Current Affairs, May 2014

Indian Navy operationally deploys INS Vikramaditya

As per the announcement made by Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Robin Kumar Dhowan, the newly inducted aircraft carrier, INS Vikramaditya, is now operationally deployed and its integral MiG-29K fighters have been fully integrated with the carrier. The 44,500-tonne aircraft carrier bought from Russia at a cost of $2.33 billion had arrived in India in January, 2014 and is positioned at Karwar in Karnataka.

Also, INS Vikrant, the first indigeneously built aircraft carrier being built at the Cochin shipyard, will be ready for trials in 2017 and for delivery by 2018-end.

Thailand court sacks PM Yingluck Shinawatra

The Prime Minister of Thailand, Yingluck Shinawatra and several cabinet ministers have been ordered to resign by the Constitutional Court of the country. The court ordered that Ms Yingluck acted illegally when she transferred her national security chief Thawil Pliensri to another position in 2011. The order has come after months of political impasse. Anti-government protesters have been trying to topple Ms Yingluck regime since November 2013. The remaining cabinet members have nominated the commerce minister to replace Ms Yingluck. Ms Yingluck had been accused of abuse of power in improperly transferring Thawil Pliensri, her national security chief appointed by the opposition-led administration, in 2011.

Political situation in Thailand:

Thailand has been undergoing a power struggle since Ms Yingluck’s brother, Thaksin Shinawatra who was PM was thrown out in 2006 by a military coup. Mr Thaksin and his family are detested by some urban and middle-class elites who accuse them of corruption and abuse of power. But Mr Thaksin’s policies hugely popular in rural areas won both the elections since the coup have returned Thaksin-allied governments to power. Court rulings have, in the past, been a key factor amid political turmoil in Thailand.

Gary Becker, economist and winner of Nobel Prize passed away

Gary Becker (83), a professor in University of Chicago who was conferred the Nobel Prize in economic sciences in 1992, passed away. He is credited for his path-breaking approach to economics as the study of human behavior. Becker applied his economic analysis to a wide array of human behavior and interactions. He also studied issues such as marriage and divorce, crime and punishment, addiction and household decisions.

Before 1950s, most experts considered habit and often emotion or irrationality as the main factors in human behavior such as having children or committing crimes. It was Becker who theorized that human behavior follows the same rational principles, whether it involves a household, a business or an organization. Although initially his views were received skeptically, his work influenced sociology, demography and criminology.

Justice G Rohini appointed as the first ever woman Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court,April,20

President Pranab Mukherjee cleared the nomination of Justice G Rohini (59), the most senior judge of the Andhra Pradesh high court, as the Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court. Prior to Justice Rohini’s appointment, the Delhi high court had a strength of 40, out of which 9 were women. She will be the 10th woman 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 woman chief justice of Delhi High Court, 47 years after the court was established in October 1966.

Justice G. Rohini is expected to stay for a period of 4 years if not elevated to the Supreme Court. At present, out of 29 judges in the Supreme Court, only 2 are women.

Indian Navy’s first aircraft carrier INS Vikrant sold
to ship-breaker for only Rs 60 Crore April,20,2014

Indian Navy’s first aircraft carrier INS Vikrant has been sold for mere Rs 60 Crore via an online auction to an Alang ship-breaker. The decommissioned aircraft carrier played an crucial role in the 1971 Indo-Pak war.

The carrier was sold via an online auction to a ship-breaker following the dismissal a PIL (Public-Interest Litigation) filed by Kiran Paigankar (founder of the “Save Vikrant Committee”) by the Bombay High Court. The Court dismissed the PIL stating that the carrier’s tatterdemalion condition did not justify her conservation, also the requisite funds or government support are also not available.

Admiral R.K. Dhowan appointed new Navy chief,April 17,2014

Almost two months after Admiral D.K. Joshi resigned in February owning moral responsibility for a series of accidents, Robin K. Dhowan (59) took over as the new Chief of the Indian Navy. Admiral Dhowan who has been the acting Navy chief since Joshi’s departure, has now been appointed the Chief of Navy Staff. Admiral Dhawan’s tenure will last 25 months and he will retire in May 2016.

British Queen confers GBE (Knight Grand Cross) on Ratan Tata,April 13,2014

Ratan Tata (76), the Chairman Emeritus of Tata Sons and former chairman of the Tata Group, honoured by Queen Elizabeth with a GBE (Knight Grand Cross), one of the UK’s highest civilian awards. He is the only Indian among 5 foreigners to be awarded as part of the ‘Honorary British Awards to Foreign Nationals’ for 2014.

In 2009, Mr. Tata was conferred a KBE (Knight Commander) by the Queen.

In 2008, the Tata Group under chairmanship of Ratan Tata had acquired the flagging British luxury car brand Jaguar Land Rover (JLR). The Tata Group has emerged as one of the largest employers in Britain, employing nearly 60,000 people across Britain. Now in its 18th year, the Sir Ratan Tata Fellowship works in collaboration with the London School of Economics.

Justice R.M. Lodha appointed as the next Chief Justice of India,April13,2014

Justice Rajendra Mal Lodha (64) as the next Chief Justice of India. President Pranab Mukherjee with exerciseAd by AdRemoverUTube of his powers conferred by clause (2) of Article 124 of the Constitution of India, appointed Justice Rajendra Mal Lodha, Judge of the Supreme Court, to be the next Chief Justice of India with effect from April 27, 2014.

Justice R.M. Lodh will have a short tenure of 5 months as the Chief Justice as he is scheduled to retire on September 27, 2014.