Weekly Current Affairs (25th March -31st March, 2013)

NATIONAL

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NTPC Conferred With the Most Efficient Maharatna-In Manufacturing for the Year 2012 Award The National Thermal Power Corporation Ltd, the largest power utility of India was awarded the most Efficient Maharatna-in Manufacturing for the year 2012 award by Stock Magazine at 4th DSIJ Award in the last week of March 2013 in New Delhi. Director (Commercial), NTPC received the award from Union Minister of Civil Aviation. In its future initiatives, NTPC started green initiatives. NTPC is working on setting up the Solar Plants in Andaman and Nicobar Islands as well as Greater Noida regions. The 5 MW Solar Project in Andaman is coming up near the Port Blair Airport. On the other hand, 5 MW Greater Noida project is in its final construction phase. NTPC also targets to add 1000 MW of Solar and Wind Capacity in the country in coming few years. The Wind Power Projects will come up in certain states including Karnataka. Solar Power Generation Projects on the other hand, will come up in Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. At present, there are seven Maharatna companies, after inclusion of BHEL and GAIL and these companies are - ONGC, Indian Oil, SAIL, NTPC and CIL. NTPC was conferred with the Maharatna status in 2010. The core business of NTPC is construction, engineering as well as operation of power generating plants. It also provides power utilities in India as well as abroad. Competition Commission of India (CCI) Nominated for GCR Awards 2013 The Competition Commission of India (CCI) was nominated for the Global Competition Review (GCR) Awards 2013 in the category Agency of the Year-Asia-Pacific, Middle East & Africa in the last week of March 2013. This is the first time that CCI was nominated for internationally acclaimed award. Other agencies that were nominated in Agency of the Year-Asia-Pacific, Middle East & Africa category include Pakistans Competition Commission, Turkeys Competition Authority and Japans Fair Trade Commission. About Competition Commission of India (CCI) The Competition Commission of India (CCI) was established by the Government of India with effect from 14 October 2003. CCI achieves its objectives through The Competition Act, 2002, as amended by the Competition (Amendment) Act, 2007, which follows the philosophy of modern competition laws. The Act prohibits anti-competitive agreements, abuse of dominant position by enterprises and regulates combinations (acquisition, acquiring of control and M&A. It includes a Chairperson as well as the members who are appointed by the Government of India. The primary aim of Competition Commission of India (CCI) is to eliminate the practices which have adverse effect on competition. Its aim is to protect the consumers interests and make sure that there is freedom of trade in Indian markets. The purpose of CCI is to give opinion on competition issues, create public awareness as well as impart training on the competition issues.

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Weekly Current Affairs (25th March -31st March, 2013)

About Global Competition Review (GCR) Awards Global Competition Review (GCR) is the leading antitrust and competition law journal and news service of the world. Every year Global Competition Review (GCR) Awards are given away with an aim of recognising achievements of competition authorities, economic consultancies, private practice firms, academic organisations and corporate legal departments in the previous year. Winners of Global Competition Review (GCR) Awards 2013 will be announced on 9 April 2013 at GCR's 3rd Annual Awards Dinner in Washington, DC. 3. India becomes first country to successfully test fire underwater supersonic cruise missile With the successful test firing of the over 290 km-range submarine-launched version of BrahMos supersonic cruise missile in the Bay of Bengal, India became the first country in the world to have an underwater supersonic cruise missile. Ship and ground-launched versions of the BrahMos missile have already been successfully tested and inducted into service with the Indian Army and the Navy. Ponds Femina Miss India 2013 Navneet Kaur Dhillon, the daughter of an army officer from Patiala, was crowned winner of the Ponds Femina Miss India pageant in Mumbai on Sunday. Sobhita Dhulipala of Visakhapatnam was named first runner-up, while Zoya Afroz from Lucknow was the second runner-up. First colourful Holi for Vrindavan widows This Holi came with a difference for the widows and abandoned women living in Vrindavan, near Mathura. Unlike earlier years, when these women addressed respectfully as mayyas or matas - played Holi only with Thakurji (Lord Krishna), this time it was a riot of colours, flowers and lots of people to celebrate with. In a departure from tradition, hundreds of widows gathered to play Holi with one other with flower petals and gulal (coloured powder). Governors can bar MLAs only on basis of post-poll acts: EC In a significant opinion, the Election Commission has turned down the petitions seeking the disqualification of the sitting BJP MLA from Aldona in Goa, Glen Ticklo, during the recent polls, under reference from Governor Bharat Vir Wanchoo. This sort of disqualification is not maintainable under Article 192(1) of the Constitution as the jurisdiction of the Governor to decide a question of disqualification of a sitting member of the Legislative Assembly arises only in disqualifications incurred after election as a member of the Assembly. e-passports launched India became one of the few developing countries to launch the e-passports scheme. The epassports contain an electronic chip containing all personal data and will help reduce the procedure at immigration.

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Weekly Current Affairs (25th March -31st March, 2013) The Indian e-passport is compatible with international standards and would protect against fraud since it would be easy to verify their authenticity. The new passports have been designed indigenously by the Central Passport Organisation, the India Security Press, Nasik and IIT, Kanpur. 8. Truckers exempted from service tax on supply to GTAs The government on Thursday exempted truck operators from payment of service tax on the supply of vehicles to goods transport agencies (GTAs). Three new Governors appointed The UPA government on Thursday announced three new appointments of Governors in Assam, Sikkim and Meghalaya, filling up gubernatorial vacancies in the three States. Former Rajasthan Chief Minister Shiv Charan Mathur was appointed Governor of Assam while former Union Home Secretary Balmiki Prasad Singh was named for Sikkim and former Director-General of Border Security Force R.S. Mooshahary was appointed Governor of Meghalaya. R.S. Gavai, Governor of Bihar, was transferred to Kerala for the remainder of his term. His place in the Raj Bhavan in Patna will be taken by R.L. Bhatia, Governor of Kerala. History made at Sariska Tiger Reserve After a gap of four long years the tiger made a comeback to the Sariska Tiger Reserve in Alwar district of Rajasthan on Saturday. The event made conservation history, as this is the first time the wild tiger is being re-introduced into a reserve anywhere in the country. Sariska, a sanctuary brought under Project Tiger in 1978, had lost all its tigers in 2004-05 to suspected poaching.

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INTERNATIONAL

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Morsy proposes E-BRICS Egypts first elected President Mohamed Morsy who is on visit to India have expressed keenness to join the BRICS and hoped to see itself in the E-BRICS (E stands for Egypt). EBRICS = Egypt + BRICS nations Mr. Morsy expressed his strong opposition to the existence of a unipolar world and supported a stronger role for the Non Aligned Movement in order to impart crucial balance and ensure comprehensive peace in todays world.

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Brazil and China Signed the Currency Swap Agreement: BRICS Summit 2013 Brazil and China signed the currency swap agreement in the last week of March 2013. The agreement is designed specifically for providing safety against the future global financial issues. The currency swap agreement was first announced in 2012. The agreement will enable the central banks of two countries to swap the local currencies worth 190bn Yuan or 60bn Reais, i.e. 30 billion US Dollar. The agreement will enable smooth bilateral trade irrespective of the financial conditions at the global level.

Weekly Current Affairs (25th March -31st March, 2013) It is worth noticing that China is not only the second largest economy of the world but also the biggest trading partner of Brazil. The Economy Minister of Brazil announced that in case the global financial issues arise because of shortage of credit, they would have credit backup from their biggest international partner (i.e., China), thereby enabling free flow of trade. The currency swap agreement between Brazil and China was signed on sidelines of 5th BRICS Summit which was held recently in Durban, South Africa. BRICS refers to Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. It is also worth noticing that in order to push its currency (Yuan) for a greater international role, China has been continuously trying to promote Yuan as the alternative to US dollar as global reserve currency. In the backdrop of this push, China also signed the currency swap agreements with certain other crucial trading partners. Earlier in 2013, the Bank of England had announced that it was in negotiations with China for finalising the 3-year currency swap agreement. In 2012, China signed the currency swap agreement with Australia worth up to 30bn Australian dollar for promoting their bilateral trade as well as investment activities. China is also looking forward to the currency swap agreements with Japan and Hong Kong. Benefit of the Currency Swap Agreements The agreements like these enable the Central Banks to swap currencies. Apart from this, the agreements like these can also be used by the firms for settling the trade in local currencies instead of the standard US dollars. As of now, the currency of China is partially convertible into other currencies. 3. South Australia rolls out 10 year strategy to increase trade with India South Australia rolled out a 10-year strategy to increase trade ties with India by holding at the its first meeting of South Australia-India Council in Adelaide, Australia. The strategy has identified key sectors of the economy that could take advantage of Indias rapid development and create local jobs. The council is being supported by an India team within the Department for Manufacturing, Innovation, Trade, Resources and Energy (DMITRE). The Indian team within the DMITRE will focus on the industry sectors identified in the India strategy aerospace and defence, energy and natural resources, education and training and clean technology. 4. Justice (retd) Mir Hazar Khan Khoso takes over as Pakistans 6th interim PM Caretaker Prime Minister Justice (retired) Mir Hazar Khan Khoso took oath as sixth caretaker Prime Minister of Pakistan. Justice Khoso held that the caretaker set-up was not going to stay for more than the stipulated period and maintained that elections would be held on time. Previous five caretaker prime ministers of Pakistan were: August 6, 1990 to November 6, 1990 - Ghulam Mustafa Khan Jatoi April 18, 1993 to May 26, 1993 - Mir Balakh Sher Mazari July 8, 1993 to October 19, 1993 - Moin Qureshi October 6, 1996 to February 17, 1997 - Malik Meraj Khalid November 16, 2007 to March 24, 2008 - Muhammad Mian Soomro

Weekly Current Affairs (25th March -31st March, 2013) 5. India has no Open Sky Policy with ASEAN India, at present, has no Open Sky Policy with the ASEAN countries. However, there is a proposal for entering into Multilateral Agreement on Air Services with the Government of the Member States of ASEAN countries. The provisions of such Multilateral Agreement are to be based on principles of sovereignty of nations, nationality of carriers and reciprocity in terms of commercial opportunities for the airlines of the participating Member States, taking into account views of stakeholders. What is Open Sky Policy?

Open skies is an international policy concept that envisages for the liberalization of the rules and regulations of the international aviation industryespecially commercial aviation in order to create a free-market environment for the airline industry.

Key objectives of Open Sky Policy:

To liberalize the rules for international aviation markets and minimize government intervention as it applies to passenger, all-cargo, and combination air transportation as well as scheduled and charter services; and To adjust the regime under which military and other state-based flights may be permitted.

For open skies to become effective, a bilateral (and sometimes multilateral) Air Transport Agreement must be signed b/w two or more countries. 6. Kishenganga Project Recently, India won the legal battle against Pakistan regarding construction of Kishenganga Hydro Electric Project in North Kashmir. What is the issue? Pakistan had pleaded before the Court of Arbitration at The Hague that Indias construction of Project over Kishenganga was a violation of Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) signed in 1960. What is the Project? India is constructing Rs. 3600 crore, 330 MW, run-of-the-river, hydro-electric project on Kishenganga River (known as Neelam in Pak) which is a tributary river to Jhelum. The power project is under construction by the National Hydro Power Corporation in Gurez valley near Bandipura in north Kashmir. Bill Gates retires from Microsoft After living his teenage dream of seeing personal computers on every desk, Bill Gates, 52, on Friday left the job of running Microsoft. Now he will devote time for charity works. N. Korea demolishes its nuclear tower

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Weekly Current Affairs (25th March -31st March, 2013) The cooling tower at the Yongbyon complex, suspected to be the nerve centre of North Koreas plutonium-based nuclear weapons programme, was brought down in a controlled dynamite blast. ONGC discovers new oil field in Iran Indias Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) has discovered a new oil field in Iran, in the Farsi oil block of the Persian Gulf. The new field could be developed concurrently with the Farzad B gas field, which is also located in the Farsi block. This gas field has estimated reserves of 12 trillion cubic feet. The ONGC and the Indian Oil Corporation each have a 40 per cent participating interest in the Farsi block, while the Oil India Ltd. has a 20 per cent stake. The ONGCs overseas arm, the ONGC-Videsh Ltd. (OVL) is involved in executing projects abroad.

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ECONOMY

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Google takes on iPad in India with Nexus 7 Nexus 7,a tablet that was launched last year in the US, became the first Google device to be sold through the companys virtual store in India. Indian consumers can now pre-order the tablet through Google Play store website. Diageo set for USL open offer after RBI approval RBI has cleared the acquisition of United Spirits Ltd (USL) by British drinks giant Diageo, removing a major hurdle for the $2.1 billion deal announced about four months ago. In November, Diageo announced to buy 27.4% stake in USL through a combination of share purchase from existing promoters (19%) and preferential allotment of shares (8%).

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PERSONS

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Three NRIs Honoured by Indian High Commission in London on World Hindi Day 2013 Three NRIs as well as a Nottingham-based organisation were honoured by Indian High Commission at the India House in London on 19 March 2013 for working towards promotion of Hindi language in UK. The awardees were- Mahendra Kishore Verma of York University, Kavita Vachaknavi who is an internationally acclaimed blogger, Krishna Kumar who is the Chairman of Gitanjali Multilingual Literary Circle in Birmingham and the organisation called Kavya Rang, a Global Association of Poets, Writers, Nottingham, UK. They received shields, shawls as well as citations from High Commissioner Jaimini Bhagwati on the occasion of World Hindi Day 2013. Mahendra Kishore Verma received the John Gilchrist UK Hindi Shikshan Samman. Krishna Kumar received Dr Harivansh Rai Bachhan UK Hindi Literary award. Kavita Vachaknavi received Acharya Mahavir Prasad Dwivedi Award for journalism. Jai Verma, the chair of Kavya Rang, Nottingham received Frederick Pincott UK award for dedication to Hindi Propagation. In the same event, Krishna Kanhaiya and Usha Verma received cash prizes for their booksKitaab Jindagi Ki and Sim Card tatha anya kahaniyan respectively.

Weekly Current Affairs (25th March -31st March, 2013) 2. Tiger Woods Reclaims No. 1 Ranking with Win at 2013 Arnold Palmer Invitational With his eighth career win at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, Woods reclaimed the world No.1 ranking for the first time since 2010. Woods replaces Northern Irelands Rory McIlroy atop the world rankings. Rajan Bharti Mittal appointed President of International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) India The Vice Chairman and Managing Director of Bharti Enterprises Rajan Bharti Mittal on 31 March 2013 appointed as the President of International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) India. The appointment of Rajan Bharti Mittal came at the conclusion of 82nd Annual General Meeting of ICC India. ICC India is the Indian affiliate of the Paris-based ICC, the world business organisation with presence in over 90 countries. Bharti Airtel a group company of Bharti Enterprises, is a leading global telecommunications company with operations in 20 countries across Asia and Africa.

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Awards
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Asian Business Awards 2013: Kartar Lalvani Declared Healthcare Businessman of the Year Kartar Lalvani, the NRI entrepreneur was conferred with the Healthcare Businessman of the Year Award 2013 at the Asian Business Awards ceremony in Central London on 23 March 2013. The honour was given by UK's Home Secretary Theresa May. On behalf of Kartar Lalvani, founder-chairman of Vitabiotics received this honour. Vitabiotics is the largest supplier of vitamin supplements as well as minerals in UK. In the same event, Amit Bhatia, son-in-law of Lakshmi Mittal, was declared as the Young Entrepreneur of the Year 2013. The Lifetime Achievement Award 2013 was given to Sudhir Choudhrie, the Indian origin entrepreneur.

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

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ISRO designing GISAT Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) is creating a GEO Imaging Satellite (GISAT) which it plans to launch during 2016-17. About GISAT: The satellite will carry a GEO Imager with multi-spectral (visible, near infra-red and thermal), multi-resolution (50m to 1.5 km) imaging instruments. It will be placed in geostationary orbit of 36,000 km. Functions: GISAT will provide near real time pictures of large areas of the country, under cloud free conditions, at frequent intervals. That is, selected Sector-wise image every 5 minutes and entire Indian landmass image every 30 minutes at 50m spatial resolution. It will function as an eye in the sky observe earth from geo-stationery orbit, enabling continuous observation of Indian sub-continent, to facilitate quick monitoring of natural hazards and disaster.

Weekly Current Affairs (25th March -31st March, 2013) 2. Superbug spreads to communities Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA),a superbug generally associated with hospitalized patients, has spread to communities as well. This was shown in a recent study by a network of microbiology laboratories at the countrys premier medical colleges and hospitals. The study, which analyses how patients response to antibiotics at select hospitals in 2008 and 2009, found the overall prevalence of MRSA to be 41%,which is very high. MRSA can cause dangerous infections of the skin, soft tissue, bones, the bloodstream and lungs. The prevailing MRSA causes infections mostly in the armpits, genital area and nasal mucous membranes. The emergence of Staphylococcus aureus, a drugresistant bacteria, in outpatients is worrying. It necessitates widespread use of high-end antibiotics, which are limited. THE BIG BUG : WHATS MRSA : Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus WHATS STAPH : Staphs full name: Staphylococcus aureus A- common bacteria, usually harmless, but sometimes cause illness. Some strains resistant to methicillin and other antibiotics. ITS DAMAGE : Causes infections on surface of skin such as boils. Impetigo infections under skin that can be tender and can increase in size: abscesses and cellulitis. Can trigger infections in any body part and in blood ITS SPREAD : Gets into body through broken skin or sores Results in redness, pimples, swelling, tenderness or boils. Can turn serious, leading to blood infections or pneumonia. Cuts or abrasions, contact with contaminated items, infrequent washing increase risk of infection. Diabetics, and those with weak immune system or who have broken skin due to wounds or dermatitis vulnerable. Overall prevalence of drugresistant strains in 2008 | 41% of patients at 15 hospitals all over India (Insar study) Outpatients | 28% Ward patients | 42% Admitted in ICUs | 43%.
SPORTS

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Americas Serena Williams won Miami Masters open Tennis Tournament 2013 World No. 1 Serena Williams on 30 March 2013 won Miami masters open Tennis Tournament for record sixth time in Key Biscayne Serena Williams claimed the record equaling sixth title by winning the last 10 games to sweep by Maria Sharapova 4-6, 6-3, 6-0. By winning the title, Serena Williams joined Chris Evert, Steffi Graf and Martina Navratilova as the only women to have won the same event six times.