October 2014 Current Affairs Study Material

INTERNATIONALMauritius Parliament Dissolved For ElectionsThe Mauritius parliament was dissolved on 6 October, paving the way for elections that could lead to changes in the country’s constitution. The ruling Labour party, led by Prime Minister Navinchandra Ramgoolam, wants to split powers between the president, now a largely ceremonial position, and the prime minister. That would require changes to the constitution.

Bolivian President Evo Morales Re-elected For A Third TermBolivian President Evo Morales was re-elected for a third term with more than 60 percent of the vote according to the election results declared on 12 October. As per the results, Evo Morales got 60 percent while his closest competitor Samuel Doria Medina could secure only 25 percent.

United Nations Elected Five New Non-permanent Members To Security CouncilAngola, Malaysia, New Zealand, Venezuela and Spain on 16 October were elected as the new non-permanent members of the Security Council for a two years term by the UN General Assembly. These five countries replace retiring members Argentina, Australia, Luxembourg, South Korea and Rwanda.The newly elected members term will be begining from January 1, 2015.

Dilma Rousseff  Re-elected As Brazil PresidentBrazilian President Dilma Rousseff was re-elected in the Presidential Elections held in the country on 26 October 2014. She belongs to the center-left Workers’ Party and her second term will finish in December 2018. Rousseff took 51.6% of the votes while her centre-right challenger Aecio Neves representing Brazilian Social Democracy Party (BSDP) got 48.4% votes.

INDIA & WORLDUK and Ireland Signed Single Visa DealBritain and Ireland on 6 October Signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on visa cooperation to allow Chinese and Indian visitors to travel to the two island nations on a single visa. The agreement was signed at the Irish Embassy in London by UK home secretary Theresa May and Irish Justice Minister Frances Fitzgerald.

India Ranks 18th On Most Desirable Place To WorkAccording to the consulting giant Boston Consulting Group latest report released on 7

October, India has been ranked 18th globally on the list of most desirable destinations to work, even as 70-80% of Indians are willing to work in an overseas location.The US has been ranked on the top, followed by the UK, Canada, Germany and Switzerland.

India Ranked 55th In Global Hunger IndexThe 2014 Global Hunger Index (GHI) was released on 13 October by the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), Welthungerhilfe and Concern Worldwide. According to the report, India improved its position in the Global Hunger Index in 2014 as it climbed to 55th position among 76 emerging economies from 63rd position in 2013. Mauritius holds the top place alongwith Thailand.

India Ranked 142 On WEF’s Gender Gap ReportGlobal Gender Gap Report 2014, which was published on 28 October by World Economic Forum (WEF) – India was ranked 114 out of 142 countries on Gender Gap index. Iceland has the narrowest gender gap in the world, followed by Finland, Norway and Sweden.

NATIONALPM Narendra Modi Launched Swachh Bharat AbhiyanPrime Minister Narendra Modi on 2 October launched the ‘Swachh Bharat Abhiyan’ or ‘Clean India’ campaign in New Delhi. The campaign was launched on the occasion of 145th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.The total expected cost of the programme is Rs. 62,009 crore, out of which the proposed central assistance will be of Rs. 14,623 crore.

PM Narendra Modi Launched ‘Sansad Adarsh Gram Yojana’Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched Sansad Adarsh Gram Yojna (SAGY) on the occasion of the birth anniversary of renowned Socialist leader Jai Prakash Narayan on 11 October. SAGY will be implemented under the overall supervision of Union Ministry of Rural Development. The programme is an ambitious village development project under which each Member of Parliament will take the responsibility for developing physical and institutional infrastructure in three villages by 2019.

Prime Minister Launched Deendayal Upadhyay Shramev Jayate KaryakramPrime Minister Narendra Modi launched Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay Shramev Jayate Karyakram on 16 October in New Delhi.The scheme is aimed at creating conducive environment for industrial development and doing business with ease.

Union Govt Launched Vanbandhu Kalyan YojanaUnion Government has launched Vanbandhu Kalyan Yojana (VKY) on 28 October for welfare of Tribal people and particularly to lift human development indices of tribal people.

STATESGujarat Govt Set Up ‘ SPV ‘ To Promote Vadodara As Cultural CapitalGujarat government on 10 October set up a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) to promote Vadodara as the cultural capital of Gujarat and encourage tourism in Vododara. The SPV set up will be known as Vadodara International Art and Culture Festival Authority and it will be headed by State Tourism and Finance Minister Saurabh Patel. Thus, Gujarat became the first state in India to set up the authority for promoting tourism.

Union Home Ministry Announced To Renamed 12 Cities and Towns of KarnatakaUnion Home Ministry on 17 October announced to rename 12 cities and towns of Karnataka. According to the proposal, the 12 cities whose names were sought to be changed are:- Bangalore as Bengaluru; Mangalore as Mangaluru ; Bellary as Ballari ; Bijapur as Vijayapura or Vijapura ; Belgaum as Belagavi ; Chikmagalur as Chikkamagaluru ; Gulbarga as Kalaburagi ; Mysore as Mysuru ; Hospet as Hosapete ; Shimoga as Shivamogga ; Hubli as Hubballi, and Tumkur as Tumakuru.

Bharatiya Janta Party Won The 2014 Assembly Elections of HaryanaBharatiya Janta Party (BJP) won the state assembly elections of Haryana. The results of the elections were announced by the Election Commission of India on 19 October 2014. BJP by securing 47 seats emerged as the largest party, with clear majority. The elections were held for total 90 seats on 15 October 2014.

BJP emerged As The Largest Party In Maharashtra Assembly Elections 2014Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) emerged as the single largest party in Maharashtra assembly elections of 2014, the results for which were declared on 19 October 2014. The elections were held on 15 October 2014 for total 288 seats. Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) by winning 122 seats emerged as the largest party but none of the parties succeeded in securing a secure clear majority.

CONFERENCES12th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP 12)The 12th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP 12) to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD COP-12) was held in Pyeongchang, South Korea from 6 – 17 October 2014.  “Biodiversity for Sustainable Development” was the theme for the COP 12 summit. The conference was attended by more than 2000 delegates from 193 countries. The meeting concluded on a disappointing note that biodiversity targets agreed upon in 2010 at Nagoya are far from being met with most nations continuing on a business as usual track. The 13th meeting of the parties to the convention takes will

take place October 2016 in Los Cabos, Baja California South, Mexico. The Conference of the Parties is the governing body of the Convention, and advances implementation of the Convention through the decisions it takes at its periodic meetings.

AWARDS & HONOURSIndian American Thomas Won US National Medal of ScienceThomas Kailath, a Pune educated Indian-American engineering professor at Stanford University, is one of the recipients of the US National Medal of Science announced by President Barack Obama on 3 October.

Nobel Prize Winners 2014 AnnouncedThe Nobel Prize winners of 2014 in the different categories were announced in the month of October 2014. Nobel Prizes are announced by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences every year in the memory of Alfred Nobel.The categories were the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, the Nobel Prize in Physics, the Nobel Prize in Chemistry, The Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences, The Nobel Literature Prize and The Nobel Peace Prize.The Nobel Prize Winners of 2014 in the different categories were as follows:-

* Physiology (or) Medicine :-  U.S.-British scientist John O’Keefe and Norwegian couple May-Britt Moser, Edvard Moser won the 2014 Nobel Prize in Medicine for discovering the “inner Global Positioning System (GPS)” that helps the brain navigate through the world.

* Physics :- Three Japanese-born researchers Isamu Akasaki, Hiroshi Amano and Shuji Nakamura won the 2014 Nobel Prize for Physics. They were honoured for inventing efficient blue Light-Emitting Diodes(LED) lamps that worked as a bright and energy-saving white light sources.

* Chemistry :- American scientists Eric Betzig and William Moerner and Germany’s Stefan Hell won the 2014 Nobel prize for chemistry. The trio of Betzig, Moerner and Hell were conferred for their contribution in the area of super-resolved fluorescence microscopy which helped in bringing optical microscopy into the nano-dimension.

* Literature:- The Nobel Prize in Literature 2014 was awarded to French author Patrick Modiano for the art of memory with which he has evoked the most ungraspable human destinies and uncovered the life-world of the occupation. He is the 14th French writer to be awarded the Nobel Prize in literature (one, Jean Paul-Sartre, declined to accept it).

* Peace :- Indian children’s rights activist Kailash Satyarthi and Pakistani child education activist Malala Yousafzai have been jointly awarded the 2014 Nobel Peace

Prize for their struggle against the suppression of children and young people and for the right of all children to education.

* Economics :- French economist Jean Tirole won the 2014 Economics Nobel Prize for his analysis of market power and regulation.It was the second Nobel Prize for a French national this year after author Patrick Modiano won the literature award.

Australian Author Richard Flanagan Won 2014 Man Booker PrizeAustralian author Richard Flanagan was on 15 October awarded the 2014 Man Booker Prize for his wartime novel “The Narrow Road to the Deep North”. The novel narrates story of a love and war during the construction of the Thailand Burma Death Railway in World War II. Flanagan is the third Australian to win the prize after Thomas Keneally and Peter Carey.

Malala Won 2014 World’s Children PrizeMalala Yousafzai of Pakistan won the 2014 World’s Children Prize on 29 October 2014 after a global vote involving millions of children. She received the prize at a ceremony in Mariestad near Stockholm. World Children’s prize was created in 2000 and is run by the World’s Children’s Prize Foundation (WCPF), based in Mariefred, Sweden.

SPORTS & GAMESChennai Super Kings Won Champions League Twenty-20Chennai Super Kings (CSK) won the Champions League Twenty20 (CLT20) 2014 title of Cricket. CSK lifted the title by defeating Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) by 8 wickets in the final match in Bengaluru on 4 October. P.Negi of the Chennai Super Kings was named the Player of the Match.This is the second Champions League win for the Chennai Super Kings, who won earlier in 2010.

India Finish Incheon Asiad In 8th PlaceIndia ended the 17th Asian Games – 2014 with 57 medals to finish in eighth place. India won 11 gold, 10 silver and 36 bronze but failed to emulate their 2010 exploits at Guangzhou, where they won 65 medals – 14 gold, 17 silver and 34 bronze.  China has topped the medal table for the ninth successive times in the 17th Asian Games. With a total of 342 medals including 151 gold, 108 silver and 83 bronze, China dominated the medal tally in the 17th edition of Asian Games. Hosts South Korea were second with 79 golds while Japan finished third with 47 gold medals. The 17th Asian Games also known as XVII Asiad, was held from 19 September 2014 to 4 October 2014 in Incheon, South Korea. The theme of the 2014 Asian Games is “Meet Asia’s Future”. “Diversity Shines Here” was the motto of 17th Asian Games.The moscot of the Asian Games Incheon 2014 was three spotted Harbour Seal siblings named Barame, Chumuro and Vichuon meaning wind, dance and light in Korean language.The 2019 Games will be held in Jakarta, Indonesia.

Here are all the Gold Medal Winners from India:-

* Jitu Rai – Men’s 50 metre Pistol Shooting

* Sandeep Kumar, Rajat Chauhan, Abhishek Verma – Men’s compound team Archery

* Saurav Ghosal, Harinder Pal Singh Sandhu, Mahesh Mangaonkar, Kumar Kush – Men’s team squash

* Yogeshwar Dutt – Men’s Freestyle 65 kg Wrestling

* Seema Punia – Women’s Discus throw athletics

* Sania Mirza, Saketh Myneni – Mixed doubles Tennis

* M.C. Mary Kom – Women’s 48-51 kg Boxing

* Priyanka Panwar, Tintu Luka, Mandeep Kaur, M. Poovamma – Women’s 4X400m relay athletics

* Indian team – Men’s Hockey

* Indian team – Women’s Kabaddi

* Indian team – Men’s Kabaddi

India Won Sultan of Johor Cup Under-21 Hockey TitleIndia on 19 October successfully defended its Sultan of Johor Cup (SOJC) Under-21 Hockey title at Taman Daya Hockey Stadium, Johor Bohru, Malaysia. In the finals, Indian team defeated Great Britain, 2-1. With this win, India became the first team to win the title twice since the inception of the tournament in 2011. India won its first title in 2013.

Pankaj Advani Won World Billiards Point Format ChampionshipIndian player Pankaj Advani won the World Billiards Point Format Championship on 24 October. This was Advani’s 11th World title and third of the year in different formats of the game. In 2014, Advani has won three different world titles – the IBSF World 6 – Red Snooker, World Team Billiards and World Billiards Championship (point format), which is an unprecedented record in itself.

ECONOMY

India To Grow 5.6% In 2014The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has forecast 5.6 percent growth rate for India this year and a higher 6.4 percent in 2015. According to the IMF latest World Economic Outlook report released on 7 October, In China growth will remain at 7.4 percent this year and is projected to be of 7.1 per cent in 2015.

Tata’s Land Rover Is Top Indian BrandTata group’s Land Rover is the only Indian brand in world’s 100 most valuable brands. Tata Group-owned iconic British car brand Land Rover has been ranked 91st with a brand value of $4.47 billion (Rs. 27,267 crore) and is one of the five new entrants to this annual list compiled by leading brand consultancy Interbrand. US company Apple has retained its top slot with a valuation of nearly $119 billion.

Asian Countries Signed MoU For Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB)21 Asian countries, including India, have signed an agreement to become founding members of the China-backed Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) to aid the infrastructure development in the Asian region and reduce the dependence on Western-dominated World Bank and IMF. The Joint Secretary of the Economic Affairs division of the Ministry of Finance signed the MoU on behalf of India at Beijing on 26 October. The MoU specifies that the authorised capital of AIIB is $100 billion and the initial subscribed capital is expected to be around $50 billion. The Headquarters of the AIIB will be at Beijing, and the bank is expected to be operational in 2015. China’s Vice Finance Minister Jin Liqun, who was also the former Vice-President of the Asian Development Bank, has been appointed as the Secretary General of AIIB.The 21 members of the AIIB are China, India, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, the Philippines, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Brunei, Cambodia, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Laos, Myanmar, Mongolia, Nepal, Oman, Qatar, Sri Lanka, Uzbekistan, and Vietnam.

India Ranked 142 In World Bank’s “Ease of Doing Business – 2015″ ReportIndia has been placed at 142 among 189 countries in the latest World Bank’s “Ease of Doing Business – 2015″ report released on 29 October. India was ranked 134th in the last year’s edition of the list. Singapore topped this list with 88.27 points and is followed by New Zealand, Hong Kong, Denmark and South Korea.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGYWorld’s First Solar Battery Developed By US ScientistsScientists at Ohio State University, US developed the world’s first solar battery which recharges itself using air and light. The developed solar battery is in fact a hybrid device that is party rechargeable battery and part solar cell.

Japan Launches Weather Satellite ‘ Himawari-8 ‘Japan successfully launched the nation’s next-generation Himawari-8 weather satellite on 7 October from the Tanegashima Space Center aboard an H-2A rocket.

ISRO’s PSLV-C26 Successfully Launched India’s Third Navigation Satellite IRNSS-1CIndian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) successfully launched India’s third navigation satellite, Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System -1C ( IRNSS-1C), into the space. The satellite was launched through ISRO’s Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle-C26 (PSLV-C26) rocket from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre at Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh on 16 October 2014. PSLV-C26 injected the IRNSS-1C satellite, weighing 1425 kg, into the designated orbit.This was the 27th consecutive successful flight of PSLV.

Researchers Develop World’s Thinnest Electric GeneratorResearchers from Columbia Engineering and the Georgia Institute of Technology report on 15 October that they have made the first experimental observation of piezoelectricity and the piezotronic effect in an atomically thin material, molybdenum disulfide (MoS2), resulting in a unique electric generator and mechanosensation devices that are optically transparent, extremely light, and very bendable and stretchable.

Argentina Successfully Launches Its First Communication SatelliteArgentina successfully launched its first geostationary communications satellite named ‘ARSAT-1′ from the spaceport near Kourou in French Guyana on 16 October.

PERSONS IN NEWSA) APPOINTMENTS

Jens Stoltenberg Becomes NATO’s Secretary GeneralFormer two-term Norwegian Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg took up his post as North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Secretary General on 1 October. He succeeds Fogh Rasmussen. Stoltenberg was previously Prime Minister of Norway from 2000-2001 and from 2005-2013.

Aamir Khan Appointed As UNICEF’s Goodwill AmbassadorBollywood actor Aamir Khan has been appointed as UNICEF’s Goodwill Ambassador for South Asian region on 9 October. Aamir Khan will focus on supporting child nutrition to end stunting across the region.

Manohar Lal Khattar Sworn In As New Chief minister Of HaryanaBharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Manohar Lal Khattar was on 26 October sworn in as new Chief Minister of Haryana, where BJP has formed government for the first time

on its own. Khattar is also the first Punjabi to become the Chief Minister of the state. Khattar a first time MLA, represents Karnal constituency in the Haryana assembly. He is Haryana’s first non-jat chief minister in 18 years. Khattar is the 10th chief minister of the state, which was created November 1, 1966.

Devendra Fadnavis Sworn In As Maharashtra Chief MinisterDevendra Fadnavis was sworn in as the new Chief Minister of Maharashtra on 31 October 2014. Devendra Fadnavis became the Mayor of Nagpur in 1997 when he was just 27 year old. He thus became the second youngest Mayor in India. He also was the youngest municipal corporator of the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) at the age of 21 in 1992. He has been elected Member of the Legislative Assembly of Maharashtra State, representing Nagpur, since, 1999.

B)RESIGNS

US Secret Service Director Julie Pierson ResignedJulie Pierson, the director of the US secret service has resigned on 1 October amid mounting criticism of her handling of security breaches at the White House and allegations of misleading public statements.

C)DEATHS

Veteran Journalist M V Kamath DiedFormer chairman of Prasar Bharati and veteran Journalist Madhav Vittal Kamath, popularly kmown as MV Kamath, died on 9 October. He was 93. He was awarded Padma Bhushan for his contributions to Indian journalism in 2004 and he has written over 50 books.

D)VISITORS

President of India Pranab Mukherjee Visited NorwayPresident of India Pranab Mukherjee visited Norway on 13 – 14 October 2014. During his visit, Pranab Mukherjee held bilateral talks with Prime Minister Erna Solberg. Pranab Mukherjee also met King Harald in Oslo, the capital of Norway. During the visit, India and Norway signed 13 agreements to promote bilateral relations. These include agreement between Defence sector of two countries and an agreement on exemption of visa requirement for holders of diplomatic and official passports. He became the first Indian head of state to visit Norway and first president to cross the Arctic Circle.

E)MISCELLANEOUS

MS Dhoni Ranks 5th On Forbes ‘Most Valuable Athlete Brand List’India cricket team captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni is the only Indian sportsman to figure on Forbes’ List of the World’s Most Valuable Athlete Brands, a list that has been topped by American basketball player LeBron James and includes golfer Tiger Woods and

tennis stars Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. Dhoni is ranked fifth with a brand value of USD20 million in 2014, slightly down from USD21 million in 2013. The top 10 Most Valuable Athletes list was released on 9 October 2014.

PLACES   IN   NEWS India Among Five Nations To Build World’s Biggest TelescopeIndia, along with four other countries will start work on the world’s biggest telescope in the United States. The 30-metre telescope, also known as Thirty Minutes Telescope (TMT), will be constructed near the summit of the Mauna Kea volcano on Hawaii Island in United States. It will cost around $1.4 billion and the construction is expected to be completed by March 2022. The diameter of this telescope will be a mammoth 30 meter. This will enable to identify an object as small as coin from a distance of 500 km. The other four countries involved in this project include the U.S., Japan, China and Canada.

ABBREVIATIONSUNICEF —— United Nation International Children’s Emergency Fund

UNESCO —— United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation

IRNSS —–  Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System

TADA ——- Terrorist and Disruptive Activities Act

WIPO ——- World intellectual property Organisation

BOOKS IN NEWS“ Worthy Fights: A Memoir of Leadership in War and Peace ” Book ReleasedA book titled “Worthy Fights: A Memoir of Leadership in War and Peace ” authored by Leon Panetta, and Jim Newton was released on 7 Octobe. Panetta is a former Defence Secretary and ex-CIA Director and Newton is an editor of the Los Angeles Times. Panetta through the book for the first time came in a different tone in relation to ISI links with terror outfit. Leon Panetta served as the Director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) from 2009–2011, and as Secretary of Defense from 2011–2013.

COMMITTEESMadhava Menon Committee Announced Guidelines For Govt AdsThe Supreme Court appointed high-powered committee headed by Professor NR Madhava Menon submitted its report to the court on 6 October. The committee in its report has framed guidelines to regulate expenditure and contents of advertisements paid out of tax payers’ money. The three-member committee has recommended that names and pictures of political parties and their office bearers like presidents should not be mentioned in government advertisements.

IMPORTANT DAYS AND DATESWorld Food Day Observed Across The WorldWorld Food Day was observed across the world on 16 October 2014 with the theme Family Farming: Feeding the world, caring for the earth.The UN General Assembly has designated 2014 as the International Year of Family Farming. This is a strong signal that the international community recognizes the important contribution of family farmers to world food security.The aim of World Food Day 2014 is to focus world attention on the significant role of family farming in eradicating hunger and poverty, providing food security and nutrition, improving livelihoods, managing natural resources, protecting the environment, and achieving sustainable development, in particular in rural areas.

International Internet Day Observed Across The WorldInternational Internet Day was observed across the world on 29 October 2014 to mark the anniversary of the first usage of the Internet to send a message electronically in 1969. International Internet Day is celebrated worldwide on 29 October every year. Since 2005, the International Internet Day has been celebrated to commemorate a momentous day in the history of telecommunications and technology.

November 2014 Current Affairs Study Material

INTERNATIONALChina and Russia Signed Energy Cooperation AgreementsChina and Russia signed energy cooperation agreements on 9 November. The agreements were signed by the President of Russia Vladimir Putin and President of China Xi Jinping at the annual Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Beijing.The deals include a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to develop a second major supply route to supply Russian natural gas to China along a western route.

US and China Signed Climate Change AgreementIn a historic climate change deal, U.S. President Barack Obama and Chinese President Xi Jinping on 12 November announced both countries will curb their greenhouse gas emissions over the next two decades. Under the agreement, the United States would cut its 2005 level of carbon emissions by 26-28% before the year 2025. China would peak its carbon emissions by 2030 and will also aim to get 20% of its energy from zero-carbon emission sources by the same year.It is the first time China, the world’s biggest polluter, has set an approximate date for emissions to peak.

Klaus Iohannis Elected As New President Of RomaniaKlaus Iohannis was elected as the fifth President of Romania on 16 November. The Mayor of Sibiu Klaus Werner Iohannis won the Presidential elections in Romania by defeating Prime Minister Victor Ponta of Social Democratic Party. Klaus Iohannis belongs to Christian Liberal Alliance of Romania. He got 54.81 percent of votes and Victor Ponta got 45.18 percent.

UN General Assembly Adopted Resolution On Child MarriagesThe United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) rights committee on 21 November adopted the first-ever resolution calling on governments to stop child marriages. The resolution was presented by Canada and Zambia.

INDIA & WORLDIndia and Bhutan Signed MoU on Establishment Of Nalanda UniversityIndia and Bhutan on 7 November signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to develop Nalanda University in Bihar as an international centre of excellence. The two sides signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in this regard in Thimphu, the capital of Bhutan, after President of India Pranab Mukherjee held talks with the Bhutanese King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck.

Global Slavery Index – 2014Second Edition of Global Slavery Index was released on 17 November by the Australia-based Walk Free Foundation. The Index ranks 167 countries in terms of the percentage of a national population and the total number of people living in modern slavery – country by country, region by region. In absolute terms, the index was topped by India followed by China, Pakistan, Uzbekistan and Russia. Index highlighted that estimated 35.8 million people are in modern slavery globally. Out of this, 61% people are living in top five countries.

India and Australia Siged Five AgreementsIndia and Australia on 18 November signed five agreements on social security, transfer of sentenced prisoners, combating narcotics trade, tourism, and Arts and Culture.The agreements were signed after the bilateral talks between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott in Canberra, Australia.

India Votes Against UN General Assembly Resolution On Death PenaltyIndia has voted on 25 November against a UN General Assembly draft resolution calling for moratorium on the use of death penalty. The draft resolution on ‘Moratorium on the use of the death penalty’ was approved in the General Assembly’s Third Committee, which deals with social, humanitarian and cultural issues.India was among the 36 nations that voted against the resolution, which got 114 votes in favour and 34 abstentions.

NATIONALCommemorative Stamp on Liver Transplantation In India ReleasedThe Department of Posts released a commemorative postage stamp on Liver Transplantation in India on 4 November on the occasion of 15 years of Liver Transplantation in India. The patient who had undergone first successful liver transplantation in India in 1998 Sanjay Kandaswamy was also present on the occasion.

21 New Ministers Inducted Into The Union CabinetPrime Minister Narendra modi on 9 November 2014 expanded his cabinet and added 21 more ministers to his government. The 21 new ministers include four Cabinet Ministers, three Minister of State (Independent Charge) and 14 Minister of State. With this expansion, the total number of ministers under different ranks including the Prime Minister has gone up to 66 from previous 45. It is also the first expansion of the Union Council of Ministers since the Modi government took office on 26 May 2014. The Portfolios of Cabinet Ministers:- Manohar Parrikar (Goa) – Defence Minister ; Suresh Prabhu (Maharashtra) – Rail Minister ; J P Nadda (Himachal Pradesh) – Health and Family Welfare Minister ; Birender Singh (Haryana) – Panchayati Raj and Drinking Water and Sanitation Minister.

PM Narendra Modi Launches Jeevan Pramaan – Digital Life Certificate For PensionersThe Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 10 November launched “Jeevan Pramaan” – an “Aadhar-based Digital Life Certificate” for pensioners.The digital certification will do away with the requirement of submitting a physical Life Certificate in November each year by pensioners for getting pension.

Union Government Approved Launch Of DUGJYThe Union Government on 21 November approved the launch of the Deendayal Upadhyaya Gram Jyoti Yojana (DUGJY) to provide access of electricity to rural households across the country. A decision in this regard was taken at the Cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi. The Union Cabinet also decided to merge the ongoing Rajiv Gandhi Gramin Vidyutikaran Yojana (RGGVY) with DUGJY scheme.

STATESUttar Pradesh Chief Minister Launched Samajwadi Pension SchemeUttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav on 5 November launched the Samajwadi Pension Scheme for 40 lakh families, including those belonging to the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes and minorities.

PM Narendra Modi Adopts ‘Jayapur’ Village In Varanasi‘Jayapur’ was adopted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 5 November under the Sansad Adarsh Gram Yojana (MP Model Village Plan). Narendra Modi chose Jayapur village in Varanasi district (Uttar Pradesh) under the Sansad Adarsh Gram Yojana (SAGY).

Assam Zoo Set To Become First Zoo To Have The Endangered Pygmy HogAssam State Zoo in Guwahati in the month of November 2014 decided to have the critically endangered pig Pygmy Hog (Porcula salvania). Pygmy Hog is the rarest and smallest wild pig in the world. With this decision, Assam State Zoo is set to become the first and only zoo of the world to have this critically endangered species of pigs.

Namsai Becomes Arunachal Pradesh’s 18th DistrictNamsai on 25 November 2014 officially became the 18th district of Arunachal Pradesh. The Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh Nabam Tuki made the declaration.

CONFERENCES

Ninth G20 Summit Held In Brisbane

The 2014 G-20 Australia summit was the ninth meeting of the G-20 heads of government. It was held on 15-16 November 2014 in Brisbane, Australia. At the conclusion of the Summit, the G20 leaders released the final communiqué known as the Brisbane Action Plan. The Action Plan contains a package of more than 800 reforms to boost global growth, shore up financial institutions and improve economic resilience. If these are implemented, then global growth will see an increase of 2.1 percent. After recovery from the global financial crisis the G20 agreed on the need for bold and coordinated push to generate strong, sustainable economic growth across the bloc. It set an ambitious goal to lift G20 growth by more than 2 percent to 2018 and millions of additional jobs. China will play host to the Group of Twenty (G20) Summit of the emerging economies in 2016. Turkey took over the presidency from Australia and will host the event in Antalya in 2015.

AWARDS & HONOURSManmohan Singh Received Japan’s Top National AwardFormer Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was conferred with the “Grand Cordon of the Order of the Paulownia Flowers” Award on 5 November. The “Grand Cordon of the Order of the Paulownia Flowers” is perceived as the second highest civilian award of Japan after “Order of the Chrysanthemum”. The award was presented to Manmohan Singh by Japanese Emperor Akihito at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo. He was given this award for his “significant contribution to the enhancement of relations and promotion of friendship” between Japan and India. He became the first Indian to receive this prestigious award.

West Bengal’s Darjeeling Zoo Selected For Earth Heroes Award 2014The Darjeeling Zoo or the Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park was on 1 November selected for the prestigious International Award The Earth Heroes Award 2014. It has become the first zoo in India. It has competed with 300 zoos across the world. Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park  is largest high altitude zoo of India. It is located in West Bengal.The Earth Heroes award is annually awarded by the Royal Bank of Scotland in collaboration with the Government of United Kingdom.

Neha Gupta Received International Children’s Peace Prize 2014Indian-American student Neha Gupta has won the 2014 International Children’s Peace Prize Award for her exceptional work to raise money for underprivileged children around the world. Nobel Peace Laureate Desmond Tutu the patron of the Dutch children’s rights organization presented her with the award on 18 November in The Hague, Netherlands. She is the first American to be awarded with this prize.

ISRO selected For Indira Gandhi Prize For Peace – 2014Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has been selected for the Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development for 2014 in recognition of its path-breaking achievements including the Mars Orbiter Mission and contribution in strengthening international cooperation in peaceful use of outer space. ISRO was selected for the award by a jury chaired by Vice President Hamid Ansari on 19 November 2014.

SPORTS & GAMESCentral Zone Won Duleep Trophy 2014-15Central Zone won the 2014-15 Duleep Trophy title on 2 November. They won by defeating South Zone in the finals played at Feroz Shah Kotla Ground, Delhi with 9 runs. This was the first Duleep title for Central zone in ten seasons and the narrowest win in the tournament’s history, in terms of runs. K Rahul was adjudged as the Man-of-the-match for his knocks of 185 and 130 in the final.

Salgaocar FC Won Durand Cup 2014The 2014 Durand Cup , the 127th edition of the Durand Cup which is the third oldest association football competition in the world, was won by the Salgaocar FC. Salgaocar FC defeated Pune FC in the final by 1-0 to claim their 3rd Durand title.They were Durand Cup champions in the year 1999 and 2003 as well. 127th Durand Cup played at the Raia Sports Complex, Goa.India Won 3rd SAFF Women’s ChampionshipIndia won the 2014 South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) Women’s Championship at the Jinnah Stadium in Islamabad on 21 November. Indian team won 6-0 over Nepal to register their first series win on Pakistan soil.With this win, the Indian team has won all the three SAFF women finals against Nepal.

Magnus Carlsen Won FIDE World Chess Championship 2014Magnus Carlsen of Norway won the FIDE World Chess Championship 2014 on 23 November at Sochi (Russia). He defeated Viswanathan Anand of India with a score of 6.5 – 4.5. Out of a total of 12 games played, he won the Game 2, Game 6 and Game 11. With this he retained the FIDE World Championship which he had won in Chennai in 2013.

Karnataka Won Vijay Hazare TrophyKarnataka won the Vijay Hazare Cricket Trophy on 25 November by defeating Punjab by 156 runs in the final at Ahmedabad.Karnataka had won the title earlier this year in March 2014 to complete a historic treble (Ranji Trophy, Irani Cup and Vijay Hazare Trophy) under R Vinay Kumar.

ECONOMYWEF Recognizes 17 Indian Companies As Global Growth Companies17 companies from India were recognised as Global Growth Company by World Economic Forum (WEF) as notified by it on 5 November. Ratnakar Bank Limited (RBL), headquartered at Kolhapur (Maharashtra), is the only banking entity out of these 17 companies from India, which have been described as region’s most dynamic and high-growth companies by the WEF. The Global Growth Companies community comprises over 370 companies around the world.

Government of India and World Bank Signed $200 Million AgreementThe Government of India (GoI) and the World Bank on 10 November signed a $200 million loan agreement to enhance the productivity of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) by expanding and upgrading Technology Centers across India. The Technology Center Systems Program (TCSP) will develop the technological and skills base of MSMEs in selected manufacturing industries.

Kerala Becomes First State with Bank Accounts For All FamiliesKerala has become the first state in the country with bank accounts for all families under Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojna (PMJDY). A formal declaration to this effect was made by Kerala Finance Minister K M Mani at the State-Level Bankers’ Committee (SLBC) meeting in Thiruvananthapuram on 11 November.

India’s Growth Forecast Raised To 6.6 percent By OECD For 2015-16Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) on 19 November raised India’s growth forecast to 6.6 percent for the financial year 2015-2016.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGYRussia Successfully Test Fired Topol-M Intercontinental Ballistic MissileRussian Strategic Missile Troops (RVSN) on 1 November successfully test fired a ‘Topol-M’ Inter Continental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) to test its technical features. The Topol-M, a silo-based ICBM, was launched from the Plesetsk cosmodrome in Russia’s northern Arkhangelsk region.

Nuclear Capable Agni-II Missile Successfully Test FiredIndia on 9 November successfully test-fired its medium-range nuclear-capable Agni-II missile with a strike range of more than 2000 km from the Wheeler Island off Odisha coast as part of a user trial by the army.The 20-metre long Agni-II missile is a two-stage, solid-propelled ballistic missile. It has a launch weight of 17 tonnes and can carry a payload of 1000 kg over a distance of more than 2,000 km.

Pakistan Successfully Test Fires Shaheen-II and Shaheen 1APakistan has successfully test fired Shaheen-II (Hatf-VI) Ballistic Missile on 13 November 2014. Shaheen-II Missile is capable of carrying nuclear and conventional warheads to a range of 1500 kilometers.

China Launched Yaogan-23 Remote Sensing SatelliteChina launched remote sensing satellite Yaogan-23 from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Centre on 15 November. This satellite was carried by the Long March 2-c rocket. This is the 198th mission of the Long March rocket project. The Yaogan-23 will be deployed mainly for scientific experiments, crop yield estimates, national resource surveys and disaster relief.

PERSONS IN NEWSA) APPOINTMENTS

Anita Kapur is CBDT new ChairpersonSenior Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer Anita Kapur has been appointed as the new Chairperson of the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) on 5 November. CBDT is the topmost authority of the Income-Tax Department. Anita Kapur will be serving as the Chairperson of CBDT till November 2015. She succeeded K V Chowdhary who has retired on 31 October 2014.

Laxmikant Parsekar Sworn In As Goa’s New Chief MinisterLaxmikant Parsekar sworn-in as the new Chief Minister of Goa. Parsekar was elected the leader of the Goa BJP Legislative Party on 8 November 2014 and was administered the oath of office on the same day. He replaced Manohar Parrikar, who took oath as Union Cabinet Minister on 9 November 2014. Laxmikant Yashwant Parsekar is the member of the Goa Legislative Assembly from Mandrem constituency.

B)RESIGNS

Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar ResignedGoa Chief Minister Manohar Gopalkrishna Prabhu Parrikar on 8 November 2014 resigned from his position. He took oath as Union Cabinet Minister on 9 November 2014. Manohar Parrikar is a member of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in India. He has been Chief Minister of Goa first from 2000 to 2005 and later from March 2012 to November 2014 and represented the Panaji constituency in the Legislative Assembly of Goa.

C)DEATHS

Former Union Minister Murli Deora DiedMurli Deora, Senior Congress leader from Maharastra and Former Petroleum Minister, was died on 24 November in Mumbai. Deora was India’s longest serving Petroleum Minister, completing exactly five years in office in a tenure that began in January 2006 and was spread between UPA-1 and II. He first contested the Lok Sabha polls from Mumbai South constituency in 1980 . He was first time elected to the Rajya Sabha in 2002 from Maharashtra and since then had completed two terms. At present, he was serving his third term.

D)VISITORS

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi Visited MyanmarPrime Minister of India Narendra Modi visited Myanmar to attend the 25th ASEAN summit, 12th ASEAN-India Summit and 9th East Asia Summit in Naypyidaw,the capital of Myanmar from 12-13 November 2014. During the visit, many decisions were taken and on the sidelines of the summit, the Prime Minister also met with other leaders of ASEAN countries. Narendra Modi also met Myanmar President U Thein Sein in Nay Pyi Taw, the capital of Myanmar. This was the first meeting between the two leaders, and focus was on connectivity, cultural contacts and commercial ties.

E)MISCELLANEOUS

Narendra Modi Ranks 15th On Forbes Most Powerful People ListPrime Minister Narendra Modi has been ranked 15th in the Forbes list of World’s Most Powerful People for the year 2014. Forbe’s world’s most powerful people -2014 list was released on 5 November. Russian President Vladimir Putin retains his numero uno seat – just above his American rival Barack Obama (2nd) – for the second consecutive year.

PLACES   IN   NEWS World’s 2nd Tallest Power Transmission Towers In West BengalThe world’s second tallest power transmission towers, built by Haldia Energy Limited (HEL), has come up in West Bengal.The 236-metre-long twin towers, located at HEL’s 600-MW capacity plant at Haldia and Raichak across the river Hooghly, are the tallest in the country. Covering a span of 1.5 km, the twin towers weigh 1,800 tonnes.The world’s highest transmission tower (370 metres) is located at Mount Damaoshan in China.

ABBREVIATIONS

AAFI —– Amateur Athletics Federation of India

APEC —– Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation

CDRI —-  Central Drug Research Institute

SAARC —- South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation

ASEAN —  Association of South East Asian Nations

BOOKS IN NEWS” 2014:The Election That Changed India” Authored By Rajdeep Sardesai ReleasedA book titled ” 2014:The Election that Changed India” authored by senior journalist Rajdeep Sardesai was released on 1 November. The book follows through the major stories of the 2014 Loksabha elections which affected the fate of Narendra Modi, Manmohan Singh and Rahul Gandhi.

COMMITTEESJustice Mudgal Committee Submitted It’s Final Report on IPL Spot FixingThe Supreme Court (SC) appointed Mukul Mudgal committee on 2013 Indian Premier League (IPL)-6 spot-fixing submitted its final report to the court on 3 November 2014. The report of Justice Mukul Mudgal committee on match fixing in IPL-6 was made public on 17 November 2014.The report gave a major relief to the stepped down BCCI president N. Srinivasan observing that it could not be proved that he was involved with betting activities. The Mudgal Committee submitted two reports to the Supreme court on 9 February 2014.The Mukul Mudgal panel was constituted by the Supreme Court in October 2013 to probe the allegations of spot-fixing in IPL-6 matches. The committee is headed by Justice (Retd.) Mukul Mudgal, former Chief Justice of the Punjab and Haryana High Court.

IMPORTANT DAYS AND DATESNational Education Day was Observed on 11 NovemberNational Education Day (NED) was observed on 11 November 2014 to mark of the birth anniversary of Maulana Abul Kalam Azad. This NED was 125th birth anniversary of

Maulana Abul Kalam Azad.National Educational Day was observed on the birth anniversary of Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, first Education minister of Independent India.In 2008, Government of India declared that Azad’s birth anniversary will be celebrated as the National Education Day.

World Fisheries Day Observed Across The World On 21 NovemberWorld Fisheries day on 21 November 2014 was observed across the world by the fisher folk communities. The day will remind the world to ensure sustainable stocks of fisheries and healthy oceans ecosystems.The day also helps to highlight the problems like over fishing and mechanization and moves towards finding solutions to the increasingly inter-connected problems that world facing and in the longer term, to sustainable means of maintaining fish stocks.Fishing communities across the world celebrated through rallies, workshops, public meetings, cultural dramas, exhibition, music show, and demonstrations to highlight the importance of maintaining the fisheries of world. As a part of World Fisheries Day celebrations, Union Government of India announced to launch Blue Revolution to increase in fish production and productivity in India.