Daily Current Affairs Updates: 16 August 2014

1) PM Narendra Modi inducts largest indigenously built INS Kolkata, says no country will dare to challenge India: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 16 Aug 2014commissioned country’s largest indigenously built warship INS Kolkata. INS Kolkata, a part of the Kolkata Class destroyers of the Indian Navy, has been built at the Mumbai-based Mazgaon Docks, a defence Public Sector Unit. Terming military might as the biggest deterrent to war, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the defence forces will be modernised to ensure that “nobody casts an evil eye” on the nation. 

Defence Minister Arun Jaitley and Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral RK Dhowan were present at the ceremony held at the Naval dockyard. The warship, constructed by the Mazagon Dockyards Limited, has been designed by Navy’s design bureau. The 6,800 tonne warship is a technology demonstrator and will showcase a giant leap in shipbuilding technology in the country. The Prime Minister had dedicated India’s largest warship INS Vikramaditya to the nation in June in his first outing after taking charge.

2) Rajni Razdan takes over as new UPSC chief: Rajni Razdan on 16 August 2014 took over as new chairman of Union Public Service Commission, which conducts the prestigious civil services examination to select IAS, IFS and IPS officers among others. Razdan was administered the oath as UPSC chief by the outgoing chairperson D P Agrawal, whose tenure ended. Her new charge comes at a time when the Commission is facing a controversy due to the demand for change in the pattern of the examination from a section of aspirants. The UPSC is headed by a chairman and 10 members.

3) 26 killed as rains wreak havoc in U'khand : Twenty-six people were killed in rain-related incidents in Uttarakhand and six people died in Himachal Pradesh as heavy showers wreaked havoc in the hill states since Friday. The Chardham yatra came to a close on Saturday as massive landslides resulted in all routes leading to the four temples getting blocked.

4) BJP Chief Amit Shah announced his new team of party office bearer: BJP president Amit Shah constituted his new team, inducting former Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa as Vice President and new RSS pointsman Ram Madhav as General Secretary. A week after his formal anointment as party President, Shah announced his new team of party office bearers that includes 11 Vice Presidents, eight General Secretaries and 14 Secretaries. The new team also includes 10 party Spokespersons, five of them are new.

5) PM laid foundation stone of Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust: Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation for a multi-crore SEZ and port connectivity project in Navi Mumbai on 16 Aug 2014. The states will soon be allowed to form their own Export Promotion Councils, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said as he underscored the need for the Centre and tates to work in tandem to give a fresh thrust to exports. He also stressed upon the need for swift removal of obstacles stalling the Special Economic Zones (SEZs).

6) Finance Minister relaunched Varishtha Pension Bima Yojana: The Union Finance Minister Shri Arun Jaitley said that Varishtha Pension Bima Yojana (VPBY) will benefit the vulnerable section of society with limited resources as it will provide monthly pension ranging from Rs 500/ to Rs 5,000/ per month to senior citizens of the country. The Union Finance Minister Shri Arun Jaitley was speaking after re-launching the Varishtha Pension Bima Yojana (VPBY) on the eve of the 68th Independence Day of the country.

Some key features of the scheme are:

* Available to citizens aged 60 years and above.

* Pension would be on immediate annuity basis in monthly, quarterly, half-yearly or annual mode, varying, respectively, between Rs. 500 to 5000 (monthly), Rs. 1500 to 15,000 (quarterly), Rs. 3000 to Rs. 30,000 (half-yearly) and from Rs. 6,000 to Rs. 60,000 (annually), depending on the amount subscribed and the option exercised.

* The payout implies an assured return of 9% on monthly payment basis, which amounts to an annualized return of 9.38%.

* Loan (up to 75% of subscribed amount) can be availed after 3 years from the Date of Commencement. * On death, the full purchase price will be refunded to nominee.

* Exit/surrender would be allowed after 15 years or earlier in special circumstances like critical / terminal illness of self or spouse.

* Payment will be through ECS or NEFT.

7) Bypoll on Sept 13 to seats vacated by Modi, Mulayam: Bypolls to the Lok Sabha seats vacated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav will be held on September 13, the Election Commission on Saturday announced. Bypoll will also be held to Medak Lok Sabha seat vacated by TRS chief K Chandrasekhar Rao after he became the first Chief Minister of Telangana. While Modi had retained Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh, he vacated Vadodra in Gujarat. Similarly, Yadav had vacated Mainpuri and retained Azamgarh in Uttar Pradesh. While bypolls will be held on September 13, the countintg will be held on September 16.

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Multiple Choice latest Current Affairs Questions: 11 & 12 August 2014

1) Name the German Striker who announced his retirement From International Football on 11 August 2014?

(A) Philip Lahm

(B) Thomas Muller

(C) Miroslav Klose

(D) FRank Ribery

2) Tata Sons-Singapore Airlines joint venture on 11 August 2014 unveiled the brand name of its new airline as?

(A) Vistara

(B) Flyhigh

(C) Megha

(D) Varuna 

3) National Judicial Appointments Commission Bill, 2014, and the 121st Constitution Amendment Bill (Insertion of new articles 124A, 124B and 124C) were introduced in the Lok Sabha on 11 August 2014 by Law Minister?

(A) Sadananda Gowda

(B) Ashok Gajapathi Raju

(C) Ram Vilas Paswan

(D) Ravi Shankar Prasad

4) Recently which Indian became the world's No.1 Test all-rounder?

(A) Ravindra Jadeja

(B) Ravichandran Ashwin

(C) Stuart Binny

(D) Bhuvneshwar Kumar

5) Who defeated Roger Federer to win Rogers Cup 2014 on 10 August 2014?

(A) Jo-Wilfried Tsonga

(B) Radael Nadal

(C) Novak Djokovic

(D) Stanslas Wawrinka

6) Which automobile company launched Elite i20, the all-new version of its premium compact car i20, on 11 August 2014?

(A) Maruti Suzuki

(B) Tata Motors

(C) Hyundai Motor India

(D) None of these

7) Name the Oscar Winning veteran actor who was found dead on 12 August 2014?

(A) Jeremy Irons

(B) Tom Cruise

(C) Jack Nicholson

(D) Robin Williams

8) 3rd World Elephant Day 2014 was observed on?

(A) 10 August

(B) 11 August

(C) 12 August

(D) 13 August

9) Prime Minister Narendra Modi dedicated two hydro power projects in Leh and Kargil to nation on 12 Aug 2014. Both these power projects are in which state?

(A) Punjab

(B) Jammu and Kashmir

(C) Sikkim

(D) Arunachal Pradesh

10) Which country finished third in FIFA 2014 World Cup?

(A) Argentina

(B) Barzil

(C) Germany

(D) Netherlands

Answers

1) Ans. (C) Miroslav Klose

2) Ans. (A) Vistara

3) Ans. (D) Ravi Shankar Prasad

4) Ans. (B) Ravichandran Ashwin

5) Ans. (A) Jo-Wilfried Tsonga

6) Ans. (C) Hyundai Motor India

7) Ans. (D) Robin Williams

8) Ans. (C) 12 August

9) Ans. (B) Jammu and Kashmir

10) Ans. (D) Netherlands

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GK Questions asked in Previous SSC Examinations

1) Who among the following was the First Viceroy of India?

(A) Lord Ripon

(B) Lord Curzon

(C) Lord Mountbatten

(D) Lord Canning

2) Which one of the following though called a garden is infact, not a garden?

(A) Vrindavan Garden of Mysore

(B) Hanging Garden of Mumbai

(C) Eden Garden of Kolkata

(D) Shalimar Garden of Kashmir

3) Which one of the following committee is associated with banking sector reforms in India?

 (A) L.C. Gupta

(B) Narasimham

(C) Chakravarty

(D) Kelkar

4) The 13th Five Year Plan will be operative for the period

(A) 2010 – 2015

(B) 2011 – 2016

(C) 2012 – 2017

(D) 2013 – 2018

5) The Constitutional Amendment Act that has introduced safeguards against the misuse of proclamation of national emergency is the

(A) 42nd Amendment Act

(B) 43rd Amendment Act

(C) 44th Amendment Act

(D) 45th Amendment Act

6)   A retired Judge of a High Court is not permitted to practice as a lawyer in

(A) Supreme Court

(B) Any Court in India

(C) High Courts

(D) Except the High Court where he retired

7) Who among the following first propounded the idea of Basic Education?

(A) Jawahar Lal Nehru

(B) Raja Ram Mohan Roy

(C) Mahatma Gandhi

(D) Daynand Saraswati

8) The earth is at its maximum distance from the Sun on

(A) January 30th

(B) December 22nd

(C) September 22nd

(D) July 4th

9)  A form of condensation that reduces visibility and causes breathing problems is

(A) Dew

(B) Frost

(C) Smog

(D) Mist

10) Which of the following is a fungal disease?

(A) Leucoderma

(B) Eczema

(C) Ringworm

(D) Elephantiasis

Answers

1) Ans. (D) Lord Canning.  Lord Mountbatten was the First Governor General of Independent India.

2) Ans. (C) Eden Garden of Kolkata

3) Ans. (B) Narasimham

4) Ans. (C) 2012 – 2017

5) Ans. (C) 44th Amendment Act

6) Ans. (B) Any Court in India

7) Ans. (C) Mahatma Gandhi

8) Ans. (D) July 4th

9) Ans. (C) Smog

10) Ans. (C) Ringworm

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Daily Current Affairs Updates: 15 August 2014

1) Nation celebrated its 68th Independence Day: Drenched in patriotic fervour, the country celebrated its 68th Independence Day with unfurling of tricolour and tributes to freedom fighters while Chief Ministers announced a number of schemes to accelerate development and appealed to extremists to shun violence. The celebrations marked by colourful parades and other events in the state capitals passed off peacefully with authorities making elaborate security arrangements in view of boycott calls given by Maoists and some insurgent outfits. From the issues of development, tackling insurgency to security of women and children, the leaders flagged the challenges faced by their states and announced steps to deal with them.

2) Govt to launch Jan Dhan scheme to promote financial inclusion: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 15 Aug 2014 launched 'Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana' to help the poor open bank accounts which will come with the facility of a debit card and an insurance cover of Rs 1 lakh. "We want to integrate the poorest of the poor with bank accounts with Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana," he said in his maiden Independence Day address to the nation. Observing that people have mobile phones but not bank accounts, Modi said, the scheme will help in bringing the benefits of formal banking system to them. Read more about PM's speech at Red Fort from here.

3) Railway Minister launched next generation e-ticketing system: The long and irritating experiences of booking train ticket through IRCTC website seems to be a thing of past now as the Railways today launched the next generation e-ticketing system enhancing the booking capacity to 7200 tickets per minute and making the whole process much faster and easier. The new system developed by Centre for Railway information Systems (CRIS) with an estimated cost of Rs 180 crore would allow booking of 7200 tickets per minute against 2000 tickets in the old system. With the launch of the system, now 1,20,000 concurrent users can book e-tickets simultaneously against the earlier capacity of 40,000 concurrent users at a time.

3) Planning Commission to be replaced with new institution: PM- The government has decided to abolish the Planning Commission, a 64-year old apex policy making body, and replace it with a new institution to address the emerging economic needs and strengthen federal structure. "We will very soon set up a new institution in place of Planning Commission," Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in his Independence Day address to the nation. The Planning Commission, he said, was set up to cater to the needs of earlier times and has participated in his own way in the development of the country. 

4) SC dismissed PIL seeking ban on Amir Khan’s PK: In a major relief Supreme Court dismissed the public interest litigation seeking ban on the release of Aamir Khan's film PK for promoting nudity and vulgarity. Supreme Court dismissed plea filed against Aamir Khan and director of film 'PK' Rajkumar Hirani for allegedly showing nudity in the movie. Aamir Khans latest poster of film PK had caused a controversy with a section of viewers. The Supreme Court told the petitioner that “If you don't like then don't watch the film but don't bring religious facets in it”. The Supreme Court also said that “These are matters of art and entertainment and let them remain so”.

5) Kush Kumar became first Indian player to reach semifinal of World Junior Squash Championship: Kush Kumar entered the semi-final of the WSF World Junior Individual Squash Championship and became the first Indian men's player to have risen this high in a global competition. In a thrilling quarterfinal, which showcased his brilliant form, Kumar beat George Parker of England 11-6, 11-8, 11-8.

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Questions asked in SBI Clerk Exam 16 August 2014- Evening Shift

Friends..Here are some questions asked in today's (16 August 2014) SBI Clerk Exam evening shift. These questions were shared by our friend Kushal Garg. 

1. Capital of Cyprus?- Nicosia

2. Currency of Saudi Arabia?- Saudi Riyal

3. Durand cup related to which sport?- Football

4. World television day?- November 21

5. SEBI imposed penalty on which company for producing less gas?- Reliance Industries

6. Ram Naik has been appointed as governor of which state?- Uttar Pradesh

7. Headquarter of New BRICS Development bank in which country?- Shanghai, China

8. Which power plant has become country's first power plant to produce 1000MW electricity?- Kudamkulam

9. "The substance and shadow" is biography of whom?- Dilip Kumar

10.  Who won golden ball award at fifa 2014?- Lionel Messi

11.  Which sri lankan player recently announced his retirement from test cricket?- Mahela Jayawardene

12. Velox-1 satellite is related to which country?- Singapore

13.  Who is president of world bank?- Jim Yong Kim

14. Gandhi peace prize winner chandi prasad bhatt is a?- environmentalist and social activist

15. Narender singh tomar is the minister of?- Minister of Mines

16. TARC (TAX administration reform commission) committee is headed by?- Parthasarathi Shome

17. Rs. 100 note bears the signature of?- RBI Governor

18. How much Fees to be paid to fill up the form for banking ombudsman?- No fees 

19. Headquarters of AIR India?- Parliamentry street in Delhi

20. Boundary name between India and Pakistan?- Radcliffe Line

21. BOR national park maharashtra has been announced a reserve for which animal?- Tiger

22. Which board of india has barred Satyam computer Chairman B.ramalinga raju from accessing the securities market for 14 years?- SEBI

23. World bank predicted world trade at?-

24. Expand RAM?- Random Access Memory

25. Expand EVM?- Electonic Voting Machine

26.  What are 4P's of marketing?- Product, Place, Price, Promotion

27.  Aruna Prabha tv is for people of?- North East.

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Current Affairs Questions & Answers: 08 to 10 August 2014

1) World Health Organization (WHO) on 8 August 2014 declared which disease as international health emergency?

(A) Swine Flu

(B) Polio

(C) Ebola

(D) None of these

2) Who was selected as the Chairman of the Dronacharya Award Selection Committee on 7 August 2014?

(A) Kapil Dev

(B) P T Usha

(C) Ajitpal Singh

(D) Sunil Gavaskar

 3) Philips India has recently roped in whom as its brand ambassador for its beauty business?

(A) Alia Bhatt

(B) Shraddha Kapoor

(C) Deepika Padukone

(D) All the above

4) Didier Drogba who has announced his retirement from international football on 8 August 2014 is from which country?

(A) South Africa

(B) France

(C) Ivory Coast

(D) Nigeria

5) Who was confirmed as BJP President at party’s National Council meeting held on 9 August 2014?

(A) Amit Shah

(B) Narendra Modi

(C) Rajnath Singh

(D) Venkaiah Naidu

6) Who was presented the ‘Business Leader of the Year’ award in AIMA Managing India Awards 2014 recently?

(A) Ratan Tata

(B) Cyrus Mistry

(C) Sumit Mittal

(D) Adi Godrej

7) Iran-140 Sepahan Air passenger plane crashed on 10 August 2014 near which airport?

(A) Islamabad Airport

(B) Tenhran Airport

(C) Mehrabad airport

(D) None of these

8) Haider al-Abadi was recently named as the new prime minister of?

(A) Bangladesh

(B) Iran

(C) Afghanistan

(D) Iraq

9) India women's recurve team recently won gold in Archery World Cup Stage IV held at?

(A) Scotland

(B) Poland

(C) Germany

(D) Tajikistan

10) According to latest energy efficiency ranking, which among the following countries has been ranked no.1?

(A) Germany

(B) USA

(C) India

(D) Australia

Answers

1) Ans. (C) Ebola

2) Ans. (C) Ajitpal Singh. He is a three-time Olympian and former Hockey Captain.

3) Ans. (A) Alia Bhatt

4) Ans. (C) Ivory Coast

5) Ans. (A) Amit Shah

6) Ans. (D) Adi Godrej

7) Ans. (C) Mehrabad airport

8) Ans. (D) Iraq

9) Ans. (B) Poland

10) Ans. (A) Germany. India placed at No.11.

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Daily Current Affairs: 14 August 2014

1) Judicial appointments bill passed in Rajya Sabha: The Rajya Sabha on Thursday passed the landmark National Judicial Appointments Commission Bill, 2014, which was passed unanimously by the Lok Sabha on 13 August 2014, in a move that is being seen as a major victory for the Modi sarkar. The Bill was passed by a voice vote and will lead to the scrapping of the current collegium system of appointment of judges to Higher Judiciary in India. The Constitution Amendment Bill was cleared by the Rajya Sabha with 179 votes in favour and one abstention of noted lawyer Ram Jethmalani. The bill will make way for the setting up of a National Judicial Appointments Commission which will appoint and transfer judges to the Supreme Courts and the 24 High Courts.

2) Major Mukund Varadarajan Awarded Ashok Chakra, the Highest Gallantry Award:  Major Mukund Varadarajan, who killed three terrorists in Kashmir before he was shot dead in April this year, has been awarded the Ashok Chakra, the nation's highest peace-time gallantry award. The 31-year-old Major's buddy Sepoy Vikram Singh and two naval officers who died on board the INS Sindhuratna while trying to save fellow sailors, are among 12 others who have been awarded the Shaurya Chakra. This year's list of 55 gallantry awards also includes 39 Sena (Army) Medals, one Nao Sena (Navy) Medal and two Vayu Sena (Air Force) Medal.

3) WHO clears use of experimental drug ZMapp: The World Health Organization gave a green light to the use of experimental drugs to combat the Ebola outbreak in West Africa, with demand for—and questions about—untested treatments growing after two infected Americans received some.

4) RBI cuts number of free cross-bank ATM transactions to 3 per month in six metropolitan cities: Frequent withdrawal of money from ATMs will become expensive from November, with the RBI imposing a limit of 3 transactions per month from ATMs of other banks and 5 from the same bank in six metropolitan cities. A customer will be required to pay a fee of up to Rs 20 for using Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) beyond the permitted numbers of transactions in Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore, Kolkata and Hyderabad. The new guidelines, which were issued in pursuance of a representation made to the central bank by Indian Banks' Association, will come into effect from November 1, 2014.

5) Life sentence to Sher Singh Rana for killing Phoolan Devi: A Delhi court on Thursday pronounced life sentence to lone convict Sher Singh Rana for the murder of bandit-turned-politician Phoolan Devi in 2001. The court also imposed a fine of Rs 1 lakh on Rana.

6) Borussia Dortmund beat Bayern Munich 2-0 to win German Super Cup: Borussia Dortmund beat Bayern Munich 2-0 in the German Super Cup on Wednesday to win the first domestic title of the season. Dortmund shut down former teammate Robert Lewandowski, while on the other side Henrikh Mkhitaryan scored in the 23rd minute and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang sealed the victory in the 62nd.

7) French winger Franck Ribery retired from International Football: French winger Franck Ribery has announced his retirement from international football, he said in an interview with the German magazine Kicker. Bayern Munich's Ribery, 31, the winner of the 2013 UEFA European Player of the Year award, has won 80 caps for France since his international debut in 2006.

8) Former RBI governor Bimal Jalan to head expenditure panel:  Bimal Jalan, former RBI Governor, will head Expenditure Management Commission which will suggest ways to reduce food, fertiliser and oil subsidies to contain the fiscal deficit. "Terms for reference would be shortly issued," Jalan told PTI. The EMC is being set up following the announcement made by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley in the Budget 2014-15.

9) Hindi name of water resources ministry changed: The name of the Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation in Hindi has been changed to Jal Sansadhan, Nadi Vikas Aur Ganga Sanrakshan Mantralaya. Earlier it was known as Jal Sansadhan, Nadi Vikas Aur Ganga Jeernodhar Mantralaya, a press release said. A Gazette notification to this effect has been issued, it added.

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Daily Current Affairs Updates: 13 August 2014

1) AIADMK's Thambidurai elected Deputy Speaker of Lok Sabha: AIADMK leader M. Thambidurai was elected unopposed as Deputy Speaker of Lok Sabha on Wednesday after all major parties, including Congress, extended support to his candidature. The 67-year-old AIADMK leader was the only candidate to file nominations for the post within the stipulated time with 11 parties in the ruling side and the opposition including BJP and Congress supporting him. The AIADMK leader was elected to the post after a motion, moved by Home Minister Rajnath Singh and seconded by External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj supporting him, was carried by voice vote amid thumping of desks from all sides.

2) Arun Jaitley, Karan Singh and Sharad Yadav get outstanding Parliamentarian awards: President Pranab Mukherjee on 12 Aug 2014 conferred the Outstanding Parliamentary award to Karan Singh, JD(U) chief Sharad Yadav and Arun Jaitley. Presented by the Indian Parliamentary Group, the outstanding Parliament award for the year 2010, 2011, 2012 were given to Jaitley, Singh and Yadav respectively at the Balyogi Auditorium in Parliament Library. President said the award recognizes illustrious parliamentarians who have contributed significantly to strengthen the country's democratic traditions and enrich the Parliamentary system. He said that it honours the finest parliamentarians who have upheld the dignity of the House and have set exemplary precedents in Parliamentary conduct.

3) No Khel Ratna this year, 15 named for Arjuna Awards: No sportsperson has been named for the prestigious Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna while 15, including cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin, were recommended for the Arjuna Award this year. The 12-member selection committee, headed by legendary cricketer Kapil Dev, decided not to name any sportsperson out of the seven candidates for the Khel Ratna at a meeting. This is the third time no sportsperson has been named for the Khel Ratna since the inception of the country's highest sporting award in 1991. The Sports Ministry will examine 15 names recommended by the selection panel and it may drop or even add any sportsperson in the list for the Arjuna Award. The Arjuna Award consists of a statuette, a certificate, ceremonial dress, and a cheque of Rs 5 lakh. The award will be conferred on August 29, the National Sports Day.

4) Indian-origin mathematician Manjul Bhargava wins Fields Medal 'Nobel Prize' of maths: Two Indian-origin academicians have won prestigious global prizes in the field of mathematics with one of them being awarded the Fields Medal - known as the "Nobel Prize of mathematics". Manjul Bhargava won the Fields Medal while Subhash Khot won the Rolf Nevanlinna Prize, awarded by the International Mathematical Union (IMU), at the International Congress of Mathematicians 2014 held in Seoul. Manjul Bhargava, a professor of mathematics at Princeton University, was among the four winners who have been awarded the Fields Medal, given out every four years. Iranian-born mathematician and Stanford University professor Maryam Mirzakhani became the first woman to win the Fields Medal this year.

5) Real Madrid wins UEFA Super Cup: Moving on from a frustrating World Cup, Cristiano Ronaldo began the new season as the last one ended for Real Madrid C.F. — with goals and a trophy. The Portugal forward netted both goals as the European champions convincingly overcame Europa League winner Sevilla with a 2-0 victory to collect the UEFA Super Cup.

6) Himachal Pradesh selected to host First Para-gliding World Cup in India: Paragliding World Cup Association selected Himachal Pradesh as a venue to host the 2015 para-gliding World Cup. This will be the first para-gliding World Cup to be hosted in India. The tournament will be organised under the aegis of Para-gliding World Cup Association, France. The information was disclosed by Urban Development Minister Sudhir Sharma, who is also Chairman of the Billing Paragliding Association on 13 August 2014.

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Daily Current Affairs from 12 August 2014

1) Actor Robin Williams dead in apparent suicide bid: Oscar Winning veteran actor Robin Williams,63, was found dead, Police has said. The apparent cause of the death was suicide, authorities said. "Robin Williams passed away this morning. He has been battling severe depression of late. This is a tragic and sudden loss. The family respectfully asks for their privacy as they grieve during this very difficult time," a statement issued by his publicists said. He was also lauded for his serious roles. Williams's performance as Sean Maguire, the therapist who counsels Matt Damon's math genius in "Good Will Hunting" (1997), earned him a best supporting actor Oscar. He was also nominated for his performances in films like "The Fisher King" (1991), "Dead Poets Society" (1989) and "Good Morning, Vietnam" (1987). Born in Chicago in 1951, Williams became one of only two students accepted into John Houseman's prestigious acting program at Julliard, the other being Christopher Reeve, who became a lifelong friend.

2) Haider al-Abadi named as New Iraqi Prime Minister: Iraq's president has named Haider al-Abadi as the country's new prime minister, an appointment that came amid speculation that the embattled incumbent, Nouri al-Maliki, would cling onto power even after his country had dissolved into chaos and the United States made it clear that it would not support him as leader anymore.

3) Modi dedicates two hydro power projects in Leh and Kargil: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday laid the foundation stone for Leh-Kargil-Srinagar Transmission System in Ladakh in Jammu and Kashmir besides inaugurating the Nimmo Bazgo hydel project as he promised development of the region. Modi, who is the first PM to visit Leh after the Kargil war, is dedicating to the nation  two hydel power projects in Leh and Kargil in Jammu & Kashmir. These projects are the 44 MW Chutak hydroelectric project in Kargil district and the 45 MW Nimoo Bazgo project in Leh district. Modi thus also laid the foundation of the first power transmission line from Leh to Kargil and Kargil to Srinagar. After Leh he will visit Kargil.

4) 3rd World Elephant Day 2014 observed: The day is dedicated towards the preservation and protection of the world’s elephants as a whole and Asian and African elephants in particular. Both the species are part of IUCN Red List of threatened species. African Elephants are in vulnerable category while Asian Elephants are considered endangered.

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