15th International Indian Flim Academy Awards 2014

Who: the 15th International Indian Film Academy Awards (IIFA)
Where: Tamps Bay, USA
When: 26 April 2014

The 15th International Indian Film Academy Awards (IIFA) 2014 was held in Tampa Bay, USA from 23 April 2014 to 26 April 2014. This was held for the first time in US and Hollywood star John Travoltas and Kevin Spacey made appearance at the IIFA

IIFA awards in different categories are,

• Best Movie: Viacom 18 Motion & Rakyesh Mehra - Bhaag Milkha Bhaag
• Best Direction - Rakyesh Omprakash Mehra - Bhaag Milkha Bhaag 
• Performance in a Leading Role (Male): Farhan Akthar - Bhaag Milkha Bhaag
• Performance in a Leading Role (Female): Deepika Padukon - Chennai Express
• Performance in Supporting Role (Male): Aditya Roy Kapoor - Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani
• Performance in Supporting Role (Female): Divya Datta - Bhaag Milkha Bhaag
• Performance in Comic Role: Arshad Warsi - Jolly LLB 
• Performance in Negative Role: Rishi Kapoor - D-Day 
• Music Direction: Prasoon Joshi - Bhaag Milkha Bhaag 
• Best Story: Prasoon Joshi - Bhaag Milkha Bhaag 
• Lyrics Writer: Mithoon - Song (Tum Hi Ho) - Aashiqui 2
• Playback Singer (Male): Arjit Singh - Song (Tum Hi Ho) - Aashiqui 2
• Playback Singer (Female): Shreya Ghoshal - Song (Sunn Raha Hai) - Aashiqui 2
• Best Debutant (Male): Dhanush - Ranjhanaa
• Best Debutant (Female): Vani Kapoor - Shudh Desi Romance
• Entertainer of the Year: Deepika Padukon
• Outstanding Contribution by An Indian in US: Drs. Kiran & Pallavi Patel
• Lifetime Achievement: Shatrughan Sinha

The IIFA awards are presented by the International Indian Film Academy every year. These were presented to both artistic and technical excellence professional in Bollywood. The awards have categories like popular awards, technical awards and special awards

Justice G Rohini to be Delhi HC's first women chief justice

The Delhi High Court will get first women chief justice this week. President Pranab Mukharjee cleared the nomination of justice G Rohini, the senior most judge of the Andhra Pradesh High Court, will be heading the Delhi High Court
The court as of now has nine women judges out of a strength of 40. She will be the 10th women judge at the Delhi High Court
In February 2014, Collegium of Supreme Court of India, headed by Chief Justice of India P. Sathasivam nominated Justice Rohini as the chief Justice of Delhi High Court. She will charge as the first women chief justice of Delhi High Court, 47 years after the court was established in October 1966
Born in 1955 Visakhapatanam, Justice Rohini studied science at Osmania University and law at Andhra University College of Law, Visakhapatanam. Initially she was a reporter at the Andhra Pradesh Law Journals and in 1985, she became the Executive Editor of the said journals

Giant torch unveiled in US to honour Chinmoy Kumar Gosh

Who: in honour of Indian spiritual leader Chinmoy Kumar Gosh
Where: New York, USA
When: 17 April 2014
What: A giant torch was unveiled

A giant torch was unveiled on 17 April 2014 in honour of Indian Spiritual leader Chinmoy Kumar Gosh in New York, USA. Torch unveiled is a replica of Olympic torch. The 25 foot (25') tall torch was unveiled by Ashrita Furman
The torch was unveiled to honour 50 years of Gosh. Chinmoy Kumar Gosh had moved to New York from India in April 1964
The torch is considered as the world's largest and a replica of Olympic torch. The huge torch is 11 times larger than the Olympic torch used in the 1998 Winter Olympic games to carry the flame from Athens to Nagano in Japan and weighs 1200 Kgs
Furman who constructed the aluminium and steel torch over three weeks credited the teaching of Gosh for his teaching. Through the torch, Furman could make a new Guinness record
in the peace run torch relay, 50 ambassadors and 300 runners also set a new Guinness record for reciting a poem on peace by the spiritual leader in 206 languages
The peace run torch was founded by Ghose in 1987. Since its inception the relay has been held across 140 countries

Queen confers Knight Grand Cross on Ratan Tata

Ratan Tata, the chairman of Emeritus of Tata Sons and former chairman of the Tata Group which is one of largest employers in Britain, has been honoured by Queen Elizabeth with a GBE (Knight Grand Cross), one of the UL's highest civilian awards. He is the only Indian among 5 foreigners to be awarded as part of the 'Honorary British Award to Foreign Nationals' for 2014
In 2009 Ratan Tata was conferred a KBE (Knight Commander) bye the Queen
In 2008 the Tata Group under chairmanship od Ratan Tata had acquired the flagging British Luxury car brand Jaguar Land Rover (JLR). The Tata Group has emerged as one of the largest employer in Britain, employing nearly 60,000 people across Britain. 

List of Maharatna, Navratna and Miniratna CPSEs

Here is List of Maharatna, Navratna and Miniratna CPSEs
CPSE - Central Public Sector Enterprises

Maharatna CPSEs

• Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited 
• Coal India Limited 
• GAIL India Limited
• Indian Oil Corporation Limited 
• National Thermal Power Corporation Limited 
• Oil & Natural Gas Corporation Limited 
• Steel Authority of India Limited 

Navratna CPSEs

• Bharat Electronics Limited 
• Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited 
• Hindustan Aeronautics Limited 
• Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited 
• Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Limited 
• National Aluminium Company Limited 
• National Mineral Development Corporation Limited 
• Neyveli Lignite Corporation Limited
• Oil India Limited 
• Power Finance Corporation Limited 
• Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited 
• Rural Electrification Corporation Limited 
• Shipping Corporation of  India Limited 

Miniratna Category I - CPSEs

• Airports Authority India 
• Antrix Corporation Limited 
• Balmer Lowre & Co. Limited 
• BEML Limited 
• Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited 
• Bridge & Roof Company Limited 
• Central Warehousing Corporation 
• Ennore Port Limited 
• HLL Lifecare Limited 
• Hindustan Copper Limited 
• India Tourism Development Corporation Limited 
• India Railway Catering & Tourism Corporation Limited 
• MMTC Limited 
• Mazgaon Dock Limited 
• National Seeds Corporation Limited 
• NHPC Limited 
• ONGC Videsh Limited 
• Pawan Hans Helicopter Limited 
• Security Printing and Minting Corporation of India Limited 
• State Trading Corporation of India Limited 

Miniratna Category II - CPSEs

• Bharat Pumps & Compressors Limited 
• Central Mine Planning & Design Institute Limited 
• Central Railside Warehouse Company Limited 
• Engineering Projects Limited 
• HMT Limited 
• India Trade Promotion Organisation 
• National Film Development Corporation Limited 

Google launched 'Known Your Candidate' tool for LokSabha 2014

As part of the ongoing LokSabha Elections 2014 in India, Internet giant Google has come up with its cool 'Know Your Knowledge' which will assist citizens of India to get a very basic snapshot information about their Candidates, incumbent MPs as well as other candidates information, such as educational background, financial details and media presence about the candidate. The information has been obtained from organisations such as the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), PRS Legislative Research and Liberty Institute India.

To use the 'Know Your Candidate' Click Here. A tool by Google Inc.

The tool which will be modified on a regular basis, will furnish information about all candidates as they get finalized. The information will be made available at least a week before the voting day in each consistency. This will assist voters to assist in selection the right candidate from their consistency.

India ranked 102 out of 132 countries on Social Progress Index

India was ranked 102 out of 132 countries on the Social Progress Index published by the US-based non-profit organisation Social Progress Imperative on 3 April 2014. This is the second publication of the SPI. The first SPI was published in 2013 taking into account the social progress in 50 countries.
The 2014 SPI has shed light on the current database about inclusive growth and shared prosperity. The SPI rates 132 countries on more than 50 indicators including health, sanitation, shelter, personal safety, access to information, sustainability, tolerance and inclusion and access to education.

Main highlights of SPI:

• The top 5 countries are New Zealand, Switzerland, Iceland, Netherlands and Norway. These countries which are relatively small in terms of populations, score strongly across all factors.
• The lowest 5 countries are Sudan, Guinea, Burundi, Central African Republic and Chad.
• The Social Progress Indicators of the BRICS countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) are best mixed one although these countries are seen as economics with growth potential.
• Among BRICS group, only Brazil ranks 46th better on social progress than it does on GDP per capita. Russia has a higher GDP than Brazil yet ranks lower on the Social Progress Index; South Africa in 58th on GDP and 69th on social progress; China is 69th on GDP and 90th on social progress and India is 94th on GDP and 102th on social progress.
• In general, resource-rich countries are more likely to under-perform on social progress relative to their GDP per capita. Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Angola are all significant under-performers.

India's performance on various dimensions: India was ranked 102 out of 132 countries on the social progress index. Performance of India is good in the areas of Nutrition and Basic Medical Care. Overall score of India on Social Progress Index is 50.24.

Basic Human Needs Dimensions: India does best in areas including Nutrition and Basic Medical care and has the greatest opportunity to improve human well-being by focusing more on Shelter. India achieved 100th rank with 54.48 score.

Foundations of Well-being Dimensions: India excel at providing building blocks for people's lives such as Access to Basic Knowledge. India achieved 108th rank with score 56.84 score.

Opportunity Dimension: India outperforms in providing opportunities for people to improve their position in society and scores highly in Personal Freedom and Choice dimension. India achieved 109th rank with 39.39 score.