1. Sarabjit Singh died in Lahore, Pakistan
NOTE: i. Pakistan has, over the years, maintained that Mr
Singh was a terrorist. He was given the death sentence in 1991 for bombings a
year earlier in Lahore and Multan in which 14 people were killed.
ii. His sister, who had campaigned for years for his
release, has said he inadvertently crossed the border into Pakistan and his
conviction was a case of mistaken identity. She has also said that the attack
at the Kot Lakhpat jail last week was pre-planned and that there was a threat
to Sarabjit's life.
2. Jenita Mary selected for this
year's ISRO Young Scientist Award
i. A young woman scientist from Meghalaya has been selected
for this year's ISRO Young Scientist Award for her urban information system project
in the North East,
ii. The award for Jenita Mary Nongkynrih carries a citation
and cash of 50,000 rupees.
iii. Ms.Jenita Mary Nongkynrih is currently working as a
scientist at the North Eastern Space Applications Centre (NESAC), Umiam,
Nongkynrih.
3. 92nd birth anniversary of
Satyajit Ray
i. Satyajit Ray, an Indian filmmaker and among the dozen or
so great masters of world cinema, is known for his humanistic approach to
cinema and May 2nd is the 92nd birth anniversary of this legendary artist.
ii. He made his films in Bengali, a language spoken in the
eastern state of India - West Bengal. And yet, his films are of universal
interest.
iii. His films mainly deal about things that make up the
human race - relationships, emotions, struggle, conflicts, joys and sorrows.
iv. Satyajit Ray, regarded as one of the great auteurs of
world cinema, was born in the city of Calcutta into a Bengali family prominent
in the world of arts and literature.
v. Ray's first film, Pather Panchali (1955), won eleven
international prizes, including Best Human Documentary at the Cannes Film
Festival.
vi. Ray received many major awards in his career, including
32 Indian National Film Awards, a number of awards at international film
festivals and award ceremonies, and an Academy Award in 1992.
vii. The Government of India honoured him with the Bharat
Ratna in 1992.
4. Supreme Court of India upheld 51
Percent FDI in Multi-brand Retail
i. The Supreme Court of India on 1 May 2013 upheld the
constitutional validity of Government’s decision allowing 51 percent foreign
direct Investment in the multi-brand retail sector.
ii. The bench observed that there was no harm in giving the
policy a chance. It saw merit in the policy that it would eliminate middlemen
and help provide farmers a better price for their produce.
iii. It dismissed the petition filed against the 51 percent FDI
in multi-brand retail.
iv. As per the court, the policy will affect the lives of
only 13.3% of the country's population living in 53 cities.
5. China launches a communications
satellite, Zhongxing-11
i. China launched a communications satellite, Zhongxing-11,
this morning from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in southwest China's
Sichuan Province.
ii. According to a statement from the centre, Zhongxing-11
will be mainly used in providing commercial communications services for users
in the Asia-Pacific region.
6. India elected member of SIAP governing
council
i. India on Tuesday got elected to the governing council of
the prestigious Statistical Institute of Asia Pacific (SIAP), one of the most
active organs of the UN.
ii. In a keenly contested poll, 16 of the 41 member
countries vied for the eight seats on the council. India and Australia were
tied at 30 votes each.
About SIAP
i. The UN Statistical Institute for Asia and the Pacific
(SIAP) was established in Tokyo in 1970 by 20 countries in Asia and the Pacific
and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) as an international centre
to bring about regional co-operation in training government statisticians from
developing countries of the region.
ii. SIAP was accorded the legal status of a subsidiary body
of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific
(ESCAP) in 1995.
iii. SIAP governing council has a representative designated
by the Government of Japan and eight representatives nominated by other members.
7. Deanna Durbin, the renowned face of
Hollywood in 1930s and early 40s died
i. Deanna Durbin, the renowned face of Hollywood in 1930s
and early 40s died on 20 April 2013 in the village outside Paris. She was 91
years of age.
About Deanna Durbin
i. Deanna Durbin was among the highest paid stars in US in
1947. She retired at the age of just 27 years.
ii. She debuted in 1936 MGM short Every Sunday. She appeared
with Judy Garland.
iii. She was born in Winnipeg, Canada in 1921.
iv. Deanna Durbin’s first movie was Three Smart Girls for
the Universal studios. This movie was also nominated for best picture Oscar in
1937.
v. She retired from the films at the peak of her career in
1949 and moved to a village in France.
8. Haryana clinched the 3rd Hockey India
Junior Women National Championship title
i. Haryana have clinched the 3rd Hockey India Junior Women
National Championship title.
ii. In the final at the Astroturf Hockey Stadium in Ranchi
yesterday, Haryana registered a 2-1 win over Madhya Pradesh Hockey Academy.
iii. Earlier, Jharkhand thrashed Punjab 6-0 to claim the
bronze medal.
9. Lifetime ban on former President Pervez
Musharraf from contesting elections
i. The High Court in the northwestern city of Peshawar on 30
April 2013 imposed a lifetime ban on former President Pervez Musharraf from
contesting elections. It was the first time a court in Pakistan had declared a
citizen ineligible from contesting elections for life.
ii. The court observed that Musharraf abrogated the Constitution
twice.
iii. The first was when he carried out a coup to oust a
democratically elected government.
iv. The second time when he declared emergency in 2007 and
detained 60 judges.
v. Musharraf returned in March 2013 after nearly four years
of self-imposed exile to contest May 11 general election.
No comments:
Post a Comment