13 September 2014: Daily Current Affairs for Exams

1) Peaceful by-polls held in 10 states with moderate to high balloting: Moderate to heavy turnout was reported in the biggest democratic exercise in India since the April-May general election as three parliamentary and 33 assembly constituencies spanning 10 states went for by-polls Saturday. The elections - regarded as a test of popularity of the respective state governments as also of the Bharatiya Janata Party which held many of these seats - were generally peaceful. The elections to the three Lok Sabha constituencies became necessary after three political stalwarts - Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav and Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao - resigned from Vadodara (Gujarat), Mainpuri (Uttar Pradesh) and Medak (Telangana) respectively.

2) Champions League T20 2014 starts: As many as 12 teams are taking part in the 2014 edition of the Champions League T20, which starts on 13 September. The event is divided into two stages, Qualifiers and Group Stages. Four teams will play against each other and the top two teams will make it to the next round of the Champions League T20. The 10 teams in the group stages will be divided into two groups and they will fight against the teams from the same group to make it to the semifinal. The tournament starts on 13 September and the final will be played on 4 October. The tournament is hosted by India.

3) SC ruled 3 percent quota for disabled persons in all government jobs: The Supreme Court on 12 September 2014 ruled 3 percent quota for disabled persons in all government jobs. A bench headed by Chief Justice R M Lodha said that the disabled people have not got their due in the last 19 years. Despite the Persons with Disabilities (Equal Opportunities, Protection of Rights and Full Participation) Act was passed in 1995. The bench also comprised Justices Kurian Joseph and Rohinton F Nariman. On the other hand, government contended that reservation cannot be given in case of promotion to Group A and Group B officers category as it is not a case of appointment. Further, it claimed that the Persons With Disabilities Act provides for three per cent quota for the differently-abled people.

4) World First Aid Day observed: World First Aid Day was observed on 13 Spetember across the world. This day observed to raise awareness on how first aid can save lives during crisis.

5) Mobile Services partially restored in Jammu Kashmir; free BSNL services for 1 week: Communications and IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on Saturday said people in flood-hit Kashmir will get free telecom services for a week on BSNL network, and mobile networks have been substantially or partially restored in the valley, except Poonch. 

Of the total 12,306 base transceiver stations (BTS) or mobile towers in J&K, 6,811 were submerged, he said, adding that of these the government has restored 1,208. "People can talk free for a week on BSNL's network in the flood affected areas. We have also requested private telecom operators. They have allowed 60 minutes of free talk time everyday," Prasad said at the press conference marking the first 100 days of in the ministry.

6) ABVP sweeps DUSU polls after 18 years: After a gap of 18 years, BJP's student wing Akhil Bhartiya Vidyarthi Parishad on Saturday swept Delhi University students' union elections, trouncing Congress' NSUI to bag all four positions and credited the triumph to "Modi wave". The ABVP won posts of president, vice president, secretary and joint secretary by comfortable margins, bettering last year's performance when it had lost one of the seats to the National Students' Union of India (NSUI). Mohit Nagar was elected president of DUSU while Pravesh Malik won the elections for vice president's post.

7) Davis Cup: Paes-Bopanna magic keeps India alive as hosts pull one back: Leander Paes yet again turned the clock back in company of Rohan Bopanna as the Indian duo recorded a dramatic come-from-behind 1-6 6-7(4) 6-3 6-3 8-6 win over Serbian pair of Nenad Zimonjic and Ilija Bozoljac to keep home team's chances alive in the Davis Cup World Group play-off tie in Bangalore on Saturday.

8) Telangana govt gives Rs 1 cr to Sania Mirza for US Open win: The Telangana government on Thursday felicitated tennis ace Sania Mirza for her recent victory in the US Open mixed doubles and presented her a cheque of Rs one crore. "Sania, who is the brand ambassador for Telangana, met Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao in Hyderabad, where he appreciated her for winning the title and wished that she win the upcoming China Open and Japan Open as well," a release from the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) said.

9) Mars Mission is in the pink of health: ISRO: India's ambitious Mars Orbiter Mission, scheduled to enter the Mars orbit later this month, is in the "pink of health" and sending vital information from a distance of 211 million km after covering 95 per cent of its journey, ISRO said. "MOM keeps sending us vital information about the health of its various modules and measurements from sensors. This is called Telemetry signal. Today's telemetry confirms that MOM is in the pink of health," Indian Space Research Organisation said on its micro-blogging site.