CURRENT AFFAIRS: JUNE 2011

NATIONAL AFFAIRS Rights of Persons with Disabilities Bill On June 30, 2011, India took a huge leap forward towards guaranteeing equality and non-discrimination to more than 70 million of its disabled as a government committee appointed to draft a new law for the sector submitted a ground-breaking disability legislation that provides legal mechanisms to enforce civil and political rights of the persons with disabilities. The Rights of Persons with Disabilities Bill 2011 specifies, for the first time, criminal sanctions for acts of omission and commission against the disabled; bars discrimination on grounds of disability and proposes enhanced job quota for the disabled from 3 to 7 per cent in all establishments. The quota is to be distributed among seven listed categories of the disabled. Twenty forms of disability, including intellectual disabilities, thalassemia, dwarfism and haemophilia, are covered by the new law (against seven currently covered). There is also a provision to create a National Disability Regulatory Authority to prescribe standards on accessibility and rules for service providers. The law says no new building plan can be passed unless it meets accessibility norms; existing government buildings will have to become accessible in three years of the laws enforcement and other public buildings will get five years. Non-compliance will result in suspension of water, electricity supply to buildings; cancellation or suspension of builders licence or fine up to 5 per cent of the buildings market value or a combination of all. Separate chapters have been dedicated to the rights of disabled women and children and penalties prescribed for violation. All disabled children (0 to 18 years) will be entitled to the Right to Education though the RTE Act covers those from 6 to 14 years. The Bill further replaces the existing concept of plenary guardianship with limited guardianship, which means all guardians of persons with disabilities will be legally obliged to consult them to arrive at legally binding decisions. The law prescribes severe penalties6 months to 8 years in prison and finefor wilfully injuring a person with disability; up to seven years and fine for wrongful medical practises that cause infertility and up to 10 years for forceful termination of pregnancy. For general violations, a penalty of 6 months and Rs 50,000 fine is proposed. The new law is in accordance with the UN Convention on Rights of Persons with Disability, which India ratified in 2007. Draft Manufacturing Policy approved The UPA government has unveiled a National Manufacturing Policy (NMP). The policy seeks to create 100 million industrial jobs by 2025. The NMP has set a target of increasing manufacturing sector growth to 12-14 per cent over the medium term. The policy wants the sector to contribute at least 25 per cent to the GDP by 2025. It will address issues of rationalisation and simplification of business regulations, simple and expeditious exit mechanism for closure of sick units and financial and institutional mechanisms for technology development. Green technologies, industrial training and skill upgrade are also on the agenda. The government will take measures to make industrial land available through creation of land banks by States and utilization of lands locked under non-productive uses, including defunct or sick industries. A comprehensive exit policy has been conceptualised which will promote productivity, while providing flexibility by removing rigidity in the labour market. Home-grown technology will find favour and policies will be put in place for development of advanced indigenous , including tax concessions and government subsidies and preferential purchases by government agencies. While India will continue with bilateral and regional free trade agreements, it will be ensured that such agreements do not have a detrimental effect on domestic manufacturing. The government will also consider use of public procurement in specified sectors, with stipulation of local value addition, in areas of critical technologies like solar energy equipment, electronic hardware, fuel efficient transport equipment and ITbased security systems. Union Cabinet okays affordable housing project In an effort to create a slum-free country by 2020, the Union government has approved the development

of housing and basic facilities in slums across 250 cities in the country, under the Rajiv Awas Yojana. The slum development projects would be undertaken in 250 cities that have a population of more than one lakh. The project will be undertaken across the country by the end of the 12th Five Year Plan (2012-2017). The scheme aims at helping re-development of slums, stopping proliferation and providing a dignified life, besides property rights to the dwellers. The Union government will bear 50 per cent of the cost of the projects and Rs 1,000 crore will be provided as capital for mortgage guarantee facilities under the scheme. The Centre will provide financial assistance to States willing to assign property rights to slum-dwellers for provision of shelter and basic, civic and social services, besides creation of affordable housing stock. Around 32.1 million people live in slums in Indian cities. The foundation for the scheme was first laid by the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM), which was launched on December 2005 and is the largest national urban initiative to encourage reforms and planned development of 63 identified cities. Visit of New Zealands Prime Minister New Zealand Prime Minister John Key arrived in India on June 26, 2011 for his first visit to India to meet his counterpart Manmohan Singh and discuss the free trade agreement between the two countries. Key was accompanied by a 26-member delegation that included Minister of Trade Tim Groser and Indianorigin MP Kanwaljit Singh Bakshi. The delegation also visited Agra and Mumbai. During his meeting, Mr Key promoted his governments India strategy, which aims to position India as a core political, economic and trade partner for New Zealand by 2015. He said the strategy has been developed by government agencies in consultation with business houses, exporters and academics. The trade potential of the India market is huge and we have set a target of growing two-way trade from 1.28 billion New Zealand dollars to three billion by 2014, he added. India, Pakistan agree to more Loc trade, travel On June 24, 2011, India and Pakistan decided to initiate a series of nuclear and cross-LoC confidence building measures (CBMs) as the Foreign Secretaries of the two countries concluded their two-day talks in New Delhi on a positive note. Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao and her Pakistani counterpart Salman Bashir said the two sides had agreed to carry forward the dialogue in a constructive and purposeful manner. Rao made it clear to the Pakistani side that it would be difficult for the two countries to move forward on the J&K issue under the shadow of the gun and extremist violence. The Indian side also conveyed to Islamabad its concern over continuing infiltration in J&K. Over the cross-LoC CBMs, Rao said the two sides agreed to convene a meeting of the working group in the matter for strengthening and streamlining the existing trade and travel arrangements and propose modalities for introducing additional cross-LoC CBMs. The two countries have decided to increase the frequency of the Srinagar-Muzafarrabad bus service, open more trade routes along the LoC, increase number of trading days as well as the validity of travel permits to six months and provide banking facilities to businessmen. They also decided to set up a group of experts on nuclear and conventional CBMs to discuss implementation and strengthening of existing arrangements and to consider additional measures to build trust and confidence and promote peace and security. The Foreign also discussed an agreement to prevent any untoward situation at high seas as was witnessed recently in the Gulf of Aden when sailors of MV Suez were being taken to safety. NATGRID gets in-principal approval After the establishment of National Investigation Agency (NIA) to probe terror cases, the Union Home Ministry has got the in-principle approval for it's another show-case project the National Intelligence Grid (NATGRID). The law enforcement and intelligence agencies would be able to share information real time once the NATGRID becomes fully operational. NATGRID will have access to about 21 categories of databases like phone records, credit card transactions, travel details, bank accounts, income tax returns and visa and immigration records. The database will be available to 11 law enforcement and intelligence agencies. The ambitious "Crime and Criminal Tracking Network System (CCTNS) will lay the ground work for the NATGRID. So far, there is no system under which one police station can talk to another directly. There is no record of

crimes or criminals that can be accessed by a Station House Officer, except the manual records relating to the particular police station. Also, there is no system of data storage and data sharing. All these issues will be taken care of under CCTNS. India gets first e-waste management rules Putting the onus of re-cycling of electronic wastes (e-waste) on the producers, the Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoEF) has for the first time notified e-waste management rules. The e-waste (management and handling) Rules, 2011 would recognise the producers liability for recycling and reducing e-waste in the country. The rules will come into effect from May 1, 2012. Personal Computer manufacturers, mobile handset makers and white goods makers will be required to come up with e-waste collection centres or introduce take back systems. India, at present, generates about 400,000 tonnes of e-wastes annually of which only 19,000 tonnes are getting recycled. Around 40 per cent of the unused and obsolete electronic products sit idle at homes and warehouses as one does not know what to do with it or there is no systematic mechanism to dispose it. E-wastes are considered dangerous, as certain electronic components contain substances such as lead, cadmium, lead oxide (in cathode ray tubes), toxic gases, toxic metals, biologically active materials, acids, plastics and plastic additives. These substances are considered hazardous depending on their condition and density. Under the new rules, producers will have to make consumers aware about the hazardous components present in the product. They will also have to give information booklets to prevent e-waste from being dropped in garbage bins. However, according to the rules, bulk consumers such as enterprises and government will be responsible for recycling of the e-wastes generated by them. The bulk users have to ensure that the e-waste generated by them is channelized to authorised collection centres or is taken back by the producers. They also have to maintain records of e-wastes generated by them and make such records available with State Pollution Control Boards or the Pollution Control Committees

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

OECD sees growth firm Global economic recovery is on track, helped by a stronger United States, but threats ranging from high oil prices to European sovereign debt crises could yet combine to create a bout of stagflation, according to the Paris-based Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). OECD says the US and Euro area economies were growing faster than expected in forecasts six months ago, although Japans economy was set to contract after the March earthquake, tsunami and nuclear crisis. In its twice-yearly Economic Outlook, the OECD forecast world growth would ease to 4.2 per cent in 2011, from 4.9 per cent in 2010, before accelerating to 4.6 per cent in 2012. This is a delicate moment for the global economy, and the crisis is not over until our economies are creating enough jobs again, OECD Secretary-General Angel Gurria said. There is also some concern that if downside risks reinforce each other, their cumulative impact could weaken the recovery significantly, possibly triggering stagflation in some advanced economies. The OECD also cited a slow recovery in Japan as a possible threat to its economic partners, especially if global supply chains remain disrupted as a result.

The effect would be all the more damaging if coupled with a bigger-than-expected slowdown in China, a spiralling sovereign debt crisis in Europe and/or persisting uncertainty over budget policies in the United States and Japan, the OECD warned. If those risks coincided with a renewed surge in oil prices, then the major economies could see stagflationthe pernicious combination of stagnant growth and high inflation. The situation was made all the more fragile by high levels of debt, with the average level of debt across the OECD expected to top 100 per cent of output in 2011. OECD chief economist Pier Carlo Padoan said major economies were not only strong enough to withstand fiscal tightening, but needed to get debt down to keep it from becoming a brake on growth. European Union Summit Major decisions on economic policy, immigration, relations with North African countries and Croatian membership were taken during the EU Summit, held June2324, 2011 in Brussels. EU leaders agreed to expand measures to coordinate economic reforms and spending policies. They endorsed the Commission guidelines on measures which each EU country should take to stimulate economic growth, create jobs and keep public finances under control. The decision closed the first European semester, a six-month process during which EU governments consult each other as they formulate spending plans and economic policies. Governments must now take the guidelines into account when drafting their budgets and making reforms for 2012. EU leaders also agreed to changes increasing the effectiveness of a temporary fund providing financial help to euro zone countries in difficulty. It will be replaced by a permanent 500bn fund in 2013. They encouraged Greeces Parliament to pass laws on a fiscal strategy and privatisation. The reforms will allow euro zone countries and the International Monetary Fund to provide more support under a new rescue package. Euro zone leaders agreed that the private sector should provide some of the additional funding. They reaffirmed their commitment to do whatever is necessary to ensure the financial stability of the single currency. Member governments asked the Commission for ideas on strengthening cooperation among the countries in the EUs border-free area. The measures should allow countries to coordinate their responses to exceptional circumstances, such as sudden inflows of asylum seekers. Leaders called for proposals on common asylum procedures to be agreed by 2012.

The summit also called for Croatia's membership negotiations to be concluded by the end of June 2011. They hope to sign a treaty with the country, allowing Croatia to join the EU on July 1, 2013.

Business News
Croma, the consumer durables and infotech chain of Tatas, is getting into a new retail format to offer best-selling products from its stores. It also plans to set up shop-in-shops inside Star Bazaar, the hypermarket chain of group company Trent. Global FMCG giant Unilever has appointed India-born Harish Manwani as its Chief Operating Officer (COO). Japanese car-maker Toyota has launched its much anticipated small car Liva in India. Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) buys Bharti Enterprises shares in two insurance joint ventures with AXA. Rice exporter Kohinoor Foods has announced a joint venture with US-based spice maker McCormick, which will invest over Rs 500 crore for marketing of Basmati rice and other food products in India. Tata Steel has decided to sell off its 26.27 per cent stake in Riversdale, Australia, to Rio Tinto for $1.11 billion . The National Stock Exchange of India (NSE) has got regulatory approval to launch futures contracts on benchmark US indices S&P 500 and Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA), paving the way for Indian investors to bet on worlds most influential stock market. The Union government has cleared the $6 billion deal for purchase of majority stake in Cairn India by Vedanta Resources. The government has put in a stiff condition that Cairn wil share the royalty on Barmer production with ONGC.

DO YOU KNOW
A global conference on mango was held in Lucknow in June 2011. The main topic was the challenges facing the crop and its growers in backdrop of changing climatic conditions. According to a survey conducted by Thomson Reuters Trustlaw Women, a hub of legal information and legal support for womens rights, India is the fourth most dangerous place for women in the world. Afghanistan is the most dangerous place for women, followed by Democratic Republic of Congo, Pakistan, India and Somalia. India ranked fourth primarily due to female foeticide, infanticide and human trafficking. According to TLGs Index of Emerging Market Thought Leaders, seven out of the top ten brands in India are indigenous firms. Infosys and Tata group have piped global majors like Google, Nokia and Facebook to the top two spots. Google is at number 3, followed by Maruti Suzuki, L&T, Nokia, SBI, Facebook, Hindustan Unilever and Mahindra Group. Apple, which leads the pack in Britain and USA, failed to make a mark in the top 20 list in India. China has become the worlds largest energy consumer, overtaking the USA. Chinese energy consumption grew by 11.2 per cent between 2009 and 2010, the highest for any country. India was not far behind, recording a high 9.2 per cent increase in energy consumption. IBM, also called the Big Blue, completed 100 years of operation on June 16, 2011 . Over the last 100 years, it garnered over $100 billion in revenue, carved a global footprint in over 160 countries. Collected over 6000 patents worldwide (the highest fo any company in the world), developed a computer system called Watson which even out-smarted skilled Jeopardy players and created smart grids and cities globally. IBMs success can be traced back to history of inventions, including the punch card, electric typewriter, mainframe, scanning tunneling microscope, web server, hard drive and nanotubes. India is now ranked 12th in the world in terms of the number of millionaires, according to the Capgemini and Merrill Lynchs World Wealth Report, 2011. It has moved one notch up in the ranks, pushing Spain behind. Indias performance on global environment index has improved, earning it the 123rd rank, primarily because of progress made in renewable. Junrey Balawing of Philippines, measured at 24.25 inches, has been named as the worlds shortest living man. On June 16, 2011, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) raised the policy rates for the 10th time in 15 months by 25 basis points. The Repo rate was hiked to 7.5%, as a result the reverse repo rate and MSF go up to 6.5% and 8.5%, respectively

On June 17, 2011, the University of Oxford celebrated an Oxford-India day to mark 400 years of links with India. Rashtriya Janani-Shishu Suraksha Karyakaram is a scheme to provide all required healthcare facilities to pregnant women and infants free of cost. The scheme has been adopted for the entire country under the National Rural Health Mission. Sri Padmanabha Swami Temple in Kerala was in news after the Supreme Court appointed a special committee to examine the secret chambers of the temple, which are believed to store precious treasures of the erstwhile rulers of Travancore . Tata Consutancy Services (TCS) has become Indias third most valuable company in terms of market capitalisation. RIL continues to hold the first position, followed by Coal India Ltd. ONGC is at the fourth spot. The first India-US Higher Education Summit was held on July 15-16, 2011 in Washington. The summit was announced during the visit of President Obama to India in 2010. The global oil consumption grew by 2.7 million barrels per day (bpd) in 2009-10, or 3.1 per cent, the strongest growth since 2004. Indias percentage of worlds consumption of oil is 3.9%. China consumes 10.6% of worlds oil while USA consumes 21.1%. China consumes 48.2% of worlds coal consumption. USA consumes 14.8% and India 7.8%. The new Boeing 747-8 Intercontinental jetliner is the worlds longest passenger aircraft. It is 5.6 metres longer than its predecessor, a standard 747 and seats 467 passengers. Airbus A380, however, continues to be the biggest plane with seating capacity of 525 passengers. The Punjab Mail, which runs from Ferozepur to Mumbai, has entered its 100th year of service. Once known as the pride of Punjab, the train was introduced by the British in 1912 between Peshawar and Mumbai. The Union government has approved the development of housing and basic facilities in slums across 250 cities in India under the Rajiv Awas Yojana. Two Indian firms have won the prestigious Ashden Awards for Sustainable Energy, considered as the Green Oscar. Under the provision of the UNCLOS, a coastal country can seek extension of its Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) beyond the approved 200 nautical miles, if it can demonstrate through scientific documentation that the continental shelf of the country extends beyond that distance throughout the natural prolongation of its land territory. India submitted its claim for extension of its EEZ to the UN commission in August 2010, placing it among the few countries which have been able to give evidence to lay their claims over extended continental shelf around them. The claim if ratified by the UNCLOS would help India in exploring additional area and exploit mineral resources in those areas. However, this claim will not extend to the waters in the area. The Indian Continental Shelf Project was started in 1999 by a team of 60 scientists to collect data for extension of the Indian continental shelf. World Blood Donor Day is observed on June 14. World Elder Abuse Awareness Day is observed on June 15. World Environment Day is observed on June 5.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: MAY 2011

NATIONAL AFFAIRS RBI paves way for financial holding company The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has paved the way for a holding company structure for financial entities. But it was done with an important caveatthe apex bank has sought to be the sole regulator of financial holding companies (FHCs), irrespective of a banks presence in the holding company. In addition, it has called for a separate regulatory framework and a new Act for regulation of FHCs. A working group headed by RBI Deputy Governor Shyamala Gopinath has recommended that the FHC model can be extended to all large financial groups, irrespective of whether they have a bank or not. RBI feels that the implicit mandate of the central banks to ensure financial stability and monitor systemic risks makes it imperative to vest the responsibility of regulating FHCs with RBI. A holding company structure would ring-fence a bank or any other financial entity from the downside risks of its subsidiaries. It has been suggested that a separate unit within RBI should undertake the function of FHC regulation, with staff drawn from both RBI as well as other regulators. Till the time a new law is enacted and existing regulations are amended, the panel wants the FHCs to be registered with RBI as non-banking financial companies, while financial conglomerates having a bank within the group will need to convert to the FHC model in a time bound manner.

In cases the business conglomerates do not want to convert to FHCs, the panel wants such entities to confine to only banking activities. For all other banking groups, conversion to the FHC model may be optional till the enactment of the FHC Act. However, all new banks and insurance companies, as and when licensed, will be mandatory to operate under the FHC framework. In case the holding company wishes to function as an anchor for capital support for all its subsidiaries, the panel proposes either to have the holding company listed with the subsidiaries unlisted or some of subsidiaries listed along with the holding company. Since the transition to the FHC model would involve de-merger of various bank subsidiaries and transfer of ownership from bank to the holding company, the panel has suggested suitable amendments to various taxation provisions to make the transition tax and stamp duty neutral. In addition, the working group proposes exemption of dividend distribution tax for dividends paid by subsidiaries to the FHC if the dividends are used by the FHC for investment in other subsidiaries. State Elections, 2011 The results of Assembly elections declared on May 13, 2011 signaled a vote for change and a vote against corruption and poor governance. The spectacular rout of the Left in West Bengal and of the DMK in Tamil Nadu, however, overshadowed an equally spectacular vote for continuity in Assam. Four of the five governments seeking renewed mandate in the States were tossed out by the electorate, with only the Congress government in Assam returning to power for the third consecutive term. And barring a photo-finish in Kerala, where the Congress-led United Democratic Front barely secured a majority, the voters dished out clear and decisive mandates in West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Assam and Puducherry. West Bengal: The Mamata juggernaut steamrolled the Left Front in West Bengal, dislodging the longest communist government in a democratic country after 34 long years. With her call for Poribartan (change), Mamata (56) swept everything before her, ensuring the victory of even political greenhorns like Anup Ghoshal (singer), Bratya Basu (playwright) , Amit Mitra (economist and FICCI secretary general), Upen Biswas (former Joint Director of the CBI), Debashree Roy and Chiranjeet (cine stars), Sultan Singh and Rachpal Singh (retired IPS officers) and even Manish Gupta, a retired IAS officer and Chief Secretary, who defeated Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee. Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee became the first Chief Minister since 1967 to lose his seat in the Assembly. Other CPM stalwarts who lost included industry minister Nirupam Sen, who spearheaded the land acquisition for Tata Nano at Singur, Housing minister Gautam Deb, IT minister Debesh Das and urban development minister Ashok Bhattacharya. The TMC-Congress combine won 225 of the 294 Assembly seats, up from 52 in the last Assembly. The CPM+ could manage only 63 seats against 229 in the out-going Assembly. Tamil Nadu: The J. Jayalalithaa-led AIADMK front struck the DMK-Congress combine like a tsunami and won a landslide victory in Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, sweeping everything on its way, including the freebies, cash-for-votes and caste politics. The AIADMK, which contested 160 seats in the 234-member Assembly, won 151 seats. As the Jaya juggernaut rolled throughout Tamil Nadu, most of the DMK ministers, including Deputy Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, bit the dust, while Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi was elected to the Assembly for the 12th time from his native town of Tiruvarur. The DMK governments free colour TVs, Re 1 a kg rice, medical insurance, marriage assistance and other populist schemes failed to bring it back. The ruling DMK, which won 96 seats last time, was routed this time, winning only 23 seats in the 234member Assembly. AIADMKs ally and actor Vijaykanths DMDK came out with flying colours, winning 28 of the 41 seats it contested. The other allies of the AIADMK, the CPM, which contested 12 seats, won 10 and the CPI, which fielded candidates in 10 constituencies, emerged successful in eight. The Congress was decimated, winning only five of the 63 constituencies it contested. Kerala: In a photo finish, the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) unseated the CPM-led Left Democratic Front (LDF), winning 72 seats in the 140-member Assembly, the thinnest majority margin in the last four decades. The UDF, which had won 16 of the 20 Lok Sabha seats two years ago and over 50 per cent local bodies in the civic body polls held six months ago, had hoped to sweep the election by cashing in on the disenchantment of the people against the incumbent government. The UDF, however, lost the political momentum after Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan raked up old scandals involving several senior UDF

leaders. The scandals put the UDF on the defensive. Instead of focusing on the failures of the government, the Opposition tried to attack the Chief Minister and his family members. However, the campaign did not click in the face of massive corruption scams emanating from the UPA dispensation. The determined effort made by the BJP to prove its strength in the State also affected the UDF to a great extent. Though the BJP was not been able to achieve its objective of opening its account in the Assembly, the party considerably improved its vote share in several seats. This affected the UDF all the more. Political observers feel that the victory of the UDF by a slender margin will plunge the State into political uncertainty. They believe that the Congress, which has won only 38 seats, may not be able to withstand the political pressures from small parties, especially those with one or two seats in the Assembly. Assam: It was a hat trick for the Congress in Assam and that too in the form of a landslide victory, thanks to leadership of Tarun Gogoi who has become the Chief Minister for the third consecutive term at the age of 75. The Congress governments policy to take the party closer to the common people, especially those from rural areas and from the lower income bracket, apparently paid rich dividends to the party in the election though the opposition parties had sounded skeptical about those schemes, terming those as sops only meant for Congress members. Some of these included laptops to all students who have passed Class X Board exams in the first division, bicycles for girl students, cash incentives against every girl child born in government hospitals, cash incentives to pregnant women, working capital to unmarried women and young widows, free thread to BPL weavers, mosquito nets and blankets to BPL families and umbrellas to students from BPL families. Moreover, massive improvement in healthcare system in the State during the last 10 years, successful implementation of mobile health clinics to take health care to far flung areas and introduction of emergency healthcare scheme were instrumental in endearing the Congress to the common man. The Gogoi governments achievement in tackling insurgency in the State by bringing in many insurgents groups to the negotiation table, coupled with firm initiatives in improving infrastructure development in the State during the last 10 years also paid dividends for the party. The AGP and the BJP failed to make any impact in the election because the entire Opposition failed to forge an alliance to present a viable alternative before the people. To make matters worse for the Opposition, the regional AGP was dogged by internal squabbles. The regional party instead of giving chances to young leaders preferred to field old horses, who had already been rejected by the people in the 2001 and 2006 elections. Congress has won 76 Assembly seats in the 126-member Assam Assembly. AGP got 10 and BJP only 4. Independents and others together got 36 seats. Puducherry: Making a spectacular electoral debut, the All India NR Congress in alliance with AIADMK secured a two-third majority in the 30-member Puducherry Assembly, ending the DMK-supported Congress rule. Former chief minister N. Rangasamy led the AINRC he formed on the eve of the polls to power with the party winning 15 seats and its ally AIADMK five. The Congress ended with a tally of seven and DMK two. DMK rebel VMC Shivakumar won the Neravi TR Pattinam segment. It was a sweet revenge for Rangasamy who floated his own outfit after resigning from the Congress about two years after he was removed as Chief Minister in the face of revolt against his leadership. SC quashes Speakers decision to disqualify Karnataka MLAs On May 13, 2011, the Supreme Court of India set aside Karnataka Speaker K.G. Bopaiahs decision to disqualify 16 MLAs, including 11 rebel BJP and five Independent MLAs, ahead of the no confidence motion in 201 that had ensured survival of the Yeddyurappa government. A Bench, comprising Justices Altamas Kabir and Cyriac Joseph, ruled out that the Speaker had failed to observe the basic constitutional values and principles of natural justice, while disqualifying the MLAs under the Anti-Defection Act. The MLAs were disqualified as it was apprehended that they would support the no-trust motion against the government during the voting. The 16 MLAs had withdrawn their support to the government on October 6, 2010 and were suspended on October 11. In their appeal, the MLAs had contended that their disqualification had raised substantial questions of

constitutional and administrative laws of public importance having serious implications for the democratic representative government and involving an interpretation of the provisions of the Tenth Schedule and the rules made there under. The legislators had submitted that they had made a categorical statement in their replies to the show-cause notice issued by the Speaker before their suspension that they had no intention at all to leave BJP or the membership of its legislature party and that their letter to the Governor was aimed at "cleansing the image of the party by getting rid of Yeddyurappa as Chief Minister." According to the petition, democratic dissent, without any intention of leaving the party but in the hope of saving its image and reputation by getting rid of a "corrupt" Chief Minister, cannot be regarded as voluntarily giving up the party membership as such. It was submitted that they were disqualified before the voting actually took place in the Assembly apprehending that they would vote against the Chief Minister on the specious ground that they had voluntarily given up BJP membership. The SC also held that the Independents had not sacrificed their independent identity by extending support to Yeddyurappa or by joining the Council of Ministers. Rising food prices and poverty line For a country that has been reeling under the impact of higher food prices, here are some chilling numbers. Food prices single-handedly seem to have considerable power to reverse our progress as an economy. The price rise in food staples between June and December 2010 could have pushed as many as 10 million more Indians into poverty. In its recent report Estimating the short-run poverty impacts of the 2010-11 surge in food prices, the World Bank estimates that the price increases in the second half of 2010 have increased the poverty head count in India by 0.8 percentage points. We infer the increase in the number of poor from their data measure on total population (1.19 billion) and the poverty rate used for their analysis (43.8%). Typically, given that poor households spend a majority of their income on food, rising food prices hit them the hardest. Sugar, rice and wheat price increases have also resulted in a rise in the poverty headcount in India. And this is despite the fact that price hikes in India are nowhere near global levels. However rising import prices of food will compound the inflation situation further. The prices of sugar, rice and wheat globally have increased between 20-75%, but in India price increases for all three are at sub-10% levels. This is an alarming wake-up call for a country that has not seen abatement in food price increases even now. Food inflation jumped to a two-month high of 9% in terms of annual growth recently. Seems like anti-poverty schemes also increase the levels of poverty when they push prices up. The key number to look for is how much they reduce poverty and how much they increase it through wage-price inflation. Panel recommends FDI in retail On May 27, 2011, the Inter-Ministerial Group (IMG) suggested two major steps to control inflation including opening up multi-brand retail to foreign companies and changes in agriculture marketing laws to bridge the margin between farm gate prices and retail price. The IMG warned that though it was important to allow the entry of FDI into this sector in a properly regulated fashion and there is a need to guard against the risk of these new corporations becoming monopolistic and charging high prices. We are taking a clear position on FDI in multi-brand retail. Of course, it is a recommendation, not policy, chief economic advisor and IMG chairman Kaushik Basu said. The debate on opening up the retail sector has been going on for a while now but is being strongly opposed by the domestic lobby that says that large MNC retail formats like Walmart coming in will wipe out the neighbourhood kiryana stores, which are huge in numbers and form an important constituency. The IMG said that the APMC Act ought to be amended so as to enable farmers to bring their products to retail outlets and also allow retailers to directly purchase from the farmers, without facing blockades by incumbent traders. The APMC system has abetted monopolistic behaviour and reduced the choices available to small farmers. The well-intentioned APMC law helped cartelisation and collusion amongst incumbent traders, the group said. The group IMG recommended that the government consider this at the earliest. Its logic is that Indias retail sector continues to be primitive and there is evidence that there are large losses that occur as products pass through the supply chain from farm to the retail customer.

This will get new technology and expand organised retail and provide remunerative prices for farmers and fair prices for consumers especially during the peak marketing season. Once large corporations begin to source their products from Indian outlets it is very likely that they will gradually take these products to sell in their outlets in other countries, opening up exports. The IMG said that correcting the margin between the price that farmers get and price that consumers pay is not going to solve the problem of inflation for all times to come but it can have a sharp desirable effect in the short run of bringing down food inflation. Visit of President of Uzbekistan On May 18, 2011, during the visit of Mr Islam Karimov, President of Uzbekistan, India and Uzbekistan entered into a long-term and strategic partnership based on equality and mutual understanding and concluded as many as 34 agreements in diverse fields, including pharmaceuticals and hydrocarbons. The two countries also agreed to cooperate closely in stabilising the situation in Afghanistan and condemned terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. Uzbekistan reaffirmed its support for Indias candidature for a permanent seat on the UN Security Council. The two sides also resolved to expand their cooperation within the framework of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO). India is currently an observer at the SCO and is keen to become a member of the sixnation Central Asian organisation. Great importance is being attached to the establishment of the strategic partnership which envisages active cooperation in a wide spectrum on areas, including political, counter-terrorism, economic, education, health, human resource development, energy, science and technology, tourism and culture. Prime Minister Manmohan Singhs Afghanistan visit Prime Minister Manmohan Singh visited Afghanistan on May 12, 2011, on a two-day trip to reassure the Hamid Karzai government of New Delhis commitment to help stabilise the situation there. In a statement on the eve of his departure, the PM asserted that India could not remain unaffected by developments in Afghanistan, emphasizing that New Delhi took a long-term view of its partnership with the embattled country. The quest of the Afghan people for peace, stability and reconciliation needs the full support of all countries in the region and the international community, he said. The PM held wide-ranging discussions with the Afghan leadership on ways to advance Indias partnership to a new level in the coming years. We will also exchange views on developments in the region and our common fight against the scourge of terrorism. The visit took place three days after Manmohan Singh discussed with US President Barack Obama on phone the situation in the region in the aftermath of the killing of the Al-Qaida chief deep inside Pakistan. The visit was initially scheduled to take place in the first week of May but the American side had apparently advised New Delhi to postpone it without disclosing anything about the impending action by US forces in Abbottabad (Pakistan) in which bin Laden was killed. India has become a key ally of the Afghan government since the fall of the Taliban regime, spending more than $ 1.3 billion in Afghanistan to help build highways, hospitals and the electricity grid. It is now the sixth largest contributor to Afghanistans reconstruction programme. During the visit Prime Minister Manmohan Singh announced a fresh aid package of $500 million for Afghanistan with focus on social sector, agriculture, capacity building and infrastructure projects. Second Africa-India Summit On May 24-25, 2011, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh attended the second Africa-India Forum Summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. A ministerial meeting, in which Anand Sharma, Minister for Commerce & Industry, led the Indian side, preceded it. Addressing the meet, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh made a strong call to African countries to work collectively with India to combat the scourge of terrorism. "Apart from bilateral cooperation, India and Africa can and should work together on regional and international issues," he said at the retreat attended by leaders from 15 African countries. Mr Singh also highlighted the need to chart new pathways of engagement, take stock of the global economic and political situation and review the progress the two sides have made in their cooperation in the last three years. Singh noted that the current international economic and political situation was far from easy, particularly for developing countries and spoke about "new challenges" confronting the world in meeting the

requirements of food and energy security. Manmohan Singh announced a mammoth $5 billion credit line to Africa for various development projects, reflecting Indias growing ties with the resource-rich continent. He also declared an additional $700 million package to establish new institutions and training programmes across the continent. Major sops offered during the Summit meeting were:

$5 billion line of credit for 3 years Additional $700 million for new institutions, training programmes $300 million for Ethio-Djibouti rail line India-Africa virtual university with 10,000 new scholarships India-Africa business council $2 million for African Union mission in Somalia Increased access of African airlines to India in next 3 years India-Africa food processing and textiles clusters More than 22,000 scholarships to African students An India-Africa centre for medium-range weather forecasting, university for life and earth sciences, institute of agriculture and rural development Soil, water and tissue-testing laboratories, regional farm science centres, seed production-cumdemonstration centres, material testing laboratories for highways Institutes for English language training, information technology, entrepreneurship development and vocational training Rural technology parks, food testing laboratories, food processing business incubation centres and centres on geo-informatics applications and rural development.

The eight-page Addis Ababa Declaration adopted at the end of the two-day Africa-India Forum Summit said the African members of the UN Security Council and India affirm their commitment to coordinate closely during India's tenure as non-permanent member of the Council. In this context, we underscore the imperative of urgent and comprehensive reform of the UN system. We share the view that the UN should function in a transparent, efficient and effective manner and that the composition of its central organs must reflect contemporary realities. The expansion of the UN Security Council, in permanent and nonpermanent categories of membership, with increased participation of developing countries in both categories, is central to the process of reform and for enhancing the credibility of the United Nations, the declaration read. The joint declaration also expressed support for an International Convention prohibiting the development, production, stockpiling and use of nuclear weapons, leading to their destruction. It called for negotiating specific steps to reduce and finally eliminate nuclear weapons, leading to a world free from all weapons of mass destruction as envisaged in the Rajiv Gandhi Action Plan of 1988. The first India-Africa Forum Summit in New Delhi in April 2008 produced a Framework of Cooperation. However, bureaucratic procedures in the African Union and in India slowed down the momentum. It took the two sides two years to finalize the joint Plan of Action, overshooting the deadline by a year. But thereafter, more concerted efforts have been evident. Throughout 2010, New Delhi played host to Presidents and Prime Ministers from Africa. Indias Vice-President as well as key ministers also travelled to several African capitals. With Africas rise no longer in doubt, India is concentrating on building partnerships at bilateral, regional and continental levels and not seeking a role in internal affairs of African States or intra-African conflicts. It reacted cautiously during the recent troubles in Tunisia, Egypt, Libya and the Ivory Coast. Africa is host to 90% of worlds Cobalt, 50% of Gold, 98% of Chromium, 64% of Manganese & 34% of Uranium. Trade between India and Africa crossed US $ 46 billion in 2010 and is expected to reach US $ 70 billion by 2015. Indian private sector entrepreneurs have already made investments in excess of US $ 25 billion in a wide range of sectors from telecom, automobiles, IT, pharmaceuticals and agriculture. Bhartis $ 8.5 billion acquisition of Zain in Africa is one of the largest outbound investments by India. According to a FICCI study, Africa is on the brink of an economic take off. At present Indias OFDI is the 9th largest source of FDI into Africa. Among the Indian groups that have substantial presence in Africa include Bharti Airtel, Karuturi Global, the worlds largest producer of cutroses, Tata Africa Holdings also has a strong presence in over 10 African countries with investments exceeding US$ 100 million. Essar has steel, oil and gas and telecom assets across Africa. The other players include M&M, Larsen & Toubro (L&T) and Shapoorji Pallonji.

Visit of German Chancellor Angela Merkel On a 24-hour visit to New Delhi on May 31, 2011, German Chancellor Angela Merkel tried to hard sell the Eurofighter Typhoon jets to India as she discussed a whole range of issues with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, including the situation in Afghanistan and Pakistan in the wake of the killing of Osama bin Laden. Four accords were signed during her visit to expand cooperation in the fields of education, research and nuclear physics between India and Germany. The meeting between the two leaders also marked the launching of the first inter-governmental consultations between the countries on the entire gamut of bilateral relationsfrom security, defence policy, trade, vocational training, education and research to infrastructure and sustainable energy and environment technologies. Chancellor Merkel also received the prestigious Jawaharlal Nehru Award for International understanding for 2009. I accept this award not only as an honour to the Chancellor, but especially as a tribute to the achievements of my fellow citizens in fulfilling the values of friendship and international understanding that the award recognises, said Merkel. She also formally launched the Year of Germany in India with Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar. The leaders of the two countries agreed to boost trade between the two countries to 20 billion Euros by 2020 from the present volume of 15 billion Euros. The meeting came a day after Germany announced it would phase out all its 17 nuclear plants by 2022. Merkel agreed to help India in areas related to nuclear safety and pledged support for the development of renewable energy. Chancellor Merkel was also appreciative of the role being played by India in the reconstruction programme under way in Afghanistan. She said a military solution was not an option in Afghanistan. Ultimately, Afghanistan would have to develop its own independent security architecture. Indo-Pak defence talks In the month of May 2011, India and Pakistan began their first attempt in three years to demilitarize the Siachen glacier, the world's highest battlefield in the Himalayan region, that has claimed the lives of hundreds of soldiers. Here are some main facts about the Siachen glacier region:

Siachen is in the northern part of Kashmir. Muslim-majority Kashmir is at the heart of hostility between India and Pakistan and was the cause of two of their three wars (the third was over the founding of Bangladesh). Indian and Pakistani forces, estimated to number between 10,000 and 20,000 troops combined, have faced off against each other in mountains above the Siachen glacier in the Karakoram range since 1984. The no-man's-land of Siachen is 20,000 feet (6,000 metres) above sea level. Military experts say the inhospitable climate and avalanche-prone terrain have claimed more lives than gunfire. The strategic importance of the glacier is debatable, military experts say. Until 1984, neither side had troops there. Both countries agree on a need to demilitarize the glacier, but neither side wants to take the first step. India controls the heights and is loath to withdraw for fear Pakistan might walk in. India says it is unwilling to bring its forces down until Pakistan officially authenticates the positions they hold. Pakistan has said it is willing to do so on the condition that it is not a final endorsement of India's claim over the glacier, a source of melt water for Pakistan's rivers.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singhs Tanzania visit On May 27, 2011, during the three-day visit of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to Tanzania, India announced a new line of credit of $180 million for Tanzania and signed a pact on avoidance of double taxation as the two countries agreed to intensify cooperation to combat terrorism and piracy and work closely for comprehensive UN reforms. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said after wide-ranging discussions with Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete that the new line of credit will be for water supply projects in country's capital Dar-e- Salaam. Addressing a joint press conference with Kikwete, Prime Minister voiced concern over the two major problems of terrorism and piracy both countries faced and said they have decided to intensify consultations and coordination to combat such threats.

Kikwete felt that threats from piracy had never abated in the region and said it was agreed that there should be stronger collaboration through intelligence-sharing and other mechanisms. On the issue of UN reforms, Kikwete reaffirmed Tanzania's support for India's candidature for permanent membership. 2-G Scam: Kanimozhi lands in jail On May 20, 2011, the CBI Special court hearing into the 2G Spectrum allocation scam dismissed the bail application of DMK MP Kanimozhi. She was arrested and sent to Tihar jail. Denying her bail, the judge said there was a possibility of witnesses being influenced considering the "magnitude" of the crime. 43-year-old Kanimozhi is daughter of former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu Karunanidhi's second wife Rajathi. The judge also rejected the bail plea of Sharad Kumar, MD and CEO of Kalaignar TV Private Ltd, who along with Kanimozhi, faces the charge of conspiracy and bribery in accepting Rs.200 crore from DB Realty ordering their arrest forthwith. Kanimozhi and Kumar, both of whom are 20 per cent stake holders in Chennai-based Kalaignar TV have been charge sheeted by the CBI of having received Rs. 214 crore in illegal gratifications from Dynamix Balwa (DB) Realty, a company promoted by Shahid Usman Balwa and Vinod Goenka, one of the beneficiaries of 2G Spectrum allocation. As per CBI, DB Groups Swan Telecom was ineligible for a 2G Spectrum licence and Rs. 214 crore was paid to Kalaignar TV in lieu of the licence granted by the then Telecom Minister A. Raja, who is also a DMK member and close to Kanimozhi. India ratifies UN protocol against human trafficking India has ratified the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime and its three protocols, including one to combat trafficking in persons. The Convention remains, by far, the most potent international instrument in the fight against trans-national organised crime. Currently, human trafficking is the third largest organised crime in the world after the narcotics trade and illicit arms trading. Together, these crimes generate annual revenue of $ 9.5 billion, with the share of human trafficking gradually rising. For India, the development is significant considering it took 12 years to ratify the Convention, which is supplemented by protocols to combat human trafficking; migrant smuggling and illicit trafficking in firearms. The fact that India has ratified the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, especially Women and Children means the country would now have to evolve a comprehensive anti-trafficking legislation that conforms to international standards and provisions. Right now, the laws are unclear. It would also have to find ways to train law enforcers who continue to book trafficked women under the provisions of Immoral Traffic Prevention Act, rather than booking them under provisions of the law which would see them as victims and not offenders. The National Human Rights Commission says only 6.6 per cent of the countrys law enforcers have any kind of training in trafficking issues. Most rescued victims currently have little access to rehabilitation and care, which means even after being freed, they run the risk of getting back to brothels. A woman caught under the ITPA for example is required to pay a fine to walk free. Because she has no money, her brothel owner walks in again promising to rescue her from jail provided she agrees to return to sex work.

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

Germany to abandon all N-power Germany, Europes biggest economy, will shut down all its nuclear power plants by 2022, a decision that would make it the first major industrialised power to go nuclearfree in the aftermath of the atomic disaster in Japan. Germanys coalition government announced the decision after seven hours of negotiations that stretched into the small hours at Chancellor Angela Merkels office. We want the electricity of the future to be safe, reliable and economically viable, Merkel said. Merkel pushed through measures in 2010 to extend lifespan of the countrys 17 reactors, with the last one scheduled to go offline in 2036, but she reversed her pronuclear stance after the earthquake and tsunami crippled the Fukushima Daichi plant

on March 11, 2011, triggering nuclear meltdowns. Germanys energy supply chain needs a new architecture, necessitating huge efforts in boosting renewable energies, efficiency gains and overhauling the electricity grid, Merkel said. To make up for the loss of nuclear energy, the German government will begin to switch to renewable energy and increase investments in energy research. G-8 Summit The 37th G-8 summit was held on May 26-27, 2011 in the commune of Deauville in France. The G-8 is comprised of the eight main industrialised countries: Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States. The Middle East and North Africa, nuclear safety and economic recovery topped the agenda of G-8 leaders. G-8 countries and multilateral development banks pledged $20bn in backing for democratic reform, with the EU offering new. The G8 also endorsed the EU's call for worldwide stress tests on nuclear power plants as part of a review of international safety standards. The G-8 partners shared the EU's resolve to strengthen the multilateral system and liberalise free trade in line with the World Trade Organisation's 2001 Doha mandate, which calls for a fair global trade deal. On the impetus of the President of the French Republic, the members of the G-8 have committed, within the framework of the "Deauville Partnership", to helping the Arab countries in their transition to free and democratic societies. Tunisia and Egypt are the first countries to commit to this transition and to join the "Deauville Partnership". The multilateral development banks are prepared to raise more than USD 20 billion, of which EUR 3.5 billion will come from the EIB, to benefit Egypt and Tunisia by 2013. Osama bin Laden killed by US forces inside Pakistan On May 2, 2011, Osama bin Laden, the leader of Al-Qaida and the most recognisable face of global terrorism, was killed in a US military operation at a heavily fortified compound, around 60 km north of Islamabad. The operation was wrapped up in 40 minutes and the US team left with Ladens body. Three adult malestwo Qaida couriers and a son of Ladenand one woman were killed in the operation. Laden's body was buried at sea. US President Obama said. On nights like this one, we can say to those families who have lost loved ones to Al-Qaidas terror: Justice has been done.

Ladens death came almost 10 years after Al-Qaidas deadliest act of terrorism attacks on the World Trade Centres twin towers in New York City and the Pentagon killed nearly 3,000 persons. The small team of commandos found Laden living in a plush mansion on a secured compound in the suburb of Islamabad and not in a cave along the rugged and lawless Pakistan-Afghanistan border region, where Pakistani officials said he was hiding. Senior US officials said the Obama Administration did not inform Pakistani authorities of the mission. Only a handful US officials were aware of the plan. The US official added that since 9/11 the US had made it clear to Pakistan that it would pursue Laden wherever he might be. Pakistan has long understood that we are war with Al-Qaida. The US had a legal and moral obligation to act on the information it had, he said. Senior US officials said they traced Laden by monitoring an Al-Qaida courier they believed was a trusted confidant of the terrorist leader. Over the years, the CIA gathered leads on bin Ladens inner circle, including his personal couriers.

Business News
The Adani groups Mundra Port and Special Economic Zone has announced acquisition of Abbot Point Port in Australia for Rs 9,000 crore. Apple has overtaken Google as the worlds most valuable brand, ending the four-year reign by the Internet search leader. Microsoft has decided to buy Skype of $8.5 billion in cash, a move that will bolster the software majors presence in the highly competitive Internet market. iGate has announced the completion of acquisition of Patni Computer Systems, one of the biggest acquisitions in the Indian IT industry. Glenmark Pharmaceuticals SA, a subsidiary of Glenmark Pharmaceuticals Limited, has out licensed its novel monoclonal antibody, GBR 500, to French drug-maker Sanofi for as much as $613 million. Under the agreement, Glenmark will receive an upfront payment of $50 million, which will be used to repay debt. The Union Cabinet has cleared the sale of loss-making Scooters India, the first strategic sale of a state-owned company in eight years. Bharti-Airtel has tied up with mobile software maker Comviva to manage its value-added services across 16 African nations where it has presence. Italian luxury sports car-maker Ferrari has made its official debut in India with the opening of its first dealership in India in New Delhi. Star India and Zee group have decided to come together to form an alliance to distribute television content. Schneider Electric has decided to buy 74 per cent stake in Luminous Power Technologies for Rs 1,400 crore, a move that will help the French major strengthen its access to the retail market in India for electrical goods.

DO YOU KNOW
The operation by US Special forces that killed Osama bin Laden in Pakistan was code-named Operation Geronimo. Thanks to the efforts by India, the world has recognised mental disorders as one of the non-communicable diseases (NCDs) that continue to be leading causes of premature deaths across the world. The recognition was granted at the first Global Ministerial Conference held at Moscowin the run-up to the first UN Summit on NCDs to be held in September 2011. The

move will go a long way in de-stigmatising mental disorders simply by bringing them on the global discussion agenda. Indias premier sports institution, the Netaji Subhash National Institute of Sports, Patiala, celebrates its golden jubilee in 2011 The Indian Naval Marine force, called the Marcos, is modelled on the US Navy Seals in the training pattern, working style and secrecy. US Navy Seals had conducted the operation against Osama bin Laden in Pakistan. A five-day UN Summit with 48 leaders of the worlds Least Developed Countries attending was held in Istanbul, Turkey in May 2011, to discuss a new 10-year aid plan to help lift nations out of poverty. LDC countries are defined as those with per capita income of less than $745, and include 33 African countries, 14 from Asia, and Haiti. International Nurses Day is observed on May 12. India is ranked 143rd globally in Internet speed, with an average connectivity speed of 0.8 Mbps. South Korea tops the list with an average speed of 13 Mbps. In broadband connectivity, India ranks 129th. The average Internet speed in the world has been recorded at 1.9 Mbps. The French government has conferred its highest civilian award Knight of the National Order of the Legion of Honour to Indian businessmen Rahul Bajaj, Chairman of Bajaj Auto, and Baba Kalyani, MD of Bharat Forge Ltd. Vijayee Bhave was the Indian Armys first full-scale exercise to transform itself into a force aided by high-end technology that will ramp up the speed and accuracy of its striking capabilities. Indian Army had last conducted a transformation exercise in 2000, but with a limited scope. Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL), Indias largest FMCG company, has announced the launch of India Water Body, an initiative aimed to drive water security for India by 2030 through public-private partnership (PPP). The India Water Body will be conducting a nation-wide study to assess the demand-supply gap for water in India. This initiative builds on the Sustainable Living Plan launched by Unilever in November 2010. The Health Ministry has approved a new scheme for easy access to sanitary napkins as part of the menstrual hygiene promotion programme for adolescent girls aged 10 to 19 years in villages. This scheme aims to spread hygiene awareness among girls. The girls will henceforth get a pack of six sanitary napkins under the National Rural Health Missions brand called Freedays. A pack of six napkins will cost Rs 6 (Re 1 per piece), and will be distributed by Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs). In the first phase, the scheme will cover 25 per cent of the target population1.5 crore girls aged 10 to 19 years in 152 districts of 20 States. On May 20, 2011, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh dedicated the world-class, six million-tonnes per annum Bina Refinery to the nation. The refinery at Bina, Madhya Pradesh, has been set up by Bharat Oman Refineries Ltd, a joint venture promoted by Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd with 26 per cent equity participation by Oman Oil Company and about one per cent by the Madhya Pradesh government. India, along with 14 other nations, has been elected to the UN Human Rights Council, which is based in Geneva. Non-paper is an off-the-record or unofficial presentation of (government) policy. In diplomatic parlance, a non-paper is used when a government is conveying a point to other government/s or State actors while keeping nothing on record. Bangalore has become the first city of India to be selected for Street View on Google Maps. Street View is a popular feature in Google Maps which allows users to explore and navigate neighbourhoods with the help of panoramic street level images. Singer Shaan has been signed by the Union Ministry of Health to be its anti-tobacco ambassador. The V.K. Shunglu committee was appointed to give recommendations for improving the financial position of power distribution utilities. Its major recommendation is to sack all non-performing power regulators. On June 4, 2011, India hosted its maiden pavilion at the Venice Biennale, the worlds oldest and most prestigious art fair held in Venice every two years. The Madhya Pradesh government, under Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan, has formed Indias first agriculture cabinet. It held its first meeting on June 18, 2011. From June 1, 2011, for the first time in Indias history, maternity treatment has been made free of cost in all government facilities, to ensure improvements in Indias institutional delivery rate and benefits at the level of maternal and infant health. Henceforth, every pregnant women entering a government facility for delivery will be entitled to free servicewhether it is blood, consumables, drugs or diagnostics. Indias first sports gallery on Science of Sports has been set up at the Pushpa Gujral Science City in Kapurthala, Punjab. World No-Tobacco Day is observed on May 31.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: APRIL 2011

NATIONAL AFFAIRS Possession of Naxal literature is not sedition, rules SC On April 15, 2011, the Supreme Court granted bail to civil rights activist Dr Binayak Sen, holding that possessing Naxal literature or visiting jailed Maoists did not amount to sedition. If Gandhis books were found in my house, would that make me a Gandhian, said Justice C.K. Prasad. Justice H.S. Bedi, who headed the Bench, clarified that the State could not slap sedition charges on Sen unless there was material to show that he was actively preaching or propagating Maoist ideals. The Bench made the remarks in connection with the State governments contention that Sen had visited his co-accused Piyush Guha 30 times in a jail and pamphlets and documents relating to Maoist activities were recovered from his possession. The apex court said none of this amounted to seditious activities or waging a war against the State. Being a sympathiser did not make him guilty of sedition, the Bench felt. In December 2010, the trial court had sentenced Sen to life imprisonment after convicting him for sedition and having links with Naxalites. He was convicted along with Naxal ideologue Narayan Sanyal and Kolkata businessman Piyush Guha. Sixty one-year-old Sen, a child specialist who had studied medicine at the prestigious Christian Medical College (CMC) in Vellore, Tamil Nadu, has worked for 25 years in the tribal and Naxal-infested belt of Chhattisgarh. He is also the vice-president of the Peoples Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL). Chinese troops in PoK worry India The presence of Chinese troops in Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir (PoK) has been causing anxiety to New Delhi, which has started strengthening infrastructure along the border. Responding to media reports about the involvement of Chinas PLA (Peoples Liberation Army) troops in various infrastructure projects in PoK, External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna said that the government was seized of media reports on the subject. The Minister said India continuously reviewed and took all necessary measures to ensure the safety and security of its people, as well as the territorial integrity of the nation. Another cause of worry for India is that China has been developing infrastructure in the border region opposite India in the Tibet and Xinjiang Autonomous Regions. This includes the Qinghai-Tibet railway line, with proposed extension up to Xigaze and Nyingchi, and development of road and airport facilities. India has also started paying special attention to the development of infrastructure in the border areas opposite China in order to meet the countrys security requirements and also to facilitate the economic development in these areas. Visit of Prime Minister Singh to Kazakhstan On April 16, 2011, during the official visit of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to Kazakhstan, India and Kazakhstan signed seven key accords, including one on cooperation in the civil nuclear energy field and another for joint exploration in the oil and gas sector, and condemned terrorism in all its forms and manifestations and those who supported the menace. The other five accords were: joint action plan for further strengthening strategic partnership (road map), MoU between the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) and the Kazakhstan Computer Response Team, treaty on mutual legal assistance in civil matters, agreement for cooperation between the agriculture ministries of the two countries and an agreement between their health ministries. Kazakhstan rolled out the red carpet for Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who became the first top world leader to visit the Central Asian nation following the re-election of President Nursultan Nazarbayev for a fourth consecutive term. With his victory coming close on the heels of widespread pro-democracy protests in West Asia and North Africa, the Kazakh leader left no stone unturned to demonstrate his democratic credentials by inviting the envoys of nearly 50 countries to the Akorda Presidential Palace for the ceremony to accord welcome to Manmohan Singh, leader of the largest democracy in the world. From Indias point of view, it is obviously the nuclear accord that is being considered the singular achievement of Manmohan Singhs two-day visit. Under the Indo-Kazakh nuke accord, Kazakhstan would supply 2100 tonne of uranium to India by 2014. The umbrella nuclear accord envisages a legal framework for mutually beneficial cooperation between the two sides for the peaceful use of nuclear energy, including fuel supply, nuclear medicine, use of radiation technologies for healthcare, reactor safety mechanisms, exchange of scientific and research information, exploration and joint mining of uranium, design, construction and operation of nuclear power plants.

The agreement on cooperation in the oil and gas sector signed between the ONGC Videsh Limited and Kazakh national company Kazmunaigas gives effect to the transfer of participating interest of 25 per cent in the Satpayev Block from the Kazakh firm to the Indian company. The Satpayev exploration block, located in the Kazakh sector of the Caspian Sea, covers an area of 1482 sq km and is at a water depth of 6-8 meters. It is situated in a highly prospective region of the North Caspian sea and is in close proximity to major discoveries. Visit of Prime Minister of Thailand On April 5, 2011, India and Thailand agreed to intensify their cooperation in the areas of trade and investment, education, tourism and culture and to aim towards doubling of their trade by 2014. The decisions were taken during the visit of Abhisit Vejjajiva, Prime Minister of Thailand.. The visit helped to impart a new momentum to the relations between the two countries. The two sides also agreed to expedite the conclusion of negotiations on a bilateral Free Trade Agreement that would include goods, services and investment. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh described Thailand as a close friend and a valued regional partner for India and noted that the two countries shared civilisation links and were maritime neighbours. A joint statement, which was released after the summit meeting announced the establishment of a regular High-Level Dialogue on Defence Cooperation that would consider widening the scope of cooperation in the sector. This dialogue is expected to lead to a Memorandum of Understanding on Defence Cooperation and is part of India's burgeoning defence ties with ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) countries, South Korea and Japan. In addition to taking a closer look at the ongoing exchanges between the armed forces, the dialogue would attempt to broaden the scope of cooperation to include the Defence industry and technology. The summit meeting saw both sides agreeing to intensify coordinated patrolling, which would be aimed at sanitising the busy but narrow and vulnerable Malacca Straits. Ever since the September 11, 2001 attacks, naval ships from both countries jointly patrol their respective stretches to foil any piracy or disruption of shipping through the deliberate disabling of a ship. On the security side, the two Prime Ministers resolved to improve sharing of intelligence, develop more effective counter-terrorism policies and increase interaction between law enforcement agencies. In this respect, they decided to expedite discussions on some of the building blocks, such as the Extradition Treaty, the Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty in Civil and Commercial Matters. CWG Scam On April 25, 2011, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) arrested Suresh Kalmadi, Member of Parliament and former chairman of the Organising Committee (OC) of the Delhi Commonwealth Games (CWG). The CBI has charged him with criminal conspiracy to buy timing, scoring and result (TSR) system from a Swiss company at an inflated cost of R141 crore. The CBI has alleged that this cost the government Rs 95 crore extra. "Investigation has revealed that the OC committee for short-listing prospective bidders for TSR was constituted by selecting handpicked officials who favoured the Swiss company while members of the tenders evaluation committee were coerced and threatened to disqualify other bidders". The CBI had earlier arrested former OC secretary general Lalit Bhanot and director general V.K. Verma in the case. 2G Spectrum Scam Five corporate honchos, including Unitechs Sanjay Chandra and Reliance ADAGs Gautam Doshi, were arrested on April 20, 2011, and sent to jail after a Delhi court dismissed their bail plea saying they might tamper with evidence and even flee to avoid prosecution in the highest magnitude 2G Spectrum allocation scam. The court also rejected the bail plea of co-promoter of Swan Telecom Vinod Goenka and Reliance ADAGs Surender Pipara and Hari Nair. A bare perusal of the facts of the case and the allegations in the charge-sheet make it out a case of the highest magnitude and gravity and there is enough incriminating material on record against the accused. The court also dealt with the arguments of defence lawyers that they be granted bail ipso facto (by default) as they were not arrested during the probe. The court, however, concurred with CBIs apprehension that the accused might tamper with the evidence by trying to win over witnesses. On April 25, 2011, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) named DMK Member of Parliament Kanimozhi as a co-accused in the supplementary charge-sheet filed by it before the special CBI court in the 2G Spectrum case. Kanimozhi has been charged under Section 7 and 11 of the Prevention of Corruption Act (PCA), which

relates to acceptance of alleged gratification. Besides Kanimozhi, Kalaignar TV Managing Director Sharad Kumar, and Karim Morani of Cineyug Films (Pvt) Ltd were also charge-sheeted. CBI disclosed in the charge-sheet that Rs 200 crore connected with the 2G Spectrum had travelled from DB Realty to Kalaignar TV which has Kanimozhi, Dayalu Ammal and Sharad Kumar (MD Kalaignar TV), with 20, 60 and 20 per cent shares in the channel, respectively. Answering the question as to why Dayalu Ammal, wife of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K. Karunanidhi has been left out in the charge-sheet, while the other two stakeholders of the channel (Kanimozhi and Sharad Kumar) have been charged, CBI said that Dayalu Ammal does not have a single signature on any paper that we have come across. All the papers, wherever required, have been signed by Sharad Kumar. She cannot understand any language besides Tamil and we had a hard time questioning her. Under such circumstances, it is highly unlikely that she could have been part of the conspiracy.

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

President Saleh of Yemen agrees to step down On April 24, 2011, Yemen's embattled President agreed to a proposal by Gulf Arab mediators to step down within 30 days and hand power to his deputy in exchange for immunity from prosecution. A coalition of seven opposition parties said they also accepted the deal but with reservations. Even if the differences are overcome, those parties do not speak for all of the protesters seeking President Ali Abdullah Saleh's removal, and signs were already emerging that a deal on those terms would not end protests. Under the latest draft, Yemen's Parliament would grant Saleh legal protection from prosecution. The President would submit his resignation to lawmakers and hand power to his Vice President, who would call for new Presidential elections. BRIC expands to BRICS BRIC, the grouping of the four countries thought to radiate the largest lessons in developing an economyBrazil, Russia, India and Chinahas decided to transform itself to BRICS, with the much-awaited induction of South Africa into the cohort, making it more representative. Started in year 2009, the 2011 summit, held in Sanya on south China's tropical island of Hainan on April 13-15, was the first one for South Africa. Bringing South Africa makes the grouping more representative of the emerging powers from all the developing regions. All of them are members of the G-20, the high table of global economic policy coordination. This gives them a significant clout. If they can coordinate their positions in G-20 Summits, they will be more effective. Although the BRICS grouping is in a nascent stage it has been able to emerge as an important voice. BRICS represent the worlds fastest growing market, comprising 44 per cent of the world population. All of them are members of the UN, of which two are permanent. Experts say all the member-countries must take advantage of the moment and come out with a clear map for long-term sustenance. And, that the grouping should take a leadership role in closing the Doha round of multilateral trade deals under World Trade Organisation (WTO).

Besides, focusing on financial cooperation and an effective mechanism for global development, the leaders also dwelled on some of the recent events around the world, such as the unrest in West Asia, turmoil in North Africa and the disaster in Japan. Leaders of BRICS countries adopted a far-reaching declaration that, among other things, called for restructuring of international financial institutions to reflect changes in the world economy, thus increasing the voice and representation of emerging economies. The cooperation among BRICS countries was neither directed against nor was at the expense of anyone, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said while addressing the plenary of the BRICS leaders. Recognising that the international financial crisis has exposed the inadequacies and deficiencies of the existing international monetary and financial system, the leaders supported the reform and improvement of the international monetary system, with a broad-based international reserve currency system providing stability and certainty. At a joint press conference by summit leaders, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh announced that the designated banks of BRICS nations have signed a framework agreement on financial cooperation which envisaged grant of credit in local currencies and cooperation in capital markets and other financial services. Under the agreement, banks in each country would work out modalities so that projects and loans could be encouraged in other BRICS nations, if national laws permit them to do so. The five nations also signed an MoU on BRICS long-term business contacts to facilitate trade amongst them. The FICCI will be the focal point for this on the Indian side. The Chinese leader also sought to dispel the impression that BRICS wanted to emerge as a grouping aimed at countering leading global economies The BRICS countries also resolved to carry out closer cooperation on food security, support development and use of renewable energy resources, and recognise its importance as a means to address climate change. Supporting the G-20 initiative, the BRICS leaders desired that the grouping should play a bigger role in global economic governance as the premier forum for international economic cooperation. In an action plan, the five nations decided to hold a meeting of high representatives for security issues in the latter half of 2011 in China, engage in joint research on economic and trade issues, encourage cooperation in sports and promote cooperation in scientific, technological and innovation cooperation in BRICS format.

Business News
Mahindra & Mahindra (M&M) has renamed its Logan car as Verito. Anup Bagchi has taken over as the MD and CEO of ICICI Securities.

Veteran banker K.V. Kamath has been appointed as the Chairman of Infosys, in place of founder N.R. Narayana Murthy. S.D. Shibulal has been elevated as the CEO and MD. Ashok Soota, the ousted chairman of the Bangalore-based software major MindTree, has launched a new company by the name of Happiest Minds Technologies Pvt Ltd with a mission to creating the happiest customers and the happiest team. Italian luxury sports car maker Maserati has announced its foray into the Indian market with its complete range of cars. The latest Nielson corporate image monitor has rated Tata Steel as the best in a list of Indian firms, followed by Tata Motors and Aditya Birla Nuvo. Wipro retained the fourth rank and Bharti Airtel was ranked fifth. The Union Ministry of Defence has signed a Rs 1,904-crore contract with Tata Powers Strategic Electronics Division (Tata Power SED) for modernising 30 Indian Air Force airbases across India. The project is officially called Modernization of Airfield Infrastructure (MAFI) Leading global consumer goods firm Reckitt Benckiser Group plc. has appointed India-born Rakesh Kapoor as its global CEO.

DO YOU KNOW
As many as 57 Indian companies, including Reliance Industries, State Bank of India and ONGC figure in The Forbes Global 2000 list of public companies based on their rankings for sales, profits, assets and market value. Other companies in India's top ten were ICICI Bank, NTPC, Coal India, Bharti Airtel, Larsen & Toubro and Tata Motors. JP Morgan Chase is in the top spot for the second consecutive year as the world's largest company, followed by HSBC. According to International Monetary Fund (IMF) Indias economic growth rate will moderate to 8.2 per cent in 2011, mainly because of tight monetary policy measures. The Ashoka Pillar in Delhi was uprooted from Topra village near Yamunanagar, Haryana by Feroz Shah Tughlaq in 14th century and taken to Feroz Shah Kotla in Delhi. According to Tuglaqs court historian Shams-i-Siraj, author of Tarikh-i-Feroze Shahi, the pale pinkish sandstone pillar was ferried to Delhi by 8,000 people. The Delhi pillar is the only Ashoka pillar that has seven edicts issued by Ashoka. The rest of Ashoka pillars have only six edicts. The ancient Brahmi script used to write on the pillars was first deciphered on Ashoka pillar at Delhi by a British expert James Prinsep in 1837. The Union Finance Ministry has introduced simpler income tax return forms Sahaj and Sugam. While Sahaj is for salaried people, Sugam return form is applicable for small businessmen and professionals covered under presumptive taxation. With only 17 per cent people describing themselves as thriving, India ranked 71 in a new Gallup study on overall well-being conducted in 124 countries. According to the study, which combined the results of Gallup's 2010 global well-being surveys, majority of Indians (64 per cent) believe they are struggling while 19 per cent think they are suffering. Pakistan, whose economy is in tatters, has been ranked as the 40th happiest nation in the world. With only 12 per cent happy respondents, China is ranked 92. Denmark topped as the most contented. Sweden and Canada ranked as the second happiest countries, followed by Australia, Finland and Venezuela. The African nation of Chad remained at the bottom of the list with less than one per cent reporting they were thriving. BRIC or the group of four most developing countriesBrazil, Russia, India, Chinahas transformed itself to BRICS with induction of South Africa. Indira Gandhi Scholarship Scheme offers scholarships to single girl child for post-graduate studies. Earlier the scholarship was offered to 1200 single girl children in a year. Now the UGC has decided to lift the cap and open the scholarship programme to all girls who meet the eligibility criteria. Indias exports for 2010-11 have clocked $245.9 billion registering a growth of 37.5 per cent. This is the first time exports have crossed $200 billion.

World Heritage Day, also known as the international day for monuments, is observed on April 18. World Health Day is observed on April 7. World Haemophilia Day is observed on April 17. Haemophilia is a genetic blood disorder in which blood does not clot properly. Civil Services Day is observed on April 21.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: MARCH 2011

NATIONAL AFFAIRS

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

Canadian Parliament Dissolved On March 26, 2011, Canada's Governor-General dissolved the Parliament after a vote of no-confidence in Tory Prime Minister Stephen Harper's government, setting up a May 2 election, the fourth in seven years. From the steps of the official residence of Queen Elizabeth II's representative in Canada, Harper announced the official launch of the campaign, contrasting his Conservatives' economic recovery plan with the prospects of opposition parties forming a leftist coalition. The snap poll was forced following the passage of the no-confidence vote against the minority government engineered by the opposition Liberal Party and backed by two other opposition parties, on the heels of a historic contempt of Parliament charge. Junta rule ends in Myanmar On March 30, 2011, Myanmars military handed power to a nominally civilian government after almost half a century of army rule, as the junta was disbanded and a new President appointed. But the army hierarchy retains a firm grip on power in the resource-rich Southeast Asian country, and many analysts believe Senior General Than Shwe will attempt to retain some sort of control behind the scenes. The handover came after controversial elections in November 2010, the countrys first in 20 years, which were marred by the absence of democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi and claims of cheating and intimidation. Former PM Thein Sein, a key Than Shwe ally, was sworn in as President. He is among a slew of generals who shed their army uniforms to contest the elections and are now civilian members of Parliament, which also has a quarter of its seats kept aside for the military. Dalai Lama announces his retirement as political head On March 10, 2011, the Dalai Lama announced his retirement plan on the 52nd anniversary of the Tibetan Uprising Day. Announcing that he would step down as political head of the Tibetan government-in-exile, the Dalai Lama in his speech said he would hand over his formal authority to a freely-elected leader. As early as the 1960s, I have repeatedly stressed that Tibetans need a leader, elected freely by the Tibetan people, to whom I can devolve power. Now, we have clearly reached the time to put this into effect, the 75-year-old Nobel Peace Laureate, who has been at the forefront of a six-decade-long struggle for freedom of Tibetans, said. The Dalai Lama further said he was committed to playing his part for the "just cause" of Tibet. The decision to devolve authority has not been taken because I feel disheartened. It is to benefit the Tibetans in the longer run. I feel gradually people will

come to understand my intention and will support my decision and let it take effect, said the spiritual leader. He has formally proposed to the Tibetan Parliament in-exile to make necessary amendments to the Charter for Tibetans-in-Exile reflecting his decision to devolve his authority. As per the Tibetan Charter, according to which the Tibetan government-inexile runs, the Dalai Lama is the head of state and also the political and administrative head of Tibetans. By devolving his powers, the Dalai Lama hopes to give the Prime Minister greater clout as the region seeks autonomy from China. The aging Dalai is concerned about the future of Tibetan struggle after him. He wants that a Tibetan leadership should evolve during his lifetime that has the acceptance of all members of the community and can take the freedom struggle further after him. However, most Tibetans, especially those living in Tibet, are still spiritual and believe in the institutions of lamas. There is also an apprehension that the political leadership elected by around 80,000 Tibetans living in exile might not have legitimacy of the people in Tibet in the absence of the Dalai Lama. They believe only a spiritual leader could take place of Dalai Lama rather than the political leadership. Japan faces its worst disaster since World War II After a cataclysm so powerful that it moved the Earth 10 inches off its axis, Japan woke to find itself a country that had, literally, been shunted two meters from where it was on March 11, 2011 morning. Neighbourhood after neighbourhood was submerged under a grotesque soup of water and debris. Homes were flattened. Tens of thousands of once orderly acres became a jumble of broken homes, cars, boats, and concrete, with shipping containers cluttering the landscape. Only 300 km from Tokyo, radiation leak from a nuclear plant crippled by an explosion threatens to convert into a major nuclear disaster. Officials were swift to assert that any meltdown, if it came, would not be on anything like the scale or severity of Chernobyl. The 8.9 Richter scale earthquake was the most monstrous that Japan, the world's most tremor-prone country, has ever recorded. This was strong enough to leave a 300 km rupture on the ocean floor. The subsequent tsunamisending 30ft-high waves lashing into Japan's north-east coastturned a disaster into a cataclysm. The wall of water, moving at an estimated 50 kmph, swallowed boats, homes, cars, trees and even small planes, and used these as battering rams as it charged up to 15 kms inland, demolishing all that stood in its way. The first estimates of the total insured loss caused by the quake and tsunami were put at USD 12 billionan unwelcome burden on an economy that had just starting to show signs of revival. US and European planes hit Libya Starting March 19, 2011, Western forces launched a series of air and missile strikes

against forces of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi to force him to stop war on opposition forces in Libya. Earlier, on March 18, a UNSC resolution had imposed a no-fly zone over Libya. India stayed away from voting. India, along with four other countries, wanted the UNSC to wait for the report of the special envoy of the Secretary-General. India also made it clear that it was very important to fully respect sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity of Libya. Away from principles of democracy, the need to secure oil supplies and tackle a history of appeasement toward Muammar Gaddafi are some of the less-publicised reasons for Europe taking on a leadership role in prodding the world to act over Libya, analysts say. Days into the enforcement of a no-fly zone and with the US continuing to take a backseat, there is much speculation over the surprising swiftness with which France and Britain have galvanised European military action on Libya. While the UN resolution authorizing the enforcement of a no fly zone is aimed at protecting civilians and backed by the Arabs, it is also pushed by a mix of unstated personal and political factors rooted in Europe. In Britain, Prime Minister David Cameron defended committing British forces by declaring the action "necessary, legal and right". Even more than Cameron, it is French President Nicolas Sarkozy who has led calls for military intervention. His reasons could be far more personal than Cameron's: in 2007, Sarkozy became the first western leader in decades to welcome Gaddafi on an official State visit. With his approval ratings sinking to record lows and a presidential election due in summer 2012, Sarkozy has strong domestic political reasons to be seen to be acting swiftly and decisively. Italy has more reasons to be wary of events in Libya than Britain or France. Libya's most important European economic partner, Italy sources some 25 percent of its oil imports and 10 percent of its gas from Libya and billions of Euros are tied up in infrastructure and security projects in the country. Some strategic analysts, however, disagree that domestic political reasons characterize European action. "This is a European, American and Canadian action supported by a UN resolution aimed at protecting civiliansthey will deny that it is about Gaddafi," said Christian Le Miere of the International Institute for Strategic Studies.

Business News
AT&T Inc has decided to but T-Mobile USA for $ 39 billion. The deal will give AT&T additional capacity to expand and meet ever-increasing demands for videos and data from devices such as Apple Incs iPhone. Berkshire Hathaway, owned by Warren Buffet, one of the worlds most successful investors, will distribute general insurance products in India through its online portal and tele-marketing arm. It has become a corporate agent of Bajaj Allianz General Insurance. HDFC Ltd is the only Indian company on a list of 110 worlds most ethical companies, according to an annual survey by US

think-tank Ethisphere Institute. The list does not give ranks and has 42 companies from outside USAsix from Japan. No Chinese firm could make the cut. Japanese insurance firm Nippon Life Insurance Company has decided to acquire 26% share in Reliance Life Insurance for Rs 3,062 crore. Manchester United Cafe, the franchise model bar and restaurant of the English Premier League football team, has planned to invest Rs 100 crore in India as part of its expansion. The cafe had entered the Indian market in 2010 and currently has presence in three metros. Maruti Suzuki India Ltd rolled out its 10 millionth car from its facility in Gurgaon on March 15, 2011, to become the first Indian automobile manufacturer to attain this milestone. Philippine Airlines (PAL) has entered into a code share agreement with Kingfisher Airlines. Pratip Chaudhuri has been appointed as the new Chairman of State Bank of India. Software giant Microsoft has appointed Bhaskar Pramanik as chairman for its India operations. Subway has surpassed McDonalds to become the largest restaurant chain in the world. Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) has launched iONa fully integrated information technology solution for small and medium businesses (SMBs). Tata Motors have become the first Indian company to produce one lakh commercial vehicles in a financial year. The International Council for Small Business (ICSB) has decided to launch its operations in India through the Indian Council for Small Business and Entrepreneurship. ICSB is a global membership organisation for those interested in theory and practice of entrepreneurship and the development of small and medium enterprises. US firm Sara Lee Corp has terminated the licence of Godrej Household Products Ltd to sell Kiwi shoe care and Kiwi Kleen brands in India and Sri Lanka. US-based paper and packaging firm International Paper Co. Has picked-up 53.3% share in Andhra Pradesh Paper Mills for around $257 million.

DO YOU KNOW
Child sex ratio of India, as per Census 2011, is 914 females against 1000 males. This is lowest since independence. The overall sex ratio has risen by 7 points to 940 females per 1000 males. Chinese President Hu Jintao has been named the most powerful person in the world by Forbes, ahead of US President Barack Obama, who is ranked second among 68 people "who matter", a list that also includes Congress President Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. Sonia ranks 9th on the Forbes 2010 list of the "world's most powerful people". Singh comes in at number 18. India's business tycoons Reliance Industries chairman Mukesh Ambani, Tata Sons chairman Ratan Tata and head of ArcelorMittal Lakshmi Mittal also make the list. Cricket is known as ban qiu in Chinese. Denmark is ranked first in the list of worlds happiest countries, followed by Finland, Norway and Sweden. India is ranked 115 and shares the spot with Sri Lanka and Afghanistan. Pakistan is ranked 58, while China is ranked 125. Facebook Credits is a virtual currency which enables the users of Facebook to watch films on the site or buy various applications. Beam, a mobile-commerce company has applied to the RBI for permission to make Facebook Credits available in India. Five most populated States of India are (as per 2011 Census): Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Bihar, West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh. Five least populated States/UTs are: Lakshadweep, Daman & Diu, Dadar & Nagar Haveli, Andaman & Nicobar and Sikkim. In its credit policy review, on March 17, 2011, Reserve Bank of India (RBI) raised key policy rates by 25 basis points (100 basis points equals 1 per cent) for the eighth time since March 2010 to cool down inflation. It raised short-term lending (repo) and borrowing (reverse repo) rates to 6.75 per cent and 5.75 per cent, respectively. The move will make loans costlier. India now accounts for 17.5% of the worlds population. China accounts for 19.4%. India Post has launched online portal e-post office to provide postal transactions and tracking service online. This portal will provide electronic money order (eMO), instant money order (iMO), sale of philatelic stamps, postal information, tracking of

express and international shipments, PIN code search and registration of feedback and complaints online. Through this portal, DoP will also sell products, handicrafts and other products made by small-scale industries. The content of the portal is in English. The next version of the portal is expected to be launched in Bangla and Kannada language. Indias per capita income, often used to measure a country's standard of living, increased by 14.5 per cent during 2009-10 to Rs 46,492. The per capita income at factor cost is estimated as Rs 46,492 at current prices. As per the base year 2004-05, the per capita income in rural areas was Rs 16,327, while in the urban areas it stood at Rs 44,223. Indias total population, as per the 2011 Census is 12102.2 million. Out of this 586.5 are females and 623.7 are males. Literacy rate of India, as per Census 2011 has gone up to 74.04% from 64.83% a decade ago. 82.4% is male literacy and 65.46 is female literacy. NLU-Delhi, NALSAR-Hyderabad, NLSIU-Bangalore, NUJS-Kolkata and RGSOIPL-IIT Kharagpur have come together to set up the Legal Information Institute of India. The online portal provides for 300,000 decisions from 37 courts and tribunals, 800 bilateral treaties, 500 law journal articles and much more. Over 4,000 cities, including New Delhi and Mumbai, from 131 countries turned off their lights during the global Earth Hour observed on March 26, 2011 Seismic zones are divided into zones from 1 to 5 with 1 being least active to 5 being highest. Indian N-plants at Kakrapar, Gujarat, Tarapur, Maharashtra and Kaiga, Karnataka are in zone 3. Narora in Uttar Pradesh lies in zone 4. Kalpakkam, TN, Kudankulam, TN and Rawatbhata, Rajasthan lie in zone 2. Steel tycoon Lakshmi Mittal has overtaken Mukesh Ambani to become the wealthiest Indian, according to the annual Forbes list of World Billionaires for 2011. With a net worth of $31.1 billion (Rs 1.4 lakh crore), Mittal is ranked sixth richest in the world. Globally, Carlos Slim Helu, the Mexican telecom baron stayed the richest, increasing his worth by $ 20.5 billion. India, with its 55 billionaires, has the third largest pool of billionaires, after the US and China. The 11th Info-Poverty World Conference was held in March 2011 at the United Nations. The 2011 BRICS summit was hosted by China at Sanya. The biennial Wind Power India conference was held in Chennai. The Constitution (115 Amendment) Bill, 2011, proposes to give powers to both the Centre and the States to make laws with respect of Goods and Services Tax (GST). The amendment is required as currently the Centre cannot impose excise duty beyond the manufacturing stage and the States cannot levy a tax on services. The decadal growth rate of population in 2001-11 was 17.64%. It was 21.54% in the previous decade. The density of population of India (as per Census 2011) is 382 persons per sq km. Delhi (11,297) is the densest State, followed by Chandigarh (9,252). Arunachal Pradesh is the least dense State with a density of 17. The Financial Sector Legislative Reforms Commission (FSRLC) has been set up by the Union government to re-write and clean-up financial laws of India. It is headed by Justice B.N. Srikrishna The three-day world Sufi music festival was held on March 11-13, 2011 in New Delhi. World House Sparrow day is observed on March 20. World Water Day is observed on March 22.

NATIONAL AFFAIRS Draft guidelines for new bank licences On August 29, 2011, the Reserve Bank of India released its much-awaited draft guidelines for new banking licences, with the basic message that it is looking for companies with diversified ownership and less exposure to risky business such as broking and real estate. The guidelines had been under discussion for more than a year. These allow business houses with successful track record and a minimum capital of Rs 500 crore to set up commercial banks. The draft also spelt out the framework for converting non-banking financial companies into banks. The RBI has suggested a 49% limit on foreign shareholding and a two-year deadline to list shares for new banks.

According to the draft, new banks total exposure to their founding groups should be limited to 20%, with the exposure to a single entity capped at 10%. Activities such as real-estate and broking, apart from being inherently riskier, represent a business model and business culture which are quiet misaligned with a banking model, said the central bank, which has historically been cautious about opening up the sector to more players due its apprehensions on controlling bad loans. These conditions may make it difficult for keen aspirants such as Religare Enterprises Ltd., Indiabulls Financial Services Ltd. and Reliance Capital Ltd. to qualify, analysts said. Companies like Larsen & Toubro Ltd., Mahindra & Mahindra Financial Services Ltd., with a reasonably diversified shareholding, have a fair chance to gain banking licenses. The last time India issued a banking license was in 2004, to Yes Bank Ltd. Sustainable Competitiveness Report 2011 Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and Haryana rank among the top 10 States in a report titled Sustainable Competitiveness Report 2011 for Indian States, released by Marcus Potter, executive director, developing markets, RICS. The report shows the ranking of Indian States in terms of the sustainability of their growth story. The States have been divided into three categories based on the density of population and Delhi tops the sustainable competitiveness index in the high density States. Goa and Sikkim top the list for the medium and low population density States, respectively. When seen as an overall ranking, the top three winners are Goa, Delhi and Sikkim, followed by Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Mizoram, Kerala, Gujarat and Arunachal Pradesh. Among the laggards, West Bengal, Bihar and Jharkhand fared the worst. Heavyweight States such as Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh showed disappointing results. The States sustainability competitiveness is accessed on four basic pillars, which include social inclusion, environment and climate change, economic development and resource availability and utilisation. When seen against individual ranking parameters or categories, Delhi and Goa top the national rankings across the economic development and resource availability and utilisation categories, respectively. On environment and climate change, it is Arunachal Pradesh that tops the national rankings, though overall the State ranks number 10. Mizoram ranks as the number one State nationally on social inclusion. The IFC-RICS Sustainability Competitiveness Report seeks to raise awareness and promote inclusive growth amongst cities. Growth prospects for 2011-12 subdued: RBI While retaining economic growth estimates for 2011-12 at eight per cent, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has cautioned about emerging downward risks emanating from the uncertain global environment and domestic inflationary pressures. The central bank also said global commodity prices would shape its monetary policy stance in the future. In its annual report for 2010-11, RBI had retained its growth projection at eight per cent for 2011-12 in its first quarter review in July. Overall growth in 2010-11 is estimated at 8.5 per cent, and is likely to be higher after factoring in the new index of industrial production series. Downside risks to growth have increased since our assessment in July. The decline in global commodity prices has not been significant, and despite all the financial market turbulence, oil prices are back to earlier levels, RBI Deputy Governor Subir Gokarn said. On global factors, RBI said high oil and commodity prices, even after some correction, remains high and could adversely impact growth. The central bank also painted an uncertain picture of the industrial sector, where it saw downside risks outweighing upside ones. According to RBI, the downside risks arise from falling business confidence in the wake of global uncertainties, political factors and firm commodity prices amidst high inflation and a weak response of supply

side factors. On inflation, the central bank has maintained its earlier stance that a moderation in prices can only be expected by the end of 2011-12. RBI expects inflation to come down to seven per cent by March 2012. Parliament yields to Annas demands on Lokpal Bill On August 27, 2011, the extraordinary 12th day of Anna Hazares anti-corruption fast, the Parliament responded with extraordinary grace to show what it could do to honour a crusaders urge. After over eight hours of debate around the structure of the Lokpal Bill, the Government and the Opposition in both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha came together to agree in-principle to the three major demands the activist had raised in his letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh as a condition to end his protest. In doing so, the Parliament paved the way for the Gandhian to end his fast. Earlier, the two Houses agreed that the anti-graft law, to be effective, must cover corruption by lower bureaucracy through appropriate mechanisms; must have an inbuilt grievance redress system which Anna calls the citizens charter and should provide for enabling laws to establish Lokayuktas in States on the lines of the Lokpal at the Centre. The debate ended amidst members thumping their desks to applaud the agreement which Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee summed up as the sense of two Houses which would now be conveyed to the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Law and Justice for its consideration. The committee is already seized of the Lokpal Bill the government had introduced in Lok Sabha on August 4 and those prepared by the National Advisory Council member Aruna Roy and Dr Jayprakash Narain. Except on the inclusion of judiciary and MPs conduct inside the Parliament under the Lokpal as Anna had demanded in the Jan Lokpal Bill, the BJP-led Opposition and the Government broadly agreed on all other issues, with Leaders of Opposition in both Houses steering the consensus, especially on conditional inclusion of the PM on matters except in issues of national security, public order and foreign policy. The Sense of the House resolution reads: This House agrees in principle on the following issues: citizen charter, lower bureaucracy under the Lokpal through an appropriate mechanism, and establishment of the Lokayukta in the States; and further resolves to forward the proceedings of the House to the Standing Committee on Law and Justice. Delhi, Dhaka ink strip maps to mark border On August 20, 2011, Bangladesh and India inked strip maps to demarcate over 4,000-kilometre international border between the two neighbours, in a bid to settle the long-standing frontierrelated discord. This signing of the strip maps containing the Bangladesh-India International border boundary line coordination point will end an outstanding issue which remained unresolved since 1947. A strip map is an un-scaled drawing of a route to include critical points along the border, roadside features and town facilities on a simple flip-over style map. The map usually incorporates distances. US warns India of Chinese build-up The latest US assessment of the expanding military might of China paints a scary picture of the frenetic pace at which the 2.25-million Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) is being modernized, in the backdrop of uncertainty over its long-term intentions. Though the US report holds that thwarting any American intervention in Taiwan remains PLAs main strategic direction, New Delhi can ill-afford to ignore Chinas increasing trans-border military capabilities, its assiduous strategic encircling of India and hardening posture in the border talks. The report itself notes PLA has replaced its older liquid-fuelled, nuclear-capable CSS-2 intermediate range ballistic missiles with the more advanced solid-fuelled CSS-5 mediumrange ballistic missile systems along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) to strengthen its deterrent posture against India.

A high level of mistrust continues to strain the bilateral relationship...India remains concerned over Chinas close military relationship with Pakistan and Beijings growing footprint in the Indian Ocean, Central Asia and Africa, says the report. All this might not startle the Indian defence establishment, which also keeps a close tab on PLA, but the fact remains that China can now move over 30 divisions (each with over 15,000 soldiers) to the LAC within a month to outnumber Indian forces by at least three-is-to-one due to the huge military infrastructure build-up in Tibet. India has taken some steps in recent years to counter China, which range from planning a new mountain strike corps (over 35,000 combat troops) in 2012-2017, after raising two new divisions (over 15,000 soldiers each) in Nagaland and Assam, to deploying Sukhoi-30MKI fighters, missile batteries and spy drones in the North-East. But a lot more clearly needs to be done. China, after all, is fast steaming ahead with its projects to build its first stealth fighter, the J-20, and multiple aircraft carriers after its first, the 67,500tonne Varyag acquired surreptitiously from Ukraine, began sea trials recently. Moreover, China has a hyper-active ballistic and cruise missile programme to add to its already huge nuclear arsenal. They include missiles like the DF-21D ballistic missile to kill aircraft carriers or large ships over 1,500-km away, the road-mobile DF-31A capable of hitting targets 11,200-km away, and the JL-2 submarine-launched ballistic missile with a reach beyond 7,200km. "China's nuclear arsenal currently consists of 55-65 ICBMs (intercontinental ballistic missiles), apart from (5-20) IRBMs, (75-100) MRBMs and (1,000-1,200) SRBMs," says the Pentagon report. China, of course, also helps Pakistan to boost its military capabilities, with the clear intention to bog down India in South Asia. Pakistan remains China's primary customer for weapons, with sales ranging from JF-17 and F-7 fighters, F-22P frigates and early warning and control aircraft, tanks and missiles, says the report. INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

Bhattarai sworn-in as Prime Minister of Nepal Maoist ideologue Baburam Bhattarai was sworn in as Nepals new Prime Minister on August 29, 2011. After taking over as the Prime Minister he said that he would work to complete the fragile peace process within six months and form a national unity government to bring political stability in the nascent republic. The 57-year-old Jawaharlal Nehru University scholar ascends to the post at a crucial time in Nepal and faces the twin challenge of integrating and rehabilitating over 19,000 former Maoist guerrillas and preparing the first Constitution, two major conditions of a 2006 peace deal which ended a decade-long civil war that killed some 16,000 people. Bhattarai said that he hoped to lead a consensus government to break the political deadlock that has stalled the peace process and delayed the drafting of a new constitution. The Maoists with 236 seats are the largest party in Parliament but left power in May 2009 in a row over the dismissal of the then Nepal Army Chief Rukmangad Katawal. Prachanda had dismissed Katawal after accusing him of undermining the civilian government. The Maoist supremo had quit after President Yadav reinstated Katawal. London erupts over fatal police firing London picked itself up on August 7, 2011, from some of the worst violence seen in the British capital in years, which politicians and police blamed on criminal thugs but

residents attributed to local tensions and anger over rising financial hardship. Rioters, throwing petrol bombs, rampaged overnight through an economically deprived district, setting police patrol cars, buildings and a double-decker bus on fire. The riots erupted after a street protest over the fatal shooting of a man by armed officers. The riots came amid deepening gloom in Britain with the economy struggling to grow amid deep public spending cuts and tax rises brought into help eliminate a budget deficit, which peaked at more than 10 per cent of the GDP. Japan unveils $100-billion package to cope with Yen On August 24, 2011, Japan unveiled a $100-billion effort to help companies cope with a surging yen, signalling that officials may be resigned to the currency remaining high. The government will release foreign-exchange reserves to the Japan Bank for International Cooperation for funding to aid exporters and spur purchases overseas, Finance Minister Yoshihiko Noda told reporters in Tokyo today. JBIC, as the lender is known, is a state-run export credit agency. Japan has amassed $1.07 trillion in foreign-exchange reserves, the worlds largest after China. The yen touched a post-war high of 75.95 per dollar on August 19 in New York. The one-year funding program through the export credit agency is intended to encourage the private sector to exchange yen-denominated funds to foreign currencies by supporting exports by small and mid-sized companies, securing energy resources and helping Japanese companies to purchase foreign businesses. The Bank of Japan applauded the finance ministrys announcement, saying in a statement that the measures would contribute to the stability of currency markets. Japans debt rating was lowered by Moodys Investors Service, which cited weak prospects for economic growth that will make it difficult for the government to rein in the worlds largest public debt burden. The advancing yen is a headwind against export competitiveness, Moodys said. China blames Pak-trained militants for Xinjiang violence On August 1, 2011, for the first time, China blamed Uyghur militants trained in Pakistan for the deadly violence in its restive Xinjiang province which left at least 20 persons dead in two days. The initial probe found that the groups leaders had learned how to make explosives and firearms in overseas camps of the terrorist group, the East Turkmenistan Islamic Movement (ETIM) in Pakistan before entering Xinjiang to organise terrorist activities, an official statement said. While, it was no secret that China has been pressing Pakistan to crackdown on ETIM militants for a long time, but perhaps this was the first time that it chose to openly point finger at it, when Islamabad is reeling under pressure being exhorted by the US

to carry out operations against Al-Qaida and Taliban. The Xinjiang region remained a hot bed for extremism after massive riots by Muslim Uyghurs in the provincial capital Urmuqi in 2009 against the Chinese mainland Hans who settled down in the region in large numbers over the years. In Xinjiang, Uygurs constitute 41.5 per cent of its population, while Hans are about 40 per cent. The province borders eight countries, many of which, including PoK and Afghanistan, have been plagued by terrorism and targeted by the East Turkistan separatist forces.

Business News
The Union government has given its nod to Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) for stake sale to British Petroleum (BP) for US$7.2 billion. Bharti Airtel has joined hands with the Formula 1 Group Companies to become the title sponsor of the Indian leg of the race, which will be called the Airtel Grand Prix of India. Force Motors has launched its first sports utility vehicle (SUV), Force One. The company, known for its light commercial vehicle brands like Tempo, Matador and Traveller, has invested around Rs 150 crore in developing the SUV. Google Inc. has decided to buy Motorola Mobility Holdings for US$12.5 billion, in an attempt to buy insurance against increasingly aggressive legal attacks from rivals such as Apple Inc. K.V. Kamath has taken charge as the first non-founder chairman of INFOSYS in its threedecade history. Kris Gopalakrishnan has been appointed as executive co-chairman, making way for another co-founder, S.D. Shibulal, as MD and CEO. Deven Sharma, President of Standard & Poors (S&P), has resigned, capping two weeks of controversy following the rating agencys downgrade of US government debt on August 5, 2011, that sparked a row with the Treasury. Future is Me is the tag line of advertisement campaign by AMD India, the worlds secondlargest chip-maker. On August 25, 2011, Steve Jobs resigned as CEO of Apple Inc and passed the reigns to his right-hand man Tim Cook Actor-producer Shah Rukh Khans latest offering Ra.One has roped in UTV Indiagames to design a social game based on the film. This is the first time in India that a social game would be based a film character, G.One, and would have its own identity.

DO YOU KNOW
The Parliament has permitted the government to mint coins of Rs 1,000 denomination. The Coinage Bill, 2009, passed by Rajya Sabha in August 2011, limits payment through coins up to Rs 1,000. The Lok Sabha had passed the Bill without discussion in March. It has been proposed to change the name of West Bengal to Paschimbanga. The name change will become official after it is cleared by the Parliament.

Innovation in Science Pursuit for Inspired Research (INSPIRE) is a national programme implemented by the Union Ministry of Science and Technology to attract talent amongst students to study science and pursue career with research. INSPIRE programme covers students in the age group 10-32 years and has five components: INSPIRE Awards (for 10-15 age group), INSPIRE Internship (for 16-17 age group), INSPIRE Scholarship for Higher Education (for 17-22 age group), INSPIRE Fellowship (for 22-27 age group) for doctoral research, and INSPIRE Faculty (for 27-32 age group) for assured career opportunity. Pandit K. Santanam was the man who first bared the horrors of Jallianwala Bagh massacre to the world. He was a conservative Iyengar from Tamil Nadu but chose to make Lahore his permanent home. On August 25, 2011, the Department of Posts released a commemorative stamp in Santanams memory, 62 years after he passed away. The Reserve Bank of Indias gross income for 2010-11 rose by 12.73 per cent to Rs 37,070.12 crore, from Rs 32,884.14 crore a year ago, due to increase in earnings from domestic assets. India and South Africa have decided to increase two-way trade between both the countries to $15 billion by 2014, from $10.64 billion now. The decision was taken at the India-South Africa CEOs Forum, held in New Delhi in August 2011.

NATIONAL AFFAIRS RBI links new bank licence to rural branch Signboards of new private banks which are common on high street will soon be visible in the remotest of rural areas with the Reserve Bank India (RBI) linking new branch licensing to the number of rural branches that banks open. Most new private banks which have already drawn up branch expansion plans in large cities have decided to go ahead even if this means having to identify places that have never seen a bank branch before. Private banks are taking the change in policy in their stride although some feel RBIs policy increases the onus on smaller banks. With financial inclusion being a key agenda of both RBI and the government, the central bank has decided to give private banks a push to go rural. RBI, in its circular, said that banks should allocate at least 25% of the total number of branches proposed to be opened during a year in un-banked rural (tier 5 and tier 6) centres. An un-banked rural centre would mean a rural (tier 5 and tier 6) centre that does not have a brick-and-mortar structure of any scheduled commercial bank for customer- based banking transactions. Earlier banks were expected to reach most of the un-banked customers through the use of business correspondents. The new circular shifts the emphasis to a physical branch. The rural directive could be a setback albeit a small one for new generation private banks which have turned into profit machines with earning growing over 20%. For these banks with heavy investment in technology, it would be difficult to break even in an un-banked branch unless banks are able to find some way to generate interest income by growing loans in rural areas. SEBI liberalises takeover norms On July 28, 2011, the Securities & Exchange Board of India (SEBI) announced that an entity buying 25 per cent stake in a listed firm will have to mandatorily make an offer to buy additional 26 per cent from public shareholders. This is seen as an attempt to lure investment after mergers and acquisitions fell 37 per cent. The new norms mark an increase in the open offer size for public shareholders from 20 per cent currently, while the trigger for such offer has also been raised from 15 per cent in the existing regulations. In Japan, the trigger for an open offer is 33.3 per cent, while in Hong Kong it is 30 per cent and in Singapore it is 29.99 per cent. In all three, the trigger requires an acquirer to make an offer for the entire company. The panel on new takeover regulations had recommended an open offer for buying up to 100

per cent in the target company, while suggesting an increase in the trigger limit to 25 per cent. While the recommendation on trigger has been accepted, the same for the offer size has been kept lower due to intense opposition from industry and market participants. For removal of non-compete fees, which could be as high as 25 per cent of deal value, the logic was given that promoters should not get higher price than that for public shareholders. Gorkhas get more autonomy in Bengal Ending two decades of uncertainty in the Darjeeling hills, a historic tripartite agreement for a new council with more powers was signed on July 18, 2011, even as the West Bengal government ruled out any division of the State. The agreement for Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) was signed in the presence of Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Gorkha Janmukti Morcha President Bimal Gurung. The CPI(M) and other Left parties boycotted the function. A 48hour bandh was observed in the adjoining Terai and Dooars in the plains against the signing. The new autonomous, 50-member elected hill council will have more administrative and financial powers to independently run the three hill sub-divisions of Kurseong, Kalimpong and Darjeeling, as compared to its former avatar, the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council, formed in the late 1980s. While 45 members will be elected, the remaining five will be nominated by the government. The GTA will get 60-odd different government departments, including finance, health, land reform, food and agriculture, electricity, irrigation and waterways and tourism. However, the Home Department (police) will not be under its control. There will be a direct flow of funds from New Delhi to the GTA for development works. Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee has already sanctioned Rs 600 crore as special assistance for Darjeeling. Mamata Banerjee also assured a complete economic package to the GTA, which, she said, would function within West Bengal. India-Bangladesh ink border management deal On July 30, 2011, India and Bangladesh inked a key agreement aimed at enhancing quality of border management and ensuring cross-frontier security through measures like joint vigils to deal with human trafficking and smuggling of drugs and weapons. The comprehensive border management agreement was signed in the presence of visiting Home Minister P. Chidambaram and his Bangladeshi counterpart Sahara Khatun. Chidambaram said the agreement, signed by Border Guard Bangladeshs Director General Maj Gen Anwar Hossain and his Indian counterpart from the Border Security Force (BSF) Raman Srivastava, was expected to resolve all outstanding frontier issues, including combating crossborder crimes. India and Bangladesh share 4,096 km border, of which 6.1 km is still un-demarcated. Britain, India strike major trade deals On July 25, 2011, Britain and India confirmed trade deals worth billions of dollars between the two countries at talks in London. Britains Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne and his Indian counterpart, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, met in London for discussions on boosting economic ties between the G-20 partners. The meeting came after India cleared a 4.4-billion ($7.2-billion) deal for Reliance Industries Ltd to sell a major stake in two dozen of its oil and gas blocks to Britain's BP. London is determined to boost trade with Brazil, China and India to help drag Britain out of the financial crisis. Visit of Pakistans Foreign Minister On July 27, 2011, at the talks between External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna and his young Pakistani counterpart Hina Rabbani Khar, New Delhi extracted an assurance from Islamabad to fight and eliminate the scourge of terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. Refraining from rhetoric with a clear intent to keep the dialogue process on track, India and Pakistan also announced additional cross-LoC travel and trade confidence-building measures (CBMs) and resolved to find a peaceful solution to the Kashmir issue by narrowing down

differences and building convergences. India, however, did express its sense of dissatisfaction over the progress in trial of the seven accused lodged in Pakistani jails for their involvement in the 26/11 Mumbai attacks. However, there was no reference to the Mumbai attacks in a joint statement that was released after nearly two-and-a-half hours of deliberations. The statement touched all outstanding issues between the two countries that have bedevilled their ties and reaffirmed the importance of carrying forward the dialogue process. Significantly, the usual acrimony associated with an India-Pakistan dialogue was clearly missing this time around as Krishna set the tone for talks by declaring that India desired to see a stable, peaceful and prosperous Pakistan and wished the people of the neighbouring country well. The two sides have perhaps learnt a lesson from what happened in July 2010 when Krishnas joint press conference with his then Pakistani counterpart Shah Mehmud Qureshi in Islamabad ended in a disaster, giving a setback to the attempts to revive the dialogue process. Therefore, a joint press interaction by the two ministers was carefully avoided. Krishna and Khar just gave soundbytes at the conclusion of their meeting and did not take any questions. Instead, the two sides fielded Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao and her Pakistani counterpart Salman Bashir to address the media. On her part, Khar said Pakistan desired a genuine interaction with India in order to maintain cooperative relations. We feel the relationship between the two countries should not be held hostage by the past. She said officials on both sides must be respectful of the reality of the two countries. The glamorous Pakistani minister, however, did earn the wrath of New Delhi for meeting separatist leaders from J&K shortly after her arrival in New Delhi. New Delhi also drew Pakistans attention to the anti-India statements being made on a regular basis by some key terrorist leaders like Jamat-ud-Dawaa (JuD) chief Hafiz Mohammed Saeed. The Pakistani side again sought to brush the provocative statements under the carpet, saying one should not consider the views held by an individual as those of the State. India, South Korea ink N-deal On July 25, 2011, India signed a historic civil nuclear cooperation agreement with South Korea, paving the way for the possibility of Seoul exporting its atomic power plants. The agreement, signed after summit talks between President Pratibha Patil and her South Korean counterpart Lee Myung-bak, provides legal ground for South Koreas participation in atomic power plant construction projects in India. South Korea has now become the ninth country which had signed nuclear agreement with India after it got the waiver from the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) in 2008. The other countries are the US, France, Russia, Canada, Mongolia, Kazakhstan, Argentina and Namibia. India and South Korea had decided to start talks on civil nuclear cooperation during a meeting between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Lee on the sidelines of the ASEAN Summit in Hanoi in October 2010. Besides the agreement on nuclear cooperation, the two sides also signed a memorandum of understanding on media exchanges and another agreement on administrative arrangements to provide social security to people working in India and Korea. India-US Strategic Dialogue The India-US strategic dialogue was held in New Delhi on July 18, 2011, during the visit of US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. A joint statement issued after the strategic dialogue said the two sides covered a wide range of bilateral issues as well as global developments during the four-hour talks. The two countries also signed a MoU to promote closer cooperation and the timely exchange of information between the organisations of their respective governments responsible for cyber security. Defence, security and counter-terrorism were high on the agenda since the dialogue. The dialogue, which was originally scheduled to be held in April, was postponed to July in view of the developments in North Africa and the Assembly elections in India. There were apprehensions that it could be deferred yet again after the July 13 explosions in Mumbai but Clinton decided to stick to the schedule.

On the issue of terrorism, Clinton was quite forthright in telling Pakistan that it was in its own interest to deal with violent extremism. Pakistan is a key ally in the fight against terrorism. We have made it clear to Islamabad that terrorism threatens Pakistan itself bombings in mosques, markets, police stations and government buildings. Pakistan must act on its own behalf to protect its territorial integrity and sovereignty. In a clear reference to the US raid that found and killed Osama Bin Laden in Abbottabad in early May, she said: We want mutual recognition that we cannot tolerate a safe haven for terrorists anywhere. When we know the location of terrorists whose intentions are clear, we need to work together. We do not believe there are any terrorists who should be given a safe haven or free pass by any government." On the civil nuclear cooperation, Clinton, while reassuring Washingtons commitment to the 123 agreement, wanted India to sign the Convention on Supplementary Compensation (CSC) for nuclear damages with the IAEA before the end of the year. The main problem for US operators is a clause in the Indian law that makes the suppliers of reactors liable for 80 years for any accident at a plant. Private US nuclear firms are unwilling to sign up, mainly because they are unable to find insurance to cover them for potentially crippling claims for damages. However, differences continued to plague the two sides on the civil nuclear deal though Clinton expressed the Obamas administration commitment to implementing the accord in letter and spirit, notwithstanding the recent decision of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) to deny access to enrichment and reprocessing (ENR) technologies to countries which are not signatories to the NPT. But one major positive that emerged from the strategic dialogue from Indias perspective was Washingtons commitment to New Delhi that the process of reconciliation with the Taliban in Afghanistan would be Afghan-led and Afghan-driven, and not dictated by Pakistan or any other country. Supreme Court appoints SIT to probe black money In a far-reaching order to deal with the massive problem of astronomical levels of black money stashed in secret overseas bank accounts, the Supreme Court, on July 4, 2011, directed the government to set up a Special Investigation Team (SIT), headed by former SC judges B.P. Jeevan Reddy and M.B. Shah, and disclose the names of such bank account holders against whom show-cause notices have been issued. Slamming the government for conducting the investigations at a laggardly pace, a Bench comprising Justices B. Sudershan Reddy and S.S. Nijjar observed that even the named individuals had not yet been questioned with any degree of seriousness. These are serious lapses, especially when viewed from the perspective of larger issues of security, both internal and external, of the country. The Bench passed the order on a bunch of PILs seeking steps to bring back over $1trillion of black money taken out of the country illegally by individuals and entities in order to evade tax. Among the petitioners are former law minister Ram Jethmalani and former police chiefs of PunjabKPS Gill and Julio F. Riberio. The SIT would have powers to investigate, initiate proceedings and prosecute the accused in all black money related cases, the SC clarified. The SIT would keep the SC informed of all major developments by filing periodic status reports. Karnataka Lokayukta report nails Yeddyurappa Karnataka Lokayukta Santosh Hegdes report on illegal mining, submitted to the State government on July 27, 2011, has accused Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa of corruption and asked the Governor to take action against him under the Prevention of Corruption Act. Justice Hegde, while addressing the media, said: In the course of the investigation, it was found that a trust run by family members of the Chief Minister had received a donation of Rs 10 crore from a firm dealing in iron ore. Citing another instance of illegal gratification received by Yeddyurappas kin, Hegde said they sold a plot near the Bangalore airport to a mining company at an exorbitant price. Describing the price as abnormally high, Hegde said while the guidance value of the plot suggested that

its price should not exceed Rs 1.4 crore, it was sold for a staggering amount of Rs 20 crore. On the money received by the Prerna Trust run by Yeddyurappas two sons (including Raghavendra, a Lok Sabha MP from Shimoga), Hegde said the South West Mining Company, affiliated to the Jindal group, had to borrow money from others for making the donation. I find it extremely difficult to accept that someone has to borrow money for making a donation, Hegde said. He said the nature of the two payments the donation and the purchase of the land from CMs sons by a mining companyhas led him to conclude that the payments were made for reasons other than the genuine reason. He said that in the light of these two cases, he indicted the CM under the Prevention of Corruption Act and made a recommendation to the Governor, who is the competent authority for acting against the CM, to take further steps in this regard. The report also names the two Reddy brothers, Janardhana and Karunakara, both Cabinet ministers in Karnataka, V. Somanna, also a member of the Yeddyurappa-led Cabinet, JD(S) leader and former Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy and Congress MP Anil Lad. Hegde said about 100 companies were found guilty during the investigations. He has suggested cancellation of their mining leases. The total loss to the State exchequer caused due to illegal mining during the period under investigation (2006-10) was an estimated Rs 16,085 crore INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

South Sudan formally declares independence Tens of thousands of South Sudanese danced and cheered as their new country formally declared its independence on July 9, 2011, a hard-won separation from the north that also plunged the fractured region into a new period of uncertainty. The President of South Sudan, Salva Kiir, stood next to his old civil war foe, the President of Sudan, Omar Hassan al-Bashir, who now leads just the north, at a ceremony to mark the birth of the new nation. Under-developed, oil-producing South Sudan won its independence in a January 2011 referendum, the climax of a 2005 peace deal that ended decades of fighting with the north. Security forces at first tried to control the streets in the souths dusty capital Juba, but retreated as jubilant crowds moved in overnight and through the day, waving flags, dancing and chanting South Sudan o-yei, freedom o-yei. The North Sudans government was the first to recognise South Sudan, hours before the split took place, a move that smoothed the way to the division. The United States, China, India and Britain signalled their recognition of the State on July 9. However, northern and southern leaders have still not agreed on a list of issues, most importantly the line of the border, the ownership of the disputed Abyei region and how they will handle oil revenues, the lifeblood of both economies. With the split, the Republic of Sudan lost almost a third of its territory and about three quarters of its oil reserves, which are sited in the south. Sudan now shrinks to being the third largest State in Africa, with about 1.86 million sq km of territory. UN declares famine in south Somalia On July 20, 2011, the United Nations declared famine in two regions of southern Somalia and said it could quickly spread unless donors took action. Mark Bowden,

humanitarian coordinator for Somalia, said southern Bakool and Lower Shabelle had been hit by the worst famine in the region for 20 years. The UN is proposing exceptional measures of providing cash relief while it finds ways of getting larger volumes of food aid into southern Somalia, Bowden said. The UN is also appealing for $300 million over the next two months for Somalia. The UN said 3.7 million people across the war-ravaged Horn of Africa country, or almost half the population, were now in danger. Of them 2.8 million are in the south. In the worst affected areas, half the children are malnourished. Years of drought, that have also affected Kenya and Ethiopia, have hit harvests and conflict has made it extremely difficult for agencies to operate and access communities in the south of the country. The south is controlled by al Shabaab Islamist insurgents, affiliated to Al-Qaida, who are fighting to topple the Western-backed government. The group also controls parts of the capital Mogadishu and central Somalia. In early July, the rebels lifted a ban on food aid which they had said created dependency. Some analysts say they are allowing aid in because they fear a public backlash if they do not. Others say the rebels want bribes. The UN defines famine as at least 20 percent of households facing extreme food shortages, a crude mortality rate of more than two persons per 10,000 per day and malnutrition rates of above 30 per cent. China slams US over Obama-Dalai Lama talks On July 17, 2011, hours after President Barack Obama had an audience with the Dalai Lama, China summoned top US diplomat in Beijing to convey its strong indignation over the meeting, saying it amounted to gross interference in its internal affairs and damaged the bilateral ties. Obamas meeting with the Dalai has grossly interfered in Chinas internal affairs, hurt the feelings of Chinese people and damaged the Sino-American relations, Foreign Ministry spokesman Ma Zhaoxu said in a statement. We demand the US side to seriously consider Chinas stance, immediately adopt measures to wipe out the baneful impact, stop interfering in Chinas internal affairs and cease to connive and support anti-China separatist forces that seek Tibets independence, he said. Brushing aside strong objections from China, Obama met the Dalai Lama and conveyed his strong support for human rights in Tibet during their 44-minute. After the meeting, the Dalai said Obama is the President of the greatest democratic country, so naturally he is showing concern about basic human values, human rights and religious freedom. This meeting underscores the Presidents strong support for the preservation of

Tibets unique religious, cultural and linguistic identity and the protection of human rights for Tibetans, the White House said in a statement. Obama, who last met the Dalai Lama in February 2010, reiterated the US policy that Tibet is part of China and the US does not support independence for it, stressing that he encouraged direct dialogue to resolve the issue. The Dalai Lama said he was not seeking independence for Tibet and hoped the dialogue between his representatives and China can soon resume.

Business News
The split of the Rs 19,000-crore RPG empire is now complete, with R.P. Goenkas younger son, Sanjiv Goenka, carving out a separate corporate identitythe RP-Sanjiv Goenka Group independent of elder brothers RPG. HDFC Bank has launched a premier credit card, Infinia, for the high net-worth community in India. The card is expected to compete with American Express or Amex card. The Union Cabinet has cleared the third phase of expansion of FM radio by approving eauctioning of 839 new private radio stations in 227 towns and cities. In the previous phases, the government had offered 250 stations across the country in 86 cities. The government has also permitted private radio channels to broadcast news of All India Radio (AIR). BLB Limited, Indias largest arbitrage and proprietary book player has decided to shut shop. Union Cabinet has cleared the US$7.2 billion Reliance-BP deal which will enable BP (British Petroleum) to buy 30% stake in RILs oil and gas blocks, including the show-piece KG-D6 gas fields. The deal is seen as the biggest foreign direct investment into India. Walt Disney Company will spend Rs 2000 crore to take complete control of the Mumbai-based UTV Software Communications. Punjab National Bank has agreed to pick up a 30 per cent stake in MetLife India, which will make PNB the single-largest shareholder in the private insurance company. L Capital Asia, a private equity fund of global luxury giant LVMH Group has announced its first investment in India by picking up 25.5 per cent stake in Genesis Luxury Fashion Pvt Ltd.

DO YOU KNOW
The annual use of postcard (Meghdoot service) in India has declined from 336.45 crore to just 78.24 crore in the last ten years. The Central Board of Trustees of Employees' Provident Fund (EPF) has appointed Reliance Capital Asset Management, along with HSBC Bank, ICICI Securities and State Bank of India to manage its corpus of Rs 3.5 trillion, for a period of three years. Punjab, Kerala and Karnataka are now among the most urbanized States in India, having more than 35 per cent of their population living in urban areas. Uttar Pradesh has the maximum number of its people living in rural areas; 55.5 crore people in UP live in rural areas. Mumbai

tops the list of places having maximum number of people in urban area at 5 crore. Punjab has become the first State in India to start an integrated solid waste management programme in the entire State. World Population Day is celebrated every year on July 11. News of the World, 168-year-old newspaper of Britain, is closed down in a breathtaking response to a phone-hacking scandal engulfing the media empire of Rupert Murdoch. The Union Cabinet has cleared a massive hike of Rs 3 crore per MP in the annual allocation of MPLAD fund that enables every MP to recommend development works in his/her constituency. The allocation has been hiked from Rs 2 crore per MP to Rs 5 crore per MP and will cost the exchequer an additional Rs 2,370 crore annually. Hyderabad will host the Table Tennis World Championship, 2013 Juba is the capital of the new nation of South Sudan which declared independence on July 9, 2011. Mumbai and Delhi are among the five cheapest places in the world, according to the Worldwide Cost of Living survey. The five cheapest cities are: Karachi (Pakistan), Tunis (Tunisia), Mumbai (India), Tehran (Iran) and New Delhi (India), in that order. The five costliest places are: Tokyo (Japan), Oslo (Norway), Osaka Kobe (Japan), Paris (France), Zurich (Switzerland). According to the UN Millennium Development Goals Report, as many as 320 million people in India and China are expected to come out of extreme poverty by 2015, while Indias poverty rate is projected to drop to 22%, from 55% in 1990. Those living on less than $1.25 a day are considered extremely poor. The four-day fifth conference of SAARC Speakers and Parliamentarians was held in New Delhi from July 9, 2011. On July 8, 2011, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee launched a new set of coins and Rs 10 notes bearing the rupee symbol. With this India became the second country after England to have its currency symbol printed on its notes. National Green Tribunal (NGT) is a judicial body constituted to try all matters related to environmental issues. The Tribunal is headed by Justice L.S. Panta. The first sitting of NGT was held on July 4, 2011. Indias 25th nuclear power plant is being built at Rawatbhatta, Rajasthan. It is a 700 MW indigenously built pressurised heavy water reactor plant. The construction of the plant started on July 17, 2011. Prahaar is a surface-to-surface quick-reaction tactical missile of India. It has a range of 150 km and is capable of carrying different types of warheads. The uniqueness of the missile is that in one salvo six missiles can be fired at multiple targets in all directions. The missile can also be launched form a road mobile system. India has slipped from being the 8th largest recipient of foreign direct investment (FDI) in 2009 to the 14th largest in 2010, according to the World Investment Report, 2011, brought out by UNCTAD. On July 26, 2011, the Reserve Bank of India hiked the benchmark rates again by stiff 50 basis

points, taking the Repo rate to 8 per cent and Reverse Repo rate to 7 per cent. New investors will now have to cough up an additional Rs 150 for investment of Rs 10,000 and above in mutual funds, while the charge will be Rs 100 for existing investors, according to SEBI. Investors are already paying a commission in some cases, besides up to 2.5 per cent of their investment towards expanses of fund management. On August 1, 2011, India assumed the monthly Presidency of the UN Security Council after a gap of 19 years.

NATIONAL AFFAIRS Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Bill, 2011 Bowing to agrarian States like Punjab and Haryana, the Government has introduced in the Lok Sabha an amended version of the Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Bill 2011, deleting from it the previously proposed provision to impose a blanket-ban on the acquisition of multi-cropped, irrigated land. The new Bill, which, as and when it is passed, will replace the 117-year old Act of 1894 and will allow acquisition of multi-cropped irrigated land as a last resort. The Bill makes even the permission as a last resort conditional by providing that an equivalent area of culturable wasteland would have to be developed if multi-crop land is acquired. In districts with net sown less than 50 per cent of the geographical area, not more than 10 per cent of the net sown area will be allowed to be acquired. The Bill states that the law will apply when the government acquires land for its own use or with the ultimate aim of transferring it for use of private companies for stated public purpose or for immediate and declared use by private companies for public purpose. The consent of 80 per cent project affected families would have to be obtained prior to acquisition and urgency clause has been limited to exigencies of national defence, security and rehabilitation following calamities. The Bill also provides that any land, not used within 10 years for the purpose for which it was acquired, will be transferred to the States' land bank and upon every such transfer, 20 per cent of its appreciated value will be shared with the original land owner. The Bill, for the first time, ensures a comprehensive compensation package for land owners and livelihood losers. It proposes that market value calculated for the land will be multiplied by a factor of two in the rural areas. Solatium will also be increased up to 100 per cent of the total compensation. Where land is acquired for urbanisation, 20 per cent of developed land will be offered to the affected owners. For SCs and STs affected by acquisition, protections have been given. The Bill envisages additional benefits of 2.5 acres of land to each affected SC/ST family; one-time financial assistance of Rs 50,000; 25 per cent additional rehabilitation/resettlement benefits for families settled outside the district. Draft Mining Bill In a landmark decision that will impact the entire mining and mineral-based industry in India, the government has announced an overhaul of the law governing the sector. The new framework will introduce a benefit-sharing regime while laying down the policy contours for leases given out by state governments. The changes are aimed at dealing with popular resistance to mining projects on the grounds of corruption and adverse social and environmental impact. The industry fears it will make mining unattractive in the country. The government plans to repeal the existing Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957 and instead place a new Bill in Parliament in the Winter session. To tackle illegal mining, the Bill proposes punitive action, as well as creation of special courts at the state level for speedier disposal of cases.

It will also make it compulsory for all non-coal mining companies to share an amount equal to their royalty payment to State governments for the benefit of project-affected people. In the case of coal companies, the amount will be equal to 26 per cent of their profit. This will directly impact purely mining companies like Coal India, Sesa Goa and NMDC, as well as companies like Tata Steel, SAIL, NTPC and RPower that have captive mines associated with their projects. Besides, it will increase the cost of companies into the businesses of cement, aluminium and other mineral-based produce. The industry had opposed the benefit-sharing proposal, saying it would squeeze their margins. In the case of coal, the effective rate of taxation will rise to 61 per cent from 43 per cent at present. On iron ore, it will increase to 55 per cent from 43 per cent. Industry also sees the proposal would create problems for existing mines where affected persons are not easily identifiable. Besides, the increased revenues collected with District Mineral Development Fund will be frittered away as the absorptive capacity does not exist. Though mining activities are controlled by the States, the Centres overarching legislation, MMDR Act, set the rules of the game. Apart from compensating the project-affected people through profit-sharing and royalty, the new Bill also obligates mining companies to pay a Central cess equivalent to 2.5 per cent of excise or customs duty. The activities of an independent National Mining Tribunal and National Mining Regulatory Authority at the Central level, and the expenditure involved in the capacity building of the Indian Bureau of Mines would be met from the cess levy. Besides, there will be a State cess of 10 per cent of total royalty. The Bill also had punitive provisions to prevent illegal mining. The new Bill would introduce a better legislative environment for attracting investment and technology into the mining sector. Visit of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to Dhaka On September 6, 2011, India and Bangladesh signed a slew of agreements and resolved their long-standing boundary dispute, but failed to ink any water-sharing deal. Upset at India backing out of the Teesta water-sharing treaty at the eleventh hour, following West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjees refusal to endorse the accord, Bangladesh retaliated by holding back the big-ticket transit treaty that would have given the North-Eastern States in India easier and faster access to the rest of the country. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who arrived at Dhaka on a two-day visit, sought to calm down tempers in Bangladesh over the Teesta controversy by telling Sheikh Hasina that the two sides would continue discussions on water-sharing accords to reach a mutually acceptable, fair and amicable arrangement for the sharing of Teesta and Feni river waters. Prime Minister Singh also announced that India would provide duty-free access to 46 textile tariff lines as requested by Bangladesh. He said the two countries would also improve border infrastructure that would facilitate Bangladeshs exports to India and provide it greater opening to India and other neighbouring countries. India would supply bulk power to Bangladesh by connecting its national grids. The outstanding issues addressed in the boundary accord include: un-demarcated land boundary in three sectors, viz Daikhata-56 (West Bengal), Muhuri River-Belonia (Tripura) and Dumabari (Assam); (ii) enclaves; and (iii) adverse possessions. The un-demarcated boundary in all three segments has now been demarcated. The status of 111 Indian enclaves in Bangladesh with a population of 37,334 and 51 Bangladesh enclaves in India with a population of 14,215 has been addressed. The issue of Adversely Possessed Lands along the India-Bangladesh border in West Bengal, Tripura, Meghalaya and Assam has also been mutually finalised. Other highlights of the visit were: Agreement on development programmes, MoU on renewable energy, Pact on overland transit traffic between Nepal and Bangladesh, MoU on conservation of Sundarban, Protocol on conservation of Royal Bengal Tiger, Cooperation between Dhaka University and JNU, Delhi, Understanding on promoting fisheries, Cooperation between Doordarshan and Bangladesh TV, MoU between NIFT, New Delhi, and the BGMEA Institute of Fashion Technology, Bangladesh. China warns against oil exploration in Vietnam India and China appear to be on a collision course over Beijings objection to ONGC Videsh

Limiteds (OVL) plans to undertake oil exploration in two Vietnamese blocks in the South China Sea. Our cooperation with Vietnam or any other country is always as per international laws, norms and conventions, External Affairs Ministry spokesman Vishnu Prakash told reporters here, virtually dismissing Beijings objection. According to a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson, China enjoyed indisputable sovereignty over the South China Sea and, without directly referring to India, asked all countries to refrain from oil exploration in maritime areas offered by Vietnam. New Delhi said the OVL had been in Vietnam for quite some time in offshore oil and natural gas exploration field and was in the process of further expanding its operations. Essar, a subsidiary of Essar Oil Ltd, has also been awarded a gas block in Vietnam. India said it supported freedom of navigation in the South China Sea and hoped all countries would abide by the 2002 Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea. The Indian spokesman explained that cooperation in the field of energy, hydrocarbon and renewable energy was an important facet of India-Vietnam relations. Of the nearly 400 million dollars worth of investments by India in Vietnam, the OVL alone had made investments to the tune of about 225 million dollars. Indias stand is apparently guided by Vietnams claim that it had the rights over the two blocks under the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Seas. With claims over the entire South China Sea, China is engaged in running disputes with several members of ASEAN and Japan. China and Vietnam, besides the Philippines, had a major spat over the issue recently after Chinese maritime vessels stopped exploration activities in the waters they claims as theirs.

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

Libyas new rulers lay a road map for polls Libyas National Transitional Council (NTC) has set out steps leading to democratic elections monitored by the UN within 18 months. The plan goes into effect with a declaration of liberation which the NTC has not defined precisely, though NTC chairman Abdel Mustafa Jalil said the conditions for such a declaration included the capture or death of Muammar Gaddafi. The NTCs Constitution Declaration for governing during the transitional period sets out the main guidelines for the way the country is to be overseen as it emerges from six months of war. Libya is a democratic, independent State with Tripoli its capital, Islam its religion, sharia, Islamic law as the main source of legislation and Arabic as its official language. The rights of minority groups are guaranteed. The State will establish a democratic political system based on political and party pluralism aiming for a peaceful, democratic transition of power. All Libyans are equal before the law and are not discriminated against because of religion, faith, language, wealth, gender, ancestry, political views, social status or tribal, group or family affiliation. The NTC is the highest authority. It is made up of representatives of local councils who are chosen to reflect population density. The NTC will be based in Tripoli and will appoint an Executive Office, or interim

government, consisting of a head and members to run specific portfolios. The Executive Office is responsible to the NTC for implementing NTC policy. After declaring liberation, the NTC will move to its headquarters in Tripoli and form a transitional government within 30 days. Within 90 days of declaring liberation, the NTC will issue legislation about the election of a Public National Conference (PNC), appoint an elections commission and call for the election of the PNC. The PNC will be elected within 240 days of the declaration of liberation. It will consist of 200 elected members. The NTC will be dissolved at the first meeting of the PNC. Within 30 days of its first meeting, the PNC will appoint a PM who will nominate his government which will become an interim government. The PNC will appoint a Constituent Authority for drafting a constitution which should submit a draft constitution to the PNC within 60 days of its first meeting. The PNC will approve the draft constitution and will put it to a referendum within 30 days. If it is approved by a two-thirds majority, the Constituent Authority will endorse it as the constitution, and it will be ratified by the PNC. If it is rejected, the Constituent Authority will have to re-draft it and put it to a referendum again within 30 days. The PNC will issue a general elections law in line with the constitution within 30 days and a general election will be held within 180 days of the declaration of the laws. Euro zone debt crisis The 17 nations sharing the euro are in deep crisis, saddled with massive debts and weakened by political division over how to find a way out, just as the world economy flirts with another downturn. With the euro introduction in 1999, unified interest rates allowed members to borrow heavily. Bonds issued by southern European nations were taken to be as safe as German ones. Money flowed into Greece. Spain and Ireland had realty booms. The bursting of the housing bubble in the US and Europe in late 2007 dealt the first blow to the Euro zones aura of invincibility. Then, in late 2009, when a new Greek government found that its predecessor lied about its borrowings and had run up huge debts, the revelation provoked a drastic loss in investor confidence that spread across the currency bloc. Euro zone politicians were slow to react and nervous investors who began pulling their money out of the country and demanding punitive interest rates on its debt. Larger Euro zone economies and the IMF extended Athens an emergency credit line in May 2010, but by then Greeces finances had destroyed the illusion that all Euro zone members were equal. Investors quickly turned on the weaker economies of Portugal and Spain, driving up borrowing costs. Massive losses at banks in Irelands stemming from the housing bubble forced Ireland to take a bailout six months after Greece; uncompetitive Portugal then followed in May 2011.

Still, Euro zone leaders missed another chance to reassure markets. Reluctance in Germany to fully commit to helping member States meant the rescues did not constitute an effective firewalls. To get out of the crisis some European politicians and economists say euro zone States should consider issuing bonds jointly underwritten by all countries in the bloc. The bonds would create a common interest rate for the bloc and allow weaker States to access markets at reasonable rates. But implementation of such an idea could take years and there is fierce opposition to the idea in Germany. More immediate solutions include sorting out weak banks and helping economies where growth has been hit by budget-cutting measures, weakening government finances. The central bank could also increase its program of buying Italian debt to contain the widening spreads over German benchmark bonds, but the bank is divided and the scheme has already prompted ECB chief economist Juergen Stark to resign in protest. The risk of a collapse of the euro or even of the European Union itself could eventually force Germany, the EUs pay master, to do whatever it takes to back weaker Euro zone nations, whether it be with the ECB intervening in markets to buy riskier debt or providing more funding to recapitalize European banks. But for now, European politicians seem more divided than ever, particularly on issues such as budget sovereignty. Even countries central to the European project, such as the Netherlands, are increasingly wary. Swiss set exchange rate cap on soaring franc The Swiss National Bank (SNB) shocked markets on September 6, 2011, by setting an exchange rate cap on the soaring franc to stave off a recession, and discouraging investors anxious about flagging global growth from using the currency as a safe haven. Using some of the strongest language from a central bank in the modern era, the SNB said it would no longer tolerate an exchange rate below 1.20 francs to the euro and would defend the target by buying other currencies in unlimited quantities. The move immediately knocked about eight per cent off the value of the franc, which had soared by a third since the collapse of Lehman Brothers in 2008, as investors used it as a safe haven from the euro zones debt crisis and stock market turmoil. Analysts said that the SNB should be able to defend 1.20 as it can print unlimited francs but that long-term success depended on efforts to deal with the euro zones debt problems. The move was seen as a new shot in the currency wars, with Japan expected to try to weaken the yen if the Swiss action diverts more safe-haven inflows into the currency. Earlier also, in 1978, the SNB had set a formal exchange rate targetabove 0.80 francs per German Markwhen the franc was soaring in the aftermath of an oil crisis, and successfully defended that rate, but at the price of soaring inflation.

The strong franc had started to dampen exports, hurting companies like specialty chemicals maker Clariant AG which cut its 2011 sales target, while the tourism sector was also suffering as foreign visitors started staying away. The SNB step will also help economies in eastern, with two-thirds of mortgages in Hungary and about half of Polands denominated in Swiss francs. EU plan on emission trading opposed India and 25 other countries including the US, China, Russia and Brazil, have opposed the European Unions plan to include aviation under its emission trading scheme (ETS) and impose emission charges on airlines flying into the region starting 2012. The non-EU ICAO members have termed as unilateral the imposition of EU Emissions Trading Scheme (EU-ETS), saying it was inconsistent with applicable international law. The EU move would lead to a hike in air fares on these flights as the airlines, which would be paying the ETS charges, would pass them to their customers. The EU-ETS, also known as the European Union Emissions Trading System, is the largest multi-national emissions trading scheme in the world. Under the EU-ETS, large emitters of carbon dioxide, including airlines, within the EU must monitor and annually report their carbon dioxide emissions. They are obliged every year to return an amount of emission allowances to the government that is equivalent to their carbon dioxide emissions in that year. US links Pakistan to Haqqani network The US has evidence linking the Pakistan government to the Haqqani network, which was behind this attack on the American embassy in Kabul, in September 2011, according to US Ambassador to Pakistan Cameron Munter. A lot of work is needed to put Pakistan-US ties back on track and Islamabad must sever its links with militant groups like the Haqqani network, Munter said in a wideranging interview with Radio Pakistan. Munters remarks came close on the heels of a warning from Defence Secretary Leon Panetta that the US would retaliate against attacks on its forces in Afghanistan by Pakistan-based militants. US Vice-President Joe Biden too has criticised Pakistan as an unreliable ally in the war against terrorism. Pakistan has angrily rejected the US administrations charges, saying such accusations were out of line with ongoing counter-terrorism cooperation between the two sides. US declares Indian Mujahideen a terror entity The United States has designated Indian Mujahideen, which has claimed responsibility for many terrorist attacks inside India, including the most recent

bombings in Mumbai and New Delhi, as a global terrorist organization with links to Pakistan. In a surprising move, the US State department also clearly and bluntly identified and cited the terrorist groups significant links to Pakistan, despite the efforts of some analysts in Washington and leaders in India to attribute an entirely indigenous hue to the group and its attacks. IM maintains close ties to other US-designated terrorist entities, including the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammad and Harakat ul-Jihad-i-Islami. IMs stated goal is to carry out terrorist actions against non-Muslims in furtherance of its ultimate objective of an Islamic Caliphate across South Asia.

Business News
The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has notified a new take-over rule under which an entity buying 25% stake in a listed company will have to mandatorily make an open offer to buy an additional 26% shares from the public. SabMiller Plc (SAB), the worlds second biggest brewer by volume, has agreed to acquire Fosters Group Ltd (FGL) in a $10.2-bn deal. Hospital chain Fortis Healthcare (India) Ltd has decided to buy Singapore-based sister firm Fortis Healthcare International, in a move to bring all of the groups health businesses under one company. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has selected Anil Ambani, Chairman of Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group (ADAG) to head the ambitious India-China CEO Forum. The Forum aims to achieve $100 billion worth of two-way trade by 2015. The CEOs Forum was announced during the visit of Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao to India in December 2010. Mahindra & Mahindra has launched its new global sport utility vehicle, XUV500 in India and South Africa. This is M&Ms first global offering with significant inputs in styling and development taken from customers across the globe. Marking its re-entry into India, French auto major PSA Peugeot Citroen has inked an MoU with the Gujarat government to set up an integrated manufacturing facility at Sanand, near Ahmedabad, at an investment of Rs 4,000 crore. Indias largest retailer, the Future Group, has entered into an agreement with Himachal Pradesh government for providing direct market linkages to the States agricultural produce. Yahoo!, AOL and Microsoft have created an unusual partnership in which they will sell ads for one another. The move represents an effort to challenge Google, which dominates the search advertising market. In the first public-private participation in defence sector, Pipavav Defence anfd Offshore Engineering Company (earlier Pipavav Shipyard) has entered into a joint venture with Mazagon Dock to build warships for the Indian Navy. French car maker Renault has launched its premium sports utility vehicle Koleos in India.

DO YOU KNOW
AdAsia, the Asian Advertising Congress, has come back to India after eight years. It will be held in New Delhi from October 30 to November 3, 2011. National Voluntary Blood Donation Day is celebrated on October 1. International Day of Older Persons is celebrated on October 1. World Heart Day is celebrated on September 29. TRAI has renamed the National Do Not Call list as the National Consumer Preference Registry. Indias first Bamboo Museum is located at the Institute of Himalayan Bio-resource Technology (IHBT) in Palampur, Himachal Pradesh. The museum happens to be the largest bamboo structure in India. It has been built by the Uttarakhand Bamboo Board at a cost of Rs 65 lakh. SLINEX-II was the joint Indo-Lankan naval exercise held at the Trincomalee navy base, 275 km east of Colombo, in September 2011. Jammu & Kashmir has become the first State of India to get MY Stamp by which people will get personalised stamps with their photographs on these. Uttarkhands Tehri district is all set to become the first Himalayan site to host a wind energy farm, which is being set-up on a hill top in Bachhelikhal. The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), the regulatory body which makes rules for food safety, has recommended the use of Stevia, a natural sweetener, for use in carbonated water, soft drink concentrates, chewing-gums and table-top sweeteners. A 69 cm tall college student of USA, Bridgette Jordan, 22, has been declared as the worlds shortest woman by Guinness Book of World Records. Goldplus is the worlds first pure gold jewellery car. It has been made jointly by Tata Motors and Titan Industries, on a Nano car platform, to celebrate 5,000 years of Indian jewellery In a tribute to Indian soldiers, the municipality of Haifa, Israel, has decided to include the stories of their valiant efforts in liberating the city during the First World War in Israeli school curricula, as part of the history textbooks. India and China launched their first economic dialogue in end-September. Montek Singh Ahluwalia, deputy chairman of Planning Commission, led the strategic dialogue from Indian side, with an aim to increasing Indian investment in China and addressing the burgeoning trade deficit. The annual Global Competitveness Report (GCR) of the World Economic Forum (WEF) has ranked Switzerland as the most competitive country globally. Singapore is the second most competitive country. China is ranked 26, while India is ranked 56th. India has fallen 5 notches since 2010. International Literacy Day is celebrated on September 8. The University of Cambridge has retained its premier status in the QS World University Rankings, beating Harvard for the second year. MIT was ranked third and Yale University fourth. The University of Oxford ranked fifth.

On September 16, 2011, Reserve Bank of India (RBI) raised the repo rate (the rate at which it lends to the bank) and the reverse repo rate (the rate at which it borrows from the banks) by 25 basis points each (100 basis points equals one per cent). These now stand at 8.25 per cent and 7.25 per cent, respectively. Former atomic energy commission chairman Anil Kakodkar has been made head of the highlevel committee to review railway safety. In 2011 Delhi is celebrating 100 years of completion. As per data compiled on participation of women in the Parliaments, by Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), a group of 154 national Parliaments across the world, India ranks 100th, with just 10.8 per cent women in the Parliament. The highest representation of women is in Rwanda (56.3%), followed by Sweden (46.4%) and South Africa (44.5%). The lowestnilis in Saudi Arabia, Solomon Islands and Tuvalu. In South Asia, Nepal is best placed at 17th rank, with 33.2% women in Parliament, beating Germany which stands at rank 18th. Also ahead of India are Singapore, Pakistan and China, at 44th, 49,th and 55th levels, respectively. Health Insurance portability service, which would allow policy holders to switch insurers, is all set to to be implemented from October 1, 2011. Shooter Abhinav Bindra and cricketer M.S. Dhoni have been conferred the honorary rank of Lt. Colonel in the Indian Army. The Union government has decided to reduce the lock-in period of investment by FIIs in longterm infra bonds to one year.

NATIONAL AFFAIRS RBIs Mid-Term Policy Review On January 25, 2011, the Reserve Bank of India raised its policy interest rates by a quarter percentage point, squeezing money supply again in the economy in its battle to control price rise. It also upped its inflation forecast, underlining a grim posture. The RBI raised the repo rate, at which it lends to banks, by 25 basis points to 6.5%, while the reverse repo, at which it takes bank funds, rose by the same measure to 5.5%. Such squeezes are aimed at making loans costlier to control demand, and thus, inflation. The RBI kept options open for a further squeeze on rates, even as it maintained that GDP growth would be a strong 8.5% in 2010-11, although it might ease the following year. It revised up the benchmark inflation estimate based on wholesale prices to 7.0% at end-March from 5.5%. Inflation stemming from structural demand-supply mismatches in several non-cereal food items such as pulses, oil-seeds, eggs, fish, meat and milk is likely to persist till supply response kicks in," said

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

Dilma Rousseff is Brazils first woman President On January 1, 2010, Dilma Rousseff became the Brazil's first female President. She has promised to build on an unprecedented run of economic success achieved by her popular predecessor and mentor, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. Thousands of admirers braved a driving rain and cheered as Rousseff rode to her inauguration in a 1953 Rolls Royce flanked by an all-female security detail. The former Marxist guerrilla, who evolved over the years into a

the RBI. Rural job Plan turns five but a lot needs to be done The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, UPAs flagship aam admi scheme, turned five on February 2, 2011. However, more than 30% of the rural India working under the right-to-work act continue to receive wages below the guaranteed minimum as per the minimum wages act. On January 14, the Ministry of Rural Development issued a notification revising the wage rates under the MNREGA from Rs 100 per day to between Rs 117 and Rs 181 (17-30 % hike) in different States. The revision under Section 6(1) of the 2005 Act, coming in wake of inflationary pressures on the poor, adjusts the wages by indexing it to the Consumer Price Index of Agricultural Laborers (CPIAL). Though the Ministry claims the revision takes NREGA wages above the minimum wages in 26 States and Union Territories, analysis shows the other eight States that continue getting less than minimum wages constitute 1.3 crore households or 31% of the total 4.1 crore households provided work till January 31, 2011. The eight include smaller States such as Goa and Mizoram, which have less number of workers under the scheme. But, the States also include the two showpieces under MNREGAAndhra Pradesh and Rajasthan that brought in reforms like social audit, post officebank payments into the mother of all schemes with a budget allocation of Rs 40,100 in 2010-11. Though numerous villages, like Saru in Udaipur district of Rajasthan, have benefited from MNREGA, the average they receive is under Rs 100 a day, forcing many to go in search of work as far as Ahmedabad, Surat where they Rs 200 to Rs 250 per day. Srikrishna panel report The Justice B.N. Srikrishna Committee report was made public on January 6, 2011. It has strongly advocated maintaining united Andhra Pradesh along with creation of statutory Telangana Regional Council to address the core socio-economic concerns of the backward region. This is the most workable option in the given circumstances and in the best interest of the social and economic welfare of people of all the three regions in the state, the committee said in its 500page report. The five-member panel was set up in February 2010 to examine the competing demands for carving out a separate Telangana State and maintaining the status quo. After an elaborate exercise involving interactions with various groups, field visits and examining over 2.50 lakh petitions, the committee presented a set of six options and discussed their pros and cons in great detail.

pragmatic civil servant with a professed obsession for reducing poverty, smiled broadly and clapped along with spectators as she was sworn in before the Congress. More than 20 million Brazilians were lifted out of poverty during Lula's eight years in office, thanks largely to his social welfare policies and stable economic management that made Brazil a darling among Wall Street investors. The coming decade also looks bright, with massive, newly discovered offshore oil reserves due to be exploited and the World Cup and Olympics to be hosted here. Yet, Rousseff also faces a long list of daunting challenges that Lula failed to tackle, including an overvalued currency that is hurting industry, rampant public spending that is fueling inflation, and notorious bureaucracy that stifles investment and discourages innovation. Perhaps the biggest task will be living up to the example set by Lula, a former metalworkers' union leader who leaves office with an approval rating of 87 per cent and near folkhero status, especially among the poor. New PM appointed in Jordan following protests On January 31, 2011, Marouf Bakhit was appointed as the Prime Minister of Jordan by King Abdullah. The move came following protests inspired by mass demonstrations in Tunisia and Egypt, but the opposition dismissed the move as insufficient. The earlier Prime Minister Samir Rifal was criticized for following a

The stress on maintaining unity formed a common thread that ran through the report. On bifurcation, which has been the single point agenda of Telangana protagonists, the Committee said it was the second best option but could be recommended only in case it is unavoidable and if this decision can be reached amicably among all three regions. However, the committee warned that division of the State would have repercussions in other regions. If earlier agitations are anything to go by, this decision will give rise to serious and violent agitations in coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema regions where backlash will be immediate, the key issues being Hyderabad and sharing of water and irrigation resources, the report said. Elaborating further on consequences of splitting the State, the Committee said: The division will also have serious implications outside AP. It will give fillip to other similar demands. The matter should also be seen in the larger context of whether a region can be allowed to decide for itself what its political status should be, as that would only create a demand for a great number of smaller States resulting in problems of coordination and management. The panel said: We are convinced that the development aspect is of utmost importance for the welfare of all the three regions and could best be addressed through a model that includes deeper and more extensive economic and political decentralisation. The OPTIONS Maintaining status quo but allow economic and political de-centralisation. Bifurcation of the State into Seemandhra and Telangana; with Hyderabad as a Union Territory. The two States will develop their own capitals in due course of time. Bifurcation into Rayala-Telangana and coastal Andhra regions with Hyderabad being an integral part of Rayala-Telangana. Bifurcation into Seemandhra and Telangana with enlarged Hyderabad Metropolis as a separate Union Territory. This Union Territory will have geographical linkage and contiguity via Nalgonda district in the south-east to district Guntur in coastal Andhra and via Mahboobnagar district in the south to Kurnool district in Rayalaseema. Bifurcation into Telangana and Seemandhra as per existing boundaries with Hyderabad as the capital of Telangana and Seemandhra to have a new capital. Historical Timeline Andhra, Rayalaseema were part of Madras province. Telangana was part of the Hyderabad State for 400 years. In 1953, Andhra and Rayalaseema separated from Madras. In 1956, Andhra merged with Telangana. 1969: Telangana Praja Samiti was formed. 1972: Jai Andhra movement in Rayalaseema and coastal Andhra. 2000: TDP opposes creation of Telangana. 2001: K. Chandrashekhara Rao forms Telangana

pro-Western reforms agenda. His opponents sought to reverse free market reforms they say have cut State support for East Bank Jordinians, the original inhabitants of the country who depend on government support more than Jordinains of Palestinian origins. UN ends Peace Mission in Nepal On January 15, 2011, the UN ended its peace mission as the government and the main Opposition Maoists inked a crucial eleventh-hour deal to monitor fragile peace process. The UN mission was tasked to supervise the arms and the army of the former rebels and the military. The UNMIN closure, however, makes the fate of the 19,000 Maoist combatants confined in the cantonments uncertain, as there is no clear road-map regarding the future monitoring, integration and rehabilitation of the former combatants. The government said a special committee comprising representatives from the main political parties would monitor the ex-guerrillas, which the Maoists do not agree to. Governor of Punjab province of Pakistan assassinated for supporting a woman convicted under blasphemy law The assassination of former Governor of Punjab province of Pakistan, Salmaan Taseer, on January 4, 2011, once again drew attention to Pakistan's controversial blasphemy laws, which have been at the center of debate of late. Religious parties have been able to force Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani to

Rashtra Samiti (TRS). Visit of President of Indonesia History met geography when Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono took the salute as the Chief Guest at Indias 62nd Republic Day parade on January 26, 2011. President Soekarno, whose close friends Jawaharlal Nehru and Biju Patnaik helped defy the Dutch colonial embargoes of the late 1940s that enabled Indonesia gain independence, was the Chief Guest at the founding of the Indian republic, in 1950. President Yudhoyono came to Delhi with a large business delegation and witnessed the signature of a clutch of agreements, including between private enterprises. New investment commitments worth $12 billion were signed, with the Indians looking to put their money in infrastructure projects such as airports, railways and ports. Indian business interest in Indonesia is kindled not only by the fact of its large, 238 million population, and therefore, a large market, but also because it is the gateway to the ASEAN, a region of over 300 million people that spans 10 States from Myanmar to the Philippines. India and Indonesia signed nearly 30 agreements, including an extradition treaty and a mutual legal assistance treaty, and pledged to achieve a bilateral trade target of $ 25 billion by 2015, from about $ 11 billion in 2009-10. The main accords signed by the two sides were: MOU for cooperation in the field of education; MOU on the establishment of biennial trade ministers forum; protocol for extension of the MOU on cooperation in marine and fisheries; MOU for the development of urea manufacturing plant in Indonesia; air services agreement; MOU on cooperation in oil and gas; MOU on cooperation in the field of micro, small and medium enterprises; MOU on cooperation in science and technology; and MOU between the Press Council of India and the Press Council of Indonesia. In a joint statement issued after the talks between the Prime Minister and the Indonesian President, the two countries unequivocally condemned terrorism in all its forms and manifestations and stressed that there could be no justification whatsoever for any act of terrorism. In the field of tourism, the two leaders recognized that a quantum leap in tourism between India and Indonesia was desirable to strengthen vibrant and long-standing people-to-people ties. As a step towards this objective, the Prime Minister announced a scheme of granting visa on arrival to the citizens of Indonesia. India, Italy to set-up joint trade panel On January 31, 2011, India and Italy decided to set up a Joint Business Council (JBC), a bilateral trade cooperation body, to work together in areas like ICT, infrastructure and manufacturing. The decision was taken during the meeting of Indias Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma and Italian Minister for Economic Development Paolo Romani, in Rome. The JBC will be managed by FICCI from the Indian

step back from the government's earlier stance of changing these laws Taseer's killing due to his support for a woman convicted under the blasphemy law is yet another addition to the list of those killed as a direct or indirect consequence of this legislation. Threats were made, and protests held against Taseer after he visited Aasia Bibi, a Christian woman awarded the death sentence for committing blasphemy, and expressed his support for her. According to data compiled by the National Commission for Justice and Peace, a local NGO, extrajudicial killings of those accused under the country's blasphemy laws started in 1990, but the laws were in place since 1980, instituted by military strongman General Zia Ul Haq. South Sudan says Yes to secession South Sudan has overwhelmingly voted to split from the north in a referendum intended to end decades of civil war, as per the result declared on January 30, 2011. Thousands cheered, danced and ululated after officials said 99.57 per cent of voters from the souths 10 States chose to secede. The vote was promised in a 2005 peace-deal which ended decades of north-south conflict, Africas longest civil war which cost an estimated 2 million lives. Kiir, the head of the former southern rebel Sudan Peoples

side and by CONFINDUSTRIA from the Italian side. It will meet once a year, coinciding with the bilateral ministerial meeting. The two ministers also discussed the importance of SMEs and it was agreed that soon industry chambers of both the countries would organise workshops and seminars. Seeking closer cooperation in infrastructure sector, Sharma informed Romani that India would soon come out with a manufacturing policy aimed at increasing the contribution of manufacturing to 24 per cent of the GDP, from 16 per cent now. Romani assured India that Italian entrepreneurs would take huge advantage of the investment opportunities in India. USA lifts export curbs on DRDO, ISRO The US has removed nine Indian space and defence related companies, including those from ISRO and DRDO, from its export control Entity List in an attempt to expand high technology trade and strategic cooperation with India. The US decision meets a long pending Indian demand and is the first step to implement the export control policy initiative announced by US President Barack Obama and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on November 8, 2010, after their summit talks in New Delhi. The nine entities are Bharat Dynamics Ltd (BDL), four remaining subsidiaries of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) in the US sanction list and another four of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). The DRDO subsidiaries are Armament Research and Development Establishment (ARDE), Defence Research and Development Lab (DRDL), Missile Research and Development Complex and Solid State Physics Laboratory Liquid Propulsion Systems Center, Solid Propellant Space Booster Plant (SPROB), Sriharikota Space Center (SHAR), and Vikram Sarabhai Space Center (VSSC) are the four ISRO subsidiaries. Removal from the Entity List eliminates a licence requirement specific to the companies, and results in the companies off the list being treated the same way as any other destination in India for export licensing purposes. These changes reaffirm the US commitment to work with India on our mutual goal of strengthening the global non-proliferation framework, said US Under-Secretary of Commerce Eric L. Hirschhorn. Justice Patil report on 2G Scam The one-man committee headed by retired Supreme Court judge Justice Shivraj V. Patil, who was appointed by the Telecom Ministry to look into the lapses in the allocation of the 2G Spectrum, has identified the guilty in the report which was submitted on January 31, 2011. After former Telecom Minister A. Raja resigned, the panel was set up on December 13 2010 to look into the Spectrum allocation procedures and policies from 2001 to 2009. The period also included the issuing of telecom licences during the NDA regime.

Liberation Movement (SPLM), praised his former civil war foe, Sudans overall president Omar Hassan al-Bashir, for agreeing to the 2005 accord. According to the terms of the accord, south Sudan will be able to declare independence on July 9, 2011, pending any legal challenges to the results. Leaders from the SPLM and Bashirs northern National Congress Party (NCP) still have to agree on a list of politically sensitive issues, including the position of their shared border, how they would split oil revenues after secession and the ownership of the disputed Abyei region. UN Secretary General Ban Kimoon praised north and south Sudan for the peaceful vote but said he was concerned about the unresolved issues. Visit of Chinese President to USA President Hu Jintao of China visited USA in second week of January 2011 to narrow rifts between the worlds top two economies. This was the first visit of a Chinese President to USA in 13 years. The State-run Chinese media recorded the visit as a successful summit of equals. However, the pomp and rhetoric did little to resolve acrimony between the two countries over US interference in South China Sea, US policies on Taiwan, the Dalai Lama, currency and trade differences. During the joint press conference President Jintao admitted that his

During 2001-04, the BJP-led NDA Government was at the Centre and Raja had been saying that he only followed the policies of his predecessors. The panel has nailed A. Raja for procedural lapses. The report also named seven other officials in the Department of Telecom (DoT), including former DoT Secretary Siddharth Behura and R.K. Chandolia, a former lieutenant of Raja. Justice Patil clarified that procedural lapses of different types were found in different periods and that referred to not just the particular year in question but also before that. He said that procedural shortcomings were found in applications of telecom operators and that there were many shortcomings on the part of DoT officials in implementing procedures. The panel was also asked to examine if procedures were followed consistently and if these were followed in fair and transparent manner and report any deviation, shortcomings and lapses. Countrys top audit body Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) had earlier alleged that several operators had suppressed information while applying in 2007 to bag licences and the 2G Spectrum from A Raja. Justice Patil said that in the report he had suggested remedial measure with regard to the licensing policies and procedures. Concerning the guilty identified in the report, Patil said he could not produce supporting documents as they were with the CBI. Prime Minister draws up 20-point agenda on Corruption Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has outlined a comprehensive agenda to make transparency and ethics the core focus of governance at all levels. A 20-point agenda to bring about procedural improvements to achieve this goal is on the anvil. Adoption of Finlands procedural model is also under consideration. Critical steps under active consideration by the government include instructions to clearly mention on files involving clearances by them whether the decision was a government one (taken by the Cabinet) or one by the official himself. Other steps being planned are: Proper scrutiny of officials before appointments, especially to critical posts, posting on websites the names of officials involved in corruption cases and permission to prosecute identified cases.

country needed to do a lot more on human rights. The human rights were clearly the top concern of USA despite the economic ties between the two countries. President Jintao warned USA to keep away from Tibet or else bilateral ties will be greatly effected, a day after President Obama asked him to talk to representatives of the Dalai Lama to resolve the issue. Global Innovation Report, 2010 Innovation levels, as measured by patent volume, shifted across 12 major technology areas from 2009 to 2010, according to the second annual analysis of world patent activity published by the IP Solutions business of Thomson Reuters. The 2010 Innovation Report: Twelve Key Technology Areas and Their States of Innovation tracks patent activity in key technology areas using the Thomson Reuters Derwent World Patents Index (DWPISM) database, the world's most trusted source of patent information. Key findings between 2009 and 2010 innovation data include: Aerospace technology area blasts into a new orbit: In addition to increasing overall activity by 25% year over year, the largest aerospace sub-sector increase from 2009 to 2010 occurred in the field of Space Vehicles and Satellite Technology, which jumped up 108%. The three companies in this area were Japanese manufacturer Sharp, followed by Korean manufacturers LG and Samsung. Semiconductor innovation short

circuits: The Semiconductor technology area saw the largest drop in innovation activity across the 12 areas tracked, falling 9% last year. The drop was driven by sub-sector declines in Integrated Circuits; Discrete Devices; and Memories, Film & Hybrid Circuits. The one Semiconductor sub-sector showing growth in 2010 was Materials and Processes. The innovators with the most patent activity in this sub-sector were Korean manufacturers Samsung and Hynix Semiconductor, followed by Japan's Toshiba. Computers & Peripherals tops the list of the most innovative technology areas with the highest volume of patent activity for second consecutive year, despite an overall decline from 2009: The Computers & Peripherals technology area published 212,622 unique inventions in 2010, earning it the top slot among the 12 areas in the analysis. However, this is a 6% decline from the level seen in 2009. Muslim demographic peak over next 20 years The world's Muslim population will grow at double the rate of non-Muslims over the next 20 years, according to a broad new demographic analysis that is likely to spark controversy in the West. The Future of the Global Muslim Population may be the first to attempt to map the Muslim population of most of the world's countries. The analysis was conducted by two giant non-profit groups interested in religion: the Pew Research Center and the John Templeton Foundation. This is

part of a larger project to map the population of all the world's religions. Among its other projections are: Muslim populations in some parts of Europe will reach the double digits, with France and Belgium at 10.3 percent by 2030. Pakistan will overtake Indonesia as the world's most populous Muslim nation. Muslim population growth and fertility rates will continue to decline. India will remain home to the world's third largest Muslim population. The number of US Muslims will more than double, from 2.6 million in 2010 to 6.2 million in 2030. The analysis could fuel critics of Islam in Europe and the United States, who argue that the religion is at odds with Western values and worry that the number of Muslim extremists is on the rise. Or it could calm those fears by providing evidence that Muslim populations in the West will remain relatively tiny. The study which uses a dizzying mix of public and private data sources makes it clear that even rapid growth among Muslims will not produce dramatic demographic shifts in most parts of the world. Eighty-two percent of the world's Muslims live in Asia, West Asia and North Africa, and that number is projected to be around 79 percent in 2030. According to the study's projections, Muslims make up 23.4 percent of the world's population of 6.9 billion; in 2030, that percentage will be 26.4.

Europe is home to 2.7 percent of the world's Muslims, a percentage that is predicted to remain stable.

Business News
The NASDAQ-listed iGate has sealed the deal to buy Patni Computers, Indias seventh largest IT services firm, to create a $1-billion entity Starbucks, the worlds largest coffee retailer, has entered into an agreement with Tata Coffee for a strategic alliance in India. Under the nonbinding MoU between the two, Starbucks will set up stores in the Tata groups retail outlets and hotels and source roast coffee beans from Tata Coffees Kodagu facility. Infrastructure, Leasing & Finance Services (IL&FS) will be the new promoter of Maytas Properties, the cash-strapped company owned by family members of disgraced Satyam founder Ramalinga Raju. Wipro Chairman Azim Premji has done away with the dual helmsman-ship model and appointed T.K. Kurien as Wipros new CEO. Google Inc co-founder Larry Page has taken over as CEO from Eric Schmidt. Pages assumption of day-to-day operations marks a return to Googles technological roots, 13 years after he and fellow Stanford University student Sergy Brin founded what has become the worlds number one internet search engine. Mahindra & Mahindra, the market leader in utility vehicles, has launched a pick-up vehicle based on the Xylo model. The vehicle has been named Genio. The Aditya Birla group has bought the $1billion revenue earning US firm Colombian Chemicals for $875 million, catapulting the group to become the world leader in carbon black, from its number four position that it held before the acquisition. Opening another chapter in aviation history, G.R. Gopinath, known as the pioneer of lowcost carriers in India, has had his Deccan Charters Ltd join hands with Taj Air, the executive charter service of Indian Hotels Company Ltd and with Business Jets India Pvt Ltd, to launch Powerfly, an alliance in the air charter industry. Maruti Suzuki India Ltd has entered into luxury sedan segment with launch of its car Kizashi. ICICI Bank has entered into an agreement with Indian Army for extending modern banking products to the personnel in uniform.

DO YOU KNOW
Per capita income of Indians grew by 14.5 per cent to Rs 46,492 in 2009-10, from Rs 40,605 in 2008-09. The new per capita income figure estimates on current market prices is over Rs 2,000 more than the previous estimate of Rs 44,345 calculated by the Central Statistical Organisation. Per capita income means earnings of each Indian if the national income is evenly divided among the country's population at 117 crore (1.17 billion). Per capita income (at 2004-05 prices) stood at Rs 33,731 in FY10 against Rs 31,801 in the previous year. The size of the economy at current prices rose to Rs 61,33,230 crore (Rs 61,332.30 billion) in 2009-10, up 16.1 per cent over Rs 52,82,086 crore (Rs 52,820.86 billion) in FY'09. Based on 2004-05 prices, the Indian economy expanded by 8 per cent during the fiscal ended March 2010. This is higher than 6.8 per cent growth in fiscal 2008-09. The gross domestic product (GDP), or gross domestic income (GDI), is the market value of all final goods and services produced within a country in a given period of time. The idea of gross domestic product came into existence after the Great Depression and World War II. GDP was first developed by Simon Kuznets for a United States Congress report in 1934. His idea was to calculate all economic production by individuals, companies and the government in a single measure. According to him, GDP would rise in good times and fall during any crisis. In 1944, the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund accepted GDP as a method to assess a nation's economy. The 98th Indian Science Congress was held at SRM University near Chennai. While 2010 was observed as the International Year of Biodiversity, from 2011 starts the Decade of Biodiversity. During the decade, a UN body, much like the IPCC for Climate Change, is expected to push for action on biodiversity front. The Qingdao Haiwan Bridge in China is the worlds longest sea bridge. It is 42.48 km long, 8.04 km further than the distance between Dover and Calais, as also longer than a marathon. The bridge links the main urban area of Qingdao city in east Chinas Shandong province with Huangdao district. January 14, 2011 marked the 250th anniversary of the third battle of Panipat. The defeat of the Marathas by the army of Ahmad Shah Abdali prepared the ground for the gradual take-over of India by the East India company. Army Day is observed in India on January 15. The World Bank has offered to India a loan of $1.5 billion (about Rs 6,800 crore) for building 24,000km of all-weather roads in the rural seven economically poor and hilly areas StatesHimachal Pradesh, Uttarkhand, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, Meghalaya, Punjab and any other State which may join at alter date over the next five-year period. On January 17, 2011, Indian Navy commissioned a squadron of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), named INAS 343, at Porbander, Gujarat, to enhance coastal surveillance capabilities. The UAVs have been nick-named Frontier Formidables. The worlds highest restaurant is located on the 122nd floor of the worlds tallest building Burj Khalifa. It is called At.mosphere. The restaurant is 92 meter taller than the worlds second highest eatery, the revolving 360 Restaurant in Torontos CN Tower. Rural roads account for about 61% of Indias road length. National Highways comprise less than 2 per cent of the road network, but carry 40 per cent of road-based traffic. RBI has decided to circulate Rs 5 coins to commemorate the 125th birth anniversary of Dr Rajendra Prasad, Indias first President. Objective Anti-Leprosy Day is observed in India on January 30.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: FEBRUARY 2011

NATIONAL AFFAIRS Union Budget 2011 Highlights INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

Standard rate of excise duty held at 10 percent; no change in CENVAT rates. Personal income tax exemption limit raised to Rs 180,000 from Rs 160,000 for individual tax payers.

People power forces Hosni Mubarak to quit as President of Egypt On February 11, 2011, Hosni Mubarak stepped down as Egypt's

For senior citizens, the qualifying age reduced to 60 years and exemption limit raised to Rs 2.50 lakh. Citizens over 80 years to have exemption limit of Rs 5 lakh. To reduce surcharge on domestic companies to 5 percent from 7.5 percent. A new revised income tax return form 'Sugam' to be introduced for small tax papers. raise minimum alternate tax to 18.5 percent from 18 percent. Iron ore export duty raised to 20 percent Nominal one per cent central excise duty on 130 items entering the tax net. Peak rate of customs duty maintained at 10 per cent in view of the global economic situation.

President, handing over to the army and ending three decades of autocratic rule, bowing to escalating pressure from the military and protesters demanding that he go. A military council would run the affairs of the Arab world's most populous nation, till a free and fair presidential election is held in September. After a speaker made the announcement in Cairo's Tahrir Square, hundreds of thousands of protesters broke down in tears, celebrated and hugged each other chanting: The people have brought down the regime. The 82-year-old Mubarak's downfall after 18 days of unprecedented mass protests was a momentous victory for people power and is sure to rock autocrats throughout the Arab world and beyond. The sharpening confrontation had raised fear of uncontrolled violence in the most populous Arab nation, a key US ally in an oil-rich region where the chance of chaos spreading to other long stable but repressive States troubles the West. Washington has called for a prompt democratic transition to restore stability in Egypt. Hundreds of thousands of protesters rallied across Egypt, including in the industrial city of Suez, earlier the scene of some of the fiercest violence in the crisis, and the second city of Alexandria, as well as in Tanta and other Nile Delta centers.

Service tax widened to cover hotel accommodation above Rs 1,000 per day, A/C restaurants serving liquor, some category of hospitals, diagnostic tests. Service tax on air travel increased by Rs 50 for domestic travel and Rs 250 for international travel in economy class. On higher classes, it will be ten per cent flat.

Works of art exempt from customs when imported for exhibition in state-run institutions; this now extended to private institutions.

Subsidy bill in 2011-12 seen at 1.44 trillion rupees. Food subsidy bill in 2011-12 seen at 605.7 billion rupees. Revised food subsidy bill for 2010-11 at 606 billion rupees. Revised fertilizer subsidy bill for 2010-11 at 550 billion rupees. Revised petroleum subsidy bill in 201011 at 384 billion rupees. State-run oil retailers to be provided with 200 billion rupee cash subsidy in 201112.

Fiscal deficit seen at 5.1 percent of GDP in 2010-11. Fiscal deficit seen at 4.6 percent of GDP in 2011-12.

Total expenditure in 2011-12 seen at 12.58 trillion rupees. Plan expenditure seen at 4.41 trillion rupees in 2011-12, up 18.3 percent.

Gross tax receipts seen at 9.32 trillion rupees in 2011-12. Non-tax revenue seen at 1.25 trillion rupees in 2011-12. Corporate tax receipts seen at 3.6 trillion rupees in 2011-12.

Tax-to-GDP ratio seen at 10.4 percent in 2011-12; seen at 10.8 percent in 201213. Customs revenue seen at 1.52 trillion rupees in 2011-12. Service tax receipts seen at 820 billion rupees in 2011-12.

Economy expected to grow at 9 percent in 2012, plus or minus 0.25 percent. Inflation seen lower in the financial year 2011-12.

Since the fall of Tunisia's longtime leader Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali, which triggered protests around the region, Egyptians had been demonstrating in huge numbers against rising prices, poverty, unemployment and their authoritarian regime. Nepal finally gets a Prime minister after seven months and sixteen attempts Ending a seven-month-long standoff over the Prime Ministerial election, Nepal's Parliament, on February 3, 2011, elected veteran communist leader and chairman of the Communist Party of NepalUnified Marxist Leninist (CPNUML) Jhalanath Khanal as the new Prime Minister of the Federal Republic of Nepal. UML chairman Khanal, 61, was elected by securing 368 votes in the 601-member Parliament. Khanal proved lucky and became the third communist Prime Minister after the April 2006 uprising by replacing his fellow comrade Madhav Kumar Nepal after the Unified CPN-Maoists, the single largest party in the Parliament, decided to withdraw its candidate and forge a Left alliance by extending support to Khanal. Jhalanath Khanal, who was elected chairman of the UML in February 2009, was born in Ilam in May 1950. A graduate in political science and history from Tribhuvan University, Khanal entered politics in 1965. He was one of the founding members of the National Co-ordination Committee for all Communist Revolutionaries of Nepal in 1975

Disinvestment in 2011-12 seen at 400 billion rupees. Government committed to retaining 51 percent stake in public sector enterprises.

Net market borrowing for 2011-12 seen at 3.43 trillion rupees, down from 3.45 trillion rupees in 2010-11. Gross market borrowing for 2011-12 seen at 4.17 trillion rupees. Revised gross market borrowing for 2010-11 at 4.47 trillion rupees.

To create infrastructure debt funds. FDI policy being liberalized. To boost infrastructure development with tax-free bonds of 300 billion rupees. Food security bill to be introduced. To permit SEBI registered mutual funds to access subscriptions from foreign investments. Raised foreign institutional investor limit in 5-year corporate bonds for investment in infrastructure by $20 billion. Setting up independent debt management office; Public debt bill to be introduced in parliament soon. Bills on insurance, pension funds, banking to be introduced.

To allocate more than 1.64 trillion rupees to defence sector in 2011-12. Corpus of rural infrastructure development fund raised to 180 billion rupees in 2011-12. To provide 201.5 billion rupees capital infusion in state-run banks in 2011-12. To allocate 520.5 billion rupees for the education sector. Rs.21,000 crore for Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan. To raise health sector allocation to 267.6 billion rupees. Rs.500 crore more for national skill development fund. Rs.54 crore each for AMU (Aligarh Muslim University) centres at Murshidabad and Mallapuram.

Rs.58,000 crore for Bharat Nirman; increase of Rs.10,000 crore. Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme wage rates linked to consumer price index; will rise from existing Rs.100 per day. Infrastructure critical for development; 23 percent higher allocation in 2011-12.

and CPN (ML) in 1978. He was jailed for a total of 26 months in his early political career and went underground in 1979. After restoration of democracy, he was a minister in the interim government formed in 1990. He was elected as a lawmaker in the 1991 and 1994 general elections. G-20 ministers reach deal to correct economic flaws G-20 Finance Ministers have reached a compromise deal to correct global economic imbalances and expressed concern over excessive commodity price volatility impacting the world food security, an issue pressed by India. After two days of hard bargain by their Finance Ministers, major economies, faced with uneven recovery and downside risks, reached a text in the face of tough resistance from China to agree on guidelines for removal of structural flaws in the global economy. However, the document did not talk about an issue of much interest to India. New Delhi wanted that G-20 should urge all jurisdictions to conclude Tax Information Exchange Agreements so that menace of black money in tax havens can be tackled. This issue seems to have been put on back seat as a lot of time was spent on reaching an agreement with China, which was opposed to inclusion of foreign exchange reserves and its exchange rate among the guidelines. China is sitting on a $2.8 trillion forex reserves and is accused by the US of manipulating its currency yuan.

Removal of supply bottlenecks in the food sector will be in focus in 2011-12. To raise target of credit flow to agriculture sector to 4.75 trillion rupees. 3 percent interest subsidy to farmers in 2011-12. Cold storage chains to be given infrastructure status. Capitalisation of National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) of 30 billion rupees in a phased manner. To provide 3 billion rupees for 60,000 hectares under palm oil plantation. Food storage capacity to be augmented; 15 more mega food parks to be set up in 2011-12; of 30 sanctioned in previous fiscal, 15 set up. Comprehensive policy on further developing PPP (public-privatepartnership) model.

To move towards direct transfer of cash subsidy for kerosene, LPG and fertilizers. Financial Sector Legislative Reforms Commission, headed by former Supreme Court judge B. Srikrishna, to complete its work in 24 months; to overhaul financial regulations.

Five-fold strategy against black money; 13 new double taxation avoidance agreements; foreign tax division of CTBT strengthened; strength of Enforcement Directorate increased three-fold. Bill to be introduced to review Indian Stamp Act. New coins carrying new rupee symbol to be issued. Anganwadi workers salary raised from Rs.1,500 to Rs.3,000. Housing loan limit for priority sector lending raised to Rs.25 lakh.

Railway Budget, 2011 For the third year in a row, Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee made an attempt to come out with the aam aadmi budget sparing the passengers and industry from fare and freight hikes and announcing the highest ever investment of Rs 57,630 crore, with 68 new trains. On February 25, 2011, presenting her third Railway Budget in UPA-II in the Lok Sabha, Mamata vowed to build a stronger railroad infrastructure based on the Vision 2020 document while announcing a slew

of concessions, including reducing the eligibility age of senior women citizens from 60 to 58 years and raising the fare concession for senior citizens (above 60) from 30 to 40 per cent. The budget estimates for 2011-12 project a freight loading of 993 million tonne and a passenger growth of 6.4 per cent. Ordinary working expenses have been estimated at Rs 73,650 crore and appropriation to depreciation reserve fund pegged at Rs 7,000 crore. A provision of Rs 6,735 crore has been made for dividend payment and the excess for railways for the new fiscal has been projected at Rs 5,258 crore, with an operating ratio of 98.1 per cent. Gross traffic receipts have been fixed at Rs 94,840 crore, which is higher by Rs 75 crore over budget estimates. The ordinary working expenses have been fixed at Rs 67,000 crore. A target of 1,300 km of new lines, 867 km of doubling of lines and 1,017 km of gauge conversion has been set. Indian Railways, the worlds second largest under a single management, has a network of 64,099 km to ferry as many as 18.9 million passengers on 7,000 trains daily, from 6,906 stations. It also runs 4,000 freight trains to carry 850 million tonne of cargo. Highlights

Faced with a double-digit food inflation, India also pressed for a coordinated approach to tackle food, commodity and oil price volatility, which make emerging economies "vulnerable". The ministers agreed on a plan to strengthen the international monetary system (IMS) with regard to disruptive capital flows and disorderly movement in exchange rates, a matter of great concern to India. The document also expressed its worries on the impact of rising oil prices, which have exceeded $100 per barrel. On the most contentious guidelines to remove structural imbalances, the communique appeared to have accommodated China's objections to including forex reserves and current account deficit. The communiqu, instead, said that indicative guidelines, without targets will be used to assess: i) public debt and fiscal deficit; private savings and private debt; ii) external imbalances composed of trade balance and net investment income flows and transfers, taking into due consideration of exchange rate, fiscal, monetary and other policies. US, Russia launch nuclear arms reduction pact On February 5, 2011, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton launched a landmark nuclear arms reduction pact with Russia, a showpiece of Washingtons reset of ties with its former Cold War enemy. The new START officially came into force when Clinton and Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov

No hike in passenger fare and freight rates. Highest ever plan outlay of Rs 57,630 crore proposed. Rs 9,583 crore provided for new lines. 1,300 km new lines, 867 km doubling of lines and 1,017 km gauge conversion targeted in 2011-12. 56 new Express Trains, 3 new Shatabdis and 9 Durontos to be introduced. 16,000 ex-servicemen to be given jobs in railways. Ten-year backlog of 1.75 lakh jobs to be addressed. Durontos on the Allahabad-Mumbai, Pune-Ahmedabad, Sealdah-Puri, Secunderabad-Visakhapatnam, MaduraiChennai routes. Integrated suburban network to be set up in Mumbai, Chennai, Ahmedabad. A bridge factory in Jammu & Kashmir and a state-of-art institute for tunnel and bridge engineering proposed at Jammu. New Shatabadi to link Ludhiana with New Delhi. New weekly train, "Vivek Express", on Bandra (T)-Jammu Tawi Express route via Marwar-Degana- Ratangarh -JakhalLudhiana. Industrial park in Nandigram, Metro coach factory for Singur. Centre for excellence in software at Darjeeling. Concession for senior citizens increased from 30% to 40%.

Age for senior women citizens concession reduced to 58 from 60. Pradhan Mantri Rail Vikas Yojana to be launched. Student special .trains to be started; start of Rajrani Express. Multi-purpose smart card to be introduced for all-India travel.

exchanged ratification documents at a security conference in the German city of Munich. Today we exchange the instruments of ratification for a treaty that lessens the nuclear danger facing the Russian and American people and the world, Clinton said. The chief US diplomat hailed the pact as another example of cleareyed cooperation between the two military powers, part of a journey we have been taking for more than 60 years. Lavrov told the Munich conference that the agreement would enhance international stability. The pact slashes existing warhead ceilings by 30 per cent over the next 10 years and limits each side to 700 deployed long-range missiles and heavy bombers. The original 1991 pact expired at the end of 2009 amid stark differences over how the two sides planned to proceed.

Review of economic growth story of India As per the Economic Survey 2011, non-Congress States are scripting Indias economic growth story. The Survey places Bihar on top in terms of performance on growth, with the State posting a whopping 16.59 per cent growth in 2008-2009, the latest year for which the data is available. But Gujarat pips Bihar (which is followed by Orissa, Haryana and Uttrakhand) to the lead spot when the growth performance is measured from 2002-2003 onwards to 2009. Interesting to see is the fact that out of top five growing States in the country, four are ruled by non-Congress governments, with the exception of Haryana which stands fourth in this list. The Economic Survey reveals that though Rajasthan, followed by Andhra Pradesh, UP, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Bihar, provided maximum employment under MNREGA in 2009-2010, it was Punjab (ruled by the Shorimani Akali Dal-BJP combine) which employed the maximum Scheduled Castes under the programme (Punjab also reports the lowest number of people below poverty line in India) while the BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh employed the maximum STs, followed by Jharkhand, Gujarat and Chhattisgarh. After Punjab, the maximum SC employment under MNREGA was reported from Tamil Nadu, UP, Haryana and Bihar. On gross enrollment ratios in elementary education also, the Opposition-ruled States of Jharkhand (where the JMM and BJP are in coalition), Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Gujarat rank the highest. So far as the progress under the National Rural Health Mission goes, the maximum health centers have come up in Tamil Nadu, followed by Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. Ironically, though they are doing well in terms of economic growth, non-Congress ruled states like Orissa and Bihar continue to perform poorly on poverty indicators. The percentage of people below the poverty line is very high in Orissa, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Uttrakhand and Madhya Pradesh. Rural income inequality is the highest in Haryana and urban income inequality is the highest in Madhya Pradesh. Plan to deal with black money menace Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee has said that the government had adopted a five-fold strategy to deal with the problem of generation and circulation of black money. Presenting the Budget,

Business News
Reliance Industries Ltd and UKs oil and gas exploration company BP have announced a historic deal under which BP will pay $7.2 billion to acquire 30 per cent equity stake in 23 oil and gas production sharing contracts that RIL operates in India, including the KG D6 block. Future performance payments of up to $1.8 billion could be paid based on exploration success. Fortis Global Healthcare Holdings will acquire a majority stake in Australias Dental Corporation Holdings (DCH). Fortis Global is the wholly-owned overseas investment vehicle of Fortis Healthcare Ltd. Educomp Solutions has picked up a majority stake in test preparation company Gateforum Educational Services which provides preparatory tools for Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE), an entrance test for

he said: The five-fold strategy consists of joining the global crusade against black money, creating an appropriate legislative framework, setting up institutions for dealing with illicit funds, developing systems for implementation and imparting skills to the manpower for effective action. He added that while the membership of the Financial Action Task Force was secured in June 2010, the government has also joined the Task Force on Financial Integrity and Economic Development, Eurasian Group and Global Forum on Transparency and Exchange of Information for Tax Purposes. Discussions have also been concluded for 11 Tax Information Exchange Agreements and 13 new Double Taxation Avoidance Agreements (DTAAs), along with revision of provisions of 10 existing DTAAs, he said. India, Japan sign free trade agreement On February 16, 2011, India and Japan signed a comprehensive economic partnership agreement (CEPA) to open markets and reduce barriers on goods, services and movement of people between the two countries. The pact was signed between Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma and Japanese Foreign Affairs Minister Seiji Maehara in Tokyo. Indian government has set a target of doubling bilateral trade to $25 billion by 2014, which is currently at $10.3 billion. CEPA will lead to a quantum increase in bilateral trade and investment flows, by relaxing barriers to trade in goods, services and movement of natural persons, besides enhanced cooperation on protection of intellectual property. This agreement is the most ambitious agreement signed by India so far and covers trade in goods, services and investment under its ambit. This agreement follows from the commitment of the two Prime Ministers in October 2010. The agreement has ensured that the sensitive sectors for India are fully protected, including agriculture, fruits, spices, wheat, basmati rice, edible oils, wines and spirits and also certain categories of industrial products such as auto and auto parts. India, Malaysia ink free trade pact On February 18, 2011, India and Malaysia signed a comprehensive market opening pact that throws up myriad trade opportunities for both sides and give a boost to India's Look-East Policy and the prospects for its economic integration with South-East Asia. Indias Commerce Minister Anand Sharma and his Malaysian counterpart Mustapa Mohamed, in the presence of Prime Minister Najib Razak and several leading captains of industry from both sides, signed the Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA). The agreement, which was reached after seven rounds of negotiation, will see Indian mangoes, cotton, motorcycles, trucks and basmati rice attract less duty in Malaysia, among other things. As a quid pro quo, the South-East nation will face

admission to postgraduate courses in technical institutes in India. Nokia Oyj, the worlds biggest maker of mobile phones, has formed a software partnership with Microsoft Corp., betting that together the two companies can challenge Google Inc and Apple Inc.

DO YOU KNOW
Indias first inland fish processing unit has been set up in the village of Bhutana in Karnal district of Haryana. The unit has been set up in technical collaboration with ZTM BPD Unit, South Zone, Central Institute of Fisheries Technology, Cochin, which comes under the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR). As per the Economic Survey, 2011, India has the fourth largest foreign exchange reserves in the world. Indias foreign exchange reserves touched $ 297.3 billion in December 2010, from 279.1 billion in March. The National Science Day is observed on February 28 to mark the discovery of Raman Effect by Sir C.V. Raman in 1928, for which he was awarded the Nobel prize. To reduce the burden of small tax-payers, a new, simplified income tax return form, Sugam, has been introduced. The Union Budget 2011 has increased the Defence budget by 11 per cent. Additional Rs 17,071 crore have been allotted over 2010 Budget figure of Rs 1,47,344 crore. About Rs 69,199 crore has been earmarked for capital expenses like weapons, planes, ships, special classified projects etc. The Budget 2011 has earmarked Rs 52,000 crore for education, out of which Rs 21,000 crore will be spent on Sarv Shiksha Abhiyan, Rs 6,213 crore on secondary education and Rs 2,200 crore on higher education. The Hyderabad international airport has bagged the first rank in its category in the latest Airport Service Quality (ASQ) rankings of the Airports Council International (ACI). The theme song of Cricket World Cup, 2011 was De Ghuma Ke. It was composed by the trio of Shankar, Ehasan and Loy India received foreign direct investment (FDI) worth $21 billion 9Rs 96,104 crore) in the calendar year 2010, a decline of 22 per cent over 2009. The SAARC Foreign Ministers meet was held in Thimpu, Bhutan on February 8, 2011. The NASSCOM India Leadership Forum (NILF) was held in Mumbai in February 2011.

less barriers on the sale of its fruit, engineering goods and chemicals in India. Shivraj V. Patil panel report on 2G scam Unveiling the report of the Shivraj V Patil panel that went into the lapses made during the allocation of the 2G Spectrum, Telecom Minister Kapil Sibal said on February 4, 2011, the committee had concluded that all decisions on Spectrum allocation since 2003 by successive governments, including the UPA regime, were procedurally wrong. In what could be a damning admission of Raja not following procedures despite advice from other ministries, the report says that the DoT did not follow the advice of the Law Ministry or the views of the Finance Ministry over Spectrum pricing. The findings on procedural lapses are being sent to the CBI, which is looking into the criminal culpability in the scam. ULFA agrees to unconditional talks After three decades of armed conflict that cost thousands of lives in Assam, the outlawed United Liberation Front of Assam( ULFA) has finally decided to sit for unconditional talks with the Government of India. On February 5, 2011, leaders of the outfit informed that ULFA had been invited by Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram for a preliminary round of talks in New Delhi, as a prelude to formal negotiations that would materialize once ULFA submitted its charter of demands. With this ULFA has finally given up its earlier preconditions of, one, holding talks in a third country; two, including sovereignty as the core issue; three, of having a UN observer for the talks. The ULFA foreign secretary, Sasadhar Choudhury, pointed out that preconditions set by both ULFA and the government had stood in the way of holding peace talks since 1992, the year ULFA leaders had met then Prime Minister P.V. Narasimha Rao only to renege on their promise to come forward for a dialogue on a later date. On ULFA commander-in-chief Paresh Barua airing his opposition to dialogue, the outfit leaders said he had done it before the general council of ULFA decided on unconditional talks. The decision of the general council is binding on everyone. Anyone defying it will face disciplinary action as per the provision of the ULFAs constitution. Paresh Barua was invited to both the central executive committee and general council meeting, but he didnt come. We have conveyed our decision for talks to him and are waiting for his response, the ULFA leaders said. ULFA claims to have been founded on April 7, 1979. It initiated major violent activities in 1990, which led the Union government banning the organisation. Military operations against it by the Army also began in 1990. In the past two decades, some 10,000 people have died in clashes between the rebels and the government. In December 2009, the chairman and the deputy

Mahatma Gandhi and the Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama have been listed by the Time magazine as the worlds top 25 political icons. Times top 25 political icons are: Mahatma Gandhi, Alexander the Great, Mao Zedong, Winston Churchill, Genghis Khan, Nelson Mandela, Abraham Lincoln, Adolf Hitler, Ernesto Che Guevara, Ronald Reagan, Cleopatra, Franklin Roosevelt, the Dalai Lama, Queen Victoria, Benito Mussolini, Akbar the Great, Lenin, Margaret Thatcher, Simn Bolvar, Qin Shi Huang, Kim Il-Sung, Charles de Gaulle, Louis XIV, Haile Selassie, King Richard the Lionheart and Saladin. India has agreed to temporarily lend fragments of Buddhas bones, famously known as Kapilavastu relics, to Sri Lanka for an exposition to celebrate his 2600th year of enlightenment in 2011. China has emerged as the worlds largest economy, surpassing Japan, which had held on to the position for over four decades. At the end of 2010, Japanese economy was estimated to be worth about $5.5 trillion and that of China $5.8 trillion. USA continues to be the largest economy of the world with the economy worth $14.6 trillion.

commander-in-chief of ULFA were arrested. There has also been a large ULFA crackdown in Bangladesh in last one year, which significantly assisted India and led to ULFA softening its stand and dropping the demand for independence as a condition for talks. Godhra Train Burning Case On February 22, 2011, thirty one persons were convicted and 63 others, including the main accused Maulvi Umarji, were acquitted by a special court in the 2002 Godhra train burning incident that left 59 persons dead and triggered violence in Gujarat that claimed the lives of over 1200 people. The trial, conducted inside the Sabarmati Central Jail, Ahmedabad, began in June 2009 with the framing of charges against 94 accused. The accused were charged with criminal conspiracy and murder in burning of the S-6 coach of the train on February 27, 2002, near Godhra, about 125 km from Ahmedabad, in which 59 people were killed. As many as 253 witnesses were examined during the trial and over 1,500 documentary evidences were presented before the court by the Gujarat police. There were a total of 134 accused in the case, out of which 14 were released due to lack of evidence, five were juvenile, five died during proceedings of over nine years, and 16 are absconding. Of the 94, against whom the trial was conducted, 80 are in jail and 14 are out on bail. Two different panels appointed to inquire into the 2002 case had given different views on the Godhra train burning incident. The Nanavati Commission, appointed by the Gujarat government to probe the carnage, had in the first part of the report concluded that the fire in the S-6 coach was not an accident, but was caused by throwing petrol inside it. The one-man U.C. Banerjee Commission appointed by the Railway Ministry under Lalu Prasad Yadav had said that the fire was "accidental". The Court accepted the conspiracy theory.

United Nations

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jump to: navigation, search For other uses, see United Nations (disambiguation). "UN" redirects here. For other uses, see UN (disambiguation).

United Nations Organisation des Nations unies

Organizacin de las Naciones Unidas

Flag

Map showing the Member states of the United Nations This map does not represent the view of its members or the UN concerning the legal status of any country,[1] nor does it accurately reflect which areas' governments have UN representation.

Headquarters

Official languages

Membership -

Secretary-General Deputy SecretaryAsha-Rose Migiro General General Assembly Nassir Abdulaziz Al-Nasser President Security Council Vitaly Churkin President Establishment United Nations 26 June 1945 Charter signed Entry into force of 24 October 1945 Charter Website UN.org

International territory in New York City, USA Arabic Chinese English French Russian Spanish 193 member states Leaders Ban Ki-moon

The United Nations (UN) is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace. The UN was founded in 1945 after World War II to replace the League of Nations, to stop wars between countries, and to provide a platform for dialogue. It contains multiple subsidiary organizations to carry out its missions.

There are currently 193 member states, including every internationally recognised sovereign state in the world but the Vatican City. From its offices around the world, the UN and its specialized agencies decide on substantive and administrative issues in regular meetings held throughout the year. The organization has six principal organs: the General Assembly (the main deliberative assembly); the Security Council (for deciding certain resolutions for peace and security); the Economic and Social Council (for assisting in promoting international economic and social cooperation and development); the Secretariat (for providing studies, information, and facilities needed by the UN); the International Court of Justice (the primary judicial organ); and the United Nations Trusteeship Council (which is currently inactive). Other prominent UN System agencies include the World Health Organization (WHO), the World Food Programme (WFP) and United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF). The UN's most visible public figure is the Secretary-General, currently Ban Ki-moon of South Korea, who attained the post in 2007. The United Nations Headquarters resides in international territory in New York City, with further main offices at Geneva, Nairobi, and Vienna. The organization is financed from assessed and voluntary contributions from its member states, and has six official languages: Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian, and Spanish.[2]

Contents
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o o o o o o o o o o o o o o

1 History 2 Legal basis of establishment 3 Organization 3.1 General Assembly 3.2 Security Council 3.3 Secretariat 3.3.1 Secretary-General 3.4 International Court of Justice 3.5 International Criminal Court 3.6 Economic and Social Council 3.7 Specialized institutions 4 Membership 4.1 Group of 77 5 Stated objectives 5.1 Peacekeeping and security 5.2 Human rights and humanitarian assistance 5.3 Social and economic development 5.4 Mandates 5.4.1 Greening the Blue 5.5 Other 6 Funding 7 Personnel policy 8 Reform 9 See also 9.1 Relations between specific states and the United Nations 10 References 11 Further reading 12 External links

History
Main article: History of the United Nations

The Chilean delegation signing the UN Charter in San Francisco, 1945 The League of Nations failed to prevent World War II (19391945). Because of the widespread recognition that humankind could not afford a third world war, the United

Nations was established to replace the flawed League of Nations in 1945 in order to maintain international peace and promote cooperation in solving international economic, social and humanitarian problems. The earliest concrete plan for a new world organization was begun under the aegis of the U.S. State Department in 1939. Franklin D. Roosevelt first coined the term 'United Nations' as a term to describe the Allied countries. The term was first officially used on 1 January 1942, when 26 governments signed the Atlantic Charter, pledging to continue the war effort.[3] On 25 April 1945, the UN Conference on International Organization began in San Francisco, attended by 50 governments and a number of non-governmental organizations involved in drafting the United Nations Charter. The UN officially came into existence on 24 October 1945 upon ratification of the Charter by the five permanent members of the Security CouncilFrance, the Republic of China, the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom and the United Statesand by a majority of the other 46 signatories. The first meetings of the General Assembly, with 51 nations represented, and the Security Council, took place in Westminster Central Hall in London in January 1946.[4] The organization was based at the Sperry Gyroscope Corporation's facility in Lake Success, New York, from 19461952, before moving to the United Nations Headquarters building in Manhattan upon its completion. Since its creation, there has been controversy and criticism of the United Nations. In the United States, an early opponent of the UN was the John Birch Society, which began a "get US out of the UN" campaign in 1959, charging that the UN's aim was to establish a "One World Government." After the Second World War, the French Committee of National Liberation was late to be recognized by the US as the government of France, and so the country was initially excluded from the conferences that aimed at creating the new organization. Charles de Gaulle criticized the UN, famously calling it le machin ("the thing"), and was not convinced that a global security alliance would help maintain world peace, preferring direct defence treaties between countries.[5]

Legal basis of establishment

Shortly after its establishment the UN sought recognition as an international legal person due to the case of Reparations for Injuries Suffered in the Service of the United Nations[6] with the advisory opinion delivered by the International Court of Justice (ICJ). The question arose whether the United Nations, as an organisation, had "the capacity to bring an international claim against a government regarding injuries that the organisation alleged had been caused by that state."[7] The Court stated: the Organization was intended to exercise and enjoy, and is in fact exercising and enjoying functions and rights, which can only be explained on the basis of the possession of a large measure of international personality and the capacity to operate upon an international plane ... Accordingly, the Court has come to the conclusion that the Organization is an international person. That is not the same thing as saying that it is a State, which it certainly is not, or that its legal personality and rights and duties are the same as those of a State ... What it does mean is that it is a subject of international law and capable of possessing international rights and duties, and that it has capacity to maintain its rights by bringing international claims.[8]

Organization
Main article: United Nations System The United Nations' system is based on five principal organs (formerly six the Trusteeship Council suspended operations in 1994, upon the independence of Palau, the last remaining UN trustee territory);[9] the General Assembly, the Security Council, the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), the Secretariat, and the International Court of Justice. Four of the five principal organs are located at the main United Nations Headquarters located on international territory in New York City.[10] The International Court of Justice is located in The Hague, while other major agencies are based in the UN offices at Geneva,[11] Vienna,[12] and Nairobi.[13] Other UN institutions are located throughout the world. The six official languages of the United Nations, used in intergovernmental meetings and documents, are Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian, and Spanish.[2] The Secretariat uses two working languages, English and French. Four of the official languages are the national languages of the permanent members of the Security Council (the United Kingdom and the United States share English as a de facto official language); Spanish and Arabic are the languages of the two largest blocs of official languages outside of the permanent members (Spanish being official in 20 countries, Arabic in 26). Five of the official languages were chosen when the UN was founded; Arabic was added later in 1973. The United Nations Editorial Manual states that the standard for English language documents is British usage and Oxford spelling, the Chinese writing standard is Simplified Chinese. This replaced Traditional Chinese in 1971 when the UN representation of China was changed from the Republic of China to the People's Republic of China (see China and the United Nations for details).

General Assembly

United Nations General Assembly hall Main article: United Nations General Assembly The General Assembly is the main deliberative assembly of the United Nations. Composed of all United Nations member states, the assembly meets in regular yearly sessions under a president elected from among the member states. Over a two-week period at the start of each session, all members have the opportunity to address the assembly. Traditionally, the Secretary-General makes the first statement, followed by the president of the assembly. The first session was convened on 10 January 1946 in the Westminster Central Hall in London and included representatives of 51 nations.

When the General Assembly votes on important questions, a two-thirds majority of those present and voting is required. Examples of important questions include: recommendations on peace and security; election of members to organs; admission, suspension, and expulsion of members; and, budgetary matters. All other questions are decided by majority vote. Each member country has one vote. Apart from approval of budgetary matters, resolutions are not binding on the members. The Assembly may make recommendations on any matters within the scope of the UN, except matters of peace and security that are under Security Council consideration. Conceivably, the one state, one vote power structure could enable states comprising just eight percent of the world population to pass a resolution by a two-thirds vote (see List of countries by population). However, as no more than recommendations, it is difficult to imagine a situation in which a recommendation by member states constituting just eight percent of the world's population, would be adhered to by the remaining ninety-two percent of the population, should they object.[citation needed]

Security Council

United Nations Security Council chamber Main article: United Nations Security Council The Security Council is charged with maintaining peace and security among countries. While other organs of the United Nations can only make 'recommendations' to member governments, the Security Council has the power to make binding decisions that member governments have agreed to carry out, under the terms of Charter Article 25.[14] The decisions of the Council are known as United Nations Security Council resolutions. The Security Council is made up of 15 member states, consisting of 5 permanent membersChina, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United Statesand 10 non-permanent members, currently Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Colombia, Gabon, Germany, India, Lebanon, Nigeria, Portugal, South Africa. The five permanent members hold veto power over substantive but not procedural resolutions allowing a permanent member to block adoption but not to block the debate of a resolution unacceptable to it. The ten temporary seats are held for two-year terms with member states voted in by the General Assembly on a regional basis. The presidency of the Security Council is rotated alphabetically each month.[15]

Secretariat
Main article: United Nations Secretariat

The United Nations Secretariat Building at the United Nations Headquarters in New York City. The United Nations Secretariat is headed by the Secretary-General, assisted by a staff of international civil servants worldwide. It provides studies, information, and facilities needed by United Nations bodies for their meetings. It also carries out tasks as directed by the UN Security Council, the UN General Assembly, the UN Economic and Social Council, and other UN bodies. The United Nations Charter provides that the staff be chosen by application of the "highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity," with due regard for the importance of recruiting on a wide geographical basis. The Charter provides that the staff shall not seek or receive instructions from any authority other than the UN. Each UN member country is enjoined to respect the international character of the Secretariat and not seek to influence its staff. The Secretary-General alone is responsible for staff selection. The Secretary-General's duties include helping resolve international disputes, administering peacekeeping operations, organizing international conferences, gathering information on the implementation of Security Council decisions, and consulting with member governments regarding various initiatives. Key Secretariat offices in this area include the Office of the Coordinator of Humanitarian Affairs and the Department of Peacekeeping Operations. The Secretary-General may bring to the attention of the Security Council any matter that, in his or her opinion, may threaten international peace and security.[citation needed] Secretary-General Main article: Secretary-General of the United Nations

The current Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon The Secretariat is headed by the Secretary-General, who acts as the de facto spokesperson and leader of the UN. The current Secretary-General is Ban Ki-moon, who took over from Kofi Annan in 2007 and has been elected for a second term to conclude at the end of 2016.[16] Envisioned by Franklin D. Roosevelt as a "world moderator", the position is defined in the UN Charter as the organization's "chief administrative officer",[17] but the Charter also states that the Secretary-General can bring to the Security Council's attention "any matter which in his opinion may threaten the maintenance of international peace and security",[18] giving the position greater scope for action on the world stage. The position has evolved into a dual role of an administrator of the UN organization, and a diplomat and mediator addressing disputes between member states and finding consensus to global issues.[19] The Secretary-General is appointed by the General Assembly, after being recommended by the Security Council, where the permanent members have veto power.[20] The General Assembly can theoretically override the Security Council's recommendation if a majority vote is not achieved, although this has not happened so far.[21] There are no specific criteria for the post, but over the years, it has become accepted that the post shall be held for one or two terms of five years, that the post shall be appointed on the basis of geographical rotation, and that the SecretaryGeneral shall not originate from one of the five permanent Security Council member states.[21]
Secretaries-General of the United Nations [22] Country of Took office Left office Note origin 2 February 10 November Resigned Norway 1946 1952 18 September Died while in office Sweden 10 April 1953 1961 30 November 31 December First Secretary-General Burma 1961 1971 from Asia 1 January 31 December Austria 1972 1981 1 January 31 December First Secretary-General Peru

No. 1 2 3 4 5

Name Trygve Lie Dag Hammarskjld U Thant Kurt Waldheim Javier Prez de

6 7 8

Cullar Boutros BoutrosGhali Kofi Annan Ban Ki-moon

Egypt Ghana South Korea

1982 1 January 1992 1 January 1997 1 January 2007

1991 from the Americas 31 December First Secretary-General 1996 from Africa 31 December 2006 Incumbent

International Court of Justice

Peace Palace, seat of the International Court of Justice at The Hague, Netherlands Main article: International Court of Justice The International Court of Justice (ICJ), located in The Hague, Netherlands, is the primary judicial organ of the United Nations. Established in 1945 by the United Nations Charter, the Court began work in 1946 as the successor to the Permanent Court of International Justice. The Statute of the International Court of Justice, similar to that of its predecessor, is the main constitutional document constituting and regulating the Court.[23] It is based in the Peace Palace in The Hague, Netherlands, sharing the building with the Hague Academy of International Law, a private centre for the study of international law. Several of the Court's current judges are either alumni or former faculty members of the Academy. Its purpose is to adjudicate disputes among states. The court has heard cases related to war crimes, illegal state interference and ethnic cleansing, among others, and continues to hear cases.[24]

International Criminal Court

Main article: International Criminal Court The International Criminal Court (ICC), it came into being on 1 July 2002 with the entering into force of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court which was adopted on 17 July 1998. It is the first permanent international court charged with trying those who commit the most serious crimes under international law, including war crimes, genocide, crimes against humanity and the crime of aggression (although it cannot exercise jurisdiction over this crime prior to 2017). The ICC is functionally independent of the UN in terms of personnel and financing, but some meetings of the ICC governing body, the Assembly of the States Parties to the Rome Statute, are held at the United Nations. There is a "relationship agreement" between the ICC and the UN that governs how the two institutions regard each other legally.[25]

Economic and Social Council

Main article: United Nations Economic and Social Council

The ECOSOC chamber The Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) assists the General Assembly in promoting international economic and social cooperation and development. ECOSOC has 54 members, all of which are elected by the General Assembly for a three-year term. The president is elected for a one-year term and chosen amongst the small or middle powers represented on ECOSOC. ECOSOC meets once a year in July for a four-week session. Since 1998, it has held another meeting each April with finance ministers heading key committees of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Viewed separate from the specialized bodies it coordinates, ECOSOC's functions include information gathering, advising member nations, and making recommendations. In addition, ECOSOC is well-positioned to provide policy coherence and coordinate the overlapping functions of the UNs subsidiary bodies and it is in these roles that it is most active.

Specialized institutions
Main article: List of specialized agencies of the United Nations Many UN organizations and agencies exist to work on particular issues. Some of the most well-known agencies are the International Atomic Energy Agency, the Food and Agriculture Organization, UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization), the World Bank and the World Health Organization. It is through these agencies that the UN performs most of its humanitarian work. Examples include mass vaccination programmes (through the WHO), the avoidance of famine and malnutrition (through the work of the WFP) and the protection of vulnerable and displaced people (for example, by the UNHCR). The United Nations Charter stipulates that each primary organ of the UN can establish various specialized agencies to fulfil its duties.
Organizations and specialized agencies of the United Nations No. Acronyms Logo 1 2 FAO IAEA Agency Food and Agriculture Organization International Atomic Energy Agency Headquarters Rome, Italy Vienna, Austria Head Jacques Diouf Yukiya Amano Established in 1945 1957

3 4 5 6 7 8

ICAO IFAD ILO IMO IMF ITU

International Civil Aviation Organization International Fund for Agricultural Development International Labour Organization

Montreal, Canada Rome, Italy Geneva, Switzerland

Raymond 1947 Benjamin Kanayo F. 1977 Nwanze Juan Somava 1946 (1919) 1948 1945 (1944) 1947 (1865)

UNESCO

10 UNIDO 11 UPU 12 WB 13 WFP 14 WHO 15 WIPO 16 WMO 17 UNWTO

Efthimios International Maritime London, E. Organization United Kingdom Mitropoulos International Monetary Washington, Christine Fund D.C., USA Lagarde International Hamadou Geneva, Telecommunication n Tour Switzerland Union United Nations Educational, Scientific Irina Paris, France and Cultural Bokova Organization United Nations Vienna, Kandeh Industrial Development Austria Yumkella Organization Universal Postal Union

1946

1967

Edouard Bern, 1947 (1874) Dayan Switzerland Washington, Robert B. World Bank 1945 (1944) D.C., USA Zoellick Josette World Food Programme 1963 Rome, Italy Sheeran World Health Margaret Geneva, 1948 Organization Chan Switzerland World Intellectual Property Organization World Meteorological Organization World Tourism Organization Geneva, Switzerland Geneva, Switzerland Madrid, Spain Francis Gurry 1974

Alexander 1950 (1873) Bedritsky Taleb 1974 Rifai

Membership
Main article: Member states of the United Nations

An animation showing the timeline of accession of UN member states, according to the UN. Note that Antarctica has no government; political control of Western Sahara is in dispute; and the territories administered by the Republic of China (Taiwan) and Kosovo are considered by the UN to be provinces of the People's Republic of China and Republic of Serbia, respectively. With the addition of South Sudan on 14 July 2011,[26] there are currently 193 United Nations member states, including all fully recognized independent states[27] apart from Vatican City (the Holy See, which holds sovereignty over the state of Vatican City, is a permanent observer).[28] The United Nations Charter outlines the rules for membership: 1. Membership in the United Nations is open to all other peace-loving states that accept the obligations contained in the present Charter and, in the judgment of the Organization, are able and willing to carry out these obligations. 2. The admission of any such state to membership in the United Nations will be effected by a decision of the General Assembly upon the recommendation of the Security Council. United Nations Charter, Chapter 2, Article 4, http://www.un.org/aboutun/charter/

Group of 77
The Group of 77 at the UN is a loose coalition of developing nations, designed to promote its members' collective economic interests and create an enhanced joint negotiating capacity in the United Nations. There were 77 founding members of the organization, but the organization has since expanded to 130 member countries. The group was founded on 15 June 1964 by the "Joint Declaration of the Seventy-Seven Countries" issued at the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). The first major meeting was in Algiers in 1967, where the Charter of Algiers was adopted and the basis for permanent institutional structures was begun.[29]

Stated objectives
Peacekeeping and security
Main article: United Nations peacekeeping

See also: List of United Nations peacekeeping missions

Darfur Western Sahara Israel/Palestine Kosovo Cyprus Golan Lebanon Haiti Liberia Cte d'Ivoire DR Congo Sudan East Timor Jammu and Kashmir Afghanistan

Current UN peacekeeping missions The UN, after approval by the Security Council, sends peacekeepers to regions where armed conflict has recently ceased or paused to enforce the terms of peace agreements and to discourage combatants from resuming hostilities. Since the UN does not maintain its own military, peacekeeping forces are voluntarily provided by member states of the UN. The forces, also called the "Blue Helmets", who enforce UN accords, are awarded United Nations Medals, which are considered international decorations instead of military decorations. The peacekeeping force as a whole received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1988.[30]

The founders of the UN had envisaged that the organization would act to prevent conflicts between nations and make future wars impossible, however the outbreak of the Cold War made peacekeeping agreements extremely difficult because of the division of the world into hostile camps. Following the end of the Cold War, there were renewed calls for the UN to become the agency for achieving world peace, as several dozen ongoing conflicts continue to rage around the globe. A 2005 RAND Corp study found the UN to be successful in two out of three peacekeeping efforts. It compared UN nation-building efforts to those of the United States, and found that seven out of eight UN cases are at peace, as compared with four out of eight US cases at peace.[31] Also in 2005, the Human Security Report documented a decline in the number of wars, genocides and human rights abuses since the end of the Cold War, and presented evidence, albeit circumstantial, that international activismmostly spearheaded by the UNhas been the main cause of the decline in armed conflict since the end of the Cold War.[32] Situations where the UN has not only acted to keep the peace but also occasionally intervened include the Korean War (19501953), and the authorization of intervention in Iraq after the Persian Gulf War in 1990. The UN has also drawn criticism for perceived failures. In many cases, member states have shown reluctance to achieve or enforce Security Council resolutions, an issue that stems from the UN's intergovernmental natureseen by some as simply an association of 193 member states who must reach consensus, not an independent organization. Disagreements in the Security Council about military action and intervention are seen as having failed to prevent the 1994 Rwandan Genocide,[33] failed to provide humanitarian aid and intervene in the Second Congo War, failed to intervene in the 1995 Srebrenica massacre and protect a refugee haven by authorizing peacekeepers to use force, failure to deliver food to starving people in Somalia, failure to implement provisions of Security Council resolutions related to the IsraeliPalestinian conflict, and continuing failure to prevent genocide or provide assistance in Darfur. UN peacekeepers have also been accused of child rape, sexual abuse or soliciting prostitutes during various peacekeeping missions, starting in 2003, in the Congo,[34] Haiti,[35][36] Liberia,[37] Sudan and what is now South Sudan,[38] Burundi and Cte d'Ivoire.[39] In 2004, former Israeli ambassador to the UN Dore Gold criticized what it called the organization's moral relativism in the face of (and occasional support of)[40] genocide and terrorism that occurred between the moral clarity of its founding period and the present day. Gold specifically mentions Yasser Arafat's 1988 invitation to address the General Assembly as a low point in the UN's history.[41] In addition to peacekeeping, the UN is also active in encouraging disarmament. Regulation of armaments was included in the writing of the United Nations Charter in 1945 and was envisioned as a way of limiting the use of human and economic resources for the creation of them.[42] However, the advent of nuclear weapons came only weeks after the signing of the charter and immediately halted concepts of arms limitation and disarmament, resulting in the first resolution of the first ever General Assembly meeting calling for specific proposals for "the elimination from national armaments of atomic weapons and of all other major weapons adaptable to mass destruction".[43] The principal forums for disarmament issues are the General Assembly First Committee, the UN Disarmament Commission, and the Conference on Disarmament, and considerations have been made of the merits of a ban on testing

nuclear weapons, outer space arms control, the banning of chemical weapons and land mines, nuclear and conventional disarmament, nuclear-weapon-free zones, the reduction of military budgets, and measures to strengthen international security. The UN is one of the official supporters of the World Security Forum, a major international conference on the effects of global catastrophes and disasters, which took place in the United Arab Emirates in October 2008.

Human rights and humanitarian assistance

Eleanor Roosevelt with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1949 The pursuit of human rights was a central reason for creating the UN. World War II atrocities and genocide led to a ready consensus that the new organization must work to prevent any similar tragedies in the future. An early objective was creating a legal framework for considering and acting on complaints about human rights violations. The UN Charter obliges all member nations to promote "universal respect for, and observance of, human rights" and to take "joint and separate action" to that end. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, though not legally binding, was adopted by the General Assembly in 1948 as a common standard of achievement for all. The Assembly regularly takes up human rights issues. The UN and its agencies are central in upholding and implementing the principles enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. A case in point is support by the UN for countries in transition to democracy. Technical assistance in providing free and fair elections, improving judicial structures, drafting constitutions, training human rights officials, and transforming armed movements into political parties have contributed significantly to democratization worldwide. The UN has helped run elections in countries with little or no democratic history, including recently in Afghanistan and East Timor. The UN is also a forum to support the right of women to participate fully in the political, economic, and social life of their countries. The UN contributes to raising consciousness of the concept of human rights through its covenants and its attention to specific abuses through its General Assembly, Security Council resolutions, or International Court of Justice rulings. The purpose of the United Nations Human Rights Council, established in 2006,[44] is to address human rights violations. The Council is the successor to the United Nations Commission on Human Rights, which was often criticized for the high-profile positions it gave to member states that did not guarantee the human rights of their own citizens.[45] The council has 47 members distributed by region, which each serve three-year terms, and may not serve three consecutive terms.[46] A candidate to the

body must be approved by a majority of the General Assembly. In addition, the council has strict rules for membership, including a universal human rights review. While some members with questionable human rights records have been elected, it is fewer than before with the increased focus on each member state's human rights record.[47] The rights of some 370 million indigenous peoples around the world are also a focus for the UN, with a Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples being approved by the General Assembly in 2007.[48] The declaration outlines the individual and collective rights to culture, language, education, identity, employment and health, thereby addressing post-colonial issues that had confronted indigenous peoples for centuries. The declaration aims to maintain, strengthen and encourage the growth of indigenous institutions, cultures and traditions. It also prohibits discrimination against indigenous peoples and promotes their active participation in matters that concern their past, present and future.[48] The United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues is the UN's central coordinating body for matters relating to the concerns and rights of the world's indigenous peoples. The forum is an advisory body within the framework of the United Nations System that reports to the UN's Economic and Social Council. In conjunction with other organizations such as the Red Cross, the UN provides food, drinking water, shelter and other humanitarian services to populaces suffering from famine, displaced by war, or afflicted by other disasters. Major humanitarian branches of the UN are the World Food Programme (which helps feed more than 100 million people a year in 80 countries), the office of the High Commissioner for Refugees with projects in over 116 countries, as well as peacekeeping projects in over 24 countries.

Social and economic development

Millennium Development Goals 1. eradicate extreme poverty and hunger;
2. achieve universal primary education; promote gender equality and empower women; reduce child mortality; improve maternal health; combat HIV/AIDS, malaria, and other diseases; ensure environmental sustainability; and

3. 4. 5. 6. 7.

8. develop a global partnership for development. The UN is involved in supporting development, e.g. by the formulation of the Millennium Development Goals. The UN Development Programme (UNDP) is the largest multilateral source of grant technical assistance in the world. Organizations like the World Health Organization (WHO), UNAIDS, and The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria are leading institutions in the battle against diseases around the world, especially in poor countries. The UN Population Fund is a major provider of reproductive services. 32 UN agencies performing tasks on development are coordinating their efforts through the United Nations Development Group or UNDG.[49]

The UN also promotes human development through some related agencies, particularly the UNDP.[50] The World Bank Group and International Monetary Fund (IMF), for example, are independent, specialized agencies and observers within the UN framework, according to a 1947 agreement. They were initially formed as separate from the UN through the Bretton Woods Agreement in 1944.[51] The UNDP annually publishes the Human Development Index (HDI), a comparative measure ranking countries by poverty, literacy, education, life expectancy, and other factors.[52] The Millennium Development Goals (declared in the United Nations Millennium Declaration, signed in September 2000) are eight goals that all of the then 192 United Nations member states have agreed to try to achieve by the year 2015.[53]

Mandates
See also: Category:United Nations Security Council mandates From time to time, the different bodies of the United Nations pass resolutions that contain operating paragraphs that begin with the words "requests", "calls upon", or "encourages", which the Secretary-General interprets as a mandate to set up a temporary organization or do something. These mandates can be as little as researching and publishing a written report, or mounting a full-scale peacekeeping operation (usually the exclusive domain of the Security Council). Although the specialized institutions, such as the WHO, were originally set up by this means, they are not the same as mandates because they are permanent organizations that exist independently of the UN with their own membership structure. One could say that original mandate was simply to cover the process of setting up the institution, and has therefore long expired. Most mandates expire after a limited period and require renewal from the body, which set them up. One of the outcomes of the 2005 World Summit was a mandate (labelled id 17171) for the Secretary-General to "review all mandates older than five years originating from resolutions of the General Assembly and other organs". To facilitate this review and to finally bring coherence to the organization, the Secretariat has produced an online registry of mandates to draw together the reports relating to each one and create an overall picture.[54] Greening the Blue In 2007, On 5 June World Environment Day 2007, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon made public his ambition to make the United Nations more efficient in its operations: I would like to see our renovated Headquarters complex eventually become a globally acclaimed model of efficient use of energy and resources. Beyond New York, the initiative should include the other United Nations headquarters and offices around the globe. The UN's progress towards achieving this goal is communicated through the initiative Greening the Blue (see external links below).

Other
Over the lifetime of the UN, over 80 colonies have attained independence.[55] The General Assembly adopted the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples in 1960 with no votes against but abstentions from all major colonial powers. Through the UN Committee on Decolonization,[56] created in 1962, the UN has focused considerable attention on decolonization. It has also supported the new states that have arisen as a result of self-determination initiatives. The committee has overseen the decolonization of every country larger than 20,000 km and removed them from the United Nations list of Non-Self-Governing Territories, besides Western Sahara, a country larger than the UK only relinquished by Spain in 1975. The UN declares and coordinates international observances, periods of time to observe some issue of international interest or concern. Using the symbolism of the UN, a specially designed logo for the year, and the infrastructure of the United Nations System, various days and years have become catalysts to advancing key issues of concern on a global scale. For example, World Tuberculosis Day, Earth Day and International Year of Deserts and Desertification.

Funding
Top 10 donators to the UN budget, 2011[57] Member state USA Japan Germany United Kingdom France Italy Canada China Spain Mexico Other member states Contribution
(% of UN budget)

22.000% 12.530% 8.018% 6.604% 6.123% 4.999% 3.207% 3.189% 3.177% 2.356% 27.797%

The UN is financed from assessed and voluntary contributions from member states. The General Assembly approves the regular budget and determines the assessment for

each member. This is broadly based on the relative capacity of each country to pay, as measured by their gross national income (GNI), with adjustments for external debt and low per capita income.[58] The Assembly has established the principle that the UN should not be overly dependent on any one member to finance its operations. Thus, there is a 'ceiling' rate, setting the maximum amount any member is assessed for the regular budget. In December 2000, the Assembly revised the scale of assessments to reflect current global circumstances. As part of that revision, the regular budget ceiling was reduced from 25% to 22%. For the least developed countries (LDCs), a ceiling rate of 0.01% is applied.[58] In addition to the ceiling rates, the minimum amount assessed to any member nation (or 'floor' rate) is set at 0.001% of the UN budget. Refer to the table for major contributors. A large share of UN expenditures addresses the core UN mission of peace and security. The peacekeeping budget for the 20052006 fiscal year was approximately US$5 billion, 2.5 billion (compared to approximately US$1.5 billion, 995 million for the UN core budget over the same period), with some 70,000 troops deployed in 17 missions around the world.[59] UN peace operations are funded by assessments, using a formula derived from the regular funding scale, but including a weighted surcharge for the five permanent Security Council members, who must approve all peacekeeping operations. This surcharge serves to offset discounted peacekeeping assessment rates for less developed countries. As of 1 January 2011, the top 10 providers of assessed financial contributions to United Nations peacekeeping operations were: the United States, Japan, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, China, Canada, Spain and the Republic of Korea.[60] Special UN programmes not included in the regular budget (such as UNICEF, the WFP and UNDP) are financed by voluntary contributions from other member governments. Most of this is financial contributions, but some is in the form of agricultural commodities donated for afflicted populations. Since their funding is voluntary, many of these agencies suffer severe shortages during economic recessions. In July 2009, the World Food Programme reported that it has been forced to cut services because of insufficient funding.[61] It has received barely a quarter of the total it needed for the 09/10 financial year.

Personnel policy
The UN and its agencies are immune to the laws of the countries where they operate, safeguarding UN's impartiality with regard to the host and member countries.[62] Despite their independence in matters of human resources policy, the UN and its agencies voluntarily apply the laws of member states regarding same-sex marriages, allowing decisions about the status of employees in a same-sex partnership to be based on nationality. The UN and its agencies recognize same-sex marriages only if the employees are citizens of countries that recognize the marriage. This practice is not specific to the recognition of same-sex marriage but reflects a common practice of the UN for a number of human resources matters. It has to be noted though that some agencies provide limited benefits to domestic partners of their staff and that some

agencies do not recognise same-sex marriage or domestic partnership of their staff.

[citation needed]

Reform
Main article: Reform of the United Nations

In 2005, then-Secretary General Kofi Annan published his report In Larger Freedom, a proposal for reform of the UN. Since its founding, there have been many calls for reform of the United Nations, although little consensus on how to do so. Some want the UN to play a greater or more effective role in world affairs, while others want its role reduced to humanitarian work.[63] There have also been numerous calls for the UN Security Council's membership to be increased, for different ways of electing the UN's SecretaryGeneral, and for a United Nations Parliamentary Assembly. The UN has also been accused of bureaucratic inefficiency and waste. During the 1990s, the United States withheld dues citing inefficiency, and only started repayment on the condition that a major reforms initiative was introduced. In 1994, the Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS) was established by the General Assembly to serve as an efficiency watchdog.[64] An official reform programme was begun by Kofi Annan in 1997. Reforms mentioned include changing the permanent membership of the Security Council (which currently reflects the power relations of 1945), making the bureaucracy more transparent, accountable and efficient, making the UN more democratic, and imposing an international tariff on arms manufacturers worldwide.[citation needed] In September 2005, the UN convened a World Summit that brought together the heads of most member states, calling the summit "a once-in-a-generation opportunity to take bold decisions in the areas of development, security, human rights and reform of the United Nations."[65] Kofi Annan had proposed that the summit agree on a global "grand bargain" to reform the UN, renewing the organization's focus on peace, security, human rights and development, and to make it better equipped at facing 21st century issues. The World Summit Outcome Document delineated the conclusions of the meeting, including: the creation of a Peacebuilding Commission, to help countries emerging from conflict; a Human Rights Council and a democracy fund; a clear and unambiguous condemnation of terrorism "in all its forms and manifestations";

agreements to devote more resources to the Office of Internal Oversight Services; agreements to spend billions more on achieving the Millennium Development Goals; the dissolution of the Trusteeship Council, because of the completion of its mission; and, the agreement that individual states, with the assistance of the international community, have the "responsibility to protect" populations from genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity- with the understanding that the international community is prepared to act "collectively" in a timely and decisive manner to protect vulnerable civilians should a state "manifestly fail" in fulfilling its responsibility.[66] The Office of Internal Oversight Services is being restructured to better define its scope and mandate, and will receive more resources. In addition, to improve the oversight and auditing capabilities of the General Assembly, an Independent Audit Advisory Committee (IAAC) is being created. In June 2007, the Fifth Committee created a draft resolution for the terms of reference of this committee.[67][68] An ethics office was established in 2006, responsible for administering new financial disclosure and whistleblower protection policies. Working with the OIOS, the ethics office also plans to implement a policy to avoid fraud and corruption.[69] The Secretariat is in the process of reviewing all UN mandates that are more than five years old. The review is intended to determine which duplicative or unnecessary programmes should be eliminated. Not all member states agree on which of the over 7000 mandates should be reviewed. The dispute centres on whether mandates that have been renewed should be examined.[70] Indeed, the obstacles identified in particular, the lack of information on the resource implications of each mandate constituted sufficient justification for the General Assembly to discontinue the mandate review in September 2008. In the meantime, the General Assembly launched a number of new loosely related reform initiatives in April 2007, covering international environmental governance, Delivering as One at the country level to enhance the consolidation of UN programme activities and a unified gender organization. Whereas little was achieved on the first two issues, the General Assembly approved in September 2010 the establishment of UN Women as the new UN organization for gender equality and the empowerment of women. UN Women was established by unifying the resources and mandates of four small entities for greater impact and its first head is Ms. Michelle Bachelet, former President of Chile

Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar

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Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar

Born Died Occupation Nationality Ethnicity Citizenship Genres Literary movement 26 September 1820 Ghatal subdivision, Paschim Medinipur, West Bengal, India 29 July 1891 (aged 70) Calcutta, West Bengal, India Writer, reformer, lecturer Indian Bengali British India Philosopher, academic, educator, translator, printer, publisher, entrepreneur, reformer, philanthropist Bengal Renaissance

Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar CIE (Bengali: Ishshor Chndro Biddashagor 26 September 1820 29 July 1891), born Ishwar Chandra Bandopadhyaya (Bengali: , Ishshor Chndro Bndopaddhae), was an Indian Bengali polymath and a key figure of the Bengal Renaissance.[1][2] Vidyasagar was a philosopher, academic, educator, writer, translator, printer, publisher, entrepreneur, reformer, and philanthropist. His efforts to simplify and modernize Bangla prose were significant. He also rationalized and simplified the Bengali alphabet and type, which had remained unchanged since Charles Wilkins and Panchanan Karmakar had cut the first wooden Bangla type fonts in 1780.[3] He received the title "Vidyasagar" ("Ocean of learning" or "Ocean of knowledge") from the Calcutta Sanskrit College (where he graduated), due to his excellent performance in Sanskrit studies and philosophy. In Sanskrit, Vidya means knowledge or learning and Sagar means ocean or sea. This title was mainly given for his vast knowledge in all subjects which was compared to the vastness of the ocean.[4] Early life
Ishwar Chandra was born at Birsingha village, in the [Ghatal] subdivision of [Midnapore] District, in 26 September 1820 A.D.to a poor religious family.He was the first child to Thakurdas Bandyopadhyay and Bhagavati Devi. Thakurdas was employed in a shop and had a income of approximately eight rupees per month. He joined a local school at the age of five. After a year he fell ill with chronic fever and inflammation of the spleen. When he didn't recover even after six months, his maternal grandfather took him for Ayurvedic treatment. He recovered completely within three months and subsequently returned to Birsingha. Thereafter he continued his studies in the same school till the age of eight.

After his grandfather's demise, Thakurdas decided to take Ishwar to Calcutta for further studies. Vidyasagar learned English numbers by following the mile-stones labels on his way to Calcutta.
In Calcutta, Ishwar started living in Bhagabat Charan's house where Thakurdas had already been staying for some years. Bhagabat's youngest daughter Raimoni's motherly and affectionate feelings towards Ishwar touched him deeply and had a strong influence on his later revolutionary work towards the upliftment of women's status in India. His quest for knowledge was so intense that he used to study on street light as it was not possible for him to afford a gas lamp at home. He cleared all the examinations with excellence and in quick succession. He was rewarded with a number of scholarships for his academic performance. To support himself and the family Ishwar Chandra also took a part-time job of teaching at Jorashanko. In the year 1839, Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar successfully cleared his Law examination. In 1841, at the age of twenty one years, Ishwar Chandra joined the Fort William College as a head of the Sanskrit department.

After five years, in 1846, Vidyasagar left Fort William College and join the Sanskrit College as 'Assistant Secretary'.There was a serious discussion between Ishwar Chandra and College Secretary Rasomoy Dutta. In 1849, he again joined Sanskrit College, as a professor of literature. In 1851, Iswar Chandra became the principal of Sanskrit College. In 1855, he was made special inspector of schools with additional charges. But following the matter of Rasomoy Dutta, Vidyasagar resigned from Sanskrit College and rejoined Fort William College,as a head clerk.

Contents
[hide]

1 Teaching career 2 A compassionate Reformist o 2.1 Widow Remarriage 3 Bengali Alphabet and language reconstruction 4 Meeting with Sri Ramakrishna 5 Accolades 6 References 7 Further reading 8 External links

[edit] Teaching career

Vidyasagar in Calcutta and many other reformers in Bombay set up schools for girls. When the first schools were opened in the mid nineteenth century, many people were afraid of them. They feared that schools would take away girls from home and prevent them from doing their domestic duties. Moreover, girls would have to travel through public places in order to reach school. They thought that girls should stay away from public spaces. Therefore, most educated women were taught at home by their liberal fathers or husbands.

Vidyasagar House, in Kolkata. In 1841, Vidyasagar took the job of a Sanskrit pandit (professor) at Fort William College in Kolkata (Calcutta). In 1846, he joined the Sanskrit College as Assistant Secretary. A year later, he and a friend of his, Madan Mohan Tarkalankar, set up the Sanskrit Press and Depository, a print shop and a bookstore. While Vidyasagar was working at the Sanskrit College, some serious differences arose between him and Rasamoy Dutta who was then the Secretary of the College, and so he resigned in 1849. One of the issues was that while Rasamoy Dutta wanted the College to remain a Brahmin preserve, Vidyasagar wanted it to be opened to students from all castes. Later, Vidyasagar rejoined the College, and introduced many far-reaching changes to the College's syllabus. In the face of opposition from the Hindu establishment, Vidyasagar vigorously promoted the idea that regardless of their caste, both men and women mathe mathe should receive the best education. His remarkable clarity of vision is instanced by his brilliant plea for teaching of science, mathematics and the philosophies of John Locke and David Hume, to replace most of ancient Hindu philosophy. His own books, written for primary school children, reveal a strong emphasis on enlightened materialism, with scant mention of God and religious verities - a fact that posits him as a pioneer of the Indian Renaissance. Vidyasagar's house at Calcutta is in the process of being transformed into a museum. It is located at 36, Vidyasagar Street, Kolkata 700 006. Telephone : 033 2360 5093. Access is along Amherst Street, southwards from its junction with Vivekananda Road. Proceed along Amherst Street from this junction up to the first park on the left. The park has a milk vending booth at a corner. Turn left at the booth, and again left at the end of the park. Vidyasagar's house is on the right and is marked IGNOU. Open between 11 AM and 5 PM, the visit is worth the effort. The main regret is that it is almost entirely in Bengali, and the few English translations, are unsatisfactory. The displays are hazy in parts. Entrance fee is Rs 2/-. Carry drinking water. Limited parking area is available very close to the museum.

[edit] A compassionate Reformist

Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar felt very sorry and compassionate whenever he saw poor and weak people were in distress. Though he was very outspoken and blunt in his

mannerisms, yet Vidyasagar had a heart of Gold. He was also known for his charity and philanthropy as "Daya-r sagar" or "Karunar Sagar" - ocean of kindness, for his immense generosity. He always reflected and responded to distress calls of the poor, sufferings of the sick and injustice to humanity. While being a student at Sanskrit College, he would spend part of his scholarship proceeds and cook paayesh (rice pudding) to feed the poor and buy medicines for the sick. Later on, when he started earning, he paid fixed sums of monthly allowances to each member of his joint family, to family servants, to needy neighbours, to villagers who needed help and to his village surgery and school. This he continued without break even when he was unemployed and had to borrow substantially from time to time. Vidyasagar did not believe that money was enough to ease the sufferings of humanity. He opened the doors of the Sanskrit College to lower caste students (previously it was exclusive to the Brahmins), nursed sick cholera patients, went to crematoriums to bury unclaimed dead bodies, dined with the untouchables and walked miles as a messenger-man to take urgent messages to people who would benefit from them. When the eminent Indian Poet of the 19th century, Michael Madhusudan Dutta, fell hopelessly into debts due to his reckless lifestyle during his stay in Versailles, France, he appealed for help to Vidyasagar, who laboured to ensure that sums owed to Michael from his property at home were remitted to him and sent him a large sum of money to France.

[edit] Widow Remarriage

Main article: Widow Remarriage Act Vidyasagar championed the uplift of the status of women in India, particularly in his native Bengal. Unlike some other reformers who sought to set up alternative societies or systems, he sought, however, to transform orthodox Hindu society "from within".[5] With valuable moral support from people like Akshay Kumar Dutta, Vidyasagar introduced the practice of widow remarriages to mainstream Hindu society. In earlier times, remarriages of widows would occur sporadically only among progressive members of the Brahmo Samj. The prevailing deplorable custom of Kulin Brahmin polygamy allowed elderly men sometimes on their deathbeds to marry teenage or even prepubescent girls, supposedly to spare their parents the shame of having an unmarried girl attain puberty in their house. After such marriages, these girls would usually be left behind in their parental homes, where they might be cruelly subjected to orthodox rituals, especially if they were subsequently widowed. These included a semi starvation diet, rigid and dangerous daily rituals of purity and cleanliness, hard domestic labour, and close restriction on their freedom to leave the house or be seen by strangers. Unable to tolerate the ill treatment, many of these girls would run away and turn to prostitution to support themselves. Ironically, the economic prosperity and lavish lifestyles of the city made it possible for many of them to have quite successful careers once they had stepped out of the sanction of society and into the demi-monde. In 1853 it was estimated that Calcutta had a population of 12,718 prostitutes and public women.[6]

Vidyasagar took the initiative in proposing and pushing through the Widow Remarriage Act XV of 1856 in India. He also demonstrated that the system of polygamy without restriction was not sanctioned by the ancient Hindu Shastras.[7]

[edit] Bengali Alphabet and language reconstruction

Vidyasagar reconstructed the Bengali alphabet and reformed Bengali typography into an alphabet (actually abugida) of twelve vowels and forty consonants. Vidyasagar contributed significantly to Bengali and Sanskrit literature.

[edit] Meeting with Sri Ramakrishna

One of the important chapters in the The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna is the depiction of the meeting between Sri Ramakrishna, the 19th century Indian saint and mystic, and Vidyasagar. The meeting was arranged by Mahendranath Gupta, better known as M, the author of the Bengali version of the Gospel, a lay disciple of Ramakrishna and the then headmaster in the Metropoliton school owned by Vidyasagar. At that time Vidyasagar used to stay in Badur bagan in North Calcutta. Sri Ramakrishna in the course of the conversation apparently praised him on his philanthropic activities, kindness and compassion and suggested him to do these activities in a selfless spirit. Vidyasagar was himself secular and liberal in his outlook even though he was born in an orthodox Hindu Brahmin family. He was highly educated and hence influenced by Western thoughts and ideas. Ramakrishna in contrast did not have any formal education. According to the gospel Ramakrishna discussed various topics including the world of duality and trascendental nature of Brahman, citing the parables of the salt doll, the wood cutter and the ant and the sugar hill, on discrimination between true and false knowledge, on different manifestations of God's power, on ego and suffering, on power of faith etc.[8]

[edit] Accolades
Shortly after Vidyasagar's death, Rabindranth Tgore reverently wrote about him: "One wonders how God, in the process of producing forty million Bengalis, produced a man!" After death, he is remembered in many ways, some of them include:

Vidyasagar Setu 1. Vidyasagar Setu (commonly known as the Second Hooghly Bridge), is a bridge over the Hooghly River in West Bengal, India. It links the city of

2.

3. 4.

5. 6.

Howrah to its twin city of Kolkata. The bridge is named after Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar. A fair named Vidyasagar Mela (Bengali: Biddashagor Mla), which is dedicated to spreading education and increasing social awareness, has been held annually in West Bengal since 1994. Since 2001, it has been held simultaneously in Kolkata and Birsingha. There is a reputed college named after him and it is located in college street, Kolkata and a university named Vidyasagar University in Paschim Midnapore. Rectitude and courage were the hallmarks of Vidyasagar's character, and he was certainly ahead of his time. In recognition of his scholarship and cultural work the government designated Vidyasagar a Companion of the Indian Empire (CIE) in 1877[7] In the final years of life, he chose to spend his days among the "Santhals", an old tribe in India. There is Vidyasagar Street in Central Kolkata, which is named after him. The state government of West Bengal has established a stadium named after this great man ( - Vidyasagar Stadium) at Barasat, the district center of Uttar 24 Pargana

Ram Mohan Roy

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Raja Ram Mohan Roy

Raja Ram Mohan Roy portrait 22 May 1772 Born Radhanagore, Bengal 27 September 1833 (aged 61) Died Stapleton, Bristol Cause of death Meningitis Resting place Arnos Vale Cemetery, Bristol Nationality Hindustani Rammohun, Rammohan, or Ram Other names Mohan Ethnicity Bengali Hindu Occupation Social Reformer Known for Bengal Renaissance, Brahmo Samaj Height 1.75 mts Weight 56 Successor Dwarkanath Tagore Religion Hinduism Spouse Uma Devi Parents Ramakanta Roy Raja Ram Mohan Roy (Bengali: ) (22 May 1772 27 September 1833) was an Indian religious, social, and educational reformer who challenged traditional Hindu culture and indicated the lines of progress for Indian society under British rule. He is sometimes called the father of modern India.[citation needed] He founded, along with Dwarkanath Tagore and other Bengalis, of the Brahmo Sabha in 1828,

which engendered the Brahmo Samaj, an influential Indian socio-religious reform movement during the Bengal Renaissance. His influence was apparent in the fields of politics, public administration, and education, as well as religion. He is known for his efforts to abolish the practice of sati, the Hindu funeral practice in which the widow immolated herself on her husband's funeral pyre.

Contents
[hide]
o o o o o o o o

1 Biography 1.1 Early life and education (17721792) 1.2 Early political and religious career (17921820) 1.3 Middle "Brahmo" period (18201830) 1.4 Life in England and death (18301833) 1.5 Personal 2 Religious reforms 2.1 Social Reforms of Rammohan 2.2 Educationist 2.3 Journalist 3 Cenotaph 4 See also 5 References 6 External links

[edit] Biography
[edit] Early life and education (17721792)
Roy was born in Radhanagore, Bengal, in August 1772[1] or 22 May 1774,[2] into the Rarhi Brahmin caste.[3] His family background displayed religious diversity; his father Ramkanto Roy was a Vaishnavite, while his mother Tarinidevi was from a Shivaite family. This was unusual for Vaishanavites did not commonly marry Shaivites at that time. Thus, one parent wanted him to be a scholar, a sastrin, while the other wanted him to have a career dedicated to the laukik, which was secular public administration. [4] He wandered around the Himalayas and went to Tibet.

[edit] Early political and religious career (17921820)

Ram Mohan Roy's impact on modern Indian history concerned a revival of the ethics principles of the Vedanta school of philosophy as found in the Upanishads. He preached about the unity of God, made early translations of Vedic scriptures into English, co-founded the Calcutta Unitarian Society, founded the Brahmo Samaj, and campaigned against sati. He sought to integrate Western culture with features of his own country's traditions. He established schools to modernize a system of education in India.

During these overlapping periods[when?], Ram Mohan Roy acted as a political agitator and agent,[5] while being employed by the East India Company and simultaneously pursuing his vocation as a Pandit. In 1792, the British Baptist shoemaker William Carey published his missionary tract "An Enquiry of the Obligations of Christians to Use Means for the Conversion of Heathens. In the following year, William Carey landed in India to settle. His objective was to translate, publish and distribute the Bible in Indian languages and propagate Christianity to the Indian peoples.[6] He realized the "mobile" (i.e. service classes) Brahmins and Pundits were most able to help him in this endeavor, and he began gathering them. He learned the Buddhist and Jain religious works as a means to improve his argument in promotion for Christianity in the cultural context. In 1795, Carey made contact with a Sanskrit scholar, the Tantric Hariharananda Vidyabagish,[7] who later introduced him to Ram Mohan Roy; Roy wished to learn English. Between 1796 and 1797 the trio of Carey, Vidyavagish and Roy fabricated a spurious religious work known as the "Maha Nirvana Tantra" (or "Book of the Great Liberation")[8] and attempted to portray it as an ancient religious text to "the One True God", which was actually the Holy Spirit of Christianity masquerading as Brahma. The document's judicial sections were used in the law courts of the English Settlement in Bengal as Hindu Law for adjudicating upon property disputes of the zamindari. However, British magistrates and collectors[who?] began to suspect it as a forgery; its usage, as well as the reliance on pundits as sources of Hindu Law, was quickly deprecated. Vidyavagish has a brief falling out with Carey and separated from the group but maintained ties to Ram Mohan Roy.[9] The Maha Nirvana Tantra's significance for Brahmoism lay in the wealth that accumulated to Rammohan Roy and Dwarkanath Tagore by its judicial use, and not due to any religious wisdom within. In 1799, Carey was joined by missionary Joshua Marshman and the printer William Ward at the Danish settlement of Serampore. From 1803 to 1815, Rammohan served the East India Company's "Writing Service", commencing as private clerk "munshi" to Thomas Woodforde, Registrar of the Appellate Court at Murshidabad,[10] whose distant nephew, also a Magistrate, later made a living off the spurious Maha Nirvana Tantra under the pseudonym Arthur Avalon. In 1815, Raja Ram Mohan Roy formed Atmiya Sabhan spent many years[when?] at Rangpur and elsewhere with Digby, where he renewed his contacts with Hariharananda. William Carey had, by this time, settled at Serampore and the trio renewed their association with one another. William Carey was also aligned with the English Company, then headquartered at Fort William, and his religious and political ambitions were increasingly intertwined. The East India Company was taking money from India at a rate of three million pounds a year in 1838. Ram Mohan Roy estimated how much money was being driven out of India and where it was headed towards. He predicted that around half of the total revenue collected in India was sent out to England, leaving India to fill taxes with the remaining money.[11]

At the turn of the 19th century, the Muslims, although considerably decreased after the battles of Plassey and Buxar, still posed a political threat to the Company. Rammohan was now chosen by Carey to be the agitator among them.[12] Under Carey's secret tutelage[13] in the next two decades, Rammohan launched his attack against the bastions of Hinduism of Bengal, namely his own Kulin Brahmin priestly clan (then in control of the many temples of Bengal) and their priestly excesses. The social and theological issues Carey chose for Rammohan were calculated to weaken the hold of the dominant Kulin class, especially their younger disinherited sons forced into service who constituted the mobile gentry or "bhadralok" of Bengal, from the Mughal zamindari system and align them to their new overlords of Company. The Kulin excesses targeted included child marriage and dowry. In fact, Carey tried to convert Raja to Christianity and appointed a religious priest to try to convert Raja, although the priest later accepted Hinduism.

[edit] Middle "Brahmo" period (18201830)

Commenting on his published works, Sivanath Sastri wrote that Roy was part of a second appeal to the Christian Public. Brahmanical Magazine Parts I, II and III, with Bengali translation and a new Bengali newspaper called Sambad Kaumudi, was processed in 1821. In 1822, A Persian paper called Mirat-ul-Akbar contained a tract entitled "Brief Remarks on Ancient Female Rights"; a book in Bengali called Answers to Four Questions was released the same year. The third and final appeal to the Christian public took place in 1823. Roy wrote a letter to Rev. H. Ware on the "Prospects of Christianity in India" and an "Appeal for Famine-Smitten Natives in Southern India" in 1824. A Bengali tract on the qualifications of a God-loving householder, a tract in Bengali on a controversy with a Kayastha, and a Grammar of the Bengali language in English were written in 1826. A Sanskrit tract on "Divine Worship by Gayatri" with an English translation, the edition of a Sanskrit treatise against caste, and the previously noticed tract called "Answer of a Hindu to the Question" was released in 1827. A form of divine worship and a collection of hymns were composed by Roy and his friends in 1828. In 1829, "Religious Instructions founded on Sacred Authorities" was published in English and Sanskrit; a Bengali tract called "Anusthan" was also published that year. A petition against Suttee also took place in 1829. In 1830, Roy was in charge of a Bengali tract, a Bengali book concerning the Bengali language, the trust deed of the Brahmo Samaj, an address to Lord William Bentinck congratulating him for the abolition of Sati, a document in English of the arguments regarding the burning of widows, and a tract in English on the disposal of ancestral property by Hindus.[14]

[edit] Life in England and death (18301833)

Statue in College Green, Bristol, England In 1830, Ram Mohan Roy travelled to the United Kingdom from the Khejuri Port, which was then the sea port of Bengal and is currently in East Midnapore, West Bengal.[15] At the time, Roy was an ambassador of the Mughal emperor Akbar II, who conferred on him the title of Raja to convince the British government for welfare of India and to ensure that the Lord Bentick's regulation banning the practice of Sati was not overturned. Roy also visited France. Roy died at Stapleton, which was then a village to the north east of Bristol but currently a suburb, on 27 September 1833. His cause of death was meningitis; he was buried in Arnos Vale Cemetery in southern Bristol.

[edit] Personal
Ram Mohan Roy was married three times. Roy's third wife, Uma Devi, outlived him.

[edit] Religious reforms

The religious reforms of Roy contained in beliefs of the Brahmo Samaj expounded by Rajnarayan Basu[16] are: Brahmos believe that the fundamental doctrines of Brahmoism are at the basis of every religion, followed by man; Brahmos believe in the existence of One Supreme God, and worship Him alone. Brahmos believe that worship of Him needs no fixed place or time.

[edit] Social Reforms of Rammohan

Roy demanded property inheritance rights for women and, in 1828, set up the Brahmo Sabha, which was a movement of reformist Bengalis formed to fight against social evils.

Roy's political background influenced his social and religious to reforms of Hinduism. He wrote: "The present system of Hindoos [sic] is not well calculated to promote their political interests. It is necessary that some change should take place in their religion, at least for the sake of their political advantage and social comfort."[17] Rammohan Roy's experience working with the British government taught him that Hindu traditions were often not respected or thought as credible by Western standards; this affected his religious reforms. He wanted to legitimize Hindu traditions to his European acquaintances by proving that "superstitious practices which deform the Hindoo [sic] religion have nothing to do with the pure spirit of its dictates! [sic]"[18] The "superstitious practices" Rammohun Roy objected included sati, caste rigidity, polygamy and child marriages.[19] These practices were often the reasons British officials claimed moral superiority over the Indian nation. Ram Mohan Roy's ideas of religion sought to create a fair and just society by implementing humanitarian practices similar to Christian ideals and thus legitimize Hinduism in the modern world.

[edit] Educationist
Roy believed education to be an implement for social reform. In 1817, in collaboration with David Hare, he set up the Hindu College at Calcutta. In 1822, Roy founded the Anglo-Hindu school, followed four years later by the Vedanta College, where he insisted that his teachings of monotheistic doctrines be incorporated with "modern, western curriculum"; Vedanta College offered courses as a synthesis of Western and Indian learning.[20] In 1830, he helped Alexander Duff in establishing the General Assembly's Institution, by providing him the venue vacated by Brahma Sabha and getting the first batch of students. Roy supported induction of western learning into Indian education. He advocated the study of English, science, western medicine and technology. He spent his money on a college to promote these studies.

[edit] Journalist
Roy published magazines in English, Hindi, Persian, and Bengali. He published Brahmonical Magazine in English in 1821. One notable magazine of his was the Sambad Kaumudi, published in 1821. In 1822, Ram Mohan published Mirat-ul-Akbar in Persian language. Brahmonical Magazine ceased to exist after publication of few[weasel words] issues. But Sambad Kaumudi, a news weekly, covered topics such as freedom of press, induction of Indians into high ranks of service and separation of the executive and judiciary. Sambad Kaumudi became bi-weekly in January 1830 and continued for 33 years. He published newspaper to register his protest against the introduction of Press Ordinance of 1823. The ordinance stated that a license from the Governor General in council would be mandatory to publish any newspaper. When the English Company censored the press, Rammohan composed two memorials against this in 1829 and 1830 respectively. Being an activist, he steadily opposed social atrocities like Sati and child marriage.

[edit] Cenotaph

Epitaph for Ram Mohan Roy on his cenotaph

Cenotaph of Ram Mohan Roy in Arno's Vale Cemetery, Bristol, England The tomb was built by Dwarkanath Tagore in 1843, 10 years after Rammohan Roy's death in Bristol on 27 Sep 1833; the tomb is located in the Arnos Vale Cemetery on the outskirts of Bristol. In 1845, Dwarkanath Tagore arranged for Rammohan's remains to be removed and returned to India through Roy's nephew, who had accompanied Dwarkanath for this purpose to Britain. Rammohan's relics were cremated near Kolkata on 28 February 1846 by his family.[21] In September 2006, representatives from the Indian High Commission came to Bristol to mark the anniversary of Ram Mohan Roy's death. During the ceremony Hindu, Muslim and Sikh women sang Sanskrit prayers of thanks.[22] Following this visit, the Mayor of Kolkata Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya, who was amongst the representatives from the Indian High Commission, decided to raise funds to restore the cenotaph. In June 2007, businessman Aditya Poddar donated 50,000 towards the restoration of Rammohan's memorial after being approached by the Mayor of Calcutta for funding.
[23]

In June 2008, the Arnos Vale restorers conceded that they could not locate Roy's remains at the site after searching for it by digging. Thebrahmosamaj.net stated, "To everyone`s surprise the coffin was not to be seen under the chattri

Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay

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Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay

Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay 27 June 1838 Born Naihati, Bengal, India 8 April 1894 (aged 55) Died Kolkata, Bengal, India Occupation Magistrate, writer, lecturer Nationality Indian Ethnicity Bengali Hindu Alma mater University of Calcutta Genres Poet, novelist, essayist, journalist Subjects Literature Literary Bengal Renaissance movement Author of Anandamath containing Notable the National Song of India Vande work(s) Mataram Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay (Bengali: Bngkim Chndro Chopaddhae)[1] (27 June 1838 [2] 8 April 1894) was a famous Bengali writer, poet and journalist.[3] He was the composer of Indias national song Vande Mataram, originally a Bengali and Sanskrit stotra personifying India as a mother goddess and inspiring the activists during the Indian Freedom Movement. Bankim Chandra wrote 13 novels and several serious, serio-comic, satirical, scientific and critical treaties in Bengali. His works were widely translated into other regional languages of India as well as in English. Bankim Chandra was born to an orthodox Brahmin family at Kanthalpara, North 24 Parganas. He was educated at Hoogly College and Presidency College, Calcutta. He was one of the first graduates of the University of Calcutta. From 1858, until his retirement in 1891, he served as a deputy magistrate and deputy collector in the Government of British India.

Bankim Chandra is widely regarded as a key figure in literary renaissance of Bengal as well as India.[3] He is still held to be one of the timeless and brightest figures of not only Bengal, but also of the entire literati of India. Some of his writings, including novels, essays and commentaries, were a breakaway from traditional verse-oriented Indian writings, and provided an inspiration for authors across India.[3] When Bipin Chandra Pal decided to start a patriotic journal in August 1906, he named it Vande Mataram, after Bankim Chandra's song. Lala Lajpat Rai also published a journal of the same name.

Contents
[hide]

1 Early life and background 2 Literary career 3 Personal life 4 Quotes 5 Bibliography 6 See also 7 References 8 Further reading 9 External links

[edit] Early life and background

Bankim Chandra was born in the village Kanthalpara in the district of Naihati,in an orthodox Bengali Brahmin family, the youngest of three brothers, to Yadav (or Jadab) Chandra Chattopadhyaya and Durgadebi. His family was orthodox, and his father, a government official who went on to become the Deputy Collector of Midnapur. One of his brothers, Sanjeeb Chandra Chatterjee, was also a novelist and his known for his famous book "Palamau". He was educated at the Mohsin College in Hugli-Chinsura[4] and later at the Presidency College, graduating with a degree in Arts in 1857. He was one of the first two graduates of the University of Calcutta .[5] He later obtained a degree in Law as well, in 1869. He was appointed as Deputy Collector, just like his father, of Jessore, Chatterjee went on to become a Deputy Magistrate, retiring from government service in 1891. His years at work were peppered with incidents that brought him into conflict with the ruling British. However, he was made a Companion, Order of the Indian Empire in 1894.

[edit] Literary career

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Bankim Chandra, following the model of Ishwarchandra Gupta, began his literary career as a writer of verse. His majestic talents showed him other directions, and turned to fiction. His first attempt was a novel in Bengali submitted for a declared prize. He did not win the prize, and the novelette was never published. His first fiction to appear in print was Rajmohan's Wife. It was written in English and was probably a translation of the novelette submitted for the prize.[citation needed] Durgeshnondini, his first Bengali romance and the first ever novel in Bengali, was published in 1865. Kapalkundala (1866) is Chatterjee's first major publication. The heroine of this novel, named after the mendicant woman in Bhavabhuti's Malatimadhava, is modelled partly after Kalidasa's Shakuntala and partly after Shakespeare's Miranda. However, the partial similarities are only inferential analysis by critics, and Chatterjee's heroine may be completely his original. He had chosen Dariapur in Contai Subdivision as the background of this famous novel. His next romance, Mrinalini (1869), marks his first attempt to set his story against a larger historical context. This book marks the shift from Chatterjee's early career, in which he was strictly a writer of romances, to a later period in which he aimed to stimulate the intellect of the Bengali speaking people and bring about a cultural renaissance of Bengali literature. He started publishing a monthly literary magazine Bangadarshan in April 1892, the first edition of which was filled almost entirely with his own work. The magazine carried serialized novels, stories, humorous sketches, historical and miscellaneous essays, informative articles, religious discourses, literary criticisms and reviews. Vishabriksha (The Poison Tree, 1873) is the first novel of Bankim Chandra that appeared serially in Bangodarshan.

Bangodarshan went out of circulation after 4 years. It was later revived by his brother, Sanjeeb Chandra Chatterjee. Bankim Chandra's next major novel was Chandrasekhar (1877), which contains two largely unrelated parallel plots. Although the scene is once shifted back to eighteenth century, the novel is not historical. His next novel was Rajani (1877), which features an autobiographical plot, with a blind girl in the title role. Autobiographical plots had been used in Wilkie Collins' "A Woman in White", and a precedent for blind girl in a central role existed in Edward Bulwer-Lytton's Nydia in "The Last Days of Pompeii", though the similarities of Rajani with these publications end there. In Krishnakanter Will (Krishnakanta's Will, 1878) Chatterjee produced a complex plot.It was a brilliant depiction of the contemporary India, lifestyle and corruption,In that complexity, critics saw resemblance to Western novels. The plot is somewhat akin to that of Poison Tree. One of the many novels of Bankim Chandra that are entitled to be termed as historical fiction is Rajsimha (1881, rewritten and enlarged 1893). Anandamath (The Abbey of Bliss, 1882) is a political novel which depicts a Sannyasi (Hindu ascetic) army fighting the soldiers of the Muslim Nawab of Murshidabad. The book calls for the rise of Hindu nationalism to uproot the foreign Turko-Afghan Muslim rule of Bengal and put forth as a temporary alternative the East India Company till Hindus were fit for Self Rule. The novel was also the source of the song Vande Mataram (I worship my Motherland for she truly is my mother) which, set to music by Rabindranath Tagore, was taken up by many Indian nationalists, and is now the National Song of India. The novel is loosely based on the time of the Sannyasi Rebellion, In the actual rebellion, Hindus sannyasis and Muslim fakirs both rebelled against the British East India Company. The novel first appeared in serial form in Bangadarshan, the literary magazine that Bankim founded in 1872[6]. Bankim Chandra's next novel, Devi Chaudhurani, was published in 1884. His final novel, Sitaram (1886), tells the story of a local Hindu lord, torn between his wife and the woman he desires but unable to attain, makes a series of blunders and takes arrogant, self-destructive decisions. Finally, he must confront his self and motivate the few loyal soldiers that stand between his estate and the Muslim Nabab's army about to take over. Bankim Chandra's humorous sketches are his best known works other than his novels. Kamalakanter Daptar (From the Desk of Kamalakanta, 1875; enlarged as Kamalakanta, 1885) contains half humorous and half serious sketches. Kamalakanta is an opium-addict, similar to De Quincey's Confessions of an English Opium-Eater, but Bankim Chandra goes much beyond with his deft handling of sarcastic, political messages that Kamalakanta delivers. Bankim Chandra's commentary on the Gita was published eight years after his death and contained his comments up to the 19th Verse of Chapter 4. Through this work, he attempted to reassure Hindus who were increasingly being exposed to Western ideas. His belief was, that there was "No serious hope of progress in India except in Hinduism-reformed,regenerated and purified". He wrote an extensive commentary on two verses in particular-2.12 and 2.13-which deal with the immortality of the soul and its reincarnation[7]

Critics, like Pramathnath Bishi, consider Bankim Chandra as the best novelist in Bangla literature. Their belief is that few writers in world literature have excelled in both philosophy and art as Bankim has done. They have felt that in a colonised nation Bankim could not overlook politics. He was one of the first intellectuals who wrote in a British colony, accepting and rejecting the status at the same time. Bishi also rejects the division of Bankim in `Bankim the artist' and `Bankim the moralist' - for Bankim must be read as a whole. The artist in Bankim cannot be understood unless you understand him as a moralist and vice versa