Current Affairs from Last Week of August 2013 in PDF for Competitive Exams

Latest Current Affairs from Last Week of August 2013 in PDF- useful for all competitive Examinations!!!!!

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Q1. Which team won the inaugural Indian Badminton League (IBL)?

Ans. Hyderabad Hotshots led by Saina Nehwal

Q2. National Sports Day was celebrated across India on 29 August 2013. Why it was celebrated on that day?

Ans. To commemorate the birth anniversary of Indian hockey legend Dhyan Chand.

Q3. Air India launched its direct flights to which country on 29 August 2013, after a wide gap of 22 years?

Ans. Australia

Note: Air India will run direct flights to Sydney and Melbourne

 Published by : http://sapost.blogspot.in/

Q4. Name India's first  exclusive defence satellite which was successfully launched on 29 August 2013 by the European space consortium Arianespace’s Ariane 5 Rocket from the Kourou Spaceport of French Guiana?

Ans. GSAT–7

Note: Indian Navy will use the multi-band home-built communication spacecraft that is expected to become operational by September 2013.

Q5. Name the primary conspirator in various bomb blasts in India as well as the co-founder of the Indian Mujahideen (IM) who was arrested from the India-Nepal border on 29 August 2013?

Ans. Yasin Bhatkal

Q6. Lok Sabha on 29 August 2013 passed the Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Bill, 2011, also called the Land Acquisition Bill. What is the aim of the bill?

Ans. Aim of the bill is providing fair compensation to people whose land has been taken away for setting up the buildings or factories.

Q7. Union government of India on 28 August 2013 decided to extend Tourist Visa on Arrival facility at four more airports of the country. Name these airports?

Ans. Trivandrum, Bangalore, Hyderabad and Kochi

Note: Presently it is available at four International airports - Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata.

Q8. Who was on 27 August 2013 honoured with the first Lifetime Campaigner for Peace and Freedom of the Mahathir award for Global Peace?

Ans. Nelson Mandela

Q9. Who won the International Children’s Peace Prize 2013 on 27 August 2013?

Ans. Malala Yousafzai

Q10. Which team won Ashes Test Series-2013?

Ans. England

Note: They won by 3-0 against Australia on 25 August 2013 at England. Ian Bell (England) and RJ Harris (Australia) were declared Players of the series

Q11. Lok Sabha on 26 August 2013 passed the National Food Security Bill 2013. What is the aim of the bill?

Ans. Bill seeks to give legal rights to get subsidized grains every month to 67 percent of the overall population (of which 75 percent is rural and 50 percent is urban population).

Q12. Union Government of India on 26 August 2013 set up a commission to review tax laws and suggest ways for a stable and non-adversarial tax administration. Who is the chairman of the commission?

Ans. Parthasarathy Shome

Q13. Name the Indian classical singer and music director who passed away on 25 August 2013 in Bhubaneswar?

Ans. Pandit Raghunath Panigrahi

Q14. Indian women's Recurve team won gold medal in the World Cup Archery Stage- 4 at Wroclaw, Poland on 25 August 2013. India defeated which team in finals?

Ans. South Korea

Q15. Newly elected Members of the Parliament from Karnataka took oath as members of the Lok Sabha on 26 August 2013. Amongst them one is the youngest member of the present Parliament. Name her?

Ans. Ramya

Note: She is a famous south Indian Actress

Q16. India reached finals of 9th Asia Cup Hockey tournament after defeating which country in semi final?

Ans. Malaysia

Note: India will take on South Korea in finals

Q17. N R Narayana Murthy has stepped down as chairman of which corporation  after taking charge as executive chairman of Infosys?

Ans. National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI)

Q18. Fourth and final Grand Slam of the season which kick started in New York on 26 August 2013?

Ans. US Open Tennis tournament

Q19. President of India, Pranab Mukherjee on 31 August 2013 conferred the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award, Dronacharya Awards, Arjuna Awards, Dhyan Chand Awards, Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Awards, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad Trophy and Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puraskar at a function organised at Rashtrapati Bhawan, New Delhi. Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award was given to Ronjon Sodhi for shooting. What is the cash prize of Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award?

Ans. Rs.7.5 lakh

Note: Apart from Cash Prize it carries a medal and a citation.

Q20. Which team won UEFA Super Cup 2013 defeating Chelsea in the final at the Eden stadium in Prague on 30 August 2013?

Ans. Bayern Munich

Note: Winner was decided through a 5-4 penalty shoot-out which went in the favour of Bayern Munich after the match was evenly poised at 2-2 even after extra time

Q21. Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth of India decelerated to .............. percent, the slowest rate of expansion in 4 years as announced in August 2013?

Ans. 4.4

 Published by : http://sapost.blogspot.in/

Q22. Name the bill for which President of India, Pranab Mukherjee gave his assent on 29 August 2013?

Ans. Companies Bill 2013

Note: Companies Bill will now become the law and replace the 60-years-old regulations which governed the country till now. The new bill provides changes to the functioning of the companies’ operation. The Companies Bill 2013 will replace the Companies Act 1956.  

Q23. International Sepaktakraw Super Series 2013 kicked off at which place of India on 29 August 2013?

Ans. New Delhi

Q24. ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting was held at which place on 29 August 2013?

Ans. Brunei

Q25. Union Minister for Human Resource Development on 29 August 2013 launched the RTE anthem- a new initiative to spread the message of RTE Act among Public. Name the present HRD Minister?

Ans. M M Pallam Raju

Q26. Who was recently appointed as the chairman of the Ethics Commission of the International Weightlifting Federation in Beijing in the executive board meeting?

Ans. Birendra Prasad Baishya

Note: He is presently Indian Weightlifting Federation President

Q27. Rajya Sabha on 26 August 2013 passed The Marriage Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2010. It seeks to amend which existing laws?

Ans. Hindu Marriage Act 1955 and the Special Marriages Act, 1954

Q28. India’s under-23 cricket team won the Asian Cricket Council Emerging Teams Cup in Singapore on 25 August 2013 defeating which country by nine wickets?

Ans. Pakistan

Q29. Name the US actress known for stage and screen, passed away on 25 August 2013 at the age of 87 years at West Chatham, Massachusetts, United States?

Ans. Julie Harris

Q30. Sania Mirza lifted the women’s doubles trophy at the WTA New Haven Open on 24 August 2013. Name her partner in the doubles?

Ans. Jie Zheng of China 

Q31. Name the Foreign Minister of Tuvalu who was on an official visit to India from 21 to 25 August 2013?

Ans. Taukelina Finikaso

Q32. Juvenile held guilty for rape and murder, awarded 3-year sentence on 31 August 2013. Which authority has decided the punishment?

Ans.  Juvenile Justice Board (JJB)

Q33. Name the Prime Minister of Bhutan who was on a visit to India during last week of August?

Ans. Tshering Tobgay

Q34. Which bank has launched the electronic version of conventional passbook, called FedBook, on 30 August 2013?

Ans. Federal Bank Limited

Q35. Who was recommended as the next head of the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation(ONGC) by Public Enterprises Selection Board on 30 August 2013?

Ans. Dinesh K Sarraf

Note: He will succeed Sudhir Vasudeva, who superannuates in February 2014.

 Published by : http://sapost.blogspot.in/

Q36. Name the judge of the Andhra Pradesh High Court who was on 30 August 2013 appointed as the new Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court?

Ans. Justice Nuthalapati Venkata Ramana

Q37. Name the 1995 Nobel Prize Literature winner Irish writer who died on 29 August 2013?

Ans. Seamus Heaney

Q38. Name the graphic biography on former Indian Hockey player Dhyan Chand which was launched at Dhyanchand Stadium in New Delhi on 29 August 2013?

Ans. Dhyan Chand-The Wizard of Hockey

Q39. Name the Foreign Minister of Nicaragua who paid an official visit to India from 19 August to 23 August 2013?

Ans. Samuel Santos Lopez

Q40. International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances was observed on ........th August?

Ans. 30 August

Note: It was observed by UN General Assembly expressing its concern by the increase in the number of involuntary or enforced disappearances in different parts of the world.

Q41. Name the joint exercise of air forces planned by China and Pakistan on 28 August 2013?

Ans. Shaheen (Eagle)-2

Q42. Who took charge as the chairman of the Intellectual Property Appellate Tribunal on 28 August 2013?

Ans. Justice K.N Basha

Q43. Name the Indian Origin cardiologist at Johns Hopkins who has been selected for the prestigious White House Fellowship for the year 2013-14 along with 11 others?

Ans. Kapil Parakh

Q44. Which team won 43rd Institutional Table Tennis Championships?

Ans. Petroleum Sports Promotion Board

Q45. Name the Vice President of Afghanistan who paid an Official Visit to India during 20-22 August 2013?

Ans. Mohammad Karim Khalili

Q46. Name the typhoid vaccine launched by Bharat Biotech International Ltd on 26 August 2013?

Ans. Typbar TCV

Q47. Name the Brazilian Foreign Minister who resigned on 26 August 2013?

Ans. Antonio Patriota

Q48. Name the player who announced his retirement from professional football on 26 August 2013?

Ans. Deco

 Prepared by: http://currentaffairs4examz.blogspot.in/

PENSION ARREARS FROM 01.01.2006 AS PER COURT ORDER: GOVERNMENT REPLY IN PARLIAMENT

The orders for implementation of the decision taken by the Government on the recommendations of 6th CPC for revision for pension of past pensioners were issued vide this Department’s OM No.38/37/08-P&PW (A) dated 1.9.2008. The provisions of Para 4.2 of this OM were clarified vide this Department’s letter dated 3.10.2008. 

        The Central Administrative Tribunal, Principal Bench, New Delhi in its order dated 1.11.2011 observed that by the OM dated 3.10.2008 the original orders of 1.9.2008 have been modified. Hon’ble CAT directed that the past pensioners may be granted, w.e.f. 1.1.2006, a minimum pension @ 50% of the minimum pay corresponding to the pre-revised pay scale with reference to the fitment table applicable for revision of pay of serving employees. 

        A Writ Petition was filed in the Hon’ble High Court of Delhi challenging the above mentioned order. In its order dated 29.4.2013, the Hon’ble Delhi High Court has upheld the order dated 1.11.2011. After considering the order of Hon’ble High Court of Delhi and various representations received in this regard, Special Leave Petition was filed by the Department of Pension and Pensioners’ Welfare in the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India. 

This SLP came up for hearing recently on 29.7.2013 before the Hon. Supreme Court and has been dismissed. 

        The above information submitted by Min of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions in reply of undermentioned Lok Sabha Question:-

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

MINISTRY OF PERSONNEL,PUBLIC GRIEVANCES AND PENSIONS

LOK SABHA

UNSTARRED  QUESTION NO 670

ANSWERED ON   07.08.2013

DELAY IN PAYMENT OF ARREARS TO PENSIONERS

670 . Shri VILAS BABURAO MUTTEMWAR

Will the Minister of PERSONNEL,PUBLIC GRIEVANCES AND PENSIONS  be pleased to state:-

(a)  the reasons for inordinate delay in implementation of Hon`ble High Court`s order to give effect to the payment of arrears w.e.f. 01.01.2006 to pensioners retired before 2006; 

(b) whether the Government have received representations from employees organizations and other bodies in this regard; and 

(c) if so, the details thereof and the reaction of the Government on the representations?

ANSWER 

Minister of State in the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions and Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office. (SHRI V. NARAYANASAMY) 

(a) to (c): *** see above ***

Source: Lok Sabha Q&A

List of Longest, Largest, Biggest, Smallest, Tallest, Highest

List of Longest, Largest, Biggest, Smallest, Tallest, Highest

1. Longest river (India) Ganges
2. Longest river (World) Nile
3. Longest tributary river of India Yamuna
4. Longest river of the south Godavari
5. Highest mountain peak Godwin Austin(k2)
6. Largest lake (Fresh water) Wular lake (Kashmir)
7. Highest Dam Tehri Dam on Bhagirathi River
8. Largest Mosque Jama Masjid, Delhi
9. Longest Road Grand Trunk Road

10. State with longest coastline Gujarat
11. Longest tunnel Jawahar tunnel (Jammu & Kashmir)
12. Longest national highway NH-7 from Varanasi to Kanyakumari
13. Longest Dam Hirakod Dam (Orissa)
14. Longest River Bride Mahatma Gandhi Setu, Patna
15. Longest populated city Mumbai (1.60 crore)
16. Largest Museum National Museum, Kolkata
17. Largest Delta Sunderban Delta, W. Bengal
18. Largest Dome Gol Gumbaz, Bijapur (Karnataka)
19. Largest Zoo Zoological Gardens, Alipur, Kolkata
20. Largest man-made Lake Govind Vallabh Pant Sagar(Rihand Dam)
21. Largest Desert Thar (Rajasthan)
22. Highest Tower Pitampura Tower, Delhi
23. Smallest State (Area) Goa
24. Smallest State (Population) Sikkim
25. Highest Waterfall Gersoppa waterfall (Karnataka)
26. Longest Electric railway line From Delhi to Kolkata via Patna
27. Densest populated State West Bengal
28. Largest cave temple Kailash temple, Ellora (Maharashtra)
29. Largest animal Fair Sonepur (Bihar)
30. Highest Gateway Buland Darwaza, Fatehpur Sikri (Agra)
31. Biggest Hotel Oberal –Sharaton (Mumbai)
32. Largest State (Area) Rajasthan
33. Largest State (Population) Uttar Pradesh
34. Place of heaviest rainfall Mausinram (Meghalaya)
35. Largest corridor Rameshwaram temple corridor (Tamil Nadu)
36. Largest cantilever span bride Howrah Bridge (Kolkata)
37. Largest forest state M.P.
38. Highest straight gravity Dam Bhakra Dam
39. Longest Railway Platform Kharagpur (W. Bengal)
40. Largest Stadium Salt lake (Yuva Bharti), Kolkata
41. Largest Port Mumbai
42. Highest Lake Devatal (Garhwal)
43. Largest Lake (Saline water) Chika lake,Orissa
44. Highest Award Bharat Ratna
45. Highest Gallantry Award Paramveer Chakra
46. Largest Gurudwara Golden Temple, Amritsar
47. Deepest river valley Bhagirathi & Alaknanda
48. State with longest coastline of South India Andhra Pradesh
49. Longest river which forms estuary Narmada
50. Largest Church Saint Cathedral (Goa)
51. Longest Beach Marina Beach, Chennai
52. Highest Battle field Siachin Glacier
53. Highest Airport Len (Laddakh)
54. Largest river island Majuli (Brahmaputra river, Assam)
55. Largest Planetarium Birla Planetarium.

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Govt to hike Dearness Allowance by 10%; benefit 80 lakh Employees & Pensioners

Ahead of festival season, central government will this month announce a hike in dearness allowance to 90% from existing 80%, benefiting about 50 lakh central employees and 30 lakh pensioners. 

According to official source, dearness allowance hike will be 10% and would be effective from July 1, this year. 

The sources further said the exact amount of dearness allowance, as a proportion of basic pay, works out to over 90% after factoring in the revised all India Consumer Price Index for Industrial Workers (CPI-IW) for June. 

According to revised data released on August 30, retail inflation for factory workers for June stood at 11.63%, higher than provisional estimate of 11.06% for the month released on July 31. 

Sources said that since the revised estimate for the month of June is available, the finance ministry would soon prepare a proposal for the purpose for seeking Union Cabinet nod. 

They further said the proposal will be moved this month. There would be a double digit hike in DA after about three years. It was last in September, 2010, that the government had announced a hike of 10% to be given with effect from July 1, 2010. 

DA was hiked to 80% from 72% in April, 2013, effective from January 1, this year. 

As per the practice, the government uses CPI-IW data for past 12 month or a year to arrive at a number for the purpose of any DA hike. Thus, the retail inflation for industrial workers between July, 2012 to June 2013 will be used to take a final decision.

Source : The Times of India

First in India and World

Aircraft Carrier Indian Ship	I.N.S. Vikrant
American president to visit India	Dwight David Eisenhower
Asian Games organized in India	Delhi (in 1951)
atomic Submarine of India	I.N.S. Chakra
British Prime Minister to visit India	Harold Mc Millon
British to visit India	Hawkins
Chief justice of India	Justice Hiralal J. Kania
Chief of Air Staff of India	Air Marshal Sir Thomas Elmhirst
Chief of Army Staff of India	General M.Rajendra Singh
Chief of Naval Staff of India	Vice- Admiral R.D Katari
Chinese pilgrim to visit India	Fa-hien
Commander-in-chief of free India	General K.M. Cariappa
Commander-in-chief of Free India	General Roy Bucher
Dalit Speaker of the Lok Sabha	G.M.C. Balyogi
Deputy prime Minister of India	Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel
E-business news paper of India	Financial Express
Education Minister of Independent India	Maulana Abdul Kalam Azad
Election Commissioner of India	Sukumar Sen
Emperor of Moghul Dynasty in India	Babar
field Marshal of India	General S.F.J. Manekshaw
Foreign recipient of Bharat Ratna	Khan Abdul Gaffar Khan
Governor General of Bengal	Warren Hastings (1774-85)
Governor General of Ind. India	Lord Mountbattten
Governor General of India	Lord William Bentic (1833-35)
Governor of Bengal	Lord Clive (1757-60)
Home Minister of Independent India	Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel
Indian air Chief of India	Air Marshal S. Mukherjee
Indian author to get Anderson Award	Ruskin Bond
Indian Cosmonaut (to go into space )	Sqn. Ldr. Rakesh Sharma
Cricketer to make double centuries 5 times	Rahul Dravid
WOman to win in a Wimbledon tourament	Sania Mirza
Governor general of Independent India	C.Rajgopalachari (21 June,1948
I.C.S. Officer	Satyaendra Nath Tagore
Woman to win a medal in World Athletics	Anju Bobby George
Missile	Prithvi
Woman to win the Miss Great Britain Title	Preeti Desai
Pilot	J.R.D. Tata (1929)
Prime Minister to loose an election	Indira Ghandi
Prime Minister to resign from office	Morarji Desai
Recipient of Nobel Prize in Economics	Dr. Amartya Sen
Scientist to get Nobel Prize	C.V. Raman (Physics)
Submarine	I.N.S. Cauveri
United Nations Civilian Police Advisor	Ms. Kiran bedi
To climb Mount Averest	Tenzing Norgay
To fly the U.S. space shuttle	Dr. Kalpana Chawla
To get Bhart Ratna Award	Dr. S. Radhakrishnan
To get Jnanpeeth Award	G. Shankar Kurup
To get Paramvir Chakra	Major Somnath Sharma
To make printing press popular in India	James Hicky
To pass ICS	Surendra Nath Benerjee
To reach Antarctica	Lt. Ram Charan (1960)
To reach the south Pole	Col. I.K.Bajaj
To ski to the north pole	Ajeet Bajaj
To Swim Across English Channel in India	Mihir Sen
To win Magsaysay Award	Acharya Vinoba Bhave (1958)
To win Stalin Award	Saiffudin Kichlu
To win world Billiards Trophy	Wilson Jones
Weightlifter to win bronze medal in Olympics	Karnam Malleshwari
Woman Airline Pilot	Durga Banerjee
Woman Air-vice-Marshal	P. Bandopadhyaya
Woman Chairman and Managing Director of NABARD	Mrs. Ranjana Kumar
Woman cricketer to score adouble century	Mithali Raj
Woman I.P.S. Officer	Kiran Bedi
Woman Merchant Navy Officer	Sonali Banerjee
Woman president of Indian National Congress	Sarojini Naidu (1925)
Woman Speaker of State Assembly in India	Mrs. Shanno Devi
Woman to become Miss Universe	Sushmita Sen
Woman to become Miss World	Miss Reita Faria
Woman to get Ashok Chakra	Nirja Mishra
Woman to get Bharat Ratna	Smt. Indira Gandhi
Woman to get Jnanpith Award	Ashapurna Devi
Woman to get the Nobel Prize	Mother Teresa (1979)
Woman to go into space	Kalpana Chawla
Woman Lt. General in the Indian Army	Puneeta Arora
Woman to swim across the English Channel	Miss Arati Saha (now Mrs. Arati Gupta)
Woman to win a Gold Medal in Asian Games	Kamaljeet Sandhu
Woman to win the Booker Prize	Arundhati Roy
woman to win WTA Title	Sania Mirza
Woman yo cross seven important seas by swimming	Bula Chaudhury
World Chess Champion	Vishwanathan Anand
Large-scale Atomic Reactor of India	Apsara (1956)
Medium range Missile of India	Agni
Minister to resign form Union Cabinet of India	Shyama Prasad Mukherjee (1950)
Muslim President of Indian National Congress	Badruddin Tayab Ji
Muslim President of Indian Republic	Dr. Zakir Hussain
Nuclear Centre of India	Tarapur
Paperless Newspaper of India	The News Today
President of Constituent Assembly of India	Dr. Rajendra Prasad
President of India to die in office	Dr. Zakir Hussain
President of Indian National Congress	W.C. Banerjee
to win Nobel prize in Physics	Subrahmanium Chandrasekhar
Sikh Prime Minister of India	Dr. Manmohan Singh
Speaker of lok Sabha	G.V. Mavlankar (1952-57)
To win an individual Olympic gold for India.	Abhinav Binra
Talkie Film in India	Alam Ara
Test Tube Baby of India	Indira (Baby Harsha)
University of India	Nalanda University
Vice-President of India to die in harness	Krishna Kant
Woman Chief Justice of a High Court in India	Smt. Leela Seth
Woman Judge in Supreme Court in India	Mrs. Meera Sahib Fatima Biwi