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CSB,Ch-17, Ph: 044-24333346 GA/July2014/Page-1

CURRENT AFFAIRS

JULY-2014List of Important Days

National Days

July 1 - Doctor's Day

July 22 - National Flag Adoption DayJuly 24 - Income Tax Day

International Days

July 2 - World Sports Journalists Day

July 6 - World Zoonoses Day; World Rabies Day

July 10 - Breast-feeding Day

July 11 - World Population Day

July 1stSaturday - International Day of Cooperatives

Reserve Bank of India

RBI Eases Reserve Norms: The Reserve Bank of India, in order to encourage infrastructuredevelopment and affordable housing, on July 15, 2014, exempted long-term bonds from themandatory regulatory norms such as the Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR), the Statutory Liquidity Ratio(SLR) and Priority Sector Lending (PSL) if the money raised is used for funding of such projects.

The instructions are in pursuance of Finance Minister Arun Jaitleys budget speech in which hesaid banks will be encouraged to extend long term loans to infrastructure sector with flexiblestructuring to absorb potential adverse contingencies, sometimes known as the 5/25 structure.

5/25 structure:Under the 5/25 structure, bank may fix longer amortisation period for loans toprojects in infrastructure and core industries sectors, say 25 years, with periodic refinancing, sayevery five years.

India is looking at investing $1 trillion in infrastructure development by 2017, half of which isexpected to come from the private sector.

Banks can issue long-term bonds with a minimum maturity of seven years Rupee denominated bonds should be issued in plain vanilla form Lending for affordable housing means loans eligible under the priority sector

RBI Relaxes Rules On Diamond Imports:The Reserve Bank of India (RBI), on July 7, 2014. relaxedthe rules of the suppliers and buyers credit for the import of rough, cut and polished diamonds toa period of up to 180 days from the earlier 90 days, with immediate effect. The RBI has taken thisdecision after taking into consideration the representations that were received from diamondimporters and the Gem & Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC).

Overseas Investment Norms Eased:The Reserve Bank of India, on July 3, 2014, relaxed norms for

overseas investment by Indian corporates by raising their borrowing limit. It has, however, beendecided that any financial commitment exceeding $1 billion (or its equivalent) in a financial yearwould require prior approval of the Reserve Bank even when the total financial commitment of theIndian Party is within the eligible limit under the automatic route.

The financial commitment should be limited within 400 per cent compared to earlier level of 100per cent of the net worth as per the last audit balance sheet of the company.

It has been decided to restore the limit of overseas direct investments (ODI) or financialcommitment (FC) to be undertaken by an Indian party under the automatic route to the limitprevailing, as per the extant FEMA provisions, prior to August 14, 2013, it said.

However, the restriction was not applicable on public sector firms like Oil India and ONGCVidesh. The RBI had announced the curbs on ODI in the context of prevailing macroeconomic

situation.

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Easing rules, the Reserve Bank of India, on July 14, 2014 allowed foreign investors to invest inpartly-paid shares and warrants of Indian companies.

Such investors, till now, were only allowed to invest in equity shares and compulsory andmandatorily convertible preference shares or debentures recognised as foreign direct investment(FDI) compliant instruments. Foreign investors can invest in partly-paid equity shares andwarrants issued by an Indian company, which are now eligible instruments for the purpose of

FDI and foreign portfolio investment (FPI) by foreign institutional investors (FIIs). The pricing ofthe partly-paid equity shares would be determined up-front and 25 per cent of the totalconsideration amount (including share premium, if any), would also be received upfront. Thebalance consideration towards fully-paid equity shares would be received within 12 months.Similar pricing formula has been prescribed for issuance of warrants to foreign investors. Non-resident Indians (NRIs) would be eligible to invest on a non-repatriation basis in partly-paidshares and warrants issued by Indian companies.

RBI Allows Foreign Investors To Access Currency Futures The Reserve Bank of India (RBI), onJune 20, 2014 allowed foreign investors to access the currency futures market for hedging theircurrency risks while also partially reversing the restrictions put last year on banks proprietarytrading in the exchange traded currency futures.

The foreign portfolio investors could participate in the currency futures market by taking long orshort position to the extent of $10 million without having to establish any underlying exposure.The responsibility of ensuring the existence of the underlying exposure shall rest with the foreigninvestor.

The RBI also partially reversed the restrictions put on banks proprietary trading, allowing themto take long or short position of up to $10 million without establishing any underlying exposure.

Banks start scanning Bad Loans Banks have initiated an exercise to sift through piles of non-performing assets (NPAs) bad loans that do not yield returns to assess which of these accountshave turned bad due to willful defaulters. The objective is to identify willfully defaulting promotersand not given additional loans for any of their other companies. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI)had, in June 2014, asked banks to get tough with willful defaulters but the latter said it was difficultto differentiate between a genuine and willful defaulter in most cases. The central bank hasindicated that it may even undertake forensic audit of firms that default loan repayment of overRs.1,000 crore. The idea is to get a complete and true picture of what led to the situation. Accordingto RBI data, the level of bad debts in Indian banks have almost doubled since 2009 to over 4% oftotal loans, which also high lighted that debt restructuring has increased significantly.

Banks have written off Rs.1 lakh crore in advances since 2000, something that has raised analarm. RBI earlier said that over 90% of the write-offs were done for large corporate houses.

Monetary Policy Review The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) held rates at current levels whileannouncing the review of Monetary Policy 2014-15 on August 2, 2014. However it has reduced theminimum bond holding requirement by banks Statutory Liquidity Ratio (SLR) by 50 basis points.

The short-term indicative lending rate (repo)will continue at 8 per cent. The Cash Reserve Ratio(CRR) will remain unchanged at 4 per cent. CPI inflation target at 8 percent by January 2015 and 6per cent by January 2016.

GDP growth rate for current fiscal at 5.5 per cent

Ceiling on debt, held-to-maturity (HTM) cut to 24 per cent

SLR reduced to 22 percent to enable banks to expand credit to productive sectors.

To consider keeping overnight rate close to 8 per cent.

5-6%: RBIs estimates of Indias GDP growth in 2014-15

Recovery dependent upon speedier implementation of stalled infrastructure projects

This should brighten the outlook for both industry and services; export growth could pick up

8%: RBIs retail inflation target for January 2015: for January 2016 it is 6%

Farm sector outlook clouded by forecast of insufficient monsoon

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Too early to say if future food inflation, and its spill-over to broader inflation, can be discountedGood news on the economic front

Growth in 8 infrastructure sectors rose to a 9-month high of 7.3% in June

Retail inflation fell to a 30-month low of 7.31% in June

WPI-based inflation in June declined to 5.43%

Revised Norms For Equity Sale The Reserve Bank of India has revised the norms for equity salesby non-resident investors in unlisted domestic companies, mandating that such transactions mustbe priced under internationally accepted pricing methodology. Under the new rules, anytransaction would need to be aligned with international prices for other similar deals on an armslength basis, providing a pricing methodology that the RBI believes will yield a more appropriatemarket value. The deals would need to be certified by a chartered accountant or an investment bankrecognised by the Securities and Exchange Board of India.

Payment and Small Banks - The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has set a minimum paid-up capital ofRs.100 crore for those who wish to set up payments and small banks.

Payment Bank Small Bank

Broad objective Provide small savings accountsand payment/remittanceservices to migrant labour

Focus on financial inclusion inrural areas; area of operationRestricted to contiguous districtsin a state

Minimum equitycapital

Rs.100 crore; must have a networth of Rs.100 crore at alltimes

Rs.100 crore

Promoters holding 40%with 5-year lock-in period;to be diluted to 30% in 10 yearsand 26% in 12 years

40% initially with 5-year lock-inperiod; to be diluted to 30% in 10years and 26% in 12 years

Foreign holding Up to 74% Up to 74%Target audience Migrant labour, low-income

households, small businesses,unorganised entities

Small business units, smallfarmers, micro and smallindustries, unorganised entities

Operationalrestriction

Will operate in remote areas butno branch restriction. Cannotset up subsidiaries

At least 25% of branches shouldbe in unbanked rural centres

Lending Cannot lend money Can lend. Maximum exposure tosingle borrower capped at 15% ofcapital funds

Cap on deposits Yes, Customer balance cannotexceed Rs.1 lakh

No limit set

RBI Proposed BPPS The Reserve Bank of India (RBI), on August 7, 2014 issued draft guidelinesfor the implementation of Bharat Bill Payment System (BBPS). The draft guidelines outline therequirement and the basic tenets of operating the BBPS, and prescribe the eligibility criteria,standards for settlement model and customer grievance redressal, roles and responsibilities andscope for entities seeking to be part of BBPS.

The objective of the BBPS is to implement an integrated bill payment system across the countryand offer interoperable and accessible bill payment service to customers through a network ofagents, enabling multiple payment modes and providing instant confirmation of payment.Hence, it has been decided that the existing players in the online commerce segment catering tothe requirements of bill payments as well as aggregation of payment services (in relation to billpayments) will be a part of BBPS.

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The BBPS will function as a tiered structure for operating the bill payment system in the countrywith a single brand image providing convenience of anytime anywhere bill payment tocustomers.

State Bank of India State Bank Launches Six Digital Banking Branches: State Bank of India, on July 01, 2014, launched

six digital branches across the country as part of its programme to offer next generation bankingsolutions to the growing mobile phone and internet-savvy customer base. These branches, namedsbiINTOUCH, will facilitate services such as instant account opening with personalised debit cards,instant loan approval for car and home, remote expert advisors available via video links, along withinteractive walls and table displays. Besides Delhi, where sbiINTOUCH branch was inaugurated byFinance Minister Arun Jaitley, the other such branches are located in Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennaiand Ahmedabad.

Other Banks Switzerland To Share List Of Account Holders: In a major boost to Indias fight against black

money, Switzerland has prepared a list of Indians suspected to have stashed un-taxed wealth inSwiss banks and the details are being shared with Indian government. Indiahas moved up to 58th

rank in terms of foreign money lying with Swiss banks.

Stash in Swiss banks swells - India moves up 12 ranks in latest list of countries with money parkedin Swiss banks, according to Swiss National Bank. India accounts for 0.15% of an estimated $1.6trillion held in 283 Swiss banks.

43 per cent rise in Indian money in Swiss banks in 2013 (Rs.14,000 crore)

Rankings based on direct client exposure Figures unlikely to indicate quantum of alleged black money held by IndiansTop five ranks (In billion Swiss Francs)United Kingdom 277United States 193

West Indies 100Germany 52.4Guernsey 49.6

International Finance Corporation, an arm of the World Bank, will infuse Rs.160 crore into microfinance institution Bandhan, which will be a full fledged bank soon, chairman of the microfinanceinstitution Chandra Sekhar Ghosh said.

ADB Projects 6.3 PC Growth For India in 2015-16 Manila-based Asian Development Bank (ADB)has upgraded Indias economic growth forecast to 6.3 per cent in 2015-16 on hopes of speedy reformprocess. It said growth in China was moderating in line with earlier expectations and shouldachieve the forecast of 7.5 per cent in 2014 and 7.4 per cent in 2015.

Supreme Court The Supreme Court directs States to instruct police officers not to make any arrests in dowry

harassment offences without first ascertaining viability under parameters laid down in Section 41,Code of Criminal Procedure.

The Supreme Court says in an order that gender discrimination exists in the tinsel world and affectsrights of women from being treated as equals at work.

A five-judge Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court has reiterated that truth in the publicationof a news item can be treated as defence in contempt of court proceedings. The court, however, heldthat Commissions of Enquiry had no power to initiate contempt proceedings against newspapers.Giving the ruling, a Bench comprising Chief Justice R.M. Lodha and Justices Anil R. Dave, S.J.

Mukhopadaya, Dipak Misra and Shiva Kirti Singh pointed out that the Contempt of Courts Act hadbeen amended and a provision had been inserted to the effect that truth could be claimed asdefence.

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Central Government Railway Minister DV Sadananda Gowdapresents the Railway Budget for 2014-15 in the Parliament

envisaging an annual plan outlay of Rs.65,445 crore and proposing introduction of bullet and semihigh speed trains.

Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley presents the Economic Survey 2013-14 in the Parliament,which opens with a reassurance that in 2014-15, the economy is poised to overcome the sub-5 per

cent growth witnessed over the last two years.

Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitleypresents his maiden Budget for the fiscal year 2014-15 in theParliament. He unveils a pragmatic programme of economic reforms and gives relief to taxpayerswhile making pledge to achieve 8 percent annual growth rate in three-four years.

The government has imposedan additional penalty of $579 million (Rs.3,475 crore) on RelianceIndustriesfor producing less than the targeted natural gas from its KG-D6 block in 2013-14. Thiswas started by Oil Minister Dharmendra Pradhan in Parliament on July 14, 2014.

The Union Government, on July 2, 2014 announced its first step towards greater ease of doingbusiness by addressing the industrys demand on the simplification of the process for the extensionsof industrial licences. The government extended the period of validity of industrial licences from

two years to three years and relaxed the requirement for companies to have to go back to theLicensing Committee for the extensions. The extensions will now be done with the approval of theJoint Secretary concerned of the administrative ministry.

The government on June 26, 2014 approved nine new transmission projects with an aggregate costof over Rs.12,500 crore to fast track building of high capacity inter-State power transmission lines.

The Union Cabinet on July 24, 2014 approved a proposal to ease foreign direct investment (FDI)limit in the domestic insurance sector to 49% from 26%, signalling the NDA governments intent todraw capital and investment into an economy that is struggling to claw out of a cripplingslowdown.

States Maharashtra Governor K. Sankaranarayan on July 9, 2014 approved the ordinance granting

reservation to Maratha and Muslim communities in Maharashtra. Marathas will get a 16 per centquota and Muslims five per cent in government jobs and educational institutions.

Camel is now State Animal The Rajasthan government on June 30, 2014 declared the camel as thestate animal. The decision, taken at a Cabinet meeting held in Bikaner, aims to check the dwindlingnumber of camels.

Place in News Rani-ki-Vav, a 11thcentury stepwell in the Patan area of Gujarat, is approved for inscription on the

World Heritage list by UNESCO at the meeting of its World Heritage Committee in Doha.

The Great Himalayan National Park (GHNP) in Kullu district of Himachal Pradeshis accorded theUNESCO World Heritage Site status.

Abhu Dhabi will build an underground park to provide some relief for its residents from theoppressive heat and as a place to unwind.

Dubai has unveiled plans to build the worlds first temperature-controlled city Mallof the World,an ambitious project spread over an area of 48 million sq ft, to attract tourists even during thescorching summer months.

Ancient Burial Site Found In Georgia - Archaeologists have unearthed a burial site dating back4,000 years containing chariots, gold artefacts and possible human sacrifices in the country ofGeorgia.

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Find of 1800 Year Old Artefacts:A range of artefacts which can be dated from third century BCE tothe 15thcentury CE have been unearthed at an excavation at Natham, near Kattuputhur village, inTamil Nadus Tiruchi district.

River Bekiin Baksa district of Assam was in news due to recovery of four kidnapped bodies on 13July 2014.

Erbil, located 88 kilometres east of Mosul in Iraq, is the capital and the largest city of the KuridistanRegion. In July 2014 it was appointed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

Malin Villagein Pune district of Maharashtra was witness to devastating landslide on 31 July 2014.

Chhattisgarh state department of archaeology and culture, in July 2014, announced plans to seekhelp from NASA and ISRO for research on 10,000-year-old rock paintings depicting aliens andUFOs Charama regionin Kanker district in tribal Bastar region.

Construction of the worlds tallest railway bridge with the tallest pillar 141 metres-high-begannear Noney in Manipur on 28 July 2014.

Personalities

Fabien Cousteau, the grandson of French oceanographer Jacques Cousteau, emerged from the deepon July 2, 2014 after 31 days in an undersea laboratory off the Florida Keys.

In the honour of Akhouri Sinha, a distinguished Indian-American scientist whose ground-breakingbiological research expedition has provided vital data about animal populations, the United Statesin July 2014 named a mountain in Antarctica after him as Mt Sinha.

Noted environmentalist and Director General of The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) RKPachauri,in July 2014, termed shopping malls as energy guzzlers and said they are not suited tothe Indian environment.

Sim Bhullar (21) has become the first player of Indian origin to join the National BasketballAssociation (NBA) after he inked a summer contract with the Sacramento Kings, a professional

basketball team in the US.

Defence and National Security The Indian Army test-fires a surface-to-air Akash missile which intercepts a fast-moving, small

unmanned aerial vehicle called Bansheeat an altitude of 30 metres above the sea level off the coastof Odisha.

An advanced version of the Indo-Russian supersonic cruise missile BrahMos is successfully test-fired from the Integrated Test Range at Chandipur off the Odisha coast.

INS Kamorta, the first in series of anti-submarinecorvettes indigenously built by Kolkata basedGarden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers Ltd. (GRSE), is handed over to Indian Navy in Kolkata.

North Korea fires two short-range ballisticmissiles into seas east off its coast.

Japanese Cabinet endorses a reinterpretation of rules that have banned the use of armed forceexcept in very narrowly defined circumstances. Japan troops now will be able to come to the aid ofallies if they come under attack from an enemy.

Warships, submarines, aircrafts and helicopters of India, US and Japan gathered in the north-western Pacific as the three nations kicked off their trilateral Malabar naval exercise on 24 July2014.

Indian Air Force received its sixth C-17 Globemaster III aircraft at the Palam Airbase in New Delhiin July 2014 in the presence of the Union Defence Minister Arun Jaitley.

INS Kamorta Handed Over to Navy INS Kamorta, the first in series of anti-submarine corvettesindigenously built by Kolkata based Garden Reach Ship builders & Engineers Ltd. (GRSE), washanded over to Indian Navy in Kolkata on 12 July 2014.

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Navy Gets its Largest Destroyer The Indian Navy, in July 2014, got its largest-ever destroyer afterthe addition of the 163 metre-long vessel Kolkata (D63) to its arsenal. Kolkata (D63) is Indias firstdomestically built guided missile destroyer to feature a Western-style air search radar and stealthtechnology.

Pla Distributes New Battle Maps In Border Chinas People Liberalisation Army (PLA) hasdistributed as many as 15 million new battle maps to troop units in western border regions

including the disputed Aksai Chin area in an effort to enhance patrolling to bolster Chineseterritorial claims.

Committees/Commissions Number of Poor to Rise under Rangarajan Formula:The Rangarajan Committee which submitted

its report on July 1, 2014, recommends a formula for identifying the poor that places a significantlyhigher number of Indians below the poverty line than the methodology adopted by the TendulkarCommittee. If the Modi Government accepts this recommendation, it will mean more than 370million Indians were below the poverty line (BPL) in 2011-12 as against the Tendulkar panelsestimate of 270 million.

Mayaram Panel Report On Foreign Direct Investment Seeking to simplify norms a government

panel has suggested that foreign investment of over 10 per cent in a listed company be treated asFDI and the one from NRIs on a non-repairable basis be deemed as domestic investment. The reportwas accepted by the government on June 21, 2014. The panel on rationalising definitions of FDI andFII, headed by Finance Secretary Arvind Mayaram, said foreign investment in an unlisted companyshould be treated as FDI. It aims at removing ambiguities over clear demarcation between FDI and foreign institutional

investment. The report also says an investor may be allowed to invest below the 10 per centthreshold, and this can be treated as FDI, subject to the condition that the FDI stake is raised to10 per cent or beyond within one year from the date of the first purchase. If the stake is notraised to 10 per cent or above, then the investment can be treated as portfolio investment.

Foreign direct investment is subject to sectoral caps. FDI reflects a lasting interest and long-term

relationship, while under portfolio investment, the relationship between the investor and thecompany remains largely anonymous, the report says. The report says any investment way ofequity shares, compulsorily convertible preference shares/debentures less than 10 per centshould be treated as foreign portfolio investment (FPI). FPI includes portfolio investors such asforeign institutional investors (FIIs) and qualified foreign investors (QFIs).

The Union Government, in July 2014, announced to appoint Suresh PrabhuCommittee to reviewthe gas pricing formula. Suresh Prabhu is a former Union Power Minister under NationalDemocratic Alliance (NDA) government led by Atal Bihari Vajpayee. The other members on thepanel will be Pratab Bhanu Mehta, President and Chief Executive of Centre for Policy Research andBibek Debroy of the same institute. The decision to set up Suresh Prabhu Committee comes close onthe heels of the Union government decision to put stay on the revision of natural gas price.

Committee On Capital Set Up The Andhra Pradesh Government on July 20, 2014 issued a GOconstituting a nine-member advisory committee with Municipal Administration Minister P.Narayana as its chairman to examine different aspects of constructing a capital city as well assuggest an action plan for its development. The committee has four industrialists.

Schemes/Initiatives Centre Notifies Rules for Government Staff Under Lokpal Act The Centre has notified new rules

on declaration of assets and liabilities of its employees under the Lokpal Act. As per the rules, theemployees have to file returns with details of cash in hand, bank deposits, investment in bonds,debentures, shares and units in companies or mutual funds, personal loans and advance given to aperson or any entity, among others. They need to declare motor vehicles, aircraft, yachts or ships,gold and silver jewellery and bullion possessed by them, their spouses and dependent children. Theemployees must also give details of their immovable properties along with statement of debts andother liabilities on first appointment or as on March 31 of every financial year.

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Summit/Conference Ufa 7thBRICS Summit will be held in Russian city of Ufa in 2015. The announcement was made in

Fortaleza Declaration on 16 July 2014 on the sidelines of 6thBRICS Summit in Fortaleza, Brazil.

Fortaleza is the state capital of Ceara, located in Northeastern Brazil. It is the 5th largest city inBrazil. The city was one of the host cities of the 2014 FIFA World Cup. The 6 thBRICS Summit washeld here in July 2014.

Business 20 (B20) Australia Summitwas held in Sydney, Australia on 18 July 2014.

7th India-Brazil-South Africa (IBSA) summitwill be held in New Delhi, India in 2015. This wasannounced after Prime Minister Narendra Modi met South African President Jacob Juma on thesidelines of 6thBRICS Summit in Fortaleza, Brazil on 16 July 2014.

Agreement/Deal/Sign/Talk India and China sign three bilateral agreements, which include the setting up of industrial parks

and increasing the sharing of flood water data from the Brahmaputra river.

United Kingdom Finance Minister George Osborneoffers a credit line of 1 billion for investmentin Indian infrastructure projects as India and United Kingdom sign an accord to formalise

cooperation on infrastructure and public-private partnership.

United States Secretary of State John Kerry holds talks with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisiin Cairo over concerns about Egypts crackdown on the Muslim Brotherhood and the threat whichthe conflict in Iraq poses to the Middle East.

Ukraines new Western-backed President Petro Poroshenko signs a landmark European Union Pact,which pulls Kiev out of Kremlins orbit.

Russian President Vladimir Putin signsa nuclear energy cooperation deal with Argentina, whereby Russian state atomic energy corporation, Rasatom will assist in the construction of two newnuclear power units in Argentina.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and German Chancellor Angela Merkel hold a constructive, verythorough dialogue in Brazil to resolve the situation in Ukraine.

Tata-led South African telecoms operator Neotel has secured a ground breaking deal with the StateInformation Technology Agency (SITA) and the Western Cape provincial government to providebroadband services across the province over the next three years.

Larsent & Toubro (L&T) has inked an agreement with CPP Investment Board Singaporean Holdings1 (CPPIBSH), a whollyowned subsidiary of Canada Pension Plan Investment Board, for an intialinvestmet of Rs.1,000 crore.

The Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) and the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), on July 24, 2014 signedan agreement, enabling the RBI to access the Sri Lankan government securities market, up to a

maximum value of $500 million. The CBSL, in turn will be able to further diversify its reservesmanagement activities into Indian rupee denominated assets. The agreement was signed betweenRBI Governor Raghuram Rajan and Central Bank of Sri Lanka Governor Ajith Nivard Cabraal onthe sidelines of the SAARCFINANCE Governors Symposium in Colombo.

Anil Ambani Group company Reliance Power on July 27, 2014 said it has signed an agreement toacquire the entire hydro power portfolio of Jaiprakash Associates Ltd comprising of three operatingplants. The deal is estimated to be close to Rs.12,000 crore, making it the largest in Indiasinfrastructure sector. The three projects are Baspa Stage II (300 MW) and Karcham Wangtoo (1,091MW) in Himachal Pradesh an Vishnuprayag (400 MW) in Uttarakhand.

Wipro Inks pact with Canada firm Wipro has entered into a dual deal with ATCO Group underwhich it will acquire the Canadian companys IT services arm and provide outsourcing services toATCO. The Bangalore-based company on July 8, 2014 said it would acquire ATCOs IT subsidiary

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for Canadian $210 million ($195 million, or over Rs.1,176 crore), payable in cash. The sale isexpected to be completed in the third quarter of 2014.

Besides, Wipro has secured a 10-year IT deal with ATCO to provide outsourcing services, whichwill result in annual revenues of over Canadian $120 million ($112 million, or over Rs.675 crore)for Wipro for the next 10 years.

In a sign of expanding military-to-military engagement between India and China, permanent

representatives of the Indian Air Force (IAF) and the Navy have, for the first time, taken office inBeijing. Group captain Ashish Srinivastava of the Indian Air Force and Captain Sushant Dam of theIndian Navy began their terms as the Air and Naval attaches in the Indian Embassy in Beijing onJuly 24, 2014.

Meet/Visit Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi vows of nurture bilateral relations with Bhutan as he meets

his counterpart, Tshering Tobgay and King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck in Thimpu on hisfirst foreign visit.

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj meets Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in Dhaka.India agrees to 5-year multiple entry tourist visas for Bangladeshi nationals below 13 and above 65

years of age.

Queen Maxima of The Netherlands visits the Sarvajal plant in Sawda Ghevra in New Delhi to seehow the innovative water ATMs work. She is in Delhi in her role as the United Nations SecretaryGenerals Special Advocate for Inclusive Finance for Development.

The General Assembly of the Commonwealth Shooting Federation (CSF)in its meeting in Glasgowon 28 July 2014 agreed to reinstate shooting pair events in the 2018 Commonwealth Games(CWG)to be held in Australia.

Bills

Bill on Polavaram Project Passed:Parliament on July 14, 2014 passed a Bill to facilitate the transfer

of 205 villages spread across seven mandals in the newly formed State of Telangana to the residualState of Andhra Pradesh for the multipurpose Polavaram irrigation project. The Bill, approved bythe Lok Sabha on July 11, 2014 was opposed by members of the Rajya Sabha from Telangana,Odisha and Chhattisgarh on the plea that it would cause unwarranted displacement of 52,000Scheduled Caste families from the three States.

TRAI Bill Passed in Parliament The Narendra Modi government on July 15, 2014 successfullypushed through a bill to amend the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India to formalise theappointment of Nripendra Misra as Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister. The NDA has just 43members in the Rajya Sabha in an effective strength of 240. Within three days of the oath-takingceremony, the Cabinet on May 28 recommended the promulgation of an ordinance to amend theTRAI Act to facilitate the appointment of Mr. Misra. The TRAI Act bars a former chairman from

taking up any government job after retirement. But the government defended it on the ground thatthe Prime Minister should have the right to pick a person of his choice for such a crucial job. The lokSabha passed the TRAI Bill on July 14, 2014.

Economy/Business

Kuwaits Parliament passes a record $ 82.6 billion budget for 2014-15 fiscal year, projecting a $ 11.2billion shortfull on the basis of a conservative oil price.

The United General Assemblys budget committee approves the budget for its far flungpeacekeeping missions. The overall budget for the fiscal year July 1, 2014 June 30, 2015 isestimated at $ 8.6 billion, an increase from the $ 7.83 billion budget that expired on June 30, 2014.

India to Become third largest Economy by 2030 India is set to become the third-largest economy

in the world bye 2030, according to a latest report by global audit firm Pricewater house Coopers(PwC).

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The ninth edition of the National Health Profile, 2013, released on July 17, 2014, reveals that percapita private expenditure on health is three to four times higher than per capita public expenditurein all major States the exceptions being some North-eastern States and Jammu and Kashmir.Private per capita expenditure on health is on the rise, according to the national health profile 2013released on July 17, 2014.

DELHI - Budget 2014-15: Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley proposed no new taxes whilepresenting the Budget for Delhi for 2014-15 on July 18, 2014. He announced Rs.260 crore in powersubsidies to provide relief to targeted consumers on account of increase in tariffs and to ensure that

the poor and marginalised should not suffer. The Rs.36,776 crore budget for Delhi was presentedin Parliament as Delhi is currently under Presidents rule. The government announced a subsidy ofRs.1.20 per unit up to 200 units and 80 paisa per unit for the 201-400 units slab to small powerconsumers. In addition, Mr. Jaitley announced a slew of initiatives that will add more night shelters,low-floor buses, schools and sewage treatment capacity in the Capital. A multi-specialty hospital isalso slated to come up in Rohini. The total budget estimates for the Government of NCT of Delhi forthe year 2014-15 is Rs.36,766 crore. It includes Rs.19,066 crore non-plan expenditure and Rs.17,700crore Plan expenditure.

CAG Report: The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report, tabled in the Parliament onAugust 1, 2014 said the Shiela Dikshit Government in Delhi spent Rs.3,029.21 crore onregularisation of illegal colonies but failed to provide the most basic amenities, such as sewer, waterlines, roads and drainage. The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India has indicated anumber of Delhi government departments for wasteful expenditure, stuck infrastructure and socialsecurity projects, besides ignoring key environmental issues.

Delhi Tourism and Transportation Development Corporation Limited incurred a loss of Rs.1.44crore in operation and management of a canteen in Delhi Assembly.

Delhi Transport Corporation suffered avoidable loss of Rs.53.59 crore on account ofunauthorised occupation of staff quarters at two staff colonies.

Eight out of 37 government hospitals in Delhi do not have NOCs issued by fire department.

Basic amenities and facilities such as drinking water, sanitation, drainage and sewerage were notup to mark in community halls maintained by Municipal Corporations.

National Institute of Jewellery was set up and suffered a loss of Rs.3.20 crore up to 2011-12. Only13-57 students were enrolled from 2005-2013.

Only 158 out of 685 slum clusters had piped water facilities serving 250 to 300 persons againstthe standards of 150 persons. The roads and drainages were dilapidated although Rs.49.08 crorewas spent on this.

No sewerage master plan, sewage from 46 per cent of population down the Yamuna untreated.

Companies/Industry In its second attempt Diageo Plc, the worlds largest sprits company, has managed to take control of

United Spirits Ltd. (USL), Indias largest spirits company after successful closure of the latest openoffer. Diageo, through its wholly owned subsidiary Relay BV, had accepted the tender of 37.79

million shares in USL at a price of Rs.3,030 a share under the open offer announced on April 15.

2000 2010Total expenditure (% of GDP) 4.3 3.7Out of Pocket expenditure 91.8 86.4Private Prepaid Plans* 1.1 4.7Per capita total expenditure^ 65 126Per capita govt. expenditure 17 36* % of private expenditure^ PPP international $

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ONGC Videsh Ltd. (OVL) has raised $2.21 billion in long-term bonds,the largest bond sale fromIndia, from overseas markets to refinance loans taken to acquire oil fields in Mozambique. Theseinclude $750 million in five-year bonds, $750 million ten-year bonds and 525 million euro in seven-year bonds.

Industrial production grew at 4.7 per cent in May, 2014 a 19-month high, according to official datare-leased on July 11, 2014. The growth is mainly on the back of recovery in the output of

manufacturing, mining and electricity production and capital goods.

Ranbaxy Laboratories has received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) tolaunch a cheaper copy of Novartis AGs blood pressure pill Diovan, bolstering its outlook after araft of regulatory bans for poor production quality at its India facilities dented investor sentiment.

As per estimates by civil aviation think-tank Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation (CAPA), the cashbalance of some airlines has reached dangerous levels. Adding to their problem is the frequent farewars, which result in lower yields.

Cash Balance At the end of 2013-14, CAPA had estimated that Indian carriers had Rs.3,250crore ($585 million) of cash on hand. With annual industry turnover in excess to Rs.60,000 crore($10 billion ), this represents the equivalent of less than three weeks revenues, CAPA said in a

report. As per CAPAs estimates, Indian carriers in the last seven years reported accumulated losses of

Rs.63,300 crore ($10.6 billion), including Rs.10,200 crore ($1.7 billion) in 2013-14. For 2014-15, thedomestic airline industry is projected to report a combined net loss of Rs.84,000 crore ($1.4billion).

Debt It said full service carriers such as Air India and Jet Airways have been drawn into avicious circle of debt. Airlines, including the grounded Kingfisher, have accumulated loans ofRs.95,000 crore ($15.83 billion), including vendor liabilities. SpiceJet Rs.1,003 crore, net loss in2013-14.

Jet and JetLite Rs.4,130 crore net loss in 2013-14

Air India Rs.4000-4,500 crore net loss in 2013-14. Rs.9,600 crore ($1.6 billion) Airlines other than

IndiGo will require this year to sustain business.Indian Airline Rs.8,400 crore ($1.4 billion) combined losses in 2014 - 15

Rs.63,300 crore ($10.6 billion) Accumulated losses in 7 years

Rs.60,000 crore ($10 billion) With annual industry turnover of Rs.60,000 crore ($1C billion)this, represents the equivalent of less than three weeks

24%the government must notify ATF as a declared good, thereby reducing tax on ATF to 4per cent from an average of 24 per cent.

10-12%- this will help airline to reduce their operating cost by 10 to 12 per cent.

Chinese gold processing firms have since 2012 used falsified gold transactions to borrow 94.4 billionyuan ($15.2 billion) from banks, the countrys chief auditor said. Commodities such as copper,

rubber, soybeans and bullion have commonly been used in China for financing, where traders orinvestors borrow against the commodity with the aim of investing the money in high-return areassuch as real estate or shadow banking.

GMR Gets Relief in Male Airport Row Infrastructure major GMR and one of its subsidiaries thatgot a multi-million dollar contract to modernise and operate the Male International Airport, whichhowever, was terminated after a regime change in the Island nation one-and-half years ago, gotsome relief with an arbitration tribunal upholding the concession agreement as valid and binding.

Eight Indian companies, led by state-run IOC, have made it to the latest Fortune Global 500 list ofworlds biggest firms. Globally, Wal-Mart has pushed energy giant Royal Duth Shell to secondplace, followed by Chinese majors Sinopec and China National Petroleum, with Exxon Mobil at fifth

place. There are 128 United States companies on the list, and 95 from China. Among the Indiancompanies, only Tata Motors has improved its ranking; the others, including Reliance Industries,BPCL, HPCL, SBI and ONGC, have fallen.

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Air Indiaon July 11, 2014 formally became a member of Star Alliance, a conglomeration of 26 over-seas airlines.

The State-run Gujarat Urja Vikas Nigam Ltd (GUVNL) extended undue benefit to Essar PowerGujarat Limited (EPGL) to the tune of Rs.587 crore, the report of the Comptroller and AuditorGeneral of India, has noted.

Stock Market SEBI Unveils Measures to Revitalise Markets Initiating a wide range of measures, Securities and

Exchange Board of India (SEBI) on June 19, 2014 asked all listed public sector undertakings (PSUs)to ensure at least 25 per cent public shareholding within three years and unveiled new norms forresearch analysts, employee stock option schemes as well as reforms to boost the primary market.

SEBI believes that rules for minimum public shareholding should be uniform across all thecompanies and should be promoter neutral.

Minimum dilution to public shall be 25% or Rs.400 crore whichever is lower.

All listed companies including PSUs shall be required to achieve and maintain minimum publicshareholding of 25% with in a time period of three years.

Under offer for sale of shares through stock exchange mechanism, minimum 10 per cent of theissue shall be reserved for retail investors.

SEBI Slaps fine on Reliance Industries The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) onAugust 8, 2014 imposed a penalty of Rs.18 crore on Reliance Industries LTd. (RIL) for non-disclosure of a key earnings ratio.

The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), on July 15, 2014 barred erstwhile SatyamComputer Services chairman B. Ramalinga Raju and its former top officials from accessing thesecurities market for 14 years, with immediate effect. SEBI also banned B. Rama Raju, ex-ManagingDirector, Vadlamani Srinivas, ex-Chief Financial Officer, G. Ramakrishna, ex-Vice President(Finance) and V.S. Prabhakara Gupta, ex-Head.

Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), on July 17, 2014 came out with draft guidelines forInfrastructure Investment Trusts (InvITs), which will enable creation of a new investment productfor arranging long-term financing for infrastructure projects. These InvITs can be listed on the stockexchanges, will get tax benefits and will invest the funds collected from investors in infrastructureprojects, including PPP (public private partnership).

The Centre on July 24, 2014 approved the sale of 10 million tonnes of wheat in the open market fromFood Corporation of India (FCI) stocks to boost domestic supply, contain prices and ease pressureon storage.

Exports/Imports Draft Textile Policy An expert panel constituted by the government, submitted the draft of the

new National Textiles Policy on July 28, 2014, which aims to achieve $300 billion (Rs.18 lakh crore)exports by 2024-25 and create 35 million more jobs by attracting investments. At present, exports ofthe Indian textile and apparel industry amount to $39 billion (R.2.34 lakh crore).

Taxation/Trade Indirect Tax Collections up in April-June Indirect tax mop up inched up by 4.6 per cent in the

April-June quarter of the current fiscal due to decline in custom duty and excise duty collections,reflecting a slump in manufacturing activity. Indirect tax collections, comprising excise, customsand service tax, stood at about Rs.1.13 lakh crore in the first quarter of 2014-15, as against Rs.1.08lakh crore in the corresponding period a year ago. The growth at 4.6 per cent is far less than 25 percent increase envisaged in the budget for 2014-15.

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Space Indias Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle C-23successfully puts five foreign satellites into orbit in the

presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Indian Space Research Organisations spaceportin Sriharikota.

An unmanned Delta-2 rocket blasts off from California, carrying a NASA science satellite to surveywhere carbon dioxide is moving into and out of Earths atmosphere.

Vintage Nasa Space-craft set for Interplanetary probe A team of scientist is priming a 36-year-oldNASA spacecraft named International Sun-Earth Explorer 3 spacecraft, ISEE-3, to enter new sciencefrontiers.

Opportunity Sets The Record For Off-Earth Roving American space agency NASA, on 29 July2014, said that Mars rover, Opportunity, which landed on the Red Planet in 2004, is now the recordholder of the off-Earth roving distance after accruing 40 kilometres of driving. Opportunity hasdriven farther than any other wheeled vehicle on another world.

Biodiversity Loss Pushing Earth towards Sixth mass Extinction Scientists warned in July 2014that the persistent loss and decline of biodiversity is leading humanity to early days of the planetssixth mass biological extinction event. Since 1500, more than 320 terrestrial vertebrates have become

extinct. Populations of the remaining species show a 25 per cent average decline in abundance.

Scientists Spot New Objects Beyond Pluto Scientists using the Hubble Space Telescope, in July2014, announced to have discovered two new objects beyond Pluto for NASAs New Horizonsspacecraft to visit. Analysis of an initial 200 Hubble images, taken between June 16 and June 26,showed that a least two Kuiper Belt objects might be within range of New Horizons.

NASA Builds Worlds First Flying Observatory NASA, in July 2014, announced to have fitted a17-tonne telescope with an effective diameter of eight feet on a modified Boeing 747 jet liner that theU.S. space agency is using as a flying observatory to study stars. The infrared telescope calledStratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) is mounted behind a sliding door thatreveals it to the skies. The jet can stay airborne for over 12 hours and its range is up to 6,625 nautical

miles (7,624 miles).

Science and Technology Synthetic diamonds are hardest gems - Researchers have created synthetic diamonds that are less

prone to deformation and breaking than both natural and man-made diamonds.

Super-Stretchable graphene yarn - Researchers from the United States and Japan have developed asimple method to make strong, stretchable graphene oxide yarn. Researchers at Penn State in theUnited States and Shinshu University in Japan have developed a simple, scalable method of makinggraphene oxide (GO) fibres that are strong, stretchable and can be easily scrolled into yarns.

New Mite Species Named After J Lo:Researchers have discovered new pontarachnid mite species,from Bajo de Sico, a mesophotic coral reef ecosystem in Mona Passage off Puerto Rico, which hasbeen named after the famous singer Jennifer Lopez.

Ultra HD Laptop -Toshiba, on June 17, 2014 announced a range of new devices for the domesticmarket, including 2-in-1s (tablet-cum-notebooks) and workstations a first for the company. TheJapanese firm, which is targeting to be among the top three PC players in the segment by the end ofthis fiscal, has also launched the worlds first ultra HD 4K laptop. The series launched include theSatellite S series and L series, Portege Z30 and Tecra Z40, hybrid and professional workstation.

Worlds First Android Newscaster- Japanese scientists on June 24, 2014 unveiled what they saidwas the worlds first news-reading android, eerily lifelike and possessing a sense of humour tomatch her perfect language skills. The adolescent-looking Kodomoroid an amalgamation of theJapanese word kodomo (child) and android delivered news of an earthquake and an FBI raid

to amazed reporters.

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Chinas Tianhe-2 Is Worlds Fastest Computer Chinas Tianhe-2 has been named the worldsfastest computer for the third year in a row at the International Supercomputing Conference inLeipzig, Germany. Overall, the United States has the most super-computers out of the top 500system, with China in a distant second; the United Kingdom, France and Germany lag far behind.

3D-Pinted Body Parts Designed For Teaching: Scientists have developed highly-realistic 3D-printed body parts to allow trainee doctors to learn human anatomy without needing access to a

real cadaver. The 3D Printed Anatomy Series, developed by experts from Monash University, isthought to be the first commercially available resources of its kind. The kit contains no humantissue, yet it provides all the major parts of the body required to teach anatomy of the limbs, chest,abdomen, head and neck.

India Helps Crack Wheat Genetic Code Agricultural scientists from three Indian institutes havecollaborated with the International Wheat Genome Sequencing Consortium (IWGSC) to decipherthe genetic blueprint of wheat. This is expected to help breeders produce better quality cereal.

Anti-Tank Missile Detector to fight Malaria An anti-tank Javelin missile detector, commonlyused in warfare to detect the enemy, has been found to rapidly identify malaria parasites in blood.

Mangalore Varsity Develops Key Technology for Barc Mangalore University, in July 2014,

added a feather to its cap by developing a technology and fabricating a prototype system, for theremoval of two radioactive gases (radon and thoron) present in work places of industries thathandle uranium and thorium. The technology, called thoron mitigation system, will also minimisethe release of these two gases into the environment. The university has developed the technologyunder a Memorandum of Understanding with the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC),Mumbai. BARC has funded the project.

Scientists Find Ageing Cure Japanese scientists, in July 2014, announced to have found a way toslow down the ageing process in flowers by up to a half, meaning bouquets could remain fresh formuch longer. Morning glory is the popular name for a hundreds of species of flowering plantswhose short-lived blooms usually unfold early in the day and are gone by nightfall. By suppressingthe gene named EPHEMERALI the lifespan of each flower was almost doubled. Unmodified

flowers started withering 13 hours after they opened, but flowers that had been geneticallymodified stayed open for 24 hours.

Only 8.2% of Human DNA is Functional According to a group of genetic scientists led by DrGerton Lunter of the University of Oxfords Welcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics, only 8.2percent of human genome is likely to be doing something important. This figure is very differentfrom one given in 2012 by researchers from the Encyclopedia of DNA Elements (ENCODE) project,who stated that about 80 percent of human DNA has some biochemical function.

Energy/Gas/Oil Oil and Natural Gas Corp (ONGC), on June 27, 2014, announced to invest over Rs.5,700 crore in re-

development of its giant Mumbai High (North) oil and gas field off the west coast.

The Competition Commission of India (CCI)on July 7, 2014 imposed a penalty of more than Rs.25crore on Adani Gasfor violating competition norms by abusing its dominant market position.

Environment Australias Government, on 17 July 2014, repealed a much-maligned carbon tax on the nations

worst greenhouse gas polluters, ending years of contention over a measure that became politicalpoison for the lawmakers who imposed it.

Transport/Cars/Scooters The Indian Railways effects the largest-ever hike in recent times by increasing the passenger fares

by 14.2 per centand freight charges by 6.5 per cent. The hike will take effect from June 25, 2014.

China is planning the construction of two railway lines in Tibet that will extend up to the borderwith India and are expected to be completed by 2020, State media said on July 24, 2014.

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Media/Telecommunication/IT Project Zero To Defend People Against Cyber-Attacks - Tech titan Google on July 16, 2014

unveiled Project Zero a team of elite hackers designated for checking internet security holes anddefending people from cyber-attacks.

App To Erase All Evidences Of Chats -Wiper, a messaging app which made its debut in July 2014,has come up with a feature which will erase all the messages and photos shared from both the

phones and companys server with just one tap.

TRAI Doubles Minimum Broadband Speed: Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) hasnotified that the minimum broadband speed has been raised to 512 kilo bytes per second (kbps)from the earlier 256 kbps.

PM Launches E-Governance Platform Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on 26 July 2014, launchedan online platform mygov.nic.in to engage citizens in the task of good governance(surajya) as hecompleted 60 days in office. MyGov is a technology-driven platform that would provide peoplewith the opportunity to contribute towards good governance.

LI-FI Data Transmission Through Light A Mexican Software Company, in July 2014, managed totransmit audio, video and Internet across the spectrum of light emitted by LED lamps at a data

transfer rate of 10 gigabytes per second. The technology, called Li Fi or light fidelity, is presented asan alternative to Wi-Fi because it will maximise the original provided speed of the internet to offersafer data transfer and a transfer rate of up to 10 gigabytes per second.

Sharing of all Telecom Spectrum Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) on July 21, 2014recommended allowing sharing of all categories of spectrum. The move is likely to benefit majoroperators such as Bharti Airtel, Vodafone, Idea, Reliance Communications and Tata Teleservices,helping them reduce costs and at the same time improve service quality.

Appointments/Election President Pranab Mukherjee appoints the Chief Justices of Calcutta and Orissa High Courts, Arun

Mishraand Adarsh Kumar Goelrespectively, and senior lawyer Rohinton Narimanas SupremeCourt judges.

Gujarat Governor Kamala Beniwal is transferred to Mizoram for the remainder of her term.Vakkom Purushothaman, Governor of Mizoram is shifted to Nagaland for the rest of his term.

Senior advocate Pinky Anand is appointed as Additional Solicitor General (ASG) in the SupremeCourt. Anand is the second woman lawyer to be appointed an ASG after senior advocate IndiraJaising.

Puducherry Lt. Governor Virendra Kataria is sacked and Lt.General (Retd). Ajay Kumar Singh,Lieutenant Governor of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, is appointed as interim Lt. Governor ofPuducherry.

In its first gubernatorial appointments, the National Democratic Alliance Government names fivenew Governors. Ram Naik is appointed Governor of Uttar Pradesh, senior Delhi leader OmPrakash Kohli will be the Governor of Gujarat,Punjab party leader Balramji Dass Tandontakesover in Chhattisgarh, Keshari Nath Tripathi in West Bengal and Padmanabha Acharya will beNagalandgovernor.

Alexander Stubbis set to become Finlands new Prime Minister as he defeats Paula Risikko by 500votes to 349 in the second round of polling by members of national coalition.

The President of ColombiaJuan Manuel Santoswins the second term securing almost 51 per centvote in the runoff election.

The United Nations General Assembly approves the nomination ofJordans Prince Zeid al-Hussein

as the next UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, making him the first Muslim and Arabtohold the post.

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Felipe VI is crowned as the King of Spainat La Zarzuela Palace in Madrid. King Felipe calls forSpain to stay united but respect cultural differences.

Justice VK Rajah, an Indian-origin judge is appointed as the eighth Attorney General ofSingapore. Rajah is also appointed as a Member of the Presidential Council for Minority Rights fora term of three years.

Former Prime Minister of Luxembourg Jean Claude Junckeris named as the next President of theEuropean Commission. He will replace Jose Manuel Barroso.

Pakistans Supreme Courts most senior judge Nasir-ul-Mulk takes over as the Chief Justice afterhis predecessor Tassaduq Hussain Jillani retires.

Former World Bank economist Ashraf Ghaniwins Afghanistans presidential election, according topreliminary results, with 56.4 per cent of the run-off vote to Abdullah Abdullahs 43.5 per cent.

BCCI President-in-exile N Srinivasanis formally appointed the first chairman of the InternationalCricket Council (ICC)after its 52-member council approved a revamp of the bodys administrativestructure.

Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan was, in July 2014, appointed as the horticulture

ambassador of the state of Maharashtra.

Ukraines Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyukresigned from the office in July 2014.

Bashar al-Assadwas sworn in for a third 7-year term as president of Syria in July 2014.

Famous British actress, Emma Watson, was in July 2014 appointed as the Goodwill Ambassador ofUN Women the United Nations organization devoted to gender equality and the empowermentof women.

General Dalbir Singh Suhagtook charge as the new Chief of the Army Staff of 1.3 million strongIndian Army in July 2014.

The Council of Representatives of Iraq (Iraqi Parliament) in Baghdad elected Muhammad Fuad

Masum of Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) party as the seventh President of Iraq in July 2014.

Jakarta (Indonesia) GovernorJoko Widodowas, in July 2014, declared the winner of the Indonesianpresidential polls.

The President of India appointed veteran BJP leader and Rajya Sabha member Kaptan SinghSolanki(75) as the Governor of Haryana in Place of Jagannath Pahadia in July 2014.

Micheele Howard, on 1 July 2014, became the first female four-star admiral in US Navy. She is thefirst women admiral in 236 year old history of US Navy.

Indian tennis star Sania Mirzawas appoint as Brand Ambassador of Telanganaon 22 July 2014.

Indian cricket legend Rahul Dravidon 16 July 2014 was elected as the member of Laureus WorldSports Academy.He is the 47thmember of the Academy. After his election to the Academy, Dravid(nicknamed The Wall) met and played cricket with the young coaches of the Urban Academy ofLondons East End.

S.S.Mundra took charge as deputy governor Reserve Bank of India in July 2014. As a deputygovernor of the central bank, he will be responsible for banking supervision, currency management,financial stability and rural credit.

Shashi Kant Sharma, Indias Comptroller & Auditor General (C&AG), took charge as Member ofthe United Nations Board of Auditors, for a six-year term in July 2014.

Sujit Choudhry, a noted expert in comparative constitutional law, in July 2014, became the firstIndian-American dean of the University of California, Berkeley, School of Law, a top US law school.

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Resignation/Dismissed/Retired/Quit

Uttar Pradesh Governor Banwari Lal Joshiresigns from the post.

Chhattisgarh Governor Shekhar Duttsends his resignation to the President Pranab Mukherjee.

Nagaland Governor Ashwani Kumarresigns from the post.

Karnataka Governor HR Bhardwajand Tripura Governor Devanand Konwarretire as their term

ends. Bhardwaj was Union Law Minister in the first UPA government while Konwar, a Congressveteran from Assam, was a state minister.

MK Narayanan resigns as Governor of West Bengal. The first Governor to be questioned by aninvestigative agency, Mr.Narayanan is the fourth Governor to resign following pressure from theBharatiya Janata Party government on appointees of the United Progressive Alliances government.

Goa Governor Bharat Vir Wanchoo, who is quizzed by a team of the Central Bureau ofinvestigation at the Raj Bhawan as a witness in Agusta Westland chopper deal scam, submits hisresignation.

Left-arm spinner Murali Kartik announces his retirement after a First-Class career that spannedover 17 years. He played eight Tests and 37 ODIs for India between 1999 and 2007.

Jacques Kallis, the South African all-rounder on 30 July 2014 announced his retirement from all-formats of International cricket, viz., One Day Internationals and T20s.

Philipp Lahm, the captain of Germanys football teamannounced his retirement from internationalgame on 18 July 2014.

Luiz Felipe Scolari, the football coach of Brazil on 14 July 2014 resigned after Brazil failed to winthe 2014 FIFA World Cup.

Mahela Jayawardene, the former skipper of Sri Lankan cricket team, announced his retirementfrom Test cricket on 14 July 2014. He will retire from Test Cricket after the home series againstPakistan in August 2014.

Arrests/Jailed/Released Veteran entertainer Rolf Harris, a household name in Britain and Australia for decades, is jailed for

five years and nine months by a judge in London for a string of sexual assaults against girls andyoung women.

Andy Coulson, the former editor of Rupert Murdochs News of the World and one time aide toBritish Prime Minister David Cameron, is jailed for 18 months for his role in the phone-hackingscandal that closed the tabloid.

An Egyptian court sentences Muslim Brotherhood leader Mohamed Badie to life in prison forinciting violence that erupted after the army deposed Islamist President Mohamed Morsy in 2013.

Deaths Legendary actor Zohra Sehgal, who essayed character roles with aplomb in a career spanning both

theatre and cinema, passes away at the age of 102.

Senior Vishwa Hindu Parishad leader Giriraj Kishore, who was actively associated with the RamTemple agitation, passes away at the age 94.

Stephanie Kwolek, a United States chemist who invented kevlar fiber used in body armour andother bullet-proof gear, passes away at the age of 90.

Eli Wallach, an early practitioner of method acting who made a lasting impression as the scuzzybandit Tuco in The Good, the Bad and the Ugly passes away at the age of 98.

Legendary US soul artiste Bobby Womack, who influenced and wrote for generations of musicians,passes away at the age of 70.

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The Head of Ukraine orthodox church, Metropolitan Volodymyr, who had been credited withstabilising the church, passes away aged 78.

Paul Horn, who has been called Father of New Age Music, passes away at the age of 84 inVancouver, Canada.

Eduard Shevardnadze, a ground breaking Soviet Foreign Minister and later the President of an

independent Georgia, passes away at the age of 86. The last surviving founding member of the pioneering punk band The Ramones, Tommy Ramone,

passes away at the age of 62.

Bassist Charlie Haden, who helped change the shape of jazz as a member of Ornette Colemansquartet and liberated the bass from its traditional rhythm section role, passes away in Los Angelesat the age of 76.

South African Nobel Prize-winning author Nadine Gordimer,an uncompromising moralist whobecame one of the most powerful voices against the injustice of apartheid, passes away at the age of90.

Jamil Ahmad, the author of an acclaimed collection of short stories about life in Pakistans tribal

badlands, passes away at the age of 83.

The first black woman to win an Olympic gold medal, Alice Coachman Davis, died on July 14, 2014in South Georgia. She was 90.

Jimmy Scott, the United States jazz singer whose haunting contralto voice won him acclaim overthe course of more than seven decades, passed away on June 12, 2014 at the age of 88.

Bir Bikrom UK Ching Marma, the well known Bangladeshi freedom fighter died on 25 July 2014.UK Ching was the only person of ethnic minority origin to be awarded Bir Bikrom for hiscontribution to the countrys Liberation War in 1971.

Eduard Shevardnadze, the former President of Georgia died on 7 July 2014.

American actorJames Garnerdied at the age of 86 in Los Angeles on 19 July 2014.

Granville Austin, the eminent scholar of the Indian Constitution died on 6 July 2014 in WashingtonDC.

Former Haitian president Leslie Francois Manigaton 27 June 2014 died at the age of 83.

Lorin Varencove Maazel, the American conductor of classical music, violinist and composer diedon 13 July 2014 at his home in Castleton, Virginia.

Louis Zamperini, a 1936 US Olympic distance runner and World War II veteran, died due topneumonia on 2 July 2014.

Madhukar Singh, an eminent Hindi litterateur died at his residence in village Dharahara of Bhojpurdistrict on 21 July 2014.

Nadine Gordimer, the South African Nobel Prize-winning author, died on 14 July 2014 inJohannesburg. She was 90. Her last novel No Time Like the Present was published in 2012.

Veteran Journalist Sundaram Sankarandied on 19 July 2014. He passed away at his residence inKensington, Maryland in the US. He was 87.

Theodore Van Kirk, the last surviving crewman of the US plane that dropped the atomic bomb inHiroshima, Japan during the World War II died on 28 July 2014. He was 93.

Awards/Honours Noted Hindi poet Kedarnath Singhis selected for the prestigious Jnanpith Awardfor 2013. He is

the 10thHindi writer to receive the honour.

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Oscar-winning Hollywood actress Angelina Jolie is named an honorary dame in the BritishQueens birthday honours list for her services to United Kingdom foreign policy and hercampaigning to end sexual violence in war zones.

Sanjaya Rajaram, veteran plant scientist, is selected for the 2014 World Food Prizefor his scientificresearch that led to a prodigious increase in the world wheat production.

Former Norwegian Premier Gro Harlem Brundtland is named as the first recipient of the TangPrize,touted as Asias version of the Nobel Prizes.

India-born Booker Prize winning author Salman Rushide is named the winner of the 2014prestigious Pen Pinter Prize for his outstanding literary output and support for freedom ofexpression.

The Arbil Citadel that dominates the capital of Iraqi Kurdistan is granted World Heritage Site statusby the UNESCO.

The United Nations cultural agency UNESCO grants World Heritage status to a prehistoric cave insouthern France containing the earliest known figurative drawings.

Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharifdeclares the ancestral home of Hindi cinemas thespian actor

Dilip Kumarin Peshawaras a national heritage.

Ace chess players Vishwanathan Anandof India and Boris Gelfandof Israel are selected for theRussian Federations Order of Friendship award.

Amateur Raksha Phadketakes the honours in the Hero KGA womens pro golf championshipinBangalore.

Environmentalist and social activist Chandi Prasad Bhatt was presented the Gandhi Peace PrizebyPresident Pranab Mukherjee on July 15, 2014.

UN Public Service Award - An initiative conceptualised by Indian governments Department ofElectronics and Information Technology to enable delivery of public services electronically through

the mobile platform has been awarded a United Nations public service award. Mobile Seva, anationwide initiative conceptualised, funded and implemented by the Department of Electronicsand Information Technology (DeitY), is among the second-place winners of the 2014 UN PublicService Awards, along with Bahrain, Brazil, Cameroon, Republic of Korea and Spain.

Singapore Chinese Orchestra Breaks Guinness Records - A Singapore-based professional Chineseorchestra group has broken two Guinness World records of the largest Chinese drum ensemblesand largest Chinese orchestra performance.

A 25-year-old man in Sweden whose first name contains 63 words may have the worlds longestname. The young mans name is Kim-Jong Sexy Glorious Beast Divine Dick Father Lovely Iron ManEven Unique Poh Un Winn Charlie Ghora Khaos Mehan Hansa Kimmy Humbero Uno Master OverDance Shake Bouti Bepop Rocksteady Shredder Kung Ulf Road House Gilgamesh Flap Guy TheoA***H*** Im Yoda Funky Boy Slam Duck Chuck Jorma Jukka Pekka Ryan Super Air Ooy RusellSalvador Alfons Molgan Akta Papa Long Nameh Ek. He goes by Papa Long Namesh for short andnow holds the record of Swedens longest name.

Bachendri Pal, the first Indian woman mountaineer to scale Mount Everest, was recently conferredwith Bharat Gaurav, the highest honour of merit of East Bengal Club.

Four Indian Americans Honoured on the EVE of US Independence Day Four India bornAmericans were honoured on the eve of US Independence Day on 4 July 2014. They were honouredfor their contributions to the US during annual Great Immigrants tribute held in New York, UnitedStates. The Indian-Americans honoured were Microsoft Corp chief executive Sathya Nadella,Comedian and actor Aasif Mandvi, Carnegie Mellon University president Subra Suresh and former

president of the University of West Georgia, Beheruz Sethna.

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President Pranab Mukherjee, on 1 July 2014, presented the National Awards for Handicrafts andHandlooms, Shilp Guru Awards and Santi Kabir Awards for the year 2011. The awards weregiven to weavers and artisans at a function at Vigyan Bhavan in New Delhi.

The Indian Contingent won five medals in 45thInternational Physics Olympiad (IPHO2014)heldin Astana, Kazakhstan from 13 July to 21 July 2014 at the Nazarbayev University in Astana. Indiawon 2 gold medals and 3 silver medals in the Olympiad. Aniket Bajpai (Maharashtra) and

Chitraang Murdia (Rajasthan) won gold medals while Bure Vidya Sagar Nadin, Srikakulam (AP)Gurukirat Singh Bajwa, Hoshiarpur (Punjab) and Rupanshu Ganvir (Maharashtra) secured silvermedals. The 45th International Physics Olympiad (IPHO2014) was organized by the Ministry ofEducation and Science of Kazakhstan.

Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khanwas conferred with the top French civilian award. Knightof the Legion of Honor(National Order of the Legion of Honour) in Mumbai on 1 July 2014.

The Lives of Others authored by Neel Mukherjee was shortlisted for Man booker Prize 2014in July2014.

Famous film director Muzaffar Ali(69), who had directed the Bollywood classic Umarao Jaan,has been chosen for Rajiv Gandhi National Sadbhavana Awardfor his extraordinary contribution

towards the promotion of communal harmony, peace and goodwill.

Sports/Game Olympic gold medalist The Netherlandsdefeats Australia 2-0 in the title showdown to clinch the

womens hockey World Cupat the Kyocera Stadium in The Hague.

Nester Carterof Jamaica and Tori Bowieof USA win the gold medals in mens and womens 100-metrerespectively at the New York Diamond League meet.

Dutee Chanddelivers two gold medals womens 200 metres and 4 400 metres relay in the 16thAsian junior athletics championshipin Taipei City. India finishes fifth behind China, Japan, Qatarand Chinese Taipei.

Australia retains the mens hockey World Cup title by outplaying Olympic silver medalistTheNetherlands 6-1 in the final at the Kyocera Stadium in The Hague.

Martin Kaymerwins US Open golf title in Pinehurst. It is Kaymers second Major golf title.

Jitu Raiof India wins silver medalin the mens 50 metre free pistolevent in the shooting WorldCup in Maribor, Slovenia. Damir Mikecof Serbia wins the gold medal.

Indian women secure a 6-0 whitewash over Malaysian womens hockey team after winning the finalmatch of their tour 5-2 in Kuala Lumpur.

Jitu Rai of India clinches the gold in mens air pistol in the shooting World Cup in Maribor,Slovenia.

Magnus Carlsenof Norway wins the World Rapid Chess title in Dubai. Viswanathan AnandofIndia settles for the third spot.

China claims the top spot in the shooting World Cupat Maribor, Slovenia. Germanywith fourgold medalsfinishes second.

National womens champion Mampi Dasclaims the gold in the junior womens 10-metre air riflein the 24thmeeting of Shooting Hopes junior international meet at Plzen, Czech Republic.

Stuart Board claims his second Test hat-trick on the first day of the second cricket Test against SriLanka at Headingley. Board becomes the first England bowler, and only the fourth in all, to take ahat-trick in Tests after Huge Trumble, Jimmy Mathews and Wasim Akram.

Reigning World Champion Magnus Carlsen of Norway creates history by winning theWorld Blitzchess championship in Dubai.

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Shreya Gawandeof India wins the gold in the junior womens 25-metre sports pistol in the 24thMeeting of Shooting Hopes international junior meet in Plzen, Czech Republic.

Nico Rosbergwins the Austrian Grand Prix Formula One racein a Mercedes one-two in Spielberg. Samarjeet Singhwins the junior mens 25-metre sports pistol goldat the 24thMeeting of Shooting

Hopes international junior competition in Plzen, Czech Republic.

The 35th

National Games to be hosted by Kerala will be held from January 31 to February 14, 2015. Indian cueist Pankaj Advanicreates history by becoming the first player to win world titles in the

longer and shorter formats of billiards and snookerafter clinching the IBSF World 6-Red snookerchampionshipin Sharm El-Sheikh.

Satyendra Singh clinches the gold in the mens free rifle 3-position event in the 14th KumarSurendra Singh shooting championship at the Dr. Karni Singh Range, Tughlakabad.

Jitu Raiis rankedWorld Number 1 in mens air pistolin the latest list released by the InternationalShooting Federation (ISSF).

New Zealand completes a 53-run victory over the West Indies in the third and final Test atKensington Oval in Barbados to clinch the series 2-1.

Scores: New Zealand: 293 and 331 for 7 declared

West Indies: 317 and 254

Man-of-the Match: K Williamson

Neeraj Kumar wins the mens air pistol gold in the 14th Kumar Surendra Singh shootingchampionship at the Dr.Karni Singh Range, Tughlakabad.

Yi Silingof China wins the gold medal in the womens 10-metre air riflein the shooting WorldCup in Beijing.

Jin Jingohof Korea wins the mens 10-metre air pistol goldin the shooting World Cup in Beijing.Jiri Liptak of Czech Republic wins mens trap gold.

Petra Kvitova of Czech Republic blows away her fancied challenger Eugenie Bouchard of Canada 6-3, 6-0 in the shortest and one of the most one-sided Wimbledon Tennis womens singles final of alltime. Sara Errani and Roberta Vinci of Italy beat Timea Babos of Hungary and Kristina Mladenovicof France to clinch the womens doubles title.

Lewis Hamiltonwins his home British Grand Prix Formula One raceahead of Finlands ValtteriBottas of Williams.

Novak Djokovic of Serbia lifts the Wimbledon Tennis mens singles trophybeating seven timechampion Roger Federer of Switzerland in five close sets.

Vitaly Fokeevof Russia wins the mens double trap gold in the shooting World Cup in Beijing.

Nickel Ashmeadeof Jamaica wins the mens 100-metre raceat the Glasgow Diamond League meet. South Africa rides on aggressive hundreds from Quinton de Kock and AB de Villiers to beat Sri

Lanka by 82 runs in the third and final ODI at Hambantota, to clinch the series 2-1.

Scores: South Africa: 339 for 5

Sri Lanka: 257

David Rudishaof Kenya records the fastest 800 metre runanywhere in the world in 2014 to claimthe $ 10,000 first prize at the Glasgow Diamond League meet at Hampden Park.

The Netherlandsbeats hosts Brazil 3-0 in the third place play off in FIFA World Cup 2014at theMane Garrincha National Stadium, Brasilia.

Nikhat Zareen of India wins the gold in the 54kg category by knocking out Hungarian Judit

Ferencz in the first round of the final in the Golden Glove internationalboxing championshiponSubotica Vojvodina, Serbia.

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Mario Goetzescores the winning goal in extra time to give Germany 1-0 victory over Argentina inthe final of the FIFA World Cup 2014 at the fabled Maracana Stadium as unified nation, having wonas West Germany in 1954, 1974 and 1990. James Rodriguezof Colombia is awarded Golden Bootwhile Lionel Messi of Argentina is adjudged the Best Player of the Tournament and bags theGolden Ball award.

Saina Nehwalrecently won 750000 US dollar Australian Open Super Series by defeating Carolina

Marin of Spain in straight-game 21-18, 21-11 in final played at Sydney.

Marcylebone Cricket Club XI on 5 July 2014 won the match played to celebrate 200-years(bicentenary) of Lords Cricket Ground the Home of Cricket. Sachin Tendulkar-led MCC XI beatShane Warne-led Rest of the World XI in Lords in London, UK.

Cycling - Italian Vincenzo Nibaliwon the 101stedition of Tour de France, becoming the first Italianin 16 years to win the championship.

Irishman Rory Mcllroywon the British Golf Open Championship2014 held at Royal LiverpoolGolf course in Holyake. United Kingdom on 20 July 2014.

Mercedes driver Nico Rosbergof Germany on 20 July 2014 won the German Grand Prix. This is his

first German GP and his fourth win of 2014. The race was held at the Hockenheimring nearHockenheim in the Germany.

German Sabine Lisickion 30 June 2014 created a record of fastest serve in the womens tennis.The world No29 Lisicki set the record by serving at 131 miles per hour during the first round loss inthe Bank of the West Classic Stanford, USA.

Real Madrid, Barcelona Top Forbes List Forbes top 10 1. Real Madid $3.44 billion 2. Barcelona $3.2 billion, 3. Manchester United $2.81 billion, 4. New York Yankees $2.5 billion, 5. Dallas Cowboys$2.3 billion, 6. Los Angeles Dodgers $2.0 billion, 7. Bayern Munich $1.85 billion, 8. New EnglandPatriots $1.8 billion, 9.Washington Redskins $1.7 billion, 10.New York Giants $1.55 billion.

FIFA on 9 July 2014 suspended Nigeria from all international football competitions with

immediate effect. Nigeria was suspended on account of government interference in running NigeriaFootball Federation (NFF).

Report Global Strategic Trends Out to 2045 - A global scenario projected by Britains ministry of defence

says that by 2045, India is likely to have the ability to project conventional military power globallywith the third largest defence expenditure pegged at $654 billion.

Top Five Defence Spenders in 2045

BRICS Varsity Rankings - The second edition of QS University Rankings: BRICS 2014, released onJune 17, 2014 identifies China as the most likely BRICS nation to achieve its goal of developingworld-class universities. China claims six of the top 10 places, ahead of Brazil (2), Russia (1) andSouth Africa (1). India is the only nation without a university in the top 10. 20 Indian institutefeature in the rankings and five Indian Institute of Technology (IITs) win places in the top 20.

Indian Varsities in the Top 20

13-IIT Delhi; 15-IIT Bombay; 16-IIT Kanpur; 17-IIT Madras; 20-IIT Kharagpur.

Country Expenditure(in billion $)

United States 1,335China 1,270India 654Russia 295United Kingdom 108

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World Urbanization Prospects by UN DESA - Delhi is now the worlds second most populouscitywith 25 million inhabitants. Tokyo remains the worlds largest city with 38 million inhabitants.The 2014 revision of the World Urbanization Prospects by UN Department of Economic and SocialAffairs (UNDESA)s Population Division has pointed to rapid urban growth in India, China andNigeria.

Forest Cover Increases:There has been an increase of 5,871 sq km of the countrys forest area since

2011, even as moderately dense forest areas have depleted due to population increase, grazing andencroachments, says the biennial India State of Forest Report 2013, which was released on July 8,2014.

Union Minister of State for Environment and Forests Prakash Javadekar, released the report. Thetotal forest cover of the country is 69.79 million hectares or 21.23 per cent of the geographicalarea of the country.

The tree cover is estimated to be 91,266 sq km or 9.13 million hectares, which is 2.78 per cent ofthe countrys geographical area. The total forest and tree cover is estimated at 24.01 per cent,according to the report.

The maximum increase in forest cover is in West Bengal (3,810 sq km), followed by Odisha(1,444 sq km) and Kerala (622 sq km) while Nagaland, Andhra Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh

have lost forests due to submergence, mining and shifting cultivation.

More Homes Turn to Public Distribution System:Official government statistics indicate that therehas been a turn around in Indias Public Distribution System (PDS). The share of householdsconsuming PDS rice has nearly doubled over seven years and those consuming PDS wheat hasmore than tripled over the same period.

The National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) 558threport estimatesthe household consumptionof various goods and services in 2011-12, based on a representative national sample of over 1lakh households.

The report finds that while overall consumption of cereals like rice and wheat has been fallingover time, the per capita consumption of PDS rice and wheat is rising steadily, as is the number

of households who report accessing the PDS. India acquired yet another dubious honour on June 25, 2014 after it was named to an International

Piracy Watch List by a U.S. government panel that is looking to highlight countries that are doinglittle to address high rates of digital piracy. The Special 301 Report again lists India as a prioritywatch nation.

More Trouble

The list primarily focuses on countries with high rates of digital piracy.

Points out that India has a flawed IP protection environment

China, Russia and Switzerland are also on the list.

The National Health Profile (NHP) 2013 was released by Union Minister for Health and Family

Welfare Dr. Harsh Vardhanin July 2014. The annual report is prepared by the Central Bureau ofHealth Intelligence (CBHI). It takes into account demographic, socio-economic, health status andhealth finance indicators, along with comprehensive information on health infrastructure andhuman resources in health.

Illusion of Justice A report by Human Rights Watch (HRW), titled Illusion of Justice, thatclosely examined 27 cases of high-profile domestic terrorism plots in the U.S. since 9/11 has founddirect involvement of government agents or informants, via sting operations, and this borders onentrapment. The 214-page study said the U.S. government had failed to meet its international legalobligations with respect to its investigations and prosecutions of terrorism suspects, as well as itstreatment of terrorism suspects in custody, and this applied specifically to American Muslimdefendants investigated, tried, and a convicted of terrorism or terrorism related offenses.

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Large-scale Antibiotic Residues Found in Chicken According to a new study by the Centre forScience and Environment (CSE) in July 2014, large-scale antibiotic residues have been found inchicken samples lifted from Delhi and the National Capital Region. Large scale misuse and overuseof antibiotics in chicken is leading to the emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in the chickenitself. These bacteria are then transmitted to human through food or environment.

According to the 2014 UNDP Human Development Report, released on 24 July 2014, Indias

human development index has improved very slightly but remains among the median countries interms of human development, just seven places above Bangladesh. The Human Development Indexis a composite index that measures income, education (average years of education completed byadults, and expected years of education for children entering school) and health (life expectancy).With an HDI value of 0.586 out of a maximum possible 1. India is 135thout of 187 countries.

According to new report by UNAIDS, the United Nations Programmes on HIV/AIDS, released inJuly 2014, an overwhelming 64 per cent of people living with HIV in India have no access totreatment., India has around 2.1 million people with HIV, which is the third largest number for anysingle country.

WB tops in cruelty to women by spouse At a time when a debate rages on the misuse of Section

498-A of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), which deals with cruelty to woman by husband and in-laws,an analysis of the data from National Crime Records Bureau, 2013 shows thatWest Bengalaccountsfor the highest number of cases under the particular section.

National Crime Records Bureau Data for 2013 Road accidents are the biggest non-disease killersof men in the country and suicides the biggest killers of women, shows an analysis of NationalCrime Records Bureau data for 2013. The NCRB data is a compilation of all deaths reported to thepolice in that year.

The annual Global Innovation Index (GII)released on July 18, 2014 has India slide 10 places to 76,with only Singapore, Hong Kong and South Korea representing Asia in the top 20 of the list,published by World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO), Cornell University and INSEAD.

Top Ranking GII 20141. Switzerland (1)

2. United Kingdom (3)

3. Sweden (2)

4. Finland (6)

5. Netherlands (4)

6. USA (5)

7. Singapore (8)

8. Denmark (9)

9. Luxembourg (12)

10. Hong Kong (7)BRICS Nations

29. China (35)

53. South Africa (58)

59. Russia (72)

61. Brazil (64)

76. India (66)

The figures in Brackets indicate 2013 Rank

Indian authorities implemented restrictive laws and did not always efficiently or effectivelyprosecute those who attacked religious minorities, especially in the context of anti-conversion

laws, according to the 2013 International Religious Freedom report, released by the U.S. stateDepartment in Washington on July 28, 2014.

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Fewer Girls Only families now UN report Sex Ratios and Gender Based Sex Selection, HistoryDebates and Future Directions by Mary E. John, Senior Fellow, Centre for Womens DevelopmentStudies for U.N. Women, was released on July 22, 2014. The report, which reviews existing studies,says it is time to look at girls-only families, which are starting to disappear there are only two percent of them in Haryana, Punjab and Rajasthan. The report says there is no doubt that contemporaryIndia is witnessing a highly generated version of fertility decline in northwest India.

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