CLATGYAN’S GK COMPENDIUM FROM OCTOBER 17 TO OCTOBER 24 , 2013

17th October

 Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper planned to travel to Brussels to conclude a

free trade deal with the European Union. The trade agreement, on which talks were
first launched in 2009, seeks to lower or erase tariffs and facilitate mutual market
access for trade in goods, services and investment. It aims at making it easier for
companies to bid for government contracts in the other economy.
 The Global Slavery Index 2013 said India had 14 million people living in
conditions of slavery, the highest number worldwide. West Africa’s Mauritania had
the highest prevalence, with 4.2 per cent of its population enslaved, the report said.
The study by the Walk Free Foundation, an Australia-based rights group, estimates
29.8 million slaves worldwide, using a definition of slavery that includes debt
bondage, forced marriage and human trafficking.
 The US Government shutdown, running into more than two weeks now, has cost the
American economy more than $24 billion, ratings agency Standard & Poor’s has said.
The economic impact of debt ceiling and government shutdown could be worse that
the 2008 economic collapse.
 To ensure success of its new food laws, government allowed construction of
intermediary godowns under employment guarantee scheme MGNREGA and has
allocated Rs. 450 crore for creating 15 lakh tonne of storage capacity across the
country by March-end. Currently, foodgrain is distributed directly from FCI depots to
ration shops, resulting in 25-30 per cent leakage and pilferage. Setting up of
intermediary godowns will check this problem
The Food Minister is K.V. Thomas
The Rural Development Minister is Jairam Ramesh
 The Centre informed the Supreme Court that there was no ground to make a
presidential reference for removing Justice K.G. Balakrishnan as chairperson of the
National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) for alleged acts of misbehaviour. There
 was no evidence against him in the probe conducted by the Finance Ministry.
Solicitor General Mohan Parasaran told this before a Bench of Justices B.S.
Chauhan and S.A. Bobde, hearing a writ petition filed by Common Cause seeking a
presidential reference for removal of Justice Balakrishnan. He said no reference could
be made to the apex court according to Section 5 (2) of the Protection of Human
Rights Act, as the acts of ‘proved misbehaviour’ could not be construed to include
within its ambit allegations pertaining to a person’s conduct in the previous office.
The affidavit said the representation submitted by Campaign for Judicial
Accountability & Judicial Reforms containing allegations against Justice
Balakrishnan and his relatives was referred to the Central Board of Direct Taxes
(CBDT), which in its enquiry report stated that it could not be established that the
properties were held by his relatives as benami on behalf of Justice Balakrishnan.
Despite there being no allegations regarding professional receipts, they were
nevertheless examined and it was found that there was no material to link such
payments to any cases pending in the court concerned.
 The Odisha State government updated the number of affected persons in the cyclone
and floods at 1.23 crore and the number of disaster-hit villages in 17 districts to
18,117. Cyclone, flood toll rises to 38
Revenue and Disaster Management minister S.N. Patro
 According to the memorandum of understanding (MoU), likely to be inked during the
visit of Dr. Singh, the Centre would allow entry of Chinese companies in not only
setting up power equipment servicing centres but also equipment manufacturing
facilities in India, catering to a number of power projects which are in the process of
purchasing power equipment from China or already have that equipment.
 Indian boxer Vijender Singh (75 kg) defeated Sweden’s Hampus Henriksson in his
opening bout and enter the second round of the World Championships in Almaty .

18th October

 Saudi Arabia has rejected a rotating seat at the Security Council, as a mark of
protest against the perceived inaction by the world body against Syria. Saudi Arabia
officially told the United Nations that it would not be taking up a UN Security
 Council seat — opening the way for Jordan to take the place. Jordanian officials have
confirmed that the move is being discussed but not confirmed the country will take up
the seat.Jordan did however withdraw its candidacy from the race for a UN Human
Rights Council position so that Saudi Arabia was guaranteed a place.

19th October

 The Election Commission has instructed the Mizoram election department to provide
‘None of the Above’ (NOTA) option in Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) in the
December State Assembly polls. Mizoram Joint chief electoral officer H.
Lalengmawia told media persons on Saturday that the election department was
making arrangements to implement the ‘NOTA’ option.

20th October

 If a married person lies to a woman that he is single and marries her , she is entitled to
maintenance from him under Section 125 Cr.P.C., the Supreme Court has held. The
person cannot take advantage of his own wrong and deny maintenance to the second
wife as she was not a legally wedded wife, it said.
 JPMorgan Chase & Company has tentatively agreed to pay $13 billion to settle
allegations surrounding the quality of mortgage-backed securities it sold in the run-up
to the 2008 financial crisis.

21st October

 The U.S. National Security Agency (NSA)’s hacking of the e-mail account of former
Mexican President Felipe Calderon drew strong criticism from its Foreign Ministry,
and made Mexico the latest in the growing list of nations, which includes India, that
were targets of covert U.S. surveillance. Germany’s Der Spiegel, one of the select
publications that NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden shared confidential documents
with, said that an NSA division called “Tailored Access Operations” (TAO) devises
“special methods for special targets”, and in May 2010 this included Mexico.
 Two of the four death row convicts in the December 16 gangrape case on Monday
moved an application before the Delhi High Court seeking Hindi translation of certain
 documents including the trial court’s conviction and sentence orders in the case. The
counsel for convicts Mukesh and Pawan told a bench of justices Reva Khetrapal and
Pratibha Rani, which is hearing the trial court’s reference for confirming their death
sentence, that he has filed the “proforma appeal” on behalf of his two clients but they
are under objection as certain documents are yet to be annexed.
Defence Counsel: Advocate M L Sharma

 Mahindra Aerospace, the aerospace venture of the Mahindra Group, inaugurated its
aerostructures facility at Narsapura, about 50 km from Bangalore.
Anand Mahindra, Chairman, Mahindra Group.
 Dipika Pallikal beat former World No.1 Rachael Grinham to win the Macau Squash
Open .

22nd October

 The European Commission has allocated 96,748 euros to the disaster relief emergency
fund of the Red Cross International to “urgently respond” to the needs of almost
15,000 vulnerable families affected by cyclone Phailin.

23rd October

 Russia’s state major Rosneft inked an agreement with Sinopec, China’s largest
refining state company for the supply of 100 million tons of crude over the next 10
years. Earlier this year Rosneft signed a contract with Chinese state oil major, CNPC,
to supply China with 365 million tonnes of oil over 25 years. The deals, reached
during a visit of Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev to China, will double
Russian oil deliveries to China from the current 15 million tonnes a year to about 30
million tonnes over the next five years, making China No 1 importer of Russian
crude. It will overtake Poland, which imports about 20 million tonnes of oil a year
from Russia.
 The extradition treaty between Bangladesh and India came into effect with the
handing over of the instruments of ratification of the much-awaited pact. The two
countries will now be able to exchange convicts or under trials as and when required.
Bangladesh Home Secretary C.Q.K. Mostak Ahmed and Indian High Commissioner
to Bangladesh Pankaj Saran signed the documents.
  Pope Francis temporarily expelled a German bishop, Bishop Franz-Peter Tebartz-van
Elst, from his diocese because of a scandal over a 31-million-euro project to build a
new residence complex, but refused popular calls to remove him permanently.
 India and China signed a new agreement after talks between Prime Minister
Manmohan Singh and his Chinese counterpart Li Keqiang to strengthen cooperation
on trans-border rivers that is aimed at allaying India’s concerns over new dams on the
Brahmaputra and facilitating the exchange of flood data. Under the new agreement,
the Chinese side agreed to provide more flood data of Brahmaputra river from May to
October instead of June to October that was in vogue under the previous agreements
river water agreements in 2008 and 2010.
 State-owned gas utility GAIL India Ltd signed an agreement for development of
natural gas infrastructure and city gas network in Bihar. The Gas Cooperation
Agreement (GCA) was signed in the presence of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar
and GAIL Chairman and Managing Director B.C. Tripathi in Patna.

24th October

 The European Parliament approved an additional 2.7-billion-euro (3.7 billion dollar)

injection into the European Union’s 2013 budget thus preventing the bloc from
running out of money in the coming weeks.The European Commission, the bloc’s
executive, had warned that it would no longer be able to make payments from
November if member states did not provide the extra funding. The shortfall is due to
lower-than-expected revenue from value-added tax and import duties.
EU Parliament President Martin Schulz
 Marking the end of strict banking secrecy practices, Switzerland earlier this month
agreed to automatic exchange of information and mutual administrative assistance in
tax matters with overseas authorities. Switzerland’s decision to share information on
tax matters with other jurisdictions could mean “billions of dollars in increased
revenues” for developing countries, according to World Bank.
 Mining would not be permitted within one kilometre of national parks and sanctuaries
in Goa in the future, the environment ministry has decided in an order that could take
the state one step closer to re-start iron ore excavation in a regulated fashion. It
ordered that areas ranging up to one kilometre beyond the boundaries of the national
parks and sanctuaries in the state would be declared as Ecologically Sensitive Zone
(ESZ) under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 where mining activities would
be banned. The Justice Shah Commission had reported that mines had flourished in
the heart of national parks and wildlife sanctuaries in the state without the clearance
from the standing committee of the National Board of Wildlife, as mandated by the
Supreme Court.