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These Notes Include


PD --(FEBURARY)
NEWS AND EVENT- -( FEBURARY)
MAGAZINE-3--( FEBURARY)
MAGAZINE-4--( FEBURARY)
WEEKLY GK -- ( 1 -28 FEBURARY )

PD: FEBRUARY - 2014
NATIONAL
WTO INKS LANDMARK PACT: After five days of hard negotiations, the World Trade Organisation (WTO) reached
a historic deal designed to ease movement of goods across countries and allow developing nations more options to
feed their poor as India successfully lobbied in favour of state-funded welfare schemes.
The first ever reform deal: This is the first ever trade reform deal agreed upon on the 159 member countries of
the WTO after it was set up in 1995. A study by the Washington DC-based Peterson Institute of International
Economics estimated that the agreement would inject $ 960 billion into the global economy and create 21 million
jobs- 18 million of them in developing countries.
SUPREME COURT REINSTATES BAN ON GAY SEX: The Supreme Court rein stated a colonial-era ban on gay
sex that enables that jailing of homosexuals in a major setback for rights campaigners in the country.
HAMID KARZAI VISITED INDIA: Afghanistan President ,Hamid Karzai paid a three day visit to India in the second
week of December. India has poured $ 2 billion in reconstruction aid into Afghanistan, and Karzai is understood to
have pleaded for further support, including military assistance in his meetings.
UNION MINISTER SIS RAM OLA PASSES AWAY: Union Labour and Employment Minister Sis Ram Ola passed
away at a Gurgaon hospital. A recipient of the the Padma Shri award in 1968, Ola started girls education in a
remote area in rural Rajasthan with three girls in the school known as Indira Gandhi Balika Niketan Ardawata in
1952.
PARLIAMENT PASSES THE LOKPAL BILL: After eight unsuccessful attempts over the last five decades, Indian
Parliament took the historic step of passing the Lokpal Bill by which an anti-corruption watchdog would be
established that will have in its purview even the office of the Prime minister.
AGNI-III TEST-FIRED SUCCESSFULLY BY SFC PERSONNEL: In the fifth consecutive success of its flight trial,
nuclear weapons capable Agni-III surface-to-surface ballistic missile was test-fired for its full range of a little over
3000 km from the Wheeler Island, off the Odisha coast.

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CABINET CLEARS CONSTITTUTIONAL STATUS FOR JUDICIAL APPOINTMENTS COMMISSION (JAC): The
Union Cabinet gave its nod for conferring constitutional status to the proposed Judicial appointments Commission
(JAC) for appointment and transfer of judges to the higher judiciary. The JAC Bill seeks to set up a six-member
body under the chairmanship of the Chief Justice of India for recommending names to the President of individuals
with outstanding legal acumen and impeccable integrity and credibility for judgeship in the Supreme Court and the
High Courts. It would also recommend transfer of judges of one High Court to another.
WORLD
CHILES SOCIALIST PARTY SWEEPS POLLS: MICHELLE BACHELET WINS PRESIDENTIAL RUN OFF
ELECTION: Socialist Michelle Bachelet easily trounced her conservative rival was swept back into Chiles
presidency on a platform of narrowing the gap between the rich and the poor.
NELSON MANDELA IS NO MORE: Nelson Mandela, the towering figure of Africas freedom struggle and a hero
to millions around the world, passed away on December 6, 2013.He was 95. The two shared the Peace Nobel
prize in 1993. India conferred the Bharat Ratan on Mandela in 1990 in recognition of his contribution to humanity.
He was last seen in public at the 2010 World Cup final in Johannesburg , a tournament he helped bring to South
Africa for the first time.
URUGUAY BECOMES THE FIRST COUNTRY TO LEGALIZE MARIJUANA TRADE: Uruguay has approved
pioneering legislation legalising marijuana, becoming the first country in the world to oversee the production and
sale of the drug.
IRAN SENDS SECOND MONKEY INTO SPACE: Iran said that it had successfully sent a monkey into space for a
second time, part of an ambitious programme aimed at manned space flight. Irans state TV said that the launch of
the rocket dubbed Pajohesh, or research in Persian, was first use of liquid fuel and reached height of 120 km. It
said that the monkey, named Fargam or Auspicious, was returned to earth safely.
EUROPE LAUNCHES SATELLITE TO MAP 1 BILLION STARS: The European Space Agency launched its star-
surveying satellite Gaia into space hoping to produce the most accurate three dimensional map of the Milky way
and to better understand the evolution of our galaxy.
PAKISTAN SHARIAT COURT GETS FIRST WOMAN JUDGE: Chief Justice of the Federal Shariat Court of
Pakistan Justice Agha Rafiq Ahmed Khan administered the oath of office to Justice Ashraf Jehan, the first woman
judge.
ACRONYMS
AAP : Aam Admi Party
ANC: African National Congress
EDI: Education Development Index
HPCL : Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited.
RTE: Right to Education
PERSON IN NEWS
URSULA VON DER LEYEN: German Chancellor Angela Merkel named Ursula von der Leyen as her new defence
minister.
SUSHMA SINGH: Sushma Singh , the senior most information commissioner, will be the next chief Information
Commissioner (CIC) of India. She will succeed Deepak Sandhu, who completes her term in December 2013.
ABDUL BASIT: Pakistan government has appointed career diplomat Abdul Basit as the new high commissioner to
India.

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RANJAN MATHAI: Ranjan Mathai, former foreign secretary of India, has taken over as the countrys next high
commissioner to the UK. Mathai succeeds Jaimini Bhagwati , who retired recently.
POPE FRANCIS: Time Magazine named Pope Francis its person of the year, saying that in 9 months the head of
the catholic Church had become a new voice of conscience.
RONNIE BIGGS: Britains most notorious criminal known as The Great Train Robber dies in London.
MIKHAIL KALSHNIKOV: Mikhail Kalshnikov , the designer of the assault rifle that has killed more people than any
other firearm in the world died .
ECONOMY
CAD DECLINES TO 1.2% OF GDP, LOWEST SINCE 2010: On Current Account Deficit (CAD) front India got a
relief as CAD narrows down the level which is the lowest since 2010. CAD for the quarter ended September 2013
narrowed sharply to $ 5.2 billion , or 1.2 per cent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP), from $ 21 billion (5 % of
GDP) in the year ago period, mainly due to curbs on imports of non-essential items like gold and a pick-up in
exports.
RISK MANAGEMENT SYSTEM INTRODUCED IN EXPORT SECTOR: Union Finance Minister P. Chidambaram
inaugurates the IT based Risk Management System (RMS) for the customs clearance of export goods.
Government has introduced RMS to enhance trade facilitation in export sector and to check smuggling of drugs ,
weapons and other illegal substances harmful to the country.
FIRST ROBOTIC DAIRY PLANT OPENED BY AMUL: Indias first robotic dairy plant has been opened in Virar, in
suburban Mumbai by Amul Dairy, the largest food brand in India for milk and milk products.
MAHARAJAS EXPRESS WINS WORLD TRAVEL AWARDS FOR 2
ND
TIME: World Travel Awards celebrated its
20
th
Anniversary announced the winners for World Travel Awards 2013. At this ceremony Maharajas Express
become Worlds Leading Luxury Train for the 2
nd
consecutive year.
INDIA AND UAE SIGN BIPPA: India and UAE have signed a Bilateral Investment Promotion and Protection
agreement (BIPPA) that seeks to accelerate fresh capital inflows from the emirates and provide a thrust to stalled
projects. The deal was signed between Obaid Humaid Al Tayer, UAEs minister of state for financial affairs, and
Union Minister of State for finance Namo Narain Meena.
BLACK MONEY OUTFLOW FROM INDIA AT RS 21 LAKH CRORE IN DURING 2002-11: Total black money
outflow from India was nearly $ 343 billion (nearly Rs 21 lakh crore @ Rs 62/ US $) during 2002- 2011, says a
report Illicit Financial Flows from Developing Countries : 2002-2011. This puts India as the fifty largest exporter of
illicit money, the report adds. The report said six of the top 15 exporters of illicit capital in 2011 are from Asia
(China, Malaysia, India, Indonesia, Thailand and the Philippines). Over the past decade, illicit outflows from
developing countries increased by 10.2 % each year in real terms significantly outpacing GDP growth.
AWARD
ANDY MURRAY CROWNED BBC SPORTS PESONALITY OF THE YEAR 2013: Wimbledon Champion Andy
Murray has been crowned the 2013 BBC Sports Personality of the year. The 26 year old scot player Murray who
became the first Briton in 77 years to clinch the Wimbledon mens singles title with victory over Novak Djokovic in
the summer of 2013, received this award from Martina Navratilova in Miami.
KAPIL DEV CHOSEN FOR COL. C.K. NAYUDU AWARD: Indias one of the greatest cricker Kapil Dev Nikhanj
has been selected for the prestigious Col. C.K.Nayudu lifetime achievement award for the year 2013 for his
remarkable and unparallel contribution to cricket in India.

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M.S.DHONI WINS ICCS LG PEOPLES CHOICE AWARD: Mahendra Singh Dhoni , the captain and
wicketkeeper batsman of the Indian Cricket team has bagged the ICCs LG Peoples Choice Player of the year
Award for the year 2013.
FRANCK RIBERY IS FRENCH PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Franck Ribery, the Bayern Munich Winger was named
French player of the year by France Football Magazine.
PANDIT RAVI SHANKAR GETS GRAMMY NOMINATION POSTHUMOUSLY: b Legendary music maestro
Panidt Ravi Shankar got a posthumous nomination at 56
th
Grammy Awards with his album The Living Room
Sessions Part-2 in the world music section.
STENSON NAMED EUROPEAN TOUR PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Swedens star golfer Henrik stenson was
named the Ruropean Tours Golfer of the year for 2013.
AUNIL CHHETRI NAMED AIFF PLAYER OF 2013: The All India Football Federation awards for the year 2013
were announced by the AIFF President Praful Patel at the Annual General Meeting of AIFF.
NADAL AND SERENA WIN AWARDS: Tennis Champions Rafael Nadal (Spain) and Serena Williams (USA) have
been named as sportsman and sportswoman of the year by French sports daily LEquipe.
SPORTS
GREAME SWANN TAKES RETIREMENT: Englands spinner Graeme Swann took retirement from International
and first class cricket with immediate effect.
GERMANY CLINCHES JUNIOR HOCKEY WORLD CUP: Germany clinched the Hero Junior Hockey World Cup
title beating first time finalist France.
BRAZUCA UNVEILED AS THE OFFICIAL BALL OF 2014 FOOTBALL WORLD CUP: The Barazuca was
unveiled as the official ball to be used at the Football World Cup 2014 in Brazil, in a ceremony in Rio-de-Janeiro.
P.V.SINDHU CLICHES MACAU OPEN BADMINTON TITLE: Indias rising badminton star P.V. Sindhu thrashed
Canadas Michelle Li in the summit clash to lift the Macau Open Grand Prix Gold badminton title.
INDIA RETAINS KABADDI WORLD CUP: Defending Champion India defeated its arch-rival Pakistan to clinch
the fourth Kabaddi World Cup title in Ludhiana.
DEL POTRO NAMED ARGENTINAS SPORTSMAN OF 2013: The 2009 US Open champion Juan Martin Del
Potro edged out Lionel Messi to be crowned Argentinas sportsman of the year award for 2013.

MAGAZINE - l
ABBREVIATIONS
SPMCIL Security Printing and Minting Corporation of India Limited
CDLI- Climate Disclosure Leadership Index
WADA- World Anti-Doping Agency
VAL - Vedanta Aluminium Ltd
IMPORTANT DATES AND DAYS
1
st
DECEMBER : World Aids Day
2
ND
DECEMBER : International Day for Abolition of Slavery
3
RD
DECEMBER: International Day of Persons with Disabilities.
9
th
DECEMBER : International Anti-Corruption Day
10
th
DECEMBER: Human Rights Day

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18
th
DECEMBER : International Migrants Day
PERSONS IN NEWS
ABDULLA YAMEN: Abdulla Yameen of Progressive Party of Maldives was sworn in as the 6
th
President of the
country by the Majlis in a special ceremony.
AJIT PRAKASH SHAH: Former Delhi High Court Chief Justice, Justice Ajit Prakash Shah has taken over as new
Chairman of the Law Commission. The post of chairman, 20
th
Law Commission had fallen vacant due to the
resignation of Justice D K Jain, who has taken over as the president, National Consumer disputes Redressal
Commission.
KULAMANI BISWAL : Kulamani Biswal has taken over as the Director (Finance) of NTPC Ltd, Indias largest
electricity generator. Biswal , Commerce Graduate from Utkal University and fellow member of the Institute of Cost
Accountants of India, took as Director (Finance) of NTPC.
SUMIT BOSE: Revenue Secretary Sumit Bose, and IAS officer of 1976 batch , will be the new Finance Secretary.
Sumit Bose, IAS, Secretary , department of revenue, Minister y of finance, has been designated as Finance
Secretary.
ANIRUDDHA CHAKRAVARTY: Lt Gen Aniruddha Chakravarty took over the reins of National Cadet Corps as the
Director General of this premier youth organisation. He succeeds Lt Gen. P S Bhalla who retired on 30 Nov. 2013.
RAMAN SINGH: Raman Singh was sworn in as Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh for the third consecutive term.
VASUNDHARA RAJE: Vasundhara Raje was sworn in at the Rajasthan chief Minister for the second time after
the BJP wrested the state from the congress in the state assembly polls.
SHIVRAJ SINGH CHOUHAN: Shivraj Singh Chouhan was sworn in as Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister for third
consecutive term.
LAL THANHAWLA: Lal Thanhawla, who steered Congress to a landslide victory in Mizoram, was sworn in as the
Chief Minister by Governor Vakkom Purushothaman.
DORIS LESSING: British Nobel Prize-winning auther Doris Lessing has died aged 94. Her best known works
include The Golden notebook, Memoirs of a Survivor and The Summer Before the Dark.
FREDERICK SANGER: British biochemist Frederick Sanger, known as the Father of genomics and the only
person to win the Nobel Prize for Chemistry twice, died, He was 95.
ARJAN VEKARIA: Arjan Vekaria, President of Hindu Forum of Britain, has died.
AWARDS /HONOURS
INTERNATIONAL INDIAN OF THE DECADE AWARD: Leading NRI Industrialist and educationist, Lord Swraj
Paul was presented with the International Indian of the Decade award for his outstanding achievements in the
fields of industry education and philanthropy.
BHARAT RATNA: The Government has decided to confer, the Bharat Ratna, the highest civilian award on
eminent scientist Prof. CN.R.Rao and cricket icon Sachin Tendulkar.
INDIRA GANDHI PRIZE FOR PEACE, DISARMAMENT AND DEVELOPMENT: German Chancellor Angela
Merkel will be awarded the coveted Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development for 2013.
MISS EARTH 2013: Venezuelas Alyz Henrich was crowned Miss Earth 2013. This is the second time the title has
been given to a beauty from Venezuela. Alexandra Braun had won the pageant in 2005.
UN HUMAN RIGHTS PRIZE: Malala Yousafzai , the Pakistani education activist who fearlessly took on the
Taliban, has been conferred the 2013 UN Human Rights Prize.

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USs LEGION OF MERIT AWARD: General Bikram Singh has joined the ranks of legendary figures of the Indian
Army including Field Marshal K M Kariappa as he has been awarded the sixth highest American Military honour
Legion of Merit.
NATIONAL
INDIAN NAVY RECEIVED SECOND P-8I MARITIME PATROL AIRCRAFT: American defence major Boeing has
decided the second P-8I aircraft to India that is likely to boost the Indian Navys long range maritime
reconnaissance and anti-submarine warfare capabilities. Boeing , which is building eight P-8I aircrafts for India,
delivered the first one in May.
AIRCRAFT CARRIER VIKRAMADITYA INDUCTED INTO INDIAN NAVY: The long-delayed and much-awaited $
2.3 billion aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya was inducted into the Indian Navy in a strategic boost to Indias maritime
warfare capabilities. The mammoth 44,500-tonne warship was commissioned into the Indian Navy at the Sevmash
Shipyard at a handing over ceremony attended by Defence Minister A.K. Antony and Russian Deputy Prime
minister Dmitry Rogozin along with government and naval officials of the two countries.
DHANUSH MISSILE SUCCESSFULLY TEST-FIRED: India successfully test-fired its nuclear-capable Dhanush
ballistic missile from a Naval Ship off Odisha coast. Strategic Forces Command ( SFC) successfully tested the
Dhanush missile from a Naval Ship. The surface-to-surface Dhanush, a naval variant of Indias indigenously
developed Prithvi missile, was test fired from a location at Bay of Bengal by the SFC of the defence force.
ICGS RAJDHWAJ COMMISSIONED INTO COAST GUARD: An in-shore patrol vessel ICGS Rajdhwaj was
commissioned into the Indian Coast Guard by Shipping Minister G K Vasan. The 50 metre in shore patrol vessel is
also the last in the series of eight IPVs designed and built by M/s Garden Reach Shipbuilders Engineers, Kolkata.
Equipped with sophisticated navigational and communication sensors and equipment, the vessel would be
propelled to a maximum speed of 31.5 knots.
TRIPURA INTRODUCED PVC-EPIC FOR THE FIRST TIME: Tripura introduced for the first time in the country
PVC Electoral Photo Identity Card (PVC EPIC) as mandated by the Election Commission of India. The EC had
mandated that all voters would have to be issued PVC EPIC as per specifications provided by it with security
printing to prevent the card being tampered.
GUJARAT GOT LOKAYUKTA AFTER A DECADE: Retired Gujarat High Court Judge DP Buch was sworn in as
the states fourth Lokayukta, a post that lay vacant for a decade and over which Chief Minister Narendra Modi and
governor Kamla Beniwal were on a collision course for three years. The post had been lying vacant since the last
incumbent Justice RM Sonis term expired in December 2003.
INTERNATIONAL
RUSHDAI NAIR HONOURED BY INDO-AMERICAN ARTS COUNCIL: Prominent Indian- Americans author
Salman Rushdie and filmmaker Mira Nair have been honoured for their contributions to the global artistic
community. The Indo-American Arts Council (IAAC) honoured the two along with renowned Indian-American
pathologist Majula Bansal as it commemorates its 15
th
anniversary this year to celebrate its contributions of Indian
Performing, visual and literary arts to New York Citys diverse cultural scene.
INDIAN-ORIGIN SINGAPORE BUSINESSMAN GOT SOUTH ASIAN AWARD: Indian-origin businessman Murli
Kewalram Chanrai was presented the Outstanding Member of the South Asian Diaspora award by Singapore
President Tony Tan Keng Yam. The award ,first of its kind given during the second south Asian Diaspora
Convention (SADC) 2013, recognised Chanrais outstanding career achievements as well as his extraordinary
service and contributions to society, not just in Singapore but also in South Asia and in South Asian diasporic
communities such as Africa.

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INDIA PUTS CANDIDACY FOR 2021-22 UNSC NON-PERMANENT SEAT: Less than a year after its term at the
UN security Council ended, India has signed again put in its candidature for a non-permanent member seat at the
UN high table for 2021-22 after Afghanistan withdrew in its favour.
OCTOBER 31 IS WORLD CITIES DAY: A United Nations General Assembly committee adopted a resolution on
human settlement, designating October 31 as the World Cities Day.
SINGAPORE PAPER NAMED Xi AND Abe ASIANS OF YEAR : Chinese President Xi Jinping and Japanese
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe were named Asians of the year for 2013 by Singapores Straits Times, which urged
them to reach out to each other to avert a conflict.
ECONOMY
VEDANTA COMMISSIONED WORLDS FIRST RED MUD POWDER PLANT: Vedanta aluminium Ltd.(VAL) has
commissioned a red mud powder producing unit at Lanjigarh refinery in Odisha, describing it as first of its kind in
alumina industry tackling major environmental hazards.
UN DECLARED 2014 AS INTERNATIONAL YEAR OF FAMILY FARMING: The United Nations has declared
2014 as the International Year of Family Farming so as to support the farmers achieve food security and eradicate
global poverty.
CCEA NOD TO RS.1100 CRORE AGRI EXPORT SCHEME: The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs
(CCEA) approved a proposal of the ministries of commerce and industry for continuing the Agriculture Export
Promotion Plan Scheme in the 12
th
Plan period (2012-17).
INDIA-BELGIUM TO ENHANCE COOPERATION IN RENEWABLE ENERGY: India and Belgium have agreed to
work on signing an MoU to enhance cooperation in renewable energy. This was discussed at a bilateral meeting
between Dr. Farooq Abdullah, Minister for New and renewable Energy, Government of India and Her Royal
Highness Princess Astrid of Belgium.
DUBAI TO HOT 2020 WORLD EXPO : Dubai has won the right to host World Expo 2020, becoming the first
Middle Eastern city to organise the prestigious exposition in its more than 150 year history and generate about
USD 23 billion income for the Gulf emirate.
INDIA RANKED 94
TH
ON GLOBAL GRAFT PERCEPTION INDEX: India was ranked among the worlds highly
corrupt nations at the 94
th
spot in a global list topped by Denmark and New Zealand as the cleanest , while Somalia
emerged at the most corrupt.
INDIA 98
TH
IN FORBES LIST ON BEST COUNTRIES FOR BUSINESS: India has been ranked 98
th
in the Forbes
list of worlds best countries for doing business that has cited poverty, corruption and discrimination against girls
among the challenges facing the country.
INDIA 7
TH
MOST ECONOMICALLY CONFIDENT COUNTRY GLOBALLY: Buoyed by healthy farm output and
narrowing current account deficit, India is the seventh most economically confident country in the world. Saudi
Arabia is the most economically confident country, followed by Germany, Sweden, Canada, China and Australia in
that order.
DOHA BANK GOT LICENCE TO START BANKING OPERATIONS IN INDIA: Doha Bank has been granted
licence to commence banking operations in India and has been permitted to open a branch in Mumbai to provide
full-scale banking services, Sheikh Fahad Bin Mohammad Bin Jabor Al-Thani, Chairman of Doha Banks board of
directors , has said.
SPORTS

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BRITAINS CRAIG REEDIE ELECTED WADA PRESIDENT: Craig Reedie has been elected president of the
World Anti-Doping Agency. The IOC vice president from Britain was the only candidate to succeed former
Australian politician.
SANDHU NAMED CHIEF BOXING COACH TILL 2016 OLYMPICS: The long-serving Gurbex Singh Sandhu was
retained as the national coach of the mens Indian boxing team till the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.
SOUTH KOREA TO HOST 2017 FIFA U-20 WORLD CUP: South Korea was picked to host the FIFA Under-20
World Cup in 2017.
MAGNUS CARLSEN BECOME NEW WORLD CHAMPION: Five time title holder Viswanathan Anands reign as
the World Champion came to a heart-breaking end with Norways Magnus Carlsen taking the crown after a hard-
fought draw in the 10
th
game of the World Chess Championship match.
NEWS AND EVENT : FEBRUARY - 2014
INTERNATIONAL
FIRST WOMAN BISHOP IN UK : In a historic first for the Anglican Church in the U.K Ireland, and a victory for the
campaign for gender equality in the church, a woman Rev Pat Story was consecrated as a bishop at a service at
the Christ Church Cathedral in Dublin .
JORDAN TAKES UNSC SEAT: Jordan has been elected as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council,
filling a seat that Saudi Arabia had declined to accept after an earlier election to protest the world bodys failure to
end the Syrian and Israeli-Palestinian conflicts.
INDONESIA, A NEW HUB FOR GLOBAL CYBER CRIME: A recent report by cloud computing firm, Akmai, pin
points Indonesia, not China, as the country that accounts for the largest number of worldwide hacking incidents.
HITLER LOSES HONORARY CITIZENSHIP: A Bavarian town council in Germany has stripped Adolf Hitler of
honorary citizenship bestowed upon the Nazi leader 80- year old ago after a public outcry.
GREEN SIGNAL FOR MILLIONAIRES TAK IN FRANCE: Frances Constitutional Council gave the green light to
a millionaires tax , to be levied on companies that pay salaries of more than 1 million( $ 1.38 million) a year.
WORLDS LARGEST FLOATING ISLAND: The worlds largest floating vessel, a 1,601 foot long and 243 foot
wide liquefied natural gas facility called Prelude, has been launched from a dock in South Korea by the South
Korean Ship-builder Samsung Heavy Industries.
NATIONAL
INDIA AND US SIGN SSI PACT: b India and the United States inked a Sensitive Security Information pact that will
enable India to access the latest technologies pertaining to aviation security, Technologies from the US pertaining
to explosives detection and other matters will be available to India now.
MUMBAI ADMAN WINS FREE TICKET TO SPACE: A 27 year old Mumbai ad executive, Vinay Singh, is among
23 persons across the world to have won a free trip to space. Singh was chosen following a rigorous physical and
mental test involving more than 120 space enthusiasts from 60 countries.
KRISHNA WATER TRIBUNAL VERDICT: The tribunal, headed by Justice Brijesh Kumar, delivered its final ruling
on sharing of Krishna waters among Maharashtra, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. The verdict says the lower
riparian AP would get 1005 tmc of Krishna water as its share- a four tmc raise from its interim award. The upper
riparian Karnataka and Maharashtra have been allocated 907 tmc and 666 tmc of water, respectively. AP was
expecting a substantial increase in the allocation.

9

GURUNG ELECTED GTA CHIEF: Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) president Bimal Gurung was elected as the
new chief executive of the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration at a special meeting of the GTA Sabha at
Darjeeling.
INDIAS FIRST HERITAGE TRANSPORT MUSEUM: Indias first heritage transport museum was inaugurated at
Gurgaon by Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda. The Museum which sprawls across four levels was
completed in three years at a cost of Rs 15 crore, of which Rs 6 crore was provided by the Union Ministry of
Culture.
COUNTRYS FIRST MUSEUM OF CUSTOMS AND EXCISE IN GOA: The headquarters of Alfandega- as the
customs administration was known in Goa during Portuguese rule till 1961 when it was liberated and came under
Indian control- has been converted into the countrys first museum for customs and central excise and displays
some rare items seized from smugglers since independence and before.
GAUHAR WINS BIGG BOSS 7: Model-actor Gauhar Khan was crowned the winner of the seventh season of the
popular reality show Big Boss.
SPORTS
TOUR DE INDIA GETS WORLD BODY NOD: The Tour De India 2013, the worlds biggest cycling event, has been
listed in the International race calendar of the International body, Union Cycliste Internationale, and the second
edition of the multi-city event will witness the participation of more than 150 overseas and national cyclists.
NEPAL QUALIFIES FOR 2014 WORLD T20: Nepal made history when it qualified for its maiden major ICC event
by progressing to this year World Twenty20 championship after its five wicket victory over Hong Kong in the
qualifiers in Abu Dhabi.
BUSINESS AND ECONOMY
IOC TOPS FORTUNE 500 LIST: State-run Indian Oil Corp has emerged as the countrys biggest company in
terms of annual revenue, followed by Mukesh Ambani- led private sector giant Reliance Industries at the second
place, as per an annual list of Fortune 500 companies in India.
CHINA IS TOP FILER OF PATENTS: The World Intellectual Property Indicators, 2013 released that the Chinese
patent office received the highest number of 652,777 applications from across the world while the Indian patent
office is at eighth position having received 43,955 applications.
RUPEE IS 4
TH
LARGEST TRADED IN ASIA: According to a study on offshore trading in emerging market
currencies in Markets in Motion (a financial technologies group initiative), the Chinese currency renminibi or yuan is
the largest offshore selling currency among emerging markets followed by the Singapore dollar, the Hong Kong
dollar and the Indian rupee.
APPOINTMENT
MANIPUR GOVERNOR: Vinod Kumar Duggal, former Union home secretary, was appointed as governor of
Manipur.
MCI PRESIDENT: The Medical Council of India (MCI) got the first woman president since its inception in
1933.Ending the three-year interim arrangement of the board of governors (BoG), Dr. Jayshree Ben Mehta was
selected as the MCI president and Dr. C.V. Bhirmananadham as vice-president of the council.
MAGAZINE - ll
ECONOMY

10

INTEREST AT SHORTER INTERVALS: RBI has allowed banks to pay interest on rupee savings and term
deposits at intervals shorter than quarterly intervals. The RBI has decided to let banks decide on the periodicity of
interest payment on rupee savings and term deposits.
PIN MUST FOR DEBIT CARD TRANSACTIONS: Debit card holders are now required to punch their pin numbers
every time they use the card . The pin is another layer of security for the debit card. First, merchants will swipe the
cards at a pin-enabled PoS terminal and punch in the transaction amount. That will be followed by customers
entering their pins to complete the transaction.
CICs CAN RAISE FUNDS VIA ECB : The RBI allowed holding companies or core investment companies (CICs)
to raise funds through external commercial borrowings (ECB) for project use in special purpose vehicles( SPVs)
involved in infrastructure sector.
M&M NORMS FOR TELECOM SECTOR: The Empowered Group of Ministers (EGoM) on telecom approved the
mergers and acquisitions (M&A) guidelines, besides clearing the sale of over 400 MHz of 2G spectrum (1800 MHz
band) , a move that would help further growth and consolidation of the cellular phone market in the country.
RS 600 CRORE PENALTY ON IDEA CELLULAR :Idea Cellular has been slapped Rs 600 crore penalty by the
Department of Telecommunications (DoT) for its alleged violation of licence conditions in its merger deal with Spice
Communications.
MAURITIUS, INDIA AGREE TO LoB CLAUSE: Mauritius has agreed to include a limitation of benefits (LoB)
clause in its revised tax treaty with India. While specific details of this clause in the India-Mauritius tax treaty are
being ironed out, LoB clauses are typically aimed at preventing treaty shopping or inappropriate use of tax pacts
by third-country investors.
YUAN THE SECOND MOST USED CURRENCY: Chinas currency Yuan overtook the Euro in the month of
October 2013, becoming the second most used currency in trade finance, according to the global transaction
services organisation SWIFT. The Yuan, also known as renminbi, now ranks behind the US Dollar, which remains
the leading currency with a share of 81.08 per cent.
NATIONAL
INDIA GRANTS PERSONHOOD STATUS TO DOLPHINS : India has granted on-human personhood status to
dolphins to recognise their unique intelligence and self-awareness. India is the first nation to do this. Environment
and Forests Minister Jayanthi Natrajan gave this information in the Lok Sabha.
CENTRE MAKES CHANGES IN MNREGA: The Centre tried to reach out to rural masses by making major
changes in its flagship programme MNRAGA which include Rs 10,000 for constructing toilets for all job card
holders and assistance for buildings for women self-help federations.
SIKKIM TOP REGION TO VISIT IN 2014: Scenic Sikkim has been named as the best region to visit in 2014 by a
leading global travel guide Lonely Planet, with Brazil merging as the top destination in terms of countries.
CABINET OKAYS DISABILITIES BILL: The Union Cabinet approved the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Bill, a
comprehensive measure that covers a whole spectrum of problems from physical disabilities to mental illness and
multiple disabilities.
PINAKA SUCCESSFULLY TEST-FIRED: Indias indigenously developed Pinaka rockets have been successfully
test-fired from a multi-barrel rocket launcher from a base at Chandipur on sea near Balasore, Odisha. Pinaka,
which has undergone several tough tests since 1995, has been inducted into the armed forces and the present
trials were conducted with some improvements in the system.
WORLD

11

UN INVITES INDIA TO JOIN AMBER ROAD: India, home to rich amber deposits dating back 50 mn years, has
been invited to join the World Amber Road, a global project spearheaded by the UN to develop tourism routes that
run through areas rich in amber, commonly called natural gold.
FIVE EAST AFRICAN NATIONS FOR ONE CURRENCY : The five members of the East African Community
(EAC) economic group have agreed to adopt a single currency.The leaders of Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda
and Burundi signed a protocol in the Uganda capital Kampala for the adoption of the common currency in 10 years.
BOLIVIA LAUNCHES ITS FIRST SATELLITE: Cheering crownds gathered in front of big television screens in La
Paz to watch the rocket carrying the satellite blast off from a base in China. The satellite is named Tupak Katri after
an indigenous hero who fought Spanish colonial rule. Bolivia is one of the last countries in South America to have
its own satellite. President Evo Morales, who was in China for the launch, said it would end Bolivias dependence
on foreign powers for its communications.
PERSONS IN NEWS
ARUNDHATI BHATTACHARYA : The SBI chairman has been included as a member in the Standing Council of
experts to assess global competitiveness of the financial sector with regard to transaction costs as well as tax rates
and suggest reforms.
AHMET UZUMEU: He has been re-appointed for a second term as the Director-General of the Organisation for the
Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW).
KRISH IYER: The Worlds largest retailer Walmart has named him as the chief executive officer (CEO) of its India
unit.
HARSH BHANWALA: The centre has appointed him as chairman of the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural
Development (NABARD).
MOHAMED NAZIM: During the recent visit of the Maldivian Minister of Defence, India turned a new page in its
long-standing ties with Maldives, pledging a second Advanced Light Helicopter, Dhruv to the country.
PRINCE HARRY : He has become the first British royal to reach South Pole as part of a charity trek with injured
military veterans from the UK, US, Canada and Australia named Walking with the Wounded expedition.
CURRENT AFFAIRS TEST PD: FEBRUARY 2014
1. Who among the following has been appointed as chairman of the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural
Development:
a. Raghuram Rajan b.Harsh Bhanwala
c. Arunadhati Bhattacharya d. Sumit Bose
2. Which of the following animal has been granted status of personhood of India:
a. Dolphin b. Whales
c. Hippopotamus d. Walrus
3. Who is the present director-general of WTO:
a. Christina Legarde b.Roberto Azevedo
c. Jim yong Kim d. Pascal Lamy
4. Who has been elected as president of Chile:
a. Angela Markel b. Christina Fernedee

12

c. Michelle Bachelet d. Elizabeth II
5. Who has been appointed as Chief Information Commissioner:
a. Mr. Deepak Sandhu b. Wazahat Habibullah
c. Satyanda Mishra d. Ms. Sushma Singh
6. RTE stands for:
a. Right to equality b. Right to education
c. Respect the Elders d. Right Tele Education
7. Who among the following has been appointed as first woman Judge of Pakistan Sharia Court:
a. Ashraf Jehan b. Abru
c. Abida d. Adeela Hussain
8. Who among the following country has become first to legalize Marijuana Trade:
a. Ukraine b. Uruguay
c. Paraguay d. Bolivia
9. Iran Sends second Monkey into space. The name of the monkey is:
a. Largam b. Sargam
c. Fargam d. Wargam
10. Human Rights Day has been observed on:
a. 9
th
Dec b. 10
th
Dec
c. 11
th
Dec d. 12
th
Dec
11. Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, disarmament and development (2012)has been given to:
a. Sheikh hasina b. Angela Markel
c.Sir Ellen Johnson Sirleaf d. Julia Gillard
12. Who among the following has sworn in as Chief Minister of Rajasthan:
a. Raman Singh b. Vasundra Raje
c. Shiv Raj Chauhan d. Lal Thanhawale
13. Indias First Robotic Dairy Plant has been opened at Virar by:
a. Verka b. Vita
c. Amul d. Mother Dairy
14. Who among the following has been crowned as BBC sports personality of the year 2013:
a. Andy Murray b. Rafael Nadal
c. Ms. Dhoni d. Leander Paes
15. Finance Minister of India Introduced Risk Management System to Facilitate:
a. Goods Export b. Goods Import
c. Service Export d. Service Export
16. Ranjan Mathai has taken over as the high commissioner to U.K .He succeeds:
a. S.Jaishanker b. Jaimini Bhagwati

13

c. Nirupama Rao d. A.K. Kantha
17. U.N. Human Right Award 2013 has been awarded to:
a. Malala Yousafazai b. Anjela Markel
c. Jamini Bhagwat d. Pascal Lamy
18. World Aids Day has been observed on:
a. 1
st
Dec b. 2
nd
Dec
c. 3
rd
Dec d. 4
th
Dec
19. Who among the following has been re-appointed as Director-General of Organisation for the prohibition of
Chemical Weapons (OPCW):
a. Largam b. Ahmet Uzumeu
c. Jilia Gillard d. Pascal Lamy
20. Name the first women President of Medical Council of India:
a. Nirupama Rao b. Jamini Bhagwat
c. Dr. Jayashree Ben Mehra d. none of these
21. Indias first museum for customers and central excise has been opened in:
a. Chennai b. Goa
c. new Delhi d. Bhopal
22. Who among the following has won world chess Championship 2013:
a. Magnus Carlson b. Viswanthan Anand
c. Russian Ponamariro d. Veseline Toplevo
23. Which of the following Country is holding U-20 FIFA World Cup 2017:
a. Japan b. North Korea
c. south Korea d. Taiwan
24. Which among the following country has been elected as non-permanent member of the UN, after Saudi
Arabic declined to accept the seat:
a. Iran b. Jordan
c. Lebnon d. Oman
25. Indias first Heritage Transport Museum has been inaugurated at:
a. New Delhi b. Gurgaon
c. Bangalore d. Chennai
26. UN declared 2014 as year of :
a. Water Conservation
b. light year
c. Family Farming
d. Environmental Conservation
27. Which among the following Indian State introduced PVC Elected Photo Identity card for the first time:
a. Manipur b. Tripura

14

c. Nagaland d. Assam
28. Who among the following is hosting world expo 2020:
a. Oman b. Kuwait
c. Dubai d. Japan
29. worlds First Red Mud Power Plant has been opened at :
a. M.P b. Gujarat
c. Odisha d. Andhra Pradesh
30. Recently INS Vikramaditya has been inducted into Indian Navy. India bought this Aircraft from:
a. USA b. UK
c. France d. Russia

CURRENT AFFAIRS 1
st
- 12
th
FEBRUARY 2014
1
st
February
Indias first Mono rail inaugurated: Indias first monorail service was inaugurated by the Maharashtra Chief
Minister Prithviraj chavan on 1 February 2014 in Mumbai. The First phase of Mumbai Monorail is comprised of 8.9
km long Wadala-Chembur section.
Michel Rogers nominated as Director of NSA: Michael Rogers has been nominated as the Director of National
Security Agency by the US president Barack Obama. His name was announced by Defence Secretary of US on 30
January 2014. Defence Secretary also announced the name of Rick Ledgett as the new Deputy Director of NSA who
is at present its Chief Operating Officer.
India pledged 44.12 million rupees grant assistance to Nepal Academy Library : India on 30 January 2014
pledged Nepal to grant assistance of 44.12 million rupees for the construction of Nepal Academys library building in
Kathmandu. Nepal Academy, established in 1957, is a premier national institution devoted to the promotion of
language, literature, culture, philosophy and research activities.
Economic growth for 2012-13 lowered to 4.5 percent from 5 percent estimated earlier : The Union Government
of India on 31 January 2014 announced that economy might have expanded by 4.5 percent in fiscal year 2012-13
when compared to the previous estimate of 5 percent in account of subdued performance in agriculture, mining and
manufacturing. However, as per the estimates of National Income, Consumption Expenditure, Saving and Capital
Formation, the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth in 2011-12 has been revised upwards to 6.7 percent from 6.2
percent. Growth in 2012-13 is the lowest of the decade with previous low of 4 percent that was recorded in 2002-03.
2
nd
February
India Plans for NASA Air craft for Cyclone Prediction: In the last year, eastern coast was affected by cyclone for
5 times. To study wind patterns at high altitude for better prediction of such calamities, India is planning to Procure
NASA aircraft equipped with a lab. Shailesh Nayak, Ministry of Earth Sciences Secretary stated that they were
procuring McDonnell Douglas DC 8 aircraft from NASA. This would happen between 2015-16.
Asias first Shore Based Test Facility (SBTF) commissioned : Asias first Shore Based Test Facility (SBTF) was
commissioned into the Indian Navy recently with which India joined the select league of just two countries the
United States and Ukraine. Where this SBTF has been established? at INS Hansa in Panaji (Goa) The SBTF is

15

primarily used for flight testing of Naval aircraft that operate from aircraft carriers. The SBTF has two parts including
the Take-off Area with a ski-jump facility and the Landing Area with arresting wire facility, both of which are a replica
of INS Vikramaditya)
Meghalayas first Padma Shri awardee dies at 103: Meghalayas oldest voter and the first Padma Shri awardee
from the State, Silverine Swer, passed away at the age of 103 at her residence in the city after a brief illness, family
sources said. Kong Sil, as she was affectionately called, passed away around 10:40 a.m. at her step phyrnai home
at Riatsamthiah, a few hundred metres above the Umkhrah River.
3
rd
February
Nadal remains top of ATP rankings: Rafael Nadal remained top of the mens ATP tennis rankings released . The
Spaniard tops the standings ahead of Serbias Novak Djokavic and Australian Open winner Stanislas Wawrinka of
Switzerland.
Hollywood mourns sudden demise of Philip Seymour Hoffman: Hollywood stars like Tom Hanks, George
Clooney and Robert De Niro have called the sudden death of Oscar-winner Philip Seymour Hoffman as untimely
and devastating. Hoffman, 46, who won an Oscar for his role in blockbuster Capote, was found dead in his New
York City apartment of an apparent drug overdose on February 2.
NMPT gets eco management award: The Greentech Foundation has presented the 14th annual Greentech
Environment 2013 award to New Mangalore Port Trust (NMPT) for its environment management.
Facebook celebrates its 10th birthday: Facebook with more than 1.2 billion users worldwide is celebrating its
10th birthday amidst challenges of keeping its original base of young users with new innovative social networks
coming to the fore. The company was launched by Mark Zuckerberg on February 4, 2004, from Harvard University.
Harish Rawat sworn in as new Uttarakhand CM: Harish Rawat, a Union Minister, was sworn in as the new Chief
Minister of Uttarakhand, succeeding Vijay Bahuguna who was asked by the Congress high command to step down in
a bid to boost the party's prospects ahead of the April-May Lok Sabha polls.
IUCN Red List has completed 50 years of its existence : IUCN announced that it is celebrating 50 years of the
IUCN Red List of Threatened Species in guiding conservation action and policy decisions. The Red list of IUCN is the
worlds most comprehensive information source on the global conservation status of animal, plant species and fungi
related to livelihoods. The International Union for Conservation of Nature is the worlds oldest and largest global
environmental organization. It was founded in 1948 and at present it is the largest professional global conservation
network.
4
th
February
Anand beats Gelfand; joint third now: Former world champion Viswanathan Anand tasted his first success in
Classical Chess this year after defeating his former challenger Boris Gelfand of Israel in the fourth round of the
Zurich Chess Challenge in Zurich . With his first win in four games, Anand jumped to joint third spot on three points.
India, Germany to ink pact on green energy corridor: India and Germany will sign a key agreement worth one
billion Euros (about Rs 8,500 crore) for financial and technical cooperation in setting up a green energy corridor
during the five-say visit of German President Joachim Gauck to India beginning tomorrow.
Panel recommends 50% quota for women in decision-making bodies: Making out a strong case to formulate a
National Policy and Action Plan to end violence against women, a government-appointed panel has recommended
50 per cent reservation for women in all decision-making bodies and an overhaul of the criminal justice system to
ensure justice for women.
World Wetland Day celebrated across the globe: World Wetland Day was celebrated across the globe on 2
February 2014. The theme for this years World Wetland Day was Wetlands & Agriculture. The Ramsar Convention
chose Wetland & Agriculture as theme for World Wetland Day 2014 in view of the UN declaring 2014 as International

16

Year of Family Farming. Slogan for the occasion was Wetlands and Agriculture: Partners for Growth placing a focus
on the need for the wetland and agricultural sectors (and the water sector too of course) to work together for the best
shared outcomes.
5
th
February
C.N.R. Rao, Sachin conferred Bharat Ratna: Renowned scientist C.N.R. Rao and former cricketer Sachin
Tendulkar were conferred the Bharat Ratna, the highest civilian award of the country for exceptional contribution in
any field of human endeavour.
1.7 lakh children out of school: Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan survey: As many as 1,70,525 children in the State
between the age of seven and 14 are out-of-school, reveals the survey carried out by Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan. This
includes children who never enrolled and those who have dropped out of school.
Number of persons living below the poverty line down to 27 crore in 2011-12: Government: The number of poor
in the country declined to 27 crore in 2011-12, from 40.74 crore in 2004-05, Minister of State for Planning and
Parliamentary Affairs Rajeev Shukla said. "The latest data of large sample survey on household consumer
expenditure has been collected by NSSO in its 68th round conducted in 2011-12. lanning Commission is the nodal
agency for estimation of poverty at the national and state levels and the surveys are normally conducted on
quinquennial basis.
Justice Mathur to head Seventh Pay Commission: Former Supreme Court Judge Ashok Kumar Mathur will head
the Seventh Pay Commission, which will revise salaries of over 50 lakh Central Government employees and
remuneration of 30 lakh pensioners.
Union Ministry of Communications and Information Technology launched National Cloud : Union Ministry of
Communications and Information Technology launched the National Cloud under MeghRaj Initiative on 4 February
2014. The National Cloud is being implemented by National Information Centre (NIC). The National Cloud will help
the departments to procure ICT services on demand in the OPEX model rather than investing upfront on the CAPEX.
The Cloud Services available are Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS), Software as a
Service (SaaS) and Storage as a Service (STaaS). The features of the National Cloud includes self service portal,
multiple Cloud solutions, secured VPN access and multi location Cloud. Government of India embarked upon an
ambitious initiative GI cloud named MeghRaj to utilize and harness the benefits of Cloud Computing.
Ali Mohamed Shein, President of Zanzibar is on India visit from 1 to 9 February 2014 : President of Zanzibar,
Dr. Ali Mohamed Shein is on an official visit to India from 1 to 9 February 2014. He visited India on the invitation of
Vice President of India, Hamid Ansari. Ali Mohamed Shein is heading a 28-member delegation to India along with his
wife.
UN appointed Vivek Lall as Special Advisor: United Nation appointed India based Vivek Lall as special advisor on
cyber security on 3 February 2014. Vivek Lall will be responsible for steering the policy framework of the UN in the
area of broadband and associated cyber security issues and oversee implementation.
World Cancer Day 2014 observed across the world on 4 February : The World Cancer Day 2014 was observed
across the world with its focus on Target 5 of the World Cancer Declaration: Reduce stigma and dispel myths about
cancer, under the tagline Debunk the myths. This day is observed to raise the collective voices for improving the
general knowledge around cancer and dismiss the misconceptions about the disease.
6
th
February
North, South Korea agree to first reunion since 2010: North and South Korea agreed to hold a reunion later this
month for families separated by the 1950-53 Korean War, the first such event for more than three years. Officials
from both sides meeting in the border truce village of Panmunjom, decided the reunion would be held from February
20-25 at the Norths Mount Kumgang resort, the Souths Unification Ministry said.

17

Visa-on-arrival to be extended to tourists from 180 countries: India will extend visa-on arrival to tourists of all
nations barring eight, including Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Sudan and Iran, as it looks to boost tourism, Planning Minister
Rajeev Shukla said. "We have decided to extend the visa-on-arrival facility to tourists from 180 nations. India
currently offers visa-on-arrival to tourists from 11 countries like Finland, the Philippines, Singapore and Japan. This
facility is now being extended to 180 countries. The only exception to this rule will be nationals from Pakistan,
Sudan, Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Nigeria, Sri Lanka and Somalia, he said without giving reasons.
CCEA approved implementation of National Mission Agricultural Extension and Technology: The Cabinet
Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) approved the implementation of the National Mission on Agricultural
Extension and Technology (NMAET) during the 12th Plan period. NMAET consists of 4 Sub Missions. Sub Mission
on Agricultural Extension (SMAE), Sub-Mission on Seed and Planting Material (SMSP), Sub Mission on Agricultural
Mechanization (SMAM), Sub Mission on Plant Protection and Plant Quarantine (SMPP)
Libya destroyed entire chemical arsenal: Libya government announced that it has destroyed its entire chemical
arsenal. It was announced by the Foreign Minister of Libya, Mohammed Abdelaziz. The chemical arsenal destroyed
included bombs and artillery shells filled with mustard gas. Organisation for Prohibition of Chemical Weapons
(OPCW) confirmed that Libya has become totally free of usable chemical weapons that might present a potential
threat to the security of local communities, the environment and neighbouring countries.
7
th
February
Legendary bhajan singer Jhutika Roy died: Legendary bhajan singer Juthika Roy died in Kolkata. She was 93.
Arunima Sinha awarded Amazing Indian Award: Arunima Sinha received Amazing Indian Award.The award was
given by the Vice President of India, M Hamid Ansari. She was awarded for scaling Mount Everest despite being
physically challenged. The Amazing Indian Award was instituted by Times Now channel in September 2012.
President of Israel Shimon Peres set a new Guinness World record: President of Israel Shimon Peres set a new
Guinness World Record. He delivered the largest online civics class in the world. He delivered the classes using
Ciscos advanced technology. The classes will be conducted from the company headquarters in Netanya.
15 birds of India in the IUCN Critically Endangered Red List of Birds : The International Union for Conservation
of Nature (IUCN) red list of the birds indicates 15 species of birds from India as critically endangered. The information
about the critical endangered birds is available on the IUCN Red list version 2013.
Marco Lambertini appointed Director-General of WWF International : The global conservation organisation,
WWF (World Wide Fund for Nature) appointed Marco Lambertini as Director-General (DG) of the WWF International.
His new role as the DG will start from 1 May 2014.
Tendulkar and Warne confirmed to play on 200th Anniversary of Lords : Sachin Tendulkar and Shane Warne
were confirmed to lead for a limited-over match to mark the 200th anniversary of Lords Cricket Ground. The
announcement was made. Tendulkar will lead the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), the owners of the Lords Cricket
ground, while Warne will head a 'Rest of the World' side. The match will be held at Lords Cricket Ground on 5 July
2014.
Vishwanath Tripathi selected for the Vyas Samman 2013 : Vishwanath Tripathi, the eminent Hindi writer has
been selected for the prestigious Vyas Samman for the year 2013. He has been chosen for his memoir 'Vyomkesh
Darvesh' that is a biography of the noted Hindi scholar Acharya Hazari Prasad Dwivedi.
8
th
February
RBI released draft Report on Enabling PKI in Payment System Applications : A draft technical report on making
payment system effective was released by Reserve Bank of India. RBI in its report of the Technical Committee on
Enabling Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) in Payment System Applications said that the objective of an effective
payment system is to ensure a safe, secure, efficient, robust and sound payment system in the country. has kept the

18

report open for public comment and suggestions till 28 February 2014. Public Key Infrastructure enabled electronic
payment systems that has been introduced by the RBI are: RTGS, NEFT, CBLO, FOREX Clearing, Government
Securities Clearing, Cheque Truncation System (CTS) .
Sangakkara became second cricketer to hit triple century and a century in same match : Kumar Sangakkara,
the cricketer of Sri Lankan national team became the second person in the history of Cricket to score a triple century
and a century in the same test match. By performing the rare record, he joined Graham Gooch, the former skipper of
England team.
Abhinav Bindra won second gold medal in Inter Shoot Tri series Shooting : Abhinav Bindra won his second
gold medal at the Inter Shoot Tri Series shooting at The Hague, Netherlands. He won the second gold on 7 February
2014 by scoring 627.7 in the qualification round and then scoring 209 points in the finals of the second match. He
defeated Romanian London Olympic Games Champion, H Moldoveanue Alin George in both the matches. Abhinav
Bindra is the first Indian to win an individual Gold medal in Olympic, since 1900 the year our country participated in
the Olympic Games. He was also India's first gold medal, since 1980, when the Men's Field Hockey Team won the
gold. Awards conferred on Bindra till date . He won Padma Bhushan in 2009, the same year he was also conferred
with Rajiv Gandhi Award, Bharat Shiromani Award and India Youth Sports Icon. He was conferred with the Madhya
Pradesh Khel Ratna in 2006. In 2006, he received Punjab Praman Patra Award. He won the Uttaranchal Praman
Patra Award in 2003. In 2001, he was awarded with the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award and Maharaja Ranjit Singh
Award. In 2000, he was awarded with Arjuna Award
9
th
February
Fiscal deficit likely to come down to 4.7% in 2013-14: Fiscal deficit is likely to be contained at 4.7 per cent of GDP
in 2013-14 because of better- than-expected response to the ongoing auction of telecom spectrum, a top finance
ministry official said.
Global food prices drop 1.3% in January: FAO: Global food prices fell 1.3 per cent last month from December
levels on large supplies of oils, sugar and cereals, according to the United Nations food agency FAO. The Food and
Agriculture Organisation (FAO) price index measures monthly price changes for a basket of cereals, oilseeds, dairy
products, meat and sugar.
IOA holds elections; Ramachandran elected president: Indian Olympic Association held an election of its office
bearers on Sunday hoping to end a 14-month suspension by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) which has
insisted that persons facing criminal charges could not be elected to the body. World Squash Federation president N.
Ramachandran, Kho Kho Federation of India president Rajeev Mehta and All India Tennis Association chief Anil
Khanna were elected unopposed as president, secretary general and treasurer, respectively. The elections had to be
held after the IOC suspended the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) for allowing officials facing corruption charges to
contest the elections in December 2012 saying it went against the Olympic charter.
Bjoergen wins fourth gold: Marit Bjoergen fulfilled expectations by earning her fourth Olympic gold medal with
victory in the skiathlon event on a bittersweet for Norway at the Sochi Winter Games. Bjoergen, dubbed the 'Iron
Lady,' tucked herself into the leading pack for most of the race, which combines 7.5km in classic style and 7.5km in
freestyle, until outsprinting Sweden's Charlotte Kalla in the race to the finish.
Rs 10 plastic note to be tried out in five cities: Plastic notes in the denomination of Rs 10 will be introduced on a
pilot basis, Minister of State for Finance Namo Narayan Meena told to the Lok Sabha . In a written reply to a
question, Meena said about 1billion Rs 10 plastic notes will be introduced on a trial basis in five cities Kochi,
Mysore, Jaipur, Shimla and Bhubaneswar.
Maldives reaches one million tourist milestones: To match with the world class product, Maldives is developing
infrastructure, which is crucial in enhancing the tourist experience. The year 2013 proved to be a very successful

19

year for Maldives. Achieving a new milestone; Maldives reached its targeted one million visitors mark by the end of
2013.
Sikkim achieves over 100 percent sanitation: Sikkim has become the only state in the country to achieve more
than 100 percent sanitation in rural and urban households, schools, sanitary complexes and Aanganwadi centres.
10
th
February
Third gold for Bindra in Inter Shoot Tri series: Abhinav Bindra won another gold at the Inter Shoot Tri series
Shooting and became the first individual to win three gold medals in the event being held at the Hague, Netherlands.
Indian-origin doc implants first leadless pacemaker: An Indian-origin doctor has implanted the first miniature-
sized, leadless cardiac pacemaker in the US directly inside a patients heart without surgery. The leadless
pacemaker is implanted directly inside the heart during a catheter-guided procedure through the groin via the femoral
artery. The device implanted by Vivek Reddy from The Mount Sinai Hospital, resembles a small metal silver tube,
and is only a few centimetres in length, making it less than 10 per cent the size of a traditional pacemaker. The
Nanostim device, made by St Jude Medical, is being tested for safety and efficacy in an international, multicentre
clinical trial called LEADLESS II, which is planning to enroll 670 patients at 50 centres across the US, Canada, and
Europe.
Macklemore, Ryan Lewis win 2014 Best New Artist Grammy: Rapper duo Macklemore and Ryan Lewis took
home the first of the major awards at the 56th Grammys beating the likes of Kendrick Lamar, Jay Z, Kanye West and
Drake. Macklemore, 30, and Lewis, 25, both from Seattle, won best new artist, following their phenomenal success
with hits like 'Same Love', 'Can't Hold Us' and 'Thrift Shop' on Sunday night at LA's Staples Center. They also
bagged awards for best rap album, best rap performance and best rap song for 'Thrift Shop'.
Brazilian film director Coutinho killed in Rio: Leading Brazilian film director Eduardo Coutinho was killed in an
attack at his Rio de Janeiro home, Brazilian television reported. Initial reports suggested that the 80-year-old
Coutinho's son Daniel, who suffers from mental illness, stabbed his father to death.
US, South Korea to hold joint military exercises this month: South Korean and the United States military forces
said that they would go ahead with the joint exercises planned for later this month. Two separate military exercises,
one computer-based and one based in the field, will begin on February 24, the Combined Forces Command said.
US to unveil $300 mn in Afghanistan aid: The United States will unveil $300 million in new aid initiatives for
Afghanistan for the impoverished nation as the war economy winds down and global troops withdraw, a US official
said. The programs are being rolled out by the US Agency for International Development. The first tranche of some
$77 million aims to enhance trade and fiscal sustainability to support Afghanistans accession to the World Trade
Organisation later this year. A second, $92 million five-year program will help develop a more skilled workforce,
partnering American universities with 10 Afghan universities. This program went into force on January 1. The third
initiative worth some $120 million will support Afghanistans agriculture sector, focusing especially on areas such as
wheat and livestock, improving job opportunities and food security.
N Srinivasan to head revamped ICC: N Srinivasan, President of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI),
will be the first chairman of the revamped International Cricket Council (ICC) board. He will take over in July, said an
ICC statement.
11
th
February
Iran successfully test-fires 2 missiles: Iran has successfully test-fired two missiles, including a long-range ballistic
weapon, the official IRNA news agency reported . The report by IRNA quoted President Hassan Rouhani as
congratulating the military.
FIFA president Blatter open to fifth term: FIFA president Joseph Blatter says he will seek a fifth term in office if
the member associations wish him to do so. The associations have the chance to put their views to Blatter, 77, at the

20

FIFA annual congress in Sao Paulo, Brazil, on June 10, before the World Cup starts. The election for FIFA president
will be held in May 2015.
Sushil Koirala elected Nepalese PM: Veteran Nepali Congress leader Sushil Koirala, who spent 16 years in India
in self-exile, was elected as Nepal's Prime Minister with the support of the CPN-UML, ending months of political crisis
following last year's fractured verdict in polls.
South Central Railway launched HYLITES: The South Central Railway (SCR) launched Hyderabad Live Train
Enquiry System (HYLITES). It is the first of its kind in India developed by South Central Railway on out-sourcing
basis. HYLITES is a GPS (Global Positioning System) and GPRS (General Packet Radio Service) based smart
phone application that operates on android platform. HYLITES will display real time information of the live status
information like arrival, departure, platform numbers etc from Secunderabad, Hyderabad and Kachiguda stations
Justice Mudgal committee submitted its report on IPL spot fixing scandal : Mukul Mudgal, the Former Chief
Justice of Punjab and Haryana led committee submitted its report on IPL spot fixing scandal that involved the son-in-
law of BCCI Chief, Srinivasan.
12
th
February
Canada announced to open Consulate General in Bangalore : Canada announced to open a Consulate General
Office in Bangalore. The office of the Consulate General of Canada will be located at the World Trade Centre in the
Bangalore. The office of Consulate General will work on the supervision of Visa and Immigration services.
Ashok Varadhan appointed co-head of securities division of Goldman Sachs : Indian-Origin Ashok Varadhan
was appointed as the co-head of the Goldman Sachs' securities division. This division is the most profitable and the
largest unit among the global investment bank's four units. Ashok varadhan would build on Goldman's client
franchise across its fixed income, currency and commodities and equities businesses. Ashok Varadhan is presently,
head of macro trading in Goldman's Securities Division. Ashok Varadhan joined Goldman Sachs in 1998 in Swaps
Trading.
China and Taiwan hold first official level talks since 1949 : China and Taiwan began their first official-level talks
since the end of the brutal Chinese civil war in 1949 on 11 February 2014. The talks were held at the Nanjing
between Wang Yu-chi, head of Taiwans mainland affairs office and his Chinese counterpart Zhang Zhijun. The talks
are part of a four day trip. The talks are perceived as an attempt to facilitate wider exchanges and building cross-
strait relations and a confidence building exercise. Bilateral relations of the two nations have improved following the
election of Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou in 2008.
India ranked 8th in demand for digital governance: India was ranked 8th in the list of ten countries in terms of
digital governance. The report on digital governance was released by Accenture on 11 February 2014. The list was
topped by Singapore followed by Norway and UAE at second and third place respectively.
Kosnam Himalaya Singh appointed as Lieutenant General : Konsam Himalaya Singh became the first Lieutenant
General in the army from North East States on 12 February 2014. Singh is the senior most serving officer in the army
from Manipur. At present Singh is serving in the military secretarys branch which is headquartered in New Delhi.
ADB and Government of India signed for a 275 million dollar loan under RCIP : Asian Development Bank (ADB)
and Government of India signed for a 275 million dollar loan for improving rural road connectivity in five states. The
states include Assam, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha and West Bengal. A Joint secretary of Department of
Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance and Country Director of ADB signed the pact. The loan is the second tranche
of 800 million dollar under the Rural Connectivity Investment Programme (RCIP). The second tranche of loan will
help construct 3693 km of all-weather rural roads in these five States benefiting nearly 1800 rural habitations. It is
expected to be completed in June 2017.

21

Sonia Gandhi named as Chairperson of Congress Campaign Committee : Sonia Gandhi, the President of All
India National Congress on 11 February 2014 was named as the Chairperson of the partys 50-member Campaign
Committee for 2014 Lok Sabha elections. Rahul Gandhi has been named as the Co-Chairman for the same
committee.
R.K.Tiwari appointed new Chairman of CBDT: R.K.Tiwari was appointed as the new chairman of Central Board of
Direct Taxes (CBDT). The appointment was approved by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC).
ANSWERS
1) A
2) B
3) B
4) B
5) A
6) B
7) C
8) B
9) C
10) B
11) D
12) A
13) C
14) B
15) B
16) A
17) B
18) C
19) C
20) A
CURRENT AFFAIRS TEST 1
ST
FEB - 12
th
FEB 2014
1. Who among the following is the chairman of the
recently constituted 7
th
Pay Commission:
a. Justice Ashok Kumar Mathur
b. Dr. Ratin Roy
c. C. Rangarajan
d. B.N. Krishna
2. Recently the GoI has launched a new
initiatives called Meghraj.What is this Meghraj:
a. It is a new monsoon preduction system
b. It is a new project related to cloud computing
c. It is a new social scheme
d. It is a new post
3. Kethy Cross, Who has become first woman
umpire on ICC panel, belongs to which
country:
a. Australia b. New Zealand
c. England d. South Africa
4. India has become the third country to have
shore based test facility (SBTF) in the world
.The other two countries which have SBFT
facility are:
a. US and Japan b. US and Ukraine
c. China and Japan d. China and South Korea
5. In which of the following cities Indias first
monorail service has been launched, recently:
a. Mumbai b. Bangalore
c. Kolkata d. Chennai
6. India has decided to provide visa-on-arrival
facility to tourists of all countries except eight
nations. Which among the following is not
among those eight nations:
a. Pakistan b. Bangladesh
c. Sri Lanka d. Afghanistan
7. World Cancer day is observed every year on:
a. Jan 31 b. Feb1
c. Feb 4 d. Feb 14
8. With which among the following countries,
India has signed agreements on Green Energy
corridors:
a. Russia b. Germany
c. South Korea d. Japan
9. Who among the following has been recently
appointed as brand ambassador for central
reserve police force (CRPF):
a. Saina Nehwal b. P.V.Sindu
c. Mary Kom d. Salman Khan

22

10. Vishwanath Tripathi, who has been selected
for prestigious Vyas Samman Award for the
year 2013, is famous writer in :
a. Kannada b. hindi
c. Telugu d. Bengali
11. Which among the following is the first and only
state in India to achieve 100% sanitation:
a. Kerala b. Goa
c. Mizoram d. Sikkim
12. RBI has released a draft report on enabling PKI
in payment system application, what does PKI
stands for :
a. Public key infrastructure
b. Primary key infrastructure
c. Primary key institute
d. Public key institute
13. Who among the following has been elected as
president of Indian Olympic Association (IOA):
a. Anil Khanna b. Rajeev Mehra
c. N. Ramachandran d. n. Srinivasan
14. Who among the following has been appointed
as chairman of Central Board of Direct Taxes
(CBDT):
a. C.Rangarajan b. R. K. Tiwari
c. Manish Tiwari d. KRadhakrishan
15. Newly elected Prime Minister of Nepal:
a. Khil Raj Regmi b. Sushil Koirala
c. Baburam Battarai d. Jhala nath Khand
16. The International Union for Conservation of
Nature maintains ------- list to highlight
conservation of different species:
a. Red b. Green
c. Blue d. Pink
17. World Wetland Day has been observed on:
a. Feb 3 b. Feb 2
c. Feb 1 d. Feb 5
18. Recently, Central Government has increased
the Cap on subsidised domestic LPG Cylinder
from 9 to --------:
a. 10 b. 11
c. 12 d. 13
19. Who among the following has been nominated
by Barack Obama, as director of National
Security Agency:
a. Gen. Keith B.Alexander
b. Micheal Hayden
c. Micheal Rogera
d. Kenneth Minihar
20. Who among the following has become new
Chief Minister of Uttrakhand after Vijay
Bahuguna:
a. Harish Rawat b. B.C. Khanduri
c. R.P. Nishank d. N.D.Tiwari

CURRENT AFFAIRS FROM 14-20
th
FEBRUARY 2014
14
th
February
Inflation cools to 5.05 per cent in January: Wholesale inflation eased to a seven-month low of 5.05 per cent in
January, on decline in the rate of price rise in food articles, mainly vegetables. This is the second straight month of
decline in wholesale price based inflation.
Cologna wins 15-km gold, second Sochi title: Switzerlands Dario Cologna confirmed his status as a complete
cross-country skier when he won back-to-back 15-kilometres Olympic titles for Sochi Games double gold .
Sundays skiathlon winner Cologna rebounded from a mid-week sprint crash as he powered to victory in soft
conditions on another mild day in 38 minutes 29.7 seconds. The 50km world champion Johan Olsson of Sweden
took silver, a massive 28.5 seconds behind in the interval-start race.

23

India's services exports in December at $ 12.87 billion: India's services exports in December stood at $ 12.87
billion, slightly higher from a month earlier, according to the Reserve Bank data released. Services exports were
worth at $ 12.32 billion in November. The services sector contributes about 55 per cent to the country's gross
domestic product. During April-October period, services exports were worth $ 113.28 billion.
Russia, Egypt nearing $ 3billion arms deal: Report: Russia and Egypt are nearing a USD 3-billion arms
purchase agreement that will be financed by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, a Moscow newspaper
reported. The two sides have already either "initialled or signed" contracts for Egypt's purchase of Mig-29 fighters,
air and coastal defence systems, Mi-35 attack helicopters and smaller arms, the Vedomosti daily quoted two
Russian government sources as saying.
Mercury crater named after pop sensation John Lennon: Beatles legend John Lennon is among the 10 famous
people who are having craters on Mercury - the planet closest to the Sun - named after them. It is unlikely that
Mercury's surface is populated with "tangerine trees and marmalade skies," but the famous British musician who
coined that phrase now has a physical presence on the planet closest to the Sun. 'Lennon' is one of ten newly
named craters on the planet, joining 114 other craters named since NASA's MESSENGER spacecraft's first
Mercury flyby in January 2008, NASA said.
China plans to build world's longest underwater tunnel: China plans to build the world's longest underwater
tunnel, an expert involved in the project said , a $36 billion shortcut between two northern port cities in an
earthquake-prone region. The scheme will see cars loaded onto railway carriages before travelling at 220
kilometres per hour (136 miles per hour) along the 123-kilometre tunnel connecting Dalian in Liaoning province and
Yantai in Shandong province.
15
th
February
National unity cabinet formed in Lebanon after 10-month vacuum: Lebanons prime minister-designate
Tammam Salam formed a national unity cabinet, including all rival groups, ending a 10-month vacuum. Suheil
Bouji, the secretary general of the Governmental Palace, announced the formation of a 24-member cabinet that
divides ministers between the pro-Syrian Hezbollah coalition March 8 and the Western-backed 14 gathering, as
well as centrists.
Gold import norms under 80:20 scheme tightened: Seeking to restrict gold imports, the Reserve Bank of India,
said nominated banks and agencies would not be allowed to import the precious metal in excess of their
entitlements in the first or second lot under the 80:20 scheme. Import of gold in the third lot onwards will be lesser
of the two five times the export for which proof has been submitted or quantity of gold permitted to a nominated
agency in the first or second lot, the RBI said in a notification. The government under the 80:20 scheme had in
August 14, 2013, allowed nominated agencies to import gold on the condition that 20 per cent of the inward
shipment will be exported. The permission to import the next lot would be given on fulfilment of export obligation. In
view of the representation being received by the RBI and the Finance Ministry, the central bank has said that the
quantum of the third lot import would be five times the export from the previous lot subject to the condition that it
would not exceed previous entitlements. In case of advance authorisation (AA) and duty free authorisation (DFIA)
for gold import issued before August 14, 2013, the RBI said the 80:20 rule would not apply for units in special
economic zones (SEZs), export oriented units (EoUs), premier and star trading houses.
Javed Miandad resigns as PCB Director-General: Former test captain, Javed Miandad has tendered his
resignation to the chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). Miandad who is serving as Director-General
cricket in the board since 2008, sent his resignation letter to the new PCB chief, Najam Sethi just four days after
the government sacked Zaka Ashraf as Chairman and dissolved the governing body.

24

White House pledges $1 billion to prepare for climate change: President Barack Obama unveiled a $1 billion
fund in his 2015 budget to help communities across the United States prepare for the impact of climate change.
The fund, announced in Fresno, California, is part of Obama's pledge to speed federal assistance to the most
populous U.S. state
Kejriwal quits as Jan Lokpal hits House wall: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal tonight resigned after the
Congress and the BJP blocked the Aam Aadmi Party governments anti-corruption Jan Lokpal Bill in the Assembly.
The 49-day-old government had an outside support of the Congress.
Second AE put Foodgrain production at 263.2 MT in 2013-14 : Union Agriculture Ministry released the Second
advance estimates of Crop Production . As per the estimate, Foodgrain production is likely to touch a record of
263.2 million tonnes in 2013-14, as against the benchmark high of 259 million tonnes achieved in 2011-12. This
would be the highest foodgrain production ever achieved in the country. The estimated foodgrain production of
263.2 for 2013-14 million tonnes is higher than the foodgrain production of 257.13 million tonnes in 2012-13. This is
6 million tonnes higher than the production in 2012-13.
Italy Prime Minister Enrico Letta resigned: Italy Prime Minister Enrico Letta resigned. The statement released by
the Italian presidential palace stated that the Italys President, Giorgio Napolitano accepted the resignation.
Justice Mukul Mudgal appointed as Chief of BCCC: Justice Mukul Mudgal, former Chief Justice of Punjab &
Haryana High Court, was appointed as the chief of the Broadcast Content Complaints Council (BCCC). The
appointment was approved by the Indian Broadcasting Foundation (IBF), an association of channels. He will take
charge as the chief of BCCC towards the end of February 2014. BCCC is an independent complaint redressal
system established in June 2011 by the IBF - an apex body of broadcasters. The Council is a thirteen member
body consisting of a Chairperson who is retired Judge of the Supreme Court or High Court and 12 other members.
National Women's Day of India observed on 13 February -: National Women's Day of India was observed. This
day is observed on the date of birth of Indias first women governor Sarojini Naidu. Sarojini Naidu was born on 13
February 1879 and died on 2 March 1949. This was the 135th birth anniversary of Sarojini Naidu.
16
th
February
Purushottam Express to become first train in India to have Braille embedded AC Coach : Purushottam
Express to become first train in India to have Braille embedded AC Coach. This coach is for visually challenged
passengers. Railways manufactured AC 3 tier coach with Braille Signages. This will operated from this month end.
Purushottam Express is Delhi Puri Superfast Express. With the intension to make stations and trains friendlier
towards especially abled passengers this coach is designed.
G-4 Directors General for UN Affairs Meeting held on 11th Feb 2014: The Directors General (DGs) of UN
Affairs of the G-4 nations met in New Delhi on 11 February 2014 to exchange views on Security Council
Reform.Last year such meeting took place in New York on the sidelines of the 68th UN General Assembly on 26
September 2013. The G-4 DGs agreed to continue their discussions leading up to the 2015 Summit, with Japan
offering to host the next meeting in Tokyo.G-4 nations are : Brazil, Germany, India and Japan
17
th
February
President Rule imposed in Delhi after resignation of Kejriwal: President of India imposed Presidents Rule in
Delhi after accepting the resignation of Arvind Kejriwal, the Chief Minister of Delhi. This information was published
in a press release by Lt Governor Najeeb Jungs office.
World Bridge Championship to be hosted by India in 2015: World Bridge Championship for Bermuda Bowl
(men) and Venice Cup (women) will be hosted by India for the first time in October 2015. This was announced by
the World Bridge Federation (WBF).

25

VV Dongre and Guocheng Zhang won International Gandhi Award 2013: Pranab Mukherjee, the President of
India presented the International Gandhi Award for the year 2013 to Dr. Vijaykumar Vinayak Dongre (VV Dongre)
and Prof. Guocheng Zhang at Rashtrapati Bhawan, New Delhi. They were awarded for making outstanding
contributions in the field of leprosy to eradicate the disease through treatment, training and research. The
International Gandhi Award was instituted by the Gandhi Memorial Leprosy Foundation that was established in
1950 to commemorate Mahatma Gandhis service and scientific approach towards leprosy. It recognizes the
commendable contributions of individuals and institutions in ameliorating the quality of life of people afflicted with
leprosy. Every alternate year, two awards are given to individuals/institutions for making outstanding contribution in
the field of leprosy.
Indian Flag unfurled at Sochi Winter Olympics after IOC revoked ban on Indian body: The Indian flag was
unfurled at the Winter Olympics Village at Sochi, Russia at a special ceremony at International Plaza of the
Mountain Village. This was done after International Olympic Committee (IOC) revoked a 14-month long suspension
of the country from participation in its games.
18
th
February
NPAs soar 35.2% to Rs 2.43 trillion in 9 months ended December: The gross non-performing assets (NPAs) of
listed banks rose 35.2 per cent to Rs 2.43 trillion during the first three quarters of the current financial year,
according to an industry report. In absolute terms, the 40 listed banks added Rs 63,386 crore to their gross NPAs
during the nine months, with State Bank of IndiaBSE 1.74 %, the largest, leading with an accretion of Rs 16,610
crore, NPASource.com, a portal that tracks bad assets in the system
12 Years A Slave, Gravity big winners at BAFTA : British director Steve McQueen's slavery drama '12 Years
A Slave' won two of the biggest awards at the BAFTA 2014 but it was Alfonso Cuaron's 3D space film 'Gravity' that
dominated the ceremony by taking home six trophies. '12 Years A Slave', an intimate and disturbing portrayal of
slavery in America, won the best picture award while its lead star Chiwetel Ejiofor, 36, was named the best actor for
his portrayal of a free man sold into slavery.
Chandran appointed consultant for Sport Authority of India: The government has appointed sports medicine
expert P S M Chandran as a consultant to the Sports Authority of India. Mr. Chandran has been assigned the task
of establishing High Performance Centres at SAI, a release from the Indian Federation of Sports Medicine said.
Abdul Basit new Pakistan High Commissioner to India: Pakistan has appointed Abdul Basit as Pakistan's High
Commissioner to India, according to a statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson. Mr. Basit joined
the Foreign Service in 1982 and has held various assignments in Pakistan Missions abroad and at the
headquarters. Before his new appointment, he was the Ambassador to the Federal Republic of Germany since
May 2012. He will replace Salman Bashir in India.
Renzi nominated as Italian Prime Minister: Florence Mayor Matteo Renzi has been asked by Italian President
Giorgio Napolitano to form a new government. The appointment was announced by Mr. Napolitanos office after he
held talks with Mr. Renzi.
Lok Sabha passes Telangana Bill: A historic bill to carve out Telangana state out of Andhra Pradesh was passed
by the Lok Sabha amid din and strong protests by members from the Seemandhra region, including Ministers. The
Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Bill, 2014 was adopted by voice vote along with several official amendments, with
the main Opposition BJP coming on board. Moving the Bill for consideration and passage, Home Minister
Sushilkumar Shinde said the Centre will give a special financial package to Seemandhra, residual part of Andhra
Pradesh, to address the grievances of the people of that region.
India retain second position in ICC Test team rankings: India have retained their second position in the ICC
Test team rankings following a draw in the second and final Test against New Zealand, which won the series 1-0. A

26

two-Test series loss has resulted in India slipping from 117 ratings points to 112, which means that they are ahead
of Australia by just one rating point.
Peng Shuai of China ranked World No. 1 in WTA Doubles Ranking: Peng Shuai of China was ranked World
Number 1 in the latest Womens Tennis Association (WTA) Doubles ranking released on 17 February 2014. Peng
Shuai is the first Chinese player to ascend to the top of the WTA's doubles ranking. Hsieh Su-Wei of Chinese
Taipei was ranked No.2 in WTA Doubles ranking which is the highest ranking ever for a player from Chinese
Taipei.
Li Na of China ranked World No. 2 in WTA Singles Ranking: Li Na of China was ranked World Number 2 in the
latest Womens Tennis Association (WTA) singles ranking released on 17 February 2014. Li Na became the first
Asian player, Male or Female, to hold the WTA World No. 2 singles ranking. She moved to second spot with 6690
points behind the American great Serena Williams, the 17-time Grand Slam title-winner, on 12380 points. She was
ranked World No. 3 in WTA singles ranking in 2013.
Tom Finney, the former Preston and England footballer died at the age of 91: Tom Finney, the great footballer
died at the age of 91 on 14 February 2014. In the English game, he was rivaled by Bobby Charlton and Staneley
Matthews. He is nicknamed as the Preston Plumber. Between 1946 and 1960, Finney made appearance in more
than 400 leagues for Preston North End and won 76 caps for England.
19
th
February
Nembang elected Nepal CA chair again: CPN-UMLs Subash Chandra Nembang was elected unopposed as
Chairperson of the Constituent Assembly . The CA Chair is also the Speaker of the Legislature-Parliament. The
senior most member in the House, Surya Bahadur Thapa in his capacity as pro tem Speaker declared the result
since he was the only candidate in the race and all parties expressed support.
Tina Maze wins Olympic giant slalom: Tina Maze skied through rain and snow to win Olympic gold, and then
swam through slush to celebrate. In tough conditions on the slopes above Sochi, Maze won her second gold medal
of the 2014 Games by leading the giant slalom from start to finish.
Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw appointed Chairperson of IIM-B board of governors: Indian Institute of Management-
Bangalore (IIM-B) has appointed Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw as the Chairperson of its board of governors. At the
meeting of the board of governors on February 11, the Chairperson, Mukesh D. Ambani, expressed his decision to
step down, IIM-B said in a release.
Sikkim won National Tourism Award 2012-13: Sikkim won the National Tourism Award 2012-13 on. The award
was handed over to Bhim Dhungel, Sikkims Tourism Minister by Shashi Tharoor, Union Minister for Human
Resource Development at a function at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi
20
th
February
Rotary award for eradicating polio: President Pranab Mukherjee has been conferred the Rotary movements
highest recognition, the Award of Honour, in the context of Indias victory over polio. Ron Burton, President of
Rotary International, presented the award on February 11 and greeted Mr. Mukherjee on behalf of the 1.2 million
Rotarians worldwide, for the leadership he provided for the eradication of polio in India.
Kiran Kumar Reddy resigns as Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister, quits Congress: Kiran Kumar Reddy resigned
from the Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister's post, the membership of the state assembly and the Congress party, a
day after the Lok Sabha passed the bill creating Telangana as the 29th state of India. His resignation comes a day
after the Lok Sabha passed the Telangana bill.
Facebook to acquire WhatsApp in USD 19 billion deal: Social media giant Facebook will acquire mobile
messaging company WhatsApp for 19 billion dollars in a cash and stock deal, the largest acquisition by the

27

Mark Zuckerberg-led firm so far that will give it a stronghold in the market for messaging. The whopping
acquisition price includes USD 4 billion in cash, about USD 12 billion worth of Facebook shares and USD 3
billion in restricted stock units to be granted to WhatsApp's founders and employees that will vest over four
years following the closing of the deal.
CURRENT AFFAIRS TEST 14-20
th
FEB 2014
1. Who among the following has been appointed as
chief of Broadcast content compliant council (BCCC):
a. K.G. Balakrishna b. Justice Habibullah
c. Justice Mukul Mudgal d. Justice Kabir
2. National Woman day has been observed on:
a. Feb 12 b. feb 13
c. feb 14 d. feb 2
3. Name the first women governor of India:
a. Sarojini Naidu b. Annie Besant
c. Vijaykaxmi Pandit d. Indira Gandhi
4. which of the following train has become first in India
to have Braille embedded AC coach:
a. Shatabadi Express
b. Purushottam Express
c. Grib rath
d. Duranto Express
5. Which of the following is not a member state of G-4:
a. India b. Japan
c. China d. Germany
6. World Bridge Championship 2015 will be hosted by :
a. Brazil b. USA
c. India d. China
7. V V Dangre and Guocheng Zhang has been awarded
International Gandhi award 2013 for contribution in
the field of :
a. AIDS b. Cancer
c. TB d. Leprosy
8. 2014 winter Olympics were held in:
a. South Korea b. Canada
c. Russia d. Norway
9. Who among the following has replaced Salman Bashir
as Pakistan High Commissioner to India:
a. Zahid Hussain b. Abdul Basit
c. Ashraf Qazi d. Abdul Sattar
10. After Resignation of Italy Prime Minister Enrico Letta,
who has been appointed as new Prime Minister of
Italy:
a. Mario Monti b. Silvio Berlusconi
c. Romano Prodi d. Matteo Renzi
11. On what issue Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal
resigned:
a. Women empowerment
b. Lokpal Bill
c. Telangana
d. Electricity Bill
12. Where is Worlds largest and deepest Underwater
tunnel is situated:
a. China b. Russia
c. Japan d. USA
13. Recently white house pledge $ 1 billion fund in 2015
budget, to prepare for:
a. Floods b. earthquakes
c. climate change d. employment
14. who among the following is founder of Facebook:
a. Mark Zuckerberg b. Jerry Yang
c. Mento Park d. Santa Clara
15. Which of the following messaging company has been
acquired by facebook recently:
a. Yahoo b. Gtalk
c. Whatsapp d. Tango

28

16. Which among the following organisation has been
awarded for eradicating Polio in India:
a. Oxfam Interaction b. Amnesty Intermitted
c. Green Peace d. Rotary International
17. Which of the following state has been awarded
National Tourism award for 2012-13:
a. Arunachal Pradesh b. Himachal Pradesh
c. Sikkim d. J & K
18. Who has been ranked first in womens Tennis
Association singles ranking:
a. Serena Williams b. Li Na
c. Radawansa d. Sharapova
19. Who has been ranked first in WTA double ranking:
a. Hseih-Su-Wei b. Peng Shuai
c. Vesnina Elena d. Makarova
20. NPA stands for:
a. Non Present Asset
b. Non Primary Assets
c. Non performing Assets
d. Non private assets
CURRENT AFFAIRS FROM 21
st
28
th
FEBRUARY
21
st
February
IMF projects 5.4% growth for India in 2014-15: Projecting a growth rate of 4.6 per cent this year, the
International Monetary Fund (IMF) said the Indian economy is likely to expand by 5.4 per cent on stronger global
scenario, improving export competitiveness, a favourable monsoon and a confidence boost after recent policy
actions. The multilateral agency also sees inflation, driven by food prices, remaining near double digits in 2014-15.
It also said tight monetary policy is likely to slow growth.
RBI allows MSEs to sell stake to foreign investors: The Reserve Bank has allowed micro and small enterprises
(MSEs) who have de-registered their small scale industry status to sell stake to foreign investors to help them
attract funds. It has been decided that such companies may issue shares or convertible debentures to a person
resident outside India, As per extant RBI rules, small units may issue shares or convertible debentures to a person
(other than a citizen of Bangladesh or Pakistan or Sri Lanka) or an entity outside India up to 24 per cent of paid-up
capital if it has given up its small scale status. They can also issue shares or debentures if they are not engaged in
manufacturing of items reserved for small scale sectors.
India recorded 8% annual average economic growth in 11th Plan: India has recorded an average annual
economic growth rate of 8 per cent during the 11th Five-Year Plan (2007-12) compared to a targeted 9 per cent,
Parliament was informed. The shortfall in achievement of (various growth targets) can be attributed both to internal
and external factors viz. global slowdown, fluctuations in international prices, strong inflationary pressures and
negative growth in agriculture due to a drought-like situation, Planning Minister Rajeev Shukla said in a written
reply to the Rajya Sabha. He said Indias annual average economic growth rate remained at 8 per cent compared
to the targeted 9 per cent for the 11th Plan. Besides the farm sector grew at an average rate of 3.7 per cent as
against 4 per cent targeted in the five-year policy period. In its advance estimates, the Central Statistics Office
(CSO) has pegged economic growth in the current fiscal at 4.9 per cent, which would be slightly higher than the 4.5
per cent achieved in 2011-12. According to the statement, the approach to the 12th Five-Year Plan (2012-17)
envisaged a 9 per cent annual average economic growth rate, which was later fixed at 8 per cent by the National
Development Council (NDC) in December 2012 while approving the five-year policy. These growth targets for the
12th Plan would be reassessed in the mid-term appraisal of the five-year policy in 2014-15.

29

Govt clears plan to create new forest cover: Facing criticism of ignoring environmental concerns in rush to clear
projects, Government cleared a plan to create new forest cover and improve the quality of existing forests with an
expenditure of Rs 13,000 crore in the 12th Plan. Besides the two components, which are to be implemented
through various measures including decentralisation of forest governance, the proposed National Mission for a
Green India (GIM) as a Centrally Sponsored Scheme will also strive to achieve increased forest-based livelihood
income of households living in and around the forests. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs chaired by
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh approved the proposal of the Ministry of Environment and Forests.
International Mother Language Day observed on 21st February: International Mother Language Day observed
on 21st February. It is an annual observance by UNESCO to promote awareness of linguistic and cultural diversity
and multilingualism. first announced on 17 November 1999 by UNESCO. United Nations had declared 2008 as the
"International Year of Languages"
22
nd
February
Bezbaruah Committee Constituted for the protection of rights of North Eastern people: A committee was
constituted under the chairmanship of M.P. Bezbaruah on 21 February 2014. The committee was constituted to
look into the various kinds of concerns of the persons hailing from the North Eastern States. The committee was
constituted by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs. M.P.Bezbaruah is a Member of North Eastern Council.
World's longest free Wi-Fi zone : A 20 Km long stretch of road in Bihar's capital city Patna has been declared as
free Wi-Fi zone making it World's longest. stretch from NIT-Patna on Ashok Rajpath to Danapur
Bharatiya Mahila Bank (BMB), the first all-women bank, tied with New India Assurance to launch health
insurance : Bharatiya Mahila Bank (BMB), the first all-women bank, tied with New India Assurance to launch
health insurance products for women account holders of the bank. These policies, BMB Sakhee, BMB-Nirbhaya
and BMB-Parivar Suraksha provide customised package of health insurance policies from New India assurance, its
chairperson Usha Ananthasubramanian said here. While Sakhee Policy aimed at rural women, offers covers up to
Rs 50,000, the Nirbhaya schemes offers cover limit up to Rs 5 lakh.
First Auto City in India: The Tamil Nadu government will set up an Auto City, considered a first of its kind
initiative under the automobile and auto component policy launched by Chief Minister Jayalalithaa. It will be
under the theme Tamil Nadu, the Partner in Automotive Sector Investment.
23
rd
February
Lakshmi Swaminathan Becomes First Indian Asian Development Bank Admin Tribunal: Lakshmi
Swaminathan has been elected president of Administrative Tribunal of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) for
three years.Swaminathan is the seventh president of the Tribunal. She is the first Indian to become the president of
the Tribunal.
24
th
February
Somdev zooms to 78th spot in ATP rankings: Courtesy his Delhi Open triumph, Indias numero uno singles
player Somdev Devvarman jumped 18 places to become world number 78 in the latest ATP rankings. He collected
100 ranking points after beating top seed Alerksandr Nedovyesov in the final , and is set to face world number five
and 2009 US Open winner Juan Martin Del Potro in the first round of the ATP 500 Dubai Duty Free championships.
India likely to export 18 million tonnes rice, wheat in 2013/14: Report: India is likely to export about 18 million
tonnes of rice and wheat in 2013/14, the government's adviser on farm prices said, as the world's second-biggest
producer of these grains looks for ways to handle another record crop. Ashok Gulati also suggested India should
release 15-20 million tonnes of the grains for open market sales to cut massive mounds of stocks and help ease

30

food inflation. India, the world's biggest rice and wheat producer after China, exported 22 million tonnes of the
grains in the last fiscal year to March 31, 2013 after New Delhi lifted a four-year-old ban on overseas shipments of
the staples in late 2011.
India sucessfully test-fires indigenously developed surface-to-air missile 'Akash: India test-fired the
indigenously developed surface-to-air missile 'Akash' from the Integrated Test Range at Chandipur-on-sea, about
15 km from here. The missile targeted a floating object supported by Pilotless Target Aircraft 'Lakshya'. It has a
strike range of 25 km and can carry a warhead of 60 kg. It has the capability to target aircraft at a distance of up to
30 km and is packed with battery that can track and attack several targets simultaneously,
Saudi Crown Prince, Iranian FM to visit India: Ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, the UPA government is playing
host to important leaders from key Islamic nations. Saudi Arabias Crown Prince and Defence Minister Salman bin
Abdulaziz Al Saud and Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif will be in New Delhi this week to hold talks
with Indian leaders on bilateral issues as well as international developments, particularly the worrisome situation in
Afghanistan. The two significant visits are taking place days after King of Bahrain Hamad Al Khalifas trip to India.
The Saudi Prince will be accompanied by a high-level delegation on his three-day visit, beginning February 26.
India, Canada sign audio-visual co-production pact: The Indian and Canadian Governments on signed an
audio-visual co-production deal. The deal was signed by Secretary in the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting
Bimal Julka and the Canadian High Commissioner Stewart Beck. In a statement, the I and B Ministry said the
agreement would benefit producers from both the countries in pooling their creative, artistic, technical, financial and
marketing resources for co-productions and lead to exchange of art and culture among the two countries.
India, China discusses boundary issues: India and China on discussed boundary issues and implementation of
a recently-concluded border pact during the sixth round of the Annual Defence Dialogue between the two sides. At
the talks held in South Block here, the Chinese side was headed by Deputy Chief of People's Liberation Army
(PLA) Wang Guanzhong while Defence Secretary R K Mathur led the Indian delegation. The Chinese team also
met Defence Minister A K Antony after the talks, Defence Ministry officials said. During the sixth round of Defence
Secretary-level talks , the two countries are understood to have reviewed the implementation of the Border
Defence Cooperation Agreement (BDCA) signed in October last year.
Delhi Waveriders won the 2nd edition of Hockey India League cup 2014: Delhi Waveriders on 23 February
2014 emerged as the champions of the Hero Hockey India League 2014 after defeating Jaypee Punjab Warriors at
Astroturf Hocket Stadium in Ranchi. In the final match of the tournament, Delhi scored 3-1 against Punjab in the
shoot-out after the regulation 70 minutes game ended in a 3-3 tie.
Matteo Renzi sworn-in as PM of Italy: Matteo Renzi on 22 February 2014 sworn-in as Italys Prime Minister
replacing Enrico Letta, who resigned from the office on 14 February 2014. Apart from this a new cabinet of 16
ministers also took the sworn of their offices at the Presidential palace in Rome.
G20 vow to rev up global GDP by 2pc; address India's concerns: World's top 20 nations pledged to boost
global growth by 2 percent, or over USD 2 trillion, over five years, and agreed to work on automatic tax information
flow and IMF reforms -- meeting key demands of India. The communiqu on, issued after the G20 finance ministers
and central bank governors meet, also took into account concerns of emerging economies, like India, about the
impact of US stimulus withdrawal by asking central banks to calibrate and clearly communicate monetary policies.
"We will develop ambitious but realistic policies with the aim to lift our collective GDP by more than 2 per cent
above the trajectory implied by current policies over the coming 5 years. This is over USD 2 trillion more in real
terms and will lead to significant additional jobs," it said. The G20 also expressed hope that it will implement the
automatic tax exchange information among themselves by 2015. Facing challenges to get trans-border details on
tax issues, India has been pressing for smooth exchange of financial information. The G20 also expressed "deep
regret" over delay in IMF quota reforms implementation as the US is yet to ratify it. As per IMF's estimates, global

31

growth is projected at about 3.7 percent in 2014 and at 3.9 percent in 2015. Meanwhile, IMF Chief Christine
Lagarde said the global growth agenda set by G20 is laudable and attainable.
25
th
February
NHPC signs pact with Bihar for thermal plant: State-run NHPC said it has signed an agreement for executing
1,320 MW thermal power project at Bhagalpur in Bihar. The memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed
amongst Bihar State Power Generation Company, NHPC and Pirpainti Bijlee Company for development of 1,320
MW ((2x660 MW) Pirpainti Supercritical Thermal Power Project in Bhagalpur District in Bihar, NHPC said in a
statement.
Panel wants govt to allot funds for mobile radiation studies: The Government should allot funds to study the
health effects of prolonged exposure to mobile phones in the Indian context, according to a panel. The committee,
set up to look into electromagnetic field (EMF) radiation issues on orders of the Allahabad High Court, has
recommended the Department of Science and Technology (DST) and Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR)
to conclusively determine sensitivity of EMF radiations.
Indira Paryavaran Bhawan inaugurated by Prime Minister: Manmohan Singh, the Prime Minister of India on 25
February 2014 inaugurated Indira Paryavaran Bhawan on Jorbagh Road, New Delhi. This Bhawan will house the
Ministry of Environment and Forest and has a provision to accommodate its 600 officials. The Bhawan is Indias
first on site Net Zero Building built by the adoption of Solar Passive design and energy efficient building material.
This has been designed as the highest-green rated building i.e., GRIHA 5-Star and LEED India Platinum. This
project has been developed at an expense of about 209 crore rupees. The Indira Paryavaran Bhavan building has
already received the following awards.The Project received an award from Adarsh/GRIHA of MNRE for exemplary
demonstration of Integration of Renewable Energy Technologies. The Project was accorded 5-Star Green Building
Certification by GRIHA under MNRE.
ISRO to launch Astrosat in 2015: The Indian Space Research Organisation intends launching Astrosat, an
astronomical satellite, in 2015, Chairman K. Radhakrishnan said . To be launched aboard a PSLV rocket, the
satellite would have six pieces of equipment built by the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research and the Indian
Institute of Astrophysics, he said addressing the 32nd convocation of Mangalore University on the Mangalagangotri
campus.
Panel on new bank licences submits report: The Bimal Jalan panel which was scrutinising applications for new
bank licences has submited its report to the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). We have submitted report (on new bank
licences) to RBI, Mr. Jalan, a former Reserve Bank Governor, said after a four-hour meeting here. The report
contains names of entities eligible for bank licences. It was not immediately known how many applicants have been
shortlisted by the high-level advisory panel. The panel started the process of evaluations with the first meeting on
November 1, 2013. In the past 20 years, the RBI has licensed 12 banks in the private sector in two phases. Ten
banks were licensed on the basis of guidelines issued in January 1993. Kotak Mahindra Bank and Yes Bank were
the last two entities to get banking licences from the RBI in 200304. India has 27 public sector banks, 22 private
sector banks and 56 regional rural banks. In the 2001 round of guidelines for new licences, the committee
members were C G Somiah, former government auditor CAG, I G Patel, former RBI Governor, and Dipankar Basu,
former head of State Bank of India.
Fiscal deficit likely to come down to 4.7% in 2013-14: Fiscal deficit is likely to be contained at 4.7 percent of
GDP in 2013-14 because of better- than-expected response to the ongoing auction of telecom spectrum, a top
finance ministry official said. "Fiscal deficit will be restricted at 4.7 percent, but it will happen by credible means.
The realisation from spectrum auction will help better the number," the official said. The government had budgeted
to bring down fiscal deficit to 4.8 percent of GDP in the current financial year, from 4.9 percent in 2012-13.

32

26
th
February
Ennore Port renamed as Kamarajar Port Ltd: The youngest, third major port in Tamil Nadu at Ennore has been
renamed Kamarajar Port Ltd. The decision, which came a few days ago in the form of Union Cabinet approval, was
formalised with Union Shipping Minister unveiling a plaque at a function organised by the port in the city.
Reserve money grew 8.8 per cent on year in week to February 21: RBI: India's reserve money rose an
annualised 8.8 per cent in the week to February 21, faster than 7.5 per cent a year earlier, the Reserve Bank of
India said . Currency in circulation grew 9.6 per cent year-on-year in the week to February 21, compared with 11.5
per cent a year earlier.
PlanComm launches IEO, will submit first report in 3-4 months: The Independent Evaluation Office, which will
assess public programmes, will submit its first report on the public distribution system and maternal mortality in the
next 3-4 months. "We are working on government's programmes - the PDS and the programme to reduce maternal
mortality. We will submit our interim report on the two programmes during this summer," Director General of
Independent Evaluation Office (IEO) Ajay Chhibber told reporters after the Planning Commission launched the
body. The Union Cabinet had approved setting up the IEO in November 2010 to undertake impartial and objective
assessment of various public programmes and improve the effectiveness of public interventions. Chhibber, who is
the first DG of the body, had taken charge in August last year.
India, Azerbaijan to explore opportunities in energy sector: India and Azerbaijan propose to constitute a joint
working group in the field of hydrocarbon. A decision to this effect was taken at the third meeting of the Inter
Governmental Commission on Trade and Economic, Science and Technology Cooperation between the two
countries . The Indian side, led by EMS Natchiappan, Minister of State for Commerce and Industry, pushed for the
need to expedite the formation of the joint working group for the sector. The Azeri side was led by Huseyngulu
Baghirov, Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources. Both the sides agreed to explore opportunities for
participation in renewable energy sector, energy efficiency and various upcoming projects in oil and gas, petro-
chemicals, pipelines, etc. in Azerbaijan or India or third countries in collaboration or joint venture, an official release
said.
Ibrahim Mehlib sworn in as Prime Minister of Egypt: Ibrahim Mehlib was sworn in as new Egypt Prime Minister
on 25 February 2014. He is a former member of Hosni Mubarak's political party. Mehlib was the housing minister in
the previous administration. He will head Egypt's sixth government since the 2011 uprising that toppled the
autocratic Mubarak.
Madan Babu won Protein Science Young Investigator Award for 2014: Madan Babu, an Indian-born scientist,
won the Protein Science Young Investigator Award for 2014 at Cambridge, UK on 20 February 2014. The Protein
Science Young Investigator Award is given by the Protein Society for important contribution made in the study of
proteins. Madan received the award for his contributions to the understanding of the principles of regulation in
biological systems, especially in the fields of intrinsically disordered proteins and gene regulation. With this award,
he became the first scientist of Laboratory of Molecular Biology (LMB) to win the award.
27
th
February
Sarraf appointed ONGC chief: Rejecting Oil Minister M. Veerappa Moilys proposal to give Sudhir Vasudeva a
post-retirement extension, Dinesh K. Sarraf was on Wednesday appointed the new head of Oil and Natural Gas
Corporation, the nations most profitable firm. The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) approved
appointment of Mr. Sarraf, who at present is managing director of ONGCs overseas arm, ONGC Videsh.
India, Dubai reach air services pact, to increase seats by 11,000: India and Dubai have agreed to increase the
number of seats their airlines can operate between the two countries by 11,000. In a late-night development,

33

Dubai also agreed to allow Indian carriers to go in for a change of gauge, that is, allow them to change the aircraft
they operate to Dubai.
Navy chief quits over Sindhuratna fire: Navy Chief Admiral DK Joshi resigned on Wednesday owning moral
responsibility after the submarine fleet was struck by its third disaster in seven months. Smoke in the sailors
accommodation on INS Sindhuratna led to casualties. Two personnel were missing at the time of going to press
and seven sailors who had inhaled smoke were evacuated to the Naval Hospital, INHS Asvini, in Mumbai.
Axis Bank introduces e-KYC, Micro ATM facility: Axis Bank, Indias third largest private bank, launched the
Aadhaar based eKYC mode of account opening service aimed at financial inclusion customers (NREGS
beneficiaries & Pensioners) in Adilabad district of Andhra Pradesh. With the launch of this service, Axis Bank has
become the first bank in India to offer paperless account opening services through MicroATMs, the bank said. The
bank said that customers can approach the banks Business Correspondents, who in turn will access MicroATM - a
biometric handheld device, to open Aadhaar based account through eKYC. Upon successful biometric
authentication on MicroATM, customers will be provided their bank account number instantly through the
transaction slip.
India, Russia to set up study group for free trade agreement: India and Russia will set up a joint study group to
examine the feasibility of a free trade agreement for boosting bilateral trade and investment flow. The two countries
have also decided to hold formal discussions on the possibility of launching the production of Russias Sukhoi
SuperJet 100 and S-21 aircraft in India. The proposed free trade pact, formally called a Comprehensive Economic
Cooperation Agreement, is to be signed between India and the Customs Union of Russia, Kazakhstan and Belarus.
28
th
February
Centre excludes political funding from CSR ambit: The new CSR rules, which would come into effect from April
1, 2014, mandate companies to spend at least 2% of their three-year average annual profit on social welfare
activities. The much-awaited rules for the new corporate social responsibility (CSR) regime were notified , under
which companies with sizable businesses would need to spend a minimum 2 per cent of net profit for the benefit of
the society. The CSR activities will have to be within India, and the new rules will also apply to foreign compani es
registered here.
Indias 1st post office savings bank ATM inaugurated in Chennai: The countrys first Post Office Savings Bank
ATM was inaugurated here by Finance Minister P Chidambaram as a part of the governments 4,909 crore IT
modernisation scheme for the Department of Posts. After launching the ATM service at Thiyagaraya Nagar Head
Post Office (HPO), Chidambaram said that 4,909 crore had been allocated for the IT modernisation of
Department of Posts in the interim budget for 2014-15.
BJP, LJP form alliance, Paswan's party to get 7 seats for LS polls: BJP and LJP stitched a pre-poll alliance
with the Ram Vilas Paswan-led party returning to the NDA fold, 12 years after it quit over Gujarat riots, and it will
fight seven out of the 40 Lok Sabha seats in Bihar under a seat-sharing deal. A beaming BJP President Rajnath
Singh made this announcement at a news conference at his residence in New Delhi night after another round of
hectic parleys by the leaders of the two parties to finalise seat-sharing in Bihar ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.

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