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Aimed at creating the necessary legal framework in areas of extradition, India and Azerbaijan on 04 April 2013 inked three key pact
which also included treaties for mutual legal assistance in criminal and civil matters.Visiting Justice Minister of Azerbaijan Fikra
Mammadov held a meeting with Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde where the extradition treaty was signed.
India and Tanzania Signed Agreement To Explore Mineral Wealth
On 6 April India and Tanzania have signed an agreement for forging an alliance to explore mineral wealth in the African nation.The
agreement was signed by the Union Minister of Steel, Beni Prasad Verma and Sospeter Muhongo, the Minister of Energy and MineralsUnited Republic of Tanzania at Der es Salaam.
India and Russia signed Regulation of Co-operation Agreement
On 10 April India and Russia signed a Regulation defining the structure, functions and procedure of the Joint Commission a
Moscow.The agreement was signed by Vladimir Puchkov, Minister of the Russian Federation for Civil Defense, Emergencies and
Elimination of Consequences of Natural Disasters and Sushil kumar Shinde, the Union Minister of Home Affairs.
Two Day India-China Counter-Terrorism Dialogue on Afghanistan ended
The two-day India-China counter-terrorism dialogue ended on 12 April 2013 in Beijing China. The two nations discussed upon th
ways to step up cooperation to counter terror in Afghanistan as a follow up plan after the withdrawal of US forces from Afghanistan i
2014.
India – Mauritius Signed MoU on Electoral Cooperation
On 12 April India and Mauritius signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in New Delhi on cooperation in the field of Election
Management and Administration. The MoU was signed by Chief Election Commissioner of India, V.S. Sampath and the Electora
Commissioner of Mauritius, Mohammad Irfan Abdool Rahman.
India – Mauritius Signed MoU on Electoral Cooperation
On 12 April India and Mauritius signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in New Delhi on cooperation in the field of Election
Management and Administration. The MoU was signed by Chief Election Commissioner of India, V.S. Sampath and the Electora
Commissioner of Mauritius, Mohammad Irfan Abdool Rahman.
Bangladesh Inks $1.6 Billion Power Deal with India
On 20 April India and Bangladesh signed its biggest-ever joint venture agreement with India involving investment of $1.6 billion fo
1,320 MW coal-fired power plant which is expected to be operational in the next five years.The two country’s signed three deals unde
a pact to run the plant at Rampal of Bagerhat while the two others were Power Purchase Agreement and Implementation Agreement.A
supplementary joint venture agreement floating the company was signed by Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) chairma
Abdual Wahab Khan and NTPC Chairman and Managing Director Arup Roy Choudhury while the two others agreements were signed
by officials concerned of the two countries.
Indian origin boy won spelling championship
12 years old Indian origin boy won the very popular spelling competition beating another 30 competitors, held at Singapore. The name
of the competition was R.B.H- The Straight Times National Spelling Championship. The name of the boy is Ashwin Shiv Kumar, who
won the top place in this championship on 27 April 2013 . He is the student of 6th grade at Anglo-Chinese school. He was awarded b
5000 Singapore Dollars, as a prize he got. He passed through 10 stages and won the competition.
NATIONAL
Prez Pranab Mukherjee clears anti-rape bill
President Pranab Mukherjee had given his assent to the anti-rape bill which provides for life term and even death sentence for rap
Tamilnadu Planned Rs.7000 crore Underground Hydel Power Station
On 25 April Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa announced the government planned a Rs 7,000 crore underground hydel powe
station in Nilgiris district besides the ongoing related schemes,which in all will cost over Rs 20,000 crore.The first unit of North Chenna
Thermal Power plant, third unit of Vallur project and 2x 500 MW each of Tuticorin Power project would start generating powe
between March 2014.The first unit of North Chennai Thermal Power plant, third unit of Vallur project and 2x 500 MW each o
Tuticorin Power project would start generating power between this year May and March 2014
CONFERENCESPM inaugurated CII national conference
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh inaugurated the two-day national conference and annual general meeting of the Confederation o
Indian Industry (CII) in New Delhi on 03 March 2013.Around 1,500 industrialists from across the country will attended the meeting
The theme for this year’s deliberations is “India tomorrow: Imperatives of growth, security and governance”.
Conference of CM’s of States & Chief Justices of High Courts held at New Delhi
Conference of Chief Ministers of States & Chief Justices of High Courts held at New Delhi on 7 April.The conference presided over by
Chief Justice of India Altamas Kabir, aims to address pressing issues related to the country’s justice delivery system that’s often
criticised for being tardy.Prime Minister Manmohan Singh inaugurated the joint conference.Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh hacalled upon the judiciary and executive to work together to make the Indian judicial system an arrear free.
Hyderabad will host ICSE conference in 2014
The 36th International Conference on Software Engineering, ICSE2014, will be held in Hyderabad, India from 1 June 2013 to 7 June
2013. India is home to some of the largest software companies in the world, and Hyderabad is one of the main centers for software
development in India.This conference is going to be a premier software engineering conference that is going to provide a forum fo
researchers, practitioners and educators to present and discuss the most recent innovations, trends, experiences and concerns in the fiel
of software engineering.This is the first time conducted in India.
UNWTO Conference Held in Hyderabad
United Nations World Tourism Organisation ( UNWTO) Commission’s Conference on Sustainable Tourism Development and 25t
Joint Meeting of the UNWTO Commission for East Asia, Pacific and South Asia will be held at Hyderabad from 12th to 14th of thi
month.The conference attended by dignitaries belonging to 29 countries spread across in East Asia & Pacific and South Asia, eigh
UNWTO affiliate members, two regional organizations as well as industry organizations. The UNWTO Secretary General Taleb Rifa
along with his team of senior delegates presented at the meeting .The delegates discussed the market trends of the region in the yea
2012 and tourism prospects for the year 2013.The next Joint Meeting would be held in Philippines and the 21st Session of Genera
Assembly of UNWTO will be held in Cambodia.
AWARDS & HONOURS
National Awards for State Industries
On April 1st ,the state of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSME) got the National Awards .In the Research & Developmen
Efforts in MSMEs category includes three Awards (First, Second and Third) for Micro and Small Enterprises and have gone t
entrepreneurs from Punjab, Andhra Pradesh and Haryana respectively.Three National Awards (First, Second and Third) for Micro
Enterprises in Outstanding Efforts in Entrepreneurship category Haryana , West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh got first,second and thir
respectively.Three National Awards (First, Second and Third) for Small Enterprises. First Award has gone to an entrepreneur from
Himachal Pradesh. Second Award has been given jointly to four entrepreneurs from Andhra Pradesh, Haryana, New Delhi and Utta
Pradesh. Third Award has been given jointly to three entrepreneurs from Madhya Pradesh, Odisha and Karnataka.This awards will b
Desmond Tutu Won Prestigious “2013 Templeton Prize “
On 4 South Africa’s Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu has won “”2013 Templeton Prize “” for his life-long work in promoting love
and forgiveness.The prize was announced at the foundation’s headquarters in West Conshohocken in Pennsylvania and is valued a
$1.7-million (about Rs.15.6-million).Last year’s prize was awarded to the exiled Tibetan Buddhist spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama.
ICSI National Awards for Excellence in Corporate Governance – 2012
Chairman of the Awards Jury of the ICSI (Institute of Company Secretaries of India) and former Chief Justice of India Shri Justice M
N. Venkatachaliah in New Delhi on 05 April 2013 presented the ‘ICSI National Awards for Excellence in Corporate Governanc-2012’ to two ‘Best Governed Companies’:
1. Indian Oil Corporation Limited; and
2. HCL Technologies Limited.
The Awards were presented during the ongoing 2nd CSIA International Corporate Governance Conference.
ICSI Life Time Achievement Award for the year 2012 was presented to Shri Deepak S. Parekh, Chairman, Housing Developmen
Finance Corporation Ltd. for translating excellence in Corporate Governance into reality.Certificates of Recognition were presented t
the Top Five Companies. These are :
1. CMC Limited
2. Engineers India Limited
3. ONGC Limited
4. Persistent Systems Ltd.
5. Powergrid Corporation of India Limited
Barfi! wins top honours at The Times of India Film Awards
Barfi movie was the top winner at the maiden edition of The Times of India Film Awards, bagging the Best Film, Best Director (Anura
Basu), Best Actor (Ranbir Kapoor), Best Actress (Priyanka Chopra) and Best Debut Female (Ileana D’Cruz) trophies. The award fo
the Best Debut Male went to Ayushmann Khurrana for Vicky Donor, which also won the Best Supporting Actor award for Annu
Kapoor and the Best Supporting Actress trophy for Dolly Ahluwalia. Anurag Kashyap’s Gangs of Wasseypur got the Critics’ Choice
award for Best Film. Abhishek Bachchan, who won the Best Actor in a Comic Role award for Bol Bachchan, dedicated the honour to
his wife Aishwarya.
Pran gets Phalke Award
On 12 April 2013,Hindi film actor Pran Krishan Sikand will be conferred with the prestigious Dadasaheb Phalke Award for 2012. Th
93-year-old actor, popularly known as Pran, will be the 44th recipient of the top-most film award in the country.Pran, who has acted i
over 400 films in his six-decade-long career.The award, named after the father of Indian cinema Dada Saheb Phalke, will be conferred
on Pran on May 3, which will also mark the 100 years of cinema this year.
New York Times won four Pulitzer Prizes
The New York Times won four Pulitzer Prizes on 15 April 2013, including the award for investigative reporting for stories that detailed
how Wal-Mart used bribery to expand in Mexico.The Sun Sentinel in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, was awarded the public service Pulitze
for its reporting on off-duty police officers’ reckless driving.The Pulitzer in breaking news photography went to The Associated Press fo
its coverage of the civil war in Syria.The Pulitzers, journalism’s highest honour, are given out each year by Columbia University on th
recommendation of a board of journalists and others. Each award carries a $10,000 prize except for the public service award, which i
a gold medal.
Raj Chetty won John Bates Clark young economist award
Delhi-born Raj Chetty, the professor in the Department of Economy at the Harvard University won John Bates Clark medal for 2013
also called Baby Nobel.John Bates Clark medal is conferred upon the American economist whose age is below 40 years and the one
who has made crucial contribution to economic knowledge and thought.Baby Nobel is one of the most prestigious awards of economy
Infact, it is second only after Nobel Prize in economic science.Raj Chetty, 33, is the first Indian-origin person to win this high honour. His
areas of work include social insurance, tax policy as well as education policy.
Telugu writer Ravuri Bharadwaja honoured with Jnanpith award
Telugu writer Dr Ravuri Bharadwaja got the country’s prestigious Jnanpith award for 2012 for his contributions to Telugu literature ove
60 years.He got this award for his novel “Pakudurallu”.He is the third recipient of the country’s highest literary award from AndhrPradesh, after Dr Viswanatha Satyanarayana in 1970 for his Srimad Ramayana Kalpavriksham and Dr C. Narayana Reddy in 198
for his book Viswambhara. Eighty six-year-old Dr Bharadwaja was chosen for the award by a selection Board chaired by poet Sitakan
Mahapatra, said a statement of the Jnanpith award committee.
RGIA is Named the Best Airport in India
On 17 April The GMR Group operated and managed Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA) has been rated as the No.1 airport i
India, the fifth best regional airport in Asia and also as the eighth best airport in the 5 to 10 mppa capacity.The ratings were given at the
recently concluded Skytrax-World Airport Awards held at the Passenger Terminal Expo in Geneva.
Manmohan Singh, Sonia and Rahul Gandhi Named Among Top 5 Most Influential Asians
On 17 April Congress president Sonia Gandhi (2nd Rank), Prime Minister Manmohan Singh (4th Rank) and AICC vice president Rahu
Gandhi (5th Rank) have been named among top 5 in the world’s 100 most influential list of Asians topped by China’s new President X
Jinping.Among the other key Indians to make the grade included Reliance Industries chief Mukesh Ambani for owning Indias mos
valuable company in ninth place, followed by President Pranab Mukherjee at 19th place and steel magnate Lakshmi N Mittal at 20t
position.Indian entries dominated the Top 100 with 39 names, followed by 15 from China and six from the Philippines.While Infosys co
founder Narayan Murthy was named Philanthropist of the Year, industrialist Adi Godrej bagged Entrepreneur of the Year award for hi
contribution to Indian industry and Ravi Ruia, vice-chairman of the Essar Group, won in the Outstanding Contribution to Sustainability
category, for his company’s high sustainability ratings
NRI Kartar Lalvani Received Queen’s Award
On 20 April Vitabiotics, a company founded by NRI entrepreneur Kartar Lalvani, has received the coveted Queen’s Award foEnterprise in Innovation for its research on vitamins.’Vitabiotics’, UK’s largest supplier of minerals and vitamin supplements to the retai
trade, won the award for the development of its Pregnacare range and in recognition of its successful Pregnacare clinic research.
Saina Nehwal Selected for ‘Yudhvir ‘ Award
Yudhvir Foundation has selected ace badminton player Saina Nehwal for the 22nd Yudhvir Memorial Foundation Award for the yea
2013, which was being given every year to honor the individuals who excel in some field of human endeavor. The award was established
in the name of late Yudhvir, founder editor of the Hindi Milap daily in 1991 after his demise.Saina Nehwal was selected for the Awar
as she won a medal in Olympics in badminton and also the first to win the Asian Satellite Badminton tournament (India Chapter) twic
keeping the country’s image high abroad.The previous Yudhvir awardees include Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh, Classical maestr
Pandit Jasraj, Space Scientist Prof. UR Rao, Amar Chitra Katha founder late Anant Pai and eminent film maker Shyam Benegal and
others.
Asha Bhosle, Mala Sinha to get Phalke Academy awards
The Dadasaheb Phalke Academy Awards will be bestowed on singer Asha Bhosle, actress Mala Sinha, late filmmaker Yash Chopra
and late superstar Rajesh Khanna among several others at a ceremony in Mumbai on April 30.Asha, who has regaled music lovers with
her melodious voice in her over six decades old career, will receive the Phalke Ratna Award from the academy, while Mala Sinha, who
has acted in “”Pyaasa”", “”Maryada”" and “”Hariyali Aur Rasta”" will get the Golden Era Award.
Major Anup Joseph awarded Kirti Chakra, 12 others get Shaurya Chakra
Major Anup Joseph Manjali was on Saturday awarded the second-highest peacetime gallantry award Kirti Chakra by President Prana
Mukherjee for killing three foreign militants in Jammu and Kashmir. 12 defence personnel were awarded the Shaurya Charkra for thei
acts of bravery including Captain A Rahul Ramesh and Naik Krishna Kumar who were given the honour posthumously.
Seven South African Indians get National Orders
The awards(National Orders)are presented on the Freedom Day of South Africa that is celebrated on April 27 to mark the day o
which Nelson Mandela took over as the country’s first democratically-elected President in 1994. Among the recipients of the order wa
veteran Indian diplomat Enuga Sreenivasula Reddy who had led the fight against apartheid at the UN since 1963 received the Order o
the Companions of OR Tambo(Silver).The second highest award called the Order of the Baobab was presented to Lenasia-based
community worker Suraya Khan, popularly known to all as “Aunty Bibi”, while the same order in Silver went to journalist an
community activist Yusuf Abramjee and pioneering skin cloning plastic surgeon Dr Ridwan Mia. Prof Quarraisha Abdool Karimreceived the Order of Mapungubwe in Bronze for her internationally acclaimed research into HIV Aids.
SPORTS & GAMES
Rahi Sarnobat won a Gold medal in 25-M Pistol Event
Rahi Sarnobat clinched the first gold for India in International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) World Cup in Korea on 5 April 2013
She defeated Kyeongae Kim 8-6 in 25m pistol final. She is the first pistol shooter from India who won the Gold in World Cup.
Indian Women’s Cricket Team Won the Twenty20 International Series against Bangladesh
The Indian women’s cricket team finished the Twenty20 International series against Bangladesh Women with 3-0 clean sweep i
Vadodara in the final match on 5 April 2013. India won the final match by 10 runs against Bangladesh. The T-20 International serie
against Bangladesh began on 2 April 2013.
Nanjappa wins bronze in men’s 10m air pistol at World Cup
India’s Prakash Nanjappa won a bronze medal in the men’s 10m air pistol event at the ISSF World Cup at Changwon, Korea on 0
April 2013.This is Nanjappa’s first ever medal in an ISSF competition. He had also finished eighth at the men’s 50 metre pistol final. H
scored 180.2 points.The gold was won by Vietnam’s Xuan Vinh Hoang, the 2012 Asian champion, with a total score of 200.8 point
while the silver went to China’s Wang Zhiwei, the 2012 Olympic bronze medallist, who shot 200.1.
Narayanan Srinath Won Asian Junior Chess Title
On 6 April India’s International Master Narayanan Srinath won Asian Junior chess title that concluded at Sharjah in the United Arab
Emirates.Sahaj Grover of Delhi was second, as he also remained undefeated just like Srinath.Top seed Grandmaster Salem Saleh o
UAE finished third losing to Srinath and to a Vietnamese.Vo Thi Kim Phung (Vietnam) won the Asian Junior girls blitz championshi
title.
Rupesh Shah Won ONGC 12th Asian Billiards championship
On April 7 the world champion Rupesh Shah won the 12th Asian Billiards championship at Indore Tennis Club,Indore.He defeate
Alok Kumar .It is is the 10th Asian Billiards title for Rupesh Shah.Rupesh Shah already qualified for 2013 World Championship as th
defending champion.
Serena Williams Won Family Circle Cup Tennis Title
On 7 April The top-ranked Serena Williams (USA) won the Family Circle Cup Tennis title after defeated Jelena Jankovic (Serbia) in th
final at Charleston (South Carolina).Williams successfully defended her title by claiming her third overall Charleston crown.She earned
her 49th career singles title.
India got Silver in World Youth Weightlifting Championships 2013
Jamjang Deru gave India the first medal in the World Youth Weightlifting Championships as he won a silver in the 50kg boys category a
Tashkent, Uzbekistan. Deru won the silver in clean and jerk with an effort of 110 kg and finished fourth in the total lift with 195kg. H
lifted 85kg in snatch.In the same category, Deepak Lather finished 12th in total lift with an effort of 174kg (80+94).
India Women completed a 3-0 One-Day International series clean sweep over Bangladesh Women with a 58-run victory in the fina
match in Ahmedabad.India batted first in the third match and posted 154.
Pakistan bans two umpires over spot-fixing
Pakistan cricket authorities on 13 April 2013 banned two umpires.The allegations against the umpires first came up after a televisio
sting operation last year. The PCB set up an inquiry committee led by PCB Chairman Zaka Ashraf soon after and passed on its finding
to the board’s integrity committee to determine the punishments.Nadeem Ghauri, the Pakistan umpire, has been handed a four-year ban by the PCB after its integrity committee found him guilty of being willing to accept money for favourable umpiring decisions. H
colleague Anis Siddiqi was banned for three years.
Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso wins Chinese Grand Prix 2013
Ferrari driver Fernando Alonso won the Formula One Chinese Grand Prix on 14 April 2013.Lotus’ Kimi Raikkonen and Mercedes
Lewis Hamilton got second and third positions respectively.Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel got a 4th position.But Force India’s Paul d
Resta got 8th Position.
Adam Scott Won Augusta Masters Golf Tournament
Australia’s Adam Scott won the 77th Masters (2013 Masters Tournament), become the first Australian golfer to capture the gree
jacket.It was Scott’s first major championship and the first time an Australian has won the Masters.
Chandigarh win Hockey India sub-junior men’s national championship
Chandigarh defeated Punjab 2-1 to lift the 3rd Hockey India Sub-Junior Men National Championship (North Zone) title at Sonepat o
15 April 2013.Meanwhile, Haryana won the 3rd Hockey India Sub-Junior Women’s National Championship (North Zone) after gettin
the better of Chandigarh, 3-1 in the final.
Amit won gold, three other Indians bag a bronze each
Amit Kumar clinched a gold medal in men`s 55kg category while three other grapplers bagged a bronze medal each for India in the
Senior Asian Wrestling Championship in New Delhi on 20 April 2013.In the women`s category, Vinesh (51kg) and Babita Kumar
(55kg) won their bronze medal bouts while Bajrang (men`s 60kg) pocketed a bronze, to end the day three of the championships on high after two medal-less days.
Sebastian Vettel Won Bahrain Grand Prix Title
On 21 April The Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel from Germany won the Bahrain Grand Prix 2013 by defeating Lotus drivers Kim
Raikkonen and Romain Grosjean. Kimi Raikkonen got second postion.Lewis Hamilton of Mercedes took fifth position and Fernando
Alonso of Ferrari was successful in grabbing the eighth position in the listings
Novak Djokovic Won Monte Carlo Masters Title
On 21 April World Number One Novak Djokovic won his first Monte Carlo Masters title.Djokovic defeated Spain’s Rafael Nadal i
the final.The Serbian inflicted Nadal’s first defeat in Monte Carlo in 47 matches and avenged last year’s final defeat to lift his firsMasters title.
Amit Kumar Dhankar won Gold
Amit Kumar Dhankar won India’s second gold medal of the championships in Men’s 66kg Freestyle at KD Jadhav Stadium in New
Delhi on 22 April 2013. India topped the medals tally in Freestyle division with 2 gold and 2 bronze medals.India finished top of th
Men’s freestyle rankings with 2 golds and 2 bronze medals. India got 48 points to br crowned champion for the first time in the history
of the Asian Wrestling Championships.India finished with nine medals – 2 gold, 1 silver and 6 bronze.
Chris Gayle Hits Cricket’s Fastest-ever Century in IPL Match
On 23 April Chris Gayle, the West Indies opener, hit the fastest ever century in the history of cricket by reaching 100 in merely 30 ball
during Royal Challengers Bangalore-Pune Warriors IPL match.Gayle scored a total run of 175 runs in merely 66 balls, which include
17 sixes and 13 boundaries. It is important to note that this is the most number of runs scored in any T20 innings. This was also his fourth
century in the IPL career.
Lancashire’s Jordan Clark hits 6 sixes in 1 over
Lancashire all-rounder Jordan Clark had become only the fifth professional player to hit six sixes in one over, achieving the feat in
second XI match against Yorkshire on 25 April 2013.
Clark joins an illustrious list that contains former West Indies all-rounder Garfield Sobers (1968), India’s Ravi Shastri (1985), SouthAfrica batsman Herschelle Gibbs and India all-rounder Yuvraj Singh (both 2007).
Federation Cup Senior Athletics Championship in Patiala
Federation Cup Senior Athletics Championship in Patiala on 25 April 2013.
Men: 4x100M relay: Andhra Pradesh (K Pavan Kumar, E Gopi, Md Baba, M Manikanand Raj) 41.06 seconds, 1; Tamil Nadu ‘A
(Silambarasan, Al Ameen, Vijayakumar, Balamurugan) 41.10, 2; Kerala ‘A (Anuroop John, Jeris Jose, Rahul G Pillai, Renjith KG
Yamaha to Develop Cheapest Bike of the World in India
Yamaha, the Japanese two-wheeler company on 9 April 2013 announced that it will soon roll out the cheapest motorcycle of the world
in India. The price of this bike would be around 500 US dollar or 27000 Rupees approximately.
WTO cuts 2013 global trade growth forecast to 3.3%
The World Trade Organisation (WTO) on 10 April 2013 cut its forecast for global trade growth in 2013 to 3.3 percent, from the
previous prediction of 4.5 percent.
Gujarat Tops in Attracting Private Investment
According to the “”Composition of Outstanding Private Investments Across States “” report released by Assocham ,Gujarat has ranke
on top for attracting investment across the country — cornering about 14 per cent of total outstanding private sector investment wort
over Rs 75 lakh crore as of December 2012.Odisha ranks second with private investment commitments worth over Rs 8 lak
crore.With a share of about 9.4 per cent and 9.3 per cent, Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra both have attracted private investment
worth over Rs 7 lakh crore respectively.The private sector accounts for over 62 per cent of total outstanding investments worth abou
Rs 122 lakh crore attracted by India as of December 2012.Of the total investments from private sources worth over Rs 75 lakh crore
the domestic private sector accounts for a majority share of about 58 per cent.Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Uttarakhand
and Assam account for a share of less than even one per cent in the total private investment commitments attracted by India.
IMF slashed Economic Growth Rate of India to 5.7 percent from 5.9 percent for 2013
IMF(International Monetary Fund) in its latest release on 16 April 2013 of the World Economic Outlook (WEO) slashed the growt
projection of India from its earlier prediction of 5.9 percent to 5.7 percent for the calendar year 2013.
Ambani Brothers 20th Richest in World
Mukesh and Anil Ambani, India’s leading industrialist brothers, have been together listed as 20th richest in the world in the Sunda
Times Rich List 2013.The Walton family of the US, who own Supermarkets (Walmart), are the richest in the world with a 90 billion
pounds fortune in 2013 as against 51 billion pounds last year.The Hinduja brothers, Srichand and Gopichand Hinduja, Chairman an
Co-Chairman respectively of the Hinduja Group, are 47th richest in the world with a fortune worth 11 billion pounds in 2013 as agains
9 billion pounds last year.
Spain Unemployment Rate Hits New Record
On 24 April According to the National Statistics Institute data ,Spain’s unemployment rate soared to a new record of 27.2% of th
workforce in the first quarter of 2013.The total number of unemployed people in Spain has now passed the six million figure, althoug
the rate of the increase has slowed.The jobless rate, which stood at 7.9% in mid-2007, has risen relentlessly since the collapse in 2008
of a Spain’s labour-intensive property boom.
India became the world’s eighth most powerful nation
According to Delhi-based Foundation for National Security Research (FSNR), the world’s 10 most powerful countries, India had bee
ranked 8th. India is ranked eighth in 27 countries. Professor Satish Kumar says that we study about the selection of powerful countrie
on several grounds. Some of these countries had to fulfill the necessary criteria. For instance, were the countries, whose population wa
more than 5 million. The level of GDP was over U.S. $ 500 billion. India is one of such countries.Study states that the United States isthe world’s most powerful country and China stood in 2nd position.
India’s GDP likely to improve to 5.7% in 2013: IMF
According to International Monetary Fund’s(IMF) ‘Regional Economic Outlook: Asia and Pacific’ report ,the GDP of India in 2013 i
Human eye cells have been grown on cicadas’ wings after it was found that the wings’ surface kills bacteria and boosts cell growth.D
Greg Watson, a researcher at James Cook University in Cairns, began looking more closely at cicadas after noticing, while out on a
walk more than a decade ago, that their wings took much longer to decompose than their bodies.It is the first time scientists have foun
that tiny features found on a natural surface, rather than chemicals, kill bacteria.
Supreme Court of India Rejected Novartis’ Patent Plea for Cancer Drug Called Glivec
The Supreme Court of India on 1 April 2013 rejected the plea of Novartis, the Swiss drug maker, to patent the updated version o
cancer drug called Glivec. A bench of justices Aftab Alam and Ranjana Prakash Desai dismissed the patent plea to Novartis on th
basis that there was no inventiveness or novelty in the new version of the drug. In its ruling, the Supreme Court of India declared tha because the application for patent on beta-crystalline salt did not meet any inventiveness or novelty standard, therefore the company’
plea for patent was dismissed.
World’s first solar plane to fly across US
A first of its kind ultra-lightweight plane powered completely by the sun is set to fly coast-to-coast this spring.The Solar Impulse plan
will stop in Dallas city in Texas during its historic cross-country journey that begins on May 1.The plane, which requires zero fuel and
relies solely on solar panels and battery power, would be the world’s first plane powered purely by solar energy.
Obama Announced $100 Million “Brain Initiative” Project
On 2 April US President Barack Obama has announced the “BRAIN Initiative” a $100 million brain-mapping project.The BRAIN
initiative will attempt to find ways to treat Alzheimer’s disease and strokes while also aiding in job growth.
Carbon aerogel world’s lightest material
Chinese scientists have developed the world’s lightest substance — carbon aerogel — with a density only one sixth of that of th
air.Scientists at Zhejiang University produced the solid material which has a density of only 0.16 mg/cubic centimetre, breaking th
previous record of the world’s lightest material held by graphite aerogel.The graphite aerogel was developed by German scientists las
year with a density of 0.18 mg/cubic centimetre.
Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer Detected Evidence of Dark Matter
On 3 April NASA scientists announced the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer (AMS) placed on the International Space Station (ISS) may
have detected the elusive dark matter. The scientists made the announcement after they observed an excess of positrons in the CosmiRay Flux, which can be the reason of the presence of elusive dark matter.
100 billion Earth-like planets in our galaxy
Scientists have proposed a new method for finding Earth-like planets in our Milky Way galaxy and they anticipate that their number may
be up to a whopping 100 billion.The strategy devised by researchers at The University of Auckland uses a technique called gravitationa
microlensing, currently used by a Japan-New Zealand collaboration called MOA (Microlensing Observations in Astrophysics) at New
Zealand’s Mt John Observatory.
German Shipyard Launches World’s Largest Private Yacht
On 5 April A German shipyard has launched “”Azzam”" , the world’s largest private yacht at 590-feet long, which also happens to beamong the fastest vessels, costing a whopping USD 609 million.The luxury private vessel ‘Azzam’ – with a beam 68-feet high –
overshadows previous longest superyacht, The Eclipse, by 57-feet. Designed by Nauta Yachts in Italy and constructed by Germa
company Lurssen Yachts, Azzam is almost two football fields long and rivals the size of some cruise ships.It took four years to complete
the superyacht from concept to construction.With 94,000 horsepower generated from two gas turbines and two diesel engines, th
Azzam can reach speeds of over 55.5kph, which makes it one of the fastest yachts in the world.
New Camera System That Can Captured Images From 1 km Away
In the month of April the team of researchers from Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh , developed a New Laser powered Camera
System that can take image of any object from a distance of about one kilometer by creating high-resolution 3D images.The technique
on which the camera is based is called ‘Time-of-Flight (ToF)’ navigation systems for autonomous vehicles. In this principle o
photography, to capture the image of the far away object, a laser beam is bounced on the object and measure the time that is taken b
the beam of light to be back to the detector.
India test-fires nuclear capable Agni-II missile
The medium-range, nuclear capable Agni-II missile was successfully test-fired with a strike range of more than 2,000 kms from th
Wheeler Island off Odisha coast on 07 April 2013.The trial of the surface-to-surface missile was conducted from a mobile launcher from
the Launch Complex-4 of Integrated Test Range (ITR).The 20-metre-long Agni-II is a two-stage, solid-propelled ballistic missile. It ha
a launch weight of 17 tonnes and can carry a payload of 1,000 kgs over a distance of 2,000 kms.The state-of-the-art Agni-II missil
was developed by Advanced Systems Laboratory (ASL) and integrated by the Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL) in Hyderabad.Agni-Iis part of the Agni series of missiles developed by DRDO which includes Agni-I with a 700 km range, Agni-III with a 3,000 km range
Agni-IV with 4,000 km range and Agni-V with a more than 5,000 km range.
NASA Approved “TESS” Project
NASA has approved a The Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS), a $200 million mission to search for Earth-size planet
orbiting the nearby stars.Led by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology with seed funding from Google, TESS was one of 11
proposals selected for NASA funding in September 2011, down from the original 22 submitted in February of that year.TESS, alon
with the Neutron star Interior Composition ExploreR (NICER), had been selected for launch in 2017.
The project will come into full swing within the next four years.
Pakistan Tests Nuclear-Capable Hatf-IV Missile
Pakistan successfully test-fired the nuclear-capable Hatf-IV ballistic missile on 10 April 2013. The missile has a range of 900 km and i
can also hit targets in India. Hatf- IV ballistic missile is also called Shaheen-1.
Indian Astronomer Discovered Blue Super-Giant Star
An Indian scientist Dr. duo Ananda Hota and his Taiwanese colleague Dr. Youichi Ohyama have discovered a blue super-giant sta
located in the constellation Virgo, far beyond our Milky Way Galaxy. Over 55 million years ago, the star emerged in an extremely wild
environment, surrounded by intensely hot plasma (a million degrees centigrade) and amidst raging cyclone winds blowing at four millio
kilometres per hour.This star is in small IC 3418 Milky Way Galaxy and it is about 5.5 billion light-years away from Earth.
Astronomers find most Earth-like planets yet
NASA scientists announced on 19 April 2013 that they discovered two earths like plants which are 1200 light years far from earth
NASA discovered the five plants which are rotating around Kepler 62 star using the Kepler Space Telescope. Two of the five planet
orbiting a sun-like star called Kepler-62 are squarely in what astronomers call the habitable zone — not too hot, not too cold an
possibly bearing water. These two plants are named as a Kepler-63e and Kepler 62f.
China Tested Self Developed Biofuel Flight
On 24 April China successfully conducted a first test flight powered by self-developed biofuel made mainly from palm oil and recycled
cooking oil.An Airbus A320 operated by China Eastern Airlines landed at Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport ,after completing a
85-minute journey using aviation biofuel produced by Sinopec, the country’s top oil refiner.The success made China the fourth countr
after the United States, France and Finland to boast independent production of bio-jet-fuel.
PERSONS IN NEWS
A) APPOINTMENTS
Jonty Rhodes named South African tourism ambassador in India
Former cricketer Jonty Rhodes was named as the brand ambassador of South African Tourism in India.
Sharad Arvind Bobde were administered the oath of office and secrecy by Chief Justice of India Altamas Kabir.While Justice Sikri wa
the Chief Justice of Punjab and Haryana High Court, Justice Bobde was the Chief Justice of Madhya Pradesh High Court. The
sanctioned strength of the apex court is 31 judges including the CJI.
Sunil Kumar Takes over as Managing Director of CRIS
On 16 April 2013,Sunil Kumar took over as the Managing Director of Centre for Railway Information Systems (CRIS).
Shri Asoke Kumar Mukerji appointed as the Permanent Representative of India to the UN
On April 17,Shri Asoke Kumar Mukerji, took charges as the Ambassador/Permanent Representative of India to the United Nations a
New York.
CRPF gets first woman Special DG
On April 18, Senior IPS officer Aruna Bahuguna appointed as the Special Director General of the country’s largest paramilitary force
CRPF. This is the first time a woman officer is occupying the second top post in the hierarchy of the force. She is a 1979-batch IPS
officer. She was till now serving as the Chairman of the AP police housing corporation. Bahuguna is expected to take charge at the forc
headquarters in New Delhi within 15 days.
Abdul Hamid elected Bangladesh President uncontested
Abdul Hamid is to be Bangladesh’s 20th president after no other candidate was nominated in the poll to replace President ZilliuRahman who died on 20 March 2013. Abdul Hamid was elected uncontested as the 20th President of Bangladesh.
Sunil Bharti Mittal Appointed as Vice Chairman of ICC
On 22 April Sunil Bharti Mittal , the Chairman and Group CEO of Bharti Enterprises appointed as the Vice-Chairman of the
International Chamber of Commerce (ICC),which is one of the world’s oldest global business organisations.With the appointment a
the Vice Chairman of ICC, Mittal became the third business person from India in the history of ICC to be appointed on the ICC
Executive Board.
Ajay Devgn, Runa Laila named SAARC ambassadors for HIV/AIDS
Bollywood actor Ajay Devgn, Bangladeshi singer Runa Laila and Oscar-winning Pakistani filmmaker Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy have been named as SAARC Goodwill Ambassadors for HIV/AIDS.A meeting of the selection committee was held recently at the SAARC
Secretariat and of the 10 nominations received from the member states, the three celebrities were nominated.
Takehiko Nakao is new ADB President
On 27 April Takehiko Nakao has been unanimously elected president of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) by the Board o
Governors at New Delhi.He succeeds Haruhiko Kuroda, who resigned in March to take up his assignment as Bank of Japan
governor.Nakao assumed office as ADB’s ninth president on 28 April.
Gulzar’s appointment as chancellor elates Assam University
Lyricist-writer and Padma Bhushan awardee, Gulzar has been appointed the new chancellor of Assam University.Established in 1994
the Assam University campus is situated in Dargakona, about 20 km from Silchar.
B)RESIGNS
Kerala minister resigned following domestic violence complaint by wife
Kerala Forest minister K.B.Ganesh Kumar resigned his post on 02 April 2013 due to domestic violence complaint by wife in the loca
police station.He is only one Congress person in the Congress- UPF Coalition Alliance government in Kerala.
Cyprus Finance Minister Michalis Sarris Res igns
On 3 April Cyprus Finance Minister Michalis Sarris has resigned citing his role as chairman of Laiki Bank, whose failure was a majo
Justice O Chinnappa Reddy, one of the highly respected members of the Indian judiciary, died at his jubilee hills residence i
Hyderabad on 13 April 2013. He was born at Gooty in Anantapur district on September 25, 1922.Justice Reddy was appointed a
judge of the Supreme Court from January 17, 1978 and continued in the post for about 10 years.He retired on 24 Septembe
1987.After his retirement he became chairman of the Karnataka BC commission.
Playback singer PB Srinivas passes away
Veteran playback singer PB Srinivas who rendered more than 3,000 songs in eight languages died in Chennai on 14 April 2013.Hdebuted as a singer with Hindi film Mr. Sampath in 1952. His last song was from the 2010 Tamil film Aayirathil Oruvan.
Ex-CEC, governor VS Rama Devi dead
Former Karnataka and Himachal Pradesh Governor V S Ramadevi, the only woman to head the Election Commission, died in
Bangalore on 17 April 2013.Born on March 15, 1934, Ramadevi was the Chief Election Commissioner of India from November 26
1990 to December 11, 1990. She was the only woman who became the CEC. She was succeeded by T N Seshan.She had served a
the Governor of Himachal Pradesh from July 26, 1997 to December 1, 1999 and as the Governor of Karnataka from December 2
1999 to May 20, 2002.
Dina Thanthi MD Sivanthi Adithan dead
Veteran journalist and managing director of Tamil daily Dina Thanthi B Sivanthi Adithan died in Chennai on 19 April 2013.He was also
head of the Indian Olympic Association before Suresh Kalmadi took over and is the former vice president of Olympic Council of Asia
At the time of his death, Sivanthi Adithan was the life president of IOC and president of the Volleyball Federation of India.Sivanth
Adithan was honoured with Padmashree in 2008.
Mathematical Genius Shakuntala Devi Died
On 21 April The ‘human computer’ ‘mental calculator’, mathematics whizard Shakuntala Devi died at Bangalore.Her name wa
recorded in Guinness Book of World Records for her ability of making calculations at lightning-speed.In the year 1977, she calculate
the 23rd root of digit number 201 in just 50 seconds.Some of her books were Puzzles to Puzzle You, Mathablit, Astrology for You, Fu
with Numbers and Awaken the Genius in Your Child.
Former England Captain Mike Denness Died
On 19 April Michael Henry Denness, popularly known as Mike Denness, the former England captain died in London.Mike Dennes
played county cricket for Essex and Kent. He scored over 25000 runs in the first-class career.He was the captain of Kent to si
domestic trophies between 1972 and 1976.He was among first few inductees into the Scottish Sports Hall of Fame.He was also name
as the Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1975.
Former Chief Justice of India J S Verma dead
Former Chief Justice of India J S Verma, who headed the government-appointed committee to frame a tough law to tackle crime agains
women in the wake of the December Delhi gangrape incident, died in Gurgaon on 22April 2013.Justice Verma was the 27th Chie
Justice of India and served from March 25, 1997 until his retirement on January 18, 1998.He began his legal career in 1955 and became
a Judge of Madhya Pradesh High Court in June-1973. He became Chief Justice of Madhya Pradesh High Court in June,1986 and alsoserved as Chief Justice of Rajasthan High Court from September, 1986 to mid-1989.Justice Verma was also a former Chairman o
National Human Rights Commission.He was also the first Chairperson of News Broadcasting Standards Authority.
Veteran violinist Lalgudi Jayaraman died
Celebrated violinist and composer Lalgudi Jayaraman, who carved out a niche for himself in the Carnatic music with his unique style
died in Chennai on 22 April 2013. Jayaraman, who began his music career at the age of 12 as an accompanying artist, later achieved
fame as a solo violinist and also had success as a composer in four languages – Telugu, Tamil, Kannada and Sanskrit.Considering hi
contribution to the field of music, he was conferred with several awards including Padma Shri in 1972 and Padma Bhushan in 2001.H
was also feted with state Vidhwan of Tamil Nadu and also fellow of Sangeet Natak Akademi.
On 23 April Legendary singer Shamshad Begum died in Mumbai . She was 94 years of age. She was one of the first few playbac
singers of the Hindi film industry. She was conferred with the O P Nayyar award for contribution to Hindi film music, in the year 2009.In
2009 again, she was conferred with the third-highest civilian honour of India, Padma Bhushan.
Sripathi Rajeswara Rao dead
Former Telugu Desam Minister Sripathi Rajeswara Rao who founded the All India NTR Fans Association several decades ago, died o
kidney ailment at NIMS in Hydearabad on 28 April 2013.
Sailendra Nath Roy died In Zip-Line Ponytail Stunt
Sailendra Nath Roy, a 49-year-old police officer, was attempting to cross the River Teesta in the state of West Bengal on 28 April 2013
on a 180m (594ft) wire above the water.After attaching his shoulder-length hair to a pulley on the wire, Mr Roy had completed around
half the distance but then became entangled and found himself unable to move.After sometime he dead. Mr Roy achieved the Guinnes
World Record after covering 82.5m (271ft) on a zip-line while attached by his hair in 2011 at the Neemrana Fort, a heritage hotel in the
desert state of Rajasthan.
Nuthakki Bhanu Prasad Passes away
On 29 April 2013 the Scientist, Padma Shri award recipient died in Hyderabad.He got Padma shri award in 1959 for his Contribution
in field of India’s Atomic reactor.The Petrotech 2003 Lifetime Achievement award was presented to Padmashri Dr. Nuthakki Bhan
Prasad for his contribution to India’s Upstream Petroleum Industry.He is also worked as a Chairman of ONGC.
D)VISITORS
Indian PM schedules UAE visit in August
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will pay a “stand Alone visit” to the United Arab Emirates in early August, the first by an Indian prim
minister to the Gulf nation since Indira Gandhi visited nearly three decades ago.
PM Manmohan Singh leaves for Germany on a three-day visit
On April 10, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had left India on a three-day official visit to Germany, where he will co-chair inter –governmental consultations and witness the signing of a series of agreements on education, science and technology and renewable
energy.The PM is leading a high-level delegation to Berlin that includes five cabinet ministers: Salman Khurshid (external affairs), Anand
Sharma (commerce), Farooq Abdullah (renewable energy), MM Pallam Raju (human resource development) and S Jaipal Redd
(science and technology).
Prime Minister of India Visited Germany: Important Documents Signed
Prime Minister of India, Manmohan Singh visited Germany from 10 April 2013 to 12 April 2013 for participating in second round o
Inter Governmental Consultations with Germany.
During his visit, certain documents were signed. These documents are as follows:
1.Joint Declaration of Intent regarding promotion of German as a foreign language in India
2.Intergovernmental MoU between India & Germany on Cooperation in the field of Higher Education
3.Joint Declaration of Intent on Indo-German cooperation in the area of Civil Security Research
4.Joint Declaration for the bilateral “”Kooperations Program” of the German Federal Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Consume
Protection and the National Seeds Association of India and the German Association of Plant Breeders
5.Joint Declaration of Intent on the Establishment of an Indo-German Working Group on Quality Infrastructure for Cooperation i
Standardisation, Conformity Assessment and Product Safety
The Islamabad High Court on 18 April 2013 ordered Musharraf’s arrest for detaining senior judges when he imposed emergency rule i
2007.So, Pakistani police arrested Musharraf on 19 April 2013.
Gates’ foundation to put $1.8bn to eradicate polio
Bill Gates announced in Abu Dhabi on 25 April 2013 his foundation will contribute $1.8 billion to the Global Polio Eradication Initiative
a third of the total funds needed. He announced this contribution in Global Vaccine summit in Abu Dhabi.
8 killed as bomb targets Syria’s prime minister
Syrian Prime Minister Wael al-Halki survived a bomb attack on his convoy in Damascus on 29 April 2013.8 members(including PM’
car driver and Personal security) are killed in the blast.
PLACES IN NEWS
7.1 Magnitude Earthquake Hits Indonesia
A powerful 7.1 magnitude earthquake hit the Papua province in Indonesia on 06 April 2013.But there was no damage or injuries. I
occurred in a north east to Capital of Papua province, about 75 kilometers (46 miles) in depth.
A Powerful earthquake in Iran
On April 9, A powerful earthquake was strucked close to Iran’s only nuclear power station, killing at least 37 people and injuring 850 a
it destroyed homes and devastated two small villages.Its epicentre was 89 km south-east of the port of Bushehr.The magnitude of the
earthquake on Richter scale is 6.3.
Strong earthquake hits Japan
A strong earthquake estimated at magnitude 6.3 strucked the western Japan, on 13 April 2013.In this event 23 people were injured i
that 7 are serious.The earthquake was centered on Awaji Island, just south of Kobe, at a depth of 15 kilometres.The quake was in th
area where a magnitude-7.2 temblor killed more than 6,400 people in 1995.
Musharraf disqualified from parliamentary polls
Courts in Pakistan have disqualified former president Pervez Musharraf for contesting parliamentary elections for suspending th
constitution and imposing emergency in 2007 during his rule.
Earthquake of Magnitude 7.8 Jolted Iran and Pakistan
Earthquake that measured 7.8 on the Richter scale struck on 16 April 2013 in Iran killed more than 40 people leaving behind severa
injured. Epicenter of the quake was near Pakistan-Iran Border in the southeastern city of Khash. The tremors of the quake were fel
across India, Middle East and Pakistan.
Fertiliser plant explosion in the US
On April 18, massive explosion at a fertilizer plant in the Town of West, in Central Texas. It is 120km far from Dallas town in the Texastate. In this explosion 15 were died and 200 people were injured
Delhi gets “Dildaar Delhi” tagline
Delhi got its own tagline “Dildaar Delhi”. Penned by Amit Anand, a cashier in a small confectionery shop in Keshavpuram, the tagline
was selected out of 12,000 entries of a competition organized by Delhi government and Delhi Tourism department.
German Bakery blast: Himayat Beg sentenced to death
On April 18, a Pune court sentenced Indian Mujahideen operative Mirza Himayat Inayat Baig to death in the German Bakery bom
blast case.The terror attack on the popular pune joint had killed 17 people and injured 64 in February 2010. On 15 April 2013, Pun
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