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CURRENT AFFAIRS MAY 2014 COMPLETE
NOTES
INTERNATIONAL
President Jacob Zuma of South Africa Re-elected For Second Term

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South Africa President, Jacob Zuma of African National Congress (ANC) was
re-elected for second term. African National Congress (ANC) won the
elections held on 7 May for the National Assembly. Results for the same
were announced on 9 May. African National Congress (ANC) won 63% of the
votes while the Democratic Alliance (DA) fell behind with 22% of the
votes.This victory is ANCs 5th consecutive win in national elections.

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Swiss Voters Rejected Worlds Highest Minimum Wage

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Swiss voters rejected the Minimum Wage Initiative on 18 May.The initiative

was rejected by 77 percent of the Swiss voters.The Minimum Wage Initiative,
if passed, would have introduced highest minimum wage in the world at 25
US dollars for an hour (or 22 francs an hour).Twenty-five dollars an hour
seems like a lot, but Switzerland is one of the most expensive countries in
the world.

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Petro Poroshenko Elected As Ukraine President

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Petro Poroshenko was elected as the new President of Ukraine in

Presidential Elections held on 25 May 2014. Poroshenko won a convincing
victory after winning around 54.7% of the votes from 21 candidates on the
ballot. His closest competitor was Yulia Tymoshenko, who emerged with
12.81% of the votes.

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Russia, Kazakhstan, Belarus Signed Treaty Creating Economic Union

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Presidents of Russia, Kazakhstan and Belarus Vladimir Putin, Nursultan

Nazarbayev and Alexander Lukashenko have on 29 May signed a treaty on
setting up the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU).

INDIA & WORLD

India Ranked 83rd In Networked Readiness Index
A World Economic Forum (WEF) on 5 May released its 13th edition of Global
Information Technology Report. In the reports networked readiness index
Scandinavian countries dominated the top 10, with Finland grabbing the top
spot, followed by Singapore, Sweden, the Netherlands, Norway, Switzerland,
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the United States, Hong Kong, Great Britain and the Republic of Korea. In
the developing world, China fell four spots to No. 62, Brazil fell nine spots to
No. 69 and India dropped 15 spots to No. 83 in terms of leveraging
information and communications technologies for growth and well being.
Switzerland Among 47 Nations To Agree On Tax Data Exchange

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47 nations including Switzerland and India, have agreed upon automatic

exchange of information on tax matters.The endorsement of the Declaration
on Automatic Exchange of Information in Tax Matters by 47 countries
under the aegis of Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development
(OECD) on 6 May will come as a boost for India, which is stepping up
pressure on Switzerland to share details on alleged illicit funds stashed
away by Indians there.

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Indians Form 2nd Largest Group of International Students In US

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According to the report released by US Immigration and Customs

Enforcement (ICE) on 7 May, India accounts for second largest number of
international students in this country. China with 290,133 students is at
the top in the report on international students.

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Odisha Signed MoU with TiE Silicon Valley

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The Odisha government has on 14 May signed an agreement with the TiE
Silicon Valley as part of its efforts to develop the state as an IT hub and
attract US investment. Under the agreement, Odisha government would
have a professional stationed at the headquarters of Silicon Valley in Santa
Clara, California.

NATIONAL

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SC upheld Validity of Right To Education Act

The Supreme Court on 6 May upheld the Constitutional validity of the Right
to Education (RTE) Act. In its decision, the apex court explained that the Act
is not applied to unaided minority institutions. The five-judge Constitutional
Bench of the Supreme Court in its decision also upheld the provisions of the
Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act 2009 and the Right
of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Rules, 2010.
Govt Extends Ban On LTTE by 5 Years
The government has extended by five years the ban imposed on LTTE, a
terror group that was behind the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi and was
decimated by the Sri Lanka military in 2009. India had banned Liberation
Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) after the assassination of Gandhi in 1991. The
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declaration of LTTE as an Unlawful Association has been extended for a
further period of five years with effect from 14 May 2014.
16th Lok Sabha Elections Results Declared

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The Indian general election of 2014 was held to constitute the 16th Lok
Sabha, electing members of parliament to all 543 parliamentary
constituencies of India. Running in nine phases from 7 April to 12 May
2014, this was the longest election in the countrys history. The results of
the 2014 Lok Sabha election were declared on 16 May 2014. In the Elections
2014, The National Democratic Alliance (NDA), led by the Bharatiya Janata
Party (BJP), won a sweeping victory, taking 336 seats. The BJP itself won
282 seats, the first time since Rajiv Gandhis landslide victory in 1984 that
an Indian party has won enough seats to govern without the support of
other parties. The United Progressive Alliance (UPA), led by the Indian
National Congress (INC), won 59 seats, 44 of which were won by the
Congress.

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President Pranab Mukherjee Dissolves 15th Lok Sabha

STATES

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President Pranab Mukherjee dissolved the 15th Lok Sabha on 18 May.

President dissolved the Lok Sabha on the advice of outgoing Union Cabinet
led by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh who resigned on 17 May 2014.
Union Cabinet recommended the President to dissolve the 15th Lok Sabha
as a follow up to the election results of 16th Lok Sabha election. This will
make way to the formation of new government.

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Supreme Court Bans Tamil Nadus Bullfight Game Jallikattu

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The Supreme Court has on 7 May banned centuries-old Jallikattubullfights and bullock-cart racing- organised during festivals in Tamil Nadu
and neighbouring states.Significantly, the bench headed by Justice K.S.
Radhakrishnan favoured elevating the rights of the animals to constitutional
rights.
BJD won Odisha Assembly Elections 2014
The ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) in Odisha under the leadership of Chief
Minister Naveen Patnaik established a landslide victory in the 2014 election
leaving opposition Congress and BJP reduced to a miniscule. The results for
the elections were announced on 16 May 2014 in which BJD claimed more
than two-third majority by winning 117 of the total 147 seats.
Congress Party Won Arunachal Pradesh Assembly Elections 2014
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Congress had won a clear majority in the Assembly elections by winning 42
of the total 60 seats. BJP won 11 seats and was followed by Peoples Party of
Arunachal (PPA) with 5 seats. Remaining seats were shared by independent
candidates. The results for states Assembly elections were announced on 16
May 2014.
SDF won Sikkim 2014 Assembly Elections Fifth Time

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Sikkim Chief Minister Pawan Chamling -led Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF)
won 18 of the 22 seats in the 32-member state assembly.The assembly
election results were declared on 16 May. SDF won its fifth consecutive term
in the assembly elections. The Opposition, Sikkim Krantikari Morcha, has
got the remaining 10 seats.

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CONFERENCES

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47th Annual Meeting of the Board of Governors of ADB

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The 47th Annual Meeting of Asian Development Bank (ADB) Board of

Governors was held from 2-5 May 2014 in Astana, the capital of
Kazakhstan. The meeting was attended by Finance Ministers/their
representatives of 67 Member Countries. Discussions were conducted on
economic development forecasts of the Asia-Pacific region, new economic
challenges for the region and other issues, and significance of interaction in
solution of problems important for the continent was emphasized at the
event.

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AWARDS & HONOURS

Indian Scientist Ravinder Dahiya Won British Research Fellowship

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Ravinder Dahiya, an Indian scientist in Britain, has been granted a

prestigious fellowship worth 1,068,000 pounds (around $1.8 million) on 2
May by a top British agency that funds research in engineering and the
physical sciences.
Two Indian-American Chefs Won James Beard Food Awards 2014
Two Indian-origin chefs Vikram Sunderam and Vishwesh Bhatt have been
conferred with the prestigious James Beard Food Awards for 2014,
considered as the Oscars of the US food and beverage industry. Sunderam
and Bhatt were awarded the Best Chef in the Mid-Atlantic and Best Chef in
South respectively. The James Beard Food Awards, which were presented
during a ceremony at the Lincoln Centre at the James Beard Foundations
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annual awards ceremony in New York on 5 May, are widely considered the
top honours in American cooking.
Six Indo-Americans Felicitated with Ellis Island Medal of Honor

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Six Indian Americans have been felicitated on 10 May with the prestigious
Ellis Island Medal of Honor for the year 2014.The Ellis Island Medals of
Honor by the National Ethnic Coalition of Organization is given annually to
US citizens who have distinguished themselves within their own ethnic
groups while exemplifying the values of the American way of life. Among the
recipients of the award are Yash Paul Soi , Narpat Bhandari , Samir Desai ,
Arun Kumar Pramanik , Ketki Sharadkumar Shah , Abdul M Suleman, were
also felicitated with the prestigious award.
Winter Sleep Won Palme dOr Award At 67th Cannes Film Festival

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Winter Sleep, a film by Turkish director Nuri Bilge Ceylan, was honoured
with Palme dOr Award at the 67th Cannes Film Festival held in Cannes
from 16 May to 25 May 2014. Julianne Moore won the Best Actress prize for
Maps to the Stars , while Turner star Timothy Spall was named Best
Actor.

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SPORTS & GAMES

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Sania Mirza and Cara Black Won Portugal Open Title

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Indias Sania Mirza and her Zimbabwean partner Cara Black won their first
WTA title of the season beating Eva Hrdinova (Czech) and Valeria Solovyeva
(Russia) in the womens doubles final of the Portugal Open in Oeiras
(Portugal) on 3 May 2014.
Lewis Hamilton Won Spanish Grand Prix 2014

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Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton of Great Britain won the Spanish Grand
Prix on 11 May. This was Lewis Hamiltons fourth consecutive victory in
2014 F1 season for his team Mercedes.
Italian Open Tennis Tournament Winners 2014
Mens Singles :- Novak Djokovic of Serbia won the Italian Open mens
singles tennis title (Rome Open Tennis) on 18 May in Rome, Italy. He
defeated Rafael Nadal of Spain in the final. It was his third Italian Open title.
Womens Singles :- Serena Williams of US won the womens singles title
after defeated Sara Errani of Italy in the final. It was her 3rd Italian Open
title.
China Won Uber Cup 2014
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China won the Badmintons Uber Cup 2014 on 24 May. China successfully
defended its title by scoring an emphatic 3-1 win over Japan. It was Chinas
13th Uber Cup title, the most by any team.Uber Cup is often known as the
World team championship for womens badminton.

ECONOMY
RBI Allowed Minors Above 10 years To Open Savings Bank Accounts

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Minors above 10 years of age can open and operate independently savings
bank account and use other facilities like ATM and cheque books. The
Reserve Bank on 6 May issued the guidelines allowing minors to operate
bank accounts independently with a view to promote financial inclusion and
bring uniformity in opening of such accounts in banks.

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India Has 54 of Worlds Largest and Most Powerful Public Companies

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Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) leads the pack of 54

Indian companies on Forbes 11th annual list of the worlds 2000 largest
and most powerful public companies. The list was released on 7 May. India
has 54 of the worlds biggest companies. RIL is ranked 135, with a market
value of $50.9 billion and $72.8 billion in sales as of May.

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President of India Dedicates RUPAY To The Nation

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President Pranab Mukherjee has dedicated RuPay Indias own card

payment network to the nation on 8 May. The system has been developed by
National Payment Corporation Ltd (NPCL). RuPay is Indias own card
payment network just like Visa and Master Card and provides an alternative
system for banks to provide debit card service.
Nine Indian Firms In Forbes Most Innovative Growth Companies List

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Nine Indian firms have made it into the Forbes list of the Worlds 100 most
innovative growth companies. New Zealand software accounting firm Xero
topped the list. Among the nine Indian companies, Godrej Consumer
Products leads the pack and was ranked 31st globally with an enterprise
value of $4.25 billion. The list was released on 22 May 2014.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

India Successfully Test Fired Astra Missile
India on 4 May successfully test-fired its first indigenously-developed air-toair missile Astra from a Russian-built Sukhoi Su-30MKI fighter jet over
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the Arabian Sea off Goa. Astra is Indias first Beyond Visual Range (BVR)
Air-to-Air missile. It was designed and developed indigenously by the
Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) .
Shanthas Paediatric Pentavalent Vaccine Prequalified By WHO

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Paediatric pentavalent vaccine Shan5, developed and manufactured by

Hyderabad based Shantha Biotechnics, an affiliate of French
pharmaceutical company Sanofi, has regained prequalification (PQ) status
on 5 May from the World Health Organisation (WHO). This status qualifies
the vaccine, which provides protection for children against diphtheria,
tetanus, pertussis, Hib and hepatitis B, for purchase by United Nations
agencies, governments and other organisations.
Indian-Origin Scientist Vivek Reddy Developed Leadless Pacemaker

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The worlds first wireless pacemaker, developed by Indian-origin scientist Dr

Vivek Reddy, Director of Arrhythmia Services at The Mount Sinai Hospital in
New York. The device is only a few centimeters in length, making it less than
ten per cent the size of a traditional pacemaker.
Green Jet Fuel From Sunlight Developed

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A research project named Solar-Jet funded by the European Union has

produced the worlds first jet fuel from water and carbon dioxide.In the
Solar-Jet Project, researchers used concentrated light-stimulated sunlight-to
convert carbondioxide and water to synthesis Gas in a high temperature
solar reactor containing metal-oxide based material developed at ETH
Zurich.

PERSONS IN NEWS

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A) APPOINTMENTS

Nabam Tuki Sworn In As CM of Arunachal Pradesh For Second Term

Veteran Congress leader Nabam Tuk was sworn in as the Chief Minister of
Arunachal Pradesh for the second consecutive term at the Raj Bhavan in
Itanagar on 18 May. He is the 8th (seventh as person) Chief Minister of
Arunachal Pradesh.
Jitan Ram Manjhi Sworn In As Bihar CM
Janata Dal (United) leader Jitan Ram Manjhi was on 20 May sworn in as
Bihars 23rd Chief Minister. Manjhi was SC/ST welfare minister under
former CM Nitish Kumar who resigned owning responsibility for the poor
performance of JD (U) in the parliamentary polls.
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Naveen Patnaik Sworn In As 4th Time CM in Odisha
Biju Janata Dal (BJD) president Naveen Patnaik was on 21 May sworn in as
Odisha chief minister for the fourth straight term. He is the 14th Chief
Minister of Odisha. Naveen Patnaik won a huge victory in both the 2014
Indian General Elections and the Legislative Assembly of Odisha elections in
2014.
Anandiben Patel Sworn In As First Woman Chief Minister of Gujarat

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Anandiben Patel was sworn-in on 22 May as Gujarats first woman and

overall 15th Chief Minister in a ceremony chaired by state Governor Kamala
Beniwal. Anandiben Patel was appointed as the new Chief Minister of
Gujarat after Narendra Modi resigned from the office on 21 May 2014.

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Narendra Modi Sworn In As Indias 15th Prime Minister

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Narendra Damodardas Modi was sworn-in as the 15th Prime Minister of

India on 26 May 2014.The swearing-in ceremony was held in the forecourt
of the Rashtrapati Bhawan and President Pranab Mukherjee administered
the oath of office and secrecy to Modi and his council of ministers. 23
cabinet ministers, 10 Ministers of State (MoS) with independent charge and
12 MoS took oath along with Narendra Modi. With this Narendra Modis
council of ministers presently comprises of 45 ministers.

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Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio Resigned

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C)DEATHS

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Three-time Chief Minister of Nagaland Neiphiu Rio on 23 May resigned from

the chair along with his council of ministers. Neiphiu Rio, who has been
chief minister of Nagaland for over 11 years, tendered his resignation
following his landslide victory in the 16th Lok Sabha polls.

Nobel Laureate Economist Gary Becker Died

Gary Becker, whose work applying the principles of economics to a wide
range of human behavior won the Nobel Prize in 1992, has died on 3 May in
Chicago. He was professor of economics and sociology at the University of
Chicago. American economist, Becker received the Nobel Prize in 1992 in
economics for using economics to analyse human behaviour and interaction
topics such as crime (why people commit it), discrimination against
minorities and family life.
D)VISITORS
Turkmenistan President Berdymukhamedov Visited China
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Turkmenistan President Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov visited China from
11 14 May 2014. During his four day visit, Berdymukhamedov met China
Prime Minister Li Keqiang in Beijing, capital of China. Both nations signed a
number of deals to develop a stronger strategic partnership. The two heads
of states also witnessed the signing of several cooperation agreements in
areas such as natural gas, agriculture, transportation, finance, culture and
local exchanges.
E)MISCELLANEOUS

11 Year Old Boy In UK with Higher IQ Than Einstein Joins Mensa

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An 11-year-old boy in the UK has achieved the highest possible score of 162
on a Mensa IQ test, making him brainier than physicist Albert Einstein.
Ramarni Wilfred, of Loom Grove, Romford, took the Mensa IQ test at Birbeck
University and achieved a score of 162. Although Einstein never took an IQ
test as none of the modern intelligence tests existed during the course of his
life, experts believe he had an IQ of around 160.

PLACES IN NEWS

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Worlds Highest Railway Tunnel Opens In China

ABBREVIATIONS

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The worlds highest tunnel for high-speed trains in northwest China at an

altitude of 3,607.4 metres became operational on 1 May. The 16.3-km-long
was completely linked up, operationalising the line linking Gansu Province
and Xinjiang provinces. With altitudes of up to 3,607.4 metres, the tunnel
passes through the Qilian Mountains with two sections and a bridge. The
construction of the highest tunnel started in 2009.

AGOC - Asian Games Organisation Committee

FIPB - Foreign Investment Promotion Board
UNESCO
Organization

United

Nations

Educational,

Scientific

and

Cultural

AAPI - Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders

BOOKS IN NEWS
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Vice President Released The Book A Stamp Is Born
The Vice President of India, M. Hamid Ansari released a book entitled A
Stamp is Born authored by C. R. Pakrashi, a renowned stamp designer, at
a function on 6 May. The author Pakrashi, who is also a renowned Stamp
designer in the book, has described his first-hand experiences with all
stages of production of the stamp right from conception to final execution
and printing. The book includes 56 commemorative stamps.

COMMITTEES

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P. J Nayak Committee For Diluting Govt Stake In Public Sector Banks

To Below 50 percent

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The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) committee report has recommended on 13

May that the government should divest its stake in state-owned banks to
less than 50%, allow private equity houses to own 40% in distressed banks,
and strip managers of private sector banks of their bonuses and Esops if
they are caught ever-greening sticky loans. The report covers 27 statecontrolled lenders. The committee was led by P. Jayendra Nayak, the former
chief executive of Axis Bank Ltd. and former India country head of Morgan
Stanley.

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IMPORTANT DAYS AND DATES

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Anti-Terrorism Day Observed Across India On 21 May

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Anti-Terrorism Day observed Across India on 21 May 2014. The day is

celebrated as 23rd Death Anniversary of former Prime Minister of India Rajiv
Gandhi.The day is marked by a pledge taking ceremony among other
activities.The objective behind the observance of Anti-Terrorism Day is to
wean away the people from terrorism and violence. On the occasion,
debates, discussions, symposia, seminars, lectures, etc. are held in schools,
colleges and universities on the dangers of terrorism and violence.The Day is
observed to generate awareness in the country among all sections of people,
about the danger of terrorism.
World Press Freedom Day Observed Across The World
World Press Freedom Day was observed on 3 May 2014 across the world.
The theme of 2014 year is: Media Freedom for a Better Future: Shaping the
post-2015 Development Agenda.The focus this year is on three inter-related
themes: the medias importance in development; the safety of journalists
and the rule of law; and the sustainability and integrity of journalism.
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