Daily Current Affairs Updates: 30 June 2014

1) PSLV C23 launched successfully from Sriharikota: India’s Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle C-23 on Monday successfully put five foreign satellites into orbit in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Indian Space Research Organisation’s spaceport in Sriharikota. In a smooth 20-minute mission, the ISRO launched the 714-kg French earth observation satellite SPOT-7, the 14-kg German AISAT, the two 15-kg Canadian NLS7.1 (CAN-X4) and NLS7.2 (CAN-X5) and the 7-kg Singapore VELOX-1. Following a “perfect” lift-off at 9.52 a.m., the PSLV-C23’s four stages came to life and fell off as programmed — the 4-storey heat shield which protected the satellites from turbulence, split in two and fell into the Bay of Bengal. Soon, all five were in their slots at a height of more than 660 km. Observing that 40 of the 67 PSLV satellites were put into orbit from 19 foreign countries, Mr. Modi said it was “a global endorsement of India’s capabilities”.

2) West Bengal governor MK Narayanan resigned: Two days after the Central Bureau of Investigations (CBI) recorded his statement as a witness in the probe into kickbacks in the 2010 AgustaWestland chopper deal, M.K. Narayanan has resigned as Governor of West Bengal. The first Governor to be questioned by an investigative agency, Mr Narayanan is the fourth Governor to resign following pressure from the BJP government on appointees of the UPA government. A formal acceptance of the resignation by the President is awaited. The 80-year-old Narayanan, a former director of the Intelligence Bureau (IB) and National Security Adviser (NSA) in the first Manmohan Singh government, is considered close to the Congress and his tenure would have come to an end in January 2015.

3) Malala Yousafzai wins Liberty Medal: A Pakistani girl who survived being shot by the Taliban because she advocated education for girls has won the Liberty Medal from the National Constitution Centre in Philadelphia. Malala Yousafzai was just 15 when she was shot in the head while returning from school in Mingora, Pakistan, in October 2012. She had angered the fundamentalist Muslim group by writing about life under the Taliban for the BBC, and arguing that girls should be allowed to pursue an education. The medal has been awarded annually since 1989, when Polish Solidarity founder Lech Walesa received it first. Since then, recipients have included Muhammad Ali, former President Jimmy Carter, and, last year, then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. 

4) Petrol price hiked by Rs 1.69 per litre, diesel by Rs 0.50: Petrol prices on 30 June 2014 were hiked by Rs 1.69 per litre while the price of diesel was increased 50 paise per litre. The revised rates will come into effect from July 1. The hike is mainly due to the ongoing crisis in Iraq and forex market fluctuations. Visit:www.currentaffairs4examz.com

5) Finance ministry may double tax exemption limit under 80C to Rs 2 lakh: Seeking to boost household savings, the finance ministry is considering doubling the exemption limit for investments by individuals in financial instruments to Rs 2 lakh. Presently the investments and expenditures up to a combined limit of Rs 1 lakh get exemptions under Sections 80C, 80CC and 80 CCC of the Income-Tax Act. The announcement is expected in the Budget. The budget for 2014-15 will be presented by finance minister Arun Jaitley in the Lok Sabha on July 10.