Current Affairs: January 2013 (Last Week)
Vishwaroopam which was originally slated to be
released on 25 January 2013 was once again banned by the Madras High Court on
30 January 2013. Tamil Nadu government
under Section 144 of the Indian Criminal Procedure Code banned the film because
of allegations by certain Islamic organisations. Islamic organisations
protested that the film displayed their community in negative light.
The Reserve Bank of India on 29 January 2013
slashed its key interest rates by 0.25 per cent and released 18000 crore rupees
additional liquidity into the system to perk up growth through reduced cost of
borrowing. RBI in its third quarter monetary policy review surprised the market
by cutting short-term lending rate called repo, by 0.25 per cent to 7.75 per
cent and Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR) by similar margin to 4 per cent.
Novak Djokovic returned to his dominant best to
win his third consecutive Australian Open title, denying Andy Murray a second
major championship with a 6-7 (2), 7-6 (3), 6-3, 6-2 victory on January 27,
2013 at Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne. It was Djokovik’s third consecutive
Australian Open title and fourth overall. The top-ranked Djokovic is the first
man in the Open era to win three straight Australian titles while nine others
have won back-to-back but were unable to win three in a row.
Indian Cricket Team Captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni
was appointed as the vice-president of India Cements Ltd. (ICL) on 1 February
2013. Until recently, Mr. Dhoni was an employee of the national carrier Air
India. India Cements owns IPL franchise Chennai Super Kings, the captaincy of
which lies in the hands of Dhoni since 2008. The Managing
Director-cum-vice-chairman of India Cements is Shri N Srinivasan, the BCCI
President. In the wake of his induction
into the company, Mr. Dhoni has also been included in The India Cements’ squad
for corporate tournament of the BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India).
Canada based Research In Motion, popularly known
as RIM and makers of Blackberry phone, on 30 January 2013 announced that it
will now be known as Blackberry. The handset maker also launched two devices
under its new operating system Blackberry 10. While the Z10 is an all touch
device, the Q10 has QWERTY portrait keyboard
The Election Commission of India celebrated the
3rd National Voters’ Day across the country on 25 January 2013. The theme for
the 3rd NVD is Inclusion. NVD functions were held at more than 6.5 lakh
locations across the country covering nearly all 8.5 lakh Polling Stations.
Around 46000 Educational Institutions also celebrated National Voters’ Day.
Around 4867 Youth Voter Festivals have been held across the states to engage
youth in the registration process. The National Function to mark the 3rd
National Voters’ Day was held at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi.
India celebrated its 64th Republic Day on 26
January 2013. Unfurling of National flag, the rich cultural heritage, and
nation's achievements in various fields were the highlights of Republic Day
Parade at Rajpath in Delhi. The well-turned out and synchronised military and
police formations led by General Officer Commanding (Delhi) Lt General Subroto
Mitra marched proudly to the tunes of bands through the Rajpath where President
Pranab Mukherjee, the Supreme Commander of Armed Forces, took salute for the
first time after assuming office in July 2012. The impressive march-past was
watched by Chief Guest, King of Bhutan, Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuk.
Major Abup J Manjali of the Rashtriya Rifles was
selected for the award of Kirti Chakra for his extraordinary bravery efforts in
counter- terrorist operations in Jammu and Kashmir. Major Manjali is the only
soldier to receive this second- highest peacetime gallantry award Kirti Chakra
on the Republic Day. Apart from him, eight other jawans as well as officers
were selected to be awarded with the Shaurya Chakra.
The Election Commission (EC) of India on 22
January 2013 announced Saina Nehwal and Mary Kom as the National Icons to help
promote, voter participation in India. Saina Nehwal and Mary Kom, both are
Olympic Bronze Medalists in the London Olympics 2012, in Badminton and Boxing respectively.
Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) on 23 January 2013
elected Rajnath Singh as its new President. His appointment to the post was
announced by Thawar Chand Gehlot, the Central Election Officer at the
headquarters of the party, at New Delhi.
Useful
for all competitive Examinations……..
Controversy over Kamal Haasan’s Tamil film Vishwaroopam
Vishwaroopam which was originally slated to be
released on 25 January 2013 was once again banned by the Madras High Court on
30 January 2013. Tamil Nadu government
under Section 144 of the Indian Criminal Procedure Code banned the film because
of allegations by certain Islamic organisations. Islamic organisations
protested that the film displayed their community in negative light.
The
details of the film are as follows:
Vishwaroopam is an Indian Tamil spy thriller
movie which is written, directed and co-produced by Kamal Haasan. The theme of
the film surrounds around Vishwanath (Kamal Haasan) who is a Muslim. The film involves his encounter with the
Afghani Al-Qaeda, the terrorist group.
•Director
of the film: Kamal Haasan
•Producer
of the film: Kamal Haasan and Chandra Haasan
•Written
by: Kamal Haasan and Atul Tiwari
•Star
cast: Kamal Haasan, Pooja Kumar, Andrea Jeremiah, Rahul Bose and Jaideep
Ahlawat
•Budget:
95 crore Rupees
•Distributed
by: PVP Films
Reserve
Bank of India slashed Repo Rate to 7.75 Percent and CRR to 4 Percent
The Reserve Bank of India on 29 January 2013
slashed its key interest rates by 0.25 per cent and released 18000 crore rupees
additional liquidity into the system to perk up growth through reduced cost of
borrowing. RBI in its third quarter monetary policy review surprised the market
by cutting short-term lending rate called repo, by 0.25 per cent to 7.75 per
cent and Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR) by similar margin to 4 per cent.
The repo rate cut will reduce the cost of
borrowing for individuals and corporates, whereas the reduction in CRR, which
is the portion of deposits that banks have to park with RBI, would improve the
availability of funds. Unveiling the policy review in Mumbai, RBI stated that
the stance of monetary policy in this review is intended to provide an
appropriate interest rate environment to support growth as inflation risks
moderate. CRR cut will have impact on long term interest rates.
What are Repo rate and Reverse Repo rate?
Repo (Repurchase) rate is the rate at which the
RBI lends shot-term money to the banks against securities. When the repo rate
increases borrowing from RBI becomes more expensive. Therefore, we can say that in case, RBI wants
to make it more expensive for the banks to borrow money, it increases the repo
rate; similarly, if it wants to make it cheaper for banks to borrow money, it
reduces the repo rate.
What is CRR (For Non Bankers):
CRR means Cash
Reserve Ratio. Banks in India are
required to hold a certain proportion of their deposits in the form of cash. However, actually Banks don’t hold these as
cash with themselves, but deposit such case with Reserve Bank of India (RBI) /
currency chests, which is considered as equivlanet to holding cash with RBI.
This minimum ratio (that is the part of the total deposits to be held as cash)
is stipulated by the RBI and is known as the CRR or Cash Reserve Ratio. Thus, when a bank’s deposits increase by
Rs100, and if the cash reserve ratio is 6%, the banks will have to hold
additional Rs 6 with RBI and Bank will be able to use only Rs 94 for
investments and lending / credit purpose. Therefore, higher the ratio (i.e.
CRR), the lower is the amount that banks will be able to use for lending and
investment. This power of RBI to reduce
the lendable amount by increasing the CRR, makes it an instrument in the hands
of a central bank through which it can control the amount that banks lend. Thus, it is a tool used by RBI to control liquidity
in the banking system.
The RBI will come out with mid-quarter review on
19 March 2013 and the annual policy on 3 May 2013.
Novak
Djokovic won Australian Open Tennis Tournament 2013
Novak Djokovic returned to his dominant best to
win his third consecutive Australian Open title, denying Andy Murray a second
major championship with a 6-7 (2), 7-6 (3), 6-3, 6-2 victory on January 27,
2013 at Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne. It was Djokovik’s third consecutive
Australian Open title and fourth overall. The top-ranked Djokovic is the first
man in the Open era to win three straight Australian titles while nine others
have won back-to-back but were unable to win three in a row.
In 2012, Djokovic had started with an epic
5-hour, 53-minute five-set win over Rafael Nadal at the Australian Open, the longest
Grand Slam final.
Djokovic won his first major title in 2008
Australian Open. He now has six Grand Slam titles altogether. Federer has won
four of his 17 majors at Melbourne, and Agassi is the only other player to have
won that many in Australia since 1968.
Victoria
Azarenka of Belarus won Australian Open 2013 in the Women’s Category
Victoria Azarenka of Belarus on 26 January 2013
won the Women’s Singles title of the Australian Open Tennis tournament at Melbourne.
The World Number One defeated Li Na of China, 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 in the final to win
the title for the second successive time.
The match lasted for 2-hour and 40-minutes which
featured 16 service breaks, with Li losing her service nine times.
Top seeded American brothers Bob and Mike Bryan
won the men's doubles title. Americans Mike and Bob Bryan won their record 13th
Grand Slam doubles title, defeating the Dutch team of Robin Haase and Igor
Sijsling 6-3, 6-4.
MS Dhoni Named as the Vice-President of India Cements
Indian Cricket Team Captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni
was appointed as the vice-president of India Cements Ltd. (ICL) on 1 February
2013. Until recently, Mr. Dhoni was an employee of the national carrier Air
India. India Cements owns IPL franchise Chennai Super Kings, the captaincy of
which lies in the hands of Dhoni since 2008. The Managing
Director-cum-vice-chairman of India Cements is Shri N Srinivasan, the BCCI
President. In the wake of his induction
into the company, Mr. Dhoni has also been included in The India Cements’ squad
for corporate tournament of the BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India).
P.R.
Vasudeva Rao becomes new Director of the Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic
Research
Dr. P.R.Vasudeva Rao, Distinguished Scientist
and Director Chemistry Group at Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research
(IGCAR) at Kalpakkam, is the new director of the centre. He succeeds S. C.
Chetal, who has retired on 31 January 2013. Dr Rao is a specialist in the area
of Actinide Chemistry and in particular in the area of Chemistry of Nuclear
Fuel Cycle. He led the research and development programmes of IGCAR related to
chemistry. His significant contribution has been towards R&D related
aqueous as well as pyrochemical reprocessing schemes.
Under his guidance, the Chemistry Group at IGCAR
is pursuing R&D on the chemistry aspects of fast reactor fuels, coolants
and control rod materials as well as the fuel cycle aspects, said a press release
issued by IGCAR.
RIM
changed name to Blackberry; Launched New Blackberry 10 Operating System
Canada based Research In Motion, popularly known
as RIM and makers of Blackberry phone, on 30 January 2013 announced that it
will now be known as Blackberry. The handset maker also launched two devices
under its new operating system Blackberry 10. While the Z10 is an all touch
device, the Q10 has QWERTY portrait keyboard
New feature in operating system, Blackberry 10:
Hub
There is a new feature in Blackberry 10. It is
called Hub. Hub integrates the social network notifications additionally with
email and BBM. The contact pages which are built in this Hub will show updated
information as well as activity. This allows a user to move from one
application to another easily through the Hub.
Writing without Typing
Another feature is called Writing without
Typing. It allows a user to flick the words from keyboard to screen. The
keyboard additionally will have in-built multi-language support which is accessible
through the gesture.
BlackBerry Balance
The new operating system also has the BlackBerry
Balance feature. This feature allows its users to split the phone for official
as well as personal uses. This will offer help to the IT managers of various
companies who could allow employees to carry one device for workplace and
personal use.
BBM Screenshare
Another feature called BBM Screenshare allows
users to share the screen with the person they are calling. It will help the
users in sharing presentations, documents and pictures while also making video
calls.
Time Shift
Time Shift allows the users to click various
pictures at a time so that they can choose the best one later.
India lifted the ODI series against England 3-2
India won the 05 match ODI series against
England 3-2, despite the latter defeated India by seven wickets in the fifth
and the last ODI played at Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium, Dharamshala
on 27 January 2013. India batted first in the match and scored 226 in 49.4
overs. In reply, England easily reached the target with seven wickets
remaining.
The
details of the remaining matches are as following:
·
First
ODI- Played at Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Rajkot on 11 January
2013. England won by 9 runs.
·
Second
ODI-Played at Nehru Stadium, Kochi on 15 Jan 2013. India won by 127 runs.
·
Third
ODI-Played at JSCA International Stadium Complex, Ranchi on 19 January 2013.
India won by 7 wickets.
·
Fourth
ODI-Played at Punjab Cricket Association Stadium, Mohali, Chandigarh on 23 Jan
2013. India won by 5 wickets.
Suresh Raina of India was declared player of the
series.
Mumbai
clinch 40th Ranji Trophy title with a crushing win over Saurashtra
Mumbai won its 40th Ranji trophy at Wankhede
Stadium in Mumbai on 28 Jan 2013. Mumbai won the final match against Saurashtra
by an inning and 125 runs on the third day of Ranji Trophy final. The Mumbai
team so far has played in 44 finals of Ranji Trophy.
Mumbai in their first inning scored 355 runs
while Saurashtra in reply could manage only 148. In its second inning
Saurashtra was bundled out for merely 82. Mumbai pacers Ajit Agarkar (4-15) and
Dhawal Kulkarni (5-32 & 9-56) did an excellent job. Wasim Jaffar was
declared Man of the Match. Ajit Agarkar was the captain of the winning team.
Toyota wins back world's top auto sales crown from GM
Toyota Motor acclaimed the title of top selling
automaker of the world in 2012, recording the highest sales and beating its
arch rivals Volkswagen and General Motors. On 28 January 2013, Toyota Motor
announced that it sold 9.75 million vehicles across the world group-wide in
2012, which is a record in itself for the Japanese automaker.
The sale of Toyota Motor has also increased by
22.6 percent in comparison to 2011. The announcement of the sales by the Toyota
Motor placed the company back on number 1 position, which it had lost in 2011.
Back in 2011, Toyota Motor had suffered negative publicity after the recall
crisis in US as well as the disrupted supply because of earthquake in Japan and
floods in Thailand. Toyota had remained at the top most position from 2008 to
2010, but it dropped down in ranking to third position after its sales dipped
in 2011.
Toyota’s
Aim for 2013
•Toyota now aims at selling 9.91 million
vehicles group-wide all over the world in 2013, an increase of 1.6 percent from
2012.
•The sales of Toyota include those at the Hino
Motors and the Daihatsu Motor as well. Toyota-only sales hit the record of 8.72
million vehicles in 2012, an increase of 22.8 percent from 2011.
The Election Commission of India celebrated the 3rd National
voters’ Day
The Election Commission of India celebrated the
3rd National Voters’ Day across the country on 25 January 2013. The theme for
the 3rd NVD is Inclusion. NVD functions were held at more than 6.5 lakh
locations across the country covering nearly all 8.5 lakh Polling Stations.
Around 46000 Educational Institutions also celebrated National Voters’ Day.
Around 4867 Youth Voter Festivals have been held across the states to engage
youth in the registration process. The National Function to mark the 3rd
National Voters’ Day was held at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi.
25th January is also the foundation day of the
Commission, which came into being on this day in 1950. The Commission’s
objective through NVD is to increase enrolment of voters, especially of the
newly eligible ones, to make universal adult suffrage a complete reality. The
National Voters’ Day is also utilized to spread awareness among voters
regarding effective participation in the electoral process.
India
celebrated its 64th Republic Day; Showcased Military Prowess and Cultural
Heritage
India celebrated its 64th Republic Day on 26
January 2013. Unfurling of National flag, the rich cultural heritage, and
nation's achievements in various fields were the highlights of Republic Day
Parade at Rajpath in Delhi. The well-turned out and synchronised military and
police formations led by General Officer Commanding (Delhi) Lt General Subroto
Mitra marched proudly to the tunes of bands through the Rajpath where President
Pranab Mukherjee, the Supreme Commander of Armed Forces, took salute for the
first time after assuming office in July 2012. The impressive march-past was
watched by Chief Guest, King of Bhutan, Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuk.
The Army showcased its impressive weaponry which
included main battle tank- ARJUN, Super Sonic Cruise Missile Brahmos Weapon
System and Multi Barrel Rocket System -Pinaka. Display of above 5000 kilometer
range Agni-V missile, Mobile Integrated Network Terminal and mini version of
INS Vikramaditya also remained the centre of attraction during the function. 19
tableaux from various States and Central Ministries also mesmerized the
spectators. Tornadoes, the motorcycle display by the Army Service Corps
spellbound the spectators with their attractive stunts at Rajpath. At the final
leg of the parade, a spectacular flypast was showcased by the Indian Air Force.
The air show commenced with 'Chakra' formation
comprising MI-35 Helicopters. Arrowhead formation by five Jaguars and Trishul
formation by three Su-30 MKI mesmerized the spectators. The ceremony culminated
with the National Anthem and the release of colorful balloons.
Indian
author U.R.Ananthamurthy in race for the International Man Booker Prize for
Fiction 2013
Indian Kannada author U.R.Ananthamurthy (80) is
one among the ten authors shortlisted for the prestigious International Man
Booker Prize for Fiction 2013.
Ananthamurthy became famous with his novel “Samskara” launched in 1966.
The International Man Booker Prize is presented
by UK to a living author of any nationality for a body of work published in
English or generally available in English translation. It is a biennial event
which awards an author for his lifetime work.
About the International Man Booker Prize
•International Man Booker Prize is a derivative
of Britain’s Man Booker novel-of-the-year prize. It is awarded to the author
for his lifetime work.
•The International Man Booker Prize is meant for
the authors of any nationality whose work can be found in English.
•The winner of this award would be announced in
London on 22 May 2013 by the chair of judge Christopher Ricks.
Major
Abup J Manjali Selected For Second- Highest Peacetime Gallantry Award Kirti
Chakra
Major Abup J Manjali of the Rashtriya Rifles was
selected for the award of Kirti Chakra for his extraordinary bravery efforts in
counter- terrorist operations in Jammu and Kashmir. Major Manjali is the only
soldier to receive this second- highest peacetime gallantry award Kirti Chakra
on the Republic Day. Apart from him, eight other jawans as well as officers
were selected to be awarded with the Shaurya Chakra.
Major Abup J Manjali belongs to the Bihar
Regiment and at present is deputed to Rashtriya Rifles. It is important to note
that the Kirti Chakra can be given away to military personnel as well as the
civilians. This award is the peacetime gallantry award which is equivalent to
Mahavir Chakra.
Election
Commission of India nominated Saina Nehwal and Mary Kom as the National Icons
The Election Commission (EC) of India on 22
January 2013 announced Saina Nehwal and Mary Kom as the National Icons to help
promote, voter participation in India. Saina Nehwal and Mary Kom, both are
Olympic Bronze Medalists in the London Olympics 2012, in Badminton and Boxing respectively.
Apart from these two, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, the
Captain of the Indian National Cricket Team and former President of India,
A.P.J. Abdul Kalam are the existing National Icons of the Board and they will continue
to be at the position.
The duo, Nehwal and Mary Kom are roped in to be
the National Icons to attract youth voters in the age group of 18 to 19 years
in age. In its drive to revise the voters’ list in 2012 by the poll panel they
added 2.32 crore citizens to the national Voter List out of which 93 lakh were
the first time voters. The third National Voters Day would be observed by the
Poll Panel on 25 January 2013 and some of the first-time voters would be given
their photo identity cards on this day. The National Voters day is celebrated
on the foundation day of the Election Commission.
Rajnath
Singh elected as the new National President of Bhartiya Janata Party
Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) on 23 January 2013
elected Rajnath Singh as its new President. His appointment to the post was
announced by Thawar Chand Gehlot, the Central Election Officer at the
headquarters of the party, at New Delhi.
Rajnath Singh replaced Nitin Gadkari, who served
the party as its President for a period of three years from December 2009 to
January 2013.
Other important current affairs
in a nutshell…..
* First Direct Presidential Elections were held
in Czech Republic
* Zovi, the Online Fashion Retailer Acquired
Rival Inkfruit
* NASA Marks 10th Anniversary of Space Shuttle
Columbia Disaster
* NASA launched a New Communication Satellite
called TDRS
*
World anti Leprosy Day was observed on 30 January 2013 to focus attention and
create
awareness about the air-borne disease.
* Milos Zeman became Czech Republic’s First
Directly Elected President
* Tiger Woods won his 75th PGA Tour Title in the
Farmers Insurance Open
* Expert committee under Sam Pitroda Constituted
to review Working of Prasar Bharti
* Aircel on 28 January 2013 launched Free
Roaming Service for Voice, SMS and Data
* Philips Electronics sold the audio and video
business to Funai Electric of Japan in the deal which would lead to its exit
from consumer electronics completely.
* Union Ministry for Commerce launched eBiz
Portal to Provide one Stop Shop for all Investment
* Milos Zeman won the Czech Republic
Presidential Election 2013
* Shah Rukh Khan Ranked First in Inaugural
Forbes India Celebrity 100 List
* China on 27 January 2013 successfully
performed the second interceptor missile test. This is for the second time that
China announced testing such a missile.
* India successfully test fired a ballistic
missile K-15, with a strike range of around 700 kilometres, from an underwater
platform in Bay of Bengal.
* Union Commerce Ministry claimed that India has
crossed One Billion Mark in Tea Production
* Fauja Singh, 101, the oldest marathon runner
of the world decided to stop running in the competitions after Hong Kong
marathon which will be held in Feb 2013.
* The Women and Child Development Ministry
observed National Girl Child Day on 24 January 2013 to create consciousness of
the society towards the girl child.
* Shiv Sena, elected Uddhav Thackeray as the
President of the Party on 23 January 2013 at Sena Headquarters at Dadar,
Central Mumbai.
* The Justice Verma panel, created to review the
laws for sexual crimes submitted the report to the Government of India on 23
January 2013.
* Nitin Gadkari resigned from his post as the
BJP President on 22 January 2013. After his resignation, Rajnath Singh was
elected as the party chief.
* INS Saryu, the largest shore patrol vessel was
commissioned in the eastern coast for maritime surveillance around Andaman and
Nicobar Islands.
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