Current Affairs August 2013

: Current Affairs August 2013 :

: India & World :

 The Apollo Hospitals Group signed a MoU with the University of Rochester Medical Centre, USA for academic collaboration and patient care.

 The Union Cabinet of India approved the Social Security Agreement between India and Canada on 29 August 2013

 The Foreign Minister of Nicaragua, Samuel Santos Lopez Visited India

 On 29 August 2013 Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Bill, 2011, also called the Land Acquisition Bill passed by LokSabha

 Air India Launched its Direct Flights to Sydney and Melbourne on 29 August 2013, after a wide gap of 22 years

 The Rajya Sabha passed the Representation of the People (Amendment and Validation) Bill, 2013

 The World's oldest-known wild black bear dies in US forest

 Bangladesh Developed World's First Zinc-Enriched Rice Variety

 Bharat Biotech International Ltd launched the typhoid vaccine called Typbar TCV

 Rupee hits record low of 66 a dollar, Sensex tanks 578 points

 Afghanistan and Pakistan agreed to Expand Economic Cooperation

 World Bank Assisted National AIDS Control Support Project Launched

 Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna and Arjuna Awards 2013 announced by the Government

 The second South Asian Diaspora Convention (SADC) will be hosted by Singapore

 The Government of India has decided to include Hysterectomies as a component in the National Family Health Survey-4

 The 19th Delhi Book Fair started off at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi on 23 August 2013

 State Government of Rajasthan laid the foundation stone for world's biggest solar park on 21 August 2013

 The Union Cabinet of India approved the amendments to the Representation of the People Act, 1951

 Cambridge announces Manmohan Singh PhD scholarships 2013

 Welspun Energy Ltd Unveiled 55-MW Solar Plant in Rajasthan

 NMDC Power Limited and IEDCL Signed MoU to Set Up JV Thermal Power Plant

 India's Internet population reaches 73.9 million, 3rd largest in world

 The State Government of Maharashtra on 21 August 2013 approved Anti-Black Magic and Superstition Ordinance

 Delhi Metro Recorded the Highest Ridership with over 26 lakh Commuters on 19 August 2013.

 Rupee slumps to new record low of 64.25 against dollar

 Earth Overshoot Day observed on 20 August 2013

 India's aircraft carrier INS Vikrant a threat: Chinese media report

 C-130J Super Hercules Transport Plane of Air Force landed at Daulat Beg Oldie Airstrip

 Scientists from CCMB and AIG Discovered Gene Causing Chronic Pancreatitis

 3000 Years Old Stone Shields Excavated by Archeologists from Xinjiang

 Mahendra Singh Dhoni Beat Nadal and Bolt in Recent Forbes List of Highest-Paid Athletes

 Statue of Nobel Laureate Dr. Norman Borlaug Unveiled at New Delhi

 Scientists Unearthed Fossil of the Oldest Known Ancestor of Modern Rats in China

 Bharti Airtel launched 1 Rupee Entertainment Store

 Union Ministry of Finance unveiled the National Skill Certification and Monetary Reward Scheme

 World Photography Day Celebrated across the Globe to Unite the Photographers

 The Union Government on 14 August 2013 announced the Prime Minister’s Shram Awards for the year 2012

 The Rajya Sabha on 13 August 2013 passed Registration of Births and Deaths (Amendment) Bill, 2012

 Egypt Clashes:Vice President Mohamed Elbaradei resigned in Protest

 The 39-member Indian Police team won 83 medals at the World Police & Fire Games Belfast 2013

 Grandmaster and former national champion B Adhiban storms into the third round of chess World Cup

 Import Duty on Gold, Silver & Platinum hiked to 10 Percent by Central Government on 13 August 2013

 The Olinguito:For the First Time in 35 Years, A New Carnivorous Mammal Species Discovered in the American Continents

 King Penguin Missy, the Oldest Penguin of the World, Turned 36 Years Old on 12 August 2013

 The Melia Brand of Hotels in Spain Unveiled the First Twitter Hotel of the World

 Double Trap Shooter Ronjan Sodhi Recommended for Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award

 India won six medals at the 7th Asian Junior Wushu Championships 2013

 Submarine INS Sindhurakshak damaged in a Fire Incident at the Naval Dockyard in Mumbai

 13 August was designated as the International Lefthanders Day by The Left-Handers Club. First annual event was observed on 13 August 1992.

 International Youth Day observed on 12 August

 The First Cyber Forensic Laboratory (CFL) of India was established in Tripura High Court on 11 August 2013.

 First public sector Breast Milk Bank inaugurated at Kolkata, West Bengal

 International Day of the World's Indigenous People observed on 9 August

 Indian Wrestlers won 5 gold medals in the World Police and Fire Games

 Shree Ganeshan Chundan won the 61st edition of the Nehru Trophy Boat Race 2013 held in Kerala.

 Maharashtra Became the First state in the country to Disburse salary of its staff through Aadhaar-linked bank accounts.

 Sagarika Ghosh won the Cadet Girls singles Title on 11 August 2013

 India launched its first indigenous aircraft carrier INS Vikrant

 Gitanjali the Collection of Poems by Tagore released in 14 Languages

 The Ministry of Communications and Information Technology inaugurated Data portal of India in New Delhi

 Japan pledged Huge Spending Cuts amounting to 83 Billion US Dollars

 Bhumi Sena Scheme launched in UP for transformation of Barren Land

 Amazon launches site for purchase of fine art

 Japan on 6 August 2013 unveiled its biggest warship called Izumo

 NDSC has planned to create a Skill Development Council for the National Aerospace and Aviation Industry at Bangalore

 ONGC signed the crude oil sale agreement with Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Ltd (MRPL)

 The Ministry of Rural Development signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with NGO Pradan for development in Naxal Areas.

 On 6 August 2013 Microsoft launched Office 365 for University Students in India

 According to Research: Dolphins have the longest memories among the non-human species

 Turkey on 6 August 2013 successfully completed a Trial Run of World's Deepest Rail Tunnel

 The National Green Tribunal on 5 August 2013 restrained sand mining from riverbeds across the country

 Grandmaster Parimarjan Negi of India won the Denmark's Politiken Cup

 China Radio International's Tamil service completes 50 years

 India-B'desh land agreement likely to be discussed in Monsoon Session

 On 5 August 2013 European Union approved merger of US Airways Group and AMR Corporation became This forms largest airline of the world

 Airways on 3 August 2013 launched week-long sale of low-fare domestic tickets

 Arundhati Bhattacharya was appointed the managing director and chief financial officer of the State Bank of India(SBI).

 Rajeev Rishi took over as the CMD of Central Bank of India

 XV World Police & Fire Games 2013 Organised in Belfast, Northern Ireland

 Two projects of BHEL, High Pressure Boiler Plant Unit-II and the Power Plant Piping Unit were inaugurated by Manmohan Singh in Tamil Nadu

 China agreed to set-up 4 Coal-Fired Power Plants at Gadani, Balochistan

 India won 2 Silver & 3 Bronze Medals at 54th International Mathematical Olympiad

 National Archives of India Launched Newsletter Entitled e-Abhilekh

 Dadra and Nagar Haveli celebrated its 60th Liberation Day on 2 August 2013

 The International Olympic Committee sold the broadcasting rights for the 2014 and 2016 Olympics to STAR India

 The Union Minister for Petroleum & Natural Gas_launched the IGL Suraksha Yojana in Delhi.

: World Organisations :

 The China and Pakistan air forces on 28 August 2013 decided to hold a joint exercise called Shaheen [Eagle]-2.

: Personalities  :

 The Former South African President Nelson Mandela on 27 August 2013 won the inaugural Mahathir Award for Global Peace

 Kapil Parakh (Person of Indian Origin), selected for the prestigious White House Fellowship for the year 2013-14

 Indian Weightlifting Federation President Birendra Prasad Baishya was appointed as the chairman of the Ethics Commission of the IWF

 Former Indian Athlete Henry Rebello Passed away

 Former Rajya Sabha Member and Veteran journalist D C Prashant Passed away at 96

 Indian-Origin Beverly Singh Became a Part of the Team oF Specialist Engineers Building the Fastest car of the world in the UK

 Pandit Raghunath Panigrahi, the Eminent Indian Classical Singer Passed Away at the age of 80 years

 Julie Harris, the US actress known for record Tony Award wins, passed away at 87

 Taukelina Finikaso, the Foreign Minister of Tuvalu visited India

 India and Iraq signed MoUs during the visit of Nouri al-Maliki Prime Minister of Iraq to India

 Robert Mugabe sworn in for 7th term as President of Zimbabwe

 On 22 August 2013 Nishi Vasudeva Became the First Woman to be Selected as the Head of Hindustan Petroleum Corp Ltd (HPCL)

 Ratan Thiyam was appointed as the Chairperson of the National School of Drama Society on 19 August 2013

 Desh Prem Azad, the Former Coach of Cricketer Kapil Dev, Died at 75

 Former Bengal Cricketer and Coach Kalyan Mitter passed away

 Senior IPS oFFicer Dilip Trivedi was appointed as Director General of CRPF on 17 August 2013

 Ali Akbar Salehi appointed Head of Atomic Energy Organisation in Iran

 Ibrahim Boubacar Keita won Mali's Presidential elections on 12 August 2013

 Vinay Mittal, Former Indian Railway Traffic Service oFFicer was appointed as a member of the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC)

 Renowned Kamaicha player Sakar Khan passed away

 Zafar Futehally, India’s best known naturalist and ornithologist passed away at the age of 93 years

 Colin Michael Foale, the First British to perform a space walk, retired from NASA

 On 5 August 2013 Rakesh Sethi took charge as the Executive Director of the Union Bank of India.

 Raghuram Govind Rajan was appointed as the Governor of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on 6 August 2013

 Hassan Rouhani sworn in as the new President of Iran

 Samantha Power sworn as New US ambassador to United Nations on 2 August 2013

 Venkateswaran Dakshinamoorthy, the Veteran Music Director Passed away at the age of 94

 Hemendra Prasad Barooah, the Noted Assam Tea Planter Passed Away at 87

 Bhim Sain Bassi, the 1977-Batch IPS officer of AGMU Cadre ,Took Charge as the 20th Delhi Police Commissioner

 Sujatha Singh, an IFS officer of the 1976 batch, took charge as the New Foreign Secretary

: Sports :

 Olympic and world champion Usain Bolt win the 100 metres at the Zurich Diamond League

 England Won Ashes 2013 Test Series by 3-0

 India’s under-23 cricket team won the Asian Cricket Council Emerging Teams Cup

 Indian Tennis Player Sania Mirza and partner Jie Zheng Lifted the Women’s Doubles Trophy at the WTA New Haven Open Title .

 Indian Women’s Team won Gold in Archery World Cup Stage 4

 Usain Bolt Equalled World Record of 8 Golds at World Championships 2013

 Kush Kumar Won Gold in Men’s Singles Squash at Asian Youth Games

 Satywart Kadian won bronze medal in the 96-kg freestyle category at World Junior Wrestling Championships 2013

 Rafael Nadal of Spain defeated Canada's Milos Raonic in the final of the Men's Rogers Cup 2013

 Usain Bolt won 200-Metre Sprint at the World Athletics Championship in Moscow on 17 August 2013

 Paralympic swimmer Sharath Gayakwad has finished 7th in the 100m breastroke finals at the IPC World Swimming Championships

 The First season of the Indian Badminton League (IBL) started at New Delhi

 Rafael Nadal of Spain Defeated Canada's Milos Raonic in the final of the men's Rogers Cup 2013

 Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt won the 100 metre sprint title at the 14th IAAF World Championships 2013

 P V Sindhu settled for a bronze medal in women’s singles category at the BWF World Championships 2013

 Serena Williams defeated Romania's Sorana Cirstea for 6-2 6-0 in the final match of women's Rogers Cup 2013

 Sardar Singh Named as the Captain of the Asia Cup Hockey Tournament 2013

 PV Sindhu beats Shixian Wang to storm into world badminton semis

 Maria Sharapova topped the Forbes List of Female Athletes

 Indian Junior Women Hockey team won its First ever Bronze medal in ERGO Hockey Junior World Cup 2013

 India on 3 August 2013 created history by recording their first-ever five-match ODI series whitewash on foreign soil

 India's number one snooker player, Aditya Mehta clinched the gold medal in World Games on 31 July 2013

: Books And Authors :

 The Moonballer a book written by Nirupama Vaidyanathan was launched in Chennai by Vijay Amritraj.

 The book entitled An Agenda for India’s Growth: Essays in Honour of P. Chidambaram, was released by Prime Minister of India.

: Astronomy :

 GSAT-7, The First Indian Defence Satellite was Launched Successfully

 The GSAT-7 is India’s First Defence Satellite all set for Launch

 NASA Lunar Science Institute (NLSI) unveiled the evidence of water on the surface of the moon On 27 August 2013

 ISRO calls off launch of communication satellite GSLV D-5 after fuel leakage

 NASA's Juno spacecraft has reached halfway to Jupiter

 NASA is set to launch world's first zero-G-ready 3D printer into space next year

 India on 12 August 2013 successfully test-fired indigenously-developed nuclear-capable surface-to-surface ‘Prithvi-II missile’

 NASA to launch Next Mars Mission from Florida called MAVEN on November 2013

 India Successfully Test-fired Pinaka Rockets from Chandipur

 Astronomers Discovered Lowest-Mass Exoplanet Called GJ 504b around the Sun-Like Star

 Nasa’s Curiosity rover celebrated its first anniversary on Mars on 6 August 2013

 World’s First Talking Robot Kirobo was successfully sent into space on 4 August 2013

 INSAT-3D Satellite Placed Successfully in Geosynchronous Orbit

: Honours And Awards :

 Malala Yousafzai won 2013 International Children’s Peace Prize

 Former Jamaica and West Indies wicketkeeper Jackie Hendriks receive Lifetime Award

 The Prem Bhatia Memorial award presented to Shalini Singh the Deputy Editor of The Hindu

 On 11 August 2013 Delhi state government conferred Lifetime Achievement Award-2013 to two veteran artists: Abdul Rashid Khan and Anjolie Ela Menon

 Sugathakumari, the Malayalam Poetess won Saraswati Samman 2013 for Manalezhuthu .

                                 : Technology :

 Facebook allows collaborative online photo albums.

 Scientists in Germany Developed a New APP Called FindMyStuff to tracing the lost items.

                    

                                   : Inventions :

US Scientists Created the Most Precise Clock of the World

: Goverment Plans And Schemes :

 The Rajya Sabha passed The Marriage Laws (Amendment) Bill,2010 Lok Sabha passes Food Security Bill on August 27, 2013