Current Affairs 15th July 2014

Current Affairs 15th July 2014

Updated : 15-Jul-2014

Current Affairs 15th July 2014 - Important Points
Current Affairs 15th July 2014 - Details
Sri Lankan cricketer Mahela Jayawardene announced retirement from Test Cricket
On 14th June 2014, The former captain of Sri Lanka's cricket team Mahela Jayawardene has announced to retire from Test cricket. He will retire from Test Cricket after the home series against Pakistan in August 2014.

Jaywardene, who retired from T20 cricket in March this year, will continue to play in One Day Internationals and has made himself available for next year's World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.
The right-handed batsman has played 145 tests and his 11,493 runs with 33 centuries and 48 fifties. He shares sixth spot, along with Kumar Sangakkara, on the list of highest scorers in the test cricket.
Haryana Governor gave assent to Haryana SGPC Bill 2014
On 14th June 2014, Governor of Haryana Jagannath Pahadia gave his assent to Haryana Sikh Gurudwaras (Management) Bill, 2014. With this, the Haryana Sikh Gurdwaras (Management) Bill, 2014, will be notified as an Act.
This new bill was passed by the state Assembly on Friday, for creating a separate management committee for Sikh shrines in Haryana. Earlier, the Chief Minister of Haryana Bhupinder Singh Hooda had said that a separate committee will be set up in the state under the new law for management of Sikh religious places and their properties in the state.
The management committee will comprise 40 members, who will be elected for a five-year term by Sikh voters in Haryana. The Committee's head office will be at Kurukshetra with regional offices at Panchkula and Jind.
UN Security Council authorizes cross-border aid access in Syria
On 14th July 2014, 15-member United Nations Security Council (UNSC) uanimously adopted the resolution 2165 in New York.The resolution 2165 sought to allow cross-border aid to three million Syrians.

The resolution authorized UN Humanitarian agencies and other agencies to deliver relief materials to Syrians for 180 days across the conflict lines and through additional border crossings. It also called for the expeditious deployment of a monitoring mechanism to assure compliance.
The United Nations has said that about 10.8 million people in Syria need help, of which 4.7 million are in hard-to-reach areas. At least 150,000 people have died in Syria's civil war, which is now in its fourth year. The relief delivery will be in the form of food supplies, access to basic healthcare, delivery of medical and surgical supplies. Due to unavailability of safe food and basic health care, humanitarian situation has deteriorated in Syria.
However Syria's government warned the Security Council last month that delivering aid across borders into opposition-held areas without its consent would amount to an attack.
President announced appointment of new Governors for five states
On 14th July 2014, President of India Shri Pranab Mukherjee has appointed new Governors for five states, following are the details :
- Ram Naik - Governor of Uttar Pradesh
- Balramji Dass Tandon - Governor of Chhattisgarh
- Keshari Nath Tripathi - Governor of West Bengal
- Om Prakash Kohli - Governor of Gujarat
- Padmanabha Balakrishna Acharya - Governor of Nagaland
The terms of these Governors will take effect from the dates the incumbents assume charge of their respective offices

President presents Gandhi Peace Prize 2013 to Environmentalist Chandi Prasad Bhatt
On 15th July 2014, Environmentalist and social activist Chandi Prasad Bhatt was awarded with the prestigious Gandhi Peace prize for 2013. He was awarded by the President of India Pranab Mukherjee at a function in Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Delhi. He, after realizing aspirations of people, dedicated himself to improve lives of villagers. He is the person, who fought against government's wrong policies on forests through non-violent means.
Important to Note :
- Shri Chandi Prasad Bhatt was awarded with the Ramon Magsaysay Award in 1982 for Chipko movement.
- Shri Chandi Prasad Bhatt also received Padma Bhushan in 2005.
- He is well known for his work on social ecology.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Chinese President Xi Jinping in Fortaleza
On 15th July 2014, Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi met Chinese President Xi Jinping in Fortaleza, Brazil. He met the Chinese President on the sidelines of Sixth BRIC Summit being held in Fortaleza. The meeting was the first-summit level interaction of PM Narendra Modi with Chinese President.
In the meeting, Mr Modi and Mr Jinping are expected to discuss issues relating to the BRICS Development Bank along with other issues. Both sides also emphasized on the need to find a solution to the Boundary Question and stressed the importance of strengthening mutual trust and confidence, and maintaining peace and tranquility on the border.
Besides, the PM Modi suggested opening of a second route for the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra and called for enhanced Chinese investment in the infrastructure sector in India. He also expressed the hope that trade imbalance between the two countries is resolved.
PM Modi also expressed hope for increase in tourism and ties between the people of the two ancient civilizations.
Mr Modi is visiting Brazil at the invitation of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff to attend the Sixth BRICS Summit. The two- day BRICS summit is to be held in Brazilian cities of Fortaleza and Brasilia from July 15.
Government to set up R&D centre for bulk drugs at NIPER Hyderabad
As per print release of Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers on 14th July 2014, The Union government is setting up a National Centre for Research & Development in Bulk Drug (NCRDBD) at National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER), Hyderabad, to fill the crucial existing gap in R&D in bulk drugs. The project, the approval for which has already been granted, will cost over Rs 52 crore and require an operating cost of over Rs 37 crore for five years.
The NCRDBD would be an innovative R&D provider in the field of bulk drugs. It will offer competitive and eco-friendly technologies in specified areas products and processes.
Per Student Cooking Cost under Mid Day Meal Scheme Enhanced
The Union HRD Minister Smt Smriti Irani in a written reply to a Rajya Sabha question on 14th July 2014, stated that per student cooking cost under the midday meal scheme has been enhanced.
Revised cooking cost per child per day 2014-15 for Primary Stage is Rs. 3.59, which was Rs 3.34 in 2013-14 and
Revised cooking cost per child per day 2014-15 for Upper Primary Stage is Rs. 5.38, which was Rs 5.00 in 2013-14.
Per student cooking cost was enhanced @ 7.5% every year since 2010-11. The Mid Day Meal Scheme (MDMS) has been covering the upper primary (class VI- VIII) level in all Government and Government aided schools since 1st April 2008.
The MDMS is a vast school meal programme that covers 10.8 crore children in over 11.58 lakh government and government aided schools on a daily basis.