Current Affairs For SSC CGL Exam - 04 March, 2014

Current Affairs For SSC CGL Exam

Nepal’s former Foreign Secretary Arjun Bahadur Thapa has assumed charge as the Secretary General of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC).
Thapa, who succeeds Ahmed Saleem of Maldives, is the 12th Secretary General of the regional grouping.
This is the second time Nepal assumed the top post of the regional body since its establishment in 1985.
Former Foreign Secretary Yadav Kanta Silwal held the post from January 1994 to December 1995.
The members of the SAARC are: Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Afghanistan.
Thapa, 58, was appointed to the position by the 30th Session of the SAARC Council of Ministers held in the Maldives on February 20.
Kathmandu will host the 18th SAARC Summit in November this year.

The International Boxing Federation (AIBA) has reportedly terminated any official relationship with its current suspended member, the Indian Amateur Boxing Federation (IABF), for damaging the image, reputation and interest of the sport in the country.
According to the official AIBA website, AIBA has not recognized any official activities and did not support the officers from IABF since the December 2012 suspension, adding that after receiving disturbing reports on the way the sport of boxing was managed in India, it has now become impossible for them to continue any association with India.
The AIBA Executive Committee will make a final decision and rehabilitate a National Federation as soon as it 'deems that it has found the right group of people who will support the principles of AIBA in terms of ethics and fairness and who care primarily about the boxers and the sport and not about their personal interests'.
Boxers and coaches will remain protected and authorized to compete at any competition at all levels under the AIBA flag. AIBA also hopes that the IOA will give its full cooperation until AIBA approves a new National Federation for the sake of the sport of boxing in India.

India's doubles tennis player Rohan Bopanna leaped four places to 12th in the latest ATP rankings.
The Indian achieved the feat after clinching the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships title with Pakistani Aisam ul Haq Qureshi.
Meanwhile, Leander Paes still remains India's highest ranked doubles player at No.10 while another veteran Mahesh Bhupathi slipped six places to No.47.
In the men's singles category, Somdev Devvarman and Yuki Bhambri remained static at 78th and 146th, respectively, while Sania Mirza is No.11 in the women's doubles list.

In a setback for the UPA government’s efforts to put in place the Lokpal before the expiry of its term, former Supreme Court Judge K.T. Thomas has decided not to head the search committee.
The panel’s mandate is to forward names to a selection committee headed by the Prime Minister for appointment of the chairperson and other members of the Lokpal.
Besides the Prime Minister, the selection panel has the Lok Sabha Speaker, the Leader of the Opposition, the Chief Justice of India or a judge of the apex court nominated by him, and an eminent jurist nominated by the President or any other member.