General Awareness

Here you will find all your current affairs related topics new as well as old.

June 2012 :
June 2012 Current Affairs

December 2012 :
December 2012 Current Affairs

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Countries & Capital

Current Affairs...(16th January 2013)

• Recruitment scam: Ex-Haryana CM Om Prakash Chautala convicted, arrested

Former Haryana chief minister Om Prakash Chautala, his MLA-son Ajay Chautala and 53 others were convicted on 16 January 2013 by a Delhi court for the illegal recruitment of over 3000 junior basic trained (JBT) teachers in the state.After the court pronounced its judgement, all the convicts were taken into judicial custody. The court has fixed January 22 for pronouncing the quantum of sentence.

• Haryana girls retain U-20 hockey title

Haryana defeated Uttar Pradesh 1-0 to retain their under-20 women hockey national championship at the Gachibowli Stadium on 16 January 2013.

• India to be among 3 largest economies by 2050: PwC

Emerging economies are set to grow faster than the developed economies over the next four decades and India is likely to become one of the three largest economies by 2050, says a PwC report.According to the report ‘World in 2050 The BRICs and Beyond: Prospects, challenges and opportunities’, the global financial crisis has accelerated the shift of the economic centre of gravity and China is expected to surpass the US to become the largest economy in the world by 2050.By the year 2050, China, the US and India are likely to be the three largest economies in that order, while Brazil could overtake Japan to be the fourth largest economy.

• 10th Knowledge Millennium Summit

President Pranab Mukherjee inaugurated the 10th Knowledge Millennium Summit on ‘Curing the Incurables – Sharing of Innovations’ organized by ASSOCHAM on 16 January 2013 at a function at Vigyan Bhavan, New Delhi. The Indian subcontinent is home to 16.5% of the world’s population and at any point of time, it is estimated that there are over 2 million people with incurable and other chronic diseases. A majority of Indian patients have late-stage incurable diseases (75% to 80%) when first diagnosed. In recent years cancer killed approximately 5, 56,000 people in India. This is predicted to rise by 2030, to nearly 1.5 million deaths annually. World Health Organisation (WHO) data currently suggest that in India, only 35% people have access to essential medicines and Health care.Provision of universal health care is a matter of faith for the Government. The Government is looking to scale up public investment on health from the current level of 1.2% of GDP to 2.5% of GDP by 2017 i.e. the end of 12th Plan and 3% by 2022 i.e. end of 13th Plan. The President presented the Millennium Award to Prof. Aaron Ciechanover, Recipient of Nobel Prize in Chemistry in the year 2004.

Current Affairs...(15th January 2013)

• Mohan Pieris assumes duties as 44th Chief Justice of Sri Lanka

On 15 January 2013 ,Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa appointed his cabinet’s legal advisor as the country’s new Chief Justice to succeed Shirani Bandaranayake. Rajapaksa sworn in new Chief Justice Mohan Peiris to replace Sri Lanka’s first woman chief justice who was impeached by the parliament in a controversial move.Peiris, a British qualified solicitor who retired in 2011 as the Attorney General was serving as the legal advisor to the Cabinet.

• Indians Migrated to Australia 4000 Years ago

A study by researchers of the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig, Germany, has now confirmed evidence of substantial gene flow between Indian population and Australia aboriginals about 4,000 years ago. It was a time, when the Island Continent was not even in contact with the Europeans. The study also claims that the Indians, who migrated from India to Australia, would have carried the Dingo dogs over there. The migrants also gave training to the Australians in the usage of stone tool technologies that changed the way Australian aboriginals lives their lives.

• Pakistani Supreme Court orders arrest of prime minister in corruption case

On 15 January 2013 Pakistan’s Supreme Court ordered the arrest of the prime minister in connection with a corruption case linked to power projects. The Supreme Court gave authorities 24 hours to arrest Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf and 16 others.This is the first in the history of Pakistan to arrest a Prime Minister.

• Krishi Karman Awards 2011- 2012

On 15 January President Pranab Mukherjee presented the Krishi Karman awards for the year 2011-12 at an award ceremony at the Rashtrapati Bhavan. The awards were presented to the State Governments for their excellent performance in increasing the production of food grains in their respective states.

Awards in Different Segments :-

- The Awards for Special Contribution to Total Food Grains Production – Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Manipur and Nagaland

- Award for Contribution to Production and Productivity of Rice – Bihar

- Award for Contribution to Production and Productivity of Wheat – Haryana

- Award for Contribution to Production and Productivity of Pulses – Jharkhand

- Award for Contribution to Production and Productivity of Coarse Cereals – Uttar Pradesh.

Current Affairs...(14th January 2013)

• India, China to resume joint military exercises

India and China are decided to resume the joint military excercises in the fifth annual defence dialogue held at Beijing on 14 January 2013.The Indian delegation led by Defence Secretary Shashikant Sharma reached the agreement with his Chinese counterpart Deputy Chief of General Staff General Qi Jianquo.

• French forces ‘destroy’ Mali rebels

On 14 January 2013 France’s air force have launched fresh strikes in northern Mali, targeting the city of Gao which had been controlled by the al-Qaeda offshoot MUJAO, destroying rebel bases and forcing the fighters to flee. Mean while Some of West African Countries like Naijiria, Ghana and Senegal are ready to do the help to Mali in controlling the rebels.

Current Affairs...(13th January 2013)

• Rajapaksa dismisses Chief Justice

On 13 January 2013 Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa sacked the country’s first woman Chief Justice Shirani Bandarnayake after ratifying her impeachment by Parliament which held her guilty of corruption, notwithstanding widespread protests by lawyers and others. She appointed as a chief Justice on May 2011.

• Internet activist, programmer Aaron Swartz commits suicide

Aaron Swartz, a programmer and Internet activist who was facing federal hacking charges from MIT, committed suicide on 11 January 2013 in New York City.When he was just 14, Swartz helped create RSS(Rich Site Summary), a software that lets people subscribe to online content.He also Co-Founder of the web site Reddit.

• Former India cricketer Rusi Surti passes away

Rusi Surti, the former Indian Test cricketer, passed away on 13 January 2013 in Mumbai. In the Ranji Trophy, Surti was a key member of the Rajasthan and Gujarat sides in the 1950s and 1960s. His highest first-class score of 246 not out came for Rajasthan against Uttar Pradesh in 1959-60. He retired from first-class cricket in 1973 with an overall aggregate of 8066 runs and 284 wickets in 160 matches.

• Maldives Prez party faces prospect of de-registration

Less than a year after he was sworn in as President of the Maldives, Mohamed Waheed is facing the prospect of his party being dissolved as a new bill passed by the Parliament requires a minimum membership of 10,000 for a political group to be recognised.President Waheed, whose Gaumee Ihthihaad Party (GIP) has only 3,427 members, had returned the bill to Parliament for reconsideration earlier this week.

Current Affairs...(12th January 2013)

• R.K. Dubey is Canara Bank CMD

R.K. Dubey,had been appointed the Chairman and Managing Director of Canara Bank on 11 January 2013.Dubey joined Punjab National Bank in 1977 as a management trainee and moved up the ranks to become a general manager in 2008 and was appointed as executive director of Central Bank of India in 2010.

• Central Bank of India appoints executive director

Central Bank of India has announced that R K Dubey, executive director has ceased to be the director of the bank with effect from 11 January 2013, upon elevation as chairman and managing director of Canara Bank.Further, Raj Kumar Goyal, general manager of Bank of India has joined the Central Bank as executive director with effect from 11 January 2013.

• Largest Space structure in the Universe:Large Quasar Group

An international team lead by astronomer Roger Clowes of the University of Central Lancashire in England discovered the largest known structure in the universe, a clump of active galactic cores that stretches 4 billion light-years from end to end.This is the largest Space structure in the Universe.This structure is known as a “Large Quasar Group(LQG)”.

• Soumyajit Ghosh becomes youngest national table tennis championship

India’s number one player Soumyajit Ghosh on 11 January 2013 became the youngest national champion after he defeated six-time winner Achanta Sharath Kamal in the summit clash of the 74th National Table Tennis Championships. In the women doubles K. Spoorthy and Nikhat Banu (AP) beat Madhurika Patkar and Pooja Sahasrabudhe (Pet) 14-12, 3-11, 11-7, 11-5 in the final and got the title.

Current Affairs...(11th January 2013)

• NGC 6872 is the largest known spiral galaxy in the universe

NASA announced that the galaxy NGC 6872 is the  largest known spiral galaxy in the universe.The galaxy NGC 6872, located about 212 million light years away, is 522,000 light-years across – big enough to contain five Milky Ways.

• Assembly polls in Tripura,Meghalaya and Nagaland on Febrauary

Assembly elections in Tripura will be held on February 14 and in Meghalaya and Nagaland on February 23 and their results will be out on February 28, the Election Commission announced on 11 January 2013.The EC also announced byelections to nine assembly constituencies in Mizoram, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal and Punjab on February 23 and in Assam, Bihar and Maharashtra on February 24, but their results will be out together on February 28.

• Mamata Banerjee gets gift from PCB

‘Overwhelmed’ by the hospitality at the Eden Gardens during India-Pakistan second ODI in Kolkata, the PCB sent the gift as a silver-coated Quran to the Cricket Association of Bengal who handed it over to the CM during a function at the Netaji Indoor in Kolkata on 10 January 2013.

• 44 percent Indians working in their dream job

According to survey conducted by networking website LinkedIn,Indians have emerged at the top of the list of people working in their dream job.The dream job league table:1. India – 44 percent 2. Indonesia – 42 percent 3. United Arab Emirates – 35.7 percent 4. Germany – 33 percent 5. Brazil – 32 percent 6. Austria – 31 percent 7. Switzerland – 30 percent 8. USA – 29 percent 9. France, Canada, Sweden, South Africa – 28 percent 13. Singapore, Hong Kong – 27 percent 15. Australia – 26 percent 16. New Zealand – 25 percent 17. UK – 21 percent.

• MIT researchers Created Moisture – Powered Polymer

MIT ( Massachusetts Institute of Technology ) researchers have created a new polymer film that can generate electricity by drawing on a ubiquitous source: water vapor.The new material changes its shape after absorbing tiny amounts of evaporated water, allowing it to repeatedly curl up and down. Harnessing this continuous motion could drive robotic limbs or generate enough electricity to power micro- and nanoelectronic devices, such as environmental sensors.

• India 119th on Economic Freedom Index

According to the ‘Heritage Foundation’ 2013 Index of Economic Freedom survey report , India has been ranked as the 119th freest country in the world and India’s economic freedom score stood at 55.2, as its institutional shortcomings continue to undermine the foundations for long-term economic development.The top ten countries in the list include Hong Kong, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand, Switzarland, canada, Chili, Mauritius, Denmark and US.

Current Affairs...(10th January 2013)

• India wastes 21 million tonnes of wheat every year

According to the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IME) report 21 million tonnes of wheat was wastaged in India which is equivalent to the entire production of Australia. IME report on global food wastage found that as much as 50 percent of all food produced around the world never reaches a human mouth

• LIFE OF PI bags 11 Oscar nominations

After captivating critics and masses alike and the box-office by earning the status of 2012′s No 1 Hollywood Film in India, Ang Lee’s 3D magnum opus LIFE OF PI has done India immensely proud with 11 nominations in the prestigious Oscars aka the Academy Awards to be held shortly.

Current Affairs...(09th January 2013)

• Brahmos cruise missile test fired in successfully

Supersonic cruise missile BrahMos scored once again in its 34th launch on 09 January 2013 off Visakhapatnam, hitting a decommissioned vessel with accuracy.As it took off vertically from a naval warship, reached an altitude of 14 km, levelled out and started cruising at three times the speed of sound, it performed “a double manoeuvre in S-form” and hit the decommissioned ship, about 290 km away.

• Mauritius President among Pravasi awardees

Mauritius President Rajkeswur Purryag is among the 15 persons and organisations selected for the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman awards for the year 2013.

• India to grow at 6.7% in 2013-14, says CRISIL Research

CRISIL Research, India’s largest independent and integrated research house, predicts that India’s GDP will grow at a higher rate of 6.7 per cent in 2013-14 in comparison to 5.5 per cent estimated for the current fiscal due to a revival in consumption.

• 11th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas held in Kochi

11th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) was held from 7- 9 January at Kochi (Kerala).Mauritius President Rajkeswur Purryag was the chief guest of this official inaugural session.2000 delegates from 40 countries attended the convention.On 7th January in the event they discussed on problems that people from Kerala face in the region.Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will inaugurated the annual flagship event and released the postage stamp on Ghadar Movement on 8 January and President Pranab Mukherjee will delivered the valedictory address on January 9 and also presented the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman awards.Pravasi Bhartiya Divas (PBD) is celebrated on January 9 every year to mark the contribution of overseas Indian community in the development of India.The Pravasi Bharatiya Divas, the first of its kind involving the Indian Diaspora, was held in 2003 at New Delhi.

• Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award 2013

On 9 January Pranab Mukherjee President of India presented the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman (Awards) 2013 to 14 people, included Overseas Indian Affairs Vayalar Ravi and Mauritius President Rajkeswur Purryag, He was also the Chief Guest of 11th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas 2013. In accordance to Tradition, Pravasi Bharatiya Samman (Awards) 2013 have been given to notable Indians living abroad.
The other awardees are Prof Dr Gurusharan Singh Chhatwal of Germany for science, Dr Rasik Vihari Joshi (Mexico) for Literature, Gilbert Canabady Moutien (Reunion Island) and Mohammed Rabeeh Karuvanthodi (Saudi Arabia) for business, Patricia Maria Rozario(UK) for Music, Dr Narendra Ramakrishna Kumar (USA) for Healthcare, Subash Razdan (USA) and Islmail Ebrahim (South Afrcia) for Public service.
Dr Satendra Kumar Singh (New Zealand), Australia India Society of Victoria (Australia) and Bava Pandalingal (UAE), Ashok Shambhomal Vaswani (Guinea), Indian Doctors Forum, Kuwait for community service, Tan Sri Ravindran Menon from Malaysia for Community service, are among others on the list of awardees.

• Mauritius President Rajkeswur Purryag Visited India

Mauritius President Rajkeswur Purryag visited India from 3 – 10 January .During the visit Purryag met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Pranab Mukherjee on 4 January in New Delhi. In Bihar , he visited his ancestral village , Bojeetpore near Patna.President Purryag also the chief guest of Pravasi Bharatiya Divas .He attended the 3 days event 11th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas held in Kochi (Kerala).

Current Affairs...(08 January 2013)

• Indian-origin politician to be Singapore’s first woman speaker

Indian-origin politician Halimah Yacob elected as the first woman Speaker of Singapore’s Parliament on 08 Janauary 2013.She take charges from 14 January 2013.Halimah, a former labour lawyer, is a member of Parliament from the ruling People’s Action Party (PAP).

• Jharkhand CM Arjun Munda resigned

Political uncertainty deepened in Jharkhand on 08 January 2013, with Chief Minister Arjun Munda submitted his resignation to Governor Syed Ahmed. On 07 January 2013, the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) announced the withdrawal of its support to the BJP-led government.

• Lionel Messi, the man of the four Golden Balls

Lionel Messi became the first four-time winner of the FIFA Player of the Year award after shattering the world record with 91 goals last year(2012) for Barcelona and Argentina.His 91 goals topped Gerd Mueller’s mark of 85 for Bayern Munich and Germany in 1972.

• 17 billion Earth-sized planets in Milky Way

The Milky Way contains at least 17 billion planets the size of Earth.Astronomers using NASA’s Kepler spacecraft found that about 17 percent of stars in our galaxy have a planet about the size of Earth in a close orbit.The Milky Way is known to host about 100 billion stars, meaning that about one of every six has an Earth-sized planet around it.

• World Economic Forum (WEF) Report

According to the World Economic Forum (WEF) report , India ranks lowest among the world’s major economies for its preparedness to tackle global environmental risks and second-lowest for economic risks.Switzerland is best placed among the world’s 10 major economies for adapting to or recovering from global economic and environmental risks.While India is ranked 9th in terms of its ability to tackle global economic risks, it comes last at 10th position for environmental risks.However, India fared relatively better at 6th position in terms of the government’s risk management effectiveness.The US and China were ranked fourth and fifth respectively.

• Gujarat Tops List of Indian States on Economic Freedom Policy

According to the ‘ Economic Freedom of States in India ‘ report which was released by former Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor and present Rajya Sabha Member Bimal Jalan.The top state in India in (terms of) economic freedom in 2011 was western Indian state Gujarat. It displaced southern Indian state Tamil Nadu which had been at the top in 2009.Gujarat freedom index has been rising fast and estimated at 0.64 points. The biggest improvement has been registered by Madhya Pradesh with freedom index score rose from 0.42 in 2009 to 0.56 in 2011 enabling it to move up from sixth to third position.