29th May, Current Affairs

1. Kshemendra Paul - appointed as the head of an agency that facilitates the sharing and access of terrorism-related information within various wings of the U.S. government.
Other Indian-Americans holding key positions in Obama adminstration:
a) Arun Majumdar: Director of the Advanced Research Projects Agency – Energy in the US Department of Energy
b) Vivek Kundra: Federal Chief Information Officer
c) Farah Pandith: US Special Representative to Muslim communities
d) Richard Verma: Assistant Secretary for Legislative Affairs at the State Department
e) Vinai Thummalapally: US envoy to Belize
f) Aneesh Chopra: First Chief Technology Officer
g) Rajiv Shah: Undersecretary for research, education and economics and chief scientist in the Agriculture Department
h) Anju Bhargava: Member, Faith-based advisory council
i) Rajen Anand: Executive Director, Policy USDA Center for Nutrition and Promotion
j) Ro Khanna: Deputy Assistant Secretary for domestic operations of the US and Foreign Commercial Service, International Trade Administration
k) Preet Bharara: US attorney for Southern District of New York
l) Subash Iyer: Special Assistant to Karen Mills, administrator of the US Small Business Association
2. International ratings agency Fitch downgraded Spain's credit rating, a day after the country launched an austerity drive. The Spanish parliament has approved a $15 billion euro spending cut following similar measures by Greece, Portugal and Italy. The euro is down nearly 8 per cent versus the US dollar in May,while gold hit a record high earlier this month.

3. Luoyang - temple built by India touted as one of India's biggest diplomatic initiatives. The seeds for this were sown in April 2005 when Premier Wen Jiabo visited India, a bilateral MoU on constructing the temple was signed.Luoyang, which falls in the province of Henan, and where the famous White Horse temple is located, is widely regarded as the cradle of Chinese civilisation

4. Tungurahua - means "Throat of Fire" in the local language. It is an active stratovolcano located in the Cordillera Central of Ecuador. The volcano gives its name to the province of Tungurahua

5. India- Pakistan Permanent Indus Water Commission:
Points of contention:
Pakistan's objection to the following projects carried out by India:
- Uri-II hydel project over Jhelum is in Baramullah,
- the 45 MW Nimoo Bazgo on Indus river and
- the 44 MW Chutak hydel project on river Suru ( a tributary of Indus in Kargil)

6. Highest civilian award of the Goa State — Gomant Vibhushan Award
It was presented to Anil Kakodkar.

7. ‘Karmayogi’, a documentary film based on the life of Dr Anil Kakodkar,

8. Lifetime Achievement Award to Dr. A.R. Kidwai, former Governor of Bihar, West Bengal, Haryana and former Chairman of UPSC, organised by the Institute of Objective Studies

9. Interesting fact about A.R.Kidwai - According to part XIV of constitution the chairman of UPSC, on ceasing to hold office, is not eligible for further employment in the GoI or state. A.R Kidwai is the only exception to this rule. In 1979, the SC upheld the validity of appointment of A.R.Kidwai, a former chairman of UPSC, as the governor of Bihar. It ruled that the office of the governor is a 'constitutional office' and not an employment under government.

9. Person of Indian Origin Dolar Amarshi Popat - nominated by Prime Minister David Cameron to the House of Lords.He worked as a waiter after arriving in England from Uganda in 1971 and went on to a build a multi-million pound business empire

10.A child born out of a live-in relationship is not entitled to claim inheritance in Hindu ancestral coparcenary property and can only claim a share in the parents' self-acquired property, if any, the Supreme Court has held. In view of the legal fiction contained in Section 16 of the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955 (legitimacy of children of void and voidable marriages), the illegitimate children, for all practical purposes, including succession to the properties of their parents, have to be treated as legitimate.

11.An American adventurer [Jonathan Trappe] crossed the English Channel on Friday, carried by a bundle of helium balloons, ending a quiet and serene flight by touching down in a French cabbage patch.

12.A 13-story mosque and Islamic cultural center is planned to replace the WTC that was damaged by airplane debris on Sept. 11, 2001.

Thanks Vishnu for provoding the points I missed. The oli-for-loan deal has already been covered in my post on 27th May.