MARch 2014 gs BY AVK

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The President of India and the Supreme Commander of Indian defense forces, Mr. Pranab Mukherjeeawarded the prestigious President s Standard to 112 Helicopter Unit and President s Colours to No. 4Base Repair Depot of Indian Air Force at Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh . Winners:

Standard Award: Wing Commander Manish Sharma, Commanding Officer of 112 Helicopter Unit.

Colour Award: Group Captain S Shrinivas Commanding Officer of 4 Base Repair Depot (BRD).The Presidents St andard is awarded to operational Units and Colours are awarded to non-flyingformations based on their past record and achievements during peace as well as hostilities.

The Bangalore-based 112 Helicopter Unit is a premier training establishment for pilots, flightengineers and gunners. The Unit had been awarded with the two Vir Chakras, one Yudh Seva Medaland two Vayusena Medals.

The 4 BRD specializes in repairing and overhauling turbo-jet aero engines. The 4 BRD has beenawarded with five Vishisht Seva Medals and numerous commendations.Note:President s standard and colours Award is one of the greatest honors bestowed upon an AirForce Unit or Squadron in recognition of exceptional service rendered by it to the nation, both during warand in peace.

Ms Soma Mondal appointed first Women director of NALCOMarch 18, 2014 No comments Ms Soma Mondal appointed as the first female director (commercial) of Navratna Public Sector Unit(PSU) National Aluminium Company Ltd (NALCO). Previously, Ms. Mondal was working with the company as executive director (marketing) at Nalcoscorporate office.

Note: NALCO is a public sector enterprise of the Government of India . It is Asias largest integratedaluminium complex, encompassing bauxite mining, alumina refining, aluminium smelting and casting,power generation, rail and port operations.

U & Me Against Dengue National Campaign launchedMarch 18, 2014 No comments A national campaign has been launched against the dengue disease titled U & Me Against Dengue insix Indian cities with a joint partnership of private and public firm.National campaign- U & Me Against Dengue

Joint effort of AIIMS, IMA, NDMC, Rotary Blood Bank, Mortien and NGO SAHAYOG. Will spread awareness among people how to stop viral infection of dengue mosquito and what

preparation we should take for it. Launched a website and 247 toll-free dengue helpline 1800-200-0801 to know each and every

thing about this deadly disease viz. precaution, symptoms, cure and medication etc.

The ICC World Twenty20 (also referred to as the ICC World T20 or the T20 World Cup ) willbe played in Bangladesh from March 16, 2014 April 6 2014.

This is the 5th World Twenty20 cricket . Teams: 16 teams

The Top 8 Test teams enter directly into super 10 stage and Bangladesh and Zimbabwe , whofinished outside the top eight, will compete with six other qualifying teams(Afghanistan , Ireland , Nepal ,Hong Kong , UAE and Netherlands ) in the first round from March 16to 21 for the remaining two places in the Super 10 groups.

Final: April 06, 2014 at Shere Bangla National Stadium, Mirpur on
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Total prize money: $3 million.

Group A Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Nepal, Hong KongGroup B Zimbabwe, Ireland, United Arab Emirates, Netherlands

The two groups of the Super 10 stage are:

Group 1 Sri Lanka , England , South Africa, New Zealand , Group B Qualifier 1Group 2 West Indies , India , Pakistan , Australia , Group A Qualifier 1

ICC World Twenty20 (also referred to as the ICC World T20 or the T20 World Cup)

Schedule ICC T20 World Cup

March 16, 2014 No comments

The private sector lender, ICICI Bank launched portable hand-heldmachines (or portable POS machines) to avoid inconvenience around entering secret PIN number forcard transactions in hotels.

The ICICI Merchant Services is an alliance between ICICI Bank and electronic commerce and paymentservices company First Data .Plan: To replace 25,000 machines located in the hospitality sector enterprises with the portable hand-held machines.

Function of portable machine: A customer will be presented the machine at

the table in order to authorize a transaction rather than the current practice of going to the cash counterwhere the Point-Of-Sale (POS) machines are generally kept.Note: As per the new PIN rule, the Reserve Bank o fIndia (RBI) has asked for the secret PIN to beentered for all card payments at merchant establishments. To prevent fraud and enhance security,Businesses viz. fuel stations, hotels, hospitals and restaurants would have to buy the portable, GPRS-enabled devices to offer convenience to clients.

Indias industrial output raised marginally by 0.1% in Jan 2014 March 16, 2014 No comments India s industrial output recorded marginally 0.1 % growth in January, 2014 after contracting for threemonths in a row.

The marginal improvement in the Index of Industrial Production (IIP) was mainly on account of higher

power generation and mining sector output, while manufacturing declined.Though, the cumulative growth of the industrial production during the 10-month period from April toJanuary of this financial year was flat compared to an over 1 % growth in the same period of 2012-13.

Indias consumer inflation falls to 8.10% in Fe b 2014March 16, 2014 No comments India s annual Consumer Price Inflation (CPI) falls to 8.10% in February 2014, i.e. 25-month low onaccount of lower food prices.
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As per the Consumer Price Index (CPI) data, inflation fell for the third consecutive month and eased to25-month low of 8.10 percent in February mainly on account of a drop in food prices. In other words,overall inflation in the food basket, including beverages, slowed to 8.57 % in February from 9.9 % in theprevious month.The rate at which vegetable prices increased eased to 14.04 % as against 21.91% in January. Retail

inflation also slowed in protein-rich items viz. eggs, fish and meat to 9.69 % in February as opposed to11.69 % in January.

Note: A Consumer Price Inflation (CPI) measures changes in the price level of a market basket ofconsumer goods and services purchased by households.

Indian aid to Bhutan: Rs 4,500 crore Assistance Package to improve thelivelihood of BhutaneseMarch 16, 2014 1 Comment

As per the 11th five year plan of Government of India (GOI), India will contributeRs.4500 crores Assistance Package to Bhutan . The package will help the landlocked country toimplement major projects over the 11th Five Year Plan that will improve the livelihood of its people. India s assistance to the Eleventh Five Year Plan (2013-2018) to Bhutan

Project Tied Assistance (PTA)- Rs. 2800 crore. Small Development Projects- Rs. 850 crore. Development Subsidy or Program Grant-Rs. 850 crore.

In addition, GOI agreed to provide as Rs. 500 Crore as Economic Stimulus Package, to boost theBhutanese economy and help the RGOB to tackle the liquidity shortage.

IPL 7 (2014) to be held in UAE, Bangladesh & IndiaMarch 16, 2014 No comments

The India Premier League (IPL) 2014 season 7 will be heldin the United Arab Emirates (UAE),Bangladesh and India. Due to 16t hLok Sabha elections in India, theIPL tournament partly shifted out of the country and will return to India for the final phase of matches.2014 Pepsi IPL season 7

Start on April 16, 2014 and conclude on June 1, 2014. Begin in the UAE, move to Bangladesh and finally come to India for the final set of matches. The initial phase of the tournament would be played out at three venues in the UAE Abu

Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah from April 16 to 30. The second half has been tentatively kept in Bangladesh but could be held in India if the BCCI

manages to get the governments clearance.
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Note: IPL is a Twenty20 cricket championship league in India. (Headquarter :Mumbai ).

Ms Michelle Bachelet: Chile President for second termMarch 16, 2014 No comments

Ms Michelle Bachelet (62) sworn-in as the President of Chile for second time. She is thefirst person since 1932 to win the presidency of her country twice in competitive elections. Previously, MsBachelet served as Chilean President from 2006-2010.Succeeded by: Sebastin Piera.Note: Under Chiles constitution, she was banned from running for a second consecutive term, eventhough her popularity ratings remained high.

Dubais largest non oil trading partner in 2013 -14 India March 15, 2014 No comments

As per the report released by the Dubai Department of EconomicDevelopment, India has once again emerged as the largest non oil trading partner of Dubai in 2013-14.The exports and re-exports from India have also marked significant rise in this period. The bilateral tradebetween the two countries in 2013-14 crossed $37 billion i.e. 10% of the overall trade.In terms of bilateral trade with Dubai, India was followed by China , US, Saudi Arabia and UK.

Oxadiazoles New class of Antibiotics discoveredMarch 15, 2014 No comments The scientists from the University Of Notre Dame , discovered a new class ofantibiotics, Oxadiazoles, to fight deadly bacteria viz. Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus(MRSA) and other drug-resistant bacteria that threaten public health .

Over 1.2 million compounds screened and founded oxadiazole for drug-resistant bacteria MRSA. The new class of antibiotic, Oxadiazole, works by inhibiting PBP2a which is a protein that binds

penicillin. It also interferes with the biosynthesis of the cell wall which allows MRSA to resist the drugs. The oxadiazoles are also effective when taken orally. At present, there are only three drugs available

that are effective against MRSA, and only one of them may be taken orally. only one marketedantibiotic for MRSA that can be taken orally.

In other words, Oxadiazoles can treat antibiotic resistant infections viz. Methicillin-ResistantStaphylococcus Aureus (MRSA), etc.

The research was published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society.Note: MRSA is a bacterium that developed resistance to penicillin and certain other groups of antibiotics.It mostly appears as a skin infection which can produce boils, abscesses, stys, carbuncles, blisters,impetigo, and rashes. The infection becomes more problematic when it spreads to other organs. Whenthe antibiotic resistant bacteria spread to internal organs, the results can be life-threatening.

pdate on Khobragade case: US court dismissed visa fraud charges againstIndian diplomat Ms. Devyani Khobragade
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March 15, 2014 No comments The US Court ruled that the Indian diplomat Ms. Devyani Khobragade had full diplomatic immunity atthe time of indictment on visa fraud and underpaying her maid.

As per the judgment, Ms. Khobragade who served as Consular officer in the US from October 2012 toJanuary 2014 was at a position of consular immunity as per the Vienna Convention.

The Court had dropped all charges against her claiming that the day when the charge was returned toher, she definitely had diplomatic immunity. This order was passed by US District Judge Ms. Shira Scheindlin supporting her diplomatic immunity

in a 14-page order.Ms. Khobragade has won dismissal of the indictment against her for visa fraud, with a U.S. judge rulingshe had full diplomatic immunity. Though, prosecutors are not barred from bringing new charges in future.

Note: Ms. Devyani was employed as the Deputy Consul General for Political, Economic, Commercial andWomens Affairs at the Consulate General of India in New York, where she was arrested for an allegedcase of visa fraud and making false statements in connection with the visa application for an Indiannational employee who was domestic helper in her home. Later on, she released on a $250000 bondafter she pleaded not guilty in a court.

UCN Red List of Threatened Species: 15 bird species from India are in criticallyendangered listMarch 14, 2014 No comments The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Birds 2013 marked 15 species ofbirds from India as critically endangered (CR).

Critically Endangered (CR): The highest risk category of the IUCN Red List of threatened species,comprising those that are facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild.Bird species falling under the Critically Endangered category in India:-

Migratory wetland species: Baers Pochard, Siberian Crane and Spoon -billed Sandpiper. Non-migratory wetland species: White-bellied Heron. Grassland species: Bengal Florican, Great Indian Bustard, Jerdons Courser and Sociable Lapwing. Forest species: Forest Owlet. Scavengers: Indian Vulture, Red-headed Vulture, White-backed Vulture and Slender-billed Vulture. Himalayan Quail and Pink-headed Duck are now considered Extinct for all practical purposes.

Uplisted (facing greater danger) species in 2013 IUCN list from Least Concern to Near Threatened: River Lapwing and River Tern. Least Concern to Vulnerable: Long-tailed Duck. Cause: Decline of these species due to destruction of wetlands and riverine habitats.

Major reasons of decline of bird species in India Drastic modification, fragmentation, degradation and loss of habitat, environmental pollution (both

industrial and due to increased pesticide usage), poaching and land use changes, etc. Changes in cropping pattern due to various reasons, including implementation of irrigation schemes,

increased pesticide usage, livestock-grazing, high levels of disturbance and developmental activitiesviz. mining and hydel projects resulted in marginal fall in their population.

Drastic loss of grassland habitat over the past decades has severely threatened species viz. GreatIndian Bustard, Bengal Florican and Jerdons Courser.

Destruction of deciduous forests in central India has lead to the decline in Forest Owlet numbers. Destruction of forests in the fragile Western Ghats and Himalaya continue to endanger the existence

of many other species. Use of chemical components as in the case of diclofenacs effect of vulture species.
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About IUCN Red List of Threatened Species Headquarters: United Kingdom. Founded: 1964. Parent organization: International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Worlds most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of biological s pecies.

Objective: To have the category of every species re-evaluated every five years if possible or at leastevery ten years. Powerful tool to inform and catalyze action for biodiversity conservation and policy change, critical to

protecting the natural resources we need to survive. Provides information on population size and trends, geographic range and habitat needs of species. Evaluates species in 9 categories through a criteria viz. rate of decline, population size, area of

geographic distribution, and degree of population, distribution fragmentation, etc.Categories: Extinct (EX), Extinct in the Wild (EW), Critically Endangered (CR), Endangered (EN),Vulnerable (VU), Near Threatened (NT), Least Concern (LC), Data Deficient (DD) and Not Evaluated(NE).

Study: Volcanoes helped species survive ice ages March 14, 2014 No comments As per the study of an international team of researchers, the steam and heat from volcanoes allowedspecies of plants and animals to survive past ice ages.About the study of Volcanoes

Based on Antarctica. (As it has at least 16 volcanoes which have been active since the last ice age20,000 years ago).

Studied tens of thousands of records of Antarctic species that are collected over decades by hundredsof researchers and found there are more species close to volcanoes, and fewer further away.

Examined diversity patterns of mosses, lichens and bugs which are still common in Antarctica thesedays.

Around 60% of Antarctic invertebrate species are found nowhere else in the world. Volcanic steam can melt large ice caves under the glaciers, and it can be tens of degrees warmer in

there than outside. Caves and warm steam fields would have been great places for species to hangout during ice ages.

Outcome: The study helps scientists to understand how species survived past ice ages in other icyregions, including in periods when it is thought there was little or no ice-free land on the planet.

Mysterious four new man-made Ozone-Killing gases discoveredMarch 13, 2014 No comments The scientists from the University of East Anglia , UK discovered traces of four new man-made gasesin the atmosphere that are capable of destroying the ozone layer and intensifying global warming.Scientists stated that the new gases are manmade because they were not seen in the atmosphere untilthe 1960s.

About four new man-made Ozone-Killing gases Three of the gases are Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and one is a Hydro- Chlorofluorocarbon (HCFC),which can also damage ozone.

The four new gases have been identified as CFC-112, CFC112a, CFC-113a, HCFC-133a. CFC-113a: An agrochemical intermediate for the manufacture of pyrethroids. (a type of insecticide

once widely used in agriculture ). CFC-113a and HCFC-133a: Intermediaries in the production of widely used refrigerants.
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CFC-112 and 112a may have been used in the production of solvents and used to clean electricalcomponents.

Of the four species identified, CFC-113 seems to be most worrying, as it is an insecticide coming froma very small but growing emissions source somewhere as yet unidentified.

CFC and HCFC gases have been found to damage the ozone layer, which is essential to filter

ultraviolet rays that can cause cancer in humans. As per estimate, about 74,000 tonnes of these gases have been released into the atmosphere.The study was published in the journal Nature Geoscience.

CAPRISA discovered potent antibodies to neutralize HIVMarch 13, 2014 No comments The Center for the AIDS Program of Research in South Africa (CAPRISA) discovered antibodies that arecapable of neutralizing HIV strains. It is a remarkable discovery of potent antibodies that could neutralizeand kill multiple strains of HIV.

Researchers studied how a South African womans body referred to as CAPRISA 256 (or CAP256)responded to her HIV infection by making potent antibodies.

These potent antibodies are also called as neutralizing antibodies because of their ability to kill

multiple strains of antibodies. The potent antibodies were made by the researchers by first identifying the antibodies present in the

blood of the CAP256 and then duplicating these antibodies by cloning it in the lab. The cloned antibodies were then used to elucidate the pathway followed by the immune system to

make these potent antibodies. This discovery could lead to new HIV vaccine strategies that enables to stimulate the rare precursors

of these protective antibodies The study published in the scientific journal, Nature.

What are neutralizing antibodies? All HIV infected people respond to HIV by making antibodies. In most patients, these antibodies are notable to kill a wide range of HIV(due to lack of neutralization breadth). Though, in a few infected people,

they naturally make antibodies that kill (neutralize) many different kinds of HIV (i.e. they are broadlyneutralizing antibodies). Previously, these antibodies have been shown to be effective in preventing andtreating HIV infection in animals, but this has never before been shown in humans.

About Center for the AIDS Program of Research in South Africa (CAPRISA) An AIDS research center based in Durban, South Africa. Established: 2002 under the National Institutes of Health program called

Comprehensive International Program of Research on AIDS (CIPRA). Mission: To promote HIV prevention and research its epidemiology.

Note: The South African consortium worked jointly with US partners based at theVaccineResearchCenter of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectiou sDiseases , part of the NationalInstitutes of Health, and ColumbiaUniversity in New York.

Indian-origin kid Kush Sharma won epic spelling beeMarch 13, 2014 No comments An Indian American student Kush Sharma (13) won the epic spelling bee at the Central Library in KansasCity in Missouri and secured a berth in the Scripps National Spelling Bee in Washington scheduled forMay 2014.

Note: Indian Americans have dominated the contest over the years. New York student Arvind Mahankaliwon the 2013 Scripps National Spelling Bee.
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Annual Health Survey: Some states showed improvementMarch 12, 2014 No comments As per the second update of the Annual Health Survey (AHS), all major health indicators in the countrysworst-performing States are showing a gradual improvement over the years but inter-State variationspersist.

About 2nd update of Annual Health Survey (AHS) Objective: To monitor the performance and outcome of various health interventions of the

Government including those under National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) at closer intervals throughbenchmark indicators

In 284 districts of nine states survey was conducted. States: Rajasthan , Uttar Pradesh , Uttarakhand , Bihar , Jharkhand ,Odisha , Madhya

Pradesh , Chhattisgarh and Assam . These states account for about 48 % of the total population in the country.

Highlights of the Annual Health Survey (AHS) (a)Crude Birth Rate (CBR) and Crude Death Rate (CDR):-

Minimum CBR: Bageshwar (14.7) in Uttarakhand. Maximum CBR: Shrawasti (40.9) in Uttar Pradesh. CBR in rural areas of districts is higher than that in urban areas. Minimum CDR: Dhemaji (4.5) in Assam. Low female death rates have also been observed as compared to male death rates.

(b)Infant Mortality Rate (IMR):- Minimum IMR: Rudraprayag (19) in Uttarkhand. Maximum IMR: Shrawasti (103) in Uttar Pradesh. Districts achieved the MDG -4 National target of 28 by 2015: Purbi Singhbhum & Dhanbad

(Jharkhand) and Chamoli, Rudraprayag, Pithoragarh & Almora (Uttarakhand). Four districts viz. Bokaro & Ranchi (Jharkhand) and Bageshwar & Nainital (Uttarakhand) are in closer

vicinity to achieve the MDG-4 National target. IMR in rural areas of districts is significantly higher than that in urban areas.

(c)Neo-Natal Mortality Rate (NNMR):- Minimum NNMR: Rudraprayag (11), Uttarkhand. Maximum NNMR: Balangir (75) in Odisha. Rural NNMR in districts is significantly higher than the urban.

(d)Under Five Mortality Rate (U5MR):- Minimum U5MR : Pithoragarh district (24), Uttarakhand. Maximun U5MR: Kandhmal district (145), Odisha. Districts achieved the MDG -4 National target of 42 by 2015: Pithoragarh, Almora, Rudraprayag,

Chamoli, Nainital & Bagheswar (Uttarakhand) and Purbi Singhbhum (Jharkhand). 10 districts viz. Dhanbad, Bokaro, Kodarma, Hazaribagh & Giridih (Jharkhand) and Kota (Rajasthan)

and Champawat, Udham Singh Nagar, Dehradun & Uttarkashi (Uttarakhand) are in closer vicinity to

achieve the MDG-4 National target. Rural U5MR in districts is significantly higher than the urban.

(e) Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR):- Minimum MMR: Kumaon HQ (183) in Uttarakhand. Maximum MMR: Faizabad Mandal (451) in UP.

(f) Sex Ratio at Birth (SRB) Minimum SRB: Pithoragarh district (764), Uttarakhand. Maximum SRB: Moradabad district (1034), Uttar Pradesh.
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Terms: Crude Birth Rate (CBR) denotes live births per 1000 population and Crude Death Rate (CDR)

denotes number of deaths per 1000 population. Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) denotes the number of infant deaths (age below one year) per 1000 live

births.

Neo-Natal Mortality Rate (NNMR) measures the number of infant deaths (age below 29 days) per1,000 live births. Under Five Mortality Rate (U5MR) denotes the number of children who died before reaching their

fifth birthday per 1,000 live births. Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) measures the proportion of maternal deaths per 1,00,000 live births. Sex Ratio at Birth (SRB) defined as the number of female live births per 1,000 male live births.

Outcome of the survey: These indicators would provide requisite inputs for better planning of healthprogrammes and pave the way for evidence based intervention strategies.

Mr. Pankaj Mishra: Indian author won Windham Campbell Literature Prize2014March 12, 2014 No comments

Indian author Mr. Pankaj Mishra won the prestigious Donald Windham CampbellLiterature prize 2014 in the non-fiction category. The awards are announced by The Beinecke RareBook & Manuscript Library at YaleUniversity.Mr. Mishra Mishra is an Indian essayist, memoirist, travel writer and novelist whose work expands ourunderstanding of the encounter between Western and Non-western culture . Besides the novel, The Romantics , he has published four works of non- ction: Butter Chicken inLudhiana: Travels in Small TownIndia, An End to Su ff ering: the Buddha in the World, Temptations of theWest: How to Be Modern in India ,Pakistan , Tibet, and Beyond and From the Ruins of Empire: TheIntellectuals Who Remade Asia.2014 prizewinners of Donald Windham Campbell Literature Prize in

Fiction: Aminatta Forna (Sierra Leone ), Nadeem Aslam (Pakistan), and Jim Crace (United Kingdom); Non-fiction: Pankaj Mishra (India) and John Vaillant (United States / Canada ); Drama: Kia Corthron (United States), Sam Holcroft (United Kingdom) and No lle Janaczewska

(Australia ).The winners in the three categories viz. fiction, non-fiction and drama will receive a citation and anunrestricted award of $150,000 each in recognition of their achievements and to support their ongoing

work at a ceremony at Yale University on September 15, 2014 .Mizoram clinched 68th Santosh Trophy 2013-14March 12, 2014 No comments Mizoram clinched the 68th Santosh Trophy for Football by defeating Railways by 3-0 at Siliguri ,WestBengal and won Rs.5 lakh prize money, while the runners up Railways received Rs.3 lakh. This is themaiden Santosh Trophy for Mizoram and this was also the first appearance for them in the final match.

Railways won its last Santosh Trophy in 1966. About Santosh Trophy
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Founded: 1941. Annual Indian football tournament.

Trophy named after the late Maharaja Sir Manmatha Nath Roy Chowdhary of Santosh (that is nowin Bangladesh ).

Akron: Indian -American owned firm developing zero pressure tyre for USarmyMarch 12, 2014 No comments

An Indian-American owned engineering firm, Akron (Ohio-basedAmerican Engineering Group (AEG)) has received a $1 million Phase-II project grant from theUSDepartment of Defense to develop tyres that will continue running even after being shredded by

roadside bombs or gunfire.Note:

An Indian-American engineer Mr. Abraham Pannikottu is developing a unique carbon fibre hoopdesign zero pressure tyre for the US military that could keep military vehicles to run faster and longerafter an attack.

His group is also working on new innovative products viz. US nationa lfootball league helmet andimplantable cost-effective titanium hip and knee.

The company has patents pending for the Zero Pressure tyre technology.AEG Zero Pressure tyres will:

Continue to run even after being shredded by roadside bombs or gunfire. Withstand a minimum of 50 mph speeds for 300 miles once its punctured. Work better at carrying heavier loads and can quickly move soldiers out of dangerous way. The AEG prototype dissipates heat and has the tyre flexibility and strength to support the heavy

military pick-up weight while providing a relatively smooth ride.Note: In 2006, Pentagon honoured Mr. Abraham Pannikottu and his group for designing an airless tyrefor the Stryker armoured vehicle. This award was for exceptional performance that exemplifies the goal ofbringing innovative technologies to the soldier.

Govt. banned trucks from carrying protruding rods March 11, 2014 No comments
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The Union Government banned vehicles from carrying iron and steelrods, pipes or any protruding material beyond the body frame. The Ministry of Road Transport andHighways has deleted the provision in the Central Motor Vehicle Rules (CMVR), 1989 that allowedprotrusions up to one metre.Why the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has banned trucks from carrying protruding rods?As per the section 93 of CMVR 1989 rule , goods vehicles were allowed to carry poles or rods orindivisible load up to one metre beyond the vehicles body frame. And that was blatantly violated by suchvehicles as they hardly used sufficient signs to warn motorists.

As per the reports in 2012, approx 9,087 people were killed and 29,573 were injured in accidentsrelated to load viz. iron and steel rods/pipe, protruding out of vehicles.

Recently, the Supreme Court too ordered the Union Government for an explanation on a PIL seekinga ban on trucks and trailers carrying iron rods protruding dangerously and parked without any blinkersto warn vehicles coming from behind.Thus, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways amended the CMVR, 1989 and banned vehicles fromcarryi ng any object protruding out of the vehicles body frame, even if it is less than a metre.

64th National Basketball Championship held in New DelhiMarch 11, 2014 No comments

The 64th National Basketball Championship held at the Thyagaraj Indoor Stadium in New Delhi. Winners:

Chhattisgarh won the womens title after beating Indian Railways by 81-77. Tamil Nadu won the mens title by defeating Punjab by 74-57. Harish Sharma Most Valuable Player Award: Rikin Pethani (Tamil Nadu) and Kavita Kumari

(Chhattisgarh). Services finished third in the mens category while Delhi women bea tMaharashtra to secure third

position.Note: The winners received Rs.1 Lakh, while the first and second runners-up received Rs. 75,000/- andRs. 50,000/-.

China hiked military budget by 12.2% for 2014March 11, 2014 No comments

The People s Republic of China announced to raise its military budget for 2014 by 12.2% to $132billion. The hike in defense spending would seek to develop more high-tech weapons and to beef upcoastal and air defenses.

It would also allow Beijing to create a modern force that will project power not only across the disputedwaters of the East and SouthChinaSeas but also into the western Pacific and IndianOceans.

Goal: To become a dominant military presence in the Pacific, with a navy able to project power acrossthe region.
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This hike in defense spending would create tension among China s neighbors viz. India, Japan , South Korea , Taiwan , Vietnam , etc.

The budget spike comes as Asia reacts nervously to a string of recent moves by China to assert itssovereignty in disputed territory, expand its military reach and challenge the traditional dominance ofU.S. forces in the Asia Pacific region.

From Indias point of view, Chinas defense spending is far higher than $36 billion allocated in lastmonths interim budget that amounted to 10% hike. Note: Chinas military spending is the second largest in the world, behind that of the United States.

12th Meeting of the FSDC Sub-Committee at New Delhi: Set up a HighPowered Inter Regulatory Committee to explore ways to comply with Basel-IIIcapital normsMarch 11, 2014 No comments At the 12th sub -committee meeting of the Financial Stability and Development Council (FSDC), headedby RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan, held at New Delhi, it was decided to set up a High Powered InterRegulatory Committee to explore ways of enabling banks to meet these requirements.Objective: To find ways for the banking sector to comply with Basel-III capital norms.

Discussions during the 12th Meeting of the FSDC Sub-Committee: The implementation of non-legislative recommendations of FSLRC and setting up of a repository for

investors with a single view of all financial asset classes. The ways for setting up an effective resolution regime for the financial sector. Issues of greater

harmonisation of regulations across sectors for similar activities were also taken up. The report of the working group on Resolution Regimes in India , chaired by RBI Deputy Governor

Anand Sinha and Economic Affairs Secretary Arvind Mayaram.Listed below is the present structure of FSDC along with its Sub-committee and various WorkingGroups/Technical Groups constituted under the aegis of the Sub-committee: 1) Financial Stability and Development Council (FSDC):

Apex-level body constituted by government of India

Idea to constitute such a super regulatory body was first given by Raghuram Rajan Committee in 2008Objective(s) of Financial Stability and Development Council (FSDC):

Financial Stability Financial Sector Development Inter-Regulatory Coordination Financial Literacy Financial Inclusion Macro prudential supervision of the economy including the functioning of large financial

conglomerates Coordinating Indias international interface with financial sector bodies like the Financial Action Task

Force (FATF), Financial Stability Board (FSB)and any such body as may be decided by the Finance

Minister from time to time.Composition of Financial Stability and Development Council (FSDC):

Chairperson: The Union Finance Minister of IndiaOther Members:

Governor Reserve Bank of India (RBl), Finance Secretary and/ or Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs (DEA), Secretary, Department of Financial Services (DFS), Chief Economic Advisor, Ministry of Finance ,
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Chairman, Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), Chairman, Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority (IRDA), Chairman Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA ), Joint Secretary (Capital Markets), DEA, will be the Secretary of the Council,

**The Chairperson may invite any person whose presence is deemed necessary for any of its meeting(s).

2) Financial Stability and Development Council (FSDC) Sub-Committee: The FSDC Sub-committee has also been set up under the chairmanship of Governor, RBI. It meets

more often than the full Council. All the members of the FSDC are also the members of the Sub-committee. Additionally, all four Deputy Governors of the RBI are also members of the SubCommittee.

Executive Director, RBI (in charge of financial Stability) is the Member Secretary, while the FinancialStability Unit (FSU) of RBI is the Secretariat for the Sub-committee.3) Working Groups/Technical Groups under FSDC Sub-Committee:

3.1) Inter regulatory technical group (IR-TG): For inter-regulatory coordination among the financialsector regulators. The Group is headed by ED in charge of Financial Stability, RBI and membersbeing ED/CGM level officers of the other regulators.

3.2) Technical Group on financial inclusion and financial literacy: Chaired by DG, RBI in chargeof financial stability and has representatives from all regulators (at the level of ED/CGM) as well asfrom DEA and DFS (at the level of Joint Secretary).

3.3) Inter regulatory forum for monitoring financial conglomerates (IRF-FC): Headed by theDeputy Governor, RBI (in-Charge of the Department of Banking Supervision) and other Members aresenior representatives of all the sectoral regulators at the level of Executive Directors (RBI, SEBI,IRDA and PFRDA).

3.4) Early Warning Group: To coordinate the response of GOI/Regulators in the time of a crisissituation. It is chaired by DG, RBI in-charge of Financial Markets Department. It has Joint Secretarylevel representative from DEA & DFS as members. It is represented by Member/ED level officers fromfinancial sector regulators.

3.5) Working Group on resolution regime for financial institutions: To examine the existingresolution regime/ framework for the entire financial sector as a whole and identify the current gaps inthe national resolution regime/ framework vis--vis the FSB Key Attributes. With this background, theGroup would recommend changes in the legal framework to facilitate the required resolution regimeincluding cross border resolution. Was constituted in January 2013 under the Co-Chairmanship of ShriAnand Sinha, DG, RBI, and Secretary (DEA). The Financial sector regulators at the level of ExecutiveDirector/General Manager/Joint Director/Principal Legal Adviser are members of this group.4) Macro Financial and Monitoring Group (MFMG): Chaired the Chief Economic Adviser. It hasrepresentation from all the Departments of the Ministry of Finance. It aims at keeping track of themacroeconomic and financial developments, identifying vulnerabilities, and providing early warningsignals.

Stree Shakti Puraskar 2013March 11, 2014 No comments The President of India , Mr. Pranab Mukherjee awarded Stree Shakti Puraskar to six illustrious womenon International Womens Day for their distinguished services for the upliftment of women. TheGovernment of India has instituted six national awards are known as Stree Shakti Puraskar.

These awards are in the name of the following eminent women personalities in the Indian history whoare famous for their personal courage and integrity:- Rani Lakshmibai, Rani Rudramma Devi,Kannagi, Rani Gaidinliu Zaliang, Rani Ahilyabai Holkar and Mata Jijabai.
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Awardees are- Rani Gaidinliu Zeliang Award: Dr. Vartika Nanda (Delhi) for creating awareness on womens issues

through media. Rani Lakshmibai Award: Ms. Manasi Pradhan (Odisha ) for her work in the field of womens

empowerment.

Rani Rudramma Devi Award: Dr. M Venkaiah (Andhra Pradesh ) for her contribution in the field ofwomens health . Mata Jijabai Award: Ms. Bina Sheth Lashkari (Maharashtra ) honored for her achievement in the field

of education and training Kannagi Award: T Radha K Prashanti (Andhra Pradesh) for her achievement in the field of providing

support to orphans, visually impaired, handicapped and destitute women. Devi Ahilyabai Holkar Award: Dr Seema Sakhare (Maharashtra) for her contribution in the field of

womens rights, gender issues, legal counseling and institutional support to women and girls.About Stree Shakti Puraskar

Category: Women Activism (Individual). Objective: To recognize recognizes the spirit of courage of a women in difficult circumstances, who

has established this spirit of courage in her personal or professional life. Instituted: 1991. Awarded by Government of India. Conferred by the President of India on occasion of International Wome ns Day i.e. 8th March every

year at New Delhi. Cash award: Rs. 300,000. Also recognizes pioneering contribution of an individual in empowering women and raising womens

issues.

Phantom - Worlds first 3D model of human fingerprint developed by Indian - American scientist Mr. Anil JainMarch 11, 2014 No comments

An Indian-American scientist, Mr. Anil Jain from Michigan State University built the worlds first three -dimensional (3D) model of a human fingerprint known as Phantom .

About Phantom 3D model of human fingerprint A method that takes a two-dimensional image of a fingerprint and maps it to a 3-D finger surface.In health care, a 3D heart or a kidney may be created because of known dimensions and they can be put

in a scanner and the imaging system may be calibrated.Objective: To have a precise fingerprint model with known properties and features that can be used tocalibrate existing technology used to match fingerprints.Would help to improve the overall accuracy of fingerprint-matching systems that leads to better security inapplications ranging from law enforcement to mobile phone unlock.Developed to boost the accuracy of fingerprint-matching systems and to improve security technology. About Indian-American scientist Mr. Anil Jain
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Has a B.Tech degree from IIT Kanpur and MS and PhD degrees fromOhioStateUniversity.Six US patents on fingerprint matching and has written a number of books on biometrics andfingerprint/facial recognition.Received a number of prestigious awards for contributions to pattern recognition and biometrics.Note: The 3D model doesnt have the feel or texture or a real finger, but it could advance the technologyof fingerprinting sensing and matching.

Google launched indoor maps in IndiaMarch 11, 2014 No comments

The technology giant, Google launched indoor mapsin India that would help users to access detailed floor plans indoor venues in India. Indoor maps enableusers to view and navigate floor plans of several commercial locations viz. airports, shopping malls, largeretail stores, transit stations, and more within Google Maps.Indoor Google Maps in India

The service will be available free to Android and iOS users . Users will find it easy to locate stores, especially in an unfamiliar shopping mall or when they plan a

visit to a museum viz. Salar jung in Hyderabad . The maps will carry detailed floor plans and will automatically appear when we are using the Google

Maps app on iOS and Android, and are zoomed in on a building for which the indoor map data isavailable.

Till now, details of 75 popular locations of 23 cities are added in it. Locations :Delhi, Bangalore, Pune, Mumbai , Vadodara, Bhopal, Coimbatore, Chandigarh, Dehradun,

Jaipur, Kochi, Lucknow, Ludhiana, Moradabad, etc. Apart from shopping centres, the floor plans are also available for locations viz. museums (National

Gallery Of Modern Art, Delhi and Salar jung, Hyderabad) as well as convention centers(HyderabadInternationalConvention Center), among others.
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