January 2012 Current Affairs Study Material The Maldives president on 4 January 2012 said he has lifted a ban
ldives president on 4 January 2012 said he has lifted a ban on spas in the upmarket
INTERNATIONAL
Obama signs bill to suspend $ 1.1 bn aid to Pak
US President Barack Obama has signed into law a massive $1.1 billion defence spending bill
that also seeks to suspend a big cut of $1.1 billion military aid to Pakistan, despite his ” serious
reservations “about provisions regulating custody and prosecution of suspected terrorists.
Pakistan wins temporary UN Council Seat
Pakistan has won a seat as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council
(UNSC) for a two-year term.
Securing 129 out of 193 votes in the United Nations General Assembly – exactly the two-thirds
majority required to win the seat, Pakistan will now be a non-permanent member, replacing
Lebanon, of the United Nations Security Council in a term that begins on January 2012 and will
end in December 2013.
Pakistan Court issues Contempt Notice against Prime Minister Gilani
Pakistan top court began contempt proceedings on 16 January 2012 against Prime Minister
Yousuf Raza Gilani for failing to carry out its order to re-open a corruption case against the
President, ramping up pressure on the beleaguered civilian government and pushing the country
deeper into political crisis.
Wikipedia shut for 24 hours to protest US anti-piracy act
Wikipedia, the popular community-edited online encyclopaedia from 18 Jan. 2012 evening
blacked out its English Language site for 24 hours to seek support against proposed US anti-
piracy legislation that Wikipedia founder, Mr Jimmy Wales, said threatens the future of the
Internet.
White House locked down after smoke bomb attack
The White House, Washington was locked down on 18 Jan. 2012 for more than an hour after a
“”smoke bomb”" landed inside the compound of the United States president’s residence,
breaching the high security alert around the building.
Once Again Bird Flu Deaths In China
Once again bird flu deaths brings 2nd death in 30 days in china , over 28 number of people in
china who have died from the diseases since 2003 .
Younest Sailor To Complete Solo Circumnavigation of The World
Dutch Leeager Laura Dekkar 16 yrs old , on 21 st Jan 2012 became the youngest sailor to
complete a solo circumnavigation of the world .
25 EU Nations Sign Up For German
All European Union Countries agreed to sign a new treaty called fiscal compact on 30 th Jan
2012 .When 25 out of 27 EU states agreed to sign only Britan and Czech republic refused to
sign a fiscal compact, that will impose quasi automatic santions on countries that breach
European union budget deficit rules in national law .and crippling debts crises and to stimulate
growth and development in economy .
Romney wins first round battle for GOP’s ( Grand Old Party), ( US Republican Plitical
Party ) US President nominations
Front-runner Mitt Romney stood in course of a narrow win ( by just 8 votes ) from a 120, 000
party flock in a state New Hampshire that is considered the heartland of America.
Maldives lifts ban on spas
tourist destination after establishing they were not being used for prostitution as alleged by
Islamist protesters.The Maldives on 31 December 2011 has ordered hundreds of luxury hotels to
close their spas after protsts by an Islamist party which claimed they were a front for
prostitution.
Karzai gives go – ahead to US – Taliban peace talks
The government of Afghanistan gave its blessing to talks between Taliban insurgents and the
United States, and also to the opening of an office for the Islamists in Qatar on 4 January 2012 .
Obama unveils New Defence Policy, shifts U S focus to the East
U S President Barack Obama unveiled a defence strategy on 5 Jan. 2012 that calls for a greater U
S military presence in Asia and envisions cutting troops in Europe as the Pentagon seeks to
reduce spending by nearly half a trillion dollars after a decade of war.
Myanmar Govt. approves Suu Kyi’s party on 5 January 2012, allows to contest by- elections in
April
Turkey’s ex – general arrested on coup allegations
Turkey’s former Army chief Ilker Basbug on 6 January 2012 was detained over an alleged bid to
topple the Islamist – rooted government in the latest confrontation likely to inflame tensions with
the powerful military.
Chinese media slams US ‘look east’ policy Warns Washington against ‘ War Mongering ‘, says
move may fuel military tension
China’s state – run news media warned Washington on 6 January 2012 not to “recklessly
practice” or engage in “war mongering,” a day after the Obama administration outlined a new
military strategy with an increased focus on China.
Nea Zealand oil slick ship breaks up in storm
A cargo ship, Reena, stranded on a New Zealand reef for the past three months has split into two
in a severe storm on 8 January 2012, creating fears of a fresh oil spill. The two pieces of the
Reena have been forced 20-30 metres apart after waves up to 6 metres hit the vessel according to
Maritime New Zealand spokesman, Ross Henderson.
Iran begins N – activity underground
Iran has begun uranium enrichment at a new underground site well protected from possible air
strikes on 8 January 2012.
Germany, France warn Greece it won’t get more funds until it agrees on Bond Swap
Germany and France warned Greece on January 9, 2012 it will get no more bailout funds until it
agrees with creditor banks on a bond swap and pressed for an early deal to avert a potential
default in the euro zone’s most debt-stricken nation.
Pak PM dismisses Defence Secretary
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani dismissed Defence Secretary Lt Gen Khalid
Naeem Lodhi, a retired general and a close aide of the Army Chief with immediate effect for
“gross misconduct and illegal action” according to a statement issued by the Prime Minister’s
Office.
INDIA & WORLD
India, Pak exchange list of Nuclear Installations
India and Pakistan on 1 Jan. 2012 exchanged lists of their nuclear installations and facilities
under a two – decade – old pact prohibiting attacks on atomic assets, days after senior officials of
the two sides held talks in Islamabad on nuclear and conventional CBMs. “The Governments of
the two countries are required to exchange lists of their nuclear installations and facilities on
January 1 every year under the terms of the “ Agreement on Prohibition of Attacks against
Nuclear Installations and facilities “ that was signed in December 1988.
India, Pak set to start trade in power, petro goods
Plan is to transfer 500MW via Punjab, surplus Diesel from Bhatinda Refinery”
India and Pakistan are strengthening business links in 2012, with the stage set for start of trading
in electricity and petroleum products. Officials from the two countries have decided to trade in
electricity through a specially – built high voltage direct current link between Amritsar and
Lahore. The plan is to transfer 500MW through the Punjab border with the tariff linked to the
market rate.
China denies visa to IAF officer, Indian defence team cancels the visit
India on 6 Jan. 2012 cancelled the visit by a military delegation to China after one of its
members hailing from Arunachal Pradesh, was denied Visa by China.
12 Indian diamond traders return after detention in China
Twelve diamond traders returned to India from China on Jan. 6, 2012 after being released from a
detention centre in Shenzhen, where they had been kept for nearly two years.
India to give MFN status to Bangladesh
India on Jan. 6, 2012 said that it was keen to give Bangladesh ‘ most preferred nation ‘ status for
trade across the border and would try to ensure capital flows to that country for business.
India to seek new waivers from US on new sanctions on Iran
As new US sanctions of Iran’s oil sector take effect, India, which expects to be hit, will ask the
US for waivers to minimise the effect of the curbs that may be given to Washington’s key allies
like Japan, Turkey and South Korea, who, like New Delhi, are all importers of Iranian oil.
India decides to send small tri – service delegation to China
In an overnight U-turn India has decided on 7 January 2012 to go ahead with sending a military
delegation to China next week but reduced it to 15 members to the original 30 after Beijing
refused to issue a visa to an IAF officer from Arunchal Pradesh.”
India for labour treatises with Europe, Oz
The government is negotiating human resource mobility partnership agreements with the
Netherlands, France, Australia and the European Union in a move aimed at greater inroads for
Indian professionals into such markets.
India, South Africa for early conclusion of Customs union pact
India and South Africa on Jan. 9, 2012 agreed to ensure an early conclusion of the India –
SACU ( Southern African Customs Union ) Preferential Trade Agreement and the Bilaterial
Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement.
India, Singapore in talks for changes in trade agreement
The India – Singapore Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement ( CECA ) would
require some amendments, particularly in the area of mutual recognition of professional
qualification in order to make it relevant to the present business relations between the two
countries..
Mali signs $100-m line of credit with Exim Bank of India
The West African nation of Mali on January 11, 2012 signed a $100 million line of credit with
the Exim Bank of India. This line of credit will be used for transmission of power from Cote
d’Ivoire, Mali’s neighbour, to the capital city of Bamak.
India’s push for UN veto to stall reforms: Berlin
As the issue of expansion of UNSC permanent membership gathering momentum, Germany for
the first time on 16 January 2012 has openly warned India that its insistence on veto rights for
new permanent members will not just delay the reform process but also not help turning the
UNSC into a more decisive body.
India, China agree on a border peace mechanism
India and China on 17 Jan.2012 agreed to set up a working mechanism on border management to
deal with important affairs related to maintaining to peace and tranquility in the border areas.
Mahindra Rajapaksa committed to settling Tamils issue
Sri Lankan President Mahindra Rajpaksa on 17 Jan. 2012 repeated his commitment to follow the
“”13th Amendment plus approach”" to achieve a political solution to the Tamils issue even as
the External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna urged Sri Lanka to move towards an expeditious
political settlement.
China’s Rail Network To Touch India’s Border
China has announced it will aceelerate plans to expand a railway network in Tibet to reach the
two towns near the border i,e from Lasha to Xigaze and the town of Nyingchi which lies in a
prefecture bodering of Arunachal pradesh , under five years plans 2011 -2015.
Indian Factories Fail To Move Up
India’s states as a competitive industrial production economy remained unchanged .India
ranked 42nd in 2009 on a competitive industrial production index lower than much smaller
economies like Thailand , Mexico ,accordingly to the latest report of (U N I D O ) .
Safeguard Passwords From Phishing
Satistics says India is among the top three countries targeted for phishing attacks .It is estimated
that there are three crore victims of identity theft annually with losses of nearly Rs 10,00,000
crore to the companies . phishing is among the more popular security attacks on banks and
personal information , the others being screen logger and key logger .
India ‘s Anti Subsidy Plan To Hit China
The Indian government is ready with a plan to act against countries that provide subsidy to local
producers and make exports more competitive , Although anti – subsidy action is a trade defence
measure,permitted by the World Trade Organisation (WHO) the move is expected to hit China .
The government is setting up a Directorate General of Trade Remedies , which will deal with
anti- subsidy ,anti dumping and countervailing actions .
India – Pakisthan Deal
India has offered to export petroleum products, including petrol , to Pakisthan .by road , rail and
sea assumes significance in the backdrop of the forthcoming Pakisthan visit of the Indian Trade
Minister .The praposal will be worked out in next few weeks .
India & Thailand Likely To Sign Free Trade
India and Thailand are likely to sign the free trade agreement by the middle of the year, The Pm
of Thailand Ms YingluckShina Watra addressing a bussiness conference pitched for opening
trade in services and investment between India and Thailand .
India ‘s Ranks 131 In Press Freedom
India’s ranking in a global press freedom index fallen singnificantly in the past years . India fell
to 131 out of 179 on the press freedom indes compiled by reporters without borders .
India Has The Most Toxic Air
India has the World’s most toxic air which infact , the entire South Asian regions fare badly in
the analysis .India holds the very last rank among 132 nations in terms of air quality with
regards to its effects on human health . India scored a miniscule 3.73 out of a possible 100
points .
N T P C New Project In Bangladesh
Bangladesh ‘s state owned power development board had signed a $ 1.5 billion , 50 : 50 joint
venture deal with public sector N T P C to build a 1,320 mw coal fired power plant in
Bangladesh .
India To Grant $1.5 Million To Chicago
India will provide a grant of $ 1.5 million to the University of Chicago to establish a
Vivekananda chair for Indian studies , as part of the initatives to mark the 150 th birth
anniverssary of the 19 th century Swami Vivekananda and polymath Rabindranath Tagore .
Indian Deal For France ,126 Fighters
India on 31 st Jan selected the French fighter Rafale over the Eurofighter Typhoon in a
multibillion dollor contract for the supply of 126 Medium Multi Role Combat Aircraft ( M M R
C A ) the country ‘s largest defence deal . The defence ministry said that the product was picked
upon the basis of it being the lowest bidder , after complex calculations ,including the life cycle
costs .The total deal is estimited to be worth of $ 10.2 billion ( 54,000 crore ).wich was the mojor
supplier from French defence , Dassault Aviation who plyed a major role Kargil conflit in 1999 .
Bangladesh To Buy 11 Broad Guage Locos From India
The Bangladesh Railway on 31 st linked a major deal with India to Acquire 10 braod guage
diesel electric locomotives ,allowing the expansion of train services in the country .
NATIONAL
Anna ‘ suporters ‘ show PM black flags
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was shown black flags by supporters of anti – graft crusader
Anna hazare at the Golden Temple in Amritser on 1 January 2012, leading the congress to
condemn the protests that it said should be directed against the BJP for blocking the Lokpal Bill.
No evidence against Tata Group in 2G scam, says Ratan Tata
Ratan Tata, the Chairman of the Tata Group, has expressed happiness that the Group has come
out safely in the “ 2G “ Scam on 2 January 2012 which has involved politicians, bureaucrats and
executives of various companies.
Home Min rejects Mundra Port’s bid to develop Vizhinjam Seaport
Adani – promoted co wanted to develop port which could become deepest one in India.The
Union home ministry on 3 January 2012 has rejected Mundra Port and Special Economic Zone’s
( SEZ ) bids to develop Kerala’s Vizhinjam International Seaport ( VISL ) and a few other
projects raising doubts about the company’s expansion plans.
Retire on May 31 : MoD to General Singh
Ministry of Defence on 3 January 2012 said to Army Chief General V K Singh to retire by May
31 due to a controversy over his Date of Birth recorded differently in the Adjutant General ( AG
) branch, the keeper of official records, and the Military Secretary ( MS ) branch, which handles
postings and promotions. It is ‘ May 10, 1950 ‘ in AG branch, and ‘ May 10, 1951 ‘ in MS
branch.
PM asks ministers to fill 50k quota backlogs
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on 4 January 2012 instructed key ministers to seriously take up
the task of filling backlog vacancies of the SCs, the STs and the OBCs after he was told that the
pending seats stand at around 50, 000.
NREGS : 9,000 personnel punished
As many as 9, 000 personnel involved in implementation of National Rural Employment
Guarantee Scheme ( NREGS ) for the past six years, have been punished on 6 January 2012 in
connection with various irregularities, including simphoning of funds.
NRIs can vote in Indian polls, says PM Notification on Registration of Overseas Voters
Reminding non – resident Indians ( NRIs ) of the constitutional provision that allows them to
vote in Indian elections, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Jan. 8, 2012 told a gathering of the
diasphora from 60 countries that the government has issued notificaton for registration of
overseas voters. In other words, NRIs can vote in the upcoming elections in five states.
70% milk in country adulterated Goa, Puducherry safest places to buy milk; AP too fares
well
In the 33-state study, milk was found adulterated with detergent, fat and even urea, besides
siluting it with water. Across the country, 68.4% of the samples were found contaminated.Only
in Goa and Puducherry did 100% of the samples tested conformed to required standards. At the
other end were West Bengal, Bihar, Chattisgarh, Jharkhand, Orissa and Mizoram, where not a
single sample tested met the prescribed norms.
Muslim quota : EC show-cause to Khursheed
The Election Commission on January10, 2012 night issued a show-cause notice to Union Law
Minister Salman Khursheed, asking him to explain why action should not be initiated against
him for his statement 9% sub-quota for backward muslims in the course of an election rally in
UP.
2G note isssued with PMO’s approval
FM officials tell JPC Word ‘Perusal” replaced ‘Approval’ after Pranab’s scrutiny”
The controversial 2G note that suggested P Chidambaram as finance minister could have seized
the telecom scam, was issued with the approval of the Prime Minister’s Office ( PMO ), top
ministry officials told the Joint Parliamentry Committee ( JPC ) on 11 Januray 2012. ” The
committee was also told that the word “perusal” had replaced “approval” in the context of
finance minister Pranab Mukherjee’s scrutiny of the note in an internal noting just two days
before the “backgrounder” was readied.
Govt. nod for anti – terror entity
Government on Jan. 12, 2012 finally gave its approval to set up a ‘specialized’ anti – terror body,
National Counter Terrorism Centre ( NCTC ), which will work as a single-window entity to pool
together and collate terror related intellegence input, draw plans to nuetralize terror modules and
coordinate action among different terror agencies to defuse threats.
India asks BBC to apologize for Clarkson’s ‘cheap’ show
India on 12 January 2012 has demanded an apology from BBC over its presenter Jeremy
Clarkson mocking Indian culture during a Christmas special while driving around the country,
calling it a “”breach”" of agreement.
No polio in a year, India steps up Line of Control checks
Success in controling spread of the virus hikes global demand for Indian Docs.India has not
recorded a single case of polio in 12 months — the longest ever. India has increased
survelliance against polio along the Line of Control ( LoC ) bordering Pakistan.
BPL health scheme to be extended to more unorganised workers
The Government on Jan. 11, 2012 reviewed the implementation of Rashtriya Swasthya Bima
Yojana ( RSBY ), the scheme launched five years ago to ensure health insurance for families
living below the poverty line, saying that it will be extended to several segments of unorganised
workers.
Infosys, HDFC Bank among HBR’s elite 10 growth outliers
Two Indian companies, Infosys and HDFC Bank, along with the US-based company of Indian
origin Cognizant, figure in an elite group of 10 companies identified by Harcard Business
Review as the companies that have consistently performed better than others around the world
over a ten year period. This elite group of 10 companies is called “”Growth Outlier”".
Court warns Facebook, Google
The Delhi High Court on 12 January 2012 warned Facebook and Google that their websites
could be “”blocked”" as was done in China if they failed to devise a mechanism to remove
objectionable materrials.
Govt. nod to prosecute Facebook, Google, Yahoo
The government on 13 January 2012 granted sanction to prosecute social networking websites,
including Google, Facebook and Yahoo and 18 others, for allegedly promoting enmity between
classes and causing prejudice to national integration, a trial court in New Delhi was informed.
Govt. supports subsidising Rural Mobile Bills
The Planning Commission has proposed that the government pay 20% of all mobile bills that are
less than Rs 300 a month for customers in rural India by dipping into the funds set aside for
providing subsided rural telephony. The Planning Commission had sent the proposal to the
Prime Minister’s Office, which in turn has asked the telecom department to study the feasibility
of the proposal on 13 January 2012.
Army Chief takes Govt to Court over Age row
Army Chief General V K Singh on 16 January 2012 moved the Supreme Court against the
government’s rejection of his claim on his date of birth. In a writ petition, he is believed to have
questioned the government’s decision to treat his date of birth as May 10,1950, instead of May
10,1951,as claimed by him on the basis of his matriculation certificate and other
documents. This is the first time that any Service Chief has dragged the government to the court
of law.
NTRO Scam: SC asks CAG report
The Supreme on 16 January 2012 asked for a copy of the Comptroller and Auditor General’s
(CAG) report pointing out alleged irregularities in the purchase of intelligence equipment by
National Technical Research Organisation (NRTO).
NAC draws up plan for shelters for over 3L urban homeless
The National Advisory Council (NAC) on 16 January 2012 has recommended a Rs. 4,250 crore
programme to provide shelters and other amenities to homeless in Class 1 cities in the
country.The council has suggested the National Programme for Shelters and other services for
Urban homeless to set up 6,800 permanent shelters for around 3 lakh homeless.The Scheme to
be run on a 75-25% cost sharing basis between the Centre and the states with the Union
government bearing the entire capital costs.
Centre files a caution against Army Chief
The Centre on 17 Jan. 2012 filed a caveat (caution) in the Supreme Court to prevent Army Chief
V.K. Singh from getting any ex parte order in the writ petition filed by him challenging the
defence ministry’s order fixing his date of birth on May 10, 1950, instead of treating it as May
10, 1951.
NTPC To Set Up 5MV Solar Farms in Andaman
NTCP is taking decisive steps towords renewable energy projects . it is setting up a 5 mv
photovoltaic power generation unit close to port blair airport in Andaman and Nicobar Islands .
India is On 6th Nation To Have a Nuclear Sub
India ‘s long hunt for nuclear submarine is finally over . it will take another 10 – 12 months to
get an operational nuclear weapon – triad the capabillity to fire nukes from land , air and water .
Renaming Of Mana Airport
The Union cabinet of India on 24 th Jan 2012 approved renaming of Mana airport at Raipur in
Chattisgarh as the Swami Viveka nanda airport.
New Advisor To P M
Senior Television Journalist Pankaj Pachuri was appointed as communication advisor in Prime
Minister’s office on 19 th Jan 2012 .and Mr .Harish Khare resingned as Media advisor to prime
minister Manmohan singh .The Union cabinet of India on 24 th Jan 2012 approved renaming of
Mana airport at Raipur in Chattisgarh as the Swami Viveka nanda airport.
India First Life To Sell Life Cover Through Auto Dealers
India ‘s first life insurance plans to sell life insurance policies through automobiles . Indian life
insurer had tied up with Varun motors to sell the insurance cover including all vehicles .
Eliminating N T D By 2020
Around 17 Neglected Tropical Diseases ( N T D ) many of which affect millions of Indian’s are
all set to get the much needed attention .A phrama company Ceo’s , Billgates along with the W
H O will loosen their purse string to annouce a range of measures to achieve a common goal . N
T D elimination by 2020,over $ 2 billion is needed to prevent and treat all people at risk of
contracting a common NTD by 2015, According to a document released on Jan 26 th by WHO
.The programme aims to improve the lives of over 1.4 billion people world wide and help them
to achieve self sufficiency .WHO identified 17 NTD in149 countries , and found that one -third
of 2.7 billion people living in less than $ 2 a day were effected .
Pushing Up Of Inland Waterways
The Government has moved the process to fasttrack the development and use of inland
waterways transport involving the private and state run companies . The move is expected to
push the high potential of inland waterways in transporting bulk cargo ,such as coal , food grains
, fertilizers , project cargo , fly ash over dimensional cargo and container at competive cost for
both public and private sectors . It is also expected to ease the burden on rail and road
infrastructure .An agreement has been signed between the National Thermal Power Corporation
and The Inland Waterways Authority of India and a private developers for the Farakka power
project .
Farmer Army Vice Chief Booked
The farmer vice chief of the army , Lt.Gen ,Nobel Thamburaj ,and two other were booked by
the C B I on the charges of criminal conspiracy , cheating and misconduct in settlement of land
dispute .
STATES
Madhu Koda has wealth worth about Rs. 3,300 crore
Madhu Koda has amassed property worth about Rs. 3,300 crore during his tenure as the chief
minister of the Jharkhand State by misusing his office, the income tax department has said on 1
January 2012.
Jagan aide Vijay Sai arrested by CBI Sai is second accused in Jagan Assets Case
Effecting the first arrest in the alleged illegal assets case pertaining to YSR Congress president in
AP, Jaganmohan Reddy, the CBI on 2 January 2012 took into custody Vijay Sai Reddy, the
financial advisor of Jagathi Publications and other companies owned by the son of YS
Rajasekhara Reddy, the former CM of AP.
HIgh Court cancels Srilakshmi’s bail
Justice NRL Nageswara Rao of the AP High Court on 2 Jan 2012 cancelled the bail granted to
senior IAS Oficer Y Srilakshmi in the illegal mining case and directed her to surrender before
the CBI court before Jan 6.President
Pratibha Devi Singh Patil visited SHAAR Space Centre in Nellore District, AP on 2 January
2012. She dedicated PSLV Mark – 3 Mission Control Centre to the Nation.
Milk sold in AP safe, pure : Survey
According to a survey conducted on adulteration of milk in various parts of the country, the milk
sold in Andhra Pradesh has been found to be ‘ mostly safe ‘ but that is not the case with many
parts of the country. According to National Survey on Milk Adulteration 2011 report, out of the
1791 samples tested in states, 1226 samples were found to be adulterated and not conforming to
Food Safety and Standards Authority specifications. The results were made public on
January 2, 2012.The result for Andhhra Pradesh may be happy to feel about. Its not that there is
no adulteration at all but out of the 75 samples tested, 70 samples conformed to the
standards. Only 6.7 per cent did not conform to the standards.
Kerala ready for joint control of New Dam
Kerala is ready for a joint control of the Mullaperiyar Dam with Tamil Nadu and the Centre, if a
new dam gets constructed, replacing the 116 – year old existing structure, state Chief Minister
Oommen Chandi said on 4 January 2012.
Lokayukta rejects complaint against Maya
The Lokayukta on 5 January 2012 has rejected a complaint against Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister
Mayawati and her trusted minister Naseemuddin Siddiqui alleging a scam of Rs 2.32 lakh crore
in the excise department on the grounds of insufficient evidence.
Poll process kicks off in Manipur
The notification for the January 28 assembly polls was issued on Jan. 4, 2012 in New Delhi,
setting up in motion the poll process in the five – poll bound states including Uttar Pradesh. The
elections in Uttar Pradesh will be held in 7 phases while in Punjab, Uttarakhand, Goa and
Manipur, it will be held in a single phase. Counting of votes in all the states will be held on
March 4.
EC says all Mayawati statues to be covered
Chief Election Commissioner S Y Quraishi on 7 Jan. 2012 said all statues of chief minister
Mayawati and Elephants, election symbol for Bahujan Samaj Party, will be covered ahead of the
Uttar Pradesh Assembly Polls.
UP polls to begin on Feb.8
The Election Commission on Jan.8, 2012 announced a change in the election date in Uttar
Pradesh : instead of beginning on February 4 as previously announced, the polls will start on
February 8.
Karnataka for Gita in school syllabus
Karnataka chief minister D V Sadananda Gowda on Jan. 8, 2012 announced that the government
was considering introducing the Bhagvad Gita in primary and secondary schools after seeking
public opinion.
Mahindra Solar Rajasthan unit on stream
Mahindra Solar One, a solar power developer, commissioned its first 5 MW solar power
plant. A part of Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission ( JNNSM ) policy, the project is
located near Jodhpur in Rajastan and was first to achieve non recourse financing in the industry.
Karnataka cuts VAT on cotton to 2%
Karnataka government on 10 January 2012 has decided to reduce tax rate to two per cent from
five per cent for value added tax ( VAT ) on purchase and sale of cotton.
Suzion to set up 3,000-mw Wind Power Capicity in AP
Suzion Energy has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Andhra Pradesh
government to develop a wind power capacity in the state totalling 3,000mw between 2012 and
2016, creating potential investments of up to Rs 18,000 crore on 16 January 2012.
Setback to Modi: Appointment of Liokayukta is supported
In a major set back to Chief Minister Narendra Modi, the Gujarat High Court on 18 Jan. 2012,
by a majority verdict, supported the appointment of Justice R.A. Mehta, a retired judge of the
High Court, as Lokayukta. The Modi government’s petition challenging Governor Kamala
Beniwal appointing the Lokayukta bypassing the government was dismissed.
US To Set Up LNG Terminal In AP
IL & FS Maritime Infrastructure has teamed up with the US based VGS group to up a floating
liquefied natural gas terminal at the Kakinada Anchorage port in Andhrapradesh in a bid to cater
to the growing needs of independent power producers ( I P P s ) .This terminal will become the
first such ( L N G ) import terminal on Indai’s east coast .
Government Takes ECS Route To Check Black Money
The Andhra pradesh government has decided to make all payments contractors and other
through (ECS) Electronic Clearance Service .Introduction of ECS payments the money will
directly deposited in their bank A/C and the tax on the same cannot be evaded as the entire
process is recorded by the bank and the Finance department.
NTPC Another Mega Project In South
NTPC Ltd the country’s largest power company is planning to take up mega project in kudgi
project in karnataka with 4000- mw .
Revive Sakri Solar Project In Maharashtra
The Maharashtra government is trying to revive the , Rs 2,000 crore sakri solar power project in
Dhule, near Northern Maharashtra with 150 – mw .
Bullet Train Between Ahmadabad & Mumbai
Terming the bullet train as a ‘dream project ‘ of the C M Mr Narendra Modi demanded for new
railway project and infrastructure for the financial year 2012-2013 . this project will be
annouced in the railway budget for 2012-2013 .
Maruthi’s New Diesel Plant At Gurgoan
A new diesel engine plant is expected to entail an investment of Rs 1,000 crore for a capacity of
1 lakh engines under the Maruthi Suzuki banner .It will be the first own diesel engine plant at
Manesar in Gurgoan .
Longest Flag Unveiled In AP
The Famous temple town of Bhadrachalam in AndhraPradesh , as students of Dr .Paul Raj
Engineering College created a history by unveilling a 3.2km long natinal flag .On the occasion
of 63 rd republic day on Jan 26 th 2012 . The flag weighed about 800 kg .The organisers
claiming that they had suceessfully unveiled the Worlds longest Indain flag .Vedeo recording of
this entire programe was sent to the authorities of Guinnes Book of Record .
L N G Plans Terminal In A P
Petronet L N G will set up its third terminal at Gannavaram in Andhra pradesh . The decision
has taken by companeis board meeting with estimated cost of Rs 4,500 crore .
500 MW Wind Energy Farms In A P
Welspun Energy Ltd (W E L ) part of the diversified $ 3 billion Welspun group had made
agreement with New and Renewable Energy Development Corporation of Andhra Pradesh to
install 500 mw of wind energy capacity in the state .
Polling In Punjab & Uttarakhand
Assembly Elections has been held in the states Punjab & Uttarakhand on 30 th Jan
2012 .Elections for 117 contituencies in Punjab & 70 contituiencies in Uttarakhand . All major
parties candiadates are participating in this elections .highest of 77 % voting poll has been
polled Punjab and in Uttarakhand 70 % voting poll.
U P Lokayukta Recommends C B I To Probe Against Kushwaha
The former minister for family& welfare & mining Babu Singh Kushwaha , prima facie guilty
of illegally awarding mining contracts and laudering money through his several registered
socities , Uttarpradesh lokayukta N .V . Mehrotra sent a report to cheif minister Mayavathi on
30 th Jan 2012 registration of a case against Kushwaha with C B I and enforcement directors .
CONFERENCES
99th Science Congress Conferences were inaugarated by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in
Bhuvaneswar, Odisha on 3 January 2012. PM announced the decade 2010-20 as “Decade of
Innovation”, he also said that the government would allot 2% of GDP for scientific &
Technological researches in the 12 th Five – Year Plan.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh inaugurated 15th Global Sanskrit Meetings in New Delhi on 4
January 2012.
Confederation of Indian Industry ( CII ) Global Partnership Summit 2012 has been inaugurated
by Union minister of industry and commerce and textiles Anand Sharma in Hyderabad, AP. AP
gets 233 investment proposals worth around Rs.5.57 lakh crore with employment generation
potential of 4.7 lakh on day one of the event.
10th Pravasi Bharathiya Divas in Jaipur
The 10th Pravasi Bharathiya Divas was commenced on 7 Jan, 2012 in Jaipur, the pink city.The
chief guest, Indian-origin Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago Kamla Persad Bissessar,
arrived in Jaipur for the 10th Pravasi Bharathiya Divas. The conference took place from 7 Jan –
9 Jan. 2012.
AWARDS & HONOURS
Flair play Award For Dhoni
Indian Cricket Captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni was awarded with International Sports Press
Association’s ‘ Fair Play Award ‘ on 30 December 2011 for showing sport-spirit by calling back
Ian Bell even after the umpire declares him out during the Team’s visit to England. This is the
first time that this award is given to a cricketer.
Gates Vaccine Innovation Award for Nitish Kumar
The Bill Gates and Melinda Foundation has accepted the proposal for conferring the Gates
Innovation Award to Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar for the first Gates Vaccine Innovation
Award for effectively strengthening the immunization programme.The Bihar Chief Minister will
thus be the first recipient of the Vaccine Innovation Award, introduced globally by the
Foundation having carried a cash of U.S. $ 250,000.
Grand Master Honour
International Chess Player Musunuri Lalith Babu received the honour of ’ Grand Master ‘ on 2
January 2012. He is the 26th Chess Player from India to receive the Honour.
S.K.Singh award for nuclear trouble – shooter Venkatesh Varma
Senior Indian diplomat D. Bala Venkatesh Varma — a key member of the negotiating team that
saw the Indo – U.S. nuclear deal through from the first agreement of July 2005 down to
Additional Protocol in 2010 was given the first S.K. Singh award ”" for his extraordinary efforts
to strengthen India’s position in the Global nuclear order “” by UPA Chair person Sonia Gandhi
at a high – profile function in New Delhi on 6 January 2012.
Bagged By AP Team
Union Home Ministry Award ’ Jeevan Raksha ‘ has been bagged by AP Team. The Union
Home Ministry released Sarvotttam Jeevan Raksha, Uttam Jeevan Raksha and Jeevan Raksha
Awards for the Year 2011. Rs. 30,000 will be given for ‘ Jeevan Raksha Award ‘ .
British honour for culture secy
In a rare honour, the British Museum, the oldest in the world, has decided to give its maiden
British medal to culture secretary Jawhar Sircar on 7 January 2012. The medal is being given as
a “”tribute and recognition of the extraordinary contribution made by Sircar in piloting museum
reforms in India”".
Award for Saluri Vasu Rao
Noted cine music director, Saluri Vasu Rao, was conferred with the title, ‘ Sangeetha Siromani, ‘
by the Guntur District Music Artistes Association at the first anniversary celebrations held
recently in Guntur, AP.
Manjubhargavi presented Lifetime Achievement award
Kuchipudi dancer Manjubhargavi was honoured with Lifetime Achievement award at the
inauguaral session of the three – day Bharat Nrityotsav of Nataraja Music and Dance Academi at
Kalabharati Auditorium in Visakhapatnam, AP on 8 Jan. 2012.
Gollapudi Maruthirao feted
Renowned film actor and writer Gollapudi Maruhtirao was conferred Lifetime Achievement
Award by Appa Josyula Vishnubathala Kandalam Foundation and Srikakulam Rangasthala
Kalakarula Samakhya on 8 Jan. 2012 in Srikakulam, AP.
“Ballon d’ Or”" for Lionel Messi and Homare Sawa”
Lionel Messi was on Jan.10, 2012 awarded the 2011 FIFA “”Ballon d’Or”" at a star-studded
ceremony in Zurich, the third consecutive year that he has won the prestigious award for the
world’s outstanding footballer.Japanese midfielder Homare Sawa claimed the women’s
equivalant.
Clooney, Streep conquer Golden Globes
The 69th Golden Globe Awards this year have been bagged by Clooney, the Best Actor in a
Motion Picture – “”The Descendants”" and Meryl Streep for the Best Performance by an Actress
for her role as Margaret Thatcher in “”The Iron Lady”" on 16 January 2012 in Los Angles.
Cash award for Bindra
Union Sports Minister Ajay Maken on 18 Jan. 2012 presented a cheque for Rs. 4.33 lakh to
Olympic champion Abhinav Bindra for winning the Gold in air rifle in the ongoing Asian
shooting championship in Doha.
South Asia Literature Award For The Novel China man
Srilankan author Shehan Karunatilaka was awarded the DSC Pril for south asia literature 2012
at the Jaipur literature festival in Rajsthan for the novel china man .
Dr . C. Narayana Reddy ‘ s Award. Dr . C. Narayana Reddy sahitya puraskaram is been awarded
to kanad poet Maskandapuram Srinivas .
Ricky Ponting Was Honoured
Senior Australian batsman Ricky Ponting was honoured with Australia’s highest civil honour
along with a host of sports person of international repute .he was aslo appointed as officer in the
general division of distinguished service to the sports criket.
A P State Gets 3 Padma
Andhra Pradesh got a raw deal in the prestigious Padma Bhushan . G Maniratnam -
Founder member of Trirupathi -based N G O Rashtriya seva samithi (RASS) .Ace Badminton
coach Syed Mohamad Arif were honoured with Padma Shri .Dr , P. Chandrasekhar Rao -a judge
at international tribund for the law of sea , Germany were honoured with Padma Bhushan.
Padma Bhushan Awards
Cine artist – Dharmendra , cine artist Shabana Azmi , Director Mira Nair, An Painter Jatin Das ,
London based sculptor Anish Kapoor , carnatic musicians T. V .Gopalkrishnan , B.
Muthuramam -mM D of Tta steel,eminent cardiologist -Dev Prasad Shetty ,Cancer Specialist -
Suresh H.Advani ,N. Vital -head of Central Vigilance Comission, M V. Subbaiah – murugappa
group .
Padma Shri Awards
Women Criketer – Jhulan Goswami , Hockey Olympic Gold Medalist -Zafar Iqbal ,Skiing -Ajeet
Bajaj ,Athletics -paralympics -Devendra Jhajriya , Archery -Limba Ram were awarded with
Padma Shri .
Assam Policman Creates World Record
Assam police constable who is 22 years old Abhjeet Buruah created world record by running
barefoot more than 150 km in 24 hours in Jorhat .and entered into Guinness Book Of
World Record on 31 st Jan 2012. The Indian observer for the guinness world record
B.K.Chandrasekar Tiwari opproach to the Tarjan bypass on the western outskirts of Jorhat town .
Asha Bhosle , in Limca Book Of Records
The luminaries from Indian Music including Asha Bhosle , Gulzar and Yesudas have been
awarded “” people of the year “” at the unveiling of the 23 rd Limca Book Of Rcords on 31
st Jan 2012.
SPORTS & GAMES
Bartoli crushes Gajdosova
Marion Bartoli of Italy left Australian Jarmila Gajdosova in tears after defeating her 6-0, 6-0 as
France eased to a 3-0 Hopman Cup victory on 3 Jan. 2012. in Perth.
Michael Clarke, Australian Batsman hits a grand Triple Century ( 329 ) in the 2nd Cricket Test
match between India & Australia in Sydney on 5 Jan. 2012.
Grand Master Honour
AP Chess Player, M R Lalith Babu won Bronze Medal in the Hastings Masters International
Chess Tournament where as China’s Yuvang stood as winner on 6 Jan. 2012.
SA wins the Test series against Sri Lanka
South Africa wins the Test series against Sri Lanka 2-1 at Capetown. Kalis was declared ‘ Man
of the Match ‘ for his Double Century. Australia wins the second Test match against India in
Sydney and lead the four – match series 2-0.
Czech Republic wins Hopman Cup by defeating France
Thomas Berdych & Wimbledon Champion Petro kvitova defeated France and won the Hopman
Tennis Cup in the final in Perth on 7 Jan. 2012.
Kanepi wins Brisbane International
Estonia’s Kaya Kanepi defeated Slovakia’s Daniela Hantuchova ans won Brisbane International
Tennis Tourney in Brisbane on 7 Jan. 2012.
Tsonga wins Qatar Open
Jo-Wilfred Tsonga defeated French compatriot Gael Monfils 7-5, 6-3 on 7 Jan. 2012 and won
the 20th edition of Qatar Open Tennis in Doha on 7 Jan. 2012.
Canadian Tennis Player Raonic defeats Tipsarevic ( Serbia ) in the Aircel Chennai Open singles
final and clinches the Chennai Open in Chennai on 8 Jan. 2012.
Leander Paes ( India ) and Tipsarevic ( Serbia ) won the Aircel Chennai Open Tennis doubles
final in Chennai on 8 Jan. 2012.
Zheng wins crown
China’s Zheng Jie won the Auckland Classic Tennis Tournament on 8 Jan. 2012 in
Auckland. This is Zheng’s fourth WTA title.
Lee, Wang triumphant
World No.1 Lee Chong Wei stormed back to defeat arch – rival and holder Lin ‘ Super Dan ‘ in
the final of the Korea Open Badminton in the Men’s Final on Jan. 8, 2012 in Seoul. In the
Women’s Final, world No.3 Wang Shixian from China easily beat her compatiot Jiang Yanjiao,
who had defeated world No.1 Wang Yihan in the semifinals. Shixian ran out a comfortable 21-
12, 21-17 winner.
South Africa beats Sri Lanka in the first One-day International at Boland Park in Paarl ( South
Africa ) on 11 Jan. 2012. South Africa’s Hashim Amla hits century ( 112 ).
Kerala beat Uttarakhand and won the 60th senior National Volleyball championship at the Balbir
Juneja Indoor Stadium in Raipur on 11 Jan. 2012..
China’s Yu Ruiyuan won the Chennai Open international Grandmaster Chess tournament in
Chennai on 12 January 2012.
Dhoni hints at Test retirement by 2013
Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni on 12 January 2012 made a surprise revelation that he
may retire from Test cricket if he is to play in the 2015 World Cup.
Bindra shoots Gold in Asian Championship
Abhinav Bindra won the gold medal in 10-meter air rifle event of the Asian Shooting
Championship in Doha on 13 January 2012.
Azarenka triumphs
Victoria Azarenka ended Li Na’s unbeaten two-year run at the Sydney Tennis International with
a fighting three set victory in the final on 13 January 2012 in Sydney.
Wagner wins Sony Open
American Johnson Wagner recorded his third victory on the USPGA Tour Sunday by shooting a
final round three-under 67 for a two-stroke win at the $5.5 million Sony Open in Honolulu,
Hawaii on 15 January 2012.
South Africa clinched series victory
South Africa clinched a series victory in the third one-day International against World cup
finalist Sri Lanka at Chevrolet Park in Bloemfontein on 17 Jan. 2012. South Africa lead the five
match series 3-0.
Beijing World Cup cancelled
Shooters preparing for Olympics will have only three World Cups as the Beijing World Cup
scheduled to be held from June 16 to 25 has been cancelled.
India wins Hockey Second Test
India recorded a 2-1 win over South Africa in the closely fought second hockey Test at the
National Stadium in New Delhi on 17 Jan. 2012.
Srilanka Wins Fifth odi
One day International series which was between Srilanka and SouthAfrica at Jonnesburg was
won by Srilanka by 3-2.
Rajasthan Holds On Ranji Trophy
Rajasthan’s hard work and commitment retained the 78 th Ranji Trophy with them and win the
trophy against Tamilnadu at M A .Chidambram stadium .
Robertson Wins Masters
Australia’s 2010 world champion Neil Robertson won the master tittle on 21 st Jan 2012 with
10-6 against England s Shaun Murphy at Alexandra palace .
1 st Women To Icy Adventure
British adventure Felicity Aston completed her crossing of Antarctica on 22 nd Jan 2012 ,
becoming the first women to ski across the icy continent alone . she did it in 50 days pulling two
sledges for 1,744 km from her starting point on the leverett glacier .she has set another record
,the first human to ski solo across Antarctica using only her own muscle power .
Sixth National Tittle For Advani
Pankaj Advani has won the sixth national billards tittle which was held at Pune .
India Wins Mens ‘s Doubles
Indian players Leander Paes and Radek Stepanek pair , has won their first mens doubles A
ustralian Open Grand Slam on 28 th Jan 2012 against Czech which was held in Melbourne park
.
First Balarusian To Win Grandslam
Victoria Azarenka became the first Balarusian to win the grand slam single tittle in Australian
Open Tittle ,crusing Russia ‘s Maria Sharapova . She is only 22 yrs old to become the new
world no . 1 according to W T A ranking .
Australia won By 4 – 0
Australia won the forth test series by 4 – 0 and wins the Border Gavaskar Trophy against India
at Adelaide Oval . The captian of Australia Micheal Clarke has been given the man of the series
,who scored the highest 626 runs in the series .Peter Siddle the man of match for this series
Sania Ranked No – 7 In Double
India’s Sania Mirza craked the top – 10 of the individual doubles ranking , climbing ahead to no
– 7 rank in the world .According to the new W T A ranking and Sania slipped five places to
116 to 111 in singles .
Rocks Wins Abu Dhabi Championships
The world’s 117 th ranked golf player Robert Rock has won the Abu Dhabi Golf Championships
on 29 th Jan 2012 against his strongest opposition player Tiger Woods ,which held in dubai .
Nadal Looses Grand Slam
Novak Djokovic wins the Australian Open 2012 men’s Singles Champion ship .It was final in
grand slam history which six hours to finish the match between Nadal and Djokovic held on 29
th Jan 2012 at Melbourne .Djokovic beeing ranked worlds no – 1 after winning this grand slam .
ECONOMY
U S Economy Grows 2.8 %in Q Y
The U S economy grew at its fastest pace in one – and -a -half years in the fourth quarter ,
rebuilding of stocks by businesses and week spending on capital goods hinted for the shole of
2012,the economy grew 1.7 % after expanding 3 % the prior year .
$ 5 – Billion Loss : Goods Made in India, Faked in China
Chinese manufacturers are increasingly “ faking “ popular Indian products of consumer goods
giants such as Dabur and ITC, undermining the legitimacy of brands and causing losses worth as
much as $ 5 billion annually, officials said.
Govt readies Rs. 50k cr infra fund plan
LIC, IIFCL, IDBI Bank, ADB & HSBC likely Parteners for New Finance Firm. The government
has finalized the outlines of a $10 billion crore ( over Rs. 50, 000 crore ) infracture debt fund (
IDF ) with 50% participation from a foreign bank and a multilateral agency, while the rest of the
corpus will be contributed by state owned financial institutions on 2 January 2012.Government
officials and bankers said India Infracture Finance Company ( IIFC ), Life Insurance Corporation
and IDBI Bank along with Asian Development Bank and HSBC are joining hands to set up a
non banking finance company ( NBFC ).
RBI governor hints at soft monetary policy
Concerned over the declining growth Reserve Bank Governor D Subba Rao has indicated on 2
January 2012 that the central bank could reverse the tight monetary stance adopted by it since
March 2010 to control inflation. The central bank is scheduled to announce the monetary policy
review on Jan 24. RBI has hiked key interest rate 13 times since March 2010 in its bid to check
rising inflation, but it took a pause in its December monetary policy .
ONGC to invest $2.9 bn in Krishna Godavari gas find
State – owned Oil and Natural Gas Corporation ( ONGC ) plans to invest $2.894 billion ( about
Rs. 15, 340 crore ) in developing its ultra deepsea UD – 1 gas discovery in the KGi basin by
2016 – 17.
Andhra Bank hikes NRE deposit rates
The state – run Andhra Bank has hiked its interest rates on NRE term deposits to 9.40% per
annum for one year, 9.25% pa from one to two years and 9% pa for 2 to 3 years with effect from
December 30, 201.
SBI achieves 100% Financial Inclusion in AP
State Bank of India has achieved 100% coverage of its alloted unbanked villages in Andhra
Pradesh under the Financial Inclusion Programme ( FIP ) of the Reserve Bank of India.
PFC’s Rs. 5,000 – Cr Tax – Free Bonds
Power Finance Corporation ( PFC ) on 2 Jan. 2012 has come out with a Rs. 5,000 crore tax –
free bond issue. PFC is a Navratna Government of India undertaking with the government
holding 73.72% stake in it. Government approves RIL’s $1.529 B Investment Plan for Satellite
Fields in KG-D6 Block.
The Union government approved Reliance Industries’ (RIL) $1.529 billion investment plan for
developing four satellite fields in the declining KG-D6 block on 3 January 2012. RIL’s
investment plan will boost falling output in the Krishna-Godavari Basin KG-D6 block . Growth
in Direct Tax collection down by 8.3%”.
Annual growth in net direct tax collection slowed to 8.3% during the first nine months of the
fiscal year amounting to Rs. 3,23,955 crore, raising concerns about the centre’s ability to meet its
revenue targets.
ONGC declares 125% Interim Dividend
State – run Oil Natural Gas Corp ( ONGC ) declared a 125% interim dividend. The Board has
approved an interim dividend of Rs.6.25 per equity share ( of Rs. 5 each ) for 2011 – 12 on 4
Jan. 2012.
Sebi allows UTIMF to launch new schemes
Reversing its earlier stand, market regulator Sebi on 4 Jan. 2012 has allowed UTI Mutual Fund (
UTIMF ) to launch new funds again even though the fund house continues to function without its
top executive officer nearly a year now.
SBI Loan to Kingfisher Airlines turns NPA
State Bank of India, the country’s largest lender says its exposure to ailing private carrier
Kingfisher Airlines has turned a bad loan or a non-performing asset ( NPA ) on 5 Jan. 2012.
SIDBI inks pact with IOB
Small Industries Development Bank of India ( SIDBI ) has entered into a memorandum of
understanding with Indian Overseas Bank ( IOB ) to extend assistance to micro, small and
medium enterprises ( MSME ) to the customers of IOB on 6 January 2012.
State FMs agree in principle on GST ( Goods and Services Tax ) list
The empowered committee of state finance ministers on GST on Jan. 9, 2012 agreed in principle
on the concept of “negative list” and suggested the Centre could prepare such a list which would
help widen tax base. The panel has agreed in principle to the concept of negative list and the
Union Government should prepare it and can also implement it from April, 2012. The
Committee suggested that all those items mentioned in the Constitution’s Schedule – II should
be included in the negative list so that Union Government can not impose tax on them.
Air India told to pay service tax dues
The Central Board of Excise and Customs ( CBEC ) on 10 Jan. 2012 has warned the national
carrier Air India to pay up a “reasonable” part of its service tax dues as early as possible or face
having its accounts frozen.
Govt. notifies 100% FDI in single-brand retail Retains rider of 30% sourcing from Indian
small industries
The Government, which has been facing flak for ‘policy paralysis,’ on 10 Jan. 2012 notified 100
per cent Foreign Direct Investment in single-brand retail trading, moving a step forward in
opening up of the retail sector. The current FDI limit is 51 per cent. Investments will be through
the Government approval route.
IRDA plans to take up complaints on its own
Customers may except better services from their insurers soon. The Insurance Regulatory
Development Authority is planning to take insurance complaints on its own to ensure fair play
by the insurers.
Govt investing $20 b in creating information highway, says Pitroda
The Government is investing $20 billion in projects related to creating information highway,
according to Mr Sam Pitroda, Advisor to the Prime Minister on Public Infrastructure,
Information and Innovations.
SEBI asks bankers to disclose due diligence records
Stock market regulator SEBI ( Securities and Exchange Board of India ) on 10 Jan. 2012 has
asked merchant bankers to disclose their track record of due diligence done during the last three
financial years from the date of listing for each public issue managed by them.
Rs. 1,935 crore worth FDI cleared
The Government on 10 Jan. 2012 has approved 20 proposols of Foreign Direct Investment worth
Rs. 1,935.24 crore according to an official statement. One among them include Rs. 1,150 crore
by Sterlite Grid, to act as an investment company.
RBI says no to CRR cut
The Reserve Bank of India has ruled out the possibility of a cut in the cash reserve ratio or CRR,
in its monetary policy review on January 24, according to bankers who took part in the
customary pre-policy meeting held by the central bank on Jan.10, 2012.
Rice procurement up 17.3%
The Government has so far procured 18.11 million tonnes rice from farmers across the country
in the current marketing year that started October , the food ministry said on 10 Jan. 2012.
Malaysia palm oil exports fall
Malaysia’s palm oil exports fell 19 per cent in the first 10 days of January compared with the
previous month.
Indirect tax collections up 16.1 per cent
Indirect tax collections went up by 16.1 per cent to Rs. 2.86 lakh crore in April-December this
fiscal as compared to Rs. 2.46 lakh crore garnered during the same period of 2010-11.
Moody’s upgrades India’s Short – Term Foreign Currency Bank Deposits Rating
It will help Indian banks, other entities raise overseas deposits at finer rates.Global rating agency
Moody’s on Jan. 10, 2012 has upgraded the country’s rating of short term foreign currency bank
deposits from ‘speculative’ to ‘investment’ grade. Since December 20 last year, this is the fourth
upgrade by Moody’s Investor Service, which is expected to help Indian banks and other entities
in raising overseas deposits at finer rates.
SBI cuts processing fee by half for bigger share of Home Loan Mkt
The State Bank of India on 11 January 2012 cut processing fees on home loans by half, a move
aimed at acquiring a larger business in the home loan market and giving competition to private
banks and housing finance companies.
SBI opens exclusive branch for women customers
The branch, Vasundhara Jubilee Senortia Banking centre is opened by SBI in Hyderabad on Jan.
11, 2012. It is only the second of its kind in the country. It is aimed at tech-savvy, educated
women customers including entreprenuers. ”"with play room for kid and other facilities women
customers can handle their banking transactions in a safe and family atmosphere”".
Andhra Bank lauches ‘ Abhaya Wealth Pack ‘
Andhra Bank on 12 January 2012 launched ‘ Abhaya First Wealth Pack ‘ for the common
man. The bank termed it as ‘one wealth management for all financial needs’. It will have a
savings bank account, a recurring group deposit account, a group term insurance and a unit
linked insurance plan.
India to be Reckitt Benckiser’s New Regional Head Quarters
Benckiser, one of the world’s largest consumer goods companies , has upgraded India to its
regional head quarters for Sooutheast Asia, covering 12 nations representing a market of 1.8
billion people.
S&P may strip France of AAA rating for first time
Standard & Poor’s is stripping France of its AAA rating for the first time according to Agence
France-Press report.
SEBI wants Fund Houses to Launch Pension Products
Asset Management Companies ( AMCs ) need to launch pension products that will channel
retirement savings into stock market, Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) Chairman
UK Sinha said on 13 January 2012.
Indian Exports up 6.7% in December, may touch $300-b target
India’s exports rose for the first time in five months, encouraging the government to reaffirm that
it would achieve its $300-billion target for the year. Exports in December grew 6.7% to $25
billion over the previous month according to the data released on 16 January 2012.
At 7.47%, December Inflation takes major load off Govt
Inflation rose at its slowest pace in two years in December 2011. Headline Inflation as measured
by the Wholesale Price Index (WPI), dropped to 7.47% in December on lower food prices, as
compared with 9.11% in November, government data released on 16 January 2012.
S&P downgrades the Brussels’ bailout fund EFSF
The Standard and Poor’s, the US credit ratings agency on January 16 downgraded the Brussel’s
main bailout fund, European Financial Stability Facility (EFSF) by one notch to AA+ but said it
would restore the top AAA ranking if the fund obtains additional guarantees.The decision was
the result of downgrades to France’s and Austria’s ratings from AAA since they served as top-
level guarantors of the European Financial Stability Facility, S&P said in a statement.
Govt. set to allow FDI in domestic airlines
In a major relief to financially distressed Indian airlines, the government on 17 Jan. 2012 said
foreign airlines would soon be allowed to acquire up to 49% stake in them.
Chinese Banks lend $1.18 bn to Reliance Communications
Chinese state banks lend debt-laden Reliance Communications (Rcom) $1.18 billion to repay
foreign currency convertible bonds worth Rs 6,125 crore ($1.18 billion) on 17 Jan. 2012.
India ranked behind Pakistan, Bangladesh
India has been ranked as 132 behind Pakistan and Bangladesh in 2012 in the World Bank’s latest
‘Ease of Doing Business’ rankings. India has moved up seven points to 132 this year, from 139
last year.
Rupee undervalued 61% : Big Mac Index
The Indian rupee is the most undervalued currency, trading at around 61% below its actual price
against the dollar according to The Economist’s Latest Big Max Index. The Index measures the
effective purchasing power of different currencies by looking at how much Mc Donald’s popular
burger costs in various countries.
Iran explores buying more goods from India
Iran is considering stepping up its purchases from India to obtain a more balanced trade and
reduce the payments problem faced by the two countries in setting payments for crude import by
India in the wake of fresh sanctions from the US.
Centre plans to boost up textiles sector
The government is planning to give incentives to the textiles sector with retrospective effect as it
seeks to revive India’s second largest manufacturing sector burdened with sickness, debt and
declining demand.
World Bank cuts Global GDP forecasts
The World Bank on 18 Jan. 2012 warned the developing countries of the upcoming recession
danger. It cut its forecast for growth in developing economies to 5.4% for 2012 from its
previous forecast of 6.2% saying expansion in Brazil and India and to a lesser extent Russia,
South Africa and Turkey had slowed already.
States want to hike professional tax
In a Budget wish list presented to finance minister Pranab Mukherjee, finance ministers of states
on 18 Jan. 2012 demanded that the government should allow them to tax top professionals more
and lift the ceiling from the current 2,500 a year.
Centre urged to give funds directly to States
Majority of States have favoured the Rangarajan Committee’s recommendations on doing away
with the current system of classification of expenditure into Plan and Non-Plan categories on 18
Jan. 2012. They have also agreed that the BK Chaturvedi Group report on Centrally sponsored
schemes should be implemented. Mr. Sushil Kumar Modi, Chairman of the empowered
Committee of States’ Finance Ministers, asked the Centre to give funds to the states directly for
various social sector schemes.
Small And Medium Units Urged
SMEs (small and medium enterprises ) in the country used to work more closely with special
economic zones to gain from the facilities extended .
Banks Want Tax Compliance Norms
Banks have moved the finance ministry to ease the procedure relating to the compliance being
faced by depositors to the senior citizen and economically weaker categories . saying that pan in
forms 15G/15H should not be mandatary .
Center Mulls Textiles Sops With Retrospective Effect
The Government is planning to give incentives to the textiles sectors which are burdened
with debts.No ,subsidy scheme was given for these campanies in 2010 – 11 .Companies which
were deprived for benifit last year will be covered under the changed rule .
LIC Crosses One Million Mark
The Life Insurance Corporation of Indai has crossed the one million mark in cumulative lives
under its health Insurance segment.
LIC Launching Jeevan Ankur
Life Insurance Corparation of India is launching a new plan . Lic ‘s Jeevan ankur on 23 ‘rd
Jan 2012 to meet the educational and other needs of the child .
China To Rescue UK Economy
China’s fastest growing economic presence in Britan to rescue the UK economy the china
investment corporation (CIC) has bought a 8,6% stake in Thames water,which is Britans’s
largest water and sewerege company .
The production target for worlds largest coal produce coal India ( C I L) is likely to be fixed at
46.4 million tones mt for the 2012-2013 financial year.
4 Pharma FDI Plans Okayed
For money inflow intact, the government has cleared forms foreign direct investment proposals
in pharmaceutical space , dispelling fears that the recent change in rules will effectively kill
foreign investments in the sector.The foreign investment promotion board ( F I P B ) examines
proposals that are in approval route on merit .
Tata Power In Talks To Buy 15 % Stake in MEC Coal
The Tata group already owns 30 % in mines promoted by the Bakrie group one of the
Indonesia’s biggest house.Tata company plans to secure coal supplies from Indonesia to reduce
power generation costs .If the deal goes on it will be the second time buying a stake in Indonesia
coal mines .
R B I Cuts C R R Rates
The Reserve Bank of India on 24 th Jan 2012 cut the cash ratio by 50 basis points from 6% to 5.5
% with effect from 28 th Jan 2012 , which would release Rs 32,000 crore in the financial system
. keeping all other unchanged repo rate at 8.50 % . GDP growth from 7.6% to 7 % now .With the
RBI holding back on cutting interest rates due to increased inflation risk from global crude , oil
prices, the lingering impact of rupee depreciation .CRR cuts would bring liquidity and help in
sensex up .
India – Srilanka Bilateral Trade Surges by 70 %
Trade between India and Srilanka surged by more than 70 % in 2011over the past
years touching all time high of $ 5 billion .
Solar Powered A T M ‘s In Rural Areas
Innovation which makes a difference to people’s lives in the Indain context is very
different .The company Vortex placed in Chennai helping the banks by solar powered A T M’s
installed in rural places .Where as conventional ATM’s requires 50 watts of power everyday
while Vortex’s machines require just 70 watts power to work .
India Signs International Tax Treaty
The government had made another move to get information about black money stashed away
from the country .India had signed the multilateral convection on mutual administrative
assistance regarding tax matters , that promotes international cooperation .India and other
countries joined to ensure that individuals and multinational enterpries pay right amount of tax
,at the right place .Which is based on international standards of transparency and exchange of
information .
Samsung India To Exit From Window AC Market
India’s largest consumer durable firm Samsung India Electronics had decided to exit from
window air conditioners segment from the year 2012 .And completely focusing on fast growing
split air conditioners market ,due to the window AC market is shrinking significantly .
TCS Opens New Facililty In Silicon Valley
The I T major ( T C S ) Tata Consultancy Services has opened a new facility in U S , It will
serve as the world wide headquaters of the company’s mobility solution units .And which aims
to bring the benifits of emerging technologies such as big data , analyties and mobility to
enterprises across all industries .
C A G To Audit In States
The Comptroller and Auditor General of India ( C A G ) has decided to audit the spending of all
states under the National Rural Health Mission (N H R M ) Scheme .After hearing a Rs 5,754 ,
crore NRHM scam in Uttarpradesh . The CAG will conduct independent audits of the scheme
in 17 other states to ascertain losses to exchequer . The ministry has written letters to states,
asking them to cooperate with their accounts generals.
Excise Duty ,Service Tax May Be Hiked In The Upcoming Budget
To revive Indian economy ,impacted by the global slowdown , the government had provided
three fiscal stimulus packages starting from Dec 7,2008 the government had brought down
excise duty from 14 % to 10 % to miligate the impact of the global financial crises .The duty was
further cut to 8 % on Feb 24, 2009 . On Feb 26 2010 rolled back the cut partially . The excise
duty and service tax may be hiked by 2% in the up coming budget . Government is thinking that
entire cut be rolled back . When industry is down and demand is depressed , raising duties may
further hurt growth .There will be fiscal deficit likely to be 5.6 % to 5.1 % .in 2011-2012 .
Economic Growth Revised Down By 8.5% To 8.4 %
The central Statistics office on 31 st Jan 2012 lowered its estimate for the country’s gross
domestic product (GDP) growth in 2010-2011 to 8’4 % from 8.5 % earlier , The gross national
income grew 7.9 % in 2010-2011 .GDP growth in Agriculture sector is 7% .GDP growth in
service sector grew up by 9.3 % . GDP growth in financial savings reduced from 12.9% to 10
% .GDP growth in private cooperate sector down by 8.2 % to 7.9 % .GDP growth in saving of
public sectors increased from 0.2 % to 1.7 % .The gross demostic capital formatiom at current
prices increases from Rs. 23.64 lakh crore to 26.92 lakh crore in 2010-2011.The rate of capital
formation stood at 35.1 % in 2010-2011 low down than earlier against 36.6 % in 2009-2010 .
These are the latest revisions ,part of quick estimates of of nationalincome ,cunsumtion
expenditure ,saving and capital information released by central statistics office .
RBI lowers Export Figures by $ 6 B, surprises Economists
The Reserve Bank of India ( RBI ) has revised its export numbers downwards by $6 billion in its
balance of payments statement for the first quarter ( April – June ) of the fiscal indicating
massive over statement in the country’s export numbers.
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
Challenging Iran begins ‘ 12 with N – fuel rod feat, missile test
Iranian scientists have produced the nation’s first nuclear fuel rod, a feat of engineering the West
has doubted Tehran capable of, the country’s nuclear agency said on 1 January 2012.
Nasa probe on track, reaches Moon orbit
Grail, 110th Mission to Earth’s Satellite, will help understand Lunar enigma better .As planet
Earth rang in the new year, a different counter sown was happening at the moon. After a 3 1/2
month journey, a Nasa spacecraft flew over the Moon’s South pole, fired its engine and dropped
into orbit on 1 January 2012 in the first of two back – to – back arrivals over the new year
weekend.
A massive star called VFTS 102 is the fastest star that rotates at the rate of million milles per
hour — 100 times faster than our Sun was found to date.
Iran tested successfully two missiles that can chase 200 kms target in the Strait of Hormutz on 2
January 2012.
RE60, Bajaj’s 4-wheeled vehicle, launched
India’s Bajaj Auto Ltd launched its first-ever four-wheeled vehicle RE60 on 3 January 2012
saying the RE60 would target commercial users and three-wheeled vehicle owners in India..
Below Antarctic sea, a lost world of unknown species
British Scientists have discovered what they claim is a ” lost world ” of unknown species nearly
8, 000 feet deep on sea floor off the coast of Antarctica —- kept alive by undersea volcanoes.
The stem cells that can produce different cells in an eye were identified by Nural stemcells
Institute of Regenerative Research Foundation Scientist Sally Temple on 5 January 2012.
AIDS vaccine for monkeys raises hopes for humans
Scientists in Washington have developed a new vaccine that partially protects monkeys from an
infection much similar to HIV, a breakthrough which they say could be a new weapon in the
battle against AIDS. Hydrogen – driven three – wheelers.
The world got its first fleet of hydrogen – fuelled three – wheelers on 9 Jan. 2012 when seven
vehicles were unvieled at the ongoing Auto Expo 2012 in New Delhi. Called ‘ HyAlfa ‘, the
three – wheeler is almost zero-emission vehicle while its fuel consumption is substantially lower
as compared to 1kg of hydrogen giving 80 km mileage.The three-wheelers have been developed
under a project DelHy 3W, of the United Nations Industrial Development organisation (
UNIDO’s ) Internal Centre for Hydrogen Energy Technologies ( UNIDO-ICHET ) in association
with Mahindra & Mahindra and IIT Delh, besides being supported by the Ministry of New and
Renewable Energy ( MNRE ).
Acer unveils world’s thinnest laptop. The Taiwan-based computer titan Acer unveiled the
world’s thinnest laptop in Las Vegas on 9 January 2012.
New earthworm species discovered in Port Blair
Pointing to the rich biodiversity of the Andaman and Nicobar islands , a team of researchers
from Thiruvanthapuram has identified a new species of earthworm on 10 January 2012. The
species has been named “”Moniligaster ivaniosi”" .
Two more planets orbiting binary stars discovered
Kepler-34 b, Kepler-35 b binary star systems have low-density gas plannets orbiting them..More
than 700 planets orbiting a star ( extrasolar planets ) have been discovered till date. But a planet
orbiting two stars was more in the realms of fiction recently. Scientists on 11 January 2012
discovered two circumbinary planets Kepler – 34 b and Kepler – 35 b orbiting binary stars.
Morocco Rocks Come From Mars
Scientists have cliamed that chunks of a meteorit which fell in Moracco last Jully 2011 were
from Mars .which happened once in every fifty years .
World Smallest 3D Map Created . Scientists have created a miniature world map which has now
been accepted by the Guinness World Record as the worlds smallest 3D map .A map which can
only seen through a microscope .
11 Solar Systems . NASA ‘s kepler telescope has discovered 26 new planets spread among 11
solar systems.
PERSONS IN NEWS
A) Appointments
A P K Reddy has been appointed as the new president of the AP Smallscale Industrial Societies
Federation on 3 January 2012.
Yahoo appoints Paypal’s Scott Thompson as new CEO 4 months after firing Carol Bartz on 4
January 2012.
Muralidharan takes charge as Coast Guard Chief. Vice – Admiral M P Muralidharan has taken
charge as the 19th Director General of the Indian Coast Guard on 6 January 2012.
Farida Group Chairman, Raffiq Ahmed was appointed as the new President of Federation of
Indian Exports Organisation ( FIEO ) on 7 January 2012
T.G. Venkatesh elected chief of APBA
Minister for Minor and Lift Irrigation T.G. Venkatesh has been elected the new president of
Andhhra Pradesh Badminton Association ( APBA ) on 8 January 2012.
B D Park is Samsung India’s new MD. Consumer Electronics and mobile phone major Samsung
India Electronics on 9 Jan. 2012 announced the appointment of BD Park as its new managing
director and the president and CEO of its South-West Asia operations.
NGRI gets new Director
Prof. Mrinal K. Sen has been appointed as the new Director of the National Geophysical
Research Institute ( NGRI ), a part of the Council of the Scientific and Industrial Research (
CSIR ) on 10 January 2012.
UTIMF gets an interim chief
Imtaiyazur Rahman has been appointed as the interim chief executive officer of UTI Mutual
Fund, the fifth largest fund house in India by assets under management ( AUM ).
B) Resigns
VS Achuthanandan offers to resign as Opposition Leader
Stung by the allegations of corruption and a vigilance FIR registered against him, former Kerala
CM and CPM leader VS Achuthanandan has offered to quit the post of Opposition leader in the
State Assembly on 13 January 2012.
Pawar To Make Retirement . National Congress Party ( N C P ) Cheif and Maratha
strongman Sharad Pawar has annouced that , he will not contest the next Loksabha election and
make way for younger leadership . he will be copleting his 45 yrs in politics .
C) Deaths
Dancer who brought Bharatnatyam to Mao’s China dies
Chinese dancer Zhang Jun, who brought Bharatnatyam and Kathak to Mao’s China in the 1950s
and inspired thousands to follow her passion for classical Indian culture over a celebrated five
decade-long teaching career , passed away in Beijing on 10 January 2012 after a long battle with
cancer. She was 79.
India’s 1st woman photo journalist passes away . Homai Vyarawalla, the country’s first woman
photojournalist died in Vadodara on 15 January 2012.
Indai’s Water man Passes Away
Dr .C.H.Krishnamurthy Rao, chairman 7 managing director of Chemfab Alkalies Ltd passes
away on 20 th Jan 2012 .he was known as water man.
Deputy Cheif Minister Passes Away. Former Deputy cheif minister c.Jaganatharao passes away
on 23 rd Jan 2012 .
Intellectual Writer Died. Sukumar Azhikode , award winning writer , scholar and probaly the
most influential gandhian died on 24th Jan 2012 .
M . O . H Farook Passes Away . kerala Governor and three times Puducherry Cheif Minister and
M P M. O .H Farook died in chennai on 26 th Jan2012.
First Music Arranger Died . India ‘s first music arranger Anthony Prabhu Gonsalves deid on 18
th Jan 2012 .
D) Visitors
Pak army Chief leaves for China
pakistan Army Chief Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kayani went to China on a five – day official visit to
China at the invitation of the Chinese leadership on 4 January 2012.
Saudi Arabia Minister of Commerce, Taffic Bin Fazhan Al – Rabia, who is on a visit to India
met Union Minister of Commerce & In dustry, Anand Sharma. Trade between both the
countries exceeded Rs. 2,500 crore dollars in the year 2010 – 11.
Trinidad PM visit to India
Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar visited India on 6 January
2012. Both the countries agreed for 5 Pacts.
Bangladesh PM in Tripura
Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheik Hasina visited Tripura on Jan 11, 2012. She met Tripura
Chief Minister Manik Sarkar. She has been invited to receive an honourary doctorate from
Tripura Univesity. This is the first visit by a Bangladesh Prime Minister to Tripura, which
played an important role in Bangladesh’s War of Liberation in 1971. She also addressed India-
Bangladesh Business Meet, organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry ( CII ) and the
Federation of Bangladesh chambers of Commerce ( FBCCI ) in association with government of
Tripura.
Nepal Deputy PM on a 4-day visit to India
Nepal Deputy Prime Minister, Mr Bijaya Kumar Gachhadar has been on a 4-day visit to India to
hold talks on security issues. During his stay in New Delhi, Mr Gachhadar, who is also the
country’s Home Minister, will meet his Indian Counterpart Mr P Chidambaram, and Defence
Minister, Mr A K Antony, among others.
Visit Of InBer CEO CarlorBrito To India
The worlds largest brewer AB InBER , Carlos Brito has been visited to India in the last weak
of Jan 2012 .Brito now heads the joint exiting making him one of the top 30 global CEO’s in
the world .
Thailand P M Visits India
Thailand Prime Minister Yingluck Shina Watra has visited India 25 th Jan 2012 . she will be
our cheif guest for 63 rd Republic Day celebrations at red fort.
1.5 Lakh Indains Visited Srilanka In 2011
In the period from Jan to Nov in 2011, 1.5 lakh Indian people has been visited Srilanka out of the
total of about 6.5 lakh tourists ,and the numbers from India are expected to reach an all time high
due to the International Criket committie ‘s Twenty-20 World Cup being held in Srilanka this
year .
E) Miscellaneous
$376 m Stock Award for Cook. The one-time stock award worth for Apple’s CEO is the largest
given by a company in a decade.
Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook received a one-time stock award worth nearly $400 million ,
the largest given by a company in a decade on 10 January 2012.
Gilani not an honest man, says Pak SC. Pakistan’s Supreme Court on 10 Jan 2012 said PM
Yousaf Raza Gilani was”not an honest man” and slammed hid government for “wilful
disobedience” while warning him that he could be removed from office if he does not take action
on corruption cases against president Zardari.
Zardari flies to Dubai
Pakistan president Asif Ali Zardari flew out on a surprise trip to Dubai on 12 January
2012. Although it was described as a one-day private visit, his sudden disappearance at a time of
government military stand off triggered by memogate fuel speculation that he may not return.
British royal faces 22-yr jail in Turkey over TV documentary
The Duchess of York, Sarah Ferguson is reportedly facing more than 20 years in jail, after
Turkey authorities charged for breaching “”privacy”" of orphans in the country by secretly
filming them for a TV documentary.
Suu Kyi launches bid for Parliament. Myanmar opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi launched
her historic bid for a seat in Parliament on 18 Jan. 2012. The Nobel Peace Prize winner is
standing in April 1 by-elections.
PLACES IN NEWS
7.0 Magnitude Earthquake hits Japan
A strong earthquake with a strong magnitude of 7.0 struck heavily eastern and northern Japan on
1 January 2012, but there were dno immediate reports of injuries or damages or no tsunami
warning issued .
ABBREVIATIONS IN NEWS
AFSPA – Armed Forces Special Powers Act
AMC – Asset Management Company.
CII – Confederation of Indian Industry.
CRR – Cash Reserve Ratio.
FIU – Financial Intelligence Unit. . FDI – Foreign Direct Investment.
FIR – First information Report.
NCM – National Commission for Minorities.
NCTC – National Counter Terrorism Centre .
NEET – National Eligibility cum Entrance Test.
NIA – National Investigation Agency .
NPA – Non Performing Asset.
NREGS – National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme.
NTPC – National Thermal Power Corporation.
NASA – National Aeronautics and Space Administration.
SEBI – Securities and Exchange Board of India.
SAIL – Steel Authority of India Limited.
FCCB – Foreign Currency Convertible Bonds.
WPI – Wholesale Price Index.
IPICOL – Industrial Promotion and Investment Corporation of Odisha Ltd .
UIDAI – Unique Identification Authority of India .
IAMAI -Internet And Mobile Association of India .
FCCB – Foreign Reliant Iregated Area Development .Currency Convertible Deberture .
A P R P R P – Andhra Pradesh Rural Powerty Reduction Project.
T R I AD - Tank Reliant Iregated Area Development .
I W A I – Inland Waterways Authority Of India
O E C D -Organisation For Economic – Cooperation and Development .
A I B E A – All India Bank Employees Association .
N R E D C A P – New and Renewable Enenrgy Development Corporation of Andhra Pradesh .
J N N S M - Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission .
T R R A I N – Trust For Retailers and Retail Associates of India .
F I E O – The F ederation Of Indian Export Organisation .
M M R C A - Meduim Multi Role Combat Aircraft .
P H C G – Publicis Healthcare Communications Group .
BOOKS IN NEWS
Visually challenged boy pens Novel
Inspired by author J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter and series , a visually challenged 18 year-old
Viswanath Venkat Dasari from a former’s family in Gokavaram of East Godavari District, has
spent seven years of his life and wrote a book ‘Pharaoh and the King’, a story based on Indian
and Egyptian mythology. The book was published by Author House, UK. Priced at $19.95, the
book was released in the United States and the United Kingdom.
COMMITTEES IN NEWS
The Supreme Court – appointed empowered committee heard the submission made by Kerala
and Tamil Nadu on the Mullaperiyar Dam issue on 2 Jan 2012. Kerala complained to the
empowered committee headed by former Chief Justice of India, Justice A S Anand that a survey
done by the expert panel last month was biased and the panel had supported Tamil Nadu during
its inspection of the dam site.
A two – member export panel comprising C D Thatte and D K Mehta had visited the dam site
after Kerala expressed fears in the wake of recent tremours in the area.
DAYS &DATES
March 02 – Common Wealth Day .
March 08 – International Womens Day , International Literacy Day.
March 13 – World Kidney Day .
March 15 – Worlds Disabled Day , World Consumers Day.
March 08 – Ordnance Foctories Day.
March 21 – World Sleep Day ,World Forestry Day , International Day For The Elimination of
Racial Discrimination.
March 22 – World Day For Water.
March 23 – World Meterological Day .
March 24 – World TB Day , Internation Day For Achievers .
March 25 – International Day Of Remembrance .
March 26 – Bangladesh Day.
March 27 – World Drama Day.
February 2012 Current Affairs Study Material
INTERNATIONAL
US To End Afgan Mission By 2013
The President of US Barrack Obama was facing a tough time of re-election campaign, as the
strongest signal is that the White House wants to put an end to wars. The US troops completed
their withdrawal from Iraq in Dec 2011. So the US Government plans to end combat operations
in Afghanistan in 2013 and shift to training program.
Face book Files For Historic IPO
A social networking for huge Face book had filed an initial public offering (IPO),Which could
raise as much $10 billion and raise the value of the company between $75billion and
$10billion.It had more than 845million active users across the world .
Russia &China Vetoed The UN Security Council Resolution
Russia & China on 4 Feb 2012 vetoed the UN Security Council resolution for the second time in
four months. The resolution condemns the Syria regime’s on public uprising calls upon Present
Basher Al Assad to abide by the Arab league time-fame for political reforms in the country. The
frame for implementation of the resolution by Syria was increased from 15 days to 21 days
EU Wants 3rd World To Double Its Renewable Energy By 2030
The European Union (EU) wants Countries meeting at a conference in the up coming June under
the UN’s Rio+2o mechanism to double their share of renewable energy by 2030 under an
International obligation. EU wants countries like India to agree to double its energy efficiency
levels under an International understanding. All world leaders are to gather in June for the
United Nations Conference on sustainable development, known as Rio+20 in policy circles.
Indonesia Became The 157th Country For Test-Ban Treaty
Indonesia had formalized ratification of the nuclear test ban treaty on 6 Feb 2012 at the United
Nation. The South-east Asia nuclear weapon free-zone treaty commits ASEAN’s 10 members’
stakes not to develop, manufacture or, otherwise acquire posses or has control over an atomic
energy.
Moody’s Cut Rating Of Six European Countries
Moody’s action follow those of standard & poor’s which downgraded rating of six European
countries, Italy Malta,Portugal,Slovakia and Slovenia all had their rating cut by one notch with a
negative outlook, while Spain was cut by two notches to A3, with a negative outlook. Britain,
Australia and France could lose their triple’ A’ ratings as rating agency Moody placed the
countries on negative watch.
Pakistan To Grant MFN Status To India By 2012
Pakistan on 15 Feb 2012 agreed liberal trade with India and conceded to put in place a small
negative list of goods by the end of the month where imports will be restricted. By the year end
even this negative list expected to be phased out. A joint statement issued after bilateral talks
between commerce minister Anand Sharma and Markhdosm .Pakistan will grant MFN status to
India by October 2012.
Three New Nuclear Projects By Iran
Iran on 15 Feb 2012 launched three nuclear projects including a fourth generation ultra
centrifuge, which is capable of enriching the uranium faster than its earlier models. The first one
was at the Iranian Atomic Organisation Research Center in Tehran where Iran’s first home
made nuclear fuel rods were loaded into a medical reactor. This would be used for production of
two other projects in the Nathan plant in Central Iran. Enriched uranium is a critical compound
for both civil nuclear power generation and nuclear weapons
China to Be Top Gold Consumer In 2012
According to the World Gold Council ( WGC ) China had over taken India as the country with
greatest appetite for gold in 2012. Its Jewellery investment demand reached 769.8 tonnes in
2011.Representing 82 % of Indian’s level of demand for gold which was at 933.4 tonnes. The
Chines figure had only recently risen above the 50% mark in the gold market.
EU-US In Trade Tie- up
The US and European countries had entered into a historic trade arrangement that will pare way
for organic products certified in the U.S or EU to be sold in either region from 1 June 2012 To
bring the two largest organic producers and markets together to promote organic farming and is
valued at around $60billion. Germany stands as its contribution to the organic market is $
6billion.
Dow Chemicals Remain To Be Sponsor For London Olympics
The International Olympic Committee ( IOC) on 16 Feb 2012 announced that Dow Chemicals
would remain a sponsor of the London Olympics. The Indian Olympic Association had
appealed to the IOC London Games Organizing committee to withdraw the Dow’s sponsorship
from the London Olympics. The International Olympic Committee turned down the appeal of
IOC maintaining that Dow chemicals, the parent company of Union Carbide had no role in the
Bhopal gas tragedy in 1984. It insisted Dow chemicals did not have any ownership stake in
union carbide until 16 yrs after the disaster and 12yrs after the USD 470 million compensation
agreements was approved by the supreme court of India.
Independent Evaluation Group On World Bank’s Crisis
A phase -two study of the World Bank’s crisis response, presented in a report, that the world
Bank’s response to the global economic crisis. Phase II was released on 23 Feb 2012. The report
noted during its responses to the worst financial economic crisis that hit the world economy in
2008, the World Bank failed to adequately modify its lending patterns as per the severity at the
downturn across nations.
World’s Richest Country Qatar
Qatar had the world’s highest per capita GDP Rs. 43,06733 , while the economy grew by
19.40%, the fastest in the world . Qatar had been proven reserves of both oil and natural gas.
Qatar tops the list of world’s richest countries by the Forbes magazine in 2012, with a small
citizen population of less than 17 lakh people. The Forbes magazine had announced 182
countries ranking among these countries the world richest country is Qatar ,in second place is
Luxembourg, in third place is Singapore, and Burundi, Liberia and Congo at the least places.
Qatar is the place where the next World football world cup is going to be held in 2022.
N.Korea, Agreed To n-Moratorium’s
United states officials confirmed that North Korea had agreed to halt nuclear tests and activities
and implement a moratorium on nuclear and long-range missile development in exchange for a
US package of 240,000metric tonnes of food aid. The agreement also includes suspension of
uranium enrichment activities at Yongbyon and also permission for International Atomic Energy
Agency inspectors to return and conform the disablement of the 5-MW reactor and associated
facilities.
Long List Of Millionaires In China’s Parliament
The membership of the National Poeple’s Congress provides wealthy businessmen on powerful
platform and secure their support for the communist party of China .The NPC, the chinese
parliament and top legislative body convenes in Beijing on March 5 for its annual session, it will
be bringing together not only China’s most powerful political leaders but also some of the
nation’s wealthiest individuals. The net worth o f the 70 richest delegates at the NPC, was
$89.8billion, the country’s 3,000 Members’ legislative house.
INDIA & WORLD
NMDC Buys Coal, Iron Ore Mines From Overseas
India’s largest iron ore producer NMDC, Which had acquired a 50% stake in the Australian iron
ore firm Legacy Iron ore recently. To acquire more from overseas mines, one each in Russia,
Brazil, Mozambique and Australia.
India :Don’t Want Change Of Rule In Syria
India had taken decision to vote in favour of the UN Security Council resolution on Syria by
stating that it does not want a regime change in the turmoil-ridden Arab country. The draft
resolution was supported by 13 of the 15 members of the UN Security council when it was voted
on 4 Feb 2012. Russia and China used their vote power to block the resolution. By Russia and
China backing the security council, the syrian regime had stepped up armed attacks against
protesters in the embattled city.
$250m Credit For Mauritius
India had announced an economic package which includes a line of credit of $250million and a
grant of $ 20million to Mauritius with whom it had traditionally enjoyed warm and friendly ties.
The two sides also signed a slew of agreements and MoUs. The two sides will provide a frame
work for cooperation in the field of science and technology.
India & China Call For New “Flexible” Ties
Indian & Chinese leaders on 8 Feb 2012 had laid out a new roadmap for bilateral ties calling for
a ”Flexible and imaginative” approach in 2012 to minimise the effect of persisting political
irritants, such as border disputes and Tibet. External Affairs minister S.M.Krishna who on 8
Feb inaugurated India’s new $10million embassy, which he had described as turning a new page
in ties and underscored India’s willingness to calm sources of tension.
India & China Set Bilateral Trade Target $100b
India & China had set up an ambitious bilateral trade target of $100billion by 2015 compared to
last yrs record figure of $74billion, External Affairs Minister S.M,Krishna said Bilateral
Economic & Trade Cooperation had witnessed a robust growth rate. India will continue to carry
forward the positive momentum in ties.
India & Saudi Agreed to Set Up Joint Working Group
India & Saudi Arabia on 13 Feb 2012 agreed to set up a joint working group on defense
cooperation during the visit of Defense Minister A.K.Antony. The two sides held wide range
talks about combating terrorism and piracy and cooperation in regional affairs.
Pakistan May Be Allowed To Invest In India
India may allow investments from Pakistan into the country; Government Sources said the
commerce ministry had proposed to the finance minister to exempt Pakistan from the Foreign
Exchange Management Act (FEMA) Regulations. This is being seen as a move to strengthen
bilateral economic relation between the two countries.
India Seeks Oil From Saudi-Arabia
India had sought additional five million tonnes of crude oil from Saudi- Arabia as its second
largest oil supplier Iran faces action from US & Israel over the Islamic nations nuclear
programmed. Saudi-Arabia is the biggest supplier of crude oil to India followed by Iran, Iraq and
Nigeria. India buys 27million tonnes of crude oil per annum from Saudi-Arabia while its annual
import from Iran is about 17million tonnes.
India & Pakistan Extended Agreement On Reducing Risk From Nuclear Accidents
India & Pakistan on 21 Feb 2012 agreed to extend the agreement related to nuclear weapons for
another five years, in accordance with article 8 of the agreement between the two countries. The
agreement had come into force on 21 Feb 2007 for an initial duration of five years.
India To Set Up Engagement With Arab World
India will set up its mutilateral engagement with the Arab world in the up coming months with a
series of events that will include a visit to Cairo by the External Affairs Minister S.M.Krishna to
confabulate with the Arab League and to re-engage Egypt, which is stepping out of the rigid
policy confines of the Mubarak era.
Canada, India For Nuclear Ties
The civil nuclear cooperation agreement between India and Canada closes, the two countries
could cooperate in looking at third markets requiring nuclear technology for energy purpose.
The two nations realizing the importance and the value of strong bilateral relations. The best
indicator of the improved ties was the civil nuclear cooperation agreement signed by the Prime
ministers of both the countries in 2010.Canada would be able to sell uranium, nuclear supplies
and equipment to India soon.
NTPC To Supply 250MW Power To Bangladesh
The country’s largest electricity producer NTPC is going to supply 250MW power to
Bangladesh from the unallocated quota, a move that will help strengthen trade ties between the
two nations.
NATIONAL
On 2G Spectrum, Supreme Court Cancels 122 Licenses
The Supreme Court on Feb 2 2012 cancelled 122 2G licenses granted during the period of
former communication minister A. Raja Jan 2008. The 2G spectrum scandal involved officials
in the Government illegally undercharging mobiles telephony companies for frequency
allocation licenses.The shortfall between the money collected and the money which the law
mandated to be collected isEstimated to be Rs.176,645crore. As the grants of these licenses is
illegal and blamed the Governmentfor its flawed’ first come first served’ policy, and imposes a
fine of 5crore for each on 3 telecomcompanies which offloaded their shares after getting the
licenses.
46,800 Indians Died Of Malaria
Malaria deaths in India is more than 40 times higher than what is presently estimated.New
research published in the Lancet shows that malaria kills 1.2million people worldwide each
year-twice as high as the figure in the world malaria report -2011. In India, it is estimated that
4,800″Malaria deaths in children younger than 5 yrs and 42,000 malaria deaths in those aged 5
yrs or older” for the year 2010 as against 19,000 malaria deaths in children younger than 5 yrs
and 87,000malaria deaths in those aged 5yrs or older in 2002. Globally, 42% of all malaria
deaths occur in older,children & adults. 20% deaths are in 15-49 age groups.
Major NREGA Reforms To Be Done
Congress Chairperson Sonia Gandhi on Feb 2 2012 said that their had been several complaints of
corruption & irregularities regarding rural jobs schemes, MGNREGA. To make immediate
reforms in the scheme, the rural development minister Jairam Ramesh told in the MGNREGA
conference that the CAG would also look into the expenditure under the scheme and also the
payments of wages in time for workers .
In India, Record Of 14 lakh Cancer Cases
India records high of 14 lakh new cases per annum. World Cancer Day, being observed on 4 Feb
every year that over 12.7million people receive cancer diagnosis and 7.6million people die from
these disease every year. Nowadays cancer had become lifestyle of the person that is to blame,
much like in the case of diabetes and Hypertension.
Yuvraj Singh Confirmed Cancer
Yuvraj Singh, Who played a key role in India’s ODI World Cup triumph in 2011, had been
confirmed with lung cancer had been diagnosed that the tumor was cancerous in his left lung.
The Most Happiest People Reside In Three Countries
According to a poll conducted by global research company IPCo’s, the happiest people of the
world reside in Indonesia, India and Mexico. The survey measured comparative depth and
intensity of happiness among country citizens and the world . As world was a happier place than
in 2007 as 22% of global citizens were found to be happy in state of mind, Indians were among
the happiest on the planet. On a national level, Indonesia had the highest proportion of happiest
people with 51%, followed by India and Mexico with 43% each.
India‘s Lakshya-I Successfully Test Flown
India’s indigenously developed micro-light pilot less target aircraft (PTA) Lakshya-I was
successfully test flown from Integrated Test Range at Chandipur near Balasore on 8 Feb 2012.
Lakshya, a sub-sonic, re-usable aerial target system is remote controlled from the ground and
designed to import training to both air borne and air defense pilots. The (PTA) had been
developed by India’s Aeronautic Development Establishment (ADE), Bangalore to perform
discreet aerial reconnaissance of battle field and target acquisition.
Approval Of The National Data Sharing & Accessibility Policy
The Union cabinet of India on 9 Feb 2012 approved the national data sharing & accessibility
policy (NDSAP 2012) to facilitate access to central Government owned shareable data &
information and also national planning & development.
Special Commemorative Stamp
President Pratibha Patil on 9 Feb 2012 released a special commemorative stamp to mark the
golden jubilee of the India International Centre (IIC) in New Delhi. This centre plays a major
role in promoting awareness and creating public opinion. The stamp priced at five rupees
promoted the nation image and depicts the rich diverse culture of the country.
Missile Interceptor Tested Successfully
Indian Defense Scientist on 10 Feb 2012 successfully demonstrated an indigenous ballistic
missile from the Odisha coast; an air defense missile successfully tracked, hit and destroyed an
incoming ballistic missile at a height of 15km and range of 35km, according to the defense
research and development organization.
India‘s First Vessel Traffic Service Dedicated To Nation
In Gujarat, India’s first highly sophisticated vessel traffic service was dedicated to the nation in
Kandla. Sixteen thousand square km of Gulf of Kutch are now under strict vigilance by this ultra
modern radar system, which is the first and the largest radar surveillance system on Indian coast.
Announcement Of New Telecom Policy
The new telecom policy was announced by communication minister Kapil Sibal on 15 Feb 2012.
The key policy measures are aimed at reassuring incumbent operations who had been seeking
clarity in rules at a time when the Government is making every possible effort to put the cam-
tainted telecom sector back on track. Telecom companies operating in the same region will be
allowed to share 2g spectrum. All future allocation of airwaves will only be through
auctions.Also, future licenses will be declined from spectrum and companies must buy
bandwidth at market rates.
Sahara Back As Sponsor
The deadlock between the board of control for cricket in India and the Sahara group ended on 16
Feb with the board agreeing to most of the corporates demands. The Sahara owned franchise
Pune warriors will continue to play in the Indian premier League, with the board reactivating its
unspent auction purse of $16m. From both side a joint statement was given to extent the IPL
trading windows till 29 Feb to give Pune warriors the opportunity to negotiate with other
franchises. Tore- activate the auctionpurse of Pune warriors so that they can take more players.
To start the arbitration proceedings subjectto the consent of others franchisers BCCI had agreed
to allow Pune warriors to play five overseasplayers in non-availability of Yuvraj Singh.
“India’s success Had Inspired The World” WHO
An, announcement was made by the health & family planning minister Glulam Nabi Azad at the
12th Polio summit 2012, held in New Delhi, That the World Health Organisation (WHO) has
removed India from the list of polio-ridden countries. Suggesting that the wild polio virus had
been totally eliminated from the environment. And India had successfully completed an entire
year without an incidence of polio. However, India will have to remain polio free for two more
years before it is declared polio-free by the WHO. There were only four countries in the WHO
endemic list including Pakistan, Nigeria and Afghanistan.
Government To Set Up National Internet Scanning Agency
The Government is setting up an Internet Scanning agency which will seek to monitor all web
traffic passing through internet service providers in the country.
India To Set Up 20 N-Reactors
To boost up the nuclear energy in the country, the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd plans
to set up 20 nuclear reactors in different states. They will be ready during the 12th five years
plan and the new plants will come up, among other places, at Kovvada in Andhrapradesh. The
nuclear energy production in the country has now touched 32,000 million units.
Survey Of India To Bring New Set Of Maps
The survey of India is all set to bring out a new set of maps with never before details like, open
spaces, rocky areas, important buildings and landmarks, roads and even power lines passing
through an area soon. One of the first such maps brought out by it’s as part of a pilot project was
displayed during an exhibition.
STATES
Chennai-Based Heymath To Se”Maths Face book”
In 2005, American writer Thomas Friedman was impressed with Chennai-based online
Mathematics education platform Heymath. If Friedman were to describe its aspirations at present
he could make,’ math’s face book’ for ,Hey math, which had former IMFchief economist
Raghuram Rajan and entrepreneur Jerry Rao on its advisory board, to launch a social net
working site for mathematics the first of its kind ,within three months. Symbolically, it is
happening in 2012 the National mathematics year in India. The math’s social network to be
called as ‘Teaching Tomorrow’ will be separate non – profit venture.
Gujarat Ranked Top In Investment Proposal
Gujarat topped the list of most preferred business destination in India in year 2011. According
to associated chambers of commerce & industry of India report, released on 13 Feb 2012
Gujarat at the end of 2012 got the total investment proposal worth of Rs. 16.28lakh crore.
Gujarat recorded 13.52% stake in the total line investment proposals worth Rs.1.20.34 lakh crore
in the country in the yr 2011.
High Level IT Security Policy In A.P
A high level IT security policy had been proposed for the Government of Andhra pradesh . A
committee had been formed to formulate the policy with members from the
formationTechnology and communications department, Nasscom, National Informatics centre;
Data centre Operator, The operator of the state data centre, and Wipro and Security specialists
from Cyber security works. This draft will be made available by March 10 2012 and circulated
to all stake holders. This decision was taken at a high level committee meeting for reviewing the
issue of hacking of Government websites at the A.P State Data Centre recently
A.P Village Girl In World Cup Team
International Kabaddi player, R.Nagalakshmi who hails from the remote Inkollu village in
prakasam district, will hog the lime might in the women’s world cup to be held in Patna in
March.
LPG Terminal Soon In Ennore
The LPG terminal project of Indian oil Petronas Pvt Ltd in Ennore, about 30km from Chennai,
will be completed in all respects by the first week of next month to receive the first consignment.
Apart from the imbalance in LPG demand supply in T.M, the terminal would cater to industrial
consumers and also help the company foray into auto LPG dispensing.
Tirumala Museum To Showcase Lord Venkateswara’s Jewels
The Tirumala thirupathi Davasthanams TDD is exploring the possibility of putting the
precious ornaments of Lord Venkateswara’s on display at the S.V.museum .
UP Elections In Seven Phases
The Legislative Assembly elections were held in Uttarpradesh in seven phases for 403 seats.
The first phase polling was held on 8 Feb for 55 seats. The second phase polling was held on
11Feb for 56 seats. The third phase polling was held on 15 Feb for 56 seats . The fourth phase
was held on 19 for 56 seats . The fifth phase was held on 23 for 49 seats .The sixth phase was
held on 28 for 68 seats and last phase will be held on3 march 2012. and the results will be
announced on 6 March 2012.
A.P State Budget For Yr 2012-13
Andhra Pradesh Finance minister A. Ramanarayan Reddy had presented Rs, 1.45Lakh crore
budget for the financial year 2012-13 in the assembly on 16 Feb 2012.The Government estimates
a revenue surplus of Rs. 4,444crorre the fiscal deficit of Rs. 20,000 crore, the latter at 2.5 %
GSDP .The overall state debt is likely to go up to Rs. 1,60 191crore for 2012-13 against Rs
1,39,668 crore for 2011-12. And category wise distribution of the fund as follows .
Rajiv Yuva Kiranalu - 150 crore , Indira Jala Prad – 18,000crore , Electricity – 5,937crore,
Housing – 2,302crore, Interest to farmer & women – 1,075crore, IT Sector – 150crore, Sports –
120crore, Transportation – 5,302crore,Home – -4,832crore ,RTC – 5,032crore,CM Fund-
600crore, Education -15,132crore,Irrigation – 15,010crore , Agriculture- 3,175.
CONFERENCES
National Conference On Governance
The national conference on Governance’ was held on 29 Jan 2012 at the NCUI auditorium in
New Delhi, organized by the Foundation for peace, Harmony &Good Governance in association
with global steel.
IACTS 58th Conference
The 58th annual meeting of the Indian Association of Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgeons
(IACTS) was held from 8 to 12 Feb 2012 in Kolkata had focused on rising incidence of heart
diseases and remedies. The four day meet of the cardiac surgeons would be synchronized by the
joint workshop with the European Association for cardiac thoracic surgery. For the first time in
India, the original research work on genetics causes of heart diseases and diabetic will be
presented. And also the first even demonstration of the recent version of the Artificial Heart
‘Heartmate II’.
International Diamond Conference
The 10th International Kimberlite conference meeting was held from 6 to 11 Feb 2012 at
Bangalore(GSI). It is the first time to conduct the conference in India .
15th National Conference On e- Governance In Odisha
The 15th National conference on e-Governance conference had been inaugurated by the chief
minister M.Naveen Patnaik on 8 Feb 2012 which will be held for two days. The conference aims
at providing a platform for effective interaction of policy makers, practitioners and industry
leaders to deliberate and identify priorities and recommend strategy for good governance.
Luminescence Conference
The 4th “International Conference on Luminescence and its Application’s” (ICLA) 2012
conference had been organized by the Rajiv Gandhi University of Knowledge Technologies on 8
Feb2012 in Hyderabad. About 350 delegates from all over the country are participating to
present their latest findings and discuss several crucial issues.
Global Company Meets In Delhi
The top corporate, ministry officials of international experts meeting had been held in New Delhi
for two days 9,10 Feb 2012.To discus the issues related to responsibilities of company boards,
stake holders expectations concern about corruption from all sectors of society etc.
The 12th India – EU Summit
The 12th India – EU summit was held in New Delhi on 10 Feb 2012. EU was represented by
Herman Van Rompuy, President of the European Council, and Mr. Jose Manver Durau Barrow,
president of European commission.
India, Asean Summit For 2-Days
The Association of South East Nations (Asean ) summit had held in New Delhi on 12 Feb 2012
with the theme of India and Asean partners for peace, progress and stability. The two days
conference will also mark two decades of India-Asean cooperation and also to look areas where
the relationship can be further consolidated.
The 44th Session Of Indian Labour Conference
The 44Th session of Indian Labour conference was held on 14 and 15 Feb 2012, under the
chairmanship of Shri Mallikajun Kharge, Union minister of Labour and Employment. The
conference was inaugurated by P.M Manmohan singh on 14 Feb in New Delhi . The conference
was attended by senior representatives of workers & employers. Organisation and state labour
ministers and senior officers from central ministers, departments and state government. The
conference was deliberated upon very critical issues of minimum wages, social security and
employability and employment.
9th Three -Day International Conference & Exhibition
The 9th three day International conference & exhibition was hosted by the society of Petroleum
Geophysicists (SPG),which was inaugurated on 16 feb 2012 in Hyderabad, to discus the major
challenges that the oil and gas sectors facing .
AWARDS & HONOURS
Nayudamma Award For NASSCOM Chief
National Association of Software and Service Companies (NASSOM) chairman & NIIT group
co- founder Rajendra Singh Pawar had been awarded with Dr.Y.Nayudamma Memorial Award
2011 in recognition of his outstanding performance to the Indian information technology.
Typing A To Z in 3.43 Seconds
A B.Tech. student Mohammed Khurheed Hussain, typed the entire English alphabet in 3.43
seconds along with spaces after each letter, he succeeded in typing the 50 characters in a record
time of 3.43 seconds, to break the existing record of 3.52 seconds set by Sridhar Raju for ‘ The
fastest time to type the alphabet’ and break the Guinness book of world record.
National Integration Award For Razzak
The all Indian National Integration Award had been presented to Abdul Razzak by the Tazeen
ulema-e-haq. This award had given to persons who strove hard for communal harmony and for
spreading the spirit of national integration.
Professor Chosen As UNESCO Chair
Professor. Vinod Pavarala Dean, Sarojini Naidu School of Arts & Communication, University of
Hyderabad had been chosen to be the first ever UNESCO Chair on community media. The chair
being set up at the university for the period of four years. The prestigious chair, which is the
first of its kind anywhere in the world comes in recongnition of Prof, Pavarala’s work in the last
decade on community radio, his research & writing, the struggle for community radio in India.
World Record Heart Surgery On 17-HR-Old Baby
A tiny figure from UK is recovering in hospital after becoming the youngest person to had open
heart surgery. She was just 17 and half hours old when they operated her.
Three IIT Scientists With Scopus Award
Three IIT scientist are among the eight young scientist who had won the prestigious Scopus
award from the Nation Academy of Science and Elsevier. Sanjib senapathi from – IIT Madras.
Sagnik Dey from IIT – Delhi. Satyajit Banerjee from IIT Kanpur.
Djokovic:’ Sportman Of The Year’ 2012
The tennis world no.1 Novack Djokovic had been awarded with the ‘Sportman of the year
award’ at the ceremony in London on 6 Feb for the year 2012.He was the fifth man to become to
win three grand slam title in a row. Djo kovik had won the top individual prize at 2012 Laureus
sports Awards.
FC Barcelona Chosen ‘Team Of The Year’ 2012
Barcelona footbal team had been recognised as the best team after its grand winning of the
Spanish League and champion League. And it had captured the team Trophy at the 2012
Laureus Sports Awards held at London.
Sportswomen Of The Year’ 2012 Vivan Cheruiyot
The Kenyan distance runner, Vivian Cheruiyot who had won the 5,00 and 10,000 titles at the
world championships last year was awarded with ‘sportswomen of the year award’ for the year
2012
Scot Sisters Named Oldest Living Twins
Guinness World Records had recognised 102yrs old Scottish sisters as the world’s oldest living
twins. Edith Ritchie and Evelyn Evie Middleton, Who hail from Aberdeenshine were born in
1909 neither of them had ever travelled outside of the UK.
Rajesh Roshan Honoured With Lata Manageshkar Award
The great Hindi film music composer Rajesh Roshan was honoured with the Lata Manageshkar
award by the M.P.Government on 8 Feb 2012 for the year 2011.
World’s Shortest Man
The 72 yrs old Nepali Chandra Bahadur Dangi, who is just 22 inches had been awarded as the
World’s shortest man and weighs just 12kilos. He would also be the world’s shortest human
adult to be alive. Guinness world records experts had confirmed it and they are to travel to
Dangi’s village.
54th Annual Grammy Awards
The 54th Annual Grammy A wards were held on 12 Feb 2012 at the Staple center in Los
Angeles. The British female singer, Adele won six golden gramophones for her Album, 21. The
other winners are -Album of the year 22-Adele; Record of the year, Rolling in deep by Adele;
song of the year; Adele; Best new artist; Bon Iver
British Academy Film Awards
The 65th Annual British Academy film awards, was held at the Royal Opera House in London
on 12 Feb 2012.Black & White silent movie, The artist won six awards, including best film, best
actor and best director. Best actress was awarded to Meryl Streep for her amazing acting as
former British Prime minister, Margaret Thacher in the Iron Lady.Some of the other winners
are best picture
Writer Ramdarash Mishra Selected For Vyas Samman
A noted Hindi writer Prof. Ramdarash Mishra was selected for the 21st Vyas Samman for his
poetry collection Aam Ke Patte published in 2004.
Prestigious Sahitya Akademi Award For A.P Teacher
A retired teacher from Adilabad district in Andhra Pradesh Mr.Samala Sadasiva had awarded
with the prestigious Sahitya Akademi Award in NewDelhi on 14 Feb 2012, as he considered a
pioneer in literature, music and philosophy. he got this award for his book “Swaralayalu” on
Hindustan music.
Jindal Prize For Kalam & Hedge
The former president A.P.J.Abdul Kalam, and former Lokayukta of Karnataka Justice
N.Santosh Hedge, had been selected for the S.R, Jindal prize for their contribution in their
fields. Mr. Kalam got the award for his contribution in science and technology. Mr. Hedge for
his exemplary service in social development.
US Humanities Medal For Amartya Sen
India’s Nobel prize winning economist Amartya Sen was honoured with the prestigious US
National Medal of Arts & Humanities award by U.S President Barrack Obama on 14 Feb 2012,
for his efforts to increase the understandings of fighting hunger and poverty.At the glittering
white house function.
Highest Serbia Award For Djokovic
World’s no-1 Tennis star Novack Djokovic of Serbia was awarded with the highest serbian
award,’Gold Star Of Karadjordje’ on 15 Feb 2012 it was conffered upon him by the Serbian
President Mr.Boris Attic
IOC Award For Manisha
Manisha Malhotra, a former Indian tennis player and Bussan Asian Games silver medalist on 16
Feb 2012 was chosen as winner of the IOC Women and Sports Awards World Trophy by the
International Olympic Committee for promoting women in sports.
100 yrs Old Frenchman Sets Cycling Record
Frenchman Robert Marchand had entered The Cycling Record Books in the one-hour event .
three months after celebrating his 100th birthday Marchand rode 24.251km around an indoor
track to establish the first ever hour performance in the 100yrs-plus category.
5 Oscar Awards For Film ” The Artist “
The 84th Academy Awards Ceremony/ Oscars was hosted by the Academy of Motion Picture Ajay Mittal and Shreya Singh created a new national record won gold medal in women’s double
Arts and Science ( AMPAS). The ceremony which took place at the Hollywood Highland center trap with a 12 points margin over Seema Tomer in the 55 th national short gun championship at
in Hollywood, California on 26 Feb 2012 honoured the best film and performances of 2011. The the Kavni singh shooting range Tuglakabad on Feb 1 2012 .
ceremony was hosted by Billy Cristal who hosted this ceremony for the ninth time. India won team Crown Golf Championship At Dhaka
Best Motion Picture: The Artist, India’s Manav Das and Khalin Joshi had won the ‘Team Title Of Bangladesh Open Ameteur
Best Director: Michel Hazanavicius, The Artist Golf Championships’ held at Kurmitola Golf club in Dhaka against Bangladesh team Sajib Ali
Best Actor : Jean Dujardin, The Artist and Dulal Hassain.
Foreign Language Film : A separation Egypt Defeated India 2-1 In 21 Squash World Cup
Original Screenplay: Woody Allen Egypt defeated India by 2-1 in the final of the SDAT-WSR under-21 Squash World Cup on 5
Best Actress : Meryl Streep, Iron Lady Feb 2012. Even after Ravi Dixit’s and Dipika Paliki fought hard to bring India back in
Adapted screenplay: Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon and JimRash contention but at last India lost the cup.
Best Supporting Actor :Christopher Plummer, Beginners, National Snooker Champ Mehta
Cinematography : Hugo. Aditya Mehta had won the National Snooker Championship title held in Pune by defeating
Art direction: Hugo Kamal Chawla.
Best Supporting Actress: Octavia Spencer, The Help . Stanlley Is Champion In Phoenix Open Golf
Original Score: The Artist. Kyle Stanley bounced back from a bitter defeat to won the Phoenix Open Golf Champion
Visual Effects: Hugo in Scottsdade, USA
Film Editing: The girl with the dragon tattoo. Pakistan Win’s The Test Series Against England
Sound mixing:Hugo. Pakistan had won the test match series against England by 3-0 on 6 Feb 2012held at Dubai.
Sound Editing: Hugo. Sania Won’s Women’s Tennis Title
Costume Design:The Artist Sania Mirza of India and Anastasia Rodinova of Australia won the Pattaya Open Women’s
Original Song: Man or Muppet, from Muppets. tennis title held in Pattaya on 12 Feb 2012
Make Up: The Iron Lady . Indian Archers Won 3 Gold Medals
Live Action Short Film:The Shore India had ended their campaign on a high in the individual sector of Asian Grand Prix Archery in
Animated Feature Film: Rango. Bangkok on 18 Feb 2012 by winning 3 gold, 3 silver, 1bronze medal. The Indian mixed recure
Animated Short: The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore. team of Jayanta Talukdar and L.Bombayla Devi took gold beating the Japanese team in the
Documentary Features: Undefeated. final. Rajat Chauhan and Jhano Hanshad combined well to give India the mixed compound team
Documentary Short: Saving Face. gold by beating the Myanmar.
M.P,Sikkim Gets Tourism Awards Russia‘s Isinbayeva’s New Olympic Record
The National Tourism Awards ceremony was inaugurated by the President Pratibha Patil in Russia’s Olympic champion Yelena Isinbayeva set a new indoor pole vault world record on 23
Newdelhi on 29 Feb 2012. Madhya pradesh state got best state for tourism infrastructure and Feb 2012 with clearance of 5.01m. Isinbayeva’s latest world record comes just over two weeks
best tourism film. Sikkim got the award for tourism infrastructure in the Northeast and best state out from the world indoor championships in Istanbul at 4.92m.
for clean India campaign. Ranwanska Won Eighth Career Title
Driverless Automated Train In Dubai Poland’s Agniezka Radwanska had won the Women Single’s Dubai Tennis Championship held
The Dubai Metro had made its to be the Guinness Book Of World Records, as the longest in Dubai on 25 Feb 2012 , beating Germany’s Julia Goerges and becoming world’s top five for
driverless metro network in the world, spanning 74.695km, officials announced on 21 Feb 2012. the time .
Toilet Revolution Award For M.P Woman Indian Hockey Team Qualified For London Olympic
Madhya Pradesh woman named Anitha Narre was awarded for leading ‘Toilet revolution’ on 16 Indian hockey team was qualified for the 2012 London Olympics beating France by 8-1 in the
Feb 2012 by the Sulab Sanitation , with cash worth of 5 Lakh. An Indian woman had been final match for qualifing tournament in NewDelhi on 26 Feb 2012.
rewarded for her bold decision to leave her marital home within days of her wedding to protest The world no-5 David Ferrer claimed his 13th carrier title by winning the Buenos Aires Open
the lack of toilets in the household. title on 26 Feb 2012.
The world’s no-5 tennis player Juan Martin Del Potro of Argentina had won Marseille open title
SPORTS & GAMES final by defeating Michael Liodra on 26 Feb 2012.
Ajay Mittal & Shreya’s Double Grab Gold In Short Gun
ECONOMY
Per Capita Income Has Raised
The per capital income in India has been raised up by 15.6% according to central statistical
office at the current prices during 2011-12 is estimated to be 60,972/-.The per capita income at
current prices is estimated at Rs. 53,331/-in 2010-11, as against Rs. 46,117/- for the previous
year 2010.
EU Carbon: Over-Flight Charges For India, Russia & China
India, Russia and China may consider imposing over-flight charges on European airlines, if
the European Union Continues with its plans of imposing a carbon tax on International airlines.
The tax came into force from 1 January 2012.There is growing acceptance between various
countries, including the US and Brazil, on imposing some restrictions on the EU if they continue
with their plans to impose the tax.
Food Grains Output To Hit Record High
India’s food grains productions expected to reach Record High in second successive year in
2011-2012, and aided by the above normal monsoon & improved productivity in eastern states
of Bihar and Jharkhand. According to the Government estimates, output of food grains to touch
250.42million tonnes as against the previous year’s harvest of 244.78million tonnes. The cotton
output to be at a record high of 34milllion bales of 170kg each as against previous year’s
3million bales.The rice output to be beat more at 102.75million tonnes, over last year’s
95.98million tonnes. The wheat output is higher at 88.3million tonnes, over last year’s
86.87million tonnes. Where as the pulses, oil seeds and coarse cereals are projected to dip. The
production of pulses dip by 5.26%,17.28million tonnes over last year’s 18.24million tonnes.
Output of turdal and red gram is lower at 2.72million tonnes last year’s 2.86million tonnes. The
oil seeds dip by 30.58million tonnes against 32.48million tonnes in the previous year’s.
GDP Growth To Hit Low Of 6.9%
India’s economy is expected to grow low by 6.9% in 2011-12, the slowest pace of expansion in
three years, dragged down by sluggish industrial growth and decline in the mining sector.
According to central statistics office showed growth in 2011-12 is estimated below by 7% to
7.5%.The Indian economy, Asia’s third largest, had been hit by stubbornly high inflation, high
interest rates, and a slowing global economy which emerged in last year.
Set Up Of National Centre For Cold Chain Development
The Government of India, on 9 Feb 2012 approved setting up of a National centre for cold
chain development, NCCD, as a society under the Societies Registration Act 1860 and
allocation of one time grant of Rs. 25crore as corpus fund had been released. The NCCD will be
having a governing council under the chairmanship of secretary with 22 members, covering
Government officials, confederation of Indian Industry, federation of Indian Chambers of
commerce & industries, FICCI and other stake holders. The move comes in the wake of post
harvest losses to the tune of 50000crore rupees annually in absence of proper storage facilities.
RBI Changed The Bank Rate To Rebuild It With (MSF) Rate
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on 13 Feb 2012 changed the bank rate, a medium term signal
rate after 9 yrs. The bank rate, a benchmark rate nine which RBI buys or re-discounts bills of
exchange or other commercial papers eligible for purchase, was hiked with immediate effect to
9.5% from 6%. The rate was raised with the objective to realign it with the marginal standing
facility MSF rate as a one-time technical adjustment to link it with the main policy repo rate
RBI Issued Circular For Development Of WLA’s
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on 14 Feb 2012 issued the draft circular for development of
White Label Automated Teller Machine (WLA’s) from non-banks entities. The central bank
also announced its plans. The central bank’s issuance of the draft reflected the bank’s intention
to accelerate the growth and penetration of ATM’s in the country. ATM’s rolled out by non-bank
will provide ATM service to consumers of all banks. WLA means ATM owned, run and
maintained by third parties on a contract basis from financial institutions.
Mumbai World’s Second Least Expensive City
A global survey had named two Indian cities the financial hub Mumbai and the national capital –
New Delhi, among the four least expensive places across the world. As per the worldwide
cost of living survey by economist Intelligence Unit ( EIU) Mumbai is the second least
expensive city globally, while New Delhi is ranked fourth. Karachi in Pakistan has been named
as the cheapest destination globally,which Zurich in Switzerland is the most expensive place
across the world.
PM’s Economic advisory Panel Projected 7.5% To 8% Growth Rate
The Prime Minister’s economic advisory panel projected 7.5% to 8% growth rate for the next
fiscal 2012-13 and the country is also expected to achieve a higher economic expansion if the
global environment turns favorable. While releasing the review of economy 2011-12 that the
growth rate in 2011-12 is likely to be 7.1%, marginally higher than 6.9%. projected by the
central statistical organisation (CSO).
RBI To Issue 5Rs Coin In Bhagat Singhs Name
The Reserve Bank of India’s RBI had made an announcement to bring out 5Rs coin devoted to
the legendary Martyr. A photograph of Bhagat singh and the words-Shaheed Bhagat singh birth
centenary 1907-2007 will be inscribed on one side of the coin.The two horizontal lined on
capital of Ashoka pillars and the value of denomination will be displayed. Figures 1907-2007
will be printed below the picture and the coin is made of iron and chromium will be of a 2.3mm
diameter.
First Nationwide Annual India Consumer Price Index Released
As per the first Nationwide retail inflation data was released by the centre of Statistical Office on
21 Feb 2012, inflation based on the all India consumer price index stood at 7.65% in Jan 2012.
The annual consumer price index CPI data released for the first time measured prices in major
food groups, fuel, clothing , housing and education across the rural and urban India . Overall
retail inflation in rural and urban areas stood at 7.38%.Consumer price inflation for rural India
was recorded at 7.38%, for urban India stood at 8.25%.
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
L G & Milagrow Enter Into Home Cleaning Robot
The two companies announced the launch of their domestic robotic cleaners. Signalling the
creation of a new product ’ niche ‘ within the vacuum cleaner segment .LG, the launch of its
comb-out prized Rs. 43,990.
US Engineers New Self-Guided Bullet
US Sandier National Laboratories Engineers had invented a bullet that directs itself to a target
like guided missile and can hit a target more than 1.6km away, it can move up to thirty
corrections per seconds while in the air. The bullet can twist and turns to guide itself toward a
laser-directed point.
Drought-Hit Mars Too Dry For Life
British scientists had concluded that Mars is too dry, a planet to host any form of life. An
analysis of soil, collected during the year 2008 NASA Phoenix Mission to Mars, by Imperial
college London had revealed that the red planet had experienced a super drought 600millions
years ago. The scientists had decided that there had been water present during a warmer period
lasting up to 5,000 years in past, but this would been too little time for life to establish itself on
the surface.
Two New Planets Found
Researchers had discovered a new planet some 22 light years from the Earth is the most likely to
hold water &possibly host life. It receives about 90% of the light that the Earth receives from
the Sun the new two planets named Kepler 34, and Kepler 35 each of which circling around its
own double Sun together with Kepler 16.
“World’s Highest Resolution” Lunar Images
China’s state administration of science, technology and industry for national defense on 6 Feb
2012, released a set of “World’s Highest Resolution” lunar images taken by its second moon
orbiter, Chang’e-2, and at it braces to launch its next missile to land a rover to explore its
surface.
Google Launch Camera Equipped Glasses
Google is going to launch a hi-tech glasses with in-built computer displays. Speculation is rife
that developed at Google’s secret Google X lab. The glasses will be armer with cameras, an
android operating system and could be on sale soon.
New Super continent In Arctic
Geologists at the Yale University in the US predicted that in the coming 50 to 200million years,
Australia may merge with India while all the countries may collide each other to form one
massive supercontinent.The Americas and Asia will drift Northward, closing off the Arctic and
Caribbean Oceans to merge around the North pole and form a super continent called Amesia.
Life Originated On Land Not In Oceans
Anew study claimed that the theory proposed by Charles Darwin on life’s origin was correct.
Drawin proposed that the life originated on land in a pound and not in the oceans. The study held
by the researchers at the Osnabruck university in Germany found that the first primitive cells
might have originated in pools of condensed vapour. This was caused by underground hot
water. The scientist discovered that the oceans did not contain the best balance of ingredients to
support life on Earth.
NASA Discovered Water On The Planet Called GJ1214b
Researchers at the Harvard Smithsonian Centre for Astrophysics discovered that the planet
GJ1214b was largely covered in water . They used Hubble space telescope to discover the
water on planet. GJ1214b was discovered in 2009 by the ground based MEarth. It is
approximately 2.7 times, Earth diameter and weighs almost 7 times as much as Earth. The
presence of water on the planet was confirmed when it crossed in front of its host star. The light
of the star glittered through the planets atmosphere, provided clues to the mix of gasses,
supporting the water vapour theory.
Tiny Lizard Called Brookesia Mirca Found
In Madagascas, one of the world’s tinest Lizards called Brookesia Mirca was found by
German researchers on 14 Feb 2012 It reaches a maximum length of 29mm. The
researchers also found three new species in the North of the Island, during daytime, the lizards
mostly live in the leaf litter in the day and at night climb up. The lizards were limited to very
small ranges and they are at risk from habitat disturbance.
Indian Black Eagle Was Spotted After 90 yrs
The Indian Black Eagle was spotted in the Aravali Biodiversity Park after a gap of 90 yrs The
bird was last seen in 1920-21 by Basin Edwardes.
Space Bug – A New Source Of Power
Scientists have discovered a type of space bacteria in British river which they could be used as a
new power source for the world. The Bacillus Strato sphericus, usually found more than 20
miles above the Earth, were spotted in the mouth of the river Wear in Sunderland. It is believed
that the bugs may had been brought to the surface by atmospheric cycling, which causes
evaporated water to rise into the stratosphere and then fall again.The organism is a particularly
potent form of bacteria which can be used in a microbial fuel cell to convert river waste into
power and clean water.
China Launches 11th Satellite To Bolster GPS system
China had successfully launched a satellite into space to bolster its indigenous global navigation
and positioning network known as Beidou. The satellite, launched from the Xichang satellite
launch centerin the southwestern Sichaun province,was boosted by a long march 3′c carrier
rocket into a geosynchronous orbit. It is China’s 11th homemade navigation satellite.
Arctic Sea Ice Decline Linked To Snowy Winter
Further evidence had found of a relationship between melting Arctic sea ice and wide spread
cold outbreaks in the Northern hemisphere could be used to improve seasonal forecasting of
snow and temperature anomalies.
PERSONS IN NEWS
a) Appiontments
AP Dr.For Royal College Of Surgeons Of Edinburgh
Dr.P.Raghuram had been appointed as the Honarary Secretary for the Royal Collage of Surgeons
of Edinburgh from Andhrapradesh .
New President For Maldives
Mohammed Waheed Hassan had been appointed as the new president of Maldives.
Abd- Rabbu Monsour Hadi had been appionted as the new president of Yemem on 25 Feb 2012.
b) Resigns
President of Maldives;Resigns
President of Maldives Mr.Mohamed Nasheed had resigned on 7 Feb 2012 against weeks of
protest which was against his decision he had accused of favouring oppositions.
Kuldip Nayar Quits Symbiosis
The veteran journalist and former Member of Parliament Kuldip Nayar had resigned as
professor emeritus at the symbiosis institute of media and communication.
World Bank Chief to Step down
World bank President Robert Zoellick had announced to step down from his position as his five
years term closes by June this year.
German President Quits trading.”This man is busting wall street” Bharara’s picture appeared in the latest edition of Time
German’s President Christian Wulff resigned on 16 Feb 2012 in a scandal over favors he magazine.
allegedly received before becoming head of state.
Space Scientist Narasimha Quits ISRO PLACES IN NEWS
The top aerospace scientist Prof Roddan Narasimha, who was a member of the B.C The world’s Tallest communications tower and 2nd largest highest building 6343m, had been
Chathurvedi committee probing Antrix- Devas deal, had quitted from the space commission to completed on 29 Feb 2012 , and named as Tokyo sky Tree in Tokyo of Japan.
protest against blacklisting of scientists, including former ISRO chief G.Madhavan nair. 6.8 Magnitude Earthquake In Philippine
James Murdoch Quits News International A 6.8 magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of the central Philippines on 6 Feb 2012, killing
James murdoch had resigned as executive chairman of News International, publisher of the times 44 people and causing widespread panic. The powerful earthquake hit in a narrow strait between
due to allegations that he attempted to cover up the scandal. the heavily populated island provinces of Negros and Cebu, causing severe damage to
c) Deaths property and lives.
Pop Music Legend Whitney Houston Passes Away
Whitney Houston, who was pop music queen with her majestic voice and had won six ABBREVIATIONS
Grammy awards in her glittery career had died on 11Feb 2012 in Los Angeles. S A S T I N D – State Administration of Science, Technology and Industry For National
Akhlaq Mohammad Khan Urdu Poet Passes Away Defense
A renowed urdu poet Akhlaq Mohammad Khan passes away in Aligarh on 13 Feb 2012 .He had NCLP- National Child Labour Project.
received the Jnanpith award for the year 2008. NADAP – The National Anti Doping Appeal Panel.
Anthony Shahid – Newyork Times Passes Away
Anthony Shahid Newyork time’s foreign correspondent and two time Pulitzer prize winner died BOOKS IN NEWS
in Eastern Syria on 16 Feb 2012, after suffered from severe asthma attack. He had covered Official Release Of Bangladesh Writer’s Book Release Was Cancelled
nearly two decades of middle east conflict and turmoil. The Bangladeshi writer Taslima Nasreen’s book releasing was cancelled at the 36 th
A Diplomat M.A.Vellodi Passes Away Kolkata International Book Fair on Feb 1 2012 . There had been a controversy about the
M.A.Vellodi, who was an Indian foreign service officer witnessed up-close several momentous promotion of the book, regarding the release of the seventh volume of her autobiographical
eventsin the 1960s and 1970s, died on 16 Feb 2012 in Chennai. series ( NIRBASAN ) exile . The Amar Ekushey Book Fair had launched the 7th volume of
Football Legend Manna Passes Away Taslima Nasreen’s autobiographical series Nirbasan (Exile) on 2 Feb 2012 in Dhaka where
Indian football former player who played bare footed, Sailendranath Manna. India’s first as the release of this book was banned by the West Bengal recently.
internationaloutgoing player at the London Olympics in 1948, had died on 27 Feb 2012 in Anisul Hoque’s Book On Bangladesh War Launched
Kolkata. Bangladesh High Commissioner T.Ahmad Karim & Dr.Karan Singh released Dhaka-based
Nair Service Society Chief Passes Away author Anisul Hoque’s latest book,Freedom’s Mother in NewDelhi on 4 Feb 2012
P.K.Narayana Panicker, president of the Nair Service Society died on 29 Feb 2012 in Kerala. Fidel Castro’s “Time Guerrilla” Book Released
d) Visitors Cuban leader 85yrs old, Fidel Castro released his two volumes of his memoir entitled
The Prime minister of Mauritius Mr.Navinchandra Ramloolam had visited India on 7 Feb 2012 “Time Guerrilla” in ceremony. The memoir’s trace his life from infancy until 1958 when he was
for his six days visit to sign slew agreements and for to provide frame work for cooperation. Cuban leader in 2006.
Defense Minister Antony To Visit Saudi Pakistani Writers Book Released In Hyderabad
In the first ever visit by an Indian defense ministry to Saudi Arabia, defense minister “Fatwar on Terrorism ” A book by Pakistan writer Muhammad Tahir ul Qudri, was launched in
A.K.Antony had visited on 13 Feb 2012 to discus on bilateral military ties in areas ranging from Hyderabad on 27 Feb 2012 by the former gudge.
training to jointexercises.
e) Miscellaneous DAYS & DATES
Face Book To Complete 8 yrs April 5 – National Maritime Day
Face Book a social utility net working had completed its 8 yrs journey, which had almost April 7 – World Health Day
84.5crore people as members in facebook. April 17 – World Hemophilia Day
Indian-American Appears On Time Cover April 18 – World Heritage Day
An eminent Indian-American Preet Bharara had made to be the cover of the prestigious Time April 22 – Earth Day
magazine for his crusade against wall street corruption and irregularities including inside April 23 – World Books & Copyright Day
April 25- World Malaria Day.
March 2012 Current Affairs Study Material
INTERNATIONAL
Nepal Calls For Help to Settle Mt Everest Height
Nepal is appealing to the international donors to help its finally settle, a long-running dispute
over the height of Mount Everest, according to a Government official. The World’s highest peak,
Which straddles Nepal and China, is usually attributed a height of 8,848 meters following an
Indian survey in 1954, but other an American team using GPS technology, recorded a height of
8,850 meters. Everest was first measured in 1856. In 2010, Nepal and China reached a
compromise under which Nepal measured the height of Everests snow cap at 8,848 meters and
China measured the rock peak at 8, 844 meters.
US Court Dismissed a Lawsuit Against, Sri Lankan President
A US federal Judge on 1 March 2012, dismissed a lawsuit filed against the Sri Lankan President
Mahindra Rajapaksa. The lawsuit alleged that the president Rajapaksa is responsible for human
right abuses occurred during the civil war in Sri Lanka.
25 EU States Sign Pact For Budget Discipline
All but two European Union Countries signed a fiscal pact to tighten budget discipline on 3
March 2012, making a coup for Germany that pushed for the accord to prevent a repeat of the
loose spending that led to economic crises. Only Britain and czech Republic did not sign the
agreements , under which all other countries in the 27- nation blocks are to write a golden rule
on balanced budget in national constitutions equivalent laws and automatic corrections
mechanism, if the rule is breached.
Britain Won’t Be Christian By 2030
Britain may no longer be a Christian country by 2030 as the number of non-believers is set to
overtake the number of Christians. Christianity is losing more than half a million believers per
years, while the count of atheists and agnosties is going up by almost 7,50,000 annually. The
number of Muslims has surged by 37%, Hindus by 43% and Buddhist by 74%.
China Develops Systems To Predict Earthquakes
Chines scientists claimed to have developed a system to monitor the movement of the Earth’s
crust and predict earthquakes. The new system will be based on satellite navigation involving a
network of 260 constant observing stations and 2,000 part time observing stations with data
processing technology. According to the officials of China Earthquake Administration, The new
system will be used for weather forecasting and scientific research, among their purposes.
US Sees Vatican As Hub For Hawalas
The Obama Administration for the first time has identified Vatican City as a potential hub for
money laundering along with 67 other countries. The state department Annual International
Narcotics Control Strategy Report (INCSR) identifies the 67 countries for money laundering or
other financial crimes.It looks at the national laws to fight financial crime, their enforcement as
well as the size of the banking sector. Major economics including the US, Britain and Japan are
identified as countries of primary concern for money laundering.
Forbes Rich List Of 2012
Maxican Tycoon Carlos Slim Helu retains his position as the World’s richest person. An all
time high 1,226billion worth a record $4.6trillion were counted this year. The second is Bill
Gates with 61.0billion, Warren Buffett in the third place with 44.0billion, the last three in top 10
are Stefan Persson with 26.0billion Li Ka Shing with 25.5billion and Kari Albrecht with
25.4billion.
Russia To Offer Air-Base To US
A new deal allowing the United States and its NATO allies to use a Russian air base for transit
of troops and military cargo to Afghanistan. It would help Russia’s own security, Russia’s
Foreign Minister said that the plan to permit the US and other NATO nations to use their air base
in the city of Ulyanousk on the Volga River will be considered by the Russian cabinet.
China, World’s Biggest Art, Antiques Marketer
China had overtaken the US as the World’s biggest market for art and antiques in 2011.
According to the report, China share of the global art market rose from 23% to 30% last year
pushing the US to second place with a share of 29%, UK with a share of 22% in third place and
France in fourth place with 6%.
Putin Wins Presidential Poll
Prime Minister Vladimir Putin had won for the third term as Russian President in the
Presidential elections held on 4 March 2012 and gets the highest percent of 63.6% votes in the
election.
Oil Discovered in Kenya
The President of Kenya, Mwai Kibaki said on 26 March 2012 that oil deposits had been
discovered in the country’s Northwest and first time in the East African nations. He cautioned
that commercial viability is still uncertain through it was good news for the country, but the
discovery was the beginning of a long journey before Kenya could become an oil producer. The
discovery was made in Kenya’s Turkana region, Neighbouring South Sudan and Uganda both
have oil industries. The discovery was made after exploratory drilling by Anglo-Irish firm
Tullow oil
Syria Accepts Kofi’s 6-Points Peace Plan
Syria had accepted UN Arab League envoy Kofi Annan’s six points peace proposal to end the
year long violence, a more which the former UN Chief Kofi Annan described as an important
initial step to taken by the Syria to fulfill.
Syria commits to work with Annan in a inclusive Syrian political process to address the
legislative aspirations and concerns of the Syrian people.
Syria commits to stop fighting and immediately stop troop movements and use of heavy
weapons in populated areas
Syria accepts and implements a daily two hours humanitarian pause to deliver aid and evacuate
the injured
Syria commits to intensify the pace and scale of release of arbitrarily detained persons and
provide a list of all places
Syria commits to ensure freedom of movement through out the country for Journalists and a non
discriminatory visa policy for them
Syria commits to respect freedom of association and the right to demonstrate peacefully as
legally guaranted
Beijing Begins Mapping Disputed In South China Sea
China having maritime disputes with several of its neighbours, said that it is mapping South
China sea (SCS) with an aim to step up exploration for oil and gas and reinforce its territorial
claims. The majority of the disputed water used to be beyond our reach because we seldom put
our claims into action. The Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told by drawing a map, the
country can reinforce its jurisdiction claims in the South China Sea, and further actions may
fallow, such as exploiting resources near the Nansha Islands.
Euro-zone Builds $1 trillion Financial Firewall For Larger Economies
The Euro zone nations have reached a deal to build up a massive 800billion euro ( around US
1.1trillion) financial firewall to present the two years old sovereign debt crisis from anguefing
larger economies such as Spain & Italy. The finance minister of the 17 nations using the single
currency agreed at the start of a two day meeting in Copenhagen to boost the fire power of euro-
zone’s financial bailout fund to 700billion euros.It will be done by bringing together the
temporary European financial stability facility mechanism (ESM) which has an initial funding
capacity of 500billion euros.
Coups In Mali Ousted Its President
Rebel troops in Mali ousted its president Amadov Toumani on 22 March 2012. The ousted
president Amadov Toumani Toure was due to leave office after elections on 29 April 2012 The
rebels slammed the government for failing to control an ethnic Tuareg insurgency in the
Northern part of Mali. The Tuareg insurgency includes fighters who supported Munnar Gaddafi
in Libya. USA suspended military and other funds directed to Mali Government.
INDIA & WORLD
India & China Move To Maritime Cooperation
India & China had decided to open a new bilateral cooperation by agreeing to undertake joint
operation against pirated and sharing technological know how on sea bed research. The maritime
cooperation proposals were made by visiting Chinese foreign minister Yang Jiechi. This
proposal was shared after Beijing was permitted by the international seabed Authority to explore
in South-west Indian ocean
India For Science Ties With Africa
India is making stronger scientific ties with Africa as science ministers from 31 African
countries had gathered in New Delhi on 1 March 2012. Minister of science & Technology,
VilasRao Deshmukh had Inaugurated the first ever India & Africa Science & Technology
conference and stressed the need to build bridges between the two scientific communities and
also enhance human resources in research and development.
India To Host Trade Show In Jakarta
The Union Commerce minister, Mr. Anand Sharma and Indonesia’s trade minister, Mr. Gita
Iranwan Wirjawan, will inaugurate the high profile Indian show being held in Jakarta, Indonesia
from 6-8 March 2012. Over 75 domestic corporates would participate in a fair as the two
countries aim to achieve a bilateral trade target of $25 billion by 2015 from the current $
16.6billion.
India, Iran To Step Up Ties In Renewable Energy
India and Iran had agreed to improve co-operation in the field of renewable energy. Both the
countries were called for stepping up bilateral ties and economic cooperation in tourism, cultural
exchanges and people to people contacts
BRICS Summit Set Pact For Trade
This important move could facilitate trade between Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa
in local currency. Two agreements had been linked at the Delhi summit level meeting of its
leaders. The agreements are non-binding and the leaders of these countries are to meet for the
BRICS summit scheduled to be held on 29 March 2012.
India & Colombia Signed Exchange Programme For The Years 2012-16
India & Colombia on 12 March 2012 signed a cultural exchange programme in New Delhi for
the years 2012-16. The CEP was signed in conformity with the provisions established
Government of India and the Government of Colombia, CEP was signed in Bogota, capital of
Colombia. The CEP includes areas such as cultural heritage, museum’s, Archives, exhibitions,
science Arts, Visual Arts, cinematography, Radio and Television, Music, Libraries, Book and
Literature, Creative Industrial and Editorial Industry for Cooperation. Both the nations have
agreed to set up a joint working group to look after the implementation of their programme
Turkey Seeks More Flights From Indian Cities
Turkey plans to not only to set up a consulate or appoint honorary consul in Hyderabad but it is
also seeking direct air connectivity between Hyderabad and Istanbul. Turkish ambassador said
that they had applied to the Indian authorities for direct air link. Turkey had also sought direct
connectivity with Chennai, Amritsar, Bangalore and Kolkata. The envoy was in town to pitch
Turkey as an Investment destination and woo Hyderabad based businessmen, from infrastructure
and realty sectors
World’s Most Ethical Firms; Tata & Wipro
The Ethisphere Institute’s Annual World’s Most Ethical Companies (WME) list revealed that
145 companies in countries including the US, Great Britain , Japan, Partuagal and India.
Ethisphere evaluated about 5,000 global companies, including those in Standard & Poor’s 500
index on reputation. India stood out for setting high standards of employees behaviour and
conduct. Tata Steel and Wipro had been named among the World’s Most Ethical Companies by
an American Ethical Institute recently
India, World’s Largest Arms Importer
India was the World’s largest arms importer between 2007 to 2011, according to latest data from
the Stockholm International Peace Research Institution (SIPRI) India accounted for 10% of the
global arms imports in 2007-11. SIPRI said on 19 March 2012 that the four next largest
recipients of arms in the same period were South Korea with 6%of arms tranfers, Pakistan 5%,
China 5% and Singapore 4%.
India to Vote Against Sri Lanka In UNHRC
P.M.Manmohan singh on 19 March said that India was inclined to vote in favour of a US-
sponsored resolution against Sri Lanka at the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in Geneva.
As regarding the issue of a draft resolution initiated by the United States at the on-going 19th
Session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva. The resolution, currently being drafted, has
two main components first, it asks the Sri Lankan Government to implement the report of its
own Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) ,accept some kind of UN
minitoring and report to the UNHRC secondly, UN monitoring efforts are on to watering down
the resolution but the Western countries are opposed to it
Indo- Israel FTA Likely To Be Concluded This Year
An Indo- Israel Free Trade Agreement (FTA) is expected to be concluded this year, paving the
way for further expansion in bilateral trade between the two countries, Mr,Muneer Akbaria
Consul-General, Consulate General of Israel said that the two countries on the FTA were at an
advanced level. At present the bilateral trade between both countries is $5billion, and is expected
to rise by 60% in next two years. The new areas identified for engagement included water
technology, agriculture, pharmaceuticals and life science. This trade meeting between both the
countries was held in Hyderabad on 19 March 2012
India To Face Sanctions By America
Along with India and other countries importing oil from Iran, could face sanctions by July, If it
did not significantly reduce such imports, the US State Department warned in a conference call,
that if such countries may have other kinds of sanctionable activities. The remarks raised brows,
as sanctions against countries such as India , China and South Korea appeared more imminent
and push for upping the ante against Iran through its 2012 National Defense Authorisation Act
(NDAA).
India Offers LNG Gas To Pakistan
After fuel, India is going to offer LNG natural gas to Pakistan to help the neighbouring country
tide over its gas crisis. State owned GAIL’s just commissioned natural gas pipeline from West
coast to Bhatinda in Punjab is barely 25km away from Pakistan border and the gas utility is
proposing that the line can be extended to Lahore in no time .
Iran To Import Major Farm Commodities From India
Iran is going to import four major farm commodities wheat,rice, sugar and tea from India. an
export body,the President of the Federation of Indian Export Organisation (FIEO) said, that Iran
had signed import contracts with India. and for also 1.25lakh tonnes of Soyameal, used as animal
feedstock. The shipment would be delivered in two months. Besides agricultural commodities
Mr. Ahmad said that the west Asian nation is also interested in purchasing of Pharmaceuticals
and auto components from India .
India, S.Korea to Have Defence Ties
There had been bilateral ties between the India and South Korea to boost up their economic ties
in conference held in Seoul. Both the nations had decided to step up cooperation in the defence
sector, which would include naval ship, aircrafts and ship building
Indian American In US State Legislature
An prominent Indian American politician and Deputy Speaker of New Jersey State Assembly,
Upendra Chivukula is all set to run for the house of Representative in the elections in November.
Mr. Upendra holds the proud distinction of being the first Indian American elected to the New
Jersey Legislature and only the fourth Indian -American to be elected to a state legislature
Indian Exploration In Vietnam Oil Blocks Normal
Asserting that China’s opposition to India is undertaking oil exploration in Vietnam blocks was
not in accordance with UN norms. Vietnam said the blocks are well within its sovereign
territory.maintaining the vietnam will only explore in areas accepted by international community
and that the oil blocks that India has been exploring is within the territory.
NATIONAL
Nine Indian Women In Forbes Magazine
The Indian women named in Forbes Magazine’s inaugural ‘Asia Power Businesswomen List’.
The list names 50 “Path Breakers” whose extraordinary business success is driving the region’s
remarkable economic rise.The list includes, ICICI Bank CEO& MD, Chanda Kochchar, Bincon
founder Kiran Mazumdar-shaw and film producer Ekta Kapoor, Britannia Industries MD
Vanitha Bali, HT Media chairman and editorial director Shobhana Bhartia , A2B& Partner
Founder & senior partner Zia Mody, Axis Bank CEO & MD Shikha Sharma and Tractor & farm
Equipment chairman Mallika Srinivasan. Youngest on the list is Ekta Kapoor 36 yrs.
LIC Launches Jeevan Vriddhi
Life Insurance Corporation Of India (LIC) on 1 March 2012, launched a single premium
insurance plan, Jeevan Vriddhi. This is a single premium non-linked insurance plan where the
risk cover is five times of the premium chosen by the offers excellent guaranteed returns at
maturity
Indian Men Among The Most Dissatisfied At Work
Indian men are among the most dissatisfied people at work across the world, according to a
report by Accenture, The Path Forward- research report stated that as much as 72% of men in
India are not satisfied with their job. Brazil tops the list with a figure of 74% men dissatisfied
with their jobs. Women cited lack of opportunities and heavy work loaded as reasons for
dissatisfaction in work, while inadequate pay was cited as the main reason for dissatisfaction by
men in their jobs. The overall job satisfaction in India stands at 34%. over 78% Indian women
proactively manage their carriers.
Base Price For Broadcast, Rised
BCCI of India had increased the base price for home international games in the new broadcast
rights, as they kept the base price at Rs. 31.25crore plus 1crore (that is Rs. 32.25crore) for an
international game for A category. And Rs 33crore, plus Rs1crore (Rs 34crore) for a game in B
category. The basic price for games will be declared in the tenders .
Asia’s Richest Man
Asia’s richest man was Hong Kong’s Li ka Shing stood top with worth of 25.5billion, in second
richest Asian on the Forbe’s list in India was Mukesh Ambani with 22.3billion.
India To Spread A Multi Modal Transportation Network
India is making a concerned push into Central Asia by taking charge of a crucial transportation
network through Iran into Central Asia and beyond. 14 stakeholder countries in the region in
January, experts from all countries will meet in New Delhi on 29 March to put final touches to
the project known as the” International North-South Corridor” .The project envisages a multi
modal transportation network that connects ports on India’s West coast to Bandar Abbas in Iran
than over land to Bandar Anzali port on the Caspian sea, thence through Rasht and Astava on the
Azerbaizer border onwards to Kazakhstan and further onwards towards Russia. Once completed
this would connect Europe and Asia , which serves economic and strategic interests of all states
concerned
Tata Steel Topped The List Of Most Admired Indian Brand
A survey conducted by Fortune India and Global Management Consultancy Hay Group,
which was released on 13 March 2012, revealed that Tata Steel as the most admired brand in
India. Several factors corporate, governance and financial make this brand in top most.
55.5% New Cases Of Leprosy Recorded In India
According to the Government, about 55.5% of new leprosy cases were identified in 2010 in
India. Minister of Health and Family welfare Ghulam Nabi Azad said that, of the total 2,28,474
new leprosy cases detected World wide in 2010, India contributed 1,26,800 cases which is about
55.5% of the global disease burden. The minister is now concentrating on achieving elimination
of leprosy at district level during the 12th plan( 2012-17)
112 Government Websites Hacked
Government websites are turning out to be soft targets for hackers. In the last three months alone
more than 112 websites, including the planning commission, the finance minister and
Government agencies were hacked. Minister of state for communication and IT Sachin Pilot
declared.
Indian Rotocraft to be Produced Near RGIA
Indian Rotocraft, a joint venture of Tata sons and Augusta Westland, had decided to set up a
facility near the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA) here to assemble, customise and
flight -test helicopters for World wide markets. The joint venture, with capacity of 30 units a
year, will initially start producing the 8 seat AW119ke light helicopter with production expected
to be from the middle of next year. This is the second chopper producing facility in city after
Tata -Sikorsky joint venture
5 Crore People Moved Out Of Poverty- Govt
Data released by the Planning Commission of India on 19 March 2012 showed that poverty had
significantly declined between 2004-05 and 2009-10. The new estimates are based on a poverty
line that averages Rs.672.8 per month (Rs 22.43 per day) in rural areas and Rs 857.6 per month(
Rs 28.65 per day in urban areas for 2009-10. Poverty down by 7.3% points to 29.8% in 2009-10
from 37.2% in 2004-05. Rural poverty declined faster down 8%points to 33.8% from 41.8%.
Woman Share In Husband’s Property After Divorce
Making amendment in Marriage Act for women, the Union Cabinet on 23 March 2012 approved
a Bill seeking to give a woman share in her husband’s property after divorce. The quantum of
share however will be decided by the courts on a case by case basis, while a wife can oppose a
husband’s plea for divorce, but husband will have no such rights to oppose if the wife moves the
court on the same. Apart from this it also aims at giving equal rights to adopted children on a par
with biological off-spring in case the parents go for divorce.
Nation’s First Vaccine Park
The Finance Minister had given its approval to set up the country’s first integrated vaccine park.
The Rs. 594crore park spread over 100 acres at Chengalpattu near Chennai will produce, all six
primary vaccines used in the country’s Universal Immunization Programme (UIP), besides
manufacturing several new generation vaccines.India’s UIP is one of the largest in the world that
targets 2.7crore infants and 3crore pregnant women every year. the main intention was to
establish vaccine security in India.
NTPC Board Approved Rs. 17,000crore Investment In Projects
The National Thermal Power Corporation Ltd (NTPC) board on 30 March 2012 approved an
investment of over 17,000crore rupees in two power projects in Maharashtra. The projects would
have a total generation capacity of 2540mw. The NTPC board approved the investment for the
Mouda Super Thermal Power project and Solapur Super Thermal Power project.
IRDA Notified Revision Of Premium Rates For Motors
The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDA) notified in March 2012
that premium rate for motor third party liability only cover will undergo an upward revision
bringing 1 April 2012. IRDA listed the third party liability premium rates for vehicles of assorted
categories. The premium rates calculated on the basis of a specified formula is to be notified
every financial year by the IRDA. The ratio for 2012-13 were calculated by using the average
growth rate in severity assuming that the average frequency remains instant.
SEBI Decided Guidelines For Algorithmic Trading
The securities and exchange board of India (SEBI) on 31 March 2012 issued board guidelines on
algorithmic trading based on recommendations of technical advisory committee and secondary
market advisory committee (SMAC) SEBI decided to enforce board guidelines for algorithmic
trading in the securities market. The market regulator decided stock exchanges to undertake
system up gradation, including periodic up gradation of its surveillance system so as to keep
pace with the speed of trade and volume of data that may rise through algorithmic trading.
Infosys Co- Founder Narayana Murthy Named In The Fortune List
Infosys co- founder N.R.Narayana Murthy got his name figured in the list of 12 greatest
entrepreneurs of our time. The list published by the Fortune magazine on 28 March 2012 was
prepared considering the economic and social impact and world changing vision of entrepreneurs
other famous personalities who got their names included in the list are Steve Jobs of Apple, who
topped the list, Bill Gates in second and followed by Fred Smith
Union Cabinet Approved Credit Risk Guarantee Fund Trust
The Union cabinet on 23 March 2012 approved the setting up of a credit guarantee fund trust
with an initial corpus of Rs 1200crore to with an objective to encourage housing for low- income
groups in India. The scheme will work on the key principle that the lender shall secure loans to
construct and upgrade low income housing purely on the assets financed, without any other
collateral. The trust is to be set up under the Indian trust Act and the Ministry of Housing.
IIT Madras Students To Sign “Honour Code”
In a first of this kind move, over 7,000 Madras IIT students studying various courses & staying
in 17 hostels decided to sign an Honour Code. The honour code makes students take a written
pledge that they would attend classes regularly, study well, be friendly with others, maintain
personal hygiene and cleanliness. This will bring a sense of accountability among students and it
will also deal with how they go about acquiring knowledge, besides their behaviour inside the
campus.
STATES
Hyderabad City Aims To Set Record With Sky Lanternns
On 25 March, the Hyderabad city sky would be lit-up with thousands of sky lanterns, just like
that sense out of the popular animated movie Tangular, when the maiden Hyderabad sky lanterns
festival gets under way at Gachibowli stadium. The event is also an attempt to make it to the
Guinness Book Of Records. And break the current record for the most number of sky lanterns
recorded is 10,000 plus accomplished in Indonesia in 2009. To break that record 8,000 people
participated in flying 12,000 lanterns at Hitek in Hyderabad .and a New Guinness World Record
has been created at last.
Bangalore City Station Boost Of BluFi
The Bangalore city Railway Station on 2 March 2012 became the first in the railway network to
offer Blu-Fi, combination of Blu-tooth and Wi-Fi that will provide passengers with a wealth of
information .The facility was launched by Railtel corporation of India in collaboration with
TeleBrahma. Bangalore being India’s IT capital, it deserves to be the first in the country to offer
the facility.
Uttarakhand Became The Ninth Indian State For e-Stamps
Uttarakhand Government on 2 March 2012 introduced e-stamping in the state, which would
ensure a secure way of paying non-judicial stamp duty to the Government. Uttarakhand is the
ninth state in the country to implement the stamping service. In the first phase, e-stamping is set
to be introduced in the four districts of Dehradun, Haridwar,Udhamsingh nagar and Nainital. e-
stamps would be sold through the branches of Punjab National Bank in these districts.
New CM for Punjab, Uttarakhand, Uttarpradesh.Goa and Manipur states
Akali dal leader Mr. Parkash Singh Badal had been appointed as the new chief minister for
Punjab for the second time.Vijay Bahuguna, a high court retired judge had been appointed as
chief minister of Uttarakhand by the Congress party.and Akilesh yadav had been elected as the
new chief minister of Uttar pradesh.Okram singh Ibobi was appointed as the new chief minister
of Manipur for the third time after the congress won elections in the state. And Mr. Manohar
Parrikar was appointed as the chief minister of Goa state.
T.N To Move For Kudankulam Project
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalitha on 19 March 2012 solved to take steps for the early
commissioning of the nuclear plant in Kudankulam. The cabinet also decided that a Rs 500crore
package of development works should be taken up in Kudankulam with regards to the local
fishermen’s welfare
IOCL To Set Up LNG Terminal In Chennai
Indian Oil Corporation Ltd had signed an agreement with the Tamil Nadu Industrial
Development Corporation for setting up of 4,500crore LNG terminal in Chennai.
Four States Signed For MoU
Four states namely Jharkhand, Mizoram, Sikkim and Lakshadweep on 16 March 2012 signed
MoU with the Ministry of Statisitics and Programme Implementation under the Indian Statistical
Strenghthening Project (ISSP) for the states and Union Territories.
CONFERENCES
The 50th Anniversary Celebration of (AARDO)
The Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has inaugurated the 50th anniversary celebrations of Afro
Asian Rural Development Organisation (AARDO) on 5 March 2012 in New Delhi. The
members of the countries to work together and to build a favourable international regime axis
funds and green technologies for rural growth. This organization consists of 15 African and 14
Asian countries
International Conference of BRICS
Delegates from Russia, China and South Africa arrived at the International conference on New
World Economic Order organised at Gitam University in Visakhapatnam on 10 March 2012.
BRICS was firmly committed to the common interests of the countries and strengthens the role
of emerging markets and developing countries in global economic governance
Turkey World Trade Bridge Business Summit
A seven days Turkey World Trade Bridge International Business Summit is going to be
organized by the confederation of Businessman and Industrialists of Turkey (TUSKON) and the
Indo-Turkish Business Association (ITBA) from 3 June to 10 June 2012 in Istanbul. More than
15 Hyderabad businessmen are expected to participate in the summit. The envoy said that
Turkey was also seriously pursuing a free trade agreement (FTA) or economic partnership
agreement (EPA) with India to accelerate bilateral trade that hit a historic high of $7billion last
year.
World Telugu Conference At Thrirupati
The Andhra Pradesh state Government had decided to conduct the third Telugu Conference in
December in Thirupati as proposed earlier. The previous conference, which held at Hyderabad
and Kuala Lumpur which focused mainly on Telugu language and culture. The meet would be
highlights the strides made by the Andhra Pradesh over the years.
Two days 2nd Nuclear Security Summit In Seoul (NSS)
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has taken part at the two days Nuclear Security Summit that
will be attended by 53 leaders and five international organisations, which held at Seoul in South
Korea. The meeting will discuss the threats posed by the nuclear terrorism and the measures
required to prevent terrorists from gaining access to sensitive nuclear material &
technologies, calling Nuclear terrorism as one of the most challenging threats to international
security, the 2012 Seoul Nuclear Security summit had outlined a number of steps the world
should take to secure vulnerable nuclear material.
All countries should sign up to international treaties on nuclear security like the Convention on
the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material ( CPPNM), its 2005 amendment and the
international convention for the suppression of nuclear terrorism.
Countries with resources should contribute more to the IAEA’s Nuclear security fund
Countries should minimize the use of highly enriched uranium (HEU) for civilian purposes
Countries should secure all radioactive sources
Nuclear safety and nuclear security measures should be designed, implemented and managed in
nuclear facilities in a coherent and synergistic manner
Countries should consider appropriate plans for the management of spent nuclear fuel and
radioactive waste
Action oriented coordination to combat illicit trafficking urged on all, consistent with national
laws and regulations
Countries should work with one another to develop and enhance nuclear forensis capabilities
Countries encouraged to develop a nuclear security culture
Attention must be paid to information security, preventing non-stake actors from obtaining
information required to get or use nuclear materials as a weapon or to hack into IT-based
security and safety systems at nuclear facilities
World Summit On Accreditation
India, the independence accreditation agency organized its 1st world summit on Accreditation
from 25 -28 March 2012 in New Delhi.( WOSA )world summit on Accreditation would bring
together Indian and global leaders in Technical, professional education, educational
Administration,Policy makers and regulatory bodies, corporate and Industry .WOSA- 2012 has
been inaugurated by the Honourable union minister for education Mr.Kapil Sibal.
23rd Arab Summit In Baghdad
The 23rd Arab summit was held on 29 March 2012 Baghdad, half of the Arab world’s 22 heads
of states had to meet for the summit in former president Saddam Hussain’s palace, but only few
leaders gathered. It was the first summit to be held following the people’s power movement.
Syria’s crisis topped the agenda for the Arab summit and discussed about the turmoil in Iraq’s .
“Indian Aviation 2012″ At Hyderabad
The international exhibition-cum conference “Indian Aviation 2012″ held at Hyderabad from 14-
18 March 2012. A special postal stamp was released on the eve of completing hundred years of
Indian Aviation
Two-Day National Agricultural Conference
Two-day national agricultural conference held at New Delhi. Eminent scientist and higher
authorities from all over the country participated in this conference
The Fourth BRICS Summit
The fourth BRICS summit was held in New Delhi on 29 March 2012, the theme of the summit
was BRICS partnership for global stability, security and prosperity. At the end of the summit a
draft was released as ‘ Delhi Declaration’. In that declaration the BRICS countries decided to
work together on internal trade in local currencies and to establish BRICS bank. The president of
Brazil, Dilma Rousseff, The president of Russia Dmitry Medvedev, The Prime minister of
India, Manmohan singh, The president of China Hu Jinton and President of South Africa, Jacob
Zuma were participated in the summit.
AWARDS & HONOURS
Chinese Architect Bags Pritzker Prize
For the first time Pritzker Architecture Prize, considered as the Nobel Prize in architecture, had
been awarded to Wang Shu a Chinese, for ” producing an architecture that is time less “, deeply
rooted in the context and yet universal. The Prize includes a $ 100,000 grant, a citation
certificate and a bronze medallion
MANNU To Honour, Gulzar, Former Chief Justice
Filmmaker & Lyricist Gulzar and former chief Justice of supreme court A.M Ahmadi along with
two other eminent personalities would be honoured with D.Lit (Honour’s Causa ) by the
Maulana Azad National Urdu University (MANNU) during its fourth convocation on 3 March
2012.
Sahitya Akademi Prize For Young Writer
V.Gangadhar, an upcoming telugu writer of Rayalaseema had received the Sahitya Akademi
Yuva Puraskar for the year 2011, for his compilation of short stories “Molakala Punnami”
101 Years Old Woman Set World Record
A 101 years old Mary Hardison, Utah woman is being honoured with a world record for a
Paraglide Ride and entered into Guinness Book of World Records. The previous record was set
by 100 years woman
59th National Film Awards
The 59th National awards had been announced on 7 March 2012 in New Delhi.
Best Feature Film -’ Del’ (Marathi) and ‘Byari’ (Karnataka)
Best Actor- Girish Kulkarni
Best Actress – Vidya Balan ( The Dirty Picture)
Best Editing – Pravin K.L (for Aranyakandam)
Best Special Effects – Ra.one
A.P Woman Gets Sthree Shakti Puraskar
President Pratibha Patil had presented the Devi Ahilyabai Holkar Award to Hypno Padma
Kamlakar from Andhra pradesh during the Sthree Shakti Puraskar 2011 in New Delhi held on 7
March 2012.
International Women of Courage Awards
On March 8 2012 International Women’s Day Secratory of states Hillary Clinton and first lady
Michelle Obama honoured 10 women from around the world.
Shad Begum of lower Dir women of Pakistan received the 2012 international women of courage
award for bravely working for women in a deeply conservative areas
Afghanisthan provincial council woman Maryam Durani, for her works towards economic
equality
Saudi Arabia’s Samar Badawi for her work preparing legal challenges to law restricting
women’s rights to many works
Brazil’s police Major Pricilla De Oliveira Azevedo for working to improve health care &
education
Myanmar’s political activist Zin MarAung to promote democracy & the right of ethnic
minorities
Turkish Parliamentarian Safak Pavey for promoting the rights of the physically disabled women
& minorities
Maldives Aneesa Ahmed for eliminating domestic violence
Libya’s Hana El Hebshi for helping properly document the violence of her country’s resolution
Colombian Jineth Bedoya Lima in pushing for Justice in unsolved case of sexual and gender
based violence
Sudan’s Hawa Abdallah Mohammed Salih for defending the rights of differences and in
particular rights of women & children
Kuchipudi Dancer Anjana In Indian Book of Records
Ajana Thomas , an eight class student had entered the Indian Book of Records by performing
Kuchipudi dance from Timmapur in Dubbak mandal to Siddipet on 12 March, walking the
dance which began at 5am, completed at 1 pm
Indian American Wins Science Talent Search
An Indian-American teenager Nithin Reddy Tumma topped the Intel Science Talent Search and
also two other Indian Americans Neet Patel from Florida, Anirudh Prabhu from Indiana had
been in the top.Tumma had won the prestigious Science Talent Competition in the US for his
research on devising a more effective and less toxic breast cancer treatment.
Chameli Devi Jain Award
Chameli Devi Jain Award for 2012 was awarded to Tusha Mittal on 13 March 2012 in New
Delhi for her outstanding women mediaperson for reporting of life in the raw at the margins in
deep interior states like, Bengal, Orissa and Chhattisgarh
Dr. Burgula Award For Babu Rao Varma
Freedom fighter and former member of National Commission for Backward Classes, B.Babu
Rao Varma was awarded with Dr. Burgula Ramakrishna Rao, who was the first Chief minister of
Hyderabad state . this award was given on 14 March 2012 by the state Government.
NTR Award For Sharada
Veteran actress Sharada had been awarded the NTR National Award for the year 2010 which
was announced by the state Government of Andhra Pradesh on 19 march 2012
Indian NGO Selected For US Award
An Indian NGO, Chintan had been chosen for American first innovation awsrd for the
empowerment of women and girls, for training and organizing waste pickers and eliminating
child labour from recycling
Gram Ratna Award For Andhra Pradesh
Kotala Gram Panchayat of Chandragiri Mandal, Chittoor district of Andhra Pradesh had won the
Central Government Gram Ratan Award. It has won the award for showing the best results in the
development of Panchayat.
Hungarian Mathematician Gets 2012 Abel Prize
The prestigious Abel Prize of the Norwegion Academy of Science and Letters for the year 2012
had been awarded to Hungarian Mathematician Endre Szemere’de of the Alfred Renyi Institute
of Mathematics, this award was given for his fundamental contributions to discrete mathematics
and Computer science
Phalke Award For Soumitra Chaterjee
Veteran Bengali actor, Soumitra Chaterjee has been honoured with the Prestigious Dadasaheb
Phalke award for lifetime contribution to Indian cinema.
Bangladesh Govt To Honour 47 Indian’s
The Bangladesh Government has decided to honour 132 foreign leaders, intellectuals, cultural
personalities and organisations who helped in the country’s Liberation war of 1971. The list of
people to be honoured includes 47 Indian’s. The honour was conferred on 27 March 2012. The
Indian’s who has been awarded include Sachindra lal singh, Rajeshawar Rao, Siddhartha
Shankar Ray, P.A Sangma, Justice Sadat Abul Masual, Dr. Karan singh, Maharani Biva Kumari
Devi, Field Marshal Sam manekshaw, Lt Gen Jagjit singh Aurora, Lt Gen Jacob, Lance Nayek
Albert Ekka.
Tamil Writer To Honour With Saraswati Samman
The K.K Birla Foundation announced on 22 March 2012, its decision to honour Tamil writer
A.A.Manavalan with the 21st Saraswati Samman for his book on Ramayana.
Dalai Lama Winner Of World’s Leading Religion Prize
The John Templeton Foundation on 29 March 2012 decided to honour Tibetan Buddhist
Spirutual Leader, the Dalai Lama with one of the world’s leading religion prizes called ,
‘Templeton Prize’ for 2012. The Buddhist leader who lives in exile in India had won the Nobel
prize in recognition of his work on science & religion. The Templeton prize to be presented to
him on 14 May 2012 at St. Poul’s Cathedral in London is a $1.7million award.
SPORTS & GAMES
Lahiri Qualifies For British Open Golf
India will have a representation at the British Open after two years, as the Anirban Lahiri shot a
final round five under-par 67 had won the top honours at the International Final Qualilfy (IFQ)
on 2 March 2012 in Chonburi. The open championship will be played at the Royal Lytham St.
Annes from 19 to 22 July 2012. .
Bhupathi-Bopanna Wins Dubai Doubles Finals
The Indian pair Rohan Bopanna & Mahesh Bhupathi had won the doubles finals of the Dubai
tennis Championships held in Dubai by defeating Mariusz Fyrstenberg and Marcin Malkowski.
It was the fourth Dubai title for Bhupathi, and sixth title for Bopanna.
Roger Federer Wins Single men’s Dubai Tennis Championship
Roger Federer of Switzerland had won the single men’s Dubai tennis championship by defeating
Andy Murray of Britain held on 3 March 2012 in Dubai for the fifth time . It was the 72nd title
for Federer
Indian Women Wins Kabaddi World Cup
India clinched the first women’s kabaddi world cup championship title by defeating Iran by 25-
19 in the final played at Patliputra in Patna on 4 March 2012.
Irishman became The World No.1 In Golf
Rory Mcllroy, a Northern Irishman who won the US PGA tour’s Honda Classic on 4 March
2012, to be the golf’s world number one ranking after defeating Tiger Woods former world’s no
-1.
Anderson Wins Delray Tennis Championship
South African Kevin Anderson beats Aussle Qualifier Marinko Matosevic on 4 March 2012 and
won the ATP Tour’s Delray Beach International Tennis Championship Title held in
Johannesburg. This is the second career title for Anderson.
Justin Rose Wins The Cadillic Golf Championship
Justin Rose had won the Cadillic Championship Golf title on 11 March held in Miami and
defeated Bubba Waston . Rose captured his 10th global title and his first in an elite world golf
championship
Women Doubles All England Title For Chinese
World no-2 Tian Qing & Zhoe Yun Lei of China had won the Women’s Doubles All England
championship title for 2012 by defeating world no-1 Wang Xiaoli & Yu Yang held at Britain on
11 March 2012.
Men’s Doubles All England Title For Korea
World’s no-2 Jung Jae Sung and Lee Yong Dae of Korea had won the Men’s doubles All
England Championship for 2012 by defeating world’s no-1 Cai Yun and Fu Haifeng of China on
11 March 2012 held in Britain.
Chinese Lin Dan Cliams All England Title
Chinese Lin Dan had won his fifth All England Open men’s single championship title on 11
March 2012 by defeating Lee Chong Wei held in Britain
Li Xuerui Won Women’s All England Single Title
Chinese Li Xuerui had won the All England Open Women’s single championship title on 11
March 2012 by defeating Wang Yihan of China held in Britain
Sachin’s Century of Centuries
Sachin Tendulkar’s incredible cricket journey reaches a momentous destination at Mirpur in
Dhaka on 16 March 2012. The master hero of cricket became the first cricketer to make up 100
international centuries. This hundreth century was scored against Bangladesh in the Asia Cup
ODI Tournament. The 38 years old Tendulkar had made a magical collection of 51 tests matches
and 49 ODI hundreds, he made his 99th century against South Africa in Nagpur on 12 March
2011.
Saina Retains Swiss Open Crown
Saina Nehwal had won her first title of the season, she retained the Swiss Open Grand Prix Gold
Trophy with straight game victory against China’s Wang Shixian, World no. 5 in the summit
clash at Basel, Switzerland on 18 March 2012.
Kenyan Wins Seoul Marathon
Kenyan Rookie Wilson Loyance Erupe ran to a surprise victory on 18 March 2012 in the Seoul
Marathon, by setting a new record. The 24 years old crossed the finishing line in 2 hours five
minutes 27 seconds breaking the previous record of 2 hours six minutes 49 seconds set by
SylvesterTeimet in 2010
McLaren’s Wins The Australian Grand Prix Racing Championship
McLaren’s Jenson Button had won the Australian Grand Prix Openig Race Championship on 18
March 2012 held at Melbourne. This was his 13th career victory
Donald Wins US PGA Golf
Luke Donald of England reclaimed the World no-1 ranking by defeating Rory Mcllory by
winning the US PGA Transitions Championship on 18 March 2012 in Palm Harbour, Florida
Victoria Azarenka Wins The BNP Paribas Women’s Title
Victoria Azarenka of Belarusian World no-1 ranked had won the BNP Paribas Women’s Open
Single title at Indian Wells in California, defeating Maria Sharapova world’s no-2 on 19 March
2012 .It was just two months after Victoria had won the Australian Open title and this was her
fourth title of the year
Federer Win’s The BNP Paribas Men’s Title
Switzerland’s Roger Federer had won the men’s single title in the BNP Paribas Open Tennis
tournament at the Indian Wells in California by defeating John ISner of US on 19 March 2012
Spanish Duo Wons Doubles Title
Spanish duo of Rafael Nadal and Marz Lopez had won the Men’s Double Title in the BNP
Paribas by defeating the American pair of John Isner and Sam Querrey on 18 March 2012
American Pairs Wins Women’s Doubles Title
The American pair of Lisa Raymaond and Leizel Huber had won the Women’s Double Title of
BNP Paribas at the Indian Wells in California.
A.P Archer To Represent India At World Cup
Jyothi Surekha from Andhra Pradesh Volga Archery Academy Trainee, after bagging hat rick of
medals in the National Archery events, had made her way into the Indian Compound Women’s
team for the World Cup (stage I) to be held at Shanghai (China) from 10 to 15 April 2012.
Pakistan Wins Asia Cricket Cup Finals
Pakistan had won the Asia Cricket Cup by defeating Bangladesh by two runs in Dhaka on 22
March 2012
Eight Medals For India In Nepal
Indain weight lifters had won ten medals, including eight golds in the inaugural of South Asian
Weightlifting Championship held at Nepal
Mary, Saritha Win Gold At Asian Championship
Five time world champion M.c Mary Kom and L.Sarita Devi on 25 March 2012 won gold
medals in the sixth Asian Women’s Boxing championship in Ulaanbaatar in Mongolia. Mary
defeated world champion Ren Cancam of China, while Sarita defeated Chorieva Mavzuna of
China
Alonsa Wons The Malaysian GP
Spain’s Ferrari Fernando Alonsa, a two time world champion had claimed his first victory in
eight months by winning the Malysian Grand Prix at Sepang in Malaysia .
Indo, Czech Pair Wins ATP Miami Doubles Title
Indo, Czech pair of Leander Peas and Radek Stepanek claimed the doubles title of Miami
Masters on 31 March 2012. Peas by winning the Miami title took the total number of his career
titles to 50. The pair had defeated the world no-1 pairing of Americans Bob and Mike Bryan held
at Florida.
Radwanska Wins ATP Women’s Single Title
Agnieszka Radwanska on 31 March 2012 defeated Russian tennis star Maria Sharapova to clinch
ATP Miami Masters Women’s Single title held in Florida.
ECONOMY
Country’s First Infrastructure Debt Fund Launched
Four banking and financial services giants ICICI, LIC,Citicop Finance and Bank of Baroda on 5
March 2012 joined together to launch India’s first Infrastructure debt fund (IDF) to be structured
as a non- banking finance company. This (IDF) was signed in the presence of the finance
minister, Mr.Pranab Mukerjee. The company will have initial equity share of Rs capital of 300
crore
Brazil Economy Overtakes UK
Brazil claimed that the UK’s spot as the largest economy globally, after official figured its
economy rose by 2.7% last year against the UK’s 0.8%. France remains in fifth place behind
Germany, Japan, China and the US. The per capita income of Brazillian’s is at $11,000 per head.
RBI Cuts CRR By 75 bps
The Reserve Bank Of India on 9 March 2012, cut the cash reserve ratio by 75 basis points. The
move to cut the amount of cash that banks need to perk with RBI was from 5.50% to 4.75% of
deposits is aimed at easing the persistent liquidity crunch being faced by banks
World Bank Okays $ 50 million Credit For Assam
The World Bank has approved a $50-million additional credit for an ongoing agricultural project
in Assam. The Assam agricultural competitiveness project aims at the increasing the
productivity, profitability and market access of the farming community in the state.
Indian Railway Budget 2012-13
The Indian Railways run the fourth largest railroad network in the world spread over some by
64,000km, with 12,000 passengers and 7,000 freight trains each day from as many as 7,083
stations to carry 23million travellers and 2.65million tonnes of goods. Former Union Railway
Minister Mr. Dinesh Trivedi, who presented his Railway Budget for the financial year 2012, had
proposed 8.33% raise to improve the state of rail finance.
Railways plan to barrow Rs. 15,000crore from the market.
Gross rail traffic targeted to increased by Rs.28.635crore to Rs. 1,32,552crore in 2012-13.
To hire more than one lakh persons in 2012-13.
All unmanned level crossing to be abolished in the next five years.
2paise per km for subarbun and ordinary second class, 3paise per km for mail-express second
class, 5paise per km for sleeper class, 10paise per km for AC chair car, AC 3tier and first class,
15paise per km for Ac 2 tier 30paise per km for AC1 tier.
Minimum fare and platform ticket to cost Rs. 5
75 new express trains to be introduced, along with 21 new passengers services, nine DEMU
services and eight Memu service trains.
Outlay of Rs.60,100crore during 2012-13
Passenger earning to increase to Rs. 36,200crore.
Indian Railway Station Development Corporation to be set up to redevelop stations and maintain
them like airports.
The open discharge toilets on trains to be replaced with green toilets.
Double decker container trains to be introduced.
Steps to improve cleanliness and hygiene on trains and stations.
A special house keeping body to be set up to take care of both stations and trains.
To set up an independent Railway Safety Authority as a statutory body.
On-board passengers displays indicating the next halt station and arrival time to be introduced.
Introduction of regional cuisine, book a meal scheme to provide meals through SMS.
Specially designed coaches for differently disabled persons to be provided in each mail and
express trains.
Stress on strengthening safety.
Signalling to be improved over 19,00km more
To provide rail connectivity to neighbouring countries.
World Bank Approves $4.3billion Aid To India
The World Bank had announced $ 4.3billion financial aid to India through a new innovative and
flexible financing arrangement to help the country to fight against poverty. This arrangement,
while facilitating a $ 4.3billion increase in support to India’s, is designed to maintain
International Bank For Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) .Which is lending its arms net-
exposure within the limit of $ 17.5billion established by it.
Economic Survey 2011-12
The Economic Survey by the Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee on 15 March 2012.
Indian economy was estimated to grow by 6.9% in 2011-12, mainly due to weakening industrial
growth. The survey state that despite dip in the economic growth India remains among the fastest
growing economies of the world country’s sovereign credit rating was stated to have risen by a
substantial 2.98% in 2011-12. The economic survey stressed the need for fiscal consolidation to
tame inflation. The survey estimates the economy to grow at 7.35% to 7.85%, during 2012-13
against 6.9% in the current fiscal year
GDP growth rate pegged at 6.9% this fiscal, for 2012-13 7.6% and for 2013-14 at 8.6%.
Agriculture growth forecast at 2.5%
Service sector grows by 9.4%, its share in GDP rises to 59%.
Industrial growth pegged at 4.6%, expected to improve and performed poorly a share of 27% of
the GDP.
Inflation to low down by year end, fiscal consolidation on track- saving and capital formation
expected to rise.
Exports grew at 40.5% in the first half of current fiscal and imports grew 30.4%.
Forex reserves rise to nearly to cover the entire extended debt stock.
Central spending on social services hiked to 18.5% this fiscal .
MNREGA coverage rises to 5.49crore household in 2010-11
Sustainable development and climate change concern high on priority.
Overall growth during April-December 2011 reached 3.6% compared to 8.3% in the
corresponding period of the previous year.
Union Budget 2012-13
Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukharjee on 16 March 2012, announced the union budget in
the parliament for the financial year 2012-13. Mukharjee, who presented the fourth annual
budget seemed to focus on the recovery of the domestic economy. The budget 2012-13 aims at
achieving the rapid growth for the economy which remained on a downward all through out the
fiscal year 2011-12. The budget estimated the Indian economy to grow at 7.6% in the fiscal year
2012-13.
Highlights of the budget 2012-13
Total expenditure in 2012-13 seen at 14.9trillion rupees, up by 29%
Plan expenditure budgeted at 521.25billion rupees in 2012-13, up by 18%
Economy expected to grow at 7.6% in 2012-13, plus or minus 0.25%
Income tax exemption limit raised to 2 lakh rupees from 1,80,000 rupees
Fiscal deficit seen at 5.1% of GDP in 2012-13
Net market borrowing seen at 4.80trillion rupees in 2012-13
Proposes to raise service tax rate to 12% from 10%
Gross tax receipts seen at 10.8trillion rupees in 2012-13
Non tax revenue seen at 1.64trillion rupees in 2012-13
Proposes to levy tax on all services expect 17 items in the negative list from 2012-13
No change in corporate tax rates
Signs of economy turning around in March quarter
Allow external commercial borrowing of upto 1billion dollar to raise working capital for airlines
industry for 1 year
To allow qualified foreign investors in Indian corporate debt markets
To allow external commercial borrowing to part finance rupee debt in power projects.
To award contracts to build 8.800km of roads in 2012-13
Allocate 1.94trillion rupees for defense in 2012-13 up from 1.64trillion rupees for defense in
2011-12
Government doubles allocation for tax free bonds to 600billion rupees for financing
infrastructure projects 2012-13
Disinvestment target in 2012-13 of 300billion rupees
Expects country to become self sufficient in urea production in five years.
Proposes to raise agricultural credits targets in 2012-13 to 5.75trillion rupees
To keep 2012-13 subsides under 2% of GDP
To inject 159billion rupees to capitalize state run banks in 2012-13
Current account deficit seen at 3.6% of GDP in 2011-12
How India Compares To Other Countries
India fares favourably on the income inequality front when compared to other countries
measures in terms of Gini Coefficient on scale of 1 to 100. India ranks better than China and the
US on the income inequality front, it ranks on par with Japan and below UK on the front, with a
score of 66.9. For wealth inequality, it only lags behind the US and UK, where the wealth is
distributed unequally. India has managed to be the second fastest growing economy in the world
next to China with 6.9%.
India & The World Bank Signed An IDA Credit of $152million
India and the World Bank on 21 March 2012 signed an IDA credit of 152million US dollars to
finance the Indian Government’s efforts to help and improve the efficiency, equality and
accountability of health services in Uttar pradesh. The project will include two main components
first, it will focus an improving the department of health’s management and accountability
system. Th project will seek to improve, planning capacities, information flows and data inputs
to enable policy-makers to improve monitor and manage service delivery in U.P, Secondly, the
project will help the state Government to improve the department of health’s capacity to perform
its quality assurance role and manage more effectively with private sectors.
World Bank Approves $500million For Secondary Education Project
In a progress to make quality education accessible to young people at the secondary level, the
World Bank had approved $500million credit to support Indian’s secondary education project.
The project will give support to all activities as envisioned in the $12.9billion Rastriya
Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA) programme.
Interest Rates, High of 0.5% On Post Office Operated Small Saving
The Union Government on 26 March raised interest rates on post office operated small savings
like Monthly Income Scheme (IMS) and Public provident Fund (PPF) by 0.5% Interest rates on
term deposits of one or two years were increased by 0.5% each to 8.2% and 8.3%, while rates for
popular (MIS)were increased by 0.3% to 8.5%. The new rates will be effective from 1 April
2012 and will valid during 2012-13
World Bank Approved 109million Dollar Grant For (RACP)
The World Bank on 28 March 2012 approved a 109million dollar-grant fund to Rajasthan
Agriculture Competitiveness Project. The project is aimed at promoting water efficient
agriculture through sustainable and efficient use of resources in Rajasthan. The project is likely
to benefit about 1,55,000 farmers mainly those with small land holdings in the state the project in
line with the stake water policy of 2010 will help farmers more from low value and water -
gazzling crops to high value farming.
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
Thickest Arctic Ice Melting Faster
The oldest and thickest Arctic sea ice is disappearing at a faster rate than the younger and thinner
ice at the edges of the Arctic Ocean’s floating ice cap, NASA had revealed that the thicker ice
known as multi year ice survives through the cyclical summer melt season, when young ice that
had formed over winter season just as quickly melts again.Arctic ocean where multi year ice
covers at least 15% of the ocean surface, is diminishing at a rate of 15.1% per decade.
Ocean’s Turning Acidic At Fastest Pace In 300m yrs
The world’s oceans are turning acidic at, what could be the fastest pace of anytime in the past
300million years, even more rapidly than during a monster emission of planet- warming
carbon 56million yrs ago. Quickly acidifying sea water eats away at coral reefs, which provide
habitat for other animals and plants and makes it harder for mussels and oysters to form
protective shells.
5 Places Where Life May Exist In Solar System
Life on Earth occupies some bizarre places from deep sea hydrothermal vents to frigid and
lightless lakes. According to the Christain Science Monitor the following are the five places
where life may exist. Mars-The red planet which had abundant surface water could microbes
lurk under ground. Europa-With rocky cores heated by tugs from Jupiter. Enfolds – This icy
moon of Saturn also has subsurface deposits of liquid water. Titan – Saturn’s largest moon has
lots of hydrocarbons as raw material for biologically improvement molecules. Venus – Its a long
shot with its crushing atmosphere and surface temperature that would melt lead.
Oxygen Found On Saturn Moon: Dione
Planetary Scientists claims for the first time that the presence of oxygen in the atmosphere of
Saturn’s moon, Dione . An international lead by Los Alamos National Laboratory had said that it
had discovered molecular oxygen ions in the upper most atmosphere of Dione, one of the 62
known moon’s orbiting Saturn. The tiny moon is a mere 700 miles wide and appears to be a
thick pockmarked layer of water ice surrounding a smaller rock core, as it orbits Saturn every 2.7
days.
US Tests Railgun That Can Shoot 160 km
The US Navy is one step ahead in developing a futuristic supersonic weapon capable of firing
missiles between 80km to 160km at seven times the speed of sound. The 40 feet long
electromagnetic railgun consists of parallel rails and uses a magnetic Field and electric current,
instead of chemicals to generate the energy required to fire the rounds.The first weapon scale
prototype of the railgun began under going firing test last week and the next big step towards
putting the super weapon on US warships by 2020. The full size prototype made by BAE system
, looks like a real gun.
Torpedo, Akash Missile To Be Handed Over To Navy & IAF
The indigenously developed advanced lightweight torpedo and the Akash missile system will be
handed over to navy and the Indian Air Force at a function in Hyderabad on 3 March 2012. The
defence Research & Development Laboratory (DRDL), Hyderabad, developed Akash , a surface
to air missile. Torpedoes are underwater missiles which are fired from ships, submarines or
helicopters against ships and submarines. The Torpedo Advanced Light (TAL) which was
developed by the Naval Science and Technological Laboratory in Vishakapatnam.
Brahmos Supersonic Cruise Missile Successfully Test Fired
The Army had successfully test-fired the 290km range Brahmos supersonic cruise missile at the
Pokhran range in Rajasthan on 4 March 2012, to operationalise the second regiment of the
weapon system in service.
Nirbhay To Be Test Fired In April
The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) had developed a new sub-sonic
cruise missile called Nirbhay, which may be test -fired in April. This is the first time that India
has developed a cruise missile that will travel at sub-sonic speed. Nirbhay is a two stages,
surface to surface missile and surface to air missile, while a booster engine would kick the first
stage from the ground. It is India’s equivalent of US Tomahawk. It can engage many targets and
be in air for longer period.
Huge Asteroid To Come Close To Earth In One Year
About 150-foot asteroid orbiting earth called 2012 DA14 will fly fast, just 17,000 miles from
earth nearer than geostationary satellites on 15 Feb next year hits our planet. If an asteroid of that
big size hits our planet, it would cause an explosion similar to a nuclear blast. Two Astronomers
from the Observatorio Astronomics De La Sagra in Spain spotted 2012 DA 14 in late Feb 2012
and its orbit has been estimated to be very similar to Earth’s
Huge Space Storm Hits Earth
A strong geomagnetic storm hit Earth early on 8 March 2012, but the planet’s magnetic field
appeared to be absorbing the shock and it was unlikely to reach severe levels. The storm was
expected to be the strongest in five years and has the potential to disrupt global positioning
systems, airlines flights, satellites and power grids. The leading edge of the coronal mass
ejection a Burst of hot plasma and charged particles that erupted from the sun
Jupiter, Venus Gets Closer
The pair of Jupiter and Venus will reach its closest point between 12 March and 15 March,
despite being vastly far from one another in space, the conjunction will make them appear just a
few degrees apart in the sky. The most anticipated planetary event for 2012, will be the transits
of Venus in early June.
Students ” Space Web” Experiment To Be Launched Soon
A team of science and engineering students had developed an innovative ‘Space Web’
experiment which will be carried on a rocket from the Arctic circles to the edge of space. The
experiment known as ‘Suaineadh’, which was developed by a team of 20 students from the
Universities of Glasgow and Strathclyde and the Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm. It
will be launched from the Esrange Space Centre in Northern Sweden in March
Russia To Send Man To The Moon By 2030
Russia is now to send a team of Cosmonauts to the Moon. According to a leaked strategy
document from Russia’s Space Agency, Roskosmos, a space craft will conduct a demonstrative
manned circumlunar test flight with the subsequent landing of cosmonauts on the Moon’s
surface and their return to Earth by 2030.
India To Launch Mars Mission Next Year
The Indian Space Research Organisation is planning to send a scientific probe to Mars next year.
The Mars orbiter mission would be launched using the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle
(PSLV)during Nov 2013, the spacecraft, which has a provision for carrying nearly 25kg of
scientific instruments, will be placed in an orbit 500km by 80,000km around Mars.
North Korea To Launch A Missile
North Korea announced on 16 March 2012 that it would launch a rocket carrying a Satellite next
month to mark the 100th birthday of the former President late Kim II Sung, just 16 days after
agreeing to suspend long range missile test in return for massive US food aid. The US, Japan and
South Korea condemned the plan and said, it would breach a United Nations ban imposed after
previous launches. North Korea said a Unha-3 rocket will launch a home built polar orbiting
Earth observation satellite known as Kwangmyoug-sons-3 by the last deal under which
Pyongyang also promised to freeze its uranium enrichment plant, had raised hopes of eased
tensions under the new regime headed by Kim Jong Un and it is the violation of UN Security
Council resolutions.
A New Species Of Frog Discovered
A new frog species was found by researchers in Mawphlang, 25km from Shilong, capital of
Megalaya. The new species was named Fejervarya Sengupti in honour of Saibal Sengupta.
Sengupta was the head of Aryavidyapeeth College and one of the pioneers of amphibian
research. The new species was different from all congeners in terms of body size and cell
charecteristics. The discovery of new species shows that Northeast part of India is quite rich in
terms of its biodiversity, especially in case of amphibians.
India Joins In Making Critical Tubes For Nuclear Plants
India had joined a select band nations on 26 March 2012 when the Nuclear Fuel Complex (NFC)
successfully manufactured critical tubes required for steam generators of nuclear plants.
Currently only three companies in the world are producing the UNS NO8800 U tubes with NFC
becoming the fourth entity. The first tubing consignment was handed over to Larsen & Toubro,
which is manufacturing eight steam generators for Kakrapara (3&4 units) and Rajasthan (7&8
units) nuclear power plant being set up by the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited
(NPCIL)
Sea Levels Could Rise By 22Metres
The sea levels could rise up to 22meters in the future due to global warming, an international
team lead by Prof Kem Miller and Prof Tim Narish analized sediment cores in Virginia in the
US, Eneweta K Atoll in pacific and the Whanganui region of New zealand that the late pliocene
epoch 2.7m to 3.2m years ago, which is the last time the carbon dioxide level in the atmosphere
was at its current level, and atmospheric temperatures were two degrees higher than are
now The global sea levels were higher than present.
Brohmos Supersonic Cruise Missile Test-Fired Successfully
India had successfully test fired its supersonic cruise missile from the Integrated Test Range at
Chandipur in Odisha on 28 March 2012. The missile rose from a Tatra truck on the sea-side
launch station and speed over the Bay of Bengal at 2.8 times the speed of sound. The missile,
which has a flight range up to 290km is capable of carrying a conventional warhead of 200 to
300kg, the cruise missile was a surface to surface Army version.
NASA SpaceCraft Found Evidence Of Water Ice In Mercury
A NASA spacecraft called messenger in the month of March 2012 discovered further evidence
for the existence of water ice at Mercury’s poles. Although surface temperature at mercury can
soar above 400C, some craters at mercury’s poles are permanently in shadow, turning them into
so called cold trops.
American Robot Cheetah Sets New Record
A Cheetah robot funded by the US military had broken the land speed record, while running on a
lab treadmill. Its robotic display of athleticism given hope for new battlefield robots that could
prove nimbler than existing robots on wheels or tank like treads.
Speech Jammer Device
The Japanese researchers recently introduced a prototype for a device called as ‘speech Jammer’,
which can literally jam some one voice effectively stopping them from talking
China To Launch 100 Satellites By 2015
China has set a target of completing a space mission of 100 rockets, 100 satellites between 2011
and 2015. According to the Deputy General Manager of China Aerospace, Science and
Technology. On an average China will complete about 20 launch missions each year before
2015, China had launched 19 satellites, 1 target orbiter, 8 spacecraft with 19 long march rockets
last year.
PERSONS IN NEWS
a) Appointments
Gopal Gandhi As New IIAS Chairman
Gopal Krishna Gandhi had been elected as the new chairman of the Governing body of the
Indian Institute of Advanced Study Shimla, and president of its society.
New Chairman Securities Commission For Malaysia
Mr. Ranjit Singh had been appointed as the chairman of the Securities Commission of Malaysia ,
replacing Mr. Zarinah Anwar.
New CII Chief For A.P
Ms.Suchitra K.Ella, co-founder and joint M.D of Bharat Biotech International had been elected
as chairman of Cost Inflation Index (CII) of Andhra Pradesh for 2012-13
H.S Bedi As The Chairman Judge
Justice H.S Bedi, the Supreme Court of India on 2 March 2012 appointed its former judge, as the
chairman of the monitoring authority which will investigate the case of 22 alleged fake
encounter killing in Gujarat in 2007-8.
New Chairman For Coal India
S. Narasinga Rao has been appointed as the Chairman of the Coal India Ltd. He is presently
working as the CMD of Singareni Collieries.
Germany’s New President, Gauck
Former East German Rights Activist Joachim Gauck had been appointed as the New President of
Germany on 18 March 2012.
New Railway Minister
Mukul Roy had been appointed as the new Railway Minister on 20 March 2012 in the UPA
Government
Shyamala As Central Vigilance Commission
Shyamala Gopinath, Central Vigilaner Commission was appointed as the chairperson of the
Advisory Board and commercial & financial frauds on 29 March 2012
b) Resigns
Rahul Dravid Takes Retirement From International Cricket
Rahul Dravid Had announced his retirement from international cricket on 8 March 2012, by
ending a long outstanding career. He was the second highest test scorer after Sachin Tendulkar in
test matches.
Railway Minister Resigns
Railway Minister Mr. Dinesh Trivedi had resigned on 18 March 2012 due to crises over,
increasing fare prices for passengers in the railway budget 2012-13 which was against the
Trinamul party policy.
Waterman’ Rajendra Singh Quits NGRBA
Magsaysay award winner ‘ Waterman of Rajasthan’ Rajendra Singh on 11 March 2012 quits the
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh chaired National Ganga River Basin Authority (NGRBA)
protesting the Governments negligence of the river.
c) Deaths
Former Basketballl Champion Muniyappa Passes Away
A member of the Indian team at the 1967 South Asian Basketball Championship B.Muniyappa,
and a qualified NIS coach died on 5 March 2012 in Bangalore.
West Indian Cricket Player Dies In Accident
West Indian cricket player Runok Morten died on 4 March 2012 in a car accident. He played 15
test matches, 56 one day international and 7 20-20 matches since 2002.
Former PTI Chairman Died
P.K.Roy, former chairman of press trust of India, and president of the Indian Newspapers society
and the Audit Bureau of Circulations for Several terms died on 24 March 2012 in Kolkata.
Marathi Poet Passed Away
Marathi poet and Sahitya Akademi award winner, Manik Godghate passed away in Pune on 26
March 2012. He was honoured with the Sahitya Akademi for his prose collection. ’Varyane
Halta Raan in Feb 2012
d) Visitors
Anwar Ibrahim Visits Kerala Mosque
Anwar Ibrahim, former deputy prime minister of Malaysia and opposition leader of the country,
visited the historic shrine at Thalangara locality paid obeisance at the Malik Dinar Juma Masjid.
IMF Chief Visiting India
The International Monetary Fund managing director Ms. Christine Lagarde , is going to visit
New Delhi on 19 March 2012, to meet senior Government officials and to participate in a high
level conference”China and India sustaining high quality growth”. The conference is being co-
hosted by the IMF and will be inaugurated by the Finance minister Mr. Pranab Mukerjee. The
two days conference will bring together policy makers, academics and private sector
representatives to discuss the growth success of China and India
Ravi Shankar To Visit Pakistan
Spirutual leader Ravi Shankar had visited Pakistan for three day peace mission on 11 March
2012 ,This was his second visit to Pakistan, to emphasizing the urgent need for a people to
people movement
IAF Chief’s 4 Day Bangladesh Trip
Indian policy to step up bilateral military cooperation with Bangladesh, Our IAF Chief Air
Marshal (ACM) N.AK. Browne had left for a four day visit to Dhaka on 18 March 2012.
e) Miscellaneous
NEET Rollout In 2013-14
India is to set roll out NEET from 2013-14, the Common National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test
(NEET) for admission to under graduate courses will be conducted by the CBSE, while the
National Board of Examination will conduct the post graduate exams. The Union Health
Ministry had informed the state Governments that their existing reservation policies would not
be disturbed under the proposed scheme and state wise eligibility merit lists will be prepared for
the respective state authorities.
Blind Woman Gets Railway Job After 4 Yrs Struggle
A visually challenged woman who cleared the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) exam
with distinction in 2008, but was denied posting got justice after 4 years battle and the
intervention of P.M Manmohan singh, 75% visual disability, had been offered an Indian Railway
Personal Services post under group B of class I
Bin Laden Cinema By Oscar Director
Oscar winning director Kathryn Bigelow is going to make a movie about Osama Bin Laden. the
name of the movie is Zero dark thirty.
PLACES IN NEWS
Earthquake of 4.9 Magnitude in North
A low density of earthquake measuring of 4.9 on Ritcher scale felt in Northern India, at
Bahadurgarh in Haryana as its epicentre is the third tremor in these places since two months
Earthquake Leaves 800 Homes Damaged In Mexico
A strong 7.4 magnitude earthquake hitted Southern Mexico on 20 March 2012, damaging some The Government had proposed a National Early Childhood Care & Education (ECCE) policy,
800 homes near the epicentre and swaying tall buildings and spreading fear and panic hundreds which lays down the way for a comprehensive approach for every child. To sustain the Multi
of miles away in the capital of Mexico. sectoral and inter agency collaboration, a thematic ECCE Committee with experts will be formed
under the ICDS mission steering groups initially and later formed as a National ECCE council,
ABBREVIATIONS with corresponding councils at the state level. The council will be the apex body to guide and
ASOSAI – Association of Supreme Audit Institutions oversee the implementation of the policy as well it keeps ECCE programmes consistent with the
GATT – General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade National ECCE policy
NSIGSE – National Scheme of Incentive to Girls Secondary Education Finance minister set up committee to Address Bad Loans
ARAI – Automotive Research Association of India Finance minister had set up a committee to address rise of bad loans after Moody’s downgrading
IGPCC – Inter Governmental Panel on Climate Change Union bank of India by one notch due to its high level of troubled assets and low provisions for
AIDWA – All India Democratic Women’s Association coverage.
DTAA – Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement Committee For Corporate Governance
IATA – International Air Transport Association Ministry of Corporate Affairs in March 2012 set up a committee under the leadership of Adi
DTC – Direct Tax Code Godrej chairman Godrej group to bring out a formal policy document that will initiate enlisting
AEPC – The Apparel Export Promotion Council of diverse elements of corporate governance under a single national corporate governance
SCRES – South Central Railway Employees Sangh. policy, the first meeting of the committee is scheduled to be held on 5 April 2012.
IMF – International Monetary Fund
APMC – All Agriculture produce Marketing Committee April 2012 Current Affairs Study Material
CII – Cost Inflation Index INTERNATIONAL
AOSIS – Association of Small Island States Victory for Suu Kyi
NFIR – The National Federation of Railwaymen The opposition leader of National League for Democracy (NLD) Aung San Suu Kyi had won the
INSC – International North-South Corridor election held in Myanmar on 1 April 2012 for 45 parliament seats and NLD won 43 seats.
DGFT – Directorate General of Foreign Trade US Grants $ 12 million Aid to Syria
DGFT – Directorate General of Foreign Trade The US Government announced an additional $12 .2million humanitarian aid for Syria as the
IRFC - Indian Railway Finance Corporation second meeting of ‘ Friends of Syria’ held in Turkey’s largest city Istanbul. The US State
department said that the new aid, consisting of medical supplies and other humanitarian relief for
BOOKS IN NEWS displaced and vulnerable Syrian communities. The US aid will be used to support the work of
Mamata Banerjee: Political Biography Book Released international organisation, including World Food Programme.
A journalist Monobina Gupta had written a political biography of Mamata Benerjee’s “Didi, The Mali Tuareg Rebels Declared Independence In Azawad
Political Biography” which tries to capture the complexities that make Mamata Benerjee what The Northern part of Mali was captured by a mix of separatist Tuareg rebels and Islamist fighters
she is explores her personal, her perception of herself as a woman and her equations with the recently on 6 April 2012 and security of the nation was in danger, The insurgent group is called
lefts radical politics in Bengal. National Movement for Liberation of Azawad and they declared an independence state of
North-Eastern State’ Book Released Azawad.
Minister of State for Defence M.M.Pallam Raju had released the book ” NorthEast Trilogy” USA & Afghanistan Signed MoU On Night Raids
written by Dipti Bhalla and Kunal Verma , which has the spirit of the country, its tribes and United States of America & Afghanistan on 8 April 2012 signed (MoU) Memorandum of
languages. Understanding on the controversial issue of conduct of night raids on Afghan homes. It
Masterpiece Book Of Garcia Marquez empowered the Afghan security forces oversight over the raids led by the US troops. The
Colombian writer Gabrial Garcia Marquez on his 85th birthday on 6 March 2012 starts the sales agreement leads its a more comprehensive long term strategic partnership agreement between the
of an electronic version of his masterpiece novel “One Hundred years of Solitude”. The book two nations after the departure of all foreign troops from Afghanistan in 2014. The issue of night
had already sold 30million copies world wide. raids was a big hurdle in the way of the strategic partnership agreement
Mitt Romney Won Republic Party Crown
COMMITTEES IN NEWS Mitt Romney on April 2012 effectively won the Republican Party crown to challenge President
ECCE Committee Had Set Up Barack Obama in November elections as the chief rival Rick Santorum dropped from the
election
Qatar is Obesity Capital Of The World
The world’s wealthiest country ranked by Forbes with highest per capita in the world Qatar is the
obesity capital of the world. Over half of its population are overweight according to a report an
unhealthy combination of low levels of exercise and growing population of fast food outlets has
led to this problem. It was very serious problem facing by Qatar.
US-Afghanistan Signed Strategic Pact
US and Afghanistan signed a long awaited strategic pact on 22 April 2012. The pact aims at
setting forth guidelines for US involvement in Afghanistan as forces are withdrawn from the
trouble torn nation. The pact provides a strong foundation for the security of Afghanistan, the
region and the world. Both the countries took almost one year to reach on the mutual
agreements.
EU Suspended its Sanctions Against Myanmar
The European Union suspended its sanctions against Myanmar on 23 April 2012 for a year .The
EU move came in the back drop of a string of political reforms in the South Eastern Asian
Nations. The group however maintained that it will hold on to restrictions on arms.
INDIA & WORLD
India & Britain Economic Financial Meeting
India & Britain , held the fifth ministerial level India- UK economic financial dialogue in New
Delhi on 2 April 2012. Both nations discussed ways to strengthen their mutual cooperation and
further boost trade and investment between them. Both nations agreed, while the global economy
has stabilized in recent months growth will remain subbed and at risk, aim of increasing the role
of institutional investors in infrastructure financing. Foreign capital can play an important part in
this process . Both nations supported the progress on the Reserve Bank of India ‘s (RBI) road
maps for foreign banks in India.
IAERB Became The 11th Member Of MEDP
India’s Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (IAERB) was admitted as the 11th member of MDEP (
Multinational Design Evaluation Programme) on 4 April 2012. The other members of this body
are China, Finland, Japan, Korea, South Africa, USA, UK Canada, France & Russia, MDEP is a
multinational initiative taken by national safety authorities to develop innovative regulatory
authorities who are currently or will be tasked with the review of new reactor power plant
designs. the international Atomic Energy Agency participate in many of MDEP activities,
including the harmonization efforts
India & UAE Signed Agreement To Ease Indian Contract Workers
India & UAE signed an agreement on 4 April 2012 to ease the entry of Indian Contract workers
in the Emirates. The agreement was signed in Abu Dhabi, UAE. It provides for an electronic
contract registration and validation system to safeguard and protect the interests of migrant
Indian workers. The electronic contract registration and validation system for this purpose was
launched in Abu Dhabi on 4 April 2012. The move would ensure a transparent, legal and less
cumber some migration of Indian workers to the Emirates.
India, China To Lead Urban Population Growth Over Next 40 Years
India & China will witness unprecedented increase in their urban population in the next four
decades, posing new challenges of providing jobs, energy, housing & infrastructure to their
people. The UN’s ’2011 Revision of the World Urbanisation Projects’ said Africa and Asia will
lead the global urban population growth in the next four decades with the largest increase
expected in India , China Nigeria US & Indonesia . India will add another 479million to its urban
population between 2010 to 2050, while China 341million, Nigeria 200million. US 103million
and Indonesia 92milliom people moving to urban cities.
India & America Navy Training” Malabar 2012″
The India & US Navies began their 16th annual ” Malabar 12″ exercise on 7 April 2012 in
Chennai, that border of the Bay of Bengal. The 10 days joint exercise which was concluded on
16 April, consists of both ashore and at sea training. and was supported to feature seminars on
everything from air defense and integrated antisubmarine welfare operations, to carrier aviation’s
and counter privacy operations.
India, Qatar Sign Oil & Gas Pact
India & energy rich Qatar, home to half a million Indian’s on 8 April signed six agreements in
diverse areas, including a pact on cooperation in oil and gas exploration. P.M.Manmohan Singh
held talks with Qatar’s Emir Sheik Hamad Bin Khalifa Al-Thani on a range of issues, including
boosting trade and investment as well as energy ties between the two countries. Issues relating to
the welfare of India workers in Gulf country were also discussed. Both the countries signed a
pact on establishing a cooperative framework to enhance bilateral cooperation in oil & gas.
India, US to Boost Health Cooperation
India and the US has strengthen cooperation in the area of public health by sharing information
and best practices, identify and address policy concerns and establish new technologies. The
agreement to ensure smooth implementation of issues for bilateral cooperation was reached
during a meeting on 9 April 2012 in Washington between India & US.
India To Allow Pakistan FDI
India on 12 April 2012 said that it will allow Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) from Pakistan
companies, which will make the way for industrial from the neighbouring country to set up
business and tap the growing Indian markets . India had taken an in-principle decision as part of
the trade non-malisation process to allow Foreign Direct Investment from Pakistan. India –
Pakistan business council to be formed soon.
India, US Joint USD 125mn Fund For Research In Clean Energy
India & the United States had announced a joint USD 125 million fund to carry out combined
research in the field of clean energy. As such there institutions each from India and the US have
been selected for the US-India Joint Clean Energy Research & Development Center (JCERDC),
which is part of the US-India partnership to Advance Clean Energy. While national Renewable
Energy Laboratory, University of Florida & Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory have been
selected from US, three Indian Institutions are the Indian Institute of Science- Bangalore, The
India Institute of Chemical Technology Hyderabad, and CEPT University Ahmedabad.
35 Indian Companies Attending ‘Canton Fair’ in China
Thirty five Indian Companies are participating in the China’s biggest trade show ‘Canton Fair’,
hoping for a major opening into Chinese markets as Beijing Plans to permit more foreign goods
to boost to its domestic consumptions
US Puts India, China & Pakistan On IPR List
The US Government has put India, China & Pakistan along with 10 other countries on the
intellectual property watch list for failing to present the theft of copy righted property. Other
nations on the watch list are Canada, Argentina, Algeria, Chile, Indonesia, Israel, Russia,
Thailand, Ukraine and Venezuela. These countries will be the subject of particularly intense
bilateral engagement during the coming years.
NATIONAL
NPCIL Sets A Record In Production
Nuclear Power Corporation of India (NPCIL) produced a 32,455 million units of power in the
financial year 2011-12, marking an increase of 23% from 26,473 million units generated in
2010-11. Its 19 operating reactors, with a total installed capacity of 4,680MW generated the
32,455 million units.
World’s First Women Paramilitary Band
The World’s first all women paramilitary pipe band on 9 April 2012, marched to its maiden tune
after it got its ceremonial colours under the CRPF at an event, during the Valour Day
celebrations in New Delhi. Minister Of State for Home Jitendra Singh presented the ceremonial
“ pipe mace ” to the band commander, called Major of pipes’, sub inspector Darshana Kumari.
In 1986 the first women CRPF battalion was established.
New Naval UAV Squadorn Inducted
The Eastern Naval Command gt a fill up with the commissioning of a new naval air squadorn an
Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Squadorn at INS Parundu, the naval air station at
Ramnathapuram in Tamil Nadu. It is the third of its kind in the Indian Navy and the first on the
Eastern Coast. INAS344 was commissioned on 11 April 2012 by Flag Officer Commanding in-
chief of Eastern Naval Command Vice Admiral Anil Chopra. The aircraft with long endurance
and stealth capabilities are suited for search and detection.
Efftronics Instruments Get RDSO Nod
A city based Efftronics Systems Pvt Ltd has developed the country’s first ever solid state block
instrument that is a micro computer supported electronic equipment approved for the use in
railway signalling. The Luknow based Research Designs & Standards Organisaton of the Indian
Railways ( RDSO) approved the product. It helps in running more number of trains on the same
track, it gives stress-free operational environment with smooth push buttons.
Union Cabinet Approved Extension of Funding For Swavalamban Scheme
The Union Cabinet on 12 April 2012 approved the extension of funding support for
implementing the Swavalamban scheme under the new pension system (NSP) from three years
to five years for all subcribers enrolled during 2010-11,2011-12 and 2012-13. The
cabinet decide to provide an additional funding support of Rs. 2065crore to the scheme till
2016-17. The cabinet decision will benefit 70 lakh workers in the unorganised sector.
Union Cabinet Approved A Proposal To Set Up SPV For GSTN
The Union Cabinet on 12 April 2012 approved a proposal to set up a Special Purpose Vehicle
(SPV) for Goods and Service Tax Network (GSTN) to help facilitate the smooth introduction of
the New Indirect Tax regime. GSTN SPV is to be incorporated as section 25 not for profit
private limited company in which strategic control would be held by the centre. It will provide
IT infrastructure& services to various Stakeholders including the centre & states.
Union Cabinet Approved, Amendment In the Registration of Births & Deaths Act, 1969
The Union Cabinet on 12 April 2012 gave its approval to the introduction of a bill seeking
amendment in the Registration of Births & Deaths Act 1969 to include registration of marriages
as well, so that the existing administrative mechanism of marriage in accordance with the
specified procedures and be able to maintain necessary records and statistics for registration of
marriages also. The proposal Bill is set to benefit the women from unnecessary harassment in
matrimonial & maintenance cases. It also seeks to provide evidentiary value in the matters of
custody of children.
World’s Most Influential Mamata Banerjee On Time List
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has been named by Time magazine as one of the
100 most influential people of the world released on 18 April 2012.
270 Million Indians Are Illiterate
According to the report by the International Youth Foundation (IYF), there are an estimated 270
million Indians aged 15 and older who are illiterate, while young women aged 15 to 24 are twice
as likely as young men their age to be illiterate. people remain illiterate in India despite the
country making major progress in cutting down illiterate , by opening number of schools.
Asia’s First & Largest Solar Power Park In India, Dedicated
A 600MW solar power park, and the Asia’s first & largest was dedicated to the nation by the
Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi on 19 April 2012. The park is situated in the state’s Patan
district has a power generation capacity of 600MW, covering 3,000 acres of the waste land
bordering of the Rann of Kutch and generating two- third of India’s total 900Mw of solar power
production
TRAI Made Mandatory for Second Billing Option To Customers
The Indian Telecoms Regulatory TRAI issued a directive to all mobile phone operators in India
on 20 April 2012 making it mandatory for the operators to offer a per second billing option to
customers. The new directive allowed telecoms carriers to charge premium services that mostly
include phone calls and text messages sent to participate in TV and Radio programmes.
Union Government decided on 1 million cap on ECB For Aviation Sector
The Union Government on 20 April 2012 permitted companies engaged in the aviation sector to
raise working capital resources through the External Commercial Borrowings (ECBs) route to
the tune of $ 1 million. The limit for individual airline companies was set at $ 300 million. This
limit can be availed themselves of either in a lumpsum or in tranches, depending on the
utilisation of the limit during the one year, when the facility is available. So far airlines were
allowed to raise foreign capital only for import of capital equipment such as aircraft.
India Second Most Economically Confident Country
Indian’s continue to be among the world’s most confident people about their economy on
account of moderating inflationary presence and the easing of tight money policy stance of
the Reserve Bank, Said a report. According to global research firm Ipsos India had emerged as
the second most ergonomically confident nation for the second consecutive time with 75% and
Saudi Arabia with 89% stood top most and China with 71% in third most . India has overtaken
Japan to become the second largest economy in terms of purchasing power parity and is heading
for accelerated growth.
Rajya sabha Passed The Right Of Children To Free & Compulsory Education Bill 2010.
The Rajya Sabha , the upper house of Indian parliament on 24 April 2012, passed the Right of
Children to Free and Compulsory Education ( Amendment) bill 2010. The amendment seeks to
provide the right to receive home-based education to children with severe disabilities. The
amended bill gives school management committees and advisory role in minority schools, both
aided and unaided , and keeps madrases and vedic schools and other institutions providing
primarily religious instructions out of the perview of the Act.
India Accounted For 47% of Measles Deaths in 2010
As per a recent World Health Organisation ( WHO) study, published in the British Medical
Journal, The Lancet, on 23 April 2012 India accounted for about 47% of Measles deaths in 2010,
while Africa recorded 36% of deaths due to the same disease. The study revealed that the death
rates from measles went down by 74% between 2000 & 2010, but it missed the WHO target of
90%. Africa & India two key regions of the World where a large number of cases related to
measles came into light significantly under performed which led the WHO to miss its target
Sachin Tendulkar, nominated to Rajya Sabha
Indian cricket star Sachin Tendulkar, who celebrated his 39th birthday recently will enter the
Rajya Sabha along with Bollywood actress Rekha and industrialist Anu Aga. The nomination of
the three personalities was approved on 25 April 2012by the president Pratibha Patil under the
article 80 of the constitution.
Information & Broadcasting Ministry Notified Cable Television Networks Rules, 2012
The information and Broadcasting ( I&B) ministry of India on 28 April 2012 notified the much
awaited cable television networks rules, 2012 which paves the way for digitalisation of all the
sectors. The I& B ministry had set 30 June 2012 as the date for digitalisation of the cable sector
in the four metros and these cables rules would provide the framework on which the digitalised
cable network would provide services. As per the new rules, cable operators and multi sector
operators will now have to ensure that they have the capability to carry minimum numbers of
channels as specified by the Telecoms Regulatory Authority of India. (TRAI)
Health Of Urban Poor Worse Than Rural Poor, Parliamentary Panel
Health indication of the urban poor are worse than their rural counterparts, a parliamentary panel
has said slaming the Government failure to launch a key programme for the health of nine crore
people who live in slums in big towns and cities with an increasing number of urban poor and
few Government policies for them, the report has slammed the ministry of Health & family
welfare for not launching the much talked about National Urban Health Mission (NUHM).
STATES
Financial City In Bangalore
Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee on 8 April 2012, laid the foundation stone for the country’s
first financial city, being built by the state run IFCI Infrastructure Development Ltd ( IIDL) at
the Hardware park near the International airport a Bagalur, about 30 km from Bangalore.
India’s Largest Solar Power Plant In Rajasthan
L&T Commissions India’s largest solar power plant (40 MWP) owned by Reliance power
Limited at Dhursar village in Jaisalmer district of Rajasthan. The company officials said L&T
Construction, as the largest (EPC) Engineering, Procurement & Construction player in solar
power, executed the plant from concept, including detailed design to commissioning in 129 days.
4G Services Launched In Kolkata
Union Telecommunications Minister Kapil Sibal had Launched the country’s first ever fourth
Generation Mobile services from Bharti Airtel in Kolkata on 10 April 2012.
Adarsh Judicial Commission Its Interim Report to Maharashtra Govt
The two member Adarsh Judicial Commission set up by the Maharashtra Government to probe
into the scan-tained Adarsh Housing Society submitted its interim report to the state Government
on 13 April 2012. The commission was formed under N.N.Kumbahar. It included the
commissions findings on two issues – ownership of the land in Mumbai where the 31 storey
Adarsh building stands and whether the land was reserved for Kargil war widows and their
relatives.The commission refuses to rely on property card submitted by state as evidence. The
army was not dispossessed of Khukari park by either the state or the Adarsh society.
Uttar Pradesh Government Scrapped The Post of Cabinet Secretary
The Uttar Pradesh Government on 27 April 2012 decided to scrap the post of cabinet secretary of
the state. The cabinet also decided to withdraw a proposed amendment bill meant to give
immunity to panchayat heads from no- confidence motion for two years. The decision to
withdrew Kshetra Panchayat and district panchayat amendment bill 2011 proposed by previous
Mayawati Government was taken in a cabinet.
State Owned Oil Companies Reduced Jet Fuel, Prices
State owned oil companies for the second time in the month of April reduced jet fuel prices by a
marginal Rs. 312 per kilolitre on 30 April 20121. The price of aviation turbine fuel (ATF) jet
fuel, in the reduction was announced in the wake of Rs. 169.3 per KL cut inrates effected from
16 April 2012.
CONFERENCES
Two Day 20th ASEAN Summit
The two days 2th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit was chaired by the
Hunsen, the Cambodian Prime Minister on 3 April 2012 in Cambodia. The summit themed
(ASEAN) one community one destiny was gathered by the heads of states or Government from
10 ASEAN members. The summit is expected to discuss a wide range of issues including the
implementation of the roadmap for an (ASEAN ) Community Building and for (ASEAN )
integration work plan.
India -Russia Seventh Joint Working Meeting
The seventh meeting of the India-Russia Joint Working Group was held in New Delhi on 11
April 2012. India & Russia held comprehensive discussion on combating international terrorism
and reaffirmed their commitment to consolidate bilateral interaction in the fight against this
menace. The two countries emphasised that cooperation in countering new challenges and
threats is an integrate part of the India- Russian special and privileged Strategic partnership
RIC Meeting In Moscow
The Russia, India and China (RIC) trilateral conference was held in Mascow on 13 April 2012.
Where came up with discussions over the South China sea and discussed on a range of
international issues, including North Korea, Iran Afghanistan terrorism and regional security in
Asia and over the issue of new sanctions on North Korea.
6th Summit Of The Americas
The 6th Summit of the Americas was held At Cartagena, Colombia on 14 and 15 April 2012.
Delegates from 34 heads of states and government addressed the summit , only Cuba not
attended the summit due to restrictions from US and other countries. The central theme of the
summit is ‘ Connecting the Americas’ The main agenda were the lucrative and destructive drug
trade and how the countries of the entire regions could meet while excluding one country, Cuba.
World Agriculture Congress-2013 in Hyderabad
The World Agricultural Forum, which organised the biannual event last time in Belgium,
for2013 year World Agriculture Congress mega event will be hosted by the Hyderabad city for
the first time in the country. The state Government had given assurance for all help and support
to the World Agriculture Congress.
AWARDS & HONOURS
National Award For NTPC Ramagundam
NTPC’s Ramagundam super Thermal Power Station Situated in Karimnagar district of Andhra
Pradesh has been awarded with Nation Award on 2 April 2012 for its Meritorious performance
Bhagwan Mahavir Award For Aung San Suu Kyi
Myanmar’s democratic leader Aung San Suu Kyi has been chosen for the first international
Bhagwan Mahavir World Peace Award on 3 April 2012 for her devotion to Promote non-
violence and peace for the welfare of the people.
BSES Yamuna Power Ltd (BYPL) Won British Safety Award
BSES Yamuna Power limited (BYPL) won the prestigious 54th British International Safety
Award. BYPL has been selected for this award given the steps taken by it for the safety of its
over 11 lakh consumers and safety & health of its employees. The list of awards winner was
announced in London in the last week of March 2012. The award will be presented in May 2012.
BYPL is the first Indian discom to be selected for this award.
Amitabh To Be Honoured For Polio Campaign
Actor Amitabh Bachchan who has been the Goodwill Ambassador for polio UNICEF Campaign
from 2005, will be honoured for his contribution to the cause. In feb, the World Health
Organisation had taken India off the list of polio endemic countries.
Pandit Govind Ballabh Pant Award for SCR
Governor N.D.Tiwari presented the Pandit Govind Ballabh Pant Award to South Central
Railway’s ( SCR) on 53rd Railway Week Celebrations at Rail Kalarang in Secunderabad on 8
April 2012, which was presented in recognition of its overall excellence among the 16 zones in
the Indian Railways
New York Times Won Two Pulitzer Prizes for 2012
The 2012 Pulitzer Prize was announced on 16 April 2012. The New York Times won two
Pulitzer prize, for explanatory and international reporting. The Associated press won a Pulitzer
prize for investigative reporting for documenting the New York Police Department’s spying on
Muslims.The Pulitzer prize are given annually by Columbia University on th recommendation of
a board of Journalists. Each awards carries a $10,000 prize except for the public service award,
which is a gold medal.
Gallantry Award For Lt. Gen Bikram Singh
President Pratibha Patil on 17 April 2012 presented Gallantry Award to Lt.Gen Bikram Singh
and other 16 persons during the Defense Investiture Ceremony held at New Delhi . This award
has been presented for showing bravery and service during war time.
Sikkim Won The Best State Award
Sikkim, on 24 April 2012 won the best state award for strengthening its Panchayathi Raj
institutions. The North-Easatern state bagged the five pretigious national awards worth of 1.36
crore rupees, at a Panchayat Raj Day functon held at Vigyan Bhavan in New Delhi.
New Record By 10 Years Old, Aadhil
A 10 years old boy named Aadhil from Beypore, Kerala created a new record by swimming 4.63
km with his hands and legs tied in a World record bid, Aadhil swam across from a point in the
Arabian sea to the Chaliyar river and break the current record of two miles set by a Chinese girl.
And recorded in the Giunness Bokk of Records.
Yudhvir Award For Shanta Sinha
Chairperson of National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) Shanta Sinha has
been honoured with this year 2012 Yudhvir Memorial Foundation Award on 30 April 2012. She
had been given the award for pioneering and innovative role in protecting and promoting child
rights.
Indian American’s Wins White House Journalism Award
Indian American Journalist Manu Raju was among the White House Correspondent Journalism
Award winner for 2012 honoured at the Association’s traditional annual dinner with President
Barck Obama.
SPORTS
Maimi Masters Title to Novack Djokovic
World’s No-1 Novak Djokovic won the Maimi masters title on 1 April 2012 by defeating fourth
seeded Andy Murrey in the final held in Florida.
World Championship For China
World’s no-2 Zhang Jike of China won the Men’s Single World’s Table Tennis Championship
held in Durtmund, Germany on 1April 2012 by defeating Timo Boll
Women’s Single World Championship
China’s Ning Ding won the Women’s Single World Table Tennis Championship held in
Durtmund, Germany on 1 April 2012 by defeating Feng Tianwei
Geeta Kumari, First Indian Woman Wrestler to Olympics
Geeta Kumari, the woman wrestler, won a gold in 55kg category at the ongoing Asia qualifying
tournament in Astana, Kazakhastan. Geeta with this victory also made a history as she became
the first Indian woman wrestler to have ever qualified for the Olympics
Indian Boxer Vijendra Singh Qualified For London Olympics
In boxing, India’s Vijendra singh on 8 April 2012 qualified for the London Olympics in the 75
kg category, He is the first Indian boxer to qualify for the Olympics for the third time in
succession.
Pankaj Advani Win 11th Asian Billiards Championship
Six times world Champion Pankaj Advani on 8 April 2012 clinched the 11th ONGC Asian
Billiard’s Championship title after defeating Thowaat Sujaritthurakara of Thailand in the Final in
Panaji
Sarena Wins First Title Of 2012
Fifth seeded Sarena Williams captured her 40th career Women’s Tennis Association
(WTA) title by defeating ninth seeded Czech Lucie Safarova on 8 April 2012 in Charleston.
Bubba Won Augusta Masters Title
Bubba Watson of US, a third left hand player won the Augusta Masters Golf Tournament on 8
April 2012 in Augusta by defeating Louis Oosthuizen of British.
Indian Squash Player Saurav Ghosal Won The EL Gouna International Open
Top Indian Squash player Saurav Ghosal won a 3-2 victory over Rabbie Temple of England at
the $120,000 EL Gouna International open in EL Gouna on 9 April 2012
Double Honour For Sangakkara
Sri Lanka’s Kumar Sangakkara has been chosen one of the five Cricketers of the Year and
leading Cricketer in the World for 2011, which was announced in 2012 edition of Wisden
Cricketers Almanack on 11 April 2012.
Smriti Named ‘Player Of The Year’
Smriti Mehra, the most successful Golfer on the Hero Women’s Professional Golf Tour in 2011-
12 was named the ‘Player of the Year at the Hero- WGAI Awards function on 11 April 2012
held in New Delhi.
Shiva Thapa Became The Youngest Indian Boxer For Olympics
The 18 years old Shiva Thapa (56 kg category) on 11 April 2012 became the youngest Indian
boxer to qualify for the Olympics by beating Japan’s Satoshi Shimize 31-11 to enter the final of
the Asian Qualifiers in Astana, Kazakhstan.
Vikas Gowda Sets Nation Award
Discus thrower Vikas Gowda, the 28 years old Indian hurled the discus to 66.28 meters at
Norman Oklahana in US on 12 April 2012, to break his National record of 64.96 meters en route
to winning the gold in the event, laying down an early marker in the Olympic year. His previous
record was made at Salinas, California in 2007.
Mercedes AMG Driver Nico Rosberg Won Chinese Grand Prix
Mercedes AMG driver Nico Rosberg won the Chinese Grand Prix on 15 April 2012, first in his
career at Shanghai International Circuit by defeating Jenson Button of Britain
Under 19 Quadrangular Cricket Tournament Winner India
India recorded a convincing seven wicket win over Australia to clinch the under 19 quadrangular
cricket championship on 15 April 2012 in Townsville, Australia. The man of the match was
given to Unmukt Chand for his unbeaten 112 runs in the match. where four countries Australia,
South Africa, India and England participated.
Lanka Ravi Titled By FIDE Lecturer
Former Asian Rapid Chess Champion Lanka Ravi has been conferred a FIDE Lecturer title by
the World Chess Body (FIDE) on 15 April 2012. Ravi, who was the first International Master
from Andhra Pradesh is the only one from Asia to get this privilege in the list of 24 FIDE
Lectures nominated across the world.
No Champions Trophy After 2013
The ICC Champions Trophy, which will be held in England in 2013, will be last tournament, as
the association plans to have only one Championship’s for each of the game’s three formats from
2015
Korean City Slated As The Venue For Shooting World Championship
The shooting world championship of 2018 was awarded to,Korean city of Changwon on 17
April 2012. The decision regarding the venue of the championship was made at the general
assenbly meeting of international shooting sport Federation ( ISSF) in London. The last World
Championships was held in Munich, Germany, in 2010 and the next Championship will be held
in Granada, in Spain in 2014.
Rafeal Nadal Won Monte Carlo Masters
Ace tennis player Rafeal Nadal on 22 April 2012 clinched his eighth consecutive Monte Carlo
Masters Title match held at Monaco. The second seeded Nadal defeated Serbian Novak
Djokovic in the final. The Monte Carlo Title was Nadal’s first since French Open title in 2011
and 47th of his ATP career.
Vettel Won The Formula One Title Race
Defending Double world championship Sebastian Vettel of R ed Bull claimed his first win of the
year on 22 April 2012 to take over as leader of the Fotmula One Tile race in Manama.
China’s Chen Jin Clinch The Asian Badminton Championship
The third seeded China’s Chen Jin defeated fellow countryman and fifth seeded Du Pengyu in
the Men’s finals of Asian Badminton Championship in China’s eastern city of Qingdao on 22
April 2012
Umadevi On Top In World Ladies Billiards
R.Umadevi claimed her maiden World Ladies Billiards & Snooker Association Title beating
world no-13 Eva Palmius by 2-0 in the senior’s final held at the Cambridge snooker centre,
England on 24 April 2012.
Shon Wan Ho Won Indian Open Badminton
Shon Wan Ho of Korea defeated Chinese defending champion Lee Chong Wei in the men’s
singles final clash and clinch his maiden super series title of the Indian Open Badminton on 28
April 2012 held in India.
Nadal Won Barcelona Open Badminton Title
Rafeal Nadal defeated Davis Ferrer of Spain to clinch the seventh Barcelona Men’s Singles Title
on 29 April 2012 held in Barcelona, and became the first tennis player to win two seperate ATP
World Tour events seven times.
Aditya Mehta Wons Asian Snooker Title
Aditya Mehta defeated compatriot Pankaj Advani in the final and won the Asian Snooker Title
after eight years on 29 April 2012 held at Qatar
Maria Sharapova Won Porsche Grand Prix
Russia’s Maria Sharapova won the Porsche Grand Prix Title after defeating world no-1 Belarus
Victoria Azarenka in the final match held on 30 April 2012 in Stuttgart Germany.
ECONOMY
E-Filling Mandatory For Income Above 10 Lakh
The Government had made it mandatory for individuals with income of over Rs. 10lakh to file
their tax returns for 2011-12. Electronically E-filling has been made compulsory for the person
who is an individual or a Hindu undivided family, if his or its total income or the total income in
respect of which he is or it is assessable under the Act during the previous year, exceeds ten lakh
rupees for assessment year 2012-13 onwards.
India Spends Least On Healthcare
Data from World Bank confirm that among the comparable BRICS Nations, which have similar
social, political & economic influence in the globe, India spends the least on public healthcare.
Among all the BRICS nations, India’s share of public expenditure in the total health expenditure
is the lowest in each of the years from 2004 to 2009 at 0.936%
RBI Cuts Repo Rate By 0.50%
After a gap of three years, Reserve Bank of India on 17 April 2012 cut the repo r ate from 8.5%
to 8% And the reverse repo rate reduced from 7.5 to 7%, As the CRR remains at 4.75%, which
would stimulate growth and softening of inflation, And set the stage for a reduce in interest rate
on home, auto and corporate loans.
Print of MICR & IFSC Code Mandatory on Passbooks, RBI
The Reserve Bank of India on 21 April 2012 directed all commercial banks to print the MICR(
Magnetic Ink Chracter Recognition) and IFSC (Indian Financial System Code) Code on the
passbook and statement of account of the customer.
World Economic Outlook By IMF
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) in its World Economic Outlook (WEO), released ahead
of the IMF World Bank Spring meetings, marginally lowered India;s economic growth forecast
to 6.9% in 2012, from 7% projected earlier. The IMF projected world economic growth rate to
slump to 3.5% in 2012 from 3.9% in 2011. It pegged India’s growth during the 2013 year at
7.3%. According to the estimates of India’s Central Statistical Organisaton ( CSO), the growth
rate during the financial year 2011-12 slipped to a 3 year low of 6.7%. the Union Government
projected a growth rate of 7.6% for 2012-13 fiscal year .
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
Indian Navy Inducted Russian Origin Submarine
The Indian Navy on 4 April 2012 inducted a Russian origin nuclear Submarine, INS Chakra into
its flotilla. The nuclear submarine has placed India into the elite group of nations which operate
nuclear vessels. The Akula II class submarine K-152 Nerpa, renamed INS Chakra II is on a 10
years lease from Russia at a cost of nearly 1billion dollar
AWACS Test Flight Sucessful
Achieving a major milestone, India has successfully carried out the maiden- test flight of its
second indigenous Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) aircraft in Brazil on 5
April 2012 the DRDO said. The successful flight is seen as a major boost as the aircraft are
scheduled to be delivered in June 2012 to the (IAF) Indian Air Force.
World’s First Flying Car
Woburn, mass based Terrafugia said that its prototype flying car has completed its first flight,
bringing the company closer to its goal of selling the flying car within the next year. The vehicle
dubbed the transition has two seats, four wheels and wings that folds up so it can be driven like a
car. It flew at 1,400 feet for eight minutes, Terrafugia will be introduced in the New York Auto
show and is expected to cost $ 279,000.
Fossilized Bone Of a Foot In Ethiopia
Scientists in the first week of April 2012, unearthed fossilized bones of a foot in Ethiopia which
they believe could be a new species of human that roamed the planet some three million years
ago and could offer insight into how man evolved to walk on two feet. The shape of the bones
shows that the creature could walk upright at times. The ability to walk upright is an important
feature that separate humans from other great apes.
New ISRO Centre to Control Spy Satellite Launch
The Indian rocket that will carry the 1,850 kg indigenous surveillance Satellite- Radar Imaging
Satellite(Risat-1) to the skies in April month will be controlled by the new mission control centre
at Sriharikota, said by senior officials of Indian space agency ISRO. The second mission control
centre was inaugurated by President Pratibha Patil this January. The forth coming rocket launch
would be controlled and monitored from the new mission control centre. The new mission
control centre is modern and has layer area to accommodate more space scientist.
Pre-Magalithic Period Discovered In Tamil Nadu
Pottery & iron age megaliths dated the Pre -Megalithic/ iron age period in Tamil Nadu 1,800
BC-1,500BC found at Mandapam village, near Aarpakkam intersection, about 14 km from
Kancheepuram in April 2012. The importance of the vast urn- burial site is that it belongs to a
period earlier than the Megalithic age or 1 run age in Tamil Nadu.
Gravity Changes Along Moon’s Surface
Planetary Scientists claim to have coated a new gravity map of the Moon which shows that the
gravity pull changes from location to location oves the surface of the Earth’s Natural Satellite.
Using detailed top graph-phase information from NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbitar
Mission an international term was able to reveal the fine structure of the Moon’s gravity field in
brand new detect.
Agni-V Test Fired Successfully
India on 19 April 2012 emerge as a regional super power with the successfully test fired of 5000
km-plus Long Range Ballistic Missile (LRBM) Angi -V from the Integrated Test Range on the
Wheeler Island in Odisha. India entered into the elite club of nations with Inter-Continental
Ballistic Missile (ICBM) Technology by successfully test firing nuclear capable Angi-V. This
missile is 17.5 metre long, can carry 1 to 1.5 tonne conventional and nuclear warheads. Which
can hit targets in large parts of China including Beijing. And can also target whole of Pakistan
and South Asia .
India To Join Project To Build Largest Telescope
In a giant leap for astronomy, India will help to build the World’s Largest and most advanced
telescope. About 20 institutions like the India Institute of Astrophysics, Aryabhatta Research
Institute of Observational Sciences and many other will join to construction of the Thirty Metre
Telescope (TMT), a Telescope that will have nine times the collecting areas of the current largest
optical /infrared telescope and will provide unparalleled high sensitivity spatial resolution more
than 12 times sharper than what is achieved by the Hubble Space Telescope,
Six Scientists Of Indian Origin Elected Fellows Of Royal Society
Bangalore based biologist Krishnaswamy Vijay Raghavan and Professor Tejinder Singh Virdee
of Imperial College, London who was associated with the design and construction of the large
Hadron Collider,proff Chandrashekhar Bhalchandra Khare, Proff Mathukumalli Vidhyasagar,
Proff Shankar Balasubramanian, Proff Varinder Kumar Aggarwal are among six internationally
renowned scientists of Indian origin elected to the prestigious fellowship of Royal Society,
Britain’s Premier Science Academy. They join the ranks of some of the world’s most famous
names including Albert Einstein Isaac newton and Stephen Hawking etc.
Pakistan Test Fired Hatf-IV Missile
Pakistan Successfully test fired a nuclear capable international range ballistic missile on 25 April
2012. Intermediate range ballistic missile could reach targets up to 1000 km. The Hatf -IV,
which was launched in the sea, was a version of the Shaheen-I with improvements in range .It
can carry nuclear and conventional warheads. It can hit targets anywhere in India
Indigenous Imaging Satellite PSLV-C19 Launched
India’s first indigenously built all weather Radar Imaging Satellite, RISAT-I with applications
ranging from agriculture to natural disaster management, is now in polar orbit after its carrier the
PSLV-C19 was launched with clinical precision from the Sriharikota Spaceport of The Indian
Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on 25 April 2012.RISAT-I, weighing 1,858 kg and the
heaviest satellite launched yet by the PSLV is a state of the art active Microwave Remote
Sensing satellite carrying a Synthetic Aperture Radar ( SAR) that will operate in the C-band.
RISAT-I can imaging of the Earth surface features at day and night and under all imagined
weather conditions.
Indian Navy Inducted Stealth INS Teg
The Indian Navy on 26 April 2012 added one more war fighting capabilties missile stealth
frigate INS Teg to its navy. An advanced version of the Talwar class frigate which are already in
service with its Teg was commissioned by Vice-admiral K.N Sushil at the ceremony at the
Yantar shipyard at Kalingrad Russia . INS Teg had been built to meet the specific command and
control needs of the navy for coordinated surface, air and water missions. The weapons suits of
the 125 metre, 4,000 tonne frigate includes the Brohmos surface to surface missile system.
India To Build Anti-Radar Missile
After the success of the Agni-v project, India had set to take its defense capabilities a stride
further, It is developing an Anti- Radiation Missile ( ARM) which can hugely multiply the strike
capabilities by destroying the enemy’s advance warning system production of the Anti-
Radiation Missile, Which is among the most advanced missiles is being undertaken on priority
basis by the Defense Research & Development Laboratory. Such missiles can be mounted on
Sukhoi fighter planes SU-30 MKI, 140 of which have already been acquired from Russia and
around 100 more are expected to be delivered in due course of time.
China Launches Two More Satellites For Navigation System
China on 29 April 2012 successfully launched two more satellites for its proposed Beidou
global navigation & positioning network being built to counter the US Global Position System
(GPS). China had so far launched 13 satellites. The Beidou 2-satellites launched from the
Xichang Satellite Launch Centre in the province of Sichvan, was boosted by a long march 3B
carrier rocket and has entered the sheduled orbit. It is the first time China has launched two
Navigation Satellites with one rocket and two satellites will help to improve the accuracy of the
Beidou and compass system.
PERSONS IN NEWS
A) Appointments
Ibrahim Kalifulla As Supreme Court Judge
Jammu & Kashmir High Court chief Justice F.M.Ibrahim Kalifulla was appointed as Supreme
Court Judge on 2 April 2012. He will remain a Supreme Court Judge for a period of four years.
New CDM For BDL
Satya Narayana Mantha has been appointed as the new chairman & Managing Director of Bharat
Dynamics Ltd ( BDL ) on April 2 2012.
Ajit Pal Singh Named India’s Chef-de Mission For Olympics
Ajit Pal Singh had became the first sports person to be named India’s Chef-de-Mission for the
Olympic games, on 2 April 2012, bringing an end to the bitter wranglings for the post within the
IDA. The seven members committee, which was formed to appoint the Chef-de-mission for the
July 27 2012 Olympic Games, unanimously selected the former hockey star to head the Indian
contingent in the London Olympics.
Amarendra Khatua, New Envoy To South Sudan & Sudan
India in the last week of March 2012 appointed Amarendra Khatua as its special envoy to South
Sudan & Sudan to broker peace between two countries. This was done with the objective of
strengthening India’s pursuit of oil & other Hydrocarbon resources in Africa. Amarendra Khatua
is the MEA additional secretary he handles the passport division,
Malawi’s New President
Prominent women’s right campaigner Joyce Banda has taken sworn in as Malawi’s new
president on 7 April 2012. After the former President Binju Wa Mutharika died of heart attack
on 5 April 2012
Malaysia ‘s New King
Sultan Abdul Halim takes oath as Malaysia’s new king on 11 April 2012
New Pakistan Envoy To India
Pakistan’s former foreign secretary Salman Bashir was appointed as new envoy to India on 14
April 2012 . Who has been part of the post 26/11 Indo-Pak dialogue process.
New World Bank President
The World Bank on 16 April 2012 had chosen Korean born American health expert Jim Yong
Kim as its new president. Mr. Jim was president of Dartmouth College will assume his new
position from 1 July after the Bank’s current president Robert Zeollick steps down.
World Heart Federation President
Dr. Srinath Reddy had been appionted as the president of World Heart Federation (WHF) on 21
April 2012. Dr. Srinath Reddy was the first Indian ever to be conferred this honour.
S.Narsing Rao took as Chairman of CIL
S. Narsing Rao, former chairman of Singareni collieries company Ltd was appointed as the
chairman & Managing Director of Coal India Limited ( CIL) on 24 April 2012.
B) RESIGNS
James Murdoch Stepped Down From British Sky Broad Casting
James Murdoch on 3 April 2012 resigned as the chairman of Satellite Broad Caster British Sky
Broad Casting, Murdoch was forced to step down given his alleged role in phone haking
at closed the news of the world newspaper.
Mali President Resigns
The President of Mali, Amadov Toumani Toure resigned on April 8 2012 following the
agreement signed with the mediators.
Greek Prime Minister Quits
Greece’s P.M Lucas Papademos resigns to his position on 11 April 2012 to set a stage for early
elections on May 6 2012.
Netherland’s Prime minister Resigns
The Netherland’s Prime Minister Mark Rutte and his cabinet resigned on 23 April 2012 after
failing to reach agreement on reducing the country’s budget to meet European guidelines.
Abhishek Manu Singhvi Resigned As Congress Spokesperson
Abhishek Manu Singhvi , the spokesperson of the ruling congress party, tendered his resignation
on 23 April 2012. Singhvi also resigned from a powerful parliamentary law committee that he
headed.
Jordan Prime Minister Resigns
Jordan’s Prime Minister Awn Al- Khasawneh resigned on 26 April 2012, just six months after he
took offices with a pledge to push for political reforms.
C) Deaths
Former BCCI President N.K.P. Salve Passes Away
Former BCCI President and former Union Minister N.K.P.Salve passed away on 1 April 2012 in
New Delhi. N.K.P Salve had been the president of the BCCI when India won the World Cup in
1983.
Communist Leader Promode Gogoi Passed Away
Veteran communist leader & President of the All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC)
Promode Gogoi passed away on 6 April 2012 in Guwahati.
China’s Dissidents & Astrophysicist Died In US
One of China’s best known dissidents & Astrophysicist Fang Lizhi died in excile in the US on 6
April 2012. He had become a force to reclon with prominent during the 1989-pro-democracy
movement. He was known as China’s Sakharavo.
Legendary Newsman Mike Wallace Died
Mike Wallace, a legendary newsman known for impertinent, the CBS reporter who became one
of America’s best known broadcast journalist as an interrogator of the famous & infamous on ”
60 minutes” died on 8 April 2012 in America.
Nityananda Mohapatra Passes Away
Nityananda Mohapatra, author, freedom fighter, Gandhian and editor passes away on 17 April
2012 in Odisha
D)VISITORS
Pakistan President Visit To India
The Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari visited India on 8 April 2012 at New Delhi for the high
level meeting over trade, security and friendly issues
Visit of Qatar President to India
The president of Qatar Emir Sheik Hamad Bin Khallifa Al-Thani visited India for boosting trade
and investments between the two countries.
UN Secretary General Visit to India
UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon visited India for two days, and had meetings with Prime
Minister Manmohan Singh regarding the relatives of victims of the 1984 anti sikh riots.
E)MISCELLANEOUS
Titanic Wreckage To Become UNESCO Heritage
On the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic, its wreckage will become underwater
cultural heritage protected by the UNESCO, under a convention ratified by 41 states, the
organisation said on April 14, 1912 Titanic hit iceberg in North Atlantic and sank. This year will
mark 100 years since the tradegy, that the hull will from now on be protected by the 2011
convention on the protection of the underwater cultural heritage. The convention can only be
applied to objects that sank more than 100 years ago. The Titanic, the biggest and most luxurious
Ocean liner of its time, sank in international waters and no state has exceptional jurisdiction over
the wreckage.
Railways New Rail Bheem
With an aim of hauling heavier trains, railway is ready to roll out a newly designed 5500 horse
power diesel locomotive equipped with all modern features including 100 km per hour running
speed. Aptly named as ‘ Bheem’, the high horse power locomotive is currently undergoing safe
trail. Manufactured at diesel Locomotive Works at Varanasi, the prototype has cost about Rs.
17crore to the railways.
Second Child Genius
A four years British girl, Heidi Hankins has been hailed as a child genius after being ranked just
one point below Albert Einstein and Stephen Hawking in IQ of 159 against average adult 100
IQ. She has became the second youngest ever child to be accepted into the Elite Mensa Society
for people with high IQs. Two and a half years Oscar Wrigley remains the first youngest with an
IQ of 160.
London, Most Impressive City In The World
The wealth report, a study which focuses on the ten international cities deemed the most
impressive by high net worth individuals each with assets in excess of its 15.5 million. Economic
activity, quality of life, political power, knowledge and influence were all factors in assessing
what made a city important according to the survey. London has been voted the world’s most
important city according to the wealth report study. Taking second & third place, are New York
and Hong Kong.
PLACES IN NEWS
China’s Highest Bridge
Aizhai is the World’s Highest Tunnel Bridge and the fourth suspension bridge in China to cross
the valley so wide its seems to be connecting two mountain ranges, the first three were the
Siduhe, Balinghe and Beipanjiang bridges of the world’s 400 or so highest bridges, non has a
main span as long as Aizhai with a Tower to tower distance of 3,858 feet (1,176mtrs) Located
deep in the heart of China’s Hunan province near the city of Jishou. The suspension bridge is the
largest structure on the Jishou to Chadong expressway with a deck 1, 102 feet above the Dettang
Canyon
8.7 Earthquake Hit Indonesia Aceh Province
An earthquake measuring 8.7 on Richter scale hit Indonesia’s Aceh province on 11 April 2012,
which issued tsunami warning over 28 countries mild tremors were felt in all 28 countries. In
Indian cities including Kolkata, Chennai, Bangalore Andhra Pradesh and several other cities on
the Eastern coast.No damage was occurred anywhere due to the earthquake.
ABBREVIATIONS
IIP- Index of Industrial Production
GSTN – Goods & Services Tax Network
EEPC – Engineering Export Promotion Council.
AFSPA – Armed Force Special Powers Act.
TDSAT – Telecom Dispute Settlement Appellate Tribunal
INCOIS- Indian Nation Centre for Ocean Inforamation Services
ICBM- Inter Continental Ballistic Missile.
NTCA – National Tiger Conservation Authority
AWACS- Airborne Warning And Control System

BOOKS IN NEWS
Book Released on Sachin’s Statistics
A book was released featuring the statistical peak scaled by cricketer Sachin Tendulkar, who
celebrated his 39 birthday on 24 April 2012 during his glorious international career. titled as
“Sachin A Hundred Hundreds ” book was introduced by former Indian Captain Rahul Dravid
and foreword by the Tendulkar first coach cum mentor Ramakant Achrekar. The book is about
every hundred, every peak scaled by Tendulkar and photos.
COMMITTEES IN NEWS
Sub-Committee Suggested Creation Of A National Funds For UTP
A Government sub-committee was set up to look into probable sources of funds for Urban
Transport Projects (UTP) in the 12th plan recommended creation of a national fund, resources
for which can be generated through taxes on vehicles& petrol consumption. The sub -committee
on financing Urban Infrastructure in the 12th plan report suggested investments to the tune of Rs.
87,000crore in the five year plan duration.
Defense Minister Set Up 3 Committees to Accelerate BIP
The Defense Ministry in its meeting on 17 April 2012, decided to set up three new committees to
procurements and Border Infrastructure Projects( BIP). The meeting was chaired by Defense
Minister A.K.Antony. The committee was also set up to decide a whether the Army will get
combat aviation assets, and to expedite infrastructure development in the Northern region that
has borders with both China and Pakistan.
May 2012 Current Affairs Study Material
INTERNATIONAL
Aung San Suu Kyi Take Oath As Opposition Leader
Aung San SuuKyi took oath of office to become an official member of Myanmar’s parliament on
2 May 2012. Suu Kyi, a Nobel Laureate, pro democracy leader of Myanmar for the first time
held public office since launching her struggle against autherisation rule nearly a quarter century
ago.
Poll Panels Of SAARC Countries Established Forum
SAARC Countries on 4 May 2012 adopted a charter for mutual cooperation and set up a forum
that will enhance capabilities to conduct free and fair elections . In its charter the chief election
commissioners of Afghanistan , Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives Nepal Pakistan, Sri Lanka and
India confirmed their abiding faith in the objectives and principles of SAARC contained in the
SAARC charter.
French Socialist Party’s Francois Hollande As First Socialist President
Francois Hollande was elected France’s first socialist president nearly after two decades with
53.3% votes on 6 May 2012, While defeating Nicolas Sarkozy.The result will have major
implications for Europe as it struggle to emerge from a financial crisis and for France the
Eurozone second largest economy and a nuclear armed permanent member of the UN Security
Council.
All Nuclear Power Plants Stopped In Japan
All Nuclear Power Plants were Stopped In Japan on 6 May 2012 . Tomari was the last shutdown
, which leaves Japan without nuclear power. Thousands of Japanese marched to celebrate the
switching off the last of their nations 50 nuclear reactor. Japan was without eclectricity from
nuclear power for the first time in four decades.
Vladimir Putin Sworn In As The President Of Russia
Vladimir Putin the former Russian Prime Minister and the president of the United Russia Party
took the oath as the President of Russia on 7 May 2012. Putin had won the Russian Presidential
elections with 63.6% of the vote on 4 March.
Top 10 Female CEO’s & Influential Business Women of American Companies
There are roughly 22 female presidents and prime ministers in the world and about a dozen
womens executivesat the helm of Fortune 500 companies. Especially for these top 10 women
CEO’s
CEO of the world’s second largest food company Karft Foods ,Irene Rosenfeld in first
place
The CEO of TJX, Carol.M.Meyrowitz in second. Chairman & CEO of Pepsico Indra Nooyi in
third . Chairman& CEO of EI du Pont de Nemoursand company, Ellen Kullman in fourth.
Chairman, President & CEO of Well point, Angela Braly in fifth. Chairman & CEO of Xerox
,Ursula M.Borns in sixth.Chairman, president & CEO of Sunoco,Lynn L.Elsenhans in seventh .
CEO of Archer Daniels Midland, Patrica Woertz in eigth. President and CEO of BJ’s Wholesale
club , Laura J.sen in ninth and Chairman & CEO of Key corp, Beth E.Mooney in tenth place.
Forbes Mother’s Top 20 List
The list released by Forbes ahead of World Mother’s Day on 13 May 2012 the world’s 20 most
powerful moms list which ranked most efficient persons list According to the magazine ” power
moms must develop unique strategic to succeed in both boardrooms and playrooms. Fobes
women analysed the annual list of the world’s 100 most powerful women’s based on money
controlled, decision making power and multiple measures of influence and teased out the moms
who are at the top of their game are
No-1_ Hillary Clinton, US Secretary of states
No-2 _ Dilma Rousseff, Brazilian President
No-3_ Indra Nooyi, PepsiCo Chairman
No-4 _Sheryl Sandberg, Chief Operating Officer Of Face book
No-5_ Melinda Gates, Co- founder, Bill and Melindan Gates Foundation
No-6_ Sonia Gandhi, UPA Chairperson
No-7_ Michelle Obama, First lady U.S
No-8 – Christine Lagarde, Managing Director IMF
No-9_ Irene Rosenfeld, CEO Karft foods
No-10_ Jill Abramson, Executive Editor New York Times
No-11_ Kathleen Sebelius, Secretary of Health& Human services U.S
In the last 20th place is the General secretary of NLD Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi
Philippines President Names Two ‘Special Envoys’ to China
Philippines President Benigno Aquino named two special envoys to China on 16 May 2012,
amid a tence territorial dispute between the two countries over a shoal in the South China sea.
During their six month assignment both were also tasked to actively persuade greater number of
Chinese tourists to make the Philippines their main destination for leisure and relaxation trips.
China counters Japan’s Claims over Okinotoris Status
China and Japan have exchanged a fresh round of claims and counter claims over a tiny but
crucial out cropping in the Pacific Ocean, with Tokyo assuring that a UN Commission had
endorsed its stand on the atoll being an Island while Beijing rejected it as baseless. The two
countries, that have their own set of disputes in the South China sea, have also been sparring
over the status of Okinotoris Atollion
Tomislav Nikolic Won Serbia’s Presidential Election
The Serbian Progresive party leader Tomislav Nikolic Won Serbia’s Presidential Election on 20
May 2012. Nikolic beat his centrist, the incumbent Boris Tadic in closely contested election.
Nikolic accounted for 50.21% of the total vote, against 46.77% for Tadic, with 40% of votes
counted. Nikolic during his previous stints in power worked as a deputy prime minister under the
former president Slobodon Miloscric.
China Developing Internet For Offensive Operations
China is improving its capacity for operations in cyberspace and developing capabilities to use
internet for offensive operations. The Pentagon has said China is investing in not only
capabilities to better defend their networks but also they are looking at ways to use cyber for
offensive operations, China is engaging in cyber activity focused on computer network
exploitation.
IAEA Chief Meets Top Iran Nuclear Officials
IAEA Chief Yukiya Amano Met Top Iran’s Nuclear chief and top negotiator on 21 May 2012
in a visit to Tehran closely watched for signs as to how wider talks between Iran and World
power might unfurl. Iran’s national security supremo tasked with negotiating nuclear issues and
atomic energy head Abbasi Davani in an effort to press for greater co-operations between Iran
and the UN Nuclear surveillance agency.
Bangladesh Announces Discovery Of Petroleum
Energy starned Bangladesh has struck oil reserves in the country’s Northeastern region with an
extractable reserve of at least 55 million barrels worth USD 5.5 million. Petrobangla is
announcing with pleasure that Bangladesh had entered a new era through the discovery of a
profitable oil reserves in Haripur and Kailashtila, state run Petrobangla’s chairman Hossain
Monsur said.
China is World’s Biggest Magnesium Producer
China has remained the World’s Biggest Producer of Magnesium since 1999,with last year’s
out put accounting for over 85% of the world’s total.The country produced 660,000 tones of
magnesium last year.The agencyreported on 26 May. It is estimated that the yearly magnesium
output will reach 1.5million tonnes during the 2011-2015 period odf which 700,000 tones will be
exported annually
Liberia’s Taylor Gets 50 years in Jail for War Crimes
A U.N Backed war crimes court sentensed the former president of liberia ,charles Taylor ,to 50
years in jail on 30 May 2012 for arming rebels in sierra leone in return for “Blood Diamonds” .
INDIA & WORLD
Kabul- Washington Strategic Pact Signed
The new Kabul- Washington long term strategic partnership agreement (SPA) was signed by
Obama and Afghan President Hamid Karzai on 2 May 2012.The achievements and success
paved the way to sign the strategic cooperation agreement between the two nations.
U.S to Invest In West Bengal
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Benerjee on 7 May2012 said the former assured her of
American investment in the state for its business and economic development considering Bengal
as a partner state.And the US desire to invest in West Bengal as the state has witnessed a change
in its political scenario after decades. American investments in the states software , IT and
manufacturing , health and education sectors.
India to Acquire Coking Coal Mine In Mongolia
In a move to reduce dependence on highly priced Australian coking coal, India acquired a mine
in Mongolia ans also set up the first steel plant in the quality coal rich country. The Indian
delegation comprising of chairman of Steel Authority of India (SAIL)C.S.Verma and U.P.Singh,
joint secretary in the ministry will sign a pact in this regard. The plan is to acquire mine, utilise
the coal for the steel plant India proposes to set up in Mongolia and export the rest to India
through Chinese port as Mongolia is a land locked country.
Dalia Lama gives Templeton Prize Money to Indian Charity
Tibetan Spiritual leader the Dalia Lama on 14 May 2012 received the prestigious 1.1 million
pound Templeton prize in London by St Paul’s Cathedral and announced that most of the prize
money will go to save the children fund in India, with smaller bequest to a science and religion
group which is studying the effects of Buddhist practice and to a project to train Buddhist monks
as scientists.
India surpassed china as the largest Arms Importer in the World
India Topped as the largest Importer of arms during 2007-2011. India has taken numerous
measures to modernise its armed forces in the past ten years.The country has signed several deals
to produce military hardware such as 10c17 strategic lift aircraft,sixc-130 super hercules special
operations airsraft, addditional sukhri-30MKI fighter jets along with several warships.
Hyderabad Girl’s Short Film goes to Cannes
A part from capturing memorable and best moments, more can do more with a cam recorder.If
you have a talent make a short film and send to international film festivals and win prizes. This
what G.Anahita done.Ajury comprising Hollywood stars such as Edward Norton and others at
the Cannes film festival picked her video that lasts lessthan a minute as the “Best Area Video
Coalition”(BAVC) segiment open for only teenagers after screening will be presented with 5000
US Dollars.
Sahara Signed Agreement to Build Notun Dhaka in Bangladesh
Sahara India Pariwar signed an agreement with Bangladesh government to desfign and develop a
new city Notun Dhaka(New Dhaka) on 28 May 2012. Sahara Matribhumi Unnayan Corporation
signed the MOU with the ministry of housing and public works (MOPW) of Bangladesh
Governement.Their main aim to build affordable housing facilities for the group of low earming
people, along with it, they will also work on the hosing finance support and design.This plans for
integrated statellite townships constituted by the ministry of housing and public
works(MOHPW) of the Bangladesh Government.
India pushes to rebuild old links with new Myanmar
India & Myanmar expect to double their trade in 3years and despite a delay in introducing a
buslink,hope to be connected not just over land and by air but also by rail. India signed a slew
agrrements and memoranda of understand(MOUs) on day-2 and Dr.singh’s visit to take forward
economic ties,cooperation in development and capacity building in a range of sectors.They
include an MoU to operationalise a $500 million line of credit during president.
India, Bahrain sign pact to boost ties
India and Bahrain on 31May, announced the signing of a tax information exchange agreement to
promote economic cooperation and joint investment between 2 countries aimed was signed by
the Bahrain delogation led by prince Salman Bin Hamadal Khalifa.
NATIONAL
E-Challan & Receipt (ECR) Facility Launched
Union Minister of Labour & Employment Mallikarjun Kharge inaugurated the E-Challan and
receipt (ECR) facility on 1 May 2012 to bring transparency and accessibility for employers in
depositing monthly employees Provident Fund or EPF contributions of their workers. Employees
under the ECR service would have to register their organisations online and generate challans for
making monthly deposits. They can use these challan for either electronically or physically
depositing the provident fund or PF contribution to the bank.
Union Government Decided To Include Chit Funds Under The Chit Fund Act
Union Government decided to include chit funds, an informal pooling of funds from individuals
for lending under the chit fund Act of 1982 in six states including Gujarat and Kerala. The
decision was meant to help people access the dispute settlement mechanism. Nagaland, Haryana
Tripura and Arunachal Pradesh are the other states to come under the Act, providing a cushion
for small savers who are at the mercy of local operations of the six states brought under the
central ruling, only Kerala operated under the Kerala chit Act of 1975. The other five states had
no laws to regulate chit fund operations.
Indian Americans in Forbes List of Best Tech Investors
Forbes Magazine recently came up with the list of Technologies best investors among which
nine are Indian Americans . These influential apersonalities have been successful in creating
wealth and funding innovative ideas that help to keep our economy vibrant.Anil Bhasuri, Rob
Chandra, Sameer Gandhi, Vinod Khosh, Neeraj Agrawak, Navin Chaddha, Ajay Agarwal,
Asheen Chandra and Subrata Mitra are the best Tech investors on the forbes list .
Fianace Minister Pranab Mukherjee was Elected As Chair Of ADB’s Board Of Governor
Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee on 4 May 2012 was elected as Chair of the Asian
Development Bank’s (ADB) Board of Governors. India will host the 46th annual meeting of the
Asian Development Bank in New Delhi in 2013. Though India was the founding member of the
ADB in 1966, the lending operations in India began two decades late.
Tata Group Among 10 Best Companies for Leadership in Asia
The Tata Group is at the fifth position among the ten best companies for leadership in Asia list ,
according to study by management consultancy Gaint Hay Group. The topped company in the
list is Samsung group followed by Tayota Motors and Unilever at the second and third positions
. The study said that innovation was the prime factor hat made Tata Groups to find place among
the top names in Asia . Others in the top 10 in Asia are Nestle, IBM Corp, Sony Corp, Procter &
Gamble , Coca- Cola and Petronas. Among the global best leadership companies are General
Electric as at the top followed by Procter 7 Gamble, IBM, Microsoft and Coca- Cola.
Report Placed India On Fifth In Cyber Crime
India, according to a report published by the Security and Defence Agenda (SDA) and McAfee
on 6 May 2012, ranked fifth in the list of countries affected of Cyber Crime. The report cyber
security, The Vexed Question of Global Rules, rated the internet privacy in the country as low.
Brussels based SDA spoke to leading global security exports to ensure that findings would offer
useful recomendations and actions.
Bihar C.M Nitish Kumar Took Oath As Member of BLC
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi, former chief
minister and RJD leader Rabri Devi sworn in as members of the Bihar Legislative Council on 7
May 2012. The leaders were administered oath by state Legislative Council chairman Salim
Parvej.
Qualcomm Recieved The Broadband Wireless Access Spectrum
Qualcomm, the US chipmaker received the Broadband Wireless Access(BWA) spectrum on 8
May 2012 by the Department of Telecommunications ( DoT). The DoT however, reduced the
company’s period of licence use to 18.5 years from 20 years as mentioned in the licence
agreement. The time period to meet the rollout obligations was also reduced from 5 to 3.5 years.
The Union Cabinet Approved the 7.6 Billion Dollar TAPI Gas Pipeline Project (TGPP)
The Union Cabinet Approved the 7.6 Billion Dollar TAPI Gas Pipeline Project (TGPP) on 17
May 2012. The TAPI gas pipeline project which organisation from the central Asian Nation
Turkmenistan and reaches to India via Afghanistan and Pakistan is also referred to as the “Peace
Pipeline” as some of the countries that it passes through don’t enjoy good relationship with each
other. The TAPI gas project will have a total length of 1680 km of the total length 144 km will
be in Turkmenistan, 735 km in Afghanistan and 800 km in Pakistan, bringing it to the Indian
borders. The pipeline, will be entirely functional in 2018 and supply gas over the next thirty
years.
6th Best University in Country
Osmania University has been ranked Sixth among India’s best Universities as per as survey
conducted by the India Today-Nielsen dor 2012 . The varsity was Ranked seventh last year.
Report on Status of Implementation of SCs and STs Act 1989 Released
The report on the status of implementation of SCs an d STs ( prevention of Atrocities) Act 1989
and Rules 1995 was released by the first Dalit chief Justice of India, Justice K.G.Balakrishna on
18 May 2012. The report was prepared by the National Coalition after collecting evidence by
visiting the places of incidents and talking to victims across India for strengthening SCs and
STs( Prevention of Atrocities ) Act. The report revealed substantial increace in cases of violence
against SCs and Sts. It also highlighted loopholes in the implementation of the SCs and ST s Act
and agreed that it has not been able to check atrocities against Dalits and Adivasis in an affective
manner.
Andhra Pradesh High Court set aside 4.5 Per Cent Sub-Quota for Minorities
The Andhra Pradesh High Court on 28 May 2012 invalidated the 4.5 per cent sub-quota for
minorities carved out of the 27 per cent reservation for OBCs by the Union government.A high
court division bench of Chief Justice Madan Lokur and Justice P VSanjay Kumar quashed the
sub-quota as it observed that the Union government’s move was based on religious lines and not
any other consideration.The court was hearing to a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by
backward classes leader R Krishnaiah against the sub-quota.
STATES
IICT Hopes to Establish Deflouridation Plants in A.P & Rajasthan
The Indian Institute of Chemical Technology (IICT) is looking forward to establish model
deflouridation units in Rajasthan after designing and commissioning various low-cost
groundwater defluoridation plants in flurosis affected villages of Andhra Pradesh. Flurosis is a
dreaded disease which is caused due to the presence of excess fluoride in grounwater, which has
impacted many people in India, mainly children who are suffering from dental and skeletal
deformities primarlly in both the states of Andhra Pradesh and Rajasthan.
Petronet LNG Terminal In Andhra Pradesh
Petronet Lng Ltd on 2 May 2012 signed a deal with Andhra Pradesh’s Gangavaram port to set up
a 5 million tonnes a year liquified natural gas import terminal.The statement from Petronet said
the proposed R.s 4,500crore terminal at the Gangavaram port will have facilities for receiving ,
strong and regasification of LNG.
Agreement Signed for Pranahitha Chevella Irrigation Project
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N.Kiran Kumar Reddy and his Maharashtra counterpart
Prithviraj Chavan, on 5 May 2012 signed an agreement in New Delhi to set up an inter state
board for speedy execution of the Rs. 40,300 crore Pranahitha -Chevella irrigation project, that
will serve both states .The agreement was signed in the presence of Union water Resources
minister Pawan Kumar Bansal Dr. B.R.Ambedkar pranahitha chevella sujatha sravanthi project,
which Andhra Pradesh wants to be declared as a national project.
Government Cleared Rs.8500 crore Project to Naxalite Affected Districts
The Union Government on 17 May 2012 cleared a Rs 8500 crore project under the Pradhan
Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) with an objective to connect 6000 habitation in the 78
naxalite affected districts of nine states. Under the project money will be utilised for new
connectivity and upgradation of habitations.norms of PMGSY were released for the first time to
provide road connectivity to these habitations, in view of the biggest beneficiary of this package.
There are some 1000 unconnected habitations in nine naxal hit districts of Bihar and another
2500 in 17 districts in Jharkhand. The remaining habitations are spread over 18 districts in Orissa
16 in Chhatisgarh, 8 in M.P and A.P, 3each in West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh and 2 in
Maharashtra.
P.Chidambaram to Head Reconstituted Panel of Inter-State Council
The standing committee of the Inter-State council has been reconstituted with Home minister
P.Chidambaram as Chairman and Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee and nine chief ministers,
including Tamil Nadu C.M Jayalalitha and Gujarat C.M Narendra Modi as members. A number
of union ministers belonging to congress allies in the UPA have also been given representation
in the committee which was reconstituted by Prime minister Manmohan Singh.
CONFERENCES
2-Day G8 Summit In US
The 2-day summit of the group of eight (G8) industrialized nations held on 18 May 2012 in
Maryland, US. The 2-day summit group together leaders of Britain, Canada, France, Germany,
Italy, Japan, Russia and the US. The event will discuss issues, including the Eurozone crisis, Iran
nuclear standoff, Syria, global energy and food security among others. Despited its wide ranging
agenda many analysts expected no major out comes from the gathering.
ASEAN, US Meet Over Security Cooperation
The US & Southeast Asian Nations on 19 May 2012 embraked on three days of talks that would
include security cooperation, shortly after a Pentagon report raised concerns about China’s
military build up . The Philipines, host of the discussions and an Association of Southeast Asian
Nations (ASEAN) members is engaged in a month long maritime stand off with China over a
disputed shoal in the South China Sea. Deepening security corporation climate change and trade
and investment will all be on the three days of meeting
NATO Summit In Chicago
A key NATO Summit, gathering more than 50 world leaders, opened in Chicago on 21 May
2012 with a minutes silence for all those who have fallen in combat around the world. Led by
NATO chief Anders Fogh Rasmussen and US president Barack Obama, the leaders stood and
bowed their heads as a uniformed US bugler played taps. Addressing the themes of the summit
Rasmussen vowed to complete the transition to Afghan security by 2014. He also stressed the
need to embrace a renewed culture of cooperation vowing that together we will make our
partnership deeper, broader and stronger.
SPORTS & GAMES
Spanish Football Club Real Madrid Clinched Spanish League Title
Spanish football club Real Madrid clinched its 32nd spanish League title and first in four years
on 2 May 2012, over shadowing Lionel Messi breaking a 39 years European club scoring record
with a hatrik to take his season total to 68 goals.
Indian Women Team Won Asian Sqash Championship
Indian women squash team won its maiden gold at the 16th Asian Squash Championship in
Kuwait on 5 May 2012. The women created a history by defeating the top seeded Joshna
Chinnappa and 14th seeded Dipika Pillikkal defeated world number 16th Joey Chan and world
no-7 Annie Au respectively.
Sriram Balaji Won ITF Futures Men’s Tennis Title
Fifth ranked Sriram Balaji defeated Swiss Joss Espasandin in the Summit clash of the MCC -SR
Subramanian Memorial ITF Futures men’s tennis tournament in Chennai on 5 May 2012.
Sports Illustrated, Sportsman of the Year Yuvraj
On 5 May 2012 Inidan cricketer Yuvraj singh , Who is rehabilitating after a layoff due to cancer
has been adjudged as sports illustrated sportsman of the year for his stupendous performance in
2011 World cup.
Sara Errani Wons Budapest WTA Tournament
Top seeded Sara Errani of Italy won her third WTA title for the year 2012by defeating Elina
Vesnina of Russia in the $220,000 Budapest Grand Prix final held on 6 May 2012 in Budapest,
Hungary.
Juan Del Potro Won Estoril ATP Open Title
Argentina’s top seeded Juan Martin Del Potro retained his title at the Estoril Open on 6 May
2012 after defeating second seeded Richard Gasquet held at Estoril, Portugal.
Deepika Kumari Won First World Cup Title
India’s Olympic prospect Deepika Kumari won her first World Cup individual recurve gold
medal at Antalya, Turkey on 6 May 2012.
Estoril Men’s Double Title 2012 Winners
Pakistan tennis ace Aisamul Haq Qureshi and his partner Dutch Rojer Jean Julien clinched the
Men’s double title of the Estoril Open on 6 May 2012 held in Estoril, Portugal.
Kanepi Won The Single Women’s Estoril Title 2012
Kaia Kanepi claimed her third WTA trophy of single Women’s Estoril Title by defeating Spain’s
Carla Suarez Novarro in the final of the Estoril open on 6 May 2012 held at Estoril, Portugal.
Krishna Poonia Sets New National Record
Discus Thrower Krishna Poonia set a new national record with a throw of 64.76m. Which
breaked Seema Antil’s existing record of 64.64m. Krishna won the silver medal in the Aitius
Track crew Throw down mmet in Maui Island Hawaii on 7 May 2012.
Rickie Fowler Golfer Won Well Fargo Trophy
Rickie Fowler won his first RGA Wells Fargo Championship over US Open Campion Rory
Mcllroy and D.A Points on 6 May 2012 at Quali Hallow club in Charlotte, NC.
O’Sullivan Won World Snooker Title
England’s Ronnie O’Sullivan won the fourth World Snooker Championship by defeating Ali
Carter 18-11 in the final at the Crucible Theatre on 8 May 2012 at Sheffield,England.
Parimarjan Negi Won Asian Continental Chess Champion
Granmaster Parimarjin Negi won the Asian Continental Chess Championship despite loosing to
A.R.Saleh Salem of UAE in the final round by winning gold that concluded on 13 May 2012.
Pastor Team Claims Formula One Race
Pastor Maldonado gave williams a first formula One Race win in almost eight years on 13 May
2012, when he fought off local hero Fernando Alonsa in a thrilling Spanish Grand Prix.
Serena Williams Won The Madrid Open Final
USA’s Serena Williams won the Madrid Open Final Women’s tennis by defeating world no-1
Victoria Azarenka on 13 May 2012 held at Madrid.
Roger Federar Won Madrid Men’s Open Title
Swiss tennis star Roger Federar defeated Czech Tomas Berdych to win Madrid Men’s Single
Open Title on 13 May 2012.The Madrid open title is set to reinstate Federar as the no-2 spot in
the world tennis ranking , the position he had earlier lost to his rival Rafael Nadal.
Manjeet Singh won the Junior National Boxing Title
Manjeet Singh Panghal defeated Gurleen singh to claim the 69 kg title in the 45th National
Junior Boxing championship at Patiala on 16 May 2012.
Nadal on The Sixth Rome Masters Title
Rafael Nadal won his sixth Rome Men’s singles Masters title in a rain postponed final against
Novack Djokovic on 21 May 2012 held at Rome.
Sharapova Won Women’s Single’s Rome Masters Title
Maria Sharapova of Russia won the women’s single Rome Masters Title by defeating China’s Li
Na on 20 May held at Rome.
Sania-Mattek lift Brussels Open TIttle
Sania Mirza won her second WTA doubles tittles of the season and 14th overall,when she
combined with.Bethanie Mattek-sands to lift Brussels Open Tropy with an emphatic straight set
win over Alicja Rosolska of polamd and china;s Zheng Jie.This Indo-American pair took an hour
and 10 minutes.
Knights Dethrone Kings IPL-5 Crown
Kolkatta Knight Riders are newly crowed IPL Champions.The visitors beat defending
champions chennai SuperKings by five wickets in a high final at the MAC stadium in chennai.
The Man of the Match is “Bisla”. Golden player goes to “Sumil Naring”(KKR) and Orange cap
goes to “Chris Gale”(RCB) and Purple Cap goes to”More Morkel”(DD)
Weber Wins Monaco Grand Pix
Australia Mark Webber made Formula one history on 27 May when he steered his Red bull to
victory and claimed his First Win in this Year and his Team Red Bull’s Third successive
Monacco Grand Pix.
Lin Dan Propels China to Thomas Cup Tittle
Super star Lin Dan led osts china to an emphatic victory over South Korea in the Thomas cup
Final on 27 May, Sending a starl message he and his Team mates are in peak form for the
London Olympics in the field of Badminton.
Fluent Fedex on the Mark
Roger Federer celebrated on 28 May his 50th straight major with a record equalling 233rd Grand
slam win.His win , achieved on a sixth match point, also told him level with ‘Jimmy connors’
record for most grand slam matches win of 233.
Services Defeat Tamilnadu for Cup
Services showed nerves of steel to defeat Tamilanadu 3-2 in the final of the 66th santosh Tropy
at the Barabati stadium in Cuttack,Adisha on 28 May.This was services second Title, with thier
maiden championship coming in the 1960-61 season.
Anand Crowned Fifth world Championship
Indian Grand master viswa nathan Anand showed immense resilence to beat challenger Boris
Gelfand of Israel in the tense rapid chess tie braker to win the world championship crown for the
fifth time and Fourth in a row on 30 may 2012
Chattisgarh Girls&Boys Clinch National Titles
Chattisgarh Clinched both Girls&Boys Titles in the 63rd National Junior Basketball
championship on 30 May .boys defeated the punjab in final where as girls defeated the
maharastara in final.
ECONOMY
RBI Directed Indian Banks To Maintain Tier I Capital
The Reserve Bank of India on 2 May 2012 published guidelines of implementation of the new
global capital adequacy norms, called Basel-III, by March 2018. India banks will have to
maintain Tier-I capital, or core capital of at least 7% of their risk weighted assets on an ongoing
basis. The objective is to strengthen risk management mechanism . As per the guidelines
specified by the central bank, commercial banks will have to maintain their total capital
adequacy ratio at 9% higher than the minimum recommended requirement of 8% under the
Basel- III norms.
ADB To Provide $6.25 Billion Assistance To India
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) will provide assistance of $6.25 billion to India over three
years for various projects, including those in the energy and education sector. The lending
support will go to key areas like transport, energy, urban development, agriculture, natural
resource management. Prior to this ADB has approved 159 loans for India amounting to $24.12
billion.
Moody’s Downgrades 3 Private Sector Banks
Moody’s Investor Services has downgraded the standalone bank financial strength rating of the
top three private sector banks- ICICI Bnak, HDFC Bankand Axis Bank. The global credit rating
agency also downgraded the Life Insurance Coorporation of India’s foreign currency insurance
financial strength rating.
WEF To Open Office In India
The world Economic Forum (WEF), known for its annual Davos meeting on 14 May 2012 said,
it will open its full fledged office in India in the wake of the country growing economic clout.
Besides, WEF which has been organising annual India event along with the industry body CII,
has decided to go solo from this year. The branding of the event would also be changed to world
Economic forum on India rather than India economic summit being held annually for the last 27
years.
The World Wildlife Fund Report On Global Environment
The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) in its report living planet report 2012 released on 15 May
2012 noted that Biodiversity has decreased by an average of 28 percent globally since 1970 and
the world would have to be 50% bigger to have enough land and forest to provide for current
levels of consumption and carbon emissions. The problem, by 2030 even two planets Earths
would not be enough to sustain human activity. A summit on the global environment is to be
held in Brazilian city Rio De Janerio from 20 to 22 June 2012. The summit is expected to draw
more than 50,000 participates from different nations.
RBI Decided to Set Up 2 Billion Dollar Swap Facility For SAARC Nations
Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on 16 May 2012 decided to set up a 2 billion dollar swap facility
for SAARC nations. This facility will be available in foreign currency and Indian rupee. The
facility will provide the member nation with the facility to swap US dollar, euro or Indian rupee
against domestic currency or domestic currency denominated Government securities. The
withdrawal could be done in multiple tranches. The move for a SAARC swap facility follows a
decision taken by the SAARC finance minister at the ministerial meeting on global financial
crisis.
Retrospective Amendment To I-T Act May Impact FDI In India
The amendment to increase tax laws with retrospective effects passed by Parliament may impact
inflows of foreign direct investment (FDI) into the country, a top Italian trade official said.
General Provident Fund Interest Rate Hiked to 8.8%
The Finance Ministry has hiked interst rates on General Provident fund to 8.8% a year with
effect from April 1st this year. This move will benefit millions of employees.who are subcribes
to this fund.berfore it is 8.6 in december 2011-March 2012.
Fix NPAs, Pranab tells to banks
Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee on 28 May asked banks to take steps to manage their non-
performing assets (NPAs). which have grown on account of economic down turn.NPAs of public
sector banks stood at about 3.3 percent of the assets in 2011-12 as against 2.3 percent a year ago
said pranab.
Delhi Chief Minister Sheela Dikshit Presented the Budget for Fiscal Year 2012-13
Delhi Chief Minister Sheela Dikshit on 28 May 2012 presented the financial budget in the Delhi
assembly for the fiscal year 2012-13. The 33436 crore rupees budget had its share of populist
measures as a number of social welfare schemes were announced in the budget by the
government.
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
14 Times Bigger Supermoon
On 5 May 2012, the moon had been closer to Earth than at any other times this year, which
means it will appear up to 14 % bigger and 30% brigther han any other full moon of 2012. Its the
supermoon ,it happens but once in a year.
Pakistan Test Fired Hatf -III
Pakistan on 10 May 2012 successfully test fired the traning launch of Hatf-III (Ghaznavi), a
short range ballistic missile capable of carrying both nuclear and conventional warheads across
290 km . The launch was conducted at the conclusion of the annual field training exercise of the
Army strategic force command.
Soyuz TMA-04M Rocket Launches In Kazakhstan
The Soyuz TMA-04M rocket launches from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on 15
May 2012 carrying Epedition 31 Soyuz commander Gennady Padaika, NASA flight Engineer
Joseph Acaba and flight Engineer Sargei Revin to the International space station.
U.S Company Space X Test flight of the dragon space capsule
The U.S company Space X on 22 May in Florida ( Cape Canaveral) to lunch its own craft
towards th e international space station. The test flight of the Dragon space capsule,which
lanuched a top space X’s falcon 9 rosked,aims to show that indutry can restore U.S access to the
ISS after NASA retired its space shuttle fleet last year . The mission is set to include a fly-by and
berthing with the station in the next three days ,before the capsule returns at the end of may
month.
Russia Successfully Test Fired a new Intercontinental Ballistic Missile
U.S has the capable of piercing defence systems being developed. THe strategic Missile forces
test launched a new prototype ballistic missile from a mobile launcher at the plesetsk
cosmodrome in Askhangalsk Region on 23 May. It was the second launch of deeply modernised
yar missile named “Avangard”.
Large Solar Telescope
A powerfull solar telescole billed as the largest in Europe opened recently on Spain’s canary
Islands. Scinetist says it will alow them to study the sun unprecedented with a mirror diameter of
1.5meters , the Gregor telescope will be able to show structures on the sun on scales on small as
70 kilometres.
India Test Fired Anti Aircraft Akash Missile
Defence Research Development organization (DRDO) official associate with the “Akash”missile
project.The missile,which has a strike range of 25km with warhead of 60 kgs,was test fired from
a mobile launcher from launch complex-III of the ITR at about 110hrs.It is surface to air missile.
Isarel Unleashes Spy Virus On Iran
A Russian firm has discovered a new computer virus ‘Flame’with unprecendented destructive
potential that cheifly targets Iran. Kasperky Lab, is one of the World’s biggest producer of anti-
virus softwaer discovered the cyber weapon called ‘Flame’ during an investigation that was
prompted by the International Telecommunication Union.
Pakistan Successfully Test Fired Nuclear Capable Hatf9 Missile
Pakistan on May 29 2012 succesfully test fired a short range Hatf9(Nasr)missile.The missile
which has a range of 60kilometers is capable of carrying nuclear warheads. It was pakistan’s
third ballastic missiile test since April2012.
AWARDS & HONOURS
6th NTR Literary Award for Tamil Writer Ashoka Mitran
Noted Tamil Writer Ashokamitran, Known for his novel Thanneer and other works was declared
the recipient of the 6th NTR National Literary Award on 4 May 2012. The award is sheduled to
be presented on 28 May 2012. The writer was born in Secunderabad and was closest to Telugu
Culture, languages and people.
Miss India World Awarded With Kalpana Chawla Excellence Award
Actress Sushma Seth and Miss India World Vinya Mishra were awarded with Kalpana Chawla
Excellence award on 6 May 2012 at MavlankarAuditorium, New Delhi. The other awasrds
included Padmabhushan Kuchipudi and Bharatnatyam dancer Swapna Sundari, IPS officer
Shalini Singh, WWho had won the police medal for meritorious service in 2012 and jewellery
designer Puneeta Trikha.
The Order Of The Rising Sun, Ratan Tata
Tata group chairman Ratan Tata has been conferref “The Grand Cordon of the Order of the
Rising Sun” title by Japan for his contribution instrengthening economic relations between Japan
& India. The ceremony of conferment has been held in Tokyo on 8 May 2012 at the Imperial
Palace in presence of the Emperor of Japan . Tata had made a huge contribution from the
perspective of promoting trade and investment in industry as well as for improvement of the
business environment in India .
Pt. Ravi Sankar Conferred First Tagore Cultural Harmony Award
Classical sitar maestro Ravi Sankar has been awarded the first Tagore Award for cultural
harmony by a jury chaired by Prime minister Manmohan singh to mark the 150th birth
anniversary of Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore , which was announced on 7 May 2012. The
award was given in recognition of his outstanding contribution to cultural harmony and universal
values. The award comprises Rs. 1crore in cash, a citation in a scroll, a plaque and an enquisite
carved handicraft or handlloom memento. the award would be presented to the sitar guru by the
president at a special ceremony.
International Jurist Awards to five Persons Including Mulayam
Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav and Pakistan chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad
Choudhary are among five eminent personalities who have been chosen for the prestigious
International Jurists Award 2012. Yadav and Choudhary will be presented the awards on 28
May 2012 at a ceremony in London by Right Hon’ble Lord Phillips, president of the Supremme
court of the United Kingdom. Besides the two eminent personalities, International Bar
Association president Akira Kawamura, Stephen B Huttler and Christophe Eck will also be
presented the awards, while Yadav was chosen for this award for his uniflinching contribution to
the advancement of the bar and the bench.
Bhanuprakash in Guiness Book of Records
Chikka Bhanuprakash of Bhoodan Pochampalli entered the Guiness Book of Records for lifting
8.67 kg weight using the fingernails of his left hand. Mr. Bhanu, who is working as a software
engineer in Hyderabad has become famous for preparing sketches with his fingernails and lifting
weights.
Narayana Murthy receives Awards From US University
Infosys chief mentor Narayana Murthy had been felicitated with the global leadership and five
enterprise awards by the University of South Florida in recognition of his entrepreneurial spirit.
The two awards were presented to Murthy by USF President Judy Genshaft at ceremony in
Tampa, Florida.
Amartya Sen to Receive Honourary Degree From US University
Nobel Laureate and eminent Indian – American economist Amartya Sen will receive an
honourary degree from the prestigious John Hopkins University. Apart from Sen, five other
persons including Myanmar’s Pre- Democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi, environment
microbiologists Rita R.Colwell, Canadian diplomat, politician Stephen . Lewis, American
businessman and philanthropist John . Malone and IBM Chairman Samuel J Parmisano have also
been chosen for the prestigious citation.
Vetern Actress Suchitra Sen Conferred Banga- Bibhusan Award
Eminent film actress Suchitra Sen was conferred with West Bengal Government’s highest award
Banga- Bhushan on 20 May 2012. The legendary filmstar was however, not present on the stage
to receive the award as she continues to remain away from public eye. The award was received
by his daughter and grand daughter. The award includes a citation and award money worth of
Rs. 2 lakh.
Pedabayalu Coffee wins Flavour of India Fine Cup Award
The International jury at melbowrne in Australia has adhusted as the best coffee grown in Araku
Region comprising Odisha and Andhra Pradesh as the best coffee in the region for the year 2012
and bestowed the “Flavour of India Fine Cup Award”
65th Cannes FilmFestival
The 65th annual cannes film festival was held from May 16 to May 27 ,2012 .The “Palmed’or”
was awarded to Australian director “Michael Heneke” for his film “Love”.
The Jury gave the “Grand Prize” to “Matteo Garrone’s Reality”.
The Angel Share was Awarded the “Jury Prize”
Best Actor is Mads “Mikkelsen” for the film “Hunt”
Best Actress is “Cristina flutur” and ” Cosmina Strantan” for thr film “Beyound The Hills”
Best Director is “carlos Regadas” for the film “Post Tenebras Lux”
Best Screen Play is “Beyounf the Hills” by “Cristian Hungiu”
Rahul Bhattacharya Wins British Friction Prize
Young writer Rahul battacharya on 29 May won the prestigious Royal Society of Literature
“Ondaatje Prize 2012 ” for his book, “The sky company of people who care”.He also won
Common Wealth Book prize for 2012 .
PERSONS IN NEWS
A) Appointments
Indian American Vikram Singh Appointed To SES of Pentagon
Indian American Vikram Singh ,an expert on Afghanistan and Pakistan and close aide of late Seven time world snooler chmpion Stephen Hendry announced his retirement on 1 May 2012
diplomat Richard Holbrooke, was appointed to an important position of Deputy Assistant after loosing in the quarter finals at the world championships. The 43 years old legend called it a
Secretery of Defence for South and South East Asia at the Pentagon. He replaced Robert Seher day after a 13-2 defeat to fellow Stephen Maguire.
who had been assigned as deputy assistant secretary of defence for plans. Nepal Cabinet Resigns To Form New Government
Vidya Balan Appointed As The Brand Ambassador of NSC Nepal cabinet tendered its resignatiom on 3 May 2012. Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai also
Union Rural Development Ministry of India on 4 May 2012 in National Award winning actor stated resigned by the end of the month . The decision to step down came in the wake of an
Vidya Balan was appointed as the Brand Ambassador for improving the state of sanitation in the agreement among the Nepal’s major political parties to form a new coalition Government.
country. Rural Develop Minister Jairam Ramesh brought in the leading bollywood star to UTI Mutual Fund’s Chief Marketing Officer Resigns
promote the National Sanitation Campaign (NSC). UTI mutual funds chief marketing officer Jaideep Bhattacharya stepped down from his post on 4
New Prime Minister for Russia May 2012. Bhattacharya quit the position to explore Carrier opportunities
Dimitri Medvedev has been appointed as the new Prime Minister of Russia on 8 May 2012 . Indian American Scientist Quits From Top Energy
New Chancellor for Eflu post
Mrs. Sunaina Singh had been appointed as the new Vice- chancellor of the English and Foreign Apunava Majumdar, eminent Indian, American scientist had resigned after the US Senate did not
Languages University (Eflu) on 11 May 2012. She is the head for the English department in confirm president Barack Obama’s proposal to elevate him as under secretary at the Department
Osmania University at present. of energy.
Rahul Khullar Appointed TRAI Chief Mahasweta Devi Resigns from Bangla Academy
Commerce security Rahul Khullar has been appointed as chairman of the Telecom Regulatory The Magsaysay Award Winner Mahasweta Devi,who is known to be close associate of West
Authority of India ( TRAI) for three years on 13 May 2012. He will succed J.S Sharma whose Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in her resignation as Chair person of the Bangla
tenure ended on 13 May 2012. Academy on 23 May.
New German Ambassador To India Sanjay Joshi Resigns a Head of BJP National Executive
Michael Steiner had been appointed as the German ambassador to India on 14 May 2012, he was BJP Leader, Sanjay Joshi,bete noire of the Gujarat Vheif Minister on 22 May resigned a head of
earlier special envoy to Afghanisthan and Pakistan. the party national executive.
Jean Marc Ayrault New Prime Minister of France Infosys Bpo Coo Indnani Resigns
Jean Marc Ayrault a moderate socialist took over as the France’s new Prime Minister on 16 India’s largest software services firm,Ritesh Idanani senior vice president and cheif cooperative
May 2012 officer of its business processing out sourcing arm, has resigned.
Saurabh Chandra Took The Additional Charge (SDC) Pieterson Retires fron ODI’s
Saurabh Chandra, secretary, Department of Industrial policy and promotion was slated to hold England star Kevin pieterson retired from international limited overs cricket on 31May a
the additional charge of the post of secretary of the department of commerce on 14 May 2012 secision which took the England and Wales Cricket Board(ECB) by surprise.
India American Elected To City Council in Texas C)Deaths
After Several Months of consistant campaigning, Himesh Gandhi, a person of Indian origin Former Left Front Minister Nandagopal Died
(PIO), has been elected to a city council in the US state of Texas on 17 May 2012. Veteran Communist Party of India leader and former left front minister Nandagopal
Bedi Selected to the Board of World Federation Against Drugs Bhattacharya died in Kolkata on 6 May 2012. Nandagopal served three terms from 1961 tp 2011
Team Anna member Kiran Bedi has been selected as the Board member from the Asian region to as minister in the West Bengal Government.
the Board of World Federation Agaibst drugs. Bedi has been elected unanimously to the Board Norway’s World Swimming Champion Dale Died
during a meeting in Stockholm earleir this week as recognition of her work in the field of Norway’s World Swimming Champion Alexander Dale Oen died suddendly on 1 May 2012 in
contaning drug abuse throug her NGO’Navjyoti”. the US aged 26, he had won gold medal in 400m breakstoke at the world cahmpionship in
New Army Chief Bikram Singh Shangai in July 2012.
General Bikram Singh, a vetarian infantry officer, who took over as the 25th chief of the Indian Mexican Novelist Carlos Fuentes Dead
Army on 31May 2012 , has to grapple with the challenge of closing the fissures in the top Author Carlos Fuentes, Who played a dominated role in Latin America’s novel- writing boom by
echelons of the world’s second largest force. delving into the failed ideals of the revolution, died on 16 May 2012 in Mexico.
B) Resigns Disco Queen Donna Summer Died
Snooker Champion Stephen Hendry Announced His Retirement Singer Donna Summer, popularly Known as the Queen of Disco has died after a long battle with
lung cancer on 17 May 2012 in Florida. Whose real name is LaDonna Adrain Gainess .
D) Visitors
 Hillary Clinton 3-Day Visit To India “Princess tower in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, is 413.4 metres high and has 101 storeys above
The US secretary Hillary Clinton visited India for a 3-day visit and initially resisting US pressure ground dedicated to residential use”.Guinness said . This has set a new record with Princess
to adhere to international sanctions on Iran. She met West Bengal chief minister Mamata Tower,which the Guinness World Record
Benerjee in Kolkata and after that Mr.Manmohan Singh and chairperson Sonia Gandhi. The The Richest Woman in World
main agenda was that India would reduce its dependence on Iran oil imports. Australia’s reichest person Gina Rinehart has eclipsed Wal-Mart Heiress Christy Walton oz
French PresidentFrancois Hollande on Surprise Trip to Afghanistan tycoon to become the World’s Wealthiest woman,according to an annual index by Business
“French PresidentFrancois Hollande arrived in Afghanistan on 25 May for a surprise trip to visit review Weekly,personal fortune at $28.48 billion
France’s Troops there.Hollandae ,who plans to accelerate the withdrawl of french soldiers fron Ratan Tata Rmains India Inc’s Most Powerful CEO
Afhanistan to the end of this year was accompanied by Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius and Tata sons chariman Ratan Tata heads the ET-Corporate Dossier ranking of India Inc’s most
Defence Minister Drian.” powerfull CEO’s for the fourthyear running. While Mukesh Ambani has Managed to retain his
PM Meets Myanmar President in Land Mark Visit position at the second place,his brother Anil has fallen six positions at no.11 ,Sunil Mittal i sin
PM Manmohan Singh visited Myanmar on 27 May . A three day visit in Myanmar. He is the 16th position.
first PM to visit Myanmar in 25years. India suggested the two countries should work out a joint Record Carbon dioxide Emission in 2011 India stood Fourth
strategy to tackle terrorism and insurgency along their border and enhance security cooperation. China spurred a jump in global carbondioxide emissions to their highest recorded level in
Iranian vice President Ali Saeedlu Visits Cuba 2011,offsetting falls in the united states and europe .THe International Energy Agency(IEA) said
Iranian vice President Ali Saeedlu Began an official Visit to Cuba. saeedlu,Ahmadinejad’s on 25th may India moved a head on Russia to become the fourth largest co2 emitter,behind china
deputy for international Affairs,met with cuban vice President Jose Ramon Machado on 28 ,the u.s and E.U.
May,after which they stressed the “excellent state of bilateral ties”an official statement. Old puzzle of Newton Solved by Shaurya Roy an Indian Student
Myanmar Suu Kyi Leaves For First Abroad In 24 years A 16 year shaurya roy has saolved the Newton’s 350 year unsolved puzzle which had baffled the
Myanmar democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi visited Thailand on 29 May to attend a world world of Mathematicians for more than 350 years. he has been hailed a genius after working out
Economic Forum Meet ahead of her European tour. the problems set by Sir Issac Newton. The scholl boy,from Drebsden,Germany,solved two
Iranian Foreign Minister’s visit to India fundamental particle dynamics theories.which physicians have previously been able to calculate
Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar salehi visits India on 31May on a two day visit to formaly only by using computer.
invite prime minister Manmohan Singh for the Non Aligned Movement(NAM) summit to be Postal Stamp on Khawaja Moinuddin Chisti Released
held in tehran in august. Union Minister of Communication and IT Kapil Sibal on 27 May released a postal stamp to
E)Miscellaneous mark the 800th urs of Sufi saint Khawaja Moinuddin Chistu at Ajmer.The stamp was released in
Googles New Translate Services Started the ceremony hall “Mehfil Khana” of the Dargarh Premises in the presence if a large number of
Recently Google had started his instantly free online language translation services which can Zayrines(pilgrims).
translate more than 14 languages of text and web pages, which is called conversation mode. Indian-American Snigha Nandipati Becomes word Spelling Bee Champ
Paris is World’s Most Expencive City For A Club Sandwich Snigha Nandipati, a 14-year-old Indo-American girl spelled the French for
Paris had turned out to be the world’s most expencive city for a club sandwich according to a ambush,”guetapens”,right to be crowned the 2012 Scripps National Spelling Bee Champion.
survey by Hotel Booking site. New Delhi has emerged the cheapest in this survey of major
tourist destinations and business capitals. The site has been tracing the prices of this classic PLACES IN NEWS
chicken, bacon, egg, lettuce and as handy indicator of how expencive or inexpencive a city is for London’s Tallest Tower
travellers. London’s Tallest tower of 114.5 metre stands in the Olympic park in East London, Between the
World’s Largest Hindu Temple to Be Built In Bihar aquatic centre and the main Olympic stadium. The tower was designed by Mumbai born artist
World’s largest Hindu Temple to Be Built In Bihar’s East Chaparan district by a religious body Anish Kapoor. The Mayor of London , Boris Johnson unveiled on 10 May 2012. The twisting
Mahavir Mandir Trust (MMT) said its secretary on 13 May 20121.The temple is built over 50 tower was described by Kapoor as the Tower of Babel.
acres land donated by the Kathwalia Math, The temple would not be the exact replice of the The Italian Town Devasted By An Earth Quake
Angkor wat temple, but few common features of the two religious structures. The five storied Emilia Romanga strucks 5.8 earthquake at 4.am on 20 May,killing seven people and forcing
temple will be 1,240 feet long, 1,150 feet wide 272 feet tall and will house the idols of Radha 7,000 into temporary shelters.Then disaster struct once again on 29 May at 5.8 Magnitude
and Krishna, shiva & parvati, Ganesh , Surya, Vishnu and Dashavatar. The construction cost of earthquake shook the region at just after 9.am. 16 died,1400 people are homeless and 5 are
the temple would be about Rs. 300 crore. missing in it.
Tallest Residential Building in Dubai
COMMITTEES
Competition Commission Of India, Constituted Eminet Persons Advisory Group
The competition commission of India (CCI) formed an Eminet Persons Advisory Group (EPAG)
on 7 May 2012. The group is constituted to provide CCI inputs and advise on issues impacting
markets and competition, among others. The group comprise Infosys founder N.R.Nayanan
Murthy former comptroller and Auditor General V.N Kawl, Former Deputy Governor of
Reserve Bank of India Rakesh Mohan, Biocon Chairman and M.S Kran Mazumdar- shaw,
former Directorof IIM-Amedhabad Bakul Dholaka, formerchairman of CEFC S.L.Ro, former
vice chancellor of NLSIU- Bangalore N.L Mitra . Thee group will hold its maiden meeting on
July 2012 The group will have interaction/ meeting with the commission two to three times a
year.
Seven Members Committe To Look After Deplorable Conditions Of Widows
The Supreme Court on 9 May 2012 set up a seven member committee to look into the deplorable
conditions of widows destitutes living in Vrindavan and set an eight week dead line to complete
the report. The committe headed by the chairman of the Mathura District Legal Services
Authority and will prepare a list of the widows with their names , age and reasons for being in
Vrindavan in Uttarpradesh.
Committee Formed By Delhi Government To Promote Welfare Of DTC Workers
A committee was formed by Delhi Government on 18 May 2012 under the chairman ship of
principal secretary of the Finance Department to promote the welfare of Delhi Transport
Corp(DTC) workers. The objective of forming the committee is to ensure participation of DTC
workers in Delhi Transport Cooporation management . The decision toform the committe was
announced by Delhi Chief minister in a meeting.
BOOKS IN NEWS
Yadav’s Biography
Mulayam Singh Yadav – ‘ Harbinger of Social Justice’ book was written by eminet author Sarah
Booth which was released on 28 May 2012 in United Kingdom.
canada by Richard ford
Robert ford -’Canada’ book was written by Robert ford which was released on 22 may 2012.
ACRS – Advance Coaching Refund System
CII – Confederation of Indian Industry
AWLR – The Automatic Water level Recorder
June 2012 Current Affairs Study Material
INTERNATIONAL
India Joins 41 Nations In Condemning Syria Killings
India on 1 June joined 41 other countries at united nations human rights council (UNHRC) in
Geneva to vote for a resolution “strongly condemning” the recent El-houleh incident, which
resulted in the death over a hundred civilians including women and children.
Egypt’s Ex-President Hosni Mubarak Sentenced To Life In Prison
Hosni Mubarak was sentenced to life in prison on 2nd June for failing to stop the killing of
protesters during the uprising that forced him from power last year .And also given life term for
the killings was Mubarak’s former Interior Minister Habibal-Adly, while six former police
commanders were acquitted.
Malik Suspended From Senate Over Dual Nationality
The supreme court on 4 June suspended interior minister Rehman Malik from the senate (the
upper house of parliament) for failing to produce the necessary documents to establish that he
had given up his British nationality.
Google’ Buying ‘Meebo’ To Help Social Networking Push
Google is buying silicon valley start-up Meebo to help expand its social networking service.The
acquisition announced on 4 June will bring more tools to google plus,an alternative to
facebook.Google has spent more than $16billion buying 140 companies since the end of
2009.The biggest deal in Google’s history of 14 years is buying $12.5 billion cellphone maker
motorola.
1st Intercontinental Solar Flight Takes Off
A Swiss adventure soared above sun -splashed spanish valleys toward Maorocco on 5 June 2012
on the world’s first Intercontinental flight in a solar powered plane .This aircraft has 12,000 solar
cells in the wings turning four electrical motors. piccard gradually piloted the place to an altitude
of about 3,800 metres as he headed toward spains southern coast some 50 kilometres per hour.
Nobel Slashes Cash Prize
The prize money given to Nobel laureates is to be cut by a fifth, the foundation behind the
prestigious awards said on 11 June.currently prize money is 10 million crowns and it would fall
to 8 million Swedish crowns ($1.12 million). The Nobel Foundation said the money for the
awards, given for excellence in the fields of science, literature and peace. The capital that forms
the base for the awards was donated in the will of dynamite inventor Alfred Nobel and is
managed by the foundation, which was set up in 1900.
Gandhi Kallenbach Letters Go Under Sothe by Hammer
In one of the most significant auctions of Gandhi memorabilia,sotheby’s London in going to put
honourable of letters,papers,and photograph which shed light on the life of mahatma, under the
hammer on July 10.The archieve comprises five decades of correspondence.much of it
previously unpublished,between gandhiand hermon kallenbach, a german-Jewish body builder
and architect who became Gandhi’s closest friend after they met in Johomnesburg in 1904.one
batch of letters between Gandhi and kallenbach had come up for sale in 1986 and the Indian
government paid $140,000(rs.1.2 crore) for it.The papers are now with the national Archieves,
and were published in Gandhi’s collected works in 1994.
Pak Taliban Not To Allow Anti-Polio Campaign In N. Waziristan
Over 16,000 children below the age of five will miss their polio vaccines in North Waziristan
tribal region of Pakistan due to a ban on vaccination campaigns by a powerful Taliban
commander.Hafiz Gul Bahadur, the alleged host of the Haqqani network in North Waziristan
Agency,militants had decided to ban the vaccination drive as long as US drone strikes continued
in the region. This ban is because the vaccination campaign was a cover for American spies. The
ban will seriously impact polio eradication efforts in Pakistan, which is among three countries
where polio is still prevalent.
Suu Kyi Accepts Nobel Peace Prize 21 years late
Myanmar opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi finally accepted her 1991 Nobel Peace Prize in
Oslo on 16 June after spending a total of 15 years under house arrest and said full political
freedom in her country was still a long way off.
Prince Salman In The Saudi Arabian Prince
Saudi Arabian ruling family named defense minister prince Salman bin abdul Aziz in the new
crown prince on 18 June 2012 .Prince Nayef who died last week in Geneva and was the crown
prince only since November.The death of prince Nyef lead to appointment of new prince salman
as the new saudi Arabian prince.
Supreme Court Of Pakistan Debarred Pakistan Prime Minister Yusuf Raja Gilani From
Office
The Supreme Court of Pakistan on 19 June 2012, debarred Pakistan Prime Minister Yusuf Raja
Gilani from his office. The court’s ruling also disqualified Gilani as the member of the National
Assembly, the lower house of the Majlis-e-Shoora (Parliament). Gilani was convicted for
violating the article 63(1) of the constitution of Pakistan on 26 April 2012 by the Supreme Court.
The court’s verdict came following Gilani’s refusal to probe cases of corruption against Pakistan
President Asif Ali Zardari.
Pak Ranks 13th In Failed States Index
Pakistan, a country which is run by military obsessed with Indian and by a civilian elite that
steals all it can and pay almost no taxes. so it has been raked 13th in the latest ranking of failed
states.The unique ranking compiled by the prestigious foreign policy magazine is topped by
Africa countries Somalia(114.9points) ,Congo(111.2), Sudan(109.4),chad(107.6),
Zimbabwe(106.3) .
Antonis Samara Sworn In As The Prime Minister Of Greece
The New Democracy Party leader Antonis Samara sworn in as the Prime Minister of Greece on
20 June 2012. Samaras’s centre-right New Democracy party bagged 129 seats of 300 in the
parliamentary elections held on 17 June 2012.
Oxford Honours Suu Kyi By Presenting Honorary Doctorate To Her
Paying fulsome tributes, the University of Oxford on Wednesday honoured Myanmar’s
democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi by presenting her with an honorary doctorate in Civil Law in
a traditional ceremony telecast live.
Oracle CEO Buys Hawaii’s Sixth Largest Island
Billionaire Oracle CEO Larry Ellison bought 98 percent of Hawaii’s sixth-largest island, Lanai,
the state’s governor announced on 20 June. Ellison, ranked in 2012 as America’s third-richest
man, is purchasing the property from fellow billionaire David Murdock.
PPP Loyalist Ashraf Elected Pakistan Prime Minister
Pakistan on 21June evening got its new prime minister in Pakistan peoples party(PPP) loyalist
Raja Parez Ashraf,who enters he office with a corruption case, already in the supreme court,that
earned him the nickname ‘Raja Rental’.
$163 Billion EU Growth Plan
The leaders of France, Germany, Italy & Spain agreed to push for a growth package worth up to
$163 billion at a key EU summit next week aimed to kick starting the economy and safe
guarding the currency bloc.
Islamist Morsi Wins Egyptian Presidency
Islamist Mohamed Morsi of the Muslim Brotherhood was elected president of Egypt with 51.7
percent of last weekend’s run-off vote, defeating former general Ahmed Shafik, the state election
committee said on 24 June 2012.
UNEP Released Its Global Food Security Report “Avoiding Future Faminer”
The United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) released its food security report “Avoiding
future Faminer : strengthening the Ecological basis of food security through sustainable
development in Riode Janeirio ,Brazil on 20 Juen2012.The report noted that food security must
be at the top of the priority list of country’s policy if the world has to provide food to its 7billion
population.
Muse’s Survival In The London 2012 Olympics Song
The British rock trio Muse has the official song for the 2012 London games.The
song,”survival”is a Humdering rock anthem that was broad casted for the first time on 28 June
2012 on BBC radio.The song will be played during the July 27- August 12 games as athletes
enter the venue and before medal ceremonies.
Afghanistan And Norway Finalized The Draft Of The Strategic Partnership Agreement
Afghanistan and Norway on 27 June 2012 finalized the draft of the strategic partnership
agreement between the two countries.The two countries will the draft in September 2012.
Norwegian Afghanistan.The strategic partnership agreement provides the long term framework
after the with drawl of forces .Afghanistan and Norway after the withdrawal of
forces.Afghanistan has already signed strategic partnership agreement with the US,Britain,India
Germany,France and Italy.
Russia, France To Jointly Build Armoured Vehicle
Russia and France will jointly build a new armoured infantry vehicle, Russian arms export
monopoly Rosoboron export said. The vehicle should appear in the near future, around 18
months. We have a draft design and a model has been made,” he said. France was also
interested in co-production with Russia of an armoured personnel carrier to be sold to third
countries.
India-South Korea For Second Foreign policy And Security Dialogue In New Delhi
India and south korea decided t cooperate in the areas of civil nuclear energy and space,
including the lauch of Korean satellites by India.Both of them met in New delhi on 28 June 2012
during their second foreign policy and security dialogue. The Indian delegation was led by
sanjay singh,secretory(east)external affairs ministry, while the korean side was led by hu Ho-
Young, first vice minister of foreign affairs a trade.
US Supreme Court Held US Health Care Law Constitutional
The US supreme court on 28 June 2012 , upheld the US president BARACK obama’s most
ambitious social legislations the Health care Law(The patient protection and Affordable care
act). The Court verdict came in the favor of legislation,made it mandatory for all American
citizen to have health insurance or pay a penalty. The health care legislation mainly aims at
covering more than 30 millions who have not been insured. The 9-judge US Apex court headed
by chief justice John Robert held the ruling as constitutional in 5-4 ruling.
White House Encouraged By Eurozone Summit
The White House on 30 June 2012 welcomed the decisions taken by European leaders to boost
flagging economies,saying these are encouraging signs, even as it acknowledged that the
challenges will not be resolved overnight.

INDIA & WORLD
Ties With China Is India’s Top Priority
India on 6 June told china that is sees improving bilateral ties as a priority of its foreign policy
and expresses desire to expand strategic cooperation.
India Allowed Foreign Direct Investment From Pakistan
India on 8 June 2012 announced to allow foreign direct investment from Pakistan. The move is
aimed at strengthening the bilateral economic relations between the two countries. The decision
will also facilitate the economic integration in the South Asian region.
Indian-American Picked For 2nd Highest US Court
“US president Barrack Obama on 11 June nominated Indian-born legal nominated luminary
Srikanth Srinivasan to the Federal Court of Appeals, the highest ever judicial appointment of
an Indian-American in the US. There are 13 Court of Appeals across the US with 179 judges,
and the Washington DC Appeals Court to which Srinivasan has been nominated is considered
particularly influential, with Obama himself calling it “”the nation’s second highest court”".
Dhoni Ranked 31st In The Forbe’s List Of World’s 100 Richest Sports Persons
In the latest list of world’s 100 richest sports persons list released by Forbe’s magazine, Indian
Cricket Captain M.S.Dhoni achieve 31st position.He moved ahead in the list, while Tendulkar
ranked 78th. Boxing champion Floyd May weather topped the list with a total earnings of
$85million while pugilist manny pacquiao and golf legend tiger woods on the 2nd and 3rd .
BRICS Pledger $75billion to IMF’s Bailout Fund
India and four other countries of the five nation BRICS bloc has given a big boost to IMF’s 430
billion US dollars bailout fund for the debt rocked 17 Nation Eurozone pledging to contribute
75billion us dollars with New Delhi’s contribution being 10 billion US dollars.the pledge was
made at an informal meeting of Brics leaders presided by PM Manmoham singh ahead of the
opening of the 7th G-20 summit.
Indian Population Booms In Australia: Census Data
Latest official census data in Australia has found a boom in Indian population especially with
number of Punjabi speaking people rising by over 200 percent.This is the 16th census taken in
Australia over the past 100 years with about 9.8 million households surveyed on August 9 last
year.The data revealed Australia’s population rose to 21,507,719, up almost two million – or
more than 8 percent -in the past five years, and the median age of the growing population rose
from 37 in 2006 to 38 when the census was counted last year. The United Kingdom stood as the
leading country of birth for the overseas-born population at 20.8 percent and was followed by
New Zealand(9.1 percent), China (6.0 percent) and India (5.6 percent)people of Indian origin
have seen the largest growth increase at more than 14 percent since 2006, or up almost 150,000.
IKEA To Invest Rs.10k-cr In India
Amidst a slew of rating downgrade by the international agencies Swedish home furnishing major
IKEA on June 22 approached the government with a proposal to invest 1.5billion
euros(Rs.10,500 crores) to set up 25 stores in the country under single brand retail FDI.
Coca-Cola Bets On India , Plans To Invest $3b More
In a Major Thumbs up to India , beverage major coca-cola said on 26June . That it will increase
its investment in the country and now put in $5billion by 2020.
NATIONAL
Indi Stood At No.3 In Reality Rate Hike
Even as first time buyers are exhaustion their saving to by a home, reality rates in India are going
to roof .Property prices increased by 12% ,propelling India to their position among 53 countries.
The Global Index Survey by Knight Frank, property consultants , shows that Brazil recorded the
strongest annual growth (23.5%) in the past years ,followed by estonia with a growth rate of
(13.9%).
India May Become 1st Fallen Angel In BRIC
S&P warns India may lose Investment grade Rating . Global rating agency standard &poor’s on
11 June cautioned that India seriously risks losing its investment grade rating.
Maruti Suzuki India Ltd Decided To Merge With Suzuki Power train India Ltd
Maruti Suzuki India Ltd decided to get into a merger with Suzuki Power train India Ltd .This
initiative will help them prepare and meet the increasing demand for diesel vehicles.
Zakir Hussain Calls Off Israel Visit
Tabla maestro Zakir Hussain has called off a series of performances scheduled to be held in
Israel later this month, in the wake of an appeal made by 85 artistes, writers and activists. The
Indian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (INCACBI) had appealed to
Mr. Hussain ‘as an artiste of conscience’ to cancel the scheduled performance since it would
“lend a stamp of approval to Israeli policies of colonialism, apartheid and occupation.”
Aptech Creates Country’s First 3D Ad Film
Aptech’s education brand Arena multimedia has created the first 3D commercial to became
‘future ready’, the leader in animation training is targeting the forth coming 3D movie releases in
multiplexes with its latest ad.
Censorship cases In India Up To 49% says Google
As part of its “Transparency report” Google on 18 June said that it had received 101 content
removal requests from Indian authorities to between July & December last year, asking it to
delete 255 items from its websites of these Just 5 requests were made by courts.
Calcutta High Court Scrapped The Singur Land Rehabilitation And Development Act,
2011
The Calcutta High Court on 22 June 2012, held the Singur Land Rehabilitation and Development
Act, 2011 as unconstitutional and void. The legislation enabled the government to recover the
disputed Singur land from Tata Motors, who was leased 997 acre of land at Singur in Hooghly
district by previous left front government in the state.
Free Madicines For All Scheme To Be Rolled Out From October
Scheme’s outlay pegged at Rs.28.500 Cr. center to bear 75% of the cost.facility to be available at
all govt hospitals. India’s Ambitious polices to provide free medicines to all patients attending a
government health facility across the country will be rolled out from October.
Sunita Williams To Embark On Space Mission Again
Indian-American astronaut Sunita Williams is all set to return to the International Space Station,
where she spent a record six months in 2006.
Delhi Most Competitive City In India EIU Report
Delhi has been named the most competitive city in India for its demonstrated ability to attract
capital, business, talent and tourists by a new Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) research
report.Delhi has been named the most competitive city in India for its demonstrated ability to
attract capital, business, talent and tourists by a new Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) research
report.The national Capital has edged out financial hub of Mumbai, which ranked70th in the
index, followed by Bangalore, India’s Silicon Valley, at 79th rank, Pune at 97, Chennai at 105
and Kolkata at 106.
Sam Mittal To Continue As NASSCOM President
Sam Mittal will remain as the president of National Association of Software and services
companies(NASSCOM).Until early 2014.Mittal took over as NASSCOM president in Jan 2008
and was set to step down by the end if this year. NASSCOM is the 1200 member trae association
that represented Indian $100 billion IT industry.
Government Secures Kallenbach- Gandhi letters Just Days Before Auction
The Indian Government and the family of Herman Kallenbench have struck a deal for papers
relating to the German’s correspondence with Mahatma Gandhi some 13 days before the
historical material was due to go under the hammer in London .Archive comprises Thousands of
letters written over 3 decades.Gandhi and German -Jewish body builder A Architect Hermann
kallenbach were friends since 1904.
US Federal Court Absolved Carbide Corporation In Bhopal Gas Tragedy Case
In What came as a major disappointment for the Bhopal gas tragedy victims, a US federal court
on 27 June 2012 absolved Union Carbide corporation and its former chairman Warren Anderson
of the Bhopal gas tragedy case.I his ruling US district court Judge John F.Keenam concluded
that UCC is neither directly nor as an agent of union carbide India Limited (UCIL) liable for
mishap.
STATES
Andhra Pradesh Population Census
The official census 2011 of Andhra Pradesh has been conducted by Directorate of Census
Operations in Andhra Pradesh.As per details from Census 2011, Andhra Pradesh has population
of 8.46 Crore, an increase from figure of 7.62 Crore in 2001 census. Total population of Andhra
Pradesh as per 2011 census is 84,665,533 of which male and female are 42,509,881 and
42,155,652 respectively. In 2001, total population was 76,210,007 in which males were
38,527,413 while females were 37,682,594.The total population growth in this decade was 11.10
percent while in previous decade it was 13.86 percent. The population of Andhra Pradesh forms
7.00 percent of India in 2011. In 2001, the figure was 7.41 percent.
State AP Registers Drop in Sex Ratio
The future demographic profile of the state looks bleak as the child sex ratio has fallen to 943
from 961 in 2001, released on 7 June 2012.The figures for rural (942) and urban(946).
Dimple Yadav Declared Elected
Chief Minister Akilesh yadav’s wife ,Dimple yadav on 9 June became the first women elected
unopposed in a Lok Sabha by election from uttar pradesh and second candidate in the entire state
after Purshottam Das Tundon’s election from Allahabad west in 1952.
Assam Government Released Vision Document For Women And Children
Assam government on 12 June 2012 released the vision document for the state’s women and
children. The government in the vision document announced to come out with various measures
to address the issues like high Maternal Mortality Rate and Infant Mortality Rate in the state.The
document talks of reducing Infant mortality rate from 58 to 38 per 1000 live births, reduction in
maternal mortality rate (MMR) to 210 per 100000 live birth, reduction of total fertility rate to2.1
per cent, improving child sex ratio, reduction in percentage of anemia in children and women
and reducing the percentage of underweight children (0-5 years) by 30 per cent.
Arunachal Gets Country’s Fourth Buddhist Centre
Arunachal Pradesh, where around 13 percent of the population follows Buddhism, has got its
first full-fledged Buddhist centre after Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir. The
Central Institute of Himalayan Culture Studies at Dahung in West Kameng district, where a
majority of the people follow Tibetan Buddhism, is now a full-fledged central institute,
according to its founder Tsona Gontse Rinpoche.
Five Northeastern States and Himachal Pradesh Appraised As Most Environmentally
Sustainable States
The Environmental Sustainable Index (ESI) 2011 released on 14 June 2012, appraised five
northeastern states (Tripura, Sikkim, Manipur, Mizoram, Arunachal Pradesh) and Himachal
Pradesh as the most environmentally sustainable states in the country. The index was released by
Centre for Development Finance (CDF), affiliated to Institute for Financial Management and
Research.Among larger states, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal performed poorly on
maximum of environmental indicators while Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and
Karnataka received high ratings. States with rich natural resources like Odisha, Chhattisgarh,
Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh and Bihar were rated moderate in the chart.
YSR Congress Party Won In By-Election
In the by-election in A.P for 18 Assembly seats and ! Lok sabha seat, YSR congress party won
15 assembly seat and 1 Lok sabha seat.The ruling party congress won 2 seats .TRS won 1 seat
.Drawing a blank , the Telugu Desam suffered the dubious distinction of not having won a single
seat in 41 successive by-elections since 2009.
India’s First River-lake link project launched In Bundelkhand
“The Madhya Pradesh government claims to have launched the country’s first ever river-lake
linking project in the water-scarce Bundelkhand region. The Harpura irrigation and river-lake
link project, launched in the Tikamgarh district, will be implemented under the Center’s Rs.7266
crore Bundelkhand package. It will link the perennial Jamni river to the nearby lakes and water
bodies built during the Chandel era. Under the project, an additional 1,980 hectares of land are
expected to come under irrigation.
Rajasthan Un Employment Dole for Graduates
The Rajasthan government on 20 June announced an unemployment allowances scheme, with
effect from July 1 , for educated youth registered with employment exchanges for more than a
year.It provides for an allowance of Rs.500 a month to the eligible candidate
CONFERNCES
Indian Science Congress Associatio Meeting At kolkata
Dr.Man Maoham singh on 2 June inaugurated the Indian science congress annual session.Man
moham addressed that this year is “year of science”.
India To Host Alternative International AIDS conference
World meet in U.S from 22 to 27 . When stake holders from across the world. coverage at
Washington next month to participate in the International AIDS conference (IAC) to shre their
experience evaluations. This type of event will be organized
in Kolkata by “Durban Mahila Samanway samiti” (DMSS) an umbrella organization of over
65,00 sex workers of west Bengal i collaboration with the Global Network of sex work project
(NSWP)
India To Host Alternative International AIDS conference
The Union Finance Minister,Mr. Pranab Mukherjee, on 11 June inaugurated the 28th Annual
conference of chief commissioners and Directors General of Income Tax in the Capital Delhi.
G20 Los Cabos Summit 2012
The 2012 Mexico Summit was the seventh meeting of G-20 heads.It was held in Los cabos,Baja
California sur, from June 18-19 2012.The moto is to Committing to fight economic slowdown
and combat corruption, the G-20 leaders have expressed confidence that USD 450 billion
firepower of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) would help in safeguarding financial
stability and preventing global crisis.
Rio+20 Earth Summit
The Rio+20 Conference, world leaders, along with thousands of participants from
governments.took place in Brazil on 20-22 June 2012 to mark the 20th anniversary of the 1992
United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), in Rio de Janeiro, and
the 10th anniversary of the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) in
Johannesburg.The Conference focused on two themes: (a) a green economy in the context of
sustainable development poverty eradication and (b) the institutional framework for sustainable
development.
SPORTS & GAMES
Karnataka Holds Off TN ToTriumph
Karanataka secured a nail-biting draw against Tamilnadu to win the south zone senior men’s
hockey championship at the KSHA stadium on 1st june.
Sri ram Balaji – Arun prakash Triumph
N.Sriram Balaji and Arun Prakash Rajagopalan , the top seeds playing together for thr first time,
clinched the men’s doubles title in the prem sugar sponsored IIF Mandya open $10000 futures
four at the PET stadium on 1 June.
Saket Myneni Bags ITF Men’s Future Tennis Title
Myneni, the 24-year-old from Hyderabad , won the title in the $10000 prem sugars ITF men’s
future tennis tournament in Karnataka, Mandya on 1 June 2012 by defeating top seed vijayant
mallik in the final.
New Zealand Beat Argentina 1-0 To Win Sultan Azaln Shah Cup Hockey
Tournament at Ioh, Malaysia on 3 June 2012 Andy Hayward scored the only goal for New
Zealand in the summit clash, Which prevented Argentina, the 2008 winner, to reclaim the
trophy.
Awards
Fairplay trophy was given to “Great Britain”.
“sardar singh of India” was awarded with the trophy of the Best player of Tournament.
“Kyle Pontifex of new Zealand” was chosen the Best goal keeper for the tournament.
“Kyle Pontifex of new Zealand”was awarded with the Man of the final Trophy.
“Ashkey Jackson of great Britain” emerged the top scorer of the Tournament.
Krishna Poonia Wins Silver Medal At Portland Event
Indian discus thrower Krishna poonia bagged the silver medal at the post pree elite women’s
event in the united states Portland on June 4 2012. Poonia finished second with a throw of 62.34
metre, while the gold went to Russian Darya Pischalnikova recording 66.38 metres in her fifth
attempt.
Tiger woods Claimed Memorial Tournament, Won His 73rd PGA Tour Title
Former world no.1 golfer Tiger woods defeated Spencer Levin and Rory sabbatini to win his
73rd PGA tour tittle by two shorts at the memorial tournament on 4 June 2012.The memorial
tournament victory is wood’s second PGA tour victory in the current season .
sanjita Chanu Claims Gold
K.Sanjita Chanu claimed the women’s 48 kg gold medal in the common wealth weight lifting
championships at Apia, Somoa sanjita liftes a total of 154 kg to lift the title .
Bhupati -Sania Won French Open Tittle
Sania Mirza and Mahesh Bhupati of India won their second Grand slam tittle and First french
open trophy together after crushing K laudia Jons lahnacik and santiago Gonzakez 7-6(3),6-1 in
the mixed doubles final .
Double Delight For India
Srinath ,Ivana wins Asian Junior Titles .Narayana Srikanth and Ivana Maria Furtado completed a
grand double for India in Tashkent on 7 June 2012 in the Asian Junior Chess Championship by
winning the open boys and girls titles respectively.
Sharapova Won The French Open Women’s Single Title
Russia’s Maria Sharapova became the 10th woman in tennis history to win all four Grand Slam
titles on 9 June when she defeated Italy’s Sara Errani 6-3, 6-2 in the French Open
final. Sharapova won the French Open Women’s single title on 9 June at Roland Garros stadium
in Paris.
Vishu Vardham Emerges The Champion
Second seed P.Vishu Vardhan defeated seventh seeded sriram balaji in the final to take the title
Zuari Garden city ITF $10,000 tennis tournament ,Mysore on 9 June 2012.
Saina Nehwal clinched Thailand Open Grand Prix Gold Title
Ace Indian Badminton player Saina Nehwal clinched her 16th career title as she defeated
Thailand’s Ratchanok Inathon in the Thailand Open Grand Prix Gold title in Bangkok on 10
June 2012. The Thailand Open Grand Prix is Saina’s second title in the year 2012. Earlier, in
April 2012 she had won the Swiss Open Title.
Ross Rides Handsome Falcon To Victory
Mr.N.Anantaram’s Handsome ridden by Ross won the Ambur plate, the feature event of the
races held out udhagamandalam on 10 June 2012.
Tejaswni Settles For Bronze
Tejaswini Muley clinchin towards gold slipped midway throufh the final and ended up with
junior women’s 50m rifle 3- position bronze as the 22nd meeting of shooting hopes
championship concluded at plzen in the czench Republic on 10 June 2012.
West Wood Claims Tittle
World no.3 Lee west wood completed his buid up to nexr US open with a convincing five shut
win at the scandinavian open in stockholm on 9 June .
Rudisha Runs Blistering 800 Race
Yohan Blake and fellow Jamacian olympic champion shelly Ann franser pryce won the 100
meter sprints, while Kenya’s David Rudisha scored a sensational victory in the 800 meters at 9
June 2012. Diamond league meet .He ran alone from half way point to win with a time of one
minute 41.74 seconds for the fastest time ever registered in the united states and best time in the
world in this season.
Rafael Nadal Won His Seventh French Open Singles Title
Spaniard Rafael Nadal on 11 June 2012 defeated Serbian Novak Djokovic to clinch his seventh
French Open Singles Title 2012.He is the first man to win a record of 7th french open
title.Legend Bjorn Borg’s 6 title feat surpassed by Rafael Nadal. Nadal received ‘La Coupedes
Mousquetairer(Musketeers cup).
Indu Chaudhary and Sakshi Malik Won Gold Medals In Asian Junior Wrestling
Championship 2012
Indu Chaudhary and Sakshi Malik won gold Medals in Asian Junior Wrestling Championship
2012 at Almaty, Kazakhstan on 13 June 2012. Indu Chaudhay and Sakshi Malik are from Uttar
Pradesh and Haryana respectively. The former won the gold medal in 44 Kg and latter in 63 kg.
Double For Anusha
K.Anusha bagges a double winning both the girls under-14 and 16 singles respectively in the
NCK Tennis Academy Talent series Tournment on 15 June 2012.
Saina Wins Third Indonesian Open Title
Saina Nehwal’s romance with the Indonesian Open continued as the champion shuttler from
India quelled a spirited challenge from Chinese Li Xuerui to record a 13-21, 22-20,21-19 in the
64-minute final to clinch her third title in four final appearances in Jakarta on 17 June
Mahendra Singh Dhoni Appointed As A Brand Ambassador Of Nepal Cricket Association
Mahendra Singh Dhoni was appointed as a brand ambassador of Nepal Cricket Association,
Nepal on 17 June 2012.The announcement was made by Posta Bahadur Bogati, Minister for
Tourism and Civil Aviation of Nepal.
Tejaswini Mule Won Silver medal at International Junior Shooting Championship
Tejaswini Mule won Silver medal at International Junior Shooting Championship in Suhl,
Germany on 17 June 2012. She won the silver medal in the 50 meter rifle prone women’s event.
Harmeet Desai won Under- 21 Men’s Final Brazil Open Table Tennis
Harmeet Desai won Under- 21 Men’s Final Brazil Open Table Tennis on 17 June 2012. He had
defeated Belgian Cedric Nuytin by 4-2 and won gold medal. He became first Indian to achieve
such an accomplishment.
Seema Antil Triumps
Dusus Thrower seema Antil won the Title in the last chance.trail meet at the mac wilkins
academy at portland, oregon,USA, on 16 June with athrow of 61.10 metres.
Series Win For Srilanka
Srilanka helped itself to a series win over pakistan in the final match ODI cricket series at the
R.premadasa stadium, colombo on 18 June.
Oudin Wins Maiden WTA Title
American Nelanie Oudin defeated serbian Jelana Jankonic in straight sets to win her first Tennis
WTA tour tittle,Bismingham on 18 June.
Simpson Wins U.S. Open
Webb Simpson of the united states came from four shots back to win the U.S.Open Golf on 17
June overtaking a bunch a big names to win his first major title.
Thingalaya Rewrites His National Record
Sidhanth Tingalaya clocked a national record of 13.65 in finishing second in the Belgium
national championships in Brussels on 17 June but found himself 0.5 short of meeting the
olympic qualification standard.
Indian Hockey Goalkeeper D’Souza Suspended For 1 Year
Indian Hockey Goalkeeper Adrin D’Souza was suspended on 18 June 2012 for his anti- doping
rule violation during World Series Hockey (WSH) tournament 2012.The sample was collected
on 21 March 2012 after WSH match in between Mumbai Marines and Sher-E-Punjab at
Jalandhar. He was the captain of Mumbai Marines. In the test, D’Souza was tested positive for
tetra hydrocannabinol (THC)
Humpy Emerges Joint Winner
India’s koneru Hamoy and Anna Muzychuk of sloveria shared the title in the FIDE women’s
grand Pix chess at Kazan, Russia on 22june .
Jwala -Diju Duo Crashes out
Olympic -bound shuttlers G.Jwala & V. Diju on 22 June , crashed out of the singapore open
super series their last torunment before London olympics.
India Wins Kabaddi Gold
Indian women won the gold in kabaddi by defeating Thailand in the final of the Third Asian
Beach Games being held in Haiyang(china).
Miami Heat Crowed Champion
The King is celebrating his first coronation and the Miami Het is NBA champion again.Le
Brong’King’ James collected a triple- double by scorinf 26 points and Miami heat sominated the
visiting oklahoma city .Thunder on 21 June to win the championchip series 4-1.
Double Title For Krishna Priya
M.Krishna Priya of Lal Bahaddur stadium bagged a double,winning both in singles and doubles
titles in the girl’s under-15 category of the Hyderabad district badminton championship at the
Madhuranagar Indoor stadium,Hyderabad on 23 June 2012.
Anaka, Kush Claim Titles
Anaka Alankamony of India clinched the girl’s under-19 title in Asian Junior squash
Championship in Kish Island on 23 June.
Ankita Down Prerna For Maiden Title
Ankita Raina played with Intensity and confidence to beat prerna Bhambri in the final of the
ONGC $10,000 ITF women’s tennis tournment at the DLTA complex,New Delhi on 23 June.
Ferrer Is Champion
Top-seeded david ferrer beeat unseeded philipp petzschner on 23 June to win the unicef open
grass tournment for the second time .
Alonso Wins Thrilled
Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso won thrilling European grand pix valencia on 24 June to become the
first repeat winner of the season that had seen seven different winners from the seven previous
races.
Saudi Women To Participate In 2012 Olympics
Saudi Arabia will enter women athletes in the Olympics for the first time in London this summer
, the kingdom’s London embassy said.The ultra conservative Muslim nation in one of three
countries which never included women in their Olympic teams along with Qatar & Brunei.
Oscar Pistorius Attempts To Became The First Amputee runner to compete at Olympics
Oscar Pistorius, born without fibulos and had his lower kegs amputated. He is a south African
Athlete who attempts to became the first amputee runner to compete at the Olympic
gaver.Pistorius, who has a personal best of 45.07,won the 100 metres,200 metres ,300 metres and
400 metres gold first amputee to compete at the athletics world championships where he ran in
Daegu, south Korea last year.
ECONOMY
Bihar Topped In Gross State Domestic Product With 13.1 Percent Growth In 2012
Acoording to data released by Ministry of statistics of India on 1 June 2012, Bihar emerged as
the state with highest economic growth rate in the country.
No-Penality On Pre-Closure of Home Loan
The reserve bank of India (RBI) on 5 June said that banks would not be permitted to charge force
closure of charges/pre-payment penalities on home loans on floating interest rate basis,with
immediate effect.
CII Spells Out 10-Point Agenda For Economic Revival
The confederation of Indian industry on 5 June announced a 10-poit agenda foe economic
revival and out linked key areas of concern.
points are
-Cut repo rate by 100 basis points
-Cut CRR by 100 bps
-Alow accelerated depreciation for investmebts in plant & machinery.
-25% weightted tax deduction on expenditure on companies going green.
-Increase FDI limits in civil aviatioin and defence: allow FDI in multi brand retail.
-provide interest subvention of 2% to export credit for six months .
- Clear 50 large projects in next 30 days .
-Announce clean plan for fiscal consolidation.
Allow direct access to inporters to stockly items for their forex requirement.
World Bank projected Indian Economy to grow by 6.9 Per Cent in the Financial Year
2012-13
The World Bank in its report named Global Economic Prospects released on 12 June 2012,
projected Indian economy to grow by 6.9% in the financial year 2012-13. The World Bank
report predicted India’s growth increasing to 6.9 per cent, 7.2 per cent and 7.4 per cent in fiscal
years 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2014-15, respectively.
India’s Exports dropped by 4.16 Per Cent at 25.68 Billion Dollar in May 2012
As per the export-import data released by the Commerce Ministry on 14 June 2012, India’s
export dropped by 4.16 per cent at 25.68 billion dollar in May 2012. The falling exports figure
was largely attributed to slump in global demand of goods and contracted industrial growth in
the country. Imports also registered a decline of 7.36 per cent at 41.9 billion dollar. The trade
deficit figure also shrank to 16.3 billion dollar during the May 2012, from 18.5 billion dollar in
May 2011.
SBH Cuts Interest On Retail Loans By Upto 175 bps
SBH has reduced interest rates on retail loans by upto 175 bps with effect from 17 June 2012 for
housing loans, the interest rate was reduced by 25 points to 11-11.50 percent .which on car loans
it would be 11.50 percent against exisiting 12.25 percent.
SBI Cuts Lending Rates by 50-350 bps For Small Units, Farm Sector
Country’s largest public sector lender SBI has cut lending rates any 50 to 350 bps for SMEs
(Small & medium enterprises) and agricultural segments.
Multi Level TDS on Software To Go From July 1
The Finance Ministry has done away the Tax deduction at source obligation at each of the
software distribution chain a TDs level of 10 percent was applicable at each level of the software
distribution chain.The TDs exemption would be available only when the software is acquired in
subsequent transfer, without any modification.This could mean that the benefit of TDS
exemption will not be available for un branded software (or) customized software.
India Ranks 55th On Foreign Money In Swiss Banks
Indians’ money in Swiss banks may have risen for the first time in five years, but they account
for a meagre 0.14 per cent of total foreign wealth deposited there — putting India at 55th place
globally for such funds.The total overseas funds in Switzerland’s banking system stood at 1.53
trillion Swiss francs (about Rs. 90 trillion) at the end of 2011, which included 2.18 billion Swiss
francs (Rs. 12,700 crore) belonging to Indian individuals and entities.While India accounted for
only 0.14 per cent of total foreign money in Swiss banks, the U.K. accounted for the largest
share of little over 20 per cent, followed closely by the U.S. with about 18 per cent.
SBI TO Risk Up To $2 b via Overseas Bond Sale
The country;s largest lender state bank of indi will raise up to $2 billion through an overseason
bond sale ion the nect three months.
Credit Rating Agency Fitch Downgraded India’s Credit Outlook Rating
“International credit rating agency Fitch revised the credit outlook of India to negative on 18
June 2012.The rating agency, however, maintained the India’s sovereign rating at ‘BBB-’.Fitch
also downgraded the credit outlook of seven PSUs namely NTPC, SAIL, IOC, PFC, GAIL, REC
and NHPC. The agency downgraded the credit outlook after considering a broad range of
factors, such as, macro economic policy, economy, public finances. Negative credit rating means
that over the next 12-24 months there is a possibility that India’s rating could be downgraded.”
14 More services Come Under Tax- Exempt Negative List
The Government on 20 June,Included 14 more services in the ‘Negative list’ to exempt that
from the payment of service tax under the new dispensation that will come into effect on July
1.Among the new services that would now be exempted from the negative list-bared system of
tax on services are advocate providing services to entities with a turnover of up to Rs.10
lakh,companies engaged in construction of metro projects, law firms & entities provideing public
conveniences.
Moody’s Cut Rating Of 15 Top Global Banks
Rating agency Moody’s downgrades 15 of the world’s biggest banks on 21 June lowering credit
rating by one to three notches ti reflect the risk they faced from volatile capital market activists.
Margan staley, Bank of America corp & citi group, Goldman sochs group, swizerland’s central
bank e.t.c are in this list.
RBI Hiked Foreign Investment Limit In Government Bonds By 5Million Dollars
In a moved aimed at arresting the unrelenting fall of Indian rupee,India’s central bank ‘the
Reserve Bank of India’ on 25 June 2012 hiked the limit of foreign investment in government
bonds by 5 million dollar to 20 billion dollar.The bank also raised the limit of external
commercial borrowing (ECB)to 10 billion dollar.
E-Voting Made Mandatory By SEBI For Top 500 Listed Companies Of BSE ANSE
The capital market regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI)on 26June 2012
made it mandatory for top 500 listed companies to hold e-voting with an objective ti widen share
holder participation in key decisions.
India’s Fiscal Deficit For April -May Period Stood At 1.41 Lakh Core Rupees.
As Per the latest data released ny the controller General of Accounts (CGA), india’s fiscal deficit
during the April- May, the first of the fiscal year 2012-13 stood at 1.41 lakh croer rupees,27%of
the budget estimates.
IRDA Fined 1.47 Crore Rupees On HDFC Life Insurance
The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority(IRDA) on 28 June 2012 fined 1.47crore
rupees on HDFC Life insurance against disobedience of number of regulatory provisions.It was
the highest five on any insurer.IRDA tested HDFC Life Insurance from 26 July 2010 to 30 July
2010. Before HDFC Life, IRDA had dined on ICICI prudential Life Insurance of Rs.1.18 crore
for violations that include paying agents and broker’s commissions exceeding the permissible
limits on May 2012.ICICI prudential penalty is the second highest impared penalty by the
regulator after HDFC Life.
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
Scientists Successfully Sequenced The Genome of Tomoto
Sciencetists at the tomoto genome consortium(TGM) successfully sequenced the genome of
tomato.It took 7years for the scientists to creck the genome.It will increase the vegetable’s
production world wide and decrease its price .Indian scientists were also the part of research.
Pakistan Tests % 5th N-Capable Missle
Pakistan on 5 June tested its fifth nuclear -capable Cruise missile with a 700 km range that can
deliver a one -ton nuclear war head.
Pakistan Test Fired Hatf-vII(Babur)
Pakistan Test fired successfully the indigenously developed Hatf-vII(Babur) cruire missile on 15
June 2012.Earlier on 29May 2012 pakistan had successfully carried out the test of indegenously
developed slort range surface to surface multi tube Missile Hatf IX(NASR)followed by the test
of nuclear capable cruire missile Hatf-VIII(Raad)whose test was conducted on 31 May 2012.
World IPv6 Launch Day Organized By Internet Society
World IPv6 (Internet Protocol version 6) Launch Day held globally on 6 June 2012. All the
major Internet Service Providers, networking equipment manufacturers and web companies
around the world came together on the occasion, to permanently enable IPv6 for their products
and services. The day, organized by Internet Society, represents a major milestone in the global
deployment of IPv6.World IPv6 Day 2012 was an event sponsored and organized by the
Internet.
The Solar Transit Of Venus Presented A Spectacular Show In The Space
In a rare space event, Venus, the second closest planet from the sun, passed in front of the sun on
6 June 2012.The view at the time the Venus was crossing though the Sun was incredible, as a
tiny black dot appeared on the solar surface.Venus is 100th of the diameter of the sun so while
moving across from one side to the other, just a black spot placed over on the disc of the sun.
The celestial phenomenon which repeats itself in more than 100 year, will now be rewitnessed
only in 2117.
Largest Database Of Martian Impact Craters
A University of Colorado Boulder team recently finished counting, outlining and cataloguing
635,000 impact craters on Mars — the single largest database ever compiled of impacts on a
planet in our solar system.
March 7 Solar Flare Is Strongest Eruption Yet
The powerful March 7 flare, which earned a classification of X5.4 based on the peak intensity of
its X-rays, is the strongest eruption so far observed by Fermi’s Large Area Telescope (LAT).
China launched Its Fourth Human Spaceflight Shenzhou-9 Into Space
China on 16 June 2012 launched its fourth human spaceflight Shenzhou-9 from the Jiuquan
satellite launch centre in north-western Gansu state. The 30.3 feet long and 9.1 feet diameter,
Shenzhou -9 spacecraft will conduct the first manned docking mission and set the foundation for
Chinese plans to build a space station by 2020.
China Sent Its First Woman Astronaut Liu Yang Into Space
Shenzhou-9 space mission also holds significance as its crew members comprise three astronauts
including China’s first woman astronaut Liu Yang.Liu Yang, a cargo pilot in the People’s
Liberation Army air force, is the first Chinese female astronaut, who has been sent on the space
mission.
Aerial Microwave Radar Gauge Installed At Channel Mouth At Machilipatnnam
To predict cyclones and Tsunamis Aerial Microwave Radar Gauge was installed at channel
mouth at Machilipatanm.Though a collabarative project jointly implemented by DMS-SVH
college os engineering, is association with Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) abd
National Institute of Ocean Graphy(NIO),Goa,Downward looking Aerial Microwave Radar
Gauge was installed to measure accurate sea level.The sea level gets influenced by atmospheric
pressure,wind etc. Following the depression there us a rise in the sea level.Under the Indo-
Franch collaborative project of the ISRO, the NIO ,Goa has established a network of sea leve;;
gauge across the Indian coast and islands.
Scientists Create Bone From Fat Cell
For the first time , scientists have developed new bone from fresh an purified fat stem cell. The
new procedure carried out on an animal model, is also hoped to be applied to produce other
tissuess, including heart,skin and castilage, a break through which they may say one day
eliminate the need for painful bone grabts that use material taken from the patient.
The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
The red list of threatened species, prepares by the International union for conservation of nature
(IUNC) has listed 132 species of plants and animals as critically Endangered, he most threatened
category, from India.
Indian Scientist gets U.S Patent For Cancer Treatment
A Scientist hailing from Hyderabad and his colleagues have invented a system in which nano
particles carrier the payload of anti cancer drug releases it only in the cancerous cells around.The
cutting edge research done in the united states has been patented recently.The nano technologist
Rao papineni their to correspondent on phone from U.S.
German Research House For Research And Innovation To Be Launched in New Delhi
The German research foundation (DFG) newdelhi will, on October 26 and 27, launch the
German research house for research and innovation(DWIH) that will serve as a one stop for the
Indian science community to know about research and science organizations in Germany and
funding opportunities available to carry out research there.with their, India will become the 5th
country to have the science house,U.S, Russia, Japan and BRazil already have such
facilities.THe first German house was started in2009 in the U.S.
AWARDS & HONOURS
19 NRIs honourned With Light Of India Awards
“Columbia University professor and economist Jagdish Bhagwati and noted author anitav ghosh
are among 19 persons winning the Light of India awards recognizing excellence and exemplary
achievement of Indians living abroad.
PetroFed Awards for 2011
The annual PetroFed Oil & Gas Industry Awards for 2011 for excellence in performance in
various categories were presented by the Union Minister for Petroleum & Natural Gas, S Jaipal
Reddy here on 8June 2012. The awards for performance during fiscal 2010-11 were in 11
categories. The leading PetroFed award winners were Indian Oil and ONGC. Indian Oil
bagged the “Leading Oil & Gas Corporate of the Year award”,the Oil & Gas Marketing –
“Company of the Year award and the one forProject Management ” . ONGC won the awards
for Human Resources Management, Environmental Sustainability and the Innovator of the Year
award by their team.
IIFA Awards 2012
13th IIFA Awards 2012 schedule from 7th Jun to 9th Jun, 2012 as held in the beautiful city of
Singapore . The list of winners has just been announced and as expected, Ranbir Kapoor and
Vidya Balan have once again won the Best Actor and Best Actress award respectively. The Best
movie and director too have been predictable this year, as Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara, which
swept the IIFA 2012 technical awards, has won in both categories.
Winners of IIFA Awards 2012
Best Actor – Ranbir Kapoor (Rockstar)
Best Actress – Vidya Balan (The Dirty Picture)
Best Movie – Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara
Best Director – Zoya Akhtar (Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara)
Best Story – Zoya Akhtar and Reema Katgi (Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara)
Best Music – A R Rahman ( Rockstar)
Sachin Tendulkar Honoured By “Wisden India”
Sachin Tendulkar won “Wisden India” maiden Outstanding Achievement award for completing
a century of 100 international hundreds, in Dubai on 11 June 2012. he is the first recipent of the
Wisden India Outstanding Achievement award.The legendary batsman was presented a trophy at
an event organised by FidelisWorld. The trophy was made from crystal, it resembles a
cricket ball resting on the open pages of a book.
Israeli Micro-Irrigation Innovation Wins World Food Prize
This year’s winner of world Food Prize(WFP)in israeli scientist Daniel Hillel has pioneered a
method of bringing water to crops in arid and dry-land regions.Dr.Hillel was gven the
prestigeous award, established in 1987 by NObel Peace Prize winner Noruran Borlaug.
Ogilvy Mumbai Wins Effie Award
Ogilvy Mumbai has been declares the “most effective Agency office Globally, in the 2012″ Effie
effectiveness Index at the Cannes advertising festival currently being held in France.At the same
time Vodafone & Ogilvy has also won bronze in the Direct Lions category for I FOLD Vodafone
India saving paper. The Index was launched in June last year and is led by Effie world wide.This
gives Ranks the marketing communication Industry’s most effective agencies. advertisers, and
brands by analysis finalist and winner data from Effie world wide competitions.
R.K.Pachauri Gets Mexican Honour
The Director General of the energy and Resources Institute(TERI) Dr.R.K.Pachauri, has been
conferred the Mexican order of the Aztec Eagle by the Mexican president, during the G-20
summit in Los Cabos.He was honoured along with MS.Margaret chan, Director General of the
world health organization.
Yarlagadda Presented Award For Promoting Hindi
Chairman of Andhra Pradesh Hindi Academy Yarlagadda Lakshmi Prasad was honoures with
Ganga sharan Singh Award by President Pratibha singh patil in New Delhi on 20 June 2012.The
President also gave away the award,instituted by center’s kendriya Hindi Santhan,at a gli-hering
ceremony at the Rashtrapathi Bhavan to Girish karnad,Shyam Benagal and Madhur
Bahndarkar,among others their contribution to the promotion of the national language
ITC Bags Award For BIZ Development
Diversified Business firm ITC ltd on 21 June said it has received the ’2012 World Business &
Development Award’ at the on going Rio+20 united nations summit in Brazil.The award has
been given for the transformational rural initiatives in social & farm forestry programmes in
India , undertaken by the company.
Kolkata Solar Physicist Wins Prestigious US Prize
Dibyendu Nandi of the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Kolkata has been
awarded the prestigious Karen Harvey Prize for 2012 by the American Astronomical Society
(AAS).The first scientist from the Asia Pacific to get the prize, Nandy was awarded for his
“advances in the use of kinematic dynamo models to elucidate the typical and atypical solar
cycle, and for his outstanding leadership within the solar physics and space climate
communities.”
G20 Challenge Award for Medicare Initiative
The Apollo Hospitals Group initiative to provide quality tertiary health care in semi urban and
rural areas has won the G20 challenge on Inclusive Business Innovation
Ratan Tata Gets LifeTime Achievement Award b the Prestigious Rockefeller Foundation
Tata sons chairman,Ratan Tata, has been awarded a lifetime Achievement Award by the
Rockfeller Foundationa in New York for his innovation in philonthropy.The foundation,
celebrating 100 years of global innovation, honoured individuals and institutiona with in second
annual innovation wasrds on 26 June 2012 .Last year’s receipient of the Roche feller
foundation’s Life time Achievement Award was former US president Bill Clinton.
Tata Power Jojobera Unit Wins Award
Tata powers Jojobera thermal power station at Jamshedpur in Jharkhand won the golden peacock
environment Management award for 2012 . The award will be presented in New Delhi during the
14th world congress on environment Management on 7-8 July.
City Firm Bags Global Packaging Awards
Ecoblis, a Hyderabad based firm engaged in making innovative packaging products, bagged
three awards at the international packaging excellence awards competition held in Croatia. The
jury consisted of 33 country representatives and a representative from the international
packaging press organization
Entrepreneur Of The Year Award 2012
K.Ravi, Managing director,NCL industries , has won the Hyderabad Management
Associations”Entrepreneur of the year award 2012″. Civil supplier minister D.sridhar babu
presented the award to him at a function organized by the HMA here.A Hyderabad based
company,NCL induction in engaged in the manufacture of cement, ready concrete, cement
particle board etc.
PERSONS IN NEWS
A) Appointments
Arup Raha Takes Over As IAF’s Western Command Chief
Air Marchal Arup Raha, an ace combat pilot, on 1st june took over as the chief of Delhi based
western Air command.
Dinesh Kumar Mehrotra Appointed as LIC chairman
Dinesh kumar mehrotra has taken over as the chairman of the country’s logest insurer.Life
Insurance corporation of India on 1 june 2012.
Sachin Tendulkar Takes Oath As Rajyasabha MP
Master blaster sachin Tendulkar started his new innings on 4 June taking oath as Rjya sabha
member in the chambers of RS chairperson and vice-president Hamid Ansari. Sachin is the first
active sports person and cricketer to have been nominated to the Rajya sabha under the
prominent Quota.
D.K.Joshi-Next Navy Chief
Vice admiral Devendra Kumar Joshi,flag officer commanding-in-chief(Foc-in-C)of the Western
naval command will be the next cheif of the navy.Vice admiral Nirmal retire on 31 August.D.K
Joshi will hold the post for 3years.
R.N.choubey Is The New Head Of DGH
The centre has appointed Rajiv Naraya Choubey, a senior bureaucrat,Mr.Chobey ,a 1981 batch
DAS officer of Tamilnadu cadre will be the first bureaucrat to head the highly Technical arm of
the oil Ministry .Which has been marred by control versies in the past few years.
Sampath Appointed As New CEC(cheif election commissions)
Senior most Election commissioner veeravalli sundaram sampath was appointed as the chief
election commissioner.He replaces S.Y.Qureshi,who retire on June 10,2012.He will carryout his
term till June 16,2015-either for six years in the commission or till age of 65 which ever comer
earlier.
Dr K.C. Chakrabarty Has Re-Appointed As Governor Of RBI
The central government, on 13 June appointed Dr K.C. Chakrabarty as deputy governor of RBI,
“for a further period of 3 months beyond June 14,2012,or until further orders,which ever is
earlier .”the RBI said in a release. Mr.Chakrabarty was appointed as
Deputy governor in 2009 for 3 years and took charge as deputy governor of RBI on June
15,2009,it added.
Fatou Bensouda Appointed As The Chief Prosecutor Of The International Criminal Court
Gambian lawyer Fatou Bensouda was sworn in on 15 June 2012 as the International Criminal
Court’s new chief prosecutor. Bensouda was elected at the latest session of the Assembly of
States Parties to the Rome Statute (ASP) in December 2011 for a nine-year term.
Indian-American Appointed To Top Yale Position
The prestigious Yale University on Sunday announced the appointment of Indian-American
academician Anjani Jain to a top university position.Beginning July 1, 2012 Mr. Jain will join
the Yale School of Management (SOM) as senior associate dean for the full-time MBA
programme.Mr. Jain has served in multiple leadership roles at the Wharton School of the
University of Pennsylvania, including 10 years as vice dean of its full-time MBA
programme.His appointment comes at a time of important expansion and opportunity for Yale
SOM.
Alok Misra Is IBA Chairman
The Indian Bank Association(IBA), on 18 June said Bank of India chairman and Managing
director Alok Misra has been elected of the banker’s body for the current fiscal.
Sekhar Basu Taken Charge On BARC Director
Sekhar Basu,who played a key role in the development of atomic reactor for india’s indigenous
nuclear submarine INS Arihant, on 19 June took charge as director of Bhabha Atomic Reasearch
Centre(BARC).Mr.Basu succeeds R.K.Simha, who has been elevated as chairman of the Atomic
energy commission and secretorydepartment of Atomic energy in May.
New MD For Sony India
Japanese electronics major Sony , on 20 June, announced the appointment of Kenishiro Hibi as
Managing Director with effect from July 1 for India operations.
Harish Bhat Is New CEO Of Tata Global
Harish Bhat has been appointed as chief executive officer and managing Director of the
company. He will take over from percy poria, who returns on June 30,2012
FAI – South’s New Chairman
K.Rahul Rahu, managing director of Nagarjuna fertilizers and chemicals Ltd, has been
unanimously elected chairman of fertilizer Association of India(FAI) southern Regional
committee for the year 2012-13.
Pakistan gets Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi as its Deputy Prime Minister
haudhry Pervaiz Elahi, a top leader of the ruling PPP’s key ally PML-Q, has been appointed as
Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister.
Isaac Takes Over as ICC Chief
Sharad Power’s reign as the president of the International cricket council(ICC) ended on 28 June
as Newzealander Alan Isaac took charge from him for a two-year-term at the ICC annual
conference . The 60 Year old Isaac, a former New zealand cricket chief, became the eight
president of the ICC, while former South Africa wicketkeeper David Richardson was confirmed
as the new chief executive of the world body,taking over from country man Haroon Lorgat.
Neeraj Kumar Was Appointed As The New Commission Of Delhi Police
Neeraj Kumar, the 1976 batch Indian police service(IPS) officer, was appointed as the new
commissioner of Delhi police on 28 June 2012 . Neeraj Kumar will succeed B.K.Gupta who is
getting his tenure as the Delhi police commissioner completed on 30 June 2012. Neeraj Kumar,
who is servicing as the Director General of Tihar jail, will assume the new charge on 1July 2012.
US Appoints Envoy To Myanmar
For the first time in 22 years, the US has appointed its ambassador to Myanmar as part of efforts
to upgrade ties with the country which has launched a slew of democratic reforms after five
decades of authoritarian rule. The appointment of veteran diplomat” Derek Mitchell”, who was
till now the Special US Representative and Policy Coordinator for Myanmar, was confirmed by
the Senate on 29 June 2012 and he is expected to leave for that country soon.
B) Resigns
Commerce Secretary Resigns
John E. Bryson announced his resignation as President Obama’s commerce secretary on 21 June
2012, citing medical reasons after an episode in which he had a seizure and was involved in a
sequence of car crashes.
Virbhadra Singh Resigns
Union Minister for micro,small and medium enterprises resigned in 26 June 2012 after a
Himachal Pradesh court framed corruption charges against him.The president, as advised by the
PM, has accepted the resignation of Virbhadra singh from the union council of Ministers,with
immediate effect.
Pranab Quits As Finance Minister
Finance Minister Pranab Mukharjee resigned on 26 June as he has been elected as the
presidential candidate by congress government. Manmohan singh took charge of the finance
ministry until a cabinet reshuffle is effected after the presidential election.
C)Deaths
A.V.S Reddy Passes Away
A.V.s reddy retired IAS officer and former state election commissioner, who earned kudos for
his rescue and relief work during the 1977 diviseema cyclone, passed away after a brief illness
Hyderabad on June 4 2012.
Ex-Director Of Institute Of Astrophysics Passes Away
The former Director of the Indian Institute of Astrophysics(IIA) J.C.Bhattacharya, passed away
in the New Delhi on 4 June after prolonged illness.
First Women To Win Nobel In Economics Died
Indiana University professor Elinor Ostrom, the first and only woman to be awarded the Nobel
Prize in Economic Sciences,died on 13 June due to cancer.she was 78 years old .
Legendary Cuban Boxer Teofilo Stevensan Died At The Age Of 60
Legendary Cuban Boxer Teofilo Stevensan Died of heart attack on 13 June 2012 at the age of
60. stebenson,won his first gold at the 1972 Munich games,and went on to win two more golds at
the 1976 Montreal and 1980 Moscow games,ruled the game for nearly 14 years.He was the first
fighter to win the olympic gold medal in the same division three times.
Ghazal King Mehdi Hassam Passes Away
Indian born Ghazal legend Mehdi hassan, the melodian voice behind evergreen hits like ,patta
patta,boota boota and kabke bichare,died on 13 June following multiple organ failure at the age
of 84.
Saudi Crown Prince Nayef Dies
Crown Prince Nayef, the hardline interior minister who spearheaded Saudi Arabia’s fierce
crackdown crushing Al Qaeda’s branch in the country after the 9/11 attacks in the United States
and then rose to become next in line to the throne, has died. He was in his late 70s.
Former RS Member Dipankar Mukherjee Passes Away
Dipankar Mukherjee, an engineer- turned-trade unionist and former Rajya Sabha member, died
at a hospital on 18 June morning after battling pancreatic cancer. Mukherjee, 69, a former
CPI(M) Rajya Sabha member from West Bengal and a senior leader of the CITU.
NIA Chief Radha Vinod Raju Passes Away
Radha Vinod Raju, founding Director-General of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and
key member of the special investigation team which probed Rajiv Gandhi assassination, died in
Kochi on 21 June 2012.
Abid Hussain Dead
Abid Hussain who was among those who helped break mental barrier after the end of the cold
war,passed away in London on 21 June morning after a massive heart attack, He was 85 years
old.The normal career progression of an Indian Administrative service(IAS) cadre office.which
wound up in the commerce Ministry, Dr.Hussain was one of the key persons who set ball rolling
for India’s economic liberalization.
Roy Burman Passes Away
Renowned anthropologist and social scientist B.K.Raoy Burman 90 passed away.New delhi on
26 June morining .A former visiting professor of Jawaharlal Nehru University and professor of
visva Bharathi University and Ex-officio Director of the council of social Developement,
prof.Burman also served as a visiting senior fellow at the centre for the study developing
societies.
D) Visitors
U.S Defence Secretary Leon Pnetta Visited India
U.S defense secretary Leon Pnetta arrived india on a two-day visit on 5 june 2012.The visit was
aimed at strengthening bilateral strategic and defence cooperation between the two
nations,discuss china’s growing assertiveness,especially in the contentions south china sea,and
the volatile Af-Pak region.
PM Manmohan Singh departed For G-20, Rio+20 summits
Singh attended the seventh summit of the Group of 20 developed and developing countries (G-
20) started in the Mexican resort town of Los Cabos on June 18 and the Rio+20 Summit in Rio
De Janeiro.
Australian high commissioner Visits Uttar Pradesh
Australian High Commissioner Peter Varghese on 22 June paid a courtesy visit to Uttar Pradesh
Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav and expressed interest in cooperation and technology transfer
between his country and the state for river cleaning, energy sector and agriculture.
PM Manmohan Singh Visits Pretoria
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh arrived on 22 June midnight a visit to Mexico and Brazil for
attending two international summits.He was on overnight stay in this South African city before
leaving for New Delhi on 24 June.
E)Miscellaneous
Britain Marks Diamond Jubliee Of Queen Elizabeth-II
Britain on 2 June kicks off four days of celebrations to mark Queen ElizabethII’s Diamond popular ecotourism destination known for its beautiful beaches ,rain forests and diverse plants
Jubilee, including a 1000-bad river pageant and a star-studded concert.These celebrations were and wildlife.The next happiest places are vietnam and colombia.
held at Thames in London.The most spectacular nautical parade in 350 years, the pagenant CM’s Office Gutted In Mantralaya fire
wasthe centre piece of 4 day diamond jubilee. A devastating fire in the Maharashtra government secretariat, including offices of the Chief
World’s Oldest Pearl Discovered In UAE Minister and the Deputy Chief Minister, on 21 June . left two persons dead and 16 injured and
The Oldest Pearl in history which dates back to the Neolithic age. some 7,500 years old -has destroyed large number of files, raising questions on whether any sabotage was the cause.
been found in the UAE.The French National Center for Scientific Reasearch has announced that
gems believed that the oldest pearl known goes back to 3000 BC. and was found at an antiquity COMMITTEES
site in Japan. Committee Recommends Just Five Mouzas – GJM Threatens To Re-launch Agitation
Climbs World’s 14 Tallest Peaks Darjeeling is likely to be violent again as the high-power committee set up by Mamata Banerjee
A Japanese Mountaineer who was nearly killed by an avalanche in 2007 finished a climb in has recommended inclusion of just five mouzas under the proposed Gorkha Territorial
Nepal last month that made him countrey’s first person to scale the world’s 14 tallest mountains. Administration (GTA) sabha against Gorkha Janamukti Morcha (GJM)’s demand for inclusion
“Hisotoka Takeuchi” said on 11 June in kathmandu tops 14 peaks including everest,k2 and of 398 mouzas.high-power committee headed by retired justice Shyamal Sen and said that the
kanchanjanga are in the Himalaya or kara koram ranges od Asia . He is the 30th person to committee has recommended inclusion of three mouzas from Darjeeling district and two from
climb all 14 and first climber from Japan. Jalpaiguri district into the proposed GTA Sabha.
Class IX Bengaluru Girl Wins Indian Spell Bee
“Belligerent” was one of the words that samvida venkatesh spelt right at the Indian Spell Bee’s BOOKS IN NEWS
grand finale.THe class IX student from Bengaluru won the HDFC life Spell Bee- India spells A Book Released on L.K.Advani
2012, poweres by the Times of India, in association with Horlicks. BJP National president Nitin Gadkari and Leader of opposition in Lok sabha Sushma swaraj
Across The Niagara Falls On A Tightrope released the book “Those were the Day and then-The Life & Times of Lal Krishna Advani”
Daredevil Nik Wallenda completes historic high-wire walk, braving blustering winds, heavy written by Mira Govind Advani(R) in New Delhi on June 12, 2012.
spray A daredevil American, Nik Wallenda, became first person in the world to walk on a APJ Abdul Kalam’s New Book “Turning Points”
tightrope across the roaring Niagara Falls, separating U.S. and Canada. kalam’s sequel to his bestseller “Wings of fire” gives a picture of his uneasy relationship with
Chenab Rail Bridge Promises To Be An Engineering Wonder UPA government from May 2004, till his term as president expired in July 2007. The
The world’s highest rail bridge being constructed over chenab river in Jammu & Kashmir’s book,published by Hapercollins is yet to be released .Turning points takes up the incredible
Reasi district will be ready by December 2015 coming up at kauri, it will be 359metres above the kalam story from where wings of fire left off. It brings together details from his career and
river bed 5 times the height of QutubMinar and 35 metres taller than Eiffel Tower. presidency that are generally kn own as he speaks for the first time on certain points of
Erotic Books Beats Potter Record controversy. turning point:A Journey through challenges.
An erotic book dubbed as “mummy porn” has beaten the J.K Rowling authores Harry potter’s
record in the U.K book sales chart, becoming fastest selling paper back of al time in just one Abbrevations
week.The nook ‘Fifty Shades of Grey’ has became the fatest selling paper back since records IAC – International AIDS conference
began. Erika Mitchell, who writes with the pen name “EL James” beat Rowling and ‘Davinci DMSS – Durban mahila Samnway Samiti
code’ author Dan Brown. CII – Confederation of Indian Industry
Global Second Warmest May On Record PNGRB – The petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board
The Globally averaged temperature for May 2012 marked the second warmest May since IIA – Indian Institute of Astrophysics
1880.The temperatures were measured over global land and ocean surfaces. UNEP – United nations for conservation of Nature
CITU – Centre of Indian Trade Union
PLACES IN NEWS INCACBI – Indian Campaign for the Academic & Cultural Boycott of Israel
A 5.6 Magnitude Earthquake Stuck Off Indonesia’s Sumatra Island On June 4 ESI – Environmental sustainability Index
5.6 Magnitude earth quake strikes Indonesia’s most populated western Java at a depth of 67 WEP – World Food Prize
kilometers. UEFA – Union of European Foot ball Association
Costa Rica’ Is The Happiest Place On Earth
In the Economics Foundation’s Happy planet Index , cost Rica, The central American country
was listed as world’s number one happiest place on earth. Costa Rica.means “Rich coast”,is a