Daily Current Affairs: 13 February 2014

1) World Radio Day observed: World Radio Day was observed on Thursday across the world to celebrate radio as a medium, to improve international cooperation between broadcasters and to encourage major networks and community radio. It was proclaimed on 3 November 2011 by UNESCO’s 36th General Conference. The theme for 2014 is “Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment in Radio”.

2) National Women’s Day/Birthday of Sarojini Naidu celebrated:  ‘National Women’s Day’ was celebrated on Thursday across India. It is the birthday of Sarojini Naidu who was also known as the ‘Nightingale of India’. She was the first Indian woman to become the President of the Indian National Congress and was also the first Indian woman to become Governor of any State (Uttar Pradesh) in India.

3) Veteran film-maker Balu Mahendra passed away: Renowned filmmaker Balu Mahendra passed away on Thursday at a private hospital in Chennai following a cardiac arrest. He was 75 and he suffered a heart attack, was rushed to the hospital where he breathed his last. Balu Mahendra started his career in the industry as a cinematographer for the Malayalam movie ‘Nellu’ in 1974. While his movies Veedu (1988) and Vanna Vanna Pookkal (1992) won the national award for the best feature film in Tamil, Sandhya Raagam (1990) won the award for best film on family welfare.

4) MPs made it a day of shame for Parliament: The Lok Sabha witnessed an unprecedented low on Thursday when Congress MP from Vijayawada L. Rajagopal used a can of pepper spray inside the House to protest against the tabling of the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Bill. Modugula Venugopala Reddy of the Telugu Desam Party broke the glass and microphone on the table of the Lok Sabha Secretary-General while Union Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde was introducing the Bill that seeks to bifurcate Andhra Pradesh. Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar suspended 18 MPs from Andhra Pradesh for rest of the session after unprecedented pandemonium broke out in the House over the Telangana issue.

5) President Pranab gets Rotary's highest award:  President Pranab Mukherjee on Tuesday got the Rotary's highest award for his leadership in the country's victory over polio. The 'Award of Honour' was presented by Ron Burton, President of Rotary International, at Rashtrapati Bhavan. The award is a recognition for heads of countries or governments who have rendered unique service to the humanity and served the country and its people upholding values reflected in the Rotary's motto 'Service Above Self'.

6) US envoy Powell meets BJP's PM candidate Modi in Gujarat: US Ambassador to India, Nancy Powell has met BJP Prime Ministerial candidate and Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi in Gandhinagar on Thursday. The meeting is significant as the US has refused to give a diplomatic visa to Narendra Modi for the last nine years on the ground of human rights.

7) Chhetri gets AIFF Player of the Year prize: Sunil Chhetri was awarded the All India Football Federation (AIFF) Player of the Year prize by the federation on Thursday. The Indian captain had won this award in 2007 and 2011 also. In addition to the football awards, the FICCI sports awards were given away on Thursday as well. Archer Deepika Kumari was recognised as the sportsperson of the year. The breakthrough sports personality prize was won by P.V. Sindhu for her wonderful performance at the BWF World Championships in Guangzhou last year. A lifetime achievement award was also given away, with Rahul Dravid being the recipient. Baldev Singh from hockey walked away with the best coach prize.

AIFF awards: Player of the Year: Sunil Chhetri; Woman Player of the Year: Oinam Bembem Devi; Emerging Player of the Year: Jeje Lalpekhlua; Best grassroots development programme: Mizoram FA; Award for long-time contribution to Indian football: Tata Football Academy.

FICCI awards: Sportsperson of the Year: Deepika Kumari (archery); Coach of the Year: Baldev Singh (hockey); Breakthrough Sportsperson of the Year: P.V. Sindhu (badminton); Comeback of the Year: Rani Rampal (hockey); Paralympics Sportsperson of the Year: Devender Jhajharia (javelin).

8)  India Post (Dept. of Posts) launched electronic Indian Postal Order (e-IPO) for Indian Citizens living in India:  Last year the Department had launched the e-IPO for Indian Citizens living abroad across the globe to facilitate them for paying online fee for seeking information under the RTI Act, 2005. e-IPO is a facility to purchase an Indian Postal Order electronically for paying RTI fee on-line through e-Post Office Portal https://www.epostoffice.gov.in or India Post web-site www.indiapost.gov.in. After paying the fee on-line one just need to annex the print-out of the receipt to the RTI application.