GKCA Update
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Starred Articles
India to host 2017 Under-17 FIFA World Cup
Sports > Football
FIFA, the international football body, has awarded India the right to host the Under-17 FIFA World Cup in 2017.
India beat other bidders South Africa, Ireland and Uzbekistan in the fight to host the 24-nation mega event.
This will be the biggest ever football tournament India will be hosting and the first FIFA event in the country's
history.
By virtue of being the host country, India will take part in the tournament for the first time in its history.
Nelson Mandela, South Africa's first black president, dies aged 95
World > Nelson Mandela
South African anti-apartheid revolutionary Nelson Mandela died aged 95 at his Johannesburg home after a
prolonged lung infection. He had been receiving intensive medical care at home for a lung infection after
spending three months in hospital. Mandela led South Africa's transition from white-minority rule in the
1990s, after 27 years in prison for his political activities.
More than 80,000, including scores of international politicians, attended the gathering for Nelson Mandela at
the stadium in the Soweto Township where he made his last public appearance at the closing ceremony of the
2010 football World Cup.
WTO agrees on $ 1 trillion landmark global trade deal, India wins stand to
provide subsidized food beyond WTO limit
World > WTO Food Subsidy Limit
In a major breakthrough, all 160 members of the World Trade Organisation agreed to a package of measures
that is expected to boost global trade by $ 1 trillion and allowed developing countries to provide subsidized
food to the poor over and above the farm subsidy limit. India had stood firm on its right to provide food to the
poor and had asked for immunity from the WTO agreement on agriculture that limits food subsidies. The
historic agreement allows India to offer farm subsidies for public stockholding and food security programmes
without inviting any censure.
Star Group replaces Sahara as Team Indias official sponsor
Sports > Team India Sponsorship
Star India Pvt. Ltd. has bagged the sponsorship rights of the Indian Team for a period of three years from 1st
January 2014 to 31st March 2017. Star will cover BCCI, ICC and ACC events and sponsorship rights include the
right to be called the 'Official Team Sponsor' and to display a commercial logo on the team clothing of the Sr.
Men's Cricket Team, the U-19 Men's Cricket Team, the Men's A-Team and the Women's Team. The Indian
Team would have been without a sponsor this month as Sahara had withdrawn its sponsorship owing to
financial dispute with the BCCI during the IPL.
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BJP wins 3-0 in Assembly Elections, AAP stuns with second highest votes in
Delhi
India > Assembly Elections
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has defeated the Congress and won 407 of the 589 seats in the recently held
Assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Chhattisgarh and has emerged as the single largest
party in the Delhi Assembly. The assembly elections were seen as crucial in the run up to the 2014 polls and
the BJPs success is seen as a result of Modis popularity as well as the BJPs choice of strong Chief Ministerial
candidates. However, Arvind Kejriwal s Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) surprised everyone by winning 28 seats in the
70 member Delhi Assembly and denying BJP, which won 31 seats, a clear victory. Kejriwal defeated three-time
Delhi CM Sheila Dikshit of the Congress. The BJP bagged 165 seats in the 230-strong Madhya Pradesh assembly
making Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Chief Minister for a third term. In Rajasthan, the BJP led by Vasundhara Raje
defeated the ruling Congress Party 162 to 21 whereas in Chhattisgarh, the BJP won 49 of the 90 seats, with a
10 seat lead over the Congress.
MGNREGS and Indira Awas Yojana to be combined to save on costs
India > Rural Development Ministry
The rural development ministry has decided to use its flagship rural employment scheme, the Mahatma
Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS), to provide free labour to build houses for
poor under another big social scheme, the Indira Awaas Yojana (IAY).
This could substantially bring down the cost of building a house for the poor in rural areas and also incentivise
such construction as the beneficiary will also have an income while he builds the house.
Supreme Court terms Gay Sex as criminal offence, rejects Delhi High Courts
ruling
India > SC on Gay Sex
The Supreme Court of India dealt a major blow to the gay community after it overruled a 2009 ruling by the
Delhi High Court that had decriminalized gay sex and termed it a criminal offence again. The Supreme Court
said that the 2009 Delhi High Court order is constitutionally unsustainable as only the government can change
a law. Gay sex between consenting adults is a criminal offence under Section 377, a British colonial era law
banning "carnal intercourse against the order of nature", which had been struck down by the high court. Gay
Rights Activists said they would seek a review of the decision. Noted and common people alike took to social
media to express their disgust at the verdict.
Others
Airtel raises 750 m euros in bonds, attracts huge investor interest
Corporate > Airtel
The country's largest mobile operator, Bharti Airtel has said that it has raised 750 million euros (about Rs 6,350
crore) in the first such bond issue by an Indian corporate and received bids worth 3.8 billion euros. The
company raised the money at a coupon rate of 4.05% for the five-year paper and will use the proceeds to
refinance its existing debt. The coupon rate is the yield paid by a fixed income security. This is the third bond
issue by Airtel this calendar year.
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SBI to invest in technology to bring down costs
Bank Specific > SBI
State Bank of India (SBI) is planning on increasing its investments in technology to bring down the costs it
incurs in opening and operating accounts in rural and semi-urban areas as part of its financial inclusion efforts.
A number of zero-balance accounts have been opened which are adding to costs even though they are not
significant deposits. It is trying to put it an automated technology platform through which they can take out
manual intervention in financial inclusion accounts mobilized by business correspondents and thereby cut
down on costs.
Malala awarded 2013 United Nations Human Rights Prize
International > Awards
Pakistani activist Malala Yousafzai, who survived an assassination attempt last year, has been awarded the
2013 UN Human Rights Prize. This honour was previously given to icons like late Nelson Mandela in recognition
of outstanding achievement in human rights.
The prize is awarded every five years and has previously been bestowed on Amnesty International and former
US president Jimmy Carter.
Thailand protests: PM dissolves parliament, rejects resignation call
World > Thailand
After weeks of large anti-government demonstrations in Bangkok, Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra
dissolved the parliament and called for new elections. Demonstrators have been calling for Yingluck
Shinawatra to resign and be replaced with a "people's prime minister".
Background:
The current protests in Bangkok were prompted by a botched attempt by Yingluck's government to pass an
amnesty bill that would have opened the door for her brother Thaksin's return. Thaksin was ousted in a
military coup in 2006 and has spent most of the time since then in exile overseas. If he returns, he risks a two-
year prison sentence on a corruption conviction, which he says was politically motivated.
Ukraine crisis: President ready to resume EU talks
World > Ukraine Crisis
Ukraine President Viktor Yanukovych has said that the association agreement between Ukraine and the
European Union may be signed in March 2014 if a compromise is reached.
The government's decision to withdraw from a free-trade deal with the EU last month sparked huge street
rallies. There were protests in Ukraine ongoing since November 2013 due to a massive public outpouring for
closer European integration, as well as the resignation of the government, after the Ukrainian government
suspended preparations for signing an Association Agreement and Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade
Agreement with the European Union. Protesters demanded the resignation of the current government, the
impeachment of the president, and had called for snap elections.
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Leaked documents reveal US and UK spying on the virtual world of online
games
World > US UK Online Games Spying
Leaked documents by former US Security Contractor Edward Snowden have revealed that spies from the US
and UK used to disguise themselves as characters in the fantasy world of online games to carry out surveillance
against terrorists and collect data. Intelligence agents went undercover in online multi-player shooter games,
particularly on Microsoft's Xbox Live Internet community for players. Intelligence agencies feared that online
games could serve as meeting places for groups to communicate secretly, move money or plot attacks. The
documents backed the reasoning by referring to Americas Army shooter game made by the US military that
is so good at identifying candidates that it is now used for training.
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