Weekly Current Affairs (24th June to 30th June, 2013)

NATIONAL
1. Union Cabinet gave its approval for the GSAT-15 Satellite The Union Cabinet of India on 28 June 2013 gave its approval to the proposal for the GSAT-15 communication satellite project along with procurement of launch services and insurance. The building of the GSAT-15 is part of the Indian Research Organizations (ISRO`s) efforts towards in-orbit spare capacity to meet contingency and to protect the services of existing users. The satellite will provide required redundant capacity, will augment capacity in the Ku band, and shall provide in-orbit redundant requirement of safety of life operations benefitting civil aviation services in the country. Nine operational INSAT/GSAT satellites are currently providing different frequency bands to nearly 195 transponders. The GSAT-15 satellite will cover the entire Indian mainland. All heritage proven bus systems will be used to build the satellite in 18 months. The satellite will be similar to the GSAT-8. 2. Vice President of India released the book Ziauddin Barnis Tarikh-I-Firoz Shahi A book entitled Ziauddin Barnis Tarikh-i-Firoz Shahi brought out by Rampur Raza Library; Rampur (UP) under Ministry of Culture was released on 28 June 2013 by the Vice President of India, Hamid Ansari. The book is a historical publication and would benefit the students and researchers. Ziauddin Barni belonged to the elite society of medieval India and was able to achieve the status of Secretary (Nadeem) to Sultan Mohammad Bin Tuglaq (1325-51 AD). There are two versions of Tarikh-i-Firoz Shahi. The first version appeared in the fifth year of Firoz Shah Tuglaq, the second revised edition in the seventh year. Sir Syed Ahmad Khan edited and published the second version of it in 1866. Rampur Raza Library has published the first version of Tarikh-i-Firoz Shahi in 2013.

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Gujarat university first in the country to foray into geothermal energy sector The Centre of Excellence for Geothermal Energy (CEGE) at the Gujarat-based Pandit Deendayal Petroleum University (PDPU), an industry-government initiative to create a talent pool for the energy field, has completed pre-feasibility studies in geothermal energy, becoming the only university in the country to foray into this renewable energy sector with State funds. In common parlance, geothermal energy is generated and stored in the Earth and the technology is about tapping this heat to produce electricity. According to the International Geothermal Association (IGA), as much as 10,715 MW of geothermal power is online in 24 countries and the projection is that this would reach some 18,500 MW by 2015. The centre is aimed at providing expertise, equipment, services and operational support for geothermal activities in India. Banihal-Qazigund rail link opened

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Weekly Current Affairs (24th June to 30th June, 2013) In a giant leap in connectivity between the Kashmir Valley and Jammu region, Prime Minister Manmohan Singhinaugurated the 18-km long Banihal-Qazigund section of the ambitious mountain railway, promising all support for development of the state. Prime Minister flagged off the first train and boarded it for a journey across the 11-km tunnel, the longest in the country, through the difficult terrain of Pir Panjal ranges. The BanihalQazigund section, which reduces the 35 km distance by road to half, was constructed at a cost of about Rs 1,700 crore. The Udhampur-Katra-Banihal section, which will connect the Kashmir valley with the rest of the country's rail network, is expected to be completed by 2017.

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Railway ticket on SMS-service launched Railway Minister Mallikarjun Kharge launched the facility, making easy purchase of tickets by 80 per cent population that owns mobile phones. The only limitations are that the software will accept entries only in English, and you cannot book tickets between 8 a.m. and 12 noon. IRCTC has come up with a number of options for passengers to buy tickets without having to access the Internet. Besides the short code 5676714, one can even send an SMS to 139 or the Airtel Money system *400# or the system powered by Pyro where one needs to have a BSNL SIM card enabled with Java computer language. To make use of any of these options, you have to get your mobile number registered with IRCTC. Each SMS will cost Rs. 3 and as the project is being launched on a pilot basis, mobile service providers have dispensed with agent charges for now. These charges as and when imposed would be the same one pays to other agents, including online charges. One will not be required to carry a hard copy of the ticket while travelling the SMS confirmation will be valid proof. The facility allows for ticket cancellation as well. Government goes into PPP mode to award massive infra projects In an attempt to boost the sagging economy and turn around the negative investor sentiment, the Manmohan Singh government set a target to unlock and put on offer infrastructure projects worth Rs.1.14 lakh crore in the next six months in the rail, power, ports and aviation sectors. The proposals that will be given a firm shape in the next six months under the publicprivate partnership (PPP) mode include the Mumbai elevated rail corridor (Rs.30,000 crore), two international airports in Bhubaneswar and Imphal (Rs.20,000 crore) and power and transmission projects (Rs.40,000 crore). The Prime Minister was of the view that there was an urgent need to ramp up investment in infrastructure to revive investor sentiment. India bans testing of cosmetics on animals

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Weekly Current Affairs (24th June to 30th June, 2013) India is the first country in South Asia to ban the testing of cosmetics and its ingredients on animals. The decision was taken at a meeting of the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) Cosmetics Sectional Committee, chaired by the Drugs Controller General of India and is in line with the European Union's stand. The decision follows appeals from various quarters, including that from the National Advisory Council Chairperson Sonia Gandhi and campaigner for animal rights Maneka Gandhi, to prevent cruelty to animals. Any cosmetic product which carries out animal testing will face action as per provisions of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act and the Animal Cruelty Act. Violation of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act by any person or corporate manager or owner is liable for punishment for a term which may extend from 3-10 years and shall also be liable to fine which could be Rs.500 to Rs.10,000, or with both. 8. P. Sathasivam appointed be the Next Chief Justice of India P. Sathasivam on 29 June 2013 was appointed as the next Chief Justice of India after he justified the Collegiums System of appointment of Judges. The 64 year old Sathasivam will succeed the incumbent Chief Justice of India, Altamas Kabir, who will superannuate on 18 July 2013 from his office. Sathasivam will be the 40th Chief Justice of India (CJI) and his appointment to the post has been approved by Pranab Mukherjee, the President of India.

INTERNATIONAL
1. Japan got its First MOX Nuclear Shipment since Fukushima Japanese got its First MOX Nuclear Shipment port since Fukushima on 28 June 2013 which was arrived from France loaded with reprocessed nuclear fuel.The Nuclear Shipment was arrived in order to restart their atomic reactors. MOX, (mixed oxide) is a blend of plutonium and uranium; it was arrived at the Takahama nuclear plant on the western coast of central Japan. Mixed oxide (MOX) fuel basically provides about 2% of the new nuclear fuel used today.MOX fuel is manufactured from plutonium recovered from used reactor fuel. It also provides a means of burning weapons-grade plutonium (from military sources) to produce electricity. Uranium reactors produce a mixture of depleted uranium and plutonium as a by-product of fission. These can be re-processed into MOX fuel, which can then be used in other reactors to generate more power. Kevin Rudd sworn in as new Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd on 27 June 2013 was sworn in as Australias new prime minister ousting Julia Gillard as Labor chief in a ballot. He was sworn in at Government House in Canberra by Governor General Quentin Bryce.

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Weekly Current Affairs (24th June to 30th June, 2013) Kevin Rudd conserved his dramatic return after a leadership ballot on 26 June 2013 in which Gillard, the countrys first female premier, was forced to leave in a party-room vote and announced her retirement from politics. 5 years old Kevin Rudd won the vote of Labor lawmakers 57 to 45 amid mounting unease in the party over an expected rout by Tony Abbott's conservative opposition at the national polls in September 2013. 3. Obama nominates James Comey as next FBI director The US President Barack Obama nominated James Comey as the next FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation) Director. James Comey has been a registered Republican and former Justice Department official under President George W. Bush. The US senate is yet to confirm his nomination. He is likely to take charge from the outgoing Robert Mueller who held the post since 2001.

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Indians to pay 3,000 cash bond deposit for U.K. visa India has been put on a list of high-risk Asian and African countries whose citizens would be required to deposit 3,000 cash bond when they apply for a British visa. The money would be forfeited if they overstay. Controversially, the move is targeted only at people from non-white Commonwealth countries as part of the Tory-led governments resolve to drastically cut down on immigration levels. A similar attempt by Canada had to be abandoned amid protests that it was discriminatory. According to The Sunday Times , the scheme aimed at preventing abuse of immigration rules will initially cover India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nigeria and Ghana. New UNESCO World Heritage sites The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco) is holding its 37th annual session in Phnom Penh. On Sunday it completed an update of new sites to be added the World Heritage List. Below are the main decisions: Mount Etna (Italy): tallest active volcano on the European continent. Mount Fuji (Japan): Fujisan, the highest mountain in Japan. Agadez (Niger): the 15th century town was a crossroads for the trans-Saharan caravan trade and is home to the tallest minaret ever built out of mudbrick. El Pinacate and Gran Desierto de Altar Biosphere Reserve (Mexico): desert home to many species of plants and animals. Tajikistan National Park. Terraced rice fields of Honghe Hani (China): marking 1,300 years of rice cultivation. Xinjiang Tianshan (China). Namib Sand Sea (Namibia): coastal desert area whose only water source is uniquely delivered by fog. Hill Forts of Rajasthan (India)

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Weekly Current Affairs (24th June to 30th June, 2013) Monuments of Kaesong (North Korea): a dozen monuments including tombs, fortress walls and a 700-year-old school at the medieval city of Kaesong, the base of Koryo dynasty. Medici Villas and Gardens (Italy) Wooden tserkvas (churches) in the Carpathian mountains (Poland and Ukraine) Red Bay Basque Whaling Station (Canada): A 16th-century Arctic base for Basque whalers.

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U.N. public service awards for three Indian projects Three Indian projects will receive U.N. Public Service Awards this year. The awards are given for projects that fight poverty and promote sustainable development. The projects are Mass Contact Programme of Kerala, Swavalamban of District Administration of Dhanbad in Jharkhand and Graamin Haat programme of Department of Cottage and Rural Industries in Madhya Pradesh. The Kerala governments Mass Contact Programme, initiated by the Chief Ministers Office, was launched in 2011, with the main aim of combating red tape and bureaucracy in administration. It enables interaction between the people and the government by encouraging them to approach the government directly to get their concerns addressed without delay or corrupt practices. The Swavalamban initiative of Dhanbad administration has improved disbursement of pensions in the district. The initiative has cut down the time from three months to a maximum of three days, by automating payment and creation of direct cash transfers into pensioners bank accounts. Payment through Business Correspondent in remote rural areas has dramatically improved the delivery of services. In addition, the database of all pensioners was digitised with the help of a new software. Monitoring at district and government level has been simplified making it only a mouse click away. The Madhya Pradesh governments Graamin Haat has helped in womens empowerment. Although women comprise almost 50 per cent of the population of Madhya Pradesh, their participation in the decision-making process at all levels is very limited. Women also have no control over resources and their contribution to the family and society remained largely unrecognised. The Haat Development Committee that operates weekly markets (haats) decided to create Women Self Help Groups (WSHGs) that would operate its own haats. The first such initiative took place in Digwar village 10 years ago. It was the first time that a haat was managed by rural women who were illiterate and inexperienced in managing such enterprise. Women now not only had an important place in the haat and thus in society but also control over resources. The initiative has now expanded to 1,775 shops in 36 haats benefiting almost 1,800 sellers and 4,15,000 villagers from 217 villages. The initiative provided women an opportunity to

Weekly Current Affairs (24th June to 30th June, 2013) acquire management skills, operate a business on their own and improve overall living conditions in their communities. This in turn created a new sense of self-confidence and earned them respect in the family and society. It also allowed women to gradually become part of the governance of their community.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

1. Kirobo : Worlds first talking robot Japanese have developed the worlds first robot-astronaut that can communicate with humans. It will be launched to International Space Station (ISS) from Japan Aerospace Exploration Agencys (JAXA) Tanegashima Space Center atop H-IIB rocket on August 4, 2013.

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Trio of super Earths in a stars habitable zone Three super Earth planets have been found orbiting a nearby star at a distance where life in theory could exist, according to a record-breaking tally announced on Tuesday by the European Southern Observatory (ESO). They are part of a cluster of as many as seven planets that circle Gliese 667C, one of three stars located a relatively close 22 light years from Earth in the constellation of Scorpio, it said. The planets orbit Gliese 667C in the so-called Goldilocks Zone a distance from the star at which the temperature is just right for water to exist in liquid form rather than being stripped away by stellar radiation or locked permanently in ice. The planets are called super Earths because they are relatively small compared to the giants that comprise most of the exoplanets, which lie beyond our Solar System, spotted since 1995. Lola-Drayson, the new cheetah of cars A British-made lightweight electric-powered car on Wednesday set a new world land-speed record after it touched 328.6 km per hour. The Lola B12 69/EV, made by motorsport company Drayson Racing Technologies, surpassed the Battery Box General Electrics 281.6 kph, achieved in 1974, at a Royal Air Force base in Yorkshire. The companys chief executive, Lord Drayson, who was behind the wheel, said the achievement was designed to highlight electronic vehicle technologys potential. In order to qualify for an attempt on the Federation Internationale de lAutomobiles (FIA) world electric land-speed record, the team had to make its vehicle weigh less than 1,000kg without the driver.

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Weekly Current Affairs (24th June to 30th June, 2013) To do this, it adapted a Le Mans Series car it had previously designed which originally had a bio-ethanol fuel engine and replaced the part with a lightweight 20-kilowatt/hour battery offering 850 horsepower. The team also adapted the vehicles chassis, which is made out of recycled carbon fibre, to minimise air friction. 4. Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) set to establish Navigation Satellite System Indian Space Research Organizations scientists will established navigation satellite system for India like that of Americas Global Positioning System (GPS). Very much similar to the GPS, the Indian satellite is supposed to transmit data continuously that will allow correctly equipped receivers to establish their location with considerable precision. The GPS requires a constellation of 24 orbiting satellites, which will be supported by a global network of ground stations, so that every part of the world is covered. ISRO will create a system wholly in India's control for providing navigation signals over this country and surrounding areas. After seeing many configurations, the finally chosen configuration was the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS) which required just seven satellites. All seven IRNSS satellites will be at a height of about 36000 km, which will take a whole day to circle the Earth. Three of the satellites will be placed over the equator, in what is known as the geostationary orbit, where they match the Earth's rotation and therefore appear from the ground to remain at a fixed position in the sky. The remaining four satellites will be in pairs in two inclined geosynchronous orbits. From the ground, these satellites will appear to travel in figures of 8 during the course of a day.

PERSONS
1. Nik Wallenda Became First Man to Successfully Walk Across Grand Canyon on Tightrope Nik Wallenda, said to be the 7th generation high-wire artist on June 2013 successfully completed walking the 2-inch thick cable across Little Colorado River Gorge near the Grand Canyon. He finished this walk in merely 23 minutes. With this, he became the first man to cross Grand Canyon on the tightrope. The tightrope was stretched 1500 feet above the gorge floor. He completed the 1400 foot long televised walk without any safety harness or net. Nik Wallenda, in the meanwhile, also declared that his next tightrope walk would be between the Empire State building and the Chrysler building in New York.

Weekly Current Affairs (24th June to 30th June, 2013)

SOME FACTS ABOUT INDIA

1) 2) India is the 7th largest country of the World having an area of 32,87,263 square k.m. The other countries namely Russia, Canada, U.S.A, China, Brazil & Australia are lager in terms of area than India. 3) 4) Gujarat state has the longest coastline (approx.1600 km) among the Indian states. The countries which share a common border with India are: i. ii. iii. iv. v. vi. vii. 5) China Nepal Bhutan Pakistan Afghanistan Bangladesh & Myanmar

From among the following countries Bangladesh is the only one who shares the largest border with India i.e. approx 4000 km.

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According to the census 2011, the provincial data shows that Indias total population stands 1,21,01,93,422.

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The sex ratio is 940 females per 1000 males.