensus
candidate by all 33 GRULAC member states to be the president of the United Nations General Assembly
thus not necessitating an election.

18th June
 Wheat production down over 130 lakh MT : The vagaries of weather had an impact on wheat production
this year. With inconsistent weather and untimely rains in February-March, the production of foodgrain and
its procurement have fallen down by over 130 lakh metric tonnes (LMT) this year. The figures, accessed
from the Department of Agriculture, reveal that as against India‘s total wheat procurement of 381.48 LMT in
2011-12, the procurement has fallen to 250.30 LMT. The main reason for the fall in procurement is low
production because of lower than anticipated yields in major wheat-growing states of Punjab, Haryana and
Uttar Pradesh.
 Justin Rose wins US Open: Justin Rose became the first Englishman to win the US Open since Tony
Jacklin in 1970 with a tension-packed par-70 final round that delivered a two-shot victory at historic Merion.
Rose, who is England's first major champion since Nick Faldo at the 1996 Masters, used a hybrid to tap the
ball from the back edge of the 18th green to an inch from the cup and tapped in for par to finish 72 holes on
one-over 281.
 Singapore, India working on Asian FTA: Singapore and India are working on a regional comprehensive
economic partnership covering the 10-member ASEAN plus six major Asian markets of Japan, South Korea,
China, Australia, Singapore and India. "We are working with India on the regional comprehensive economic
partnership that involves ASEAN plus the six other countries - Japan, South Korea, China, Australia,
Singapore and India," the city state's Trade and Industry Minister Lim Hng Kiang, India is ASEAN's number
sixth trading partner. "I think there is tremendous potential for us to leverage the partnership between India
and ASEAN. And Singapore can set the pace in that regional partnership," said Lim. Bilateral trade has
grown to USD 21.36 billion in 2012-2013 from USD 8.78 billion in 2005-06, according to India's Commerce
Ministry statistics.
 Trade deficit at 7-month high: The continued rise in import of gold, silver and crude oil has helped the
trade deficit touch a seven-month high of $20.1 billion. Exports declined by 1.1 per cent in May. Official
figures released showed the trade deficit widening to $20.1 billion this month from $17.8 billion in April. The
gap was $16.9 billion in May, 2012 . Gold imports jumped by 89.7 per cent to $8.4 billion while exports
declined by 1.1 per cent to $24.51 billion. ―The trade deficit is very worrisome. It is largely due to the heavy
import of gold and silver

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19th June
 8,541 minors raped in India last year: NCRB: The incidence of minors getting raped in the country has
been on the rise since the past six years. While 5,045 such cases were reported in 2007, in 2012 the figure
touched 8,541, according to data of the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB). In 2008, the number of
cases was 5,446; in 2009 it was 5,336; the next year it touched 5,484; and in 2011 it reached 7,112. There is
no disputing the fact that a good number of minors getting raped may even have gone unreported to the
police. During the past six years, the annual figures of this crime reported to the Delhi police always
remained above 300 and in 2012 it reached 415. Except for one year, Madhya Pradesh topped the list for
this crime from 2007. As per the NCRB statistics, 1,043 minors were raped in that State in 2007; 892 in
2008; 1,071 in 2009; 1,182 in 2010; and 1,262 in 2011. In 2012, the number reached 1,632. In 2008, Uttar
Pradesh topped the list with 900 cases and 1,040 minors were raped in the State in 2012.
 BBK opens 3rd branch in India: Bahrain's leading retail and commercial banking company BBK has
opened a new branch in Kochi, its third in India, to cater to a variety of needs of NRIs. The bank offers
personalised banking, equity broking and wealth management services, it said in a statement. In 2012, the
Reserve Bank of India had granted BBK the license to operate its third branch in the country. BBK has a
presence in India since 1985 with opening of its first branch in Mumbai followed by Hyderabad.
 World Bank to provide $255 mn loan for AIDS control project: World Bank will provide $255 million (Rs
1,499.6 crore) loan to India for National AIDS Control Project to promote safe behaviour among high risk
groups. An agreement for loan of USD 255 million (equivalent) from World Bank for the 'National AIDS
Control Project ( NACP-IV)' was signed between India and the World Bank, The project aims at scaling-up
targeted prevention interventions, behaviour change communications and institutional strengthening at the
national, state and district levels.
 Jadeja into top-5 in rankings as India consolidate No.1 position: India have strengthened their number
one position on the ICC ODI Championship Table as they have added two more rating points to their kitty
with an unbeaten run in the group stage of the Champions Trophy. India had entered the tournament on 119
ratings points and have moved to 121England are now ranked second after moving up two places from
fourth, thereby pushing Australia to third position.
 Srinivasan sworn in as top US court judge : Indian-American legal luminary Sri Srinivasan was sworn in
as a judge in the US Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit, the second most powerful court in the United States
after the Supreme Court. With this, Chandigarh-born 46-year-old Srinivasan has become the first Indian
American judge in the second most powerful court of the country. Described by President Barack Obama as
―trailblazer‖, Srinivasan attributed phenomenal success to his family and the Indian American community.
Srinivasan began his legal career by serving as a law clerk for Judge J Harvie Wilkinson on the US Court of
Appeals for the Fourth Circuit from 1995 to 1996.
 G-8 leaders call for Syria Peace Talks in Geneva: The G8 leaders in their meet in Northern Ireland on 18
June 2013 backed calls for Syrian peace talks that will be held in Geneva. At the end of the two day summit,
the leaders of G8 nations agreed on the seven point document and released a joint statement on Syria. The
document states that the transition Government will be formed with mutual consent and it stresses on the
negotiated and peaceful end of the conflict that will produce a government under the top leadership inspired
by public confidence.
 First-Ever Chinese Film Festival Inaugurated in New Delhi : The Government of India and Government
of China joined hands for organising the first ever Chinese film festival in India from 18 June 2013 to 23 June
2013 at Siri fort Auditorium, New Delhi. The Chinese Film Festival is jointly organised by Indo China
Economic and Cultural Council (ICEC), State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and
Television and People's Republic of China.The focus in the New Delhi Chinese film festival will be on the
range of Chinese movies that will cover action to drama and historical films as well. Some of the popular
Chinese films to be showcased in the New Delhi Chinese Film Festival will include Cableway Doctor, Back to
1942, Lost in Thailand and many more.
 Kochi to Host 29th Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum (India Chapter): The Chief Minister
of Kerala along with officials of the World Economic Forum announced on 18 June 2013 that the 29th annual
meeting of the World Economic Forum (India chapter) scheduled for 8 November 2013 and 9 November
2013 will be hosted by Kochi, Kerala. It is important to note that this is the second time that annual meeting
of World Economic Forum (India chapter) was being hosted by a state other than Delhi. Earlier, 27 Meetings
of World Economic Forum were held in New Delhi and once in Mumbai, Maharashtra. This is the first time
that World Economic Forum (India chapter) event was being planned for South India.
 World Day to Combat Desertification Observed Across the World : World Day to Combat Desertification
was observed across the world on 17 June 2013. The theme of 2013 World Day to Combat Desertification
was drought and water scarcity. The objective of 2013 World Day to Combat Desertification is creation of
awareness regarding risks of water scarcity as well as drought in drylands as well as beyond that. The
objective of the day was to call attention of people towards importance of sustaining healthy soils as the part
of Rio+20 agenda and post-2015 sustainable development agenda.

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20th June
 India posted 2nd highest growth in HNIs last year : The world is home to 12 million millionaires with a
collective net worth reaching a record high of US $46.2 trillionwith India clocking the second highest growth
of 22.2% in its high net worth individual (HNI) population last year after Hong Kong. According to the World
Wealth Report 2013, released by Capgemini and RBC Wealth Management, the investable wealth of the
world‘s high net worth individuals (HNWIs) rebounded in 2012, growing by 10% to reach a record high of
$46.2 trillion, after declining 1.7% in 2011. One million individuals joined the global HNWI population, which
reached 12 million, reflecting a rise of 9.2%.
 World Refugee Day observed across the World on 20 June : The World Refugee Day was observed on
20 June 2013 across the world. World Refugee Day is observed on 20 June every year to honour the
courage, strength and determination of people who are forced to flee their homeland under threat of
persecution, conflict and violence. The focus of World Refugee Day 2013 is on the impact of war on families.
The core message is 1 family torn apart by war is too many.
 Indian rupee hits life-time low of 60 against US dollar, down 130 paise : Indian rupee plunged by a
whopping 130 paise to hit life-time low of 60 against the US dollar in early trade on the Interbank Foreign
Exchange on strong demand for the American currency from banks and importers. Besides, dollar's strength
against major currencies overseas on comments by Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke that the
central bank may scale back its monetary stimulus programme later this year weighed on the domestic unit,
dealers said. They said weak domestic fundamentals such as record current account deficit and high
inflation concerns too put pressure on the rupee.
 New language discovered in northern Australia: Scientists have discovered a new language in northern
Australia which contains rare grammatical innovations and a unique combination of elements from other
languages. The language, now known as Light Warlpiri, is spoken by approximately 300 people in a remote
desert community about 644 kilometres from Katherine, a town located in Australia's Northern Territory, said
Carmel O'Shannessy, a professor in the department of linguistics at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.
 PM announces Rs. 1,000 cr relief for flood-hit U'khand: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today
announced Rs 1,000 crore for disaster relief measures in flood-devastated parts of Uttarakhand where 102
persons have been killed and thousands left stranded at tourist spots and pilgrim centres.

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