*CURRENT AFFAIRS (08:05:2014)

1. Supreme Court allows Tamil
Nadu to raise the water level in
the Mullaperiyar dam on Periyar
river to 142 feet.
- The apex court thus overturned
the law enacted by the Kerala
government in 2006 to restrict
the water level to 136 feet.
- The law was framed in response
to an earlier SC judgment allowing
the hike in water level.
- SC also pulled up Kerala for
interfering with the judicial
functions and violating the
doctrine of separation of power.
- A supervisory committee to
oversee the repair works and take
requisite safety measures has also
been constituted.
2. India is home to top 4 most air
polluted cities in the world namely
New Delhi, Patna, Gwalior and
Raipur respectively as per a report
by WHO.
- The study of 1,600 cities found
13 of the dirtiest 20 cities to be
Indian.
- The lethal New Delhi had an
annual average of 153
micrograms of small particulates
(the most worldover), known as
PM2.5, per cubic metre.
- The alarming and consistent rise
in air pollution has especially
engulfed the growing cities of
developing world, putting city-
dwellers at higher risk of cancer,
stroke and heart disease.
- Air pollution has killed about
seven million people in 2012,
making it the world's single
biggest environmental health risk.
3. Coca-Cola to drop controversial
ingredient Brominated Vegeteble
Oil (BVO) from its sports drinks.
- The flame retardant 'BVO' will
now be replaced with a safer
sucrose acetate isobutyrate or
glycerol ester of rosine.
- The consumption of harmful
BVO can cause impaired
neurological development,
reduced fertility, early onset of
puberty and altered thyroid
hormones.
4. India's aviation regulator 'DGCA'
grants operating permit to AirAsia
India.
- The joint venture between Tata
Sons, Malaysian carrier AirAsia,
and Telestra Tradeplace will now
become the country's seventh
airlines.
5. Thailand Prime Minister
Yingluck Shinawatra forced out by
the court after being found guilty
of abusing power as interim PM.
- Niwatthamrong
Boonsongpaisan will assume that
role until the next government
comes to power post July
elections.
6. Gujarat model of land
Acquisition has been declared the
best in the country by the
Department of Industrial Policy
and Promotion (DIPP)
- The report on Best Practices to
Improve Business Environment
across States/Union Territories in
India has been prepared by
consultancy firm Accenture for the
DIPP.
- The report praises it for being
very simplified with minimum
direct government participation.