1. India ranks 136 in World Press Freedom Index (WPFI) 2015
In recently released World Press Freedom Index (WPFI), India was placed at 136th rank out of 180 nations surveyed worldwide in terms of press freedom in 2015.
In WPFI 2015, India has shown improvement from its rank of 140 in 2014. However, India’s absolute score has declined from 40.34 to 40.49.
Top 10 countries: Finland (1st), Norway (2nd), Denmark (3rd), Netherlands (4th), Sweden (5th), New Zealand (6th), Austria (7th), Canada (8th), Jamaica (9th), Estonia (10th).
India’s Neighbours: Sri Lanka (165th), Pakistan (159th), Afghanistan (122th), China (176th), Bangladesh (146th).
In recently released World Press Freedom Index (WPFI), India was placed at 136th rank out of 180 nations surveyed worldwide in terms of press freedom in 2015.
In WPFI 2015, India has shown improvement from its rank of 140 in 2014. However, India’s absolute score has declined from 40.34 to 40.49.
Top 10 countries: Finland (1st), Norway (2nd), Denmark (3rd), Netherlands (4th), Sweden (5th), New Zealand (6th), Austria (7th), Canada (8th), Jamaica (9th), Estonia (10th).
India’s Neighbours: Sri Lanka (165th), Pakistan (159th), Afghanistan (122th), China (176th), Bangladesh (146th).
2. Indian-origin scientist Gurpreet Singh wins $500,000 National Science Foundation CAREER award
An Indian-origin scientist Gurpreet Singh has won prestigious $500,000 National Science Foundation CAREER award.
He has won this award for his research on Scalable liquid exfoliation processing of ultrathin two-dimensional metal dichalcogenides nanosheets for energy storage devices.
This CAREER award will help him to study large-scale production of ultrathin sheets, a few atoms thick and several micrometres wide using transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs).
At present no methods are available to produce thin TMDs in large quantities cost-effectively. His research aims to make that possible.
The prestigious award will also help him to organize educational activities for high school students and teachers.
3. Union Government constituted SIT to reinvestigate 1984 anti-Sikh riot cases
Union Ministry of Home Affairs constituted a three-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) for re-investigation of the 1984 anti-Sikh riot cases. The newly-constituted SIT has been empowered to examine fresh evidence in the cases that had even been closed.
The three-member SIT will be headed by Pramod Asthana, an IPS officer of 1986 batch. Other two members of SIT are retired district and sessions judge Rakesh Kapoor and Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police in Delhi Police Kumar Gyanesh.
The SIT will submit its report in six months and it will look into all serious criminal cases related to the riots, examine evidence and even re-open cases and file charge sheets in the courts concerned.
The SIT was constituted on the recommendations of the Mathur Committee. Mathur Committee headed by former Supreme Court judge Justice GP Mathur was constituted on 23 December 2014 to examine the possibility of constitution of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) for reinvestigation of the 1984 anti-Sikh riot cases.
4. Aditya Birla Chemicals to merge with Grasim Industries
The Board of Directors of Grasim Industries Limited approved the proposed merger of Aditya Birla Chemicals (India) Limited (ABCIL) with Grasim.
Under the merger proposal, the shareholders of ABCIL will get one share of 10 rupees each of Grasim for every 16 shares of 10 rupees each, they hold in ABCIL. 14.62 lakh new shares will be issued by Grasim, which will help the company to increase its share capital to 93.31 crore rupees.
The proposed scheme is subject to approval of the high court and regulatory authorities.
5. Odisha Chief Information Commissioner Tarun Kanti Mishra resigned
The Chief Information Commissioner (CIC) of Odisha Tarun Kanti Mishra resigned from his position.
A 1975-batch IAS officer, Mishra is also is associated with several cultural activities besides discharging his duties and responsibilities as an administrative officer. Mishra retired from the government service in August 2010.
Post-retirement, he was appointed at the state level selection committee meeting chaired by chief Minister Naveen Patnaik. On 15 November 2010, he was appointed as the Chief Information Commissioner of Odisha by replacing D.N. Padhee.
6. 7th round of India Kenya Joint Trade Committee meeting held in New Delhi
The 7th round of India Kenya Joint Trade Committee (JTC) meet was held in New Delhi . During the meet, the two sides reviewed bilateral trade between the two nations and reiterated their commitment towards strengthening mutually beneficial relationship. The two sides agreed
• To enhance cooperation in the fields of bilateral investment, infrastructure, SMEs, agriculture, health, energy, skill development & entrepreneurship, pharmaceuticals and tourism
• To ensure enhancement of bilateral trade and mutual cooperation, the two sides also agreed to meet often.
The 7th round of India Kenya Joint Trade Committee (JTC) meet was held in New Delhi . During the meet, the two sides reviewed bilateral trade between the two nations and reiterated their commitment towards strengthening mutually beneficial relationship. The two sides agreed
• To enhance cooperation in the fields of bilateral investment, infrastructure, SMEs, agriculture, health, energy, skill development & entrepreneurship, pharmaceuticals and tourism
• To ensure enhancement of bilateral trade and mutual cooperation, the two sides also agreed to meet often.
7. Bank of India to buy 19.9% stake in YouFirst Money Express
Bank of India is planning to buy 19.9 per cent stake in payment bank licence aspirant YouFirst Money Express Pvt Ltd.
“Payment bank is an investment for us. We will be investing to pick up 19.9 per cent stake of the Rs. 100 crore (minimum paid up) capital needed…It is a good opportunity to cross sell and of course, (the tie-up) offers credit opportunity,” said BoI Chairperson & Managing Director VR Iyer.
Started in 2013, YouFirst is an entrepreneurial venture promoted by former Reliance Capital (Anil Ambani group company) executives Vikrant Gugnani and Ganesh Pai. Currently, Gugnani is associated with Reliance Investment Banking Services, Reliance Money Precious Metals and whole-time director with Reliance Securities, while Pai is associated with Reliance money infrastructure Ltd and Reliance money solutions.
The company’s independent directors include JP Morgan Mutual Fund India director Gopalakrishnan Narayanan and former India CEO (chief executive officer) at American Express Bank Shrikant Rege.
Government-owned State Bank of India will also pick up 30 per cent stake in Mukesh Ambani-owned Reliance Industries. While private sector lender Kotak Mahindra Bank has tied up with Bharti Airtel’s Airtel M Commerce Services. The tie-ups are subject to RBI approval of the licence to the applicants.
Bank of India is planning to buy 19.9 per cent stake in payment bank licence aspirant YouFirst Money Express Pvt Ltd.
“Payment bank is an investment for us. We will be investing to pick up 19.9 per cent stake of the Rs. 100 crore (minimum paid up) capital needed…It is a good opportunity to cross sell and of course, (the tie-up) offers credit opportunity,” said BoI Chairperson & Managing Director VR Iyer.
Started in 2013, YouFirst is an entrepreneurial venture promoted by former Reliance Capital (Anil Ambani group company) executives Vikrant Gugnani and Ganesh Pai. Currently, Gugnani is associated with Reliance Investment Banking Services, Reliance Money Precious Metals and whole-time director with Reliance Securities, while Pai is associated with Reliance money infrastructure Ltd and Reliance money solutions.
The company’s independent directors include JP Morgan Mutual Fund India director Gopalakrishnan Narayanan and former India CEO (chief executive officer) at American Express Bank Shrikant Rege.
Government-owned State Bank of India will also pick up 30 per cent stake in Mukesh Ambani-owned Reliance Industries. While private sector lender Kotak Mahindra Bank has tied up with Bharti Airtel’s Airtel M Commerce Services. The tie-ups are subject to RBI approval of the licence to the applicants.
8. Delhi/NCR is India’s most romantic city
For the second year in a row, Delhi/NCR topped the list of India’s most romantic cities, placed well ahead of Bengaluru and Mumbai, in Amazon.in’s second annual report on the country’s most romantic cities. The report is based on the orders placed on Amazon.in for books in the Romance genre during January – December 2014.
In an interesting development, Ahmedabad and Bhubaneswar have joined their Tier-2 counterpart, Jaipur for the first time on the list. The top 10 cities with the highest readership of romance books are Delhi/NCR, Bengaluru, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Chennai, Pune, Kolkata, Ahmedabad, Jaipur and Bhubaneswar.
Indian authors topped the list of romance bestsellers. Chetan Bhagat’s ‘Half Girlfriend’ was the most read romance book across all the top 10 cities. Ravinder Singh, Sudeep Nagarkar and Preeti Shenoy were the other hot favourites of readers in 2014. Two of Ravinder Singh’s and three of Sudeep Nagarkar’s titles appear in the top 10 list and eight of the top 10 slots were grabbed by Indian authors.
John Green’s ‘The Fault in our Stars’ which was made into a movie and Paulo Coelho’s ‘Adultery’ were the only two books by non-Indian authors to feature in the top 10 list of romance titles of the year in the third and eighth spots respectively.
9. IMF, World Bank agree for $19.5-bn financial aid to Ukraine
The IMF and the World Bank have agreed to provide massive financial assistance to strife-torn Ukraine — $19.5 billion in all — to bail it out of an economic crisis.
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) and Ukraine had yesterday agreed on a $17.5-million bailout package with the World Bank announcing another $two million financial assistance.
“We hope that today’s agreement in Minsk and the IMF’s agreement with Ukraine will pave the way for a more stable economic and development environment to benefit the people of Ukraine,” said World Bank Group President Jim Yong Kim.
“Today I am announcing that the World Bank is ready to commit up to $2 billion in 2015, supporting the people of Ukraine in the face of current economic, financial, and geopolitical challenges.
“It is vital that Ukraine undertakes comprehensive reforms quickly,” Jim said.
The World Bank’s statement came after IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde announced having reached an agreement on a $17.5 billion bailout package for Ukraine.
10. Telugu novelist Kesava Reddy passes away
Renowned Telugu novelist Kesava Reddy has passed away in Nizamabad district of Telangana. He was 68.
He was well known for his writings that had addressed many important social problems in India like poverty, prejudices and superstitions.
11. World Radio Day observed on 13 February
World Radio Day was observed globally on 13 February 2015 with the theme
Youth and Radio.
The day is a global celebration of radio as a forum for entertainment and information, as a bridge of communication for remote communities and its role in empowering people.
United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) annually celebrate the World Radio Day by planning activities with broadcasters, organizations and communities around the world.
12. Editor Unplugged: Media, Magnates, Netas and Me authored by Vinod Mehta
Book titled Editor Unplugged: Media, Magnates, Netas and Me written by Vinod Mehta was in news in the first week of February 2015. The book was published by Penguins India.
Vinod Mehta is a veteran journalist and was Editor-in-Chief of Outlook weekly magazine until February 2012.
The author’s new book takes forward the story of Lucknow Boy, recounting his experiences in the corridors of power in Delhi.
For the second year in a row, Delhi/NCR topped the list of India’s most romantic cities, placed well ahead of Bengaluru and Mumbai, in Amazon.in’s second annual report on the country’s most romantic cities. The report is based on the orders placed on Amazon.in for books in the Romance genre during January – December 2014.
In an interesting development, Ahmedabad and Bhubaneswar have joined their Tier-2 counterpart, Jaipur for the first time on the list. The top 10 cities with the highest readership of romance books are Delhi/NCR, Bengaluru, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Chennai, Pune, Kolkata, Ahmedabad, Jaipur and Bhubaneswar.
Indian authors topped the list of romance bestsellers. Chetan Bhagat’s ‘Half Girlfriend’ was the most read romance book across all the top 10 cities. Ravinder Singh, Sudeep Nagarkar and Preeti Shenoy were the other hot favourites of readers in 2014. Two of Ravinder Singh’s and three of Sudeep Nagarkar’s titles appear in the top 10 list and eight of the top 10 slots were grabbed by Indian authors.
John Green’s ‘The Fault in our Stars’ which was made into a movie and Paulo Coelho’s ‘Adultery’ were the only two books by non-Indian authors to feature in the top 10 list of romance titles of the year in the third and eighth spots respectively.
9. IMF, World Bank agree for $19.5-bn financial aid to Ukraine
The IMF and the World Bank have agreed to provide massive financial assistance to strife-torn Ukraine — $19.5 billion in all — to bail it out of an economic crisis.
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) and Ukraine had yesterday agreed on a $17.5-million bailout package with the World Bank announcing another $two million financial assistance.
“We hope that today’s agreement in Minsk and the IMF’s agreement with Ukraine will pave the way for a more stable economic and development environment to benefit the people of Ukraine,” said World Bank Group President Jim Yong Kim.
“Today I am announcing that the World Bank is ready to commit up to $2 billion in 2015, supporting the people of Ukraine in the face of current economic, financial, and geopolitical challenges.
“It is vital that Ukraine undertakes comprehensive reforms quickly,” Jim said.
The World Bank’s statement came after IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde announced having reached an agreement on a $17.5 billion bailout package for Ukraine.
10. Telugu novelist Kesava Reddy passes away
Renowned Telugu novelist Kesava Reddy has passed away in Nizamabad district of Telangana. He was 68.
He was well known for his writings that had addressed many important social problems in India like poverty, prejudices and superstitions.
11. World Radio Day observed on 13 February
World Radio Day was observed globally on 13 February 2015 with the theme
The day is a global celebration of radio as a forum for entertainment and information, as a bridge of communication for remote communities and its role in empowering people.
United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) annually celebrate the World Radio Day by planning activities with broadcasters, organizations and communities around the world.
12. Editor Unplugged: Media, Magnates, Netas and Me authored by Vinod Mehta
Book titled Editor Unplugged: Media, Magnates, Netas and Me written by Vinod Mehta was in news in the first week of February 2015. The book was published by Penguins India.
Vinod Mehta is a veteran journalist and was Editor-in-Chief of Outlook weekly magazine until February 2012.
The author’s new book takes forward the story of Lucknow Boy, recounting his experiences in the corridors of power in Delhi.
1. India ranks 136 in World Press Freedom Index (WPFI) 2015
In recently released World Press Freedom Index (WPFI), India was placed at 136th rank out of 180 nations surveyed worldwide in terms of press freedom in 2015.
In WPFI 2015, India has shown improvement from its rank of 140 in 2014. However, India’s absolute score has declined from 40.34 to 40.49.
Top 10 countries: Finland (1st), Norway (2nd), Denmark (3rd), Netherlands (4th), Sweden (5th), New Zealand (6th), Austria (7th), Canada (8th), Jamaica (9th), Estonia (10th).
India’s Neighbours: Sri Lanka (165th), Pakistan (159th), Afghanistan (122th), China (176th), Bangladesh (146th).
In recently released World Press Freedom Index (WPFI), India was placed at 136th rank out of 180 nations surveyed worldwide in terms of press freedom in 2015.
In WPFI 2015, India has shown improvement from its rank of 140 in 2014. However, India’s absolute score has declined from 40.34 to 40.49.
Top 10 countries: Finland (1st), Norway (2nd), Denmark (3rd), Netherlands (4th), Sweden (5th), New Zealand (6th), Austria (7th), Canada (8th), Jamaica (9th), Estonia (10th).
India’s Neighbours: Sri Lanka (165th), Pakistan (159th), Afghanistan (122th), China (176th), Bangladesh (146th).
2. Indian-origin scientist Gurpreet Singh wins $500,000 National Science Foundation CAREER award
An Indian-origin scientist Gurpreet Singh has won prestigious $500,000 National Science Foundation CAREER award.
He has won this award for his research on Scalable liquid exfoliation processing of ultrathin two-dimensional metal dichalcogenides nanosheets for energy storage devices.
This CAREER award will help him to study large-scale production of ultrathin sheets, a few atoms thick and several micrometres wide using transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs).
At present no methods are available to produce thin TMDs in large quantities cost-effectively. His research aims to make that possible.
The prestigious award will also help him to organize educational activities for high school students and teachers.
3. Union Government constituted SIT to reinvestigate 1984 anti-Sikh riot cases
Union Ministry of Home Affairs constituted a three-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) for re-investigation of the 1984 anti-Sikh riot cases. The newly-constituted SIT has been empowered to examine fresh evidence in the cases that had even been closed.
The three-member SIT will be headed by Pramod Asthana, an IPS officer of 1986 batch. Other two members of SIT are retired district and sessions judge Rakesh Kapoor and Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police in Delhi Police Kumar Gyanesh.
The SIT will submit its report in six months and it will look into all serious criminal cases related to the riots, examine evidence and even re-open cases and file charge sheets in the courts concerned.
The SIT was constituted on the recommendations of the Mathur Committee. Mathur Committee headed by former Supreme Court judge Justice GP Mathur was constituted on 23 December 2014 to examine the possibility of constitution of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) for reinvestigation of the 1984 anti-Sikh riot cases.
4. Aditya Birla Chemicals to merge with Grasim Industries
The Board of Directors of Grasim Industries Limited approved the proposed merger of Aditya Birla Chemicals (India) Limited (ABCIL) with Grasim.
Under the merger proposal, the shareholders of ABCIL will get one share of 10 rupees each of Grasim for every 16 shares of 10 rupees each, they hold in ABCIL. 14.62 lakh new shares will be issued by Grasim, which will help the company to increase its share capital to 93.31 crore rupees.
The proposed scheme is subject to approval of the high court and regulatory authorities.
5. Odisha Chief Information Commissioner Tarun Kanti Mishra resigned
The Chief Information Commissioner (CIC) of Odisha Tarun Kanti Mishra resigned from his position.
A 1975-batch IAS officer, Mishra is also is associated with several cultural activities besides discharging his duties and responsibilities as an administrative officer. Mishra retired from the government service in August 2010.
Post-retirement, he was appointed at the state level selection committee meeting chaired by chief Minister Naveen Patnaik. On 15 November 2010, he was appointed as the Chief Information Commissioner of Odisha by replacing D.N. Padhee.
6. 7th round of India Kenya Joint Trade Committee meeting held in New Delhi
The 7th round of India Kenya Joint Trade Committee (JTC) meet was held in New Delhi . During the meet, the two sides reviewed bilateral trade between the two nations and reiterated their commitment towards strengthening mutually beneficial relationship. The two sides agreed
• To enhance cooperation in the fields of bilateral investment, infrastructure, SMEs, agriculture, health, energy, skill development & entrepreneurship, pharmaceuticals and tourism
• To ensure enhancement of bilateral trade and mutual cooperation, the two sides also agreed to meet often.
The 7th round of India Kenya Joint Trade Committee (JTC) meet was held in New Delhi . During the meet, the two sides reviewed bilateral trade between the two nations and reiterated their commitment towards strengthening mutually beneficial relationship. The two sides agreed
• To enhance cooperation in the fields of bilateral investment, infrastructure, SMEs, agriculture, health, energy, skill development & entrepreneurship, pharmaceuticals and tourism
• To ensure enhancement of bilateral trade and mutual cooperation, the two sides also agreed to meet often.
7. Bank of India to buy 19.9% stake in YouFirst Money Express
Bank of India is planning to buy 19.9 per cent stake in payment bank licence aspirant YouFirst Money Express Pvt Ltd.
“Payment bank is an investment for us. We will be investing to pick up 19.9 per cent stake of the Rs. 100 crore (minimum paid up) capital needed…It is a good opportunity to cross sell and of course, (the tie-up) offers credit opportunity,” said BoI Chairperson & Managing Director VR Iyer.
Started in 2013, YouFirst is an entrepreneurial venture promoted by former Reliance Capital (Anil Ambani group company) executives Vikrant Gugnani and Ganesh Pai. Currently, Gugnani is associated with Reliance Investment Banking Services, Reliance Money Precious Metals and whole-time director with Reliance Securities, while Pai is associated with Reliance money infrastructure Ltd and Reliance money solutions.
The company’s independent directors include JP Morgan Mutual Fund India director Gopalakrishnan Narayanan and former India CEO (chief executive officer) at American Express Bank Shrikant Rege.
Government-owned State Bank of India will also pick up 30 per cent stake in Mukesh Ambani-owned Reliance Industries. While private sector lender Kotak Mahindra Bank has tied up with Bharti Airtel’s Airtel M Commerce Services. The tie-ups are subject to RBI approval of the licence to the applicants.
Bank of India is planning to buy 19.9 per cent stake in payment bank licence aspirant YouFirst Money Express Pvt Ltd.
“Payment bank is an investment for us. We will be investing to pick up 19.9 per cent stake of the Rs. 100 crore (minimum paid up) capital needed…It is a good opportunity to cross sell and of course, (the tie-up) offers credit opportunity,” said BoI Chairperson & Managing Director VR Iyer.
Started in 2013, YouFirst is an entrepreneurial venture promoted by former Reliance Capital (Anil Ambani group company) executives Vikrant Gugnani and Ganesh Pai. Currently, Gugnani is associated with Reliance Investment Banking Services, Reliance Money Precious Metals and whole-time director with Reliance Securities, while Pai is associated with Reliance money infrastructure Ltd and Reliance money solutions.
The company’s independent directors include JP Morgan Mutual Fund India director Gopalakrishnan Narayanan and former India CEO (chief executive officer) at American Express Bank Shrikant Rege.
Government-owned State Bank of India will also pick up 30 per cent stake in Mukesh Ambani-owned Reliance Industries. While private sector lender Kotak Mahindra Bank has tied up with Bharti Airtel’s Airtel M Commerce Services. The tie-ups are subject to RBI approval of the licence to the applicants.
8. Delhi/NCR is India’s most romantic city
For the second year in a row, Delhi/NCR topped the list of India’s most romantic cities, placed well ahead of Bengaluru and Mumbai, in Amazon.in’s second annual report on the country’s most romantic cities. The report is based on the orders placed on Amazon.in for books in the Romance genre during January – December 2014.
In an interesting development, Ahmedabad and Bhubaneswar have joined their Tier-2 counterpart, Jaipur for the first time on the list. The top 10 cities with the highest readership of romance books are Delhi/NCR, Bengaluru, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Chennai, Pune, Kolkata, Ahmedabad, Jaipur and Bhubaneswar.
Indian authors topped the list of romance bestsellers. Chetan Bhagat’s ‘Half Girlfriend’ was the most read romance book across all the top 10 cities. Ravinder Singh, Sudeep Nagarkar and Preeti Shenoy were the other hot favourites of readers in 2014. Two of Ravinder Singh’s and three of Sudeep Nagarkar’s titles appear in the top 10 list and eight of the top 10 slots were grabbed by Indian authors.
John Green’s ‘The Fault in our Stars’ which was made into a movie and Paulo Coelho’s ‘Adultery’ were the only two books by non-Indian authors to feature in the top 10 list of romance titles of the year in the third and eighth spots respectively.
9. IMF, World Bank agree for $19.5-bn financial aid to Ukraine
The IMF and the World Bank have agreed to provide massive financial assistance to strife-torn Ukraine — $19.5 billion in all — to bail it out of an economic crisis.
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) and Ukraine had yesterday agreed on a $17.5-million bailout package with the World Bank announcing another $two million financial assistance.
“We hope that today’s agreement in Minsk and the IMF’s agreement with Ukraine will pave the way for a more stable economic and development environment to benefit the people of Ukraine,” said World Bank Group President Jim Yong Kim.
“Today I am announcing that the World Bank is ready to commit up to $2 billion in 2015, supporting the people of Ukraine in the face of current economic, financial, and geopolitical challenges.
“It is vital that Ukraine undertakes comprehensive reforms quickly,” Jim said.
The World Bank’s statement came after IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde announced having reached an agreement on a $17.5 billion bailout package for Ukraine.
10. Telugu novelist Kesava Reddy passes away
Renowned Telugu novelist Kesava Reddy has passed away in Nizamabad district of Telangana. He was 68.
He was well known for his writings that had addressed many important social problems in India like poverty, prejudices and superstitions.
11. World Radio Day observed on 13 February
World Radio Day was observed globally on 13 February 2015 with the theme
Youth and Radio.
The day is a global celebration of radio as a forum for entertainment and information, as a bridge of communication for remote communities and its role in empowering people.
United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) annually celebrate the World Radio Day by planning activities with broadcasters, organizations and communities around the world.
12. Editor Unplugged: Media, Magnates, Netas and Me authored by Vinod Mehta
Book titled Editor Unplugged: Media, Magnates, Netas and Me written by Vinod Mehta was in news in the first week of February 2015. The book was published by Penguins India.
Vinod Mehta is a veteran journalist and was Editor-in-Chief of Outlook weekly magazine until February 2012.
The author’s new book takes forward the story of Lucknow Boy, recounting his experiences in the corridors of power in Delhi.
For the second year in a row, Delhi/NCR topped the list of India’s most romantic cities, placed well ahead of Bengaluru and Mumbai, in Amazon.in’s second annual report on the country’s most romantic cities. The report is based on the orders placed on Amazon.in for books in the Romance genre during January – December 2014.
In an interesting development, Ahmedabad and Bhubaneswar have joined their Tier-2 counterpart, Jaipur for the first time on the list. The top 10 cities with the highest readership of romance books are Delhi/NCR, Bengaluru, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Chennai, Pune, Kolkata, Ahmedabad, Jaipur and Bhubaneswar.
Indian authors topped the list of romance bestsellers. Chetan Bhagat’s ‘Half Girlfriend’ was the most read romance book across all the top 10 cities. Ravinder Singh, Sudeep Nagarkar and Preeti Shenoy were the other hot favourites of readers in 2014. Two of Ravinder Singh’s and three of Sudeep Nagarkar’s titles appear in the top 10 list and eight of the top 10 slots were grabbed by Indian authors.
John Green’s ‘The Fault in our Stars’ which was made into a movie and Paulo Coelho’s ‘Adultery’ were the only two books by non-Indian authors to feature in the top 10 list of romance titles of the year in the third and eighth spots respectively.
9. IMF, World Bank agree for $19.5-bn financial aid to Ukraine
The IMF and the World Bank have agreed to provide massive financial assistance to strife-torn Ukraine — $19.5 billion in all — to bail it out of an economic crisis.
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) and Ukraine had yesterday agreed on a $17.5-million bailout package with the World Bank announcing another $two million financial assistance.
“We hope that today’s agreement in Minsk and the IMF’s agreement with Ukraine will pave the way for a more stable economic and development environment to benefit the people of Ukraine,” said World Bank Group President Jim Yong Kim.
“Today I am announcing that the World Bank is ready to commit up to $2 billion in 2015, supporting the people of Ukraine in the face of current economic, financial, and geopolitical challenges.
“It is vital that Ukraine undertakes comprehensive reforms quickly,” Jim said.
The World Bank’s statement came after IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde announced having reached an agreement on a $17.5 billion bailout package for Ukraine.
10. Telugu novelist Kesava Reddy passes away
Renowned Telugu novelist Kesava Reddy has passed away in Nizamabad district of Telangana. He was 68.
He was well known for his writings that had addressed many important social problems in India like poverty, prejudices and superstitions.
11. World Radio Day observed on 13 February
World Radio Day was observed globally on 13 February 2015 with the theme
The day is a global celebration of radio as a forum for entertainment and information, as a bridge of communication for remote communities and its role in empowering people.
United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) annually celebrate the World Radio Day by planning activities with broadcasters, organizations and communities around the world.
12. Editor Unplugged: Media, Magnates, Netas and Me authored by Vinod Mehta
Book titled Editor Unplugged: Media, Magnates, Netas and Me written by Vinod Mehta was in news in the first week of February 2015. The book was published by Penguins India.
Vinod Mehta is a veteran journalist and was Editor-in-Chief of Outlook weekly magazine until February 2012.
The author’s new book takes forward the story of Lucknow Boy, recounting his experiences in the corridors of power in Delhi.
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