Abhinav Bindra bagged the 10m Air Rifle gold medal

India`s only individual Olympic champion Abhinav Bindra made the country once again proud as he bagged maiden singles gold medal in Men`s 10m Air Rifle event on Day 2 of Glasgow Commonwealth Games.

The young schoolgirl Malaika Goel turning out to be surprise package winning silver in the 10m air pistol event.

Congress not eligible for Leader of Opposition post in LS

The Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi has opined that it is not eligible and there is no precedent since the days of the first Lok Sabha to grant the post to a party which does not have the minimum required MPs.

Mr. Rohatgi has conveyed this to Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan who had sought his opinion in view of the dilemma she is facing over the issue.

India is the largest consumer of antibiotics in the world

India has emerged as the world's largest consumer of antibiotics followed by China and the US, according to a new study which quantifies the growing alarm surrounding antibiotic-resistance.

Global use of antibiotics is surging, according to Princeton University researchers who have conducted a broad assessment of antibiotic consumption around the world.

The study, "Global Trends in Antibiotic Consumption, 2000-2010," found that worldwide antibiotic use has risen a staggering 36 per cent over those 10 years, with five countries Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (BRICS) - responsible for more than three-quarters of that surge.

Among the 16 groups of antibiotics studied, cephalosporins, broad-spectrum penicillins and fluoroquinolones accounted for more than half of that increase, with consumption rising 55 per cent from 2000 to 2010.

Ukraine's PM resigns

Ukraine's prime minister has resigned after his governing coalition collapsed, plunging the former Soviet state into political limbo as it struggles to quell a deadly rebellion in the east.

The shock announcement made yesterday added to an already chaotic situation in the rebel-controlled east, where international experts are carrying out a complex investigation into last week's downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 that left 298 dead.

Uttarakhand chief minister Harish Rawat wins by-poll

Uttarakhand chief minister Harish Rawat wins by-poll from Dharchula assembly seat by a margin of over 19000 votes on Friday.

Rawat defeated BJP's BD Joshi in a direct fight between the Congress and BJP. Rawat polled over 30,000 votes.

Sukhen Dey and K Sanjita Chanu won gold medals in the 20th Commonwealth Games

Sukhen Dey and K Sanjita Chanu stole the limelight by clinching a gold each in weightlifting, as India launched their campaign in the 20th Commonwealth Games with a flourish, winning seven medals in all on the opening day of the competitions in Glasgow.

Judokas Navjot Chana and Shushila Likmabam had to be contend with a silver medal each after they failed to clear the final hurdle in the men's 60kg and women's 48kg events, respectively.

There was a bronze for for another judoka, Kalpana Thoudam.

In weightlifting, there was a silver medal for S Mirabai Chanu, while Ganaesh Mali bagged a bronze.

UPSC to go ahead with prelims exam

NEW DELHI: Even as the government is yet to decide on the grievances of civil services aspirants against the Civil Services Aptitude Test (CSAT), which they claim is loaded against students opting for Hindi medium, the UPSC has started issuing admit cards for the preliminary examination scheduled for August 24.

A link on the UPSC website, available from Thursday, directs students to download e-admit cards for the prelims exam.

According to sources in the government, though a committee headed by former secretary (personnel) Arvind Verma is looking into the grievances against CSAT pattern and was recently asked to submit its report at the earliest possible, there is a slim chance of any postponement of the prelims exam. This is because the prelims this year are already behind the normal schedule. In 2013, prelims exam were held on May 26.

Malasiyan Flight shot down

Malaysia Airlines Flight 17  en route from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur, is shot down in eastern Ukraine, killing all 298 people on board.

Next BRICS Summit to be held in Russia

The next year's BRICS Summit will be held in the Russian city of Ufa after the grouping's successful meeting in Brazil that saw an agreement being reached on establishing a development bank and a contingency reserve arrangement.

Prime Minister meets Russian President

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has favoured broadening of the strategic partnership with Russia in nuclear, defence and energy sectors and invited President Vladimir Putin to visit Kudankulam atomic power project during his trip in December for his annual summit.

The two leaders met for 40 minutes on the sidelines of the BRICS summit in Fortaleza late on 15-07-2014 night after their Monday meeting was deferred because of Putin's engagements in capital Brasilia

BRICS summit to start a new development bank

The BRICS Summit on 15-07-2014 decided to establish the new development bank with an initial authorised capital of USD 100 billion for which the initial subscribed capital will be equally shared by the founding members, a point New Delhi emphasised to prevent by domination by anyone of the members.

A currency reserved pool mechanism has also been agreed upon.

 

Dilip Kumar's ancestral home in Pak declared national heritage

Legendary actor Dilip Kumar's ancestral home has been declared as a national heritage and Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has ordered authorities to acquire the dilapidated property, a move he hopes would bring Pakistan and India closer.

Rajya Sabha passes TRAI Bill

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Amendment) Bill, passed in Lok Sabha on 14-07-2014 (Monday), was approved in Rajya Sabha on 15-07-2014 (Tuesday) by voice vote.
 
Thus cleared a Bill to remove legal hurdles that were coming in the way of appointing former TRAI chief Nripendra Misra as Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister amid strong opposition by Congress.

Moving the Bill in Upper House, Law and Telecom Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said it was aimed at removing "a palpable anomaly" as existing law allows a former TRAI Chairman to take up private job two years after retirement but bars the person from taking up a government job ever in life.

Other regulatory bodies like Competition Commission, Airports Economic Regulatory Authority and SEBI do not have such provision, he said, adding the government decided to amend the law to bring parity among all regulatory bodies.

WTO panel faults US duties on Indian steel

World Trade Organization dispute settlement panel, said that Washington had "acted inconsistently" with regulations set down for the international body's 160 member economies.

India filed its complaint at the WTO in 2012, after Washington imposed duties of nearly 300 per cent on imports of products including steel pipes.

The United States applied the duties because it felt Indian steel manufacturers were benefitting from unfair subsidies.

WTO members are allowed to impose so-called countervailing duties -- a special import tax -- if they believe that their domestic manufacturers are being hurt by subsidies granted by a trade partner to its companies.

The WTO regulations require the importing country to first conduct a detailed investigation that shows properly that domestic industry is hurt.
 

President of India to present Gandhi peace prize 2013

The President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee will present the Gandhi Peace Prize for the year 2013 to Shri Chandi Prasad Bhatt tomorrow (July 15, 2013) at a function at Rashtrapati Bhavan.

The Gandhi Peace Prize was instituted by the Government of India in 1995 on the occasion of the 125th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. This annual award is given to individuals and institutions for their contributions towards social, economic and political transformation through non-violence and other Gandhian methods. Previous recipients of the award include Dr. Julius K. Nyerere, former President of Tanzania; Dr. A.T. Ariyaratne, Founder President of Sarvodaya Sharamadana Movement, Sri Lanka; Dr. Gerhard Fischer of Germany; Rama Krishna Mission; Baba Amte; Dr. Nelson Mandela and Grameen Bank of Bangladesh (jointly); Dr. John Hume, Ireland; Bhartiya Vidya Bhawan; Mr. Vaclav Havel, former President of Czechoslovakia and Archbishop Desmond Tutu, South Africa. It carries a plaque, citation and an amount of Rs. one crore.

PM arrives in Fortaleza for the Sixth BRICS Summit

The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, arrived in Fortaleza, Brazil this afternoon for the Sixth BRICS Summit. He was received by Ambassador, Shri Ashok Tomar, and the Chief BRICS Coordinator in the Brazilian Foreign Affairs Ministry, Luis Lopes.

President appoints Governors

The President has been pleased to appoint the following as Governors:-

1. Shri Ram Naik as the Governor of Uttar Pradesh;

2. Shri Balramji Dass Tandon as the Governor of Chhattisgarh;

3. Shri Keshari Nath Tripathi as the Governor of West Bengal;

4. Shri Om Prakash Kohli as the Governor of Gujarat.

The above appointments will take effect from the dates the incumbents assume charge of their respective offices.

VHP leader Giriraj Kishore passes away

Vishwa Hindu Parishad leader Giriraj Kishore, who was actively associated with the Ram temple agitation, died here this evening following prolonged illness. He was 94.

Germany won FIFA world Cup 2014

Germany beat Argentina 1-0 in the final to lift the FIFA world Cup 2014.

Mario Goetze scored a superb extra-time winner as Germany beat Argentina 1-0 to become the first European team to win a World Cup held in South America on Sunday. 

Germany has now won four World Cups, putting the European powerhouses just one behind Brazil's record tally of five.

FIFA Awards

The adidas Golden Ball was awarded to Argentina captain Lionel Messi for his outstanding displays at Brazil 2014.

The adidas Golden Boot award goes to the top goalscorer at the FIFA World Cup who at Brazil 2014 was Colombia's James Rodriguez. 

The adidas Golden Glove goes to the tournament's most outstanding goalkeeper who at Brazil 2014 was deemed to be Germany's Manuel Neuer.

The Hyundai Young Player award was awarded to France's Paul Pogba for his excellent displays at Brazil 2014.

The FIFA Fair Play Award will go to the team with the tournament’s best disciplinary record.  Only teams that reach the knockout phase are eligible. Colombia won the trophy this time.

Union Finance Minister Shri Arun Jaitley presented his maiden budget

Budget 2014-15 highlights

budget 2014-15

Delhi becomes world's second most populous city

Delhi has become the world's second most populous city in 2014 after Tokyo, more than doubling its population since 1990 to 25 million, according to a UN report.

The 2014 revision of the World Urbanisation Prospects launched yesterday said that India is projected to add the highest number of people to its urban population by 2050, ahead of China.

The Indian capital is expected to retain the spot of the world's second most populous city through at least 2030, when its population is expected to rise swiftly to 36 million.

Tokyo topped UN's ranking of the most populous cities in 2014 with 38 million inhabitants and while its population is projected to decline, it will remain the world's largest city in 2030 with 37 million people.

Mumbai, which ranks sixth on the list of the world's most populous cities in 2014, is projected to become the fourth largest city in 2030 when its population would grow to 28 million from the current 21 million.

Tokyo and New Delhi were followed by Shanghai with 23 million, and Mexico City, Mumbai and Sao Paulo, each with around 21 million inhabitants in 2014.

The report said that the largest urban growth will take place in India, China and Nigeria between 2014 and 2050, with the three countries accounting for 37 percent of the projected growth of the world's urban population.

By 2050, India is projected to add 404 million urban dwellers, way more than China's projection of 292 million.

Information courtesy : http://www.ddinews.gov.in
 

Railway Budget 2014-2015

D.V. Sadananda Gowda's maiden Railway Budget focussed on unveiling the Modi Government’s plans for a massive facelift of the railways sector over the coming years 

 

Rail Budget Seeks Course Correction, Avoids Populism 

No Increase in Rail Fare 

Stress on Resource Mobilization Through PSU Surplus, FDI and PPP

Bullet Train on Ahmedabad-Mumbai Corridor Proposed, Speed of Trains to be Increased in Nine Sectors

More Thrust on Passenger Amenities, Cleanliness & Efficient Station Management

Multi Pronged Approach for Improving Safety & Security, 4000 Women RPF Constables to be Recruited

Revamping Railway Reservation System into Next Generation e-Ticketing, WI-FI Services in Major Stations & in Select Trains, Mobile based Wakeup Calls for Passengers

58 New Trains Introduced; 11 Existing Trains Extended

Railway University and Innovation Incubation Centre to be Set UP

Top Priority to Transparency,  e-procurement to be made Compulsory in Higher Purchase, Online Registration for Wagons in Next Two Months

Highest Ever Plan Outlay of Rs. 65,445 Crore with Higher Allocation for Safety Measures 

India test-fires advanced version of BrahMos missile

India on 08-07-2014 succcessfully test-fired an advanced version of the 290-km range Brahmos supersonic cruise missile off the coast of Odisha, giving the country the capability to hit enemy targets hidden behind mountains or in a cluster of buildings with "pinpoint accuracy".


The missile travelled its full strike range of 290 kms in about 500 seconds to hit its simulated target in a copybook fashion after being fired from the Integrated Test Range at Chandipur-on-sea, around 15 kms from Balasore, said BrahMos chief A Sivathanu Pillai.

Vijay Amrit Raj announces launch of Champions Tennis League

Tennis legend Vijay Amritraj on Monday announced the launch of Champions Tennis League (CTL) in India with an aim of taking the sport to new levels of awareness and popularity in the country.

The CTL will feature six city based teams, who will play 13 matches over a 10-day period from November 17 to 26.

The teams will be structured into two groups, each having three sides each, where they would play each other in a home and away format. The teams topping their respective group will play each other in the grand finale for the prize money of Rs. 1 crore. The runner-up will receive Rs. 50 lakhs.

CTL teams will feature male and female players with international rankings between No. 5 and No. 25.

Each of the six teams will also have an international legend as their playing captain, apart from a noted Indian male tennis player, plus a top ranked junior Indian girl and boy from each city.

The teams will also travel to other cities, bringing excitement and entertainment in a spectacle that has never been seen on this scale in India before, for tennis.

Ashraf Ghani won Afghanistan's presidential election

Former World Bank economist Ashraf Ghani won Afghanistan's presidential election, according to preliminary results released on Monday, with 56.4 percent of the run-off vote to Abdullah Abdullah's 43.5 percent.

Government approved Rs 1,000 as minimum monthly pension

The Central Government has approved minimum monthly pension of Rs 1,000 under Employees Pension Scheme 1995 (EPS-95) run by the retirement body Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO), Parliament was informed on 07-07-201

The decision of the government would immediately benefit 28 lakh pensioners including 5 lakh widows getting less than Rs 1000 as pension every month. In all, there are 44 lakh pensioners under the EPS-95 scheme.

Men's singles

Main article: 2014 Wimbledon Championships – Men's Singles

• Novak Djokovic def. Roger Federer, 6–7^(7–9), 6–4, 7–6^(7–4), 5–7, 6–4

Women's singles

Main article: 2014 Wimbledon Championships – Women's Singles

• Petra Kvitová def. Eugenie Bouchard, 6–3, 6–0

Men's doubles

Main article: 2014 Wimbledon Championships – Men's Doubles

• Vasek Pospisil / Jack Sock def. Bob Bryan / Mike Bryan, 7–6^(7–5), 6–7^(3–7), 6–4, 3–6, 7–5

Women's doubles

Main article: 2014 Wimbledon Championships – Women's Doubles

• Sara Errani / Roberta Vinci def. Tímea Babos / Kristina Mladenovic, 6–1, 6–3

Mixed doubles

Main article: 2014 Wimbledon Championships – Mixed Doubles

• Nenad Zimonjić / Samantha Stosur def. Max Mirnyi / Chan Hao-ching, 6–4, 6–2

Information courtesy : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2014_Wimbledon_Championships

Gujarat Gov Kamla Beniwal shifted to Mizoram

Gujarat Governor Kamla Beniwal was on 06-07-2014 night sent off to Mizoram in a reshuffle of Governors effected by the government.

87-year-old Beniwal, whose tenure ends in November, will take over from Vakkom Purushothaman.

Rajasthan Governor Margaret Alva, who will demit office exactly in a month, will shift to Ahmedabad to take additional charge.

Announcing these changes, a Rashtrapati Bhawan communique said Governor of Gujarat is transferred and appointed as Governor of Mizoram for the remainder of her term vice Vakkom Purushothaman.

Purushothaman is transferred and appointed as Governor of Nagaland for the remainder of his term, it said adding that he would also hold additional charge of the office of Governor of Tripura.

Alva, the Governor of Rajasthan would discharge the functions of Governor of Gujarat, in addition to her own duties, until regular arrangements for the office of the Governor of Gujarat are made.

Earlier there was speculation that new Governors would be appointed before the budget session of Parliament starting Monday in place of those who had quit. Many of them were asked by the new government to put in their papers.

Those who resigned after the government's signals are B L Joshi (Uttar Pradesh), M K Narayanan (West Bengal), Shekhar Dutt (Chhattisgarh), Ashwani Kumar (Nagaland) and B V Wanchoo (Goa). 

Source : http://www.ddinews.gov.in

SC refers AAP plea against imposition of Prez Rule in Delhi to Constitution bench

Supreme Court on 05-Jul-2014 heard a petition filed by Aam Aadmi Party against imposition of President's Rule in Delhi.

The hearing comes a day after former Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal accompanied by AAP legislators met President Pranab Mukherjee to demand immediate dissolution of the Assembly and fresh elections in Delhi.

The apex court had on May 05 posted for July 04 the hearing on the petition after it was informed that Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung had decided to deal with the matter after the conclusion of Lok Sabha polls.

A bench headed by Chief Justice RM Lodha was requested by senior counsel Fali Nariman, appearing for AAP, to keep the matter for hearing in first week of July as the LG had informed that he will deal with the issue after 16 May.

Advocate Prashant Bhushan, an AAP leader, had also made the same request and said nobody is coming forward to claim for formation of governme

PM inaugurates Uri hydroelectric project

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the 240-Megawatt Uri-II Hydro Electric Project (HEP) located near the Line of Control in Baramulla district of Kashmir.

Inaugurating the 240-Megawatt Uri-II Hydro Electric Project (HEP) located near the Line of Control in Baramulla district of Kashmir, he said renewable energy, including hydro power, is fast developing as an alternative to thermal power.

He cited the success of Bhutan in developing alternative sources of power as an example which "impressed" him during his visit to the Himalayan kingdom last month.

Goa Governor B V Wanchoo resigned

The Goa Governor, Shri. B.V. Wanchoo resigned on 05-07-2014 resigned as Governor of Goa.

The resignation of Wanchoo, a former chief of elite Special Protection Group, will be sent to President Pranab Mukherjee for acceptance.

 Wanchoo was quizzed by CBI as a witness in connection with AgustaWestland deal bribery scandal as was Narayanan just before his resignatio

New vaccines to be part of govt's immunisation programme

Vaccines against rotavirus, rubella and polio (injectable) will collectively expedite Indias progress on meeting the Millennium Development Goal 4 targets to reduce child mortality by two-thirds by the year 2015 and meet global polio eradication targets.


These new vaccines to be introduced as part of the Universal Immunization Programme (UIP), government will be providing free vaccines against 13 life threatening diseases to 27 million children annually, the largest birth cohort in the world.

In addition, an adult vaccine against Japanese encephalitis will be introduced in districts with high levels of the disease.

Ram Naresh Yadav was sworn-in as the Governor of Chhattisgarh.

Madhya Pradesh Governor Ram Naresh Yadav was  sworn-in as the Governor of Chhattisgarh.

Chief Justice Yatindra Singh of Bilaspur High Court administered the oath of office to Yadav in a function organized in Raipur at Raj Bhawan.

India has become the first country to ratify the Marrakesh Treaty

India has become the first country to ratify the Marrakesh Treaty to facilitate access to published works for persons who are blind, visually-impaired or print disabled.

The reaty, which was ratified on 30th June, will facilitate import of accessible format copies from member states by authorised entities in India such as educational institutions, libraries, etc. serving the needs of visually-impaired persons, the statement added.

Once the treaty comes into effect, it will enable ease of access to published works for blind, visually-impaired and otherwise print disabled persons in India.

So far, 79 World Intellectual Property Organisation member states have signed the treaty, which will come into force once 20 countries have ratified it.

"The development will also facilitate translation of imported accessible format copies and export of accessible format copies in Indian languages," the statement.

The Indian Copyright (Amendment) Act, 2012, is in harmony with the Marrakesh Treaty. 

India successfully launches PSLV C-23

PSLV C23 carrying French Earth Observation Satellite SPOT-7 and four co-passenger spacecrafts from Singapore, Canada and Germany was successfully launched from Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh.

The Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, witnessed the historic moment and praised the Indian scientists


After a perfect lift off from the First Launch Pad in Satish Dhawan Space Centre here at 9.52 AM witnessed by Modi, Indian Space Research Organisation's workhorse Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle PSLV-C23 placed all five satellites into their intended orbits, one after the other between 17 and 19 minutes after liftoff, in textbook precision.

Though the Mission Readiness Review Committee and Launch Authorisation Board had on Friday cleared the launch, the launch time was rescheduled to 9.52 AM Monday, a delay of three minutes, attributed to "probable space debris" coming in the rocket's way.

Besides its primary payload of 714 kg French Earth Observation Satellite SPOT-7, PSLV C23 carried and placed in orbit 14 kg AISAT of Germany, NLS7.1 (CAN-X4) and NLS7.2 (CAN-X5) of Canada each weighing 15 kg and the 7 kg VELOX-1 of Singapore.

Information Courtesy : ddnews.gov.in

Governemt hikes onion MEP to USD 500 per tonne

The Central government on 02-Jul-2014 hiked the minimum export price of onion to USD 500 per tonne to improve the domestic supply and curb prices.

Last month, the minimum export price (MEP) on onion was re-introduced at USD 300 per tonne barely three months after the previous government in March had abolished it.

MEP is the rate below which no exports are allowed.

US names mountain after an Indian-American scientist

United States has named a mountain in Antarctia in honour of an eminent Indian-American scientist whose pioneering biological research expedition has provided critical data about animal populations.

Akhouri Sinha, adjunct professor in the Department of Genetics, Cell Biology and Development at the University of Minnesota, was recognised by the US Geological Survey, which named the mountain Mt Sinha, for his work he did as an explorer in 1971-72