Current Affairs - 5 August, 2013

Dhyan Chand

1. The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports on Monday nominated hockey wizard Dhyan Chand for the Bharat Ratna, India`s highest civilian honour, for his outstanding achievements in the field of sports.

2. India's Silicon Valley, Bangalore has been ranked among the world’s eight largest technology innovation clusters by MIT Technology Review. Innovation clusters are places with dense webs of interconnected technology companies, customers, and suppliers, says the magazine.

3. The Alipore Zoological Garden of Kolkata on 5 August 2013 launched Adoption of Zoo Animals Scheme with an aim to create awareness and love for the wildlife among general public. The scheme was inaugurated by the West Bengal State Forest Minister, Hiten Barman.

4. Russia plans to restart launches of its Proton-M rocket in September, a top space official said on Monday, ending a freeze that was introduced when one of the carrier rockets crashed in July.

5. Barcelona 2013 15th FINA World Championship that was held from 19 July – 4 August 2013 concluded on 4 August 2013 in Barcelona. USA topped in the Championship with an overall haul of 33 medals that included 15 gold, 9 silver and 9 Bronze. It was followed by China and Russia at second and third spot respectively.

6. Vietnam's micro-satellite Pico Dragon, together with three other such US satellites, was sent to ISS (International Space Station) by Japan's Kounotori-4 (HTV-4) cargo spacecraft .The two-stage H-2B rocket carrying the HTV-4 ship lifted on 3 August 2013, initiating a five-day journey to the habitable artificial satellite in low Earth orbit.

7. cientists on Monday unveiled the world's first lab-grown beef burger, serving it up to volunteers in London in what they hope is the start of a food revolution. The 140g (about five ounce) patty, which cost more than 250,000 euros ($330,000) to produce, has been made using strands of meat grown from muscle cells taken from a living cow.

8. Samajwadi Party (SP) Monday struck a defiant note on the issue of suspension of IAS officer Durga Sakhti Nagpal, saying officials are punished whenever they do something wrong and the Centre can withdraw IAS officers from the state.

9. The Government has decided to set up two new major ports – one each at Sagar in West Bengal and the other at Dugarajapatnam in Andhra Pradesh. In respect of the Sagar Port, RITES has estimated capital cost (including connectivity project) at Rs. 7820 crores.

10. Nine persons died and several others were reported missing as a string of landslips triggered by heavy downpour battered the high range Idukki and adjoining districts of Kerala on Monday (August 5).