Daily Current Affairs Updates: 05 March 2014

1) Election Commission announced nine-phase parliamentary election schedule: By announcing on Wednesday the dates for Lok Sabha polls, the Election Commission has heralded an unduly long and blistering summer election. Over 814 million voters — constituting the biggest electorate in the world — will exercise their franchise to elect 543 members to the 16 th Lok Sabha in nine phases (April 7 to May 12), the first time since India became a republic in 1950. Assembly elections will also be held simultaneously in the states of Andhra Pradesh, including the Telangana region, Orissa and Sikkim. Counting will take place on May 16. Read more about the election schedule from here. 

2) Dial '1063' to register telecom complaints: Telecom subscribers across the country can now register complaints by dialling a special toll free number '1063'.

A note circulated by DoT said a short code '1063' has been activated by the Public Grievances Cell in the Department of Telecom (DoT) headquarters in New Delhi as a telecom consumer grievances helpline. The new number will bring subscriber grievances into the notice of DoT.

3) After Penguin, another publisher recalls Wendy Doniger's book: Within weeks of Penguin controversially recalling Wendy Doniger's book, 'The Hindus: An Alternative History', another publisher, Aleph, pulled out the American author's previous work, 'On Hinduism', on Tuesday. Bookshops across Bangalore received calls from representatives of Aleph Book Company, promoted by Rupa Publications, seeking return of all copies of the book.

4) Assam becomes first Indian state to observe Child Protection Day: Assam became the first state in the country to observe Child Protection Day on Tuesday with about 1400 children participating in the central function in Guwahati. The day was observed across the state and a central function was organised under the aegis of Assam State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (ASCPCR) in collaboration with the UNICEF. November 20 is observed globally as Universal Children’s Day every year.

5) US First Lady Honours Indian Acid Attack Victim Laxmi: US First Lady Michelle Obama has felicitated Indian acid attack victim Laxmi after she won the International Women of Courage Award for successfully leading the campaign against acid attacks on women in India. Instead of hiding her disfigured face "she became the standard-bearer in India for the movement to end acid attacks," Higginbottom said, adding she had managed to win over the Supreme Court to regulate the sales of acid.

6) R Neelakantan returns to SpiceJet as chief financial officer:  Second largest low-cost carrier SpiceJet Ltd on Wednesday appointed R Neelakantan as its chief financial officer, marking his second coming to the Chennai-based airline, and also appointed four senior vice presidents. Neelakantan, who had served as CFO from November 2010 to February 2013, is returning to the role after serving as the internal audit head at the parent Sun Group.

7) Peter Oppenheimer, Apple’s CFO, to retire at end of September: Apple on Tuesday announced that Peter Oppenheimer, the company's senior vice president and CFO, will retire at the end of September. Luca Maestri, Apple's vice president of finance and corporate controller, will succeed Oppenheimer as CFO. He will report to Tim Cook.

8) Third BIMSTEC summit 2014 held in Myanmar: Third BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation) Summit was held from 1 March to 4 March 2014 in Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar. The Third BIMSTEC summit was attended by the heads from six countries and Special Envoy of the Prime Minister of Thailand, namely Prime Minister of India, Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Prime Minister of Nepal, President of Sri Lanka, Prime Minister of Bhutan and President of Myanmar.

9) TN bags Subbaiah Pillai Trophy: Tamil Nadu made best use of favourable conditions to coast to a seven-wicket victory over Karnataka, and with it, emerged the K.S. Subbaiah Pillai Trophy champion here on Wednesday.

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Lok Sabha elections to be held in 9 phases from April 7 to May 12, counting on May 16

>> The Election Commission on Wednesday announced the schedule for the 2014 Lok Sabha elections saying they will be held in nine phases from April 7, 2014 to May 12, 2014.

>> Chief election commissioner VS Sampath announced the dates in a press conference. The two election commissioners HS Brahma and SNA Zaidi were also present.

>> The counting of votes to be held on May 16 and will be over in a day, Sampath told reporters.

>> The first date of poll shall be on April 7, 2014 which will be held in two states and six parliamentary constituencies will be covered. The second phase of poll on April 9 will cover seven constituencies in five states. The third phase on April 10 to cover 92 constituencies in 14 states and the fourth day of poll on April 12 to cover three states and five constituencies.

>> The fifth will be on April 17 which will cover 13 states and UTs and 122 constituencies and sixth phase will be on April 24, covering 12 states and 117 constituencies.

>> The seventh phase will be held on April 30 to cover nine states and 89 constituencies, eighth phase on May 7 will cover seven states and 64 constituencies and the last and ninth phase on will be on May 12 and cover 3 states and 41 constituencies.

Model Code of Conduct in effect!!

>> The model code of conduct has come into immediate effect. It prevents the government from making any decisions that can be seen as influencing voters. It also prohibits political parties from making unsubstantiated allegations against opponents.

>> Chief election commissioner said that the total number of electorate this year stands at 81.4 crore and has increased by 10 crore as compared to the last parliamentary elections in 2009.

>> The chief election commissioner also said there has been a 12% increase in the number of polling stations in the country with 9,30,000 stations this year. There were 8.3 lakh stations in the last elections.

>> Andhra Pradesh, including the regions comprising Telangana, Odisha and Sikkim will go to polls to elect new assemblies.Election commissioner Brahma said that all Maoist-hit areas will be covered in a single day across India.

>> The decision to announce the dates to elect 543 members to Lok Sabha was taken after a series of meeting by Sampath on Tuesday and firming up of the security plan.

>> In a first for general elections, voters will also be able to reject all candidates with None Of The Above (NOTA) buttons on 1.5 million electronic voting machines (EVMs).The EC will also experiment with verifiable paper trail system with EVMs in about 10,000 polling booths.

Here is the Lok Sabha Poll Schedule for each state

STATE / UT	DATE	STATE / UT	DATE
Andhra Pradesh	April 30, May 7	Arunchal Pradesh	April 9
Assam	April 7, 12, 24	Bihar	April 10, 17, 24, 30, May 7, 12
Goa	April 17	Gujarat	April 30
Haryana	April 10	Himachal Pradesh	May 7
Jammu & Kashmir	April 10, 17, 24, 30, May 7	Karnataka	April 17
Kerala	April 10	Madhya Pradesh	April 10, 17, 24
Maharashtra	April 10, 17, 24	Manipur	April 9, 17
Meghalaya	April 9	Mizoram	April 9
Nagaland	April 9	Odisha	April 10, 17
Punjab	April 30	Rajasthan	April 17, 24
Sikkim	April 12	Tamil Nadu	April 24
Tripura	April 7, 12	Uttar Pradesh	April 10, 17, 24, 30, May 7, 12
West Bengal	April 17, 24, 30, May 7, 12	Chhattisgarh	April 10, 17, 24
Jharkhand	April 10, 17, 24	Uttarakhand	May 7
Andaman & Nicobar Islands	April 10	Chandigarh	April 10
Dadra & Nagar Haveli	April 30	Daman & Diu	April 30

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GK and Current Affairs Quiz: 23 & 24 February 2014

1) What was the motto of Sochi Winter Olympics 2014?

(A) Citius, Altius, Fortius

(B) Hot. Cool. Yours

(C) True Spirit

(D) Inspire a generation

2) Pyeongchang city will host the next winter olympics in 2018. It is in which country?

(A) Finland

(B) China

(C) Scotland

(D) South Korea

3) Which municipality in Kerala on 23 Feb 2014 became the first municipal body in the country to win an ISO certification for quality management?

(A) Malappuram

(B) Cannanore

(C) Attingal

(D) Palakkad

4) Which African country’s President on 24 February 2014 signed a controversial anti-gay bill that allows harsh penalties for homosexual offenses?

(A) Zimbabwe

(B) Sudan

(C) Uganda

(D) Kenya

5) Which team lifted 2nd edition of Hockey India League cup on 23 February 2014?

(A) Mumbai Magicians

(B) Delhi Wave Riders

(C) Ranchi Rhinos

(D) Punjab Warriors

6) India’s first all-women bank Bharatiya Mahila Bank (BMB) recently (Feb 2014) tied up with which public-sector general insurance company for launching 3 health insurance products for women account holders of the bank?

(A) New India Assurance

(B) United India Insurance

(C) National Insurance Company

(D) The Oriental Insurance

7) Name the first ever Android-based phone series to be manufactured by Nokia as announced on 24 February 2014?

(A) S- series

(B) X-Series

(C) B- Series

(D) N Series

8) Who was the first cricketer in the world to score 10,000 runs in Test Cricket?

(A) Brian Lara

(B) Allan Border

(C) Steve Waugh

(D) Sunil Gavaskar

9) To preserve the filaments at high temprature, which gas is filled in the electric bulbs?

(A) Argon

(B) Helium

(C) Krypton

(D) Xenon

10) The insulin, a necessary harmone to absorb glucose (sugar) from the blood, is produced by which endocrine gland in human body?

(A) Thyroid

(B) Adrenal

(C) Pancreas

(D) Pituitary

Answers

1) Ans. (B) Hot. Cool. Yours

2) Ans. (D) South Korea

3) Ans. (A) Malappuram

4) Ans. (C) Uganda

5) Ans. (B) Delhi Wave Riders

6) Ans. (A) New India Assurance

7) Ans. (B) X-Series

8) Ans. (D) Sunil Gavaskar

9) Ans. (A) Argon

10) Ans. (C) Pancreas

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Daily Current Affairs: 04 March 2014

1) Sheila Dikshit appointed new Kerala governor: Former Delhi chief minister Shiela Dikshit was on Tuesday named as governor of Kerala. She replaces Nikhil Kumar, who has held the post since March 2013. Dikshit's appointment as governor of the southern state came after Kumar stepped down amid speculation that he may contest the Lok Sabha poll from Bihar. Dikshit served as Delhi's chief minister from 1998 to 2013 before she lost to Aam Aadmi Party leader Arvind Kejriwal in the December 2013 assembly polls. She lost her assembly seat by over 20,000 votes.

2) Graeme Smith announced shock retirement from cricket: South African cricketer Graeme Smith has announced he will retire from all forms of international cricket at the conclusion of the final Test against Australia in Cape Town. Smith, 33, is playing his 117th Test match - 109 of which have been as captain, a world record - and currently stands on 9257 runs. He won 53 of the matches as captain another world record.

3) Interest rates on FDs offered by post offices hiked, PPF rate unchanged: A day ahead of Lok Sabha polls announcement, the government on Tuesday decided to hike interest rates on fixed deposit schemes offered by post offices by up to 0.2 per cent. The interest rate on popular PPF (public provident fund) has, however, been kept unchanged at 8.7 per cent. New interest rates on small savings schemes will come into effect from April 1, an official release said. The decision to hike interest rates, which is in line with the recommendations of Shyamala Gopinath Committee, will make small savings schemes more attractive and returns would be in sync with market rates.

4) On June 2, Telangana will officially become India's 29th state: The Centre has fixed June 2 as the formation day for Telangana, the country’s 29th state. The Union home ministry is issuing a formal notification late Tuesday night announcing June 2 as the "appointed date" when the states of Telangana and residuary Andhra Pradesh formally come into existence, splitting the undivided state of Andhra Pradesh. The decision came after a meeting between home minister Sushilkumar Shinde and President Pranab Mukherjee late on Tuesday evening. The central government has already issued a gazette notification on the formation of the 29th state of the country. This came after Parliament gave its approval on February 20 for the creation of Telangana by bifurcating Andhra Pradesh.

5) Bill Gates again declared as most richest man of the world: The surging price of Microsoft shares returned US tech tycoon Bill Gates back to the top of Forbes’s world’s billionaires list, with his $76 billion beating out Mexico’s Carlos Slim’s $72 billion. Gates is back at the top spot after a four-year hiatus, reclaiming the title of world's richest person from Mexican telecom mogul Carlos Slim Helu, who had ranked number 1 for the previous four years. With a networth of USD 18.6 billion, Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) chief Mukesh Ambani leads the pack of 56 billionaires based in India featured on the list.

6) Hockey India granted National Sports Federation status by Government: Hockey India’s (HI) bid to be the sole body of governance for the national sport in the country has got a shot in the arm after the Government of India recently accorded it the status of a National Sports Federation (NSF). HI, which was derecognised by the Union Sports Ministry in 2012 for not adhering to government guidelines, internal disputes and mismanagement, has finally been recognised as the sole body for the promotion of hockey in the country by the government.

7) First Goan woman judge in Bombay High Court: Judge Anuja Prabhudessai has on Monday became the first woman from Goa to be sworn-in as Judge of the (Bombay) High Court. For 52 year-old Ms. Prabhudessai, the journey to this position has been a cumbersome one. She was served a suspension order four years back, which many in legal circles suspected to be a systematic ploy to sideline her and abort her impending elevation as judge of the Bombay High Court, as she was the senior most District and Sessions judge at that juncture.

8) New chief for IREDA: KS Popli has taken over as the Chairman and Managing Director of Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency. IREDA is Government-owned agency under the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy that is mandated to promote, develop and extend financial assistance for renewable energy and energy efficiency.

9) 'Horrendous' two-finger test on rape victims banned: The central government has prohibited the two-finger test performed on rape victims and asked all hospitals to set up a designated room for their forensic and medical examination. These guidelines are among the many announced by the Union health ministry for treating rape victims. The Department of Health Research (DHR) and Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) with the help of experts formulated this set of national guidelines for dealing with criminal assault cases.

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Daily Current Affairs Updates: 03 March 2014

1) Oscars 2014 announced: ‘12 Years a Slave’ bags best picture- The 86th Annual Academy Oscar Awards 2014 was announced on 2 March 2014 with historical drama "12 Years a Slave" winning best picture. Hi-tech space thriller Gravity won a leading seven awards in the ceremony. Alfonso Cuaron won the Best director award for Gravity. Matthew McConaughey won the best actor award for “Dallas Buyers Club” while Cate Blanchett won the best actress award for “Blue Jasmine”. See complete list of winners click here.

2) Date for exchanging pre-2005 currency notes extended to January 1, 2015: “The Reserve Bank of India has extended the date for exchanging the pre-2005 banknotes to January 01, 2015. It has also advised banks to facilitate the exchange of these notes for full value and without causing any inconvenience whatsoever to the public,” a statement by the central bank said. The Reserve Bank has also clarified that people can use these notes freely for any transaction till the new timeline.

3) Srilanka enters finals of Asia Cup 2014: In-form Sri Lanka sailed into the summit clash of the Asia Cup cricket tournament with a resounding 129-run victory over minnows Afghanistan on Monday.

4) Workdays for tribals under MNREGA raised from 100 to 150: Union Government of India on 28 February 2014 raised the number of workdays under MNREGA (Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act 2005) from 100 days to 150 days. This hike in the workdays will benefit 14 lakh families in India and the decision Union Cabinet will come into effect from April 2014.

5) Manmohan Singh arrived in Myanmar for BIMSTEC summit: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh arrived in Myanmar on Monday to attend the  Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) Summit, making a strong pitch for giving a fillip to India's Look East policy and explore ways to enhance connectivity, transport, trade, tourism and other linkages to all the northeastern states.

6) Kalyan Singh made BJP vice-president: The former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister, Kalyan Singh, who rejoined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday, was appointed national vice-president. Party president Rajnath Singh announced Mr. Singh’s new appointment on Monday. Mr. Singh was the Chief Minister when the Babri mosque was demolished in 1992.

7) Railways launched SMS alert service for waitlisted passengers:  Now you will no longer have to dial 139 or visit the rail website to check the status of your waitlisted ticket as the railways will now send booking status messages to passengers on mobile phones, if the tickets get confirmed before the journey. "For the last 10 days the trial was going on and on Monday we formally launched the SMS alert service for all passengers whose waitlisted tickets get confirmed," minister of state for railways Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said.

8)  Justice KT Thomas quits as head of Lokpal search committee: In a major embarrassment to the Congress government at the Centre, Justice KT Thomas has quit as the head of the Lokpal Committee Search Panel, reports said on Monday. According to reports, Justice Thomas, who was the head of the panel to search nine members of the Lokpal or national anti-corruption ombudsman, has sent his resignation letter to the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) expressing his inability to continue with his job.

9) Arvind Bhat lifts German Open title: Veteran Indian shuttler Arvind Bhat ended a seven-year title drought as he clinched the German Open Grand Prix Gold with a grueling three-game upset triumph over 12th seed Dane Hans-Kristian Vittinghus in the men's singles final Germany.

10) Delhi HC set to get first woman Chief Justice: The Delhi High Court is set to get its first woman Chief Justice with the Supreme Court collegium, headed by Chief Justice of India P Sathasivam, recommending the name of current Andhra Pradesh High Court judge — Justice G Rohini — as the next Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court.

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IBPS Specialist officer III Interview Schedule Published

Friends... IBPS has issued the notification on the date of common interview of IBPS Specialist officer III. IBPS has conducted the exam for Specialist Officers on 8th and 9th February 2014 and results were published on 21 February 2014. As per the schedule published, interviews are starting from 18th March 2014. Dates mentioned are as follows:

>> Download of call letters for Interview:  After 04.03.2014

>> Conduct of Interview:   18th March 2014 onwards

>> Provisional Allotment: On or after 01.04.2014

View official Notification: Click Here

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Clarification on fresh attempts and age relaxation in Civil Services Examination

Friends...As you are aware recently Government has announced relaxation in age and number of attempts for appearing in the Civil Service Examination. Now the Department of Personnel & Training has issued orders in this regard and the same is as follows:

View Official Order: Click Here

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Employment News this week: Job Highlights (01st – 07th March 2014)

1.  Central Mine Planning & Design Institute Limited

No. of the Post – 99

Name of Post – Junior Scientific Assistant (GR-II), Surveyor (Civil) & Accountant

Last Date : 31.03.2014

2. Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)

Name of the Post - Scientist/Engineer ‘SC’ (Electronics, Mechanical & Computer Science)

No. of the Post – 102

Last Date : 13.03.2014

3. Public Service Commission, Uttar Pradesh

No. of Vacancies - 1280 Lecturers

Last Date : 11.03.2014

4.  Indo-Tibetan Border Police Force

No. of Vacancies – 260

Name of the Post - Asst. Sub-Inspector, Head Constable and Constables in various discipline

Last Date : 31.03.2014

5.  Assam Gramin Vikash Bank

No. of Vacancies –215

Name of the Post - Officer Scale-II, Officer Scale-I and Office Asst.

Last Date : 10.03.2014

6. Cochin Shipyard Limited

No. of Vacancies – 228

Name of the Post - Accountant, Junior Technical Assistant, Welder cum Fitter, Fitter, Painter etc.

Last Date : 10.03.2014

7.  Satyawati College (Evening)

Name of Post – Assistant Professor

No. of Vacancies – 42

Last Date – 08.03.2014

Source: www.employmentnews.gov.in

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