ACRONYMS IN NEWS

1. NFSB : National Food Security Bill.
2. IPH : The Institute of Public Health, Bengaluru.
3. IBL : Indian Badminton League.
4. MCX : Multi Commodity Exchange of India Ltd.
5. NSEL : National Spot Exchange Ltd.
6. FTIL : Financial Technologies India Ltd.
7. CCE : Chief Controller of Explosives.
8. LoC : Line of Control.
9. MRPL : Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Limited.
10. JMM : Jharkhand Mukti Morcha.
11. HPCL : Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited.
12. ISP : Internet service providers.
13. DoT : Department of Telecom.
14. RIL : Reliance Industries Ltd.
15. PCB : Pollution Control Board.
16. ESPs : Electro Static Precipitators.
17. APPCB : Andhra Pradesh Pollution Control Board.
18. FMCG : Fast Moving Consumer Goods.
19. PSUs : Public Sector Undertakings.
20. BSE : Bombay Stock Exchange.
21. CIL : Coal India Ltd.
22. INTUC : Indian National Trade Union Congress.
23. BMS : Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh.
24. CITU : Centre for Trade Unions.
25. HMS : Hind Mazdoor Sabha.
26. AITUC : All India Trade Union Congress.
27. NDF : Non-Deliverable Forwards.
28. TRAI : Telecom Regulatory Authority of India.
29. UCC : Unsolicited Commercial Call.
30. AIFSCO : The Afghan Iron and Steel Consortium.
31. VSP : Vizag Steel Plant.
32. IPO : Initial Public Offer.
33. RINL : Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Ltd.
34. NMDC : National Mineral Development Corporation.
35. SAIL : Steel Authority of India Ltd.
36. JISCO : Jindal Iron and Steel Company.
37. JSPL : Jindal Steel and Power Limited.

INSTRUMENTS & THEIR USES

1) Actinometer - Heating power of sunlight
2) Periscope - A periscope (or berinscope) is an instrument for observation from a concealed position.
3) Manometer - Used to measure pressure
4) Seismograph - Used to measure intensity of earthquakes
5) Richter Scale - To measure the intensity of earthquakes
6) Galvanometer - Used for detecting and measuring electric current
7) Dynamometer - A device to measure force, moment of force (torque) or power
(8) Sphygmomanometer - Used to measure Blood Pressure.
9) Lux meter - Intensity of light
10)Black box - is used in Airlines. It is also called as Flight Data Recorder (FDR) or Accident Data Recorder
     (ADR) or Cockpit Voice Recorder. Its colour is Orange.

LIST OF AWARDS&HONORS 2013

1) Bono Honoured With Highest Cultural Award of France- the Commander of the Order
2) Britain honoured Krishna Menon by placing Blue plaque on his First Home in London
3) Zubin Mehta named for Tagore Award for Cultural Harmony.
4) Vidya Balan got the Best Actress Award at IIFA 2013
5) Five Indian-American Kid Chefs won White House Healthy Lunchtime Challenge 2013
6) Pranab Mukherjee conferred National Youth Award 2011-12.
7) Mukesh Hariawala conferred Indian Healthcare Visionary of the Decade Award.
9) Oomen Chandy received the UN Public Service Award
10) Russian Film the Major won Golden  at Shanghai Film Festival.
11) Amrit Singh received the India Abroad Publisher's Special Award for Excellence 2012.
12) UIDAI won 21st Century Achievement Award 2013.
13) Three Ad Agencies Won Gold and Bronze Lions at Cannes Advertising Festival 2013.
14) Prof Michael Stratton, the scientist who identified genes causing breast cancer, was awarded knighthood in the Queen’s Birthday Honours.
15) Tan Twan Eng, the Malaysian author was declared as the winner of Walter Scott Prize for his English fiction novel The Garden of Evening Mists.
16) Anish Kapoor, the Indian-origin sculptor was honoured with Knighthood, which is the highest honour of Britain by Queen Elizabeth II.
17) Indian street food vendors Ashok Sah and Vijay Chaudhary won the critics award at the World Street Food
Congress in Singapore.
18) Central Himalayan Environment Association (CHEA), an NGO in Uttarakhand on 6 June 2013 bagged a French award for its contribution toprotection of human rights.
19) Kevin Barry won IMPAC Dublin Literary Award for his debut novel City of Bohane. In the novel he has
portrayed Ireland of 2053.
20) Michael Christian, one of the Australian radio presenters responsible for Royal prank, was awarded with
Jock by the employer.

world's most mysterious manuscript

Voynich manuscript , described as "the world's most mysterious manuscript"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voynich_manuscript

Reverse graffiti

Current Affairs: 24 August

1. The Government has ruled out the dismantling of the institution of Governor. Replying to the discussion on Governors (Emoluments, Allowances and Privileges) Amendment Bill, 2012 in the Lok Sabha, Minister of State for Home Affairs R P N Singh said adequate provisions have been made in the Constitution to run the institutions.

2. India and Iraq have signed an agreement on energy cooperation to boost bilateral ties. The agreement was inked after delegation level talks between the Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh and his Iraqi counterpart Nouri -al Maliki in New Delhi yesterday.

3. The Reserve Bank has imposed monetary penalty worth 6 crore 50 lakh rupees on six banks for violating Know Your Customer guidelines. RBI has informed that penalties ranging from 50 lakhs to two crore have been imposed on Allahabad Bank, Bank of Maharashtra, Corporation Bank, Dena Bank, IDBI Bank Ltd. and Indian Bank.

4. India's foreign exchange (forex) reserves increased by $205.8 million to $278.80 billion for the week ended Aug 16, according to data released by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).

5. The ninth Men's Asia Cup Hockey Tournament kicked off at Ipoh in Malaysia today. Young striker Mandeep Singh netted a hat-trick as India hammered Oman 8-0 to start their 9th Asia Cup Hockey Championship campaign on a perfect note at the Sultan Azlan Shah Stadium.

6. A body would be set up to deal with issues arising out of Goods & Services Tax proposed to be implemented replacing the existing regime, Parthasarathi Shome said.

7. India is set to be removed from the list of nations having significant aviation safety concerns, with an audit by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) showing that action plans were in place to address them.

8. Chief Justice of Jharkhand High Court Justice Prakash Tatia is likely to take over as the next head of the Armed Forces Tribunal, which looks into the defence forces-related service matters.

9. To improve patient safety and reduce the risk associated with the use of medicines,the Union Health Ministry is all set to increase the number of adverse drug reaction (ADR) monitoring centres in medical colleges in the country from 100 to 150.

10. Former top Chinese politician Bo Xilai has admitted he "made mistakes", but denied all charges against him.

11. The Nation on Friday pays tribute to Rajguru, one of the greatest Indian revolutionary of modern India, on his 105th birth anniversary.

12. The Reserve Bank has imposed monetary penalty worth 6 crore 50 lakh rupees on six banks for violating Know Your Customer guidelines.

13. India's Foreign Exchange (forex) reserves increased by $205.8 million to $278.80 billion for the week ended Aug 16, according to data released by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).

14. A state-of-the art National Media Centre comparable to those in capitals across the world was inaugurated Saturday, with an impressive conference hall, workplace for the media, a library,cafeteria and high-speed internet.
15. China:Typhoon Trami hits central Hunan Province, affects 3.61 lakh people.

16. Justice RC Gandhi to head one-man Commission to probe Kishtwar Violence in Jammu and Kashmir.

17. Goodwill gesture: Pakistan releases 362 Indian nationals. As a good will gesture amidst tension at the border in Kashmir, Pakistan has repatriated 362 Indian nationals through Wagah-Attari joint check post, today.

 

Microsoft CEO Retirement

Steve Ballmer, a passionate salesman who has been a central figure at Microsoft Corp for more than three decades, unexpectedly announced his retirement as chief executive on Friday, ending a controversial 13-year reign in which the world's largest software company lost its position as the dominant force in computing.

The world's largest software company has no anointed successor, and has had only two CEOs in its 38-year history - Ballmer and co-founder Bill Gates. 

Microsoft might consider Satya Nadella, India-born executive, as next Microsoft CEO