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  • Current Affairs 5th March 2014

    Updated : 05-Mar-2014

    Current Affairs 5th March 2014 - Important Points

    Current Affairs 5th March 2014 - Details

    South African cricket team Captain Graeme Smith announced retirement

    South African cricket team captain Graeme Smith announced that he will retire from international cricket at the end of the test match against Australia at Newlands. He announced it on 4th March 2014.

    Important to note : 

    Graeme Smith is the longest serving captain for South Africa in international cricket. 

    Till date Graeme Smith has played 197 one-day international matches, 33 T20 international matches and 117 test matches

     

    Graeme Smith made his test debut in March 2002 against Australia in Cape Town.

    R. Neelakantan appointed as CFO by SpiceJet

    SpiceJet Ltd, second largest low-cost carrier, appointed R Neelakantan as its chief financial officer (CFO) on 4th March 2014. R Neelakantan will be replacing Sam Isaac.

    Important to note : 

    R Neelakantan had served as CFO from November 2010 to February 2013 in SpiceJet Ltd so he is returning to the role after serving as the internal audit head at the parent Sun Group.

    SpiceJet Ltd also made other appointements :

    • Shilpa Bhatia as senior VP for sales and distribution, 
    • Sudhakar Kondisetty as senior VP of information technology, 
    • Fares Azeem Kilpady as VP and head of revenue management,
    • Anurag Jain as senior VP network planning and strategy development.

    Lok Sabha elections to be held in 9 phases from 7 April 2014 - 12 May 2014

    The Election Commission of India announced the schedule for the 2014 Lok Sabha elections on 5th March 2014.

    The Election Commission said that elections will be held in nine phases from April 7, 2014 to May 12, 2014.

    With this announcement the Model Code of Conduct has come into force with immediate effect. 

    Important Dates of Lok Sabha Elections 2014 : 

    • First Phase on 7 April 2014 - will cover five Lok Sabha constituencies in Assam and one in Tripura
    • Second Phase on 9 April 2014 - will cover seven constituencies spread over Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram and Nagaland
    • Third Phase on 10 April 2014 - will cover 92 constituencies of 14 states including Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Kerala, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra 
    • Fourth Phase on 12 April 2014 – will cover five constituencies in three states including Assam will be covered
    • Fifth Phase on 17 April 2014 – will cover 122 Lok Sabha seats of 13 states namely Karnataka, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Odisha and Bihar
    • Sixth Phase on 24 April 2014 – will cover 117 seats in 12 states namely including Assam, Chhattisgarh, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh
    • Seventh Phase 30 April 2014 – will cover 89 constituencies spread over nine states including Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal
    • Eighth Phase on 7 May 2014 – will cover 64 seats in states including Bihar, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Uttrakhand and West Bengal
    • Ninth Phase and end of the polls on 12 May 2014 – will cover 41 constituencies in Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal

    Important to note : 

    • Counting will happen on 16 May 2014
    • These will be the 16th Lok Sabha elections of the country.

    Post Office's hiked interest rate Fixed deposits by 0.2%

    Government of India on 4th March 2014 hiked the interest rates on fixed deposit scheme that is offered by post offices by up to 0.2 percent. 

    These new interest rates will be effective from 1st April 2014 onwards.

    After this hike :

    • Return on 1 to 2 years deposit – hiked by 20 basis points from 8.2 percent to 8.4 percent 
    • Return on 3-year maturities – hiked from 8.3 percent to 8.4 percent
    • Return on for 5-year deposits - it has been raised to 8.5 percent

    Myanmar hosted third BIMSTEC summit 2014

    Third BIMSTEC summit hosted by Myanmar concluded on 4th 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 - Manmohan Singh,
    • Prime Minister of Bangladesh - Sheikh Hasina, 
    • Prime Minister of Nepal - Sushil Koirala,
    • President of Sri Lanka - Mahinda Rajapaksa,
    • Prime Minister of Bhutan - Tshering Tobgay, 
    • President of Myanmar - Thein Sein

    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.

    Important to note :

    Full form of BIMSTEC : Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation 

    Sheila Dikshit appointed as the new Governor of Kerala

    Former cheif minister of Delhi, Sheila Dikshit was appointed as Governor of Kerala on 4th March 2014. She has become 22nd Governor of Kerala. 

    She will succeed Nikhil Kumar, a former Delhi Police Commissioner who took over as the governor of Kerala in March 2013. Nikhil Kumar had given resignation to the President of India that has been accepted.

    Important to note : 

    Sheila Dikshit served as three times Delhi's chief minister from 1998 to 2013.

    Assam observed Child Protection Day

    Assam became the first state in the country to observe Child Protection Day on 4th March 2014. A central function was organized with the support of Assam State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (ASCPCR) in collaboration with United Nations Children‘s Fund (UNICEF).

    Laxmi won International Women of Courage Award

    Indian acid attack victim Laxmi was honoured with prestigious International Women of Courage Award on 4th March 2014. She received this prestigious award at the State Department ceremony in Washington by first lady of US Michelle Obama. She got this award as she has fought hard to end acid attacks and also fighting legal cases for same. 

    Other than Laxmi, other awardess are :

    • Nasrin Oryakhil of Afghanistan, 
    • Roshika Deo of Fiji,
    • Bishop Rusudan Gotsiridze of Georgia,
    • Iris Yassmin Barrios Aguilar of Guatemala,
    • Fatimata Toure of Mali,
    • Maha Al Muneef of Saudi Arabia,
    • Oinikhol Bobonazarova of Tajikistan,
    • Ruslana Lyzhychko of Ukraine  and 
    • Beatrice Mtetwa and Zimbabwe.