Current Affairs : July 2, 2011

Vodafone to pay $ 400 million more to Essar to buy 33% stake in the joint venture Vodafone-Essar

• Vodafone: UK-based
  
• Essar: Indian Partner for Vodafone
  
• Vodafone to pay $ 400 million more to Essar in order to buy 33% stake in the joint venture Vodafone-Essar
  
• Vodafone’s holding in the venture would increase to 75.35%
  
• Vodafone would transfer 1.35% stake to an Indian investor to remain compliant with the existing FDI norms in the telecom sector as the the existing FDI limit is 74%
  

World Bank to fund $648 Million for the Construction of the Hydro-Power Plant in Uttrakhand

• WB to fund a loan assistance of $648 million for the construction of the Vishnugad Pipalkoti Hydroelectric Plant on the Alaknanda river in Uttarakhand
  
• Hydro Power Plant expected to generate 1,665 million units of electricity yearly
  
• 444-MW Vishnugad Pipalkoti Project would also help reduce India’s greenhouse gas emissions by 1.6 million tones annually, compared to a thermal plant of the same capacity
  

Mr. Pradeep Kumar appointed new CVC

• Defense Secretary Pradeep Kumar chosen as next CVC (Chief Vigilance Commissioner)
  
• Mr. Pradeep Kumar, retires as Defence Secretary on July 31
  
• He was chosen by consensus by a panel comprising Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Home
  Minister P Chidambaram and Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj
  
• But his selection has been not been officially confirmed yet
  
• Mr. Kumar, a Haryana cadre IAS officer of the 1972 batch, was Secretary, Defence Production, prior to becoming the Defence Secretary
  

Temple safety measures tighten up following Treasure Discovery

• Padmanabha Swami temple, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala
  
• Kerala Government further tightened up the security at the historical Sree Padmanabha Swami temple in Thiruvananthapuram
  
• Reason:
  

  Huge quantity of precious metals and diomonds worth around Rs 50,000 Crore have been unearthed from the underground cellars of the temple
  

• With this Sree Padmanabha Swami Temple emerged as the richest shrine in the country
  
• Maximum share of this treasure belonged to the Kings of the Royal Family of Travancore
  
• The final list of inventories will be submitted to the Supreme Court
  

Rajya Sabha TeleVision to be launched during Monsoon Session

• 24-hour Rajya Sabha Channel will be launched during the monsoon session of Parliament
  
• Channel to begin around 15th August
  
• When Parliament is not in session, the channel to telecast programmes concerning to democratic values and institutions targeted at the younger generation
  

Chaturanan Mishra (Communist leader) passes away

• Chaturanan Mishra: Former Union minister and veteran Communist leader
  
• Mishra held many positions in the CPI (Communist Party of India) and All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC)
  
• As a Freedom Fighter, he participated in the Quit India movement
  
• 3 time member of Bihar Legislative Assembly from 1969 to 1980
  
• Elected to the Rajya Sabha in 1984 and 1990
  
• Elected to the Lok Sabha in 1996 from Madhubani constituency
  
• Cabinet minister for Agriculture in the United Front Government led by H D Devegowda and I K Gujaral in 1996

  
  

Petra Kvitova: Wimbledon Womens’ Singles Champion 2011

• Petra Kvitova Czechoslavia won the Wimbldon Woemen’s Singles crown
  
• Petra astonished favorite Maria Sharapova
  
• Petrova beat Sharapova at the Finals in London
  
• This is Petra’s First Grand Slam Title
  
• 21 year old eighth seed became only the third Czech woman to
  won the the Wimbledon Women’s Single Title
  

MV Wisdom is re-floated securely

MV Wisdom: Ship which ran aground on Juhu beach on June11, 2011

Ship re-floated safely

Ship re-floated by SMIT International; a Singapore based Salvage Company with the help of two powerful tugs

Ship successfully pulled out by the ship SMIT LUMBA, which is equipped with adequate salvage equipment and manned by qualified and experienced salvage personnel

Ship taken to Mumbai outer anchorage and thereafter the vessel to be ultimately towed to Alang-Bhavnagar Gujarat for scrapping

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Month: Current Affairs - July, 2011