1. SBI not to merge any associate bank this fiscal
i. State Bank of India has gone back on its plan to bring one of its associate bank’s under its fold in the current fiscal.
ii. For the time being, the associate bank merger is on the backburner. Nothing is going to happen till March 31, 2014,” said S. Vishvanathan, Managing Director, Associates and Subsidiaries.
iii. Arundhati Bhattacharya, the incumbent SBI chief, said, “We need to do a little more consolidation on our side before we take that (another bank) on. It is not off the table, but at this point we need to pay attention to what we are doing in a better manner.”
2. India Ranked 94th on Global Corruption Perception Index 2013
i. India was ranked 94th out of 177 countries on Global Corruption Perception Index 2013, which was released by Transparency International on 3 December 2013.
ii. In the Corruption Perceptions Index 2013, Denmark and New Zealand tied for first place with scores of 91. Afghanistan, North Korea and Somalia this year make up the worst performers, scoring just 8 points each.
iii. Transparency International has released its 19th annual Corruption Perceptions Index on 3 December 2013 at Berlin, Germany. The Index, which ranks the public sector of 177 countries across the world according to perception of corruption.
3. Book entitled Hard Choices to be released in June 2014
i. Publisher Simon & Shuster announced that they will release a book named Hard Choices authored by Hillary Rodham Clinton, the former first lady and New York senator on 10 June 2014.
ii. The upcoming book talks about her role as President Barack Obama’s secretary of state for four year.
iii. Clinton’s book will offer inside account of choices, crisis and challenges faced by her as a secretary of the state and how the experiences gained during her tenure drive her view of the future.
4. Delhi to celebrate 150th birth aniv of Assam's literature icon
i. A year-long celebration to mark the 150th birth anniversary of Assamese literature pioneer Lakshminath Bezbaruah will kick-start in the Capital next month with a sarod recital by Amaan Ali Khan and Ayaan Ali Khan and a performance by Bollywood singer Angaraag Papon Mahanta.
ii. Assam Association, Delhi (AAD) is taking the initiative of bringing under one platform non-resident Assamese on the occasion.
iii. Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) Minister Paban Singh Ghatowar, sarod maestro Ustad Amjad Ali Khan, actress Sharmila Tagore and filmmaker Jahnu Barua will be among the patrons of the celebrations.
iv. The anniversary celebrations will begin with a cultural evening of songs and music on December 22 in which Papon, the voice behind 'Kyon' ("Barfi") and 'Sun le re' ("Madras Cafe"), and the Khan brothers.
v. The event will aim to inspire all non-resident Assamese to get connected to the root and contribute to developing their mother tongue and own heritage by recognising Bezbaruah as their true icon," says Sarat Barkakati, general secretary of AAD.
vi. The event will also flag off projects on Learning of Assamese language, on web-based social-cultural forum for exchange of ideas and Web-based comprehensive history of Assam.
i. State Bank of India has gone back on its plan to bring one of its associate bank’s under its fold in the current fiscal.
ii. For the time being, the associate bank merger is on the backburner. Nothing is going to happen till March 31, 2014,” said S. Vishvanathan, Managing Director, Associates and Subsidiaries.
iii. Arundhati Bhattacharya, the incumbent SBI chief, said, “We need to do a little more consolidation on our side before we take that (another bank) on. It is not off the table, but at this point we need to pay attention to what we are doing in a better manner.”
2. India Ranked 94th on Global Corruption Perception Index 2013
i. India was ranked 94th out of 177 countries on Global Corruption Perception Index 2013, which was released by Transparency International on 3 December 2013.
ii. In the Corruption Perceptions Index 2013, Denmark and New Zealand tied for first place with scores of 91. Afghanistan, North Korea and Somalia this year make up the worst performers, scoring just 8 points each.
iii. Transparency International has released its 19th annual Corruption Perceptions Index on 3 December 2013 at Berlin, Germany. The Index, which ranks the public sector of 177 countries across the world according to perception of corruption.
3. Book entitled Hard Choices to be released in June 2014
i. Publisher Simon & Shuster announced that they will release a book named Hard Choices authored by Hillary Rodham Clinton, the former first lady and New York senator on 10 June 2014.
ii. The upcoming book talks about her role as President Barack Obama’s secretary of state for four year.
iii. Clinton’s book will offer inside account of choices, crisis and challenges faced by her as a secretary of the state and how the experiences gained during her tenure drive her view of the future.
4. Delhi to celebrate 150th birth aniv of Assam's literature icon
i. A year-long celebration to mark the 150th birth anniversary of Assamese literature pioneer Lakshminath Bezbaruah will kick-start in the Capital next month with a sarod recital by Amaan Ali Khan and Ayaan Ali Khan and a performance by Bollywood singer Angaraag Papon Mahanta.
ii. Assam Association, Delhi (AAD) is taking the initiative of bringing under one platform non-resident Assamese on the occasion.
iii. Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) Minister Paban Singh Ghatowar, sarod maestro Ustad Amjad Ali Khan, actress Sharmila Tagore and filmmaker Jahnu Barua will be among the patrons of the celebrations.
iv. The anniversary celebrations will begin with a cultural evening of songs and music on December 22 in which Papon, the voice behind 'Kyon' ("Barfi") and 'Sun le re' ("Madras Cafe"), and the Khan brothers.
v. The event will aim to inspire all non-resident Assamese to get connected to the root and contribute to developing their mother tongue and own heritage by recognising Bezbaruah as their true icon," says Sarat Barkakati, general secretary of AAD.
vi. The event will also flag off projects on Learning of Assamese language, on web-based social-cultural forum for exchange of ideas and Web-based comprehensive history of Assam.
