Current Affairs For SSC CGL Exam - 20 March, 2014

Current Affairs For SSC CGL Exam

The Election Commission has signed up leading Bollywood actor Aamir Khan as its 'national icon' in the run-up to 2014 Lok Sabha polls.
Aamir will be part of the EC's voter awareness initiatives.
His main task would be to encourage more and more people to vote in the General Elections.
Aamir joins the league of four other 'national icons' – Indian cricket team captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, boxer MC Mary Kom, badminton ace Saina Nehwal and former president APJ Abdul Kalam.

With its major defence and nuclear interests tied up with Eurasia, India has made it clear that it will not support sanctions sought to be imposed on Russia by a select group of countries led by the U.S.
This is in line with India’s policy of implementing sanctions approved only by the United Nations. . Though India has supported sanctions against Fiji and economically blockaded Nepal twice in the past, it has spoken of late against “unilateral” sanctions.
The government’s stand emerged a day after Russian President Vladimir Putin called up Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to explain the situation that led to the annexation of Crimea. The Prime Minister dwelt on India’s position on the unity and territorial integrity of countries and suggested that “all concerned” strive for a diplomatic solution.

Iran and world powers locked horns over the future of a planned Iranian nuclear reactor that could yield plutonium for bombs as the United States warned "hard work" will be needed to overcome differences when the sides reconvene in April.
Tehran's foreign minister voiced optimism that a July 20 deadline for settling a long-running dispute about the scope of Iran's nuclear programme was within reach.
The meeting in Vienna was the second in a series that the six nations - the United States,China, Russia, Germany, France, Britain - hope will produce a verifiable settlement, ensuring Iran's nuclear programme is oriented to peaceful ends only, and put to rest the risk of a new Middle East war.
Western nations want to ensure that the Arak reactor is modified sufficiently to ensure it poses no bomb proliferation threat. Iran insists that the desert complex be free to operate under any accord as it would be designed solely to produce radio-isotopes for medical treatments.

Saina Nehwal is the only Indian to have been seeded at the $250,000 India Open Super Series to be held in Delhi from April 1-6.
World No.1 Li Xuerui of China is the top seed while defending champion and world No.4 Ratchanok Intanon of Thailand has been seeded fourth.
Saina’s compatriot P.V. Sindhu will take on second seed Shixian Wang of China in the opener.
The other Indians in the women’s singles main draw are Tanvi Lad, Trupti Murgunde, P.C. Thulasi, Saili Rane and Arundhati Pantawane.