Current Affairs-NoV 30,2013

1. Independent India's first Eduction Minister and freedom fighter to commemorate whose 125th birth anniversary a national portal has been launched by the Government of India-- Maulana Abul Kalam Azad

2. The country which launched the Olympic torch of Winter Olympics 2014 into space where it was handed over between two spacewalkers of the International Space Station to record the first every torch relay in space-- Russia

3. The typhoon which has lashed Philippines 07 November killing thousands of people and causing large scale devastation was named-- Haiyan

5. Delhi Metro's Principal Advisor and former Managing Director who has been conferred with the prestigious 'Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Star' award by the government of Japan --Mr. E. Sreedharan

6. The venue of World Agriculture Forum 2013 Congress and Agri-Tech Fair being held from 04 to 07 Nov 2013 --Hyderabad

7. The first ever Dual Cab 4500 HP Freight Diesel locomotive named Vijay flagged by the Minister of Railways Shri Mallikarjun Kharge has been manufactured by-- Diesel Locomotive Works (DLW), Varanasi

8. The country which has sentenced 152 soldiers to death over a bloody border guard mutiny in 2009 --Bangladesh

9. The auction house which auctioned Mahatma Gandhi's will and the famous charkha used by him in Yerawada Jail and later gifted to American missionary Rev. Floyd-- A Puffer Mullock's Auction house

10. The advanced jet trainer built by the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) with Transfer of Technology from M/s British Aerospace, UK, which has been inducted into the Indian Navy at a ceremony held at the Naval Air Station INS Dega in Visakhapatnam--- Hawk 132

11. The noted Indian food writer and host of cooking shows (awarded Padma Shri in 2007) who passed away on 06 Nov --Ms Tarla Dalal

12. The 10-day India-China joint military drill on counterterrorism being conducted in Miaoergang town in China is code named-- Hand-in-hand

13. The Carnatic vocalist who has been honoured with the first Bharat Seva Puraskar instituted by Sri Parthasarathy Swami Sabha and Carnatica-- Ms Sudha Ragunathan

14. The Indian golfer who has won the Dubai City Challenge golf tournament in Dubai --Shiv Kapur

15. The Indian cricketer who has become the third batsman in the world to score a double century in One-day Internationals by scoring 209 runs in 158 balls against Australia at Bangalore-- Rohit Sharma

16. The district in Kerala which has been declared India's first landless-free district in India (It has become the first district in the country where every family owns a piece of land.)

Temples and their Locations

1. Cheena Kesava Temple Belur, Karnataka
2. Black Pagoda or Sun Temple; Konark (Orissa)
3. Brihadiswara Temple (WHS); Thanjuvur, Tamilnadu
4. Brihadiswara Temple (WHS);Gangaikondacholisvaram, TN
5. Airavatesvara Temple (WHS) Darasuram, Tamilnadu
6. Hazara Rama Temple (WHS) Hampi, Karnataka
7. Virupaksha Temple (WHS) Pattadakal, Karnataka
8. Golden Temple Amritsar, Punjab
9. Jagannath Temple Puri, Orissa
10. Kailasa Temple Ellora, Maharashtra
11. Mahabaleshwar Temple; Ujjain (M.P.)
12. Minakshi Temple Madurai, Tamilnadu
13. Shore Temple Mahabalipuram, Tamilnadu
14. Somnath Temple Junagarh, Gujarat
15. Tirupati Temple Chittor, Andhra Pradesh
16. Sabarimala Pathanamthitta, Kerala
17. Dilwara Temple ;Mt.Abu, Rajasthan
18. Kamakhya Temple Guwahati, Assam
19. Zeishta Devi Temple Srinagar, J & K

Sachin Tendulkar named UNICEF brand ambassador for South Asia

Recently-retired batting legend Sachin Tendulkar on Thursday became UNICEF's first brand ambassador for South Asia and is all set to work in promoting hygiene and sanitation in the region.

"Thanks for allowing me to start this wonderful second innings of my life. I'm looking forward to being an ambassador for UNICEF and serve to the best of my ability. This is an innings that is really really important to me, so I will try my best," said Tendulkar.

Tendulkar said it was hard to digest that many people around the world did not have access to clean toilets.

  

Tendulkar said it was hard to digest that many people around the world did not have access to clean toilets.

"I was surprised to know that 36 per cent of the world population don't have access to safe and clean toilets. In today's day and age to think about this basic facility not being available to a common man, it is really difficult to digest," he said.

"If a person defecates in the open and goes back home and that happens to be a mother, because in most of the family it is the mother who runs the house. She is the one who is cooking food for all the family members, she is the one who is feeding the baby with her own hands because that is the attachment and a bond that any mother and child would share.

"And if the hands are not washed with soap, can you imagine the result? It can actually take away the child's life. For an adult's negligence, a child cannot lose its life," he added.

The 40-year old said he was baffled by the statistics on the high number of children dying due to lack of proper hygiene. "Also another statistics which baffles me and I was disheartened to know was that 1600 children die everyday because of diarrhoeal infected diseases. I just want to help UNICEF to make more people aware of this initiative that I am part of. It is as simple as washing your hands with soap," he said.

Tendulkar said he would achieve something in his second innings if he was able to bring down the number of child mortality due to diarrhoea related diseases.

"The numbers I spoke about, my only wish is if we could bring those astronomical numbers as low as possible then we would have achieved something. I can speak for myself that I would have achieved something post my cricketing years. The second innings of my life that I am playing along with UNICEF is really important and it means a lot to me," he said.

Recalling his childhood days, Tendulkar said there were times when he didn't bother to wash his hands after playing. "There was a stage where I would play downstairs with my friends, cricket with tennis ball, and occasionally didn't bother washing my hands, and wanting to eat after coming back home. My mother made sure that I washed my hands properly and ate with clean hands," he said.

Tendulkar, who was also earlier part of the UNICEF campaigns for polio and global hand washing, said, "Hand wash according to me with soap is like vaccine which can prevent a lot of diseases. Basically, by not washing your hands after defecation allows a person to carry germs back home. It causes lot of harm to your health. Many diseases like diarrhoea, dysentery, worms, infect many diseases related to respiratory are caused because of our negligence."

The batting icon, who had interacted with kids for the hand wash campaign, said he was looking forward to meet more children through this new role. "Not just I was part of spreading the message but also to spend time with children and educate them about hygiene; how important it is to lead life the way it is meant to be, is lot of fun and I thoroughly enjoyed doing that. I am looking forward to sharing such moments with a number of children."

Tendulkar said it was important to pass on the correct information to the people and make them aware. "I think it becomes our responsibility to pass on our knowledge. I have seen it at home, my wife being a doctor, most of the things I don't need to worry about. If the children are not feeling well, I know my wife is going to give them the best of the treatment and make sure that everything is fine. But outside where certain people don't have access to these things, I think it becomes our responsibility to share our thoughts with them, our knowledge with them and just make them understand how important it is.

"Not just for them but their family because it is infectious. If you don't wash your hands regularly after using the toilet then the results are terrible. You don't want to talk about those results," explained Tendulkar.

He further added it was important to have sanitation for everyone, especially children. "Let us make this effort in creating this awareness, spreading the right information to the ones who don't have access to this information. I think it becomes our responsibility and it is all about creating a healthy and cleaner place that we live in. If we are able to do that there will be many happy faces around. Let us strive towards sanitation for all of us, more so important for children who don't understand how important it is to wash your hands with soap," he said.

According to UNICEF, almost half the population in India defecates in the open and 681 million people practice open defecation in South Asia.

NOVEMBER CURRENT AFFAIRS IMPORTANT COLLECTION

1. India's first and only business house to cross the turnover of $100 billion, which fell out of $ 100 billion club in Nov 2013, because of a fall in the value of rupee ---Tata group

2. The editor, critic and author who has won the 2013 Shakti Bhatt First Book Prize for her debut novel The Wildings ----Nilanjan Roy

3. The volcano located in the island Sumatra of Indonesia which erupted violently forcing about 18,000 people to flee from their homes is named -----Mount Sinabung

4. The nuclear-capable Naval variant of surface-to-surface missile Prithvi which was test-fired on Nov 23 from a warship is named---- Dhanush

5. The cyclone which hit Andhra Pradesh crossing the coast at Machilipatnam on 22 Nov 13 forcing evacuation of thousands of people was named ---Helen

6.;The Norwegian chess player who has become the new World Chess Champion by defeating 5 times champion Viswanathan Anand in 3 out of 10 games (7 being drawn games) in championship contest held at Hotel Hyatt Regency in Chennai ---Magnus Carlsen

7. The first stealth combat drone recently tested by China is named ---Sharp Sword

8. The new Chairman of 20th Law Commission who has taken over following the resignation of Justice D.K. Jain ---Justice Ajit Prakash Shah

9. The Indian cricketer who has become the fastest to score 5000 runs in One Day Internationals by achieving it in 114 innings off 120 matches--- Virat Kohli

10. The Barcelona footballer who has been awarded the European Golden Boot for a record third time for having scored the most league goals in Europe last season--- Lionel Messi

11. Rizvi-Springfield skipper who has scored 546 runs against St. Francis D'Assisi in the Harris Shield tournament match becoming the highest scoring Indian in any form of registered competitive cricket ---Prithvi Shah

12. The country which has decided to recall its ambassador from Australia following reports that an Australian security agency attempted to listen to his telephonic conversations of its President ---Indonesia

12. The word meaning a photograph that one has taken of oneself, typically one taken with a smartphone or webcam and uploaded to a social media website, which has been chosen as the word of the year 2013 by Oxford Dictionary ---selfie

13. The Indian External Affairs Minister who represented India at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meet 2013 in Sri Lanka --Salman Khurshid

14.;The country which has been chosen unanimously at the end of CHOGM 2013 in Sri Lanka, to host the 2015 Commonwealth Summit--- Malta

15. The Chairperson of India's first all-women bank, Bharatiya Mahila Bank, inaugurated by the Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh at Air India building in Nariman Point (Mumbai) is
(Note: The bank has started its operations with 7 branches at Kolkata, Mumbai, Lucknow, Guwahati, Chennai, Bengaluru and Ahmedabad. Headquarters: New Delhi) ---Usha Ananthasubramanian

16. The renowned film actress who has been chosen to be awarded the Centenary Award for Indian Film Personality of the Year at the International Film Festival of India 2013 in Panjim, Goa--- Waheeda Rehman

17. The winning candidate in the presidential election of the Maldives who has been sworn in as the new President ---Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayyoom

18. The Jamaican sprinter who has been named the Female Athlete of the Year 2013 by the International Association of Athletics Federation ------Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce

19. The Jamaican sprinter who has been named the Male Athlete of the Year 2013 by International Association of Athletics Federation for the fifth time ---Usain Bolt

20. The venue of 18th International Children's Film Festival of India being held from 14 November 2013 ---Hyderabad

21. The place at which aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya (formerly Admiral Gorshkov) was inducted into the Indian Navy on 16 November at a ceremony attended by Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin and Indian Defence Minister A.K. Antony Sevmash Shipyard in--- Severodvinsk

22. The Venezuelan contestant who was crowned Miss Universe 2013 at a beauty pageant held in Moscow --- María Gabriela Isler

23. The Indian dog which has become the first canine to reach the Everest base camp (alongwith its owner Joanne Lefson of South Africa) is named ---Rupee

24. The year in which India is to host the next hockey world cup as announced by the International Hockey Federation (FIH) --2018

25. The satellite launched by European Space Agency in 2009 which re-entered the Earth's atmosphere and crashed into the Atlantic Ocean was named ---Gravity field and Ocean Circulation Explorer

26. The woman shooter from India who has created history by becoming the first pistol exponent from India to win a gold medal at the ISSF World Cup finals in Munich, Germany ---Heena Sidhu

Ias Topper Success Stories : RV Varun Kumar

RV Varun Kumar, who considers Sachin Tendulkar his icon for his hunger for excellence, speaks out on what made him succeed in the most prestigious exam of India. He secured 3rd rank in the UPSC civil services exam 2010.



Q. Please tell us about your childhood, family background, schooling and higher education.
A. I studied at Campion Higher Secondary School, Trichy, Tamil Nadu. It is the best institution I have ever come across. What I am today, I owe it to my school and parents. My dad is a professor (economics) and my mother is a housewife. My brother works for Ericsson, USA. I completed BDS at Ragas Dental College, Chennai. The discipline and the learning style which I applied in CSE 2010 were taught to me at my school. I extend my special thanks to the institution.



Q. When and why did you choose to become a civil servant?
A. I am not ashamed to confess that a movie inspired me to think about Civil Services Examination. In 2003, I watched a Tamil movie by the name ‘Kakha Kakha’ and it initiated my thought process. Anything can initiate a person; ultimately it is the performance in the job that matters. The desire to join the IPS was always lying deep within and this movie definitely initiated me to chase my dream.



Q. Was CSE a planned decision? How did your parents support you?
A. It is not possible for anybody to clear this examination unless it is a thoroughly planned decision. I decided to take up civil services in 2007 and it took four years to reach the pinnacle. My parents were never doubtful about my decisions and they stood by my side.



Q. It is very difficult to figure out where to start and how to start. What was your strategy when you first decided to prepare for CSE?
A. The first thing a marathon runner plans is the ‘start’. Many candidates fall prey to the thought of becoming a topper and giving interviews to the media. CSE is a long process and one needs to sustain the energy. So I realized that it is not a world full of rainbows and sunshine, hence I decided to take it step-by-step. My primary target was to clear the preliminary exam. I advice candidates to stop worrying about getting the preferred service, preferred state cadre, etc. Instead one can face the examination step-by-step. It will relieve the candidate from the immense pressure created by this exam. Pressure hampers preparation. So to start with, one has to focus on preliminary exam and I suggest one full year of preparation before taking the preliminary exam. First attempt should be the best attempt in my opinion.



Q. Please tell about your icon, hobbies and interests.
A. My icon is Sachin Tendulkar. I am not a great fan of the cricketer in him but I admire him as a person in general. He has immense energy and shows a lot of conviction towards his work. The work we do should never be a burden to us; this is what I learnt from him. I try to emulate him and everyone should develop a ‘child-like desire’ to win, irrespective of whichever field we work in.
I love watching world cinema and documentaries. I worked hard to receive an award in relation to my hobby. I succeeded too. I received the ‘Film Buff Award’ at the 8th Chennai International Film Festival for my movie reviews. By winning this award after mains examination I obviously had a better chance to score high in interview than any other candidate.



Q. How many attempts did it take for you to taste success?
A. CSE 2010 was my third attempt. I read for 2 months before my first attempt. I faced an unprecedented defeat. That motivated me to do well in CSE 2009. I cleared the preliminary exam but skipped the mains exam because I chose to prepare properly for CPF (AC) exam. Also I did not want to score a rank in 100s or 200s. So after securing rank 67 in CPF Exam, I took leave from training and gave my heart and soul to CSE 2010.



Q. How confident were you about succeeding in the CSE?
A. 100%. I never expected a rank other than Rank 1. I am still thinking about how I missed it.



Q. What was your first reaction when you heard that you have cleared the exam with flying colors?
A. Disappointment. I checked the results and did not hear it from anyone. It was a happy result but not the best result. Rank 1 could have been the best result. There is a thin line between arrogance and confidence. Candidates can be very confident of getting rank 1 too. It all depends on the amount of work we have put in.



Q. How helpful are coaching institutes?
A. There is very high chance of getting fleeced. Do not get carried away by the number of candidates enrolled, difficulty in getting admission, colorful websites, tall claims by way of advertisements etc. Instead speak to candidates and find out about the teachers. Coaching institutes are helpful but one should always view them with suspicion as they might ‘kill’ our creativity and push us into a style we may not be comfortable with. There is no assurance that what they say or teach might be true. It is better to trust good authors. Coaching institutes are helpful when you learn how to use them.



Q. Did you use internet? How helpful was it?
A. I used Wikipedia umpteenth times. Press Information Bureau will be of particular help when you need government related data. ‘Google books’ is another source to have a brief look at various books.

Hacker VS Programmer

1. A hacker beats the system.
A programmer maintains the system.


2. A hacker is trying to get in.
A programmer is trying to stop things getting in.

3. A hacker does things because he believes in them.
A programmer does what he is supposed to.

4. A hacker changes the way things are.
A programmer tries to keep the status quo.

5. A hacker is agile.
A programmer is a small cog in a big slow machine.

6. A hacker has many points of attack.
A programmer has one job.

7. A hacker has to be fast.
A programmer doesn’t.

8. A hacker is self-reliant.
A programmer relies on others.

9. A hacker finds paths that don’t exist.
A programmer guards the old ones that already do.

10. A hacker is about being interesting.
A programmer is about being perfect.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: 26 November

1. Constitution Day was observed across India on 26 November 2013 to honour the Constitution of India. The Constitution of India was adopted by the Constituent Assembly on 26 November 1949, which came into force on 26 January 1950.

2. An interim agreement has been reached between six world powers and Iran that calls on Tehran to limit its nuclear activities in return for sanctions relief from international trade and financial sanctions.

3. Reserve Bank today widened the definition of infrastructure lending including hotels with project costing more thanRs. 200 crore as well as convention centres with project worth Rs. 300 crore.

4. YES BANK, India’s fourth largest private sector bank, today signed a multi-year deal with the Hockey India League (HIL) commencing with the 2014 season.

5. BJP’s Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi is among Time magazine’s shortlisted candidates for its ‘Person of the Year’ title and has emerged as an early favourite among the readers in an online poll.

6. Alec Reid, an unassuming Roman Catholic priest who played a quiet but crucial role in clandestine negotiations that led to the historic Good Friday peace accord in Northern Ireland in 1998, died.

7. Tax rates for companies in India are among the highest in the world and the number of payments is also more than the global average, putting the country at a low 158th rank on the 'Paying Taxes 2014' list, jointly prepared by World Bank And PwC.
Neeraj Sahai, 56, a top Indian-American executive at Citigroup has been appointed president of Standard & Poor's Ratings Services.

8. Scotland today unveiled a blueprint for its independence from the UK ahead of a historic referendum next year to end the 300-year union.

9. India's Deepak Lathore won a Gold and two Silver medals in the Boys' 50 kilogramme category of the Commonwealth Weightlifting Championships today.

10. According to several Angolan newspapers, Angola (Southern Africa) has banned Islam, condemning it as "illegal" and taking first measures by destroying different mosques in the Southwest African nation.

Current Affairs : 24th & 25th November 2013

1.International Day for Elimination of Violence against Women is observed today (25th November) across the globe to raise awareness about the problem.

2.A two day long Global Islamic Economic Summit, GIES gets underway in Dubai today.

3.Aarushi-Hemraj case: Talwar couple convicted of murder.

4.RBI to launch CPI-indexed bonds soon.The Reserve Bank of India has said today that it will launch CPI-indexed bonds aimed at protecting the savings of retail investors from the impact of price rise by the end of next month.

5.World’s First Green Helicopter Tested in Germany.Germany’s aviation company e- Volo on 17 November 2013 successfully tested the first helicopter which is noiseless and emission-free named- Volocopter.

6.Mexico will award its 2013 International Prize for Equality and Non-Discrimination to Malala Yousafzai, the Pakistani teenager shot by the Taliban for championing girls' rights to education.

7.India has overtaken China as the most attractive investment destination according to a survey conducted by Ernst & Young (EY) a global professional services and consulting firm.

8.Iran signed a historic deal with the United Statesand five other world powers yesterday.

9.Global tech giant Apple has acquired PrimeSense, an Israeli firm which specializes in making 3D motion detection technology.

CURRENT AFFAIRS : 24 November

1. The United States plus five world powers reached a landmark deal with Iran on Sunday to curtail the Persian country's purported march towards nuclear weapons. 

2. Jammu & Kashmir government on Sunday said it was committed to provide minority status to the Sikh community living in the state.

3. India has overtaken China as the most attractive investment destination according to a survey conducted by Ernst & Young (EY) a global professional services firm. The top three investing countries into India, as per this survey will be United States of America (USA), France and Japan.

4. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), that got global recognition for its successful launch of a mission to Mars, will now launch German, French, British and Canadaian satellites, a top official said.

5. China has established an " Air Defence Identification Zone" over a group of islands subject to a territorial dispute with Japan that has strained relations between the two powers for months. Although the islands, called Senkaku in Japan and Diaoyu in China, are uninhabited, they are believed to be surrounded by energy-rich waters.

6. India's largest and only profitable domestic airline IndiGo is likely to go public and also induct small planes in its fleet to improve regional connectivity in the country.

7. Salt-to-software conglomerate Tata group's combined turnover has slipped below USD 100- billion mark due to a fall in rupee, despite an over ten percent growth in total revenue when measured in Indian currency.

8. Having been very prompt in replying to information requests from its oversees peers, Sebi is also looking at greater help from foreign regulators in its attempts to check investor frauds and market manipulations.

9. Representatives from Southeast Asian nations and business leaders of the country have pledged to contribute substantially for the socio-economic growth of the North East region at a two-day North East Business Summit in Dibrugarh, Assam.

10. Justice Ajay Manikrao Khanwilkar was sworn in as the 22nd Chief Justice of Madhya Pradesh by Governor Ram Naresh Yadav at Raj Bhavan

International Organizations

1 World Customs Organization (WCO)--- Brussels,Belgium-- 1952 
2 World Food Program (WFP)-- Rome-- 1961 
3 World Health Organization (WHO) -- Geneva, Switzerland--1948
4 World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO)-- Geneva, Switzerland--1967
5 World Meteorological Organization (WMO)-- Geneva, Switzerland 1950
6 World Tourism Organization (UNWTO)-- London 1946
7 World Trade Organization (WTO) -- Geneva, Switzerland 1995
8 West African Development Bank (WADB)-- Lome, Togo 1973
9 World Confederation of Labor (WCL)-- Brussels 1920
10 Western European Union(WEU)-- Brussels 1920

IAS Topper Success Stories : Dr. Syed Sehrish Asgar , 118th rank

'Being a civil servant, I can be a 'doctor' for the whole society'

After finishing her MBBS degree, she topped the State Civil Service exams in 2011 and became the first woman in Jammu & Kashmir to achieve the feat.


Yet it did not stop her urge to achieve something bigger and she qualified for the IAS recently. Syed Sehrish Asgar has become a second generation civil services officer as her father, Syed Asghar was a 1977-batch Kashmir Administrative Service (KAS) officer, before joining politics and becoming an MLC. Having done her schooling from Presentation Convent in Jammu and being a topper all through, she joined Batra Medical College in 2003 and secured first position in the MBBS in 2009.

Dr Sehrish Asghar’s grandfather Peer Nizam-ud-Din was a renowned social worker of Kishtwar in Jammu division and also an MLA from Kishtwar constituency. Her family is known for preaching religious teachings to the people of Kishtwar for several generations.


* What inspired you to join the civil service?

> My father who was in civil service was my motivation. There are no female role models who represent Jammu & Kashmir as most of the women here are in traditional fields. They are either being told to become doctors or teachers. I want to prove that women can do well in administration also.

* You topped the KAS exam last year. Did the idea of cracking IAS came to you after that or were you aiming for it even earlier?

> I prepared for each stage without taking pressure of success or failure of making the next grade. When I was in school I liked science subjects so much and that was the reason I joined MBBS. But in college I realised that if I became a civil servant I can be a ‘doctor’ for the whole society, which wasn’t possible if I had only been a physician. I looked out for those who had already qualified these exams and interacted with them on how to go about it.

* Despite topping State Civil Service (SCS), you opted to take up the IAS...

> SCS is a prestigious service, but when you join IAS you get bigger platform for policy formulation. You can contribute at higher levels and that motivated me to go for IAS. More and more youth should serve the state in future so that the state will move forward on various developmental fronts.

* Was Shah Faisal (2009 IAS topper) your role model?

> Even after Faisal, people who qualified are the role models. When you look at your role models, you actually believe you can also do it.

* You are only the second woman from the state to qualify for IAS. How’s the feeling?

> Obviously elated, but it has been a team work. My parents, friends and classmates have all contributed to my success. I am grateful to God.

* What’s your advice to women candidates of the state who aspire to qualify for the civil service?

> My message is that their ability and intelligence, if not more, is equal to that of boys. Whosoever tells the girls that they aren’t capable, they shouldn’t listen to them and believe in their own abilities. Women are adept at making homes and careers as well.
Why can’t they be good administrators?

* What is the reason that more candidates from J&K are taking up civil service now?

> Earlier there weren’t a lot of role models. But now the number of role models is increasing. If you qualify, 10 others get motivated and when 10 qualify they motivate 100 others. And in the process it becomes a chain reaction.


* Tell us how your family supported you to achieve this goal?

> You need a lot of time to prepare for civil services which isn’t possible without the full support from your family. My parents always helped me to the optimum. Being a doctor and telling my parents that I want to change my field was a big step. But they always encouraged me.

* What is your aim in life now?

> My aim is to serve the poor people of the state, particularly, the people of my home district Kishtwar.

* Of late female foeticide has become an issue in the state. As an administrator how do you look at it?

> Female foeticide is linked to degrading position of women in society. Orphan girls, prostitution and other social issues are linked with the female foeticide. And in any conflict situation women bear the brunt. Same is happening in our state also.

* Being a doctor and now a civil servant, what is your solution to this problem?

> Proper control mechanisms have to be put in place. It is an organised crime and a medical problem. It (female foeticide) can’t happen without the support and help of doctors, para-medical staff and clinical labs. It is a racket which needs to be tackled properly.

* How do you react to people outside the state who think that Kashmir is burning due to internal conflict?

> Anti-social elements and people who don’t want peace are less in number compared to people who want peace. They want peace, justice and development like the people of other states of the country. Anti-social elements are in every part of the world just like in Kashmir. So we shouldn’t link everything happening in Kashmir with conflict. Kashmiris are peace-loving people and they too want development and other facilities like people in the rest of the world.

CURRENT AFFAIRS : 23 November

1. India successfully test-fired its nuclear-capable Dhanush ballistic missile from a naval ship off Odisha coast on Saturday.

2. Vietnam has offered to give ONGC Videsh Ltd five offshore oil and gas exploration areas in South China Sea and its Kossor block in Uzbekistan without bidding, the Indian company said.

3. The Prakruthi Samrakshana Samithi, a leading environmental organisation here, has said that undiluted implementation of the Gadgil committee report is the only solution for the protection of the Western Ghats.

4. The death toll from two huge blasts caused by a leaked oil from a ruptured pipeline in an eastern Chinese port city has risen to 44 with 166 injured in one the country’s worst industrial accidents of the year.

5. Viswanathan Anand era ends as Magnus Carlsen is new king of chess. Norway’s Magnus Carlsen taking the crown after a hard-fought draw in the 10th game of the World Chess Championship match.

6. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Friday declared that the dollar swap window would be closed on November 30; however, banks which will get firm commitment from international financial institutions will be able to continue availing the special incentive till December 31, 2013.

7. World No. 1 women’s tennis player Serena Williams was named WTA Player of the Year.

8. Pfizer Ltd, the Indian unit of U.S. drug maker Pfizer Inc , is to take over local affiliate Wyeth Ltd.

9. Aviation and travel-related services provider InterGlobe Enterprises is collaboration with CAE today inaugurated country's largest pilot training facility in Greater Noida in the National Capital Region.

10. Beijing on Saturday announced it was setting up an "air defence identification zone" over an area that includes islands controlled by Japan but claimed by China, triggering a "strong protest" from Tokyo. 

Largest Producers of crops in India

1. The largest producer of paddy in India----West Bengal
2. The lagest producer of wheat in India---Uttar Pradesh
3. The lagest producer of sugarcane in India ---Uttar Pradesh
4. The lagest producer of groundnut in India ---Gujarat
5. The largest producer of tea in India---Assam
6. The largest producer of coffee in India---Karnataka
7. The largest producer of jute in India ---West Bengal
8. The largest producer of tobacco in India---Andhra Pradesh
9. The largest producer of bananas in India---Tamilnadu
10. The largest producer of saffron in India---Jammu & Kashmir
11. The largest producer of onion in India---Maharashtra
12. The largest producer of black pepper in India---Kerala
13. The largest producer of cotton in India---Gujarat*
14. The largest producer of bamboos in India---Assam

First in the World: - Men,Women

1. First man in space --Yuri Gagarin-- USSR

2. First man to reach the North Pole-- Robert Peary-- USA

3. First man to scale Mt Everest --Edmund Hillary--New Zealand

4. First man to reach the South Pole-- Roald Amundsen---Norway

5. First man to circumnavigate the world-- Enrique, Magellan's slave ---Malay

6. First man to land on the moon--Neil Armstrong-- USA

7. First Secretary General of the United Nations-- Trygve Lie-- Norway

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First in the World

1. First woman in space---Valentina Tereshkova---USSR

2. First woman to cross the Atlantic in a solo flight--- Amelia Earhart ----USA

3. First woman to scale Mt Everest---Junko Tabei---- Japan

4. First woman to win an Olympic gold----Charlotte Cooper----England

5. First woman Prime Minister in the world---Sirimavo Bandaranaike----Sri Lanka

6. First American woman in space---Sally Ride---USA

Indian Railway Zones and their Headquarters

1. Northern Railway--Delhi 
2. North Eastern Railway--Gorakhpur 
3. Northeast Frontier Railway--Maligaon(Guwahati) 
4. Eastern Railway--Kolkata
5. South Eastern Railway--Kolkata
6. South Central Railway--Secunderabad
7. Southern Railway--chennai
8. Central Railway--Mumbai November
9. Western Railway--Mumbai November
10. South Western Railway--Hubli
11. North Western Railway--jaipur
12. West Central Railway--jabalpur
13. North Central Railway--Allahabad
14. South East Central Railway--Bilaspur
15. East Coast Railway--Bhubaneswar
16. East Central Railway--Hajipur
17. Kolkata Metro--Kolkata

Punch lines of Important Airlines

Emirates— Keep discovering
Austrian Airlines— The most friendly airlines
Cathay Pacific — The heart of Asia
Lufthansa— There is no better way to fly
Jet Airways— The joy of flying
Air Sahara— Emotionally yours
Thai Airways— Smooth as silk
Sri Lankan Airlines— You are our world
Qatar Airlines— Taking you more personally
Air Mauritius— Non-stop caring
Malaysia Airlines— Going beyond expectations
China Airlines— We blossom everyday
Austrian Airlines — Fly with friends
Spice jet— Flying for everyone
BMI BMI— Those who know fly
British Airways — The world is waiting
Air India— Fly Well (tag-line)
Gulf Air — Colour your sky
KLM —The reliable airline
Turkish Airlines— Your magical gateway to the world
Indian Airlines Ltd. — New horizons. Enduring values
Qantas Airlines — Spirit of Australia (tag-line)

India’s All-Time Olympic Medalists

1. K. D. Jadhav— Bronze —1952 (Helsinki)—Wrestling— Men's freestyle Bantamweight
2.Leander Paes —Bronze — 1996 (Atlanta)—Tennis—Men's singles
3.Karnam Malleswari —Bronze —2000 (Sydney)—Weightlifting—Women's 69 kg
4.Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore —Silver— 2004 (Athens)—Shooting—Men's double trap
5.Abhinav Bindra —Gold — 2008 (Beijing) —Shooting—Men's 10m Air Rifle
6. Vijender Singh— Bronze— 2008 Beijing—Boxing—Men's 75 kg
7. Sushil Kumar— Bronze— 2008 Beijing —Wrestling—Men's 66 kg Freestyle
8.Gagan Narang— Bronze— 2012 London—Shooting—Men's 10m Air Rifle
9.Vijay Kumar —Silver—2012 London—Shooting—Men's 25 Rapid Fire Pistol
10.Saina Nehwal —Bronze—2012 London—Badminton—Women's singles
11.Mary Kom —Bronze— 2012 London— Boxing—Women's flyweight
12.Yogeshwar Dutt —Bronze— 2012 London—Wrestling—Men's 60 kg Freestyle
13.Sushil Kumar —Silver— 2012 London—Wrestling—Men's 66 kg Freestyle 

FULL FORM OF BANKING TERMS

1. BSBDA - Basic Savings Bank Deposit Account 
2. FCNR(B) - Foreign Currency Non-Resident Bank 
3. TARC - Tax Administration Reform Commission
4. ITEs: Intra-Group Transactions and Exposures
5. LCR: Liquidity Coverage Ratio
6. NSFR: Net Stable Funding Ratio
7. LRMT: Liquidity risk monitoring tools
8. CBS: Core Banking Solution
9. DEAF: Depositor Education and Awareness Fund
10. CRAR: Capital to Risk-weighted Assets Ratio
11. External Commercial Borrowings (ECB)
12. SWIFT: Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication
13. FSLRC: Financial Sector Legislative Reforms Commission
14. MIBOR: Mumbai Inter-Bank Offer Rate
15. LIBOR: London Inter-Bank Offer Rate
16. LAF – Liquidity Adjustment Facility
17. GIRO - Government Internal Revenue Order
18. EEFC - Exchange Earner's Foreign Currency
19. FRBMA: Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management Act
20. ALM- Asset Liability Management
21. AMFI- Association of Mutual Fund in India.
22. TIEA – Tax Information exchange Agreement
23. CAR – Cash Adequacy Ratio
24. CCEA – Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs
25. CECA - Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement
26. CEPA – Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement
27. DTAA – Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement
28. DTC – Direct Tax Code
29. ECBs - External Commercial Borrowings
30. EEFC - Exchange Earner's Foreign Currency
31. EFSF – European Financial Stability Facility
32. FEMA- Foreign Exchange Management Act
33. FII – Foreign Institutional Investor.
34. FINO- Financial Inclusion Network Operation
35. FIPB – Foreign Investment Promotion board
36. FSLRC – Financial Sector Legislative Reforms Commission
37. FTA- Free trade agreement
38. GAAR - General anti avoidance rule
39. GSLV - Geo-Synchronous Launch Vehicle
40. MSF-Marginal Standing Facility
41. NBFC-Non Banking Finance Companies
42. NCTC - National Counter-Terrorism Centre
43. NEFT - National Electronic Funds Transfer
44. NSG – Nuclear Suppliers Group
45. PPP – Public Private Partnership & Purchasing Power parity
46. PSLV – Polar Satellite Launch vehicle
47. RTGS - Real Time Gross Settlement
48. SLR-Statutory Liquidity Ratio
49. TAPI - Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India.
50. QFI -Qualified Foreign Investors

IAS Topper Success Stories:The son of a daily wager, who, in his third attempt, secured the 343rd rank.

COIMBATORE: Five students from the region have made it to the civil services this year.

The standout performer among them is S Suresh Kumar, the son of a daily wager, who, in his third attempt, secured the 343rd rank. Kumar graduated in BSc plant biology from PSG college of Arts and Science and did his MA in defence studies from Madras University.

The 24-year-old, who chose political science and Tamil literature as his optional papers, started preparing for the UPSC examination while studying for his post graduation. He took tuitions and worked as a students' reporter with a local magazine to make his ends meet. "My parents would never let any of us work. My mother began to sell food to make my ends meet," says Suresh, who is now pursuing his M Phil at the South Asian University in Delhi.

Suresh's father, M Subburaj, worked as a daily wager at a garment manufacturing firm. A few months he moved joined a relative's firm as a salesman. Thenmozhi, his mother, would cook food for college students to supplement Subburaj's income. Suresh's brother, Sathish Kumar is pursuing graduation in a Coimbatore college.

For the political science paper and interviews, Suresh took the help of city-based Higher Studies Centre, which is run jointly by Coimbatore Corporation and Government Arts College. All the five candidates from the region selected for the services had got coached at the institute.

Suresh, who expects a posting in IAS or IFS, wants civil service aspirants not to lose heart with failure. "Hard work never fails. Be persistent in what you do," he adds.

FIFA World Cup Football—All time Winners (Year—Host Country—Winner—Score)

2010—South Africa —Spain— Spain [1-0] Netherlands
2006—Germany—Italy—Italy [1-1]( 5-3) France 
2002—Japan / S. Korea —Brazil—Brazil [2-0] Germany
1998—France— France—France [3-0] Brazil
1994—US—Brazil—Brazil [3-2] Italy
1990—Italy—Germany—Germany [1-0] Argentina
1986—Mexico—Argentina—Argentina [3-2] Germany
1982—Spain—Italy—Italy [3-1] Germany
1978—Argentina—Argentina—Argentina [3-1] Holland
1974—Germany—Germany—Germany [2-1] Holland
1970—Mexico—Brazil—Brazil [4-1] Italy
1966—England—England—England [4-2] Germany
1962—Chile—Brazil—Brazil [3-1] Czechoslovakia
1958—Sweden—Brazil—Brazil [5-2] Sweden
1954—Switzerland—Germany—Germany [3-2] Hungary
1950—Brazil—Uruguay—Uruguay [2-1] Brazil
1946— not held
1942— not held
1938—France—Italy—Italy [4-2] Hungary
1934—Italy—Italy—Italy [2-1] Czechoslovakia
1930—Uruguay—Uruguay—Uruguay [4-2] Argentina

Current Affairs : 20th November 2013

1. US President Barack Obama has nominated Indian-American Vivek Murthy for the post of Surgeon General, which a top American lawmaker described as a historic moment for the community across the country. If confirmed, Murthy would not only be the first-ever Indian-American to occupy this post but also the youngest ever Surgeon General of the country. The surgeon general serves a four-year term and is the administration's top official on public health issues.

2. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on 19 November 2013 directed Public Sector Banks (PSBs) to provide loans to women self-help groups (SHGs) at 7 per cent per annum to avail the benefit of interest rate subvention scheme under the Swarnajayanti Gram Swarozgar Yojana-Aajeevika (SGSY) scheme.

Salient features of RBI Notification:

All women SHGs will be eligible for interest subvention to avail the credit upto 3 lakh Rupees at 7 per cent per annum.
PSBs will be subvented to the extent of difference between the Weighted Average Interest charged and 7 per cent subject to the maximum limit of 5.5 per cent, for the FY-2014.
This subvention will be available to all the PSBs on the condition that they make SHG credit available at 7 per cent in the 150 districts.
The Regional Rural Banks (RRBs) will be subvented to the extent of difference between the lending rates and 7 per cent for the FY-2014 on the condition they make SHG credit available at 7 per cent.
SHGs will be given an additional 3 per cent subvention on prompt repayment of loan.

Swarnajayanti Gram Swarozgar Yojana-Aajeevika (SGSY) is an initiative by the government to provide sustainable income to poor people living in rural areas of the country.

Interest Rate subvention concept : Interest Rate subvention is a subsidy of interest given by Government to certain sectors like Textiles, Agriculture etc. For eg. Textile Company borrows from Bank at 10 percent and Government gives subvention of 2 percent. Hence net bank takes interest from textiles companies 8 percent. Other sectors have to pay 10 percent to the bank.

3. IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, on Wednesday issued a Rs 1,000 crore (approximately $160 million) global Indian rupee bond of three years maturity. The bond is IFC’s first rupee issuance, and the first bond issued under its $1 billion offshore rupee bond programme. The issuance is to strengthen India’s capital markets and attract greater foreign investment in a time of renewed economic uncertainty across the world, IFC said in a statement. The maturity date of the bond is December 3, 2016, and it carries a coupon of 7.75 per cent.

4. The 44th edition of International Film Festival of India (IFFI) that kicks off tomorrow here will screen 15 Oscar-nominated films from across the world. Veteran actress Waheeda Rehman will be conferred the inaugural Centenary Award for Indian Film Personality of the Year at the festival. The lifetime achievement award will be given to Czech filmmaker Jiri Menzel during the inauguration tomorrow. Hollywood actress Ausan Sarandon will be the chief guest at the inaugural function, which will be attended by Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Manish Tewari, veteran actors, including Kamal Haasan and Rekha, singer Asha Bhonsle and Iranian filmmaker Majid Majidi.

5. Anjolie Ela Menon, a contemporary artist was awarded with Dayawati Modi Award for Art and Culture and Education by Dayawati Foundation on 19 November 2013. The award comprised of a cash price of 2.51 lakh rupees, a silver shield and a scroll of hounour. It was presented to her by the Minister of state for Prime Minister Office, Department of personnel and Training, Government of India.

6. Engineering Excellence Award 2013 was conferred on the Security Printing and Minting Corporation of India Limited (SPMCIL), a Public Sector Unit under the Ministry of Finance, and Government of India on 19 November 2013. The award was given by Engineering Watch at SCOPE Convention Centre in Delhi. The second Best Engineering Marvel for Project Innovativeness was conferred on Modernisation of Ink Factory Project at Bank Note Press, Dewas.

7. Multi Commodity Exchange (MCX) and the People’s Republic of China-based Dalian Commodity Exchange (DCE) have signed a memorandum of understanding to boost co-operation. The agreement is designed to facilitate potential collaboration in areas such as knowledge-sharing, research and price risk management.

8. India and Russia on 18 November 2013 agreed to expand the range of strategic partnership in a significant manner in Moscow. The two countries will also hold a Joint Air Force Level exercise for the first time in 2014. The decision was taken during the 13th Meeting of the India–Russia Inter-Governmental Commission on Military Technical Cooperation (IRITC-MTC) and it was co chaired by AK Antony, the Defence Minister of India and His counterpart of Russia, Sergey Shoigu.

9. Indonesia has temporarily halted its military and intelligence cooperation with Australia over the latter's wiretapping of Indonesian leaders. Besides notifying people that Indonesia has submitted its official query to Australia about the wiretapping issue, President Yudhoyono ordered a stop to several forms of joint military drills with Australia in all forces that include the navy, the army and the air force, Xinhua reported.

10. The General Assembly's human rights committee passed a resolution on Tuesday urging Myanmar to give the stateless Rohingya minority equal access to citizenship and to crack down on Buddhist violence against them and other Muslims in the Southeast Asian nation. In 1982, Myanmar passed a citizenship law recognizing eight races and 130 minority groups but omitted the nation's 800,000 Rohingya, among Myanmar's 60 million people.