Current Affairs

1 September 2014 Current Affairs

High Court Bans Animal Sacrifices In Temples in Himachal Pradesh

The High Court of Himachal Pradesh on 1 September banned animal sacrifice to appease deities. It ruled that no person throughout the state shall sacrifice any animal in any place of public religious worship. As per the order the banned area also includes all lands and building near such places of religious worship that are ordinarily connected for religious purposes or in any ceremony/Yagya/congregation or procession connected with any religious worship in a public street.

Renowned Kathak dancer Maya Rao Died

Renowned Kathak dancer Maya Rao, who helped the dance form gain popularity in South India, died in Bangalore. She was 86. She had set up the Natya Institute of Dance and Choreography in 1987 at Malleswaram. Some of her dance ballets such as Amir Khusro, Krishnadevaraya, Vijayanagara Vaibhava, and Masti’s Kaamana Billu are regarded as her masterpiece productions in dance. She initiated National Performing Arts Festivals at heritage monuments such as Somanathpura, Pattadakkal and Halebid during her tenure as the chairperson of the Karnataka Sangeet Nritya Academy from 1987 to 1990. Maya Rao was a recipient of the prestigious Karnataka Rajyotsava awards (1986) and Shantala Awards(2000).

2 September 2014 Current Affairs

Former Attorney General GE Vahanvati Died

Former Attorney General of India Goolamhussein Essaji Vahanvati died on 2 September in Mumbai. He was 65 and had served as the attorney general from June 2009 for three years. His term was extended by another two years in 2012. He resigned from the position of Attorney General on 27 May 2014 following the regime change at the Centre. He served as the solicitor general of India from 2004 to 2009. He became the advocate general of Maharashtra in 1999.

Tessy Thomas and V. Ravindranath Become The First Women Directors In IIT Council

Two Women scientists Tessy Thomas and Vijayalakshmi Ravindranath become the first Women directors of IIT council. Tessy Thomas is the Project Director for Agni-IV missile in Defence Research and Development Organisation. She is the first woman scientist to head a missile project in India.Vijayalakshmi Ravindranath was the first to initiate newer areas of research to revitalize the growth of modern neuroscience in India. IIT Council is the apex body of all the 16 IITs with union HRD minister as its head.

3 September 2014 Current Affairs

Former CJI P Sathasivam Appointed As Governor of Kerala

Former Chief Justice of India P Sathasivam has been appointed as the Governor of Kerala. His appointment was finalised after President Pranab Mukhrejee accepted the resignation of Sheila Dikshit. 65-year-old Sathasivam is the first Chief Justice of India to be appointed to the post which is lower in warrant of precedence to the CJI. He is the first non-political person appointed for a gubernatorial post by the new NDA government.

Vinod Mehta Selected For G K Reddy Memorial Award 2014

Editorial Chairman of Outlook Group, Vinod Mehta has been selected for prestigious G.K. Reddy Memorial Award, 2014 for his outstanding work in the field of journalism. The award was announced by the TSR Foundation and the award will be presented in New Delhi in December 2014. He is one the popular editors in India, who launched successful publications including The Sunday Observer, The Independent and The Pioneer.  He also authored the biographies of actress Meena Kumari and politician Sanjay Gandhi. T Subbarami Reddy established the award in the memory of G K Reddy. It is presented annually for outstanding contribution in journalism.

4 September 2014 Current Affairs

Union Cabinet Approved 7% Hike In Dearness Allowance

The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, on 4 September gave its approval for the release of an additional installment of Dearness Allowance (DA) to Central Government employees and Dearness Relief (DR) to pensioners with effect from 1 July 2014. This hike is an increase over the existing rate of 100 percent of the Basic Pay or Pension to compensate for price rise. This means that the DA has reached to 107 percent of the Basic Pay and the hike would benefit more than 30 lakh central employees and about 50 lakh pensioners.

Japanese Researchers Developed 30-minute Ebola Test

Researchers at Japan’s Nagasaki University, in collaboration with Eiken Chemical, have developed a new method called RT-LAMP to detect the presence of the Ebola virus in 30 minutes. The RT-LAMP (reverse transcription-loop-mediated isothermal amplification) technique by synthesising and amplifying the DNA of the Ebola virus detected the Ebola virus, as well as the viruses of Marburg hemorrhagic fever and Lassa fever.

5 September 2014 Current Affairs

P Sathasivam Sworn In As Kerala Governor

Former Chief Justice of India P Sathasivam was sworn in as Kerala Governor on 5 September. He was administered the oath of office by Acting Chief Justice of the Kerala High Court, Justice Ashok Bhushan, at the Raj Bhavan in Thiruvananthapuram. Sathasivam, who was appointed as Governor of Kerala replacing Sheila Dikshit, retired as CJI in April 2014.

Justice H.L. Dattu To Be Next Cheif Justice of India

President Pranab Mukherjee has cleared the appointment of Justice H.L. Dattu, the senior-most judge in the Supreme Court, as the 42nd Chief of India (CJI). He will be replacing CJI R.M. Lodha who is getting retire on 27th September 2014. Justice H.L. Dattu joined as a judge in Supreme Court in 2008.

6 September 2014 Current Affairs

India and Australia Signed Civil Nuclear Agreement

India signed a civil nuclear agreement with Australia to address India’s growing need for power. The deal, signed in the presence of Modi and visiting Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott, officially marked an end to the ban imposed by Australia on selling uranium to India. The ban was lifted in 2012, when talks for the nuclear deal began. This will be the first such deal signed by the NDA government. India has similar agreements with the US, Canada, the UK, South Korea and France, among other countries.

Chandrakala Padia Appointed As First Women Chairperson of IIAS

Chandrakala Padia was appointed as first women chairperson of Indian Institute of Advanced Study (IIAS).She succeeded the former West Bengal Governor Gopalkrishna Gandhi. Currently, she is working as Vice-Chancellor of Maharaja Ganga Singh University in Bikaner.