Justice RM Lodha sworn in as chief justice of India
i. Justice RM Lodha was sworn in as the chief justice of India on Sunday. He was administered the oath of office by President Pranab Mukherjee.
ii. He is the 41st chief justice of India.
iii. Chief Justice Lodha succeeds Chief Justice P Sathasivam who demitted office on completion of his term Saturday. Lodha will preside over the Supreme Court for five months as his term will come to an end sep 27.
DoT to issue demand notice to quashed telecom licences in May
i. The Department of Telecom (DoT) is in the final stages of issuing demand notice to telecom companies, whose licences were quashed by the Supreme Court in February, 2012 but were allowed to operate till completion of spectrum auction, for an estimated Rs. 2,764.29 crore.
ii. The Supreme Court in February, 2012 had quashed 122 2G licences. The apex court later in 2013 had asked the government to charge fees from companies that continued operation even after cancellation of their licences on February 2, 2012.
World’s oldest man dies at 111 in Italy
i. The world’s oldest man has died in Italy at the age of 111, just days before celebrating his 112th birthday, Guinness World Records said.
ii.Arturo Licata was awarded the Guinness World Records title of oldest living man on February 28, 2014 at the age of 111 years and 302 days.
iii. It’s sad to hear of the passing of Signor Licata - a man born before the Wright brothers’ first powered flight, and one of only four men older than 111,” said Craig Glenday, Guinness World Records Editor-in-Chief.
Delhi, Mumbai have best value 5-star hotels globally
Delhi ranked No. 1 for best deals in five-star hotels in 2013 with average prices of Rs 9,652 per night, followed by Mumbai in the second place with Rs 9,809, according to a report by Hotels.com.
Insurance regulator IRDA seeks expert to streamline processes
i.The consultant would need to work with IT and other regulatory departments to establish periodic technology needs and oversee IT strategy and governance.
ii.The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority (IRDA) has been taking a number of technology initiatives to focus on streamlining the regulatory process and decrease the cost of regulatory compliance, it said in an advertisement on its website.
India successfully test-fires new interceptor missile
i.India on Sunday successfully test-fired a new interceptor missile capable of neutralising any incoming long-range missile at higher altitude. The interceptor, positioned at launch pad IV of Integrated Test Range at Wheeler Island, about 100 km from Balasore, roared into the sky at about 9.10 am to hit its target.
ii.The target, mimicking an incoming enemy missile, was first test fired from a naval ship at 9.06 am and after getting signals from the radars, the interceptor went into action.
Planning Commission may not lower 12th Plan growth target
i.The Planning Commission's internal meeting on Wednesday, to be headed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, may not suggest any cut in 8 per cent annual average growth target for the 12th Plan though the economy performed below average in the first two years of this period.
ii.The Planning Commission may refrain from suggesting any cut in the annual average growth target of 8 per cent in the 12th Plan during the internal meeting scheduled on Wednesday," a source said, adding that it would deliberate on the draft mid-term appraisal document for the 12th Plan.
Nearly one lakh new companies registered in India during 2013-14
i.Nearly one lakh new companies were registered in the country last fiscal, with a substantial chunk set up in the business services sector.
ii.Interestingly, just 216 foreign companies were set up during 2013-14 period.
iii.Latest data from the Corporate Affairs Ministry show that 98,473 companies together having an authorised capital of nearly Rs 39,000 crore were registered in different parts of the country in the last financial year
Jaipur Literature Festival set to travel to London this May
The vibrant energies of the annual Jaipur Literature Festival, which attracts over 250,000 visitors annually in India, are set to travel to London this May for a day-long edition of the literary extravaganza.
Partnering with South Bank Centre for their annual festival of South Asian culture 'Alchemy', Jaipur Lit Fest will bring a creative group of writers and thinkers, poets and balladeers to UK on May 18. Alchemy, which will run from May 15-26, celebrates art and culture of countries of the Indian subcontinent and their relationship with the United Kingdom.
South Korean PM Chung Hong-Won resigns over ferry disaster
i.South Korean Prime Minister Chung Hong-won announced his resignation on Sunday over the government response to the ferry disaster, in which it was first announced that everyone had been rescued, focusing attention on poor regulatory controls.
ii.The Sewol ferry sank on a routine trip south from the port of Incheon to the traditional holiday island of Jeju on April 16.
iii.More than 300 people, most of them students and teachers on a field trip from the Danwon High School on the outskirts of Seoul, have died or are missing and presumed dead.
Amazon steps up US lobbying for Indian FDI; Walmart on halt
After supermarket giant Walmart, it is online retail major Amazon which appears to be lobbying hard with U.S. lawmakers to seek their support for facilitating its “foreign direct investment in India”.
According to the latest lobbying disclosure reports filed with the U.S. Senate, Amazon lobbied for the second straight quarter during January-March period of 2014 on issues related to FDI rules in India.
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