Buckingham Palace held its first official football match to mark FA's (Football Association’s) 150th anniversary on 7 October 2013. The match was played between Civil Service FC, the only surviving one of the eleven clubs that met to found The FA in 1863, and Polytechnic FC, which was formed in 1875.
Showing posts with label Current Affairs. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Current Affairs. Show all posts
Tuesday, 8 October 2013
Direct Tax Collection increased by 10.66 Percent to 301250 Crore Rupees
As per the data released by the Union Ministry of Finance, Government of India on 7 October 2013, Gross collection from direct taxes that include personal income tax and corporate taxes, increased by 10.66 percent to 301250 crore rupees in April-September period in 2013 as compared to 272221 crore rupees recorded in the same period in 2012.
Thursday, 4 April 2013
Justice Ajay Manikrao Khanwilkar appointed Chief Justice for High Court of Himachal Pradesh
Ajay Manikrao Khanwilkar, Judge of the High Court of Bombay was appointed as the Chief Justice of High Court of Himachal Pradesh on 3 April 2013. His appointment to the office as the Chief Justice was undertaken by the President of India Pranab Mukherjee.Constitutional Provision for Appointment of Chief Justice in the State High Court is mentioned under clause 1 of Article 217 of the Constitution of India.
Article 217: Clause 1- Every Judge of a High Court shall be appointed by the President by warrant under his hand and seal after consultation with the Chief Justice of India, the Governor of the State, and, in the case of appointment of a Judge other than the Chief Justice, the Chief Justice of the High Court, and [shall hold office, in the case of an additional or acting Judge, as provided in article 224, and in any other case, until he attains the age of sixty-two years.
Who: Justice Ajay Manikrao Khanwilkar
Where: Himachal Pradesh
What: Himachal Pradesh
When: 3 April 2013
Oscar Winner Author Ruth Prawer Jhabvala died in New York
Oscar and Booker Prize winner writer Ruth Prawer Jhabvala died on 3 April 2013 in Manhattan, New York after a long illness. She died at the age of 85 and is survived by her three daughters, her husband Cyrus Jhabvala and six grandchildren.
About Ruth Prawer Jhabvala
• She was a long time member of Merchant Ivory Productions and wrote 22 films for it over a period of four decades
• Her long association with Merchant Ivory Productions won her two Academy Awards (Oscars) for her work on the films A Room with a View and Howards End, an adaptation of the E.M. Forster novels.
• She won her booker in 1975 for her fiction Heat and Dust
• She wrote 19 novels and short stories during her carrier span of more than five decades
• She lived in India for a period of about two-decades
Her last story was published in the New Yorker Magazine in its March 2013 issue with the title The Judge’s Will.
India signed Enhanced Air Services Agreement with Singapore
India and Singapore on 2 April 2013 signed an enhanced air services agreement to build on the existing 216 weekly flights and meet the growing demand for air connectivity between both the countries.
It is evident that the demand for air services between both countries is growing continuously the bilateral air services agreement is basically enhanced to include more capacity entitlements.
It is also entitled as per the enhancement agreement that both countries would meet regularly to review air services matters. It is important here to note that Singapore is linked by air services to 12 Indian cities, having the most frequent flights to India out of Southeast Asia.
The agreement was signed by Civil Aviation Minister Ajit Singh and Singapore Transport Minister Liu Tuck Yew.
Civil Aviation Minister Ajit Singh was present in Singapore from 2 April 2013 to 4 April 2013. He had also discussed the importance of air connectivity in enhancing bilateral trade ties between India and Singapore, with S Iswaran, Singapore’s Minister, Prime Minister’s Office and Second Minister for Trade & Industry and Home Affairs.
Friday, 8 February 2013
Corporation Bank launches new variants of savings bank accounts
Corporation Bank has rolled out two new types of savings accounts namely SB Super and SB Signature.
A customer should maintain a minimum Quarterly Average Balance (QAB) of Rs 15,000 for SB Super and Rs 1 lakh for SB Signature.
Customers having any of the two accounts will be offered preferential loan processing. Both accounts offer bundled demat and trading account including a waiver of annual maintenance charges for the first year. They also bring concessions and offers like free NEFT, SMS banking, and 25 % concession in bank charges for gold coins.
A customer should maintain a minimum Quarterly Average Balance (QAB) of Rs 15,000 for SB Super and Rs 1 lakh for SB Signature.
Customers having any of the two accounts will be offered preferential loan processing. Both accounts offer bundled demat and trading account including a waiver of annual maintenance charges for the first year. They also bring concessions and offers like free NEFT, SMS banking, and 25 % concession in bank charges for gold coins.
Karnataka agreed to release 10,000 cusecs of water to Tamil Nadu
Karnataka showcased a gesture of goodwill on 10 September 2012 in front
of the Supreme Court of India and agreed to release 10,000 cusecs of
water to Tamil Nadu from the Cauvery River, till 20 September 2012.
As a response to this act of Karnataka, the bench of Justices D.K. Jain and Madan Lokur didn’t pass any verdict for the plea of directing the state to release 2 tmcft (thousand million cubic foot of water). Supreme Court expressed its hope that a fine and friendly solution will be brought forward by the Cauvery River Authority that is headed by the Prime Minister. The bench also stated that in case Karnataka’s plea is kept pending than the bench will have to come forward for making a decision on the issue.
Cauvery River Water Dispute
The dispute is related to the sharing of water of Cauvery River in between the two states Karnataka and Tamil Nadu and the place of origin to this dispute goes back to the two controversial agreements signed in 1892 and 1924 between the two states, and that two at the time when the two were the parts of the Princely State of Mysore and erstwhile Madras Presidency.
As a response to this act of Karnataka, the bench of Justices D.K. Jain and Madan Lokur didn’t pass any verdict for the plea of directing the state to release 2 tmcft (thousand million cubic foot of water). Supreme Court expressed its hope that a fine and friendly solution will be brought forward by the Cauvery River Authority that is headed by the Prime Minister. The bench also stated that in case Karnataka’s plea is kept pending than the bench will have to come forward for making a decision on the issue.
Cauvery River Water Dispute
The dispute is related to the sharing of water of Cauvery River in between the two states Karnataka and Tamil Nadu and the place of origin to this dispute goes back to the two controversial agreements signed in 1892 and 1924 between the two states, and that two at the time when the two were the parts of the Princely State of Mysore and erstwhile Madras Presidency.
Supreme Court of India Directed Karnataka to Release 2.44 tmc Cauvery Water to TN
The Supreme Court of India on 7 February
2013 directed Karnataka to release 2.44 thousand million cubic feet of
Cauvery water to the state of Tamil Nadu with immediate effect.
The bench of Justices R M Lodha, J Chelameswar and Madan B Lokur gave the order on the basis of report submitted by the committee of Central Water Commission that was appointed on the orders of the Apex Court.
Sharing Cauvery waters has remained a source of disagreement between the states of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka since 1892. The dispute is based on the agreements which were signed in 1892 and 1924 between former Madras Presidency and Princely State of Mysore.
In the development of the dispute that took place in recent past, i.e., on 6 December 2012, the Apex Court had directed Karnataka to release 10000 cusecs water to Tamil Nadu. The decision came in order to save the standing crops of both Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.
The bench of Justices R M Lodha, J Chelameswar and Madan B Lokur gave the order on the basis of report submitted by the committee of Central Water Commission that was appointed on the orders of the Apex Court.
Sharing Cauvery waters has remained a source of disagreement between the states of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka since 1892. The dispute is based on the agreements which were signed in 1892 and 1924 between former Madras Presidency and Princely State of Mysore.
In the development of the dispute that took place in recent past, i.e., on 6 December 2012, the Apex Court had directed Karnataka to release 10000 cusecs water to Tamil Nadu. The decision came in order to save the standing crops of both Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.
Economic Growth of India Estimated to Fall To 5 Percent in 2012-2013 FY
The Central Statistics Office (CSO) on 7 February 2013 revealed that the
economic growth of India is estimated to fall to 5 percent in 2012-2013
financial year, which is a lowest figure in 10 years. A fall in the
economic growth is because of the poor performance of the services,
agriculture and manufacturing sectors.
The Central Statistics Office (CSO) in its advance forecast of the national income chopped off the gross domestic product (GDP) growth estimate to 5 percent for financial year which will end on 31 March 2013. This is much less than the GDP of 6.2 percent in 2011-2012 financial year. This is said to be the worst performance of economy of India since 2002-2003 when the economic growth was 4 percent.
The major share of India’s GDP comes from the services sector. The services sector is estimated to record a growth of 5.2 percent in 2012-2013 fiscal year against 7 percent of 2011-2012 fiscal year.
As far as the industry sector is concerned, it is expected that the growth would decrease to 1.9 percent in 2012-2013 FY. The farm sector growth will fall down to 1.8 percent.
It is important to note that the official projection of the economic growth of India is much lower than budgetary estimate as well as projections of the central bank of India and other organisations. In the union budget for financial year 2012-2013 which was presented in March 2012, the government pegged India’s economic growth at 7.6 percent.
Also in the quarterly monetary policy review which took place in the first week of February 2013, the Reserve Bank of India projected the growth of 5.5 percent for 2012-2013 financial year. In the meanwhile, Finance Minister P. Chidambaram had projected the economic growth of 5.7 percent.
In first half of 2012-2013 FY, the economy of India grew by 5.4 percent. However, as per the latest estimate, the growth would be around 4.6 percent in second half of 2012-2013.
Industry bodies in the meanwhile asked the government to press for the reform process in order to revive the economic growth.
The Central Statistics Office (CSO) in its advance forecast of the national income chopped off the gross domestic product (GDP) growth estimate to 5 percent for financial year which will end on 31 March 2013. This is much less than the GDP of 6.2 percent in 2011-2012 financial year. This is said to be the worst performance of economy of India since 2002-2003 when the economic growth was 4 percent.
The major share of India’s GDP comes from the services sector. The services sector is estimated to record a growth of 5.2 percent in 2012-2013 fiscal year against 7 percent of 2011-2012 fiscal year.
As far as the industry sector is concerned, it is expected that the growth would decrease to 1.9 percent in 2012-2013 FY. The farm sector growth will fall down to 1.8 percent.
It is important to note that the official projection of the economic growth of India is much lower than budgetary estimate as well as projections of the central bank of India and other organisations. In the union budget for financial year 2012-2013 which was presented in March 2012, the government pegged India’s economic growth at 7.6 percent.
Also in the quarterly monetary policy review which took place in the first week of February 2013, the Reserve Bank of India projected the growth of 5.5 percent for 2012-2013 financial year. In the meanwhile, Finance Minister P. Chidambaram had projected the economic growth of 5.7 percent.
In first half of 2012-2013 FY, the economy of India grew by 5.4 percent. However, as per the latest estimate, the growth would be around 4.6 percent in second half of 2012-2013.
Industry bodies in the meanwhile asked the government to press for the reform process in order to revive the economic growth.
Survival of Asian Birds Threatened From Climate Change: Study
Research conducted by the Durham University and BirdLife International
in its finding concluded that change in the climate is causing a threat
to the survival of various Asian bird species including the ones found
in India.
These species do not just need the complete protection of protected and important sites but also the management of wider countryside. The research also warned that in case of extreme situations, these birds would be required to be moved physically to climatically-suitable areas.
A study was conducted for 370 species of Asian birds. These are the species where conservation is a prime cause of concern in biodiversity hubs like lower Mekong River basin regions in certain parts of Nepal and India, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and Bhutan as well as eastern Himalayas. The findings of the study showed that for survival of these bird species it was important to properly manage the conservation sites.
It was shown that at least 45 percent and up to 88 percent of these 370 bird species would face a decrease in the availability of suitable habitats, which in turn would lead to change in the species composition in certain areas.
As far as India is concerned, there are in all 466 Important Bird Areas (IBAs) which are identified for hosting the different kinds of avian species, most of which also belong to the endangered category.
BirdLife International described that even though the important sites like these will sustain the bird species but change in the climate will lead to a modification in the site for which the species will be suitable. Therefore there is a need to adapt the conservation management.
These species do not just need the complete protection of protected and important sites but also the management of wider countryside. The research also warned that in case of extreme situations, these birds would be required to be moved physically to climatically-suitable areas.
A study was conducted for 370 species of Asian birds. These are the species where conservation is a prime cause of concern in biodiversity hubs like lower Mekong River basin regions in certain parts of Nepal and India, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and Bhutan as well as eastern Himalayas. The findings of the study showed that for survival of these bird species it was important to properly manage the conservation sites.
It was shown that at least 45 percent and up to 88 percent of these 370 bird species would face a decrease in the availability of suitable habitats, which in turn would lead to change in the species composition in certain areas.
As far as India is concerned, there are in all 466 Important Bird Areas (IBAs) which are identified for hosting the different kinds of avian species, most of which also belong to the endangered category.
BirdLife International described that even though the important sites like these will sustain the bird species but change in the climate will lead to a modification in the site for which the species will be suitable. Therefore there is a need to adapt the conservation management.
India Returned With 46 Medals in 2013 Pyeongchang Special Olympics World Winter Games
The 2013 Pyeongchang Special Olympics World Winter Games finished on 5
February 2013 after a week of competition among differently-abled
athletes. The games took place from 29 January 2013 to 5 February 2013.
Almost 200000 spectators witnessed the games in venues- Pyeongchang and
Gangneung. India returned with 46 medals in 2013 Special Olympics World
Winter Games at Pyeong Chang, South Korea.
The differently-abled athletes of India won 46 medals in all- 13 gold, 17 silver and 16 bronze from mentally-challenged 2200 athletes participating from more than 120 nations in the games. The medal tally of India doubled from World Winter Games 2009.
These games were completed in eight categories of sports- alpine skiing, cross-country skiing, snowboarding, snowshoeing, figure skating, short track speed skating, floor hockey and floorball.
Various celebrities participated in the games to support these athletes. Some of the popular faces were former NBA All-Star Yao Ming and Chinese actress Zhang Ziyi. In its closing ceremony, figure skating superstars Kim Yu-na and Michelle Kwan were also present.
The differently-abled athletes of India won 46 medals in all- 13 gold, 17 silver and 16 bronze from mentally-challenged 2200 athletes participating from more than 120 nations in the games. The medal tally of India doubled from World Winter Games 2009.
These games were completed in eight categories of sports- alpine skiing, cross-country skiing, snowboarding, snowshoeing, figure skating, short track speed skating, floor hockey and floorball.
Various celebrities participated in the games to support these athletes. Some of the popular faces were former NBA All-Star Yao Ming and Chinese actress Zhang Ziyi. In its closing ceremony, figure skating superstars Kim Yu-na and Michelle Kwan were also present.
National Plan for Conservation of Aquatic Eco-systems (NPCA)
The Union Government of India merged National Plan for Conservation of
Aquatic Eco-systems (NPCA) to develop a new program named National Plan
for Conservation of Aquatic Eco-systems (NPCA). The formation of the
NPCA was done with the objective of conserving aquatic ecosystems (lakes
and wetlands) by implementing sustainable conservation plans. To govern
the implementation uniform policy and guidelines will be framed.
The Union Government of India approved setting up of NPCA
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs on 7 February 2013 approved
the proposal for the merger of National Lake Conservation Plan (NLCP)
and National Wetlands Conservation Programme (NWCP) to develop a new
scheme named National Plan for Conservation of Aquatic Eco-systems
(NPCA).
The estimated cost to bring this plan into operations during the 12th Plan Period is 900 crore rupees. The Government of India and the State Governments would be sharing the costs in a ratio of 70:30 and in case of the North-Eastern states the ratio is 90:10.
The estimated cost to bring this plan into operations during the 12th Plan Period is 900 crore rupees. The Government of India and the State Governments would be sharing the costs in a ratio of 70:30 and in case of the North-Eastern states the ratio is 90:10.
CCEA approved increase of MSP of Copra for 2013 season by 150 Rupees per Quintal
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs on 6 February 2013 approved
increase in the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for 2013 season of both
Milling and Ball Copra by 150 rupees per quintal over the MSP that was
regulated in 2012.
The MSP for the Fair Average Quality (FAQ) of Milling Copra is fixed at 5250 rupees per quintal, and for the Ball Copra it is 5500 rupees per quintal. The decision from government of India may ignite the interests of the farmers to invest in cultivation of coconut to increase its productivity.
Government also cleared that National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Ltd. (NAFED) is the body that will act as the nodal agency for undertaking the price support operation at the minimum support prices in the coconut growing states.
The MSP for the Fair Average Quality (FAQ) of Milling Copra is fixed at 5250 rupees per quintal, and for the Ball Copra it is 5500 rupees per quintal. The decision from government of India may ignite the interests of the farmers to invest in cultivation of coconut to increase its productivity.
Government also cleared that National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Ltd. (NAFED) is the body that will act as the nodal agency for undertaking the price support operation at the minimum support prices in the coconut growing states.
Thursday, 7 February 2013
TAMIL NADU: ACTRESS KHUSHBOO'S HOUSE ATTACKED ALLEGEDLY BY DMK CADRES
Tamil actress and DMK leader Khushboo's house was on Thursday allegedly attacked by DMK cadres. While there were no injuries in the incident, there were minor damages to property.
This came after Khushboo gave an interview to a local magazine saying that though DMK chief Karunanidhi has proposed MK Stalin's name, his elevation in the party would happen only after the general council votes.
Khushboo was not at home when the incident took place.
10 THINGS YOU DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT NARENDRA MODI
Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi began his soft launch into national politics by reaching out to an entirely new audience! In what can be termed as Modi's youth pitch, he addressed the students of Sri Ram College of Commerce in Delhi.
He called them india's biggest resource and saluted them for making India a global power. In his speech, he made subtle remarks against his rivals - on how they treat the youth just as a vote bank.
With general elections just a year away, is this an attempt to reach out the impatient young India?
Net Direct Tax Collection Grew 12 Percent in April-January in FY 2012-2013
Gross Direct Tax collection from the period of April to January in fiscal year 2012-2013 increased by 7.02 percent at 455125 crore Rupees against 425274 crore Rupees in same period in 2011-2012 fiscal year.
Gross collection of the corporate taxes increased 3.71 percent, i.e., 296451 crore Rupees in 2012-2013 fiscal year against 285837 crore Rupees in 2011-2012. Gross collection of personal income tax increased by 13.81 percent, i.e., 157913 crore Rupees in 2012-2013 fiscal year against 138746 crore in 2011-2012 fiscal year.
Net Direct Tax collections registered a growth of 12.49 percent, i.e., 390310 crore Rupees in 2012-2013 fiscal year against 346959 crore Rupees in 2011-2012 fiscal year.
2.85 percent growth was recorded in wealth tax. It increased to 685 crore Rupees in 2012-2013 financial year in comparison to 666 crore Rupees in 2011-2012 financial year. Growth in Securities Transaction Tax was on negative side. It recorded a fall of 9.99 percent. It decreased to 3731 crore in 2012-2013 in comparison to 4145 crore Rupees from 2011-2012.
YES Bank Awarded Financial Institutions Syndicated Deal of the Year 2012
YES Bank, the fourth largest private sector Bank of India was awarded the Financial Institutions Syndicated Deal of the Year 2012 in its Asia Pacific Region. The award was given for 155 million US dollar syndicated loan.
The award was given away by Asia Pacific Loan Market Association (APLMA), which is a leading trade association for syndicated loan market in this region. The award ceremony was held in Hong Kong.
The 155 million US dollar loan which was syndicated by YES bank was distributed across 9 different countries from 14 banks.
Pakistan approved the Deal which Handed over Gwadar Port to China
Pakistan in the last week of January 2013 approved the deal which transferred operational control of Gwadar port from Singapore’s PSA International to Chinese Overseas Port Holdings Ltd. Gwadar port is situated at a strategic location of the Arabian Sea and the mouth of the Persian Gulf. It is only 400 kilometres away from the Strait of Hormuz, a key global oil supply route.
Pakistan’ decision to hand over Gwadar port to China is a serious concern for India. It can be an attempt by China to encircle India. In addition to funding ports in Sri Lanka, China has also plans to build a port in Bangladesh.
Luis Razia appointed as the second Driver for Russian F1 team Marussia
Russian Formula1 (F1) team Marussia announced on 6 February 2013 that Brazilian Luis Razia is the second driver for the 2013 Formula One Season going to start in Melbourne (Australian Grand Prix) on 17 March 2013. Razia, the runner up of the 2012 GP2 Series would race alongside Max Chilton, the British teammate.
Luis Razia
• Luis Razia is a Brazilian Driver, who was associated with the Russian Formulae One Team Marussia as a reserved driver in 2010.
• He was a reserved driver for team Lotus in 2011
• In 2011 Chinese Grand Prix, he participated in his first free practice session
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