Of Persons, Places & Events

you should know! (For CLAT 2014)

Law
Prep
Of Persons, Places & Events

you should know! (For CLAT 2014)

Law
Prep
Of Persons
Law
Prep
1. Narendra Modi
Narendra Damodardas Modi has been in news all
through the year, primarily for being declared as the
Prime Ministerial candidate for the 2014 Lok Sabha
elections by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Modi
has been the Chief Minister of Gujarat since 2001,
the longest serving CM of the state, currently serving
his fourth term. He has been the crowd-puller for
the BJP and has held multiple rallies in most of the
major cities in India. While known to be a leader
who has charted out Gujarats progress, the 2002
Godhra riots remain a black-mark on his political
career.
Law
Prep
2. Arvind Kejriwal
Arvind Kejriwal was the Chief Minister of Delhi. He
is a former Indian Revenue Service Officer and
one of the founding members of the Aam Aadmi
Party. His party formed the government in Delhi
after the 2013 Delhi Legislative Assembly elections,
winning 28 of the 70 seats. He defeated Chief
Minister Sheila Dikshit in her constituency, New
Delhi. Before his foray into politics, he was well
known for his efforts to enact and implement the
Right to Information (RTI) Act at grassroots level
and was a member of the erstwhile Team Anna. He
was awarded the Ramon Magsaysay Award for
Emergent Leadership in 2006 for his efforts to in
activating India's RTI movement.
Law
Prep
3. Sachin Tendulkar
Sachin Tendulkar is widely considered as one of the
greatest batsman ever in the history of cricket. He
was in news in the past year for multiple reasons, one
of which was retiring from all forms of international
cricket. His 200th test match was his final one and
was played at the Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai
against West Indies in November 2013. He had
retired from ODIs in December 2012. The 2013
season of the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which
the Mumbai Indians won their maiden title, was his
last IPL too. He was also announced as the recipient
of the Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian honour
in 2013 and the award was conferred on him in
February 2014 becoming the first sportsperson to
be awarded with the honour.


Law
Prep
4. Shakuntala Devi
Shakuntala Devi was one of India's most well-
known mathematical geniuses who passed away in
April 2013. She was nicknamed the 'human
computer' for her ability to make complex mental
calculations. She gained world fame in 1977, when
she calculated the 23rd root of a more than 100 digit
number in 50 seconds - 12 seconds faster than the
best performing computer at that time. Her name
also featured in the Guinness Book of World Record
for her outstanding and lightning-speed
calculations. She wrote numerous books like 'Fun
with Numbers', 'Astrology for You', 'Puzzles to
Puzzle You', and 'Mathablit'.
Law
Prep
5. Raghuram Rajan
Raghuram Rajan is the Governor of the Reserve
Bank of India, 23
rd
to hold the position. He took over
from Duvvuri Subbarao in September 2013 for a
three-year term. He is one of the most influential
economists of the world and has been credited with
predicting the 2008 global financial crisis. He has
previously served as the Chief Economist at the
International Monetary Fund (IMF) and as the
Chief Economic Advisor in the Ministry of Finance.
In January 2003, the American Finance Association
awarded him the inaugural Fischer Black Prize.
'Saving Capitalism from the Capitalists' and 'Fault
Lines: How Hidden Fractures Still Threaten the
World Economy' are a few of the books that he has
authored.


Law
Prep
6. Nelson Mandela
Nelson Mandela passed away in December 2013. A
member of the African National Congress party, he
was in prison for nearly 27 years for trying to bring an
end to the apartheid regime. Released in 1990, he
participated in the eradication of apartheid and in
1994, became the first black President of South
Africa, forming a multi-ethnic government to oversee
the countrys transition. He was awarded the Nobel
Peace Prize 1993 along with Frederik Willem de
Klerk, for laying the foundations for a new democratic
South Africa. He was also awarded the Bharat Ratna in
1990, becoming the only second Non-Indian after Khan
Abdul Ghaffar Khan to be given the honour. In Nov 2009,
the UN General Assembly declared 18 July, Mandela's
birthday as the 'Nelson Mandela International Day.


Law
Prep
7. Hugo Chavez
Hugo Chavez was a former President of Venezuela,
who passed away in March 2013 after 14 years in
power. Chavez repeatedly proved himself a political
survivor. As an army paratroop commander, he led a
failed coup in 1992, post which he was pardoned and
elected president in 1998. He survived a coup
against his own presidency in 2002 and won re-
election two more times. He used his country's vast oil
wealth to launch social programs that include state-
run food markets, new public housing, free health
clinics and education programs. Poverty declined
during Chavez's presidency amid a historic boom in oil
earnings, but critics said he failed to use the windfall
of hundreds of billions of dollars to develop the
country's economy.
Law
Prep
8. Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Thatcher was Britain's first female
Prime Minister and served three consecutive
terms in office (1979 to 1990). She was nicknamed
'The Iron Lady'. She was also the longest serving
British Prime Minister of the 20th century and
passed away in 2013. She was the Prime Minister
during the Falklands War between Argentina and
United Kingdom in 1982, which resulted in a victory
for Britain. In November 1990, she resigned and was
succeeded as party leader and prime minister by
John Major. She subsequently left the House of
Commons in 1992. She founded the Thatcher
Foundation, which aimed to advance the cause of
political and economic freedom in the newly liberated
countries of central and Eastern Europe.


Law
Prep
9. Edward Snowden
Edward Snowden is a former CIA employee, and a
former National Security Agency (NSA) contractor
who disclosed classified information originally
possessed by the National Security Agency, the main
producer and manager of signals intelligence for the
US. The disclosed documents revealed details of
surveillance programmes undertaken by the
American and British governments. Snowden
revealed the confidential information in Hong Kong
to journalists Glenn Greenwald, Laura Poitras and
EwenMacAskill, reporting for The Guardian. The
information revealed the existence of a programme
called Prism which gives the NSA direct access to
data held by Google, Facebook, Apple etc. He was
granted temporary asylum in Russia.
Law
Prep
10. MalalaYousafzai
Malala Yousufzai, known for her activism for rights
to education and for women, especially in the Swat
Valley of Pakistan's North-Western Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa province. In 2009, Malala began
blogging for BBC under the pseudonym GulMakai
about living under the Taliban's threats to deny her an
education. In October 2012, she was shot by the
Taliban and was subsequently moved to England for
extensive rehabilitation. Among the many awards she
has received, the 2013 Ambassador of Conscience
Award from Amnesty International, the 2013
Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought, the 2013
Anna Politkovskaya Award and the 2013 Simone de
Beauvoir Prize are a few notable ones. She was also a
Nobel Peace Prize nominee for 2013. Her memoir
I Am Malala was released in October 2013.


Law
Prep
11. Angela Merkel
Angela Merkel is the current Chancellor of
Germany and the first ever woman to hold the
post. She is widely considered as one of the most
influential leaders of Europe. She belongs to the
Christian Democratic Union and won her third
term in 2013. She was awarded the Indira Gandhi
Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development
for 2013 for her exemplary leadership in Europe
and the world during the financial crisis and her
stewardship of German economic growth.
Law
Prep
12. Vinod Rai/Shashikant Sharma
Vinod Rai was the Comptroller and Auditor
General (CAG) of India from 2008, until he retired in
May 2013. He revolutionised the post, turning the
statutory body into a vigilant watchdog of good
governance and administrative integrity. He brought
to the fore through his audits, many scams in the
recent past like the 2G Spectrum allocation, the
Coalgate Scam and the Delhi Commonwealth
Games Scam. He was succeeded by Shashi Kant
Sharma, who is also the current CAG. Sharma was
holding the post of Defence Secretary prior to his
appointment. The CAG is appointed for a term of six
years or till the incumbent attains the age of 65
years, whichever is earlier.
Law
Prep
13. Hassan Rouhani
Hassan Rouhani is the current President of Iran
and was elected in 2013. He is viewed as politically
moderate and has taken steps to mitigate the
tensions between Iran and the West. Under his
tenure, in November 2013, the Geneva interim
agreement was signed between Iran and the
P5+1 (United States, Russia, China, United
Kingdom, and France, plus Germany) countries
in Geneva, Switzerland. It contained a short-term
freeze of portions of Iran's nuclear program in
exchange for decreased economic sanctions on
Iran, as the countries work towards a long-term
agreement.


Law
Prep
14. Pope Francis
Pope Francis is the current and the 266th
Pope of the Catholic Church. Born in
Argentina, he is the first Latin American
and the first-ever member of the Jesuit
order to lead the Church. He was born Jorge
Bergoglio and succeeded Pope Benedict
XVI, who had resigned in February last year.


Law
Prep
15. Nawaz Sharif
Nawaz Sharif is the current Prime Minister of
Pakistan and the chief of the Pakistan Muslim
LeagueNawaz party (PML-N). He was elected in
June 2013 for a record third term, after staging a
triumphant comeback in parliamentary elections.
He served as Prime Minister from November 1990
to July 1993 and from February 1997, until he
was toppled in the bloodless October 1999 coup
by former Army Chief Pervez Musharraf.


Law
Prep
16. JS Verma
Jagdish Sharan Verma was the 27th Chief Justice of
India (March 25, 1997 to January 18, 1998) who
passed away in April 2013. He was appointed
chairman of the three-member committee to
suggest legal reforms to deal with sexual assault cases
in the wake of gang-rape case in Delhi. It included
former Chief Justice of Himachal Pradesh High
Court, Justice Leila Seth, and former Solicitor-
General of India Gopal Subramaniam. It
recommended death penalty in the rarest of the rare
rape cases and opposed lowering the age of a
juvenile from 18 to 16. It also called for enhancing the
minimum sentence for rape from seven to 10-year
jail term. He was announced as the recipient of the
Padma Bhushan posthumously in 2014 by the
Government of India.
Law
Prep
17. CNR Rao
Professor CNR Rao is one of India's highly regarded
scientists and was awarded the Bharat Ratna in
2014. He was the third scientist, after CV Raman
and the former President, APJ Abdul Kalam, to be
awarded the Bharat Ratna. He is a former director
of the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, and
currently works at the Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for
Advanced Scientific Research in Bangalore. He
also serves as the chairman of the 32-member
Scientific Advisory Council to the Prime Minister.
His contributions to solid state and materials
chemistry have been recognized by most major
scientific academies around the world through
conferment of memberships and fellowships.
Law
Prep
18. Tarun Tejpal
Tarun Tejpal is one of the most influential Indian
investigative journalists and the founder-editor of
Tehelka. He started the magazine Tehelka in 2000
as a website and soon began breaking some of the
biggest stories in Indian history. He was in news in
the recent past for being embroiled in a sexual
harassment case, when a female co-worker accused
him of assaulting her inside an elevator of a five-
star hotel in Goa in November 2013. The event
culminated in his arrest, him stepping down as the
editor-in-chief of the magazine and also the
resignation of Shoma Chaudhury, the then
Managing Editor of Tehelka.
Law
Prep
19. Magnus Carlsen
Magnus Carlsen is a Norwegian chess
grandmaster and the reigning World Chess
Champion. He became the new world chess
champion after defeating Indian maestro and
five-time world champion Viswanathan Anand
by a margin of 6.5-3.5 in Chennai in November
2013. Anand had held the title since 2007. Carlsen
was only 22 when he had won this Championship,
also his maiden one. He became the youngest
world No. 1 at 19 and also holds the record of
being the strongest rated player in chess history
with a published rating of 2872, on 1 February
2013.
Law
Prep
20. Bo Xilai
Bo Xilai is a former Chinese politician, who also served
as a member of the Politburo of the Communist Party of
China. He was the party chief of Chongqing in south-
western China and a very powerful and influential
politician until he fell from power amid a scandal that
emerged in February 2012. This was when his former
chief of police in Chongqing, Wang Lijun, spent a day
at a US consulate in Chengdu. Wang, who has since
been jailed for 15 years, triggered an investigation into
the murder of UK businessman Neil Heywood. Bo's
wife, Gu Kailai, had since been convicted of the killing
and given a suspended death sentence. He was removed
and charged with bribery and corruption. Post being
sentenced for life in September 2013, his appeal was
rejected by the Chinese court in October 2013.

Of Persons, Places & Events

you should know! (For CLAT 2014)

Law
Prep
Of Places
Law
Prep
1. Jaipur (Literature Festival)
The Jaipur Literature Festival is widely dubbed as
the worlds largest free festival in the world. It is held
annually in Jaipur and Diggi Palace and was first held
in the year 2006. With each passing year, the festival
is registering an exponential growth in the number of
participants. The DSC Prize for South Asian
Literature, awarded to writers whose writings
pertain to the South Asian region in terms of content
and theme, is awarded annually at this event. It was
instituted in 2010 by its founder, Surina Narula.
Law
Prep
2. Uttarakhand (Floods)
Uttarakhand was struck by massive and devastating
flash floods in June 2013. The holy shrine of
Kedarnath also suffered extensive damage and
thousands of pilgrims were left stranded for days
following the catastrophe. Authorities estimated
around 5000 casualties and nearly 109,000 people
were rescued in land and air operations by the
military. The Indian Air Force launched 'Operation
Rahat' while the Army launched 'Operation Surya
Hope' to help in evacuation of people. Unfortunately,
an Indian Air Force MI-17 V5 helicopter crashed
while on a rescue mission from Gauchar to
Guptkashi and Kedarnath, causing the death of 20
people including nine personnel of the National
Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and six of the
Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP).
Law
Prep
3. (a)Communal Riots - Muzaffarnagar
In September 2013, following clashes between a
bunch of the Jat and Muslim communities, severe
communal riots broke out in different regions of
Muzaffarnagar district in Uttar Pradesh. Nearly 50
people died in the clashes. The attacks have been
described as the worst violence in UP in recent
memory, resulting in the army being deployed in the
state for the first time in 20 years. A curfew was also
imposed in Muzaffarnagar and its surrounding Shamli
district. Despite heavy curfew and army intervention,
the clashes continued for the next few days, the
casualties increasing to early 50. Following this, a
number of relief camps were set up in Muzaffarnagar
and Shamli districts for riot victims of nearly 9,000
families, with over 50,000 members.
Law
Prep
3. (b)Communal Riots - Kishtwar
Kishtwar in Jammu and Kashmir woke up to a
bad start on 9 August, 2013, with communal
clashes erupting amid Eid celebrations in the town.
Authorities imposed a curfew and called out the
Army to control the situation, as two persons died
and around 80 sustained injuries in the worst
communal riots to shake Jammu and Kashmir. The
clashes intensified further with shops and vehicles
being set on fire. One petrol tanker, one police
bunker, a number of buses and cars were among the
60 vehicles destroyed in fire. As many as 70 shops,
one hotel and one residential house were destroyed
in the arson.
Law
Prep
4. Bodh Gaya (Blasts at temple complex)
The Bodh Gaya temple complex, a UNESCO World
Heritage site in Bihar, was rocked by as many as
ten explosions on 7 July, 2013. No major casualties
were reported but a few were injured. The
Mahabodhi Temple, a place venerated by Buddhists
internationally, houses the Bodhi tree, under which
Gautam Buddha is believed to have attained
enlightenment. The case was handed over to the
National Investigating Agency (NIA), which had
prepared sketches and announced a reward for
information leading to cracking the case. In
November, the NIA claimed to have got definitive
leads about the role of banned terror group Indian
Mujahideen in the same.
Law
Prep
5. Patna (Blasts before Narendra Modis rally)
On 27 October 2013, multiple blasts rocked Patnas
Gandhi Maidan and the railway station, hours
before BJPs Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra
Modi was to address the Hunkar rally. Modis rally
continued as per schedule. The blast resulted in five
casualties. While the case was initially probed by
the Bihar Police, it was later transferred to the
National Investigation Agency.
Law
Prep
6. Kiev (Protests against government)
Kiev is capital and the largest city of Ukraine, on the
Dnieper River. In Nov 2013, a wave of pro-Western
protests began in Kiev and other cities, after President
Viktor Yanukovych shelved a long-planned political and
economic treaty with the European Union, and then
accepted a huge bailout package from Russian President
Vladimir Putin instead. In the following days, thousands
of people gathered and carried out rallies in the Maidan
Nezalezhnosti (Independence Square) to protest the
decision. These protests and demonstrations were soon
nicknamed as the 'Euromaidan', attracted around
300,000 people, which is claimed to be the largest protest
in Kiev since the Orange Revolution in 2004.
Law
Prep
7. Thailand (Protests against the government)
Controversial anti-government protests have been
ongoing in Thailand since November 2013, aimed at
removing the influence of former Prime Minister
Thaksin Shinawatra from Thai politics. The protests
were triggered by a proposed amnesty Bill that would
have made it possible for Thaksin, brother of the
current Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, to
return to Thailand after a self-imposed exile, without
facing an existing conviction. Although opposition
from both the Democrat Party and the pro-
government Red Shirt movement caused the Bill to
be rejected unanimously by the Senate of Thailand,
protests led by former Democrat MP Suthep
Thaugsuban continued and turned towards an anti-
government agenda.



Law
Prep
8. Dhaka (Factory collapse)
The eight-storied Rana Plaza factory building in
Savar, near Dhaka in Bangladesh collapsed on 24
April, 2013. The building had housed a number of
garment factories and resulted in the death of more
than 1,000 workers, making it one of the deadliest
garment-factory accidents in history. A number of
people were arrested and charged with causing
deaths by negligence. Just a day before the collapse,
the building was briefly evacuated when cracks
appeared in the walls. However, workers were later
allowed back in, or told to return by the factory
owners. Bangladesh has one of the largest garment
industries in the world, and some of the clothes
produced in the Rana Plaza building were made for
Western retailers.


Law
Prep
9. Nairobi (Terrorist Attack)
On 21 September, 2013 unidentified gunmen, armed
with machine guns and grenades, stormed the
upmarket Westgate shopping mall in Nairobi,
Kenya. The attack, which lasted until 24 September
2013, resulted in at least 72 deaths, including 61
civilians and 6 Kenyan soldiers. Over 200 people were
reportedly wounded in the mass shooting. Soon after
the siege began, Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) troops
were deployed, entering the mall to confront the
militants. Initially, it was estimated to be between 10
and 15, but later, it was suggested to be as low as four
to six. The Islamist group Al-Shabaab took
responsibility for the incident, terming it as the
retribution for the Kenyan military's deployment
in Somalia.
Law
Prep
10. Geneva (Iran and P5+1 Nuclear Deal)
In November 2013, Iran and six major powers, the P5 +
1, agreed on a historic interim deal that froze key parts
of Irans nuclear program in exchange for temporary
relief on some economic sanctions. The P5+1 consists
of the 5 permanent members of the UN security council
- US, UK, France, China, Russia - and Germany. The
key points of the deal were that Iran will stop
enriching uranium beyond 5%, and neutralise its
stockpile of uranium enriched beyond this point. Also,
there would be no further development of the Arak
plant, which it believed could produce plutonium. In
return, the P5+1 and European Union (EU) would
provide limited, temporary, and targeted relief to Iran.
While the one in Geneva was an interim agreement,
comprehensive talks on the same began in Vienna
in February 2014.
Law
Prep
11. Sri Lanka (Commonwealth Meeting 2013)
The 23rd Commonwealth Heads of Government
Meeting (CHOGM) was held in Colombo, Sri Lanka,
from 15 to 17 Nov 2013. Prince Charles formally
opened the summit, for the first time representing his
mother, Queen Elizabeth II. Every two years, the
Commonwealth leaders meet to discuss global and
Commonwealth issues, and to agree on collective
policies and initiatives. However, the 2013 meeting was
overshadowed by controversy over Sri Lanka's human
rights record and the alleged war crimes during the final
stages of the civil war. The heads of states of Canada,
Mauritius, and India boycotted the summit, citing
alleged human rights violations by Sri Lanka against its
Tamil minority. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh did not
attend the summit and India was represented by
External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid.
Law
Prep
12. Syria (Civil War)
The Middle Eastern country of Syria has been crippled by
a brutal civil war since March 2011. It tarted off as a
peaceful protest with protestors demanding democracy.
However, with the brutal retaliation of the government
forces, protestors began demanding that the President,
Bashar al-Assad, resign. According to the United Nations,
the death toll surpassed 100,000 in 2013. The state
government has also been accused of using chemical
weapons in the attack on opposition-controlled or
disputed areas of Ghouta where hundreds were killed. In
Sep 2013, United Nations inspectors confirmed that
chemical weapons had been used. Iran and Russia have
been supporters of the Syrian government whereas
USA, UK and France have supported the opposition
forces.
Law
Prep
13. Datia, Madhya Pradesh (Stampede)
On 13 Oct 2013, during the Hindu festival of Navratri, a
stampede broke out on a bridge near the Ratangarh
Mata Temple in Datia district, Madhya Pradesh, India,
killing close to 115 people and injuring more than 100
others. The stampede occurred on a bridge, over the
Sindh River. It is alleged that a lathi charge by the police
on the devotees led to the stampede. Following this, a
total of 21 officials and policemen including Datia district
Collector, SP and the Sub Divisional Officer of police were
suspended by the Madhya Pradesh government. In 2006,
56 pilgrims died at the same site after being washed away
by water released upstream from the Sindh River. It was
in response to this mishap that the state government built
a bridge over the Sindh. The bridge was thus relatively
new and considered to be in good condition.
Law
Prep
14. Darbha Valley (Maoist attack )
28 Congress workers including senior leaders
Mahendra Karma, Uday Mudaliar were killed on 25
May, 2013 when they were attacked by a battalion of
Naxalites in the hilly areas of the Darbha Valley in the
Sukma district in Chhattisgarh. Senior Congress
leader and former Union Minister Vidya Charan
Shukla was severely injured and succumbed to
injuries. He was also the first Chief Minister of the
re-organized Madhya Pradesh. The bodies of
Chhattisgarh Congress chief Nand Kumar Patel and
his son Dinesh were believed to be abducted by
Maoists, were found on 26 May, 2013. Mahendra
Karma, a former state home minister was the torch
bearer of the controversial Salwa Judum, a vigilante
movement against Maoists that involved arming
villagers.
Law
Prep
15. Karnataka (Assembly elections of 2013)
The elections for the Karnataka Assembly, which has
224 seats, were held in May 2013. Polling was held in
223 segments, with the one in Periyapatna in Mysore
district put off to May 28 following death of a BJP
candidate. The Congress scored an overwhelming
victory, winning 122 seats and coming back to power
after nine years. It crushed the incumbent Jagadish
Shettar-led BJP, which could gather only 40 seats. The
Janata Dal (Secular) also won 40 seats. This election
also saw B. S Yedyurappa split from the BJP and contest
from the newly-formed Karnataka Janata Party, which
managed to win 6 seats. Post the results, Congress
leader Siddaramaiah was sworn in as the 22
nd
chief
minister of Karnataka by the Governor H. R
Bharadwaj at the Sri Kanteerva Stadium.
Law
Prep
16. Delhi (Assembly elections of 2013)
The Delhi election was held on 4 Dec 2013, resulting in a hung parliament
in the 70-seat assembly. The incumbent Congress won only 8 seats, a
plunge from the 43 seats they won in 2008. The BJP emerged the single
largest party, winning 31 seats. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) stole the show
in its debut by scooping up 28 seats. The voter turnout was an
unprecedented 66%. Among the results, AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal
proved to be a giant killer by defeating three-time Chief Minister Sheila
Dikshit in the New Delhi constituency by a margin of more than 25,000
votes. AAP announced its decision to form the government with outside
support from the Congress. Arvind Kejriwal was sworn-in as the CM at
the Ramlila Maidan, becoming the youngest CM of Delhi.
Name of the minister Portfolio
ArvindKejriwal Home, Finance, Vigilance, Services, Planning, Power
Manish Sisodia Education, PWD, Urban Development, Revenue
SomnathBharti Law, Tourism, Art and Culture
Rakhi Birla Women and Child, Social Welfare
SaurabhBharadwaj Food and Supply, Transport, Environment

Law
Prep
17. Rajasthan (Assembly elections of 2013)
The Rajasthan Legislative Assembly elections, 2013
for 200 seats took place in December 2013.The
incumbent ruling party Indian National Congress, led
by the Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, lost the elections
to Vasundhara Raje-led BJP. The BJP won 163 seats,
a marked improvement from the 78 seats they had
won in 2008, whereas Congress won only 21 seats, a
disastrous dip from the 96 seats in 2008. Vasundhara
Raje was sworn in as the CM for the second time,
with governor Margaret Alva administering the oath
of office to her. She is also the first female Chief
Minister of Rajasthan and had previously held the
post from 2003 to 2008. Rajasthan recorded a record
75% voter turnout in this election.
Law
Prep
18. Madhya Pradesh (Assembly elections of 2013)
The Madhya Pradesh Legislative Assembly election, 2013
for 230 seats took place in November 2013. The
incumbent BJP government led by Shivraj Singh
Chouhan won 165 seats to score an overwhelming win
over the Congress. They formed the government for the
3
rd
consecutive term, with Chouhan sworn-in as the CM.
He was administered the oath of office and secrecy by
Madhya Pradesh Governor Ram Naresh Yadav at a
ceremony held at Jamboree ground in Bhopal. The CM,
who won the Assembly polls from both Vidisha and
Budhni constituencies, resigned from the Vidisha seat. As
per the rules, a legislator winning from two seats has to
relinquish one of it within 14 days of the constitution of
the new Assembly. MP also saw a record turnout of voters
at 72.52%,the previous highest was 69.78% in the 2008.
Law
Prep
19. Chhattisgarh (Assembly elections of 2013)
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) resisted the anti-
incumbency trend and emerged victorious in the
Chhattisgarh Assembly elections of 2013. The elections
in the 90-seat state took place in two phases in
November 2013 and the results were announced in
December.The BJP claimed 49 seats, while Congress
managed to win 39 seats only. Bahujan Samaj Party and
an Independent won a seat each. The BJP win resulted
in a third consecutive term for the incumbent Chief
Minister Raman Singh. As for results of some
prominent constituencies, Raman Singh defeated
Congress' Alka Mudaliyar in Rajnandgaon constituency
by 35,866 votes. She was the wife of Congress leader
Uday Mudliar who was killed in a naxal attack in Darbha
valley.This election saw a record 75% voter turnout.
Law
Prep
20. Mizoram (Assembly elections 2013)
The Mizoram Legislative Assembly election, 2013 for
40 seats, took place in November 2013. The main
contest was between Incumbent Indian National
Congress and Mizo National Front-led Mizoram
Democratic Alliance. The incumbent Indian National
Congress led by Pu Lal thanhawla won two-thirds
majority and retained the assembly. Lal Thanhawla
was sworn-in as the chief minister and administered
oath of office by Governor Vakkom Purushothaman
at the Raj Bhavan in Aizawl. This was Lal
Thanhawla's second consecutive term and the fifth
overall term as chief minister. After being mauled in
four states, this was the only victory for the Congress
in the 2013 assembly elections held in November and
December 2013.
Of Persons, Places & Events

you should know! (For CLAT 2014)

Law
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Of Events
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1. Nobel Awards of 2013
The Nobel Prize is a set of international awards. The prizes in Physics,
Chemistry, Physiology or Medicine, Literature, and Peace were first
awarded in 1901. In 1968, Sveriges Riksbank (Sweden's central Bank)
established 'The Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences'. The
Peace Prize is awarded in Oslo, Norway, while the other prizes are
awarded in Stockholm, Sweden.
Law
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2. Mars Orbiter Mission
Indian Space research Organisation (ISRO) successfully
launched the Mars Orbiter Mission, (Mangalyaan), its
spacecraft bound for planet Mars. The Orbiter lifted-off
from the First Launch Pad at Satish Dhawan Space
Centre SHAR, Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh, using a
Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) rocket C25 on 5
November, 2013. Finding methane on the Martian
surface is a main scientific objective of the Mangalyaan.
Mars Orbiter Mission carries five scientific payloads.
These payloads consist of a camera, two spectrometers, a
radiometer and a photometer - together weighing around
15kgs. This is India's first interplanetary mission and, if
successful, ISRO would become the fourth space
agency to reach Mars, after the Soviet space program,
NASA, and European Space Agency.
Law
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3. Durga Shakti Nagpal issue
Durga Shakti Nagpal was an IAS officer whose
suspension in 2013 caused a massive outrage in India.
While the incident occurred, she was a Sub-Divisional
Magistrate of Greater Noida's Gautam Buddh Nagar.
She was suspended on July 27, 2013 by the Samajwadi
Party-led government in Uttar Pradesh, which claimed
that she had, without authorization, ordered the
destruction of a wall intended to be part of a
mosque at Kadalpur village, a move which the state
government argued could stir up religious tension.
Other reports alleged that the story was cooked up to
oust her for clamping down on Uttar Pradeshs
thriving trade in illegal sand mining, which had
deep political associations. Her suspension was
revoked on 22 Sep, 2013. She was given a clean chit.
Law
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4. INS Vikramaditya in Navy
INS Vikramaditya is a modified Kiev class aircraft carrier. The mammoth
44,500-tonne warship was commissioned into the Indian Navy in November
2013, at the Sevmash Shipyard in Severodvinsk, Russia, at a handing over
ceremony attended by Defence Minister AK Antony, Russian Deputy Prime
Minister Dmitry Rogozin. Originally named Baku, the ship was launched in
1982, and commissioned in 1987. It was renamed as Admiral Gorshkov,
after Admiral Sergey Georgiyevich Gorshkov. It remained in active service till
1992. The ship was finally decommissioned in 1996 and offered for sale.
India and Russia had initially signed the deal for the purchase of the carrier
in 2004. A final price of $2.35 billion was agreed upon. The Vikramaditya
finally reached its home base Karwar in Karnataka, in Jan 2014, after
more than 40 days of sailing from Russia. It is now operating along with INS
Viraat. It is almost after two decades, that the Indian Navy has two aircraft
carriers at sea. India also launched its first indigenous aircraft carrier
called INS Vikrant in Aug 2013, which is currently being built at the Cochin
Shipyard and is expected to enter service in 2018.
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5. Food Security Bill passed
The National Food Security Bill is the UPA
government's ambitious social welfare programme and
is expected to cost the national exchequer Rs. 1.25 lakh
crore. It seeks to make the right to food and nutritional
security a legal right, by providing specific entitlements
to certain groups. The Bill guarantees two-third
population the right to 5 Kgs of foodgrains every
month, at highly subsidised rates. It guarantees 5 kg of
rice, wheat and coarse cereals per month per person at
a fixed price of Rs 3, 2, and Re 1 respectively. While the
Lok Sabha passed the Bill in August 2013, the Rajya
Sabha passed it in September 2013.
Law
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6. Devyani Khobragade Issue
Devyani Khobragade was an Indian Foreign Service officer,
whose arrest in the US caused a major diplomatic standoff
between India and the US. Khobragade was Deputy
Consul General of the Consulate General of India in
New York City. She was arrested in Dec 2013 on one count
of visa fraud and one count of making a false statement, in
order to facilitate entry of Sangeeta Richard (Indian) for
employment as a domestic worker for her in the US. Her
arrest and alleged strip search caused a massive outrage in
the Indian fraternity, with India retaliating by downgrading
the privileges of American diplomats. Subsequently, she
was granted a G1 visa and transferred to the
permanent mission at United Nations, which entitled
her to full diplomatic immunity. Khobragade flew back to
India in Jan 2014, but was indicted on charges of visa fraud
and making false statements.
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7. OPCW and the Nobel Peace Prize
The Nobel Peace Prize 2013 was awarded to
Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical
Weapons (OPCW) for its extensive efforts to eliminate
chemical weapons. The OPCW is the implementing body
of the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC), which
entered into force in 1997. It is an independent,
autonomous international organization, with a working
relationship with the United Nations. It has 190 Member
States, who are working together to achieve a world free
from chemical weapons. They share the collective goal of
preventing chemistry from ever again being used for
warfare, thereby strengthening international security. Its
headquarters are in The Hague, Netherlands. Its
Director-General is Ahmet Uzumcu. In the recent past,
it worked extensively in Syria, to try and eliminate the use
of chemical weapons there.
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8. Typhoons: Phailin, Helen and Lehar
Cyclone Phailin (classified as very severe cyclonic storm),
originated from Andaman Sea, and made landfall on 12 Oct
2013 near Gopalpur in Ganjam district, Odisha. It was
the second-strongest tropical cyclone ever behind only
the 1999 Odisha cyclone. It smashed into the coastline of
Andhra Pradesh and Odisha states, flooded swathes of
farmland and ripped apart tens of thousands of mud-and-
thatch homes. The government of Odisha was showered
with praises from the UN & World Bank for commendable
efforts in disaster management. Another cyclonic storm
named 'Helen' hit the eastern coastline of India, making
landfall near Machilipatnam, across the Andhra Pradesh
in Nov 2013. Barely a week after, another cyclonic storm
named 'Lehar' was heading towards the AP. The much
feared Lehar gradually weakened and made landfall as a
deep depression near Machilipatnam in Andhra Pradesh.
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9. IPL spot fixing and betting scandal
The 2013 Indian Premier League spot fixing and betting
case arose when the Delhi Police arrested three cricketers
S Sreesanth, Ajit Chandila and Ankeet Chavan on the
charges of spot-fixing in May 2013. All the three of them
represented the Rajasthan Royals . The arrest of actor
Virender "Vindoo" Dara Singh, on charges of links with
bookmakers led to the arrest of Gurunath Meiyappan, a
top official of Chennai Super Kings and son-in-law of
BCCI president N Srinivasan. On 2 June, 2013, he decided
to step aside and former BCCI president Jagmohan Dalmia was brought in
temporarily. Ranjib Biswal, the Orissa Association chief, who was the team
manager when India won the World Cup in 2011, was named the IPL
chairman. However, Srinivasan took charge as president after the Supreme
Court's ruling in Oct 2013, allowing him to resume his duties. Further, the
Supreme Court appointed the Justice Mukul Mudgal Committee in Oct
2013, to investigate the IPL spot-fixing and betting scandal.
Law
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10. Fodder scam and Lalu conviction
The Fodder scam involves a multitude of cases relating to
embezzlement of funds worth around 900 crores for the
animal husbandry department, meant to purchase cattle
fodder in Bihar in the 1990s. Altogether, 61 cases were
filed by the CBI in the fodder scam, 53 of which were
transferred from Bihar to Jharkhand after the bifurcation
of the state in November 2000. In September 2013, Rashtriya Janata Dal
(RJD) leader and Member of Parliament Lalu Prasad Yadav was found
guilty in the Chaibasa treasury case of the fodder scam, which related to the
withdrawal of Rs. 37 crore. He was sentenced to five-year rigorous
imprisonment and the sentence immediately disqualified him from
Parliament. Apart from him, another former Chief Minister of Bihar,
Jagannath Mishra of the Congress was also convicted and was awarded a
four-year sentence. Both of them lost their seats in the Lok Sabha, Lalu as an
MP from Saran in Bihar and Mishra, as an MP from Jahanabad in Bihar.
Law
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11. Padma Awards announced
The Padma Awards, instituted in the year 1954, are conferred in three
categories, namely, PadmaVibhushan, Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri. The
Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan and Padma Sri are the second, third, and
fourth highest civilian awards respectively in India. 'Padma Vibhushan' is
awarded for exceptional and distinguished service; 'Padma Bhushan' for
distinguished service of high order and 'Padma Shri' for distinguished service
in any field. The awards are announced on the occasion of Republic Day
every year. The awards are conferred by the President of India at ceremonial
functions held at the Rashtrapati Bhawan, around March/ April every year. In
the year 2014, 127 recipients were honoured with the Padma Awards.
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12. IOCs ban on IOA
Indian Olympic Association (IOA) is responsible for
selecting athletes for Olympic Games, Asian Games. In Dec
2012, International Olympic Committee (IOC)
suspended IOA for corruption, government interference
and not following Olympic Charter in elections. IOC
imposed sanction when IOA failed to comply with IOC's
demand for independent elections. Owing to IOA's failure,
3 Indian athletes were unable to compete under national
flag at the Winter Olympics at Sochi, in Feb 2014.
They participated as independent athletes in the opening ceremony under
the Olympic flag. However, after the IOA conducted its elections, the ban
was lifted on 11 Feb 2014, following which, the Indian contingent
marched under the tri-colour at the closing ceremony in Sochi. N
Ramachandran, chief of World Squash Federation & younger brother of
BCCI president N Srinivasan, was elected unopposed as president of IOA.
Law
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13. Lokpal Bill passed
After 8 unsuccessful attempts over the last five
decades, India, in Dec 2013, took the historic step of
enacting the Lokpal law by which, an anti-corruption
watchdog would be established. The bill was passed by
the Rajya Sabha on 17 Dec 2013, after which, it was
taken up in the Lok Sabha. The Lok Sabha then, on 18
Dec 2013, passed the historic Lokpal and Lokayuktas
Bill, 2013, paving the way for establishment of an
ombudsman to fight corruption in public offices and
ensure accountability on the part of public officials,
including the Prime Minister, but with some safeguards.
The bill was previously passed in 2011 by the Lok
Sabha, but it came to the house again after undergoing
some amendments. It will now be sent to President
Pranab Mukherjee, whose assent is necessary for it to
become a Law.
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14. Supreme Court judgements
In Dec 2013, the Indian Supreme Court held that
homosexuality or unnatural sex between two consenting
adults under Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code is
illegal and will be an offence. A Bench of Justices GS Singhvi
and SJ Mukhopadaya set aside the Delhi High Courts 2009
verdict, decriminalising homosexuality. Section 377 of the
Indian Penal Code (IPC), which dates back to 1860, prohibits
carnal intercourse against order of nature. In July 2013, SC
held that charge sheeted MPs and MLAs, on conviction will be disqualified,
without being given 3 months time for appeal. A Bench of AK Patnaik and SJ
Mukhopadhaya, struck down as unconstitutional Section 8 (4) of the
Representation of the People Act, that allows convicted lawmakers a 3-
month period for filing appeal to the higher court and to get a stay of the
conviction and sentence. Congress member of the Rajya Sabha Rashid
Masood became the first MP to lose his seat post the judgment. He was held
guilty for nominating candidates to MBBS seats allocated to Tripura.
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15. Chinese intrusions into India
The year 2013 was marked with India's neighbour
China intruding into India's territory on more than one
occasion. In April 2013, troops of China's People's
Liberation Army entered the Indian territory in Daulat
Beg Oldi (DBO) sector in eastern Ladakh. DBO, located
in northernmost Ladakh, is a historic camp site and is
located on an ancient trade route, connecting Ladakh to Yarkand in
Xinjiang, China. On 16 July, 2013, 50 Chinese troops intruded into Chumar
area of Ladakh, staking their claim. Chumar, which is located 300 kms
from Leh, is the last town, after which Himachal Pradesh starts. This area
also has the distinction of having a defined International Border with
China. Furthermore, in Aug 2013, Chinese troops reportedly intruded more
than 20 kms into Indian territory in Chaglagam area of Arunachal
Pradesh, and stayed there for about four days. The Chaglagam area, also
known as 'fish tail' because of the shape of the Line of Actual Control
(LAC) in the area, has consistently seen intrusions by the Chinese.
Law
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16. Man Booker Prize for 2013
The Man Booker Prize promotes the finest in fiction
by rewarding the very best book of the year. The
prize is considered the world's most important
literary award. Eleanor Catton, from New Zealand
was announced as the winner of the 2013 Man
Booker Prize for her novel 'The Luminaries'. She not
only became the youngest novelist to win the
coveted literary prize, but also set a new record for
the longest winning novel as The Luminaries is 852
pages. The Man Booker International Prize, which is
significantly different from the Man Booker Prize,
recognises a writer's body of work rather than a single
novel. It is awarded every two years. Lydia Davis was
awarded the Man Booker International Prize
2013.
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17. Tennis Grand Slams
The four Grand Slam tournaments, also called Majors,
are the most prestigious individual competitions in
tennis annually. The Grand Slam itinerary consists of
the Australian Open in mid January, the French
Open (also known as the Roland Garros) in
May/June, Wimbledon in June/July, and the US
Open in August/September. The Australian and
the US tournaments are played on hard courts, the
French on clay, and the Wimbledon on grass court.


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18. Augusta Westland deal and cancellation
In Jan 2014, India terminated Rs. 3,726-crore, VVIP
chopper deal with Agusta Westland International
Limited (AWIL) on the grounds of breach of pre-contract
integrity pact (PCIP). The deal for supply of 12 choppers,
of which three have already been delivered, came under
the scanner following allegations of of kickbacks to senior
Indian Air Force officers to the tune of nearly Rs. 360 crore. In Feb 2010,
India signed a contract to purchase 12 Agusta Westland AW-101 helicopters
to be used for VVIPs. The controversy over the contract came to light in Feb
2013, when the Italian Police arrested Giuseppe Orsi, CEO of
Finmeccanica, the parent company of Agusta Westland, as part of bribery
investigations into the chopper deal. Defence Minister AK Antony, ordered
an investigation by CBI. After a preliminary enquiry (PE) against 12 people,
including former IAF chief SP Tyagi, CBI registered an FIR against them.
The final cancellation began in Nov 2013, after the law ministry & attorney
general opined that there was a clear violation of PCIP.
Law
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19. Telangana state formation
Telangana is a region comprising 10 districts
(Hyderabad, Adilabad, Khammam, Karimnagar,
Mahbubnagar, Medak, Nalgonda, Nizamabad,
Rangareddy, and Warangal) of the 23 districts that
Andhra Pradesh has. Originally, it was a part of the
erstwhile Nizam's princely state of Hyderabad.
In Oct 2013, the Union Cabinet gave its seal of approval to a Home
Ministry proposal to divide Andhra Pradesh. A Group of Ministers (GoM)
was formed to look into the same, to be headed by Sushil Kumar Shinde,
the Home Minister. In December 2013, the Union Cabinet approved a Bill
for the creation of a Telangana state with 10 districts. It was also decided
that the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation area will remain
the common capital for both states for a period not exceeding 10
years. The Bill was tabled in the Lok Sabha in February 2014, amid
complete chaos in the House with MPs coming to blows, smashing glasses
and unleashing pepper sprays.


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20. Maha Kumbh Mela 2013
The Maha Kumbh Mela, held in Allahabad every 12
years, is billed as the biggest religious gathering in the
world. Allahabad is the confluence of the rivers
Ganges, the Yamuna and the mythical Saraswati
and it is believed a dip in the rivers on auspicious days
will cleanse sins and help bring salvation. It was held
from 14 January to 10 March, 2013 and around 120
million pilgrims participated in the festival. On 10
February, 2013, during the festival, a stampede broke
out at the Allahabad railway station, killing 36 people
and injuring at least 39. The Uttar Pradesh
government ordered a judicial inquiry into the
mishap with retired judge of the Allahabad High Court,
Onkareshwar Bhatt heading the one-man
committee.
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