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CURRENT AFFAI RS
J ULY-2014
List of Important Days
National Days
July 1 - Doctor's Day
July 22 - National Flag Adoption Day
July 24 - Income Tax Day

International Days
July 2 - World Sports Journalists Day
July 6 - World Zoonoses Day; World Rabies Day
July 10 - Breast-feeding Day
July 11 - World Population Day
July 1
st
Saturday - International Day of Cooperatives

Reserve Bank of India
RBI Eases Reserve Norms: The Reserve Bank of India, in order to encourage infrastructure
development and affordable housing, on July 15, 2014, exempted long-term bonds from the
mandatory regulatory norms such as the Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR), the Statutory Liquidity Ratio
(SLR) and Priority Sector Lending (PSL) if the money raised is used for funding of such projects.
The instructions are in pursuance of Finance Minister Arun Jaitleys budget speech in which he
said banks will be encouraged to extend long term loans to infrastructure sector with flexible
structuring to absorb potential adverse contingencies, sometimes known as the 5/25 structure.
5/25 structure: Under the 5/25 structure, bank may fix longer amortisation period for loans to
projects in infrastructure and core industries sectors, say 25 years, with periodic refinancing, say
every five years.
India is looking at investing $1 trillion in infrastructure development by 2017, half of which is
expected to come from the private sector.
Banks can issue long-term bonds with a minimum maturity of seven years
Rupee denominated bonds should be issued in plain vanilla form
Lending for affordable housing means loans eligible under the priority sector
RBI Relaxes Rules On Diamond Imports: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI), on July 7, 2014. relaxed
the rules of the suppliers and buyers credit for the import of rough, cut and polished diamonds to
a period of up to 180 days from the earlier 90 days, with immediate effect. The RBI has taken this
decision after taking into consideration the representations that were received from diamond
importers and the Gem & Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC).
Overseas Investment Norms Eased: The Reserve Bank of India, on July 3, 2014, relaxed norms for
overseas investment by Indian corporates by raising their borrowing limit. It has, however, been
decided that any financial commitment exceeding $1 billion (or its equivalent) in a financial year
would require prior approval of the Reserve Bank even when the total financial commitment of the
Indian Party is within the eligible limit under the automatic route.
The financial commitment should be limited within 400 per cent compared to earlier level of 100
per cent of the net worth as per the last audit balance sheet of the company.
It has been decided to restore the limit of overseas direct investments (ODI) or financial
commitment (FC) to be undertaken by an Indian party under the automatic route to the limit
prevailing, as per the extant FEMA provisions, prior to August 14, 2013, it said.
However, the restriction was not applicable on public sector firms like Oil India and ONGC
Videsh. The RBI had announced the curbs on ODI in the context of prevailing macroeconomic
situation.

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Easing rules, the Reserve Bank of India, on July 14, 2014 allowed foreign investors to invest in
partly-paid shares and warrants of Indian companies.
Such investors, till now, were only allowed to invest in equity shares and compulsory and
mandatorily convertible preference shares or debentures recognised as foreign direct investment
(FDI) compliant instruments. Foreign investors can invest in partly-paid equity shares and
warrants issued by an Indian company, which are now eligible instruments for the purpose of
FDI and foreign portfolio investment (FPI) by foreign institutional investors (FIIs). The pricing of
the partly-paid equity shares would be determined up-front and 25 per cent of the total
consideration amount (including share premium, if any), would also be received upfront. The
balance consideration towards fully-paid equity shares would be received within 12 months.
Similar pricing formula has been prescribed for issuance of warrants to foreign investors. Non-
resident Indians (NRIs) would be eligible to invest on a non-repatriation basis in partly-paid
shares and warrants issued by Indian companies.
RBI Allows Foreign Investors To Access Currency Futures The Reserve Bank of India (RBI), on
June 20, 2014 allowed foreign investors to access the currency futures market for hedging their
currency risks while also partially reversing the restrictions put last year on banks proprietary
trading in the exchange traded currency futures.
The foreign portfolio investors could participate in the currency futures market by taking long or
short position to the extent of $10 million without having to establish any underlying exposure.
The responsibility of ensuring the existence of the underlying exposure shall rest with the foreign
investor.
The RBI also partially reversed the restrictions put on banks proprietary trading, allowing them
to take long or short position of up to $10 million without establishing any underlying exposure.
Banks start scanning Bad Loans Banks have initiated an exercise to sift through piles of non-
performing assets (NPAs) bad loans that do not yield returns to assess which of these accounts
have turned bad due to willful defaulters. The objective is to identify willfully defaulting promoters
and not given additional loans for any of their other companies. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI)
had, in June 2014, asked banks to get tough with willful defaulters but the latter said it was difficult
to differentiate between a genuine and willful defaulter in most cases. The central bank has
indicated that it may even undertake forensic audit of firms that default loan repayment of over
Rs.1,000 crore. The idea is to get a complete and true picture of what led to the situation. According
to RBI data, the level of bad debts in Indian banks have almost doubled since 2009 to over 4% of
total loans, which also high lighted that debt restructuring has increased significantly.
Banks have written off Rs.1 lakh crore in advances since 2000, something that has raised an
alarm. RBI earlier said that over 90% of the write-offs were done for large corporate houses.
Monetary Policy Review The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) held rates at current levels while
announcing the review of Monetary Policy 2014-15 on August 2, 2014. However it has reduced the
minimum bond holding requirement by banks Statutory Liquidity Ratio (SLR) by 50 basis points.
The short-term indicative lending rate (repo) will continue at 8 per cent. The Cash Reserve Ratio
(CRR) will remain unchanged at 4 per cent. CPI inflation target at 8 percent by January 2015 and 6
per cent by January 2016.
GDP growth rate for current fiscal at 5.5 per cent
Ceiling on debt, held-to-maturity (HTM) cut to 24 per cent
SLR reduced to 22 percent to enable banks to expand credit to productive sectors.
To consider keeping overnight rate close to 8 per cent.
5-6%: RBIs estimates of Indias GDP growth in 2014-15
Recovery dependent upon speedier implementation of stalled infrastructure projects
This should brighten the outlook for both industry and services; export growth could pick up
8%: RBIs retail inflation target for January 2015: for January 2016 it is 6%
Farm sector outlook clouded by forecast of insufficient monsoon

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Too early to say if future food inflation, and its spill-over to broader inflation, can be discounted
Good news on the economic front
Growth in 8 infrastructure sectors rose to a 9-month high of 7.3% in June
Retail inflation fell to a 30-month low of 7.31% in June
WPI-based inflation in June declined to 5.43%
Revised Norms For Equity Sale The Reserve Bank of India has revised the norms for equity sales
by non-resident investors in unlisted domestic companies, mandating that such transactions must
be priced under internationally accepted pricing methodology. Under the new rules, any
transaction would need to be aligned with international prices for other similar deals on an arms
length basis, providing a pricing methodology that the RBI believes will yield a more appropriate
market value. The deals would need to be certified by a chartered accountant or an investment bank
recognised by the Securities and Exchange Board of India.
Payment and Small Banks - The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has set a minimum paid-up capital of
Rs.100 crore for those who wish to set up payments and small banks.

Payment Bank Small Bank
Broad objective Provide small savings accounts
and payment/remittance
services to migrant labour
Focus on financial inclusion in
rural areas; area of operation
Restricted to contiguous districts
in a state
Minimum equity
capital
Rs.100 crore; must have a net
worth of Rs.100 crore at all
times
Rs.100 crore
Promoters holding 40%with 5-year lock-in period;
to be diluted to 30% in 10 years
and 26% in 12 years
40% initially with 5-year lock-in
period; to be diluted to 30% in 10
years and 26% in 12 years
Foreign holding Up to 74% Up to 74%
Target audience Migrant labour, low-income
households, small businesses,
unorganised entities
Small business units, small
farmers, micro and small
industries, unorganised entities
Operational
restriction
Will operate in remote areas but
no branch restriction. Cannot
set up subsidiaries
At least 25% of branches should
be in unbanked rural centres
Lending Cannot lend money Can lend. Maximum exposure to
single borrower capped at 15% of
capital funds
Cap on deposits Yes, Customer balance cannot
exceed Rs.1 lakh
No limit set

RBI Proposed BPPS The Reserve Bank of India (RBI), on August 7, 2014 issued draft guidelines
for the implementation of Bharat Bill Payment System (BBPS). The draft guidelines outline the
requirement and the basic tenets of operating the BBPS, and prescribe the eligibility criteria,
standards for settlement model and customer grievance redressal, roles and responsibilities and
scope for entities seeking to be part of BBPS.
The objective of the BBPS is to implement an integrated bill payment system across the country
and offer interoperable and accessible bill payment service to customers through a network of
agents, enabling multiple payment modes and providing instant confirmation of payment.
Hence, it has been decided that the existing players in the online commerce segment catering to
the requirements of bill payments as well as aggregation of payment services (in relation to bill
payments) will be a part of BBPS.

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The BBPS will function as a tiered structure for operating the bill payment system in the country
with a single brand image providing convenience of anytime anywhere bill payment to
customers.
State Bank of India
State Bank Launches Six Digital Banking Branches: State Bank of India, on July 01, 2014, launched
six digital branches across the country as part of its programme to offer next generation banking
solutions to the growing mobile phone and internet-savvy customer base. These branches, named
sbiINTOUCH, will facilitate services such as instant account opening with personalised debit cards,
instant loan approval for car and home, remote expert advisors available via video links, along with
interactive walls and table displays. Besides Delhi, where sbiINTOUCH branch was inaugurated by
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, the other such branches are located in Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai
and Ahmedabad.
Other Banks
Switzerland To Share List Of Account Holders: In a major boost to Indias fight against black
money, Switzerland has prepared a list of Indians suspected to have stashed un-taxed wealth in
Swiss banks and the details are being shared with Indian government. India has moved up to 58
th

rank in terms of foreign money lying with Swiss banks.
Stash in Swiss banks swells - India moves up 12 ranks in latest list of countries with money parked
in Swiss banks, according to Swiss National Bank. India accounts for 0.15% of an estimated $1.6
trillion held in 283 Swiss banks.
43 per cent rise in Indian money in Swiss banks in 2013 (Rs.14,000 crore)
Rankings based on direct client exposure
Figures unlikely to indicate quantum of alleged black money held by Indians
Top five ranks (In billion Swiss Francs)
United Kingdom 277
United States 193
West Indies 100
Germany 52.4
Guernsey 49.6
International Finance Corporation, an arm of the World Bank, will infuse Rs.160 crore into micro
finance institution Bandhan, which will be a full fledged bank soon, chairman of the microfinance
institution Chandra Sekhar Ghosh said.
ADB Projects 6.3 PC Growth For India in 2015-16 Manila-based Asian Development Bank (ADB)
has upgraded Indias economic growth forecast to 6.3 per cent in 2015-16 on hopes of speedy reform
process. It said growth in China was moderating in line with earlier expectations and should
achieve the forecast of 7.5 per cent in 2014 and 7.4 per cent in 2015.
Supreme Court
The Supreme Court directs States to instruct police officers not to make any arrests in dowry
harassment offences without first ascertaining viability under parameters laid down in Section 41,
Code of Criminal Procedure.
The Supreme Court says in an order that gender discrimination exists in the tinsel world and affects
rights of women from being treated as equals at work.
A five-judge Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court has reiterated that truth in the publication
of a news item can be treated as defence in contempt of court proceedings. The court, however, held
that Commissions of Enquiry had no power to initiate contempt proceedings against newspapers.
Giving the ruling, a Bench comprising Chief Justice R.M. Lodha and Justices Anil R. Dave, S.J.
Mukhopadaya, Dipak Misra and Shiva Kirti Singh pointed out that the Contempt of Courts Act had
been amended and a provision had been inserted to the effect that truth could be claimed as
defence.

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Central Government
Railway Minister DV Sadananda Gowda presents the Railway Budget for 2014-15 in the Parliament
envisaging an annual plan outlay of Rs.65,445 crore and proposing introduction of bullet and semi
high speed trains.
Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley presents the Economic Survey 2013-14 in the Parliament,
which opens with a reassurance that in 2014-15, the economy is poised to overcome the sub-5 per
cent growth witnessed over the last two years.
Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley presents his maiden Budget for the fiscal year 2014-15 in the
Parliament. He unveils a pragmatic programme of economic reforms and gives relief to taxpayers
while making pledge to achieve 8 percent annual growth rate in three-four years.
The government has imposed an additional penalty of $579 million (Rs.3,475 crore) on Reliance
Industries for producing less than the targeted natural gas from its KG-D6 block in 2013-14. This
was started by Oil Minister Dharmendra Pradhan in Parliament on July 14, 2014.
The Union Government, on July 2, 2014 announced its first step towards greater ease of doing
business by addressing the industrys demand on the simplification of the process for the extensions
of industrial licences. The government extended the period of validity of industrial licences from
two years to three years and relaxed the requirement for companies to have to go back to the
Licensing Committee for the extensions. The extensions will now be done with the approval of the
Joint Secretary concerned of the administrative ministry.
The government on June 26, 2014 approved nine new transmission projects with an aggregate cost
of over Rs.12,500 crore to fast track building of high capacity inter-State power transmission lines.
The Union Cabinet on July 24, 2014 approved a proposal to ease foreign direct investment (FDI)
limit in the domestic insurance sector to 49% from 26%, signalling the NDA governments intent to
draw capital and investment into an economy that is struggling to claw out of a crippling
slowdown.
States
Maharashtra Governor K. Sankaranarayan on July 9, 2014 approved the ordinance granting
reservation to Maratha and Muslim communities in Maharashtra. Marathas will get a 16 per cent
quota and Muslims five per cent in government jobs and educational institutions.
Camel is now State Animal The Rajasthan government on June 30, 2014 declared the camel as the
state animal. The decision, taken at a Cabinet meeting held in Bikaner, aims to check the dwindling
number of camels.
Place in News
Rani-ki-Vav, a 11
th
century stepwell in the Patan area of Gujarat, is approved for inscription on the
World Heritage list by UNESCO at the meeting of its World Heritage Committee in Doha.
The Great Himalayan National Park (GHNP) in Kullu district of Himachal Pradesh is accorded the
UNESCO World Heritage Site status.
Abhu Dhabi will build an underground park to provide some relief for its residents from the
oppressive heat and as a place to unwind.
Dubai has unveiled plans to build the worlds first temperature-controlled city Mall of the World,
an ambitious project spread over an area of 48 million sq ft, to attract tourists even during the
scorching summer months.
Ancient Burial Site Found In Georgia - Archaeologists have unearthed a burial site dating back
4,000 years containing chariots, gold artefacts and possible human sacrifices in the country of
Georgia.

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Find of 1800 Year Old Artefacts: A range of artefacts which can be dated from third century BCE to
the 15
th
century CE have been unearthed at an excavation at Natham, near Kattuputhur village, in
Tamil Nadus Tiruchi district.
River Beki in Baksa district of Assam was in news due to recovery of four kidnapped bodies on 13
July 2014.
Erbil, located 88 kilometres east of Mosul in Iraq, is the capital and the largest city of the Kuridistan
Region. In July 2014 it was appointed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.
Malin Village in Pune district of Maharashtra was witness to devastating landslide on 31 July 2014.
Chhattisgarh state department of archaeology and culture, in July 2014, announced plans to seek
help from NASA and ISRO for research on 10,000-year-old rock paintings depicting aliens and
UFOs Charama region in Kanker district in tribal Bastar region.
Construction of the worlds tallest railway bridge with the tallest pillar 141 metres-high-began
near Noney in Manipur on 28 July 2014.
Personalities
Fabien Cousteau, the grandson of French oceanographer Jacques Cousteau, emerged from the deep
on July 2, 2014 after 31 days in an undersea laboratory off the Florida Keys.
In the honour of Akhouri Sinha, a distinguished Indian-American scientist whose ground-breaking
biological research expedition has provided vital data about animal populations, the United States
in July 2014 named a mountain in Antarctica after him as Mt Sinha.
Noted environmentalist and Director General of The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) RK
Pachauri, in July 2014, termed shopping malls as energy guzzlers and said they are not suited to
the Indian environment.
Sim Bhullar (21) has become the first player of Indian origin to join the National Basketball
Association (NBA) after he inked a summer contract with the Sacramento Kings, a professional
basketball team in the US.
Defence and National Security
The Indian Army test-fires a surface-to-air Akash missile which intercepts a fast-moving, small
unmanned aerial vehicle called Banshee at an altitude of 30 metres above the sea level off the coast
of Odisha.
An advanced version of the Indo-Russian supersonic cruise missile BrahMos is successfully test-
fired from the Integrated Test Range at Chandipur off the Odisha coast.
INS Kamorta, the first in series of anti-submarine corvettes indigenously built by Kolkata based
Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers Ltd. (GRSE), is handed over to Indian Navy in Kolkata.
North Korea fires two short-range ballistic missiles into seas east off its coast.
Japanese Cabinet endorses a reinterpretation of rules that have banned the use of armed force
except in very narrowly defined circumstances. Japan troops now will be able to come to the aid of
allies if they come under attack from an enemy.
Warships, submarines, aircrafts and helicopters of India, US and Japan gathered in the north-
western Pacific as the three nations kicked off their trilateral Malabar naval exercise on 24 July
2014.
Indian Air Force received its sixth C-17 Globemaster III aircraft at the Palam Airbase in New Delhi
in July 2014 in the presence of the Union Defence Minister Arun Jaitley.
INS Kamorta Handed Over to Navy INS Kamorta, the first in series of anti-submarine corvettes
indigenously built by Kolkata based Garden Reach Ship builders & Engineers Ltd. (GRSE), was
handed over to Indian Navy in Kolkata on 12 July 2014.

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Navy Gets its Largest Destroyer The Indian Navy, in July 2014, got its largest-ever destroyer after
the addition of the 163 metre-long vessel Kolkata (D63) to its arsenal. Kolkata (D63) is Indias first
domestically built guided missile destroyer to feature a Western-style air search radar and stealth
technology.
Pla Distributes New Battle Maps In Border Chinas People Liberalisation Army (PLA) has
distributed as many as 15 million new battle maps to troop units in western border regions
including the disputed Aksai Chin area in an effort to enhance patrolling to bolster Chinese
territorial claims.

Committees/Commissions
Number of Poor to Rise under Rangarajan Formula: The Rangarajan Committee which submitted
its report on July 1, 2014, recommends a formula for identifying the poor that places a significantly
higher number of Indians below the poverty line than the methodology adopted by the Tendulkar
Committee. If the Modi Government accepts this recommendation, it will mean more than 370
million Indians were below the poverty line (BPL) in 2011-12 as against the Tendulkar panels
estimate of 270 million.
Mayaram Panel Report On Foreign Direct Investment Seeking to simplify norms a government
panel has suggested that foreign investment of over 10 per cent in a listed company be treated as
FDI and the one from NRIs on a non-repairable basis be deemed as domestic investment. The report
was accepted by the government on June 21, 2014. The panel on rationalising definitions of FDI and
FII, headed by Finance Secretary Arvind Mayaram, said foreign investment in an unlisted company
should be treated as FDI.
It aims at removing ambiguities over clear demarcation between FDI and foreign institutional
investment. The report also says an investor may be allowed to invest below the 10 per cent
threshold, and this can be treated as FDI, subject to the condition that the FDI stake is raised to
10 per cent or beyond within one year from the date of the first purchase. If the stake is not
raised to 10 per cent or above, then the investment can be treated as portfolio investment.
Foreign direct investment is subject to sectoral caps. FDI reflects a lasting interest and long-term
relationship, while under portfolio investment, the relationship between the investor and the
company remains largely anonymous, the report says. The report says any investment way of
equity shares, compulsorily convertible preference shares/debentures less than 10 per cent
should be treated as foreign portfolio investment (FPI). FPI includes portfolio investors such as
foreign institutional investors (FIIs) and qualified foreign investors (QFIs).
The Union Government, in July 2014, announced to appoint Suresh Prabhu Committee to review
the gas pricing formula. Suresh Prabhu is a former Union Power Minister under National
Democratic Alliance (NDA) government led by Atal Bihari Vajpayee. The other members on the
panel will be Pratab Bhanu Mehta, President and Chief Executive of Centre for Policy Research and
Bibek Debroy of the same institute. The decision to set up Suresh Prabhu Committee comes close on
the heels of the Union government decision to put stay on the revision of natural gas price.
Committee On Capital Set Up The Andhra Pradesh Government on July 20, 2014 issued a GO
constituting a nine-member advisory committee with Municipal Administration Minister P.
Narayana as its chairman to examine different aspects of constructing a capital city as well as
suggest an action plan for its development. The committee has four industrialists.
Schemes/Initiatives
Centre Notifies Rules for Government Staff Under Lokpal Act The Centre has notified new rules
on declaration of assets and liabilities of its employees under the Lokpal Act. As per the rules, the
employees have to file returns with details of cash in hand, bank deposits, investment in bonds,
debentures, shares and units in companies or mutual funds, personal loans and advance given to a
person or any entity, among others. They need to declare motor vehicles, aircraft, yachts or ships,
gold and silver jewellery and bullion possessed by them, their spouses and dependent children. The
employees must also give details of their immovable properties along with statement of debts and
other liabilities on first appointment or as on March 31 of every financial year.

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Summit/Conference
Ufa 7
th
BRICS Summit will be held in Russian city of Ufa in 2015. The announcement was made in
Fortaleza Declaration on 16 July 2014 on the sidelines of 6
th
BRICS Summit in Fortaleza, Brazil.
Fortaleza is the state capital of Ceara, located in Northeastern Brazil. It is the 5
th
largest city in
Brazil. The city was one of the host cities of the 2014 FIFA World Cup. The 6
th
BRICS Summit was
held here in July 2014.
Business 20 (B20) Australia Summit was held in Sydney, Australia on 18 July 2014.
7
th
India-Brazil-South Africa (IBSA) summit will be held in New Delhi, India in 2015. This was
announced after Prime Minister Narendra Modi met South African President Jacob Juma on the
sidelines of 6
th
BRICS Summit in Fortaleza, Brazil on 16 July 2014.
Agreement/Deal/Sign/Talk
India and China sign three bilateral agreements, which include the setting up of industrial parks
and increasing the sharing of flood water data from the Brahmaputra river.
United Kingdom Finance Minister George Osborne offers a credit line of 1 billion for investment
in Indian infrastructure projects as India and United Kingdom sign an accord to formalise
cooperation on infrastructure and public-private partnership.
United States Secretary of State John Kerry holds talks with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi
in Cairo over concerns about Egypts crackdown on the Muslim Brotherhood and the threat which
the conflict in Iraq poses to the Middle East.
Ukraines new Western-backed President Petro Poroshenko signs a landmark European Union Pact,
which pulls Kiev out of Kremlins orbit.
Russian President Vladimir Putin signs a nuclear energy cooperation deal with Argentina, where
by Russian state atomic energy corporation, Rasatom will assist in the construction of two new
nuclear power units in Argentina.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and German Chancellor Angela Merkel hold a constructive, very
thorough dialogue in Brazil to resolve the situation in Ukraine.
Tata-led South African telecoms operator Neotel has secured a ground breaking deal with the State
Information Technology Agency (SITA) and the Western Cape provincial government to provide
broadband services across the province over the next three years.
Larsent & Toubro (L&T) has inked an agreement with CPP Investment Board Singaporean Holdings
1 (CPPIBSH), a whollyowned subsidiary of Canada Pension Plan Investment Board, for an intial
investmet of Rs.1,000 crore.
The Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) and the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), on July 24, 2014 signed
an agreement, enabling the RBI to access the Sri Lankan government securities market, up to a
maximum value of $500 million. The CBSL, in turn will be able to further diversify its reserves
management activities into Indian rupee denominated assets. The agreement was signed between
RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan and Central Bank of Sri Lanka Governor Ajith Nivard Cabraal on
the sidelines of the SAARCFINANCE Governors Symposium in Colombo.
Anil Ambani Group company Reliance Power on July 27, 2014 said it has signed an agreement to
acquire the entire hydro power portfolio of Jaiprakash Associates Ltd comprising of three operating
plants. The deal is estimated to be close to Rs.12,000 crore, making it the largest in Indias
infrastructure sector. The three projects are Baspa Stage II (300 MW) and Karcham Wangtoo (1,091
MW) in Himachal Pradesh an Vishnuprayag (400 MW) in Uttarakhand.
Wipro Inks pact with Canada firm Wipro has entered into a dual deal with ATCO Group under
which it will acquire the Canadian companys IT services arm and provide outsourcing services to
ATCO. The Bangalore-based company on July 8, 2014 said it would acquire ATCOs IT subsidiary

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for Canadian $210 million ($195 million, or over Rs.1,176 crore), payable in cash. The sale is
expected to be completed in the third quarter of 2014.
Besides, Wipro has secured a 10-year IT deal with ATCO to provide outsourcing services, which
will result in annual revenues of over Canadian $120 million ($112 million, or over Rs.675 crore)
for Wipro for the next 10 years.
In a sign of expanding military-to-military engagement between India and China, permanent
representatives of the Indian Air Force (IAF) and the Navy have, for the first time, taken office in
Beijing. Group captain Ashish Srinivastava of the Indian Air Force and Captain Sushant Dam of the
Indian Navy began their terms as the Air and Naval attaches in the Indian Embassy in Beijing on
July 24, 2014.
Meet/Visit
Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi vows of nurture bilateral relations with Bhutan as he meets
his counterpart, Tshering Tobgay and King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck in Thimpu on his
first foreign visit.
External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj meets Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in Dhaka.
India agrees to 5-year multiple entry tourist visas for Bangladeshi nationals below 13 and above 65
years of age.
Queen Maxima of The Netherlands visits the Sarvajal plant in Sawda Ghevra in New Delhi to see
how the innovative water ATMs work. She is in Delhi in her role as the United Nations Secretary
Generals Special Advocate for Inclusive Finance for Development.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth Shooting Federation (CSF) in its meeting in Glasgow
on 28 July 2014 agreed to reinstate shooting pair events in the 2018 Commonwealth Games (CWG)
to be held in Australia.
Bills
Bill on Polavaram Project Passed: Parliament on July 14, 2014 passed a Bill to facilitate the transfer
of 205 villages spread across seven mandals in the newly formed State of Telangana to the residual
State of Andhra Pradesh for the multipurpose Polavaram irrigation project. The Bill, approved by
the Lok Sabha on July 11, 2014 was opposed by members of the Rajya Sabha from Telangana,
Odisha and Chhattisgarh on the plea that it would cause unwarranted displacement of 52,000
Scheduled Caste families from the three States.
TRAI Bill Passed in Parliament The Narendra Modi government on July 15, 2014 successfully
pushed through a bill to amend the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India to formalise the
appointment of Nripendra Misra as Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister. The NDA has just 43
members in the Rajya Sabha in an effective strength of 240. Within three days of the oath-taking
ceremony, the Cabinet on May 28 recommended the promulgation of an ordinance to amend the
TRAI Act to facilitate the appointment of Mr. Misra. The TRAI Act bars a former chairman from
taking up any government job after retirement. But the government defended it on the ground that
the Prime Minister should have the right to pick a person of his choice for such a crucial job. The lok
Sabha passed the TRAI Bill on July 14, 2014.
Economy/Business
Kuwaits Parliament passes a record $ 82.6 billion budget for 2014-15 fiscal year, projecting a $ 11.2
billion shortfull on the basis of a conservative oil price.
The United General Assemblys budget committee approves the budget for its far flung
peacekeeping missions. The overall budget for the fiscal year July 1, 2014 June 30, 2015 is
estimated at $ 8.6 billion, an increase from the $ 7.83 billion budget that expired on June 30, 2014.
India to Become third largest Economy by 2030 India is set to become the third-largest economy
in the world bye 2030, according to a latest report by global audit firm Pricewater house Coopers
(PwC).

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The ninth edition of the National Health Profile, 2013, released on July 17, 2014, reveals that per
capita private expenditure on health is three to four times higher than per capita public expenditure
in all major States the exceptions being some North-eastern States and Jammu and Kashmir.
Private per capita expenditure on health is on the rise, according to the national health profile 2013
released on July 17, 2014.










DELHI - Budget 2014-15: Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley proposed no new taxes while
presenting the Budget for Delhi for 2014-15 on July 18, 2014. He announced Rs.260 crore in power
subsidies to provide relief to targeted consumers on account of increase in tariffs and to ensure that
the poor and marginalised should not suffer. The Rs.36,776 crore budget for Delhi was presented
in Parliament as Delhi is currently under Presidents rule. The government announced a subsidy of
Rs.1.20 per unit up to 200 units and 80 paisa per unit for the 201-400 units slab to small power
consumers. In addition, Mr. Jaitley announced a slew of initiatives that will add more night shelters,
low-floor buses, schools and sewage treatment capacity in the Capital. A multi-specialty hospital is
also slated to come up in Rohini. The total budget estimates for the Government of NCT of Delhi for
the year 2014-15 is Rs.36,766 crore. It includes Rs.19,066 crore non-plan expenditure and Rs.17,700
crore Plan expenditure.
CAG Report: The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report, tabled in the Parliament on
August 1, 2014 said the Shiela Dikshit Government in Delhi spent Rs.3,029.21 crore on
regularisation of illegal colonies but failed to provide the most basic amenities, such as sewer, water
lines, roads and drainage. The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India has indicated a
number of Delhi government departments for wasteful expenditure, stuck infrastructure and social
security projects, besides ignoring key environmental issues.
Delhi Tourism and Transportation Development Corporation Limited incurred a loss of Rs.1.44
crore in operation and management of a canteen in Delhi Assembly.
Delhi Transport Corporation suffered avoidable loss of Rs.53.59 crore on account of
unauthorised occupation of staff quarters at two staff colonies.
Eight out of 37 government hospitals in Delhi do not have NOCs issued by fire department.
Basic amenities and facilities such as drinking water, sanitation, drainage and sewerage were not
up to mark in community halls maintained by Municipal Corporations.
National Institute of Jewellery was set up and suffered a loss of Rs.3.20 crore up to 2011-12. Only
13-57 students were enrolled from 2005-2013.
Only 158 out of 685 slum clusters had piped water facilities serving 250 to 300 persons against
the standards of 150 persons. The roads and drainages were dilapidated although Rs.49.08 crore
was spent on this.
No sewerage master plan, sewage from 46 per cent of population down the Yamuna untreated.
Companies/Industry
In its second attempt Diageo Plc, the worlds largest sprits company, has managed to take control of
United Spirits Ltd. (USL), Indias largest spirits company after successful closure of the latest open
offer. Diageo, through its wholly owned subsidiary Relay BV, had accepted the tender of 37.79
million shares in USL at a price of Rs.3,030 a share under the open offer announced on April 15.
2000 2010
Total expenditure (% of GDP) 4.3 3.7
Out of Pocket expenditure 91.8 86.4
Private Prepaid Plans* 1.1 4.7
Per capita total expenditure^ 65 126
Per capita govt. expenditure 17 36
* % of private expenditure
^ PPP international $

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ONGC Videsh Ltd. (OVL) has raised $2.21 billion in long-term bonds, the largest bond sale from
India, from overseas markets to refinance loans taken to acquire oil fields in Mozambique. These
include $750 million in five-year bonds, $750 million ten-year bonds and 525 million euro in seven-
year bonds.
Industrial production grew at 4.7 per cent in May, 2014 a 19-month high, according to official data
re-leased on July 11, 2014. The growth is mainly on the back of recovery in the output of
manufacturing, mining and electricity production and capital goods.
Ranbaxy Laboratories has received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to
launch a cheaper copy of Novartis AGs blood pressure pill Diovan, bolstering its outlook after a
raft of regulatory bans for poor production quality at its India facilities dented investor sentiment.
As per estimates by civil aviation think-tank Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation (CAPA), the cash
balance of some airlines has reached dangerous levels. Adding to their problem is the frequent fare
wars, which result in lower yields.
Cash Balance At the end of 2013-14, CAPA had estimated that Indian carriers had Rs.3,250
crore ($585 million) of cash on hand. With annual industry turnover in excess to Rs.60,000 crore
($10 billion ), this represents the equivalent of less than three weeks revenues, CAPA said in a
report.
As per CAPAs estimates, Indian carriers in the last seven years reported accumulated losses of
Rs.63,300 crore ($10.6 billion), including Rs.10,200 crore ($1.7 billion) in 2013-14. For 2014-15, the
domestic airline industry is projected to report a combined net loss of Rs.84,000 crore ($1.4
billion).
Debt It said full service carriers such as Air India and Jet Airways have been drawn into a
vicious circle of debt. Airlines, including the grounded Kingfisher, have accumulated loans of
Rs.95,000 crore ($15.83 billion), including vendor liabilities. SpiceJet Rs.1,003 crore, net loss in
2013-14.
Jet and JetLite Rs.4,130 crore net loss in 2013-14
Air India Rs.4000-4,500 crore net loss in 2013-14. Rs.9,600 crore ($1.6 billion) Airlines other than
IndiGo will require this year to sustain business.
Indian Airline Rs.8,400 crore ($1.4 billion) combined losses in 2014 - 15
Rs.63,300 crore ($10.6 billion) Accumulated losses in 7 years
Rs.60,000 crore ($10 billion) With annual industry turnover of Rs.60,000 crore ($1C billion)
this, represents the equivalent of less than three weeks
24% the government must notify ATF as a declared good, thereby reducing tax on ATF to 4
per cent from an average of 24 per cent.
10-12% - this will help airline to reduce their operating cost by 10 to 12 per cent.
Chinese gold processing firms have since 2012 used falsified gold transactions to borrow 94.4 billion
yuan ($15.2 billion) from banks, the countrys chief auditor said. Commodities such as copper,
rubber, soybeans and bullion have commonly been used in China for financing, where traders or
investors borrow against the commodity with the aim of investing the money in high-return areas
such as real estate or shadow banking.
GMR Gets Relief in Male Airport Row Infrastructure major GMR and one of its subsidiaries that
got a multi-million dollar contract to modernise and operate the Male International Airport, which
however, was terminated after a regime change in the Island nation one-and-half years ago, got
some relief with an arbitration tribunal upholding the concession agreement as valid and binding.
Eight Indian companies, led by state-run IOC, have made it to the latest Fortune Global 500 list of
worlds biggest firms. Globally, Wal-Mart has pushed energy giant Royal Duth Shell to second
place, followed by Chinese majors Sinopec and China National Petroleum, with Exxon Mobil at fifth
place. There are 128 United States companies on the list, and 95 from China. Among the Indian
companies, only Tata Motors has improved its ranking; the others, including Reliance Industries,
BPCL, HPCL, SBI and ONGC, have fallen.

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Air India on July 11, 2014 formally became a member of Star Alliance, a conglomeration of 26 over-
seas airlines.
The State-run Gujarat Urja Vikas Nigam Ltd (GUVNL) extended undue benefit to Essar Power
Gujarat Limited (EPGL) to the tune of Rs.587 crore, the report of the Comptroller and Auditor
General of India, has noted.
Stock Market
SEBI Unveils Measures to Revitalise Markets Initiating a wide range of measures, Securities and
Exchange Board of India (SEBI) on June 19, 2014 asked all listed public sector undertakings (PSUs)
to ensure at least 25 per cent public shareholding within three years and unveiled new norms for
research analysts, employee stock option schemes as well as reforms to boost the primary market.
SEBI believes that rules for minimum public shareholding should be uniform across all the
companies and should be promoter neutral.
Minimum dilution to public shall be 25% or Rs.400 crore whichever is lower.
All listed companies including PSUs shall be required to achieve and maintain minimum public
shareholding of 25% with in a time period of three years.
Under offer for sale of shares through stock exchange mechanism, minimum 10 per cent of the
issue shall be reserved for retail investors.
SEBI Slaps fine on Reliance Industries The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) on
August 8, 2014 imposed a penalty of Rs.18 crore on Reliance Industries LTd. (RIL) for non-
disclosure of a key earnings ratio.
The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), on July 15, 2014 barred erstwhile Satyam
Computer Services chairman B. Ramalinga Raju and its former top officials from accessing the
securities market for 14 years, with immediate effect. SEBI also banned B. Rama Raju, ex-Managing
Director, Vadlamani Srinivas, ex-Chief Financial Officer, G. Ramakrishna, ex-Vice President
(Finance) and V.S. Prabhakara Gupta, ex-Head.
Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), on July 17, 2014 came out with draft guidelines for
Infrastructure Investment Trusts (InvITs), which will enable creation of a new investment product
for arranging long-term financing for infrastructure projects. These InvITs can be listed on the stock
exchanges, will get tax benefits and will invest the funds collected from investors in infrastructure
projects, including PPP (public private partnership).
The Centre on July 24, 2014 approved the sale of 10 million tonnes of wheat in the open market from
Food Corporation of India (FCI) stocks to boost domestic supply, contain prices and ease pressure
on storage.
Exports/Imports
Draft Textile Policy An expert panel constituted by the government, submitted the draft of the
new National Textiles Policy on July 28, 2014, which aims to achieve $300 billion (Rs.18 lakh crore)
exports by 2024-25 and create 35 million more jobs by attracting investments. At present, exports of
the Indian textile and apparel industry amount to $39 billion (R.2.34 lakh crore).

Taxation/Trade
Indirect Tax Collections up in April-June Indirect tax mop up inched up by 4.6 per cent in the
April-June quarter of the current fiscal due to decline in custom duty and excise duty collections,
reflecting a slump in manufacturing activity. Indirect tax collections, comprising excise, customs
and service tax, stood at about Rs.1.13 lakh crore in the first quarter of 2014-15, as against Rs.1.08
lakh crore in the corresponding period a year ago. The growth at 4.6 per cent is far less than 25 per
cent increase envisaged in the budget for 2014-15.

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Space
Indias Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle C-23 successfully puts five foreign satellites into orbit in the
presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Indian Space Research Organisations spaceport
in Sriharikota.
An unmanned Delta-2 rocket blasts off from California, carrying a NASA science satellite to survey
where carbon dioxide is moving into and out of Earths atmosphere.
Vintage Nasa Space-craft set for Interplanetary probe A team of scientist is priming a 36-year-old
NASA spacecraft named International Sun-Earth Explorer 3 spacecraft, ISEE-3, to enter new science
frontiers.
Opportunity Sets The Record For Off-Earth Roving American space agency NASA, on 29 July
2014, said that Mars rover, Opportunity, which landed on the Red Planet in 2004, is now the record
holder of the off-Earth roving distance after accruing 40 kilometres of driving. Opportunity has
driven farther than any other wheeled vehicle on another world.
Biodiversity Loss Pushing Earth towards Sixth mass Extinction Scientists warned in July 2014
that the persistent loss and decline of biodiversity is leading humanity to early days of the planets
sixth mass biological extinction event. Since 1500, more than 320 terrestrial vertebrates have become
extinct. Populations of the remaining species show a 25 per cent average decline in abundance.
Scientists Spot New Objects Beyond Pluto Scientists using the Hubble Space Telescope, in July
2014, announced to have discovered two new objects beyond Pluto for NASAs New Horizons
spacecraft to visit. Analysis of an initial 200 Hubble images, taken between June 16 and June 26,
showed that a least two Kuiper Belt objects might be within range of New Horizons.
NASA Builds Worlds First Flying Observatory NASA, in July 2014, announced to have fitted a
17-tonne telescope with an effective diameter of eight feet on a modified Boeing 747 jet liner that the
U.S. space agency is using as a flying observatory to study stars. The infrared telescope called
Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) is mounted behind a sliding door that
reveals it to the skies. The jet can stay airborne for over 12 hours and its range is up to 6,625 nautical
miles (7,624 miles).
Science and Technology
Synthetic diamonds are hardest gems - Researchers have created synthetic diamonds that are less
prone to deformation and breaking than both natural and man-made diamonds.
Super-Stretchable graphene yarn - Researchers from the United States and Japan have developed a
simple method to make strong, stretchable graphene oxide yarn. Researchers at Penn State in the
United States and Shinshu University in Japan have developed a simple, scalable method of making
graphene oxide (GO) fibres that are strong, stretchable and can be easily scrolled into yarns.
New Mite Species Named After J Lo: Researchers have discovered new pontarachnid mite species,
from Bajo de Sico, a mesophotic coral reef ecosystem in Mona Passage off Puerto Rico, which has
been named after the famous singer Jennifer Lopez.
Ultra HD Laptop - Toshiba, on June 17, 2014 announced a range of new devices for the domestic
market, including 2-in-1s (tablet-cum-notebooks) and workstations a first for the company. The
Japanese firm, which is targeting to be among the top three PC players in the segment by the end of
this fiscal, has also launched the worlds first ultra HD 4K laptop. The series launched include the
Satellite S series and L series, Portege Z30 and Tecra Z40, hybrid and professional workstation.
Worlds First Android Newscaster - Japanese scientists on June 24, 2014 unveiled what they said
was the worlds first news-reading android, eerily lifelike and possessing a sense of humour to
match her perfect language skills. The adolescent-looking Kodomoroid an amalgamation of the
Japanese word kodomo (child) and android delivered news of an earthquake and an FBI raid
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Chinas Tianhe-2 Is Worlds Fastest Computer Chinas Tianhe-2 has been named the worlds
fastest computer for the third year in a row at the International Supercomputing Conference in
Leipzig, Germany. Overall, the United States has the most super-computers out of the top 500
system, with China in a distant second; the United Kingdom, France and Germany lag far behind.
3D-Pinted Body Parts Designed For Teaching: Scientists have developed highly-realistic 3D-
printed body parts to allow trainee doctors to learn human anatomy without needing access to a
real cadaver. The 3D Printed Anatomy Series, developed by experts from Monash University, is
thought to be the first commercially available resources of its kind. The kit contains no human
tissue, yet it provides all the major parts of the body required to teach anatomy of the limbs, chest,
abdomen, head and neck.
India Helps Crack Wheat Genetic Code Agricultural scientists from three Indian institutes have
collaborated with the International Wheat Genome Sequencing Consortium (IWGSC) to decipher
the genetic blueprint of wheat. This is expected to help breeders produce better quality cereal.
Anti-Tank Missile Detector to fight Malaria An anti-tank Javelin missile detector, commonly
used in warfare to detect the enemy, has been found to rapidly identify malaria parasites in blood.
Mangalore Varsity Develops Key Technology for Barc Mangalore University, in July 2014,
added a feather to its cap by developing a technology and fabricating a prototype system, for the
removal of two radioactive gases (radon and thoron) present in work places of industries that
handle uranium and thorium. The technology, called thoron mitigation system, will also minimise
the release of these two gases into the environment. The university has developed the technology
under a Memorandum of Understanding with the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC),
Mumbai. BARC has funded the project.
Scientists Find Ageing Cure Japanese scientists, in July 2014, announced to have found a way to
slow down the ageing process in flowers by up to a half, meaning bouquets could remain fresh for
much longer. Morning glory is the popular name for a hundreds of species of flowering plants
whose short-lived blooms usually unfold early in the day and are gone by nightfall. By suppressing
the gene named EPHEMERALI the lifespan of each flower was almost doubled. Unmodified
flowers started withering 13 hours after they opened, but flowers that had been genetically
modified stayed open for 24 hours.
Only 8.2% of Human DNA is Functional According to a group of genetic scientists led by Dr
Gerton Lunter of the University of Oxfords Welcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics, only 8.2
percent of human genome is likely to be doing something important. This figure is very different
from one given in 2012 by researchers from the Encyclopedia of DNA Elements (ENCODE) project,
who stated that about 80 percent of human DNA has some biochemical function.
Energy/Gas/Oil
Oil and Natural Gas Corp (ONGC), on June 27, 2014, announced to invest over Rs.5,700 crore in re-
development of its giant Mumbai High (North) oil and gas field off the west coast.
The Competition Commission of India (CCI) on July 7, 2014 imposed a penalty of more than Rs.25
crore on Adani Gas for violating competition norms by abusing its dominant market position.

Environment
Australias Government, on 17 July 2014, repealed a much-maligned carbon tax on the nations
worst greenhouse gas polluters, ending years of contention over a measure that became political
poison for the lawmakers who imposed it.
Transport/Cars/Scooters
The Indian Railways effects the largest-ever hike in recent times by increasing the passenger fares
by 14.2 per cent and freight charges by 6.5 per cent. The hike will take effect from June 25, 2014.
China is planning the construction of two railway lines in Tibet that will extend up to the border
with India and are expected to be completed by 2020, State media said on July 24, 2014.

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Media/Telecommunication/IT
Project Zero To Defend People Against Cyber-Attacks - Tech titan Google on July 16, 2014
unveiled Project Zero a team of elite hackers designated for checking internet security holes and
defending people from cyber-attacks.
App To Erase All Evidences Of Chats - Wiper, a messaging app which made its debut in July 2014,
has come up with a feature which will erase all the messages and photos shared from both the
phones and companys server with just one tap.
TRAI Doubles Minimum Broadband Speed: Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has
notified that the minimum broadband speed has been raised to 512 kilo bytes per second (kbps)
from the earlier 256 kbps.
PM Launches E-Governance Platform Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on 26 July 2014, launched
an online platform mygov.nic.in to engage citizens in the task of good governance(surajya) as he
completed 60 days in office. MyGov is a technology-driven platform that would provide people
with the opportunity to contribute towards good governance.
LI-FI Data Transmission Through Light A Mexican Software Company, in July 2014, managed to
transmit audio, video and Internet across the spectrum of light emitted by LED lamps at a data
transfer rate of 10 gigabytes per second. The technology, called Li Fi or light fidelity, is presented as
an alternative to Wi-Fi because it will maximise the original provided speed of the internet to offer
safer data transfer and a transfer rate of up to 10 gigabytes per second.
Sharing of all Telecom Spectrum Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) on July 21, 2014
recommended allowing sharing of all categories of spectrum. The move is likely to benefit major
operators such as Bharti Airtel, Vodafone, Idea, Reliance Communications and Tata Teleservices,
helping them reduce costs and at the same time improve service quality.
Appointments/Election
President Pranab Mukherjee appoints the Chief Justices of Calcutta and Orissa High Courts, Arun
Mishra and Adarsh Kumar Goel respectively, and senior lawyer Rohinton Nariman as Supreme
Court judges.
Gujarat Governor Kamala Beniwal is transferred to Mizoram for the remainder of her term.
Vakkom Purushothaman, Governor of Mizoram is shifted to Nagaland for the rest of his term.
Senior advocate Pinky Anand is appointed as Additional Solicitor General (ASG) in the Supreme
Court. Anand is the second woman lawyer to be appointed an ASG after senior advocate Indira
Jaising.
Puducherry Lt. Governor Virendra Kataria is sacked and Lt.General (Retd). Ajay Kumar Singh,
Lieutenant Governor of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, is appointed as interim Lt. Governor of
Puducherry.
In its first gubernatorial appointments, the National Democratic Alliance Government names five
new Governors. Ram Naik is appointed Governor of Uttar Pradesh, senior Delhi leader Om
Prakash Kohli will be the Governor of Gujarat, Punjab party leader Balramji Dass Tandon takes
over in Chhattisgarh, Keshari Nath Tripathi in West Bengal and Padmanabha Acharya will be
Nagaland governor.
Alexander Stubb is set to become Finlands new Prime Minister as he defeats Paula Risikko by 500
votes to 349 in the second round of polling by members of national coalition.
The President of Colombia Juan Manuel Santos wins the second term securing almost 51 per cent
vote in the runoff election.
The United Nations General Assembly approves the nomination of Jordans Prince Zeid al-Hussein
as the next UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, making him the first Muslim and Arab to
hold the post.

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Felipe VI is crowned as the King of Spain at La Zarzuela Palace in Madrid. King Felipe calls for
Spain to stay united but respect cultural differences.
Justice VK Rajah, an Indian-origin judge is appointed as the eighth Attorney General of
Singapore. Rajah is also appointed as a Member of the Presidential Council for Minority Rights for
a term of three years.
Former Prime Minister of Luxembourg Jean Claude Juncker is named as the next President of the
European Commission. He will replace Jose Manuel Barroso.
Pakistans Supreme Courts most senior judge Nasir-ul-Mulk takes over as the Chief Justice after
his predecessor Tassaduq Hussain Jillani retires.
Former World Bank economist Ashraf Ghani wins Afghanistans presidential election, according to
preliminary results, with 56.4 per cent of the run-off vote to Abdullah Abdullahs 43.5 per cent.
BCCI President-in-exile N Srinivasan is formally appointed the first chairman of the International
Cricket Council (ICC) after its 52-member council approved a revamp of the bodys administrative
structure.
Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan was, in July 2014, appointed as the horticulture
ambassador of the state of Maharashtra.
Ukraines Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk resigned from the office in July 2014.
Bashar al-Assad was sworn in for a third 7-year term as president of Syria in July 2014.
Famous British actress, Emma Watson, was in July 2014 appointed as the Goodwill Ambassador of
UN Women the United Nations organization devoted to gender equality and the empowerment
of women.
General Dalbir Singh Suhag took charge as the new Chief of the Army Staff of 1.3 million strong
Indian Army in July 2014.
The Council of Representatives of Iraq (Iraqi Parliament) in Baghdad elected Muhammad Fuad
Masum of Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) party as the seventh President of Iraq in July 2014.
Jakarta (Indonesia) Governor Joko Widodo was, in July 2014, declared the winner of the Indonesian
presidential polls.
The President of India appointed veteran BJP leader and Rajya Sabha member Kaptan Singh
Solanki (75) as the Governor of Haryana in Place of Jagannath Pahadia in July 2014.
Micheele Howard, on 1 July 2014, became the first female four-star admiral in US Navy. She is the
first women admiral in 236 year old history of US Navy.
Indian tennis star Sania Mirza was appoint as Brand Ambassador of Telangana on 22 July 2014.
Indian cricket legend Rahul Dravid on 16 July 2014 was elected as the member of Laureus World
Sports Academy. He is the 47
th
member of the Academy. After his election to the Academy, Dravid
(nicknamed The Wall) met and played cricket with the young coaches of the Urban Academy of
Londons East End.
S.S.Mundra took charge as deputy governor Reserve Bank of India in July 2014. As a deputy
governor of the central bank, he will be responsible for banking supervision, currency management,
financial stability and rural credit.
Shashi Kant Sharma, Indias Comptroller & Auditor General (C&AG), took charge as Member of
the United Nations Board of Auditors, for a six-year term in July 2014.
Sujit Choudhry, a noted expert in comparative constitutional law, in July 2014, became the first
Indian-American dean of the University of California, Berkeley, School of Law, a top US law school.

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Resignation/Dismissed/Retired/Quit
Uttar Pradesh Governor Banwari Lal Joshi resigns from the post.
Chhattisgarh Governor Shekhar Dutt sends his resignation to the President Pranab Mukherjee.
Nagaland Governor Ashwani Kumar resigns from the post.
Karnataka Governor HR Bhardwaj and Tripura Governor Devanand Konwar retire as their term
ends. Bhardwaj was Union Law Minister in the first UPA government while Konwar, a Congress
veteran from Assam, was a state minister.
MK Narayanan resigns as Governor of West Bengal. The first Governor to be questioned by an
investigative agency, Mr.Narayanan is the fourth Governor to resign following pressure from the
Bharatiya Janata Party government on appointees of the United Progressive Alliances government.
Goa Governor Bharat Vir Wanchoo, who is quizzed by a team of the Central Bureau of
investigation at the Raj Bhawan as a witness in Agusta Westland chopper deal scam, submits his
resignation.
Left-arm spinner Murali Kartik announces his retirement after a First-Class career that spanned
over 17 years. He played eight Tests and 37 ODIs for India between 1999 and 2007.
Jacques Kallis, the South African all-rounder on 30 July 2014 announced his retirement from all-
formats of International cricket, viz., One Day Internationals and T20s.
Philipp Lahm, the captain of Germanys football team announced his retirement from international
game on 18 July 2014.
Luiz Felipe Scolari, the football coach of Brazil on 14 July 2014 resigned after Brazil failed to win
the 2014 FIFA World Cup.
Mahela Jayawardene, the former skipper of Sri Lankan cricket team, announced his retirement
from Test cricket on 14 July 2014. He will retire from Test Cricket after the home series against
Pakistan in August 2014.
Arrests/Jailed/Released
Veteran entertainer Rolf Harris, a household name in Britain and Australia for decades, is jailed for
five years and nine months by a judge in London for a string of sexual assaults against girls and
young women.
Andy Coulson, the former editor of Rupert Murdochs News of the World and one time aide to
British Prime Minister David Cameron, is jailed for 18 months for his role in the phone-hacking
scandal that closed the tabloid.
An Egyptian court sentences Muslim Brotherhood leader Mohamed Badie to life in prison for
inciting violence that erupted after the army deposed Islamist President Mohamed Morsy in 2013.

Deaths
Legendary actor Zohra Sehgal, who essayed character roles with aplomb in a career spanning both
theatre and cinema, passes away at the age of 102.
Senior Vishwa Hindu Parishad leader Giriraj Kishore, who was actively associated with the Ram
Temple agitation, passes away at the age 94.
Stephanie Kwolek, a United States chemist who invented kevlar fiber used in body armour and
other bullet-proof gear, passes away at the age of 90.
Eli Wallach, an early practitioner of method acting who made a lasting impression as the scuzzy
bandit Tuco in The Good, the Bad and the Ugly passes away at the age of 98.
Legendary US soul artiste Bobby Womack, who influenced and wrote for generations of musicians,
passes away at the age of 70.

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The Head of Ukraine orthodox church, Metropolitan Volodymyr, who had been credited with
stabilising the church, passes away aged 78.
Paul Horn, who has been called Father of New Age Music, passes away at the age of 84 in
Vancouver, Canada.
Eduard Shevardnadze, a ground breaking Soviet Foreign Minister and later the President of an
independent Georgia, passes away at the age of 86.
The last surviving founding member of the pioneering punk band The Ramones, Tommy Ramone,
passes away at the age of 62.
Bassist Charlie Haden, who helped change the shape of jazz as a member of Ornette Colemans
quartet and liberated the bass from its traditional rhythm section role, passes away in Los Angeles
at the age of 76.
South African Nobel Prize-winning author Nadine Gordimer, an uncompromising moralist who
became one of the most powerful voices against the injustice of apartheid, passes away at the age of
90.
Jamil Ahmad, the author of an acclaimed collection of short stories about life in Pakistans tribal
badlands, passes away at the age of 83.
The first black woman to win an Olympic gold medal, Alice Coachman Davis, died on July 14, 2014
in South Georgia. She was 90.
Jimmy Scott, the United States jazz singer whose haunting contralto voice won him acclaim over
the course of more than seven decades, passed away on June 12, 2014 at the age of 88.
Bir Bikrom UK Ching Marma, the well known Bangladeshi freedom fighter died on 25 July 2014.
UK Ching was the only person of ethnic minority origin to be awarded Bir Bikrom for his
contribution to the countrys Liberation War in 1971.
Eduard Shevardnadze, the former President of Georgia died on 7 July 2014.
American actor James Garner died at the age of 86 in Los Angeles on 19 July 2014.
Granville Austin, the eminent scholar of the Indian Constitution died on 6 July 2014 in Washington
DC.
Former Haitian president Leslie Francois Manigat on 27 June 2014 died at the age of 83.
Lorin Varencove Maazel, the American conductor of classical music, violinist and composer died
on 13 July 2014 at his home in Castleton, Virginia.
Louis Zamperini, a 1936 US Olympic distance runner and World War II veteran, died due to
pneumonia on 2 July 2014.
Madhukar Singh, an eminent Hindi litterateur died at his residence in village Dharahara of Bhojpur
district on 21 July 2014.
Nadine Gordimer, the South African Nobel Prize-winning author, died on 14 July 2014 in
Johannesburg. She was 90. Her last novel No Time Like the Present was published in 2012.
Veteran Journalist Sundaram Sankaran died on 19 July 2014. He passed away at his residence in
Kensington, Maryland in the US. He was 87.
Theodore Van Kirk, the last surviving crewman of the US plane that dropped the atomic bomb in
Hiroshima, Japan during the World War II died on 28 July 2014. He was 93.
Awards/Honours
Noted Hindi poet Kedarnath Singh is selected for the prestigious Jnanpith Award for 2013. He is
the 10
th
Hindi writer to receive the honour.

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Oscar-winning Hollywood actress Angelina Jolie is named an honorary dame in the British
Queens birthday honours list for her services to United Kingdom foreign policy and her
campaigning to end sexual violence in war zones.
Sanjaya Rajaram, veteran plant scientist, is selected for the 2014 World Food Prize for his scientific
research that led to a prodigious increase in the world wheat production.
Former Norwegian Premier Gro Harlem Brundtland is named as the first recipient of the Tang
Prize, touted as Asias version of the Nobel Prizes.
India-born Booker Prize winning author Salman Rushide is named the winner of the 2014
prestigious Pen Pinter Prize for his outstanding literary output and support for freedom of
expression.
The Arbil Citadel that dominates the capital of Iraqi Kurdistan is granted World Heritage Site status
by the UNESCO.
The United Nations cultural agency UNESCO grants World Heritage status to a prehistoric cave in
southern France containing the earliest known figurative drawings.
Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif declares the ancestral home of Hindi cinemas thespian actor
Dilip Kumar in Peshawar as a national heritage.
Ace chess players Vishwanathan Anand of India and Boris Gelfand of Israel are selected for the
Russian Federations Order of Friendship award.
Amateur Raksha Phadke takes the honours in the Hero KGA womens pro golf championship in
Bangalore.
Environmentalist and social activist Chandi Prasad Bhatt was presented the Gandhi Peace Prize by
President Pranab Mukherjee on July 15, 2014.
UN Public Service Award - An initiative conceptualised by Indian governments Department of
Electronics and Information Technology to enable delivery of public services electronically through
the mobile platform has been awarded a United Nations public service award. Mobile Seva, a
nationwide initiative conceptualised, funded and implemented by the Department of Electronics
and Information Technology (DeitY), is among the second-place winners of the 2014 UN Public
Service Awards, along with Bahrain, Brazil, Cameroon, Republic of Korea and Spain.
Singapore Chinese Orchestra Breaks Guinness Records - A Singapore-based professional Chinese
orchestra group has broken two Guinness World records of the largest Chinese drum ensembles
and largest Chinese orchestra performance.
A 25-year-old man in Sweden whose first name contains 63 words may have the worlds longest
name. The young mans name is Kim-Jong Sexy Glorious Beast Divine Dick Father Lovely Iron Man
Even Unique Poh Un Winn Charlie Ghora Khaos Mehan Hansa Kimmy Humbero Uno Master Over
Dance Shake Bouti Bepop Rocksteady Shredder Kung Ulf Road House Gilgamesh Flap Guy Theo
A***H*** Im Yoda Funky Boy Slam Duck Chuck Jorma Jukka Pekka Ryan Super Air Ooy Rusell
Salvador Alfons Molgan Akta Papa Long Nameh Ek. He goes by Papa Long Namesh for short and
now holds the record of Swedens longest name.
Bachendri Pal, the first Indian woman mountaineer to scale Mount Everest, was recently conferred
with Bharat Gaurav, the highest honour of merit of East Bengal Club.
Four Indian Americans Honoured on the EVE of US Independence Day Four India born
Americans were honoured on the eve of US Independence Day on 4 July 2014. They were honoured
for their contributions to the US during annual Great Immigrants tribute held in New York, United
States. The Indian-Americans honoured were Microsoft Corp chief executive Sathya Nadella,
Comedian and actor Aasif Mandvi, Carnegie Mellon University president Subra Suresh and former
president of the University of West Georgia, Beheruz Sethna.

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President Pranab Mukherjee, on 1 July 2014, presented the National Awards for Handicrafts and
Handlooms, Shilp Guru Awards and Santi Kabir Awards for the year 2011. The awards were
given to weavers and artisans at a function at Vigyan Bhavan in New Delhi.
The Indian Contingent won five medals in 45
th
International Physics Olympiad (IPHO2014) held
in Astana, Kazakhstan from 13 July to 21 July 2014 at the Nazarbayev University in Astana. India
won 2 gold medals and 3 silver medals in the Olympiad. Aniket Bajpai (Maharashtra) and
Chitraang Murdia (Rajasthan) won gold medals while Bure Vidya Sagar Nadin, Srikakulam (AP)
Gurukirat Singh Bajwa, Hoshiarpur (Punjab) and Rupanshu Ganvir (Maharashtra) secured silver
medals. The 45
th
International Physics Olympiad (IPHO2014) was organized by the Ministry of
Education and Science of Kazakhstan.
Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan was conferred with the top French civilian award. Knight
of the Legion of Honor (National Order of the Legion of Honour) in Mumbai on 1 July 2014.
The Lives of Others authored by Neel Mukherjee was shortlisted for Man booker Prize 2014 in July
2014.
Famous film director Muzaffar Ali (69), who had directed the Bollywood classic Umarao Jaan,
has been chosen for Rajiv Gandhi National Sadbhavana Award for his extraordinary contribution
towards the promotion of communal harmony, peace and goodwill.
Sports/Game
Olympic gold medalist The Netherlands defeats Australia 2-0 in the title showdown to clinch the
womens hockey World Cup at the Kyocera Stadium in The Hague.
Nester Carter of Jamaica and Tori Bowie of USA win the gold medals in mens and womens 100-
metre respectively at the New York Diamond League meet.
Dutee Chand delivers two gold medals womens 200 metres and 4 400 metres relay in the 16
th

Asian junior athletics championship in Taipei City. India finishes fifth behind China, Japan, Qatar
and Chinese Taipei.
Australia retains the mens hockey World Cup title by outplaying Olympic silver medalist The
Netherlands 6-1 in the final at the Kyocera Stadium in The Hague.
Martin Kaymer wins US Open golf title in Pinehurst. It is Kaymers second Major golf title.
Jitu Rai of India wins silver medal in the mens 50 metre free pistol event in the shooting World
Cup in Maribor, Slovenia. Damir Mikec of Serbia wins the gold medal.
Indian women secure a 6-0 whitewash over Malaysian womens hockey team after winning the final
match of their tour 5-2 in Kuala Lumpur.
Jitu Rai of India clinches the gold in mens air pistol in the shooting World Cup in Maribor,
Slovenia.
Magnus Carlsen of Norway wins the World Rapid Chess title in Dubai. Viswanathan Anand of
India settles for the third spot.
China claims the top spot in the shooting World Cup at Maribor, Slovenia. Germany with four
gold medals finishes second.
National womens champion Mampi Das claims the gold in the junior womens 10-metre air rifle
in the 24
th
meeting of Shooting Hopes junior international meet at Plzen, Czech Republic.
Stuart Board claims his second Test hat-trick on the first day of the second cricket Test against Sri
Lanka at Headingley. Board becomes the first England bowler, and only the fourth in all, to take a
hat-trick in Tests after Huge Trumble, Jimmy Mathews and Wasim Akram.
Reigning World Champion Magnus Carlsen of Norway creates history by winning the World Blitz
chess championship in Dubai.

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Shreya Gawande of India wins the gold in the junior womens 25-metre sports pistol in the 24
th

Meeting of Shooting Hopes international junior meet in Plzen, Czech Republic.
Nico Rosberg wins the Austrian Grand Prix Formula One race in a Mercedes one-two in Spielberg.
Samarjeet Singh wins the junior mens 25-metre sports pistol gold at the 24
th
Meeting of Shooting
Hopes international junior competition in Plzen, Czech Republic.
The 35
th
National Games to be hosted by Kerala will be held from January 31 to February 14, 2015.
Indian cueist Pankaj Advani creates history by becoming the first player to win world titles in the
longer and shorter formats of billiards and snooker after clinching the IBSF World 6-Red snooker
championship in Sharm El-Sheikh.
Satyendra Singh clinches the gold in the mens free rifle 3-position event in the 14
th
Kumar
Surendra Singh shooting championship at the Dr. Karni Singh Range, Tughlakabad.
Jitu Rai is ranked World Number 1 in mens air pistol in the latest list released by the International
Shooting Federation (ISSF).
New Zealand completes a 53-run victory over the West Indies in the third and final Test at
Kensington Oval in Barbados to clinch the series 2-1.
Scores: New Zealand: 293 and 331 for 7 declared
West Indies: 317 and 254
Man-of-the Match: K Williamson
Neeraj Kumar wins the mens air pistol gold in the 14
th
Kumar Surendra Singh shooting
championship at the Dr.Karni Singh Range, Tughlakabad.
Yi Siling of China wins the gold medal in the womens 10-metre air rifle in the shooting World
Cup in Beijing.
Jin Jingoh of Korea wins the mens 10-metre air pistol gold in the shooting World Cup in Beijing.
Jiri Liptak of Czech Republic wins mens trap gold.
Petra Kvitova of Czech Republic blows away her fancied challenger Eugenie Bouchard of Canada 6-
3, 6-0 in the shortest and one of the most one-sided Wimbledon Tennis womens singles final of all
time. Sara Errani and Roberta Vinci of Italy beat Timea Babos of Hungary and Kristina Mladenovic
of France to clinch the womens doubles title.
Lewis Hamilton wins his home British Grand Prix Formula One race ahead of Finlands Valtteri
Bottas of Williams.
Novak Djokovic of Serbia lifts the Wimbledon Tennis mens singles trophy beating seven time
champion Roger Federer of Switzerland in five close sets.
Vitaly Fokeev of Russia wins the mens double trap gold in the shooting World Cup in Beijing.
Nickel Ashmeade of Jamaica wins the mens 100-metre race at the Glasgow Diamond League meet.
South Africa rides on aggressive hundreds from Quinton de Kock and AB de Villiers to beat Sri
Lanka by 82 runs in the third and final ODI at Hambantota, to clinch the series 2-1.
Scores: South Africa: 339 for 5
Sri Lanka: 257
David Rudisha of Kenya records the fastest 800 metre run anywhere in the world in 2014 to claim
the $ 10,000 first prize at the Glasgow Diamond League meet at Hampden Park.
The Netherlands beats hosts Brazil 3-0 in the third place play off in FIFA World Cup 2014 at the
Mane Garrincha National Stadium, Brasilia.
Nikhat Zareen of India wins the gold in the 54kg category by knocking out Hungarian Judit
Ferencz in the first round of the final in the Golden Glove international boxing championship on
Subotica Vojvodina, Serbia.

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Mario Goetze scores the winning goal in extra time to give Germany 1-0 victory over Argentina in
the final of the FIFA World Cup 2014 at the fabled Maracana Stadium as unified nation, having won
as West Germany in 1954, 1974 and 1990. James Rodriguez of Colombia is awarded Golden Boot
while Lionel Messi of Argentina is adjudged the Best Player of the Tournament and bags the
Golden Ball award.
Saina Nehwal recently won 750000 US dollar Australian Open Super Series by defeating Carolina
Marin of Spain in straight-game 21-18, 21-11 in final played at Sydney.
Marcylebone Cricket Club XI on 5 July 2014 won the match played to celebrate 200-years
(bicentenary) of Lords Cricket Ground the Home of Cricket. Sachin Tendulkar-led MCC XI beat
Shane Warne-led Rest of the World XI in Lords in London, UK.
Cycling - Italian Vincenzo Nibali won the 101
st
edition of Tour de France, becoming the first Italian
in 16 years to win the championship.
Irishman Rory Mcllroy won the British Golf Open Championship 2014 held at Royal Liverpool
Golf course in Holyake. United Kingdom on 20 July 2014.
Mercedes driver Nico Rosberg of Germany on 20 July 2014 won the German Grand Prix. This is his
first German GP and his fourth win of 2014. The race was held at the Hockenheimring near
Hockenheim in the Germany.
German Sabine Lisicki on 30 June 2014 created a record of fastest serve in the womens tennis.
The world No29 Lisicki set the record by serving at 131 miles per hour during the first round loss in
the Bank of the West Classic Stanford, USA.
Real Madrid, Barcelona Top Forbes List Forbes top 10 1. Real Madid $3.44 billion 2. Barcelona $
3.2 billion, 3. Manchester United $2.81 billion, 4. New York Yankees $2.5 billion, 5. Dallas Cowboys
$2.3 billion, 6. Los Angeles Dodgers $2.0 billion, 7. Bayern Munich $1.85 billion, 8. New England
Patriots $1.8 billion, 9.Washington Redskins $1.7 billion, 10.New York Giants $1.55 billion.
FIFA on 9 July 2014 suspended Nigeria from all international football competitions with
immediate effect. Nigeria was suspended on account of government interference in running Nigeria
Football Federation (NFF).

Report
Global Strategic Trends Out to 2045 - A global scenario projected by Britains ministry of defence
says that by 2045, India is likely to have the ability to project conventional military power globally
with the third largest defence expenditure pegged at $654 billion.

Top Five Defence Spenders in 2045








BRICS Varsity Rankings - The second edition of QS University Rankings: BRICS 2014, released on
June 17, 2014 identifies China as the most likely BRICS nation to achieve its goal of developing
world-class universities. China claims six of the top 10 places, ahead of Brazil (2), Russia (1) and
South Africa (1). India is the only nation without a university in the top 10. 20 Indian institute
feature in the rankings and five Indian Institute of Technology (IITs) win places in the top 20.
Indian Varsities in the Top 20
13-IIT Delhi; 15-IIT Bombay; 16-IIT Kanpur; 17-IIT Madras; 20-IIT Kharagpur.
Country Expenditure
(in billion $)
United States 1,335
China 1,270
India 654
Russia 295
United Kingdom 108

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World Urbanization Prospects by UN DESA - Delhi is now the worlds second most populous
city with 25 million inhabitants. Tokyo remains the worlds largest city with 38 million inhabitants.
The 2014 revision of the World Urbanization Prospects by UN Department of Economic and Social
Affairs (UNDESA)s Population Division has pointed to rapid urban growth in India, China and
Nigeria.
Forest Cover Increases: There has been an increase of 5,871 sq km of the countrys forest area since
2011, even as moderately dense forest areas have depleted due to population increase, grazing and
encroachments, says the biennial India State of Forest Report 2013, which was released on July 8,
2014.
Union Minister of State for Environment and Forests Prakash Javadekar, released the report. The
total forest cover of the country is 69.79 million hectares or 21.23 per cent of the geographical
area of the country.
The tree cover is estimated to be 91,266 sq km or 9.13 million hectares, which is 2.78 per cent of
the countrys geographical area. The total forest and tree cover is estimated at 24.01 per cent,
according to the report.
The maximum increase in forest cover is in West Bengal (3,810 sq km), followed by Odisha
(1,444 sq km) and Kerala (622 sq km) while Nagaland, Andhra Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh
have lost forests due to submergence, mining and shifting cultivation.
More Homes Turn to Public Distribution System: Official government statistics indicate that there
has been a turn around in Indias Public Distribution System (PDS). The share of households
consuming PDS rice has nearly doubled over seven years and those consuming PDS wheat has
more than tripled over the same period.
The National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) 558
th
report estimates the household consumption
of various goods and services in 2011-12, based on a representative national sample of over 1
lakh households.
The report finds that while overall consumption of cereals like rice and wheat has been falling
over time, the per capita consumption of PDS rice and wheat is rising steadily, as is the number
of households who report accessing the PDS.
India acquired yet another dubious honour on June 25, 2014 after it was named to an International
Piracy Watch List by a U.S. government panel that is looking to highlight countries that are doing
little to address high rates of digital piracy. The Special 301 Report again lists India as a priority
watch nation.
More Trouble
The list primarily focuses on countries with high rates of digital piracy.
Points out that India has a flawed IP protection environment
China, Russia and Switzerland are also on the list.
The National Health Profile (NHP) 2013 was released by Union Minister for Health and Family
Welfare Dr. Harsh Vardhan in July 2014. The annual report is prepared by the Central Bureau of
Health Intelligence (CBHI). It takes into account demographic, socio-economic, health status and
health finance indicators, along with comprehensive information on health infrastructure and
human resources in health.
Illusion of Justice A report by Human Rights Watch (HRW), titled Illusion of Justice, that
closely examined 27 cases of high-profile domestic terrorism plots in the U.S. since 9/11 has found
direct involvement of government agents or informants, via sting operations, and this borders on
entrapment. The 214-page study said the U.S. government had failed to meet its international legal
obligations with respect to its investigations and prosecutions of terrorism suspects, as well as its
treatment of terrorism suspects in custody, and this applied specifically to American Muslim
defendants investigated, tried, and a convicted of terrorism or terrorism related offenses.

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Large-scale Antibiotic Residues Found in Chicken According to a new study by the Centre for
Science and Environment (CSE) in July 2014, large-scale antibiotic residues have been found in
chicken samples lifted from Delhi and the National Capital Region. Large scale misuse and overuse
of antibiotics in chicken is leading to the emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in the chicken
itself. These bacteria are then transmitted to human through food or environment.
According to the 2014 UNDP Human Development Report, released on 24 July 2014, Indias
human development index has improved very slightly but remains among the median countries in
terms of human development, just seven places above Bangladesh. The Human Development Index
is a composite index that measures income, education (average years of education completed by
adults, and expected years of education for children entering school) and health (life expectancy).
With an HDI value of 0.586 out of a maximum possible 1. India is 135
th
out of 187 countries.
According to new report by UNAIDS, the United Nations Programmes on HIV/AIDS, released in
July 2014, an overwhelming 64 per cent of people living with HIV in India have no access to
treatment., India has around 2.1 million people with HIV, which is the third largest number for any
single country.
WB tops in cruelty to women by spouse At a time when a debate rages on the misuse of Section
498-A of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), which deals with cruelty to woman by husband and in-laws,
an analysis of the data from National Crime Records Bureau, 2013 shows that West Bengal accounts
for the highest number of cases under the particular section.
National Crime Records Bureau Data for 2013 Road accidents are the biggest non-disease killers
of men in the country and suicides the biggest killers of women, shows an analysis of National
Crime Records Bureau data for 2013. The NCRB data is a compilation of all deaths reported to the
police in that year.
The annual Global Innovation Index (GII) released on July 18, 2014 has India slide 10 places to 76,
with only Singapore, Hong Kong and South Korea representing Asia in the top 20 of the list,
published by World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO), Cornell University and INSEAD.
Top Ranking GII 2014
1. Switzerland (1)
2. United Kingdom (3)
3. Sweden (2)
4. Finland (6)
5. Netherlands (4)
6. USA (5)
7. Singapore (8)
8. Denmark (9)
9. Luxembourg (12)
10. Hong Kong (7)
BRICS Nations
29. China (35)
53. South Africa (58)
59. Russia (72)
61. Brazil (64)
76. India (66)
The figures in Brackets indicate 2013 Rank
Indian authorities implemented restrictive laws and did not always efficiently or effectively
prosecute those who attacked religious minorities, especially in the context of anti-conversion
laws, according to the 2013 International Religious Freedom report, released by the U.S. state
Department in Washington on July 28, 2014.

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Fewer Girls Only families now UN report Sex Ratios and Gender Based Sex Selection, History
Debates and Future Directions by Mary E. John, Senior Fellow, Centre for Womens Development
Studies for U.N. Women, was released on July 22, 2014. The report, which reviews existing studies,
says it is time to look at girls-only families, which are starting to disappear there are only two per
cent of them in Haryana, Punjab and Rajasthan. The report says there is no doubt that contemporary
India is witnessing a highly generated version of fertility decline in northwest India.
National Parties/Regional Parties
Amit Shah, who is credited with the Bharatiya Janata Partys spectacular victory in Uttar Pradesh in
the Lok Sabha election, is named the next Party President.
General National
Prime Minister Narendra Modi dedicates to the nation the 240 MW Uri-II Power Station in
Baramulla district of Jammu & Kashmir by the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation. He also
inaugurates the Katra-Udhampur railway line, a stretch of about 25 km.
In a historic ceremony held at the Marmugao Harbour of Goa Dr Jitendra Singh, minister of state
science and technology (independent charge), dedicates to the nation the first ever indigenously
built Research Vessel (Ship) Sindhu Sadhana acquired recently by the CSIR-National Institute of
Oceanography.
India has decided to enhance transparency of its nuclear infrastructure by ratifying an Additional
Protocol with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) a step that in a single stroke can be
leveraged to boost energy security and lift international confidence.
International
Nepal President Dr. Ram Baran Yadav presents the governments programmes and policies for the
fiscal year 2014-15 in the Parliament.
Nicolas Sarkozy becomes the first former French President to be placed in custody for questioning
in a criminal investigation.
295 Killed In Malaysian Jet Crash
Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur crashes in Donetsk in east
Ukraine, where pro-Russian separatists are battling government forces.
280 passengers and 15 crew on board dead
Ukraine says plane was at 33,000ft when it was hit by a surface-to-air missile fired by rebels.
Earlier in the day, a Ukrainian fighter jet was shot down by a Russian plane MH370 Recall
On March 8, 2014 flight MH370 from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing goes missing an hour after takeoff
No debris found, no clue of what happened to 227 passengers and 12 crew on board
The Church of England over-came bitter divisions on July 14, 2014 to vote in favour of allowing
female bishops for the first time in its nearly 500-year history. The decision reverses a previous
shock rejection in 2012 and comes after intensive diplomacy by Archbishop of Canterbury Justin
Welby.
Over the next two years, India will see a fourfold increase in the budget for the prestigious
Chevening scholarships. The new allocation raised from 600,000 to 2.4 million will take the
total number of scholarships awarded to Indian to 150 by 2015-16.
19
th
Century Stamp Sells For Record Price: An incredibly rare 19
th
century postage stamp, a tiny
one-cent magenta from British colonial Guyana, sold for $9.5 million in New York on June 17, 2014,
setting a new world record.
US Employers Added Robust 288K Jobs Hiring over the past five months has been strongest
since the late 1990s tech boom as the US economy added 288,000 jobs in June and the
unemployment rate fell to 6.1 per cent from 6.3 per cent.

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European Union anti-trust regulators fined French drugmaker Servier, Israels Teva and four others
a total of 428 million euro ($583 million) on July 9, 2014 as they crack down on deals which block
cheaper generic medicine.
Servier, Frances second-largest drugmaker, was hit with the biggest fine at 331 million euro,
while world No.1 generic drugmaker Tevas penalty came to 15.57 million euro.
The other penalised companies were Unichem and its subsidiary Niche, as well as Matrix, which
is now known as Mylan Laboratories, Slovenian peer Krka and Lupin.
As per the anti-trust ruling, Lupin has been fined 40 million euro (nearly Rs.325 crore) and
Unichem Laboratories 13.96 million euro (over Rs.110 crore).
A U.S. federal judge has ruled that Californias application of capital punishment is so
dysfunctional that it is unconstitutional a decision that is likely to spur legal challenges to the
death penalty across the country. On July 16, 2014, U.S. District Judge Cormac Carney of Orange
Country, California, said that the states death penalty has created long delays and uncertainty for
death row inmates, many of whom would never be executed.
While most of the world is trying to diminish child labour, Bolivia has become the first nation to
legalise it from age 10. Congress approved the legalization early in July and Vice-President Alvaro
Garcia signed it into law on July 17, 2014 in the absence of President EvoMorales.
Abbreviation
CLICK - Communication Linked Interface for Cultivating Knowledge
DREAM - Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors
PRASAD - Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spiritual Augmentation Drive
Books and Authors
One Life is Not Enough K Natwar Singh
Good Morning, Mr.Mande Ms. Zelda la Grange
Arctic Summer Damon Galgut
Money Mania Bob Swarup
One Life is not enough Kunwar Natwar Singh
The Vijay Mallya Story K. Giriprakash
Post Haste: Quintessential India B.G. Verghese
Historic Temples in Pakistan A Call to Con-Science Reema Abbasi
The Country is Going to the Dogs Anurag Mathur
The Sceptical Patriot Sidin Vadukut
Shaping the World, Women Writers on Themselves Manju Kapur
The Abundance of Nothing - Biddu
Meena Kumari: The Poet Noorul Hasan
More men On My Mind Radha Thomas
Lost and Found in India Braja Sorensen

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