Shri Sharad Kumar Appointed as Director General, National Investigation Agency
[ 7/30/2013]
Shri
Sharad Kumar has been appointed as Director General of National
Investigation Agency. Shri Kumar is an IPS (HY:79) officer and presently
working in the cadre.
India-born Mamnoon Hussain elected as Pakistan's 12th Prez
[ 7/30/2013]
India-born Mamnoon Hussain, a close aide of Prime Minister Nawqaz
Sharif, was elected as the 12th President of Pakistan and will replace
the incumbent Asif Ali Zardari in September.
Ramon Magsaysay Award 2013
[ 7/29/2013]
Afghanistan's
first and only woman provincial governor and an aid worker from
Myanmar's Kachin minority are among the winners of this year's
prestigious Ramon Magsaysay awards, the award foundation said on 24th
July 2013. The Manila-based Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation, named
after a popular Filipino president who was killed in a plane crash, was
established in 1957 to honour people or groups who change communities in
Asia for the better.
Both Habiba Sarabi, governor of the Afghan province of Bamyan, and
Myanmar aid worker Lahpai Seng Raw did not allow their minority origins
to stop them from empowering other people, said the foundation.
India and Senegal sign Executive Programme for Cultural Cooperation
[ 7/29/2013]
India and Senegal enjoy age-old friendly relations and to reaffirm their
commitment to have sustained cultural exchanges by signing “Executive
Programme for Cultural Cooperation” between India and Senegal for the
period 2013-2015 on 29th July 2013 at New Delhi. The Executive Programme
for Cultural Cooperation was signed by Smt. Chandresh Kumari Katoch,
Minister of Culture on behalf of Government of India and by H.E. Mr.
Adboul Aziz Mbaye, Minister of Culture, on behalf of Government of
Republic of Senegal. The Executive Programme for Cultural Cooperation is
valid for three years. Thereafter, however, it will continue to be in
force till a fresh Exchange Programme is signed.
Ministry of Earth Sciences & Earth System Science Organisation Celebrates Its Day Function
[ 7/27/2013]
The Ministry of Earth Sciences ( MoES) celebrated its foundation day on
27th July here in Vigyan Bhawan New Delhi. Shri S.Jaipal Reddy, Union
Minister of Earth Sciences & Science and Technology who chaired the
session called upon the MoES family of professionals to rededicate
themselves by building new agenda to promote and discover a new
perspective for understanding Earth System Processes and to build
advanced knowledge based Monitoring, Detection, Warning & Decision
Support Systems (DSS) for rendering improved services in respect of
weather, climate, ocean state, hazards and also build programs leading
to the sustainability of earth resources. He said Government has given
full support for building appropriate national and international level
focused Research & Development programmes in Ocean science,
meteorology, climate, environment, seismology, cryosphere and biosphere.
Solar PV Modules flagged off
[ 7/26/2013]
The
first consignment of SPV Modules from BHEL’s Electronics Division in
Bangalore was flagged off by Shri A K Jha, Director (Technical ), NTPC
Limited recently. NTPC has awarded turnkey contract for setting two
Grid-Connected Solar Power Plants of 10 MW capacity each at Unchahar in
Uttar Pradesh and Talcher Kaniha in Odisha to BHEL.
NTPC is
venturing into renewable energy with an objective to broad base
generation mix by evaluating conventional and alternate sources of
energy to ensure long run competitiveness and mitigate fuel risks. In
this endeavour, NTPC has already commissioned two five MW solar PV
projects each at Dadri and Portblair. Presently, 85 MW solar PV projects
are under implementation.
CIL Signs 82 FSAS for about 34,793 MW capacity Power Plants
[ 7/26/2013]
Providing a big boost to the power sector, Coal India Limited (CIL) has
signed 82 FSAs as on 25.07.2013, with power stations with a capacity of
34,793 MW. This includes 16 power stations belonging to NTPC and its
Joint Venture companies (JVs).
11 more FSAs are ready to be signed
shortly with NTPC or its JVs, while another 23 FSAs with State and
private sector entities are in the pipeline. These FSAs were part of the
131 FSAs for a capacity of 60,678 MW which CIL was directed to sign in
February, 2012. This will substantially increase the power generation
during the current and subsequent years.
In yet another fillip to
the power sector, Ministry of Coal has issued another Presidential
Directive to CIL on 17.07.2013 for signing of FSAs for a capacity of
78,000 MW instead of the earlier 60,678 MW. This will not only increase
the power generation further but will also fast track several power
projects which are under development.
India’s Advanced Weather Satellite INSAT-3d Successfully Launched
[ 7/26/2013]
India’s
Weather Satellite INSAT-3D, carrying advanced weather monitoring
payloads, was today launched successfully by Ariane-5 (VA214) launch
vehicle from Kourou, French Guiana. According to a Press Release issued
by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) ,after a smooth
countdown lasting 11 hours and 30 minutes, the Ariane-5 launch vehicle
lifted off right on schedule at the opening of the launch windowat 01:24
hours IST today. After a flight of 32 minutes and 48 seconds,INSAT-3D
was placed in an elliptical Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO),very
close to the intended one.
Appointment of Rajan Gupta as Director General, BPR&D
[ 7/25/2013]
Shri
Rajan Gupta (IPS:1978 Punjab Cadre) has taken over as Director General
(DG) in Bureau of Police Research & Development (BPR&D).
He is to head the Bureau of Police Research & Development
(BPR&D) in these transitional times when Bureau of Police Research
& Development (BPR&D) is expected to play a crucial role in
near future as expectations from police are soaring.
Govt. of India signed an agreement with Asian Development Bank (ADB) for a $60 million loan
[ 7/19/2013]
Government of India signed an agreement with Asian Development Bank
(ADB) for a $60 million loan for improving urban services and
strengthen municipal and project management capacity in several towns in
North Karnataka. The agreement is for the 3rd Project under the overall
facility of $270 million for the North Karnataka Urban Sector
Investment Program (NKUSIP).
The third tranche loan under the North Karnataka Urban Sector Investment
Program will develop sewerage networks in six towns, and help the
rehabilitation and expansion of potable water systems in two more towns.
More than 100,000 households will benefit from the improvements.
Obama nominates Indian-American Nisha Biswal as assistant secretary of state for South Asia
[ 7/19/2013]
President Barack Obama nominated Nisha Desai Biswal, an accomplished
Indian-American administrator, to head the South Asia bureau in the US
state department. Desai will become the first person of Indian or even
South Asian origin to head the bureau, which oversees US foreign policy
and relations with India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka,
Nepal, Maldives and Bhutan.
Shalini Singh bags Prem Bhatia award for political reporting
[ 7/13/2013]
Shalini Singh, a Deputy Editor with The Hindu, has bagged the
prestigious Prem Bhatia Award for Political Reporting-2013. She has been
selected for her ‘excellent coverage of several key issues,’
particularly her ‘reporting of the telecom and Coalgate scandals.’
Veteran actor Pran passes away in Mumbai
[ 7/12/2013]
Legendary actor Pran, loved and feared in equal measure by moviegoers
for his roles in Bollywood hits like 'Milan', 'Madhumati' and 'Zanjeer',
passed away at a suburban hospital here this evening at the age of 93.
Setting up of National Aviation University in India
[ 7/11/2013]
The Union Cabinet gave its approval to the proposal for setting up of a
National Aviation University (NAU) in the name of Rajiv Gandhi National
Aviation University at the District of Rae Bareli in the State of U.P.
as a Central University.
Setting up of Indira Gandhi National University for Women at Raebareli, Uttar Pradesh
[ 7/11/2013]
The Union Cabinet has approved setting up a National University for
Women in Uttar Pradesh by the name of “The Indira Gandhi National
University for Women”. This will be the first university of the country
to be established exclusively for women. The university will be located
at Raebareli in Uttar Pradesh. A bill, namely, the Indira Gandhi
National University for Women Bill, 2013 will be introduced in the
coming Monsoon Session of Parliament. After the passage of the Bill,
steps will be taken to set up the University. The cost involved is
Rs.500 crore during the 12th Plan period.
Current Affairs August 2013 Current Events August 2013, August 2013 General Knowledge
