Union Cabinet approved a proposal to set up Legislative Council in Assam

Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on 28 November 2013 approved a proposal to create a Legislative Council in Assam.

According to the Article 169 of Constitution of India, Parliament can create or abolish the Legislative councils in States.

According to the proposal, the Legislative Council will have 42 members. As per Article 171 of the Constitution, the total number of members in the Council of a state having such a House shall not exceed one third of the total number of members in the Legislative Assembly of that state. In the case of Assam, the total number of MLAs is 126. 
The Assam state Legislative Assembly had in 2005 and 2010 passed a resolution demanding an Upper House. Political parties and groups believe that members of various communities and ethnic, groups which could not be sent to the Assembly, can be accommodated in the Council for a fair representation. Assam had an Upper House which was abolished after Independence.
The Vidhan Parishad (or Legislative Council) is the upper house in the states of India that have a bicameral legislature. 
As of 2011, six Indian states viz. Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Jammu and Kashmir, Karnataka, Maharashtra, and Uttar Pradesh have a Legislative Council. 
A Bill to create a Legislative Council in Rajasthan was introduced in Parliament recently and it is pending with the Standing Committee.

Name of the state	Number of seats in Legislative Assembly	Number of seats in Legislative Council
Andhra Pradesh	294	90
Bihar	243	75
Jammu and Kashmir	87	36
Karnataka	224	75
Maharashtra	288	78
Uttar Pradesh	403	100

Malala topped Power List 101 at GG2 Leadership awards

Malala Yousafzai, Kainat Riaz and Shazia Ramzan on 27 November 2013 were chosen for the GG2 Hammer Award, for their bravery at the GG2 (Garavi Gujarat 2) Leadership Awards 2013 a London. The activist Malala Yousafzai won the number one spot in the GG2 Power List 101 for her work in raising awareness for female empowerment.

Malala Yousafzai, the teenager from Pakistan, who was shot in the head by the Taliban for campaigning for girls’ education. She has been named as the Britain’s most influential Asian by a weekly publication. Kainat Riaz and Shazia Ramzan were shot and wounded in Swat Valley last year. The GG2 Hammer Award winner of 2013 transcends every boundary and appeals to the very core of our humanity.

The GG2 Power 101 has been compiled by The Asian Media and Marketing Group (AMG) and features the top 101 most influential Asians in the UK, ranging from all walks of life. Now in its third year, the list honours some notable British Asians who hold power and influence not just in Britain, but also globally. 

India’s 1st Synthetic Rubber Plant inaugurated in Panipat

Union Petroleum Minister Veerappa Moilyon 29 November 2013 inaugurated the first "Synthetic Rubber Plant" of the country atPanipat in Haryana.The country’s first e-SBR (styrene butadiene rubber) unit was set up by Indian Synthetic Rubber Ltd (ISRL), a joint venture promoted by Indian Oil, TSRC Corporation, Taiwan, and Marubeni Corporation, Japan. The plant will produce 120 kilo tonnes synthetic rubber annually, which would be used in industrial units for manufacturing automobile and daily need products. It is planned to increase the capacity of the plant to 220 KT in next two years. 
The project, which is estimated to cost Rs. 958 crore, has been funded through debt raised from Japan Bank for International Cooperation and Mizuho Corporation Bank. Technology for the manufacturing unit is being provided by TSRC Corporation.

National Tiger Conservation Authority approved fifth tiger reserve in Maharashtra

The National Tiger Conservation Authority on 28 November 2013 approved the fifth tiger reserve of Maharashtra in Nagzira. The Nagzira tiger reserve will be developed between Bhandara and Gondia districts, which will be the home of surplus tigers of the state. The tigers, who wander outside the Tadoba reserve territory, will go in Nagzira-Navegaon tiger reserve. The Nagzira sanctuary, which was of 150 square kilometer and the Navegaon National Park, was of 130 square kilometer, which has been increased to 700 square kilometer to form a new tiger reserve.
The four tiger reserves in Maharashtra are Melghat, Tadoba, Pench and Sahyadri. The state Government has issued a notification for the tiger reserve in Maharashtra.

Obama Appointed Indian-American Gargee Ghosh to President’s Global Development Council

Barack Obama, the President of US on 21 November 2013 appointed an Indian-American Gargee Ghosh to a key administration post as the member of the President’s Global Development Council.

"Selfie" named Oxford Dictionary's Word of the Year for 2013

The word Selfie was named as word of the year by Oxford Dictionaries on 19 November 2013.
Selfie, (Noun) means: a photograph that one has taken of oneself, typically one taken with a smartphone or webcam and uploaded to a social media website. The word has evolved from a niche social media tag into a mainstream term for a self-portrait photograph.
Other shortlisted words included twerk- a raunchy dance move performed by Miley Cyrus - and binge-watch - meaning watching lots of TV. Schmeat, meaning a form of meat synthetically produced from biological tissue, was also a contender.
Selfie was added to OxfordDictionaries.com in August 2013, although the Word of the Year selection is made irrespective of whether the candidates are already included in an Oxford dictionary.
The other words that were shortlisted include: bedroom tax, meaning a reduction in the amount of housing benefit paid to a claimant if the property; bitcoin— a digital currency in which transactions can be performed without the need for a central bank and olinguito, a small furry mammal found in mountain forests in Colombia and Ecuador. 

Ireland and Afghanistan qualified for ICC Twenty20 World Cup 2014

Ireland and Afghanistan on 24 November 2013 qualified for ICC Twenty20 World Cup 2014 after winning their respective matches in the qualifiers at Dubai.
Ireland defeated Hongkong by 85 runs while Afghanistan beat Kenya by 34 runs to qualify as the top teams from the two groups. Four places for the tournament are yet to be decided. The remaining four teams will be decided after a series of matches in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. The contestants include Nepal, UAE, Hongkong, Namibia, Scotland, Netherlands, Italy and Papua New Guinea. The 2014 ICC World Twenty20 to be held in Bangladesh from 16 March 2014 to 6 April 2014 and a total of 16 teams are participating in this tournament.

Afghanistan Cricket team also qualified for its maiden ICC World Cup after defeating Kenya by seven wickets at World Cricket League Championship in Sharjah on 4 October 2013.

US +5, Iran sign the historic nuclear deal

Iran on November 25, 2013struck a historic nuclear deal with the United States and five other world powers, marking the most significant development between the two nations in more than three decades of estrangement.
The agreement commits Iran to curb its nuclear activities in exchange for limited and gradual sanctions relief. It builds on the momentum of the dialogue opened during September's annual UN gathering, which included a 15-minute phone conversation between President Barack Obama and Iran's new president, Hassan Rouhani.
It marks a milestone between the two countries, which broke diplomatic ties 34 years ago when Iran's Islamic revolution climaxed in the storming of the US Embassy in Tehran.

World’s First Green Helicopter Tested in Germany

Germany’s aviation company e- Volo on 17 November 2013 successfully tested the first helicopter which is noiseless and emission-free named- Volocopter. The Volocopter is an environmentally friendly and emission-free private helicopter. 

James McBride wins National Book Award for fiction

The writers James McBride and George Packer have won National Book Awards at a gala event in New York, on November 20, 2013 that also honoured EL Doctorowand Maya Angelou.McBride took home the 2014 National Book Foundation fiction prize for “The Good Lord Bird”, an exploration of identity and survival during slavery. It was chosen from a shortlist of books by authors including Rachel Kushner, previous National Book Award winner Thomas Pynchon, Jhumpa Lahiri and George Saunders.
Packer won the non-fiction prize for “The Unwinding: An Inner History of the New America”, a story about the US that runs from 1978 to 2012 told through the lives of Americans from varying walks of life. It competed in a category dominated by historical works by Wendy Lower, Jill Lepore, Alan Taylor and Lawrence Wright.

Magnus Carlsen of Norway won FIDE World Chess Championship 2013

Magnus Carlsen of Norway won the FIDE World Chess Championship 2013 at Chennai on 22 November 2013. Magnus Carlsen defeated the previous world champion Viswanathan Anand of India by 6.5-3.5 in the match that was held from 7th November in Chennai, India.
The last 10th game (out of 12 possible) finished in a draw after 65 moves of play and Carlsen accumulated the necessary 6.5 points to claim the title.  The victory was worth 8.4 crore Rupees for Magnus Carlsen. Anand settled for 5.6 crore Rupees. The match was sponsored by the Tamil Nadu state and organized by FIDE and AICF.
The Magnus Calsen’s victory was also the end of Anand’s six-year reign as the World champion. It was Anand’s first loss in a world title match since 2007. Magnus Carlsen, who became the youngest world No. 1 at 19, also holds the record of being the strongest rated player in chess history with a published rating of 2872, on 1 February 2013. 

Malala Receives the Sakharov Prize

Pakistani teen campaigner and education activist Malala Yousafzai has received the EU's Sakharov human rights prize at a ceremony in Strasbourg, on November 19, 2013.
The 16-year-old activist was shot in the head by the Taliban after campaigning for better rights for girls in Pakistan, a year ago. The Taliban's Islamist doctrine puts harsh restrictions on women's rights and one of the militants shot her as she was riding in a bus with school friends. 
European Parliament President Martin Schulz presented the award. In a speech she dedicated the award to "the unsung heroes of Pakistan" and to human rights campaigners worldwide.
The Sakharov Prize for free speech is awarded by the European Parliament annually in memory of Soviet physicist and dissident Andrei Sakharov. More than 20 former laureates attended the ceremony, a parliament spokesman said. Malala Yousafzai is the 25th laureate. She joins a distinguished list of winners of the Sakharov Prize that includes Nelson Mandela and Aung San Suu Kyi. 

Nobel laureate Frederick Sanger passes away

Frederick Sanger, a British biochemist whose discoveries about the chemistry of life led to the decoding of the human genome and to the development of new drugs like human growth hormone, earning him two Nobel Prizes, a distinction held by only three other scientists, died on November 19, 2013 in Cambridge, England. He was 95.
His death was confirmed by Adrian Penrose, communications manager at the Medical Research Council in Cambridge. Dr. Sanger lived in a nearby village called Swaffham Bulbeck.
Dr. Sanger won his first Nobel Prize, in chemistry, in 1958 for showing how amino acids link together to form insulin. The discovery gave scientists the tools to analyze any protein in the body.
In 1980 he received his second Nobel, also in chemistry, for inventing a method of “reading” the molecular letters that make up the genetic code. This discovery was crucial to the development of biotechnology drugs and provided the basic tool kit for decoding the entire human genome two decades later. 
Unusual for someone of his stature, Dr. Sanger spent his entire career in a laboratory. Long after receiving his first Nobel, he continued to perform many experiments himself instead of assigning them to junior researchers as is typical in modern science labs.
Dr. Sanger said he was not particularly adept at coming up with experiments for others to do and had little aptitude for administration or teaching. 

Virat Kohli became Fastest Batsman to Score 5000 Runs in ODIs

Indian Cricketer Virat Kohli became the fastest batsman to score 5000 runs in one-day internationals when he scored 86 against the West Indies in the first ODI in Kochi on 21 November 2013. 

Virat Kohli achieved the feat in just 120 matches and 114 innings. He has so far scored 5005 runs, which included 17 centuries and 27 fifties in his short career.

In terms of innings, Virat Kohli has equalled the record of Sir Viv Richards of West Indies, who also achieved the feat in 114 innings way back in 1987 but it was Viv's 126th match. 

Before Kohli, former captain Sourav Ganguly was the fastest to achieve the feat among Indian batsmen in 131 matches and 126 innings. From India, skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni (135 innings), Gautam Gambhir (135 innings) and Sachin Tendulkar (138 innings) are the next fastest batsmen to reach the 5000 runs in ODIs.

Messi gets the Golden Boot

Barcelona football forward, Lionel Messi won a record third European Golden Boot for scoring the most goals in Europe's domestic leagues last season.
The 26-year-old Messi helped Barcelona win the 2012-13 Spanish league by scoring 46 goals despite missing several games with a right hamstring injury near the end of the season. Messi also won the award for 34 goals in 2009-10, and a Spanish record 50 in 2011-12. Former Barcelona star Hristo Stoichkov presented the prize to Messi on November 20, 2013.
The first player to receive the award three times, Messi dedicated his latest trophy to his family and his teammates, calling it a team award. Messi is recovering from a left hamstring tear that will probably keep him sidelined for the rest of 2013. It was his third leg injury of the season. Before his latest injury, he had eight goals in 11 league appearances.

Mangalore University Presented with Indira Gandhi NSS Best University Award 2012-13

President of India Pranab Mukherjee on 19 November 2013 presented Indira Gandhi National Service Scheme Best University Award 2012-13 to Mangalore University of Karnataka.
Mangalore University is fourth in the row of universities winning Indira Gandhi NSS Award in Karnataka. Prior to this university, RGUHS, Bangalore University, and UAS Dharwad had received this award.
The award comprises a memento and a citation along with a cash prize of 2 lakh Rupees.
President of India also gave NSS Best Plus 2 Council Award for 2012-13 to Directorate of Higher Secondary Education, Thiruvananthpuram while Upcoming University Award was presented to Kumaun University, Nainital. The awards are given to educational institutions, faculty and students for their contribution in various beneficial and voluntary activities.

The awards were presented on the occasion of National Integration Day (19 November 2013) at a function in Rashtrapati Bhawan, New Delhi. National Integration Day is the Birth anniversary of the first woman Prime Minister of the India, Indira Gandhi.

Angela Merkel to be honoured with Indira Peace Prize

German Chancellor Angela Merkel will be awarded the coveted Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development for 2013 with an international jury headed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh choosing her. The announcement was made on November 19, 2013 by the Indira Gandhi Memorial Trust.The trust said the prize was being given to 59-year-old German leader for her work in promotion of global economic stability and commitment to universal peace and disarmament and her leadership role in strengthening productive and mutually beneficial relations with India and other developing countries.
Merkel, who became the first woman to be elected as Chancellor of Germany, has been a strong supporter of close relations with India. Her joint declaration with the Indian Prime Minister greatly strengthened the Indo-German relations, leading to inter-governmental consultations during her state visit to India in 2011 and PM Manmohan Singh's visit to Berlin in 2013.

Nation's first All-Women Bank launched

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and the Congress president Sonia Gandhion November 19, 2013 launched the nation's first all-women Bharatiya Mahila Bank (BMB) in Mumbai through a video-conference, while the Finance Minister P. Chidambaram was also present during the event. The ceremony coincided with the birth anniversary of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.The Election Commission allowed the launch of the bank but had asked the government not to open its branches or do its publicity in poll-bound states. The government had wanted to launch the bank in Delhi but changed its plan in view of the model code of conduct in force in the capital ahead of the December 4 elections.
Headquartered in Delhi, the government appointed Usha Ananthasubramanian as the bank's Chairperson and Managing Director. The bank proposes to have 25 branches by March 31, 2014. Once inaugurated, seven branches of the bank would become operational across the country, including in Kolkata, Chennai, Ahmedabad and Guwahati. The Delhi and Indore branches will be opened after the Assembly polls in the states are over. The Finance Minister had announced the setting up of the all-woman bank in his Budget speech this year.

Angelina Jolie and Steve Martin receive honorary Oscars

Angelina Jolie, Steve Martin, Angela Lansbury and Pietro Tosi honoured with Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' annual Governors Awards.
The 38-year-old Angelina received the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award from director George Lucas, for her humanitarian work.
Steve Martin, Angela Lansbury and the Italian costume designer Pietro Tosi were also recognized with the Academy Honorary Award at the event in Los Angeles held on November 16, 2013.
The 68-year-old Martin has never been nominated for an Oscar, despite hosting the Academy Awards ceremony on three occasions. Lansbury has been similarly passed over by the Academy, despite being nominated three times for the best supporting actress Oscar.
Forest Whitaker will receive the Kirk Douglas Award for excellence in film on 15 December, while Oprah Winfrey will receive the Montecito Award on 5 February for her "inspirational" performance in the civil rights drama.

Bolt & Fraser-Pryce crowned World Athletes of 2013

Jamaican sprinters Usain Bolt and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce were crowned male and female World Athletes of the Year for 2013 by the sport's governing IAAF at Monaco.Bolt won gold in the 100 metres, 200 and 4x100 relay at the Moscow worlds in August to take his all-time tally to eight golds and two silvers at the championships, making him the most successful athlete in their history.The 27-year-old, who also has six Olympic gold medals and holds the 100 and 200 metres world records, won the IAAF (International Association of Athletics Federations) award for the third season in a row and the fifth time in six years.Compatriot Fraser-Pryce claimed gold medals in the same three events in Moscow, having previously won two golds and two silvers, and is also the Olympic sprint champion.

22nd CHOGM Summit ended with adoption of three declarations

The 22nd Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) held in Colombo, Sri Lanka, from 15-17 November 2013 on the theme Growth with Equity: Inclusive Development ended. The event concluded with the adoption of the independent declarations - on Youth, International Trade and Inclusive Development and the release of Summit Communiqué.  Before the end of the CHOGM, the leaders continued the discussions at the retreat, which was followed by an executive session, where the decisions taken at the meetings were formalized.
The participant leaders of the CHOGM unanimously agreed on the proposal to host the next CHOGM in 2015 in Malta. Before this, Malta hosted a Commonwealth Summit in 2005. Whereas, Mauritius had withdrawn its earlier offer to host the event.
The Indian delegation to CHOGM to Sri Lanka was led by the Foreign Minister of India, Salman Khurshid after Manmohan Singh, the Prime Minister of India decided to skip the event. Apart from this, 27 heads of Government had attended the event from the 50 member Countries. The highlight of the Opening Ceremony was an addressed by his royal highness, the Prince of Wales, who represented the Head of the Commonwealth. 

Malta to Host Next Commonwealth Summit in 2015

Malta, a Southern European country was on 17 November 2013 unanimously chosen as the host of the next Commonwealth summit in 2015. The decision was made at the retreat session of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Colombo, Sri Lanka after Mauritius withdrew as host of the 2015 Commonwealth summit as a result of its prime minister's boycott of the Colombo summit over Sri Lanka's human rights concerns. This is second time for Malta to host the Commonwealth summit. Before this, Malta hosted a Commonwealth Summit in 2005.

Doris Lessing, Nobel Prize-Winning Author, Died

British Nobel Prize-winning author Doris Lessing was died on 17 November 2013 at London.She was 94 years old. Her best-known works are The Golden Notebook, Memoirs of a Survivor and The Summer Before the Dark. In her life time she wrote more than 80 books, including poetry, two operas, short stories, plays and non-fiction. In 2007, the 88-year-old Doris Lessing became the oldest recipient of the Nobel Prize in Literature. and only the 11th woman to win the award. 

Waheeda Rehman to receive first Centenary film award at IFFI

Waheeda Rehman, the veteran actress of Bollywood will be conferred with the inaugural Centenary Award for the Indian Film Personality of the Year 2013 at the 44th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in Goa on 20 November 2013. The award will be given to her in recognition of her contributions to the film industry. She has been selected unanimously by the team of five member jury.  The award has been instituted by the Government of India to mark the 100 years of Indian Cinema. It includes a prize amount of 10 lakh rupees and a citation. 

First Integrated Checkpost along India-Bangladesh border inaugurated

The first Integrated Checkpost along Agartala-Akhaura, India-Bangladesh border was jointly inaugurated on 17 November 2013 by Union Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde and his Bangladeshi counterpart Mohiuddin Khan Alamgir. The chief Mister of Tripura, Manik Sarkar was also present on the occasion.
The integrated checkpost has been created to facilitate easier movement for the goods and passengers across the border and this will help in promoting the relations between India and Bangladesh. The Agartala-Akhaura Integrated checkpost is the first of the seven Land Customs Border Stations has been upgraded by the Land Port Authority of India along the 4096 km border. The Integrated Checkpost houses all regulatory agencies, which includes Immigration, Customs and Border Security and it constitutes a single complex equipped with the state-of-art facilities with dedicated cargo and passenger terminals, ware-housing and banking. 
Trade between India and Bangladesh has improved significantly after India granted zero-customs and zero-quota trade concessions to all Bangladeshi products, except 25 items. Bangladeshi exports to India hit a record of 562 million dollar during 2012-13.

INS Vikramaditya commissioned in Indian Navy

INS Vikramaditya aircraft carrier was inducted into the Indian Navy on 16 November 2013 giving a boost to the India’s maritime warfare capabilities. The INS Vikramaditya (44500 tonne carrier Admiral Gorshkov) was commissioned by the Union Defence Minister, AK Antony and the Russian Deputy Prime Minister, Dmitry Rogozin in a ceremony at the sub zero temperature in the wind-swept Sevmash Shipyard in the city of Severodvinsk port in the northern Arctic region of Russia. 

At the time of commissioning, the Russian flag on the 2.3 billion dollar vessel was lowered and the flag of the Indian Navy was raised in its place. The transfer deed of the aircraft carrier was signed by commanding officer of Vikramaditya Captain Suraj Beri and Deputy Director of Russian arms exporter Rosoboronexport Igor Sevastyanov.

The commissioning of the INS Vikramaditya will enhance the reach and capability of Indian Navy and its induction with its integral MiG 29K fighters and Kamov-31 helicopters will add a new dimension to the operational capabilities of the Navy.

Abdullah Yameen won Maldives Presidential Polls

Abdulla Yameen, the candidate of Progressive Party of Maldives on 16 November 2013 defeated the former premier, Mohammed Nasheed to win the Maldivian Presidential elections. Election Commission of Maldives announced the result of the election on 16 November 2013, in which Yameen defeated Mohamed Nasheed of Maldivian Democratic Party with a margin of six thousand votes. 
Yameen secured 51.39 percent (1 lakh 11 thousand) of votes, whereas Mohamed Nasheed received 48.61 (1 lakh 5 thousand votes). 45 foreign observers and 22 foreign monitors saw the transparency and credibility of the election. The winning candidate Abdullah Yameen will be sworn in as the President at a special seating of the Majlis, the Maldivian Parliament. 

Daley Thompson honoured with IAAF Hall of Fame award

British decathlon greatDaley Thompson is honoured with IAAF Hall of Fame award on November 16, 2013.  The 55-year-old veteran won Olympic gold at Moscow 1980 and Los Angeles 1984 as well as the world title in 1983. 
Thomson is among 12 athletes to be added to the 24 inaugural members announced last year. Fellow Briton Sebastian Coe, who twice won 1500m Olympic gold, was one of those inducted in 2012. French 200m and 400m runner Marie-Jose Perecis also on the list. The duo and the rest of the 2013 entrants will be formally added to the Hall of Fame at a ceremony in Monaco.
The criteria for the Hall of Fame initially required athletes to have won at least two Olympic or World titles, have set a world record and been retired for at least 10 years. However the rules were relaxed in 2013 to allow entry to athletes "whose achievements had an extraordinary impact on the sport". Norway's Grete Waitz, who died of cancer in 2011 at 57, is honoured for her pioneering performance in the women's marathon after not qualifying under the original specifications.

Prof. CNR Rao and Sachin Tendulkar Selected for Bharat Ratna Award

The Government of India on 16 November 2013 decided to confer, the Bharat Ratna, the highest civilian award on eminent scientist Prof CNR Rao and cricket player Sachin Tendulkar.

Sachin Tendulkar is the first sport person to win the Bharat Ratna Award.

The Bharat Ratna award so far, given only to eminent personalities from the field of dance, music, art, literature and the social sector. In the year 2011, the Government of India modified the eligibility criteria for Bharat Ratna Award - to enable eminent Sports-persons to receive the Nation’s highest civilian award.

About Prof. CNR Rao

Prof. Chintamani Nagesa Ramachandra Rao (CNR Rao) was born on 30 June 1934, Bangalore, India. He is an eminent scientist and a well recognized international authority on solid state and materials chemistry.

He has published over 1400 research papers and 45 books. Prof. CNR Rao's contributions have been recognized by most major scientific academies around the world through conferment of memberships and fellowships. He has been honoured with several national and international awards, including Padma Vibhushan.

Prof. CNR Rao is Honorary President of Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, Bangalore, India.

About Sachin Tendulkar

Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar is an Indian Batsman who is considered one of the greatest batsmen of the cricket world.

Sachin Tendulkar who belongs to Mumbai Maharashtra made his appearance in six world cups for India and was the member of the 2011 World Cup winning squad of the nation.

Sachin Tendulkar made his Test debut against arch-rival Pakistan at Karachi in 1989. He made his ODI debut against Pakistan in 1989 in Gujranwala. He currently holds the record for most hundreds in both Tests and One Day Internationals. 

In 198 Test matches, Sachin Tendulkar scored over Fifteen Thousand Eight hundred runs at an average of 53.86. He slammed 51 Test centuries and an unbeaten 248 against Bangladesh in Dhaka in 2004 was his best ever. 

He made 49 hundreds in the one-day format, including a double hundred which is the first in this form of cricket and 96 half centuries.

In 2012, Sachin Tendulkar became the first player to score 100 international centuries.

Sachin Tendulkar announced his retirement from Test cricket after playing his landmark 200th Test match against the West Indies on 15 November 2013. Earlier, Sachin Tendulkar announced retirement form one day cricket on 23 December 2012 and from Twenty20 cricket format on 26 May 2013.

About Bharat Ratna award

• Bharat Ratna, the highest civilian Award of the country was instituted in the year 1954.
• It is awarded in recognition of exceptional service/performance of the highest order in any field of human endeavour. 
• The recommendations for Bharat Ratna are made by the Prime Minister himself to the President. 
• The number of annual awards is restricted to a maximum of three in a particular year.
• The last recipient of Bharat Ratna award is Pandit Bhimsen Joshi in 2008.
• The first ever Indian to receive this award was the famous scientist, Chandrasekhara Venkata Raman.

Lord Swraj Paul presented with International Indian of the Decade Award

Lord Swraj Paul, a leading NRI industrialist and educationist was presented with the International Indian of the Decade award on 15 November 2013. Swraj Paul was presented the award for his outstanding achievements in the fields of industry, education and philanthropy. 
Virender Paul, the acting High Commissioner of India to the UK presented the award to Lord Swraj Paul at the 20th anniversary of the publication of India Link International (a monthly magazine). 

22nd Commonwealth Heads Of Government Meeting (CHOGM) began in Colombo, Sri Lanka

The 22nd Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, CHOGM began in Colombo, Sri Lanka on 15 November 2013. The Summit was inaugurated by Prince Charles of England, who is representing Queen Elizabeth at the Commonwealth Summit. The theme for CHOGM 2013 is Growth with Equity; Inclusive Development. 

The official symbol for CHOGM is Water lily flower. The logo symbolises the blue water lily (Nil Manel), the national flower of Sri Lanka. The multi coloured petals represent the diversity, liveliness and unity among different Commonwealth countries within a global perspective.

External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid is represented the India in the 22nd Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM). This year, CHOGM in Sri Lanka, the first time an Asian country is hosting the summit in 24 years. The last CHOGM Summit (in 2011) was held at Perth, Australia.

About CHOGAM

The Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) is held every two years to enable leaders of Commonwealth countries to come together to discuss global and Commonwealth issues, and to decide on collective policies and initiatives.

Every CHOGM is jointly organized by the host country and the Commonwealth Secretariat. These biennial meetings serve as the principal policy and decision-making forum to guide the strategic direction of the association.

Commonwealth leaders have been coming together for discussions since 1949, but the title Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting was adopted during a session in Singapore in 1971. This specific classification was used to depict the gathering of both presidents and prime ministers in the event.

One unique aspect of the meeting is that the formal opening ceremony and the formal Executive Session are followed by a where leaders meet privately for discussions. With an informal atmosphere, this session allows heads of state to freely and frankly exchange their views on important issues and come to a consensus.

Previous CHOGMs have focused on a range of global issues, including international peace and security, democracy, climate change, multilateral trade issues, good governance, sustainable development, small states, debt management, education, environment, gender equality, health, human rights, information and communication technology, and youth affairs.

The theme of the 2011 CHOGM in Perth, Australia, was Building National Resilience, Building Global Resilience.

About the Commonwealth of Nations

The Commonwealth of Nations is a voluntary association of 53 countries, many of them former territories of the British Empire. It was established in 1949. The head of the Commonwealth is Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

Member countries

Fifty-three countries are members of the Commonwealth. These Countries are from Africa, Asia, the Americas, Europe and the Pacific and are diverse – they are amongst the world’s largest, smallest, richest and poorest countries. Thirty-two of our members are classified as small states – countries with a population size of 1.5million people or less and larger member states that share similar characteristics with them.

Leaders of member countries shape Commonwealth policies and priorities. Every two years, they meet to discuss issues affecting the Commonwealth and the wider world at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM).

All members have an equal say regardless of size or economic stature. This ensures even the smallest member countries have a voice in shaping the Commonwealth.

The last two countries to join The Commonwealth - Rwanda and Mozambique - have no historical ties to the British Empire.Four countries - Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Fiji and Pakistan - have been suspended from the Commonwealth in the past.

The Gambian Government on 2 October 2013 announced that it is pulling out of the Commonwealth with immediate effect.  Gambian, a West African country joined the Commonwealth of Nations in 1965.