03082014

Union Ministry of HRD set up Hari Gautam Committee to review

the status of UGC
Who: The Union Ministry of Human Resource Development (HRD)
What: set up a four member committee
When: 3 August 2014
Why: to review the present status of Universities Grants Commission's (UGC)
The Union Ministry of Human Resource Development (HRD) on 3 August 2014 set up a four
member committee to review the present status of Universities Grants Commissions (UGC). The
committee will be headed by former UGC chairman Hari Gautam.
The other members of the committee will be CM Jariwala, former dean of law, Banaras Hindu
University and Kapil Kapoor, former Pro-Vice Chancellor of Jawaharlal Nehru University. RP
Sisodia, Joint Secretary (higher education) will be the member secretary of the committee. The
committees have six months time to submit its report.
The committee will suggest ways to restructure and reorganise the panel to attain better
performance in order to meet desired objectives.
The committee has been given 14 items for review, which includes evaluation of the
performance of UGC in coordinating and determining standards of education in universities,
conducting an audit of its regulatory reach and identifying strengths and weaknesses in this
aspect.
About University Grants Commission (UGC)
UGC is the apex regulatory body for higher education in the country. The commission was
formally set up by an Act of Parliament in 1956. It is the statutory body for the
coordination, determination and maintenance of standards of university education in the
country.
The higher education sector in India has emerged as one of the largest in the world in terms
of number of institutions and the second largest by number of students with nearly 28
million students in 726 universities and about 38000 colleges.

04082014
100 years of the outbreak of First World War observed across
the globe 04-AUG-2014
Who: 100 years of the outbreak of First World War (WW-1)
Where: across the globe
What: observed
When: 4 August 2014
4 August: Centenary year of First World War
100 years of the outbreak of First World War (WW-1) was observed across the globe on 4 August
2014. WW-1 started on 4 August 1914 and ended on 11 November 1918. To mark the centenary
year of WW-1, various countries hosted events.
New Zealand became the first country in the world to mark the centenary of WW-1 in a
ceremony in Parliament grounds in Wellington. The New Zealand Defence Force and WW100
commemorated the beginning of the First World War for New Zealand with a wreathlaying
ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior in Wellington.
Wales hosted the Light Out event to mark the centenary of WW-1. The Lights Out project was
inspired by the words of wartime foreign secretary Sir Edward Grey.
In Belgium, the centenary of WW-1 was marked by a program of exhibition, lectures and
academic research focusing on the theme of Belgian involvement in the conflict and the
occupation.
Commemorative events were being staged across Scotland to mark the centenary of the outbreak
of WW-1 with focus on the contribution of Commonwealth nations to the war effort. Besides,
Prince Charles laid wreath at George Square in Glasgow.
About First World War
First World War (also called The Great War) was a global war centered in Europe that began on 4
August 1914 and lasted until 11th November 1918. 135 countries took part in World War I, and
more than 15 million people died in the war.
The war drew in all the world's economic great powers which were assembled in two opposing
alliances - the Allies and the Central Powers of Germany and Austria-Hungary
The Allies were based on the Triple Entente of the United Kingdom, France and the Russian
Empire. Italy, Japan and the United States also joined the Allies.

On the other hand, Ottoman Empire and Bulgaria the Central Powers of Germany and AustriaHungary. Although Italy had also been a member of the Triple Alliance alongside Germany and
Austria-Hungary, it did not join the Central Powers, as Austria-Hungary had taken the offensive
against the terms of the alliance. These alliances were reorganised and expanded as more nations
entered the war.
Ultimately, more than 70 million military personnel, including 60 million Europeans, were
mobilized in one of the largest wars in history.

China took strict measures to Regulate GM Crops 04-AUG-2014

Who: China's Ministry of Agriculture (MoA)
What: Regulations on sales and growth of GM crops
When: 29 July 2014
Chinas Ministry of Agriculture on 29 July 2014 came up with a decision to regulate sales and
growth of Genetically Modified (GM) crops in the country. According to Ministry of Agriculture
and office in charge of GM food Safety, any company or individual found violating regulations
to grow or sell GM crops will be punished strictly.
The decision came days after a media publicized the sale of GM rice at a supermarket in Central
China, which is prohibited in the country. The motive behind this move is to prevent illegal
distribution of GM crops in the country.
Commercialisation of GM Crops in China
China allowed authorized imports of GM soybeans and corns and certified the growth of various
GM crops including cotton, tomatoes, papayas and peppers. However, it didnt permit
commercial production or sale of GM crops.
Though, the ministry has approved experimental planting of two strains of insect-resistant GM
rice in 2009, but the safety certificates for this experiment expire this year and commercial
production is yet to begin. Allowance of safety certificates on GM grains did not connect to
autonomy of commercial production.
China is home to billions of people. Its population is continuously increasing and its available
land is slowly decreasing leading to flat yield in the past decade. Such long-term food security
trends are troublesome. Chinas decision to open the doors of commercial production of GM
crops can halt the worries. But, concerns over after-effects of GM crops loom large.
The major reason behind such protective concern is uncertainty over effects of GM crops on
humans. GM crops long-term risks on environment and human life are still not known. This
poses a huge risk on Chinas food security.

Commercialisation of GM crops in India

India approved commercialization of only one GM crop Bt Cotton. However, there are various
GM crops that are still under development and field trials including brinjal, corn, tomato, rice
and groundnut. The success of field trials of GM crops will pave the way for commercialization
of GM grains in the country.
However, India is still not sure about commercialisation of GM crops. Such insecurity is an
outcome of some bigger concerns:
GM is a high cost technology, which is not suitable for small farmers in India
India lack in adequate infrastructure and tools required for testing of GM crops
Regulatory framework of GM crops in India is weak.

Ramon Magsaysay Award 2014 announced

Who: The prestigious Ramon Magsaysay Awards for year 2014
What: announced
When: 31 July 2014
The prestigious Ramon Magsaysay Awards for year 2014 was announced on 31 July 2014. The
list of awardees included six winners among five individuals and one organization from Pakistan.
The 2014 Awardees are:
Hu Shuli: She is a Chinese investigative journalist whose work has led to the ouster of
corrupt officials. She is the founder and former editor of Caijing a business magazine famed for
its groundbreaking investigative reporting that has had a profound impact on China.
Saur Marlina Manurung: She is being recognized for her ennobling passion to protect and
improve the lives of Indonesias forest people, and her energizing leadership of volunteers in
SOKOLAs customized education program. She put up a Jungle School program for children of
Indonesias Orang Rimba, or forest people.
Omara Khan Masoudi from Afghanistan: He is being recognized for his courage, labor,
and leadership in protecting Afghan cultural heritage. Masoudi was awarded for his courage in
protecting Afghan cultural heritage. At great risk to his life, the deputy director of the National
Museum of Afghanistan in Kabul led his colleagues in moving some of the museums most
precious objects to safety during the Talibans assault on his countrys cultural treasures in the
1990s.
The Citizens Foundation from Pakistan: It is a non-profit organisation (NGO) in Pakistan
founded by six business leaders. It was recognized for building 1000 schools over hundreds of

cities and towns in the country with the worlds second highest number of children who are out
of school.
Wang Canfa from China: Wang Canfa founded the Center for Legal Assistance to Pollution
Victims, which has offered free legal services to thousands of people and provided
environmental law training to lawyers and others.
Randy Halasan for Emergent Leadership from the Philippines: He was chosen for the
award for serving the indigenous Matigsalug tribe. He put in huge efforts in teaching the children
of the Matigsalug tribe in one of the remotest mountain villages in Mindanao.
About Ramon Magsaysay Awards
The award was established in 1957. The Ramon Magsaysay Award is Asias highest honor and is
widely regarded as the regions equivalent of the Nobel Prize.
It celebrates the memory and leadership example of the third Philippine president after whom the
award is named.
The award is given every year to individuals or organizations in Asia who manifest the same
selfless service that ruled the life of the late and beloved Filipino leader.

Pune landslide: GSI in preliminary report accused excessive

irrigation as cause
Who: Preliminary report of GSI
What: pointed deforestation and cultivation as primary cause for landslide in Malin village,
Pune
When: 3 August 2014
Geological Survey of India (GSI) on 3 August 2014 in its preliminary report, pointed
deforestation and leveling of ground for agriculture (with heavy machinery to flatten land), as the
primary cause for landslide in Malin village in Ambegaon taluka of Pune, Maharashtra. GSI will
submit its study report of their findings to the government within twenty days.
It also accused excessive water used for cultivation of paddy together with continuous heavy rain
contributed to the landslide in Malin village that lies on the foothills of the Western Ghats. The
landslide swept over the Malin village on 30 July 2014 and claimed life of at least 108 people.
In its recommendation, the experts proposed stopping paddy farming in the area as an immediate
step. This would prevent any further disintegration of surrounding hills.
Notably, Malin village is one of the three high-risk villages in the region marked Ecologically
Sensitive Areas by the Kasturirangan Committee report on Western Ghats.

Previous Committees and Reports on developmental activity in the Western Ghats

Madhav Gadgil Committee: to study the impact of the so-called developmental activity in the
Western Ghats, the Union Environment Ministry in 2009 appointed a committee that was headed
by an ecologist Madhav Gadgil. The panel was asked to recommend the kind of development
projects
that
would
suit
the
ranges.
In August 2011, the committee submitted its report to the government and in its report it divided
complete
Western
Ghats
into
three
categories
and
they
were
a)
Ecologically
sensitive
zone
(ECZ)
I
b)
Ecologically
sensitive
zone
(ECZ)
II
c)
Ecologically
sensitive
zone
(ECZ)
III
For ECZ I it in its recommendation suggested the government to phase-out all mining
activity
by
2016
For ECZ II it asked the government to give no new mining permission for mining and
polluting industries like coal-based power plants. It also asked the government to issue strict
regulation and guidelines for existing and operational projects with regular social audits
For ECZ III it proposed change in the use of land use; it asked to deviate from agriculture to
non-agriculture uses. It also asked the government for ECZ III that the developer of the
industrial, infrastructure and tourism project should be asked to take measures to mitigate
environment
and
socio-economic
changes
But the Gadgil committees report was not accepted by the government after state governments
accused the report to be too harsh and it should not be accepted.
Following the pressure of the state governments, center once again appointed a new committee
led by former chairman of Indian Space Research Organisation, K Kasturirangan.
K Kasturirangan committee in its report recommended reduction of the ECZ I from 67 percent
of total area of Western Ghats to 37 percent. It was also not accepted by the central government
due to the protests of state governments, terming it too restrictive and will hamper the economic
development.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Nepal

Who: Prime Minister Narendra Modi
Where: Nepal
What: concluded two day visit
When: 4 August 2014

Prime Minister Narendra Modi concluded two day visit to Nepal on 4 August 2014. During the
visit, Prime Minister addressed the Nepalese Parliament. Narendra Modi was welcomed by the
guard of honour.
This was the first visit of an Indian Prime Minister to Nepal in 17 years. Modi was assisted with
a team of 101 delegates including several ministers accompanying him.
The visit was aimed to forge a new relationship with Nepal and to start a new chapter in bilateral
ties that will serve as a model and catalyst for regional partnership.
Narendra Modi made the following announcement during his visit:
The Prime Minister gave a HIT formula for Nepal. India wants to help Nepal build highways
(H), information highways (I) and transways - transmission lines (T).
The Prime Minister announced that India will give Nepal 10000 crore Nepali rupee
concessional line of credit, for its development.

The Prime Minister announced that he is keen to double power supply to Nepal.

The pipelines would be built to help transport oil to Nepal.

The scholarships to students from Nepal would be increased.

India would help Nepal emerge as a major exporter of herbal medicines.

India would also help develop the tourism potential of Nepal, both as a spiritual, and
adventure tourism destination.

He offered assistance to Nepal in the fields of organic farming, and soil health.

Analysis
One of the prime agendas of the visit would be to speed up negotiations on a power trade
between the two countries.
Negotiators were trying to narrow down differences over the power pact aimed at harnessing
Nepal's estimated 42000 MW hydro-electric potential to meet domestic needs and also supply
India's giant energy-starved economy.
The Himalayan nation currently has an installed capacity of 600 MW as its development has
been held back by years of political instability. Nepal is still struggling with the transition to a
constitutional republic after the abolition of the monarchy in 2008.
Nepal's relationship with India is also important to contain the rise of China as the strongest
power in South Asia.

Union Defence Ministry allowed armed forces to do business

with the Rolls Royce
Who: The Union Defence Ministry
What: allowed armed forces to do business related to essential requirements with the Rolls
Royce
When: 3 August 2014
The Union Defence Ministry on 3 August 2014 allowed armed forces to do business related to
essential requirements with the Rolls Royce.
The decision of the Union Defence Ministry came after Attorney General Mukul Rohtagi opined
that IAF and the Navy can procure from the Rolls Royce the systems essential for their
maintenance and operational requirements of the two services and not allowing the procurement
would affect the defence preparedness of the two forces.
Moreover, the aircraft such as the C-130J Super Hercules transport aircraft, SeaKing multi-role
helicopters, Hawk advanced jet trainer and the Jaguar fighter of the two forces fly on RollsRoyce engines.
Hence, they will have to procure essential equipment from the firm to continue their operations.
Background
In March 2014, the Union Defence Ministry had put on hold all the deal with the British engine
manufacturer Rolls-Royce over the allegations of corruption in contract with Hindustan
Aeronautics Ltd (HAL).
In the contract, Rolls Royce has to supply aircraft engines to HAL for its trainer aircraft during
2007-2011. The contract is of worth 10000 crore rupees.
CBI found the allegations of unauthorised use of an outside commercial adviser and the use of
middlemen by Rolls-Royce in fetching the contract.

05082014
Union Government granted Navratna Status to CONCOR
Container Corporation of India Limited (CONCOR) on 23 July 2014 was accorded Navratna
Status by the Department of Public Enterprises under Union Ministry of Heavy Industry and
Public Enterprises. CONCOR is the 17th Central Public Sector Enterprise (CPSE) to achieve
Navratna Status.

CONCOR gives multi-modal logistics support for the country's exim (exports and imports) and
domestic trade and commerce.
The granting of Navratna status entitles the company boards to do investments up to 1000 crore
rupees or 15% of their net worth on a single project or 30% of their net worth in the whole year
(not exceeding 1000 crore rupees) without seeking government permission.
Besides, it also entitles the Boards of Navaratna enhanced powers in the areas of (i) capital
expenditure; (ii) equity investment in joint ventures/subsidiaries in India or abroad, (iii) human
resources development (iv) orgnaisational restructuring and (v) raising of debt from the
domestic capital markets and borrowings from international markets.
Major criteria of awarding Navratna Status are:
A Central Public Sector Enterprise (CPSE) should be a Schedule A and Miniratna Category I
company.
The CPSEs should have at least three Excellent or Very Good Memorandum of Understanding
(MoU) ratings during the last five years.
The CPSE should have a composite score of 60 or above out of 100 marks based on its
performance during the last three years on the following six identified efficiency parameters:

Efficiency Parameters

Maximum Marks

Net Profit to Worth

25

Manpower cost to Cost of

Production/Services

15

Gross Margin as capital employed

15

Gross Profit as Turnover

15

Earnings per Share

10

Inter-sectoral comparison based on

Net profit to Net worth

20

Total

100

About CONCOR
CONCOR was incorporated in March 1988 under the Companies Act, 1956 and commenced
operation from November 1989 taking over the existing network of 7 ICDs (Inland Container
Depots) from the Indian Railways. It is now the market leader having the largest network of 62
ICDs or Dry ports in India.
Its current Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) is Anil Kumar Gupta.
About Navratna
Navratna was the title given originally to 9 Public Sector Enterprises (PSEs) identified by the
Government of India in 1997 as "public sector companies that have comparative advantages",
giving them greater autonomy to compete in the global market so as to "support [them] in their
drive to become global giants.

NASA announced to launch Mars 2020 rover mission in 2020 to

examine habitability of Mars environment
NASA announced on 31 July 2014 at its headquarters in Washington, US, that it will send a new
rover to Mars in 2020 named as Mars 2020 rover mission. Mars 2020 mission will attempt to
determine the potential habitability of the Mars environment, and directly search for signs of
ancient Martian life. This attempt if successful will pave the way for future manned missions.

The Mars 2020 rover mission will be launched in July or August 2020, which will land on mars
after an eight to nine month cruise in 2021. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory will build and
manage operations of the Mars 2020 rover mission.
To develop Mars 2020 rover mission, NASA's Space Technology Program partnered with
Human Exploration and the Mars 2020 Rover Team. It is being developed to fulfill the science
objectives recommended by the National Research Council's 2011 Planetary Science Decadal
Survey.
The MARS 2020 mission rover will be based on the design of the successful rover, Curiosity that
is operational since it landed on the Red Planet in August 2012 and is a part of the NASAs Mars
Exploration Program.
Importance of the Mars 2020 rover mission
It will be used by scientists to identify and select a collection of rock and soil samples that will
be stored for potential return to Earth by a future mission.
It also will help advance our knowledge of how future human explorers could use natural
resources available on the surface of the Red Planet.
Designers of future human expeditions can use this mission to understand the hazards posed by
Martian dust and demonstrate technology to process carbon dioxide from the atmosphere to
produce oxygen. These experiments will help engineers learn how to use Martian resources to
produce oxygen for human respiration and potentially for use as an oxidizer for rocket fuel.

Seven Payloads to be carried by the Mars 2020 rover mission

These seven instruments were selected from 58 proposals received in January 2014 from
researchers and engineers worldwide. These seven selected proposals will cost approximately
130 million US dollar for development of the instruments to NASA.
The Mars Oxygen ISRU Experiment (MOXIE) It is an exploration technology
investigation and will produce oxygen from Martian atmospheric carbon dioxide. This produced
oxygen on Mars will be beneficial for human respiration and potentially can be used as an
oxidizer for rocket fuel for return missions.
Mastcam-Z it is an advanced camera system with panoramic and stereoscopic imaging
capability with the ability to zoom. IT is also capable of determine mineralogy of the Martain
surface
SuperCam it as an instrument will provide imaging, chemical composition analysis and
mineralogy. It will also detect the presence of organic compounds in rocks and regolith from a
distance.
Planetary Instrument for X-ray Lithochemistry (PIXL) it is an X-ray fluorescence
spectrometer and will also contain a high resolution imager that can determine the fine scale
elemental composition of Martian surface materials. This instrument is capable to provide
capabilities that permit more detailed detection and analysis of chemical elements than ever
before.
Scanning Habitable Environments with Raman & Luminescence for Organics and
Chemicals (SHERLOC) It is a spectrometer that will provide fine-scale imaging and will use
an ultraviolet (UV) laser to determine fine-scale mineralogy and detect organic compounds.
SHERLOC will be the first UV Raman spectrometer to fly to the surface of Mars and will
provide complementary measurements with other instruments in the payload.
Mars Environmental Dynamics Analyzer (MEDA) This a set of sensors and that is capable
of providing measurements of temperature, wind speed and direction, pressure, relative humidity
and dust size and shape.
The Radar Imager for Mars' Subsurface Exploration (RIMFAX) It is ground-penetrating
radar and will provide centimeter-scale resolution of the geologic structure of the subsurface.
About Mars Exploration Program
Mars Exploration Program seeks to characterize and understand Mars as a dynamic system,
including its present and past environment, climate cycles, geology and biological potential. It
includes the Opportunity and Curiosity rovers, the Odyssey and Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter
spacecraft currently orbiting the planet, and the MAVEN orbiter, which is set to arrive at the Red
Planet in September 2014 and will study the Martian upper atmosphere.
In 2016, a Mars lander mission called InSight will launch to take the first look into the deep
interior of Mars.
Besides, NASA is collaborating with European Space Agency's (ESA's) 2016 and 2018
ExoMars missions. This includes Electra telecommunication radios to ESA's 2016 orbiter and a
critical element of the astrobiology instrument on the 2018 ExoMars rover.

Italian researchers decoded the language of African Penguins

for the first time
Who: African penguins (jackass penguin)
Where: University of Turin in Italy
What: language was decoded by a team of researchers led by Dr Livio Favaro
Italian researchers successfully decoded the language of African Penguins for the first time and
revealed that the birds have a song that caters to every occasion. This was revealed in a study
titled The Vocal Repertoire of the African Penguin (Spheniscus demersus): Structure and
Function of Calls published in journal PLOS ONE on 30 July 2014. The study was led by Dr
Livio
Favaro
from
the
University
of
Turin
in
Italy.
The
Study
Findings
According to the study, Penguins make six distinct calls to communicate. Among these six calls,
four are used by adults and are used to communicate emotions such as happiness, love and anger.
The researchers found that the adult Penguins have four essential vocalizations and they
are

A
contact
call
emitted
by
isolated
birds

An
agonistic
call
used
to
signal
aggression
An ecstatic display song uttered by single birds during the breeding season
A mutual display song sung by pairs at their nests
The remaining two are related to juveniles and chicks. The sound made by the chicks is related to
hunger and has been termed as two begging calls and they are
Begging peeps also known as short cheeps are used when they want food from adults
Begging moan made by those chicks who are just out of the nest, but still need food from
adults
They decoded their language by collecting, categorising and analysing hundreds of audio and
video vocal recordings. These data were collected from a captive colony of 48 African Penguins
at the Zoom Zoo in Turin, Italy. This group was comprised of 15 males, 17 females, eight
youngsters between 3 and 12 months and eight chicks.
In its finding of the vocalisation, the researchers claimed that Penguins make call through syrinx
that is different from the mammalian larynx. This syrinx consists of two parts and they are an
independent set of muscles and membranes at the right and left sides. Their communication is a
harmonic structure and during communication, they stand up and make the call by their halfopen beak. During this, they extend their neck upwards to the level that is possible by them.
The researchers also claimed that many birds along with Penguins can produce two independent
signals at the same time.

The African penguin (Spheniscus demersus) species is also known as the jackass penguin and
black-footed penguin and is confined to southern African waters.

NCW Chairperson Mamta Sharma demitted office

Who: Mamta Sharma
What: demitted office of Chairman of NCW
When: 1 August 2014
Mamta Sharma, Chairperson of the National Commission for Women (NCW) demitted office on
1 August 2014. She served the Commission for three years. Ms. Nirmala Samant Prabhavalkar,
Member, NCW would act as Chairperson, NCW with effect from 1 August 2014.
Mamta Sharma took over charge as the Chairperson of the National Commission for Women on
2 August 2011.
About Mamta Sharma
She was born to ardent patriot Dharlal Devta who took active part in the freedom struggle and
laid down his life in the fight for freedom of India
Sharma joined active politics in 1985 and was nominated as the Executive member of
Rajasthan Red Cross Society in 1986
Later she became the General Secretary of the Rajasthan Pradesh Congress Committee
She contested the Assembly Elections of the Rajasthan from Bundi Constituency and won by
a great margin defeating her nearest rival.
In the year 2002, she was appointed as the Parliamentary Secretary during the Cabinet
expansion of Atal Bihari Vajpayee government
She was re-elected for the State Assembly from Bundi Constituency in the year 2003,
defeating her nearest rival by a landslide margin again and was the only lone woman candidate to
have won the 2003 Assembly Elections out of 18 women contested.
About National Commission for Women
The National Commission for Women was set up as statutory body in January 1992 under the
National Commission for Women Act, 1990 to:

review the Constitutional and Legal safeguards for women ;

recommend remedial legislative measures ;
facilitate redressal of grievances and
advise the Government on all policy matters affecting women.

Dr.Girija Vyas was the only Chairperson who served for two terms of three years each.

Syndicate Bank CMD SK Jain suspended for allegedly receiving

bribe
Who: SK Jain, CMD of Syndicate Bank
What: suspended by Union government
When: 4 August 2014
Syndicate Bank Chairman-cum-Managing Director (CMD) SK Jain was suspended by Union
government on 4 August 2014 after he was arrested by Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on
2 August 2014 for accepting bribe.
SK Jain accepted bribe of 50 lakh rupees along with 5 other people for granting credit extension
to some private firms involved in Coal Block Allocations Scam. CBI officials revealed that Mr.
Jain was receiving payments from two firms, Bhushan Steel and Prakash Industries.
The fall out of the Jains arrest
This case exposed the role of Public Sector Banks in disturbing the financial sector of the
country. The government, as a result, might use the Syndicate bank CMD arrest to push for
merger of small public sector banks. The motive is to ensure that these banks have appropriate
checks and safeguards required to track credit appraisal.
About SK Jain
SK Jain was appointed as the Chairman-cum-Managing Director (CMD) of Syndicate Bank in
July 2013. He was the youngest CMDs among all the public sector banks CMDs. He was
appointed for period of five years and was to retire in 2018.
About Syndicate Bank
Syndicate Bank was established in 1925 in Udupi by Sri Upendra Ananth Pai, Vaman Kudva and
TMA Pai. In 1969, Government of India nationalized Syndicate Bank along with thirteen major
commercial banks. It started with a capital of 8000 rupees and flourished thereafter.

Bharathiya Mahila Bank Ltd bagged the Core Banking System

Initiative Award-2014
Who: Bharathiya Mahila Bank Ltd
Where: Singapore
What: bagged the Core Banking System Initiative Award-2014

When: 31 July 2014

Bharatiya Mahila Bank Ltd bagged the Core Banking System Initiative Award for the year 2014
at the Asian Banking and Finance - Retail Banking Awards 2014. The award ceremony was held
in Singapore on 31 July 2014.
Usha Ananthasubramanian, Chairman & Managing Director, Bharatiya Mahila Bank received the
award.
It got the award as it launched its operations with Core Banking Solutions and ATMs (Automated
Teller Machines) from first day of it operation and it was achieved with in a period less than 2
months from the grant of license by RBI to the launch date on 19 November 2013.
About Bharathiya Mahila Bank
Bharatiya Mahila Bank Ltd is the first of its kind in the Banking Industry in India formed with a
vision of economic empowerment for women.
It was incorporated under the Companies Act 1956 on 5 August 2013 and it received the
certificate of commencement of Business on 22 August 2013. RBI granted the Banking License
to the bank on 25 September 2013. It was formally inaugurated on 19 November 2013.
The Banks Corporate Office is at the IFCI Towers, Nehru Place, New Delhi.
The Bank, at present has 23 branches across the country and aims to add 55 - 60 branches in the
current financial year.

PM of India Narendra Modi offered prayers at Pashupatinath

Temple in Kathmandu
Who: Pashupatinath Temple
Where: Kathmandu, Nepal
What: PM Narendra Modi offered prayers
When: 4 August 2014
Pashupatinath Temple, Kathmandu: PM Narendra Modi offered prayers
Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi on 4 August 2014 offered prayers at Pashupatinath
Temple, Kathmandu during his two days visit in Nepal.
He donated 2500 Kg sandalwood to Pashupatinath Temple Trust. Earlier, the temple authorities
had requested India to provide sandalwood in light of steep rise in the prices of the sandalwood.

Besides, he also announced to give 25 crore rupees for the temple and the money will be spent to
build a 400-bed Dharmashala in Pashupatinath area.
About Pashupatinath Temple
Pashupatinath Temple is one of the oldest Hindu temples located on the banks of Bagmati River
in Deopatan, a village situated 3-km north-west of Kathmandu, Nepal. The temple is dedicated to
Lord Pashupatinath (Lord of Animals), a manifestation of Lord Shiva.
The temple attracts many pilgrims every year, mostly from India. It is listed in World Heritage
Sites list of UNESCO.
The temple was constructed by Pashupreksha of the Somadeva Dynasty in the 3rd century BC,
but the first historical records date from the 13th century. By the later middle Ages, many
imitations of the temple had been built, such as in Bhaktapur (1480), Lalitpur (1566) and
Benares (early 19th century).
The original temple was destroyed several times until it was given its present form under King
Bhupalendra Malla in 1697

06082014