INTERNATIONAL
Bangladesh
Court Disqualifies Jamaat-e-Islami Party
On
1 August a Bangladesh court has disqualified the country’s largest Islamic
party from taking part in the next general election.The High Court panel ruled
that the opposition Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami party’s regulations violate the
constitutional provision of secularism.
On
3 August Zanu-PF (Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front), the
political party of the incumbent President Robert Mugabe has won the
Presidential election of Zimbabwe .Mugabe won 61 percent of the vote against
the 34 percent won by the Morgan Tsvangirai, the Prime Minister of Zimbabwe of
Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) party.With this win, Mugabe has won his
seventh term to the office of the President of Zimbabwe .Robert Mugabe is one
of the leaders of the guerrilla movements against white-minority rule of Zimbabwe
and was elected to power in 1980.
China
Built Port Terminal Opens In Sri Lanka
On
5 August Sri Lanka’s President, Mahinda Rajapakse declared open the new
International Container Terminal of the Colombo harbour.The $500 million
Colombo International Container Terminal (CICT) was built by China Merchants
Holdings.The new South Port is the only harbor in South Asia that can
accommodate the Triple-E Class vessels.85-pct of the investment is by CICT and
the remaining 15-pct has been funded by the by the Sri Lanka Ports Authority.
n 12 August Former Prime Minister Ibrahim Boubacar Keita
was elected as President of Mali.He won the Mali’s Presidential elections ,
after his opponent and Ex-Finance Minister Soumaïla Cisse, conceded defeat. He
was Prime Minister of Mali from 1994 to 2000 and President of the National
Assembly of Mali from 2002 to 2007. He founded a political party, Rally for
Mali (RPM), in 2001 and he has led the party since then. In addition to serving
in the National Assembly, Keita was a member of the Parliament of the Economic
Community of West African States.
Britain
Parliament Votes Against Possible Military Action In Syria
On
29 August the Britain Parliament rejected a proposal for military action in
Syria .By a 285 to 272 margin British MPs rejected the government’s motion to
support in principle military action against Syria.
INDIA & WORLD
India
Signs DTAC protocol with Morocco
On
8 August India signed a Protocol amending the India – Morocco Double Taxation
Avoidance Convention (DTAC) in New Delhi .The Protocol was signed by Dr Sudha
Sharma, Chairperson, Central Board of Direct Taxes on behalf of Government of
India and H.E. Mr. Larbi Reffouh, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Morocco to India
on behalf of Government of the Kingdom of Morocco.The Protocol is based on
international standards of transparency and exchange of information. It
provides for effective exchange of information including banking information
between tax authorities of the two countries.
5th
India – China Strategic Dialogue Held In Delhi
The
5th India-China Strategic Dialogue was held at New Delhi on 20 August .The
Indian side was led by Foreign Secretary Sujatha Singh and the Chinese side was
led by Vice Foreign Minister Liu Zhenmin.The two sides discussed several issues
including enhancing understanding on the utilization of trans-border river
waters, expanding bilateral trade and investment while addressing problems of
the large and growing deficit faced by India, ways of maintaining peace and
tranquility along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the India-China border
areas, methods of boosting cultural cooperation as well as people-to-people
exchanges and expansion of scientific and technological cooperation.
On
21 August According to research firm com Score latest report titled “India
Digital Future in Focus 2013 ” , India with 73.9 million Net users is the
world’s third largest Internet population, overtaking Japan (4th position) but
behind China (First position) and the US. (Second position) Riding on a 31 per
cent year-on-year increase, India’s online population grew to 73.9 million.With
an extended online universe in excess of 145 million the market is at a tipping
point for online businesses.India overtook Japan by adding 17.6 million users
in 2012.
Indians
Third Largest Immigrant Group In US
On
23 August According to the Migration Policy Institute latest study report ,
Indians have emerged as the third-largest immigrant group in the US behind
Mexicans and Chinese, with nearly 1.9 million of them living in the
country.Indian population in the US has grown to over 150 times its size since
1960, when the slightly more than 12,000 Indian immigrants represented less
than 0.5 per cent of the total immigrant population of 9.7 million
immigrants.Till 2011, Indian-born immigrants accounted for almost five per cent
(1.86 million) of America’s 40.4 million immigrants.Almost one-third of all
Indian immigrants resided in just two states- California and New Jersey.More
than a quarter of them lived in three major metropolitan areas- New York,
Chicago and San Jose.Two per cent of all unauthorised immigrants in the United
States were also from India.
India
and Iraq Signed Energy Cooperation Agreement
On
23 August India and Iraq signed an agreement on energy cooperation to boost the
bilateral ties.The agreement was signed along with three other agreements after
comprehensive talks between Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh and his Iraq
Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki on strategic bilateral, regional and
international issues. Iraq is an important Gulf nation and has emerged as
India’s second largest crude oil supplier after Saudi Arabia.
India
Announced Rs 5,000 crore For Bhutan
On
31 August India announced an aid of Rs 5,000 crore, including a special package
of Rs 500 crore, for Bhutan as part of commitment to its continued
socio-economic development, a move that assumes significance against the
backdrop of unease in the bilateral ties recently. India will contribute Rs
4500 crore towards Bhutan’s 11th Plan, as well as Rs 500 crore towards an
Economic Stimulus Package.The decision was announced after talks in NewDelhi
between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Bhutan Prime Minister Tshering
Tobgay.
NATIONAL
India
Lost 220 Languages In Last 50 Years
On
9 August A two-year survey by Bhasha Research and Publication Centre based in
Vadodara has revealed that India has lost around 20 per cent of its languages
over the last 50 years.Officials of the survey, called the People’s Linguistic
Survey of India (PLSI) has held that the country had 1,100 languages in 1961 of
which 220 have vanished. The survey has found 780 languages and might have
missed another 100, which makes it around 880.The 1961 census had recorded that
India had 1,652 languages in all but the number was narrowed down to 1,100
later for variants of same languages were also included in the list. The 1971
census registered only 108 languages for it was decided that only those
languages with over 10,000 speakers will be included.
Rajya
Sabha Passed The ‘Registration of Births and Deaths (Amendment) Bill,
2012 ‘
On
13 August Rajya Sabha passed a bill to make registration of marriages
mandatory.The Registration of Births and Deaths (Amendment) Bill, 2012, which
was passed by Rajya Sabha, seeks to provide compulsory registration of
marriages irrespective of religion. The registration of marriages will not
apply to those who have registered their marriage under any other law.At
present, there is provision for registration of only births and deaths.
Lok
Sabha Passed ‘National Food Security Bill, 2013′
On
26 August Lok Sabha passed the ‘National Food Security Bill, 2013′.The Bill
seeks to give legal rights to get subsidized grains every month to 67 percent
of the overall population (of which 75 percent is rural and 50 percent is urban
population).A beneficiary will be entitled to 5 kg of rice, wheat or coarse
cereals at Rs. 3, Rs. 2 and Re. 1 per kg a month, respectively.The
beneficiaries will be identified by the States based on parameters prescribed
by the Union government.Once the Bill gets its nod in the Rajya Sabha and
President’s accent, India will join the selected league of countries that
guarantee food grants to a majority of its population.
On
26 August the Rajya Sabha passed ‘The Marriage Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2010 was
passed 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.Under the new bill, a provision has been made
to restrict the grant of decree of divorce on the ground of irretrievable
breakdown of marriage if the court is satisfied that adequate provision for the
maintenance of children born out of the marriage has not been made consistently
with the financial capacities of the parents.
The
Lok Sabha passed the landmark land acquisition and rehabilitation bill on 29
August 2013 that aims to provide fair compensation to those whose land is
taken, brings transparency to the process and details measures for
rehabilitation of those displaced.The bill, which will now be called, The Right
to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and
Resettlement Bill, 2012, replaced a nearly 120-year-old law enacted during
British rule in 1894.
The
new Companies Bill has received President’s assent, that will make it into a
law replacing the nearly six-decade old regulations that govern corporates in
the country.The Companies Bill 2013 received assent from the President Pranab
Mukherjee on 29 August 2013.The Companies Bill 2012 was passed in Rajya Sabha
on 8 August 2013 . Earlier, the bill was passed by the Lok Sabha on 18 December
2012. With the President’s assent, the Companies Bill 2012 became the Companies
Act, 2013 (New Act).The new Bill, providing for sweeping changes in the way
companies operate and are regulated in the country, received Parliamentary
approval earlier this month. It would replace the Companies Act 1956.
STATES
Karnataka
Becomes First State To Establish Calamities Relief Fund
On
5 August Karnataka Government has become the first state in the country to
establish State Natural Calamities Relief fund of Rs. 125 crore.The
Relief Fund will provide for a natural calamities relief fund which would
provide for building capital assets and relief in respect of man-made disasters
that are not covered under the state disaster response fund guidelines of the
Government of India.
On
7 August A modern and sophisticated breast milk bank was inaugurated at the
state-run Seth Sukhlal Karnani Memorial Hospital (SSKM) by West Bengal Chief
Minister Mamata Banerjee . This novel scheme was launched to cater to the basic
needs of a child who is just born, but does not get the milk from the mother or
when the mother dies after giving birth to the child.The breast milk bank would
help specially to non-lactating mothers. The stored milk can be used to feed
babies whose mothers fall ill during the six-month lactating period after
pregnancy.
India’s
First Cyber Forensic Laboratory (CFL) Established In Tripura
The
first Cyber Forensic Laboratory (CFL) of India was established in Tripura on 11
August .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.
‘Agar-Malwa’
Becomes The 51st District Of Madhya Pradesh
Madhya
Pradesh government gave nod to creation of the new district of Agar-Malwa,
taking the number of districts in the state to 51.The district will come into
existence on 16 August.The new district will be created by bifurcating Shajapur
district; it will comprise the tehsils of Agar, Badoud, Susner and Nalkheda.
Headquarters would be at Agar town.Spread over 2,785 square km, Agar-Malwa will
have population of 4.80 lakh.
Sonia
Sonia Gandhi Launches ‘Food Security Scheme’ In Delhi
On
20 August Congress president Sonia Gandhi launched the Centre-Sponsored ‘ Food
security scheme ‘on the occasion of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi’s 69th
birth Anniversary.Delhi was the first state to implement the scheme.Under the
scheme, a total of 73.5 lakh people will get foodgrain at highly subsidised
rates.The food security programme would provide subsidised grains for 67 per
cent of the population and would see government spending an estimated Rs.
1,25,000 crore to supply 62 million tonnes of grains. Under the scheme,
beneficiaries would get wheat at Rs. 2 a kg, rice at Rs. 3 a kg and coarse
grain at Rs. 1 a kg.Congress party ruled northern states Haryana and
Uttarakhand have also launched this scheme.
Maharashtra
Cabinet Approved Anti-Black Magic and Superstition Ordinance
On
21 August the Maharashtra Cabinet has approved the “Anti-Black Magic and
Superstition Ordinance” after the death of anti-superstition activist Narendra
Dabholkar.The decision was taken by the state cabinet in wake up of the
protests that followed after the murder of Dabhokar in Pune on 20 August
2013.Dabholkar was at the forefront of a campaign to persuade the Maharashtra
government to pass an anti-superstition and black magic bill.
Rajasthan
Government Laid Foundation Stone For World’s Largest Solar Park
On
21 August State Government of Rajasthan laid the foundation stone for world’s
biggest solar park at Bhadla of Jodhpur District of Rajasthan.The solar park
with generation capacity of 3000 MW would be commissioned in phased manner. In
its first phase the solar park will generate 1000 MW.Solar Park would be
established in 10 thousand hectare land and Asian Development Bank (ADB) will provide
3000 crore rupees loan for development of transmission lines of this solar
park.
CONFERENCES
BRICS
Business Council Meeting Held In Johannesburg
The
first BRICS Business Council Meeting was held on 19 – 20 August 2013 in
Johannesburg , South Africa.The objective of the meet is aiming to increase the
trade and investment ties between participating economies.The two-day meeting
was attended by the Chairpersons of the respective chapters of the BRICS
Business Council that attended the meeting are: Jose Rubens de la Rosa
(Brazil), Sergey Katyrin (Russian Federation), Onkar Kanwar (India) and
MA Zehua (China).The meeting was chaired by Patrice Motsepe, Chairman of the
South African and BRICS Business Council.In a joint statement following the
first BRICS Business Council meeting ,the council made several recommendations
include’s urging governments to facilitate convenience in expediting multiple
entry business visas for longer periods, as well as considering a proposal to
create a BRICS business travel card ; Enhancing connectivity; and –
Creating a BRICS business portal, which will be facilitated by the BRICS
Business Council Secretariat, among others.The council has agreed to work
together in areas such as infrastructure, mining and mineral beneficiation,
value-added manufacturing development, skills development and sustainable
development.BRICS an acronym for the Brazil, Russia, India, China and South
Africa group of countries.The BRICS Business Council was established during the
2013 BRICS Summit in Durban in March, with South African businessman Patrice
Motsepe named chairman of the body.
Second
ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting – Plus Held In Brunei
The
2nd ASEAN Defense Ministers’ Meeting-Plus has concluded in Brunei on 29 August
.Defense ministers from ASEAN signed a declaration of commitment to enhance
peace and security in the Asia-Pacific region.They committed to adhere to the
principles of equality, mutual respect, mutual benefit and respect for
international laws in the handling of disputes. The defense ministers also
agreed to promote better understanding and confidence-building measures among
defense establishments.ASEAN Defence minister’s meeting firstly convened in
Vietnam’s capital Hanoi on October 12, 2010, the regional event has involved 18
member states, including ministers from the 10 ASEAN nations.ASEAN Defence
Ministers’ Meeting – Plus was established in 2010.This forum is convened every
two years.The third ADMM-Plus is scheduled to be held in Malaysia in 2015.
AWARDS & HONOURS
Malayalam
Poetess Sugathakumari Awarded With 'Saraswati Samman 2013'
On
2 August Renowned Malayalam poetess and social activist Sugathakumari has been
conferred with the prestigious Saraswati Samman 2012 for Manalezhuthu (the
Writings on the Sand), a collection of poems in Malayalam.Manalezhuthu was
published in the year 2006.Saraswati Samman Award was instituted by KK Birla
Foundation in 1991.This award is given every year to the literary work in any
Indian language which is the part of Eighth Schedule of the Constitution.
US
Presidential Medal To Bill Clinton and Oprah Winfrey
On
8 August Barack Obama, the US President would confer the Presidential Medal of
Freedom on former US President, Bill Clinton and talk show queen, Oprah
Winfrey. It is the highest civilian honour of America.
Indian
American Professor Received Top US Environmental Award
On
16 August An Indian American professor of biological and agricultural
engineering has been recognised by a top US environmental and water resources
institute for his pioneering work in hydrology. Vijay P Singh, professor and
Caroline ; William N Lehrer distinguished chair in the department of biological
and agricultural engineering at Texas A&M University, was named a recipient
of the 2013 Lifetime Achievement Award by the American Society of Civil
Engineers Environmental and Water Resources Institute (ASCE-EWRI).Singh is an
internationally recognised and pre-eminent engineer specialising in water
resources engineering and hydrology. His work has developed the application of
kinematic wave theory to the point where it is widely used throughout the world
in hydrologic models used for water resource modelling, flood planning and
hydrologic design.
Harshwanti
Bisht Selected For "Sir Edmund Hillary Mountain Legacy Medal 2013"
On
12 August Professor of economics, and conservationist, and mountaineer Dr.
Harshwanti Bisht has been selected to receive the “Sir Edmund Hillary Mountain
Legacy Medal 2013″.The award is presented for remarkable service in the
conservation of culture and nature in mountainous regions.In 2003 the Sir
Edmund Hillary Mountain Legacy Medal was initiated by unanimous resolution of
the Namche Conference: Parks, People and Mountain Tourism.
Malala
Yousafzai Wins International Children’s Peace Prize
On
27 August Pakistani school pupil and education activist Malala Yousafzai won
the International Children’s Peace Prize 2013. The peace prize carries a cash
value of 100000 euros (133000 US dollars) which is invested in projects
relating to the winner’s cause. The International Children’s Peace Prize is an
initiative of the Amsterdem-based Dutch KidsRights Foundation. It was launched
in the year 2005 by former Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev, when he chaired
the Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates in Rome. Since then, the prize has been
awarded every year by a Nobel Peace Prize Laureate. The prize is presented
annually to an exceptional child, whose courageous or otherwise remarkable
actions have made a difference in countering problems, which affect children
around the world.
Mandela
Is The First Recipient Of "Mahathir Award" For Global Peace
On
27 August Former South African President Nelson Mandela was awarded the first
Lifetime Campaigner for Peace and Freedom of the Mahathir Award for Global
Peace .Current South African President Jacob Zuma received the award on behalf
of Mandela, who is in a critical condition in a hospital in Pretoria.The
Mahathir Award for Global Peace is a peace award instituted by the Mahathir Global
Peace Foundation. The foundation was formed to contribute to worldwide peace
efforts.Mahathir bin Mohamad is a Malaysian politician who was the fourth Prime
Minister of Malaysia. He held the post for 22 years from 1981 to 2003, making
him Malaysia’s longest serving Prime Minister.
SPORTS & GAMES
India
Won Bronze Medal at Junior Women Hockey World Cup
On
4 August Indian Junior Women Hockey team won its first ever Bronze medal in
ERGO Hockey Junior World Cup at Monchengladbac, Germany .India defeated England
by 3-2 in a penalty shoot-out.Indian forward Rani was declared the Best Player
of the ERGO Junior Women Hockey World Cup 2013.The Netherland team won the
final against Argentina and clinched the trophy for a record third time.
Parimarjan
Negi Won Politiken Cup
On
4 August Indian Grandmaster Parimarjan won the Denmark’s Politiken Cup at
Copenhagen, Denmark by gaining 9 out of the total possible 10 points. He
defeated the seventh seed, Italian Sabino Brunello in just 31 moves of Ruy
Lopez.
Jadeja
First Indian After Kumble To Top ODI Bowlers’ List
On
4 August Left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja became the first Indian bowler to top
the bowlers’ chart in the latest ICC ODI Player Rankings after former captain
Anil Kumble claimed the pole position way back in 1996.Overall, Jadeja is the
fourth India bowler after Kapil Dev (March 1989), Maninder Singh (December
1987-November 1988) and Kumble to claim the number-one spot in ODIs.
Franklin
Wins Record 6 Golds at World Swimming Championships
On
5 August American swimmer Missy Franklin became the first woman to win six gold
medals at a world-championships.She claimed her record sixth gold medal of the
world championships , swimming the leadoff leg for the Americans in the
400-meter medley relay in Barcelona, Spain.Missy Franklin won four golds and a
bronze at the 2012 London Games, joins American men Michael Phelps and Mark
Spitz as well as German woman Kristin Otto with six golds in either a world or
Olympic competition.Franklin became the winningest female swimmer ever at a
world meet, eclipsing the record that was shared by Tracy Caulkins, who won
five times in 1978, and Libby Trickett, who did it in 2007.
PV
Sindhu Won Bronze Medal at World Badminton Championships
On
10 August Indian shuttler P V Sindhu lost to the Ratchanok Intanon of Thailand
in the semi-final match at the World Badminton Championships at Guangzhou,
China. P V Sindhu now became the only second Indian singles player to win a
medal after Prakash Padukone . Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponnappa had won the
doubles bronze in London in 2011.
World
Badminton Championship 2013 WinnersWomen’s Singles
Thailand’s
Ratchanok Intanon won the women’s singles title ,after defeated Li Xuerui
(China) in the final at the World Badminton Championships at Guangzhou.This is
the first time any shuttler from Thailand has won a gold at the Worlds in any
category.
Men’s Singles :- China’s Lin Dan reinforced his
claim to being the greatest badminton player in history after he defeated arch
rival Malaysian Lee Chong Wei in the World Championship final to become the
first man to win five world singles titles.
Rogers
Cup Tennis Tournament 2013 Winners
Women’s
Singles :- On
11 August Serena Williams (U.S) won the Rogers Cup Tennis Tournament Women’s
singles title ,after defeated Romania’s Sorana Cirstea in the final at Montreal
(Canada).Serena Williams won the Rogers Cup women’s title for the third time.
Men’s Singles :- Rafael Nadal (Spain) won his
third Rogers Cup Men’s Singles title , after defeated Canada’s Milos Raonic in
the final.
Marion
Bartoli Retires From Tennis
On
14 August Wimbledon champion Marion Bartoli of France announces her retirement
from professional tennis. She announced the retirement after losing in the
second round of the Cincinnati Masters to Romania’s Simona Halep. She is ranked
seventh in the world. Besides Wimbledon 2013, Bartoli won seven other WTA Tour titles,
the first one was in Auckland in 2006. Recently she won two tournaments both in
2011 at Eastbourne and Osaka, Japan, prior to Wimbledon.
2013
World Championships in Athletics Winners
The
14th World Championships in Athletics are held in Moscow, Russia from 10–18
August 2013. Russia (17 medals )topped the medal table with seven gold, four
silver, and six bronze medals. The US (25 medals) came in second place at the
event, receiving six gold, 13 silver, and six bronze medals. Jamaica (19 medals
)placed third, with its athletes earning six gold, two silver, and one bronze.
Winners
Of The 2013 World Championships in Athletics :-
Jamaica’s
Usain Bolt and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce both won three gold medals in the men’s
and women’s 100 m, 200 m and 4 x 100 m relay respectively to become the most
successful athletes at the event.Usain Bolt moved to the top of the all-time
World Championships medal table by winning three gold medals.It was Bolt’s
second three gold performance at the World Championships.With this victory
Usain Bolt has joined the club of highest (8) gold medal winners list along
with American women’s 200m specialist Allyson Felix, and retired US track stars
Carl Lewis and Michael Johnson including relays.
Christina
Obergfoll of Germany won the women’s javelin title with a throw of 69.05 metres
.
French
athlete Teddy Tamgho claimed gold in the men’s triple jump event ,, with a jump
measuring 18.04m.
In
the Men’s 1, 500 metres race Kenyan Asbel Kiprop ( 3min:36.2 sec) won the
gold and Eunice Jepkoech Sum of Kenya won gold in Women’s 800 metres race (1min
:57.38 sec)
Women’s
10,000 meters Race :- Tirunesh Dibaba (Ethiopia)
Men’s
10,000 meters Race :- Double Olympic champion Mo Farah of Britain created
history once again in Moscow as he became the first British man to win a
10,000m world title.The Somalia-born Mo Farah went down in the history books as
just the second man to win the 5000 and 10,000m races at the Olympics and the
world championships.
Men’s
20 kilometres Walk :- Aleksandr Ivanov (Russia)
Women’s
Marathon :- Kenya’s Edna Ngeringwony Kiplagat becomes the first women in
history to defend her world championship marathon title.
Shot
put :- New Zealand’s Valerie Adams has become the first woman to win four
individual world athletics titles in the same event.
Men’s
110 metres Hurdles :- David Oliver (USA)
Men’s
400metres Hurdles :- Jehu Gordon (Trinidad)
Women’s
400 metres Hurdles :- Zuzana Hejnova (Czech Republic )
Russian
pole vaulter Yelena Isinbayeva won gold..Yelena Isinbayeva is a two-time
Olympic gold medalist (2004 and 2008), a three-time World Champion (2005, 2007
and 2013), the current world record holder in the event, who is widely
considered the greatest female pole-vaulter of all time.
Cincinnati
Tennis Tournament 2013 Winners
Women’s Singles :- On 18 August Victoria Azarenka
of Belarus won the Cincinnati Tennis Tournament women’s singles title.Azarenka
defeated Serena Williams of the U.S in the final at Cincinnati (U.S )
Men’s Singles :- In the Men’s category Rafael
Nadal (Spain) has won the Cincinnati Tennis Tournament title for the first
time.He defeated John Isner (U.S) in the final.Nadal’s five Masters titles this
season are a career best. He’s tied with Novak Djokovic for most Masters titles
in a season since 1990. He’s won seven of the nine Masters events during his
career.
Sania
Mirza – Jie Zheng pair Won New Haven Open Title
On
24 August India’s Sania Mirza won the women’s doubles title at the New Haven
Open Tennis tournament along with her partner Jie Zheng of China.Sania and Jie
defeated the pair of Anabel Medina Garrigues (Spain) and Katarina
Srebotnik (Slovenia) in the final at Yale.This is Sania Mirza’s 17th WTA
doubles title and the third Title in 2013.
Australia’s
Aaron Finch Hits T20 World Record
Australian
batsman Aaron Finch hit a new record in Twenty20 Internationals in Southampton
(England), when he scored 156 runs off 63 balls against England at Southampton
on 29 August.Finch mashed 14 sixes and 11 fours in his innings and surpassed
the previous international record of 123, scored by New Zealand’s Brendon
McCullum.In the process he also became the first Australian to score a T20
international century.
ECONOMY
Union
Cabinet Approved the Setting up of ‘Bharatiya Mahila Bank ‘
On
8 August the Union Cabinet approved the proposal for setting up of ‘
Bharatiya Mahila Bank (BMB) ‘ with an initial corpus of Rs 1,000 crore. The
proposed bank will be headquartered in New Delhi.The Mahila Bank will start
with 6 branches — one each in north, south, east, west, central and north
eastern part of the country.The proposed bank is likely to begin operations by
November this year.
India
Signed Agreement With World Bank For Low Income Housing Finance Project
On
14 August the government of India and the World Bank signed a $100 million
credit agreement aimed at helping low-income households in Indian cities access
loans to purchase, build or upgrade their dwellings.The Low Income Housing
Finance Project would be implemented by the National Housing Bank (NHB).The
credit agreement for the Low Income Housing Finance Project was signed between
the Government of India, National Housing Bank (NHB) and World Bank in New
Delhi.
Muslims
Have Lowest Living Standard In India
According
to the National Sample Survey Organisation (NSSO) study titled ‘Employment and
Unemployment Situation Among Major Religious Groups in India’ among various
religious groups,Muslims have the lowest living standard in the country
According
to the survey data , Muslims average per capita expenditure of just Rs 32.66 in
a day.At the other end of the spectrum, Sikh community enjoys a much better
lifestyle as the average per capita spending among them is Rs 55.30 per day,
while the same for Hindus is Rs 37.50. For Christians it is Rs 51.43.
At
all-India level, the average monthly per capita expenditure (MPCE) of a Sikh
household was Rs 1,659 while that for a Muslim household was Rs 980 in
2009-10.The average MPCE for Hindus and Christians were Rs 1,125 and Rs 1,543,
respectively.The survey said that average monthly per capita consumption at
all-India level was Rs 901 in villages and Rs1,773 in cities. Overall, the
average MPCE was Rs 1,128.
Muslims
were at the bottom in rural areas, with an average MPCE of Rs 833, followed by
Hindus at Rs 888, Christians at Rs1,296 and Sikhs 1,498.
In
urban areas, Muslims’ average MPCE was also the lowest at Rs 1,272 followed by
Hindus at Rs 1,797, Christians Rs 2,053 and Sikhs at Rs 2,180.
Per
Capita Income Up 6.7% in 2004-12
On
25 August According to official sources data ,the per capita income in the
country increased 6.7 per cent per annum during 2004-05 to 2011-12, while the
percentage of poor declined by 2.2 per cent over the period.For 2011-12, the
Planning Commission has estimated percentage of people living below the poverty
line at 21.9 per cent.The poverty line in 2011-12 in terms of monthly per
capita consumption expenditure was estimated at Rs 816 in rural areas and Rs
1,000 in urban areas.State-wise, Uttar Pradesh had highest number of people
living below poverty line during 2011-12 at 598.19 people below poverty line
out of every lakh.It was followed by Bihar at 358.15 people (per lakh), Madhya
Pradesh 234.04 people, Maharashtra 197.92 people and West Bengal at 184.98
people living below the poverty line.
27
crore People Live Below Poverty Line In India
India’s
population was estimated at 123 crore as of March 1, 2012, while as many as 27
crore people lived below the poverty line in 2011-12, Minister of State for
Planning Rajeev Shukla explained in a written reply to Rajya Sabha on 29
August.As per the Population Census of 2011 conduced by the Office of Registrar
General of India, the population in the country was estimated at 121 crore as
of March 1, 2011.The poverty ratio in the country has decreased to 21.9 per
cent in 2011-12 from 37.2 per cent in 2004-05.The rate of decline between
2004-05 and 2011-12 is three times faster than experienced between 1993-94 and
2004-05.As per the Millennium Development Goals Report 2013, the poverty rate
in India fell from 49 per cent in 1994 to 42 per cent in 2005 and 33 per cent
in 2010.
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
Australia’s
Most Powerful Super Computer Unveiled
On
1 August Australia’s most powerful supercomputer “”Raijin “” was unveiled
in Canberra.Raijin, named after the Japanese God of thunder and rain, has
costed USD 45.2 million to build and will cost USD 10.85 million a year to
run.The super computer, unveiled at Australian National University (ANU),and it
is the 27th most powerful computer in the world.
India’s
DRDO Launches Explosive Detection Kit In US
On
2 August the India-developed US-manufactured Explosive Detection Kit (EDK) was
launched at the US Chamber of Commerce building in Washington.In a first of its
kind of reverse technology sharing between India and the US, an innovative
Explosive Detection Kit developed by Indian scientists would be manufactured in
America and sold globally for quick detection and identification of
combinations of explosives.This was probably for the first time that technology
developed by Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO) was being
manufactured and marketed in the US.
Japan
Sends World’s First Talking Robot Into Space
On
4 August Japan has successfully launched the world’s first talking humanoid
robot called “” Kirobo “” in to space. 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.Kirobo was
put through a series of zero-gravity and other safety tests prior to sending
him into space. Kirobo is 34 centimetres tall and can speak Japanese. It will
provide emotional support for people in space. Kirobo will talk to JAXA
astronaut Koichi Wakata when he arrives at the space station in November. The
name of Kirobo is a merging of Kibo and robot. Kirobo was designed by
scientists and engineers at the University of Tokyo. It is equipped with
voice-recognition and face-recognition technology, as well as a camera, emotion
recognition software and natural language processing.
Japan
Unveils Largest Warship
On
6 August Japan has unveiled its biggest warship since the Second World War as
part of a plan to bolster its defense of territorial claims in disputed
waters.The ship, named the “Izumo”, is classified as a helicopter destroyer,
though its flattop design makes it look like an aircraft carrier.The ship is
nearly 250 metres (820ft feet) long and is designed to carry up to 14
helicopters.Japanese Defense Ministry announced the ship is not intended to be
used as an aircraft carrier and will not be used to launch fighter jets.It will
also be used to bolster the nation’s ability to transport personnel and
supplies in response to large-scale natural disasters.
Pinaka
Rockets Successfully Test Fired
On
7 August India successfully test fired two rounds of indigenously developed
“Pinaka” rockets from a multi-barrel rocket launcher (MBRL) from a defence base
in Chandipur-on-sea near Balasore, off the Odisha coast.The tests were routine
trials conducted for training purpose. The tests were conducted by personnel
from Armament Research and Development Establishment (ARDE), Pune unit at Proof
and Experimental Establishment (PXE) firing point-2. Pinaka is an area weapon
system with a range of 40 km.Pinaka system can fire a salvo of 12 rockets in 44
seconds. Ten rounds of Pinaka rockets were tested from the same base on 30 and
31 January and 28 February this year.
‘
INS Arihant ‘ Nuclear Reactor Activated
On
10 August India has activated the reactor on board the ‘INS Arihant ‘ nuclear
submarine, the first to be designed and built in India.With this success, India
became a member of the exclusive club of countries that have built their own
nuclear powered submarines along with Russia, US, UK, China and France.After
the nuclear reactor is activated, INS Arihant has been undergoing trials at
Navy’s key submarine base in Vishakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh) and would be
launched for sea trials soon since the nuclear reactor has gone
critical.Nuclear triad has the ability to fire nuclear-tipped missiles from
land, air and sea.Arihant means destroyer of enemies in Sanskrit is an Indian
submarine, which is 111 meter long, 11 broad and 15 meter tall.The 6,000 tonne
vessel was built under the Advanced Technology Vessel (ATV) project at the Ship
Building Centre in Visakhapatnam ,at a cost of around Rs 15,000 crore .INS
Arihant, was introduced to the public on 26 July 2009 at a symbolic launch
ceremony by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s wife Gursharan Kaur.India operates
the INS Chakra, which is an Akula II class submarine leased from Russia for ten
years and has plans of building two more nuclear submarines indigenously.
‘ICGS
Rajveer ‘ Commissioned
On 10 August Seventh in the series of eight inshore patrol vessels (IPV), ICGS Rajveer was commissioned at Visakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh) by defence secretary R K Mathur in the presence of vice-admiral Anurag G Thapliyal, director general of Indian Coast Guard.The IPV is equipped with the most advanced and sophisticated navigational and communication sensors and equipment. The ship is propelled to a maximum speed of 31.5 knots and has an endurance of 1,500 nautical miles. The special feature include an integrated Bridge System, Integrated machinery control system and an indigenously built 30mm gun mount with fire control system.
India
Launched First Indigenous Aircraft Carrier ‘ INS Vikrant ‘
India
launched its first indigenous aircraft carrier ‘INS Vikrant ‘ on 12 August
.Defence Minister A K Antony’s wife Elizabeth launched the 37,500 tonne carrier
‘INS Vikrant’ at Kochi shipyard.This will mark India’s entry into a select club
of countries capable of designing and building a carrier of this size. Other
countries capable of designing and building an equivalent size ship are the US,
the UK, Russia and France.Fighter aircraft–Mig-29K, Light Combat Aircraft and
Kamov-31 helicopters–will deployed on board the carrier which will also carry
an array of other weapons systems.INS Vikrant has a length of 260 metres and it
is 60 metres wide. It is behind schedule by three years.The carrier is expected
to be delivered to the Navy by the end of 2018.
India
Successfully Test Fired Nuclear Capable ‘ Prithvi-II ‘ Missile
On
12 August India has successfully test-fired its indigenously developed nuclear
capable ‘ Prithvi-II ‘ missile from a mobile launcher in salvo mode from launch
complex-3 of the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at (Odisha) Chandipur. Prithvi-II
missile was launched by the personnel of the Strategic Force Command (SFC) from
ITR’s Launch Complex-III as part of routine user training. The missile
scientists of the Defence Research and Development Organisation(DRDO) monitored
the launch operations.The missile, with a range of 350 km, developed by the
Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) .The missile, 9 metres in
height with a launch weight of 4.6 tonnes, is capable of carrying a warhead of
more than 500 kg.The last users trial of Prithvi-II was successfully carried
out from the same base on on December 20, 2012.
Voyager
Becomes First Man-Made Object To Leave The Solar System
According
to the new research shows ,NASA’s long-lived Voyager probe crossed into
interstellar space last year, becomes the first man-made object to leave the
solar system.Voyager 1 space craft was launched in 1977 along with a sister
probe, Voyager 2, to observe the outer planets. Voyager 1 is now approximately
120 times farther away from the sun than Earth. Voyager 2 is heading out of the
solar system in a different direction.The probes are powered by the slow decay
of radioactive plutonium. Voyager 1 will begin running out of energy for its
science instruments in 2020. By 2025, it will be completely out of power.
India’s
Super Hercules Lands At Highest Airfield On LAC
The
Super Hercules C 130 J transport plane landed at the world’s highest and
recently-activated Daulat Beg Oldie airstrip in Ladakh area of Jammu and
Kashmir for the first time on 20 August .The Daulat Beg Oldie airstrip located
at 16614 feet (5065 metres) in the Aksai Chin area..In April, the area saw a
21-day stand-off between Indian and Chinese troops who came and pitched tents
in the vicinity of the airfield and returned only after several rounds of flag
meetings between both sides.The achievement will enable the armed forces to use
the heavy-lift aircraft to induct troops, supplies, improve communication
network and also serve as a morale booster for maintenance of troops positioned
there.C-130J is capable of lifting upto 20 tonnes of load.
India’s
First Defence Satellite GSAT-7 Launched Successfully
India’s
first exclusive defence satellite GSAT-7 was successfully launched by European
space consortium Arianespace’s Ariane 5 rocket from Kourou spaceport in French
Guiana on 30 August.This launch will push ahead India’s maritime
security. GSAT–7 has been built at an expense of 185 crore rupees and will act
as the country’s maiden dedicated spacecraft for defence applications.The
frequency bands of GSAT-7 will help space-based marine communications. It has
coverage over India landmass as well as surrounding seas.Earlier, satellite
communication in ships was through Inmarsat, a major provider of global mobile
satellite communications services.The state-of-the-art satellite carrying
payloads operating in UHF, S, C and Ku bands, had a lift-off mass of 2625 kg
and is based on ISRO’s 2500 kg satellite bus with some new technological
elements, including the antennae.According to ISRO, GSAT-7 is an advanced
communication satellite to provide wide range of service spectrum from low bit
rate voice to high bit rate data communication.Payload of the GSAT–7 is
designed to provide communication capabilities to users in distant oceanic
regions. Its solar arrays generate 2900 W of electrical power.
US
Scientists Created the Most Precise Clock of the World
The
National Institute of Standards and Technology Scientist from U.S , revealed in
the month of August 2013 that they created the most precise clock of the world.
The ticking rate of this clock varies less than two parts in one quintillion,
or ten times better than any clock in the world. The clock is made up of the
element ytterbium. This element can be used for technological advancements
beyond the timekeeping. The clock can be used for various purposes such as
checking temperature, navigation systems as well as magnetic fields.The
co-author of the study which revealed the clock, Andrew Ludlow explained that
the stability of this ytterbium lattice clock paves way for other practical
applications of high-performance timekeeping.
PERSONS IN NEWS
A) APPOINTMENTS
Rajeev
Rishi is new CMD of Central Bank of India
On
1 August Rajeev Rishi took over as the Chairman and Managing Director of
Central Bank of India .His appointment is for a period of five years.Prior to
the new appointment, Mr. Rishi served as the Executive Director of Indian Bank,
since October 2010. Before joining Indian Bank, he was the General Manager of
Oriental Bank of Commerce.Rajeev Rishi, who belongs to Chandigarh, holds a BA
and an LLB and an expert in Banking.
Arundhati
Bhattacharya Appointed Managing Director Of SBI
On
2 August Arundhati Bhattacharya was appointed the managing director and chief
financial officer of the State Bank of India(SBI). She is the first managing
director at SBI, which is India’s largest bank. Arundhati succeeded Diwakar Gupta.
Hassan
Rouhani Sworn In As Iran’s New President
On
4 August Hassan Rohani was sworn in as the new President of Iran in the
ceremony held at the Iranian Parliament in Tehran. Rouhani is the seventh
(different) President of Iran after the Islamic Revolution of 1979.
Raghuram
Rajan Appointed as the New Governor of RBI
On
6 August Chief economic adviser Raghuram Govind Rajan has been appointed as the
Governor of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). Rajan will have a term of three
years. He will be the 23rd Governor of RBI. He is 50 years of age and so far, he
is the youngest person to become the Governor of the Reserve Bank of India. He
was appointed as the youngest-ever Economic Counselor and Director of Research
(chief economist) at the International Monetary Fund (IMF) from October 2003 to
December 2006.Rajan was appointed as Chief Economic Advisor to the Ministry of
Finance, Government of India on 10 August 2012.
Dilip
Trivedi is new CRPF chief
On
17 August Senior IPS officer Dilip Trivedi has been appointed as the new chief
of the country’s largest paramilitary force CRPF (Central Reserve Police
Force). Trivedi, a 1978-batch officer of Uttar Pradesh cadre has served in
various positions in the state police and has also served in the Centre as ADG
of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police. He succeeded Pranay Sahay who retired on 31
July 2013.
Michel
Djotodia Sworn In As Central African Republic President
On
18 August Former rebel leader Michel Djotodia was formally sworn in as the
Central African Republic’s President. Djotodia has been in charge of the country
during the chaos that followed the rebels’ seizure of control in March 2013,
when they swept into power from their northern bases, overpowering South
African forces protecting former leader Francois Bozize.Djotodia was a leader
of the Seleka rebel coalition in the December 2012 rebellion; following a peace
agreement, he was appointed to the government as First Deputy Prime Minister
for National Defense in February 2013.
Robert
Mugabe Sworn In As Zimbabwe President
On
21 August Robert Mugabe has been sworn in for a new five-year term as President
of Zimbabwe.Mugabe of Zanu-PF (Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front)
party won the Presidential election (Parliamentary Election) by winning 61
percent votes in his favour on 3 August .
Parthasarathi
Shome Appointed As Chairman Of TARC
On
26 August the Union Government of India set up a commission under the
chairmanship of Parthasarathy Shome to review tax laws and suggest ways for a
stable and non-adversarial tax administration. The seven-member Tax
Administration Reform Commission (TARC) will have a 18-month tenure to suggest
various measures including an appropriate organisational structure for tax
governance.
Justice
N V Ramana Appointed as Chief Justice of Delhi High Court
On
30 August Justice Nuthalapati Venkata Ramana, Judge of the High Court of Andhra
Pradesh,was appointed as the Chief Justice of the High Court of Delhi. Justice
Ramana replaced Chief Justice D. Murugesan, who retired in June.Justice Ramana
was appointed as a permanent judge of the Andhra Pradesh High Court on 27 June
2000. Ramana had enrolled as an advocate in February 1983 and has practiced in
the Andhra Pradesh High Court, central and state administrative tribunals and
the Supreme Court.He holds specialisation in constitutional, criminal, service
and inter-state river laws.He has specialized in Constitutional, criminal,
service and Inter-State River laws. He has functioned as Panel Counsel for
various Government organizations.
B)RESIGNS
Egypt Vice President ElBaradei
Resigned
Egyptian vice-president, Nobel laureate Mohamed ElBaradei, announced his resignation in a letter to the interim president on14 August . The resignation comes after scores were killed in a crackdown by security forces on loyalists of ousted Islamist president Mohamed Morsi.
Egyptian vice-president, Nobel laureate Mohamed ElBaradei, announced his resignation in a letter to the interim president on14 August . The resignation comes after scores were killed in a crackdown by security forces on loyalists of ousted Islamist president Mohamed Morsi.
C)DEATHS
Veteran
Music Director Dakshinamoorthy Died
Venkateswaran
Dakshinamoorthy, the veteran carnatic musician and music director died on 2
August in Mylapore, Chennai. The veteran was known as Swamy in the music
industry and gave music to songs of more than 125 films in Tamil, Malayalam and
Hindi. He has to his credit about 859 songs that were composed by him over seven
decades of his service to the world of Music. He debuted as a Music composer in
the a Malayalam movie Nalla Thanka (Nalla Thankal in Tamil) in 1950. He was the
proud recipient of Kerala State Film Award for best music director in 1971. In
1998, he received the Kerala State Film Award for Lifetime Achievement.
Former
Air Commodore Jasjit Singh Died
On
4 August Noted strategic analyst Air Commodore (retired) Jasjit Singh died in
NewDelhi. He was conferred with the Padma Bhushan, the second highest civilian
award, in the year 2006 by the former president APJ Abdul Kalam.
Former
Union minister Devendra Prasad Yadav Died
On
11 August Former Union minister and senior Congress leader from Bihar, Devendra
Prasad Yadav, died in NewDelhi. Yadav was a three-time Member of Parliament from
Munger parliamentary seat of Bihar and had served as Minister of State for
Education between 1971-77 in Indira Gandhi’s cabinet.
Renowned
Naturalist and Ornithologist Zafar Futehally Died
On
11 August Zafar Rashid Futehally an Indian naturalist, ornithologist and conservationist
has died on 11 August at Kihim in Maharashtra.Zafar Futehally led the early
years of the conservation movement in India and served as a link between
conservationists and corporate. He was conferred with several national and
international honours, including the Padma Shri in 1970. He also edited and
published an anthology of writings by Indian birdwatchers, “India through its
birds”, which was published in 2007.
Former
Nepal Prime Minister Man Singh Shrestha Died
Former
Nepalese Prime Minister Marich Man Singh Shrestha has died in Kathmandu on 15
August. He had served as Nepal’s Prime Minister for about four years till April
1990, when the political parties launched an agitation to restore democratic
rights.
Kapil
Dev’s Former Coach Desh Prem Azad Died
On
16 August Desh Prem Azad, the former coach of cricketer Kapil Dev and
Dronacharya awardee died in Mohali. He trained cricketers such as Kapil
Dev, Ashok Malhotra, Chetan Sharma and Yograj Singh in the late 1970s. Desh Prem
Azad represented Haryana, the Maharaja of Patiala’s XI and Southern Punjab,
while playing 19 first-class matches. In these matches, he scored 658 runs
while grabbed 8 wickets in all.
Crime
Novelist Elmore Leonard Died
Elmore
Leonard, one of America’s best known crime novelists,has died on 20 August. Twenty-six of his books and short stories have been adapted for the screen,
including “Hombre,” “Get Shorty,” “Jackie Brown,” (based on 1992′s “Rum Punch”)
and “Justified,” a TV shows based on 1993′s “Pronto,” 1995′s “Riding the Rap” and
the 2001 short story ‘Fire in the Hole.” His most recent novel, “Raylan,”
was released in 2012.
Eminent
Classical Singer Raghunath Panigrahi Died
On
25 August Eminent Indian classical singer and music director Pandit Raghunath
Panigrahi died in Bhubaneswar.Pandit Panigrahi’s effort to popularise poet
Jayadeva’s ‘Gita Govinda’. Pandit Raghunath Panigrahi was born at Gunupur in
Odisha’s Rayaga (earlier Koraput) district.Pandit Raghunath was the first Odia
singer to be honoured by the French government for his ‘Gita Govinda’
composition way back in the 70s. He was also conferred with the Padmashri award
in the year 2010.
Nobel
Literature Laureate Seamus Heaney Died
On
30 August Irish writer and poet Seamus Heaney, who won the 1995 Nobel Prize in
Literature, died in Dublin. Seamus Heaney was born on 13 April 1939 in Northern
Ireland.Northern Ireland-born Heaney published his first major collection of
poems, “Death of a Naturalist”, in 1966 and went on to become one of the
English language’s leading poets. Heaney worked as the professor of poetry at
Oxford University between 1989 and 1994.
D)VISITORS
Afghanistan
Vice-President Mohammad Karim Khalili Visited India
The
vice president of Afghanistan, Mohammad Karim Karim Khalili visited India from
20 – 22 August. During the visit Khalili met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in
New delhi .In the meet both nations discussed security issues and trade
among other bilateral issues.Khalili also meet’s India’s president Pranab
Mukherjee, vice-president Mohammad Hamid Ansari, and external affairs minister
Salman Khurshid and discussed on both countries bilateral issues.
Iraq’s
Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki Visited India
Nouri
Al-Maliki, Prime Minister of the Republic of Iraq visited India from 22 -25
August. During his four day visit , Maliki met with the Prime Minister of India,
Manmohan Singh and President of Indian Union, Pranab Mukherjee, Vice President
of India, Hamid Ansari in New Delhi.Both the nations exchanged views on
bilateral, regional and multilateral issues of mutual interest and reached a
broad consensus. The discussions enabled better understanding and appreciation
of each other’s concerns and perspectives and helped in forging closer
understanding at the highest political level and also several MoUs were signed
between the two nations. This was the first visit of Maliki to India
E)MISCELLANEOUS
Amazon
Founder & CEO Jeff Bezos Buys Washington Post
Amazon
Founder & CEO Jeff Bezos has purchased the Washington Post Newspaper of US.
Seattle-based Amazon owner Jeffrey P Bezos has agreed to buy the
newspaper assets of The Washington Post Company for USD 250 million.Bezos,
whose entrepreneurship has made him one of the world’s richest men, will pay
$250 million in cash for The Post and affiliated publications to The Washington
Post Co., which owns the newspaper and other businesses.The Washington Post
(WP) is an American daily newspaper. It is the most widely circulated newspaper
published in Washington, D.C., and oldest extant in the area, founded in 1877.
11-year-old
UK girl has higher IQ than Einstein
On
5 August An 11-year-old schoolgirl in the U.K. has achieved the highest
possible score of 162 on a Mensa IQ test, making her brainier than scientists
Stephen Hawking and Albert Einstein. Cerys Cooksammy-Parnell, a grade six
schoolgirl took up the test with the aim of beating her father’s score of 142.
She also scored the highest mark possible in the test, scoring 162 on the
Cattell B scale.
Sharapova
Tops ‘ Forbes ‘ List of Best Paid Female Athletes
On
6 August Russian tennis star Maria Sharapova has topped the ‘ Forbes ‘ list of
highest-earning female athletes for the ninth-straight year, raking in $29
million over the last 12 months.American Serena Williams is second on the list
with earnings of 20.5 million US dollars, Chinese star Li Na in third with
$18.2 million and Victoria Azarenka of Belarus in fourth with $15.7 million.
Indian
American Students Wins National Geographic World Championship
On
9 August A team of three young Indian American students defeated teams from 17
other regions to win top honours at the 11th National Geographic World
Championship in Russia’s St Petersburg.The team was made up of captain Gopi
Ramanathan from Sartell, Minnesota; Asha Jain from Minocqua, Wisconsin; and
Neelam Kaur Sandhu from Bedford, New Hampshire.In the biennial competition,
teams of students answered questions on physical, cultural and economic
geography.Ramanathan, already has won his state geography bee twice. He had
finished seventh in the 2012 National Bee in Washington, DC. The competition
was sponsored by Google, and presented by the US National Geographic Society in
partnership with the Russian Geographical Society.
Canadian
Street Named After Mahatma Gandhi
On
15 August A street in Canada’s Winnipeg city has been named after Mahatma
Gandhi on the occasion of India’s 67th Independence Day. The street leading to
the Canadian Museum for Human Rights will now be known as Honorary Mahatma
Gandhi Way. At a ceremony , the Mayor of Winnipeg Sam Katz explained that the
street was named so after an individual who is synonymous with the struggle for
human rights.
Dhoni
Beats Rafael Nadal – Usain Bolt In ‘ Forbes ‘ List Of Highest – Paid
Athletes
On
20 August Indian cricket team captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni has been ranked 16th
in the latest ‘Forbes’ list of highest-paid athletes with an earning of $31.5
million (around Rs.180 crore).In the list, he was placed above Rafael Nadal and
Usain Bolt.As per the latest Forbes list of highest-paid athletes in the world,
dhoni earned $31.5 million between June 2012 and June 2013.List of places don
above F1 Fernando Alonso, who is on the 19th, Lewis Hamilton on the 26th, Novak
Djokovic on the 28th, Rafael Nadal is in 30th place, and Usain Bolt in the 40th
grade.Doni has risen 15 places in this year’s list. It took 31 th rank in the
last year. Sachin Tendulkar is the only Indian athlete, who is one of the rank
of 31 and a total annual revenue of $ 22 million (Rs 125 crore).List is topped
by golfer Tiger Woods, who made $ 78.1 million last year, followed by Roger
Federer, who earned $ 71.5 million, basketball player Kobe Bryant with earnings
of $ 61.9 million.The calculation is based on earnings estimates, which
includes salaries, bonuses and cash prizes from both the club and the national
team, as well as approval of revenue.
Madonna
Tops Forbes’ 2013 Highest-Paid Celebrities List
On
27 August According to Forbes ’2013 list of highest-paid celebrities ‘Madonna
was the world’s highest-earning celebrity in 2012-13.Madonna made $US125
million between June 2012 and June 2013. Veteran film director Steven Spielberg
took second place in the list, while musical talent show mogul Simon Cowell
tied for third with Fifty Shades of Grey author EL James and disc jockey Howard
Stern.
Most
Wanted Indian Mujahideen Terrorist Yasin Bhatka Arrested
Indian
Mujahideen co-founder and one of India’s most wanted terrorists, Yasin Bhatkal
was arrested on 30 August.Yasin has been on the run since 2008. The IM leader
is wanted in a string of terror attacks in Ahmedabad, Surat, Bangalore, Pune,
Delhi and Hyderabad.Yasin, who co-founded IM in 2008 along with brother Riaz,
is also wanted in the German Bakery bomb blast in Pune on February 13, 2010.
PLACES IN NEWS
Strong
Earthquake HitsChina
On
14 August China hit by strong earthquake with magnitude of 6.1.The earthquake
occured in jolted parts of Tibet. Due to this earthquake at least 87 people were
injured and over 45,000 homes damaged. The epicenter of the earthquake was
identified nearer to the Ringo town.
Submarine
‘INS Sindhurakshak ‘ Sinks After Major Blast In Mumbai
On
14 August in a huge setback to the Indian Navy, a conventional submarine ‘INS
Sindhurakshak’ exploded after a fire on board and sank in the naval dockyard in
Mumbai , in which 18 personnel, including three officers are feared killed.A
smaller intensity explosion was followed by two massive blasts, causing a major
fire in the Russian-made submarine.In 2010, a fire broke out on board
Sindhurakshak leaving a sailor dead and two others injured. INS Sindhurakshak
was a Russian-made Kilo-class 877EKM(Sindhughosh-class) diesel-electric
submarine of the Indian Navy.Commissioned on 24 December 1997, it was the ninth
of the ten Kilo-class submarines in the Indian Navy.On 4 June 2010, the Indian
Defence Ministry and Zvezdochka shipyard signed a contract worth US$80 million
to upgrade and overhaul the submarine. After the overhaul, it returned to India
from Russia in 2013.
1300
People Killed In Chemical Attack On Syria
On
21 August nearly 1300 people, including children were killed in in
Damascus, the capital of Syria. This was one of the deadliest chemical attacks
in the civil war of Syria. Toxic gas was fired from the rockets.
BOOKS IN NEWS
‘The
Moon Baller’ Book Released
On
5 August Former India No.1 and tennis ace Nirupama Vaidyanathan’s
autobiographical account ‘The Moon Baller’ was released at a function held at
the Madras Cricket Club. The book, which goes back in time to chronicle the
times when professional tennis for Indian women was quite unheard of, was
launched by tennis legend Vijay Amritraj.
”
My Journey: Transforming Dreams into Actions ” by Abdul Kalam Released
In
the month of August ” My Journey: Transforming Dreams into Actions”
by former President of India, Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam was launched by the Rupa
Publication. In his new book Kalam shares the inspiration and the lessons he
learned from personal stories of his life. The book describes the lesser known
events from his life.
‘Dhyan
Chand – The Wizard of Hockey’ Book Released
The
first-of-its-kind graphic biography on former Indian Hockey player Dhyan Chand
titled ” Dhyan Chand-The Wizard of Hockey ” was launched at Dhyanchand Stadium
in New Delhi on 29 August .The biography was launched on the National Sports
Day to commemorate the 108th birth anniversary of the legend. The book has been
written by Luis Fernandes, who researched extensively on the subject.The book
is being printed by comic-series publication Amar Chitra Katha. The book
focussed on Dhyan Chand’s achievements and goal-scoring feats at 1928, 1932 and
1936 Olympics that got him the title The Wizard.
COMMITTEES
Virginius
Xaxa Committee To Asses Status Of Scheduled Tribes
On
17 August On the pattern of Sachar Committee for Muslims, Prime Minister
Manmohan Singh has set up a committee to assess the status of scheduled tribes
with an aim of ensuring their uplift, particularly in socio-economic, health
and education fields.Prof. Virginius Xaxa was appointed as the chairman of the
seven-member committee.The committee will finalise and present its report
within nine months from the date of this notification. The Prime Minister’s
decision of setting up a committee came after the government found that the
STs, who form 7.5 percent of the country’s population, are not getting enough
dues despite the special status in the constitution.
IMPORTANT DAYS AND DATES
International
Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances
The
United Nations (UN) observes the International Day of the Victims of Enforced
Disappearances on August 30 each year. The UN General Assembly declared this day
by its resolution 65/209, on 21 December 2010. The UN General Assembly, by this
same resolution also welcomed the adoption of the International Convention for
the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance. The involuntary or
enforced disappearances are a result of abduction, detention or arrest or other
factors or reasons. Also, there are growing numbers of reports which include
ill-treatment, harassment as well as intimidation of the witnesses of these
disappearances or of the persons or the relatives who have disappeared.
National
Sports Day Is Observed On 29 August
National
Sports Day in India is observed on 29 August of every year to commemorate the
birth anniversary of Indian hockey legend Dhyan Chand.National sports day
celebrated every year on 29 August to bring awareness about sports in
public. This year, events like walkathon and football tournaments were held
across the country for the first time as part of the National Sports Day
celebrations. On the occasion of National Sports Day, a scheme known as Come
and Play has been launched for general public to make optimal use of Sports
Authority of India stadia. Major Dhyan Chand is an iconic Indian hockey player
who is remembered as a magician of Indian hockey. He was the prime member of
Indian hockey team which brought three Olympic gold medals in field of Hockey –
in 1928 (Amsterdam), 1932 (Los Angeles) and 1936 (Berlin). He was honored with
Padma Bhushan by the Government of India in 1956 for his outstanding
contribution to Indian Hockey. Major Dhyan Chand’s birthday, 29 August is
celebrated as National Sports Day in India. Major sports awards like Rajiv
Gandhi Khel Ratna, Arjuna, Dronacharya awards are presented on this occasion to
the sportsperson who has shown tremendous commitment towards the game and made
the Country proud.
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