GK 20-5-14

• NOVEL: “FOUR FRIENDS” by Rohit Pagare.

Rohit Pagare is convicted for life for murder of his wife 7years ago. He wrote this 368 page novel in the 63 days of hi parole release.

•  Russia, China seek mutual support in Putin visit

Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in China today for joint naval exercises and a meeting with President Xi Jinping as both seek to build ties in the face of Western criticism and territorial disputes.

• Jitan Ram Manjhi is Bihar’s new CM

Bihar Scheduled Caste and Schedule Tribe Welfare Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi is set to be the new Chief Minister after Nitish Kumar picked him to be his successor on Monday.

• Nabam Tuki sworn-in as the Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh

Nabam Tuki sworn-in as the Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh in Itanagar and his oath to the office was administered by Nirbhay Sharma

• Ashwin B. Pandya appointed as the Chairman of the Central Water Commission & ex-officio Secretary of the Government of India.
• Constitutional Scholar Sujit Choudhry appointed as Dean of UC Berkeley Law school

An Indian-American Sujit Choudhry on 14 May 2014 was appointed as the dean of University of California Berkeley, School of Law. He will serve for five years. He will take the charge from 1 July 2014. He is currently working as the Cecelia Goetz professor at New York University School of Law. He is the founder of its Centre for Constitutional Transitions.

• Kristin Lund of Norway became first-ever woman to head a UN Peacekeeping Force

Major General Kristin Lund of Norway became the first-ever woman to head a UN Peacekeeping Force in its entire history. She was appointed as the Force Commander of UN Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) on 12 May 2014 to mark its 50th anniversary in 2014.Major General Kristin Lund will assume the charge of Force Commander of UNFICYP on 13 August 2014. She will succeed the outgoing Force Commander, Major General Chao Liu of China who will retire on 13 August 2014.

• K Natarajan took over as 21st Command of Coast Guard Region (A&N)

Inspector General K Natarajan took over as the 21st Commander of the Coast Guard Region (Andaman and Nicobar) as a successor of VSR Murthy.

• Secretary of the DBT, K. VijayRaghavan elected a foreign associate of the USNAS

The Secretary of the DBT, Krishnaswamy VijayRaghavan on 4 May 2014 elected a foreign associate of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences (USNAS).

• US Government appointed Indian-American Jawahar Kaliani to OCC, Department of Treasury

US Government on 2 May 2014 appointed Indian-American Jawahar Kaliani to the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), Department of Treasury.

• Rajeev Suri appointed as President and CEO of Nokia Corporation
• Justice G Rohini appointed as the first women Chief Justice of Delhi High Court

Justice G Rohini appointed as the next Chief Justice of Delhi High Court. She will be the first women Chief Justice in the Delhi High Court.

• Justice R.M.Lodha appointed as Next Chief Justice of India

President of India on 11 April 2014 appointed Justice Rajendra Mal Lodha as Next Chief Justice of India.

• Marie-Lousie Coleiro Preca sworn-in as President of Malta

Marie-Lousie Coleiro Preca Sworn-in as President of Malta, island state, in Valletta

• Karim Massimov named as the Kazakhstan’s new PM after Serik Akhmetov resigned
• French President Hollande names Valls as new PM

President Francois Hollande on 31 March 2014 appointed Interior Minister Manuel Valls as next prime minister of France.

• Jens Stoltenberg appointed as Secretary General of NATO

Jens Stoltenberg was appointed as the Secretary General of North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO).

• Rajiv Takru appointed as the new Revenue Secretary

Rajiv Takru, the Financial Services Secretary has been appointed as the new Revenue Secretary. He succeeds Sumit Bose, who retired on 31 March 2014.

• Aditi Khanna became first women President of Indian Journalist's Association

GK 19-5-14

• Novak Djokovic won the Men's Italian Tennis Open 2014 for the third time.
• PM Economic Advisory Council Chairman C Rangarajan resigned.
• Serena Williams won the Women's Italian Tennis Open 2014 for the third time.
• Sistema Shyam Teleservices launched messaging app MBuddy for feature phones.
• N Srinivasan, the veteran nuclear scientist died. 
• Swiss voters rejected the Minimum Wage Initiative that introduced highest minimum wage in the World.
• Sir Jack Brabham, three-time F-1 champion died in Australia.

GK 18-5-14

• Pankaj Advani won CCI Biliards title.
• Six workers injured after Hot water Spill from a valve at Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant.
• Apple and Google settled Smartphone patent war.
• Nitish Kumar resigned as Bihar Chief Minister.
• Shah Rukh Khan featured on the cover page of magazine Forbes Middle East.
• Founder of Leela Group Hotels Krishnan Nair died.
• PM Manmohan Singh tendered his resignation to President.

First Step: One Institute at two places