Weekly Current Affairs (10th June- 16th June, 2013) NATIONAL 1.

India gets ready to roll out cyber snooping agency Indians using the Internet might be worried over the U.S. spy agencies snooping into their accounts and online data, but the government has set the ball rolling for creating its own multiagency body National Cyber Coordination Centre (NCCC) that would carry out realtime assessment of cyber security threats and generate actionable reports/alerts for proactive actions by law enforcement agencies. Though the government wont say that they would be able to look into your Facebook or Twitter accounts as and when required, the fact remains that the setting up of the federal Internet scanning agency will give law enforcement agencies direct access to all Internet accounts, be it your e-mails, blogs or social networking data. The NCCC will collect, integrate and scan [Internet] traffic data from different gateway routers of major ISPs at a centralised location for analysis, international gateway traffic and domestic traffic will be aggregated separately ... The NCCC will facilitate real-time assessment of cyber security threats in the country and generate actionable reports/alerts for proactive actions by the concerned agencies. All top government spy and technical agencies will be part of the NCCC that would be set up at a cost of around Rs. 1,000 crore. The proposed cyber security architecture envisages setting up a National Cyber Coordination Centre [NCCC] which would be a multi-agency body under Department of Electronics and IT. Other agencies Other government agencies that will play an active role in the NCCC include the National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS), Intelligence Bureau (IB), Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In), National Technical Research Organisation (NTRO), Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), DIARA, Army, Navy, Air Force, and Department of Telecommunications. Government would also involve Internet service providers (ISPs) to ensure round-the-clock monitoring of the Internet, while expertise of other private sector organisations would be utilised when required. It will be Indias first layer for cyber threat monitoring and all communication with government and private service providers would be through this body only. The NCCC would be in virtual contact with the control room of all ISPs to scan traffic within the country, flowing at the point of entry and exit, including international gateway. Apart from monitoring the Internet, the NCCC would look into various threats posed by cyber attacks. In recent months, we have seen growing cases of computer networks of government departments and organisations coming under cyber attacks. We have seen foreign spy agencies and hackers trying to get sensitive government data or hack important websites. For instance, hackers defaced CBI website and attempts were made to break into Indian Railways website. The NCCC would address these shortcomings. RTI Act allows public access to Government employees service book: CIC The Central Information Commission (CIC) has held that a public authority was obligated under Section 4(1) (b) of the RTI Act to disclose information related to the service of its

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Weekly Current Affairs (10th June- 16th June, 2013) employees. The CIC has directed the Railways to make available a copy of the service book of a Ticket Examiner (TE) to RTI activist Chetan Kothari, saying it was information that needed to be placed in the public domain. Kotharis request for the service book and the confidential report had been rejected by the Railways which quoted section 8 (1) (J) for not providing them. 3. Global Peace Index 2013: India ranks 141 of 162 countries The Global Peace Index (GPI) that measured peace in 162 countries ranked India at 141st position for year 2013. To prepare the Index, 22 qualitative and quantitative indicators of the absence and fear of violence were used. The main indicators that deteriorated Indias ranking are militarisation, domestic and International conflicts, and Corruption Positive Outlook: Despite an increase in military expenditure, India made considerable gains in its level of peace after reductions in deaths from internal conflict and the level of perceived criminality in society. President lays foundation for Nirbhaya Bhawan President Pranab Mukherjee on Tuesday laid the foundation stone of Nirbhaya Bhawan, the headquarters of the National Commission for Women, at a function organised at Vigyan Bhawan. It was only appropriate that the Commission, after 20 years of service dedicated to the cause of Indian women, should finally have its own permanent headquarters, the President said, The Commission has distinguished itself through its sincere initiatives for the rights, dignity and development of women in our country. Once installed on its own premises at Jasola, the Commission would be able to create a better infrastructure for its work, augment its capacity for outreach and also significantly enhance its functional efficiencies. The President also noted that the government was committed to equality and justice for all citizens especially the marginalised as envisaged in the Constitution. Telegram service ends July 15 Come July 15, one of Indias oldest communication services the telegram will become history. Financial constraints have forced the Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd to wind up the telegraphic service, which would be remembered mainly as a historically inexpensive but relatively quick method of sending alerts related to births, deaths and emergency situations. In India, the first telegraph message was transmitted live through electrical signals between Calcutta (now Kolkata) and Diamond Harbour, a distance of about 50 km, on November 5, 1850; and the service was opened for the general public in February 1855. Over the years, the BSNL made several technical upgrades in the telegraph service, with the latest being the introduction of a web-based messaging system in 2010. However, growing Internet penetration and cheaper mobile phones in the last decade have kept people away from the 182 telegraph offices across the country. IAF takes delivery of its first C-17 Globemaster The Indian Air Force (IAF) on 12/6/2013 flew its first Boeing C-17 Globemaster III to India, becoming the newest operator of the leading airlifter. The C-17 will equip the IAF with amongst the worlds most advanced humanitarian and strategic capabilities.

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Weekly Current Affairs (10th June- 16th June, 2013) The Boeing C-17 Globemaster III is a large military transport aircraft. The C-17 commonly performs strategic airlift missions, transporting troops and cargo throughout the world; additional roles include tactical airlift, medical evacuation and airdrop duties. The Indian Air Force plans to base its C-17s at Hindon Air Force Station. The aircraft is to provide strategic airlift of special forces in the event of national emergencies or terrorism. The first C-17 was delivered in January 2013 for testing and training; it was officially accepted on 11 June 2013. Four more C-17s are to be delivered in 2013, with the last five in 2014. 7. Govt. bans painkiller The government has banned the manufacture, sale and distribution of painkiller drug dextropropoxyphene, a drug that has been banned in various countries. Dextropropoxyphene is an analgesic, patented (1955) and manufactured by Eli Lilly and Company. It is intended to treat mild pain and also has local anaesthetic effects. The drug has been taken off the market in Europe and the US due to concerns of fatal overdoses and heart arrhythmias. In pure form, dextropropoxyphene is commonly used to ease the withdrawal symptoms in people addicted to opioids. Being very weak in comparison to commonly abused opioids, dextropropoxyphene can only act as a "partial" substitute. It does not have much effect on mental cravings; however, it can be effective in alleviating physical withdrawal effects, such as muscle cramps. High toxicity and relatively easy availability made propoxyphene a drug of choice for right to die societies. On June 12, 2013, the Indian government suspended the manufacture, sale, and distribution of the drug under Section 26A of the 1940 Drugs and Cosmetic Act.

INTERNATIONAL 1. Norway to become first European nation to extend conscription to women Norway has decided to with gender neutral military conscription after its Parliament reached an agreement to extend the military conscription to women in peacetime. This move will make Norway the only country in Europe to extend its military conscription to women. It would mean that Norways mandatory one-year military service will be extended to women, probably as of 2015.The Defense Ministry of Norway has clarified that the step is not due to lack of conscripts. Since 1976, Norwegian women have been allowed to do military service on a volunteer. Even before the adoption of a gender neutral military service, the Defence Ministry had set a target of 20% women in the armed forces by 2020. Dubai launches Worlds tallest Twisted Tower named Cayan Tower Dubai has added another record breaking skyscraper as it launched the one billion dirham Cayan Tower, previously known as Infinity Tower. The 307-meter-high tower holds the record for the tallest twisted architectural creation in the world. The 75-storey tower, which has a 90 degree curve from top to bottom, was designed by Skidmore Owings and Merrill, known for projects such as Burj Khalifa. It took eight years to develop Cayan Tower.

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Weekly Current Affairs (10th June- 16th June, 2013) Qatar possess highest density of millionaires As per the Boston Consulting Groups (BCG) 13th annual global wealth management report, Qatar has the highest density of millionaires in the world, with 14.3% of the oil-rich Gulf nations population holding private wealth of at least $1 million. As per the report: 143 out of every 1,000 households in Qatar possess private wealth of at least USD 1 million which is much higher than the global average. Other gulf nations ranked amongst the top 10 in the list including Kuwait which ranked 3rd with 11.5%, while Bahrain (4.9%) and the UAE (4.0%) were ranked 7th and 9th respectively. 9.1% growth in the wealth in the Middle East and Africa (MEA) in the year 2012 was registered. Private wealth in MEA will grow to an estimated USD 6.5 trillion by the end of 2017, with a projected CAGR (Compounded Annual Growth rate) of 6.2%. This increase will largely be driven by new wealth creation linked to strong GDP expansion in oil-rich countries. The Middle East also ranks highly by Ultra-High-Net-Worth (UHNW) households, defined as households with more than $100 million in private wealth. Qatar with 8 UHNW per 100,000 households has been ranked 4th in the world. As compared to the moderate growth (around 6%) of stock exchanges of GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council), the Dubai Financial Market (DFM) Index recorded a growth of 19.9% and the Abu Dhabi Exchange (ADX) improved by 9.5%. Private financial wealth in the Middle East and Africa expanded to $4.8 trillion in 2012, an increase of 9.1% from $4.4 trillion in 2011. On the global scale, private financial wealth grew by 7.8% in 2012 to a total of $135.5 trillion. John Ashe elected as the President of UN General Assembly for its 68th Session John William Ashe, the ambassador to the United Nations for Antigua and Barbuda in the month of June 2013 selected as the President of UN General Assembly for its 68th session. John William Ashe was chosen as the consensus candidate by all 33 GRULAC member states to be the president of the United Nations General Assembly thus not necessitating an election.

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Kanji Ram became the Second Hindu to enter Pakistan's Punjab Province Kanji Ram became only the second Hindu to be part of the Pakistans Punjab assembly after Seth Bharta Ram who was elected a lawmaker in 1997. Kanji Ram is scheduled to take oath on 17 June 2013. Moreover, Saradar Ramesh Singh Arora on 1 June 2013 became the first ever Sikh to be elected as the member of the House since Pakistans creation in 1947. Ram and Sikh representative Sardar Ramesh Singh Arora were both nominated by the PML-N to seats in the Punjab Assembly reserved for non-Muslims. Ram hails from Sadiqabad in Rahim Yar Khan district, located 450 km away from Lahore, while Arora belongs to Narowal, a border district located 80 km from Lahore.

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Weekly Current Affairs (10th June- 16th June, 2013) Anish Kapoor Became First Living Indian-Origin Sculptor to be Honoured with Knighthood Anish Kapoor, the Indian-origin sculptor was honoured with Knighthood, which is the highest honour of Britain. He was conferred the award by the Queen Elizabeth II in her birthday honours list 2013 for Visual Arts services. About Anish Kapoor Anish Kapoor, 59, is said to be the pioneering sculptors of his generation and is known for enigmatic sculptural forms as well as monumental public sculptures. He became first living Indian-origin British artist to take over Royal Academy in 2009. He also won the Turner Prize and twice received the Premio Duemilia at the Venice Biennale. A lot of other international honours have also been conferred upon him. About the Knighthood honour Knight, in general, is the person who is granted the honourary title of knighthood by political leader or a monarch. In early days, Knighthood was conferred on the mounted warriors in Europe. However, since Early Modern period, this title is considered as absolutely honorific.

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Oldest man dies at 116 Worlds oldest person in recorded history 116-year-old Jiroemon Kimura died of natural causes early today in his hometown in western Japan. Born in Kyoto Prefecture on April 19, 1897, Kimura was recognised as the worlds oldest-living person by Guinness World Records in December 2012.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 1. ISRO to launch INSAT-3D Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) is slated to put advanced meteorology satellite INSAT-3D on July 26, 2013 after putting the regional navigation satellite IRNSS-1A from Sriharikota on the light-lift PSLV rocket. INSAT-3D The satellite which weighs 2,090 kg is meant exclusively for meteorological studies. It will be flown to its orbit on the European Ariane 5 launch vehicle. INSAT-3D would go into space along with Alphasat, Europes largest telecommunication satellite, which is owned by the U.K.based commercial operator Inmarsat. Duas Layer: New cornea layer named after Indian Researcher Harminder Dua The Scientists from University of Nottingham in UK, in the second week of June 2013 discovered a new layer in the Cornea and named it Duas Layer after the name of an Indian Researcher, the person responsible for the discovery. The new layer has been named after the name of the professor Harminder Dua. This discovery can help the surgeons to improve the results of treatment of patients who undergo corneal grafts and transplants.

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Weekly Current Affairs (10th June- 16th June, 2013) Earlier scientists believed that the cornea consists of five layers namely Descemet's Membrane Corneal Epithelium, Corneal Stroma, Bowman's Layer and Corneal Endothelium. The newsly discovered layer is located between the Corneal Stroma and Descemet's membrane. Cornea is a protective lens in the eyes that allows light to enter into the eyes. ECONOMY 1. RBI left its Repo Rate unchanged at 7.25 Percent The Reserve Bank of India (RBI), in its June mid-quarter monetary policy on 17 June 2013, left its key policy, repo rate unchanged at 7.25 percent in line. Cash reserve ratio (CRR), remained at 4 percent. Repo is the rate at which banks borrow from the Central bank. CRR is the portion of deposits that banks are mandated to keep with RBI. Consequently, the reverse repo rate will remain unchanged at 6.25 per cent, and the marginal standing facility (MSF), rate and the Bank Rate at 8.25 per cent. RBI kept the interest rate stable possibly because despite the fact that the inflation rate has been coming down and manufacturing growth has not been much to speak of, it realised that the interest rate difference between Indian markets and Western market has actually shrunk, which is why the Foreign Institutional Investors, who are playing in our debt market have pulled off about three billion dollars. They would not like to aggravate the situation by reducing interest rate at this point of time and encouraging FII to pull out more from the debt market. 2. WPI Inflation declined to 4.7 Percent in May 2013
As per the official data released on 14 June 2013, the inflation in India that is based on the Wholesale Price Index fell to 4.7 percent in May 2013. Decline in the prices of manufactured items and a slight rise in the prices of food items resulted in the measured fall of inflation.

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Cost inflation index for 2013-14 raised by 10%: CBDT The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) in month of June 2013has specified a value for the cost inflation index for 2013-14. A brief insight into Cost Inflation Index as declared by CBDT In year 2012-13 the index was 852, and this year it is 939 which signify that there has been a 10.2 per cent rise in the cost inflation index for 2013-14.

Persons
1. American author Lydia Davis wins Man Booker International Prize 2013 American author Lydia Davis has been announced the winner of Man Booker International Prize 2013. She was chosen winner out of ten shortlisted authors. About Lydia Davis: Davis lives in New York. She is a professor of creative writing at the University at Albany and has had seven collections of short stories published. She has also translated a number of French classics, including Flauberts Madame Bovary and Prousts Du Ct de Chez Swann. She has also written one novel, The End of the Story (1995).

Weekly Current Affairs (10th June- 16th June, 2013) 2. William Lambton Lieutenant-Colonel William Lambton was a British soldier, surveyor, and geographer. He made remarkable contribution as the Superintendent of the Trigonometrical Survey of India, which he began in 1802. He launched his work from St Thomas Mount in Chennai and mapped the south India. Trigonometrical Survey of India was launched by the British who had conquered vast territories in India but didnt have geographic knowledge of the areas they conquered. An extensive survey was essential for their administrative purposes, which eventually became the Great Trigonometrical Survey. He took part in the Fourth Anglo-Mysore War in 1799. After the capture of Mysore Lambton proposed that the territory be surveyed, using the new techniques of geodesy employed by William Roy in Great Britain, and this was approved. It was Lord Wellesley who realized the necessity of a survey in the southern part of India after the fall of Srirangapatnam in 1799. Three surveys started simultaneously. While Francis Buchanan started the agricultural survey of Malabar and Mysore, Colin Mackenzie began a survey based on topography. William Lambton, who participated in the Mysore war in 1799, was made the superintendent of the Trigonometrical Survey.

SPORTS
1. Rafael Nadal wins French Open 2013 Spanish tennis player Rafael Nadal defeated David Ferrer to win mens French Open 2013 title. With this victory, Nadal now owns eight French Open titles. With 12 majors overall, the Nadal moves into a tie for third place with Roy Emerson. He trails only Roger Federer (17) and Pete Sampras (14) and is the second youngest, after Federer, to reach a dozen Grand Slam titles. French Open 2013: Serena Williams won the womens title World no.1 American tennis player Serena Williams defeated her Russian opponent Maria Sharapova to clinch the French Open 2013 womens title. This victory brought up her 16th grand slam title, taking her to within two of the great 1980s duo of Chris Evert and Martina Navatilova.

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