Ashok Varadhan appointed co-head of Goldman’s securities unit
1.Indian-origin Ashok Varadhan has been appointed co-head of the Goldman Sachs’ securities division, the largest and most profitable of the global investment bank’s four units.
2.Varadhan, 41, is currently the head of macro trading in Goldman’s Securities Division and will join Isabelle Ealet and Pablo Salame as co-head of the division.
3.In an internal memo, Goldman’s Chief Executive Lloyd Blankfein yesterday said Varadhan has been an “effective voice on a number of firm-wide, regional and divisional committees”, including the management committee, growth markets operating committee and firm-wide risk committee.
4.“As a long-tenured leader in the Securities Division, Ashok has demonstrated dedication to our clients and a deep understanding of our business,” Blankfein said.
5.As co-head of the securities division, which generates the most revenue and profit for Goldman, Varadhan would build on Goldman’s client franchise across its fixed income, currency and commodities and equities businesses.
Vodafone conciliation talks fail, tax dept to collect dues
1.In a major jolt to talks with U.K.-based Vodafone, the government has decided to withdraw its conciliation proposal to sort out the Rs. 20,000 crore tax dispute with the telecom giant and move ahead with the collection of dues.
2.The Ministry of Finance has floated a Cabinet note seeking to withdraw the conciliation process with Vodafone International Holdings BV, sources said.
3.The Cabinet had in June last year approved a Finance Ministry proposal to go in for conciliation with Vodafone to resolve the capital gains tax dispute related to its acquisition of Hutchison Whampoa’s stake in Hutchison Essar in 2007.
4.Although the Finance Ministry was keen on an amicable solution to the long-pending tax dispute, dilly-dallying by the company led to the collapse of the talks.
Pakistan President to visit China
1.President Mamnoon Hussain will pay an official visit to China from February 18 to 20, an official statement said on Tuesday. This is his first state visit abroad after assuming office and he
2.will hold summit-level talks with President Xi Jinping. He will also have meetings with Premier Li Keqiang and Mr. Zhang Dejiang, Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress of China.
3.Soon after the announcement of the historic Pakistan-China economic corridor, the two countries have started planning the implementation of infrastructure projects. This visit is a reiteration of Pakistan's
4.commitment to establish close ties with its long-standing strategic partner, the statement said.
US envoy Powell to meet Modi
1.U.S. Ambassador to India Nancy Powell will meet Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, most likely on Thursday in Gandhinagar, said US Embassy and Government sources here on Tuesday.
2.The U.S. Ambassador was among the depleting ranks of Western envoys to have maintained a hands-off distance with Mr. Modi although he achieved political salience after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) declared him its prime ministerial candidate for the coming general elections.
3.The U.S. justified Ms. Powell’s request for a meeting with Mr. Modi as being part of Washington’s "concerted outreach" to senior political and business leaders that began last November. "We can confirm the appointment," said U.S. Embassy sources here.
4.The U.S. has shied away from high profile public contact with Mr. Modi although senior Embassy officials such as the then Political Counsellor Uzra Zeya and now senior U.S. State Department official, have been making frequent trips to Gujarat.
India back in Olympic fold
1.More than a year after being shunted out of the Olympic movement due to tainted officials, India was on Tuesday welcomed back by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) within days of conducting a fresh election in the IOA.
2.The IOC lifted the 14-month old ban on India after the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) barred charge-framed officials from its fresh election held on Sunday in which World Squash Federation chief and younger brother of BCCI boss N. Srinivasan, N. Ramachandran, was elected as the president.
3.“The IOC has informed us through telephone that the ban on India has been lifted,” newly-elected IOA Secretary General Rajeev Mehta told PTI.
4.The decision comes after the IOC’s three observers for the elections left Indian shores “satisfied with the IOA elections promising to submit a “favourable report to the IOC president.”
India to celebrate ‘victory over polio’
1.India is today expected to celebrate 'victory over polio' - a feat which was once thought impossible to achieve.
2.Meanwhile Afghan officials have launched a polio vaccination campaign after a young girl from Kabul was diagnosed with the disease - the capital's first case since the fall of the Taliban in 2001.
3.It has been three years since India has recorded a new case of the paralysing virus.
R.K.Tiwari appointed new Chairman of CBDT
1.R.K.Tiwari was appointed as the new chairman of Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) on 9 February 2014.
2.The appointment was approved by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC).
3.Mr. Tiwari is a 1976-batch Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer. He is currently working as the Member of Legislation and Computerisation Department in the CBDT.
4.He will take the charge from 1 March 2014. He will succeed Chairperson Sudha Sharma who is scheduled to retire on 28 February 2014.
About CBDT
The CBDT is a part of Department of Revenue in the Ministry of Finance. The Central Board of Direct Taxes is a statutory authority functioning under the Central Board of Revenue Act, 1963.
CBDT is a seven-member body including the Chairman and it is the apex authority for policy planning and administrative control over the I-T department and collection of direct taxes in the country.
Krishi Karman Awards for 2012-13
The President of India, Pranab Mukherjee, presented Krishi Karman Awards for the year 2012-13 on 10 February 2014. The awards were presented during inaugural function of World Congress on Agro-Forestry (WCA-2014) held in New Delhi.
The awards were presented in two categories. In the Total food grain production category, the awards were presented to Madhya Pradesh, Odisha and Manipur states. In the excellence in the Individual food grains crops category, the awards were presented to Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Andhra Pradesh and Bihar States.
Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Mizoram and Tripura got commendation prizes for total food grain production. Maharashtra got commendation prize for rice, Assam for pulses and Punjab and Haryana for rice and wheat.
Total food grain production
| Category | States |
| more than 10 million tonnes (large) | Madhya Pradesh |
| 1 to 10 million tonnes (medium ) | Odisha |
| Less than 1 million tonnes (small ) | Manipur |
Individual food grain crops
| Crops | States |
| Rice | Chhattisgarh |
| Wheat | Bihar |
| Pulses | Jharkhand |
| Coarse cereals | Andhra Pradesh |
KRISHI KARMAN AWARDS
Krishi Karman awards were instituted in 2010-11 by the Government of India, Ministry of Agriculture.
Krishi Karman awards are given to States for their effort and contribution towards raising the country’s food grain production.
Krishi Karman Awards comprises of three awards for total food grain production and four awards for production of rice, wheat, coarse cereals and pulses - the crops that constitute the food grain basket.
Each award winning State gets a trophy, a citation and cash award. The cash award is 2 crore rupees for total food grain production and 1 crore rupees for each of the four crops included in food grains.
International Olympic Committee lifts
1.More than a year after being shunted out of the Olympic movement due to tainted officials, India was today welcomed back by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) within days of conducting a fresh election in the IOA.
2.The IOC lifted the 14-month old ban on India after the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) barred charge-framed officials from its fresh election held on Sunday in which World Squash Federation chief and younger brother of BCCI boss N Srinivasan, N Ramachandran, was elected as the president. "The IOC has informed us through telephone that the ban on India has been lifted," newly-elected IOA Secretary General Rajeev Mehta told PTI.
3.The decision comes after the IOC's three observers for the elections left Indian shores "satisfied with the IOA elections promising to submit a "favourable report to the IOC President".
4.Jerome Poivey, IOC's head of institutional relations, event went on to state that the amended IOA constitution was one of the best in the world and it should be implemented fully.
5.All India Tennis Association (AITA) chief Anil Khanna was elected Treasurer in the polls which marked the exit of corruption-tainted Abhay Singh Chautala and Lalit Bhanot from the IOA. It all started 14 months ago when on December 4, 2012, the IOC suspended the IOA for adhering to the government's Sports Code and for allowing tainted persons to take part in the election process.
Jatinder Bir Singh is Punjab & Sind Bank new CMD
1.The Centre has appointed Jatinder Bir Singh, an IAS officer, as Chairman & Managing Director of Punjab & Sind Bank.
2.Prior to this, Singh was an Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Water Resources.
3.Singh is expected to assume charge of his new post on Monday, sources said.
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