Airports Authority of India (AAI) Centre Receives ICAO's Membership

New Delhi, Dec 27 (IBNS): The Indian government on Friday said the Airports Authority of India has received the Trainair Plus accreditation certificate and membership plaque from the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) at its Headquarters in Canada.

The state-run airports body received the ICAO’s Trainair Plus accreditation certificate and membership plaque from ICAO, following an inspection of its Fire Training Centre (FTC) in October, an AAI release said, adding AAI Chairman V P Agrawal received the certificate and the plaque.
                                                     

         
With this membership, FTC would have access to global sourcing of training packages which are in line with ICAO's efforts to "improve safety and efficiency of air transport through establishment, maintenance and monitoring of high standards of training and competency of aviation personnel in a cost-effective manner," it said.

The Civil Aviation Training College in Allahabad and AAI New Delhi have earlier received such an accreditation for the training facilities.

The Certificate and membership plaque were handed over to V.P. Agrawal, Chairman, AAI and G.K.Chaukiyal, Member (Operations), AAI by the General Manager (Fire Service), Md Hanif. 

Bollywood Shocked As Veteran Actor Farooq Sheikh Dies At 65

Bollywood expressed shock over the sudden demise of veteran actor Farooq Sheikh passed away on Saturday in Dubai at 65.

Veteran Bollywood actor Farooq Sheikh died on 28 December 2013 due to heart attack in Dubai. He died at the age of 65 and was born on 25 March 1948.
                                         

He was best known for roles in films like Garam Hawa (1973), Shatranj Ke Khiladi (1977), Noorie (1979), Chashme Baddoor (1981), Umrao Jaan (1981), Bazaar (1982) and Kissi Se Na Kehna (1983). He won 2010 National Film Award for best supporting actor in Lahore (a sports film).

He started his Bollywood career in 1973 with Garam Hawa and his last performance was in Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani in 2013. He was a theatre personality. He was the host of the popular show Jeena Issi Ka Naam Hai on television, in which he interviewed the celebrities of Bollywood.

34th National Archery Championship: Deepika Kumari

JAMSHEDPUR: Deepika Kumari marched into history by winning her sixth consecutive title at the 34th National Archery Championships at JRD Tata Stadium here on Wednesday. While Atanu Das of PSPB claimed the men's individual title, it was Deepika who stole the show by finishing with six gold medals.

World Cup silver medallist, Deepika shattered the previous best by Olympian L Bombalya Devi (RSPB), who had set up 333 points out of maximum 360, at the 32nd Sahara Senior National Recurve and Compound Championship here in January 2012.
                                           

Top ranked woman archer of Jharkhand, Deepika Kumari, created another national record 34th Senior National Archery Championship 2013 in JRD Tata Sports Complex, Jamshedpur. She has also broken Dola Banerjee's record at the event.

She also shattered the previous record of Olympian L Bombayla Devi's (RSPB) 345 out of 360 points record by scoring 346 points in the 60 meter distance. Bombayla Devi had created the record at 32nd Sahara Senior National Recurve and Compound Championship held here in January last year.

Deepika in women's section and Tarundeep Rai (SSCB) in the men's section topped the medal chart today. In the men's 90 meter and 70 meters, Rai hit the bull's eye to earn 323 and 339 points respectively to emerge victorious.

Jharkhand with 10 gold, two silver and five bronze topped the medal chart followed by SSCB with three gold, three silver and three bronze.

Bangalore Celebrates Christmas 2013

Bangalore: It is the time to sing carols, eat a traditional Christmas spread, drink and make merry. It is celebration time for Bangalore as the city dives into the Christmas spirit.

Houses, churches and offices are fascinatingly embellished with colorful lights to mark the festival in a grand way. Bishops and pastors led services and delivered sermons in various churches of different Christian denominations in the city.

                                               

                 
Churches all across the city are at the embellished best and so are the houses. It is not only celebration at a personal level for Bangalore, but also celebrating it with those who cannot celebrate it or cannot afford to celebrate. " Bangalore Celebrate Christmas with those who cannot celebrate it, " says a happy Jean Magesh from CV Raman Nagar who has invited friends over on Christmas

She further informs, "For four weeks we prepare ourselves for today. We keep the baby in the manjer following all the Catholic traditions." Her kids are Hannah(8) and Jessica(4) are indeed the lucky ones as secret Santa has gifted them gold earrings and an original guitar for Christmas. It is sweets at home and traditional Christmas spread after people go for the servic

The Catholic Club at Museum road in the city saw a huge number of Christians celebrating Christmas and dancing together with family and friends. "I went to the catholic club last night and stayed there till 4 am. We had a formal party with lots of dancing," says Sujith Sebastian. His family doesn't follow the traditional western spread but have gone a whole notch up with the menu laid out at the table.

"We had a really grand lunch which had all kinds of meat; turkey, chicken , beef, sea-food. Not the typical western spread happening. And for breakfast it was mutton stew with Uppam. I think, I should be living in the gym for 3 days," says Sujith. It is gift time for a happy Raymond Roy who is celebrating his Christmas with friends over Turkey and drinks.

Consumers Hour to Be observed on December 24

The state government will observe consumer hour from 5.30pm to 6.30pm on December 24 as part of the National Consumer Day observance. The government will also, for the first time, celebrate a consumer week from December 18 to 24 as part of its efforts to spread consumer rights awareness, said food and civil supplies minister Anoop Jacob.
                                                   

"Most of the citizens are even unaware of their rights as consumers observed on December 24. Senior consumers will be felicitated during the consumer hour in three ration shops in each taluk in the state. Also, there will be a lucky dip competition for the customers during the hour in the Supplyco outlets, after which the winner will be awarded a prize," the minister said.

As part of the celebrations, district-wise programmes including seminars and painting and essay competitions for schoolchildren, will be held during the week.

The minister said the consumer clubs in schools will be strengthened. "Currently, there are close to 100 clubs which are mostly concentrated in Thrissur, Ernakulam and Thiruvananthapuram districts. We hope to expand this to over 500 schools across the state," he said. The consumer clubs will organize various programmes to increase the awareness among the schoolchildren about their rights as consumers. "Many of the clubs which are currently defunct will be revived," he added. 

Famous Kannada Poet G. S. Shivarudrappa Dead

Distinguished Kannada poet, writer and researcher G.S. Shivarudrappa (87), popularly known as Prof. GSS, passed away at his residence at Banashankari here on Monday.

Shivarudrappa (87) had been ailing for some time and the end came this afternoon, his family said. He is survived by wife, two sons and a daughter.
                                   

                       
He was a recipient of the Central Sahitya Akademi award, Karnataka Sahitya Academy award, besides others including the Soviet Land Nehru award. Shivarudrappa was among the triumvarite to have been conferred the prestigious "Rashtra Kavi" (National Poet) title by the Karnataka government, apart from Kuvempu and Manjeshwar Govind Pai. G. S. Shivarudrappa Dead, who has made a lasting contribution to Kannada literature, has published 13 collections of poems and several prose and research works, besides travelogues.

Shivarudrappa was among the triumvarite to have been conferred the prestigious "Rashtra Kavi" (National Poet) title by the Karnataka government, apart from Kuvempu and Manjeshwar Govind Pai.

Shivarudrappa, who has made a lasting contribution to Kannada literature, has published 13 collections of poems and several prose and research works, besides travelogues. Describing Shivarudrappa's death as an "irreparable loss" to the state and Kannada literary world, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah announced a two-day state mourning from today as a mark of respect to him. He also announced a holiday for government offices and educational institutions tomorrow.

Takahashi, Who Tamed Chickenpox, Dies At 85

Dr. Michiaki Takahashi, whose experience caring for his 3-year-old son after the boy contracted chickenpox led him to develop a vaccine for the virus that is now used all over the world, died Monday in Osaka, Japan.He was 85.

The cause was heart failure, said his longtime secretary, Maki Fukui.                                            

 
In 1964 Dr. Takahashi, who had spent several years studying the measles and polio viruses in Japan, was on a research fellowship at Baylor Medical College in Houston when his son, Teruyuki, came down with a severe case of chickenpox after playing with a friend who had the virus.

“My son developed a rash on his face that quickly spread across his body,” Dr. Takahashi Dies recalled in a 2011 interview with The Financial Times. “His symptoms progressed quickly and severely. His temperature shot up and he began to have trouble breathing. He was in a terrible way, and all my wife and I could do was to watch him day and night. We didn’t sleep. He seemed so ill that I remember worrying about what would happen to him.”

“But gradually, the symptoms lessened and my son recovered,” he added. “I realized then that I should use my knowledge of viruses to develop a chickenpox vaccine.”

He returned to Japan in 1965 and within five years had developed an early version of the vaccine. By 1972 he was experimenting with it in clinical trials. Within a few years, Japan and some other countries had begun widespread vaccination programs. Yet the Food and Drug Administration did not approve the United States’ first chickenpox vaccine until 1995.

The delay was caused by several factors, including concerns that the immunity created by the vaccine might not last long enough, that there could be unwanted side effects and, more generally, that chickenpox might not be a serious enough disease to warrant a vaccination program.

India, Venezuela to Have Cultural Exchanges

New Delhi, Dec 20 (IANS) India and Venezuela here Friday signed a programme on cultural exchanges in the fields of publication, film and media, image and space arts, stage and music arts.

The programme will last for three years and will be renewed automatically thereafter.
                                                       

         
The cultural exchange programme was signed by Ravindra Singh, secretary, ministry of culture, India and Javier Sarabia, ministry of people's power for culture, Venezuela.

"The countries have decided to promote the exchange of bilingual publications (traditional and contemporary stories), encourage participation of Venezuelan and Indian poets and writers in the literature festivals organised by both countries," said an official statement.

There will also be exchanges between theatre groups, film makers and representatives from both countries, among other things.

Antarctica May Have A New Type of ice: Diamonds

(Reuters) - A kind of rock that often contains diamonds has been found in Antarctica for the first time, hinting at mineral riches in the vast, icy continent -- where mining is banned.

No diamonds were found, but researchers said they were confident the gems were there.
                                                                     

                                                                   
A 1991 environmental accord banned mining for at least 50 years under the Antarctic May Have Treaty that preserves the continent for scientific research and wildlife, from penguins to seals.

Writing in the journal Nature Communications, an Australian-led team reported East Antarctic deposits of kimberlite, a rare type of rock named after the South African town of Kimberley famed for a late 19th century diamond rush.

"These rocks represent the first reported occurrence of genuine kimberlite in Antarctica," they wrote of the finds around Mount Meredith in the Prince Charles Mountains.

Diamonds are formed under immense heat and pressure around 160 kilometers below ground in the molten rock of Earth’s mantle. Millions of years later, they are brought to the surface in powerful eruptions and preserved in the distinctive igneous rock formations called kimberlites.

Women's Reservation Bill All About

INTRODUCTION

The proposed legislation to reserve 33 per cent seats in parliament and state assemblies is quite a news these days. Introduction of this bill was first made in Lok Sabha on 12th September, 1996. This bill was drafted by H D Deve Gowada (former Prime minister of India) let united front government. If this bill is passed then one third of the seats would be reserved for women in nation, state and at local government level (local government reservation is already present). It has not been passed till now because of lack of political consensus.                                        

               

ARGUMENTS IN FAVOUR OF BILL

⇒ It would give gender equality in parliament.

⇒ Bill will empower women.

⇒ Increase political participation of women will help to fight women’s against abuse, discrimination, inequality now they are suffering.

⇒ Now women will themselves be able to solve women related issues.

REASONS FOR OPPOSITION TO THE BILL

⇒ Only higher class group women (i.e. women from elite families) will get benefit of this reservation.

⇒ Many men candidate of political party will not be getting chances for election so many political parties are not giving support to this women's reservation bill.

⇒ It will only increase further discrimination and under representation of the poor and backward classes in the legislative bodies.

⇒ Political parties are not ready to give such a huge reservation to women citing the reservation need for other minority groups.

⇒ Most of the political parties are favouring quota with quota policy for women reservation.

⇒ Also, if 33.3 per cent reservation for women is added to the already existing 22.5 percent for scheduled castes and tribes, more than 55 per cent of seats in Parliament would be reserved.

THE MAIN PROBLEMS ARISING

⇒ In order to remove inequality, we will be creating a new form of inequality.

⇒ Why should we vote for someone just coz for being a woman?

⇒ About temporary quota for 15 years for this bill: There is no such thing as a short-term or temporary quota: The SC/ST/OBC Quota was supposed to be there only for the first 15 years too. Then, why is it still there?

⇒ This bill is empowering women but by giving pity & not the real power.

PRESENT STATE OF THE BILL

⇒ It is passed by Rajya Sabha in 2010 itself.

⇒ It is waiting to be passed by Lok Sabha & hopefully will be tabled soon.

Gujarat’s Kutch Rann Utsav 2013-14 Dates Announced

Tourism Corporation of Gujarat Limited (TCGL) announced that the Kutch Rann Utsav will be celebrated from December 15, 2013 to February 15, 2014. The festival provides an exclusive opportunity to witness the creative initiative of the artisans and craftspeople of Gujarat. Nearly 32 cultural troupes from various districts of Gujarat participate in the Dance and Musical Carnival.
                                                       

       
Four hundred air-conditioned tents with modern facilities will accommodate the visitors at Rann of Kutch and there will be facilities for hot-air ballooning, adventure sports and fairs, said an official of Gujarat Tourism, as per a report in Telegraph India.

Started in 2005 as a three-day event, the Rann Utsav has grown into a two-month festival. Last year, it had attracted 10,000 visitors. A two-night-three-day package will cost Rs 15,000, including pick-up from Bhuj, lodging and dining. A three-night package will come for Rs 22,000.

“The highlight of the place is the full moon shining on the white sand as well the sunrise,” said Kingshuk Biswas, Marketing Manager, TCGL.

Kamlesh Patel, Chairman, TCGL, who was in the city recently to promote the destination, said it was one of the most ambitious tourism projects of the Modi government. “We have spent over Rs 1,200 crore over the past five years on upgrading our infrastructure to promote tourism. The tent city is one of our most ambitious so far,” Patel added.

Yemen Parliament Banned Use of US Drones

Yemen’s parliament approved a non-binding motion on Sunday to end drone attacks in the country, in a sign of mounting opposition to the use of unmanned aerial vehicles against militants by the U.S. in the Middle East.
                                           

The U.S. says its drone program in Yemen has been able to contain al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, or AQAP, which Washington considers the most active wing of the terrorist organization worldwide. Sunday’s proposal, which follows reports of a deadly drone strike earlier in the week on a wedding party, is seen as a recommendation to Yemen's president who holds veto power.

The non-binding motion needs to be approved by the president in order to have any political weight. At the moment, the motions passed by the Yemeni parliament are seen as no more than recommendations to the government, Reuters stressed.

Yemen’s parliament, which is dominated by the party of ousted president Ali Abdullah Saleh and the Islamist Islah party, voted on Sunday in favour of halting drone attacks.

“The parliament appears to be giving orders to authorities, when it has lost its credibility long time ago,” said political analyst Abdelbari Tahar.

The Yemen-based al-Qaida offshoot frequently attack state institutions, the military and foreign missions in the country. On Dec. 5, 12 al-Qaida militants attacked the Yemeni defense ministry, killing 56 people and injuring more than 200.

“If the government fails to stop American planes from... bombing the people of Yemen, then it has no rule over us,” tribal chief Ahmad al-Salmani told AFP.

A section of the Yemeni public and the country's politicians agree that without drone attacks, AQAP would have widened its network in Yemen. However, critics among Yemeni nationals argue that civilian casualties from drone strikes stir anti-American sentiments and sympathetic attitudes toward the militants.

Lal Thanhawla Sworn-in As Mizoram Chief Minister

AIZAWL: Lal Thanhawla, who steered Congress to a landslide victory in Mizoram, was sworn-in as Chief Minister by Governor Vakkom Purushothaman on Saturday.

He was sworn-in and administered oath of office along with his 11-member council of ministers at the Raj Bhavan here.
                                                             

                                         
Mizoram Governor Vakkom B Purushothaman will administer the oath of office and secrecy to Thanhawla and his Cabinet colleagues today at 11 am at Raj Bhavan.

Newly-elected Congress party legislators had on Wednesday met here and formally elected 71-year-old Thanhawla as the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader.

When asked if former finance minister H Liansailova, who lost in the Assembly elections, would be the party's candidate during bypolls to either of the two seats Lal Thanhawla Sworn has won, he said, "I think he will be a good choice."

After H Liansailova's defeat was known on counting day, Lal Thanhawla had said, "My happiness [over the Congress win] cannot be complete."

The Chief Minister had won from Serchhip and Hrangturzo constituencies.

The Congress had won 33 seats in the Mizoram Assembly elections, counting of which was done on December 9.

deliton.net

EU Puts An End to Suspense over GSP Plus to Pakistan

The suspense over whether Pakistan would get the Generalised System of Preferences (GSP) Plus status from the European Union has ended with the European Parliament voting 409-182 in favour of granting the status to Pakistan.

“An overwhelming majority of Members of the European Parliament supported the granting of GSP Plus (GSP+) status to Pakistan,” said the office of the EU Delegation to Pakistan in a press release.
                                         

                         
As a result, 20 percent of Pakistani exports would get zero-tariff access to the 27-member EU market, while another 70 percent of products would get access at preferential rates to the EU market for four years, beginning January 1, 2014.

The GSP Plus status is expected to greatly benefit Pakistan’s textile producers and exporters, who would now be able to better compete with countries like Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, who already have duty-free access to the European markets.

According to experts, Pakistan would now be able to export most of its textile products to the EU at zero-duty or at concessionary tariff rates. In fact, around 900 of the 2,500 tariff lines that would benefit belong to the textile sector.

At present, textiles and clothing constitute more than 50 percent of Pakistan’s total exports worth US$ 9.5 billion to the EU market.

Chaudhry Sarwar, Governor of Pakistan’s Punjab province who was in Brussles for lobbying Pakistan’s case for GSP Plus, said the European Parliament’s decision would result in increasing Pakistan’s exports by US$ 1 billion, and it would generate new job opportunities for about one million Pakistani citizens.

deliton.net

Pope Francis Named Time's ‘Person of The Year 2013’

Pope Francis, the first Jesuit pontiff, elected nine months ago, was named Time magazine's Person of the Year for 2013, leaving whistleblower Edward Snowden in second place, the magazine revealed on Wednesday.

The iconic title goes each year to the one chosen by prominent US magazine Time as the individual who had the most influence on the world and news over the year.
                                             

               
"For pulling the papacy out of the palace and into the streets, for committing the world’s largest church to confronting its deepest needs and for balancing judgment with mercy, Pope Francis is TIME's 2013 Person of the Year," as managing editor, Nancy Gibbs, explained the magazine’s choice.

“He took the name of a humble saint and then called for a church of healing.”

“The first non-European pope in 1,200 years is poised to transform a place that measures change by the century,” Time wrote about the Argentinian, who outran former NSA contractor and whistleblower Edward Snowden, who took second place.

The Vatican reacted to the news saying that the pontiff is not looking for fame.

“The Holy Father is not looking to become famous or to receive honors. But if the choice of Person of the Year helps spread the message of the gospel - a message of God's love for everyone - he will certainly be happy about that" said Vatican spokesman, Father Federico Lombardi, as cited by “Today”.

Supreme Court Asks Centre, States To Make Functional CBI Courts

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday set a fresh four-month deadline for Centre and states to make functional all the 22 CBI courts across the country for trying corruption cases involving politicians and public servants and warned that failure to comply with its order would invite contempt action against chief secretaries.

A bench of justices G S Singhvi and C Nagappan also observed that these CBI courts are necessary for “speedy and expeditious” disposal of corruption cases.
                                       

                   
"We expect the Central government and the state governments to make all Central Bureau of Investigation courts functional. If not complied within four months, chief secretaries will be liable for proceedings under the Contempt of Court Act," said the Bench while pointing out that the people's confidence in administration of justice is restored by expeditious disposal of corruption cases.

The court had earlier expressed its displeasure over the Centre's failure to set up adequate special functional CBI courts despite its repeated orders.

The court had on January 30 directed the Centre to set up 22 special CBI courts within two months across the country while making it clear that it was not satisfied with the reasons and explanations given by the authorities concerned.

"We have been passing orders since 2011... But every time you come out with reasons and explanations. If you wish, you can do it within an hour," the bench had observed.

The court had earlier taken cognisance of a letter written by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to chief ministers in July 2009 for creation of additional special courts.

The government had in 2009 decided to set up 71 additional special courts exclusively for trial of CBI cases in various states.

deliton.net

Armed Forces Flag Day Observed Throughout The Country

7 December: Armed Forces Flag Day

Armed Forces Flag Day was observed across India on 7 December 2013. The day is observed to remember the sacrifices made by gallant servicemen of India in defending the integrity of our borders and to salute the martyrs, honour the brave and express solidarity and support towards welfare of widows, children, disabled and sick ex-servicemen.
                                                       

                                               
The day is observed on 7 December every year in India, since 1949.
                                                     
The officials of Kendriya Sainik pinned Armed Forces Flag Day (AFFD) Lapels on Dignitaries and collected donations from the public which goes into the AFFD corpus. The fund collected with the donation is utilized to give grants to various ESM welfare institutions and relief to ex-servicemen and their dependents besides host of other welfare measures.

Significance and Purpose of the Flag Day

The Flag Day is observed to serve three basic purposes

• Rehabilitation of battle casualties

• Welfare of serving personnel and their families

• Resettlement and welfare of ex-servicemen and their families

On Armed Forces Flag Day funds are collected from the Indians by distribution of flags. This process gives Indians a chance to express gratitude and appreciation to the military personnel of India.

deliton.net

Parliament Passes Bill to Prohibit Employment of Manual Scavengers

A bill seeking to prohibit employment of individuals as manual scavengers by prescribing stringent punishment, including imprisonment up to five years, to those employing such labour was passed by Parliament on Saturday.

The bill has provisions for providing for rehabilitation of manual scavengers and their family members as well.
                                               

It has a wider scope for higher penalties than the 1993 Act. Offences under the Bill shall be cognisable and non-bailable and may be tried summarily. The penalty could be up to five years imprisonment.

The bill, which had got a strong push from Congress President Sonia Gandhi and seeks to wipe out this "social stigma" by arranging for alternative jobs and providing other provisions to those in such work and their families got the unanimous approval of Rajya Sabha today.

Lok Sabha had passed the bill on Friday.

Moving the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Bill, 2013 in the Rajya Sabha, Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment Kumari Selja said the new bill had to be brought in as the earlier Act did not prove very effective.

Under the new law, each occupier of insanitary latrines shall be responsible for converting or demolishing the latrine at his own cost. If he fails to do so, the local authority shall convert the latrine and recover the cost from him.

Nepali Congress Emerges Largest Party in Parliament

The Nepali Congress Party won the largest share of seats in the Constituent Assembly, according to official election results announced on Tuesday.

The party, which already won 105 seats through direct election, took an additional 91 seats though the proportional representation system, for a total of 196. The 601-member Assembly will also function as a parliament.
                                     

                     
The Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxists Leninists won a combined total of 175 seats.

The Unified Maoist party, which was the largest in the previous parliament, won 80 seats, the election commission said. The party is demanding an investigation into alleged voting irregularities.

“The agenda will still be the same, only the drivers of an old bus have changed,” said political commentator Bijay Kumar Pandey.

“Federalism is still the agenda of all the three major parities and it will still be a secular Nepal.” In the previous Constituent Assembly, the Maoists had a total of 229 seats, while the Nepali Congress had 115 and the UML had 108 seats.

That 2008 Assembly failed to produce a draft constitution after several deadline extensions and was disbanded in 2012.

EGoM Approves M&A Norms For Telecom Sector

The Empowered Group of Ministers (EGoM) on Telecom, on Tuesday, approved the ‘mergers and acquisitions’ (M&A) guidelines, besides clearing the sale of over 400 MHz of 2G spectrum (1800 MHz band), a move that would help further growth and consolidation of the cellular phone market in the country.

At its meeting, the EGoM, headed by Union Finance Minister P. Chidambaram, also approved payment of market rates for spectrum above 4.4 MHz allotted to the acquired entity.
                                         

   
"EGoM has approved M&A guidelines, which will now go for the approval of the Cabinet," the source said, adding that legal opinion will be taken if M&A amounts to sale of equity.

The M&A guidelines are expected to pave the way for consolidation in the telecom sector where there are 12 mobile service providers, including Bharti Airtel, Vodafone, BSNL, Tata Teleservices and Aircel.

"The M&A rules have been approved," Communications Minister Kapil Sibal told reporters after a meeting of the empowered group of ministers, headed by finance minister P Chidambaram. The Cabinet is expected to meet shortly to ratify the changed rules.

The government in the Budget has provisioned about Rs 41,000 crore from spectrum revenue, which included upfront money from auction and various fees levied on airwaves used for commercial mobile communications.

E-BRC Project Won 2013 EASIA Award

Directorate General of Foreign Trade’s e-BRC project has won the 2013 eASIA Award under Trade Facilitation category. The award was announced by Asia Pacific Council for Trade Facilitation and Electronic Business (AFACT) in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam on 29 November 2013.

About e-BRC Project

electronic Bank Realization Certificate (e-BRC) project was launched on 5 June 2012, to electronically transmit foreign exchange realization details on exports from the respective banks to Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT).
                                     

The project has created an integrated platform for receipt, processing and subsequent use of all Bank Realization related information by exporters, banks, central and state government departments. It was made mandatory with effect from 17 August 2012.

The Bank Realization Certificate is required for discharge of export obligation and to claim incentives under Foreign Trade Policy. Earlier, this certificate was issued by banks manually. BRC is also used by state government departments for refund of VAT.

About the Award

The award is administered by Asia Pacific Council for Trade Facilitation and Electronic Business (AFACT). Its principal focus is to facilitate international transactions, through the simplification and harmonization of procedures and information flows, and so contribute to the growth of global commerce.

AFACT aims to support in the Asia Pacific region and its adjacent countries and economies policies and activities, especially those promoted by United Nations Center for Trade Facilitation and Electronic Business (UN/CEFACT), dedicates to stimulate, improve and promote the ability of business, trade and administrative organizations, to exchange products and relevant services effectively through the simplification and harmonization of processes, procedures and information flows in a non-political environment.

Pan Asian eCommerce Alliance (PAA) is the Association member of the AFACT and the member countries are: 

• Afghanistan

• Australia

• China

• Chinese Taipei

• Cambodia
 
• India

• Indonesia

• R. Iran

• Japan

• Malaysia
 
• Mongolia

• Pakistan

• Philippines

• Korea

• Singapore
 
• Sri Lanka

• Saudi Arabia

• Thailand

• Vietnam

'Fast & Furious' Star Paul Walker Killed in Car Crash

Santa Clarita, California (CNN) -- Actor Paul Walker, who shot to fame as star of the high-octane street racing franchise "Fast & Furious," died in a fiery car crash in Southern California on Saturday. He was 40.

Walker was in the passenger seat of a 2005 Porsche Carrera GT, driven by a racing team partner, that slammed into a light pole and burst into flames in an office park in the community of Valencia in Santa Clarita, about 30 miles north of Hollywood.
                                               

     
The actor was travelling as a passenger in a new Porsche when his friend who was driving - who has been described as an "experienced driver"  lost control of the vehicle and collided with a street light, and then a tree.

A statement on the actor's Facebook page said he was a passenger in a friend's car, and that Paul Walker  Killed was in the area to attend a charity event for his organization Reach Out Worldwide.

Deputy Mark Pope said the accident was under investigation and he did not know how fast the car was going.

The Los Angeles Times identified the driver as Roger Rodas, 38, a friend of Walker's who owned Always Evolving, an auto dealership and racing services company.

Walker also is the star of "Hours," an independent film scheduled to be released December 13 about a father struggling to keep his newborn infant alive in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans.

"Completely numb and saddened to hear of the tragic death of Paul Walker," wrote one.

Hollywood condolences came from Will Smith, Jack Osbourne, DMX and others.

'Mangalyaan Completes Last orbit Raising Manoeuvre'

The Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM) or Mangalyaan completed a fifth and last repositioning to take it almost two lakh km from Earth successfully on Saturday morning, Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) said.                                            

         
Now, the spacecraft will brace itself for the next critical event on December 1 when it has to move out of the Earth's sphere of influence and move towards Mars.
                                                     
India’s newly launched Mars orbiter, Mangalyaan, on Nov. 11 underperformed during the fourth of a planned six orbit-raising maneuvers necessary to boost the spacecraft out of Earth’s orbit and on its way to the red planet by Dec. 1, according to a statement from the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).

Isro officials said the fifth-orbit raising manoeuvre started at 1:27 am, with a burn time of 243 seconds and an incremental velocity of 101.55 m/s. In the process, the 440N liquid engine raised the apogee from 118,642 km to 192,000 km.

The supplementary manoeuvre, which was completed by 5.10 am, added a velocity of 124.9 m/s to the spacecraft, it said.

During the orbit-raising operations conducted since November 7, Isro has been testing and exercising autonomy functions that are essential for Trans-Mars Injection (TMI) and Mars Orbit Insertion.

ISRO's PSLV C 25 successfully injected the 1,350-kg Mangalyaan Orbiter (Mars craft) into orbit around Earth some 44 minutes after a textbook launch at 2:38 PM from Satish Dhawan Space Centre at Sriharikota on Tuesday last, marking the successful completion of the first stage of the Rs 450-crore mission.

Dubai Chosen to Host 2020 World Expo

Dubai has been chosen to host the World Expo trade convention in 2020 - beating off rival bids from Brazil, Turkey and Russia.

Fireworks exploded from the Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest building, following the announcement in Paris.

Dubai will be the first Middle Eastern city to hold the Expo, which takes place every five years.
                                       

                                     
The expo sees hundreds of countries show off the latest in architecture and technology.

Cultures and creativity

The ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid al-Maktoum, has promised to astonish the world with the event.

The Gulf city beat Russia's Yekaterinburg in the final round of voting in Paris. The other contenders were Sao Paulo in Brazil and Izmir in Turkey.

"We renew our promise to astonish the world in 2020," said Sheikh al-Maktoum after the win.

"Dubai Expo 2020 will breathe new life into the ancient role of the Middle East as a melting pot for cultures and creativity."

Dubai authorities say the Expo 2020 will bring in around $23bn (£14bn, 17bn euros). They say financing for the six-month event will cost a total of $8.4bn (£5.2bn, 6.2bn euros), with the government spending around $6.5bn (£4bn, 4.8bn euros) on infrastructure projects.

A huge exhibition centre will be built to host the event, plus new hotels and an extension to Dubai's metro line.

The 2015 Expo takes place in Milan.

Nepali Congress Emerged As Single Largest Party in Nepal Constituent Assembly Elections

Nepali Congress (NC) emerged as single largest Party in the second Constituent Assembly elections which are held on 19 November 2013

The Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist) stood a close second position and the UCPN (Maoist) party is in a distant third position.
                                               

         
Elections to the Constituent Assembly were held under two categories — first-past-the-post and proportional representation. A total of 240 seats were allocated in the first category and 365 seats in the proportional representation category. The remaining 26 seats in the 601-member will be nominated by the Cabinet laterclick here for more information about Nepal Constituent Assembly Elections .

A total of 301 seats are needed for majority and to form a government.

Nepali Congress Party wins 105 of the 240 directly elected seats followed by Communist Party of Nepal (United Marxist-Leninist) with 91 and the United Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) with 26.

The NC has also emerged a clear front-runner in both the electoral formats. It won 105 seats under the direct election of candidates and has so far bagged 26 per cent under the PR system. The CPN (UML) is a close second with 91 seats and 25 per cent, respectively. The largest party in the last assembly- the UCPN (Maoist) is in a distant third position. 

RBI Widens Infrastructure Sector Lending Sub-Category

Mumbai: Reserve Bank today widened the definition of infrastructure lending including hotels with project costing more than Rs. 200 crore as well as convention centres with project worth Rs. 300 crore.
                               
"The government has further updated the harmonised master list...the new sub-sectors have been added in the list. Hotels with project cost of more than Rs. 200 crore each in any place in India and of any star rating. Convention centres with project cost of more than Rs. 300 crore each," RBI said in a notification.
                                       

         
RBI said that the new sub-sectors will get classified as 'infrastructure' for the purpose of lending by banks and select All India Term-Lending and Refinancing Institutions from the date of this circular.

Various sub-sectors under the categories such as Transport, Energy, Water & Sanitation, Communication, Social and Commercial RBI Widens Infrastructure come under infrastructure lending.

Hotel and convention centre come under 'Social and Commercial Infrastructure' category for this kind of lending.

The Finance Ministry has favoured relaxation of lending rules for infrastructure projects in order to expedite them.

Also, it has written to the RBI suggesting changes in the rules for infrastructure financing, including the treatment of non-performing loans to the sector.

In January, the government set up the Cabinet Committee on Investment (CCI) to accord fast track clearances to large projects. Till September, the CCI had cleared 209 projects worth Rs. 3.84 lakh crore.

Further the Prime Minister's Project Monitoring Group (PMG), set up to track stalled large investment projects, has cleared 128 projects worth over Rs. 4.30 lakh crore so far.

Iran And P5+1 Group of Nations Clinched Nuclear Deal

Iran and P5+1 group of Nations reached a breakthrough deal on 24 November 2013 to curb Iran's nuclear programme in exchange for limited sanctions relief.
                                                     
An agreement to this effect was signed at UN Headquarters in Geneva on 24 November 2013 between the Chief negotiator for the six nations, Catherine Marie Ashton and Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Jawad Zarief.                                              

The interim deal for six months is intended to give time and space to the international community to work towards a comprehensive agreement. After four days of negotiations, representatives of P5+1 group of nations - the US, the UK, Russia, China, France and Germany - reached an agreement with Iran.

Salient feature of the Deal

• Iran will stop enriching uranium beyond 5 percent, the level at which it can be used for weapons research, and reduce its stockpile of uranium enriched beyond this point.

• Iran will give greater access to inspectors including daily access at Natanz and Fordo nuclear sites.

• In return, there will be no new nuclear-related sanctions for six months.

• Iran will also receive sanctions relief worth about 7bn Dollars (£4.3bn) on sectors including precious metals.

Prof CNR Rao Elected to Chinese Academy of Sciences

Eminent Scientist and Bharat Ratna Awardee Prof CNR Rao was on 4 November 2013 elected as honorary foreign member of Chinese Academy of Science (CAS).

He is first Indian to be elected to this prestigious Chinese Academy of Science (CAS) which comprises of many Nobel laureates and eminent scientist across the world.
                                                 

 
CNR Rao has been elected to almost all scientific academies of the world including The Royal Society-London, National Academy of Science-USA, Pontifical Academy of Science, Japan Academy and Royal Spanish Academy of Sciences, among others.

About Prof CNR Rao

Prof. Chintamani Nagesa Ramachandra Rao (CNR Rao) was born on 30 June 1934, Bangalore, India. He is an eminent scientist and a well recognized international authority on solid state and materials chemistry.

He has published over 1400 research papers and 45 books. Prof. CNR Rao's contributions have been recognized by most major scientific academies around the world through conferment of memberships and fellowships. He has been honoured with several national and international awards, including Padma Vibhushan.

Prof. CNR Rao was founder and Honorary President of Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, Bangalore, India. Prof, CNR Rao is presently serving as the head of the Scientific Advisory Council to the Prime Minister of India.

The Scientific Advisory Council to the Prime Minister is the uppermost body that deliberates on various policy issues, pertaining to Science & Technology and also on the role it can play in the upliftment of the Indian economy.

Cadila Pharmaceuticals Launches Lung Cancer Drug

AHMEDABAD: Cadila Pharmaceuticals Ltd, an Ahmedabad-based drug maker has launched a lung cancer treatment drug - Mycidac-C.

The company claims that the drug Mycidac-C is for the first time in the world an affordable, unique and innovative drug for the treatment of lung cancer. As per the company's statement, Mycidac-C is an innovative research product for the patients suffering from Non Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC). The drug has been approved for launch in India by the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI). It targets Desmocolin-3, a novel target.
                                               

   
Dr Rajiv I Modi, Chairman and Managing Director of Cadila Pharmaceuticals said, "We expect it to be available in the Indian market by December 2013. Thereafter, we will introduce it in other regions like SAARC countries and European markets over the next five years."

This is a first in the class active immunotherapy as well as drug targeting Desmocollin-3. It is a breakthrough in the management of squamous cell NSCLC. There has been no significant innovation in management of squamous NSCLC since the introduction of platinum containing doublet in 1983. Besides affordability and other advantages, Mycidac-C has no systemic side effects during the treatment. Mycidac-C is to be used with platinum containing doublet therapy.

As per the World Health Organisation (WHO) report, approximately 1.25 million people are diagnosed with lung cancer every year worldwide. Around 30% of them suffer from squamous NSCLC. Lung Cancer kills more people than the three next commonest cancers combined.

ISRO Performed Last Orbit Raising Manoeuvre on its Mars Mission

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on 16 November 2013 performed the last of the five orbit-raising manoeuvre on its Mars Orbiter, raising the apogee (farthest point from Earth) of the spacecraft to over 1.92 lakh km.
                                                         

In the series of five orbit raising manoeuvre with a supplementary operation after the fourth one, the space agency had raised the apogee of the spacecraft to over 1.92 lakh km.

After the successful completion of these operations, the Mars Orbiter mission is expected to take on the crucial event of the trans-Mars injection around 12.42am on 1st December 2013. It will reach the orbit of the red planet by 24th September, 2014 after taking on a voyage of over 10 months.

ISRO's PSLV C 25 on 5 November 2013 successfully injected the 1350-kg 'Mangalyaan' Orbiter (Mars craft) into the orbit around the earth, from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre at Sriharikota, Andhra Pra 

Mangalore University Presented With Indira Gandhi NSS Best University Award 2012-13

President of India Pranab Mukherjee on 19 November 2013 presented Indira Gandhi National Service Scheme Best University Award 2012-13 to Mangalore University of Karnataka.
                                                 

Mangalore University Indira Gandhi NSS is fourth in the row of universities winning Indira Gandhi NSS Award in Karnataka. Prior to this university, RGUHS, Bangalore University, and UAS Dharwad had received this award.

The award comprises a memento and a citation along with a cash prize of 2 lakh Rupees.

President of India also gave NSS Best Plus 2 Council Award for 2012-13 to Directorate of Higher Secondary Education, Thiruvananthpuram while Upcoming University Award was presented to Kumaun University, Nainital. The awards are given to educational institutions, faculty and students for their contribution in various beneficial and voluntary activities.

The awards were presented on the occasion of National Integration Day (19 November 2013) at a function in Rashtrapati Bhawan, New Delhi. National Integration Day is the Birth anniversary of the first woman Prime Minister of the India, Indira Gandhi.

National Integration Day Observed on 18 November

18 November: National Integration Day (Birth anniversary of Indira Gandhi) 

National Integration Day is observed on 19 November 2013 all over India. It is celebrated as the birth anniversary of the first woman Prime Minister of the India, Indira Gandhi.

The National Integration day is celebrated to enhance the love and unity among people all across the India.                                                                

                                     
National Integration Day is celebrated every year in India by conducting variety of programmes and activities like Inter State Youth Exchange Programme (ISYEP), National Integration Camp (NIC), National Youth Festival, National Youth Award and etc.
                               
Symposia, seminars, cultural activities are organized to deal with issues related to the national integration. Research activities and publications are held in the camp. Variety of community services are done by youths of different social backgrounds, regions, faiths and religions.

About Indira Gandhi

Indira Gandhi, the first woman Prime Minister of India, was born at 19th of November in the year 1917 in Allahabad. She was the daughter of the first Indian Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru. She got her higher education from the Vishwa Bharati University and Oxford.

She got married to the Feroze Gandhi in 1942 and got an opportunity to become Congress Working Committee member in the 1955.

Indira Gandhi was a great political leader and thus selected as President in the year 1959. She also became a Cabinet member of the Lal Bahadur Shastri as the Minister for Information. After the sudden death of the Lal Bahadur Shastri Ji in 1966 at Taskant, Russia, she was selected as the Prime Minister of India.

She played a major role in strengthening the Indian democratic structure and tradition. She handled the war of 1971 against Pakistan and won it. Signing of the Shimla Pact with Pakistani Premier Z.A. Bhutto, Indo-Soviet Treaty of Peace, Friendship and Cooperation was done under her leadership.

Under her leadership the first nuclear tests at Pokhran took place. First Asian Games in the New Delhi, first Astronaut Squadron Leader, Rakesh Sharma had went to the Space and the growth of the Indian Space Research and Peaceful Nuclear development gone under her proficient guidance.

She was very much interested in the music, literature and fine arts. She was awarded with the great Indian award, Bharat Ratna in 1971.

She has proved to be a fascinating leader of the modern India who has left an impression on the world affairs and the Non-alignment Movement. She was died on 31st of October in 1984 by the bullets of assassin at her residence.

Waheeda Rehman to Receive First Centenary Film Award At IFFI

Waheeda Rehman, the veteran actress of Bollywood will be conferred with the inaugural Centenary Award for the Indian Film Personality of the Year 2013 at the 44th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in Goa on 20 November 2013. The award will be given to her in recognition of her contributions to the film industry. She has been selected unanimously by the team of five member jury.

                                                           

                                                   
The award has been instituted by the Government of India to mark the 100 years of Indian Cinema. It includes a prize amount of 10 lakh rupees and a citation Waheeda Rehman to receive first Centenary.

About Waheeda Rehman

• Born in 1936, Waheeda Rehman is known for her performance in films Kaagaz Ke Phool, Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam, Chaudhvin Ka Chand (1961), Guide and more.

• She is the winner of several awards, which includes the Padma Shri in 1972 and Padma Bhushan in 2011.

• She started her career in film industry with a Telgu film named Jayasimha in 1955 and her debut in the Hindi films started in 1956 with CID

The 100 years of Indian cinema was celebrated on 3 May 2013 on the day of release of the first film of India by Dadasaheb Phalke in 1913, namely Raja Harishchandra. 

Fifth Session of India-Ukraine Inter-Governmental Commission Held in New Delhi

The fifth session of India-Ukraine Inter-Governmental Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific, Technological, Industrial and Cultural Cooperation held in New Delhi on 13 November 2013. The Commission was chaired by E. Ahamed, the Minister of State for External Affairs.
                                                               

The Ukrainian delegation was led by Ihor Mykolayovych Prasolov, the Minister of Economic Development and Trade of Ukraine.Fifth Session of India-Ukraine Inter-Governmental He was accompanied by a 15 member official and 12 member business delegations from Ukraine.
                                                     
During the session current status and future prospects of cooperation in trade and investment, heavy/light industry, fertilizers, pharmaceuticals and healthcare, mining and metallurgy, science and technology, energy (coal, nuclear), transportation, agriculture and food processing, education, culture and tourism were reviewed.

The Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers, Government of India, and the State Administration of Ukraine on Medicinal Products signed the Memorandum of Understanding for Cooperation in Joint Ventures and Research and Development in Pharmaceuticals and Bio-pharmaceuticals.

The Ukrainian Business Delegation held an interactive session with Indian business community organized by the Federation of Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FICCI). The Ukrainian side agreed to address the concerns of Indian pharmaceutical companies operating in Ukraine. Both sides also agreed to work on an agreement on simplification of visa procedures to ease movement of business people and tourists. The bulk of India’s exports of pharmaceuticals to Ukraine amount to about 375 million US dollars per annum.

India and Ukraine also agreed to increase trade beyond the existing level of 3.2 billion US dollars.

The fourth session was held in Kyiv in June 2012 and the sixth session of the Commission will take place in 2014 at Kyiv.

Yogesh Agarwal,The Chairman of PFRDA Resigned; Anup Wadhawan Took Over

The Chairman of Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA), Yogesh Agarwal resigned from the post of Chairman on 13 November 2013. He resigned because of the Government’s decision to not allow him to be a part of the selection panel for members of the regulator.

In the meanwhile, Joint Secretary Anup Wadhawan was appointed as the new Yogesh Agarwal Chairman of PFRDA by the Finance Ministry. It is important to note that Yogesh Agarwal had one and half years more as his tenure of the Chairman.                                                              

                                 

Inclusion of Chairman in the Selection Panel as Per the PFRDA Act 2013 

The selection panel members include Economic Affairs Secretary Arvind Mayaram, Financial Services Secretary Rajiv Takru, Department of Personnel and Training Secretary Syamal Kumar Sarkar, Chairman of the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority (IRDA), TS Vijayan, former LIC Chairman S B Mathur. According to the PFRDA Act 2013, the body should include the Chairperson and not more than six members (out of which three should be the full-time members), to be appointed by the Union Government of India.

Term of the Chairman of PFRDA

The Chairman as well as every full-time member of PFRDA holds the office for the term of five years. Also, the Chairman and members are eligible for reappointment. The age limit for a Chairman of PFRDA is 65 years and that of the full-time members is 62 years. Part-time members, in the meanwhile, can hold the office for the term not exceeding five years from the date of joining the office. 

Usha Ananthasubramanian Appointed As CMD of Bharatiya Mahila Bank

The Union Government on 12 November 2013 appointed Usha Ananthasubramanian as the chairperson and managing director of public sector Bharatiya Mahila Bank (BMB), the first women’s bank.

                                                 

           
Before joining BMB, she was an Executive Director with Punjab National Bank (PNB).

Usha Ananthasubramanian Appointed started her career in the actuarial department with LIC and banking career in February 1982 with Bank of Baroda. She holds a master’s degree in statistics from the University of Madras and a master’s degree in ancient Indian culture from University of Mumbai.

During her tenure at Punjab National Bank, she was part of the panel formed for examination of the blueprint and other issues for setting up of the women’s bank. The panel’s report paved the way for India’s first public sector women’s bank.

UN Court Ruled For Cambodia in Thailand Border Row

The UN’s International Court of Justice ruled on 11 November 2013 that the area around a flashpoint ancient temple on the Thai border belongs to Cambodia.

The International Court of Justice interpreted a 1962 ruling saying that “Cambodia had sovereignty over the whole territory of the promontory of

Preah Vihear temple”.                         

                       

In 2012, the ICJ ruled that both countries should withdraw forces from around the ancient Khmer temple, which is perched on a clifftop in Cambodia but is more easily accessed from the Thai side. Thailand does not dispute Cambodia’s ownership of the temple, a UNESCO World Heritage site, but both sides laid claim to an adjacent 4.6-square-km piece of land Cambodia in Thailand Border Row.

At least 28 people have been killed in outbreaks of violence since 2011 over the ownership of the patch of land next to the 900-year-old Preah Vihear temple.

About Preah Vihear Temple

The Preah Vihear Temple is a Khmer Hindu temple situated atop a 525-meter cliff in the Dângrêk Mountains of Cambodia. The temple complex runs 800m along a north-south axis. It was built mainly during the 11th and 12th centuries during the reigns of the kings Suryavarman I (and Suryavarman II).

Ownership of the temple by Cambodia has been under dispute from neighbouring Thailand. In 1962 the International Court of Justice in The Hague ruled that it belonged to Cambodia.

The Preah Vihear temple was made a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2008 

Novak Djokovic Won Barclays ATP World Tour Final After Defeating Rafael Nadal

Novak Djokovic on 11 November 2013 retained the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals title after defeating the number one, Rafael Nadal. The world number two Djokovic, won 6-3, 6-4 at the O2 Arena in London. The ATP world tour took place from 4 to 11 November 2013.

He earned 1923000 US dollar as prize money and 1500 Emirates ATP Rankings points, while Nadal earned 1013000 US dollar and 1000 points as he dropped to a 10-4 record in finals in 2013.
                                                       

Earlier, Djokovic won the same title in the year 2008 and 2012. World Tour Final After Defeating Rafael Nadal This is the fifth time, when number 1 versus number 2 in the final in 44 years. They were:

2013:  Number 2 Djokovic defeated Number 1 Nadal

2012:  Number 1 Djokovic defeated Number 2 Federer

2010:  Number 2 Federer defeated Number 1 Nadal

1986:  Number 1 Lendl defeated Number 2 Becker

1983:  Number 2 McEnroe defeated Number 1 Lendl

Djokovic extended his unbeaten run to 22 matches as he claimed the season-ending title for the third time. With this win, he became the seventh player to win the year-end championship at least three times namely Roger Federer (six titles), Ivan Lendl and Pete Sampras (five each), Ilie Nastase (four), and Boris Becker and John McEnroe (three each).

Heena Sidhu Became Third Indian Shooter to Win Gold at Rifle/Pistol World Cup Finals

Heena Sidhu became a part of the history by becoming the third Indian pistol shooter to win Gold at the World Cup Final on 10 November 2013 in Munich. In the Women's 10-metre Air Pistol event at the ISSF World Cup final, the 24-year-old shooter defeated World Champion Zorana Arunovic of Serbia to bag her first Gold.

Prior to her, Anjali Bhagwat (2003) and Gagan Narang (2008) have won Gold at the rifle/pistol event in World Cup finals.

Final Results                           

                   
The overall results in the Women’s event were as follows:

• 10m air pistol: 1. Heena Sidhu 203.8 (384); 2. Zorana Arunovic (Srb) 198.6 (382); 3. Viktoria Chaika (Blr) 176.8 (381).

• 50m rifle 3-position: 1. Petra Zublasing (Ita) 462.7 (585); 2. Andrea Arsovic (Srb) 457.9 (587); 3. Wu Liuxi (Chn) 446.4 (585); 4. Lajja Gauswami 435.5 (581).

About Heena Sidhu

• Heena Sidhu was born in Ludhiana, Punjab.

• She is an Indian shooter heena sidhu became third indian shooter.

• Heena Sidhu along with Annu Raj Singh won the gold medal in women's Pairs 10 metre air pistol at the 2010 Commonwealth Games as well.

• She also won a silver medal in the singles event in the Commonwealth Games.

• In the 2009 Beijing ISSF World Cup tournament, in 10 metre air pistol event, Heena Sidhu won the Silver medal.

• In 2010 Guangzhou Women's 10m Air Pistol Team event, she won Silver medal in the Asian Games.