KAVALIPOST

Saturday 31 August 2013

Important General Knowledge Questions


1. P. Sathasivam on 29 June 2013 was appointed as the next Chief Justice of India after he justified the Collegiums System of appointment of Judges. The 64 year old Sathasivam will succeed the incumbent Chief Justice of India, Altamas Kabir, who will superannuate on 18 July 2013 from his office. Sathasivam will be the 40th Chief Justice of India (CJI) and his appointment to the post has been approved by Pranab Mukherjee, the President of India.

2. BCCI (Board of Control of Cricket in India) on 29 June 2013 was awarded a chance to host two major events of International Cricket namely World Twenty20 for the first time in 2016 and its fourth 50-over World Cup in 2023 by ICC (International Cricket Council).

3. Indian Government in the Month of June 2013 has banned the testing of Cosmetic product on animals and thus became the first country in South Asia to end such tests.

4. The Union Cabinet of India on 28 June 2013 gave its approval to the proposal of signing of a headquarters agreement between the Ministry of External Affairs and Nalanda University. This agreement would confer on the University and members of its academic staff privileges and immunities considered necessary to provide an overall framework for the efficient functioning and operation of the University, and allow it to obtain talent from across the globe. The Agreement will come into force immediately upon signing and notification.

5. The Rajasthan government on 27 June 2013 launched a unique scheme called Mukhyamantri Bijli Bachat Lamp Yojna for energy conservation. The State government will provide 2 CFL bulb free of cost to all electricity consumers of villages and BPL consumers in urban areas. This unique scheme will continue till August 2013.

6. The United States Senate on 27 June 2013 passed a landmark comprehensive Immigration Reform Bill to provide a pathway to citizenship to some 11 million illegal immigrants in the country. There are over 240000 illegal Indian migrants in the US.
7. Kevin Rudd on 27 June 2013 was sworn in as Australia’s new prime minister ousting Julia Gillard as Labor chief in a ballot. He was sworn in at Government House in Canberra by Governor General Quentin Bryce.
8. Muthoot Finance got in-principal approval from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) for establishing as well as operating White Label ATMs (WLAs). The White Label ATMs (WLAs) are the ones which are not owned and operated by the bank but by another non-bank entity. By paying a stipulated fee, anyone can use it for the purpose of financial transaction with any other bank branch.
9. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi on 26 June 2013 flagged off first train which connects Banihal in Jammu with Qazigund in Kashmir. This train started off from Banihal Railway Station to Qazigund through the Pir Panchal mountain range.
10. China, on 20 June 2013 conducted the first classroom lecture from space which was given by female Chinese astronaut Wang Yaping. Wang Yaping, 33, addressed around 330 primary as well as middle school students at the High School Affiliated to Renmin University in Beijing through live video feed from space module Tiangong-1
11. Former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi was sentenced to seven years in prisons and a lifetime ban on holding public office by a lower court of Milan as he was found guilty of soliciting sex from a minor and abusing his powers to cover up his actions
12. Connaught Place, the marketplace located in Delhi has been ranked fifth in the list of world’s most expensive office market due to its strong demand amid limited supply as per the CBRE report.
13. The British government in the second week of June 2013 planned to introduce a new scheme requiring visitors from high risk countries in Africa and Asia, including India and Pakistan, to put up a 4600 US dollars cash bond before entering Britain. The countries have been picked for their high number of visa applications and what the government views as relatively high levels of immigration abuse and fraud.
14. International Olympic Day was celebrated across the world on 23 June 2013. The day is celebrated for promotion of participation of people in the sports all across the world, irrespective of athletic, gender or age ability.
15. Nik Wallenda, said to be the 7th generation high-wire artist on 23 June 2013 successfully completed walking the 2-inch thick cable across Little Colorado River Gorge near the Grand Canyon. He finished this walk in merely 23 minutes. With this, he became the first man to cross Grand Canyon on the tightrope.
16. The largest as well as the brightest moon of the year 2013, called the Supermoon was observed on 23 June 2013 as it passed the closest point to Earth. Supermoon is said to be that situation when the natural satellite of the Earth is closer to Earth in the orbit than every day. This effect can be noticed when it happens at same time like the full moon.
17. The first Unit of ONGC’s Mega Power project in Tripura was formally dedicated to the Nation by the President of India, Pranab Mukherjee at Palatana on 21 June 2013. This Unit 1 of the gas-based plant will generate 363.3 MW. The Unit II of the 726.6 MW power plant is expected to be commercially operational later this year. ONGC realized the audacious dream of transporting such heavy and over-dimensional equipment through the territories of Bangladesh.
18. The Union Government of India on 22 June 2013 planned to introduce Visa-on-Arrival facilities for the Chinese nationals to give a boost to Indian tourism. China is among 30 countries for which his Ministry wants Visa-on- Arrival facility as Beijing has a huge potential for exchanges in the sector.
19. Six Forts of Rajasthan included in the list of World Heritage Site of UNESCO and won international recognition on 21 June 2013 in the 37th session of the World Heritage Committee (WHC) in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. The six majestic forts include Amber (Jaipur), Kumbhalgarh, Chittorgarh, Jaisalmer, Ranthambhore (Sawai Madhopur) and Gagaron (Jhalawar).
20. First gas based Power Plant was commissioned by Pranab Mukherjee, the President of Indian Union on 21 June 2013 at Palatana in Tripura. The Palatana Gas Based Power Project is developed by ONGC and is the first such Power Company in India to be awarded with the Clean Development Mechanism by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.
21. The official figures by the Swiss National Bank (SNB) in Zurich on 20 June 2013 unveiled that the Indian money found in Swiss banks dropped down to record lowest level at 9000 crore Rupees or 1.42 billion Swiss francs. The official data released by the Swiss National Bank (SNB) is a part of annual report of Swiss Banks released by SNB.
22. The Supreme Court of India on 19 June 2013 in its decision established that right to life and liberty, enshrined under Article 21 of the Constitution, is available to foreign nationals also. The Supreme Court quashed the FIR registered by the Government of Maharashtra against three citizens of Uganda including an Advisor to the President of Uganda, based on the complaint given by Videocon.
23. NASA, the US Space agency, announced on 17 June 2013 that it had selected eight new NASA astronaut candidates, out of which 4 are women. It is important to note that this is the highest percentage of female astronauts chosen by NASA for any class in its history.
24. Architects building Nalanda International University at Bihar decided to make use of the Desiccant Enhanced Evaporative or the Devap air-cooling system. It is the first time that this kind of system will be used in India.
25. India signed an agreement for loan of 255 million US dollars with World Bank for the National AIDS Control Project (NACP-IV) in New Delhi on 18 June 2013. The Objective of the project is to increase safe behaviors among high risk groups in order to contribute to India’s national goal of reversal of the HIV epidemic by 2017.
26. A survey conducted by Top 500, revealed on 17 June 2013 that the Chinese supercomputer is the fastest computer of the world. This Chinese supercomputer is called Tianhe-2 and it replaced US machine called Titan, which was earlier said to be the fastest computer of the world.
27. 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.
28. AirAsia on 17 June 2013 appointed Ratan Tata, the ex-chairman of the Tata Group as the Chief Advisor of AirAsia’s India board. In the meanwhile, CEO of the AirAsia India was yet to be announced.
29. 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
30. Union Government on 12 June 2013 decided to discontinue the Telegraph Services in India from 15 July 2013. Telegram in India was also known as Taar. The decision of ceasing the services of Telegraph came up after more than 160 years of its being into operations. The last time Telegraph would be used to send a telegram on 14 July 2013.
31. The Reserve Bank on 10 June 2013 imposed a fine of 5 crore Rupees on Axis Bank, 4.5 crore Rupees on HDFC Bank and 1 crore Rupees on ICICI Bank for violation of KYC norms and anti-money laundering guidelines.
32. 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.
33. The rupee fell by a whopping 71 paise to hit a new life-time low of 57 rupees 77 paise on 9 June 2013. The fall comes after the persistent dollar demand from importers and banks amid the US currency gaining overseas. The rupee which resumed lower at 57 rupees 18 paise against dollar as against the last weekend's level of 57 rupees 6 paise per dollars, dropped further to an all-time low of 57 rupees 77 paise per dollar. This crosses its life-time closing low level of 57 rupees 32 paise touched in June-end 2012.
34. The United States of America on 5 June 2013 exempted India and eight other countries from sanctions for importing oil from Iran. India, China, Malaysia, South Korea, Singapore, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Turkey, and Taiwan have qualified for an exception to sanctions under America's Iran Sanctions Act.
35. 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.
36. Gold coins said to be from Gupta period were unearthed on 1 June 2013 at Ahiran in West Bengal Murshidabad district. These coins were found during the construction of National Highway 34. The coins date back to fourth century A.D.
37. The Union Government of India on 5 June 2013 hiked the import duty on gold from 6 percent to 8 percent. The hike is aimed towards curbing the import of gold. Import of gold is mainly responsible for the rise in Current Account Deficit (CAD) and impacts the foreign exchange reserves of the country as well as the value of rupee.
38. 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.
39. Raghav Joneja became the youngest Indian to scale the Mount Everest on 21 May 2013 when he along with his five schoolmates climbed the fifth highest peak in the world.

40. Yes Bank became the first lender to hike lending and deposit rates. Others may follow as the RBI move has tightened liquidity in the markets. Yes Bank said it would hike its deposit rates by 0.25 percent to 0.5 percent in select tenors effective from 1August 2013. Yes Bank took this step following the RBI’s decision to keep key policy rates unchanged and cut growth forecast.
41. Mamnoon Hussain was elected as the 12th President of Pakistan on 30 July 2013. 73-year old Mamnoon Hussain belonged to the PML-N Party. He will be administered the oath on 9 September 2013.
42. As per the latest data released by Government on 23 July 2013, Odisha and Bihar registered the sharpest decline in poverty levels between 2004-05 and 2011-12.
43. Oscar Farnandes, the Union Minister of Road Transport & Highways launched emergency care initiatives on 29 July 2013 on Gurgaon- Jaipur stretch of NH-8. For giving a boost to the emergency care of the accident victims, the Union Minister launched a pilot project for cashless treatment of accident victims on Gurgaon- Jaipur stretch of NH-8.
44. A new respiratory virus related to SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) has killed 39 people in Saudi Arabia. Scientists have named this respiratory virus as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS). The new virus is related to the respiratory virus SARS that killed more than 800 people across the world in 2003. It belongs to a family of viruses that most often cause the common cold. SARS emerged in China.
45. India’s Weather Satellite INSAT-3D, carrying advanced weather monitoring payloads, was launched successfully on 26 July 2013 by Ariane-5 (VA214) launch vehicle from Kourou, French Guiana. After a smooth countdown lasting 11 hours and 30 minutes, the Ariane-5 launchvehicle lifted off right on schedule at the opening of the launch windowat 01:24 hours IST today. After a flight of 32 minutes and 48 seconds, INSAT-3D was placed in an elliptical Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO),very close to the intended one.
46. Poverty Ratio in India declined to 21.9 percent in 2011-12 from 37.2 percent measured in 2004-05 on the basis of the increase in per capita consumption. The Planning Commission of India on 23 July 2013 released its report on the Poverty Estimates for 2011-12. The report was based on the Large Sample Surveys on Household Consumer Expenditure conducted by the National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) of the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation.
47. The United Nations Health agency, the World Health Organisation (WHO) suggested India in 2009 to consider a ban on Monocrotophos, the pesticide blamed for the poisoning of mid day meal in Bihar on 16 July 2013.
48. Prince Philippe was sworn-in as the new king of Belgium on 21 July 2013 after the abdication of his father Albert II due to his age and health.
49. The People's Linguistic Survey of India (PLSI) on 17 July 2013 reported that the North-East of India has the highest per capita language in the whole World. As per the survey, Arunachal Pradesh is a State that speaks 90 different languages.
50. A strong earthquake ripped through China's northwestern Gansu Province. The quake, measuring 6.6 on Richter scale, shook the area at the junction of the Minxian County and Zhangxian County. The epicenter, with a depth of 20 km, was 170 km away from the provincial capital Lanzhou. A 5.6-magnitude quake jolted the same area later in the morning.
51. Shane Warne, the spin legend retired from all forms of cricket officially. He announced retiring from Twenty20 League, thereby ending the overall competitive cricket career.
52. The World's first mission to south pole of the Moon for installation of a permanent telescope on the lunar surface was announced in July 2013. This installation of telescope would aid in the professional and amateur researchers. The announcement was made during the NASA Lunar Science Institute conference at NASA Ames Research Center in Mountain View, California.
53. Earthquake of magnitude 6.9 on Richter Scale stuck Wellington, the Capital of New Zealand on 20 July 2013. As per the details of the U.S. Geological Survey, the quake struck under the Cook Strait 57 kilometres southwest of Wellington at a depth of 10 kilometres.
54. Reserve Bank of India on 20 July 2013 stated that India’s foreign exchange reserves increased by 21.1 million US dollars to 280.19 billion US dollars, the. The total forex reserves had decreased by 4.48 billion US dollars to 280.16 billion US dollars in the previous reporting week.
55. The measurements by Curiosity rover of NASA, the most advanced spacecraft to land on Mars, the Red Planet, re-instated the fact, in the month of July 2013, that the planet was composed of mostly carbon dioxide and a few other gases. These measurements match very closely with the findings of the Viking which had revealed about this in late 1970s. Apart from this, the scientists had also revealed the same earlier with clues from the Martian meteorites that fell on Earth.
56. India in the month of July 2013 has come into view as the second largest investor in the city of London with Indian companies led by software major Infosys encouraged by the investment fervour generated by the 2012 Olympic Games in the British capital.
57. Union Cabinet on 17 July 2013 approved amendments to the marriage law enabling a married woman to get a share of her husband's ancestral property as reparation in case of a divorce.
58. Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India launched the nation-wide National Tobacco Control Campaign known as- Tears you apart. The aim of the campaign is to raise the public awareness regarding dangers of smokeless tobacco which is consumed by millions of Indians every day.
59. Bengaluru International Airport, Karnataka: The Union Cabinet of India on 17 July 2013 gave approval to rename the Bengaluru International Airport as Kempegowda International Airport. The demand to rename the airport was pending since a long time. The demand came from people of Karnataka along with the State Government of Karnataka.
60. The Supreme Court of India on 17 July 2013 refused to reduce the age of juvenile from 18 to 16 years and dismissed a plea that minors involved in heinous crimes should not be protected under the law. A bench headed by Chief Justice Altamas Kabir ruled that interference in the Juvenile Justice Act is not necessary and dismissed a batch of PILs which were filed in the aftermath of the 16 December 2012 brutal gang-rape and murder case in which a minor was also allegedly involved.
61. Hemant Soren, leader of Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) and son of party Chief Shibu Soren, on 13 July 2013 sworn in as the ninth Chief Minister of Jharkhand. Syed Ahmed, the Governor of Jharkhand administered the oath of the office to Hemant Soren in the premises of Raj Bhavan in a swearing-in ceremony.
62. The Secretary General of United Nations, Ban-ki-moon on 11 July 2013 warned Myanmar to end Buddhist attacks on Minority Muslims (Rohingyas). The Secretary General also asked Myanmar to take necessary steps to address legitimate grievances including citizenship. Ban-ki-moon feared that failing to do so, would bring in negative regional impacts in the country and weaken the reform process also.
63. The Supreme Court in its landmark Judgement on 11 July 2013 barred Persons in Jail or Police Custody from contesting election for legislative bodies. The Supreme Court’s decision would help in bringing an end to the era of the under trial politicians, who contest elections from behind the bars.
64. Lt Gen (Retd) AK Singh, on 8 July 2013 took over as the new Lieutenant Governor of Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
65. Chinese Troops on 17 June 2013 intruded into the Chumar Sector of Ladakh. This is the same area that sparked off tensions between the two sides in April 2013. The troops of Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) intruded the Chumar sector and vandalized the observation bunkers and cut-down the wires of cameras, which were used to overlook the Chinese Territory.
66. TripAdvisor's 2013 Travellers Choice Attractions Awards ranked India's Taj Mahal among the top three landmarks in the world. Taj Mahal was ranked third in the list of Top 25 landmarks.
67. Multiple blasts rocked the Mahabodhi Temple in Bodh Gaya, Bihar on 7 July 2013 one of the holiest Buddhist shrines. Nine, low intensity bombs rocked the temple premises leaving injured two monks (one from Tibet and the other was a Myanmar national) at 5 am.
68. Vidya Balan on 6 July 2013 got the Best Actress award at 14th IIFA (International Indian Film Academy) awards 2013 held in Macau for her portrayal of a pregnant woman in search of her husband in Kahaani while Ranbir Kapoor was named Best Actor for Barfi.
69. The Supreme Court of India on 4 July 2013 ruled that employees can’t claim for the benefits of the Voluntary Retirement Scheme (VRS) as a matter of right. As per the ruling of Supreme Court, the decision taking power of VRS benefits lies only in the hands of the employer.
70. Ghaziabad and Allahabad emerged as the two most air polluted cities in Uttar Pradesh according to a recent survey conducted by a research and advocacy organization called CSE. The report of the survey was released on 2 July 2013.
71. Himachal Pradesh on 2 July 2013 was declared as the first Smoke-free state of the country. The declaration was made in compliance to Section 4 of the Cigarettes and other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA) 2003.
72. Chelsea Elizabeth Manning, also known as Bradley Edward Manning, convicted as well as sentenced to the military prison for leaking important classified documents in Wikileaks case, announced the intention of living the life as a woman. He was diagnosed of gender-identity disorder by an Army psychiatrist. The Army Prison refused to provide hormone therapy to him.
73. The Rajya Sabha on 26 August 2013 passed The Marriage Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2010 by voice vote. It seeks to amend the Hindu Marriage Act 1955 and the Special Marriages Act, 1954 which provides for irretrievable breakdown on marriage as a ground for divorce as well as grants women the right to a share in the property of their husbands.
74. Papers of Jawaharlal Nehru from 1959, edited by historian Prof Madhavan Palat, under the sponsorship of the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library, were released in the month of July 2013. There are three volumes of these papers and more volumes were planned to be released every month. The released material is known as Selected Works of Jawaharlal Nehru.
75. Bangladesh Government on 25 August 2013 released the world's first zinc-enriched rice variety capable of fighting diarrhoea and pneumonia-induced childhood deaths and stunted growth.
76. Global digital measurement and analytics comScore stated in its report that India is the world’s third largest Internet user after China and USA. At present, India has almost 74 million Internet users which is a 31 percent increase over March 2012. Significantly, three-fourths of its online population is under 35
77. The Union Cabinet of India on 22 August 2013 approved the amendments to the Representation of the People Act, 1951. This is to negate the recent Supreme Court verdict on disqualification of convicted legislators. The amendmentas were proposed by Ministry of Law and Justice.
78. Robert Mugabe, the incumbent President of Zimbabwe on 21 August 2013 sworn in for his seventh term as the President of the country. He took oath to the office in the main sports stadium in Harare.
79. Thousands of people, including children were killed in the toxic gas attack on 21 August 2013 on the eastern suburbs of Damascus, the capital of Syria. Rocket barrages and intense artillery took place on 21 August 2013 and killed at least 100 people.
80. Citizens can now file RTI applications online in all central government ministries and departments through a portal. This facility was launched by the Minister of State for Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, V Narayanasamy in New Delhi on 21 August 2013.
81. Usain Bolt of Jamaica equalled the world record of highest golds after winning the 4x100m relay at the World Athletics Championships on 18 August 2013 at Moscow, Russia.
82. The captain of the Indian Cricket Team, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, 31, was ranked at the 16th position in the recent Forbes list of highest-paid athletes. Dhoni’s earning stood at 31.5 million US dollar or 180 crore Rupees. The values were calculated between June 2012 and June 2013.
83. The Rajya Sabha on 13 August 2013 passed Registration of Births and Deaths (Amendment) Bill, 2012, under which marriages solemnized in India irrespective of the religion of the persons getting married will have to be compulsorily registered.
84. Idea Cellular became Aditya Birla group’s most valuable company overtaking its flagship commodity business. The market cap of the telecom business overtook UltraTech BSE, India’s largest cement company.
85. The oldest penguin of the world named King Penguin Missy turned 36 years old on 12 August 2013. 36 years old for penguins is equal to 108 years old in humans. King Penguin Missy was brought to Birdland Wildlife Park in Gloucestershire, UK in the year 1982 at the age of 5 years.
86. The first Cyber Forensic Laboratory (CFL) of India was established in Tripura on 11 August 2013. The lab was established at the Tripura High Court and the purpose of the lab is to facilitate information related to court cases. The CFL was inaugurated by Supreme Court judge Justice Madan B. Lokur.
87. Janata Party was merged with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on 11 August 2013 following a meeting of Janata Party President Subramanian Swamy and BJP President Rajnath Singh. Subramanian Swamy had served as member of the Planning Commission of India.
88. Lahaul and Spiti district of Himachal Pradesh on 10 August 2013 created a national record by organizing a 21 kilometer long Half Marathon at the height of 10050 feet at Keylong. A total of 261 sportsmen from Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab and Army participated in the event. The event was orgainsed with an aim of providing an exposure and platform at the national level to the youth living at high altitude.
89. Raghuram Govind Rajan, the Chief Economic Adviser was on 6 August 2013, appointed as the Governor of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) for a time period of three years, i.e., till 2016. He succeeds D. Subbarao who demits the office on 4 September 2013. He will be the 23rd Governor of RBI.
90. Indian Junior Women Hockey team won its first ever Bronze medal in ERGO Hockey Junior World Cup at Monchengladbac, Germany on 4 August 2013. India beat England by 3-2 in a penalty shoot-out. The tournament was played at Mönchengladbach, Germany from 27 July to 4 August 2013. India ended at third position in the tournament.
91. Hassan Rouhani on 4 August 2013 took oath as the new President of Iran in the ceremony held at the Iranian Parliament in Tehran. –
92. Rakesh Sethi on 5 August 2013 took charge as the Executive Director of the Union Bank of India. Before being appointed as the executive director of the Union Bank of India, Rakesh Sethi was the General Manager with Bank of India and headed the National Banking position in Southern India
93. Researchers from the University of Chicago, in the first week of August 2013, revealed that dolphins had the longest memories among the non-human species. Researchers declared that even if these dolphins were separated for more than 20 years, they were capable of recalling the whistles of their former companions.
94. Ravindra Jadeja on 4 August 2013 became the first Indian bowler to top the bowlers' chart in the latest ICC ODI Player Rankings after former captain Anil Kumble claimed the top position in the ODI Rankings in 1996.
95. World’s first talking robot Kirobo was successfully sent into space on 4 August 2013 by Japanese Scientists. The robot was sent by H2B rocket from the island of Tanegashima. The rocket carried food, water and other supplies. Kirobo will serve as a companion for Japanese astronauts.
96. Urjit Patel was appointed as theDeputy Governor of theReserve Bank of India on 3 January 2013. Urjit Patel succeeds Subir Gokarn, who handled Monetary Policy in RBI. The three-year term of Subir Gokarn terminated in November 2012 but he was given an extension which ended finally on 31 December 2012.
97. South Korean court in landmark ruling on 3 January 2013 ordered the first-ever chemical castration of the country. The sentence of chemical castration was given to 31-year old pedophile (a person who is sexually-attracted to children) along with 15 years of jail term
98. The Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, Omar Abdullah on 7 January 2013 launched the first civil aviation service from Kargil to Jammu. Mantra Airlines would be the company that will be operating the civil airline services, from Jammu to Kargil.
99. The Delhi Police Annual Report released on 19 January 2013 reported that Delhi witnessed the record number of highest rape cases, attempts to murder, robbery, rioting in the complete decade. The report claimed that the year 2012 witnessed 706 registered rape cases out of which 40 occurred at midnight including the brutal gang rape in the bus.
100. India celebrated its 64th Republic Day on 26 January 2013. Unfurling of National flag, the rich cultural heritage, and nation's achievements in various fields were the highlights of Republic Day Parade at Rajpath in Delhi. The well-turned out and synchronised military and police formations led by General Officer Commanding (Delhi) Lt General Subroto Mitra marched proudly to the tunes of bands through the Rajpath where President Pranab Mukherjee, the Supreme Commander of Armed Forces, took salute for the first time after assuming office in July 2012.

Source : facebook.com

Awareness Campaign : Information on IT Modernisation Project


Respected Sir,
In our  endeavor  to reach out to every employee of the Department of Posts, we are launching an Awareness Campaign on IT Modernisation Project. 

Please find below the link for campaign flyer " Information on IT Modernisation Project" in vernacular languages.

Click to View : Awareness Campaign : India Post Change Management


The purpose of this campaign is to spread the most essential information about IT Modernisation Project across the employees of the Department. Sir, we request you to 
-- upload the flyer on your blogs and websites
-- get the flyer printed in monthly news letters
-- use the flyer in the meetings conducted by you




via : http://ruralpostalemployees.blogspot.in/

Bank Charges for Non-Home Branch Customers


Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has informed that they have advised Scheduled Commercial Banks, vide their circular dated 01.07.2013 to follow a uniform, fair and transparent pricing policy and not to discriminate between their customers at home branch and non-home branches. If a particular service is provided free at home branch, the same should be available free at non-home branches also. 

There should be no discrimination as regards intersol charges between similar transactions done by customers at home branches and those done at non-home branches. However, cash handling charges are not included under intersol charges. The circular dated 01.07.2013 is available at RBI website www.rbi.org.in. 

This was stated by Minister of State for Finance, Shri Namo Narain Meena in written reply to a question in Lok Sabha today. 

Source: PIB News

Directorate of Estates Orders : Revision of Guidelines for Allotment of Government Accommodation from General Pool to the Political Parties


Directorate of Estates Orders : Revision of Guidelines for Allotment of Government Accommodation from General Pool to the Political Parties

No. 1201 4/2/96- Pol.II (Vol.II)
Government of India
Ministry of Urban Development
Directorate of Estates
Policy-II Section

Nirman Bhavan,
New Delhi - 110 108.
Dated the 29th August, 2013.

OFFICE MEMORANDUM

Sub: Revision of guidelines for allotment of government accommodation from General Pool to the Political Parties.

The Directorate of Estates, Ministry of Urban Development had issued the revised guidelines for allotment of government accommodation from general pool to Political parties vide O.M.No.12014/2/96-pol.II dated 20.7.2000. These guidelines have been reviewed by the competent authority and it has been decided to modify para 1 (iii) of the aforesaid O.M. dated 20.7.2000. After modification the revised guidelines shall be as under:

i. The National Political Parties, which have been recognised as such by the Election Commission of India, shall be allowed to retain/secure allotment of one housing unit from General Pool in Delhi for their office use on payment of licence fee under FR 45A i.e. the normal licence fee.

ii. The said accommodation will be provided for a period three years during which the party would acquire a plot of land in an institutional area and will construct its own accommodation for party office.

iii. One residential accommodation would be allotted/allowed to be retained by the Party President of a recognized National Party provided that no other accommodation has been allotted to him / her in another capacity.

iv. The facility of office accommodation will also be given to the State level parties recognised by the Election Commission of India provided it has in the opinion of the Accommodation Committee of Cabinet, adequate representation in Parliament and its case for allotment is approved by the CCA on its merit.

v. The other buildings allotted or in occupation of any political party stand cancelled. However, a period of six months or upto the time the allotment has been made, whichever is earlier would be given to the party to make alternate arrangement and vacate the Government accommodation.

2. This O.M. supersedes the Directorate of Estates O.M.No.12014/2/96-Pol.II dated 20.7.2000.

sd/-
(S.K.Jain)
Deputy Director of Estates (Policy)

Source : www.estates.nic.in
[http://estates.nic.in/WriteReadData/dlcirculars/Circulars20268.pdf]

via : http://90paisa.blogspot.in

DBAnalyzer for Sanchay Post - dated 30/08/2013


DBAnalyzer for Sanchay Post - dated 30/08/2013

Pre-requisite: .Net framework 3.5 

NOTE: Generation of Consolidated Report is a TIME CONSUMING PROCESS. All offices are advised to generate this report after completing the daily routines like DAY-END process, Database Backup, etc.


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Bank Charges for Non-Home Branch Customers


Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has informed that they have advised Scheduled Commercial Banks, vide their circular dated 01.07.2013 to follow a uniform, fair and transparent pricing policy and not to discriminate between their customers at home branch and non-home branches. If a particular service is provided free at home branch, the same should be available free at non-home branches also. 

There should be no discrimination as regards intersol charges between similar transactions done by customers at home branches and those done at non-home branches. However, cash handling charges are not included under intersol charges. The circular dated 01.07.2013 is available at RBI website www.rbi.org.in. 

This was stated by Minister of State for Finance, Shri Namo Narain Meena in written reply to a question in Lok Sabha today

Source: PIB News


Friday 30 August 2013

U.N. inspectors start leaving Syria; Obama meets with security team




White House, lawmakers huddle on Syria


STORY HIGHLIGHTS
  • U.N. inspectors begin departing Syria
  • President Obama meets with this national security team
  • A U.S. intelligence report on last week's chemical weapons attacks is due Friday
  • Britain's Parliament rejects taking part in a military intervention
Is the use of chemicals a "red line"? Should the West intervene?Send us your views
(CNN) -- [Breaking news alert 1:19 p.m. ET]
A preliminary U.S. government assessment of last week's chemical weapons attack in Syria has made these key findings:

--100 videos attributed to a suspected chemical weapons attack inSyria "show large numbers of bodies exhibiting physical signs consistent with, but not unique to, nerve agent exposure." Some videos show what appear to be fatalities "with no visible injuries" -- imagery "consistent with death from chemical weapons, and inconsistent with death from small-arms, high-explosive munitions or blister agents," said the report, released Friday.
--1,429 people were killed in an August 21 chemical weapons attack in Syria and asserted that "we assess with high confidence that the Syrian government carried out the chemical weapons attack against opposition elements in the Damascus suburbs."
-- The United States says it has "intelligence that leads us to assess that Syrian chemical weapons personnel ... were preparing chemical weapons munitions prior to" what Washington believes was a chemical weapons attack in the Damascus suburbs on August 21. "In the three days prior to the attack, we collected streams of human, signals and geospatial intelligence that reveal regime activities that we assess were associated with preparations for a chemical weapons attack," the U.S. government said in its assessment released Friday.
Citing support from the Arab League, Turkey and France, Secretary of State John Kerry said Friday that "we are not alone in our will to do something about" last week's chemical weapons attack in Syria that he blamed on the regime of President Bashar al-Assad.
Kerry added that the United States "makes our own decisions on our own timelines, based on our own values and interests" in signaling a possible military response to last week's chemical weapons attack in Syria.
[Breaking news alert 1:08 p.m. ET]
A preliminary U.S. government assessment determined that 1,429 people were killed in an August 21 chemical weapons attack in Syria and asserted that "we assess with high confidence that the Syrian government carried out the chemical weapons attack against opposition elements in the Damascus suburbs."
Secretary of State John Kerry said Friday that the American intelligence community has "high confidence" in what he called evidence and facts that the Syrian regime used chemical weapons, adding that "the questions is what are we ... in the world going to do about it."
[Breaking news alert 1:06 p.m. ET]
Secretary of State John Kerry said Friday that Syrian officials made preparations for chemical weapons use for three days prior to the August 21 attack, and that rockets were launched from areas controlled by the Syrian regime and landed in areas controlled by the opposition or contested.
[Breaking news alert 1:04 p.m. ET]
Secretary of State John Kerry said Friday the United States "will not repeat" justifying a military campaign on false intelligence, referring to the Iraq war under President George W. Bush, in detailing information about the chemical weapons attack in Syria.
[Breaking news alert 12:56 p.m. ET]
The U.N. mission inspecting a suspected chemical weapons attack in Syria has completed its collection of samples, said Martin Nesirky, spokesman for the U.N. secretary-general said Friday. Nesirky told reporters that inspectors visited a government military hospital in Damascus and will be leaving Syria on Saturday.
[Breaking news alert 12:40 p.m. ET]
The U.N. mission inspecting a suspected chemical weapons attack in Syria has been completed its collection of samples, said Martin Nesirky, spokesman for the U.N. secretary-general said Friday. Nesirky told reporters that inspectors visited a government military hospital in Damascus and will be leaving Syria on Saturday.
[Breaking news alert 12:22 p.m. ET]
Evidence of another deadly chemical weapons attack in Syria has surfaced, opposition activists said Friday. Seven people died and dozens were injured Monday in the attack on a school in northern Syria.
[Previously published story]
U.N. inspectors began leaving Syria on Friday as U.S. President Barack Obama met with his national security team ahead of the expected release of an intelligence report that blames Syria's government for last week's chemical weapons attack.
The coinciding developments came amid continuing U.S. signals of a possible military attack on Syria in response to last week's suspected poison gassing that reportedly killed hundreds of people in suburban Damascus.
Both friends and foes of the United States are demanding proof that the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad gassed its own people, and the intelligence report, as well as the U.N. inspectors, were expected to provide more details as Washington tries to build an international coalition for a military response.
However, diplomatic and political developments this week raised the chances of the United States going it alone.

A U.N. Security Council meeting on Syria ended in deadlock Thursday, and Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon will try again to find consensus on a U.N. response when he meets Friday with the panel's five permanent members.
So far, opposition to any military response by Syrian ally Russia has scuttled U.N. action.
Overnight, Great Britain's Parliament voted down a proposal on taking part in a military response. The outcome was a blow to Obama's hopes of getting strong support from key NATO allies and some Arab League states if Russia undermined a U.N. resolution as expected.
A regional NATO ally, Turkey, on Friday backed the U.S. contention that al-Assad's regime was responsible for the chemical attack.
"The information at hand indicates that the opposition does not have these types of sophisticated weapons," said Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu. "From our perspective, there is no doubt that the regime is responsible."
Meanwhile, doubts about military intervention also have escalated in the U.S. Congress, where legislators from both parties demand more answers from the Obama administration and some reject any U.S. military response.
In Washington, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry was scheduled to speak about Syria at the State Department on Friday at 12:30 p.m. ET.
Before that, Obama met with his National Security Council to discuss the Syrian chemical attack, a White House official told CNN on condition of not being identified.
Alone or together?
The White House has made clear that the United States will respond in some form to the Syrian use of banned chemical weapons, but said Obama was still deciding exactly what to do.
Previously, the White House ruled out U.S. troops on the ground or imposing a no-fly zone. Sources have indicated limited strikes by cruise missiles based on U.S. naval ships in the region, targeting military command centers but not chemical weapons stockpiles, were the likely option.
However, the British Parliament's vote and demands by other key European allies, including France and Germany, to put off a decision until after the U.N. inspectors report on what happened in Syria have slowed the response time.
French President Francois Hollande told Le Monde newspaper Friday that intervention should be limited and not include al-Assad's overthrow, a position also expressed by Obama.

After the British development, a senior U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told CNN that going it alone was a real prospect.
"We care what they think. We value the process. But we're going to make the decision we need to make," the official said.
On Friday, former President George W. Bush said Obama's "got a tough choice to make."
"I was not a fan of Mr. Assad. He's an ally of Iran, he's made mischief," Bush told Fox News on Friday. "If he (Obama) decides to use the military, he's got the greatest military in the world backing him up."
Also Friday, another Obama predecessor, former President Jimmy Carter, said "a punitive military response without a U.N. Security Council mandate or broad support from NATO and the Arab League would be illegal under international law and unlikely to alter the course of the war."
U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel has repeatedly said the U.S. will respond to Syria in concert with allies.
"Our approach is to continue to find an international coalition that will act together," he told journalists Friday in Manila, the Philippines.
Public opinion
Skeptics of military action have pointed at the decision to use force in Iraq, where the United States government under Bush marched to war based on a thin claim that former dictator Saddam Hussein was harboring weapons of mass destruction.
Opponents are conjuring up a possible repeat of that scenario in Syria, though the intelligence being gathered on the use of WMDs in Syria may be more sound.
An NBC News poll conducted Wednesday and Thursday indicated that 50% of the public says the United States should not take military action against Damascus in response to the Syrian government's alleged use of chemical weapons against its own citizens, with 42% saying military action is appropriate.
But the survey suggested that if any military action is confined to air strikes using cruise missiles, support rises.
Convincing evidence
Supporters of a strong U.S. response say that no further proof is needed that the Syria regime was responsible.
"Come on. Does anybody really believe that those aren't chemical weapons -- those bodies of those children stacked up?" Republican Sen. John McCain of Arizona said Thursday on CNN.
Al-Assad's government has claimed that jihadists fighting with the opposition carried out the chemical weapons attacks on August 21 to turn global sentiments against it.
McCain doesn't buy it.
"The rebels don't have those weapons," he said. Similar arguments have been made by U.S. and foreign officials.
Democrats say Obama needs to make the case to Congress that al-Assad's regime was responsible and that a possible intervention won't get out of hand.
"The action has to have a very limited purpose, and the purpose is to deter future use of chemical weapons," Democratic Rep. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland told CNN.
Haunted by Iraq
Britain's Joint Intelligence Committee has concluded it was "highly likely" that Syrian government forces used poison gas outside Damascus last week in an attack that killed at least 350 people, according to a summary of the committee's findings released Thursday.
Before military intervention got voted down, Prime Minister David Cameron had said his government would not act without first hearing from the U.N. inspectors and giving Parliament another chance to decide the matter. But his opposition seemed to be reminded of the Iraq war.
"I think today the House of Commons spoke for the British people who said they didn't want a rush to war, and I was determined we learned the lessons of Iraq, and I'm glad we've made the prime minister see sense this evening," Labour Party leader Ed Miliband told the Press Association.
Though Cameron did not need parliamentary approval to commit to an intervention, he felt it important "to act as a democrat, to act a different way to previous prime ministers and properly consult Parliament," he said Friday.
He regrets not being able to build a consensus of lawmakers, he said.
U.N. deadlock
Lack of support for military intervention at the United Nations was less of a surprise, due to Russia's known opposition.
"Russia is against any resolution of the U.N. Security Council, which may contain an option for use of force," Deputy Foreign Minister Gennady Gatilov said Friday.
The U.N. weapons inspectors expected to be out of Syria by Saturday will brief Ban, who then will swiftly brief the Security Council on the findings.
Congressional jitters
At home, Obama is facing doubts in Congress, with more than 160 legislators, including 63 fellow Democrats, signing letters calling for either a vote or at least a "full debate" before any U.S. action.
The author of one of those letters, Democratic Rep. Barbara Lee of California, said Obama should seek "an affirmative decision of Congress" before committing American forces. Congress is in recess until September 9, though some members advocate returning early to debate the matter.