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Current Affairs for IAS Exams - 11 May 2015

Current Affairs for IAS Exams – 11 May 2015

:: National ::

Parties slam AAP Govt. over circular

The Aam Aadmi Party-led Delhi Government came under strong criticism from political parties after it gave its Departments the go-ahead to seek legal recourse against news items with “defamatory imputations against the Chief Minister”.
Terming the circular, issued by the Directorate of Information and Publicity (DIP) on May 6, a result of “repeated exposures by media of the Arvind Kejriwal Government’s misdeeds”, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) accused the Chief Minister of being a “hypocrite”.
“He talks about unfettered freedom of speech but he wants everyone else’s throat to be throttled. This is the height of hypocrisy,” BJP spokesperson G.V.L .Narsimha Rao said.
Delhi Congress chief Ajay Maken termed the circular “virtual censorship”, adding that it was not only an attack on the media but also on democracy.
“As soon as his party came to power, he had stopped media’s entry in the building (the Delhi Secretariat). He should not have a problem with the media as his party came to power with their help,” Mr. Maken said.
According to the circular, if as per the opinion of the Director (prosecution), an offence of defamation is made out in relation to any news item whether aired or published, the Principal Secretary will refer the matter to the Law Department and obtain the sanction under Section 199 (4) of the Criminal Procedure Code (Cr.PC).
After the sanction is obtained, the Home Department will forward the case to the public prosecutor for making a complaint under Section 199(2) of the Cr.PC. The move comes days after the Delhi Government issued an order for close monitoring of all news channels.
“There are laws that punish defamation, but to start a special drive against the media is a subtle intimidation. Independent and active media is essential for democracy, and the media knows that irresponsible reporting can lead to a loss of credibility for them,” said D Raja, CPI leader and Member of Parliament.
A senior Government official, however, said the circular was a reiteration of existing rules. “The said circular is an internal communication and is not a new rule or law which has been enacted by the Government; there is nothing more to be added to it,” said a spokesperson.

Third Phalke for the Kapoor family

Shashi Kapoor — an actor par excellence, the man who brought Hollywood and Hindi cinema closer, a director who was always affable on the sets and yet a stickler for discipline.
Tributes flowed for the veteran actor-filmmaker, who received the Dada Saheb Phalke award from Union Information and Broadcasting Minster Arun Jaitley at the Prithvi Theatre.
Applause filled the Prithvi Theatre when the 77-year-old actor came to the dais on with children Sanjana and Kunal.
Fellow actors, including nephew Rishi Kapoor and superstar Amitabh Bachchan, shared their memories.
“Shashi Kapoor is undoubtedly a versatile personality Indian cinema has ever produced,” said Mr. Jaitley.
Mr. Rishi Kapoor said his uncle was the third in the Kapoor clan to receive the Phalke award after Prithvi Raj Kapoor and Raj Kapoor. This prompted Mr. Jaitley to quip: “The way the family is producing talent, I am sure this is not the last one.”

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:: International ::

Agnes Varda to receive Palme d’Or

French director Agnes Varda will be honoured with the prestigious Palme d’Or at the upcoming Cannes International Film Festival for the global impact of her body of work.
The 86-year-old becomes the first woman to be selected for this distinction.

‘Internet makes censorship redundant’

The Internet and the proliferation of satellite technology mean Iran can no longer control foreign news and television broadcasts, the country’s Culture Minister said on Sunday, urging a new approach. In remarks that signal the government’s intention to open Iran up to the world, Ali Jannati told police commanders that new delivery systems ignore borders, making censorship measures redundant.
Although satellite television remains illegal, Iran is a technologically wired country with more than half its population under the age of 30.

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:: Sports ::

Bopanna-Mergea duo triumphs

Rohan Bopanna won his third doubles title of the season — his first with new partner Florin Mergea of Romania — after clinching a humdinger against the Serbian-Polish combination of Nenad Zimonjic and Marcin Matkowski 6-2, 6-7(5), 11-9 in the final of the Madrid Open.
In singles, Andy Murray downed Rafael Nadal 6-3, 6-2 in the summit clash. It was a dominant display by the Briton who hammered the ‘clay king’ in just one hour and 28 minutes.
For Murray, it was his first Masters crown on clay, and the second title on the trot after the win in Munich last week.
Bopanna and Mergea raced away with the opening set in just 23 minutes. However, Zimonjic and Matkowski won the second in a tie-breaker.
The super tie-breaker turned out to be a tense affair though Bopanna and Mergea opened up a 6-1 lead. Zimonjic and Matkowski pulled level at eight and even had match point at 9-8. However, Mergea saved it and the Indo-Romanian pair reeled off the next three points to win 11-9.