SNIPPETS

MARCH 01 March 10

Bangaru Laxman, ex-BJP chief passes away.

In a crucial decision, New Delhi and Tehran have agreed to finalise by March-end the parameters of
Indias participation, including its financial commitments and scope, for developing the strategically
important Chabahar port in southern Iran.

Russian troops Seize Ukraines Crimea.

In a setback to Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi, the government abandoned its attempt to push
through ordinances on anti-corruption legislation in the face of criticism and President Pranab Mukherjee's
apparent reluctance to approve the ordinances.

The Cabinet, however, did approve inclusion of jats in the central OBC list, a move that aims to assuage
the vocal and influential community with a sizeable presence in states like Rajasthan, Haryana, UP, Delhi
and Punjab. Cabinet nod for Andhra special status.

In a setback for the UPA governments efforts to put in place the Lokpal before the expiry of its term,
former Supreme Court Judge K.T. Thomas decided not to head the search committee. Eminent lawyer Fali
Nariman had also declined to be part of the same panel .The panels mandate is to forward names to a
selection committee headed by the Prime Minister for appointment of the chairperson and other members
of the Lokpal.

The film 12 Years a Slave has won best picture at this years Academy Awards (Oscar). In all, the
historical drama took three Oscars. Space thriller Gravity, however, dominated the evening with Alfonso
Cuaron taking best director for the film. In total, Gravity won seven Oscars, including best visual effects,
cinematography and original score.

The Centre has fixed June 2 as the formation day for Telangana, the countrys 29th state.

An Egyptian court has banned all activities of Hamas in Egypt, in another sign that security forces are
tightening their grip on the Palestinian group that runs the Gaza Strip. Hamas is an offshoot of Egypt's
Muslim Brotherhood, which has been declared a terrorist group by Egypt's army-backed government and
has faced a security crackdown since the military ousted one of its leaders, Mohamed Morsi, from the
presidency last July.

ECI announces 9-phased Lok Sabha election process from April 7 to May 12, results on May 16.

The Supreme Court held real estate barons Sushil and Gopal Ansal guilty in the 1997 Uphaar cinema
tragedy that claimed the lives of 59 people saying they were more interested about making money than
ensuring safety of the cinegoers.

North Korea, accused of human rights violations, is set to elect its largely symbolic parliament with leader
Kim Jong Un, the third in his family dynasty to rule the totalitarian state, running unopposed in a
legendary mountain district..

The government has tightened norms for Indians bringing gold into the country following a spurt in
smuggling and pressure on inward remittances as overseas workers prefer to bring their savings in gold.

Crimea set to join Russia, referendum on March 16.

Malaysian jet with 239 people on board goes missing.

Sri Lanka wins Asia Cricket Cup by beating Pakistan in finals.

Mizoram made history by winning the National Football Championship on their maiden appearance in the
final.

The Arab League (AL) has dropped its support behind acting Palestinian Authority Chief Mahmoud Abbas
in rejection of Israels demand for being recognized as a Jewish state.

The CBI filed its first charge sheet in the coal block allocation scam against Navbharat Power Private Ltd
and its two directors P Trivikrama Prasad and Y Harish Prasad.

Britain and Germany will team up to work on developing the next super-fast mobile network, 5G.

MARCH 11 March 20

Former Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit who bowed out of office after her party was trounced in the
state assembly election was sworn in as Kerala governor. Her appointment came amidst protests from
Aam Aadmi Party workers who alleged she was being sent to Kerala as governor in a bid to provide legal
immunity to her in the backdrop of corruption charges against her, and a boycott by the Opposition Left
Democratic Front.

Crimea votes for independence from Ukraine.

The biggest-ever deal of Rs.26,000 crore ($4.4 billion) at an Indian air show was signed between Boeing
and SpiceJet as the India Aviation-2014 got off to a flying start.

Saudi Arabia has imposed a total ban on advertisements for energy drinks and prohibited their sale in
educational and sports facilities and government buildings due to health concerns.

The Supreme Court on Thursday rejected Sahara chief Subrata Roy's petition to be released from custody.
On March 4, a two-judge bench had sent Roy and two of company's directors to Tihar jail in connection
with the case relating to non-refund of Rs 24000 crore to its investors.

The Delhi High Court upheld the death sentence awarded to the four convicts in the brutal gangrape and
murder of a 23-year-old woman on December 16, 2012, which triggered countrywide outrage..

India, Europe join hands to roll out 5G services.

The Supreme Court stayed till March 31 the execution of death penalty of two of the four convicts in the
December 16 gang-rape and murder case, a couple of days after the Delhi High Court upheld their
punishment awarded by the trial court.

An arrest warrant was on Saturday issued against Indian diplomat Devyani Khobragade on visa fraud
charges after her fresh indictment by U.S. prosecutors who accused her of "illegally" underpaying and
"exploiting" her domestic help.39-year-old Ms. Khobragade, who was arrested in New York on December
12, and has since been transferred to the Ministry of External Affairs in New Delhi, faces arrest if she visits
the U.S. where her husband and two children are staying.

Russia vetoed a U.N. Security Council resolution that calls on nations not to recognize the results of
Sunday's referendum in Crimea on whether to secede from Ukraine and join Russia.

Crimeans voted overwhelmingly to break with Ukraine and join Russia.

India has rejected suggestions that it could have been the intended target of a 9/11-style attack by the
missing Malaysia Airlines jet. As Prime Minister Manmohan Singh promised maximum assistance in the

massive hunt for Flight 370, Indias foreign minister said it was vital that the mystery over its fate was
cleared up.

Italians in Venice and its surrounding region have voted in an online poll in favour of breaking away from
the rest of the country and forming their own state.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, defying Ukrainian protests and Western sanctions, signed a treaty
making Crimea part of Russia but said he did not plan to seize any other regions of Ukraine.

Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra lifted a nearly two-month-old state of emergency in Bangkok and
surrounding areas after political violence against her government eased.

With its major defence and nuclear interests tied up with Eurasia, India has made it clear that it will not
support sanctions sought to be imposed on Russia by a select group of countries led by the U.S.

The grand old man of Indian literature Khushwant Singh passes away.

MARCH 21 onwards

President Abdulla Yameen's Progressive Party of the Maldives (PPM) and its coalition partners secured a
clear majority in the parliament

The 2014 Nuclear Security Summit was held in The Hague, the Netherlands, on March 24 and 25, 2014. It
was the third edition of the conference, succeeding the 2012 Nuclear Security Summit. The main goal of
the conference was generally to improve international cooperation by preventing nuclear terrorism. 35 of
53 participant nations took a pledge for tougher security standards and vowed to turn international
guidelines into national laws.

India, Russia to ink tank ammunition deal.

Malaysian Government confirms missing Jet crashed in India Ocean.

A court in Egypt has sentenced 528 supporters of ousted Islamist President Mohammed Morsi to death.

Yesteryear actress Nanda, who has been a part of hits like Teen Deviyaan, Gumnaam and many more died
at the age of 75.

President Barack Obama and top economic powers cancelled an upcoming G8 summit in Russia, seeking
to deepen Moscow's isolation over its intervention in the Ukraine crisis. After emergency talks called by
Obama, it was announced that the G8 summit in Sochi in June would be replaced by a G7 meeting in
Brussels, without Russian involvement. The G7 also threatened tougher sanctions against Russia for its
annexation of Crimea, which has plunged relations between the West and Moscow to their lowest point
since the Cold War.

SC grants conditional bails for Sahara Chief Subrata Roy.

The International Monetary Fund on pledged $18 billion in loans to prop up Ukraine's sinking economy, as
the nation's prime minister forecast more pain ahead without reforms that will affect nearly everyone in
the country.

The Supreme Court installed batting legend Sunil Gavaskar as the interim head of India's troubled cricket
board after forcing the scandal-tainted incumbent N Srinivasan from office.

The Supreme Court refused to lower the age of juvenile from 18 years saying the legislature has fixed the
age which is constitutionally permissible.

Former Norwegian Premier Jens Stoltenberg was named the next NATO chief, taking over from current
Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen.

PEOPLE IN NEWS
Arjun Bahadur Thapa
Nepal's former foreign secretary, Arjun Bahadur Thapa, has assumed charge as the Secretary-General of the
South Asian Association for Regional cooperation (SAARC). Mr. Thapa, who succeds Ahmed Saleem of Maldives, is
the 12th Secretary-general of the grouping.

Bangaru Laxman
Bangaru Laxman, Bhartiya Janata Party's lone dalit president, who served as a minister in the Vajpayee
government, and came to prominence when he became the BJP president in late 2000, died on March 1 in
Hyderabad. Mr Laxman was removed as BJP president in 2001 when news portal Tehelka, through a sting
operation.

Dinesh K. Sarraf
Dinesh K Sarraf has taken over as CMD of ONGC on 1st March 2014, consequent to superannuation of Sudhir
Vasudeva on 28th February 2014. Mr. Sarraf takes over reins of the Maharatna at a crucial juncture when ONGC
looks to balance the tight fiscal situation arising out of subsidy regime and strengthening itself to realize the
emerging growth opportunities in India and abroad.

Gopal Lachmandas Raheja

Gopal Raheja, patriarch of the Rs 11,000-crore GL Raheja Group and among the first professional property
developers in the country, died at 80. The GL Raheja real-estate group was founded more than five decades ago.
It is now one of the biggest private owners of land in Mumbai and holds properties in other parts of the country
through several subsidiaries.

Jens Stoltenberg
Former Norwegian Premier Jens Stoltenberg was named the next NATO chief, stepping in to take over from
current secretary-general Anders Fogh Rasmussen at a key moment in Europe. Stoltenberg will assume his
functions as secretary-general from October 1, 2014, when Rasmussen's terms expires after 5 years and 2 months
at the helm of the Alliance.

Joe McGinniss
Author Joe McGinniss, who wrote a landmark 1968 book on modern political advertising, The Selling Of the
President 1968, and chronicled the 1970s case of convicted Army doctor and killer Jeffrey MacDonald in Fatal
Vision, has died at age 71.

K.S. Popli
K.S. Popli took charge as Chairman and Managing Director of the Indian Renewable Energy development Agency
(IREDA), replacing Debashish Majumdar.

Khushwant Singh
Writer, journalist, one of India's best known satirists and former editor of Hindustan Times, Khushwant Singh, died
at 99. The internationally acclaimed author was nominated to the Rajya Sabha by the government under late
Indira Gandhi. He was a Member of Parliament from 1980 to 1986.He was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 1974
but returned the decoration in 1984 in protest against the storming of the Golden Temple in Amritsar by the army.

Khushwant Singh authored some internationally renowned books like "Train to Pakistan", "I Shall Not Hear the
Nightingale", "A History of the Sikhs", "The Company of Women" and "Delhi", and has written over 30 novels,
many short stories, essays and countless commentaries.

Michelle Bachelet
Socialist Michelle Bachelet took the oath of office as President of Chile, returning to power after four years with a
reform agenda to reduce social disparities in this prosperous South American country.

Nanda
Veteran Bollywood actress, Nanda, died on March 25 in Mumbai. She was nominated for Filmfare Awards five
times and won Filmfare Best Supporting Actress Award for Aanchal (1960).

Nandan Nilekani
Infosys co-founder and face of UPA government's flagship 'Aadhar' programme, Nandan Nilekani resigned as
Chairman of Unique Identification Authority of India, three days after joining congress. After his exit as CEO of
Infosys in 2007, Nilekani had taken charge as head of UIDAI, mandated to give a billon Indians an Identity card.

Nishi Vasudeva
Nishi Vasudeva became the first woman to head a blue-chip PSU when she took over the Chairman and Managing
Director of Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) replacing Subir Roy Choudhury.

R.K. Tewari
Senior IRS officer R.K. Tewari took charge as the chairman of the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT), the apex
authority of the Income Tax Department.

Rakesh Sethi
Rakesh Sethi, on March 11, took over as Chairman and Managing Director of Allahabad Bank.

S. Mallikarjunaiah
Former Lok Sabha Deputy Speaker and veteran Karnataka BJP leader S Mallikarjunaiah died at 83. Mallikarjunaiah
was Deputy Speaker in the tenth Lok Sabha (1991-1996).

Sansar Chand
Notorious wildlife poacher, Sansar Chand, known for nearly wiping out tigers from the Sariska Tiger Reserve, died
of cancer. He was undergoing trial on charges of killing several tigers at the tiger reserve in Rajasthan. Resident
of New Delhi, he is believed to be India's biggest wildlife criminal who has been responsible for more tiger and
leopard deaths than anyone else.

Sheila Dikshit
Former Chief Minister of Delhi, Sheila Dikshit, was sworn in as the Governor of Kerala. The swearing-in ceremony
was boycotted by the opposition-CPM-led Left democratic Front.

AWARDS & HONOURS

Gandhi Peace Prize
Eminent Gandhian and environmentalist Chandi Prasad Bhatt has been selected for the 2013 Gandhi Peace Prize.
A pioneer of the Chipko Movement for which he was also awarded the Magsaysay Award in 1982, Mr. Bhatt was
given the Padma Bhushan by the first incarnation of the UPA in 2005.

GD Birla Award-2013
The prestigious G D Birla award for scientific research for 2013 has been given to Rajesh Gopakumar, a theoretical
physicist at the Harish Chandra Research Institute in Allahabad. 46-year-old Gopakumar has been awarded for his
contribution in the Quantum Field Theory and String Theory. The G D Birla award for scientific research was
instituted in 1991 by K K Birla Foundation to recognise significant scientific research undertaken by Indian
scientists below the age of 50, working in India. The award carries a cash prize of Rs 1.5 lakh and a citation.

Google Digital Activism Award

Journalist Shubhranshu Choudhary is the winner of the 2014 Google Digital Activism Award. Choudhary
conceptualised CGNet Swara (Voice of Chhattisgarh), a mobile-phone service that allows citizens to post and listen
to local reports in their local language using basic mobile phones. Shubhranshu Choudhary is a Knight
International Journalism Fellow and the founder of CGNet Swara.

Innovation Prize
In a move aimed at promoting a culture of innovation in India, the Mahindra group launched the countrys biggest
innovation prize the Rise Prize offering $1 million for disruptive innovations.

Oscar Awards-2014
The 86th

Academy

Awards ceremony,

presented

by

the Academy

of

Motion

Picture

Arts

and

Sciences (AMPAS) took place March 2, 2014, at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles. Gravity won the
most awards with seven including Best Director for Alfonso Cuarn. 12 Years a Slave won three awards
including Best Picture. Other winners included Dallas Buyers Club also with three awards, Frozen and The Great
Gatsby with two, and Blue Jasmine, The Great Beauty, Helium, Her, The Lady in Number 6, Mr Hublot, and 20 Feet
from Stardom with one.
The winners in prominent categories are:

Best Picture: 12 Years a Slave

Best Director: Alfonso Cuaron (Gravity)
Best Actor: Matthew McConaughey (Dallas Buyers Club)
Best Actress: Cate Blanchett (Blue Jasmine)
Best Supporting Actor: Jared Leto (Dallas Buyers Club)
Best Supporting Actress: Lupita Nyong'o (12 Years a Slave)
Best Animated Feature Film: Frozen

Best Documentary (Feature): 20 Feet from Stardom

Best Original Song: Let It Go (Frozen Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez)
Best Original Score: Gravity (Steven Price)
Best Foreign Language Film: The Great Beauty (Italy)
Pritzker Prize
Shigeru Ban, Japanese architect known for his creative and inexpensive designs for disaster relief shelters, has
won the 2014 Pritzker Architecture Prize. The annual award, considered the most prestigious prize in the world of
architecture, is given to designers who have significantly contributed to humanity and for excellence in built
work.

Saraswati Samman
Noted writer Govind Mishra has been awarded the prestigious Saraswati Samman, 2013 for his Hindi novel, Dhool
Paudhon Par. He is the second Hindi author to receive this honour after it was given to Harivansh Rai Bachchan in
1991. Saraswati Samman, instituted by the KK Birla Foundation in 1991, is recognized as the most prestigious
literary honour in the country. It is given every year to an outstanding literary work in any Indian language by an
Indian citizen and published during the last decade. It carries award money of Rs. 10 lakh, a citation and a plaque.

Stree Shakti Award

President Pranab Mukherjee conferred the Stree Shakti Puraskar 2013 award on Vartika Nanda for her work in the
field of women empowerment through journalism and mass communication. The award carries carries a cash prize
of Rs 3 lakh and a citation.

TEMPLETON PRIZE
Tomas Halik, a Roman Catholic priest and philosopher, onetime Czech political activist and an advocate for
religious freedom and interfaith dialogue, won the 2014 Templeton Prize on March 13, for religious and spiritual
progress.

US Courage Award
Laxmi, a victim of acid attack and a standard-bearer for the movement to end acid attacks, has been selected by
the US for the prestigious International Women of Courage Award. Laxmi received the award from US First Lady
Michelle Obama at an awards ceremony at the State Department in Washington. She was 16 when an
acquaintance threw acid on her face while she waited at a bus stop in New Delhi's busy Khan Market in 2005,
disfiguring her permanently.

US Spelling Bee Contest

A 13-year old Indian-origin boy, Kush Sharma, has emerged as the winner of a spelling bee contest in the US in an
epic verbal duel that lasted a total of 95 rounds.

BUSINESS & ECONOMY

Bank of India launched IMT (Instant Money Transfer), which allows cardless cash withdrawal at its
IMT-enabled ATMs, a first-of-its-kind initiative by any public sector bank. IMT is an innovative domestic
money remittance facility that allows the customer to send money to a receiver only by using the
receiver's mobile number through the bank's ATM and retail internet banking facility. The receiver can
withdraw money from a Bank of India's ATM without using a card.

The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) is introducing Unique Identification Number for
hallmarked jewellery to ensure better traceability and consumer protection.

Aided by plunging gold imports and surging exports, India's current account deficit (CAD) a
measure of the difference between dollar inflows and outflowsfell sharply to $4.2 billion or 0.9% of
GDP during October - December 2013 from $31.9 billion in the same quarter of last year and $5.2 billion
during July-September 2013.

Amitabh Kant took over as the new secretary of the department of industrial policy and

promotion. Kant was earlier the CEO of Delhi Mumbai Industrial Corridor Development Corporation and
will now be in-charge of the FDI policy and industrial corridors.

K.C. Chakrabarty, Deputy Governor of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), resigned on March
20, three months ahead of the completion of his term. Dr. Chakrabarty, a seasoned banker with over
three decades of experience in commercial banking and known for being outspoken, joined the RBI as
Deputy Governor on June 15, 2009.

Indias economic growth has slipped to 4.7% in the October December 2013 quarter, compared to
4.8% in the previous three months, signaling that the countrys slowdown is stickier than earlier thought.
The quarterly trends show growth rate for the full year (2013-14) is likely to end up below the
governments official prediction of 4.9%

European Union member states, on March 26, decided to ban the import of five types of fruits and
vegetables from India, after several batches were found to be contaminated by pests such as fruit flies.

The Export-Import Bank of India (Exim Bank) has, at the behest of the Government of India,
extended a Line of Credit of $89.90 million to the Government of Congo, for developing transportation
system. Under the LoC, the Bank will reimburse 100 per cent of contract value to the Indian exporters
upfront upon shipment of equipment and goods/provision of services.

General Motors announced the appointment of Arvind Saxena as its new President & Managing
Director of its India operations with effect from March 1, 2014.

Taking a major step forward to scientifically assess the risk and safety aspects of transgenic crops, the
governments top regulator-Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee revalidated 10 varieties
of GM crops including wheat, rice, maize and cotton and allowed multi-national seed companies to go for
confined field trials of these. Companies like Monsanto, Mahyco and BASF whose applications got
revalidation will however, be able to go for field trials only after getting the respective state governments
nod.

India Post has successfully introduced core banking solutions in 114 branches as part of a

Rs.

1,877.2- crore modernising plan that it has started two years ago. India Post has recently applied to the
Reserve Bank of India for a banking license.

RBI has hiked the trade related remittance limit with immediate effect from Rs. 2 lakh to Rs. 5 lakh per
transaction, amid increased number of transactions handled by exchange houses.

The Reserve Bank of India has allowed five private sector banksHDFC Bank, Axis Bank, Kotak
Mahindra Bank, IndusInd Bank and Yes Bankto import gold on March 19, in what could be a significant
step towards easing of tough curbs on the metal imposed last year to cut a burgeoning trade deficit.

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) decided to allow foreign inward remittances received under
money transfer service scheme (MTSS) directly into the bank account of the beneficiary through electronic
modes such as national electronic funds transfer (NEFT) and immediate payment service (IMPS).

President Pranab Mukherjee has cleared the re-promulgation of an Ordinance on March 28 that gave more
powers to the Securities & Exchange Board of India (Sebi) to crack down on unauthorized
fund mop-up and ponzi schemes, besides allowing search and seizure operations.