General Awareness : In the News -July, 2014

(General Awareness For Bank's Exams)

Jakarta Governor Joko Widodo, who won the hearts of Indonesians with his common man image, won Indonesia’s presidential election with 53 per cent of the vote
The numbers were released shortly after his opponent, former general Prabowo Subianto, declared he was withdrawing from the contest, saying there was massive fraud during the election.

Shiv Sena MP Rajan Vichare, who was caught on camera force-feeding a Muslim employee of Maharashtra Sadan during Ramzan, posted an uncharacteristic message on Facebook on July 21: Walk away from arguments that lead you to anger and nowhere.

A biography of Prime Minister Narendra Modi titled ” Modi—Incredible emergence of a star” has been published in the Chinese language.
The biography by Tarun Vijay, a BJP MP and a journalist, is published by Sichuan University’s South Asia Study Centre.

Former Union Minister Ram Naik appointed as Governor of Uttar Pradesh and veteran Delhi leader O.P. Kohli will move to Gujarat as Governor
According to the communique, Keshari Nath Tripathi, a former Uttar Pradesh Speaker will take over the post of Governor in West Bengal.
Balram Das Tandon, 87, founder member of Jan Sangh in 1951, was appointed Governor of Chhatisgarh.
Padmanabha Acharya, was appointed as Governor of Nagaland.

Environmentalist Chandi Prasad Bhatt will be awarded the prestigious Gandhi Peace prize for 2013 by President Pranab Mukherjee.
The Gandhi Peace Prize was instituted by the government in 1995 on the occasion of the 125th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.
This annual award is given to individuals and institutions for their contributions towards social, economic and political transformation through non-violence and other Gandhian methods. It carries a plaque, citation and an amount of Rs. 1 crore.
The recipients of this award include former Tanzanian President Dr Julius K Nyerere, founder President of Sarvodaya Sharamadana movement in Sri Lanka Dr A.T. Ariyaratne, Dr Gerhard Fischer of Rama Krishna Mission in Germany, Baba Amte, Dr Nelson Mandela etc.

Nadine Gordimer, died peacefully in her sleep at her home in Johannesburg. She was 90 years old.
Nadine Gordimer was first a writer of fiction and a defender of creativity and expression, she was also a determined political activist in the struggle to end white minority rule in her country.
Gordimer won the Nobel Prize for literature in 1991 for novels that explored the complex relationships and human cost of racial conflict in apartheid-era South Africa.
Gordimer’s first novel, The Lying Days appeared in 1953, and she acknowledged that it had autobiographical elements. A New York Times reviewer compared it to Alan Paton’s Cry the Beloved Country, saying Gordimer’s work “is the longer, the richer, intellectually the more exciting.”
She won the Booker Prize in 1974 for The Conservationist, a novel about a white South African who loses everything.

Senior Advocate Pinky Anand has been appointed Additional Solicitor-General in the Supreme Court.
She is the second woman lawyer to be appointed ASG after senior advocate Indira Jaising.

Gujarat Governor Kamla Beniwal transferred to Mizoram for the remainder of her term.
Vakkom Purushothaman, Governor of Mizoram, was shifted and appointed as Governor of Nagaland for the rest of his term. However, Mr. Purushothaman will continue to hold the additional charge of the office of the Governor of Tripura.
According to the communiqué, Rajasthan Governor Margaret Alva will discharge the functions of the Governor of Gujarat, in addition to her own duties, until regular arrangements are made. Her tenure finishes in August