Google marks the shortest day with special knitting doodle

Google marks the shortest day

The Solstice officially heralds the beginning of winter and is regarded by some cultures as a recognition of rebirth, involving festivals and rituals

Google doodle: A colourful woollen mitten to mark the Winter Solstice

The Solstice is the shortest day of the year and the longest night

Check out all the latest News, Sport & Celeb gossip at Mirror.co.uk http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/winter-solstice-google-marks-shortest-2948060#ixzz2o4g7vnO2

Current Affairs International Febraury 2013

Current Affairs Febraury 2013

International Current Affairs

• World Bank bar Larsen & Turbo for six Months over Forgery
  The World Bank in the month of March 2013 barred Larsen & Toubro (L&T) from doing any business with it or the projects funded by it for a period of six months, as it found that a senior executive of the conglomerate indulging in fraud.
  The department has made L&T ineligible for being awarded of any contract of the World Bank Funded projects and also from receiving any loan proceeds made by the Bank or participating in any Bank-financed project. The department is supposed to continue till 6 September 2013.


• India Proposed Hydrocarbon Pipeline from Kazakhstan
  India in the month of March 2013 proposed the idea of a hydrocarbon pipeline with Kazakhstan that is intended to bring fuel through a five-nation route.
  The concept of the pipeline, unveiled could be in future extended to Russia. Officials said currently most hydrocarbon pipelines from Central Asia are on an east-west axis. This pipeline will, like TAPI, be on a north-south axis, providing a new route to South Asia for hydrocarbons extracted from Central Asia.

Current Affairs :National -February 2013

National

• Criminal Law books brought out in Diglot form
  Imaan Media and Publishing House Pvt. Ltd. (IMPH) has brought out the authentic Urdu version in Persian Script as well as in Devnagri Script of the Indian Penal Code, 1860 and The Indian Evidence Act, 1872 known as Taziraat-e-Hind & QanoonShahadat-e-Hind in Diglot form.
  'These expositions of law have stood the test of time for over a century and half, but surprisingly there was no authentic translation of the key laws governing criminal jurisprudence in India', says Muhammad IrshadHanif, Advocate-on-Record, Supreme Court of India, under whose able stewardship IMPH has brought out these magnum opus.
  
• No IPL in Tamil Nadu if Sri Lankans participate: Jayalalithaa
  Tamil Nadu will permit IPL matches only if the organisers promise that no Sri Lankan players, umpires, officials or support staff will participate, Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa told Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Tuesday.
  Jayalalithaa said in a letter to the prime minister: "In view of the popular antipathy and anger in Tamil Nadu against the actions of the government of Sri Lanka, the government of Tamil Nadu is of the view that IPL matches involving Sri Lankan players, umpires and other officials should not be played in Tamil Nadu."


• Italy marines return to face India charges
  India has claimed a diplomatic victory after Italy overturned its earlier refusal to return two marines charged with the murder of two fishermen they mistook for pirates off the country's Malabar Coast last year.The two marines, Massimilano Latorre and Salvatore Girone, have been bailed to the Italian embassy in New Delhi since the incident in February last year, but successfully applied to the India's Supreme Court to be allowed to return briefly to Italy to vote in the country's general election and to see their families over Easter.
  
• Italian foreign minister quits protesting marines' return
  Italy's Foreign Minister GiulioTerzi Tuesday resigned out of disagreement with his government's decision to return two Italian marines back to India where they face trial for killing two fishermen.
  "My reservations had no impact and the decision was not mine. My voice went unheard," Terzi told the Italian parliament, reported Xinhua."I waited to hand in my resignations here in this parliament to express publicly my position that I cannot be part of this government anymore," he said.
  

Business and Economy Current Affairs

• P.Chidambaram announces more reforms to boost growth
  Announcing further liberalisation of FII investment norms, finance minister P Chidambaram on Saturday said the government is "steadily and surely" working on next generation of reforms to put the economy back on high-growth path.
  Addressing the National Editors Conference, he said that with liberalisation of FDI and other measures, the government has traversed considerable lengths to ensure fiscal consolidation with reforms.
  In a further liberalisation of norms for investment by FIIs in government securities and corporate bonds, he announced that the norms have been rationalised. "There were a number of sub divisions and in order to rationalise, it is proposed to merge the existing sub limits and create only two broad categories," he said.
  
• FIPB Cleared Investment Proposal of Air Asia to Enter India's Aviation Sector
  The Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) on 6 March 2013 cleared the investment proposal of Air Asia, the Malaysian budget carrier to launch the new airline along with Tata Group and Arun Bhatia's TelestraTradeplace.
  Crucial points to note:
  Air Asia has plans to own 49 percent in newly formed airline through its investment company Air Asia Investment Ltd (AAIL). Rest of the stake would be held by two Indian firms.
  After the deal, Air Asia will become the first foreign carrier that will enter the aviation sector of India after the Government altered rules in September 2012 to allow foreign carriers to have 49 percent stake in the domestic airlines. 

Science and Technology

• Ministry of New and Renewable Energy Sanctioned Remote Village Electrification for 6033 Villages
  Remote Village Electrification (RVE) for a total of 6033 villages as well as hamlets was sanctioned during 11th Plan by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy. Additionally, work on 5211 villages as well as hamlets, was in its completion stage in various states such as Odisha and Tamil Nadu.
  Two proposals of 61 hamlets as well as 161 hamlets of UP along with one proposal of 14 villages of Rajasthan and one proposal of 24 villages and 274 hamlets of Jammu & Kashmir, were in all received and were under initial stage of appraisal. It is important to note that the Remote Village Electrification (RVE) programme as well as projects is usually sanctioned on the case-to-case basis after these proposals are submitted by the state notified implementing agencies according to the guidelines of this scheme.


• Indian-origin science writer wins British Physics journalism prize
  Washington, Mar 1 (IANS) Anil Ananthaswamy, a London based Indian origin writer, has won the inaugural Physics Journalism Prize sponsored by the Institute of Physics (IOP) and the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC).
  The prize is designed to inspire the next generation of physicists by encouraging journalists to grapple with often complex topics and help spread excitement about the subject, according to an IOP release forwarded by the American Astronomical Society.

Environment

• Rhino census in Kaziranga amid rampant poaching
  JORHAT: Kaziranga National Park authorities launched a rhino census for a headcount. The two-day exercise will be conducted in all the five ranges of the park — Kohora, Bagori, Burapahar, Agoratoli and Biswanathghat.
  More than 250 personnel from the state forest department, NGOs and media groups have been engaged in the operation. Park director Sanjiv Kumar Bora said the census operation is a scheduled one. "The headcount of rhinos in Kaziranga is a regular practice and is conducted to implement a fruitful conservation method. It is important to assess the number of the one-horned rhinos in the park at regular intervals,'' he said.


• World Forestry Day for Raising Awareness about Value of Forests Observed Across the World
  21 March 2013 is observed as the World Forestry Day across the globe. This day is celebrated for rising as well as promoting awareness about the value of forests. Importance of ecosystem and the forests is stressed upon on this day.
  Various events are held in the world on this day in order to highlight contribution of forests. It is important to note that forests house 80 percent of the terrestrial biodiversity. India State of Forest Report 2011 revealed that Forest and Tree cover of India encompasses 78.29 million ha or 23.81 percent of geographical area of India.

Neighbors

• India joins hand with Pak, Lanka on sustainable development
  Joining hands with its South Asian neighbours Sri Lanka and Pakistan, India has appealed to the United Nations to ensure that economic prosperity, social cohesion and environmental protection remain in the core of its efforts in achieving sustainable development targets.
  Taking part in the UN General Assembly's debate on sustainable development goals (SDGs), Manjeev Singh Puri, the Acting India Permanent Representative to the UN stressed that issues like poverty eradication must be the overriding priority towards achieving the targets of sustainable growth.


• Five Writers honoured with SAARC Literature Award 2013
  SAARC Literature Award was presented to five writers at Agra during the two days SAARC Festival of Literature on 10 March 2013. A poet-diplomat from India Abhay K was among the five writers to be honoured with the prestigious Literature Award.
  Other writers to be honoured with this award were FarheenChaudhary (Pakistan), Abdul Khaliq Rashid (Afghanistan), SumanPokhrel (Nepal) and novelist DayaDissanayake (Sri Lanka).

Indian Defense

• Raghuraj Pratap Singh resigned from the State Cabinet in wake of DSP Killing
  Pratapgarh district. He submitted his resignation to the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, Akhilesh Yadav at Lucknow and Governor of the state, B.L. Joshi accepted his resignation.
  Issue that led to Resignation DSP Zia-ul-Haq was killed by a mob in Pratapgarh on 2 March 2013 when he rushed there after a village head was shot dead over a land dispute. Raja Bhaiya was accused for the attack on the DSP by his slain wife. The complaint was filed against Raja Bhaiya at the Kunda Police Station, where DSP Zia-ul-Haq was posted.
  
• MukeshAmbani Became Richest Person of India for Sixth Consecutive Year
  MukeshAmbani retained his title as the richest person of India for the sixth consecutive year with the net worth of 21.5 million US Dollars, according to the annual rankings published by Forbes on 4 March 2013. The richest man in the world for fourth time in a row was Mexican business tycoon Carlos Slim with the net worth of 73 billion US Dollars.
  In the overall list of the billionaires of the world, MukeshAmbani was ranked at number 22. Lakshmi Mittal, on the other hand was ranked at 41st position with the net worth of 16.5 billion US Dollars.
  The first in the list was Carlos Slim, followed by Bill Gates with the net worth of 67 billion US Dollars, Spain's Amancio Ortega with net worth of 57 billion US Dollars, Warren Buffett with the net worth of 53.5 billion US Dollars and Larry Ellison with the net worth of 43 billion US Dollars. A total of 55 billionaires from India appeared on the list of 1426 people from the world who have a minimum net worth of 1 billion US Dollars.

Current Affairs: International Affairs -January 2013

• No plans to run for Presidency in 2016: Hillary
  Virtually putting to rest all speculations about her contesting the next US presidential elections, outgoing secretary of state Hillary Clinton has said she has absolutely no such plans and is just focussing on finishing her term in office. "Well I have absolutely no plans to run for presidency. Right now, I am trying to finish my term as Secretary of State," she told CNN in an interview when asked about reports of her contesting the elections of 2016. "I don't know everything I'll be doing. I'll be working on behalf of women and girls, and hopefully be writing and speaking. Those are the things that I am planning to do right now."Clinton said she does not know what her new life entails for her, when there are no appointments for her.


• New levels of horror in Syria, says UN
  The Syria war has reached 'unprecedented levels of horror', UN envoy Lakhdar Brahimi said after dozens of men were killed in a grim new massacre. Brahimi told the divided UN Security Council that it must now act to halt the carnage epitomised by the nearly 80 young men killed with a single bullet and dumped in a river in the battlefront city of Aleppo. Syrian rebels blamed President Bashar al-Assad's government for the killings, but state media said an Islamist opposition faction was to blame. Syria "is breaking up before everyone's eyes. Only the international community can help, and first and the foremost the Security Council," Brahimi told the council's 15 ambassadors, apologising for sounding like a broken old record. Twenty two months of conflict have now left well over 60,000 dead, according to the UN, which will seek $1.5 billion in humanitarian funding for beleaguered Syrians at a conference in Kuwait,


• China urges Japan to foster normal ties
  China urged Japan to create conditions for the normal development of bilateral relations, saying the two sides should "properly handle tensions" over the sovereignty of the disputed Diaoyu islands. Foreign ministry spokesman Hong lei said Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe had suggested that a summit between Japan and China was necessary to mend bilateral relations hampered by recent territorial disputes, Xinhua reported. Hong said China attaches importance to developing relation with Japan, and stressed that Beijing hopes that Tokyo will make joint efforts to overcome major difficulties so as to push bilateral ties back to the track of normal development.

tags:International Current Affairs 2013, Current Affairs 2013, January 2013, Current Affairs, 

Current Affairs :National - January 2013

• Power bills to go up for the next three months
  There's no escaping the price monster. Starting February 1, you'll have to pay more for power for the next three months as the Delhi Regulatory Commission has approved provisional 3% and 1.5% power purchase cost adjustment charges (PPA) for BSES and TPDDL areas, respectively for this period. So if you live in South and East Delhi (BSES areas) and consume 400 units a month, your bill will rise from Rs. 1840 to Rs.1895.20. In West and North Delhi (TPDDL areas), it will go up to Rs.1867.60. Not a big hike. But with new tariffs for 2013 to be out in the next few months, there will be no relief.


• Cops file charge sheet, let minor accused off the hook
  As controversy rages around law governing punishment for juveniles in serious crimes, the Delhi Police appear to have given up their attempt to establish that the most brutal attacker in the December 16 gang rape is an adult. The police filed a supplementary charge sheet against him before a Juvenile Justice Board (JJB), a sign that they are prepared to settle for a light sentence for the youngster- a maximum of three years in a reformatory for a particularly vicious gang rape that resulted in the victim's death. Senior police officials told they were not optimistic of overturning a JJB finding in January that the accused individual is a juvenile. Until this point, the police have maintained that they are exploring all options to ensure the youngsters- described by them as the most brutal of the six assailants gets maximum punishments.


• 'Aam aadmi' wants British pounds
  Arvind Kejriwal's Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is going places- for funds. The Party is to start raising money through a UK chapter opened in January, according to unit's spokesperson. "Funding is a key aim but we'll be happy even if someone wants to give us 10 pounds," Raj Redij-Gill of Aam Aadmi Party UK told a newspaper. "We will seek funds from NRI's, not UK citizens," said Redij-Gill, alluding to the controversy over alleged foreign corporate funding of the BJP and Congress. All payments would be made online. The party was trying to change the way politics was done in India, he said. "We don't want someone's million pounds in anticipation of something to given to them in the future."
• Kamal, Rushdie pay as TN, Bengal side with culture bullies
  Cultural intolerance stalked the world's largest democracy recently. The ban on Kamal Haasan's new movie was upheld, prompting him to consider moving to another country, and internationally acclaimed writer Salman Rushdie was stopped from attending Asia's largest book fair in Kolkata. J Jayalalithaa's Tamil Nadu government was quick to ban the screening of Haasan's new movie Vishwaroopam after certain Muslim groups thought it was religiously offensive. Mamata Banerjee's West Bengal government pressured the book fair organisers not to have Rushdie over, fearing that the presence of The Satanic Verses author would offend minorities. It was clear that politicians still looked at India's as many castes and communities purely as vote banks, and were willing to bullied by even the smallest and most violently intolerant groups.


• BJP- backed group wins gurdwara polls
  In a political development that is likely to have an impact on Delhi politics, the BJP supported Shiromani Akali Dal (Badal) has swept the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) elections, defeating the congress backed Shiromani-Akali Dal (Delhi) group. SAD (Badal) won 37 of the 46 seats to take control after more than a decade as Majinder Singh, the party's candidate defeated SAD (Delhi) chief Paramjit Singh Sarna. Last year in November, the two Akali factions were involved in a violent clash that left 11 injured. The DSGMC is a cash rich body and its president is considered a powerful Sikh leader, who can attract voters in assembly and parliamentary elections. With about 10lakh Sikh Voters in Delhi, the outcome is likely to have an impact on 10-15 seats in the 2013 assembly elections.


• Obama migration reforms to benefit Indian students
  US President Barack Obama unveiled a comprehensive immigration reform plan aimed among other things at holding on to bring foreign students such as those in India. An increasing number of whom are leaving the US after studies because of difficulty in obtaining permission to stay on, against a visa to work or start a business. "There are brilliant students from all over the world sitting in classrooms at our top universities," Obama said in Las Vegas. Once they finish school, he added, there is a good chance they will leave the US to start a business or create jobs in China, India, Mexico or somewhere else." Holding on to them as part of the effort to fix the legal immigration system would be one of the three broad principles of his plan, which tracked closely the one announcement by a bipartisan group of senators.

tags:  Current Affairs, Current Affairs 2013, January 2013,

Current Affairs : Sports June 2013

Current Affairs[June 2013]

• India Beat England by Five Runs to Win ICC Champions Trophy 2013
  Birmingham: India clinched the ICC Champions Trophy 2013 on 23 June 2013 against England at Edgbaston in Birmingham with a five-run victory. India made a total of 129 runs in 20 overs for seven wickets. It then restricted England to 124 for eight. Ravindra Jadeja was declared as the Man of the Match after he took two wickets and scored unbeaten 33 runs. He was also awarded with the Golden Ball for grabbing maximum number of wickets in the series.


• Manjeet Singh bagged Silver Medal at 3rd China Open Boxing Tournament
  Manjeet Singh bagged a Silver medal for India at the 3rd China Open boxing tournament on 22 June 2013. In the final of the super heavy weight category (+91kg), the 21-year-old Indian went down to local lad Akepeer Yusuf. Although Manjeet lost in the final, he became the only Indian boxer to reach the final of the third China Open boxing tournament. It was his first international tournament.The boxing tournament was held in Guiyang, China.

Current Affairs :Sports - April and May 2013

Current Affairs[May 2013]

• S.Sreesanth and other Cricketers arrested for Spot-Fixing
  Indian fast bowler, S. Sreesanth and his two team mates from Rajasthan Royals namely Ajit Chadila and Ankeet Chavan were arrested by Delhi Police on 16 May 2013 on charges of Spot Fixing in Indian Premier League (IPL). The three cricketers were arrested from Mumbai and will be brought to Delhi for being produced in a Court. Apart from the three cricketers the police also arrested seven bookies. Both the cricketers and the bookies are charged under two sections of Indian Penal Code, Section 420 (cheating) and Section 120B (criminal conspiracy).


• Sachin Tendulkar retires from T20
  Sachin Tendulkar announced retirement from Twenty20 cricket format on 26 May 2013, immediately after Mumbai Indians beat Chennai Super Kings to lift the title of Pepsi Indian Premier League 2013 at Eden Gardens in Kolkata. This 39 means that IPL Season 6 was the last IPL season played by Sachin Tendulkar.

Current Affairs[April 2013]

• Sania Mirza Became One of the Four Vice-Presidents of Indian Tennis Players Association
  The Indian Tennis Players Association (ITPA) Secretary, Karti P Chidambaram on 14 April 2013 announced that the tennis star player, Sania Mirza became one of the Vice-Presidents of ITPA.
  
  Sania Mirza now became one of the four Vice-Presidents of Indian Tennis Players Association, which is a newly-formed body. Other three Vice-Presidents of the body are Somdev Devvarman, Mahesh Bhupathi and Leander Paes.
  
  Former Davis Cup captain Jaideep Mukherjea is the President of the Association.Sania Mirza is the first female player from India who won a Grand Slam. She now plays in doubles only.


• Indian Women Cricket Team won the ODI Series against Bangladesh Women 3-0
  Indian Women made a clean sweep in the three-match Bangladesh Women in India One Day International Cricket Series, 2012/13 against Bangladesh on 12 April 2013 after winning the third and the final match at Sardar Patel Stadium in Ahmedabad. India defeated Bangladesh by 58 runs in the third match.
  
  Scores of the third Match India Women: 154 all out in 48.3 overs Highest run getters from India were Swagatika Rath scored 30 runs and Harmanpreet Kaur scored 29 runs Bangladesh Women: 96 all out in 41.1 overs
  
  Highest Run getter from Bangladesh was Salma Khatun scored 22 runs Before the ODI series, the Indian women also made a clean sweep T20 international series against Bangladesh Women with 3-0 on 5 April 2013. 

Tags: May 2013, Sports Affairs 2013, Current Affairs 2013, Current Affairs, April 2013

Current Affairs :Sports - Febraury and March 2013

Current Affairs[March 2013]

• India maintained their Number One Spot in the ICC ODI Championship Table
  India maintained their number one spot in the ICC ODI Championship table in the latest rankings issued in Dubai on 11 February 2013. Both India and England have same 119 rating points, but England lags behind on the basis of decimal points. Australia and South Africa follow the top two teams closely with 116 and 112 points respectively.
  
  Among the batsmen, South African run machine Hashim Amla is at number one followed by fellow countryman AB Devilliers. India's Virat Kohli is at number three followed closely by the skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni. Among the bowlers, Pakistan off spinner Saeed Ajmal maintains his top billing followed by Mohammad Hafeez. In the All rounder's category, Pakistan skipper Mohammed Hafeez is the leader followed by Bangladesh's Shakib Al Hasan.
  


• Sachin Tendulkar equaled Sunil Gavaskar's record of 81 Centuries in First Class Cricket
  Sachin Tendulkar on 8 February 2013 equaled the record of Sunil Gavaskar of 81 first class hundreds in first class cricket at Mumbai. He managed to equal Gavaskar's record after scoring an unbeaten 140 runs in Irani Trophy against Rest of India in the first innings of the tournament of Mumbai team.

Current Affairs[Febraury 2013]

• India Wins Cricket Series against Australia
  India completed a 4-0 Test cricket sweep of Australia with a six-wicket victory inside three days, winning four matches in a series for the first time since joining the elite ranks 81 years ago.
  
  


• Deborah from India Won a Bronze Medal in Asian Cycling Championship 2013
  
  Deborah from India won a Bronze medal in the final of women's juniors of 500m cycle event in Asian Cycling Championship on 7 March 2013 in New Delhi. 19-year-old Deborah helped India claim its second medal in the Asian Cycling Championship 2013 which is ongoing.
  Deborah finished 500 meter time trial finals in 37.841 seconds. Gold medal was won by Korea's Jang Yeonhee and Yu Shiou Cheng of Chinese Taipei won the silver medal. The two remained ahead of Deborah with 37.159 and 37.834 seconds respectively. 

tags:Sports Affairs 2013, Current Affairs, Current Affairs 2013, February 2013, March 2013, 

Current Affairs :Sports - January 2013

Current Affairs[January 2013]

• Ishwar eyeing india colours after impressive domestic run
  India's fast bowling department has resembled musical chairs of late, changes forced by injuries or poor form. And Madhya Pradesh seamer Ishwar Pandey is new name that has come into reckoning. There have been quite a few fast bowlers who have burst onto the scene like him in this season. While some have found it difficult to sustain their performances, many have gone into oblivion. However, a seamer who has emerged as the highest wicket taker in Ranji Trophy is bound to raise hope and is also likely to be thrust into the limelight. Pandey is enjoying such a period.


• Spanish doping case to avoid naming names
  A Spanish judge refused to demand that the suspected mastermind of one of the sporting world's biggest blood doping rackets provide the names of the athletes implicated in the scandal. The ruling in the so-called "Operation Puerto" case could avert a huge fallout from the high profile trail, with suspects across the drug tarnished world of cycling and perhaps in sports potentially at risk. The Madrid court was told that Italy's Olympic Committee had asked judged Julia Patricia Santamaria to order doctor Eufemaniano Fuentes to identify the athletes whose blood had been stored in packs seized by the police. "The request will not be made expressly," the judge said, without giving a reason. The Canary islands doctor, 57, was detained when police seized 200 bags of blood and plasma, and other evidence of performance enhancing transfusions, revealing a huge doping network after month long investigation.


• Now Warne calls for new coach for Australia
  Shane Warne called on Australia coach Mickey Arthur to be replaced by former New Zealand skipper Stephen Fleming days after branding the nation's cricket chiefs "muppets". The outspoken leg-spinner, who said he was frustrated on many levels at present", praised Fleming as the best opposition captain we played against on his website. "I believe he brings a lot to the table, a calmness and intelligent understanding of the game and a very good cricket brain. He's a good communicator too as well as a good leader of men." Warne, 43, who also wants former Test wicketkeeper Rod Marsh as chairman of selectors, said the current Australian setup was not working as the player gear up for two Ashes series against England over the next year. In a post entitled "Where is Australian cricket at? Part 1" on his website, Warne said: "the next 12 months is the biggest 12 months of cricket for the Australian cricket team in a long, long time.


• Sportsperson not allowed into the facility built for them
  Two years ago, when organisers of the New Delhi Commonwealth Games incorporated the Delhi University (DU) campus and its affiliated colleges under its scheme to upgrade sports infrastructure, the emphasis was to tap young talent. Keeping that in mind, an eight lane synthetic track at the university polo's ground and a multipurpose indoor hall adjoining the new rugby field were constructed. Sports facilities were also upgraded at seven colleges, including St Stephen's, all practice venues for the competitors for the CWG. Down the line, though the facilities are being utilised to some extent in various colleges, those under the jurisdiction of DU are 'out of bounds' for players. "The rugby field is only used during competition and not for training," a member of the ground staff replied when asked why the field wore a deserted look. The venue was being spruced up for the zonal inter-varsity women's soccer tournament.


• Army players face action for playing in the HIL
  When they stepped on the turf for the Punjab Warriors versus Mumbai Magician match in the Hockey India League, India forward S V Sunil, midfielder Ignace Tirkey and goalkeeper P T Rao were defying orders from their bosses to withdraw from the league. The Army Sports Control Board (ASCB) has taken strong exception to their taking part without permission and has asked the Madras Engineering Group (MEG) to recall them and initiate disciplinary action. However despite the latest communiqué sent to MEG, Sunil and Ignace represented Punjab Warriors while Rao played for the Mumbai Magicians. One player claimed they had not received any order to pull out. Sources in the Bangalore based MEG said the ASCB has also sought the recall of Jonny Jasrotia of Mumbai Magicians. In a strongly-worded missive, the ASCB has asked MEG to explain how the players were allowed to participate in HIL without clearance from the headquarters.


• Mumbai may not host final if Pakistan play
  The uncertainty over women's world cup is far from over. The final of event could be shifted from Mumbai to Cuttack if Pakistan make to the summit clash. The Group B games, which include matches featuring Pakistan, were earlier shifted to Cuttack, following threats of disruption by right wing parties. Pakistan kick-off their campaign against Australia at the Barabati stadium. Three teams each from two groups go through to the Super Six Stage. The top two teams from Super Six then progress to the final. If Pakistan makes it to the final, their game will be staged in Cuttack. "Pakistan's Super Six games will be played at the Barabati stadium in Cuttack. If they make the final, the summit clash will have to be shifted to the Cuttack. We cannot take a chance," tournament official told a leading news paper on condition of anonymity.

tags:Current Affairs, Current Affairs 2013, January 2013, Sports Affairs 2013, 

History :Viceroys, their initiatives and achievements in India

Viceroys, their initiatives and achievements in India


Permanent Settlement(1793) Lord Cornwallis

Subsidiary Alliance(1798) Lord Wellesley

Suppression of Thugs(1828) Lord William Bentinck

Abolition of Sati(1829) Lord William Bentinck

Prohibition of female infanticide(1829) William Bentinck

Sepoy Mutiny(1857) Lord Canning

Queen's Proclamation(1858) Lord Canning

First Census held(1872) Lord Rippon

Factory Act(1881) Lord Rippon

Local Self Government(1882) Lord Rippon

Repeal of Vernacular Act(1881) Lord Rippon

Partition of Bengal(1905) Lord Curzon

Indian Councils Act/Minto-Morley reforms(1909) Lord Minto II

Partition of Bengal revoked(1911) Lord Hardinge II

Transfer of capital from calcutta to Delhi(1911) Lord Hardinge II

Dyarchy(1919) Lord Chelmsford

Montague-Chelmsford reforms(1919) Lor

IBPS:Top 9 players who reached 100th week at No.1 in ATP rankings

Novak Djokovic 100 weeks

Andre Agassi 101 weeks

Rafael Nadal 102 weeks

Bjorn Borg 109 weeks

John McEnroe 170 weeks

Jimmy Connors 268 weeks

Ivan Lendl 270 weeks

Pete Sampras 286 weeks

Roger Federer 302 weeks
 

IBPS Data :8 zones of India Postal Index Number Code

Following are the States and Union Territories of India and the numbers indicate starting Pin Code of respective states/union territories:

Chandigarh, Delhi, Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh,Punjab 1

Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand 2

Dadra & Nagar Haveli, Daman and Diu, Gujarat, Rajasthan 3

Chhattisgarh, Goa, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra 4

Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka 5

Kerala, Lakshadweep, Pondicherry, Tamil Nadu 6

Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Nagaland, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Orissa,  Tripura, West Bengal 7

Bihar, Jharkhand 8

IBPS data: Headquarters of Nationalized Banks in India

Andhra Bank - Hyderabad

Allahabad Bank - Kolkata

Bank of Baroda - Vadodhara

Bank of India - Mumbai

Canara Bank - Bangalore

Central Bank of India - Mumbai

Corporation Bank - Mangalore

Dena Bank - Mumbai

Indian Overseas Bank - Chennai

Indian Bank - Chennai

Oriental Bank of Commerce - New Delhi

Punjab National Bank - New Delhi

Punjab and Sind Bank - New Delhi

State bank of Travancore - Thiruvananthapuram

Syndicate Bank - Manipal, Karnataka

Union Bank of India - Mumbai

Vijaya Bank - Bangalore

General Awareness: List of International airports in India

Bihar, Jaiprakash Narayan International Airport, Patna

Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Veer Savarkar International Airport, Port Blair

Andhra Pradesh, Rajiv Gandhi International Airport, Hyderabad

Assam, Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport, Guwahati

Delhi, Indira Gandhi International Airport, New Delhi

Goa, Dabolim Airport, Whole state

Gujarat, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport, Ahmedabad

Karnataka, Kempegowda International Airport, Bengaluru

Karnataka, Mangalore Airport, Mangalore

Kerala, Cochin International Airport, Cochin

Kerala, Trivandrum International Airport,  Trivandrum

Kerala, Calicut International Airport, Calicut

Madhya Pradesh, Raja Bhoj Airport, Bhopal

Madhya Pradesh, Devi Ahilyabai Holkar Airport, Indore

Maharashtra, Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport, Mumbai

Maharashtra, Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar International Airport, Nagpur

Maharashtra, Pune Airport, Pune

Rajasthan, Jaipur International Airport, Jaipur

Tamil Nadu, Chennai International Airport, Chennai

Tamil Nadu, Tiruchirapalli International Airport, Tiruchirapalli

Uttar Pradesh, Taj International Airport, Greater Noida

Uttar Pradesh, Amausi Airport, Lucknow

Uttar Pradesh, Varanasi Airport, Varanasi

West Bengal, Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport, Kolkata

General Awareness : Important battles fought and its outcome

326 B.C. - Battle of Hydaspas - Porus loses to Alexander


261 B.C. - Kalinga War - Asoka wins but adapts Buddhism


712 A.D. - Invasion of Sind - Mohammed-bin-Qasim invades from the west


1191 A.D. - First Battle of Tarain - Prithviraj Chauhan defeats Mohammed Ghori


1192 A.D. - Second Battle of Tarain - Ghori defeats Prithviraj Chauhan


1194 A.D. - Battle of Chhandwar - Ghori defeats Jaichandra of Kannauj


1526 A.D. - First Battle of Panipat - Babar defeats Ibrahim Lodhi


1527 A.D. - Battle of Khanua - Babar defeats Rana Sanga


1529 A.D. - Battle of Ghaghara - Babar defeats the Afghans


1539 A.D. - Battle of Chausa - Sher Shah Suri defeats Humayun


1540 A.D. - Battle of Kannauj (or Bilgram) - Sher Shah Suri defeats Humayun


1556 A.D. - Second Battle of Panipat - Bairam Khan (representing Akbar) defeats Hemu


1565 A.D. - Battle of Talikota (or Banihatti) - Vijaynagar empire (represented by Sadasiva) loses against an alliance formed by Ahmednagar, Bijapur, Golkonda and Bidar


1576 A.D. - Battle of Haldighati - Akbar defeats Maharana Pratap


1615 A.D. - Mewar submitted to the Mughals - Peace treaty signed between Jahangiri and Rana Amar Singh of Mewar.


1649 A.D. - Mughal-Safavid War - Mughals lose Kandahar to Persia


1658 A.D. - Battle of Dharmatt and Samugarh -Aurangzeb defeats Dara Shikoh


1665 A.D. - Seige of Purandar - Raja Jai Singh defeats Shivaji. Treaty of Purandar signed


1708 A.D. - Battle of Khed - Shahu defeats Tara Bai.


1737 A.D. - Battle of Bhopal - Baji Rao defeats Mohammed Shah.


1739 A.D. - Battle of Karnal - Nadir Shah defeats Mohammed Shah.


1757 A.D. - Battle of Plassey - Robert Cive defeats Siraj-ud-daula, the Nawab of Bengal


1760 A.D. - Battle of Wandiwash - English defeat the French


1761 A.D. - Third Battle of Panipat - Ahmed Shah Abdali defeats Marathas


1764 A.D. - Battle of Buxar - Hector Munro defeats combined armies of Nawab Mir Qasim of Bengal, Nawab Shuja-ud-daula of Awadh and Mughal emperor Shah Alam


1767-69 A.D. - First Anglo Mysore War - Hyder Ali defeats English forces


1766-69 A.D. - First Anglo Maratha War - British defeated


1770 A.D. - Battle of Udgir - Marathas defeat the Nizam


1780-84 A.D. - Second Anglo Mysore War - Hyder Ali dies. Treaty of Mangalore is signed


1789-92 A.D. - Third Anglo Mysore War - Tipu Sultan defeated. Treaty of Serirangapatnam is signed.


1799 A.D. - Fourth Anglo Mysore War - Tipu Sultan is defeated and killed


1803-06 A.D. - Second Anglo Maratha War - Marathas lose to the British


1817-19 A.D. - Third Anglo Maratha War - Marathas lose to the British again


1824-26 A.D. - First Anglo Burmese War - British win over Burmese.


1839-42 A.D. - First Anglo Afghan War - British defeat Afghan ruler Dost Mohammad


1845-46 A.D. - First Anglo Sikh War - Sikhs lose to the British


1848-49 A.D. - Second Anglo Sikh War - Punjab annexed by the British


1852 A.D. - Second Anglo Burmese War - British win the war


1865 A.D. - Third Angio Burmese War - British win and Burma is annexed


1868-80 A.D. - Second Anglo Afghan War - Treaty of Gandamak is signed


1919-21 A.D. - Third Anglo Afghan War - Ended in an Artimice. Durand line established.

Current Affairs: ICC Annual Awards - The full list of winners

The full list of winners is:

• ICC Cricketer of the Year (Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy) — Michael Clarke (Australia)
• ICC Test Cricketer of the Year — Michael Clarke (Australia)
• ICC Women's ODI Cricketer of the Year — Suzie Bates (New Zealand)
• ICC ODI Cricketer of the Year — Kumar Sangakkara (Sri Lanka)
• ICC Emerging Cricketer of the Year — Cheteshwar Pujara (India)
• ICC Associate and Affiliate Cricketer of the Year — Kevin O'Brien (Ireland)
• ICC Twenty20 International Performance of the Year — Umar Gul (Pakistan)
• ICC T20I Women's Cricketer of the Year — Sarah Taylor (England)
• ICC Spirit of Cricket Award — Mahela Jayawardena (Sri Lanka)
• ICC Umpire of the Year (winning the David Shepherd Trophy) — Richard Kettleborough
• LG People's Choice — MS Dhoni

India won Women’s Kabaddi World Cup

India clinched the women's Kabaddi World Cup championship for the third time in a row, defeating debutant New Zealand 49-21 in the summit clash played at Guru Gobind Singh sports complex on Thursday.

The Indian eves led their New Zealand counterparts for most part of the match and held out a strong challenge by the visitors in the second half, on course to a resounding win.

The Indian team took home a first-place prize of Rs one crore.

India defeat NZ to win the Women's Kabaddi World Cup 2013

Anu Rani was adjudged the best stopper while Ram Bateri was declared the best raider. Both received a Maruti Alto car each.

Tech Buzz: the world's first platform-to-platform 10G USB 3.1

View the world's first platform-to-platform 10G USB 3.1 IP demonstration at speeds over 900 MBps as measured by the Ellisys USB Explorer Protocol Analyzer. The new Enhanced SuperSpeed USB 3.1 specification more than doubles the data throughput of USB 3.0, and Synopsys is the first IP provider to show Host-Device data transfers at USB 3.1 speeds across multiple platforms.

GK: Coldest Temperature ever recorded on Earth

The newly analysed NASA satellite data from east Antarctica shows Earth has set a new record for coldest temperature ever recorded: -94.7C.

It happened in August 2010 when it hit -94.7C (-135.8F). Then on 31 July of 2013, it came close again: -92.9C (-135.3F). The old record had been -89.2C set in 1989 at the Russian Vostok Research Station in East Antarctica.

Scientists made the discovery while analysing the most detailed global surface temperature maps to date, developed with data from remote sensing satellites including the new Landsat 8, a joint project of NASA and the US Geological Survey (USGS).
Researchers analysed 32 years' worth of data from several satellite instruments. They found temperatures plummeted to record lows dozens of times in clusters of pockets near a high ridge between Dome Argus and Dome Fuji, two summits on the ice sheet known as the East Antarctic Plateau.

Current Affair: Vasundhara Raje sworn in as Chief Minister of Rajasthan

Vasundhara Raje sworn in as Chief Minister of Rajasthan

BJP leader Vasundhara Raje was on 13 December 2013 sworn in as the Chief Minister of Rajasthan for the second time.

Vasundhara Raje was administered the oath of office and secrecy by Governor Margaret Alva during a grand swearing-in ceremony inside the Assembly building premises in Jaipur.

In 2013 Rajasthan Assembly elections Baratiya Jananta Party has won 162 out of 199 seats. Vasundhara Raje is elected from Jhalrapatan (Jhalawar) constituency.

Info: Facts about Rajasthan

Facts about Rajasthan

Date of formation: 1 November 1956
Size: 342239 sq km
Population: 68621012 (census 2011)
Capital: Jaipur
Legislature: Unicameral
Population density: 165/sq km
No. of districts: 33
Lok Sabha seats: 25
Judicature: Jodhpur High Court
Languages: Hindi and Rajasthani
Rivers: Beas, Chambal, Banas, Luni
Minerals: Zinc, mica, copper, gypsum, silver, magnesite, petroleum
Industries: Textiles, woollen, sugar, cement, glass, zinc smelters
Airports: Jaipur, Jodhpur, Udaipur
Forests and national parks: Sariska Tiger Reserve, Keoladeo Ghana NP, Ranthambore NP, Dhawa WS
Neighbouring states: East: Madhya Pradesh; North-east: Uttar Pradesh; North: Haryana and Punjab; West: Pakistan, South: Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh
State animal: Chinkara
Main crops: Mustard, jowar, bajra, maize, gram, wheat, cotton, millet

Current Affairs: Lal Thanhawla sworn-in Mizoram Chief Minister

Lal Thanhawla, who steered Congress to a landslide victory in Mizoram, was sworn-in as Chief Minister by Governor Vakkom Purushothaman on Saturday.

He was administered oath of office along with his 11-member Council of Ministers at the Raj Bhavan in Aizawl.

This is Mr. Thanhawla's second consecutive term and the fifth overall term as chief minister.

Two Cabinet Ministers – R. Romawia and John Rotluangliana are new faces.

The other Cabinet Ministers are R. Lalzirliana, Lalsawta, H. Rohluna, Zodintluanga and P.C. Lalthanliana. The Ministers of State are Lalrinmawia Ralte, C. Ngunlianchunga, Lal Thanzara and B.D. Chakma.

Current affairs: Telugu Stars in Forbes top 100 Celebrities

Telugu Stars in Forbes top 100 Celebrities

International business magazine announced Top 100 Celebrities of Indian entertainment for time period of October 1, 2012 to September 30, 2013. forbes ranking of Indian celebrities.

Rank	Name	Earnings (Rs. in crore)	Money Rank	Fame Rank
26	Pawan Kalyan	57	13	79
54	Mahesh Babu	26.96	24	84
61	Nagarjuna	20.5	34	75
62	Sudeep	13.5	52	61
68	Ravi Teja	13	54	73
69	Ram Charan	12.67	55	72

for complete list visit Forbes India web stie here http://forbesindia.com/lists/2013-celebrity-100/1439/all