Current Affairs PDF

Institute of Engineering Studies (IES, Bangalore) Current Affairs (J an to May 2013)
CURRENT AFFAIRS FROM JANUARY TO MAY 2013

Hindi Journalism Day Celebrated In India to Mark 187 Years of Hindi Journalism.
30 May is celebrated as the Hindi J ournalism Day or Hindi Patrakarita Diwas in Indias
journalism every year. On 30 May 1826, the first Hindi newspaper of India called Udant
Martand was edited and published. With this, the Hindi J ournalism completed its 187
years in India. First Hindi newspaper was initiated by J ugal Kishor Shukla. Hindi daily
publishing took place in Braj and Khari languages. J ugal Kishor Shukla helped in
creating journalism as the fourth pillar of the Indian democracy.
PM Manmohan Singh re-elected to Rajya Sabha from Assam for the Fifth Time on
30 May 2013 was elected to the Rajya Sabha for the fifth time from Assam.
A Group of Ministers Approved the Coal Regulatory Authority Bill
A Group of Ministers, GoM on 29 May 2013 approved the Coal Regulatory Authority
Bill which seeks to set up an independent regulatory authority for the coal sector in order
to address the issues such as quality, supply and pricing. The draft Coal Regulatory
Authority Bill will now be sent to the Cabinet latest by 9 J une 2013 for the approval.
Himachal Pradesh Assembly Celebrated Golden Jubilee; President to Address Special
Session on 24 May 2013. On the occasion, the President of India, Pranab Mukherjee
became the second president to address special session of HP assembly in Shimla.
Indian National Defence University to be Established at Binola, Gurgaon. Foundation
stone of Indian National Defence University (INDU) was laid down by the Prime
Minister, Manmohan Singh at Binola, Gurgaon. INDU is Indias first defence university
and will be an autonomous institution of national importance.
Census 2011:Gurgaon has Lowest Sex ratio in Haryana. According to data released
by Haryana Census department in Chandigarh for Census 2011, lowest sex ratio was
observed in Gurgaon at 854, Sonipat at 856 and J hajjar at 862. The highest sex ratio was
registered in Mewat at 907, followed by Fatehabad at 902, as per Census 2011. Overall
sex ratio of Haryana increased from 861 in 2001 to 879 as per the census 2011.
Rollout of Direct Benefits Transfers started on 1 January 2013. National Committee
on Direct Cash Transfers in its meet with the Prime Minister of India Dr. Manmohan
Singh decided to roll-out, the Direct Cash Benefits in 43 identified districts of the
country.
Chief Justice of India Inaugurated First Fast-Track Court in Delhi for Hearing
Rape Cases. Chief J ustice of India (CJ I) Altamas Kabir inaugurated the first fast-track
court in Delhi on 2 J anuary 2013 for dealing with the crimes against females. The first
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fast-track court is one among other four fast-track courts which would deal with the cases
of crime against the women. This court is set up in the Saket Court Complex and the first
case to be heard here is that of the Delhi gangrape which took place on 16 December
2012.Other fast track courts would function from 3 J anuary 2013 at Rohini, Tis Hazari
and Dwarka in New Delhi.
Foreign Tourists Not Allowed To Work as Journalists on Tourist Visa: MHA
Ministry of Home Affairs on 2 J anuary 2013 ordered foreign tourists not to indulge in the
journalistic activities on their tourist visas. The order was issued by the Ministry after
observing that a lot of foreigners visiting India on their tourist visa are also involved in
covering the events as well as journalistic activities in India.
India, USA and Australia joined Hands to develop Climate-resilient Crops
India, the United States and Australia in the third week of May 2013 came together to
develop new climate-resilient varieties of rice and wheat, two of the major crops in the
world. The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) will work in
collaboration with the Australian Centre for Plant Functional Genomics (ACPFG) and
India's Vibha Agrotech. This collaboration will seek to develop new rice and wheat
varieties having greater tolerance to drought and salinity. Now, farmers can have more
stable production in wake of sudden drought and salt water intrusion.
US Senate confirmed Srinivasan as top US Court Judge to the District of Columbia
Circuit. The US Senate on 23 May 2013 approved Srikanth Srinivasan was as the most
senior US J udge of the South Asian descent to the US Court of Appeals for the District of
Columbia Circuit. The unanimous approval of Srinivasan gave birth to speculations that
one day he may be tapped for the Supreme Court.
2014 Declared as the Friendship Year to Promote Understanding between India and
China. 2014 was declared as the Friendship Year by Chinese Premier Li Keqiang for
increased people-to-people interaction between India and China. 2014 was declared as
the year of exchanges between the two countries in order to enhance friendship and
understanding.
India and Pakistan Exchanged Nuclear Units List as a Part of the Agreement on 1
st

J anuary 2013, as it is customary since 20 years. The list which contains the names of
nuclear units of two countries, are exchanged between India and Pakistan as a custom and
part of an agreement which prevents them from aiming the nuclear installations of each
others nations.
Anti-Tobacco Day Observed across the World. According to World Health
Organisation, World No-Tobacco day is observed every year on 31 May 2013. The
Theme this year is Ban tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship. It is a global
tragedy that diseases are allowed to be caused by tobacco consumption. WHO urged
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Governments (with its message free yourself) everywhere to address this needless threat
to public health.

Foreign Minister of Cuba Bruno Rodriguez Parrilla visited India. The Foreign
Minister of Cuba, Bruno Rodriguez Parrilla paid an official visit to India from 25 May
2013 to 27 May 2013. During his visit, Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriquez Parrilla held
talks with his Indian counter-part and discussed bilateral, regional and international issues
of mutual interest.
India and Cuba share a historic, warm and friendly relationship which has been marked
by growing cooperation in diverse areas such as Sports, Hydrocarbons, IT, Biotechnology
and Development Partnership.The two countries share common perspectives on a wide
variety of issues in the global arena.

World Hunger Day was observed on 28 May 2013 across the globe. It is an annual
event which celebrates sustainable solutions to ending extreme hunger and poverty. The
day seeks to inspire people in both the developed and developing worlds to show their
solidarity and support to enable many more to end their own hunger and poverty and
make the journey to self-reliance.

Chile and Argentina Issued Red Alert in Wake of Copahue Volcano Eruption.
Authorities in Argentina and Chile ordered evacuation of around 3000 people that live in
proximity with Copahue volcano, situated in south of Argentina-Chile border. The
authorities declared that the Copahue volcano is on the verge of eruption any time.

Australia on 27 May 2013 was ranked as the world's happiest nation among
developed economies for the third consecutive year as per the Better Life Index compiled
by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. Sweden, Canada,
Norway and Switzerland ranked second, third, fourth and fifth position respectively. The
survey ranked more than 30 countries on criteria like income levels, health, safety and
housing.

President Robert Mugabe on 22 May 2013 signed Zimbabwe's new constitution into
law, clearing the path to crucial elections later this year. The constitution was unopposed
through both houses of parliament. The new constitution was approved overwhelmingly
in a referendum in March 2013.

Israels Jewish Population Passed Crucial 6 Million Mark: Central Bureau of
Statistics
Israels Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) in the last week of December 2012 revealed
that the J ewish population of Israel passed the crucial mark of 6 million for first time.
This is equal to the J ews killed in Holocaust (means sacrifice by fire). According to the
Israels CBS the overall population of Israel was 7.98 million out of which 75.4 percent
were J ewish. The Arab population of Israel accounted for 20 percent and 4 percent were
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defined as others.

UNESCO declared Nicobar Islands as World Biosphere Reserve. Such reserves are
established by Member countries. The UNESCO basically recognizes them under the
programme to promote sustainable development based on local community efforts and
sound science.

Cochin Shipyard Limited Launched Its Third Fast Patrol Vessel for Indian Coast
Guard on 28 May 2013. Fast Patrol Vessel (FPV) which is built for the Indian Coast
Guard. The vessel was launched by Nina Paul Antony, the Chairman of Cochin Port
Trust. This vessel was named Abhinav.

ISRO Navigation Centre Inaugurated by V. Narayanasamy near Bengaluru. V.
Narayanasamy, the Minister of State in the Prime Ministers Office, Ministry of
Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, Bengaluru, inaugurated ISRO Navigation
Centre (INC), established at Indian Deep Space Network (IDSN) complex at Byalalu,
about 40 km from Bangalore on 28 May 2013.

Union Defence Minister AK Antony dedicated New Air Force Station at Thanjavur
to Nation on 27 May 2013. The operationalisation of the Air Force Station, Thanjavur is
directed towards strengthening the air defence capabilities of the Indian Air Force in
general and the Southern Command, in particular.

China commissioned Satellite Data Receiving Station meant to monitor the disputed
South China Sea, where Beijing was involved in maritime disputes with a number of
South East Asian countries. The satellite data receiving station was launched in the
Chinas southern island province of Hainan by the Institute of Remote Sensing and
Digital Earth under the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

The First and Only Satellite of Ecuador, Pegaso Collided With the Russian Space
Debris, the Ecuadorean space agency (EXA) announced on 23 May 2013. The Pegasus
collided with the Russian rocket debris which was launched 30 years ago.

India successfully Test Fired BrahMos Supersonic Cruise Missile on 22 May 2013
from the Navy's latest guided missile frigate INS Tarkash off the coast of Goa. The
missile performed the high-level 'C' manoeuvre in the pre-determined flight path and
successfully hit the target. J ointly developed by India and Russia, the BrahMos is capable
of carrying a conventional warhead of 300 kg.

Yahoo Introduced Revamp in Flickr with 1TB Free Storage. The restoration enables
the users to host the longer video clips as well as high resolution photos. Apart from this,
new app was also launched for the Android devices.
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15th Asian Youth Weightlifting Championships in Doha on 28 May 2013.
Akshay B. Gaikwad Won Three Gold Medals
Lalu Taku won a silver as well as two bronze in the championships.
J amjang Deru Bagged Three Medals
In the 15th Asian Youth Weightlifting Championships, India now has a total of eight
gold, five silver as well as four bronze medals overall.

Mumbai Indians Defeated Chennai Super Kings in Final to Lift its First IPL
Trophy
In the final match of Indian Premier League 2013, Rohit Sharma led Mumbai Indians
defeated Chennai Super Kings by 23 runs to lift the title for the very first time at Eden
Gardens on 26 May 2013.

Preeti Beniwal won gold in 2013 Senior National Women's Boxing Championship on
22 May 2013. In the event held at Khatima, uttarakhand, Preeti out-punched Manipur's Y
Sandhya 22-9 in the final of the 60kg category.

13 Year-old Indian-American Arvind Mahankali won National Spelling Bee. Arvind
Mahankali, after years of close calls, won the Scripps National Spelling Bee on 30 May
2013. It was the 86th version of the competition. Arvind who hails from Bayside Hills,
New York correctly spelled knaidel, a German-derived Yiddish word for a small mass of
leavened dough to win the competition.

Ang Dami Sherpa, Pregnant runner won womens Everest Marathon. She is 44
Years old from Nepal won the Everest Marathon on 29 May 2013 in womens category
of Year 2013.

Peter Higgs, Francois Englert received Award for God Particle Discovery. The
Asturias Foundation announced on 29 May 2013 that Physicist Peter Higgs and Francois
Englert and the European organization for Nuclear Research won the 2013 Prince of
Asturias Award for Technical and Scientific Research in recognition of their work
establishing the existence of the so-called God particle.

President of India Gave Away Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowships and Akademi
Awards for 2012 on violinist N Rajam, Grammy award-winning percussionist T H
Vikku Vinayakram and veteran playwright Ratan Thiyam for the year 2012, on 28 May
2013.

Kushal Singh Appointed as the Chairperson of NCPCR. The Ministry of Women and
Child Development appointed Kushal Singh as the Chairperson of National Commission
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for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR). She was selected by the Committee which was
headed by Krishna Tirath, Minister of Women and Child Development.

Ramdarash Mishra and Narendra Kohli awarded with Vyas Samman. on 23 May
2013 for the year 2011 and 2012 respectively. Professor Ramdarash Mishra (89) was
honoured with the award for his collection of poems Aam ke Patte published in 2004. Dr
Narendra Kohli (73) was honoured for his historical novel Na Bhooto Na Bhavishyati
published in 2004. The book has portrayed Swami Vivekananda, the culture of his time
and his quest to be a sanyasi for National Unity.

Carole King Became the First Woman to Receive Gershwin Prize. US singer-
songwriter Carole King became the first woman to receive the Library of Congress
Gershwin Prize for Popular Song. The President of America, Barack Obama conferred
upon her, the Gershwin Prize that is given as a lifetime achievement in popular music.
The award was given away at the White House in Washington.

Pratibha Ray Conferred With the 47
th
Jnanpith Award for the Year 2011, on 22
May 2013 at Balyogi Auditorium in New Delhi. She is the first Oriya woman and fourth
Oriya writer to get the coveted award. Her first novel was Barsa Basanta Baishakha in
1974, for which she was recognised as a writer for the first time.

Shashi Kant Sharma Appointed as the New Comptroller & Auditor General of
India on 21 May 2013. Shashi Kant Sharma will succeed Vinod Rai who superannuates
on 21 May 2013 after completing tenure of five and a half years as the Head of the
Constitutional Financial body.

Muthunayagam and Saraswat to be awarded with Aryabhatta Award by the ASI
(The Astronautical Society of India) in the last week of December 2012 announced
names of former secretary of the Department of Ocean Development, Dr. A.E.
Muthunayagam and Dr. V.K. Saraswat, Scientific Adviser to the Defence Minister for
prestigious Aryabhatta Award for the year 2010 and 2011 respectively. The two have
been selected for the achievement in rocketry.

Scientist Venkatesh Mannar honoured with Order of Canada Award. A Channai-
born Scientist of Indian Origin and President, Micronutrient Initiative, Canada was
awarded with Canadas Highest Civilian Award the Order of Canada in the last week of
December 2012.

S. Ramakrishnan took over as Director of Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, in the
first week of J anuary 2013. Ramakrishnan carries a four decades of experience in
rocketry and headed the Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC) at ISRO. He replaced
P S Veeraraghavan.

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Syed Asif Ibrahim Took Over as the Director of Intelligence Bureau. The 1977
Madhya Pradesh cadre IPS officer took over the office of Intelligence Bureau as a
director on 1 J anuary 2013 from Nehchal Sandhu. Alok J oshi, the Haryana cadre IPS
officer on the other hand took over the office of RAW as the director on 31 December
2012.

Urjit Patel Was Appointed As the Deputy Governor of the Reserve Bank of India,
on 3 J anuary 2013. Urjit Patel succeeds Subir Gokarn, who handled Monetary Policy in
RBI. The three-year term of Subir Gokarn terminated in November 2012 but he was
given an extension which ended finally on 31 December 2012.

Punjab Government approved Online Lottery System to Increase Revenue on 28
May 2013
The 3rd Ministerial Meeting of the Istanbul Process was held in Almaty on 26 April
2013
Government of Goa launched Digital Krishi Card for Farmers
India and Saudi Arabia decided to set up a joint working group to address the Nitaqat
law on 28 April 2013
Researchers from Max Planck Institute for Informatics in Germany developed New
Keyboard Called KALQ to Beat QWERTY
The unemployment rate in Spain reached new record of 27.2 percent
The Union Finance Minister launched medi claim facility for the farmers holding
Kisan Credit Cards (KCC) on 24 April 2013
The largest biogas plant of the world inaugurated in Finland
The Union Minister for Commerce, Industry and Textiles ,Anand Sharma launched
21 New Textile Parks on 23 April 2013
Union Government of India approved 13 Power Projects and 25 Oil & Gas Blocks
Ahmadabad became the first city in South Asia to launch a Heat Action Plan (HAP).
Twitter launched a new music app called "#Music"
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, approved a total allocation of 12000
crore rupees for Bihar during Current 5 YearPlan.
The Vice-President of India, Hamid Ansari visited Tajikistan agreed on strengthening
the ties between the two countries
The Supreme Court cancelled 49 mine leases in Karnataka
World Hemophilia Day was observed.
On 16th Annual Global CEO survey: Mahatma Gandhi figured among the Top Three
Leaders of the World.
Researchers from Duisburg-Essen, Germany discovered Red Wood ants can sense
earthquakes even before it Hits.
The 66th Himachal Day was held at the historic Dhalpur Ground at Kullu.
India and Malta signed the New DTAA (The Double Taxation Avoidance
Agreement) at Valetta, Malta on 8 April 2013 .
Pakistan successfully test-fired the nuclear-capable Hatf-IV ballistic missile on 10
April 2013.
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The Madhya Pradesh government decided to declare Malkhamb as the State Sport.
Yamaha ,J apanese two-wheeler Manufacturer Company announced setting up of its
fifth global research and development Centre in India.
Kawasaki Ninja 300 launched in India at Rs 3.5 lakh.
The worlds largest private yacht, named Azzam Launched by German Shipyard on 5
April.
Odisha decided to set up the first public health university in India
India Trade Promotion Organisation (ITPO) signed a Memorandum of Understanding
with Government of India for the year 2013-14
Krishnakumar Natarajan, CEO and Director of Mindtree was appointed as the
Chairman of Nasscom.
The President of India, Pranab Mukherjee was invited to be the chief guest at the 45th
Independence Day celebrations of Mauritius.
The Minister of Culture Chandresh Kumari Katoch, inaugurated the Tagore Centre
for Global Thought at London.
The National Thermal Power Corporation Ltd signed three loan agreements worth
1870 crore Rupees with three Banks.
Reliance J io Infocomm Ltd and Reliance Communications on 2 April 2013 signed a
1200 crore Rupees definitive agreement .
The National Thermal Power Corporation Ltd (NTPC) and Ministry of Power (MOP)
signed a Memorandum of Understanding for the Financial Year 2013-14.
The President of Egypt Mohamed Morsy was visited India at end of march 2013 for
accompanying his senior ministers as well as business delegation.
For the first time in 2012-13 The production of eight core sector industries decreased
by 2.5 percent in the month of February 2013
For the First Time in Pakistan, Two Tribal Women to file the nominations for general
elections.
G.V. Prasad, Son-in-Law of Founder Anji Reddy, Appointed as Chief Executive
Officer of Dr Reddys Laboratories
India Post decided to establish third Automated Mail Processing Centre, in
Hyderabad.
The Eighth Session of the India-Yemen J oint Committee meeting was held in New
Delhi on march 2013.
President Pranab Mukherjee dedicated Siddheshwar Dham Temple to the Nation
For the First Time The Competition Commission of India (CCI) was nominated for
the Global Competition Review (GCR) Awards 2013
The American Multinational corporation Apple bought the indoor GPS mapping firm
wifiSLAM for 20 million dollars
The Union government approved 1500 crore Rupees proposal for production of more
than 2000 rockets for the Pinaka multi- barrel weapons system.
The former President of Pakistan, Gen. Pervez Musharraf returned back to Pakistan
on 24 March 2013.
The Chairman and Managing Director of Bharat Forge Limited Babasaheb
Neelkanth KalyaniNominated as the Chairman of IJ BLF.
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The United Nations declared 20 March as the International Day of Happiness.
World Water Day is celebrated across the world with the new theme "Water
Cooperation"
J eff Bezos, chief executive of Amazon, recovered two Saturn V rocket engines from
beneath the Atlantic Ocean.
The Gold Medal Winner Pietro Mennea , the Italian athletics died at the age of 60
years
Indian Army Got First indigenously-developed chopper called Rudra
B Ashok Reddy, the Infotech Enterprises President , was elected as the new chairman
of Confederation of Indian Industry (CII)
United Arab Emirates (UAE) officially opened the worlds largest concentrated solar
power plant.
India spotted fifth on the list High Net worth Individuals (HNIs) According to the
Knight Frank Wealth Report 2013.
The President of India, released a commemorative postal stamp at XXXIII
Convocation of Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education & Research (PGIMER)
India beat Australia by 6 wickets in 3rd test ,lead the series 3-0
China has become the World's Fifth-Largest Arms Exporter
Chief J ustice Khil Raj Regmi was sworn-in as the new Prime Minister of Nepal.
The Union Cabinet cleared Bill to Tackle Crimes against Women.
J agat Singh Negi Elected As the Deputy Speaker of Legislative Assembly of
Himachal on 12 March 2013.
Xi J inping appointed as China's new president.
Airports Council International (ACI), declared Three Indian Airports among the Top
Five of the World.
The Chief Minister of Delhi, Sheila Dikshit launched a comprehensive five-in-one
vaccine on 12 March 2013.
Tata Sky launched Video on Demand service for its Tata Sky, HD subscribers.
Iran and Pakistan launched a 7.5 billion dollar gas pipeline project.
Rajasthan State Industrial Development and Investment Corporation (RIICO) and
South Korean Trade Promotion Agency (KOTRA) signed (MoU) for Korean
industrial zone.
The US and South Korea started their annual military drills on 11 March 2013 .
According to the GallUP Polls India is the sixth most favourable nation for
Americans.
International Women's Day is celebrated across the world.
The US President, Barack Obama signed into law, the Violence Against Women Act
Reauthorization 2013.
The President of India released the Commemorative Postage Stamp on Sahir
Ludhianvi.
The Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) cleared the investment proposal of
AirAsia to Enter Indias Aviation Sector.
Union Minister Kapil Sibal launched the Electronics Project Proposal System (e-
PPS).
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ESPN-Star Sports Decided to launch new channel star sport2 on march 11 2013.
Union Public Service Commission changed the Scheme of Civil Services (MAIN)
Examination pattern 2013.
Rajiv Gandhi Equity Savings Scheme in Mumbai is launched by Finance Minister P
Chidambaram on 9 February 2013 in Mumbai.
MAPATHON 2013 India's first ever mapping competition announced by Google.
Mohmoud Ahmadinejad, the First President of Iran visits Egypt for attending the
Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC)
National Science Day was Celebrated Countrywide.
The Cabinet Committee on Investment (CCI) approved proposal for North Karanpura
Super Thermal Power Plant in J harkhand.
Affairs Minister of India, officially visit to Bangladesh to co-chair the second meeting
of the India-Bangladesh J oint Coonsultative Commission(J CC)
One Billion Rising Campaign launched to raise the voice for the violence against
women.
IOC executive board decided to to drop wrestling from 2020 Olympics.
Renowned baul singer Gour Khyapa dies at the age of 65 in a road accident in West
Bengal
Freedom fighter Netaji Subash Chandra Bose ancestral home to receive Heritage
status
The 5
th
International Theatre Festival of Kerala (ITFoK) to be held at the open-air
stage of Sangeeta Nataka Academy in Thrissur
India to set up a cultural centre in Vietnamese capital, Hanoi to promote greater
interaction between India and Vietnam
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J ayalalitha inaugurates the memorial building in the name
of Colonel J ohn Pennycuick, the chief architect of the Mullapperiyar Dam
An exhibition of around 250 paintings by West Bengal Chief Minister Ms.Mamata
Banerjee is being held at Kolkata Town Hall
Vasundhara Raje Scindia likely to be appointed as the State President of Bharatiya
J anata Party in Rajasthan
Samajwadi Party(SP) chief Mulayam Singh Yadav directs party workers not to use
his photograph in party banners and posters without partys permission
The Supreme Court of India orders a second look into the earlier order passed by the
then UP governer who refused probe against the BSP Chief Mayawati on Taj
Corridor case
Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi to be elected to the post of BJ Ps campaign
committee for the 2014 Loksabha polls
The Aam Aadmi party headed by Arvind Kejriwal launches its Uttarakhand unit
18
th
National Level meeting between Myanmar and India being held in New Delhi
US Congress passes the Fiscal cliff bill by huge majority
Veteran Socialist Trade Union leader Kishore Pawar passed away in Pune at the age
of 86 after 1 month of illness
Prema J eyakumar from Mumbai, daughter of an autorikshaw driver tops the All India
Chartered Accountancy Examination
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Technology major IBM enters into an agreement with University of Petroleum &
Energy Studies (UPES), Dehradun in imparting sills to students and faculty
Ved Prakash has been appointed as the new Chairman of the University Grants
Commission(UGC)
Annamalai University, Tamil Nadu has decided to adopt a uniform retirement policy
for teaching and non-teaching staff, following financial crisis
NASSCOM Sector Skills Council(SSC) and NIIT sign pact for providing training to
around 1 lakh students over the next 3 years on BPO/KPO and Legal Process
Outsourcing jobs
Dr.A V George is being appointed as the Vice Chancellor of Mahatma Gandhi
University, Kerala
Union Cabinet clears the revised Lokpal Bill, giving the power of appointment of
Lokayuktas to State Governments
J ustice Verma Committee in its report of recommendations regarding punishment for
sex assault victims refuses death penalty; recommends 10 years imprisonment
The Union Government decides to hike the import duty on gold and platinum from
4% to 6% with immedeiate effect
Union Cabinet approves imposition of Presidentss rule in the State of J harkhand
following resignation of its Chief Minister, Arjun Munda
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs gives nod to continuation of J awaharlal
Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (J NNURM)
The first Shariat Panchayat of the state of Punjab to be opened in the Muslim town
Malerkotla in Sangrur district
Civil Aviation Ministry sets up a five-member committee headed by Prof. Ravindra
Dholkia to conduct study on cost-cutting and optimal utilization of resources.
Chief J ustice of India, Altamas Kabir inaugurates the first of the five newly
announced fast-track courts in Delhi
The Bihar Government to issue new multi-purpose smart card to prisoners, thus
becomes the first state in the country to do so
The Indo-Pakistan secretary level talks on Water sharing scheduled to be held
today(28th J an, 2013)is being postponement
The city of Kochi in Kerala has the largest number of obese population, as per a
national survey conducted over 11 cities in the country
The Supreme Court of India bans construction of religious structures and statues at
public places
District Court at Patiala House, New Delhi becomes the first district court in the
country to implement complete e-stamping facility.
The Indian and Pakistani armies held Brigade Commander-level flag meeting at
Chakan-Da-Bagh in Poonch district in J ammu and Kashmir
The International Kite Festival organized by the Gujarat Tourism Department was
held in Ahmedabad on the banks of river Sabarmathi
A commemorative postage stamp on Silk Letter Movement is being released by
Pranab Mukherjee, the Hon President of India
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Mantra Airlines launches the first civil aviation service between J ammu and Kargil
sectors
The three day Pravasi Bharathiya Divas(PBD) celebrations being inaugurated by
Prime Minister Dr.Manmohan Singh at Kochi, Kerala
The first successful Intestine Transplant surgery was held at Medanta
Medicity,Gurgaon
e-Biz, the Government- to-Business portal(G2B) to serve the countrys investor and
business communities is being launched
Ministry of Information and Broadcasting sets up a seven-member committee headed
by Sam Pitroda to suggest measures to strengthen Prasar Bharathi
Indian Government puts on hold the decision to allow visa-on-arrival to Pakistani
senior citizens, on the wake of incidents of violence at the Line of Control
Ministry of External Affairs directs Passport offices to accept Aadhar Card as proof
of address/identity.
The Sulabh International Museum of Toilets in the Palam area of Delhi entered the
List of Top 10 Weird museums of the world.
India and Bhutan signed a currency swap agreement worth 100 million US dollars to
strengthen economic co-operation between countries.
Saluting the Polish astronomer: Nicolaus Copernicus' 540th birthday
Pope Benedict XVI announced that he would resign at the end of the month because
of Poor Health
Guinness World Records the largest saltwater crocodile dies in Philippines.
India and Britain signed MoUs for strengthening educational ties between the
countries.
India and Sri Lanka signed two agreements for fighting against international terrorism
, avoiding double taxation.
The India-U.S. J oint Working Group on UN Peacekeeping held its 10th meeting on
13 February 2013.
India and France agreed to strengthen counter terrorism and intelligence cooperation .
India and J apan on decided to strengthen in different fields like Human resource
development, cooperation in tourism sector.
The UN Security Council condemns North Korea for its rocket launch of December
and decides to extent the already existing sanctions against the country
The four day Annual summit of the World Economic Forum begins in Davos,
Switzerland
Union Minister for Urban Development and Parliamentary Affairs, Kamal Nath to
lead the Indian delegation to World Economic Forum to be held at Davos.
The World Bank has indicated its inclination to set up a crash analysis centre for the
first time in India
The World Conference on International Telecommunications (WCIT) which was held
in Dubai agrees a fresh international treaty called the New Global Telecoms Treaty
The health ministers meet of BRICS nations (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South
Africa) decides to set up a Technical Working Group(TWG) to monitor information
exchange between the nations
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United Nations officially ends the peace keeping mission under the leadership of Finn
Reske-Nielsen in East Timor
The Chinese administration decides to go ahead with construction of three more dams
on Brahmaputra amidst protests from India
Egyptian President declares emergency in three cities- Suez, Ismailia and Port Said
US Senate elects J ohn Kerry to replace Hillary Clinton as the next US Secretary of
States
Milos Zeman becomes the first elected President of Czech Republic defeating Karel
Schwarzenberg in the 2013 elections
Air India is ranked third worst airline in the world, after China Airlines and TAM
Airlines
Barrack Obama sworn in as the President of United States for the second term at the
ceremony held in White House
India and Bangladesh decides to speed up works on four rail-link projects to enhance
the co-operation between the people of the two countries
The Supreme Court of Pakistan issued order to arrest Prime Minister Raja Pervez
Ashraf in the Rs 22 billion Rental Power Projects scam
French troops deployed to counter the rebel attacks in Mali; state of emergency
declared across the country
India and Bangladesh to sign on liberalized visa agreements during Indian Home
Minister Sushil Kumar Shindes visit to Bangladesh
United States and Russia endorses Geneva Plan which calls for establishment of a
governing body as the only solution to Syrian crisis, quashes military solutions
King Abdulla of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia creates history by appointing 30
women to the previously all-male Shura Council
Worlds first earthquake-free Hindu temple constructed at a cost of 100 million
dollars is opened to public in Los Angeles, United States of America.
US President Barck Obama signs the Defence bill approving 633 billion dollars
defence spending for the current year 2013
Tulsi Gabbard, the first Hindu ever to be sworn in as a member of the US House of
Representatives, has created history by taking the oath of office on the sacred
Bhagavad Gita.
Teenage Pakistani activist Malala Yousufzais father Ziauddin is being appointed as
Pakistans education attache in Birmigham.
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) on 29 May 2013 lowered its forecast for
Chinas economic growth at 7.75 percent for the year 2013 citing a weak world
economy and exports. Earlier, it had forecasted 8 percent growth.
Mahindra Group launch its new generation electric vehicle, e2o this month :
Mahindra Reva
Software giant Microsoft is developing an interactive whiteboard that self sketches
the user pictures
Software giant Microsoft launches Office 365 for businesses in India.
The Government of Rajasthan and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL)
signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) at J aipur for setting up a Refinery.
13

The Union Government decided to provide a financial assistance of 41.21 crore
rupees to protect Pashmina goat which produces world-famous fine luxury fibre.
The Union Government and RBI to launch 10 Rupees Plastic Notes in 5 Cities.
World Bank forecasted the growth of over 6 percent for the Indian Economy during
2013-14.
The Indian government declared to sell 9.5 per cent stake in country's largest power
producer NTPC
India welcomed Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) from China on 28 February 2013.
Mercedes-Benz launched the new G63 AMG in India at Rs 1.45 crore.
Infosys the first Indian company to List on NYSE Euronext London and Paris
markets.
Volkswagen India has launched their New Edition of Polo SR variant in India .
ON 11 February 2013 Twitter launched first pay-by-tweet service in partnership with
the American Express.
Parle-G The First Indian FMCG Brand to Cross 5000 Crore Rupees Mark.
As per estimates, Venezuela is being ranked as the country with highest inflation rate
in the World-29.8% as on December 2010
Singapore-based Spice Global announces its plan to enter into Indian Healthcare
Industry by initially setting up 1000 bed hospital
Dutch Finance Minister J eroen Dijsselbloem is appointed as President of the
Eurozone's Group of Finance Ministers
Rajiv Kumar Goyal is appointed as the Executive Director of Central Bank of India,
succeeding R K Dubey
R K Dubey is being appointed as the Chairman and managing Director of Canara
Bank
J acob J ack Lew to replace Tim Geithner as the US Treasury Secretary
Rating agency, Fitch maintains its negative rating of Indias Sovereign Rating
Senior IAS officer Rajiv Thakur is being appointed as Secretary in the Ministry of
Finance
Competition Commission of Indi(CCI) approves the 30% stake purchase by Punjab
National Bank(PNB) in Metlife India Insurance Company
Urjit Patel has been appointed as a Deputy Governer of the Reserve Bank of
India(RBI)
Y V Reddy being appointed as the Chairman of the 14th Finance Commission
The first phase of Direct Cash Transfer scheme to be launched by the Union
Government in 20 districts.
Manoj Kohli , the CEO-International Operations and J oint MD of Bharti Airtel to be
named as the Managing Director of the company
Philips Electronics has decided to sell its audio and video business to J apan based
Funai Electric Company
The country's largest public sector bank, State Bank of India opens its second branch
in China at Tianjin
14

Britains leading financial sector player Barclays announces its decision to shift
hundreds of back office jobs to India as part of cost-reduction measures being
undertaken by the firm
The ONGC Videshs De-Kastri oil terminal in Russia, has bagged the Best Oil
Terminal Award of Russia for 2012
Chinese telecom firm Huawei to distribute its enterprise network solutions,
infrastructure, data storage services, smart phones, tablets etc., in tie-up with HCL
Infosystems
Renault Duster is being awarded the Car of the Year Award 2013
The Brahmaputra Cracker & Polymer Limited (BCPL) announces commissioning of
the multi-crore Assam Gas Cracker Project by December 2013
Gujarat Chief Minster, Narendra Modi officially inaugurates the Vibrant Gujarat
Global Investors Meet
Wolfgang Prock-Schauer , the former head of J et Airways is being appointed as the
CEO of Air Berlin
DM Healthcare with network of healthcare establishments in India and the Middle
East has announced Rs 2,300 crore expansion plans in the state of Kerala
B K Mandal assumes additional charge as the Chairman and Managing Director of
Shipping Corporation of India(SCI)
Mahindra Two Wheelers launches two new models into the market-Centuro and
Pantero
NALCO commissions its first Wind power project at Gandikota in Kadapa district of
Andhra Pradesh
Masaki Asano is appointed as the Deputy Managing Director of India Yamaha Motor.
Godrej UK-Based Subsidiary Acquired Colgate-Palmolive Brand, Soft and Gentle in
UK. Godrej Consumer Products Ltd (GCPL) on 1 J anuary 2012 announced that its
UK-based subsidiary Keyline Brands acquired Soft and Gentle, the womens
deodrant brand from Colgate-Palmolive Co for an amount which is undisclosed.
Union Government constituted the 14th Finance Commission under Former RBI
Governor YV Reddy. The commission under YV Reddy is going to primarily review
finances of the governments keeping in mind the fiscal consolidation road map that
was laid out by his predecessor Vijay Kelkar, the head of 13th finance Commission.
The Commission would have three full-time members-
Sushma Nath, Former Finance Secretary
M. Govind Rao ,Director, NIPFP and
Sudipto Mundle Former Acting Chairman of National Statistical.
Ajay Narayan J ha had been appointed Secretary to the Commission.
The commission has to give its report by October next year and the recommendations
will come into effect from April, 2015 to 2020for a five-year period.
India and the US agreed for cooperation on future missions to the Moon and Mars
after successful in Chandrayaan-1 lunar mission.
J apan Became First Country in the World to Extract Natural Gas from Methane
Hydrate.
15

Bhabha Atomic Research Centre of India announced of developing the largest magnet
of the world.
India ranked third on the list of the countries distributing spam across the world.
Seagate, a US-based hard disk supplier to launch its latest wireless storage Devices in
India by Mar-Apr.
According to the Study of lion biologists of University of Minnesota: Half of Africas
Lions Facing Extinction Threat.
NASA's Swift satellite discovered one of the youngest-known supernova remnants
NASA scientists discovers the third-closest star system to the Sun, located only 6.5
light-years away.
Pinaka rockets were successfully test-fired.
India became the first country to successfully launch the first smartphone of the world
- STRaND-1.
India now working on a long-range nuclear-capable Agni-VI Ballistic missile, to be
in world's elite nuclear club.
Russian space agency launches six telecom satellites.
President Pranab Mukherjee announced : Indias first mission to Mars and the
launching of our first navigational satellite this year.
NASA plans to launch a new mission in 2016 to predict their impact of asteroids on
Earth.
North Korea successfully conducted their third nuclear test.
Pakistan successfully tests their new the nuclear-capable Hatf-IX tactical missile or
Nasr.
Capital of India Ranked at the worst position in the crucial environmental parameters
of Environmental Performance Index (EPI).
The First wildlife skywalk of India coming up in Maenam wildlife sanctuary, Sikkim.
China successfully carries out its second anti-missile interceptor test
United States, China, J apan, Canada and India to jointly construct the worlds largest
optical telescope Thirty-Meter Telescope
China has successfully conducted a test flight of its biggest-ever indigenously-made
long-range strategic military transport aircraft plane, Yun-20
India successfully test-fires K-15 ballistic missile from an under water platform in
Bay of Bengal
India to soon have a common emergency number to respond to any emergency-
police, fire or ambulance
Kim Dotcom launches a new file-sharing website named Mega after shut down of
his earlier site Megaupload on charges of racketeering
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) schedules the launch of Satellite
with Argos and Altika(SARAL) on February 14th, 2013.
Air India grounds all its six Boeing 787 Dreamliners following the safety hazard
warning issued by US Aviation regulator
The countrys first space weather reading centre to be opened in Indian Institute of
Science, Education and Research (IISER) campus, Kolkata
16

India successfully test-fires from Visakhapatanam, a version of supersonic cruise
missile BrahMos
The first Fast Patrol Vessel(FPV) named Aadesh built for the Indian Coast Guard
rolls out of Cochin Ship Yard.
The Chief of the Air Staff, N.A.K. Browne inaugurates the Medium Lift Helicopter
Complex at Phalodi, near J odhpur.
Indian Institute of Astrophysics(IIA) announces setting up of the worlds largest solar
telescope at Ladakh
Union Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde launches the pilot version of the Crime
and Criminal Tracking Network and Systems (CCTNS) Project
Internet celebrates its 30th birthday
State Bank of India(SBI) launches mobile wallet Mobi Cash Easy which bundles
various facilities such as funds transfer, balance enquiry, mobile top-ups etc.,
Delegates from around 140 countries sign on the Minamata Convention on Mercury
treaty towards limiting the use and emission of health-hazardous mercury
The meteorological department has issues yellow alert in the major cities of China
including Chengdu and Beijing following high than allowed air pollution levels
Cyclone Narelle, a Category-4 storm is approaching the northwest coast of Australia
United Arab Emirates to host the sixth World Future Energy Summit
Union New and Renewable Energy Minister Farooq Abdullah to attend the Sixth
World Future Energy Summit (WFES), to be held in Abu Dhabi from J anuary 15-17.
World champion Viswanathan Anand beats Chinese champion Ding Liren and
jumped to sixth spot
Chris Gayle, the West Indies opener, hit the fastest ever century in the history of
cricket during IPL
Prayag Chauhan won Gold Medal at ASBC Asian Confederation J unior Boxing
Championships on 22 April 2013
ICC Test Rankings released Pujara and Ashwin are the only Two Indians among Top-
10
Adam Scott won the 77th Version of Augusta Masters Golf championship on 14
April 2013.
Serena Williams won the Family Circle Cup,2013, by defeating J elena J ankovic in
three sets of the final match.
Andy Murray won the ATP Miami Masters 2013 by defeating Spanish third seed
David Ferrer .
World No. 1 Serena Williams won Miami masters open Tennis Tournament for
record sixth time in Key Biscayne.
Tiger Woods won the third PGA Tour title 2013, regained the world number one spot.
David Beckham was named as the richest footballer of the world According to the
Goal Rich List 2013.
Manorama and Deborah won Bronze for India in Hero Asian Cycling Championships
on 10 March 2013.
Neha Tripathi won BT Pro Am of Champions golf tournament 2013 in Manesar.
17

The 33-year-old Tine Baun won the womens singles title in the All England Open
Badminton Championships 2013.
The veteran golfer Smriti Mehra won her second title in the Hero Women`s pro golf
tour 2013
World Number one Novak Djokovic won the ATP Dubai Open Tennis title 2013.
Sahmim Khan won the PGTI Players Championship Title on 1 March 2013 .
In Test rankings India move to Fourth spot.
The Former World Cup-winning Sri Lanka's captain Arjuna Ranatunga feels Test
cricket will die after Sachin Tendulkars retirement.
Saina Nehwal continued to hold on to her second position in the latest World
badminton ranking; P Kashyap out of top 10.
FiFA confirmed the use of goal-line technology during the 2014 FIFA World Cup.
The World Champion in Chess Viswanathan Anand from India won the Grenke
Chess Classic trophy.
Rafael Nadal won the finals of Brazil Open 2013 by defeating Argentinean David
Nalbandian.
Serena Williams achieve the new World number one womens tennis player.
Australia defeated West Indies by 114 runs to win ICC Womens World Cup Trophy.
South Africa to retain No. 1 spot in ICC Test ranking.
Pankaj Advani created history by becoming the first Indian ever to reach the pre-
quarterfinals of the BetVictor Welsh Open.
India maintain their Position number one in the ICC ODI Championship table .
At Special Winter Olympics in South Korea Indian athletes win 46 medals made the
country proud.
World Player of the Year : Lionel Messi signed a new contract with Barcelona until
J une 30 2018
The New Formula 1 car called MR02 unveiled by Marussia F1 team.
Serbian Novak Djokovic wins the Australian Open Singles Title, defeating Andy
Murray of UK in the finals
The American pair of Mike and Bob Bryan defeats Dutch Robin Haase and Igor
Sijsling in the finals to clinch the Australian Open Doubles Title 2013
Australians J armila Gajdosova and Matthew Ebden wins the Austalian Open Mixed
Doubles beating the Czech-pair Lucie Hradecka and Frantisek Cermak
Belarus Victora Azarenka wins the Womens Singles title at the Australian Open
Tennis Tournament 2013 defeating Li Na of China
The International Olympics Committee asks 2000 Sydney Games cycling bronze
medallist Lance Amstrong who is facing doping charges, to return the medal
Saina Nehwal climbs up by one position to become the second ranked player as per
the latest rankings released by the Badminton World Federation (BWF)
Bernard Tomic of Australia wins the Sydney International defeating South African
Kevin Anderson in the finals to clinch his first ATP Tour title
Michael Appleton is being appointed as the Venkys owned second tier English
football club Blackburn Rovers
18

Umpire Simon Taufel is being selected to deliver the prestigious MCC Spirit of
Cricket Cowdrey Lecture 2013
Former cricket all-rounder, popularly known as poor mans Garry Sobers, Rusi
Framroze Surti, died at the age of 76 years at Surat
Sprinters Usain Bolt and Shelly Ann Fraser Pryce are awarded the Male and Female
Athlete of the Year Golden Cleats Awards
Korean coach Lim Chae Woong to be appointed to train Indian Archers
Real Madrid coach J ose Mourinho was named as the best coach of 2012 by the
Federation of Football History and Statistics
South African batsman Hashim Amla tops the latest ICC ODI Player Ranking List
released on 7th J anuary, 2013
Scottish Andy Murray wins the Brisbane International Tennis Title by defeating
Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov
Argentine Striker Lionell Messi wins the FIFA Footballer of the Year award for the
fourth consecutive year
American Abby Wambach is being selected as the FIFA Womens footballer of the
Year 2012
Spain's Vicente del Bosque is being named the FIFA Coach of the year for 2012
Sania Mirza- Bethanie Mattek-Sands pair wins the WTA Brisbane International
trophy Womens doubles title defeating the pair of Kveta Peschke and Anna-Lena
Groenefeld
Virat Kohli selected as the CEAT International Cricketer of the Year 2011-12
South African all-rounder J acques Kallis becomes the 4th test cricketer to reach the
13,000 runs milestone
Rajastans Mahaveer Singh and Maharashtras Tejaswini Sawant bags Gold medals in
National Shooting Championship 2012
Mithali Raj is being named captain of the Indian Womens squad for the upcoming
International Cricket Council (ICC) Womens World Cup Tournament.
The Vice-President of India released a book titled A Leaf turns Yellow : the Sufis of
Awadh
Veteran actress and Padma Shri award winner, Sukumari passed away in a private
hospital in Chennai
Kallam Anji Reddy, the main behind Dr Reddy's Laboratories ,the second-largest
drugmaker of India Died at 72.
Argentine J orge Bergoglio was elected as the new 266 pope and chose the papal
name Francis, becoming the first pontiff from the Americas and the first from
outside Europe .
Peter Banks , The Original Guitarist for Rock Band Yes died in London.
Prof Veer Bhadra Mishra the Former Professor of Hydraulic Engineering and the
Noted Environmentalist died at the age of 75.
Celebrated painter Ganesh Pyne died of cardiac arrest At the Age of 97 Years.
At the 5th CIDC Vishwakarma Award 2013 Tapas Kumar Lahiry won the
Achievement award for Public Officer on 7 March 2013.
19

The Foreign Minister of Portugal ,Paulo de Sacadura Cabral Portas visited India
officially for the first time.
Former CBI Director Ashwani Kumar appointed as Governor of Nagaland.
Former West Bengal Governor and industrialist 'Viren J Shah' died at the age of 86
years.
Former Pakistan off-spinner Haseeb Ahsan died at the age of 73.
'Misao Okawa', world's oldest woman, turned 115 on 5 March 2013 celebrating her
birthday with proud family members.
The chairman of local organising committee of the 2015 World Cup J ames Strong
died at the age of 68.
Mukesh Gadhvi, the Congress MP from Banaskantha passed away on 1 March 2013.
1 The Vice President of India, Hamid Ansari released a book titled 'The First Woman
President of India' on 19 March 2013
The Union Minister for Steel, Beni Prasad Verma released a Coffee Table Book titled
Indian Saga of Steel.
On 1 March 2013 The Vice President of India released a book titled Walking with
Lions: Tales from a Diplomatic Past
Navneet Kaur Dhillon was crowned Ponds Femina Miss India 2013.
The London based Indian origin writer,'Anil Ananthaswamy' won inaugural Physics
J ournalism Prize for the article Hip Hip Array
S. Venkata Mohan a scientist of the Indian Institute of Chemical Technology won the
National Bioscience Award for 2012
The 60
th
National Film Awards were announced Irrfan Khan Won Best Actor
Award for Paan Singh Tomar
Tan Twan Eng was announced as a winner of the 2012 Man Asian Literary Prize on
14 March 2013.
Rajiv Gandhi National Quality Awards for the year 2011 announced.
J essica Ennis named Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year at Laureus World
Sports Awards 2013.
According ABP News-IPSOS Best City Survey and Awards 2013 -Nagpur won the
award for most liveable Indian city & Nashik for Best Tourist-Friendly City.
The President of India, Pranab Mukherjee was conferred with the Liberation War
Honour Award by the President of Bangladesh, Zillur Rahman on 4 March 2013.
The Government of J apan nominated Haruhiko Kuroda for the designation of next
governor of the Central Bank of the country.
The Former LIC chief T. S. Vijayan , took over as the Chairman of the Insurance
Regulatory and Development Authority.
Mritunjay Singh was appointed as the new joint Chief Operation Officer (COO) of
the Persistent Systems.
Mohan Parasaran appointed as the Solicitor General of India.
Girisha Hosanagara Nagarajegowda was appointed as the brand ambassador of
nutrition company Herbalife.
Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) appointed Subodh Kumar Agrawal
and K. Raghu as new President and Vice-President.
20

The President of India, Pranab Mukherjee appointed Kalyan Kumar Chakravarty as
the chairman of Lalit Kala Akademi.
Prime Minister of Bhutan, Lyonchhen J igmi Y. Thinley visited India.
Ratan Tata announced the joining hands with global leaders,for launching the Global
Ocean Commission .
An Indian-American businessman Ashok Mago , the chairman of USINDIA receives
the 'Minority Business Leader Award' by a prestigious US journal
Founder of Hotel Leelaventure Captain C P Krishnan Nair stepped down as the
Chairman.
Padma Shri awardee Dr Subra Suresh announces stepping down from his current
position of Director of the National Science Foundation by the end of March
First Edition of book titled Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose and Germany by
Professor Anita B. Pfaff Presented to the President of India.
The CEO of Penguin books India Andrew Phillips announced launching of the self
publishing imprint named Partridge.
Shubh Yatra , an exclusive monthly Bi-lingual magazine of Air India launched
by Ministry of Civil Aviation.
Sugata Mitra was awarded the Million-Dollar TED Prize for Extraordinary creativity.
We Are Young The pop-rockers won song of the year At the Grammy Awards.
Pandit Ravi Shankar was awarded his fourth Grammy award for Best world music
Suchitra K Ella is being nominated as the Founding Chair-woman of the Womens
wing of Confederation of Indian Industry(CII)
A recent survey conducted by Trust Research Advisory Agency names Anna Hazare
as the Most trusted personality in India
Indian Cricket Team captian, Mahendra Singh Dhoni is named Vice President of
India Cements Limited
Pune-based J asraj J oshi declared the winner of Zee TV's 'Sa Re Ga Ma Pa 2012'
Social scientist, Ashis Nandy in limelight on his alleged remarks against Dalits at the
J aipur Literature Festival venue
Notorious professional thief Devinder Singh alias Bunty Chor is arrested from a hotel
in Pune
Saachi Soni, a 19 year old university student from Delhi is being selected for an
expedition to Mount Everest by the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute in Darjeeling
Pop singer J ustin Bieber becomes the most followed person on Twitter, as per latest
released statistics
King of Bhutan, J igme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck is to be the chief guest at the
Republic Day parade for the year 2013
20-year-old Paras Zutshi from Delhi is the winner of the second season of reality
show 'Superdude'.
Noted Tamil writer and social activist M.S. Udayamurthy passed away at the age of
85, following cardiac arrest
Rakesh Mishra takes charge as the new General Manager of Southern Railways
The former ISRO Chairman, Mr.U R Rao to be inducted into the International
Satellite Hall of Fame at the ceremony to be held in Washington DC
21

US Court sentences Headleys aide Tahawwur Rana for 14 years of imprisonment on
charges of providing support to Pakistan based militant outfit, LeT
J ack Ma, Founder CEO of world-famous online shopping and e-commerce portal ,
Alibaba.com decides to step down
58 year old Indian-origin Halimah Yacob elected as the first woman speaker of
Singapore
Award-winning British journalist Yvonne Ridley has accused Indian Government of
refusing her a visa to attend the Spring of Islam conference organised by the J amaat-
e-Islami Hind (J IH)
President rejects the mercy petition filed by death-row convict Saibanna Ningappa
Natikar.This is the second rejection, the plea by Ajmal Kassab being the first
Shirani Bandarnayake, the first woman chief justice of Srilanka is being removed
from office following charges of corruption
Supreme Court quashes Chandrashekaraiahs appointment as Upalokayukta of the
State of Karnataka
Somalias notorious pirate leader Mohamed Abdi Hassan, known as Big Mouth
announces his decision to quit the gang activity
Worlds oldest living lady, Koto Okubo dies at the age of 115
Chandrakanta Rawat, a 37 year old woman from Uttarakhand creates history by
becoming the first complete body donor
Air Marshal Kulwant Singh Gill appointed as the Commandant of the National
Defence Academy(NDA)
Prof K Vijayraghavan, director, National Centre for Biological Sciences, Bangalore is
appointed as as Secretary, Department of Biotechnology
Taliban suicide wing chief Wali Muhammad alias Toofan Mehsud killed in a drone
strike in South Waziristan, Pakistan
Sunmeet Kaur Sawhney, a housewife from state of Punjab becomes the first woman
to win 5 crore rupees on the popular Gamshow Kaun Banega Crorepathi
J ustice D K J ain is being appointed as the Chairman of the 20th Law Commission of
India
The founder member of the National Organization for Women, Gerda Lerner passed
away at the age of 92 years
Indian-American Srikanth Srinivasan is re-nominated by the US President as Federal
J udge for the District of Columbia Circuit
Renowned freedom-fighter, Pandit Ram Sanehi Shukla passed away at the age of 98
following illness
J ustice Amitava Roy has sworn in as the Chief J ustice of Rajasthan High Court
US Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner announces his plan to leave the post by
J anuary 2013 end
Renowned violinist M S Gopalakrishnan passed away at the age of 82
Mukesh Ambani, the Chairman and MD of Reliance Industries is the worlds 18th
richest man in the world according to Bloomberg Billionaires Index
Noted freedom-fighter Annapoorna Maharana passed away in Cuttack at the age of
96
22

Syed Asif Ibrahim appointed as the new Director of the Intelligence Bereau(IB)
Alok J oshi appointed as the new Chief of the Research & Analysis Wing(R& AW)
Renowned sound editor and winner of Oscar Award, Mike Hopkins dies in an
accident in New Zealand
M S Sahoo, the former member of SEBI has been appointed as the secretary of the
Institute of Company Secretaries (ICSI)
Patrick Suckling is appointed as Australias next High Commissioner to India
The National Communal Harmony Award 2012 is awarded to a Delhi based trust
named The Foundation for Amity And National Solidarity(FANS)
Major Abup J Manjali of Rashtriya Rifles in being nominated to receive Kirti Chakra
Renowned writer, U R Ananthamoorthy has been shortlisted for the International
Man Booker Prize
Bollywood Actor Shah Rukh Khan tops the Forbes India top 100 Celebreties of India
list
The Election Commission of India nominates Olympic Medalists Saina Nehwal and
Mary Com as thye National Icons 2012
Mahaveer Golechha selected for the Young Investigator Scholarship Award by the
Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation
The State of Tamil Nadu ranked first in the implementation of schemes by National
Rural Health Mission (NRHM)
Renowned nuclear scientist Anil Kakodkar was awarded Maharashtra Bhooshan
award by Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan
Association of State Road Transport Undertakings (ASRTU) Lowest Accident Rate
Award 2012 being awarded to Delhi Transport Corporation( DTC).
US President Barrack Obama is the most followed leader on Twitter, as per data
released by Digital Policy Council (DPC)
Tipperary International Peace Prize for 2012 awarded to Malala Yousafzai, the
Pakistani school girl who was shot by Taliban
Indian-American Srikanth Srinivasan is among the 33 federal judges re-nominated by
the US President Barack Obama for the US Court of Appeals.
The nation celebrated the 64th Republic Day on J anuary 26th, 2013
The Election Commission of India celebrates the 3rd National Voters Day on
J anuary 25th, 2013
The country celebrates National Girl Child Day on J anuary 24th, 1013
India celebrates the 150th birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda as National
Youth Day
Pulitzer prize winner and noted historian Stanley Karnow died at the age of 87
Eminent Novelist-Poet J eet Thayyil wins the DSC South Asian Literature Prize 2013
for his novel Narcopolis
The novel named Er Ist Wieder Da (Hes Back) by Timur Vermes becomes the best
seller in Germany, with over 2.5 lakhs copies sold since its release in September 2012
Zhao J iang, a Chinese author creates history by releasing her first book in Tamil, the
first by any Chinese author to do so.

23


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CURRENT AFFAIRS FROM JANUARY TO MAY 2013

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