Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 11 January 2015 inaugurated the Vibrant Gujarat Summit 2015 (VGS 15), a flagship programme of the Gujarat government, in Gandhinagar, which was also attended by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon and US Secretary of State John Kerry. This is which edition of Vibrant Gujarat Summit? 
7thThree-day Vibrant Gujarat Summit of 2015 is touted to be the biggest ever, with a host of high-profile business as well as political leaders attending it. Apart from Ban Ki-Moon and John Kerry, several ministers from Europe, Japan, Australia and Canada and over 50 CEOs of top Indian as well as international companies are paricipating in the summit that will conclude on 13 January. Eight countries -Canada, Japan, China, Australia, the Netherlands, Singapore, South Africa and the U.S. – are partnering with the state government of Gujarat in this summit. Vibrant Gujarat Summit is the name given to a biennial investors’ summit held by the government of Gujarat. The event is aimed at bringing together business leaders, investors, corporations, thought leaders, policy and opinion makers; the summit is advertised as a platform to understand and explore business opportunities in the State of Gujarat. VGS was first held in 2003.
Three-day Vibrant Gujarat Summit of 2015 is touted to be the biggest ever, with a host of high-profile business as well as political leaders attending it. Apart from Ban Ki-Moon and John Kerry, several ministers from Europe, Japan, Australia and Canada and over 50 CEOs of top Indian as well as international companies are paricipating in the summit that will conclude on 13 January. Eight countries -Canada, Japan, China, Australia, the Netherlands, Singapore, South Africa and the U.S. – are partnering with the state government of Gujarat in this summit. Vibrant Gujarat Summit is the name given to a biennial investors’ summit held by the government of Gujarat. The event is aimed at bringing together business leaders, investors, corporations, thought leaders, policy and opinion makers; the summit is advertised as a platform to understand and explore business opportunities in the State of Gujarat. VGS was first held in 2003.
Bihar Government and the Bihar State Tourism Development Corporation (BSTDC) on 10 January 2015 organised the first of its kind walk through a 13-km forest trail which Lord Gautama Buddha had taken to reach Rajgir from Bodh Gaya around 2,543 years ago. What was the name given to this highly successful initiative in which people from 11 countries took part?
“Buddha Heritage Walk”The first-ever Buddha Heritage Walk introduced by the BSTDC started from Jethian in Rajgir district, around 100 km southeast of Patna. Buddha took this route when he decided to move to Rajgir after attaining enlightenment at Bodh Gaya. He was welcomed at Jethian by Bimbisar, the king of Magadh Empire, whose Capital was Rajgir. Bimibsara took Buddha to Venu Van, around 13 km from there, and offered the place to him as a gift. Buddha had stayed there during his visit. The route is well-documented and is believed by scholars to be the only authentic one among several such routes taken by Buddha during his 45 years of preaching in various parts of India. Over 500 pilgrims from 11 countries converged on Jethian and took part in this walk. Buddhists monks and followers from Japan, China, South Korea, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Vietnam, Taiwan, Indonesia, Malaysia and Brazil participated in this historic event.
The first-ever Buddha Heritage Walk introduced by the BSTDC started from Jethian in Rajgir district, around 100 km southeast of Patna. Buddha took this route when he decided to move to Rajgir after attaining enlightenment at Bodh Gaya. He was welcomed at Jethian by Bimbisar, the king of Magadh Empire, whose Capital was Rajgir. Bimibsara took Buddha to Venu Van, around 13 km from there, and offered the place to him as a gift. Buddha had stayed there during his visit. The route is well-documented and is believed by scholars to be the only authentic one among several such routes taken by Buddha during his 45 years of preaching in various parts of India. Over 500 pilgrims from 11 countries converged on Jethian and took part in this walk. Buddhists monks and followers from Japan, China, South Korea, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Vietnam, Taiwan, Indonesia, Malaysia and Brazil participated in this historic event.
Who was selected for the prestigious Vikram Sarabhai Memorial Award for 2015 presented by the Indian Science Congress Association (ISCA)?
M.Y.S. Prasad, Director of Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota Range (SHAR)Prasad was selected for his outstanding contribution to R&D in the field of space science in his long and chequered career at the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). Prior to Dr. Prasad, those who received this award were former ISRO chairmen Dr. Satish Dhawan, Dr. K. Kasturi Rangan, Dr. G. Madhavan Nair and Dr. K. Radhakrishnan. The ISCA, which is a premier scientific organization of the country established in 1914 in Kolkata, has been giving this award in alternate years.
Prasad was selected for his outstanding contribution to R&D in the field of space science in his long and chequered career at the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). Prior to Dr. Prasad, those who received this award were former ISRO chairmen Dr. Satish Dhawan, Dr. K. Kasturi Rangan, Dr. G. Madhavan Nair and Dr. K. Radhakrishnan. The ISCA, which is a premier scientific organization of the country established in 1914 in Kolkata, has been giving this award in alternate years.
What is the name of the Indian-origin executive who was named as President of U.S. database behemoth Oracle during January 2015?
Thomas KurianThomas Kurian thus became perhaps the single most senior executive in the company after co-CEOs Safra Catz and Mark Hurd. He had joined the $38 billion Oracle in 1996, was executive VP (product development). He is originally from Kerala an alumnus of Bengaluru’s St Joseph’s Boys High School. He holds a BA in electrical engineering from Princeton University, where he graduated summa cum laude (highest distinction). He has an MBA from Stanford University where he was an Arjay Miller scholar. Indians are now at top levels in many IT firms – the notable being Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft, and Sundar Pichai, head of most major Google products. A recent entrant is Bhaskar Ghosh, management committee member and group chief executive of technology delivery at Accenture.
Thomas KurianThomas Kurian thus became perhaps the single most senior executive in the company after co-CEOs Safra Catz and Mark Hurd. He had joined the $38 billion Oracle in 1996, was executive VP (product development). He is originally from Kerala an alumnus of Bengaluru’s St Joseph’s Boys High School. He holds a BA in electrical engineering from Princeton University, where he graduated summa cum laude (highest distinction). He has an MBA from Stanford University where he was an Arjay Miller scholar. Indians are now at top levels in many IT firms – the notable being Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft, and Sundar Pichai, head of most major Google products. A recent entrant is Bhaskar Ghosh, management committee member and group chief executive of technology delivery at Accenture.
Which Middle-east based bank during January 2015 launched region’s first online-only consumer banking business will offer personal finance products and credit cards?
Gulf International Bank (GIB)Gulf International Bank (GIB) is a Bahrain-based entity but is 97%-owned by the Saudi government. The online-only retail banking business launched by it has been launched for Saudi Arabia and has been named as “Meem”. It aims to have around a 3% share of the Saudi consumer banking market by 2020. Saudi Arabia is Middle-East’s largest economy and around two-third of the country’s population is under 30. Until now, GIB was solely a wholesale bank and provided services to big companies and financial institutions. It needed a bailout from the Saudi government after suffering $757 million of losses in 2007 from investing in complex debt instruments linked to the U.S. subprime housing crisis.
Gulf International Bank (GIB) is a Bahrain-based entity but is 97%-owned by the Saudi government. The online-only retail banking business launched by it has been launched for Saudi Arabia and has been named as “Meem”. It aims to have around a 3% share of the Saudi consumer banking market by 2020. Saudi Arabia is Middle-East’s largest economy and around two-third of the country’s population is under 30. Until now, GIB was solely a wholesale bank and provided services to big companies and financial institutions. It needed a bailout from the Saudi government after suffering $757 million of losses in 2007 from investing in complex debt instruments linked to the U.S. subprime housing crisis.
Tennis ace Roger Federer achieved which milestone by winning the Brisbane International Open title on 11 January 2015?
He claimed his 1,000th career victory by winning this finalSwitzerland’s Roger Federer defeated third-seeded Milos Raonic of Canada by 6-4, 6-7 (2), 6-4 in the Brisbane International final to claim his 1,000th career victory. This was his 83rd title. Only retired greats Jimmy Connors (1,253) and Ivan Lendl (1,071) have won more than 1,000 matches on the men’s tour.
Switzerland’s Roger Federer defeated third-seeded Milos Raonic of Canada by 6-4, 6-7 (2), 6-4 in the Brisbane International final to claim his 1,000th career victory. This was his 83rd title. Only retired greats Jimmy Connors (1,253) and Ivan Lendl (1,071) have won more than 1,000 matches on the men’s tour.
Which country created history on 10 January 2015 by winning its maiden Hopman Cup by defeating much stronger U.S. in the finals? 
PolandPoland defeated much fancied United States led by women’s number one player Serena Williams by 2-1 to win their maiden Hopman Cup title. Poland’s Agnieszka Radwanska shocked 18-time major champion Williams by 6-4, 6-7 (7-3), 6-1 to give Poland 1-0 lead. However John Isner equalized the tie by defeating Jerzy Janowicz. In the final matchJanowicz and Radwanska combined to defeat the US in the mixed doubles to give a historic title win. The Hopman Cup is an annual international team indoor featuring world’s top 8 mixed-gender teams and is played at Perth (Australia). This was the 27th edition of Hopman Cup which was founded in 1989.
PolandPoland defeated much fancied United States led by women’s number one player Serena Williams by 2-1 to win their maiden Hopman Cup title. Poland’s Agnieszka Radwanska shocked 18-time major champion Williams by 6-4, 6-7 (7-3), 6-1 to give Poland 1-0 lead. However John Isner equalized the tie by defeating Jerzy Janowicz. In the final matchJanowicz and Radwanska combined to defeat the US in the mixed doubles to give a historic title win. The Hopman Cup is an annual international team indoor featuring world’s top 8 mixed-gender teams and is played at Perth (Australia). This was the 27th edition of Hopman Cup which was founded in 1989.
West Indies created a world record in chasing target in T20 when it successfully chased 232 run target set by hosts South Africa at The Wanderers in Johannesburg on 11 January 2015. Whose record of highest T20 chasing it broke?
IndiaWest Indies successfully chased target of 232 run set by South Africa to beat India’s record of chasing 211 against Sri Lanka in 2009. A total of 467 runs were made in this South Africa-West Indies match which is also a new world record. Chris Gayle (90 runs of 40 balls) and Marlon Samuels (60 runs of 39 balls) steered West Indies to this record chase as they won the T20 series too. Earlier South Africa’s Faf du Plessis blasted the second fastest century (47 balls) in T20 internationals and he went on to score 119 runs.
West Indies successfully chased target of 232 run set by South Africa to beat India’s record of chasing 211 against Sri Lanka in 2009. A total of 467 runs were made in this South Africa-West Indies match which is also a new world record. Chris Gayle (90 runs of 40 balls) and Marlon Samuels (60 runs of 39 balls) steered West Indies to this record chase as they won the T20 series too. Earlier South Africa’s Faf du Plessis blasted the second fastest century (47 balls) in T20 internationals and he went on to score 119 runs.
TOP 100 CURRENT AFFAIRS OF 2014- National
Goods and Services Tax Bill, 2014 introduced in Lok Sabha- It is also called Constitution (122nd Amendment) Bill
- It seeks to introduce Goods and Services Tax (GST) regime
- Inserts article Articles 246A, 269A and 279A in the Constitution
- Provides for Union Finance Minister headed GST Council
- Sets in a uniform and integrated indirect tax regime in India
14th Finance Commission submitted its report to President- It covers the period between 1 April 2015 and 31 March 2020
- The Commission headed by former RBI Governor Y V Reddy
- Provides for devolution of tax receipts from the Centre to the States
- Article 280 of Constitution provides for appointment of Finance Commission
- First and 13th Finance Commission was headed by K C Neogy & Dr Vijay Kelkar resp.
Union government decriminalized Attempt to Suicide- For this purpose Section 309 of Indian Penal Code removed
- 20th Law Commission headed by Justice A P Shah recommended in its 210 Report
- 210th Report on Humanization and Decriminalization of Attempt to Suicide
- France was the first country to decriminalize this offence
Lok Sabha passed the Repealing and Amending (Second) Bill, 2014- Introduced as a periodic measure for updating the list of laws in force
- Seeks to repeal 90 laws and pass amendment to two laws
- Proposes to amend the two laws to rectify typographical errors
- The laws are Railways (Amendment) Act, 2008 and the Indian Maritime University Act, 2008
Karnataka Mobile One App launched for m-governance- Launched by President Pranab Mukherjee in Bengaluru
- First such app in India to usher in an era of mobile governance
- Developed under the ICARE program of Karnataka government
- Expected to provide more than 4000 services to citizens
Social Justice Bench constituted on social issue- Constituted by Supreme Court on 3 December 2014
- Started operation on 12 December 2014
- The brainchild of Chief Justice of India H L Dattu
- Two-judge bench to be headed by Justice Madan B Lokur
- The other member is Justice U U Lalit
627 names of Indians holding black money abroad submitted to SC- Includes details of treaties India signed with France and other nations
- Half of the 627 names are Non-Resident Indians (NRIs)
- Most of them have accounts with HSBC Bank, Geneva
- SIT headed by Justice M B Shah is probing black money case
Union government unveiled new counter-Naxal doctrine- Proposes four-pronged approach to deal with Naxals
- These are Security, Development, Rights and Entitlement and Public Perception Management
- Focus on security interventions in worst LWE-affected areas
- In moderately-affected areas, security and development initiatives will be focus
- In less affected areas, development interventions will take precedence
Swachh Bharat Mission launched- Launched on occasion of 145th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi
- Aims at making India clean by 2019
- The year 2019 will be 150th anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi
- Nine people nominated to inspire people to join the Mission
SC quashed allocation of 214 coal blocks- Quashed by SC bench headed by Justice R M Lodha
- Allocations were arbitrary and illegal
- 4 out of 218 coal blocks not cancelled
- Includes one of NTPC and SAIL each and two of Sasan UMPP owned by Anil Ambani
Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY) launched- It was launched on 28 August 2014
- Aims to open 15 crore bank accounts by 15 August 2015
- It is a mega financial inclusion plan
- Each person covered to be provided bank accounts and RuPay debit cards
- Also provision for inbuilt insurance cover of 1 lakh rupees
India: first Country to Ratify the Marrakesh Treaty- India ratified the treaty on 30 June 2014
- Will facilitate access to published works for blind and visually impaired persons
- The treaty was signed in Marrakesh, Morocco on 28 June 2013
- It has been signed by 64 countries
SC ruled Shariat Courts are illegal- No legal status has been granted to the Sharia Courts
- Its fatwas/decrees are illegal if it violates fundamental rights
- The decision was delivered by SC bench headed by Justice C K Prasad
- The judgement given on a petition filed by Vishwa Lochan Madan in 2005
India became permanent signatory to Washington Accord- India signed the Accord on 13 June 2014
- Joined a select group of 17 countries who joined the Accord
- Global employment opportunities for India’s technical and engineering graduates to increase
- Accord promotes mobility and quality assurance of engineers across international boundaries
Sumitra Mahajan elected as Speaker of 16th Lok Sabha- She replaced Meira Kumar
- Became the second women presiding officer of the Lok Sabha
- She was elected to 9th Lok Sabha in 1989 for the first time
- 2014 elections was her eighth continuous term as Member of Parliament
Telangana became the 29th state of India- It achieved statehood on 2 June 2014
- Ten districts of the then Andhra Pradesh became part of Telangana
- Chandrasekhar Rao sworn-in as the first Chief Minister
- ESL Narasimhan is the Governor of Telangana
- Hyderabad is the joint capital of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh
Narendra Modi sworn-in as 15th Prime Minister of India- He was sworn-in on 26 May 2014
- He took oath with 45 Council of Minister including 23 Cabinet Ministers
- First Prime Minister of India born in independent India
- For the first time 25% of the Cabinet post allocated to women
- Swearing-in ceremony attended by heads of seven SAARC countries
16th Lok Sabha Elections 2014- The election results for 543 constituencies declared on 16 May 2014
- Bharatiya Janata Party emerged victorious with 282 seats
- Congress led incumbent government just secured 44 seats
- BJP won the majority for the first time since independence
- The elections were conducted in nine phases from 7 April – 12 May 2014
Karnataka: first state in India to launch Health Adalat - The Health Adalat was launched in Gulbarga, Karnataka.
- Aims to ensure that all health facilities extended by the government reached all sections of society.
- During Health Adalat the department will interact with public representatives.
Debroy Panel on restructuring Railway Board- The Panel would submit its report till the end of 2015
- The seven-member panel will be headed by economist Bibek Debroy
- Mandated to estimate the financial needs of railways and ensure policies to raise resources
- Restructuring of railway board announced in Union Budget 2014-15
Film Liar's Dice: India's official entry for Oscar Awards 2015- The movie has been directed by Geethu Mohandas
- It is nominated for the Best Foreign Language Film category
- 12-member jury headed by eminent filmmaker T Hariharan nominated it
- Leading casts are Geetanjali Thapa and Nawazuddin Siddiqui
- The 87th Oscar Awards will be held in the US on 22 February 2015
C Rangarajan Committee on Poverty- Total number of poor in India at 363 million or 29.6 percent of the population
- The daily per capita expenditure pegged at 32 rupees for the rural poor
- The daily per capita expenditure pegged at 47 rupees for the urban poor
- Poverty line is pegged 972 rupees per month for rural India
- Poverty line pegged at 1407 rupees per month for urban India
Largest Solar Power Plant of India launched- 130-MW Welspun Solar Plant launched at Bhagwanpur in Neemuch, MP
- It is also the Asia's Largest Solar Power Plant.
- It was constructed at a cost of 1100 crore rupees.
- The Project will raise Indian solar capacity by 7 percent.
InternationalUS President signed Ukraine Freedom Support Bill, 2014- The Act authorizes administration to impose sanctions on Russia
- The sanctions to be imposed if needs arises
- Sanctions were imposed on Russia over Ukraine crisis
- Authorizes 350 million US dollars in lethal and non-lethal military aid Ukraine
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe re-elected- He was re-elected for another four year term
- Japan's ruling coalition won a two thirds majority in the Snap elections
- Elections were held for the Lower House of the National Diet.
- The elections saw the voter turnout at 52.7 percent, the lowest since World War-II
Nobel Prize presented- Peace Prize winners Kailash Satyarthi & Malala Yousufzai
- Physiology Prize winners John O'Keefe, May-Britt Moser and Edvard I. Moser
- Literature Nobel Prize winner French author Patrick Modiano
- Physics Nobel Prize winner Isamu Akasaki, Hiroshi Amano and Shuji Nakamura
- Chemistry Nobel Prize Eric Betzig from Janelia Research Campus, Stefan Hell, Gottingen
- Economic Nobel Prize given to Jean Tirole
First World Soil Day observed on 5 December 2014- The Day was observed by the UNFAO
- UNFAO and GSP declared the year 2015 as UN International Year of Soils
- Events held to raise idea that soil is a critical component of natural system
- The day coincides with birthday of Thailand’s King Bhumibol Adulyadej
Corruption Perceptions Index 2014 released- This was the 20th edition
- Measures perceived levels of public sector corruption in 175 countries
- India with a score of 38 was ranked 85th
- The index was topped by Denmark with a score of 92.
- Index is prepared by Transparency International
Time Magazine released list of 25 Best Inventions 2014- Mangalyaan named among the best inventions of 2014
- Magazine describes it as a technological feat
- It is described as Supersmart Spacecraft- Mangalyaan
- The list also includes two inventions of Indians namely Blue Room and tablet toy, Osmo
The G20 Summit 2014 concluded- The Summit saw release of Brisbane Action Plan
- Action Plan comprises of 800+ reforms to boost global growth
- Sets an ambitious goal to lift G20 growth by 2.1 percent by 2018
- Seeks to reduce the gender gap in labour force participation rates by 25 percent by 2025
25th anniversary of Fall of Berlin Wall celebrated- The fall of the Berlin Wall happened on 9 November 1989
- It was the most significant event in recent German history
- The Berlin Wall was built in 1961 by East Germany
- It was built to stop people fleeing from East Germany to the West
- The Wall stretched for 155 kilometers of which only 3 kilometer remains now
Forbes list of World's Most Powerful People 2014 released - The list gives the annual ranking of the World’s 72 Most Powerful People
- The list was topped by Russian President Vladimir Putin.
- Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was ranked 15th
- Mukesh Ambani is ranked 36th on the list
India re-elected to UNHRC- It was re-elected for the period 2015-2017
- India received the highest 162 votes in the Asia Pacific group
- India’s first term as member due to end on 31 December 2014
- 14 other member states also elected to UNHRC for a three-year term
- The UNHRC promotes and protects human rights
India-Vietnam signed 7 pacts- Pacts signed to strengthen Strategic Partnership
- Signed during President Pranab Mukherjee visit to Vietnam
- President gifted sapling of the holy Bodhi Tree to Vietnam
- Diplomatic relations between the two countries established in 1972
- The strategic relationship between the two countries established in 2007
Inaugural Tang Prizes 2014 presented in Taipei- The Tang Prize is treated as Asia's version of the Nobels
- Winners of the inaugural Tang Prizes are
- Sustainable Development - Gro Harlem Brundtland former Premier of Norway
- Sinology – Chinese American, Historian Yu Ying-shih
- Biopharmaceutical Science - James P Allison of US and Tasuku Honjo of Japan
- The Rule of Law - Albie Sachs, former justice of the Constitutional Court of South Africa
Unity Deal signed in Afghanistan- Unity deal signed between Abdullah Abdullah and Ghani Adhmadzai
- The deal ended three-month stalemate over government formation in Afghanistan
- The stalemate was due to allegations that elections were rigged
- The deal calls of creation of post of CEO who will be the acting Prime Minister
Ebola Virus Disease outbreak- More than 7000 patients died due to the Ebola Virus in West Africa.
- Ebola Virus disease first surface in Guinea in March 2014
- Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Guinea and Liberia are the countries affected
- Ebola disease was first detected in Congo basin of Zaire
Fields Medal 2014 - The Fields Medal Awards held in Seoul, South Korea.
- The award recognized contributions of four medalists.
- Artur Avila, Manjul Bhargava, Martin Haire, Maryam Mirzakhani are the recipients
- The Fields Medal was first awarded in 1936.
- First winner were Finnish mathematician Lars Ahlfors and American mathematician Jesse Douglas.
Prayuth Chan-ocha elected Prime Minister of Thailand- He is the 29th Prime Minister of Thailand
- He was elected with a vote of 191-6 votes in National Legislative Assembly (NLA)
- He is a former Army Chief of Thailand
- He seized the power in June 2014
6th BRICS Summit: Fortaleza Declaration - Held in Fortaleza, Brazil on 15 July and 16 July 2014.
- Theme of the Summit was Inclusive Growth: Sustainable Solutions.
- The participating countries Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa
- The BRICS Network University will be established
- BRICS Development Bank to be established
UNSC adopted resolution to probe into MH-17 plane crash - Resolution adopted by 15-member UNSC unanimously.
- It demands free access to the crash site of Malaysian plane MH17.
- It insisted on dignified and respectful treatment of bodies of the victims.
Science & TechnologyScientific breakthrough of the year 2014: Rosetta space mission- Rosetta is the European space mission
- First spacecraft to land on a comet
- The comet is named 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko
- It landed on 12 November 2014, 10 years after the launch
ISRO successfully launched GSLV Mark-III-X from Sriharikota- This was the experimental launch of the rocket
- Weighing 630 tonnes, it is India’s heaviest rocket
- It carried Crew module Atmospheric Reentry Experiment (CARE)
- The full fledged launch of the rocket will take place in two years.
India joined Thirty Meter Telescope Project- India jointed the project as Full Member
- India to deliver 100 smaller, hexagonal mirrors
- The project in India coordinated by Dept of Science & Technology and DAE
- The telescope will be the largest in the world.
- It is being built atop Mauna Kea Mountain in Hawaii.
World’s first womb-transplant baby born - The baby boy was born to a Swedish woman
- It was born at the University of Gothenburg's hospital
- The woman was born without a womb, although the ovaries were intact
- The replacement womb came from a 61-year-old woman
- She was suffering from a genetic condition called Rokitansky syndrome
New compound BQU57 developed- It will block protein Ral aiding cancer growth
- Developed at University of Colorado Cancer Center
- The study of the compound published in journal Nature
- The lead author of the study is Dan Theodorescu
ISRO launched Mangalyaan to Mars orbit- India inserted the spacecraft in Mars orbit in first attempt
- ISRO became the fourth space agency in the world to send a mission to Mars successfully
- Mangalyaan costs 74 million US dollars, the most cost-effective in world
- It will be finding the presence of methane on the Mars
INS Kolkata dedicated to nation- INS Kolkata commissioned at the Naval Dockyard in Mumbai
- It is the country’s largest indigenously built warship
- Equipped against enemy submarines, surface warships, anti-ship missiles and fighter aircraft
- It is commissioned without its main air defence weapon
- The warship has been constructed by Mazagon Dockyards Limited
New biochip to detect blood sugar via saliva- The advancement will help diabetics to not to undergo blood test
- It is made from a one-inch-square piece of quartz coated with a thin layer of silver
- It uses a series of specific chemical reactions combined with plasmonic interferometry
- The device is sensitive enough to detect minutest differences in glucose concentrations
Lima Call for Climate Action- Issued at the conclusion of the 20th session of the Conference of the Parties (CoP)
- The President of 20th CoP was Manuel Pulgar-Vidal
- Intended Nationally Determined Contributions to form foundation for climate action post 2020
- Seeks to put world on track to New Universal Climate Agreement
- 21st COP will be held in Paris, France
The US and China agreed to cut greenhouse gas emissions- US will reduce carbon emissions by 26 to 28 percent by 2025, compared with 2005 levels
- China did not set a specific target, but said emissions would peak by 2030
- The two countries agreed to reduce the possibility of military accidents in the air and sea
- The two countries together produce about 45% of the world's carbon dioxide
India State of Forest Report 2013- It was released by Union Ministry of Environment & Forest
- The India State of Forest Report 2013 was the 13th report in the series
- States with maximum increase in forest cover are West Bengal, Odisha and Kerala
- States with largest forest cover are MP & Arunachal Pradesh
- Mizoram has the highest forests cover in terms of percentage of forest
Bor Wildlife Sanctuary of Maharashtra- It is India’s 47th Tiger Reserve
- Union Environment Ministry notified Sanctuary as Tiger Reserve
- Bor sanctuary is in Wardha district of Maharashtra
- It will be an important corridor between Tadoba – Andhari and Pench Tiger Reserves
- Tiger Reserves in Maharashtra: Melghat, Pench, Tadoba, Nagzira and Sahyadri
PersonalitiesMiss South Africa Rolene Strauss crowned Miss World 2014- Outgoing Miss World, Megan Young of the Philippines presented the sash
- Miss Hungary, Edina Kulcsar, was the first runner-up
- Miss United States, Elizabeth Safrit, was the second runner-up
- India's Koyal Rana bagged the sub-title of Best Designer of the world
- This was the 64th Miss World Competition
Justice Vaidyanathapura Rama Krishna Iyer died at 100- He died on 4 December 2014 due to renal and cardiac failure.
- He was former Supreme Court Judge and an MLA from Kerala.
- He became the judge of the Supreme Court in 1973
- He retired at the age of 65 in 1980.
- There are 105 published books by V. R. Krishna Iyer.
Australian opener Philip Hughes died - Died after a bouncer ball of Sean Abbott hit back of his head
- The accident happened at Sheffield Game at Sydney Cricket Ground, Australia
- He was a left-handed opening batsman
- He had played 26 Tests and 25 ODIs for Australia
- Indian cricketers Raman Lamba and Nari Contractor also died in same situations
Chief Guest of Republic Day 2015: US President Barack Obama - He will be the first US President to attend the Republic Day Parade of India.
- Obama will participate in the Republic Day celebrations of India on 26 January 2015.
- Obama will be the first US President to travel to India twice.
Legendary Kathak danseuse Sitara Devi died- Dance based on themes, poetry and choreography of her father
- She was born as Dhannolakshmi in the Brahmin family
- Rabindranath Tagore described her as Nritya Samragini
- She is known as a pioneering force in bringing the genre to Bollywood
Neha Gupta won International Children’s Peace Prize 2014- Awarded for her work to help orphans in India
- Her organisation Empower Orphans has helped 25000 vulnerable children
- She became the first ever American to be awarded with the prize
- In 2013, the award was conferred on Malala Yousufzai
Hindi poet Kedarnath Singh received 49th Jnanpith Award- Conferred for his outstanding contribution towards Indian literature
- 10th Hindi writer to receive the country’s highest literary award
- Known for his work Abhi Bilkul Abhi and Yahan Se Dekho
- First recipient G Sankara Kurup for Odakkuzhal (Flute) in Malyalam language
Sanjaya Rajaram received World Food Prize 2014- Awarded for his research that led to increase in wheat production
- He is credited with developing the Veery lines of wheat in the 1980s
- He helped secure 1.3 percent rise in global wheat production per annum.
- He is senior scientific advisor at the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas
Arvind Subramanian appointed Chief Economic Advisor- Appointed Chief Economic Advisor (CEA) for a period of three years
- Third economist of international rapport to be appointed as CEA
- Expert of the Indian and Chinese economy
- Raghuram Rajan, the RBI Governor, was previous CEA
Justice H L Dattu sworn-in as 42nd Chief Justice of India- Oath of office administered by President Pranab Mukherjee.
- Succeeded Chief Justice RM Lodha
- Lodha demitted office on 27 September 2014
- Dattu will retire from his office on 2 December 2015.
- He joined Supreme Court of India as a Judge on 17 December 2008.
Lalitha Kumaramangalam appointed Chairperson of National Commission for Women- Eighth chairperson of National Commission for Women
- She was the National Spokesperson National Executive of BJP
- National Commission for Women was set up as a statutory body in January 1992
- It was set up under the National Commission for Women Act, 1990
Narula Brothers won 7 crore rupees in Season 8 of KBC- The two brothers, Achin and Sarthak Narula emerged victorious in Season 8 of KBC
- The tagline for the season 8 is Yahan Sirf Paise Nahi, Dil Bhi Jeete Jate Hain
- The show was first telecast on Star Plus in 2000
- It is based on the UK game show Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?
Govind Mishra received Saraswati Samman 2013- He received it for novel Dhool Paudhon Par
- His novel was published in 2008
- The novel illustrates the struggle of modern Indian women
- He is the second Hindi author to be conferred with award
- Harivansh Rai Bachchan was the first Hindi author to receive the award
Pran, the Creator of Chacha Chowdhury died at 75- He created or sketched Chacha Chaudhary for the Hindi magazine Lotpot in 1969
- His Chacha Chaudhary strips found a permanent place in International Museum of Cartoon Art, USA.
- His name was included in People of the Year 1995 by Limca Book of Records.
Lt General Dalbir Singh Suhag took over as Chief of Army Staff- He succeeded General Bikram Singh to become the 28th Army Chief
- He will serve as Army chief for 29 months till 31 December 2016
- He is the 2nd Gorkha Rifles officer to become Army chief
- First was Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw
Veteran actress Zohra Sehgal died at 102- She was called as the grand old lady of Bollywood
- She was the recipient of Padma Vibhshan, Padma Bhushan, Padma Shri
- Sehgal’s daughter Kiran in 2012 wrote her biography named Zohra Segal: Fatty
- Zohra last appeared in Sanjay Leela Bhasali's film Saawariya in 2007
Chandi Prasad Bhatt won the Gandhi Peace prize 2013- He is a Gandhian, an environmentalist and a social activist.
- In 1964, he founded Dasholi Gram Swarajya Sangh (DGSS) in Gopeswar.
- He was awarded with the Ramon Magsaysay Award for Community Leadership in 1982.
- In 2005, he was awarded with Padma Bhushan.
SportsGermany won men's Hockey Champions Trophy 2014- Germany defeated Pakistan by 2-0 margin to win the trophy
- This was 10th Champions Trophy crown for Germany.
- It had last won the tournament in 2007
- For bronze medal, World champion Australia defeated India 2-1
UAE captain Khurram Khan: the oldest player to score an ODI century- He scored the winning century against Afghanistan in Dubai
- He achieved the feat at an age of 43 years and 162 days
- He broke the record of Sanath Jayasuriya
- Sanath Jayasuriya had scored 109 against India in 2009 at the age of 39
Indian cricketer Rohit Sharma scored the highest ODI score ever of 264 - The score of 264 runs is also the second-highest List A score
- With this he became the only cricketer to score two Double ODI centuries
- He achieved this distinction during the 4th ODI between India and Sri Lanka
- He broke the record of highest ODI score of 219 runs made by Virender Sehwag
- Sachin Tendulkar was the first cricketer to score double century in ODIs
Virat Kohli became fastest cricketer to reach 6000 ODI runs- He achieved the distinction after his 53-run knock in the third ODI between India and Sri Lanka
- He took 144 match and 136 innings to make 6000 runs
- He is the eighth Indian to have scored 6000 or more runs and 47th overall
- He overtook legendary West Indian Vivian Richards' record
- Richards reached the milestone in 1989 by playing 141 innings in 156 matches
MC Mary Kom bagged her first Asian Games Gold Medal- She defeated Zhaina Shekerbekova of Kazakhstan
- She won in women’s flyweight category (48-51kg)
- First Indian woman boxer to clinch a gold medal at the Asian Games
- She is nicknamed as Magnificent Mary
Chennai Super Kings won 2014 Champions League Twenty20 title- It defeated Kolkata Knight Riders by 8 wickets
- The match was played at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.
- Chennai Super Kings won the trophy for the second time.
- Earlier they won the CLT20 in South Africa in 2011.
Hockey Player Manpreet Singh named Junior Men Player of the Year by AHF- The announcement was made at Asian Hockey Federation Congress
- The congress was held at Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
- Indian midfielder Manpreet Singh has played 103 international matches.
- He is the captain of the India Junior Hockey team.
- He made his international debut in 2011.
Marin Cilic of Croatia won Men's Singles title of US Tennis Open- Cilic defeated 10th seed Kei Nishikori of Japan
- The Women’s singles was won by Serena Williams of US
- The Men’s Doubles title was won by Mike and Bob Bryan of US
- Sania Mirza of India and Bruno Soares of Brazil won the Mixed Doubles title
- Ekaterina Makarova and Elena Vesnina of Russia won the US Open women's doubles title
2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games concluded- The Medal tally was topped by England
- India stood at the fifth position in the rankings.
- India won 64 medals (15 Gold, 30 silver and 19 Bronze)
- This was third highest medal haul after 2010 Delhi CWG and 2002 Manchester CWG
- The 21st Commonwealth Games will be held in Gold Coast in Australia
Kush Kumar first Indian player to reach semis of World Junior Squash Championship- The World Junior Squash championship held at Windhoek in Namibia.
- He defeated England's George Parker in straight games in quarterfinal.
- Kush Kumar is a professional squash player from Chennai, Tamil Nadu.
- Presently, his ranking is 220 in the world.
Himachal Pradesh to host First Para-gliding World Cup 2015 in India- This will be the first para-gliding World Cup to be hosted in India.
- To be organised under Para-gliding World Cup Association, France.
- It will be hosted in Kangra district of Himachal Pradesh from 24 October 2015
- Himachal Pradesh had hosted the Para-gliding pre-World Cup in 2013
Germany won the 2014 FIFA Football World Cup- Germany beat Argentina 1-0 in the final
- Final was played at the Maracana in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Mario Gotze scored the lone goal of final during the extra-time
- It lifted the trophy for 4th time in FIFA world Cup history and first since 1990
- Germany became 1st European team to win World Cup played in North or South America
Sim Bhullar became first Indian-origin basketball player to join NBA- He signed a summer contract with the Sacramento Kings.
- Sacramento Kings is a professional basketball team in the US.
- Sim Bhullar is originally from Canada and his parents are from Punjab.
Novak Djokovic of Serbia won the Men’s Wimbledon Tennis Open 2014- He defeated Roger Federer of Switzerland
- This is the second Wimbledon title for Djokovic
- Djokovic won the seventh career Grand Slam
- Djokovic won his first Wimbledon title in 2011
Economy & CorporateAdvisory Group on Integrated Development of Power- The Group was headed by Suresh Prabhu
- It has suggested opening up of the coal sector
- Called for improvement in Coal India Ltd and its subsidiaries
- Expedite reforms in the distribution sector with targeted actions
SBI Mutual Fund launched Shariah Equity Fund - The fund is aimed at attracting investments from Muslim populations of India.
- The fund approved by the All India Muslim Personal Law Board
- SBI MF fourth fund house in India to have an Islamic equity fund.
- India second country outside the Islamic world where a state-owned bank is offering such fund
- The UK is the first country who issued sovereign Islamic bonds in June 2014
Kotak Mahindra Bank first bank in India to fully own insurance business- RBI gave permission to the bank for setting up Kotak General Insurance
- Kotak General Insurance will be the 29th non-life insurance company in the country
- The CEO of the company will be Mahesh Balasubramanian
- The bank already promotes life insurance with Old Mutual of South Africa
SEBI de-recognised Delhi Stock Exchange (DSE)- De-recognised on account of serious irregularities in demutualisation process
- SEBI demutualisation rules requires every stock exchange to sell brokers' 51% equity
- DSE was incorporated in 1947
- It is an amalgamation of Delhi Stock and Share Brokers' Association Ltd and the Delhi Stocks and Shares Exchange Ltd
Shell India won 18000-crore rupees tax dispute case- It won the tax case against Income Tax department
- The decision given by Bombay High Court
- Decision based on legal principle laid down in the Vodafone case
- It ruled that transfer pricing does not arise in case of transfer of shares
- The case pertains to alleged under pricing of shares issued by Shell India
Alibaba made the record of earning 9.3 billion US dollars on a single day- Alibaba shipped 278 million orders out of which 43 percent were mobile devices
- It achieved the staggering figure on Singles Day shopping event
- The event celebrates the bachelorhood of Young single Chinese
- Alibaba is a Chinese e-commerce giant founded by Jack Ma
SoftBank of Japan to invest 10 billion dollars in India- Will invest in India's IT and communications sector in coming years
- Announced to invest 627 million US dollars in Snapdeal
- Signed definitive agreement to invest 210 million US dollars in ANI Technologies
- Chairman and CEO of the SoftBank is Masayoshi Son
Union government de-regulated diesel and hiked natural gas rates- The price of diesel to be market-linked
- The retail rates will reflect price changes in the global market.
- The government will no longer provide subsidy on diesel.
- This is the first reduction in diesel rates since 2009.
Google closed Orkut- Orkut is a social network site
- Google announced to shut down Orkut in June 2014.
- Old users of Orkut can take back up of pictures till September 2016.
- Orkut was started in 2004 and named after its creator, Orkut Buyukkokten.
- Google has moved to a new platform the Google Plus.
Union government decided to wind up HMT Watches- The unit has been incurring losses since 2000
- HMT Watches is a wholly owned subsidiary of Hindustan Machines Tools (HMT) limited
- HMT Limited was set up at Bangalore in 1961 in collaboration with Japan’s Citizen Watch
- In 2000, HMT Watch Business group was restructured as HMT Watches Ltd.
RBI fixed the upper age limit at 70 years for M.D. and CEO in private sector banks- The decision was taken to comply with the Section 196(3) of the Companies Act, 2013
- Individual bank’s boards free to prescribe a lower retirement age for whole time Directors
- Earlier, no maximum age was specified and decisions were taken case by case
Union Government granted Navratna Status to CONCOR- CONCOR is the 17th Central Public Sector Enterprise (CPSE) to achieve Navratna Status.
- The status was accorded by the Department of Public Enterprises.
- CONCOR current Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) is Anil Kumar Gupta.
- It deals in Export-Import and domestic trade and commerce policy of India.
Expenditure Management Commission constituted - The Commission will be headed by Bimal Jalan
- He is a former RBI Governor
- Commission will suggest the way for managing public finances by reducing subsidies.
ICICI Bank became the first bank in India to launch EMI facility on Debit Card- This was so far available only for credit cardholders.
- Will enable customers to convert their high value transactions into easy installments
- Facility available to debit cardholders with minimum fixed deposit of 10000 rupees
C S Verma elected as First President of Indian Steel Association- C S Verma is currently working as the head of Steel Authority of India Limited
- The Indian Steel Association was formally launched on 26 August 2014
- Aims to work towards transforming the Indian steel industry as a global leader
- Membership of ISA open to any steel producer with a yearly capacity of at least 2 million tones
DIPP notified Press Note 8 allowing 100% FDI in Rail infrastructure- FDI in rail infrastructure will be through automatic route
- FDI will not be allowed in train operations and safety
- Proposals involving FDI beyond 49 percent in sensitive areas to be placed before the Cabinet Committee on Security
- Definitions of infrastructure and common facilities have also been widened
Union Finance Minister, Arun Jaitley presented Union Budget 2014-15- This was the first budget of newly appointed government led by Narendra Modi
- It focussed on providing good infrastructure like public transport, solid waste disposal
- Emphasized on skill development and entrepreneurship in the budget
- Announced that the FDI cap in Defence sector would be raised to 49 percent
National
Goods and Services Tax Bill, 2014 introduced in Lok Sabha
- It is also called Constitution (122nd Amendment) Bill
- It seeks to introduce Goods and Services Tax (GST) regime
- Inserts article Articles 246A, 269A and 279A in the Constitution
- Provides for Union Finance Minister headed GST Council
- Sets in a uniform and integrated indirect tax regime in India
14th Finance Commission submitted its report to President
- It covers the period between 1 April 2015 and 31 March 2020
- The Commission headed by former RBI Governor Y V Reddy
- Provides for devolution of tax receipts from the Centre to the States
- Article 280 of Constitution provides for appointment of Finance Commission
- First and 13th Finance Commission was headed by K C Neogy & Dr Vijay Kelkar resp.
Union government decriminalized Attempt to Suicide
- For this purpose Section 309 of Indian Penal Code removed
- 20th Law Commission headed by Justice A P Shah recommended in its 210 Report
- 210th Report on Humanization and Decriminalization of Attempt to Suicide
- France was the first country to decriminalize this offence
Lok Sabha passed the Repealing and Amending (Second) Bill, 2014
- Introduced as a periodic measure for updating the list of laws in force
- Seeks to repeal 90 laws and pass amendment to two laws
- Proposes to amend the two laws to rectify typographical errors
- The laws are Railways (Amendment) Act, 2008 and the Indian Maritime University Act, 2008
Karnataka Mobile One App launched for m-governance
- Launched by President Pranab Mukherjee in Bengaluru
- First such app in India to usher in an era of mobile governance
- Developed under the ICARE program of Karnataka government
- Expected to provide more than 4000 services to citizens
Social Justice Bench constituted on social issue
- Constituted by Supreme Court on 3 December 2014
- Started operation on 12 December 2014
- The brainchild of Chief Justice of India H L Dattu
- Two-judge bench to be headed by Justice Madan B Lokur
- The other member is Justice U U Lalit
627 names of Indians holding black money abroad submitted to SC
- Includes details of treaties India signed with France and other nations
- Half of the 627 names are Non-Resident Indians (NRIs)
- Most of them have accounts with HSBC Bank, Geneva
- SIT headed by Justice M B Shah is probing black money case
Union government unveiled new counter-Naxal doctrine
- Proposes four-pronged approach to deal with Naxals
- These are Security, Development, Rights and Entitlement and Public Perception Management
- Focus on security interventions in worst LWE-affected areas
- In moderately-affected areas, security and development initiatives will be focus
- In less affected areas, development interventions will take precedence
Swachh Bharat Mission launched
- Launched on occasion of 145th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi
- Aims at making India clean by 2019
- The year 2019 will be 150th anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi
- Nine people nominated to inspire people to join the Mission
SC quashed allocation of 214 coal blocks
- Quashed by SC bench headed by Justice R M Lodha
- Allocations were arbitrary and illegal
- 4 out of 218 coal blocks not cancelled
- Includes one of NTPC and SAIL each and two of Sasan UMPP owned by Anil Ambani
Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY) launched
- It was launched on 28 August 2014
- Aims to open 15 crore bank accounts by 15 August 2015
- It is a mega financial inclusion plan
- Each person covered to be provided bank accounts and RuPay debit cards
- Also provision for inbuilt insurance cover of 1 lakh rupees
India: first Country to Ratify the Marrakesh Treaty
- India ratified the treaty on 30 June 2014
- Will facilitate access to published works for blind and visually impaired persons
- The treaty was signed in Marrakesh, Morocco on 28 June 2013
- It has been signed by 64 countries
SC ruled Shariat Courts are illegal
- No legal status has been granted to the Sharia Courts
- Its fatwas/decrees are illegal if it violates fundamental rights
- The decision was delivered by SC bench headed by Justice C K Prasad
- The judgement given on a petition filed by Vishwa Lochan Madan in 2005
India became permanent signatory to Washington Accord
- India signed the Accord on 13 June 2014
- Joined a select group of 17 countries who joined the Accord
- Global employment opportunities for India’s technical and engineering graduates to increase
- Accord promotes mobility and quality assurance of engineers across international boundaries
Sumitra Mahajan elected as Speaker of 16th Lok Sabha
- She replaced Meira Kumar
- Became the second women presiding officer of the Lok Sabha
- She was elected to 9th Lok Sabha in 1989 for the first time
- 2014 elections was her eighth continuous term as Member of Parliament
Telangana became the 29th state of India
- It achieved statehood on 2 June 2014
- Ten districts of the then Andhra Pradesh became part of Telangana
- Chandrasekhar Rao sworn-in as the first Chief Minister
- ESL Narasimhan is the Governor of Telangana
- Hyderabad is the joint capital of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh
Narendra Modi sworn-in as 15th Prime Minister of India
- He was sworn-in on 26 May 2014
- He took oath with 45 Council of Minister including 23 Cabinet Ministers
- First Prime Minister of India born in independent India
- For the first time 25% of the Cabinet post allocated to women
- Swearing-in ceremony attended by heads of seven SAARC countries
16th Lok Sabha Elections 2014
- The election results for 543 constituencies declared on 16 May 2014
- Bharatiya Janata Party emerged victorious with 282 seats
- Congress led incumbent government just secured 44 seats
- BJP won the majority for the first time since independence
- The elections were conducted in nine phases from 7 April – 12 May 2014
Karnataka: first state in India to launch Health Adalat
- The Health Adalat was launched in Gulbarga, Karnataka.
- Aims to ensure that all health facilities extended by the government reached all sections of society.
- During Health Adalat the department will interact with public representatives.
Debroy Panel on restructuring Railway Board
- The Panel would submit its report till the end of 2015
- The seven-member panel will be headed by economist Bibek Debroy
- Mandated to estimate the financial needs of railways and ensure policies to raise resources
- Restructuring of railway board announced in Union Budget 2014-15
Film Liar's Dice: India's official entry for Oscar Awards 2015
- The movie has been directed by Geethu Mohandas
- It is nominated for the Best Foreign Language Film category
- 12-member jury headed by eminent filmmaker T Hariharan nominated it
- Leading casts are Geetanjali Thapa and Nawazuddin Siddiqui
- The 87th Oscar Awards will be held in the US on 22 February 2015
C Rangarajan Committee on Poverty
- Total number of poor in India at 363 million or 29.6 percent of the population
- The daily per capita expenditure pegged at 32 rupees for the rural poor
- The daily per capita expenditure pegged at 47 rupees for the urban poor
- Poverty line is pegged 972 rupees per month for rural India
- Poverty line pegged at 1407 rupees per month for urban India
Largest Solar Power Plant of India launched
- 130-MW Welspun Solar Plant launched at Bhagwanpur in Neemuch, MP
- It is also the Asia's Largest Solar Power Plant.
- It was constructed at a cost of 1100 crore rupees.
- The Project will raise Indian solar capacity by 7 percent.
International
US President signed Ukraine Freedom Support Bill, 2014
- The Act authorizes administration to impose sanctions on Russia
- The sanctions to be imposed if needs arises
- Sanctions were imposed on Russia over Ukraine crisis
- Authorizes 350 million US dollars in lethal and non-lethal military aid Ukraine
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe re-elected
- He was re-elected for another four year term
- Japan's ruling coalition won a two thirds majority in the Snap elections
- Elections were held for the Lower House of the National Diet.
- The elections saw the voter turnout at 52.7 percent, the lowest since World War-II
Nobel Prize presented
- Peace Prize winners Kailash Satyarthi & Malala Yousufzai
- Physiology Prize winners John O'Keefe, May-Britt Moser and Edvard I. Moser
- Literature Nobel Prize winner French author Patrick Modiano
- Physics Nobel Prize winner Isamu Akasaki, Hiroshi Amano and Shuji Nakamura
- Chemistry Nobel Prize Eric Betzig from Janelia Research Campus, Stefan Hell, Gottingen
- Economic Nobel Prize given to Jean Tirole
First World Soil Day observed on 5 December 2014
- The Day was observed by the UNFAO
- UNFAO and GSP declared the year 2015 as UN International Year of Soils
- Events held to raise idea that soil is a critical component of natural system
- The day coincides with birthday of Thailand’s King Bhumibol Adulyadej
Corruption Perceptions Index 2014 released
- This was the 20th edition
- Measures perceived levels of public sector corruption in 175 countries
- India with a score of 38 was ranked 85th
- The index was topped by Denmark with a score of 92.
- Index is prepared by Transparency International
Time Magazine released list of 25 Best Inventions 2014
- Mangalyaan named among the best inventions of 2014
- Magazine describes it as a technological feat
- It is described as Supersmart Spacecraft- Mangalyaan
- The list also includes two inventions of Indians namely Blue Room and tablet toy, Osmo
The G20 Summit 2014 concluded
- The Summit saw release of Brisbane Action Plan
- Action Plan comprises of 800+ reforms to boost global growth
- Sets an ambitious goal to lift G20 growth by 2.1 percent by 2018
- Seeks to reduce the gender gap in labour force participation rates by 25 percent by 2025
25th anniversary of Fall of Berlin Wall celebrated
- The fall of the Berlin Wall happened on 9 November 1989
- It was the most significant event in recent German history
- The Berlin Wall was built in 1961 by East Germany
- It was built to stop people fleeing from East Germany to the West
- The Wall stretched for 155 kilometers of which only 3 kilometer remains now
Forbes list of World's Most Powerful People 2014 released
- The list gives the annual ranking of the World’s 72 Most Powerful People
- The list was topped by Russian President Vladimir Putin.
- Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was ranked 15th
- Mukesh Ambani is ranked 36th on the list
India re-elected to UNHRC
- It was re-elected for the period 2015-2017
- India received the highest 162 votes in the Asia Pacific group
- India’s first term as member due to end on 31 December 2014
- 14 other member states also elected to UNHRC for a three-year term
- The UNHRC promotes and protects human rights
India-Vietnam signed 7 pacts
- Pacts signed to strengthen Strategic Partnership
- Signed during President Pranab Mukherjee visit to Vietnam
- President gifted sapling of the holy Bodhi Tree to Vietnam
- Diplomatic relations between the two countries established in 1972
- The strategic relationship between the two countries established in 2007
Inaugural Tang Prizes 2014 presented in Taipei
- The Tang Prize is treated as Asia's version of the Nobels
- Winners of the inaugural Tang Prizes are
- Sustainable Development - Gro Harlem Brundtland former Premier of Norway
- Sinology – Chinese American, Historian Yu Ying-shih
- Biopharmaceutical Science - James P Allison of US and Tasuku Honjo of Japan
- The Rule of Law - Albie Sachs, former justice of the Constitutional Court of South Africa
Unity Deal signed in Afghanistan
- Unity deal signed between Abdullah Abdullah and Ghani Adhmadzai
- The deal ended three-month stalemate over government formation in Afghanistan
- The stalemate was due to allegations that elections were rigged
- The deal calls of creation of post of CEO who will be the acting Prime Minister
Ebola Virus Disease outbreak
- More than 7000 patients died due to the Ebola Virus in West Africa.
- Ebola Virus disease first surface in Guinea in March 2014
- Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Guinea and Liberia are the countries affected
- Ebola disease was first detected in Congo basin of Zaire
Fields Medal 2014
- The Fields Medal Awards held in Seoul, South Korea.
- The award recognized contributions of four medalists.
- Artur Avila, Manjul Bhargava, Martin Haire, Maryam Mirzakhani are the recipients
- The Fields Medal was first awarded in 1936.
- First winner were Finnish mathematician Lars Ahlfors and American mathematician Jesse Douglas.
Prayuth Chan-ocha elected Prime Minister of Thailand
- He is the 29th Prime Minister of Thailand
- He was elected with a vote of 191-6 votes in National Legislative Assembly (NLA)
- He is a former Army Chief of Thailand
- He seized the power in June 2014
6th BRICS Summit: Fortaleza Declaration
- Held in Fortaleza, Brazil on 15 July and 16 July 2014.
- Theme of the Summit was Inclusive Growth: Sustainable Solutions.
- The participating countries Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa
- The BRICS Network University will be established
- BRICS Development Bank to be established
UNSC adopted resolution to probe into MH-17 plane crash
- Resolution adopted by 15-member UNSC unanimously.
- It demands free access to the crash site of Malaysian plane MH17.
- It insisted on dignified and respectful treatment of bodies of the victims.
Science & Technology
Scientific breakthrough of the year 2014: Rosetta space mission
- Rosetta is the European space mission
- First spacecraft to land on a comet
- The comet is named 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko
- It landed on 12 November 2014, 10 years after the launch
ISRO successfully launched GSLV Mark-III-X from Sriharikota
- This was the experimental launch of the rocket
- Weighing 630 tonnes, it is India’s heaviest rocket
- It carried Crew module Atmospheric Reentry Experiment (CARE)
- The full fledged launch of the rocket will take place in two years.
India joined Thirty Meter Telescope Project
- India jointed the project as Full Member
- India to deliver 100 smaller, hexagonal mirrors
- The project in India coordinated by Dept of Science & Technology and DAE
- The telescope will be the largest in the world.
- It is being built atop Mauna Kea Mountain in Hawaii.
World’s first womb-transplant baby born
- The baby boy was born to a Swedish woman
- It was born at the University of Gothenburg's hospital
- The woman was born without a womb, although the ovaries were intact
- The replacement womb came from a 61-year-old woman
- She was suffering from a genetic condition called Rokitansky syndrome
New compound BQU57 developed
- It will block protein Ral aiding cancer growth
- Developed at University of Colorado Cancer Center
- The study of the compound published in journal Nature
- The lead author of the study is Dan Theodorescu
ISRO launched Mangalyaan to Mars orbit
- India inserted the spacecraft in Mars orbit in first attempt
- ISRO became the fourth space agency in the world to send a mission to Mars successfully
- Mangalyaan costs 74 million US dollars, the most cost-effective in world
- It will be finding the presence of methane on the Mars
INS Kolkata dedicated to nation
- INS Kolkata commissioned at the Naval Dockyard in Mumbai
- It is the country’s largest indigenously built warship
- Equipped against enemy submarines, surface warships, anti-ship missiles and fighter aircraft
- It is commissioned without its main air defence weapon
- The warship has been constructed by Mazagon Dockyards Limited
New biochip to detect blood sugar via saliva
- The advancement will help diabetics to not to undergo blood test
- It is made from a one-inch-square piece of quartz coated with a thin layer of silver
- It uses a series of specific chemical reactions combined with plasmonic interferometry
- The device is sensitive enough to detect minutest differences in glucose concentrations
Lima Call for Climate Action
- Issued at the conclusion of the 20th session of the Conference of the Parties (CoP)
- The President of 20th CoP was Manuel Pulgar-Vidal
- Intended Nationally Determined Contributions to form foundation for climate action post 2020
- Seeks to put world on track to New Universal Climate Agreement
- 21st COP will be held in Paris, France
The US and China agreed to cut greenhouse gas emissions
- US will reduce carbon emissions by 26 to 28 percent by 2025, compared with 2005 levels
- China did not set a specific target, but said emissions would peak by 2030
- The two countries agreed to reduce the possibility of military accidents in the air and sea
- The two countries together produce about 45% of the world's carbon dioxide
India State of Forest Report 2013
- It was released by Union Ministry of Environment & Forest
- The India State of Forest Report 2013 was the 13th report in the series
- States with maximum increase in forest cover are West Bengal, Odisha and Kerala
- States with largest forest cover are MP & Arunachal Pradesh
- Mizoram has the highest forests cover in terms of percentage of forest
Bor Wildlife Sanctuary of Maharashtra
- It is India’s 47th Tiger Reserve
- Union Environment Ministry notified Sanctuary as Tiger Reserve
- Bor sanctuary is in Wardha district of Maharashtra
- It will be an important corridor between Tadoba – Andhari and Pench Tiger Reserves
- Tiger Reserves in Maharashtra: Melghat, Pench, Tadoba, Nagzira and Sahyadri
Personalities
Miss South Africa Rolene Strauss crowned Miss World 2014
- Outgoing Miss World, Megan Young of the Philippines presented the sash
- Miss Hungary, Edina Kulcsar, was the first runner-up
- Miss United States, Elizabeth Safrit, was the second runner-up
- India's Koyal Rana bagged the sub-title of Best Designer of the world
- This was the 64th Miss World Competition
Justice Vaidyanathapura Rama Krishna Iyer died at 100
- He died on 4 December 2014 due to renal and cardiac failure.
- He was former Supreme Court Judge and an MLA from Kerala.
- He became the judge of the Supreme Court in 1973
- He retired at the age of 65 in 1980.
- There are 105 published books by V. R. Krishna Iyer.
Australian opener Philip Hughes died
- Died after a bouncer ball of Sean Abbott hit back of his head
- The accident happened at Sheffield Game at Sydney Cricket Ground, Australia
- He was a left-handed opening batsman
- He had played 26 Tests and 25 ODIs for Australia
- Indian cricketers Raman Lamba and Nari Contractor also died in same situations
Chief Guest of Republic Day 2015: US President Barack Obama
- He will be the first US President to attend the Republic Day Parade of India.
- Obama will participate in the Republic Day celebrations of India on 26 January 2015.
- Obama will be the first US President to travel to India twice.
Legendary Kathak danseuse Sitara Devi died
- Dance based on themes, poetry and choreography of her father
- She was born as Dhannolakshmi in the Brahmin family
- Rabindranath Tagore described her as Nritya Samragini
- She is known as a pioneering force in bringing the genre to Bollywood
Neha Gupta won International Children’s Peace Prize 2014
- Awarded for her work to help orphans in India
- Her organisation Empower Orphans has helped 25000 vulnerable children
- She became the first ever American to be awarded with the prize
- In 2013, the award was conferred on Malala Yousufzai
Hindi poet Kedarnath Singh received 49th Jnanpith Award
- Conferred for his outstanding contribution towards Indian literature
- 10th Hindi writer to receive the country’s highest literary award
- Known for his work Abhi Bilkul Abhi and Yahan Se Dekho
- First recipient G Sankara Kurup for Odakkuzhal (Flute) in Malyalam language
Sanjaya Rajaram received World Food Prize 2014
- Awarded for his research that led to increase in wheat production
- He is credited with developing the Veery lines of wheat in the 1980s
- He helped secure 1.3 percent rise in global wheat production per annum.
- He is senior scientific advisor at the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas
Arvind Subramanian appointed Chief Economic Advisor
- Appointed Chief Economic Advisor (CEA) for a period of three years
- Third economist of international rapport to be appointed as CEA
- Expert of the Indian and Chinese economy
- Raghuram Rajan, the RBI Governor, was previous CEA
Justice H L Dattu sworn-in as 42nd Chief Justice of India
- Oath of office administered by President Pranab Mukherjee.
- Succeeded Chief Justice RM Lodha
- Lodha demitted office on 27 September 2014
- Dattu will retire from his office on 2 December 2015.
- He joined Supreme Court of India as a Judge on 17 December 2008.
Lalitha Kumaramangalam appointed Chairperson of National Commission for Women
- Eighth chairperson of National Commission for Women
- She was the National Spokesperson National Executive of BJP
- National Commission for Women was set up as a statutory body in January 1992
- It was set up under the National Commission for Women Act, 1990
Narula Brothers won 7 crore rupees in Season 8 of KBC
- The two brothers, Achin and Sarthak Narula emerged victorious in Season 8 of KBC
- The tagline for the season 8 is Yahan Sirf Paise Nahi, Dil Bhi Jeete Jate Hain
- The show was first telecast on Star Plus in 2000
- It is based on the UK game show Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?
Govind Mishra received Saraswati Samman 2013
- He received it for novel Dhool Paudhon Par
- His novel was published in 2008
- The novel illustrates the struggle of modern Indian women
- He is the second Hindi author to be conferred with award
- Harivansh Rai Bachchan was the first Hindi author to receive the award
Pran, the Creator of Chacha Chowdhury died at 75
- He created or sketched Chacha Chaudhary for the Hindi magazine Lotpot in 1969
- His Chacha Chaudhary strips found a permanent place in International Museum of Cartoon Art, USA.
- His name was included in People of the Year 1995 by Limca Book of Records.
Lt General Dalbir Singh Suhag took over as Chief of Army Staff
- He succeeded General Bikram Singh to become the 28th Army Chief
- He will serve as Army chief for 29 months till 31 December 2016
- He is the 2nd Gorkha Rifles officer to become Army chief
- First was Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw
Veteran actress Zohra Sehgal died at 102
- She was called as the grand old lady of Bollywood
- She was the recipient of Padma Vibhshan, Padma Bhushan, Padma Shri
- Sehgal’s daughter Kiran in 2012 wrote her biography named Zohra Segal: Fatty
- Zohra last appeared in Sanjay Leela Bhasali's film Saawariya in 2007
Chandi Prasad Bhatt won the Gandhi Peace prize 2013
- He is a Gandhian, an environmentalist and a social activist.
- In 1964, he founded Dasholi Gram Swarajya Sangh (DGSS) in Gopeswar.
- He was awarded with the Ramon Magsaysay Award for Community Leadership in 1982.
- In 2005, he was awarded with Padma Bhushan.
Sports
Germany won men's Hockey Champions Trophy 2014
- Germany defeated Pakistan by 2-0 margin to win the trophy
- This was 10th Champions Trophy crown for Germany.
- It had last won the tournament in 2007
- For bronze medal, World champion Australia defeated India 2-1
UAE captain Khurram Khan: the oldest player to score an ODI century
- He scored the winning century against Afghanistan in Dubai
- He achieved the feat at an age of 43 years and 162 days
- He broke the record of Sanath Jayasuriya
- Sanath Jayasuriya had scored 109 against India in 2009 at the age of 39
Indian cricketer Rohit Sharma scored the highest ODI score ever of 264
- The score of 264 runs is also the second-highest List A score
- With this he became the only cricketer to score two Double ODI centuries
- He achieved this distinction during the 4th ODI between India and Sri Lanka
- He broke the record of highest ODI score of 219 runs made by Virender Sehwag
- Sachin Tendulkar was the first cricketer to score double century in ODIs
Virat Kohli became fastest cricketer to reach 6000 ODI runs
- He achieved the distinction after his 53-run knock in the third ODI between India and Sri Lanka
- He took 144 match and 136 innings to make 6000 runs
- He is the eighth Indian to have scored 6000 or more runs and 47th overall
- He overtook legendary West Indian Vivian Richards' record
- Richards reached the milestone in 1989 by playing 141 innings in 156 matches
MC Mary Kom bagged her first Asian Games Gold Medal
- She defeated Zhaina Shekerbekova of Kazakhstan
- She won in women’s flyweight category (48-51kg)
- First Indian woman boxer to clinch a gold medal at the Asian Games
- She is nicknamed as Magnificent Mary
Chennai Super Kings won 2014 Champions League Twenty20 title
- It defeated Kolkata Knight Riders by 8 wickets
- The match was played at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.
- Chennai Super Kings won the trophy for the second time.
- Earlier they won the CLT20 in South Africa in 2011.
Hockey Player Manpreet Singh named Junior Men Player of the Year by AHF
- The announcement was made at Asian Hockey Federation Congress
- The congress was held at Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
- Indian midfielder Manpreet Singh has played 103 international matches.
- He is the captain of the India Junior Hockey team.
- He made his international debut in 2011.
Marin Cilic of Croatia won Men's Singles title of US Tennis Open
- Cilic defeated 10th seed Kei Nishikori of Japan
- The Women’s singles was won by Serena Williams of US
- The Men’s Doubles title was won by Mike and Bob Bryan of US
- Sania Mirza of India and Bruno Soares of Brazil won the Mixed Doubles title
- Ekaterina Makarova and Elena Vesnina of Russia won the US Open women's doubles title
2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games concluded
- The Medal tally was topped by England
- India stood at the fifth position in the rankings.
- India won 64 medals (15 Gold, 30 silver and 19 Bronze)
- This was third highest medal haul after 2010 Delhi CWG and 2002 Manchester CWG
- The 21st Commonwealth Games will be held in Gold Coast in Australia
Kush Kumar first Indian player to reach semis of World Junior Squash Championship
- The World Junior Squash championship held at Windhoek in Namibia.
- He defeated England's George Parker in straight games in quarterfinal.
- Kush Kumar is a professional squash player from Chennai, Tamil Nadu.
- Presently, his ranking is 220 in the world.
Himachal Pradesh to host First Para-gliding World Cup 2015 in India
- This will be the first para-gliding World Cup to be hosted in India.
- To be organised under Para-gliding World Cup Association, France.
- It will be hosted in Kangra district of Himachal Pradesh from 24 October 2015
- Himachal Pradesh had hosted the Para-gliding pre-World Cup in 2013
Germany won the 2014 FIFA Football World Cup
- Germany beat Argentina 1-0 in the final
- Final was played at the Maracana in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Mario Gotze scored the lone goal of final during the extra-time
- It lifted the trophy for 4th time in FIFA world Cup history and first since 1990
- Germany became 1st European team to win World Cup played in North or South America
Sim Bhullar became first Indian-origin basketball player to join NBA
- He signed a summer contract with the Sacramento Kings.
- Sacramento Kings is a professional basketball team in the US.
- Sim Bhullar is originally from Canada and his parents are from Punjab.
Novak Djokovic of Serbia won the Men’s Wimbledon Tennis Open 2014
- He defeated Roger Federer of Switzerland
- This is the second Wimbledon title for Djokovic
- Djokovic won the seventh career Grand Slam
- Djokovic won his first Wimbledon title in 2011
Economy & Corporate
Advisory Group on Integrated Development of Power
- The Group was headed by Suresh Prabhu
- It has suggested opening up of the coal sector
- Called for improvement in Coal India Ltd and its subsidiaries
- Expedite reforms in the distribution sector with targeted actions
SBI Mutual Fund launched Shariah Equity Fund
- The fund is aimed at attracting investments from Muslim populations of India.
- The fund approved by the All India Muslim Personal Law Board
- SBI MF fourth fund house in India to have an Islamic equity fund.
- India second country outside the Islamic world where a state-owned bank is offering such fund
- The UK is the first country who issued sovereign Islamic bonds in June 2014
Kotak Mahindra Bank first bank in India to fully own insurance business
- RBI gave permission to the bank for setting up Kotak General Insurance
- Kotak General Insurance will be the 29th non-life insurance company in the country
- The CEO of the company will be Mahesh Balasubramanian
- The bank already promotes life insurance with Old Mutual of South Africa
SEBI de-recognised Delhi Stock Exchange (DSE)
- De-recognised on account of serious irregularities in demutualisation process
- SEBI demutualisation rules requires every stock exchange to sell brokers' 51% equity
- DSE was incorporated in 1947
- It is an amalgamation of Delhi Stock and Share Brokers' Association Ltd and the Delhi Stocks and Shares Exchange Ltd
Shell India won 18000-crore rupees tax dispute case
- It won the tax case against Income Tax department
- The decision given by Bombay High Court
- Decision based on legal principle laid down in the Vodafone case
- It ruled that transfer pricing does not arise in case of transfer of shares
- The case pertains to alleged under pricing of shares issued by Shell India
Alibaba made the record of earning 9.3 billion US dollars on a single day
- Alibaba shipped 278 million orders out of which 43 percent were mobile devices
- It achieved the staggering figure on Singles Day shopping event
- The event celebrates the bachelorhood of Young single Chinese
- Alibaba is a Chinese e-commerce giant founded by Jack Ma
SoftBank of Japan to invest 10 billion dollars in India
- Will invest in India's IT and communications sector in coming years
- Announced to invest 627 million US dollars in Snapdeal
- Signed definitive agreement to invest 210 million US dollars in ANI Technologies
- Chairman and CEO of the SoftBank is Masayoshi Son
Union government de-regulated diesel and hiked natural gas rates
- The price of diesel to be market-linked
- The retail rates will reflect price changes in the global market.
- The government will no longer provide subsidy on diesel.
- This is the first reduction in diesel rates since 2009.
Google closed Orkut
- Orkut is a social network site
- Google announced to shut down Orkut in June 2014.
- Old users of Orkut can take back up of pictures till September 2016.
- Orkut was started in 2004 and named after its creator, Orkut Buyukkokten.
- Google has moved to a new platform the Google Plus.
Union government decided to wind up HMT Watches
- The unit has been incurring losses since 2000
- HMT Watches is a wholly owned subsidiary of Hindustan Machines Tools (HMT) limited
- HMT Limited was set up at Bangalore in 1961 in collaboration with Japan’s Citizen Watch
- In 2000, HMT Watch Business group was restructured as HMT Watches Ltd.
RBI fixed the upper age limit at 70 years for M.D. and CEO in private sector banks
- The decision was taken to comply with the Section 196(3) of the Companies Act, 2013
- Individual bank’s boards free to prescribe a lower retirement age for whole time Directors
- Earlier, no maximum age was specified and decisions were taken case by case
Union Government granted Navratna Status to CONCOR
- CONCOR is the 17th Central Public Sector Enterprise (CPSE) to achieve Navratna Status.
- The status was accorded by the Department of Public Enterprises.
- CONCOR current Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) is Anil Kumar Gupta.
- It deals in Export-Import and domestic trade and commerce policy of India.
Expenditure Management Commission constituted
- The Commission will be headed by Bimal Jalan
- He is a former RBI Governor
- Commission will suggest the way for managing public finances by reducing subsidies.
ICICI Bank became the first bank in India to launch EMI facility on Debit Card
- This was so far available only for credit cardholders.
- Will enable customers to convert their high value transactions into easy installments
- Facility available to debit cardholders with minimum fixed deposit of 10000 rupees
C S Verma elected as First President of Indian Steel Association
- C S Verma is currently working as the head of Steel Authority of India Limited
- The Indian Steel Association was formally launched on 26 August 2014
- Aims to work towards transforming the Indian steel industry as a global leader
- Membership of ISA open to any steel producer with a yearly capacity of at least 2 million tones
DIPP notified Press Note 8 allowing 100% FDI in Rail infrastructure
- FDI in rail infrastructure will be through automatic route
- FDI will not be allowed in train operations and safety
- Proposals involving FDI beyond 49 percent in sensitive areas to be placed before the Cabinet Committee on Security
- Definitions of infrastructure and common facilities have also been widened
Union Finance Minister, Arun Jaitley presented Union Budget 2014-15
- This was the first budget of newly appointed government led by Narendra Modi
- It focussed on providing good infrastructure like public transport, solid waste disposal
- Emphasized on skill development and entrepreneurship in the budget
- Announced that the FDI cap in Defence sector would be raised to 49 percent
No comments:
Post a Comment