Current Affairs For SSC CGL Exam - 20 December, 2013

Current Affairs For SSC CGL Exam

Aam Aadmi Party, which has created a nationwide stir by winning 28 of the 70 seats in Delhi in a stunning debut, is likely to form the government next week. AAP, which is carrying out a referendum to get "a sense of what the people want", is expected to announce its decision soon.
The decision to form a minority government backed by Congress, which has eight MLAs, is driven by the overwhelming response from people who want AAP to assume power in Delhi and deliver effective governance. Kejriwal said more than 75% of people in the Capital want AAP to assume office.
Asked if his party would form the government in Delhi now that Congress has extended unconditional support, Kejriwal said: "We will take a final call after our ward meetings through the weekend, but there is an overwhelming support and pressure from people."
Kejriwal added that his party, in all likelihood, will take up the challenge and form the government. Although Kejriwal personally is averse to joining hands with Congress or BJP, he said recent developments - Congress' unconditional support for AAP initiatives and surging popular demand - have forced a rethink.
Delhi is yet to get a government as it threw up a fractured mandate where BJP fell four short of majority at 32 seats and AAP came in a close second at 28.

Pakistan appointed career diplomat Abdul Basit as its new High Commissioner to India.
Basit, 55, was earlier tipped to take over as Foreign Secretary but the government recently made several changes in proposed appointments.
The government initially zeroed in on Syed Ibne Abbas as the new envoy to New Delhi but changed its mind as officials felt he was too junior for the crucial posting.
His last posting was as the envoy to Germany.
Current High Commissioner Salman Bashir had been asked to continue in New Delhi for Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif's visit to India last week.

The President Pranab Mukherjee administered the oath of office to former IAS officer Sushma Singh as Chief Information Commissioner at the Rashtrapati Bhawan.
A panel comprising Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj, and Law Minister Kapil Sibal appointed Ms. Singh.
Ms. Singh, who is the fifth Chief Information Commissioner of CIC, is the second woman to be appointed to the post after Deepak Sandhu.
She had joined the CIC as Information Commissioner on September 23, 2009.
Prior to joining the CIC, Ms. Singh served as Secretary to the Government of India in the Ministries of Information & Broadcasting, Panchyati Raj and the Development of the North East Region (DONER).
Besides her, there are eight Information Commissioners — Rajiv Mathur, Vijai Sharma, Basant Seth, Yashovardhan Azad, Sharat Sabharwal, Manjula Prasher, M A Khan Yusufi and Prof Madabhushanam Sridhar Acharyulu.
The CIC is mandated to resolve appeals and complaints filed by information seekers, under the Right to Information (RTI) Act, against government departments or public authorities.

World and European champions Spain top the final FIFA world rankings of the year for the sixth time in a row.
Football world governing body’s rankings show an unchanged top 10, with Spain leading going into World Cup year ahead of Germany and Argentina.
Colombia, Portugal and Uruguay follow, with Italy, Switzerland, Netherlands and World Cup hosts Brazil completing the leading 10.
The only changes in the top 30 see Bosnia—Herzegovina up two places to 19th, with France dropping a place to 20th while Mexico also slip a place to 21st The highest climbers of 2013 are Ukraine, who moved up 29 places to 18th. Ukraine failed to qualify for the World Cup finals after going out in the play—offs against France — a 3—0 second—leg loss after a 2—0 home win their only defeat of the year.

India's Cheteshwar Pujara slipped a rung to seventh in the batting list but R Ashwin remained steady at fifth in the bowling chart of the latest ICC Test rankings were issued .
Apart from Pujara, Virat Kohli, who struck a hundred on the opening day of the first Test against South Africa, is the only other Indian in the top-20 of the batting list. He is unchanged at 20th.
Among the bowlers, Pragyan Ojha moved up a spot to eighth. Ashwin, meanwhile, continued to hold the top position in the all-rounders' list.