Current Affairs From 8th July to 14th July 2014 For SSC, IBPS & IAS

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National

  1. IMG to Examine Potential of GAGAN in Non-Aviation Sectors 
    • What is GAGAN??
      • GAGAN( GPS Aided Augmented Navigation) is a prestigious satellite based augmentation system of India, jointly developed by Airports Authority of India (AAI) and Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) at an estimated cost of Rs.774 crores for enhanced Air Navigation Services across the country. 
      • GAGAN offers free enhanced satellite navigation signals over India which is ten times more precise than GPS.
    • Why it is beneficial??
      • This system is capable of alerting errors made by system automatically thus quite beneficial for civilians integrity.
      • Moreover its our technology so we can lease it to our neighboring countries thereby generating funds.
    • Why IMG(Inter-Ministerial Group) constituted??
      • Inter-Ministerial Group (IMG) has been set up under the Secretary, Ministry of Civil Aviation. 
      • The Group will examine the potential of sector-specific utilisation of GAGAN system for its use in non-aviation sectors and develop appropriate work programmes using GAGAN signals that can benefit diversified users.
  2. Rail Budget 2014-15 tabled.
  3. The Government has taken following steps recently to contain price rise in essential commodities:
    • Reduced import duties to zero – for wheat, onion and pulses.
    • Banned export of edible oils (except coconut oil, forest based oil and edible oils in blended consumer packs up to 5 kg with a Minimum Export Price of USD 1500 per MT) and pulses (except Kabuli chana and organic pulses and lentils up to a maximum of 10000 tonnes per annum).
    • Imposed stock limits from time to time in the case of select essential commodities such as pulses, edible oil, and edible oilseeds for a period up to 30.9.2014.
    • Suspended Futures trading in rice, urad and tur.
    • In order to enhance the production and productivity of oilseeds and thereby edible oil, a National Mission on Oilseed and Oil Palm (NMOOP) is being implemented by the during the XII Five Year Plan. 
  4. Protection of Intangible Cultural Heritage 
    • The Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Culture & Tourism Shri Shripad Yesso Naik has said that the Government implements various schemes for protecting and promoting intangible cultural heritage in the country. These schemes do not cover heritage sites which are looked after separately by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI). 
    • Shri Naik said, India has been elected to the Inter-Governmental Committee for Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage for the period 2014-2018 and would participate in Ninth Session of UNESCO. 
  5. One Rank One Pension Scheme 
    • It means that the retired soldiers of the same rank and length of service will receive the same amount of pension, regardless of when they retire.
    • That is it demands equal pensions for those who have retired in one particular year, as those who retire in another year at the same position, and for the same duration of services rendered.
    • For eg, a sepoy who retires in 1993 should be paid the same pension at the time of retirement, as the one who retires in another year.
    • What was the problem before this scheme?
      • While every pay commission bumps the salaries of government servants, pensions of ex-servicemen remain the same
  6. India State of Forest Report 2013
    • the total forest and tree cover of the country is 78.92 million hectare which is 24.01 percent of the geographical area of the country.
    • As compared to the assessment of 2011, there is an increase of 5871 sq km in the forest cover of the country.
    • The maximum increase in forest cover has been observed in West Bengal (3810 sq. km.) followed by Odisha (1444 sq. km.) and Kerala (622sq km).
    • Madhya Pradesh has the largest forest cover of 77,522 sq. km. in terms of area in the country followed by Arunachal Pradesh with forest cover of 67,321 sq. km.
    • In terms of percentage of forest cover with respect to total geographical area, Mizoram with 90.38 percent had the highest forest cover in terms of percentage of forest cover to Geographical area followed by Lakshadweep with 84.56 percent. 
  7. Law Commission submitted a report titled Manpower Planning in Judiciary: A Blue Print to Union Govt
    • A P Shah submitted the report to the Union Minister of Law & Justice and Communications & IT Ravi Shankar Prasad.
  8. TRAI Amendment
    • Government appointed former Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) chairman Nripendra Misra as Principal Secretary to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
    • But The TRAI Act bars its former chairmen and members from taking up government jobs after leaving office.
    • Therefore The National Democratic Alliance government introduced the Bill to change this clause, which several parties, including the Congress, has opposed.
  9. Acc. to UN World Urbanization Prospects report 2014  Delhi second most populous city after Tokyo. 
  10. Representation of People Act
    • What is this act?
      • is an act of Parliament of India to provide for the conduct of elections of the Houses of Parliament and to the House or Houses of the Legislature of each State, 
      • the qualifications and disqualifications for membership of those Houses, 
      • the corrupt practices and other offences at or in connection with such elections and the decision of doubts and disputes arising out of or in connection with such elections.
    • Why in news?
      • former Maharashtra Chief Minister Ashok Chavan, to explain why he should not be disqualified under Section 10A of the Representation of the People Act in a case pertaining to ‘paid news.’
      • The chief allegation was that he got several advertisements published in news media, which amounted to ‘paid news,’ but did not include the huge expenditure incurred on them in his election expenses statement.
    • What is paid news?
      • any news or analysis appearing in any media (print and electronic) for a price in cash or kind and went on to appoint Media Certification and Monitoring Committee (MCMC) at district and State-levels for certification of advertisements and keeping a check on violations.
    • This act was in News Before??
      • Modi Selfie Case
      • Indira Gandhi Case
        • The Allahabad high court invalidated found Indira Gandhi, who was the then Prime Minister, guilty on the charge of misuse of government machinery for her election campaign.
        • The court declared her election null and void and unseated her from her seat in the Lok Sabha representing Rae Bareilly constituency.
        • The court also banned her from contesting any election for an additional six years. 
        • This resulted in declaration of emergency and amendments were made in the constitution to validate the election.

International

  1. Gaza Israel Conflict
  2. Russia And Ukraine

India & The World

  1. Bangladesh won maritime dispute with India
  2. India & Bhutan
    • At the invitation of His Majesty Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, the King of Bhutan, Prime Minister of India paid a State Visit to Bhutan from 15-16 June, 2014. External Affairs Minister visited Bangladesh from 25-27 June, 2014 at the invitation of the Foreign Minister of Bangladesh, Mr. A.H. Mahmood Ali. 
    • Prime Minister addressed the Joint Sitting of the Bhutanese Parliament, 
    • unveiled the Foundation Stone of the 600 MW Kholongchhu Hydropower Project,
    • and inaugurated the new Supreme Court building which was constructed with GOI assistance. 
    • Prime Minister reaffirmed GOI’s commitment towards Bhutan’s XI Five Year Plan for 2013-18,
    • announced the doubling of the Nehru- Wangchuck scholarship to Rs.2 crores per year 
    • assistance for the establishment of E-library in all 20 districts of Bhutan.
  3. India & Pakistan
    • Pakistan’s Prime Minister visited India at the invitation of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi from May 26-27, 2014 to attend the swearing-in ceremony of the new Indian Government on May 26, 2014. Bilateral talks with the Pakistan Prime Minister were also held the next day. 
    • The two Prime Ministers agreed that the Foreign Secretaries of both sides would get in touch to explore how to move bilateral relations forward. 
    • Furthermore Prime Minister conveyed India’s readiness to work with Pakistan to achieve full normalization of trade relations on the basis of the September 2012 ‘Roadmap’. 
    • Prime Minister underlined India’s concerns related to violence and terrorism. He underlined the importance of maintaining peace and tranquility at the borders and upholding the sanctity of the Line of Control during the meeting with the Prime Minister of Pakistan.
    • Prime Minister further conveyed India’s concerns at the slow progress being made in the Mumbai terror attack trials presently underway in Pakistan. 
    • Prime Minister Narendra Modi shared with the Prime Minister of Pakistan India’s vision of a SAARC region built on partnerships for development and mutual prosperity with all our neighbours and expressed the hope that India-Pakistan relations would progress in the economic, cultural and political fields in the same manner that India’s relations with her other SAARC neighbours have progressed in recent years. 
  4. Civil Nuclear Co-Operation 
    • India has signed civil nuclear cooperation agreements with France, United States (US), Russia, Namibia, Canada, Argentina, Kazakhstan, the Czech Republic and Republic of Korea
    • Recently the commercial contract for construction of two additional reactors at Kudankulam was finalized pursuant to the civil nuclear cooperation agreement with Russia. 
    • An Early Works Agreement has been concluded between Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd and Westinghouse Electric Company (WEC) of the US with regard to the construction of two nuclear power reactors at Mithi Virdi in Gujarat.
    • Supply of uranium for fuelling India’s indigenous nuclear power reactors has also taken place from France, Russia and Kazakhstan pursuant to the signing of the above mentioned Agreements. 
  5. India and United Kingdom 
    • on 8 July 2014 decided to launch negotiations for civil nuclear cooperation.
    • The decision was taken during the visit of UK foreign secretary of state William Hague to India.  He visited India on 7- 8 July 2014.
  6. India & Canada
    • signed an India-Canada Audiovisual Co-production Treaty with an aim to create jobs in both countries and boost tourism.

Defence

  1. Brahmos Missile Successfully test Fired.
  2. List of Satellites launched by ISRO During the last three years (2011-2014) and the current year (April 2014 – till date)
  3. INS Kamorta, the first in series of anti-submarine corvettes indigenously built by Kolkata based Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers Ltd. (GRSE), was handed over to Indian Navy.
  4. The Indian Navy has got its largest-ever destroyer after the addition of the 163 metre-long vessel Kolkata (D63) to its arsenal.
  5. Indian Naval Ship (INS) Kuthar Warship was damaged in a mishap on 13 July 2014.

Business

  1. The Reserve Bank of India  relaxed the rules of suppliers’ and buyers’ credit for importing rough, cut and polished diamonds to up to 180 days from 90 days with immediate effect.

Banking

  1. Economic Survey 2013-14
  2. General Budget 2014-15

State(UP)

  1. Heritage tourism policy approved
    • a package for categorising heritage hotel along with special incentives has been formed
  2. UP Solar Power Energy Policy approved
    • Solar energy plants with a minimum capacity of 1 MW can be set up
    • For setting up solar power plants in Bundelkhand and Purvanchal entire cost will be borne by the state government.
  3. Lucknow Metro
    • the delegation from renowned financial institution European Investment Bank (EIB) met chief secretary and officials from the environment department and UP Pollution Control Board.
    • LMRC said EIB is positive about metro project of the city and may consider loaning it. 

Person in News 

  1. Granville Austin – The scholar of Indian Constitution Died.
  2. Emma Watson- UN Women appointed her as Goodwill Ambassador.
  3. Pinky Anand- Appointed Additional Solicitor General 
  4. Zohra Sehgal- veteran actress died.
  5. Lieutenant General Philip Campose- Appointed Vice Chief of Army Staff 
  6. Margreta Alva- Sworn in as Governor of Goa
  7. Sim Bhullar- the first basketball player of Indian origin to join the National Basketball Association (NBA).

Sports

  1. The FIFA Emergency Committee  decided  to suspend the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) with immediate effect, on account of government interference.
  2. SAI and TheFootballLink jointly launched F-Cube technology at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium. The technology will promote football at the grass-root level
  3. Germany won 2014 FIFA World Cup by defeating Argentina 1-0 at Maracana in Rio de Janeiro.
    • The goal was made by Mario Gotze during the extra-time.

Books

    1. The Pity of Partition: Manto’s Life, Times, and Work across the India-Pakistan Divide by Ayesha Jalal

    Important Days

    1. World Population Day – 12th July

    Important Organizations

    1. International Atomic Energy Agency

    Articles

    1. PPP Model
    2. FDI
    3. Law Commissions In India
    4. Cauvery Water Dispute

    Abbreviations

    1. INSPIRE- Innovation in Science Pursuit for Inspired Research
    2. ISEA- Information Security Education Awareness

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