Current Affairs June 2014

India successfully launched five foreign satellites[30/06/2014]

India successfully launched five foreign satellites from four countries on board PSLV-C23 rocket which placed them in orbit from the First Launch Pad in Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Andhra Pradesh. Besides its primary payload of 714 kg French Earth Observation Satellite SPOT-7, PSLV C23 carried and placed in orbit 14 kg AISAT of Germany, NLS7.1 (CAN-X4) and NLS7.2 (CAN-X5) of Canada each weighing 15 kg and the 7 kg VELOX-1 of Singapore.

Three new judges appointed to Supreme Court[26/06/2014]

President Pranab Mukherjee appointed the Chief Justices of Calcutta and Orissa High CourtsArun Mishra and Adarsh Kumar Goel respectively, and senior lawyer Rohinton Nariman as Supreme Court judges.

Srinivasan becomes first ICC chairman[26/06/2014]

N. Srinivasan was on 26th June 2014 formally appointed the first chairman of the ICC after its 52-member council approved a controversial revamp of the body’s administrative structure. The full council approved the amendments to the ICC’s Memorandum and Articles of Association at the Annual Conference, in Melbourne.

Inscription of Rani Ki Vav in Patan, Gujarat on World Heritage List [23/06/2014]

Rani ki Vav has been approved for inscription on the World Heritage list. The recognition was granted by the UNESCO at the World Heritage Committee Session currently on at Doha, Qatar. UNESCO has recognized this masterpiece as an exceptional example of technological development in utilizing ground water resources in a single component, water management system. Rani-ki-Vav, a stepwell built in the 11th century is the most developed, elaborate and ornate example of a unique type of Indian subterranean architectural structure, and it marks the zenith in the evolution of stepwells in India. It is a particularly large and complex example of a stepwell, with seven storeys of ornamented panels of sculptures and relief representing the height of the Maru-Gurjara style. Following the flooding and disappearance of the Saraswati River due to geotectonic changes, the property was buried under layers of silt for almost seven centuries and has been preserved underneath in an exceptional state of conservation by the Archaeological Survey of India. 

Global pat for Bengal’s Kanyashree Prakalpa[22/06/2014]

Kanyashree Prakalpa, a West Bengal government scheme that provides scholarship to girls from economically-backward backgrounds, has been given international recognition by theUnited Kingdom’s Department for International Development (DFID) and UNICEF. State representatives have been invited to the Girl Summit 2014 in London, in June, and to talk about the scheme to a global audience. The conditional cash transfer scheme for school girls was inaugurated by the Trinamool Congress government on October 1, 2013, with the express purpose of ensuring the education of girls and thereby preventing forced child marriage. Under the scheme, the government provides an annual scholarship of Rs. 500 to girls between 12 and 18 years (class eight to class 12) to continue with their studies, provided they are unmarried. A one-time grant of Rs.25,000 is also provided to the girl, once she reaches the age of 18, to pursue higher studies.

Kedarnath Singh chosen for Jnanpith award for 2013[21/06/2014]

Noted Hindi poet Kedarnath Singh has been chosen for the prestigious Jnanpith award for 2013. Eighty-year-old Singh, who has also written essays and stories, was born in Balia, Uttar Pradesh. ‘Abhi bilkul abhi’ and ‘Yahan se dekho’ are among his prominent works. The award includes. Rs 11 lakh and a citation, a release from the Jnanpith award committee said.

Salman Rushdie wins Pen Pinter writing prize[21/06/2014]

Indian-born Booker Prize winning author Salman Rushdie was on 20th June 2014 named the winner of this year’s prestigious Pen Pinter prize for his outstanding literary output and support for freedom of expression. The award was established in 2009 by writers’ charity English Pen in memory of famous British playwright and Nobel laureate Harold Pinter.

Sanjaya Rajaram chosen for World Food Prize[19/06/2014]

Sanjaya Rajaram, veteran plant scientist, has been chosen for this year’s World Food Prize for his "scientific research that led to a prodigious increase in world wheat production". Dr Rajaram, now settled in Mexico, was selected for his "outstanding work in the improvement of wheat crop and wheat production in the world." Dr. Swaminathan, the first recipient of the Prize in 1987, said the selection of Dr. Rajaram was significant as this year marked the centenary year of Dr. Borlaug as well as the international year of family farming. Regarded as the most prestigious award in the area of food and agriculture, the Prize, carrying a cash prize of $ 250,000, would be presented during the U.N. World Food Day on October 16.

Delhi becomes first kerosene-free city in India[17/06/2014]

The Delhi Government on 17 June 2014 announced that the national capital has become the first ‘kerosene-free city’ in the country. The scheme was launched in 2012 in collaboration with three Oil Marketing Companies and Union Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas for which Delhi Government had incurred an expenditure of Rs 62 crores. Under the scheme, free gas connections along with LPG filled cylinders, two burner gas stove, regulator and suraksha pipe were issued to the Jhuggi Ration Card (JRC), Below Poverty Line (BPL) and Antodaya Ann Yojana (AAY) ration card holders who were using kerosene oil for cooking.

Shri Shaktikanta Das takes over as Revenue Secretary[16/06/2014]

Shri Shaktikanta Das, has taken over the charge as Secretary, Department of Revenue, Ministry of Finance. Shri Das was earlier holding the post of Secretary, Department of Fertilizers, Ministry of Chemical and Fertilizers, Government of India.

Lt Gen Amit Sharma appointed as Commander-in-Chief Strategic Force [13/06/2014]

Lt Gen Amit Sharma, VSM has been promoted as Army Commander and appointed Commander-in-Chief, Strategic Forces Command. 

Vishal Sikka appointed as the new Infosys CEO[12/06/2014]

Infosys appointed SAP AG executive board member Vishal Sikka as the chief executive officer and managing director (CEO and MD) of the company.

Kolkata Airport bags service quality award [10/06/2014]

Kolkata Airport has won the Airport Service Quality (ASQ) Award by Airport Council International (ACI) in the category of the best improved airport in Asia Pacific Region. This category includes airports which have experienced the biggest improvement in ASQ rating between 2012 and 2013 in their region. The ASQ Awards are presented in four categories: best airport by region, best airport by size, best small airport and best improvement.

Nadal beat Djokovic to win ninth French Open title[09/06/2014]

Rafael Nadal won the French Open title for the ninth time, and the fifth time in a row, by beating Novak Djokovic in the final.

Bharat Ratna JRD Tata Award goes to Shri V. Somasundaram[09/06/2014]

Shri V. Somasundaram, Member (Air Navigation Services), Airports Authority of India (AAI) has been conferred upon the prestigious Bharat Ratna JRD Tata Award instituted by Aeronautical Society of India (ASI) for the year 2013. He has contributed substantially not only in improving ANS infrastructure in the country for enhancing safety, efficiency and capacity of the airspace but also towards seamless ATM and global harmonization. Earlier, he has won international ATC Awards consecutively for 3 years.

Peng, Hsieh win French Open womens doubles [08/06/2014]

Peng Shuai of China and Hsieh Su-wei of Taiwan won their second Grand Slam title together by defeating Sara Errani and Roberta Vinci of Italy in the final of the French Open women’s doubles.

Sharapova wins French Open for 2nd time[08/06/2014]

Russia's Maria Sharapova won her second title at Roland Garros in the last three years, overcoming 12 double-faults to beat fourth-seeded Simona Halep of Romania.

Chandrababu Naidu has sworn-in as the Chief Minister of residuary Andhra Pradesh[08/06/2014]

TDP leader Chandrababu Naidu has been sworn-in as the Chief Minister of residuary Andhra Pradesh on 8th June 2014 from Guntur-Vijayawada.

Mumbais first metro started operation[08/06/2014]

Mumbai’s very first metro line was declared open when Maharashtra Chief Minister took the first ride from Versova station to Ghatkopar.

Sumitra Mahajan unanimously elected Speaker of Lok Sabha[06/06/2014]

Eight-term member Sumitra Mahajan was unanimously elected Speaker of the 16th Lok Sabha, becoming the second woman presiding officer of the Lower House after her predecessor Meira Kumar. Ms. Mahajan, the longest-serving woman MP, was elected after a motion moved by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and seconded by BJP veteran L K Advani was adopted by voice vote.

De Villiers named South African Cricketer of the Year [05/06/2014]

A. B. De Villiers has bagged four awards, including Cricketer of the Year 2014, in Johannesburg on 04th June 2014. De Villiers was also named Test Cricketer of the Year, was recognised by his peers as South African Players’ Player of the Year and by popular vote of the public, South African Fans’ Cricketer of the Year.

Barack Obama appoints Shefali Razdan Duggal to key administration post[04/06/2014]

President Barack Obama has appointed a top Indian-American fund raiser as the member of the US Holocaust Memorial Council. California-based Shefali Razdan Duggal, who helped several millions for the Obama campaign in both 2008 and 2012 presidential election campaigns, has been appointed as member of the US Holocaust Memorial Council.

13 yes Indian girl becomes youngest to climb Everest[04/06/2014]

The 13-year-old Malavath Poorna, daughter of poor Indian farmers who became the youngest girl to climb Mount Everest. Nepal requires climbers to be at least 16 years old to scale its peaks, but Malavath Poorna said she and a team of Nepalese guides climbed the 8,850-meter (29,035-foot) mountain on May 25 from the northern side in Tibet. There are no age restrictions in China. The climb was verified by the China Tibet Mountaineering Association in Lhasa, making Malavath the youngest girl to climb Everest. 

Ms Kavery Banerjee Appointed as Secretary, Department of Posts[03/06/2014]

Ms. Kavery Banerjee, appointed as Secretary, Department of Posts, Chairperson  Postal Services Board and Director General Postal Services.

Arun Jaitley appointed Indias Governor on the Board of Governors of the ADB[03/06/2014]

The Union Finance Minister Shri Arun Jaitley has been appointed as India’s Governor on the Board of Governors of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) with effect from 27th May, 2014 in place of Shri P. Chidambaram.

Indo-French bilateral air exercise - Garuda V[03/06/2014]

The fifth Indo-French bilateral air exercise - Garuda-V  began at the Jodhpur Air Base. It is aimed at enhancing operational cooperation and validating capabilities. Frontline fighter aircraft of the IAF, including the SU 30, Mig-27 (UPG), MIG- 21 Bison, and force multipliers such as the AWACS and Flight Refueller Aircraft IL 78 are participating while the French have fielded their frontline Rafale Fighter aircraft along with the KC 135 Refueller.

Kalvakuntla Chandrasekhara Rao sworn in as the first CM of Telangna[02/06/2014]

The Telangana Rashtra Samithi supremo Kalvakuntla Chandrasekhara Rao was sworn-in as the first Chief Minister of the newly created State of Telangana along with 11 Cabinet ministers on 2nd June 2014.

Telangana is born[02/06/2014]

The birth of Telangana, the 29th State of India, began on 1st June 2014. When dusk fell, the sky lit up in myriad colours of brilliant fireworks in several districts. People cheered, whistled, turned nostalgic and danced in gay abandon for 2nd June 2014 inauguration of the new State.

Gariphema in Nagaland become first tobacco-free village in India[01/06/2014]

Gariphema village in Nagaland has been declared the country's first "tobacco-free village". The declaration was made by principal secretary R Benchilo Thong on the occasion of "World No Tobacco Day" on 31st May 2014 at the Gariphema village council hall. A resolution was taken at the village that whoever sells alcohol and tobacco or whoever gets drunk and disturbs peace would be imposed a fine of Rs. 1000 while those consuming alcohol, 'bidi', 'paan', betel nut or smokeless tobacco on the street and public places would be fined Rs. 500.