Support for Windows XP Ends Soon...

Dear readers, 

As you all know that recently Microsoft has decided to stop providing support for its popular operating system, Windows XP, after a 12-year successful run. Technical assistance that helps protect your PC will end for all individual and professional subscribers across the world beginning April 8. 

Know more about Microsoft recent move...

Microsoft's decision to end their Windows XP support has created ripples across the globe as a study shows the OS still makes up for almost 30% of the desktop market. 

On April 8, 2014, support and updates for Windows XP will no longer be available. Don't let your PC go unprotected.

What is end of support?

After 12 years, support for Windows XP will end on April 8, 2014. There will be no more security updates or technical support for the Windows XP operating system. It is very important that customers and partners migrate to a modern operating system such as Windows 8.1. 

Customers moving to a modern operating system will benefit from dramatically enhanced security, broad device choice for a mobile workforce, higher user productivity, and a lower total cost of ownership through improved management capabilities.

What does this mean?

It means you should take action. After April 8, 2014, Microsoft will no longer provide security updates or technical support for Windows XP. 

Security updates patch vulnerabilities that may be exploited by malware and help keep users and their data safer. 

PCs running Windows XP after April 8, 2014, should not be considered to be protected, and it is important that you migrate to a current supported operating system – such as Windows 8.1 – so you can receive regular security updates to protect their computer from malicious attacks.

Potential risks of staying with Windows XP

Running Windows XP SP3 in your environment after April 8, 2104 may expose you to potential risks, such as:

1. Security:

Without critical Windows XP security updates, your PC may become vulnerable to harmful viruses, spyware, and other malicious software which can steal or damage your business data and information. Anti-virus software will also not be able to fully protect you once Windows XP itself is unsupported.

2. Compliance:

Businesses that are governed by regulatory obligations such as HIPAA may find that they are no longer able to satisfy compliance requirements. More information on HHS’s view on the security requirements for information systems that contain electronic protected health information (e-PHI) can be found here (HHS HIPAA FAQ - Security Rule).

3. Lack of Independent Software Vendor (ISV) Support:

Many software vendors will no longer support their products running on Windows XP as they are unable to receive Windows XP updates. For example, the new Office takes advantage of the modern Windows and will not run on Windows XP.

4. Hardware Manufacturer support:

Most PC hardware manufacturers will stop supporting Windows XP on existing and new hardware. This will also mean that drivers required to run Windows XP on new hardware may not be available.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Can Windows XP still be activated after April 8, 2014?

Windows XP can still be installed and activated after end of support. Computers running Windows XP will still work but they won’t receive any Microsoft Updates or be able to leverage technical support. Activations will still be required for retail installations of Windows XP after this date as well.

2. Can Windows XP Mode in Windows 7 still be used in Windows XP?

Windows XP Mode follows the same support lifecycle as Windows XP, extended support will end April 8, 2014.

3. Will MED-V be supported after April 8, 2014?

Windows XP used with MED-V follows the same support cycle as Windows XP, support ends April 8th, 2014.

4. Will Microsoft Security Essentials be supported after April 8, 2014?
Microsoft Security Essentials will not be available for download on Windows XP after April 8, 2014. If you already have Microsoft Security Essentials installed, you will continue to receive anti-malware signature updates through July 14, 2015. However, please note that PCs running Windows XP after April 8, 2014 should not be considered protected.

5. Will Microsoft's Malicious Software Removal Tool be supported after April 8, 2014?

Microsoft's Malicious Software Removal Tool is aligned with the company's anti-malware engines and signatures, and as such the removal tool will continue to be provided for Windows XP through July 14, 2015. However, any PC running Windows XP after April 8, 2014 should not be considered protected as there will be no security updates for the Windows XP operating system.

6. Will System Center, Windows Intune, and Microsoft Deployment Toolkit still support Windows XP?

While customers may continue to use System Center, Windows Intune, and the Microsoft Deployment Toolkit to manage and deploy Windows XP past April 8, 2014, those products will no longer support Windows XP, and any technical issues which may arise will not be addressed.

7. Will existing updates still be available via Windows Update after April 8, 2014?

Yes, all existing Windows XP updates and fixes will still be available via Windows Update and WSUS.

6. Will Internet Explorer 8 still be supported on Windows XP?

As a component of Windows, Internet Explorer follows the support lifecycle of the Windows operating system on which it is installed on. More information is available at Microsoft Support.

8. Which machines will receive the Windows XP End of Support notification?

The notification will be sent to users of Windows XP Home and Windows XP Professional who have elected to receive updates via Windows Update. Users in organizations using Windows Server Update Services (WSUS), System Center Configuration Manager, or Windows Intune will not receive the Windows XP end of support notification.

00:17 - By Unknown 0

THIRD BIMSTEC SUMMIT 2014

Third BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation) Summit was held from 1 March to 4 March 2014 in Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar.


The Third BIMSTEC summit was attended by the heads from six countries and Special Envoy of the Prime Minister of Thailand, namely
Prime Minister of India
Prime Minister of Bangladesh
Prime Minister of Nepal
President of Sri Lanka
Prime Minister of Bhutan
President of Myanmar

During the summit, enhancing regional cooperation in energy sector, the Third BIMSTEC Energy Ministerial Meeting will be held in Nepal in 2014 and also the Fourth BIMSTEC Energy Ministerial Meeting will be held in 2015 in Bhutan.

HIGHLIGHTS OF SUMMIT:
The members recognised the threat that terrorism poses to peace, stability and economic progress and agreed for closer cooperation in combating all forms of terrorism and transnational crimes.

The members agreed to explore collaborative initiatives amongst the Member States towards addressing the adverse impacts of climate change in the BIMSTEC region.

The members decided to move forward towards finalization of the draft Agreement on Trade in Goods with agreed General Rules of Origin and Product Specific Rules. It was also decided to work in the direction of signing an agreement on dispute settlement procedures and the Agreement on Cooperation and Mutual Assistance in Customs Matters under the Framework Agreement on the BIMSTEC Free Trade Area.

The members agreed to set up the BIMSTEC Network of Policy Think Tanks and agreed to cooperate and coordinate for organizing activities like workshops and seminars, which includes audio-visual programmes to create public awareness on BIMSTEC.

Earlier during the second BIMSTEC Ministerial Meeting on Poverty Alleviation summit in Nepal in January 2012 the Poverty Plan of Action was adopted and in this summit the heads agreed to implement the Poverty Plan of Action. Sri Lanka is going to host the Third Ministerial Meeting on Poverty Alleviation during the first half of 2014.

The following three pacts were signed
• Memorandum of Association on the Establishment of the BIMSTEC Permanent Secretariat.
• Memorandum of Understanding on the Establishment of the BIMSTEC Cultural Industries Commission (BCIC) and BIMSTEC Cultural Industries Observatory (BCIO).
• Memorandum of Association among BIMSTEC Member Countries Concerning Establishment of a BIMSTEC Centre for Weather and Climate.

About BIMSTEC
Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) was established in 1997 in Bangkok. It was a new sub regional grouping, named BISTEC (Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka and Thailand Economic Cooperation).Myanmar (1997) and Sri lanka (1998) joined the group who were observers earlier and they joined the group later.

The First BIMSTEC Summit was held in 2004 in Bangkok and the Second Summit was held in 2008 in New Delhi.

The main purposes of BIMSTEC are to create
•    An enabling environment for rapid economic development
•    Accelerate social progress in the sub-region
•    Cooperate in projects that can be dealt with most productively on a sub-regional basis and which make best use of available synergies.

05:13 - By Unknown 0

Need to know about the Model Code of Conduct

Dear readers, recently Election Commission of India announced the election schedule for the Lok Sabha polls and announced the model code of conduct to stay in force till the end of the electoral process. So here we are providing you a post on Model code of conduct which will aware you about it.

 Model code of conduct: It is a set of guidelines laid down by the Election Commission to govern the conduct of political parties and candidates in the run-up to an election. 

The Model Code of Conduct comes into force the moment an election is announced and remains in force till the results are declared.

It applies to all political parties, their candidates and polling agents, the government in power, and all government employees.

Need for such a code of conduct: It is planned to provide a level playing field for all political parties:
1. to keep the campaign fair and healthy, 
2. to avoid clashes and conflicts between parties, and 
3. to ensure peace and order. 

Its main aim is to ensure that the ruling party, either at the Centre or in the states, does not misuse its official position to gain an unfair advantage in an election.

Some Points needs to know about the model code of conduct

1.Under the code, governments cannot do anything which may have the effect of influencing voters in favour of the party in power, and political parties and candidates are forbidden from indulging in any corrupt practices

2. Before using loud speakers during their poll campaigning, candidates and political parties must take permission or license from the local authorites. The candidates should inform the local police for conducting election rallies to enable the police authorities to make required security arrangements.

3.The contesting candidates and their campaigners must respect the home life of their rivals and should not disturb them by holding road shows or demonstrations in front of their houses. 

4.The election campaign rallies and road shows must not hinder road traffic. 

5.The code asks the candidates to refrain from distributing liquor to voters. 

6.The code instructs that public spaces like meeting grounds, helipads, government guest houses and bungalows should be equally shared among the contesting candidates. These public spaces should not be monopolised by a few candidates.

7.On the polling day, the code asks all party candidates to cooperate with the poll-duty officials at the voting booths for an orderly voting process. Candidate should not display their election symbols near and around the poll booths on the polling day. No one should enter the booths without valid pass from the Election Commission. 

8.The code says that there will be poll observers to whom any complaints can be reported or submitted. 

9.The ruling party should not use its seat of power for campaign purposes. 

10.The ruling party ministers should not make any ad-hoc appointment of officials, which may influence the voters in favour of the party in power. 

05:04 - By Unknown 0

Some Important Points You Need To Know About Bitcoins

In this post, we attempt to identify some Important Points  about Bitcoins to give you a clearer understanding of what it is, what it does and how you can use it to buy products or services online.

This article was written in an attempt to create awareness to readers about this technology.

1. What Are Bitcoins?

The Bitcoin is a form of currency without notes and coins, it is a digital currency.

In this era of Internet and digitization, we’ve moved from phone to VoIP calls, face-to-face meeting to video conferencing, fax to email, cable television to IP TV, and the list goes on.

2. Who Developed The Idea Of Bitcoins?

The concept of Bitcoins was developed by Satoshi Nakamoto, who resides in total anonymity. He is said to be from Japan but his mail ID was from Germany, plus the bitcoin software was not available in Japanese.

He developed the system and the Bitcoin software (that is used to run the system) in 2009 but disappeared into thin air in 2010. The other developers of the system stopped hearing from him in 2010, and plenty of speculation turned up about his real identity.

Some even suggested that his name was just a mash up of popular Japanese companies — Samsung, Toshiba, Motorola. But what he created was definitely the fantasy of every tech guy in the world.

3. What Is So Special About The Bitcoin System?

The Bitcoin is a system which allows you to do anonymous currency transactions and no one will come to know about the payment or about all other info related to the payment, including who sent it, who received it, etc.

Satoshi did it by making the system – a peer-to-peer network – controlled by no central authority but run by a network of contributors and freedom enthusiasts, who donated their time and energy to this innovation. Essentially, people can do money transactions and no authority or organization will come to know about it.

4. What Is Double Spending?

We can make many copies of digital data, e.g. people copy software and sell it as counterfeit or pirated copies. We may face the same problem with digital currency – one can copy the digital currency (let’s suppose USD10) and use it as many time as he/she like (as many notes of USD10).

Satoshi solved this problem by showing all transactions in a public list. Whenever a new transaction is made, its validity is checked by confirming from the list that the digital currency was not used before. This way, no one can copy the currency and use it for more than one time. It’s a simple but effective idea to stop double spending of the same bitcoin.

5. How Does A Public Listing Make Things Anonymous?

The public listing only shows the transaction ID and the amount of currency transferred. You will be anonymous in the system because you don’t need to provide any of your personal details like your name, address, email, phone number, etc. In comparison, when you use payment gateways like Paypal you have to give up all these personal details.

6. How Do You Use Bitcoins Then?

Bitcoins are kept in a digital wallet which you can keep in your computer, or on a website online,which will manage and secure your wallet for you. You can have as many wallets and bitcoin addresses (where you receive money from others) as you like.

What’s more, you can use Bitcoin software on top of Tor to prevent anyone from tracking your IP address – total anonymity guaranteed!

7. How Many People Are Using This?

At this very moment, 10.71 million Bitcoins are in existence, which is like 207.929 million USD worth! In fact, the Canadian government is working on their own crypto-currency, named MintChip. (a glance:)

In one day, more than 45,000 transactions of a total of BTC 2.5 million (worth of USD48.5 million) is handled by the bitcoin network.

8. How Do I Acquire Bitcoins?

Using and getting Bitcoins is really easy. There are various ways to get Bitcoins:

i. ‘Mining’

ii. Currency exchange (bitcoin in return for Dollars or Euros) via bitcoin provider services likeMt.Gox

iii. Providing services to others in return of Bitcoins

9. What’s Mining?

Mining is a process of extracting Bitcoins currency. Bitcoin mining is a business – most people mint Bitcoins to gain profit. Bitcoins are minted using a special software (known as Bitcoin Miner) which tries to find a new block in the chain of Bitcoin network.

Whenever a new block is found, its owner is gifted with 50 Bitcoins. Technically, a computer has to perform long and tough hash calculations to find a new block.

10. How Do You Spend A Bitcoin?

Spending Bitcoins is a bit easier. You can send Bitcoins to a person, buy goods, or donate to non-profit foundations who accept it, such as Wikileaks, P2P Foundation, Operation Anonymous,Free Software Foundation, Archive.org.

You can send Bitcoins to anyone once you know their bitcoin address.

Wrap Up

The Bitcoin system is being quickly adopted. BTC1 having a worth of USD6 a year ago is now worth of USD19+. Security experts and digital freedom enthusiasts praise Bitcoin system for being a one-of-the-kind system that opens doors to possibilities. 

Because of its guaranteed anonymity feature, it’s used by people who are concerned of their privacy. As no authority can trace the transactions, this also lead to misuse of the system for example, in illegal work.

04:36 - By Unknown 0

About Lokpal Bill, Why it's Important

The Lokpal Bill, 2011, also referred to as The Lokpal and Lokayuktas Bill, 2011, is an anti-corruption law in India which "seeks to provide for the establishment of the institution of Lokpal to inquire into allegations of corruption against certain public functionaries and for matters connecting them".

The bill was tabled in the Lok Sabha on 22 December 2011 and was passed by the house on 27 December 2011 as The Lokpal and Lokayuktas Bill, 2011. The bill was subsequently tabled in the Rajya Sabha on 29 December 2011.

 After a marathon debate that stretched until midnight of the following day, the vote failed to take place for lack of time. On 21 May 2012, the bill was referred to a Select Committee of the Rajya Sabha for consideration. The bill was passed in the Rajya Sabha on 17 December 2013 after making certain amendments to the earlier Bill and in the Lok Sabha on 18 December 2013.

The Lokpal will be a three-member body with a chairperson who is or was a chief justice or Supreme Court judge, and two members who are or have been high courts judges or chief justices. Implementation of the Lokpal bill will hopefully reduce corruption in India.


A look at the salient features of Jan Lokpal Bill:

1. An institution called LOKPAL at the centre and LOKAYUKTA in each state will be set up

2. Like Supreme Court and Election Commission, they will be completely independent of the governments. No minister or bureaucrat will be able to influence their investigations.

3. Cases against corrupt people will not linger on for years anymore: Investigations in any case will have to be completed in one year. Trial should be completed in next one year so that the corrupt politician, officer or judge is sent to jail within two years.

4. The loss that a corrupt person caused to the government will be recovered at the time of conviction.

5. How will it help a common citizen: If any work of any citizen is not done in prescribed time in any government office, Lokpal will impose financial penalty on guilty officers, which will be given as compensation to the complainant.

6. So, you could approach Lokpal if your ration card or passport or voter card is not being made or if police is not registering your case or any other work is not being done in prescribed time. Lokpal will have to get it done in a month's time. You could also report any case of corruption to Lokpal like ration being siphoned off, poor quality roads been constructed or panchayat funds being siphoned off. Lokpal will have to complete its investigations in a year, trial will be over in next one year and the guilty will go to jail within two years.

7. But won't the government appoint corrupt and weak people as Lokpal members? That won't be possible because its members will be selected by judges, citizens and constitutional authorities and not by politicians, through a completely transparent and participatory process.

8. What if some officer in Lokpal becomes corrupt? The entire functioning of Lokpal/ Lokayukta will be completely transparent. Any complaint against any officer of Lokpal shall be investigated and the officer dismissed within two months.

9. What will happen to existing anti-corruption agencies? CVC, departmental vigilance and anti-corruption branch of CBI will be merged into Lokpal. Lokpal will have complete powers and machinery to independently investigate and prosecute any officer, judge or politician.

10. It will be the duty of the Lokpal to provide protection to those who are being victimized for raising their voice against corruption.


Back ground. 

The word was derived from the Sanskrit words "Lok" (people) and "Pala"(protector/caretaker), meaning 'Caretaker of People'.

The term Lokpal was coined in 1963 by Laxmi Mall Singhvi, a Member of Parliament during a parliamentary debate about grievance mechanisms.

The Administrative Reforms Commission (ARC) headed by Morarji Desai submitted an interim report on "Problems of Redressal of Citizen's Grievances" in 1966. In this report, ARC recommended the creation of two special authorities designated as 'Lokpal' and 'Lokayukta' for redress of citizens' grievances.

Note: Maharashtra was the first state to introduce Lokayukta through The Maharashtra Lokayukta and Upa-Lokayuktas Act in 1971.

Presently, there are no Lokayuktas in the states of Andra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Manipur, Meghalaya,Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu, Tripura and West Bengal.


Why it's Important?

Corruption is an emotional issue in India, where at least 12 whistle-blowers were killed and 40 assaulted after seeking information under a new Right to Information Act aimed at exposing local graft, according to data compiled by Bloomberg L.P. from January 2010 through mid-October 2011.

The legislation became the most powerful tool for fighting wrongdoing in politics and business, with 529,000 requests filed in the year through March.

This year, India ranked 94th in the Corruption Perceptions Index of Transparency International.

A recent survey estimated that corruption in India had cost billions of dollars and threatened to derail growth. India lost a staggering $462 billion in illicit financial flows due to tax evasion, crime and corruption post-Independence, according to a report released by Washington-based Global Financial Integrity.

23:37 - By Unknown 0

Role of Aadhar in Banking System

About AADHAR: The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) was established by Government of India with an objective to implement Multipurpose National Identity Card or Unique Identification Card (UID Card)in India.

This project is part of the Planning Commission and headed by Mr. Nandan Nilekani, a former co-chairman of Infosys Technologies. 

A budget of `3000 crores is allotted for implementation of the ambitious project with an objective to cover 60 crore residents by 2014

It is aimed to issue a unique identification number to all Indian residents with intent:

i. to eliminate duplicate/fake identities

ii. to put hassle-free, cost effective verification/authentication system in place thereby

iii. to save considerable resources of various User Departments as well as beneficiaries at large.

Basics of UID (AADHAR)

i. It will be a randomly generated twelve digit number for every resident of India. Example:2653 8564 4663.

ii. The number will be unique, which means, no two residents will have the same number.

iii. No resident can have two numbers because AADHAAR is based on a combination of standard information like name, address, age and biometric information which is unique to every person.

iv. AADHAR will be used to prove identity not citizenship.

v. It will not be compulsory to get an AADHAAR number

Benefits to the users:

1. The AADHAAR will become the single source of identity verification. Once residents enroll, they can use the number multiple times.

2. The large number of residents, who currently don’t have any identity documents and are therefore  ‘excluded’ from beneficiary lists, can also get an ‘identity’ through the' Introducer' system.

Role of AADHAAR in Banking System:

Aadhaar Enabled Payment System or AePS is an Indian payment system developed by National Payments Corporation of India. Its working is based on unique identification number for individuals called Aadhaar.

The system allows an Aadhaar-holder to carry out financial transaction on a micro-ATM provided by the banking correspondent. It is an initiative towards providing improved social security benefits and financial inclusion of the under-privileged people.

AADHAAR Project - Role of Banks: Public Sector Banks already started entering MOU with UIDAI to act as Registrars for AADHAAR project. Banks are likely to play beyond the role of enrolling agents.

1. KYC compliance: Today, the major constraints faced by the banks while opening of accounts is the absence of valid identity and address proof of the prospective customers and it is causing inconvenience to the public and operational problems to the banks thereby unable to achieve the desired financial inclusion.

Once the project comes to live, AADHAAR number may be treated as substitute for KYC compliance which enables the banks to open accounts with a greater speed and accuracy besides saving of considerable resources.  

2. Micro ATMs: As a step towards financial inclusion, RBI has allowed banks to engage intermediaries i.e. Business Correspondents (BC) to carry out specified financial transactions through Public Call Office operators, Kirana Stores, Medical Shop owners and Fair Price Shop dealers etc.

The intermediaries would be provided mobile phone and fingerprint reader and would act as a Micro ATM where a person could go to any BC across the country to withdraw/deposit money.

AADHAAR could emerge as a payment card linked to a savings account and function as a pre-paid / smart card where the government credits the amount to the accounts directly.

On implementation of the project, banks would have immediate access to many more potential customers at the bottom of the pyramid through Branchless Banking; however, this requires substantial investment in technology.

What are Micro ATMS?  Micro-ATMs are biometric authentication enabled hand-held device (also known as a Point of Transaction [PoT] terminal) .

Micro-ATMs will primarily perform following functions:

1. Cash withdrawal

2. Cash deposit

3. Balance enquiry

4. Remittances

Note: i. These devices will be operated by the Business Correspondents (BCs) appointed by the banks.

ii. The physical currency would be handled by this BC and not a machine like a regular ATM.

iii. All transactions will require online biometric authentication with the UIDAI authentication server in order to be processed.

3. Mobile Banking: The Aadhaar project enables the mobile industry to create a Low-Cost High-Volume ubiquitous transaction platform to penetrate into remote rural areas of the country.

Under this every transaction point will have a mobile phone and a fingerprint reader. The resident having Aadhaar number simply walk in to any point and complete his financial transaction with ease since the service provider gets the authentication from UID online.

Advantages:

1. Brings down the costs of cash management for  banks.

2. Supports physical cash transactions at the local  level.

3. Substantially reduces the risk to the bank, since  the cash transacted at the local level is already paid-up by the BC (Business Correspondents).

Once this model is stabilized, the distribution of financial products and services can be opened up to whoever is willing to invest in a mobile phone and a fingerprint reader. Millions of financial correspondents could be enrolled. The AADHAAR platform enables the banks to provide Virtual Banking.

05:11 - By Unknown 0

Bharat Ratna for Sachin Tendulkar and Prof CNR Rao

All cricket god fans, here is the perfect climax for the story. The Indian Government has announced Bharat Ratna, the highest civilian award of India to batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar.  Just hours after he bids goodbye to cricket, it was decided that he would be awarded with this great honor. "I dedicate this award to my mother," said Mr Tendulkar, who had made special arrangements to ensure his mother, Rajni Tendulkar, watches his last Test match against West Indies at Mumbai's Wankhede stadium. With this, Tendulkar has become the first sportsperson to receive the biggest honour possible for any Indian.

Eminent scientist and a well recognized international authority on solid state and materials chemistry Prof. CNR Rao (Chintamani Nagesa Ramachandra Rao) also got this prestegious award along with sachin. He has published over 1,400 research papers and 45 books. He already has been honoured with several national and international awards.  He serves as the head of the Scientific Advisory Council to the Prime Minister of India.

08:30 - By Unknown 0

Meet the Gold Medal Winner of World Cup Shooting 2013 - Heena Sidhu

Indian woman shooter Heena Sidhu has created history by becoming the first pistol exponent from India to win a gold medal at the ISSF (International Shooting Sport Federation) World Cup finals in Munich, Germany. She won this award in in 10m Air Pistol event. Punjab born heena won this gold medal by defeating double Olympic Champion Guo Wenjun from China, world champion Arunovic Zorana from Serbia and multiple Olympic medallist Olena Kostevych of Ukraine in a stiff competition in the 10m Air Pistol. The ISSF World Cup is a prestegious competition for shooters. This was introduced by the International Shooting Sport Federation in 1986 to provide a homogeneous system for qualification to the Olympic shooting competitions. It is held once a year and features only top 10 shooters of the world. 

04:20 - By Unknown 0

Meet the Miss Universe 2013 - Gabriela Isler

25 year old Miss Venezuela, Gabriela Isler crowned Miss Universe 2013 on Saturday, marking the seventh contest win for the South American country during a glittering ceremony at Crocus City Hall in Moscow, Russia. Gabriela Isler, whose full name is Maria Gabriela de Jesus Isler Morales, works on Venezuela's Venevision television, and as a flamenco dancer. Last year's winner Olivia Culpo from United States of America handed over her diamond crown to Isler, who looked stunning in a silver rhinestone studded evening dress. “I have a lot of emotions. I can’t describe all the things that I feel at this moment because I’m shaking,” she said. Meanwhile, Spain's Patricia Yurena Rodriguez came second, while Constanza Baez from Ecuador secured the 3rd place, while India's contender Manasi Moghe could only make it to the top ten. The last time an Indian won the Miss Universe title was Lara Dutta in 2000.

04:18 - By Unknown 0

DAILY GK UPDATE 26TH OCTOBER

1.    Global Gender Gap Report 2013: India Ranked at 101 Place

i. Global Gender Gap Report 2013, which was published on 25 October 2013 by World Economic Forum- India was ranked 101 out of 136 countries on Gender Gap index. 

ii. In 2012 Report, India secured 105th position in the Gender Gap Index of 135 countries.

iii. The Global Gender Gap Report 2013 Report revealed that world’s gender gaps narrowed slightly in 2013 on the back of “definite if not universal improvements” in economic equality and political participation between the sexes.

iv. The worst performing countries are Yemen (136), Pakisthan (135) and Chad (134).

Top 5 country:

1. Iceland

2. Finland

3. Norway

4. Sweden

5. Philippines

2.    India Signed Pact with World Bank for Uttar Pradesh Water Sector Restructuring Project

i. Government of India on 25 October 2013 signed an agreement with World Bank for credit of 360 million US Dollar for the second phase of Uttar Pradesh Water Sector Restructuring Project. 

ii. The agreement was signed by Nilaya Mitash, Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Finance, Government of India and Country Director of the World Bank, Onno Ruhl. Similarly the Project Agreement was signed by Deepak Singhal, Principal Secretary, Department of Irrigation on behalf of the Government of Uttar Pradesh.

iii. The objective of the project is to support the State on capacity building of Water Users Association, rehabilitation and modernization of irrigation, development of Basin River planning strategies and flood management systems.

The project has six main components:

1.Strengthening of State Level Water Institutions and Inter Sector Coordination 
2.Modernization and Rehabilitation of Irrigation and Drainage Systems 
3.Consolidation and Enhancement of Irrigation Institution Reforms 
4.Enhancing Agriculture Productivity and On-Farm Water Management 
5.Feasibility studies and Preparation Activities for the Next Phase 
6.Project Coordination and Monitoring. 

3.    World Bank approves $250-m aid for Uttarakhand

i. The World Bank has approved $250-million assistance for Uttarakhand, which was hit hard by rains and landslides in June that killed 580 people, to help the State undertake rehabilitation work and strengthen its capacity for disaster management.

ii. “In order to respond in a timely manner, the project was fast-tracked under the World Bank’s emergency procedures and was prepared within a three-month period,” said a release.

iii. India had sought assistance from multilateral agencies like the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) for undertaking rehabilitation work in Uttarakhand. ADB too is expected to finalise its assistance package soon.

iv. Earlier, a joint World Bank and ADB team conducted a Rapid Damage and Needs Assessment (JRDNA) at the request of the Indian Government to rebuild the state’s infrastructure and assets lost in the June disaster.

v. JRDNA has estimated the physical damages across a range of sectors and calculated the cost of reconstruction at about $661 million.

4.    Corporation Bank tops in loans to small units

i. The Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises has assigned Corporation Bank No. 1 rank under the ‘National Awards for Excellence in MSE (micro and small enterprises) Lending’ for 2012-13.

ii. According to a press statement by the bank, the ranking was acknowledged at the 18th meeting of the Standing Committee for National Awards to Public Sector Banks recently. Corporation Bank has been ranked based on its performance in contributing to the MSE lending for 2012-13, it said.

5.    Himachal Pradesh became Second State after Haryana to introduce NVQF

i. Himachal Pradesh on 26 October 2013 became the second state after Haryana to introduce Union National Vocational Qualitative Framework (NVQF) Scheme.

ii. The scheme has been implemented by the All India Technical Education Council and the National Skill Development Council.

Note: i. As per the scheme, 70 skill development councils will be established and each council will be given specific trades.

ii. The scheme was being implemented for students of Class IX to Class XI and every student has to clear four levels to get the certificate.

iii. The programme is being introduced in one hundred schools and each school will have to adopt two trades out of five - Information Technology, Education, Retail Security, Automobile and Health Care.

6.    Ethiopia banned its Citizens from Travelling Abroad for Work

i. Ethiopia's government on 24 October 2013 temporarily banned its citizens from travelling abroad to look for work.

ii. The government took this decision because many Ethiopians had lost their lives or undergone untold physical and psychological trauma due to illegal human trafficking. The Ethiopian government had taken various steps to limit the suffering of its citizens, including setting up a national council and a taskforce to educate them.

iii. The scarcity of work opportunities contributes mainly fuelling emigration from Ethiopia, which has Africa's second largest population. According to the official figures, Youth unemployment was estimated at more than 50 percent.

iv. Many Ethiopians migrate to Saudi Arabia, travelling via Yemen by sea and entering the country illegally. Thousands of others go to Israel, South Africa and Europe. Most of the migrants end up being smuggled, trafficked or subjected to mental and physical torture.

7.    4 day WAF to be organized at Hyderabad from Nov 4

i. A four-day World Agricultural Forum Congress (WAF) will be organized at Hyderabad in Andhra Pradesh from 4th of November this year.

ii. The theme is re-shaping agriculture for sustainable future focus on small farm holders.

iii. Talking to reporters in New Delhi today, Andhra Pradesh Agriculture Minister Kanna Lakshmi Narayana said the conference will aim at focussing on creating prosperity through attention to establishing food security and investment in agriculture.

iv. Lakshmi Narayana also said an Agri-Tech Trade fair will also be organized parallel to WAF Congress-2013. He said arrangements are being made for mobilization of around two thousand farmers on each day for Agri-Tech Trade Fair. 

Note: 2011 World Congress was held in Brussels with the objective, the role of Latin America in feeding the world in 2050.

8.    Tarun Chatarjee appointed Chairman of the Uttar Pradesh State Human Rights Commission

i. The Uttar Pradesh Government on 25 October 2013 appointed retired Justice Tarun Chaterjee as the new chairman of the state Human Rights Commission.

ii. State government also nominated Justice UK Dhawan and Asha Tiwari as the members of the Commission.

iii. Tarun Chaterjee (68-year-old) was the chief justice at the Allahabad high court in 2003 and retired as a Supreme Court judge in 2010.

9.    Government sanctioned a new Plastic Park for Odisha

i. Union Minister for Chemicals & Fertilizers on 25 October 2013 sanctioned setting up of a Plastic Park at Siju Village, Kujanga Tehsil of Jagatsinghpur District in Odisha.

ii. A Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) called Paradeep Plastic Park Limited would set up the Plastic Park. 

iii. The project will receive a grant of 40 crore rupees by the Government of India of which 8 crore rupees will be released sooner.

iv. The Plastic Park is being established near IOLC. The infrastructure related the micro, small, medium and large units in the Plastic Park will be facilitated by the Paradeep Refinery and it has the necessary state-of-the art infrastructure

v. The park will open opportunities to the entrepreneurs in and around districts like Balasore, Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Paradeep, and other districts of Odisha to set up new venture.

10.  BCCI terminates contract of IPL team Pune Warriors for non-payment of franchise fee

i. The working committee of the Board of Cricket Control of India has terminated the contract of the Indian Premier League team Pune Warriors for non-payment of franchise fee. The team did not pay a bank guarantee of 174 crore rupees. 

ii. The owner of the Pune Warriors - The Sahara Group - have been on collision course with the BCCI after the board encashed its bank guarantee due to non-payment of franchise fee. Pune Warriors was bought by Sahara for 1702 crore rupees in 2010 and is the most expensive franchise on the IPL roster.

11.  English Football Association marking 150th anniversary today

i. The world's oldest national football body, the English Football Association, or FA is marking its 150th anniversary today. It was established at a meeting in a London Tavern on the 26th of October, 1863 as eleven football clubs and schools associations agreed to a set of common rules for the sport.

ii. A special gala dinner is taking place later today where on display will be a book containing the handwritten 13 original laws of football.

12.  Alok claims silver at World Billiards

i. Indian cueist Alok Kumar could not add the World Billiards trophy to his cabinet as he lost in the final to local favourite David Causier to settle for the silver medal at the mega-event here.

ii. Alok, a former Asian champion, lost 6-1 -- 150 (123)-06, 150 (114)-11, 150 (64)-81, 150 (85)-13, 150 (109)-92, 51-150 (53), 150 (124)-124 (93).

iii. On the other hand, two-time runner-up Causier lifted his first ever world title here at the Northern Snooker Centre. In the final he defeated Alok in a one-sided affair.

iv. Alok is the only player in the country, who has won titles in every discipline.

14:39 - By Unknown 0