CLATGYAN GK COMPENDIUM FOR THE MONTH OF MAY, 2014

May 1, 2014

‗The Candidate‘ written by Indian Journalist Anirudh Bhattacharya released. Anirudh

Bhattacharya has extensively covered Indian politics and election for the print and

television media.

Ex-Australian judge, Micheal Hudson McHugh has been appointed by the Supreme

Court as the third arbitrator to resolve the dispute in between the Central Government

and Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) on KG basin. This was done

because RIL had moved to the Supreme Court for seeking appointment of an

arbitrator from a foreign country with which parties in disputes are not connected

with.

2014 Summer Youth Olympic Games to be held in Nanjing, China from 16th

to 28th

August, 2014.

May 1 celebrated as International Labour Day to celebrate achievements of workers.

The day symbolizes the struggle of the International Labour Movement. It marks a

day for various labour movements such as the eight-hour day movement which

advocated eight hours for work, eight hours for recreation and eight hours for rest.

Keeping in mind India‘s limited presence in the infrastructure space in Africa, Exim

Bank is in the process of setting up a Project Development Company in association

with the African Development Bank . State Bank of India and Infrastructure Leasing

and Financial Services will be other parties in the Project Development Company.

Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati has occupied place among the world‘s top

100 Universities (published by London-based Times Higher Education (THE)

Magazine.

800 new-breed universities were analyzed from a total of 89 countries out of which

IIT Guwahati has been ranked 87th

.

George Clooney, Academy winning Hollywood actor served the United Nations as

Messenger of Peace since January 2008. He stepped down from his role amid the

reports of his engagement with the human rights lawyer, Amal Alamuddin.

Manoj Vaish, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Multi Commodity

Exchange of India Ltd (MCX) resigned after serving three months on the job. The

reason for resignation as per a statement released by MCX is due to health concerns.

Mahatma Gandhi Pravasi Suraksha Yojana launched in the UAE.

Annual update of the ICC rankings announced India‘s number one ranking in the

Twenty20 Internationals. The announcement was made in Dubai.

‗.london‘ web domain on sale for the first time offering individuals and businesses the

city-specific web address.

Bob Hoskins, known for his roles in ‗The Long Good Friday‘ and ‗Who Framed

Roger Rabit‘ died at 71 due to pneumonia. He was nominated for Oscars in the year

1987 for hi crime drama in Mona Lisa.

He was diagnosed with Parkinson‘s disease in 2012 after which he retired from his

acting career.

Social networking website, Facebook newly launched FB Newswire for journalists.

This newswire acts as a repository of verified, real-time content for use of journalists

and news publications. It is designed with the aim of helping journalists share and

embed news worthy.

May 2, 2014

Three Kirti Chakras and nine Shaurya Chakras conferred on armed forces personnel

by President Pranab Mukherjee for displaying ―conspicuous gallantry, indomitable

courage and extreme devotion‖ to duty at a ceremony at the Rashtrapati Bhavan.

Three Uttam Yudh Seva Medals were also presented for high degree of distinguished

service in an operational service which includes times of war, conflict or hostilities.

World‘s largest railway tunnel for high-speed trains operational in China. The

construction for the same began in 2009. It is designed for trains running at over 200

km per hour and will cut the train travel time from certain destinations from a time

consuming 20 hours to a reduced time period of 8 hours.

The process of migration to the new Cheque Truncation System (CTS) cheques was

started by the Reserve Bank of India after the deadline of shifting to new format bank

cheques was over.

Transactions with cheques that have Magnetic Ink Character Recognition (MICR) and

not the CTS technology will be delayed from 1 May 2014 onwards.

Former Captain Waqar Younis has been offered a two-year contract to coach Pakistan

by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). Before resigning, Younis had previously

coached Pakistan in 2010 and 2011.

The US Green Building Council has ranked India as Number 3 in the list of top 10

countries for LEED outside of the United States. Canada being the top most in the list

followed by China, India, South Korea, Taiwan, Germany and Brazil.

Election Queue Management System introduced in India which helps voters to find

out the level of crowd in the polling booths by sending an SMS with their Electoral

Photo Identity Card number to 9230085005.

India has slipped down the global rankings for freedom of press reaching a rank of

78th

and belonging to the group of ―partially free media‖ countries.

Air India to join the world‘s largest airline grouping, Star Alliance making it the first

airline from India to be part of a global chain of carriers. This will bring immense

benefits to Indian fliers as they will be able to earn- and-burn miles and get access to

lounges across the world.

May 3, 2014

President Pranab Mukherjee presented the 61st National Film Awards 2014.

Best Film Award- Ship of Theseus by Anand Gandhi

Most Popular Film-Bhaag Milkha Bhaag by Rakeysh Omprakash

World Press Freedom Day observed on May 3rd

to promote and protect freedom of

expression and press worldwide. The day is marked by conferring the

UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize to deserving candidates who

have significantly contributed in upholding freedom of press.

Bandhan Financial Services to open 300 new banks in West Bengal. Bandhan and

IDFC were recently granted banking licenses by RBI.

Lyricist, Gulzar received the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, the highest honour in cinema

given annually by the Government of India for lifetime contribution to India Cinema.

The award was given in the 61st National Awards Ceremony held in New Delhi. His

real name is Sampooran Singh Kalra.

Triple jumper Renjith Maheswary, who has been stopped from receiving Arjuna

Award under controversial circumstances on charges of dope violation last year, has

again been recommended by the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) for the coveted

honour this year.

Eighteen members of the outgoing Drug Technical Advisory Board (DTAB) have

received the ‗Leadership in Animal Welfare Award‘ for its support in improving the

regulatory standards for animal welfare in the country. Humane Society

International/India (HSI) conferred the award.

$12 billion loan approved by the World Bank to help Pakistan lift its economy which

has been affected by a decade of conflict and acute energy shortage. The money will

be used to reduce energy shortage and improve education in the country.

In the previous year, International Monetary Fund (IMF) had approved a package of

6.7 Billion dollars for Pakistan.

May 4, 2014

The Indo-Zimbabwean tennis pair of Sania Mirza and Cara Black has won the WTA

Portugal Open Women‘s Doubles title.

Vijay Raghavan elected to Foreign Associate of the US National Academy of

Sciences.

Eighteen passengers were killed and nearly 100 injured when engine of Diva-

Sawantwadi passenger train derailed in Raigad in Maharashtra.

India successfully test fired Astra: India successfully test-fired its first indigenously-

developed air-to-air missile Astra from a Su-30 combat aircraft over a firing range

in the western sector. ―The indigenously developed Beyond Visual Range (BVR) air-

to-air missile ‗ASTRA‘ was successfully test fired by the Air Force from a naval

range in the western sector meeting all the mission objectives,‖ a DRDO release said.

Astra is India‘s first BVR air-to-air missile indigenously designed and developed by

DRDO and is an all-weather weapon system.

Sacred portals of the Kedarnath temple were reopened to devotees amid elaborate

rituals about a year after the Himalayan shrine was marred by flash floods that had

left hundreds of people dead and many others stranded.

Veteran trap shooter Manavjit Singh Sandhu jumped to third spot in the world

rankings.

Kamal Chawla won a bronze medal in Asian Snooker Championship held in Al

Fujairah in the UAE.

Martha Dodray to be given Florence Nightingale Award for her extraordinary work in

polio eradication. She was earlier honored with the United Nations Foundation

Award.

May 5, 2014

Paul Kagame, President of Rwanda, Park Geun-hye, President of South Korea along

with Mexican Billionaire Carlos Slim were honored with the World

Telecommunication and Information Society (WTIS) Award 2014.

RV Verma appointed by the Government as Whole-Time Member (Finance) in

Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority. At present, Verma is Chairman

and Managing Director of National Housing Bank, the regulator for housing finance

companies.

The French retail giant Carrefour, world‘s 2nd largest, decides to shut shops in India

amidst hostile political prospect for foreign retail outlets in the country. The 76-

billion-euro retail chain thus becomes the first foreign retailer to plan an exit from

India. With many states and the BJP (tipped to form the government at centre)

opposing FDI in retail, foreign retailers are left with limited options.

This year‘s World Championship titles in Table Tennis have been grabbed by China‘s

men‘s and women‘s team.

Vodafone, Airtel, Idea resume 3G services: Telecom operators Vodafone and Idea

Cellular said they will resume 3G services in circles where they don't have spectrum

through intra-circle roaming (ICR) pacts with other operators. Bharti Airtel has also

announced resumption of its 3G services in circles where it don't have spectrum. This

announcement by the operators comes post the Telecom Disputes Settlement and

Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT) ruling last week. The TDSAT bench headed by Justice

Aftab Alam has said 3G ICR agreement signed by Airtel, Vodafone and Idea Cellular

was not violative of licence agreement.

Ahmed Maiteeg- New Prime Minister of Libya with 121 votes in Parliament out of a

total of 200 member votes.

Honda recalls 31,226 Amaze, Brio cars to check faulty brake: Honda Cars India Ltd

(HCIL) recalled 31,226 units of select variants of the Amaze compact sedan and Brio

hatchback to inspect them for a possible defect in the brake system.

Ratan Tata became the first Indian to be awarded the Knight Grand Cross of the Order

of the British Empire (GBE) since India became a Republic in 1950.

ING Vysya Life renamed as Exide Life Insurance.

May 6, 2014

A group of 11 European Union countries agreed to introduce a financial transaction

tax from 2016 onward. The nations including economic heavyweights Germany,

France, Italy and Spain will initially tax only the trading of shares and some

derivatives.

The Central Bureau of Investigation has recorded statements of Defence Minister

A.K. Antony and Prime Minister‘s Advisor T.K.A. Nair in connection with the

allegations that Lieutenant-General (retired) Tejinder Singh had offered a bribe to

then Army chief General V.K. Singh to approve the procurement of Tatra trucks.

About two years ago, General V.K. Singh had alleged that Lt. Gen. Tejinder Singh

had in September 2010 offered him Rs.14 crore in bribe to approve the purchase of

over 1,600 Tatra trucks from BEML, a public sector unit.

The Supreme Court held as invalid the legal provision that makes prior sanction

mandatory for the Central Bureau of Investigation to conduct a probe against senior

bureaucrats in corruption cases under the Prevention of Corruption Act. A

Constitution Bench comprising Chief Justice R.M. Lodha and Justices A.K. Patnaik,

S.J. Mukhopadhaya, Dipak Misra and Ibrahim Kalifulla, while allowing the petitions

filed by BJP leader Subramanian Swamy and the Centre for Public Interest Litigation,

held that Section 6A of the Delhi Special Police Establishment Act, which granted

protection to joint secretary and above officers from facing even a preliminary inquiry

by the CBI in corruption cases, was violative of Article 14. Welcoming the court

order, CBI Director Ranjit Sinha told The Hindu: ―It is a landmark judgment that will

empower the agency in the investigations into several cases pending due to the

provision that has now been struck down by the Constitution Bench. We had for long

been of the view that inquiry against senior officials need not require any prior

permission.‖

Within hours of Lalit Modi being declared as the president of the Rajasthan Cricket

Association, BCCI has decided to indefinitely suspend RCA and appoint an ad-hoc

body to run its cricket affairs.

The Reserve Bank of India allowed minors above the age of 10 to open and operate

savings bank accounts independently. This was to promote the objective of financial

inclusion and to bring uniformity among banks in opening and

operating minors‘ accounts.

Mark Selby won the World Snooker Championship.

The official Periodic Table of the Elements is one step closer to adding element 117

to its ranks. That‘s thanks to an international team of scientists that was able to

successfully create several atoms of element 117, which is currently known as

Ununseptium until it‘s given an official name.

Bharti Enterprises founder and Chairman Sunil Bharti Mittal will co-chair this year‘s

edition of the World Economic Forum on Africa.

Jindal Steel and Power (JSPL) is close to acquiring an iron ore mine in West Africa to

secure raw material for its recently commissioned steel plant in Oman and to sell the

surplus in the open market.

Constitutional validity of RTE Act upheld by the Supreme Court in so far as it

related to unaided educational institutions to provide compulsory education for

children in the age group of 6 to 14 years.

YouTube ban lifted by Pakistani Parliament.

May 7, 2014

The Supreme Court allowed raising of water level in Mullaperiyar Dam up to 142 feet

quashing the law passed by the Kerala Assembly. A 3-member committee was also

set up headed by Central Water Commission member to ensure proper repair of the

dam.

The constitutional court of Thailand ruled that the Prime Minister Yingluck

Shinawartra must step down as she was found guilty of abusing her power. The court

ruled that she acted illegally and abused her power by transferring her National

Security Chief, a civil servant to another post about three years ago in 2011.

There is political deadlock in the country since November 2013 as anti-government

protesters have been demanding oust of Yingluck.

Supreme Court banned ‗jallikattu‘ (bull fighting) and bullock cart racing in Tamil

Nadu holding that even bulls have rights against torture.

Dr.Nigel Poole is appointed as New Ambassador for ICRISAT (International Crops

Research Institute for the Semi Arid Tropics). ICRISAT appointed him for that

position to develop sustainable and science based solutions for better livelihood for

the poor in the dry lands.

The Kolkata franchise of the much awaited Indian Super League was finally

inaugurated as Atletico De Kolkata in the state of West Bengal. Emphasizing on the

importance of providing the right football education to youngsters in India, Atletico

De Madrid expressed its anticipation and dreams towards the Indian team.

Air Asia has been granted an Air Operators‘ Permit by the Directorate General of

Civil Aviation bringing the airlines a step closer to launching its low-cost airline in

India. The joint venture between Air Asia, Tata Group and Arun Bhatia of the

Telestra Tradeplace has promised ―nano fares‖ in their upcoming flights.

Section 6A of Delhi Special Police Establishment Act (DSPEA) struck down by the

Supreme Court ruling that the status of bureaucrats is of no relevance to the offence

under the provisions of Prevention of Corruption Act (PCA).

Jignesh Shah, promoter of Financial Technologies was arrested on 7th

May 2014 in

the case of Rs.5600 crore NSEL (National Spot Exchange Limited) scam.

May 8, 2014

Pakistan successfully test-fired Hataf-III Ghaznavi missile. Hataf-III Ghaznavi missile

is a short range surface-to-surface Ballistic Missile. It is also capable of carrying

nuclear and conventional weapons up to 290 kilometers.

Union Shipping Ministry appointed as Traffic Manager of NMPT (New Mangalore

Port Trust). He is none other than D.Mahadevaiah. He is having more than 30 years of

experience in the Traffic Management.

India's travel planning engine tripgator.com in partnership with Ministry of Tourism

has been launched. It has been created by IT firm WorthYourHolidays. . The travel

search engine is aimed to provide all travel itineraries in one tab to reduce traveller's

efforts. It is designed to aggregate information about cities, tourist spots,

transportation, hotels, culture, weather and visa applications. It will cater to domestic

and global travellers.

Coca-Cola to drop controversial ingredient Brominated Vegeteble Oil (BVO) from

its sports drinks. The consumption of harmful BVO can cause impaired neurological

development, reduced fertility, early onset of puberty and altered thyroid hormones.

New species of snakes was discovered by Chinese scientists of brownish pit viper,

Himalayanus. Based on the genetic analysis it was identified as Protobothrops

Himalayans.

WHO- Delhi is the most polluted city in the world, says a study released by World

Health Organization (WHO). The 2014 report of the Ambient Air Pollution (AAP)

database contains results of outdoor air pollution monitoring from almost 1600 cities

in 91 countries. WHO- Delhi is the most polluted city in the world, says a study

released by World Health Organization (WHO). The 2014 report of the Ambient Air

Pollution (AAP) database contains results of outdoor air pollution monitoring from

almost 1600 cities in 91 countries.

National payment gateway system 'RuPay' launched

Ashok Sethi appointed as the new Executive Director of Tata Power. He has

completed B.Tech from IIT Kharagpur and is currently acting as Chief of Corporate

Operations Management.

Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Industries leads the pack of 54 Indian companies in

Forbes' annual list of the world's 2000 largest and most powerful public companies,

with Chinese companies occupying the top three slots on the list.

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has put on hold its decision to make Aadhaar-based

biometric authentication for transactions mandatory. The Supreme Court had earlier

asked the government not to link Aadhaar with any social benefit schemes and

subsidies.

Gujarat model of land Acquisition has been declared the best in the country by the

Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP)

A leading Arab travel industry showcase has named India as the recipient of the New

Frontiers Award 2014 for its efforts to rebuild infrastructure and its rural tourism

economy after two natural disasters. Economic Adviser in the Ministry of Tourism

Devender Singh received the award from Mark Walsh, Portfolio Director, Reed

Travel Exhibitions, at the Arabian Travel Market (ATM), a four day event.

May 9, 2014

The Security Council voted unanimously recently to establish a U.N. medal for

―exceptional courage‖ in the name of an unarmed U.N. peacekeeper from Senegal,

Myabe Diagne who lost his life after saving hundreds of Rwandans from death in the

1994 genocide.

Luis Guillermo Solis sworn in as 47th President of Costa Rica: Historian and political

scientist Luis Guillermo Solis has been sworn in as 47th President of Costa Rica.

The Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited, BHEL has commissioned Gas Turbine

Generating unit at a power project in Oman.

The South Sudan President Salva Kiir and rebel army leader Riek Machar on 9 May

2014 signed a peace deal in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

o The deal calls for immediate peace and end of the ongoing conflict in Jonglei

state between the two parties. The deal also calls for the formation of a

transitional government ahead of the drafting of a new constitution and new

elections.

Jacob Zuma gets another term as South Africa President

Scientists have discovered 14 new species of so-called dancing frogs in the Western

Ghats, just in time, they fear, to watch them fade away.

May 10, 2014

The capital market regulator SEBI exempted Abu Dhabi based Etihad Airways from

making an open offer in the Jet deal. In its decision, the market regulator termed that

purchase of 24% stake of Jet Airways by Etihad Airways doesn't amount to a change

in ownership in Jet Airways. Thus it doesn't need to conduct a tender offer for shares

in the domestic carrier. The Jet-Etihad deal is the biggest merger and acquisition deal

in India‘s aviation sector.

The five recognized Nuclear Powers (United States, Russia, China, Britain and

France) signed a treaty to create a 'nuclear free zone' in 5 central Asian countries

namely Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan.

The Reserve Bank of India, RBI, has decided that Indian companies will not be

permitted to raise External Commercial Borrowings from overseas branches or

subsidiaries of Indian banks for refinance or repayment of the Rupee loans raised

from domestic banking system.

Two Indian-Americans Manjusha P Kulkarni and Ranjana Paintal are to be

honoured with 'Champions of Change' by the White House.

Chairman of Railway Board: Arunendra Kumar

In the 4th quarter of the financial year 2014, net profit of Central Bank of India

dropped by 4%

A documentary film, Silent Screams – India's Fight Against Rape won three awards at

the 2014 New York Festivals International TV and Film Awards. This documentary

film was directed by Pria Somiah.

India‘s largest spirits manufacturer, United Spirits (USL), has planned to sell its

famous Scotch Whisky Company Whyte & Mackay to Philippines-based brandy

maker Emperador for USD 725 million.

May 11, 2014

National Technology Day observed on May 11, 2014. The day symbolizes the

importance of science in our day to day life.

India-born Hinduja brothers, Srichand and Gopichand Hinduja, have emerged as the

richest men in Britain with a net wealth of 11.9 billion pounds (about $20 billion).

Their current fortune is up by 1.3 billion pounds during last year to make them on first

spot.

By this they have replaced steel-tycoon Lakshmi Mittal and Russian Alisher

Usmanov.

Bitcoin Summit was conducted and Hundreds of people attended the summit.

Conference was organized by Li Xiaolai- Venture Capitalist.

President of India Mr. Pranab Mukherjee conferred National Florence Nighangle

Awards 2014 to 35 nursing personnel from across the country for their meritorious

services at Rashtrapati Bhawan, New Delhi.

Manila will host the first leg of the newly launched International Premier Tennis

League (IPTL).

Corporation Bank created a growth in the sectors Retails and MSME (Micro, Small

and Medium Enterprises). During 2013-14, advances increased of the bank increased

to Rs.1, 37,086 crores. In the previous financial years, advances of the bank were

Rs.1, 18,717 crores

May 12, 2014

A referendum for independence was held in two pro-Russian eastern Ukrainian

regions, Donetsk and Luhansk. The referendum was held for self-rule, a move

deemed illegal by the Ukrainian government and other Western states.

NASA successfully Recreated Space Dust. NASA scientists reproduced the processes

that occur in the atmosphere of the red giant star and lead to the formation of planet-

forming interstellar dust.

Mexico Economy Minister Ildefonso Guajardo said, is getting ready to defend its

sugar producers in a dispute over allegations of dumping made by U.S. competitors.1

Manchester City is crowned English Premier League champion with a 2-0 victory

over West Ham.

South Sudan President Salva Kiir and rebel army leader Riek Machar inks a peace

agreement in the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa.

International Nurses Day is celebrated every year all around the world. The day is

observed every year on the 12 May to commemorate the birth anniversary of the

Florence Nightingale and to mark the nurse‘s contributions towards people‘s health.

The RBI notified that foreign branches or subsidiaries of Indian banks are allowed to

offer structured financial and derivative products that are not specifically permitted by

it in the domestic market.

May 13, 2014

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon appointed the first woman to command a United

Nations peacekeeping force a Norwegian general who has served in Lebanon, the first

Gulf War, Bosnia and Afghanistan. Norwegian Maj. Gen. Kristin Lund will replace

Chinese Maj. Gen. Chao Liu on Aug. 13 as commander of about 1,000 UN

peacekeepers in Cyprus.

Govt likely to infuse additional capital of up to Rs. 8000 crore in public sector banks

Lt Gen Dalbir Singh Suhag will be the next Army Chief succeeding Gen Bikram

Singh as the government appointed him to the top post.

RF Nariman and Gopal Subramaniam names were recommended as SC Judges.

Recommendations were made by Supreme Court Collegiums. Collegiums consist of 4

1 Very simply, "dumping" is a kind of predatory pricing, especially in the context of international trade. It occurs

when manufacturers export a product to another country at a price either below the price charged in its home

market or below its cost of production. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dumping_(pricing_policy)

most senior judges of Supreme Court. It is headed by RM Lodha Chief Justice of

India. Union Government needs to approve these recommendations.

Federal Judge in Massachusetts is Indira Talwani. Appointment was confirmed by US

Senate. Her appointment was approved with 94-0 votes. She is the first person of

Asian descent to serve as Judge.

Scientists made research in the harsh glacial environment in Antarctica for every 20

years. Compared to the earlier level, Ice sheets melting in the Antarctica is faster.

West Antarctic ice sheets are melting faster than expected by the scientists.

UN Chief Ban Ki-moon named Major General Kristin Lund of Norway to take

command of the UN Peacekeeping force in Cyprus. The Norwegian commander will

be the first female to command a UN force. Lund will replace Major General Chao

Liu of China on 13 August 2014, who has led the UN Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus

(UNFICYO) since 2011.

For the corruption practices in the Real estate Projects, former Prime Minister of

Israel, Ehud Olmert sentenced to imprisonment for 6 years. This decision was taken

by Tel Aviv District Court. Along with the imprisonment he needs to pay 2 Lakh 90

thousand US dollars to the court.

World‘s first Electric E-Fan Aircraft Completes its Maiden Flight in Bordeaux,

France. It was made by Toulouse-based Airbus.

May 14, 2014

India has signed two agreements with Cambodia, one on the study of ground water

resources in Kampong Spue Province for the establishment of hydrograph network

stations. The other agreement was on development of Master Plan for Siem Reap

River Basin in Cambodia.

President Pranab Mukherjee has given his assent to Whistleblowers Protection Bill,

2011. The Bill carries provisions for setting up regular mechanism to encourage

persons to disclose information on corruption or willful misuse of power by public

servants, which includes Ministers. The Bill also demands adequate protection to

persons who reports corruption or willful misuse of discretion, which bring in a

demonstrable loss to the government.

India will become the world‘s third largest oil consumer by 2025 according to the US

Energy Information Administration (EIA). As per US Energy Information

Administration (EIA), India will overtake Japan to become the world‘s third largest

oil consumer behind the US and China by 2025.

India dropped two places to 147 in the latest FIFA rankings.

The Odisha government has signed an agreement with the TiE Silicon Valley as part

of its efforts to develop the state as an IT hub and attract US investment. The

agreement was signed as a part of state's efforts to develop it an IT hub and attract US

investment. Under the agreement, Odisha government would have a professional

stationed at the headquarters of Silicon Valley in Santa Clara, California.

May 15, 2014

Admiral Robin K Dhowan took over as the 22nd Chief of Indian Navy. At the time

of being appointed as the chief of Navy, he was serving the Indian Navy as its acting

Naval Chief. He is a successor of Admiral DK Joshi, who resigned on 26 February

2014.

The 20th International Day of Families 2014 is observed across the globe on May 15.

The day was established by the United Nations General Assembly in 1994 to

acknowledge the significant contributions families make to the society.

Nationwide protests erupt in Turkey a day after a deadly explosion in a coal mine

killed at least 274 people.

World Meteorological Organization (WMO) panel announced that Cherrapunji in

India regained the world record for highest rainfall in 48 hours with 2493

millimeters. The previous highest rainfall in Cherrapunji was recorded on 15–16 June

1995. The previous world record for 48-hour rainfall was held by La Reunion

Island in the Indian Ocean.

Justice B.S.Chauhan, Judge of the Supreme Court has been appointed as the

Chairman of the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal after the post has been lying

vacant for two years after Justice N.P.Singh resigned.

CSIR scientists discover a unique enzyme 'Super Oxide Dismutase' (SOD) that will

act as preservative for fruits and vegetables increasing their shelf life.

Election Commission of India (ECI) launched the Election VIsitors Programme

(EVP) 2014. The EVP 2014 was launched as a part of South-South Cooperation

initiative of the ECI in partnership with United Nations Development Programme

(UNDP).

―Crusader or Conspirator? Coalgate and other Truths‖ authored by former Coal

Secretary PC Parakh.

May 16, 2014

The Union Home Ministry extended the ban on LTTE for five years. Earlier ban was

imposed on LTTE in May 2012. After assassination of Rajiv Gandhi, former Prime

Minister of India in 1991 LTTE was banned by India. LTTE was declared an

unlawful association under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967.

Mr. Ashwin B. Pandya, has been appointed as the Chairman of Central Water

Commission & Ex-officio Secretary to the Government of India. He was holding

additional charge of the post since November, 2013.

On 15 May 2014, The Governor of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Mr. Raghuram

Rajan announced that plastic currency notes will be launched in 2015 after field trials.

It was announced after the Central Board of Directors of the RBI Meet in Shimla,

Himachal Pradesh.

Earlier in February 2013, Union Government had informed Parliament that it will

introduce one billion plastic currency notes in five cities in later half of 2014 on a

pilot basis. The five selected cities for pilot testing are Shimla, Kochi, Mysore, Jaipur,

and Bhubaneswar. The introduction of Plastic currency notes would help stop

counterfeiting of Indian rupees as they are difficult to imitate. Also, Plastic currency

notes with an average life span of about five years are cleaner than paper notes.

Former Zimbabwe batsman Grant Flower was named as the batting coach of Pakistan

cricket team for two years. He will be joining at this post on 1st August 2014 before

the Pakistan-Sri Lanka series.

May 17, 2014

UN observes "World Telecommunication and Information Society Day" on May

17th

.

The Supreme Court of India appointed three-member panel headed by Justice (retd)

Mukul Mudgal to further probe the IPL spot fixing scandal involving Narayanswamy

Srinivasan and 12 others. Other two members of the probing panel are additional

Solicitor General L Nageshwar Rao and advocate Niloy Dutta.

6th Loksabha Elections Stats 1) 62 women members elected, Highest ever (approx.

11% of total) as against 61 in last Loksabha.

Asia's biggest milk brand Amul announced to set up a dairy processing plant in

Varanasi. The plant will initially process five lakh litres per day with the capacity to

double the production.

1.1% of total polled votes were cast as NOTA (None of the Above) - nearly 60 Lakh

votes. Highest in Chhattisgarh (1.9%) followed by Gujarat (1.8%) and Jharkhand

(1.5%). Highest proportion was recorded in 2 ST reserved constituencies of

Meghalaya while highest Number was recorded in SC reserved constituency of Nilgiri

(Tamil Nadu)

Prime Minister of India Shri Manmohan Singh submitted his resignation to the

President of India Shri Pranab Mukherjee. Manmohan Singh is the third longest

serving Prime Minister of India after Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi.

Adani Ports and SEZ acquires Dhamra Port in Odisha - largest port sector deal in

India following that of Pipavav, Gujarat in 2005 by APM terminals BV.

Capitan Krishnan Nair, founder of Leela Group of Hotels passed away in Mumbai at

the age of 91. He received the Padma Bhushan award in 2010.

After the poor performance of ruling party JD(U) of Bihar, Bihar's Chief Minister

Nitish Kumar has submitted his resignation to Governor D Y Patil.

May 18, 2014

Nabum Tuki sworn in as the Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh

Sikkim Chief Minister Pawan Chamling won the assembly election in Sikkim and is

set out for a consecutive fifth term beating the record set by Jyoti Basu in West

Bengal.

T.R.Zeliang as the new Chief Minister of Nagaland.

Novak Djokovic won the Rome Open tennis title in Rome defeating Rafael Nadal of

Spain in the Men‘s singles final.

Indian men basketball team defeated Maldives by the score of 108-32 winning the

third South Asian Basketball Association tournament held at Kathmandu, Nepal.

The veteran nucleur scientist, N Srinivasan died.

May 19, 2014

3 times Formula One World Champion Sir Jack Brabham died at 88 after long illness.

He became world champion in 1966, 1960 and 1959. In the history Brabham was the

first driver to be knighted for his services to motorsport.

Prime Minister‘s Economic Advisory Council (PMEAC) Chairman Chakravarthi

Rangarajan resigned on 19 May 2014.

Swiss voters rejected the Minimum Wage Initiative on 18 May 2014. The initiative

was rejected by 77 percent of the Swiss voters.

May 20, 2014

The Competition Appellate Tribunal (Compat) on 19th May 2014, upheld a Rs 630-

crore fine on real estate giant DLF imposed by fair trade regulator in 2011 on a

complaint that it had imposed arbitrary and unfair conditions on buyers in some group

housing projects in Gurgaon. DLF, as a result, will have to pay the penalty of 630

crore rupees levied by the CCI (Competition Commission of India) along with 9 per

cent interest.

Rukmani is the first dedicated communication satellite for the Indian navy.

Dalit leader Jitan Ram Manjhi to replace Nitish Kumar as the next Chief Minister

of Bihar.

General Prayuth Chan-ocha, Commander-in-Chief of Royal Thai Army, declared to

impose martial law in Thailand on 20 May 2014. This decision was taken after

caretaker government headed by Prime Minister Niwattumrong Boonsongpaisan

refused to step down. The Army chief signed the military statement imposing the

martial law in accordance with the 1914 law that allowed military to intervene during

crisis time.

Nine Indian students have been honoured at the Intel International Science and

Engineering Fair (Intel ISEF) held in California (US).

China on course to build infrastructure connecting it to neighboring countries; sets up

a 10 billion Yuan (10000 crore in Rs) fund as part of ―maritime silk road plan‖.

May 21, 2014

India observes Anti-Terrorism Day on May 21. The annual day marks the death

anniversary of country‘s former prime Minister Rajeev Gandhi in 1991.

Antarctic ice loss has doubled over the last decade. Antarctica is now shedding 160

billion tonnes a year of ice into the ocean which is adding to the rising sea levels

driven by climate change.

New Chief Ministers: Jitan Ram Manjhi (Bihar); K. Chandrashekhar Rao

(Telangana); Chandrababu Naidu (Andhra Pradesh); Pawan Kumar Chamling

(Sikkim); Anandiben Patel (Gujarat); Naveen Patnaik (Odisha)

WADA- World Anti-Doping Agency added two noble gases Xenon (Xe) and Argon

(Ar) in the list of banned substances list. Xenon and Argon gases were banned after

claims that athletes can use it through inhalation to enhance their performance,

illegally. As per the scientific studies, the gas has the power to artificially increase the

levels of hormone Erythropoietin (EPO) in the blood that is forbidden under the

WADA's rules.

May 22, 2014

International Day for Biological Diversity observed.

Sulabh International Museum of Toilets (New Delhi) has been ranked 3rd among the

world‘s 10 weirdest museums by Time magazine. The museum traces the history of

the toilet for the past 4500 years.

RBI instructs all banks to install talking ATMs with Braille keypads from July 1,

2014 onwards.

Half of the world's newborn death occurs in 5 countries every year; India tops the list

o India (779,000)

o Nigeria (276,000)

o Pakistan (202,400)

o China (157,000)

o Democratic Republic of Congo (118,000)

In a landmark Judgment, Meghalaya High Court said that the nationals of Bangladesh,

who settled in the state before 24 March 1971 should be treated as Indians. The Court

also ordered that they should be enrolled in the voters list. Justice Sudip Ranjan Sen

passed the judgment on the basis of a petition filed by 40 refugees from Bangladesh.

These petitioners were denied enrolment in the electoral roll by the district

administration citing that their citizenship was doubtful. The court also said: "The

petitioners are no more Bangladeshi citizens and there is no scope to order their

deportation. In such circumstances, it is the duty of the government of Meghalaya as

well as the Government of India to give them proper rehabilitation and not disturb

their citizenship."

India's largest online retailer, Flipkart.com, acquires fashion e-retailer Myntra.com

for approximately USD 400 million.

May 23, 2014

May 23rd

to be observed as the World Turtle Day across the globe to bring human

attention towards turtle and tortoise and also to encourage human efforts to help them

survive.

Business pressures and concerns that its privacy settings are complicated have led

Facebook to provide a privacy checkup for 1.28 billion users. The company will also

change how new users can post messages that will only be seen by their friends.

Congress president Sonia Gandhi has resigned from the chairpersonship of Nehru

Memorial Museum and Library.

The former Intelligence Bureau Chief Mr. Rajiv Mathur (64) took over as the new

Chief Information Commissioner (CIC).

Three-time Chief Minister of Nagaland, Neiphiu Rio resigned from the chair long

with his Council of Ministers.

European Parliament elections 2014 gets going; Britain and Netherlands are first

two of the 28 Euro countries to ballot.

One of Gujarat's monuments - Rani ki Vav (The Queen's Stepwell) - is among five

international heritage sites to be replicated digitally using latest technology in

Scotland. It is part of a project called The Scottish Ten - an ambitious five-year-

programme to create accurate digital models of Scotland's five Unesco-designated

World Heritage Sites and five international heritage sites in order to better conserve

and manage them.

Indian American boy Akhil Rekulapelli wins National Geographic Bee 2014;

pockets $50,000 college scholarship.

Data compiled by the independent, non-partisan legislative research group, PRS

Legislative Research, shows that 315 of the 543 elected MPs — or 58 per cent — are

first-timers. This is the highest number of debutants since the 1980 election (329) and

the 1977 post-Emergency election (376).

May 24, 2014

UN blacklists Nigeria's Islamist terror outfit Boko Haram.

After 25 years Olive Ridley Conservation Programme was resumed in Tamil Nadu by

Wildlife wing of the Forest Department. Department has set up a hatchery at Besant

Nagar.

Following the SC order to suspend production of 26 iron ore producing mines in this

state, the Forest Advisory Committee set by the Ministry of Environment and Forests

has recommended that Stage 1 clearance for 2 more iron ore producing mines by

SAIL and OMCL be revoked.

World Bank President Jim Yong Kim announced the appointment of Japanese

national Hiroshi Naka as the bank‘s Vice President and Auditor General effective July

2014. He has over 25 years of experience working with the Japanese Ministry of

Finance and multilateral organisations, where he specialised in issues such as

economic sanctions, anti-money laundering and supervision of financial institutions.

India's oldest living test cricketer 'Madhav Mantri' is no more.

TR Zeliang, leader of Naga Peoples Front (NPF), was on 24 May sworn in as the

Chief Minister of Nagaland following the resignation of Neiphio Rio, who has been

elected to Lok Sabha. The NDF-led ruling Democratic Alliance of Nagaland (DAN-

III) government was formed in March 2013. Neiphi Rio demitted office on 23 May

2014 after being chief minister for over 11 years following his victory in the recent

Lok Sabha polls.

Following Nancy Powell's retirement, Kathleen Stephens has been named the new

interim ambassador for the US. The outgoing US ambassador took charge on April,

2012 and retired in March this year.

May 25, 2014

A 14-year old girl from Andhra Pradesh, Poorna has become the youngest woman to

climb Mount Everest, the highest peak in the World. Accompanied by Anand, they

carried photographs of BR Ambedkar and former IAS Officer SR Sankaran to the top

of the world.

In November last year, they were among a dozen teenagers, who became the youngest

group to climb Mount Renock.

Dalia Grybaukaite, for the second consecutive term, first person to serve as the

president of Lithuania. For the first time she acted as President between 2009 to 2014

May 26, 2014

Real Madrid clinches their 10th 'UEFA Champions League' trophy having stunned

Atletico Madrid in the final by a scoreline of 4-1.

Narendra Damodardas Modi was sworn-in as the 15th Prime Minister of India on 26

May. Along with him, 45-member Council of Ministers that includes 23 Ministers

with Cabinet rank, 10 Ministers of State with independent charges and 12 Ministers of

State also took oath of their offices. Oath to the office and secrecy was administered

by the President Pranab Mukherjee in the forecourt of Rashtrapati Bhawan.

Sushma Swaraj became the first woman External Affairs Minister of India on 26 May.

She was also been given the charge of Overseas Indian Affairs. Although, Indira

Gandhi held the post of Union External Affairs Minister prior to Sushma Swaraj, but

it was in addition to the post of Prime Minister which she held in 1967 and 1984.

Wojciech Jaruzelski, Poland's last communist leader dies at 90.

Singapore became the top source of FDI in India after replacing Mauritius.

May 27, 2014

Arun Jaitley given charge of the Finance Ministry and additional charge of the

Defence Ministry. Ravi Shankar Prasad given charge of the Law and Justice Ministry.

Smriti Zubin Irani, youngest Cabinet Minister in Narendra Modi‘s cabinet was given

the charge of Ministry of Human Resources and Development. Dr. Najma A.

Heptullah, oldest Cabinet Minister in Narendra Modi‘s cabinet given charge of

Ministry of Minority Affairs. Also the only Muslim to be inducted in the Council of

Ministers.

A total of 7 women Ministers inducted in the Council of Ministers.

Kiren Rijuju, the only Buddhist Minister to be inducted into the Council of Ministers.

Complied list of Cabinet ministers of Narendta Modi :

o Rajnath Singh : Home affairs

o Sushma Swaraj : External affairs, overseas Indian affairs

o Arun Jaitley : Finance, corporate affairs, defence

o M Venkaiah Naidu : Urban development, housing and urban poverty

alleviation, parliamentary affairs

o Nitin Gadkari : Road transport and highways, shipping

o D V Sadananda Gowda : Railways

o Uma Bharati : Water resources, river development and Ganga rejuvenation

o Najma A Heptulla : Minority affairs

o Gopinathrao Munde : Rural development, panchayati raj, drinking water and

sanitation

o Ram Vilas Paswan : Consumer affairs, food and public distribution

o Kalraj Mishra : Micro, small and medium enterprises

o Maneka Gandhi : Women and child development

o Ananth Kumar : Chemicals and fertilizers

o Ravi Shankar Prasad : Communications and information technology, law and

justice

o Ashok Gajapathi Raju Pusapati : Civil aviation

o Anant Geete : Heavy industries and public enterprises

o Harsimrat Kaur Badal : Food processing industries

o Narendra Singh Tomar : Mines, steel, labour and employment

o Jual Oram : Tribal affairs

o Radha Mohan Singh : Agriculture

o Thaawar Chand Gehlot : Social justice and empowerment

o Smriti Irani : Human resource development

o Harsh Vardhan : Health and family welfare

Complied list of Minister of States :

o V K Singh: Development of northeastern region (independent charge),

external affairs, overseas Indian affairs

o Inderjit Singh Rao: Planning (independent charge), statistics and programme

implementation (independent charge), defence

o Santosh Kumar Gangwar: Textiles (independent charge), parliamentary

affairs, water resources, river development and Ganga rejuvenation

o Shripad Yesso Naik: Culture (independent charge), tourism (independent

charge)

o Dharmendra Pradhan: Petroleum and natural gas (independent charge)

o Sarbananda Sonowal: Skill development, entrepreneurship, youth affairs and

sports (independent charge)

o Prakash Javadekar: Information and broadcasting (independent charge),

environment, forest and climate change (independent charge), parliamentary

affairs

o Piyush Goyal: Power (independent charge), coal (independent charge), new

and renewable energy (independent charge)

o Jitendra Singh: Science and technology (independent charge), earth sciences

(independent charge), Prime Minister office, personnel, public grievances and

pensions, department of atomic energy, department of space

o Nirmala Sitharaman: Commerce and industry (independent charge), finance,

corporate affairs

o G M Siddeshwara: Civil aviation

o Manoj Sinha: Railways

o Nihalchand: Chemicals and fertilizers

o Upendra Kushwaha: Rural development, panchayati raj, drinking water and

sanitation

o P Radhakrishnan: Heavy industries and public enterprises

o Kiren Rijiju: Home affairs

o Krishan Pal: Road transport and highways, shipping

o Sanjeev Kumar Balyan: Agriculture, food processing industries

o Mansukhbhai Dhanjibhai Vasava: Tribal affairs

o Raosaheb Dadarao Danve: Consumer affairs, food and public distribution

o Vishnu Deo Sai: Mines, steel, labour and employment

o Sudarshan Bhagat: Social justice and empowerment

Film Winter Sleep was honoured with Palme d'Or Award at the 67th Cannes Film

Festival held in Cannes from 16 May to 25 May 2014. The film has been directed by

Turkish director Nuri Bilge Ceylan. Winter Sleep is the second film by a Turkish

director to win the highest honour of Cannes Film festival. Earlier in 1982, the film

The Way directed by Turkish Directors Yilmaz Guney and Serif Goren won the

Plame d'Or Award.

May 28, 2014

The Union Cabinet headed by PM Narendra Modi constituted Special Investigating

Team (SIT) on Black Money. The decision was taken to comply with the Supreme

Court Judgement on Black Money. SIT will be headed by Former judge of Supreme

Court Justice MB Shah and Justice Arijit Pasayat will be its Vice Chairman.

Former Gloucestershire and England off-spinner David Allen has passed away at the

age of 78.

Andhra Pradesh Governor, ESL Narasimhan was given additional charge of the

proposed state of Telangana.

Jet Airways announced aviation specialist Cramer Ball as its new CEO.

Retired IAS Officer and former Chairman of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of

India, Mr. Nripendra Misra appointed as the Principal Secretary to Narendra Modi.

Ahmed Maitiq has been sworn-in as the new Prime Minister of Libya; the 5th since

the fall of Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi in 2011.

May 29, 2014

The International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers was observed.

Narendra Modi created a new Ministry of Skill development and Entrepreneurship. It

was created recognizing the importance of skill development in India. MP from the

Lakhimpur constituency of Assam Sarbananda Sonowal was made Minister of State

for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship.

A series of 4 postal stamps and a special cover on PM Narendra Modi has been issued

by the Department of Post. The stamps have been conceptualised by philatelist Pradip

Jain from Bihar. The stamps were issued on the day that Modi took oath.

Mukul Rohatgi was appointed as the 14th Attorney-General of India. He will succeed

Goolam Essaji Vahanvati.

Indian Air Force (IAF) conducted the tests of Supersonic Akash air defence missiles

which successfully intercepted the targets. The three Akash missiles were launched

from the Integrated Test Range (ITR), Balasore, off the coast of Odisha.

The Sultan of Perak, Sultan Azlan Shah passed away at the age of 86.

The famous African-American writer, Maya Angelou passed away at the age of 86.

India will be building 4 new Joint Venture hydropower projects in Bhutan. The two

nations have agreed to coordinate on issues pertaining to national security as well.

This follows the meeting between the Indian and Bhutanese PM.

The Competition Commission of India (CCI) on 28 May 2014 approved the British

retail major, Tesco's plan to purchase 50% stake in Tata Group firm Trent

Hypermarket.

Delhi University Launches App for Applicants: To make the admission process

simpler, Dean Students Welfare office launched a mobile application. This app called

DU UG Admissions 2014-15 provides information on the application process. It also

enables them to apply and pay the fee through it.

May 30, 2014

Goa Day observed as Goa became the 25th

State of Indian Union on May 30, 1987.

Nico Rosberg, Mercedes driver of Germany won Monaco Grand Prix of Formula

One.

Two Indian –American school boys, Sriram J Hathwar and Ansun Sujoe jointly won

the prestigious Scripps National Spelling Bee Championship in the US.

Eminent Hindi writer Vishwanath Tripathi was presented the prestigious Vyas

Samman for the year 2013. Tripathi received the 23rd edition of the annual award for

his work 'Vyomkesh Darvesh', a biography of noted Hindi author Acharya Hazari

Prasad Dwivedi.

Jamil Mahuad, the former President of Ecuador was sentenced for 12 years in jail for

embezzlement by a court of Ecuador. The court rule for the exiled ex-President come

two-days after Interpol issued an international warrant for his arrest. Mr Mahuad fled

to the United States in 2000 after a military coup, But the US has no extradition treaty

with Ecuador.

Former army chief Abdel Fattah al-Sisi wins a landslide victory in Egyptian

presidential election 2014.

Former Intelligence Buereau Chief Ajit Kumar Doval appointed as the National

Security Advisor to Narendra Modi.

New logo for Telangana: Telangana, the 29th state of the country, has got its new

logo. Designed by artist Laxman Aelay, the logo has three elements — the Asoka

emblem, the iconic ―Kakatiya torana‖ which is the gateway of the Kakatiya dynasty

that ruled the region during 11-12th century, and the Charminar.

World's largest aircraft the Airbus A380 landed at Indira Gandhi International

Airport: Super jumbo Airbus A380 of the Singapore Airlines (SIA) landed at the

Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA).

May 31, 2014

Gariphema Village in Nagaland has been declared as the country‘s first ―Tobacco-free

Village‖. The declaration was made on 31 May which is observed as the ―World No

Tobacco Day‖

Peter Mutharika wins presidential election in Malawi.

Hockey World Cup starts in Netherlands.

The Vice President of India, Hamid Ansari, presented the Malti Devi Gyan Peeth

Puraskar-2014. The award was given to fifteen outstanding teachers from girls higher

secondary schools in Punjab.

French airforce contingent arrived in India for 'Garuda-5': Four French Rafale fighter

aircraft and a contingent of about 70 French airforce personnel landed at Jodhpur

airbase to participate in the 10-day long joint air exercise "Garuda-5".