Daily Current Affairs Updates: 25 November 2013

Daily Current Affairs Updates: 25 November 2013

1) International Day for Elimination of Violence against Women observed: International Day for Elimination of Violence against Women is observed on 25 November 2013 across the world to raise awareness about violence against women. The theme for the year 2013 is: 'Unite to End Violence against Women'

2) 70% turnout in Madhya Pradesh, over 81% in Mizoram polls: Madhya Pradesh reported a voter turnout of over of 70 per cent for the 230 Assembly seats that went to polls on Monday, Election Commission officials said on Monday. In 2008, the turnout was 69.58 per cent. Mizoram, where elections for the 40 seats were also held, saw a turnout of 81 per cent. “The election was brisk and absolutely peaceful,” officials said.

3) Aarushi-Hemraj case- Talwar couple convicted of murder: More than five years after the double murder and flip-flops in investigation, dentist couple Rajesh and Nupur Talwar were on Monday held guilty of killing their 14-year-old daughter Aarushi and domestic help Hemraj in their house in Noida. In a case that has had a number of twists and turns, Additional Sessions Judge Shyam Lal held both of them also guilty of destruction of evidence in the murder on the intervening night of May 15 and 16, 2008, days before the birthday of the class nine student.

4) Sexual assault case- Tarun Tejpal moves HC for anticipatory bail: Tehelka Editor Tarun Tejpal on Monday moved the Delhi High Court seeking anticipatory bail in a sexual assault case lodged against him in Goa. The alleged incident happened in a lift in a five-star hotel in Goa earlier this month. The Goa police had on November 22 lodged an FIR against Tejpal under sections 376 (rape), 376 (2)(k) (rape by a person of a woman in his custody taking advantage of his official position) and 354 (outraging modesty) of IPC in connection with the incident.

5) Coast Guard launched ‘Operation Oliver’ to save rare turtles: As part of its annual mission to ensure the safe mid-sea sojourn of breeding Olive Ridley sea turtles in Gahirmatha marine sanctuary area of Odisha, the Coast Guard has launched ‘Operation Oliver’.

6) Zaheer returns to Test squad, Gambhir ignored for SA tour:  Veteran pacer Zaheer Khan made a comeback to India’s Test side after close to a year but opener Gautam Gambhir was ignored as the selectors on Monday announced the squads for the Test and ODI tour of South Africa starting December 5. The 35-year-old Zaheer, who had been battling fitness issues and was even dropped from the BCCI’s list of contracted players, was chosen in the 17-member Test squad after taking 13 wickets in three Ranji Trophy matches at an average of 19.84 this season.

7) CPI-linked inflation bonds likely by Dec: In an apparent bid to placate the inflation-ravaged aam aadmi, the Reserve Bank of India will next month roll out retail bonds whose returns are likely to be linked to the movement in consumer price index.

8) RBI gets over $25 b thru special dollar swap window: Reserve Bank of India on Monday said over $25 billion has been received from special concessional swap window for deposits by non-resident Indians and overseas foreign currency borrowings by banks.

9) Bangalore airport to be renamed Kempegowda International Airport from Dec 14: Bangalore International Airport Ltd (BIAL) is set to change its name from Bengaluru International Airport to Kempegowda International Airport, Bengaluru. The name change will take effect from December 14 and also on the same day the terminal T1A will be inaugurated by Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Union Civil Aviation Minister Ajith Singh.

10) AirAsia announces 3 million promotional seats: As part of celebrations of its fifth anniversary in the country, Kula Lumpur-based budget airliner AirAsia has announced a campaign with three million promotional seats across various destinations. Passengers will be able to travel from May 5, 2014 to January 31, 2015 under the “free seats” campaign.

11) BlackBerry's COO, CFO quit in management rejig: The shakeup at Blackberry is continuing after the ouster of CEO Thorsten Heins earlier this month. Chief operating officer Kristian Tear and chief marketing officer Frank Boulben, both hired by Heins, will leave the struggling smartphone maker.

12) Jayalalithaa honoured new World Chess Champion Carlsen:  Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa on Monday awarded the new world chess championship to Norwegian prodigy Magnus Carlsen, who dethroned India's Vishwanathan Anand, a five-time world champion in the world chess championship 2013, held in Chennai last week.

13) Pujara, Kohli retain positions in ICC Test rankings:  Cheteshwar Pujara retained his sixth position to be the highest-placed Indian batsman, while Virat Kohli also maintained his 20th spot in the in the latest ICC Test rankings issued, on Monday.

14) Justice Ajay Manikrao Khanwilkar sworn in as Chief Justice of Madhya Pradesh High Court: Justice Ajay Manikrao Khanwilkar was sworn in as the 22nd Chief Justice of Madhya Pradesh by Governor Ram Naresh Yadav at Raj Bhavan, Bhopal on 24 November 2013.

15) "Selfie" named Oxford Dictionary's Word of the Year for 2013:The word Selfie was named as word of the year by Oxford Dictionaries on 19 November 2013.

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Daily Current Affairs: 24 November 2013

Daily Current Affairs: 24 November 2013

1) Vettel ends season on record high winning Brazilian Grand Prix: Red Bull’s quadruple world champion Sebastian Vettel won the season-ending Brazilian Grand Prix on Sunday to chalk up a record ninth victory in a row and 13th of the year. Vettel is the first Formula One driver to win nine successive races in a single season although Italian Alberto Ascari strung together nine in a row over two campaigns in 1952-53. Vettel’s victory equalled compatriot Michael Schumacher’s 2004 record with Ferrari of 13 wins in a season.

2) Iran signs landmark nuclear deal with West:  Iran has struck a historic agreement with the U.S. and five other world powers, accepting strict constraints on its nuclear programme for the first time in a decade in exchange for partial relief from sanctions. The deal, signed at 4.30 a.m. on Sunday, marks arguably the most significant foreign policy achievement of Barack Obama’s presidency, amounting to the most significant agreement between Washington and Tehran since the 1979 Iranian revolution.

3) World’s first green helicopter tested in Germany: The world’s first green helicopter which is noiseless and emission-free has been successfully tested in Germany. The two-seat prototype of the ‘Volocopter’, by the company e-volo, made its maiden voyage on November 17 in Karlsruhe, Germany. The Volocopter is an environmentally friendly and emission-free private helicopter. Instead of one combustion engine, eighteen electrically driven rotors propel it.

4) Scotland sets proposed ‘independence day’ in 2016: Scotland today set March 24, 2016 as its independence day, if voters back leaving the UK in a “landmark” referendum to break up the 300-year union. The “white paper” on Scottish independence will be unveiled by the regional government in Edinburgh ahead of a historic referendum on September 18, 2014.

5) Tata DoCoMo ad platform:  Tata DoCoMo has launched a mobile advertising service platform GET (GetEasyTalktime) in partnership with mAdcall, a provider of mobile video advertising solution and managed services. Users need just SMS keyword “GET” to 52323 or by give a missed call to 52323, says Harsh Saxena, Head marketing, Non-voice services, Tata DoCoMo. It enables video advertising and allows users to choose when or where they want to view a video commercial on their phone with one free voice minute for local or national calling to landlines or mobiles for each advertisement that they choose to view. It is currently compatible with Android, Java, Symbian and Blackberry and can also be accessed over Wi-Fi.

6) Ireland, Afghanistan qualified for 2014 World T20: Ireland and Afghanistan on Sunday qualified for next year’s ICC World Twenty20 after winning their respective matches in the Qualifiers.

7) Ashes 1st Test- England crumbles to big defeat: England suffered one of its heaviest Ashes Test defeats on Sunday when Australia trounced it by 381 runs at the Gabba and went one-up in the series with a day to spare. Mitchell Johnson who took  nine wickets for 103 for the match was adjudged the Man of the Match.

8) Visakhapatanam 2nd ODI-West Indies defeat India by two wickets: Darren Sammy’s brilliant effort helped West Indies win the second ODI of the Starplus One-Day International series at the Dr. Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy stadium in Visakhapatanam on Sunday with three balls to spare.

9) Central Bank’s new credit card:  Central Bank of India has launched Aspire, a platinum credit card. The card is targeted at its deposit customers who aspire to own a credit card but are unable to do so on account of various factors such as retirement from service, inadequate income, and so on. The card offers interest-free credit facility for 55 days against fixed deposits.

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Q1. Who won the FIDE World Chess Championship 2013 beating defending Champion Viswanathan Anand of India, at Chennai on 22 November 2013?

Ans. Magnus Carlsen of Norway

Note: The victory was worth 8.4 crore Rupees for Magnus Carlsen. Anand settled for 5.6 crore Rupees. The match was sponsored by the Tamil Nadu state and organized by FIDE and AICF. The Magnus Calsen’s victory was also the end of Anand’s six-year reign as the World champion. It was Anand’s first loss in a world title match since 2007. Magnus Carlsen, who became the youngest world No. 1 at 19, also holds the record of being the strongest rated player in chess history with a published rating of 2872, on 1 February 2013. 2013 FIDE World Chess Championship match took place from 7 to 22 November in Chennai, India.

Q2. Who became the fastest batsman to score 5000 runs in one-day internationals on 21 November 2013?

Ans. Virat Kohli

Note: Virat Kohli achieved the feat in just 120 matches and 114 innings. He has so far scored 5005 runs, which included 17 centuries and 27 fifties in his short career. In terms of innings, Virat Kohli has equalled the record of Sir Viv Richards of West Indies, who also achieved the feat in 114 innings way back in 1987 but it was Viv's 126th match. Before Kohli, former captain Sourav Ganguly was the fastest to achieve the feat among Indian batsmen in 131 matches and 126 innings.

Q3. Mars Orbiter Mission also known as ................. has beamed back the first set of pictures of Earth on 21 November 2013 that was captured by Mars Color Camera fitted on Mars Orbiter spacecraft?

Ans. Mangalyaan

Q4. Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh and UPA Chairperson, Sonia Gandhi Jointly inaugurated India’s first all-women bank, Bharatiya Mahila Bank in Mumbai on 19 November 2013,marking the birth anniversary of  which former women Prime Minister of India?

Ans. Indira Gandhi

Note: Main objectives of the bank will be to focus on the banking needs of women and to promote their economic empowerment. The bank will commence operations with an initial capital of one thousand crore rupees. Union Government on 12 November 2013 appointed Usha Ananthasubramanian as the first chairperson and managing director of public sector Bharatiya Mahila Bank (BMB).

Q5. 44th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) began at Panaji in Goa on 20 November 2013 with great fanfare. Who inaugurated the 11- day cinematic extravaganza  by lighting the traditional lamp in the distinguished presence of Union Minister of Information and Broadcasting Manish Tewari, Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parriker and a galaxy of cine stars?

Ans. Award winning actress Suasan Sarandon, American actress

Q6. Who was conferred with Lifetime Achievement Award at the opening ceremony of 44th International Film Festival of India (IFFI)?

Ans. Jiri Menzel, Legendary Czech film director

Q7. Name the renowned Indian actress who was conferred with the first Centenary Award for Indian Film Personality of the Year at the opening ceremony of 44th International Film Festival of India (IFFI)?

Ans. Waheeda Rehman

Q8. Who was on 19 November 2013 selected for prestigious Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development for the year 2013?

Ans. Dr. Angela Merkel, German Chancellor

Note: The International Jury for the Prize was chaired by the Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh, which made this announcement on 19 November 2013 on the birth anniversary of Indira Gandhi. Dr. Angela Merkel is nominated for her exemplary leadership in Europe and the world during the financial crises, her commitment to universal peace and disarmament and her leadership role in strengthening productive and mutually beneficial relations with India and other developing countries.

Q9. Name the orbiter Mission to Mars planet launched by US space agency NASA on 18 November 2013?Visit>>www.currentaffairs4examz.com

Ans. MAVEN

Note: The orbiter mission was launched on an Atlas V rocket from Florida's Cape Canaveral Air Force Station

Q10. Who has sworn in as the 6th President of the Maldives on 17 November 2013?

Ans. Abdulla Yameen

Note: Mohammad Jameel was sworn in as vice-President. Abdulla Yameen’s sworn in has ended the two years of political turmoil that was threatened to isolate the country internationally. The Maldives was witnessing the political turmoil, since Nasheed resigned under pressure in February 2012 because of a controversial transfer of power.

Q11. Who on 17 November 2013 won United States Grand Prix?

Ans. Sebastian Vettel of Red Bull

Note: This was his eighth successive race win of Vettel in a season. With this win he succeeded ahead of Michael Schumacher’s previous record of winning seven races in a row in the same season, which was set in 2004.

Q12. Which Southern European country was on 17 November 2013 unanimously chosen as the host of the next Commonwealth summit in 2015?

Ans. Malta

Note: This is second time for Malta to host the Commonwealth summit. Before this, Malta hosted a Commonwealth Summit in 2005. This was after Mauritius withdrew as host of the 2015 Commonwealth summit as a result of its prime minister's boycott of the Colombo summit over Sri Lanka's human rights concerns.

Q13. India on 23 November 2013 successfully test-fired its nuclear-capable which ballistic missile from a naval ship off Odisha coast?

Ans. Dhanush

Note: The surface-to-surface Dhanush, a naval variant of India's indigenously developed Prithvi missile, was test fired from a location at Bay of Bengal by the Srategic Force Command of the defence force. Dhanush missile is capable of carrying conventional as well as nuclear payload of 500 to 1000 kg and hit both land and sea-based targets.

Q14. Name the Eminent Scientist and Bharat Ratna Awardee who was on 4 November 2013 elected as honorary foreign member of Chinese Academy of Science (CAS) and thus became the first Indian to be elected to this prestigious Chinese Academy of Science (CAS) which comprises of many Nobel laureates and eminent scientist across the world?

Ans. Prof CNR Rao

Note: CNR Rao has been elected to almost all scientific academies of the world including The Royal Society-London, National Academy of Science-USA, Pontifical Academy of Science, Japan Academy and Royal Spanish Academy of Sciences, among others.

Q15. Who was appointed as the new Chairman of the 20th Law Commission of India by Union Government on 22 November 2013?

Ans. Justice Ajit Prakash Shah

Note: Justice Ajit Prakash Shah succeeded Justice D. K. Jain who resigned in October 2013 to take over as the President of National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission.

Q16. Who was reappointed as the national coach of the men's Indian boxing team till the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro on 20 November 2013?

Ans. Gurbax Singh Sandhu

Q17. Name the India's senior women's hockey team coach who passed away in a fatal road accident near Sangrur in Punjab on 20 November 2013?

Ans. Inderjit Singh Gill

Note: He was part of the Indian Women Team in the major tournaments including Commonwealth Games in 2002 Manchester, Asian Games in 2002 Busan, Asia Cup in 2007 Hong Kong, FIH Olympic Qualifying Tournament in 2012 New Delhi and 2013 FIH World League Round 2  in New Delhi.

Q18. Name the British biochemist who is the only person to win Nobel Prize two times for Chemistry who died on 19 November 2013 in Cambridge, eastern England?

Ans. Frederick Sanger

Note: For the first time, he won the Nobel Prize in 1958 for development of the methods, which helped to unravel the chemical structure of Protein, mainly insulin. Second Nobel Prize was given to him in 1980, jointly with Walter Gilbert and Paul Berg for the development of the techniques to read the sequences of DNA, which carries the basic code for life.

Q19. Malala Yousafzai, Pakistani teenage activist on 20 November 2013 received the EU's ................ human rights prize for her brave crusade for the right of the children to education?Visit>>www.currentaffairs4examz.com

Ans. Sakharov human rights prize

Note: Sakharov Prize for free speech is awarded by the European Parliament annually in memory of Soviet physicist and dissident Andrei Sakharov.

Q20. Which film won the Golden Elephant Award for best film in the 'International Live Action' category at the 18th International Children's Film Festival which concluded on 20 November 2013 in Hyderabad?

Ans. Dutch Film named Kauwboy

Q21. Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on 19 November 2013 directed Public Sector Banks (PSBs) to provide loans to women self-help groups (SHGs) at ............ per cent per annum to avail the benefit of interest rate subvention scheme under the Swarnajayanti Gram Swarozgar Yojana-Aajeevika (SGSY) scheme?

Ans.  7 percent

Note: Swarnajayanti Gram Swarozgar Yojana-Aajeevika (SGSY) is an initiative by the government to provide sustainable income to poor people living in rural areas of the country.

Q22. Which footballer won the Golden Shoe award in recognition of his 46 goals in 32 leagues appearances in the Europe’s domestic football league in the 2012-13 season?

Ans. Lionel Messi

Note: This is the third Golden Shoe award of Messi and with this win he became the first footballer to win the award three times. Earlier Messi won the award in 2009-10 for 34 goals and a Spanish record 50 in 2011-12.

Q23. India on 18 November 2013 successfully test-fired the advanced version of the ................. supersonic cruise missile from the Pokhran test firing range in Rajasthan?

Ans. BrahMos

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Q24. Name the British Nobel Prize-winning author who died on 17 November 2013 at London at the age of 94?

Ans. Doris Lessing

Note: In 2007, the 88-year-old Doris Lessing became the oldest recipient of the Nobel Prize in Literature and only the 11th woman to win the award.

Q25. Which Jamaican sprinters were crowned the male and female World Athletes of the Year, 2013 on 16 November 2013?

Ans. Usain Bolt and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce

Note: They were selected as the world athletes of the year by the sport's governing IAAF at a ceremony in Monaco.

Q26. Who was reappointed as General Secretary All India Football Federation (AIFF) for a second term of another three years on 20 November 2013?

Ans. Kushal Das

Note: National football team coach Wim Koevermans' contract was extended till October 2014. Besides the national team, Koevermans will also be in charge on India's campaign in 2014 Incheon Asian Games.

Q27. Name the cyclonic storm which struck Andhra Pradesh coast near Machilipatnam, triggering heavy rains and strong gales, killing several people?

Ans. Cyclone Helen

Q28. Chief Information Commissioner Deepak Sandhu administered the oath of office to five new Information Commissioners appointed to the Central Information Commission (CIC) on 22 November 2013. Name them?

Ans. 1) Yashovardhan Azad, a former IPS Officer

2) Sharat Sabharwal, a career diplomat

3) Manjula Parasher, a former Indian Postal Service Officer and had retired as Secretary from the Department of Posts.

4) MA Khan Yusufi, a former Indian Legal Service Officer

5) Madbhushanam Sridhar Acharyulu, who was working as Professor at NALSAR

Q29. Which fighter jet was on 21 November 2013 selected as the platform to mount the supersonic BrahMos missiles by the Indian Air Force?

Ans. Sukhoi-30

Note: The first test launch will be carried out by the end of 2014.

Q30. Jet Airways on 20 November 2013 concluded the sale of ................ percent equity stake in the airline to Etihad Airways for 2057 crore Rupees?

Ans. 24

Note: The 335 million Dollar deal, which was unveiled in April 2013, is the first cross border transaction in the Indian aviation sector after it was opened up for foreign direct investments in 2012.

Q31. Election Commission decided to use Voter-Verified Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) on a large-scale for the first time in the country in the upcoming  Assembly polls in which state on 25 November 2013?Visit>>www.currentaffairs4examz.com

Ans. Mizoram

Q32. Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on 16 November 2013 performed the last of the five orbit-raising manoeuvre on its Mars Orbiter, raising the apogee (farthest point from Earth) of the spacecraft to over ........ lakh km?

Ans. 1.92

Q33. World Toilet Day (WTD) was observed across the world on .......... November 2013?

Ans. 19 November 2013

Note: The World Toilet Organization created World Toilet Day to raise global awareness of the struggle 2.5 billion face every day without access to proper, clean sanitation.

Q34. National Integration Day was observed on 19 November 2013 all over India. Why the day is celebrated on 19 November 2013?

Ans. It is celebrated as the birth anniversary of the first woman Prime Minister of the India, Indira Gandhi.

Q35. Which country on 17 November 2013 defended the Davis Cup title 2013 after Redek Stepanek defeated the Serbian Dusan Lajovic 6-3, 6-1, 6-1 in the fifth rubber of the final by BNP Paribas Final in Belgrade?

Ans. Czech Republic

Q36. Name India's First Private Metro service which started operation from Gurgaon, Haryana on 14 November 2013?

Ans. Rapid Metro

Q37. 22nd Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) was held in Colombo, Sri Lanka, from 15-17 November 2013. What was the theme of the Meeting 2013?

Ans. Growth with Equity: Inclusive Development

Q38. National Press Day was celebrated across the country on ............. November 2013?

Ans. 16 November 2013

Note: The day is symbolic of a free and responsible press in India.

Q39. Who was on 21 November 2013 sworn in as the US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia?Visit>>www.currentaffairs4examz.com

Ans. Nisha Desai Biswal

Q40. Which state is hosting the 9th North East Business Summit which began on 22 November 2013?

Ans. Dibrugarh in Assam

Q41. Name the US sprinter who on 18 November 2013 announced his retirement after 13 years career?

Ans. Darvis Patton

Note: He won the Olympic silver medal as part of the 4x100 relay teams in the 2004 Athens Olympics and in London Olympics in 2012.

Q42. Who was appointed as Coach of the Senior Men Hockey Team by Hockey India on 20 November 2013?

Ans. V Baskaran

Note: Baskaran will work under the recently appointed Chief Coach Terence Walsh. Hockey India on 15 October 2013 appointed the Terence Walsh as Chief Coach of the Senior Men National Hockey Team.

Q43. Who was awarded with Dayawati Modi Award for Art and Culture and Education by Dayawati Foundation on 19 November 2013?

Ans. Anjolie Ela Menon

Note: She is one the leading contemporary female artist and well known muralist.

Q44. President of India Pranab Mukherjee on 19 November 2013 presented Indira Gandhi National Service Scheme Best University Award 2012-13 to ............ University of Karnataka?

Ans. Mangalore University of Karnataka

Q45. In the latest ICC test ranking, India moved to the ............. position, following the 2-0 victory over West Indies on 16 November 2013?

Ans. Second

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Daily Current Affairs: 23 November 2013

Daily Current Affairs: 23 November 2013

1) Dhanush missile successfully test-fired: India successfully test-fired its nuclear-capable Dhanush ballistic missile from a naval ship off the Odisha coast on Saturday. The surface-to-surface Dhanush, a naval variant of India’s indigenously developed ‘Prithvi’ missile, was test-fired at around 11.10 a.m. from a location in the Bay of Bengal by the SFC of the defence force. The Dhanush missile is capable of carrying a conventional as well as a nuclear payload of 500 to 1,000 kg and can hit both land and sea-based targets.The single-stage, liquid-propelled Dhanush has been inducted into the armed services and is one of the five missiles developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) under the Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme (IGMDP), defence sources said.

2) Twitter toughens encryption to thwart online snooping: Twitter announced it has toughened the encryption of traffic at the globally popular one-to-many messaging service to thwart online snooping. Twitter followed in the footsteps of Google and Facebook, adding a layer of security called Perfect Forward Secrecy to protect data that users would like kept from prying eyes.

3) Grace Koshie appointed woman director in Federal Bank: Grace Elizabeth Koshie today joined the Board of Federal Bank as the first lady Director in the Kerala headquartered lender. The bank becomes one of the few listed companies which had complied with the latest regulatory directions in the Companies Act, 2013, which requires a lady Director to be on the Board of Directors. Grace Koshie has also held charge of the Foreign Exchange Department in RBI Central Office from 2001—2004 and had also served as RBI nominee Director on the Boards of Dena Bank and Corporation Bank.

4)  Six lose life following widespread rain in AP:  In its latest status update on cyclone Helen, the Andhra Pradesh Revenue Department accounted for six deaths due to the rains. While two persons are reported to have died in Krishna district, two others have died in East Godavari and one each in Srikakulam and West Godavari districts.

5) Bring FB, Twitter under ambit of Indian law: IB chief- Intelligence Bureau chief Syed Asif Ibrahim on Saturday conceded that Indian security agencies were handicapped by technical and procedural constraints in regulating malicious content on the internet, and favoured foreign content providers to be brought within the ambit of Indian laws.

6) INS Vikrant to be commissioned by 2017: Naval chief- India's first indigenous Aircraft carrier INS Vikrant, being built at public sector Cochin Shipyard Limited and formally launched in August this year, would be commissioned by 2017, chief of Naval Staff Admiral D K Joshi, said.

7) Ashes First Test (Aus vs Eng): David Warner and Michael Clarke scored dominant centuries to put Australia firmly in control of the first Ashes Test on Saturday and leave England needing an unlikely 537 for victory at the end of Day three at the Gabba.

8) China Set up Air Defence Zone over East China Sea: China on 23 November 2013 announced that it was set up an Air Defence Identification Zone over an area in the East China Sea. The Zone includes Senkaku islands that are controlled by Japan but claimed by China.

9) Justice Ajit Prakash Shah appointed as Chairman of Law Commission of India: Union Government on 22 November 2013 appointed Justice Ajit Prakash Shah as the new Chairman of the 20th Law Commission of India. Justice Ajit Prakash Shah succeeded Justice D. K. Jain who resigned in October 2013 to take over as the President of National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission.

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Daily Current Affairs: 22 November 2013

Daily Current Affairs: 22 November 2013

1) Magnus Carlsen dethrones Anand, becomes new World Champion:  Five-time title holder Viswanathan Anand’s reign as the world champion came to a heart-breaking end on 21 Nov 2013 with Norway’s Magnus Carlsen taking the crown after a hard-fought draw in the 10th game of the World Chess Championship match, which ended in Chennai on Friday. Carlsen, who will be 23 years on 30th November, closed the championship with two games to spare by taking his tally to required 6.5 points out of a possible ten, winning three and drawing seven games.

2) CNR Rao became first Indian scientist elected to Chinese academy: Eminent Scientist and Bharat Ratna awardee Prof CNR Rao has become the first Indian scientist to be elected as honorary foreign member of Chinese Academy of Science (CAS). “Prof Rao is the first Indian Scientist to be elected to this prestigious academy, which consists of several Nobel laureates and eminent scientists of the world,” Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, of which Rao is a founder and honorary President, said.

3) Cyprus university world’s first to accept bitcoin: Cyprus’ largest private university said it has become the first in the world to accept increasingly popular digital currency bitcoin for the payment of tuition and other fees.

Bitcoin>> Bitcoin is a peer-to-peer digital currency that functions without the intermediation of a central authority. The concept was introduced in a 2008 paper by a pseudonymous developer known as "Satoshi Nakamoto".

4)  Milkman of India to feature in Amar Chitra Katha: The Milkman of India will now be part of Indian mythology! The late Dr Verghese Kurien, who piloted the White Revolution during the 1960s-1980s period, and unveiled Amul, “The Taste of India”, will now be immortalised by Amar Chitra Katha (ACK), well-known publishers of children’s illustrated books on India’s rich cultural heritage and mythology. ACK Media will launch the new title, “Verghese Kurien-the Man with the ‘Billion Litre’ Idea” at a function on November 23, the 92nd birth anniversary of the legend, at the Institute of Rural Management-Anand (IRMA).

5) Three Indian writers shortlisted for $50,000 DSC Lit Prize: Three Indians are among the six authors who have been shortlisted for the $50,000 DSC Prize for South Asian Literature 2014. The shortlisted works include "The Book of Destruction" by Anand and "Goat Days" by Benyamin both fiction translated from Malayalam by Chetana Sachidanandan and Joseph Koyippalli respectively. The third is "Chronicle of a Corpse Bearer" by Cyrus Mistry. The final winner of the Prize is scheduled to be announced at the DSC Jaipur Literature Festival in January 2014.

6) Goa police filed FIR against Tarun Tejpal:  Goa police on Friday filed an FIR against Tehelka Editor Tarun Tejpal, who has been accused by a woman journalist colleague of sexual assault during an event in Goa about 10 days ago.

7) Indo-American Arts Council honoured Salman Rushdie, Mira Nair: Prominent Indian-Americans — author Salman Rushdie and filmmaker Mira Nair — have been honoured here for their commitment and contributions to the global artistic community. The Indo-American Arts Council (IAAC) honoured the two along with renowned Indian-American pathologist Majula Bansal as it commemorates its 15th anniversary this year to celebrate its contributions of Indian performing, visual and literary arts to New York City’s diverse cultural scene.

8) Cyclone Helen crossed near Machilipatnam coast: Cyclone Helen crossed the coast near Machilipatnam, popularly known as Bandar, the port town which is the headquarters of Krishna district on Friday afternoon and there was widespread rainfall coupled with gales in the coastal districts, with Krishna and the two Godavari districts bearing the brunt.

9)  T.V. Ramachandran of Vodafone awarded IET honorary fellowship: In recognition of his contribution to mobile telephony in India, T.V. Ramachandran, Resident Director Regulatory Affairs at Vodafone India has been bestowed an honorary fellowship of the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET).

10) Sarfaesi Act most effective tool to recover bad loans: Report- Amidst rising non-performing loans, the Securitisation and Reconstruction of Financial Assets and Enforcement of Security Interest Act (Sarfaesi Act) was the most potent tool in the hands of banks for recovering bad loans. The Sarfaesi Act empowers banks and financial institutions to recover their non-performing assets without the intervention of courts.

11) Citibank’s old headquarters in Mumbai put up for sale: Citibank has decided to put its old headquarters in Mumbai on the block and has appointed the CBRE group as its consultant. Citi Centre, an 84,000-sq-ft space in Mumbai’s prime business district Bandra-Kurla Complex, was Citi India’s headquarters until April last year. The bank had shifted to its new location First International Finance Centre about six months ago.

12) LIC to discontinue 14 policies: Country’s insurance giant Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) has decided to stop selling as many as 14 policies, including Jeevan Mitra and Anmol Jeevan. Of this 14 products, LIC has already withdrawn seven policies, including Convertible Term Assurance, Children Deferred Endowment Assurance, with effect from November 16. Many of these policies are being discontinued as part of regulatory compliance, a senior official of LIC said.

13) Serena Williams earns 5th WTA player of the year award: Serena Williams  was named WTA player of the year for the second year running and the fifth time overall. Since February, she's been the oldest No. 1 in WTA history. She's now 32.

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Daily Current Affairs Updates: 21 November 2013

Daily Current Affairs Updates: 21 November 2013

1) Virat Kohli becomes fastest to score 5000 runs in ODIs: India's batting mainstay Virat Kohli became the fastest batsman to score 5000 runs in one-day internationals when he scored 86 against West Indies in the first ODI in Kochi. Kohli achieved the feat in just 120 matches and 114 innings. He has so far amassed 5005 runs, which included 17 centuries and 27 fifties in his short career. In terms of innings, Kohli has equalled the record of Sir Viv Richards of West Indies, who also achieved the feat in 114 innings way back in 1987 but it was Viv's 126th match. Before Kohli, former captain Sourav Ganguly was the fastest to achieve the feat among Indian batsmen in 131 matches and 126 innings.

2) Isro's Mars orbiter sends first picture of Earth, 'Helen' captured: Severe cyclonic storm "Helen" hurtling towards Andhra Pradesh coast has been captured by India's Mars orbiter in the first image of the country beamed back in its maiden mission to the red planet. " Mangalyaan" has beamed back the first set of pictures of Earth, capturing the Indian subcontinent and parts of Africa, Isro said.

3) Two of RBI’s 17-member panel favoured status quo on policy rates: Only two of the 17 members of the advisory committee wanted no change in the repo rate in the RBI’s second quarter review of monetary policy 2013-14 on October 29. However, “on monetary policy measures, all members unanimously wanted to restore symmetry in the policy corridor - with the MSF rate at 100 basis points above the policy repo rate,” RBI said in the minutes of the October 23 meeting of the Technical Advisory Committee on Monetary Policy. The committee was chaired by Governor Raghuram Rajan and among members were four Deputy Governors, other RBI officials.

4) First IAF woman to graduate as Flying Instructor: Squadron leader Shalija Dhami will become the first woman from the Indian Air Force (IAF) to qualify as a Flying Instructor from the Flying Instructors’ School in Chennai on Saturday. Dhami will be among the 44 officers, including 40 from the IAF, three from the Indian Navy and one from the Army, who will graduate from the school, a defence release said.

5) Digital network for monitoring earthquakes launched at INCOIS:  Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services launched a modern network digital project that will make monitoring of earthquakes and seismological research across India easier. Network project, Indian Seismic and GNSS Network, undertaken by the Earth System Sciences Organisation of the Ministry of Earth Sciences, is a permanent digital network connecting all standalone and institutional seismic and global positioning system stations spread all over the country on real-time basis.

6) Sachin's farewell Test garners maximum TRPs: Batting legend Sachin Tendulkar's 200th Test in his farewell series against the West Indies has emerged as the highest rated Test match on television in India in the past eight years.

7) Tarun Tejpal steps aside as Tehelka Editor for 6 months: Tehelka magazine editor Tarun Tejpal accepted “misconduct” against a woman journalist and offered to recuse himself from the post and the office for six months. Tejpal is a founder member of the Tehelka magazine.

8) Anand loses again, Carlsen a draw away from world title: Challenger Magnus Carlsen closed in on the crown after defeating defending champion Viswanathan Anand in the ninth game of the World Chess Championship match. Carlsen now leads 6-3 and needs just half a point from the remaining three games to become the new world champion.

9) Kochi ODI- India beat West Indies by six wickets: Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma hit sparkling half-centuries as a clinical India continued their domination over West Indies by thrashing the visitors by six wickets in the opening ODI of the three-match series in Kochi.

10) WhatsApp now available on Nokia Asha platform: WhatsApp, the popular instant messaging service, is now officially available on the Nokia Asha platform. All Nokia Asha 501 users can download the application through a software update. The new software also comes with a smarter camera experience through ‘swipe’ and one-touch social sharing.

11) New chief for pension fund regulator by January: Finance Ministry will finalise a new Chairman for the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) by January, a top Ministry official said. Earlier this month, Yogesh Agarwal resigned as Chairman of PFRDA, ahead of it being reconstituted as a statutory authority. At present, the Government has given Anup Wadhawan, Joint Secretary in the Department of Financial Services, additional charge as Chairman of the pension regulator. PFRDA administers the National Pension System (NPS) for Union and State Government employees and the unorganised sector. Currently, NPS has 55 lakh subscribers with a total corpus of Rs 35,000 crore. The scheme has given returns of 12-14 per cent over the last one year.

12) PayU India’s new payment option: PayU India, an online payment company, has launched ‘Release on Delivery’ payment option. This is being touted as a better alternative to the cash-on-delivery (COD) payment option.

13) Subramanian Swamy to get Brahm Gaurav award: BJP leader Subramanian Swamy will be presented Brahm Gaurav award on November 24 by Brahm Foundation.

14) Google launches debit card in US:  Google will offer a prepaid debit card that will allow consumers to purchase goods at stores and to withdraw cash from ATM machines, the internet company said. The card, which is only available in the United States, lets consumers access the funds stored in their Google Wallet accounts.

15) Allahabad high court bans 'Goliyon ki raasleela Ram-Leela' in UP: Allahabad high court on Thursday banned director Sanjay Leela Bhansali's romantic saga " Goliyon ki raasleela Ram-Leela" in Uttar Pradesh. The film starring Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh was released on November 15.The petition had contended that the film was hurting religious sentiments of Hindus and its title 'Ramleela' was giving a wrong message to society as Lord Ram's 'leela' (act) had great impact on Indian society.

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