5 MARCH 2014

Ø  3^RD BIMSTEC summit took place at Nay Pi Taw.

Ø  Telangana will come into existence in June. The Union government has decided on June 2 as the “appointed day” for the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh.

Ø  Former Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit is all set to be appointed Governor of Kerala.

Ø  The Centre on Tuesday announced the setting up of R.C. Bose Centre for Cryptology and Security in the Indian Statistical Institute in Kolkata at a cost of Rs.115 crore.

Ø  Facebook is reportedly in discussions to acquire Titan Aerospace, a manufacturer of drones, for around $60 million. Facebook is reportedly interested in acquiring a company that makes drones to replace satellites, capable of flying at high altitude for up to five years at a time. Titan Aerospace specialises in solar-powered, very high flying drones capable of staying airborne for five years at a time, positioned as a more cost-effective alternative to orbital satellites dubbed as ‘atmospheric satellites’. Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg took to the stage at Barcelona’s Mobile World Congress in February to elaborate on the Internet.org coalition’s plans to connect the next five billion people to the internet in developing nations. The drones could be used to blanket large areas of Africa and other countries with internet access. Titan Aerospace would be fully committed to the Internet.org project post acquisition, and would start building 11,000 drones for the effort.  Titan Aerospace was founded in 2012, with research and development facilities in New Mexico, aiming to create a new type of drone called an ‘atmostat’, which could fulfil the role of a near-Earth satellite at a fraction of the cost and without needing to be launched into orbit.