2013-feb current affairs

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3/9/13 PrintWhatYouLike on 01 February 2013 Current Affairs | FreeJobAlert.com

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01 February 2013 Current AffairsMalala Yousafzai nominated for Nobel Peace Prize

Malala Yousafzai, the shot Pakistani schoolgirl-turned-icon of Taliban resistance, and ex-Eastern bloc activists areamong those known to be nominated for this years Nobel Peace Prize, as the deadline expired on 01 February2013.French, Canadian and Norwegian MPs have all separately nominated Malala.This years award will be

announced in early October, but speculation was already underway as the deadline for nominations ran out onFebruary 1.

Before Kargil war, Musharraf crossed LoC, spent night in India

Weeks before hostilities erupted between Indian and Pakistani troops in the Kargil sector in 1999, Gen PervezMusharraf crossed the Line of Control on March 28, 1999 in a helicopter and spent a night at a location 11 kminside Indian territory and putting surveillance in the areas of Indian Army .Col (retired) Ashfaq Hussain first madethe revelation in his book Witness to Blunder: Kargil Story Unfolds, which was published in late 2008.

Chiranjeevi to attend global tourism trade fair in Spain

With an aim of attracting more foreign visitors, Union Tourism Minister K Chiranjeevi embarks on a visit to Spainfrom January 29. During the six-day visit, he will inaugurate India Tourism Pavilion in FITUR, an international tourismtrade fair, and hold discussions with his Spanish counterpart Jose Manuel Soria Lopez exploring future cooperationin the tourism sector.

Government grants Maharatna status to BHEL, GAIL

The government granted Maharatna status to BHEL and GAIL on 1 February 2013.A Maharatna firm can takeinvestment decision of up to Rs. 5,000 crore without going to the government. This limit is Rs. 1,000 crore forNavratna firms.A company qualifying for the Maharatna status should have an average annual turnover of more than

Rs. 25,000 crore in the last three years, according to the department of public enterprises guidelines.Among others,the PSU must have a net worth of over Rs. 15,000 crore and net profit of more than Rs. 5,000 crore during the lastthree years.

Per capita Monthly Income Growth Eases to 14% in 2011-12

On 1 February According to the the revised data of national accounts the per capita monthly income, a measure toassess standard of living, grew at a slower rate of 13.7 per cent to Rs 5,130 in 2011-12 at current prices comparedto Rs 4,513 in 2010-11.On the Gross Domestic Saving (GDS) front, the data revealed that the growth at currentprices in 2011-12 slowed to 30.8 per cent of GDP at market prices against 34 per cent in the previous year.Thegross domestic capital formation has increased from Rs 28,71,649 crore in 2010-11 to Rs 31,41,465 crore in 2011-

12 at current prices.It further revealed that the per capita private final consumption expenditure (PFCE) at currentprices in 2011-12 is estimated at Rs 42,065 as against Rs 36,677 in the year 2010-11, showing an increase of 14.7per cent against an increase of 15.7 per cent in the previous year.

D.C. Chief Financial Officer Natwar Gandhi To Resign

Indian American, Natwar M. Gandhi, Chief Financial officer (CFO) of Washington DC ,announced his resignation on1 February.He will resign on 1 June 2013.Gandhi has held the office since 2000 and was appointed to a new, five-year term last year.

L. N. Tallur won Skoda Art Prize 2012

On 1 February Karnataka artist L. N. Tallur, whose works depict majorly the underbelly of India, has won the Rs 1million Skoda Prize 2012 for contemporary art, from among a shortlist of four artists including an artist collective.


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Sania Mirza AutoBiography Book Against All Odds

Sania Mirza will now pen down her real story covering all the fake stories being published till now .Herautobiography book Against All Odds will soon be launched.

02 February 2013 Current Affairs

Former Puducherry CM Shanmugam passes away

Former Chief Minister of Puducherry P. Shanmugam passed away at the Karaikal Government Hospital on 02February 2013.A bachelor, Shanmugam was the chief minister of Puducherry from March 22, 2000 to Oct 27, 2001and represented the union territory in the Lok Sabha between 1980-1991.

Iran launches new fighter jet

Iran had unveiled a new home-made combat aircraft on 02 February 2013.Iran announced that this is the mostSophisticated aircraft in the world.The name of this aircraft was Qaher F313 (Dominant F313).Qaher F313 wasdesigned using the Advanced Electro-Aviation System.

Nayudamma award for Lalji Singh

Lalji Singh, scientist and Vice-Chancellor of Banaras Hindu University, had been selected for the prestigious Dr. Y.Nayudamma Memorial Award for 2012 for his outstanding contribution to life sciences, particularly in establishingDNA fingerprinting as a tool of both fundamental research and crime detection, and for trying to unravel the puzzle ofhuman evolution in relation to the Andaman-Nicobar tribes.

India Malaysia Double Taxation Agreement in Force

On 2 February India and Malaysia signed on double-taxation avoidance agreement (DTAA). Dividends paid by Indiancompanies to Malaysian investors or entities will attract a lower withholding tax of 5 per cent against 10 per centearlier.The new agreement has also, in line with international practice, introduced a new article for taxing capitalgains from alienation of property.

India Failed To Curb Sexual Violence Against Women

According to the Human Rights Watch (HRW) World Report 2013 India has been accused of failure to curbincidents of sexual violence against women and for restrictions on right to free speech , which said the countrycontinues to have significant human rights problems.India has a thriving civil society, free media, and anindependent judiciary, the city-based rights group said in its assessment of rights abuses in India.The group wascritical of India for the way it has addressed the problem of violence against women, saying that incidents of

violence against women and girls continued in 2012, with increased reports of sexual assault, including againstthose with disabilities.

Leander Paes, Jaideep Mukherjee Honoured with Davis Cup Commitment Award

On 2 February Indian tennis legends Leander Paes and Jaideep Mukherjee were felicitated by the All India TennisAssociation (AITA) at the RK Khanna Tennis Stadium , when they were presented with the Davis Cup CommitmentTrophy.Mukherjee made his Davis Cup debut in 1960 against Thailand and had a 62-35 win-loss record while Paesis currently playing his 49th Davis Cup tie here against South Korea.

Khushwantnama: The Lessons of My Life Book Released

On 2 February The indomitable Khushwant Singh has released a new book named Khushwantnama: The Lessonsof My Life on his 98th birthday in which he writes about his life, lessons it has taught him, politics, future of Indiaand what religion means to him.The book, published by Penguin Books India, is dedicated to Kaur who is a closefriend of the author.Khushwant Singh was a Member of Parliament from 1980 to 1986. He was awarded the Padma


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Bhushan in 1974 but returned the decoration in 1984 in protest against the storming of the Golden Temple in

Amritsar by the Indian Army. In 2007, he was awarded the Padma Vibhushan.

13th Delhi Sustainable Development Summit (DSDS)

The 13th Delhi Sustainable Development Summit (DSDS) concluded on 2 February at NewDelhi.The theme of thesummit is The Global Challenge of Resource Efficient Growth and Development.Among from 30 countries Headsof Governments , research institutions, policy-makers, NGOs and corporates attended the summit.The Summit

organized annually since 2001 by The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI), is an international platform forexchange of knowledge on all nuances of sustainable development.

13th Delhi Sustainable Development Summit (DSDS) Awards

Sustainable Development Leadership Award :- The Seychelles President, Mr James Michel has been awarded theSustainable Development Leadership Award at the Delhi Sustainable Development Summit .

Georgescu roegen Award : The award is Kozo Mayumi (Professor at Faculty of Integrated Arts and Sciences, TheUniversity of Tokushima). The co-winners of the Georgescu-Roegen Award (bioeconomic practice) are AccionEcologica and Oilwatch.

03 February 2013 Current AffairsChris Kyle, American Sniper Killed At Shooting Range

Decorated Iraq war veteran Chris Kyle, a former Navy SEAL and American Sniper author, was shot and killed at aCentral Texas gun range on 02 February 2013.Kyle enlisted in the Navy in February 1999 and was discharged onNovember 2009.During that time, he served four tours in Iraq received 14 different awards and decorations, includingtwo Silver Stars, five Bronze Stars with Valor, and two Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medals.

Sarojini Pulla Reddy dead

Veteran Congress leader and former Minister B. Sarojini Pulla Reddy passed away on 03 February 2013.She wenton to become the Mayor of the city, the second woman to adorn the post in the country, before entering theLegislative Assembly from Malakpet constituency in 1967. After representing the constituency twice, she lost theelection in 1978. She was nominated as the first chairperson of the Hyderabad Urban Development Authority in1975. She held Ministerial portfolios of Municipal Administration, Health and Women and Child Welfare in theCabinets of Bhavanam Venkatram, T. Anjaiah and Kotla Vijaya Bhaskar Reddy. Known for her close associationwith late Indira Gandhi and Congress president Sonia Gandhi, she was nominated to the Congress WorkingCommittee in 2001.

Six Indian Institutes in Global 150 Top Think-Tanks

On 3 February Six Indian research institutes, including Centre for Civil Society (CCS), are among top 150 globalthink tanks in the annual list released by the University of Pennsylvania for the year 2012.The list was topped byBrookings Institution (United States) followed by Chatham House (United Kingdom) and Carnegie Endowment forInternational Peace (United States).Other Indian think-tanks featured in the list are:- Institute for Defence Studiesand Analysis , Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations , The Energy and ResourcesInstitute , Observer Research Foundation and Development Alternatives .

President Gave Assent to the Criminal Law (Amendment) Ordinance, 2013

On 3 February President Pranab Mukherjee gave his assent to the Criminal Law (Amendment) Ordinance, 2013which provides for, amongst other things, stricter punishment for crimes against women. The Ordinance was to belargely based on the recommendations of the Justice Verma Committee.However, the Ordinance will have to bepassed by Parliament within six months otherwise the same shall lapse.


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Argentina Censured by the IMF for Economic Data

On 3 February The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has censured Argentina for the quality of its official inflationand GDP data.Inflation in Argentina is estimated by private economists to be at 25% a year and rising but thegovernment reported it at 11% or less for last year.Argentina became the first country to be censured by theInternational Monetary Fund for not providing accurate data on inflation and economic growth under a procedure thatcan end in expulsion.

Mo Yan and Jackie Chan Selected As Members of Chinese Parliament

On 3 February Mo Yan, the winner of Nobel Prize for literature, 2012 and Jackie Chan, the movie star were given apolitical role in China by being selected as members of the Chinese Peoples Political Consultative Conference, oneof the houses of Chinese parliament.

Padmanabhan Committee To Help Boost Bank Finance For Exports

On 3 February The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) constituted a technical advisory committee to iron out existingissues and boost bank finance for exports.The committee will be headed by RBI Executive Director GPadmanabhan.The committee look into the issues related to exporters, we have decided to constitute a technicalworking group which will also look non-cost issues like transaction costs, accounting norms, documentationrequired, procedural difficulties.

04 February 2013 Current AffairsSolicitor-General Rohinton Nariman resigns

Solicitor-General of India Rohinton Nariman resigned 04 February 2013.Mr. Nariman was appointed as the secondmost senior law official of the country on July 23, 2011 following the resignation of Gopal Subramanium on July 14,2011.

Michael Clarke won Fourth Allan Border Medal

On 4 February Australia captain Michael Clarke has won a record-equalling fourth Allan Border Medal in Melbourne.Clarke also claimed the Test Player of the Year award.He had won the Allan Border Medal in 2005, 2009 and2012.The Allan Border Medal is named after the former captain of Australia, Allan Border.

South Africa top in ICC Rankings for Test Cricket

International Cricket Council(ICC) rankings for test cricket was released on 4 February 2013 in Dubai. South Africaemerged as the world number one team in the category and is followed by England, Australia, Pakistan and India.

OIC summit held in Cairo

Foreign Ministers of the Organization of the Islamic Conference have met in Cairo. The ministers will meet for twodays to set the agenda for the 12th OIC summit, which will take place on February 6th and 7th.The main issues onthe agenda include human rights in Islamic countries, economy and trade as well as conflicts in the Islamic world.During the meeting, Egypt was elected to chair the 12th session. The OIC is the second largest international


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organization after the United Nations, boasting 57 member states.

UK, Afghan, Pakistan Leaders Hold Talks in Britain

On 4 February The leaders of Britain, Afghanistan and Pakistan pushed for the Taliban to come to the table forpeace talks to end Afghanistans protracted conflict and gave themselves a six-month deadline to get a deal.BritishPrime Minister David Cameron hosted Afghanistans President Hamid Karzai and Pakistans President Asif Zardarifor trilateral talks on Afghanistans floundering peace and reconciliation process.

All Juvenile Crimes 64% by 16-18 yr Old Age Group

On 4 February According to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data shows that most juvenile crimes arecommitted by those in the age group of 16-18 years.In 2011 the growth in rape by juveniles (34%) over 2010 wasagain among the highest.In 2011, 64% of all juvenile criminals fall in the age group of 16-18. In 2011, 33,887juveniles were arrested for 25,178 instances of crime.All together make for over 50% of all rape cases by juveniles.

Graeme Smith Captains his 100th Test

On 4 February South African test cricket team captain Graeme Smith has created a unique record by leading the

side in 100th test.As the South African captain Graeme Smith stepped on the field against Pakistan, he becamethe only captain in the world to have led the team in 100 test matches.Earlier, the record for captaining in mostnumber of test matches was held by former Australian skipper Allan Border. Allan Border led the Australian testcricket team in 93 test matches. Sourav Ganguly holds the record of captaining Indian test team in most number oftest matches. Sourav played as skipper in 49 test matches. Now, Graeme Smith is the only cricketer to play ascaptain in 100 test matches.


India, Austria sign social security agreement

India had signed a social security agreement with Austria on 05 February 2013 to encourage movement of peopleand enhance business and trade engagements.

Mumbai Is Worlds Cheapest City

Mumbai shares the title of the worlds cheapest city with Karachi, in Pakistan, according to the Worldwide Cost ofLiving 2013 survey by the Economist Groups Economic Intelligence Unit.After Mumbai and Pakistan comes Delhi,Algiers, Bucharest, Colombo and Panama City.According to the report, the five most expensive cities in the worldare Tokyo and Osaka in Japan, Sydney, Oslo and Melbourne.

India Pledges $100m For Mali Reconstruction

On 5 February India pledges $100m for Mali reconstruction .India has committed to giving $1 million for the upgradeof the Malian army with a pledge to ramp up contributions for reconstruction to $100 million after the situationstabilizes.


Sonia Launches National Child Health Screening Program

On 06 February 2013 at Palghar, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi launched the Child Health Screening and EarlyIntervention Services programme, aimed at providing comprehensive care to children in India. Sonia Gandi remarkscame at the launch of the governments pet scheme, Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram (RBSK), initiated underthe National Rural Health Mission. The scheme aims to provide comprehensive health care benefits to over 27 crore


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children across India.

All India Railway Bodybuilding Championship from Feb 7

The 27th All India Railway Bodybuilding championship will be held at Madurai from 07 February 2013. MaduraiDivisional Railway Manager AK Rastogi will be inaugurating the two day championship.

MP, the first state to fully utilize tourism plan funds

Union Tourism Minister Shri Chiranjeevi has complimented the Government of Madhya Pradesh for becoming thefirst State in the country to fully utilize plan funds released to them under 11th Five Year Plan (up to 2010-11) by theMinistry of Tourism, Government of India for the development of tourism infrastructure at various tourist sites in theState.

Barack Obama Nominated Sally Jewell as the U.S. Interior Secretary

US President Barack Obama nominated Sally Jewell as the U.S. Interior Secretary on 06 February 2013 for lookingafter the huge energy reserves as well as the national parks..

Maldives presidential elections in September

The Election Commission (EC) of Maldives had announced that the Presidential elections will be held on 07Septeber 2013.

India and China Tourists Triple Australian Visits

According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics report , Chinese and Indian visitors, with tourist numbers fromthose countries tripled in the past decade.630,000 visits from Chinese tourists in 2012 compared with 190,000 in2002. Indian visits went from 45,000 to 160,000 in the same period.Despite a high Australian dollar, Australias

short-term visitor numbers were up by nearly five percent since 2011 with 6.1 million short trips made to Australia270,000 more than in 2011.

India Won Record 46 Medals in Special Olympics

On 6 February Indias differently-abled athletes returned with the largest haul of medals in the 2013 SpecialOlympics World Winter Games at Pyeong Chang, South Korea.The Indians won 46 medals 13 gold, 17 silver and16 bronze from among mentally-challenged 2200 athletes from over 120 nations in the Games .India doubled itsmedal tally from the World Winter Games 2009.The Games are being competed in eight sports .

Obamas Top Science Official Suresh Resigned

On 6 February US President Barack Obamas top science official and Padma Shri awardee Subra Suresh hasresigned from his current position to join the prestigious Carnegie Mellon University as its chief.As director ofNational Science Foundation (NSF) since 2010, Suresh was responsible for driving scientific research of thecountry.Suresh has co-authored more than 240 journal articles, registered 21 patents and written three widely usedmaterials science books.

Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose and Germany Book Released

Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose new book named Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose and Germany released on 6February.The First copy of the book titled Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose and Germany by Professor Anita B. Pfaff

was given to the President of India Pranab Mukherjee at Rashtrapati Bhavan at NewDelhi. The book was brought outby the Federation of Indo-German Societies in India.The book is a collection of the records shared by ProfessorAnita Pfaff as well as other known biographers and writers.The book portrayed some interesting facets of the life ofNetaji and his extraordinary contribution to Indias freedom struggle.


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Strong 6.6 Magnitude Quake Hits Solomon Islands

On 6 February a strong 6.6-magnitude tremor struck the Solomon Islands , the latest in a series of aftershocks froma powerful earthquake that triggered a tsunami The quake hit 36 kilometres south-southwest of Lata, the main townon the remote island of Ndende.At least six people were confirmed dead and some 3,000 left homeless but thenational disaster management office has been struggling to get a clear picture of the scale of destruction on theisland, more than 600 kilometres from the capital Honiara.The Solomons are part of the Ring of Fire, a zone oftectonic activity around the Pacific that is subject to frequent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.

07 February 2013 Current AffairsWorlds Largest Prime Number Discovered with 17,425,170 digits

Researchers from the University of Central Missouri in Warrensburg discovered the largest prime number of theworld, Contains 17 Million Digits. This is the 48th Mersenne prime found so far. However there are certain rare kindsof prime numbers called Mersenne primes which have the form 2 multiplied by itself p times minus 1, where pdenotes a prime number. The new largest prime is 2 multiplied by itself 57885161 times minus 1.

India, Bhutan to boost cooperation in hydro-power sector

India and Bhutan are to boost cooperation in hydro-power sector. India is to import almost 5,000 MW of hydel powerfrom Bhutan by 2020. This was the focus of discussions between the visiting Bhutanese Prime Minister Jigme YThinley and Prime Minster Dr Manmohan Singh and other Indian leaders.

Israel builds first underground hospital

Israel is building a first-of-its-kind underground hospital in the northern city of Haifa that will protect patients andstaffers from any missile attack, whether biological or chemical.The construction of the hospital will be completed inMay.The facility, located three storeys underground, is set to be the largest of its kind in the world and should be

able to accommodate 2,000 hospital beds.The estimated cost for this project is $500.

Nanocapsules Battle Cancer without Harming Healthy Cells

Scientists at UCLA(University of California, Los Angeles) had developed nanocapsules that battle cancer cellswithout harming healthy cells, providing researchers with a potentially a new way to treat cancer.A tiny capsuleinvented at a UCLA lab could go a long way toward improving cancer treatment.The polymers that eventuallydissolve when they come into contact with water, the nanocapsules are approximately half the size of the smallestbacterium. They were able to destroy human breast cancer cells in mice while leaving healthy cells alone.

Team India retains 3rd spot in ICC T20 rankings

On 5 February 2013 ICC issued a T20 rankings,India got third position with 119 points in the ICC T20 Championshiptable,SriLanka and West Indias got 2nd and 3rd positions respectively in the ICC T20 Championship table.

Cabinet Approved Rs.38500 cr Rural Road Development Plan

On 7 February The Union Cabinet approved a Rs 38,500 crore rupees for road connectivity under the PrimeMinisters Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY).The schemes approved were mainly for connectivity to villages in tribalareas, desert and hilly areas, with a population of at least 250 each.In 82 areas hit by Naxalite violence, villageswith less than 250 people are also to be connected under the scheme.

Economic Growth in India to Fall to 5 Percent

On 7 February The Indias Central Statistics Office (CSO) revealed that the economic growth of India is estimated tofall to 5 percent in 2012-2013 financial year, which is a lowest figure in 10 years. A fall in the economic growth isbecause of the poor performance of the services, agriculture and manufacturing sectors.


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First Complete Bionic Man Unveiled in U.K

On 7 February The worlds first complete Bionic Man named Rex was unveiled at Londons Science Museum.The bionic man was created using 1 million US dollar limbs as well as organs.Rex has a human face with browneyes and a height of 6.5 feet.

08 February 2013 Current AffairsSachin Tendulkar equals Sunil Gavaskars first-class record

Sachin Tendulkar equalled Sunil Gavaskars Indian record of 81 First Class centuries on the third day of the IraniCup match at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on 08 February 2013. When he reached 106, Tendulkar alsocompleted 25,000 runs in first class cricket.

Prachanda elected as Maoist president of ruling UCPN-Maoist party

Prachanda, the powerful Maoist leader who became prime minister after toppling the 239-year-old monarchy in

Nepal, was elected as the president of the ruling UCPN-Maoist party on 08 February 2013.58-year-old Prachanda,whose real name is Pushpa Kamal Dahal.

Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma visit to Britain

Indian Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma went to Britain to attend the Investment Round tableconference. Anand Sharma had invited the businessmen from Britain to invest in India. Foreign direct investmentflows from the UK into India as a percentage of Britains global outward FDI amount to only one per cent.

Hyderabad to host World Agriculture Forum Congress

After successfully hosting a United Nations conference on global biodiversity in October 2012,Hyderabad will beplaying host to World Agriculture Forum (WAF) Congress in November 2013.With the theme Reshapingagriculture for a sustainable future of small and marginal farmers, the Congress will be held from Nov 47 in 2013.Around 600 delegates from across the world would discuss steps to make farming economically viable and improvefarmers income.

Sri Lankas President Begins Personal Visit to India

Sri Lankas President Mahinda Rajapaksa flew directly from Colombo to the area of Bodh Gaya, in the north-easternIndian state of Bihar, to visit the Mahabodhi, Buddhisms holiest shrine.Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar welcomedthe Sri Lankan president at the Gaya international airport. However, Rajapaksa is not scheduled to meet with other

Indian authorities because he is on a personal visit.

Rudra Inducted into the Army

On 8 February The first indigenously built Weapon System Integrated Advanced Light Helicopter, Rudra washanded over to the Indian Army by the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) .Rudra is the Mk-IV variant of theAdvanced Light Helicopter designed and manufactured by HAL. The helicopter is fitted with weapons, targetingsystems, warning and counter-measure systems and survivability features.This is the first of the 60 armedhelicopters provided to the army by the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) after the Defence Ministry handed overthe control of all attack helicopters to the land force.

Snow Storm Nemo Hits US and Canada

On 8 February Seven people have been killed in the United States and Canada as the massive blizzard WinterStorm Nemo dumped nearly two feet of snow in New England and knocked out power to more than a half a millionhomes.Throughout the Northeast, more than 600,000 homes and businesses lost electricity. Airlines cancelled


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more than 5,300 flights today, and New York Citys three major airports and Bostons Logan Airport closed.

09 February 2013 Current AffairsBhutan Prime Minister Jigmi Y. Thinley visited India

The Bhutan Prime Minister Jigmi Y. Thinley along with Lyonpo Khandu Wangchuk, Minister in-charge of Foreign

Affairs and Minister of Economic Affairs and Foreign Secretary Yeshey Dorji visited India from Feb 7-9.

Significant letter by Gandhiji to be auctioned in Britain

A letter written by Mahatma Gandhi, described as an incredibly important document in world history, is to beauctioned in Britain on February 14.The letter is estimated at 10,000-15,000 pounds ($15,697-$23,543).The three-page typewritten correspondence was sent to the British rulers by the father of the Indian nation while he was underhouse arrest in 1943 in Pune.

Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru hanged

On 09 Frebruary 2013, the 2001 Parliament attack case convict Mohammed Afzal Guru was hanged and buriedinside the Tihar jail complex.

Strong 6.9 earthquake strikes Colombia

According to the U.S. Geological Survey report, a 6.9 magnitude earthquake hit southwestern Colombia on 09February 2013. The quakes epicenter was 7 miles southwest of Pasto and was 92 miles deep. It was felt as far as123 miles away in Quito, Ecuador.

South Sudan Bishop Taban won UN Peace Award

On 9 February A South Sudans Bishop Emeritus Paride Taban has won a coveted 2013 UN peace prize ( SergioViera de Mello Prize ) in recognition of his efforts to build trust among warring communities in the conflict-tornregion.Vieira de Mello, the UNs former human rights chief, was killed in a bombing in Iraq in 2003. The annual prizein his honour is awarded to a person, community or institution that has made an exceptional contribution toreconciliation of communities or groups in conflict, and whose example can be duplicated elsewhere.

Indian American Subra Suresh Named President of Carnegie Mellon

On 9 February US President Obamas top science official and Indian American Padma Shri awardee Dr SubraSuresh has been appointed as the new president of Carnegie Mellon University. He will succeed Dr. Jared L.

Cohon, who led the university to unprecedented growth during his 16-year tenure. Dr Suresh will assume office onJuly 1 after Dr Cohon would step down on June 30, this year.

Ratan Tata Elected To National Academy of Engineering

On 9 February Ratan Tata, chairman emeritus of the Tata Group, has been elected as a member of the prestigious National Academy of Engineering of the US along with 10 new foreign members.This is the highest professionaldistinction accorded to an engineer in the US.Ratan Tata has been selected for his outstanding contributions toindustrial development in India and the world.

10 February 2013 Current AffairsAustralia complete clean sweep

Australia completed a 5-0 sweep of the one-day series against the West Indies.Australia won the last match of 5


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one-day series against West Indies on 10 February 2013 and cliench the series with 5-0.

Aero India 2013 Held in Bangalore

The Asias biggest airshow Aero India 2013 , a biennial air show and aviation exhibition held from 6 10thFebruary at the Yelehanka Air Force Station in Bangalore .In the event displays magnificent aerobatic skills andbelongings that created a chance of winning potential business tie-ups and networking. Defence Minister of India, AK Antony inaugurated the Air Show on 6 February .In the event 53 civil and military aircraft and 27 countries

participated and 78 delegations attended, with the largest being from US, proceeded by Israel and Russia.The firstEdition of the show was organised for the first time in 1996.The next Aero India show is scheduled to be held from18 February to 22 February 2015 at Bangalore.

Ten Billionaires in Gulf Indians Rich List

According to the new survey, the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries have 10 Indian billionaires.According tothe first-ever GCC Indian Rich List published by financial magazine Arabian Business, Landmark Group founderMicky Jagtiani topped the list with an estimated wealth of $4.5 billion.Jagtiani was ahead of food magnate FerozAllana at $4.3 billion, with legendary Dubai-based investor Ragu Kataria placed third on $2.5 billion.The top fiveincluded EMKE Groups Yussuf Ali on $2.2 billion and BR Shetty on $1.9 billion. The highest ranked woman on the

list was Jumbo Electronics boss Vidya Chhabria occupied the eighth place with a wealth of $1.4 billion.

Rest of India won Irani Cup

On 10 February Rest of India retained the Irani Cup by virtue of their first innings lead of 117 runs against theMumbai team ended in a tame draw in the final at Wankhede Stadium.Rest of India, who clinched the title for the26th time in the tournaments 51st year.Jaffer has crossed the 1,000-run mark to become the highest scorer in thetournaments history .

Ranchi Rhinos won Hockey India League Title

On 10 February Ranchi Rhinos defeated Delhi Waveriders to won the first Hero Hockey India League (HIL) at BirsaMunda Astroturf Hockey Stadium .Sardar Singh received the player of the tournament award.

Three Year Old Girl Joins Mensa After Taking IQ Test in Russian

A brainy 3 year old girl Clever Alice Amos has been unveiled as the youngest new member of Mensa with a higherIQ than Stephen Hawking.Amos has been granted full membership of the brain box society after scoring anincredible 162 on an IQ test she took in Russian.Her IQ of 162 ranks her higher than a list of the worlds greatestluminaries dead and living.Former US presidents Abraham Lincoln, Benjamin Franklin and Bill Clinton could onlymuster 128, 160 and 137 respectively.

First-ever Original Song Written and Recorded in Space

A Canadian astronaut has teamed up with Barenaked Ladies lead singer Ed Robertson for the first ever originaltrack to be written and recorded in space, 402 km above the Earth aboard the International Space Station.The pairwrote the song together before the collaboration was recorded via satellite at a studio in Toronto.The song, calledISS ( Is Somebody Singing) focuses on the experience of a person in space missing his loved ones on the Earthbelow.

11 February 2013 Current AffairsChief Southern Army Command

Lt Gen K SurendraNath took over as the chief of staff of the Army Southern Command on 11 February 2013.He hasheld a number of challenging command appointments in western, northern and eastern sectors, such as commandof an independent armoured brigade, an infantry division in counter-insurgency environment and a corps deployed


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along the international borders along the Tibet administrative region.Surendra Nath has been awarded the Ati

Vishisht Seva Medal (AVSM), Bar to AVSM and a Vishisht Seva Medal for his meritorious service.

Afzal Gurus hanging code named Operation Three Star

Operation Three Star was the code name of the entire top secret plan in which Jaish-e-Mohammad terrorist AfzalGuru was hanged in the high-security Tihar Jail on 9 February 2013.The operation had started on February 4, a dayafter President Pranab Mukherjee rejected the mercy petition of the Parliament attack convict paving the way for his

execution.

National e-Governance award for Madhya Pradesh

Madhya Pradesh had been conferred upon the prestigious National e-Governance Gold Award for 2012-13, for itsSparsh Abhiyan aimed towards the disabled and the aged.

Ravi Shankar wins best music album award

On 10th February 2013 Sitar legend Ravi Shankar was posthumously awarded the best world music album trophyat the 55th Grammys, beating his daughter Anoushka Shankar, a day after being honoured with a Lifetime

Achievement award by The Recording Academy.He got 55 Grammy award for his album The Living RoomSessions Part 1 .

Pakistan successfully test fires nuclear-capable Hatf-IX missile

On 11 February 2013 Pakistan successfully tested the nuclear-capable Hatf-IX tactical missile with a range of 60km, designed to defeat all known anti-tactical missile defence systems.The Hatf-IX or Nasr, which has inflightmanoeuver capability, can carry nuclear warheads of appropriate yield with high accuracy.

India France Bilateral Trade Touches Euro 7.6 billion

The India-France bilateral trade had grown by 6 per cent to Euro 7.46 billion.The European country is the 9th largestforeign investor in India with a cumulative investment of approximately $3 billion during the period April 2000 to June2012.

12 February 2013 Current AffairsKrishnaswamy Rao Sahib passes away

Former Union Cabinet Secretary C. R. Krishnaswamy Rao Sahib, who was a distinguished IAS officer of Andhra

Pradesh cadre, passed away in Chennai on 12 February 2013.Rao Sahib had the distinction of working with threePrime Ministers as he was Principal Secretary to Charan Singh and Cabinet Secretary during 1981-85 in thegovernments of Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi. He also served as secretary to Andhra Pradesh Chief MinisterJalagam Vengal Rao while serving in the State. He was honoured with the second highest civilian award of PadmaVibhushan.

Pakistan to rename Sindh province to Sind

On 12 February 2013, the Sindh Assembly approved a bill to rename the southern Pakistani province as Sind.Theassembly approved the Sindh Laws Amendment Bill of 2012, whereby the letter h will be removed from the nameof the province.

India and Japan to Strengthen Cooperation in Tourism Sector

India and Japan have resolved to strengthen cooperation in tourism sector. This was decided at a meeting betweenthe visiting Japanese Senior Vice-Minister of Tourism, Mr. Hiroshi Kajiyama and Union Tourism Minister Shri K


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Chiranjeevi in New Delhi on 12 February 2013.

North Korea conducts third nuclear test

On 12 February 2013,North Korea successfully conducted a third underground nuclear test with the violation ofUnited Nations sanctions.In the past North Korea two times conducted nuclear tests but this is most powerful thanthose tests.North Korea announced that,a miniaturised nuclear device had been detonated successfully at the testsite.The test was reported to have taken place at a test site in the North Hamgyeong province, where the Punggye-

ri nuclear complex that conducted tests in 2006 and 2009 is located.

Wrestling Dropped From 2020 Olympic Games List

On 12 February the International Olympic Committee (IOC) leaders dropped wrestling from the 2020 OlympicGames.Wrestling will be included at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.The IOC board acted after reviewing the26 sports on the current Olympic program. Eliminating one sport allows the IOC to add a new sport to the programlater this year.Wrestling will now join seven other sports in applying for inclusion in 2020. The others are acombined bid from baseball and softball, karate, squash, roller sports, sport climbing, wakeboarding and wushu.They will be vying for a single opening in 2020.The last sports removed from the Olympics were baseball andsoftball, voted out by the IOC in 2005 and off the program since the 2008 Beijing Games. Golf and Rugby will be

joining the program at the 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro.

13 February 2013 Current AffairsFormer MP K.V.R. Chowdary passes away

Former MP Dr. Kantipudi Veera Raghava Chowdary popularly known as Dr. KVR Chowdary, former Member ofParliament from Rajahmundry constituency, passed away on 13 February 2013 in Hyderabad.He represented the10th Lok Sabha in 1991 by winning on the TDP ticket.Later, he joined the Congress when the no-confidence motionwas moved against Prime Minister P.V. Narasimha Rao during 1996 in the Lok Sabha.

NGRI scientist gets fellowship

Dr. P. V. Sunder Raju, principal scientist of CSIR-National Geophysical Research Institute, was awarded IndoAustralian Visiting Scientist Fellowship by Australian Academy of Sciences and Government of India to carry outadvanced studies at the Centre of Excellence in Ore Deposit Research in Australia.

Former CBI Director A.P. Singh Appointed as UPSC member

On 13 February Former CBI Director Amar Pratap Singh has been appointed a member of the Union Public Service

Commission (UPSC).Mr. Singh, a 1974-batch IPS officer of Jharkhand cadre, relinquished his post as CBI Directoron November 30 last after superannuating at the end of his two-year-long tenure during which he supervised somehigh-profile graft and crime cases, including the 2G scam.

Queen Elizabeth II named Britains Most Powerful

According to the BBC power list of Britains most influential women ,Queen Elizabeth II has been named the mostpowerful woman in Britain, while two Indian-origin women also found a place in the list of UKs 100 most powerfulwomen. Two Indian-origin women who featured among the 100 most powerful British women were Kolkata-bornPinki Lilani, founder of the Asian Women of Achievement Awards in the UK, and human rights champion anddirector of Liberty Shami Chakrabarti.

SBI Assistant and Stenographer phase II Final Results 2012 -2013 Declared

State Bank of India (SBI) announced Assistant and Stenographer phase II final results 2012 -2013 on 13 February.SBI Assistant and Stenographer phase II final Written examination was held on 27.05.2012 & 03.06.2012 and


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interviews held in December 2012 / January 2013.The letter to the successful candidates are being sent to thesuccessful candidates of SBI Assistant and Stenographer phase II results 2012 -2013 by the concerned regionalhead offices.The offer letters to the sucessful candidates will be issued by concerned Local Head Offices of theBank seprately.


Pankaj Advani becomes first ever Indian to reach quarter-finals of the Welsh Open tournament

World billiards champion Pankaj Advani became the first and only Indian to enter the top eight of a major event onthe professional snooker circuit as he easily beat Scotlands Graeme Dott 4-1 to qualify for the quarter-finals of theWelsh Open tournament in Newport (Britain) on 14 February 2013.

93 per cent polling in Tripura Assembly elections

On 14 February 2013,Tripura set a new record for the countrys highest-ever voter turnout with 93 per cent polling inthe Assembly elections.This is the first time that such a heavy polling was registered in northeastern states.

Blade Runner Oscar Pistorius charged with murdering girlfriend

South African Blade Runner Oscar Pistorius, a double amputee who became one of the biggest names in worldathletics, was charged on 14 February 2013 with shooting dead his girlfriend at his home in Pretoria.

Mathews named Sri Lankas Test, ODI captain

All-rounder Angelo Mathews was appointed Sri Lankas Test and ODI captain on 14 February 2013 for a period ofone year. Mathews replaced Mahela Jayawardene.Mathews was Jayawardenes deputy in Australia tour.Now theWicketkeeper-batsman Dinesh Chandimal will be Mathews deputy

FICCI chooses Sushil as best sportsperson of the year

Star wrestler Sushil Kumar bagged the best sportsperson award while shooter Vijay Kumar was adjudged the bestbreakthrough sportsperson of the year at the FICCI Sports Awards on 14 February 2013.nother wrestler to win anaward was London Olympic bronze medallist Yogeshwar Dutt, who won the comeback year honour.The NationalRifle Association of India (NRAI) bagged the best Sports Federation award.

India and France Signed 22 Agreements

On 14 February France and India have signed on 22 agreements after French President Francois Hollandesmeetings with the Indian president and the prime minister in New Delhi.Both nations exchanged views on a number

of bi-lateral, regional and multilateral issues and signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in order to facilitatetechnical cooperation in Railways to each other.Chairman, Railway Board, India and Chairman and CEO SNCF fromthe French side signed this MoU.Both the nations also concluded negotiations on the short range surface to Airmissile to be co-produced in India. They also agreed on the need to reinvigorate economic engagement between thetwo countries.

Frances President Francois Hollande Visited India

Frances President Francois Hollande Visited India from 14th and 15th February.During the visit he met manmohansingh at NewDelhi and discussed the sale of Rafale fighter jets , after signed the both nations on severalagreements .



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Mohan Parasaran appointed as new solicitor general

Additional solicitor general Mohan Parasaran was appointed as the countrys new solicitor general on 15 February2013 following the resignation of senior advocate Rohinton Nariman from the post.His tenure will be for three years.

Worlds Tallest Mahatma Gandhi Bronze Statue in Patna

On 15 February 2013, Bihar Chief minister Nitish Kumar unveiled the worlds tallest bronze statue of MahatmaGandhi at the Gandhi Maidan in Patna.The 70-feet-tall statue of the Father of the Nation is a gift to all who love himand follow his ideals.The cost of this was Rs 10 crores.

Pakistan successfully tests nuclear-capable Hatf-II missile

On 15 February 2013, Pakistan successfully tested the nuclear-capable Hatf-II ballistic missile with a range of 180kms.The missile can carry nuclear or conventional warheads with high accuracy.

Amartya Sen honoured with Frances highest civilian award

The French president Mr Francois Hollande honoured the Amartya Sen with the Frances highest civilian award,

Commandeur de la Legion dHonneur (Legion of Honour) after delivering the Madhavrao Scindia Memorial Lecture inNew Delhi on 15 February 2013.The prestigious honour is the reason for his enormous contribution to the field ofeconomics and for his exchanges with French academic institutions would also be recognised.

Asteroid 2012 DA14 Passed Near Earth

The small Asteroid named 2012 DA14 with an estimated diameter of 50 meters (160 ft) and an estimated massof 190,000 metric tons passed within about 3.5 Earth radii of the Earths surface on February 15.During its 2013close passage, the asteroid passed 27,700 km (17,200 mi) from the surface of Earth. Scientists at NASAestimated that an asteroid the size of 2012 DA14 flies this close to Earth about once every 40 years. A 2012 DA14-size asteroid impacts Earth once every 1,200 years, on average.

Meteor Blazes Across Russian Sky

On 15 February A Huge Meteor meteor that scientists estimate weighed 10 tons (11 tons) streaked at supersonicspeed over Russias Ural Mountains , setting off blasts that injured nearly 1000 people were injured and 3,000buildings are damaged.The meteor over the Chelyabinsk region entered the Earths atmosphere at a speed of atleast 54,000 kph (33,000 mph) and shattered about 30-50 kilometers (18-32 miles) above ground.The fall causedexplosions that broke glass over a wide area.

16 February 2013 Current AffairsSerena Williams becomes oldest `World Number 1`

Serena Williams became the oldest woman to claim the world number one ranking when she reached the QatarOpen semi-finals with a 3-6 6-3 7-5 win over Petra Kvitova.Chris Evert at 30 was the previous oldest world numberone.Now the Serena Williams became the oldest World Number 1 and Chris Evert became the second.

International wrestling chief resigns

President of wrestlings world governing body FILA resigned from his position in the wake of the recommendation todrop the sport from the Olympics.Switzerlands Raphael Martinetti had been the president of FILA since

2002.Martinetti was issued with a vote of no confidence at a FILA executive committee meeting in Thailand.

India, Bangladesh sign MoUs, exchange strip maps

On 16 February 2013,India and Bangladesh have exchanged strip maps as part of the process of the


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implementation of the agreement signed to resolve land boundary issues between the two countries.In a symbolic

gesture to mark the process, External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid and Bangladesh Foreign Minister DipuMoni exchanged one strip map at the end of the Joint consultative commission meeting in Dhaka on 16 February2013.In addition, two MOUs were also signed for the construction of a rail link to connect Akhaura in Bangladesh toAgartala in India and for setting up a think-tank to be called Bangladesh-India Foundation.

US tries to woo more Indians through Startup 3.0

Targeting highly skilled talents from India and China, a bi-partisan group of US lawmakers have introduced a new billin the Congress to create more than 125,000 new visas to attract global talents to America.The bill called Startup3.0 proposes to help increase Americas access to talent by creating a new set of conditional visas for 75,000immigrant entrepreneurs and 50,000 foreign STEM (Science technology, engineering and math) graduate students.

17 February 2013 Current AffairsAustralia win ICC Womens World Cup

Australia to win the ICC Womens World Cup by beating the West Indies by 114 runs in the final Mumbai at the

Brabourne Stadium on 17 February 2013.In the past Australia won the World Cup in 1978, 1982, 1988, 1997,2005.So, this is the Sixth time Australia won the World Cup.

World tourism conference in Hyderabad

Union minister of state for tourism, Chiranjeevi said that world tourism conference would be held from Aril 11 to 14 inHyderabad.

Britain PM visit India

Britain PM David Cameron visit India from 18th February to 20 February to increase the bilateral trade between Indiaand Britain.In this visit,the Britain PM first visit the Hindustan Unilever main branch in Mumbai.After that heparticipated in the India-Britain Business meeting in Taj Hotel.

South Africa beat Pakistan to win test series

South Africa beat Pakistan by four wickets on the fourth day of the second Test at Newlands on 17 February2013.So, South Africa clinch the three Test Series against the Pakistan on 17 February 2013 with 2-0.

Rafael Correa re-elected for 3rd term as Ecuadors President

On 17 February Ecuadoreans president Rafael Correa has been re-elected to a third term in power , with more than50 percent of vote in his favour.As per the results, Rafael Correa got 58 percent while his closest competitorGuillermo could secure only 24 percent.Correa is a socialist leader who was first elected in 2006.Rafael Correa is asocialist leader who was first elected in 2006.Correa was re-elected to a second term in 2009.

Indias First Geothermal Plant in Chhattisgarh

On 17 February Chhattisgarh has signed an agreement with the National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) to setup the countrys first geothermal power plant in its newly-formed Balrampur district.A memorandum ofunderstanding (MoU) for the project was signed between the NTPC and the Chhattisgarh Renewable EnergyDevelopment Agency (CREDA). The plant will come up at Tata Pani in Balrampur, a district located in extremenorthern region of the state.

CBI probe Ordered into Rs 3600 crore Italian Chopper Deal Scam

In February 2010, India had inked the deal with Italain Finmeccanica to acquire the 12 three-engine AW-101helicopters from AgustaWestland for IAFs elite Communication Squadron ,which ferries around the President, PM


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and other VVIPs.The deal came under the scanner of Italian agencies after allegations of kickback given in India

surfaced.The agencies arrested Giuseppe Orsi, the head of Italian defence and aerospace giant Finmeccanica aspart of their probe related to international corruption.Around 50 million euros (Rs 362 crore approximately), about 10per cent of the deal, were alleged to have been given as bribes to ensure that the company won the contract.OnFebruary The Defence Ministry has ordered CBI probe into alleged scam in a Rs 3600 crore defence helicopter dealafter arrest of head of Italian firm Finmeccanica on charges of bribery.

Worlds Highest Railway Bridge in Jammu Kashmir

The Indian Railways plans to complete the Chenab River Bridge in Jammu and Kashmir by 2016 , making it theworlds highest rail bridge.The arch-shaped bridge across Chenab river-bed in Reasi district, which will be five timesthe height of Qutub Minar at 359 metres above river bed, will connect Baramulla and Srinagar to Jammu viaUdhampur-Katra-Qazigund.The 1,315-metre bridge would boast of several unique features.

18 February 2013 Current AffairsNagaland Home Minister resigns

Nagaland Home Minister Imkong L. Imchen was resigned from the ruling Naga Peoples Front (NPF) government on19 February 2013.Mr. Imchen put in his papers after the Election Commission authorities seized cash amounting tomore than Rs.1 crore and weapons from his vehicle on 18 February by troopers of Assam Rifles at Sathupang areain Wokha district.

Ela Bhatt honoured with Indira Gandhi Peace Prize

Ela Bhatt, founder of the Self Employed Womens Association (SEWA), was presented with the Indira Gandhi Prizefor Peace, Disarmament and Development for the year 2011 by the President of India, Pranab Mukherjee atRashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi on 18 February 2013.Ela Bhatt was honoured for her life time achievements inempowering women, promoting grassroot level entrepreneurship and for her contribution towards promoting

equitable development and peace.

Lisa Sthalekar retires from international cricket

Lisa Sthalekar, the Australia womens allrounder who was part of 17 February 2013 World Cup-winning team, wasannounced her retirement from international cricket. 17 February 2013 World Cup-winning match was Sthalekars125th ODI, and she remains the only woman to score 1000 runs and take 100 wickets in the format. She finishedwith 2728 ODI runs in all, at 30.65, and 146 wickets at 24.97. That puts her at No. 10 on the all-time womens ODIbatting charts, and at No. 3 for Australia. Her ODI wickets tally is third-highest in history.In international Twenty 20cricket, too, she has made quite an impact, taking 60 wickets at 19.35 the second-highest aggregate amongwomen. Sthalekar also played eight Tests in an international career that spanned 12 years and included two titles

each in 50-overs World Cups and World Twenty20s.Off the field, Sthalekar became the first woman to be appointedto the Australian Cricketers Association Executive in 2011.

ONGC sets world-record in drilling undersea well

State-owned Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) drilled a well in record water-depths using a rig it had hiredfrom Reliance Industries.ONGCs chartered-hired ultradeep drillship DDKG1 has set a world-record for drilling a wellat the deepest water-depth by an offshore drilling rig.The rig DDKG1 has spudded well NA7-1 in exploratory blockKG-DWN-2004/1 off the east coast of India at a depth of 3,165 metres (10,385 feet) on January 23.Thereafter itsuccessfully lowered and latched subsea (facilities) on February 9 to drill further to target depth 5,625 metres. Thisis the deepest drilling well by any offshore drilling rig in the world till now. The rig owned by Transocean surpassed

Transoceans own prior record of 10,194 feet, set in 2011 by DDKG2 working for Reliance Industries on the eastcoast.

Nayudamma Award for SDSC Director


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Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC SHAR), Sriharikota, director Dr. MYS Prasad was selected for Dr. YNayudamma Memorial Award for 2013 for his outstanding contributions to the field of space science.This award willpresent to Dr. MYS Prasad by the end of March.

Pakistan Handed Over Gwadar Port to Chinese Company

On 18 February Pakistan and China signed an agreement to hand over control of the strategic Gwadar port on theArabian Sea to a Chinese company.Under the agreement for transfer of concession rights, the deep sea port willremain the property of Pakistan while the Chinese company will share profits from its operation. China Overseas

Port Holdings Limited will fully assume responsibility for Gwadar port in Balochistan province.

Victoria Azarenka won Qatar Open Tennis Title

On 18 February Defending champion Victoria Azarenka from Belarus defeated Serena Williams (America) to wonthe Qatar Open tennis title in the final at Doha.

Rafael Nadal won Brazil Open Tennis Title

On 18 February Rafael Nadal from Spain won the Brazil Open Tennis Title after defeated Argentinean DavidNalbandian in the final at Sao paulo.He won the tournament for the second time; he won it for the first time in 2005.

Viswanathan Anand won Grenke Chess Classic Trophy

On 17 February World champion Viswanathan Anand in chess from India won the Grenke Chess Classic trophy of2013 after defeated Arkadij Naiditsch from Germany in the final.This is Anands first title in 2013.

Milos Raonic Won Third Consecutive SAP Open Tennis Title

On 17 February Milos Raonic from Canada won the SAP Open Tennis title after defeating Tommy Haas in the finalat San Jose .Raonic won third straight SAP Open singles titles.

19 February 2013 Current AffairsIndia, Britain discuss bilateral Civil Nuclear pact

On 19 February 2013 India and the UK decided to commence negotiations on a civil nuclear pact to facilitate theentry of British companies into Indias emerging atomic power sector.India has already signed civil nuclear pactswith several countries,including the US, France, Russia, Kazakhstan, South Korea, Mongolia and Canada.Thetarget is to exploit the potential of the countrys nuclear power sector, which offers to set up 63,000 MW capacityby 2032, against its current installed capacity of 4,780 MW.

Radhakishan Malviya former Union Minister died

Former Union Minister and senior Madhya Pradesh Congress leader Radhakishan Malviya died on 19 February2013 in Indore.Malviya was elected MLA from Sanver in Indore district in 1972. A three-time Rajya Sabha MP, hewas Labour Minister in the Rajiv Gandhi government in mid-1980s. Malviya was Madhya Pradesh CongressCommittee president during 1998-2003 when Digvijay Singh was the chief minister.

British PM Cameron announces same-day visa service for Indian businessmen

On 19 February 2013, British Prime Minister David Cameron announced that his country is going to introducesame-day visa service for Indian businessmen in a bid to accelerate the bilateral trade between the two sides.

FIFA confirmed use of Goal-Line Technology


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Fdration Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) confirmed the use of goal-line technology during the 2014FIFA World Cup to be organised in Brazil.Goal-line Technology is a technology that is used to determine the factthat has the ball passed the goal-line or not with the support of an electronic-device to help the referee decided totake a call that either it was a goal or not.

Tunisias prime minister Hamadi Jebali resigns

On 19 February 2013, Tunisian Prime Minister Hamadi Jebali submitted his resignation to President Moncef

Marzouki, after failing to form a new government aimed at ending a political crisis.

20 February 2013 Current AffairsVirat Kohli appointed captain of Royal Challengers Bangalore

IPL franchise Royal Challengers Bangalore on 20 February 2013 appointed Virat Kohli as their captain for theupcoming sixth edition of Indian Premier League. Kohli succeeds former New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori, whowas at the helm during last season.Vijay Mallya announced Virat Kohli appointed captain of Royal ChallengersBangalore.Virat is the 11th highest run-scorer in overall IPL history with 1639 runs and a strike rate of 119.28.He

has scored eight half centiries and is also the 3rd highest run scorer in Champions League T20 history.

Centre Notified Cauvery Dispute Tribunal Award

After six years,on the directions of the Supreme Court, the Central Government of India has notified the final awardof the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal (CWDT) on sharing the waters of the Cauvery system among the basinStates of Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala and Union territory of Puducherry on 20 February.The Tribunal,comprising chairman Justice N.P. Singh and members N.S. Rao and Sudhir Narain, in a unanimous award inFebruary, 2007 had determined the total availability of water in the Cauvery basin at 740 thousand million cubic(TMC) feet at the Lower Coleroon Anicut site.In, what was then described as a balancing act, the Tribunal gaveTamil Nadu 419 TMC of water (as against the demand of 562 TMC); Karnataka 270 TMC (as against its demand of465 TMC); Kerala 30 TMC and Puducherry 7 TMC.After the issuance of the notification, institutions like the CauveryRiver Authority (CRA) chaired by the Prime Minister and the CMC will cease to exist.

T. S. Vijayan Took over as IRDA new Chairman

On 20 February T.S. Vijayan, former Chairman of Life Insurance Corporation, has took over as the Chairman of theInsurance Regulatory and Development Authority (IRDA) .He succeeds J Hari Narayan who completed his five-yearterm on February.

Bulgarian Prime Minister Borissov Resigned

On 20 February Bulgarian prime minister Boyko Borisov announced the resignation of his government , after massprotests against high power prices and falling living standards, joining a long list of European administrations felledby austerity during four years of debt crisis..Borisov worked as Bulgarias Prime Minister from 27 July 2009.

21 February 2013 Current AffairsRatan Tata receives E&Y lifetime award

Former Tata Group head Ratan Tata is this years recipient of the life time achievement award instituted by Ernst &Young, for asserting a greater role for Indian entrepreneurs on the global business landscape.The entrepreneur ofthe year (2012) award went to Godrej Group Chairman Adi Godrej.The entrepreneur of the year is the only businessaward to be based on self-nomination.

8.2 percent of Indian Americans live below poverty line


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According to the 2007-2011 American Community Survey, 42.7 million people in the United States had incomebelow the poverty level. The national poverty rate is 14.7 percent.With 8.2 percent of poverty rate, Indian Americansare far less poor than the national average.The Japanese Americans too have a 8.2 percent poverty rate. For theAsian population, poverty rates were higher for Vietnamese (14.7 percent) and Koreans (15.0 percent), but theFilipinos have the lowest poverty rate of 5.8 percent.

T. S. Vijayan Took over as IRDA new Chairman(T.S.Vijayan is new IRDA chief)

On 21 February T.S. Vijayan, former Chairman of Life Insurance Corporation, has took over as the Chairman of theInsurance Regulatory and Development Authority (IRDA) .He succeeds J Hari Narayan who completed his five-yearterm on February.

22 February 2013 Current AffairsIndia 19th largest exporter in world

As per WTOs International Statistics, 2012, in merchandise trade, India is 19th largest exporter in the world with ashare of 1.7 per cent and 12th largest importer with a share of 2.5 per cent in 2011.

PSLV to launch worlds first smartphone-controlled Nano satellite

The worlds first smartphone-controlled Nano satellite with a high definition camera will be launched into the orbitaround the Earth on 25th February 2013 by the Indian satellite Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV).CalledSTRaND-1 (Surrey Training, Research and Nanosatellite Demonstrator), the British-built spacecraft will becontrolled by a Google Nexus One mobile device running on the Android operating system. The satellite will be partof a six-month mission in the orbit.

23 February 2013 Current AffairsAssembly elections 2013: Meghalaya registers 88% voting, Nagaland 83%

Meghalaya recorded 88 per cent polling and Nagaland 83.27 per cent in the assembly elections held on 23February 2013.The counting would be held on February 28.

Pinaki Chandra Ghose and Kurien Joseph, as Supreme Court judges

The Supreme Court collegium has cleared the elevation of the Chief Justices of the Andhra Pradesh and Himachal

Pradesh High Courts, Pinaki Chandra Ghose and Kurien Joseph, as Supreme Court judges.Justice Ghose fromWest Bengal, became judge of the Calcutta High Court in July 1997 and he was appointed Chief Justice of theAndhra Pradesh High Court in December 2012. He will have tenure of about five years in the Supreme Court.JusticeJoseph, from Kerala, became judge in July 2000. He was appointed Chief Justice of the Himachal Pradesh HighCourt in February 2010. His tenure in the Supreme Court will be for five years and nine months.

Sania combines with Bethanie to win Dubai title

Indias Sania Mirza on 23 February 2013 clinched her second doubles title of the season after she combined withpartner Bethanie Mattek-Sands to defeat Nadia Petrova and Katarina Srebotnik in the title clash of the Dubai DutyFree Tennis Championships.

Kvitova wins Dubai title

Former Wimbledon winner Petra Kvitova defeat the Italian,Sara Errani 6-2 1-6 6-1 and won the Dubai Open DubaiWTA title on 23 February 2013.This is the 10th title of his career.


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24 February 2013 Current AffairsMarina Erakovic wons first WTA title

Marina Erakovic has won her first ever Womens Tennis Association title, beating Germanys Sabine Lisicki inMemphis on 24 February 2013.Erakovic becomes the first New Zealander since Belinda Cordwell in Singapore in

1989 to win a WTA title.

Credit Suisse lowers Indias GDP forecast to 5.3% for Fiscal Year 2013

Leading brokerage Credit Suisse lowered its forecast for Indias GDP growth in the current financial year to 5.3percent from 5.7 percent earlier due to ongoing aggressive fiscal tightening.Credit Suisse reduce our GDP growthforecast of next year i.e in 2014 from 6.9 to 6.7.

Nicos Anastasiades Elected as Cyprus new President

On 24 February the centre-right DISY (the Democratic Rally) party leader Nicos Anastasiades, has won the

presidential elections of Cyprus with 57.5 percent votes.Nicos Anastasiades had a very easy-going victory overCommunist-backed Stavros Malas who secured 42.5 percent votes in the election.He is the leader of centre-rightDISY (the Democratic Rally) party since 1997.

25 February 2013 Current AffairsSouth Korea swears in first woman president

Park Geun-hye sworn-in as the first woman President of South Korea on 25 February 2013. She is serving as the

18th President of South Korea.She is a daughter of late Park Chung-hee,who is a a third President of South Korea.

Oscars 2013

85th Oscar awards presentation ceremony was inagurated in Los Angels on 25 February 2013.In this ceremoneyLife of Pi cinema got a 4 Oscar awards.

Best Picture: Argo

Best Actor: Daniel Day-Lewis (Lincoln)

Best Actress: Jennifer Lawrence (Silver Linings Playbook)

Best Supporting Actor: Christoph Waltz(Django Unchained)

Best Supporting Actress:Anne Hathaway(Les Misrables)

Best Directing: Ang Lee(Life of Pi)

Best Adapted Screenplay:Chris Terrio( Argo)

Best Original Screenplay: Quentin Tarantino(Django Unchained)

Best Documentary Feature: Searching for Sugar Man

Best Original Song: Skyfall from Skyfall, music and lyrics by Adele Adkins and Paul Epworth

Best Original Score: Life of Pi

Best Animated Feature: Brave


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Best Cinematography:Life of Pi

Best Costume Design: Anna Karenina

Best Documentary Short Subject:Inocente

Best Film Editing:Argo

Best Foreign Language Film:Amour (Austria)

Best Makeup and Hairstyling: Les Misrables

Best Production Design:Lincoln

Best Short Film (Live Action): Curfew

Best Sound Editing: Skyfall (TIE), Zero Dark Thirty (TIE)

Best Sound Mixing: Les Misrables

Best Visual Effects: Life of Pi

26 February 2013 Current AffairsCaptain Dhoni equals Gangulys record

India captain MS Dhoni was equalled former skipper Sourav Gangulys Test record for most wins. Dhoni achievedthe coveted mark after team India defeated Australia by eight wickets in the first Test in Chennai on 26 February2013.Ganguly was the most successful Test captain for India with 21 wins out of 49 Tests.But now MS Dhoniequate this record with 21 wins out 44 matches.

Nobel prize for discovering DNA up for auction

60 years after Francis Crick won a Nobel Prize for medicine(discovered the structure of DNA), the researchersfamily is now offering his gold medal and diploma for sale at an auction in New York. This will be the first time that aNobel Prize medal is sold at a public auction.Texas-based Heritage auctions said the DNA pioneers Nobel prizemedal will go under the hammer on April 10 in New York City and is expected to attract bids starting from awhopping $250,000.

Railway Budget 2013-14

The Railway budget 2013 -14, presented by minister for railways, PK Bansal,in Parliament on 26 February 2013.

Here are some highlights of the Railway budget:67 new Express trains and 26 new passanger trains to beintroduced.Run of 57 trains to be extended and Frequency of 24 trains to be increased.1.52 lakh vacancies beingfilled up this year.Providing free Wi-Fi facilities on several trains.10% reservation for women in RPF.

Sexual harassment of women at workplace Bill cleared

The Rajya Sabha cleared the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal)Bill on 26 February 2013.This bill was already cleared by Lok Sabha on 3 September 2013.From now on employers be it public or private, organised or the unorganised sector will be required to dispose of any complaint related tosexual harassment of women at workplace including of domestic helps within a period of 90 days.If they fail to doso, it carries a penalty of Rs. 50,000.



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Chuck Hagel sworn-in as new US defence secretary

On February 27,the Former Republican senator Chuck Hagel was sworn-in as the new United States defencesecretary.

Missile Test Range at Nagayalanka, Krishna District

The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) was proposed establishment of the test ranges atRutland Islands of Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Nagayalanka in Krishna district of Andhra Pradesh.

Microsoft launches Internet Explorer 10 browser

Microsoft released Internet Explorer 10 to millions of new users, hoping the latest version of its market-leadingbrowser will win back customers who have migrated to Googles Chrome.IE 10 is 20 percent faster at downloadingsites than its predecessor IE 9.At present they released IE10 only for Windows 7 Operating System.

Economic Survey of India 2012-13

On 27 February Union Finance Minister P. Chidambaram presented the Economic Survey 2012-13 in the Lok

Sabha of the Parliament.Indias Economic Survey for 2012-13 pegs the countrys growth at 6.1-6.7% and inflation at6.2-6.6% for the next fiscal 2013-14 and made a strong call for cutting subsidies.

28 February 2013 Current AffairsIndira Gandhi Airport wins international health, safety award

The IGI airport in New Delhi, operated by DIAL(Delhi International Airport Limited ), was become the first Indianfacility to bag the International Safety Award for the year 2013 from British Safety Council. This makes Indira

Gandhi International airport (IGI), as the first and the only airport in India to win this prestigious award in field ofhealth and safety.

Left Front retains Tripura

The Communist Party of India-Marxist or CPM-led Left Front won the 49 of 60 seats in Tripura Assembly electionsheld on 14 February 2013.This is the consecutive fifth time Left Front form the government in Tripura.

NPF Wins In Nagaland Poll With Clear Majority

The Naga Peoples Front (NPF) swept back to power in Nagaland on 28 February 2013, for the third consecutive

time with an absolute majority.TheNaga Peoples Front party won 38 seats, 12 more than the 26 it had won lasttime.

Tripura, Meghalaya and Nagaland Assembly Elections Results

Northeastern states of Tripura ,Meghalaya and Nagaland Assembly election was released on 28 February .TheAssembly elections in the three states, having 60 seats each, were held February 14 and February 23.In Tripura theCPI-M on its own won 49 seats out of the total 60 seats and stormed back to power in Tripura for the fifth straightterm.Chief Minister Manik Sarkar won from Dhanpur by a margin of around 5,000 votes. It was Sarkars sixthwin.Meghalaya The Indian National Congress here has won 29 seats in the election to the 60-member MeghalayaAssembly with Chief Minister Mukul Sangma, winning with huge margins.Nagaland Ruling Naga Peoples Front

combine returned to power with an absolute majority in Nagaland winning 39 seats in the 60-member Assembly.Theruling NPF-led Democratic Alliance of Nagaland (DAN) alliance will form government for a third consecutiveterm.Congress managed to win eight seats. Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio won from Northern Angami II seatby defeating his nearest Congress rival Kevise Sogotsu of Congress by 12,671 votes.

2013-feb current affairs

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