Tuesday, January 6, 2015

TOP 100 CURRENT AFFAIRS OF 2014

National
Goods and Services Tax Bill, 2014 introduced in Lok Sabha
  • It is also called Constitution (122nd Amendment) Bill
  • It seeks to introduce Goods and Services Tax (GST) regime
  • Inserts article Articles 246A, 269A and 279A in the Constitution
  • Provides for Union Finance Minister headed GST Council
  • Sets in a uniform and integrated indirect tax regime in India
14th Finance Commission submitted its report to President
  • It covers the period between 1 April 2015 and 31 March 2020
  • The Commission headed by former RBI Governor Y V Reddy
  • Provides for devolution of tax receipts from the Centre to the States
  • Article 280 of Constitution provides for appointment of Finance Commission
  • First and 13th Finance Commission was headed by K C Neogy & Dr Vijay Kelkar resp.
Union government decriminalized Attempt to Suicide
  • For this purpose Section 309 of Indian Penal Code removed
  • 20th Law Commission headed by Justice A P Shah recommended in its 210 Report
  • 210th Report on Humanization and Decriminalization of Attempt to Suicide
  • France was the first country to decriminalize this offence
Lok Sabha passed the Repealing and Amending (Second) Bill, 2014
  • Introduced as a periodic measure for updating the list of laws in force
  • Seeks to repeal 90 laws and pass amendment to two laws
  • Proposes to amend the two laws to rectify typographical errors
  • The laws are Railways (Amendment) Act, 2008 and the Indian Maritime University Act, 2008
Karnataka Mobile One App launched for m-governance
  • Launched by President Pranab Mukherjee in Bengaluru
  • First such app in India to usher in an era of mobile governance
  • Developed under the ICARE program of Karnataka government
  • Expected to provide more than 4000 services to citizens
Social Justice Bench constituted on social issue
  • Constituted by Supreme Court on 3 December 2014
  • Started operation on 12 December 2014
  • The brainchild of Chief Justice of India H L Dattu
  • Two-judge bench to be headed by Justice Madan B Lokur
  • The other member is Justice U U Lalit
    627 names of Indians holding black money abroad submitted to SC
    • Includes details of treaties India signed with France and other nations
    • Half of the 627 names are Non-Resident Indians (NRIs)
    • Most of them have accounts with HSBC Bank, Geneva
    • SIT headed by Justice M B Shah is probing black money case
    Union government unveiled new counter-Naxal doctrine
    • Proposes four-pronged approach to deal with Naxals
    • These are Security, Development, Rights and Entitlement and Public Perception Management
    • Focus on security interventions in worst LWE-affected areas
    • In moderately-affected areas, security and development initiatives will be focus
    • In less affected areas, development interventions will take precedence
    Swachh Bharat Mission launched
    • Launched on occasion of 145th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi
    • Aims at making India clean by 2019
    • The year 2019 will be 150th anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi
    • Nine people nominated to inspire people to join the Mission
      SC quashed allocation of 214 coal blocks
      • Quashed by SC bench headed by Justice R M Lodha
      • Allocations were arbitrary and illegal
      • 4 out of 218 coal blocks not cancelled
      • Includes one of NTPC and SAIL each and two of Sasan UMPP owned by Anil Ambani
      Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY) launched
      • It was launched on 28 August 2014
      • Aims to open 15 crore bank accounts by 15 August 2015
      • It is a mega financial inclusion plan
      • Each person covered to be provided bank accounts and RuPay debit cards
      • Also provision for inbuilt insurance cover of 1 lakh rupees
      India: first Country to Ratify the Marrakesh Treaty
      • India ratified the treaty on 30 June 2014
      • Will facilitate access to published works for blind and visually impaired persons
      • The treaty was signed in Marrakesh, Morocco on 28 June 2013
      • It has been signed by 64 countries
        SC ruled Shariat Courts are illegal
        • No legal status has been granted to the Sharia Courts
        • Its fatwas/decrees are illegal if it violates fundamental rights
        • The decision was delivered by SC bench headed by Justice C K Prasad
        • The judgement given on a petition filed by Vishwa Lochan Madan in 2005
        India became permanent signatory to Washington Accord
        • India signed the Accord on 13 June 2014
        • Joined a select group of 17 countries who joined the Accord
        • Global employment opportunities for India’s technical and engineering graduates to increase
        • Accord promotes mobility and quality assurance of engineers across international boundaries
        Sumitra Mahajan elected as Speaker of 16th Lok Sabha
        • She replaced Meira Kumar
        • Became the second women presiding officer of the Lok Sabha
        • She was elected to 9th Lok Sabha in 1989 for the first time
        • 2014 elections was her eighth continuous term as Member of Parliament
           Telangana became the 29th state of India
          • It achieved statehood on 2 June 2014
          • Ten districts of the then Andhra Pradesh became part of Telangana
          • Chandrasekhar Rao sworn-in as the first Chief Minister
          • ESL Narasimhan is the Governor of Telangana
          • Hyderabad is the joint capital of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh
          Narendra Modi sworn-in as 15th Prime Minister of India
          • He was sworn-in on 26 May 2014
          • He took oath with 45 Council of Minister including 23 Cabinet Ministers
          • First Prime Minister of India born in independent India
          • For the first time 25% of the Cabinet post allocated to women
          • Swearing-in ceremony attended by heads of seven SAARC countries
          16th Lok Sabha Elections 2014
          • The election results for 543 constituencies declared on 16 May 2014
          • Bharatiya Janata Party emerged victorious with 282 seats
          • Congress led incumbent government just secured 44 seats
          • BJP won the majority for the first time since independence
          • The elections were conducted in nine phases from 7 April – 12 May 2014
            Karnataka: first state in India to launch Health Adalat 
            • The Health Adalat was launched in Gulbarga, Karnataka.
            • Aims to ensure that all health facilities extended by the government reached all sections of society.
            • During Health Adalat the department will interact with public representatives. 
            Debroy Panel on restructuring Railway Board
            • The Panel would submit its report till the end of 2015
            • The seven-member panel will be headed by economist Bibek Debroy
            • Mandated to estimate the financial needs of railways and ensure policies to raise resources
            • Restructuring of railway board announced in Union Budget 2014-15
            Film Liar's Dice: India's official entry for Oscar Awards 2015
            • The movie has been directed by Geethu Mohandas
            • It is nominated for the Best Foreign Language Film category
            • 12-member jury headed by eminent filmmaker T Hariharan nominated it
            • Leading casts are Geetanjali Thapa and Nawazuddin Siddiqui
            • The 87th Oscar Awards will be held in the US on 22 February 2015
              C Rangarajan Committee on Poverty
              • Total number of poor in India at 363 million or 29.6 percent of the population
              • The daily per capita expenditure pegged at 32 rupees for the rural poor
              • The daily per capita expenditure pegged at 47 rupees for the urban poor
              • Poverty line is pegged 972 rupees per month for rural India
              • Poverty line pegged at 1407 rupees per month for urban India 
              Largest Solar Power Plant of India launched
              • 130-MW Welspun Solar Plant launched at Bhagwanpur in Neemuch, MP
              • It is also the Asia's Largest Solar Power Plant.
              • It was constructed at a cost of 1100 crore rupees.
              • The Project will raise Indian solar capacity by 7 percent.

              International
              US President signed Ukraine Freedom Support Bill, 2014
              • The Act authorizes administration to impose sanctions on Russia
              • The sanctions to be imposed if needs arises
              • Sanctions were imposed on Russia over Ukraine crisis
              • Authorizes 350 million US dollars in lethal and non-lethal military aid Ukraine
                Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe re-elected
                • He was re-elected for another four year term
                • Japan's ruling coalition won a two thirds majority in the Snap elections
                • Elections were held for the Lower House of the National Diet.
                • The elections saw the voter turnout at 52.7 percent, the lowest since World War-II 
                Nobel Prize presented
                • Peace Prize winners Kailash Satyarthi & Malala Yousufzai
                • Physiology Prize winners John O'Keefe, May-Britt Moser and Edvard I. Moser
                • Literature Nobel Prize winner French author Patrick Modiano
                • Physics Nobel Prize winner Isamu Akasaki, Hiroshi Amano and Shuji Nakamura
                • Chemistry Nobel Prize Eric Betzig from Janelia Research Campus, Stefan Hell, Gottingen
                • Economic Nobel Prize given to Jean Tirole 
                First World Soil Day observed on 5 December 2014
                • The Day was observed by the UNFAO
                • UNFAO and GSP declared the year 2015 as UN International Year of Soils
                • Events held to raise idea that soil is a critical component of natural system
                • The day coincides with birthday of Thailand’s King Bhumibol Adulyadej
                  Corruption Perceptions Index 2014 released
                  • This was the 20th edition
                  • Measures perceived levels of public sector corruption in 175 countries
                  • India with a score of 38 was ranked 85th
                  • The index was topped by Denmark with a score of 92.
                  • Index is prepared by Transparency International 
                  Time Magazine released list of 25 Best Inventions 2014
                  • Mangalyaan named among the best inventions of 2014
                  • Magazine describes it as a technological feat
                  • It is described as Supersmart Spacecraft- Mangalyaan
                  • The list also includes two inventions of Indians namely Blue Room and tablet toy, Osmo 
                  The G20 Summit 2014 concluded
                  • The Summit saw release of Brisbane Action Plan
                  • Action Plan comprises of 800+ reforms to boost global growth
                  • Sets an ambitious goal to lift G20 growth by 2.1 percent by 2018
                  • Seeks to reduce the gender gap in labour force participation rates by 25 percent by 2025 
                    25th anniversary of Fall of Berlin Wall celebrated
                    • The fall of the Berlin Wall happened on 9 November 1989
                    • It was the most significant event in recent German history
                    • The Berlin Wall was built in 1961 by East Germany
                    • It was built to stop people fleeing from East Germany to the West
                    • The Wall stretched for 155 kilometers of which only 3 kilometer remains now
                    Forbes list of World's Most Powerful People 2014 released 
                    • The list gives the annual ranking of the World’s 72 Most Powerful People
                    • The list was topped by Russian President Vladimir Putin.
                    • Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was ranked 15th
                    • Mukesh Ambani is ranked 36th on the list 
                    India re-elected to UNHRC
                    • It was re-elected for the period 2015-2017
                    • India received the highest 162 votes in the Asia Pacific group
                    • India’s first term as member due to end on 31 December 2014
                    • 14 other member states also elected to UNHRC for a three-year term
                    • The UNHRC promotes and protects human rights
                      India-Vietnam signed 7 pacts
                      • Pacts signed to strengthen Strategic Partnership
                      • Signed during President Pranab Mukherjee visit to Vietnam
                      • President gifted sapling of the holy Bodhi Tree to Vietnam
                      • Diplomatic relations between the two countries established in 1972
                      • The strategic relationship between the two countries established in 2007
                      Inaugural Tang Prizes 2014 presented in Taipei
                      • The Tang Prize is treated as Asia's version of the Nobels
                      • Winners of the inaugural Tang Prizes are 
                        •  Sustainable Development - Gro Harlem Brundtland former Premier of Norway
                        •  Sinology – Chinese American, Historian Yu Ying-shih
                        •  Biopharmaceutical Science - James P Allison of US and Tasuku Honjo of Japan
                        •  The Rule of Law - Albie Sachs, former justice of the Constitutional Court of South Africa
                      Unity Deal signed in Afghanistan
                      • Unity deal signed between Abdullah Abdullah and Ghani Adhmadzai
                      • The deal ended three-month stalemate over government formation in Afghanistan
                      • The stalemate was due to allegations that elections were rigged
                      • The deal calls of creation of post of CEO who will be the acting Prime Minister
                        Ebola Virus Disease outbreak
                        • More than 7000 patients died due to the Ebola Virus in West Africa.
                        • Ebola Virus disease first surface in Guinea in March 2014
                        • Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Guinea and Liberia are the countries affected
                        • Ebola disease was first detected in Congo basin of Zaire
                        Fields Medal 2014 
                        • The Fields Medal Awards held in Seoul, South Korea.
                        • The award recognized contributions of four medalists.
                        • Artur Avila, Manjul Bhargava, Martin Haire, Maryam Mirzakhani are the recipients
                        • The Fields Medal was first awarded in 1936.
                        • First winner were Finnish mathematician Lars Ahlfors and American mathematician Jesse Douglas. 
                        Prayuth Chan-ocha elected Prime Minister of Thailand
                        • He is the 29th Prime Minister of Thailand
                        • He was elected with a vote of 191-6 votes in National Legislative Assembly (NLA)
                        • He is a former Army Chief of Thailand
                        • He seized the power in June 2014
                          6th BRICS Summit: Fortaleza Declaration 
                          • Held in Fortaleza, Brazil on 15 July and 16 July 2014.
                          • Theme of the Summit was Inclusive Growth: Sustainable Solutions.
                          • The participating countries Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa
                          • The BRICS Network University will be established
                          • BRICS Development Bank to be established 
                          UNSC adopted resolution to probe into MH-17 plane crash 
                          • Resolution adopted by 15-member UNSC unanimously.
                          • It demands free access to the crash site of Malaysian plane MH17.
                          • It insisted on dignified and respectful treatment of bodies of the victims.

                          Science & Technology
                          Scientific breakthrough of the year 2014: Rosetta space mission
                          • Rosetta is the European space mission
                          • First spacecraft to land on a comet
                          • The comet is named 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko
                          • It landed on 12 November 2014, 10 years after the launch
                            ISRO successfully launched GSLV Mark-III-X from Sriharikota
                            • This was the experimental launch of the rocket
                            • Weighing 630 tonnes, it is India’s heaviest rocket
                            • It carried Crew module Atmospheric Reentry Experiment (CARE)
                            • The full fledged launch of the rocket will take place in two years.
                            India joined Thirty Meter Telescope Project
                            • India jointed the project as Full Member
                            • India to deliver 100 smaller, hexagonal mirrors
                            • The project in India coordinated by Dept of Science & Technology and DAE
                            • The telescope will be the largest in the world.
                            • It is being built atop Mauna Kea Mountain in Hawaii. 
                            World’s first womb-transplant baby born 
                            • The baby boy was born to a Swedish woman
                            • It was born at the University of Gothenburg's hospital
                            • The woman was born without a womb, although the ovaries were intact
                            • The replacement womb came from a 61-year-old woman
                            • She was suffering from a genetic condition called Rokitansky syndrome
                              New compound BQU57 developed
                              • It will block protein Ral aiding cancer growth
                              • Developed at University of Colorado Cancer Center
                              • The study of the compound published in journal Nature
                              • The lead author of the study is Dan Theodorescu
                              ISRO launched Mangalyaan to Mars orbit
                              • India inserted the spacecraft in Mars orbit in first attempt
                              • ISRO became the fourth space agency in the world to send a mission to Mars successfully
                              • Mangalyaan costs 74 million US dollars, the most cost-effective in world
                              • It will be finding the presence of methane on the Mars
                              INS Kolkata dedicated to nation
                              • INS Kolkata commissioned at the Naval Dockyard in Mumbai
                              • It is the country’s largest indigenously built warship
                              • Equipped against enemy submarines, surface warships, anti-ship missiles and fighter aircraft
                              • It is commissioned without its main air defence weapon
                              • The warship has been constructed by Mazagon Dockyards Limited
                                New biochip to detect blood sugar via saliva
                                • The advancement will help diabetics to not to undergo blood test
                                • It is made from a one-inch-square piece of quartz coated with a thin layer of silver
                                • It uses a series of specific chemical reactions combined with plasmonic interferometry
                                • The device is sensitive enough to detect minutest differences in glucose concentrations
                                Lima Call for Climate Action
                                • Issued at the conclusion of the 20th session of the Conference of the Parties (CoP)
                                • The President of 20th CoP was Manuel Pulgar-Vidal
                                • Intended Nationally Determined Contributions to form foundation for climate action post 2020
                                • Seeks to put world on track to New Universal Climate Agreement
                                • 21st COP will be held in Paris, France 
                                The US and China agreed to cut greenhouse gas emissions
                                • US will reduce carbon emissions by 26 to 28 percent by 2025, compared with 2005 levels
                                • China did not set a specific target, but said emissions would peak by 2030
                                • The two countries agreed to reduce the possibility of military accidents in the air and sea
                                • The two countries together produce about 45% of the world's carbon dioxide
                                  India State of Forest Report 2013
                                  • It was released by Union Ministry of Environment & Forest
                                  • The India State of Forest Report 2013 was the 13th report in the series
                                  • States with maximum increase in forest cover are West Bengal, Odisha and Kerala
                                  • States with largest forest cover are MP & Arunachal Pradesh
                                  • Mizoram has the highest forests cover in terms of percentage of forest
                                  Bor Wildlife Sanctuary of Maharashtra
                                  • It is India’s 47th Tiger Reserve
                                  • Union Environment Ministry notified Sanctuary as Tiger Reserve
                                  • Bor sanctuary is in Wardha district of Maharashtra
                                  • It will be an important corridor between Tadoba – Andhari and Pench Tiger Reserves
                                  • Tiger Reserves in Maharashtra: Melghat, Pench, Tadoba, Nagzira and Sahyadri

                                  Personalities
                                  Miss South Africa Rolene Strauss crowned Miss World 2014
                                  • Outgoing Miss World, Megan Young of the Philippines presented the sash
                                  • Miss Hungary, Edina Kulcsar, was the first runner-up
                                  • Miss United States, Elizabeth Safrit, was the second runner-up
                                  • India's Koyal Rana bagged the sub-title of Best Designer of the world
                                  • This was the 64th Miss World Competition
                                  Justice Vaidyanathapura Rama Krishna Iyer died at 100
                                  • He died on 4 December 2014 due to renal and cardiac failure.
                                  • He was former Supreme Court Judge and an MLA from Kerala.
                                  • He became the judge of the Supreme Court in 1973
                                  • He retired at the age of 65 in 1980.
                                  • There are 105 published books by V. R. Krishna Iyer. 
                                  Australian opener Philip Hughes died 
                                  • Died after a bouncer ball of Sean Abbott hit back of his head
                                  • The accident happened at Sheffield Game at Sydney Cricket Ground, Australia
                                  • He was a left-handed opening batsman
                                  • He had played 26 Tests and 25 ODIs for Australia
                                  • Indian cricketers Raman Lamba and Nari Contractor also died in same situations 
                                  Chief Guest of Republic Day 2015: US President Barack Obama 
                                  • He will be the first US President to attend the Republic Day Parade of India.
                                  • Obama will participate in the Republic Day celebrations of India on 26 January 2015.
                                  • Obama will be the first US President to travel to India twice.
                                  Legendary Kathak danseuse Sitara Devi died
                                  • Dance based on themes, poetry and choreography of her father
                                  • She was born as Dhannolakshmi in the Brahmin family
                                  • Rabindranath Tagore described her as Nritya Samragini
                                  • She is known as a pioneering force in bringing the genre to Bollywood
                                  Neha Gupta won International Children’s Peace Prize 2014
                                  • Awarded for her work to help orphans in India
                                  • Her organisation Empower Orphans has helped 25000 vulnerable children
                                  • She became the first ever American to be awarded with the prize
                                  • In 2013, the award was conferred on Malala Yousufzai
                                  Hindi poet Kedarnath Singh received 49th Jnanpith Award
                                  • Conferred for his outstanding contribution towards Indian literature
                                  • 10th Hindi writer to receive the country’s highest literary award
                                  • Known for his work Abhi Bilkul Abhi and Yahan Se Dekho
                                  • First recipient G Sankara Kurup for Odakkuzhal (Flute) in Malyalam language
                                  Sanjaya Rajaram received World Food Prize 2014
                                  • Awarded for his research that led to increase in wheat production
                                  • He is credited with developing the Veery lines of wheat in the 1980s
                                  • He helped secure 1.3 percent rise in global wheat production per annum.
                                  • He is senior scientific advisor at the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas
                                  Arvind Subramanian appointed Chief Economic Advisor
                                  • Appointed Chief Economic Advisor (CEA) for a period of three years
                                  • Third economist of international rapport to be appointed as CEA
                                  • Expert of the Indian and Chinese economy
                                  • Raghuram Rajan, the RBI Governor, was previous CEA 
                                  Justice H L Dattu sworn-in as 42nd Chief Justice of India
                                  • Oath of office administered by President Pranab Mukherjee.
                                  • Succeeded Chief Justice RM Lodha
                                  • Lodha demitted office on 27 September 2014
                                  • Dattu will retire from his office on 2 December 2015.
                                  • He joined Supreme Court of India as a Judge on 17 December 2008.
                                  Lalitha Kumaramangalam appointed Chairperson of National Commission for Women
                                  • Eighth chairperson of National Commission for Women
                                  • She was the National Spokesperson National Executive of BJP
                                  • National Commission for Women was set up as a statutory body in January 1992
                                  • It was set up under the National Commission for Women Act, 1990 
                                  Narula Brothers won 7 crore rupees in Season 8 of KBC
                                  • The two brothers, Achin and Sarthak Narula emerged victorious in Season 8 of KBC
                                  • The tagline for the season 8 is Yahan Sirf Paise Nahi, Dil Bhi Jeete Jate Hain
                                  • The show was first telecast on Star Plus in 2000
                                  • It is based on the UK game show Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?
                                  Govind Mishra received Saraswati Samman 2013
                                  • He received it for novel Dhool Paudhon Par
                                  • His novel was published in 2008
                                  • The novel illustrates the struggle of modern Indian women
                                  • He is the second Hindi author to be conferred with award
                                  • Harivansh Rai Bachchan was the first Hindi author to receive the award
                                  Pran, the Creator of Chacha Chowdhury died at 75
                                  • He created or sketched Chacha Chaudhary for the Hindi magazine Lotpot in 1969
                                  • His Chacha Chaudhary strips found a permanent place in International Museum of Cartoon Art, USA.
                                  • His name was included in People of the Year 1995 by Limca Book of Records.
                                  Lt General Dalbir Singh Suhag took over as Chief of Army Staff
                                  • He succeeded General Bikram Singh to become the 28th Army Chief
                                  • He will serve as Army chief for 29 months till 31 December 2016
                                  • He is the 2nd Gorkha Rifles officer to become Army chief
                                  • First was Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw
                                  Veteran actress Zohra Sehgal died at 102
                                  • She was called as the grand old lady of Bollywood
                                  • She was the recipient of Padma Vibhshan, Padma Bhushan, Padma Shri
                                  • Sehgal’s daughter Kiran in 2012 wrote her biography named Zohra Segal: Fatty
                                  • Zohra last appeared in Sanjay Leela Bhasali's film Saawariya in 2007
                                  Chandi Prasad Bhatt won the Gandhi Peace prize 2013
                                  • He is a Gandhian, an environmentalist and a social activist.
                                  • In 1964, he founded Dasholi Gram Swarajya Sangh (DGSS) in Gopeswar.
                                  • He was awarded with the Ramon Magsaysay Award for Community Leadership in 1982.
                                  • In 2005, he was awarded with Padma Bhushan.

                                  Sports
                                  Germany won men's Hockey Champions Trophy 2014
                                  • Germany defeated Pakistan by 2-0 margin to win the trophy
                                  • This was 10th Champions Trophy crown for Germany.
                                  • It had last won the tournament in 2007
                                  • For bronze medal, World champion Australia defeated India 2-1
                                  UAE captain Khurram Khan: the oldest player to score an ODI century
                                  • He scored the winning century against Afghanistan in Dubai
                                  • He achieved the feat at an age of 43 years and 162 days
                                  • He broke the record of Sanath Jayasuriya
                                  • Sanath Jayasuriya had scored 109 against India in 2009 at the age of 39
                                  Indian cricketer Rohit Sharma scored the highest ODI score ever of 264 
                                  • The score of 264 runs is also the second-highest List A score
                                  • With this he became the only cricketer to score two Double ODI centuries
                                  • He achieved this distinction during the 4th ODI between India and Sri Lanka
                                  • He broke the record of highest ODI score of 219 runs made by Virender Sehwag
                                  • Sachin Tendulkar was the first cricketer to score double century in ODIs 
                                  Virat Kohli became fastest cricketer to reach 6000 ODI runs
                                  • He achieved the distinction after his 53-run knock in the third ODI between India and Sri Lanka
                                  • He took 144 match and 136 innings to make 6000 runs
                                  • He is the eighth Indian to have scored 6000 or more runs and 47th overall
                                  • He overtook legendary West Indian Vivian Richards' record
                                  • Richards reached the milestone in 1989 by playing 141 innings in 156 matches 
                                  MC Mary Kom bagged her first Asian Games Gold Medal
                                  • She defeated Zhaina Shekerbekova of Kazakhstan
                                  • She won in women’s flyweight category (48-51kg)
                                  • First Indian woman boxer to clinch a gold medal at the Asian Games
                                  • She is nicknamed as Magnificent Mary
                                  Chennai Super Kings won 2014 Champions League Twenty20 title
                                  • It defeated Kolkata Knight Riders by 8 wickets
                                  • The match was played at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.
                                  • Chennai Super Kings won the trophy for the second time.
                                  • Earlier they won the CLT20 in South Africa in 2011. 
                                  Hockey Player Manpreet Singh named Junior Men Player of the Year by AHF
                                  • The announcement was made at Asian Hockey Federation Congress
                                  • The congress was held at Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
                                  • Indian midfielder Manpreet Singh has played 103 international matches.
                                  • He is the captain of the India Junior Hockey team.
                                  • He made his international debut in 2011.
                                  Marin Cilic of Croatia won Men's Singles title of US Tennis Open
                                  • Cilic defeated 10th seed Kei Nishikori of Japan
                                  • The Women’s singles was won by Serena Williams of US
                                  • The Men’s Doubles title was won by Mike and Bob Bryan of US
                                  • Sania Mirza of India and Bruno Soares of Brazil won the Mixed Doubles title
                                  • Ekaterina Makarova and Elena Vesnina of Russia won the US Open women's doubles title
                                  2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games concluded
                                  • The Medal tally was topped by England
                                  • India stood at the fifth position in the rankings.
                                  • India won 64 medals (15 Gold, 30 silver and 19 Bronze)
                                  • This was third highest medal haul after 2010 Delhi CWG and 2002 Manchester CWG
                                  • The 21st Commonwealth Games will be held in Gold Coast in Australia
                                  Kush Kumar first Indian player to reach semis of World Junior Squash Championship
                                  • The World Junior Squash championship held at Windhoek in Namibia.
                                  • He defeated England's George Parker in straight games in quarterfinal.
                                  • Kush Kumar is a professional squash player from Chennai, Tamil Nadu.
                                  • Presently, his ranking is 220 in the world.
                                  Himachal Pradesh to host First Para-gliding World Cup 2015 in India
                                  • This will be the first para-gliding World Cup to be hosted in India.
                                  • To be organised under Para-gliding World Cup Association, France.
                                  • It will be hosted in Kangra district of Himachal Pradesh from 24 October 2015
                                  • Himachal Pradesh had hosted the Para-gliding pre-World Cup in 2013
                                  Germany won the 2014 FIFA Football World Cup
                                  • Germany beat Argentina 1-0 in the final
                                  • Final was played at the Maracana in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
                                  • Mario Gotze scored the lone goal of final during the extra-time
                                  • It lifted the trophy for 4th time in FIFA world Cup history and first since 1990
                                  • Germany became 1st European team to win World Cup played in North or South America 
                                  Sim Bhullar became first Indian-origin basketball player to join NBA
                                  • He signed a summer contract with the Sacramento Kings.
                                  • Sacramento Kings is a professional basketball team in the US.
                                  • Sim Bhullar is originally from Canada and his parents are from Punjab.
                                  Novak Djokovic of Serbia won the Men’s Wimbledon Tennis Open 2014
                                  • He defeated Roger Federer of Switzerland
                                  • This is the second Wimbledon title for Djokovic
                                  • Djokovic won the seventh career Grand Slam
                                  • Djokovic won his first Wimbledon title in 2011

                                  Economy & Corporate
                                  Advisory Group on Integrated Development of Power
                                  • The Group was headed by Suresh Prabhu
                                  • It has suggested opening up of the coal sector
                                  • Called for improvement in Coal India Ltd and its subsidiaries
                                  • Expedite reforms in the distribution sector with targeted actions 
                                  SBI Mutual Fund launched Shariah Equity Fund 
                                  • The fund is aimed at attracting investments from Muslim populations of India. 
                                  • The fund approved by the All India Muslim Personal Law Board
                                  • SBI MF fourth fund house in India to have an Islamic equity fund.
                                  • India second country outside the Islamic world where a state-owned bank is offering such fund
                                  • The UK is the first country who issued sovereign Islamic bonds in June 2014
                                  Kotak Mahindra Bank first bank in India to fully own insurance business
                                  • RBI gave permission to the bank for setting up Kotak General Insurance
                                  • Kotak General Insurance will be the 29th non-life insurance company in the country
                                  • The CEO of the company will be Mahesh Balasubramanian
                                  • The bank already promotes life insurance with Old Mutual of South Africa
                                  SEBI de-recognised Delhi Stock Exchange (DSE)
                                  • De-recognised on account of serious irregularities in demutualisation process
                                  • SEBI demutualisation rules requires every stock exchange to sell brokers' 51% equity
                                  • DSE was incorporated in 1947
                                  • It is an amalgamation of Delhi Stock and Share Brokers' Association Ltd and the Delhi Stocks and Shares Exchange Ltd 
                                  Shell India won 18000-crore rupees tax dispute case
                                  • It won the tax case against Income Tax department
                                  • The decision given by Bombay High Court
                                  • Decision based on legal principle laid down in the Vodafone case
                                  • It ruled that transfer pricing does not arise in case of transfer of shares
                                  • The case pertains to alleged under pricing of shares issued by Shell India
                                  Alibaba made the record of earning 9.3 billion US dollars on a single day
                                  • Alibaba shipped 278 million orders out of which 43 percent were mobile devices
                                  • It achieved the staggering figure on Singles Day shopping event
                                  • The event celebrates the bachelorhood of Young single Chinese
                                  • Alibaba is a Chinese e-commerce giant founded by Jack Ma
                                  SoftBank of Japan to invest 10 billion dollars in India
                                  • Will invest in India's IT and communications sector in coming years
                                  • Announced to invest 627 million US dollars in Snapdeal
                                  • Signed definitive agreement to invest 210 million US dollars in ANI Technologies
                                  • Chairman and CEO of the SoftBank is Masayoshi Son
                                  Union government de-regulated diesel and hiked natural gas rates
                                  • The price of diesel to be market-linked
                                  • The retail rates will reflect price changes in the global market.
                                  • The government will no longer provide subsidy on diesel.
                                  • This is the first reduction in diesel rates since 2009.
                                  Google closed Orkut
                                  • Orkut is a social network site
                                  • Google announced to shut down Orkut in June 2014.
                                  • Old users of Orkut can take back up of pictures till September 2016.
                                  • Orkut was started in 2004 and named after its creator, Orkut Buyukkokten.
                                  • Google has moved to a new platform the Google Plus.
                                  Union government decided to wind up HMT Watches
                                  • The unit has been incurring losses since 2000
                                  • HMT Watches is a wholly owned subsidiary of Hindustan Machines Tools (HMT) limited
                                  • HMT Limited was set up at Bangalore in 1961 in collaboration with Japan’s Citizen Watch
                                  • In 2000, HMT Watch Business group was restructured as HMT Watches Ltd.
                                  RBI fixed the upper age limit at 70 years for M.D. and CEO in private sector banks
                                  • The decision was taken to comply with the Section 196(3) of the Companies Act, 2013
                                  • Individual bank’s boards free to prescribe a lower retirement age for whole time Directors
                                  • Earlier, no maximum age was specified and decisions were taken case by case
                                  Union Government granted Navratna Status to CONCOR
                                  • CONCOR is the 17th Central Public Sector Enterprise (CPSE) to achieve Navratna Status.
                                  • The status was accorded by the Department of Public Enterprises.
                                  • CONCOR current Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) is Anil Kumar Gupta.
                                  • It deals in Export-Import and domestic trade and commerce policy of India.
                                  Expenditure Management Commission constituted 
                                  • The Commission will be headed by Bimal Jalan
                                  • He is a former RBI Governor
                                  • Commission will suggest the way for managing public finances by reducing subsidies. 
                                    ICICI Bank became the first bank in India to launch EMI facility on Debit Card
                                    • This was so far available only for credit cardholders.
                                    • Will enable customers to convert their high value transactions into easy installments
                                    • Facility available to debit cardholders with minimum fixed deposit of 10000 rupees
                                      C S Verma elected as First President of Indian Steel Association
                                      • C S Verma is currently working as the head of Steel Authority of India Limited
                                      • The Indian Steel Association was formally launched on 26 August 2014
                                      • Aims to work towards transforming the Indian steel industry as a global leader
                                      • Membership of ISA open to any steel producer with a yearly capacity of at least 2 million tones
                                      DIPP notified Press Note 8 allowing 100% FDI in Rail infrastructure
                                      • FDI in rail infrastructure will be through automatic route
                                      • FDI will not be allowed in train operations and safety
                                      • Proposals involving FDI beyond 49 percent in sensitive areas to be placed before the Cabinet Committee on Security
                                      • Definitions of infrastructure and common facilities have also been widened
                                      Union Finance Minister, Arun Jaitley presented Union Budget 2014-15
                                      • This was the first budget of newly appointed government led by Narendra Modi
                                      • It focussed on providing good infrastructure like public transport, solid waste disposal
                                      • Emphasized on skill development and entrepreneurship in the budget
                                      • Announced that the FDI cap in Defence sector would be raised to 49 percent