1 current gk 2011 - 09 final

GJ Tutorial For the Week: September 4 to 10, 2011 Current GK

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Weekly Current Affairs update For the Week: September 4 to 10, 2011

Major news of the week

Section A: INDIA Land Acquisition Bill tabled in Parliament Prime Minister concludes State Visit to Bangladesh Monsoon session of parliament concludes Nuclear Safety Regulatory Authority Bill, 2011 tabled in Lok Sabha INCOIS begins vulnerability mapping of coastline 11 killed in bomb blast outside Delhi High Court Manmohan Cabinet posts assets online Term of JPC on 2G scam extended IAF to induct 300 Sukhoi-30, Tejas aircraft CVC for perks to overcome manpower crunch in CBI CVC to appear on Sep 15 before House Panel for Lokpal bill Beijing was asked to stop infrastructure work in PoK Chhattisgarh Auxiliary Armed Police Force Act came into force International Conference on Education organised Top 200 QS World University Rankings unveiled WHO, International Pharmaceutical Federation tie up to tackle tuberculosis Lok Sabha drops impeachment proceedings as Justice Sen resigns Former Karnataka Minister Janardhan Reddy arrested in Bellary scam Army Chief got last 2 promotions on basis of 1950 Date of Birth Defence Minister Filmmaker Jagmohan Mundhra passes away

Section B: AWARDS

Faust wins Golden Lion at Venice Film Festival President gives away National Award to Teachers -2010

Section C: WORLD G8 pledges $38bn to Arab states; IMF recognises Libya 5 Indians in 50 Bloomberg Most Influential Global List Irans first nuclear plant inaugurated Haitis President Martelly appoints new PM Japanese space probe Akatsuki to enter Venuss orbit

Section D: ECONOMY & CORPORATE CAG report on functioning of Air-India in 2002-10 tabled in Parliament WAN-IFRA Expo India 2011 & WAN-IFRA India 2011 Conference organised Parliamentary committee calls for performance evaluation of Planning Commission Indias external debt at $305.9 billion on March 31, 2011 Committee on gas prices against pooling domestic natural gas with imported LNG UNCTAD unveils Trade and Development Report 2011 Government bans onion exports, allows wheat shipment India 56th on World Economic Forum Index Indias biotech sector crosses USD 4 bn E&Y report Metallurgical sector gets Rs 5,023 crore FDI in 2010-11 Fruit, vegetable production up 3.7% in 2010-11 Indian investment overseas up 94% in April-June 2011 Banks to discontinue prepayment penalty on consumer loans


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RBI Governor calls for lower reserve requirements First Meeting of the South Asia Forum organised DD wants equal share in sports broadcast revenue FICCI launches Credible India campaign European Central Banks Chief Economist resigns Russia launches undersea gas pipeline to Europe bypassing Ukraine

Section E: SPORTS USA tops medals tally in Daegu IAAF World Championships FIH cancels Delhi as Champions Trophy host South Korea clinch womens Asian Champions Trophy hockey Tendulkar, Dravid move up in ICC Test rankings Vijender Singh wins gold at World Police and Fire Games Arsenal Jaago Re Soccer Stars win tournament Arsenal Tata Tea Jaago Re Soccer Stars (ATTJRSS) win International Soccer festival (under-15)


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Section A: INDIA

NEWS ROUND UP

Land Acquisition Bill tabled in Parliament

The process of land acquisition becoming more sensitive to the grievances of the owner earned a better prospect as the Land Acquisition Rehabilitation and Resettlement Bill was tabled in Parliament on September 7, 2011. The Bill has made several

revisions/modifications to the draft introduced in July 2011. Following are the important points mentioned in the Bill.

Conditions for acquiring land: The Bill suggests that industry is free to acquire land in cases where the matter pertains to below 50 acres in urban areas and 100 acres in rural areas, but that it would require mutual negotiation with the farmers/landowners to arrive at a price. Consent of 80 per cent of people will be made mandatory except where land is acquired for public purpose.

Level of compensation: Striking a balance between those who need land like the state itself, industry and other private entities and those who are ready to sell it, the bill provides for compensation of land owners at the rate of

four times the market value of a given piece of land whether it is for public or private purpose in rural areas and at the rate of two times in urban areas. In the original draft bill, this was six times in rural areas. Thus the concerns of those seeking to buy land have been kept in mind.

Return of unutilised land: Originally, if land was not used by industry for over five years, it was to revert to the owner. This period has now been increased to ten years. If the land is not used for the stated purpose it will be returned to the state government land authority and not the owner

Acquisition of agricultural land: While the original draft excluded all irrigated multi-crop land from acquisition, the Bill would allow acquisition of such land up to five per cent provided an equal area of wasteland in the district is developed. It, however, does not provide for returning this re-developed land to the cultivator whose irrigated land was acquired. Nor does it explain who would then cultivate this new land.

No consent required for government acquisition of land for its own use: The Bill rules out the need for consent for public projects like railways, power projects and canals.

Land for private companies can come under public purpose: The Bill would allow the government to acquire land for private companies for a public purpose if it is more than 100 acres. The definition of public purpose includes infrastructure, urbanisation and strategic purposes. The government can, for instance, buy all the land and give it to industry; or industry is free to acquire all the land on its own or only a part of it. But compensation and R&R (Rehabilitation and Resettlement) will apply in all cases, no matter which agency acquires the land. If industry has acquired land on its own at lower rates, and requests the government to acquire more land for reasons of contiguity, the rates of compensation can not be different for the two parcels of land. The private parties will be forced the pay the higher rate of compensation even for the land it had bought on its own.

People losing livelihoods also get R&R benefits: The people who lose their land and livelihood get the same Resettlement and Rehabilitation (R&R) benefits. In the earlier bill, those who lost livelihood got a better package than those who merely lost land. There is an elaborate package for R&R and this provides wider choice.

What if acquired land is sold by the acquirer: While land would be lost if not used in ten years, every transfer of land would mean payment of 20 per cent of the appreciated land value to the original owner.

Monitoring agency: The Bill also sets up a new institutional structure to enforce the various provisions. At the Central level it provides for a national monitoring committee which would oversee all projects. At the State level, it provides for the State LA and RR Authority to resolve disputes like a civil court, a committee under the chief secretary to determine whether projects are for public purpose, and an RR commissioner to administer LA and RR in the State.

Responses: The industry has expressed apprehensions about the Bill especially the R&R (rehabilitation and resettlement) component, saying it is impracticable while the civil society has criticised it for not giving any role to the community and reducing the Bill to a land apportionment procedure rather than a process of inclusive development. R. R. Singh, director general, NARDECO (National Real Estate Development Council), said the compensation could have been reduced to double the market rate.


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Highlights of the Bill

PRE-CONDITIONS Compensation and R&R applies to all acquisitions more than 50 acres in urban areas and 100 acres in rural areas Consent of 80 per cent of Project Affected Families (PAF), including landless dependents, needed for such acquisition The Compensation and R&R clauses would apply to all cases where acquisition not completed at the time of the Act

coming to force Government can acquire any amount of land for industry provided consent is there, and compensation and R&R done COMPENSATION Four times the market rate in rural areas Double the market rate in urban areas PAF can opt for 20 per cent of developed land in place of full monetary compensation PAF can opt for taking shares up to 25 per cent of compensation amount in place of full cash compensation REHABILITATION & RESETTLEMENT (For land owners and landless dependents) Allowance of Rs 3,000 a month per family for a year Job per family or Rs 5 lakh or Rs 2,000 per month annuity for 20 years with index of inflation House lost to be replaced by an Indira Awas Yojana house in rural areas One acre of land for land lost in irrigation projects Rs 50,000 per family for transportation A resettlement allowance of Rs 50,000 per PAF WHEN NO CONSENT IS NEEDED (but same compensation) Land for strategic purposes, national security, defence, police, safety of the people Land for railways, highways, ports, power and irrigation purposes for use by govt and public sector companies or

corporations Land for project affected people Land for govt-administered educational, agricultural, health and research schemes or institutions

Prime Minister concludes State Visit to Bangladesh

Agreements and MoUs signed during the visit

1) Framework Agreement on Cooperation for Development; 2) Protocol to the Agreement Concerning the Demarcation of the Land Boundary between India and Bangladesh and Related Matters; 3) Addendum to the MOU between India and Bangladesh to Facilitate Overland Transit Traffic between Bangladesh and Nepal; 4) MOU on Renewable Energy Cooperation; 5) MOU on Conservation of the Sunderban; 6) Protocol on Conservation of the Royal Bengal Tigers of the Sunderban; 7) MOU on Cooperation in the field of Fisheries; 8) MOU on Cooperation on Mutual Broadcast of Television Programmes;

9) MOU between Jawaharlal Nehru University and Dhaka University; 10) MOU on Academic Cooperation between National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT), India and Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) Institute of Fashion Technology (BIFT). The Prime Minister paid a State Visit to Bangladesh on 6-7 September 2011 at the invitation of the Prime Minister of Bangladesh. He was accompanied by the Chief Ministers of Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram and Tripura. The Prime Minister held extensive discussions with the Prime Minister of Bangladesh and also called on the President of that country. The Foreign Minister of Bangladesh, the Leader of Opposition and the President of the Jatiya Party also called on the PM. Prime Ministers visit to Bangladesh followed the landmark January 2010 visit of the Prime Minister of Bangladesh. Under Prime Minister Sheikh Hasinas leadership, India has received significant cooperation from the Bangladesh authorities in


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tackling insurgency and terrorism. The Bangladesh PM has also positively responded to Indias efforts to enhance economic and transport linkages between India and Bangladesh which are important for the development of our North-Eastern region. Since the January 2010 visit of the Prime Minister of Bangladesh, several agreement of importance to us, viz, Agreements on Mutual Legal Assistance on Criminal Matters, Transfer of Sentenced Persons and on Combating International Terrorism, Organised Crime and Illicit Drug Trafficking, have been ratified and are now in force. The need for an Extradition Treaty was underscored by the Prime Ministers in their discussions. It is in this context, that Prime Ministers visit to Bangladesh is a major step forward in Indias efforts to develop and strengthen close and friendly relations with Bangladesh. Following is an account of PM Singhs visit to Dhaka. Border demarcation

India and Bangladesh have succeeded in securing and demarcating their land borders a long running source of friction between the two countries, and a nightmare for an estimated 200,000 people who have been trapped in a citizenship limbo. The two Prime Ministers presided over the signing of a new land border agreement on September 6, which promises to end a bitter dispute that has cast a dark shadow over the relationship between their countries since 1974. The two governments had arrived at shared maps of 4,096 km but disputed enclaves left 6.5 km unresolved. Under the agreement, Bangladeshi enclaves will become Indian territory and Indian enclaves will become part of Bangladesh.

India has 111 enclaves, spread over 17,158 acres, in Bangladesh, with an estimated 150,000 residents; Bangladesh has 51 enclaves, covering 7,110 acres inside India, with a population of about 50,000. In addition, 38 patches of Indian territory spread over 3,000 acres are in the possession of Bangladesh, while some 50 patches of Bangladesh territory measuring about 3,345 acres are held by India.

Historically, the enclaves are the result of a series of chess games between two kings, the Rajas of Cooch Behar and Rangpur, in the eighteenth century where villages were simply gambled away. After Independence, boundaries were drawn but the fate of these enclaves was never sorted out.

The enclaves have often been sources of dispute. Last October, for example, some 200 homes in the enclave of Garati were set on fire by a mob. In 2001, friction over the enclave of Pyrdiwah almost led India and Bangladesh to war, after 15 Border Security Force personnel were killed and their bodies mutilated. India and Bangladesh have now put in place mechanisms, including the recently concluded Coordinated Border Management Plan, which we hope will greatly reduce the scope for incidents on the border and strengthen mutual trust and goodwill among the border guarding forces and people living in the border areas. This is expected to help in better redressal of problems arising from illegal border crossings and related difficulties will be better addressed by both sides. Connectivity and transportation

During the visit the two countries agreed to promote trade, investment and economic cooperation and facilitate trade by rail, road, inland waterways, shipping and air. Several initiatives are under consideration for improvement of transportation links. A major programme is currently underway to develop border infrastructure through establishment of Land Customs Stations, Integrated Check Posts, Border Haats etc. Overland Transit Traffic between Bangladesh and Nepal

The MOU seeks to facilitate rail transit to/from Bangladesh and Nepal by using the Rohanpur-Singhabad route as agreed during the visit of PM Sheikh Hasina to India in January 2010. It also facilitates rail transit between Bangladesh and Nepal using Indian territory through the Radhikapur-Birol line once the Bangladesh portion is converted into broad guage. The signing of this MOU will facilitate bilateral trade between Bangladesh and Nepal. Trade relations

There is a large trade imbalance between India and Bangladesh in favour of India which has increased over the years. The reduction of the trade imbalance has been a long standing request of Bangladesh. During his visit, the Prime Minister announced the removal of all 46 textile lines, as requested by Bangladesh, from Indias negative list for LDCs under the provisions of SAFTA with immediate effect. The Prime Minister of Bangladesh conveyed appreciation for this major step on enhanced market access for that country. During the discussions, Prime Minister emphasized that greater Indian investments in Bangladesh would help to increase the export potential and earnings of that country.


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Agreement on sharing river-waters

The two countries are keen to arrive at fair and equitable arrangements for sharing of common rivers. But water being a sensitive issue in both countries, the two governments resolved to work towards arriving at solutions that are acceptable to all concerned. Bangladesh was disappointed over New Delhis failure to deliver on a promised agreement on sharing the waters of the Teesta river a critical issue for Sheikh Hasina, who has come under intense domestic pressure for making better relations with India a keystone of her government. New Delhi had agreed to a deal, which would have given Bangladesh 48 per cent of the Teesta waters, setting a precedent that would have helped resolve pending disputes over 53 other rivers, including the Feni. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, however, rejected the deal, and cancelled her plans to travel with Dr. Singh to Bangladesh, saying the agreement would hurt interests of farmers in the State. Banerjee believes the agreement will grant Bangladesh upwards of 33,000 cubic feet per second, or cusecs, of water each year instead of some 25,000 cusecs she had agreed to in earlier discussions. New Delhi, however, says Banerjee was briefed on the discussions

Monsoon session of parliament concludes

The Monsoon Session, 2011 of Parliament which commenced on August 1, 2011, concluded on September 8, 2011. The Session provided 26 sittings spread over a period of 39 days. During the Session, 14 Bills (11 in the Lok Sabha and 3 in the Rajya Sabha) were introduced. The Lok Sabha passed 13 Bills and the Rajya Sabha passed 09 Bills during the session. A list containing the titles of the Bills introduced, and, considered and passed during the Session is given below: I BILLS INTRODUCED IN LOK SABHA The Indian Medical Council (Amendment) Bill, 2011 The Lokpal Bill, 2011 The Indian Institute of Information Technology, Design and Manufacturing, Kanchipuram Bill, 2011 The Appropriation (No.3) Bill, 2011 The Damodar Valley Corporation (Amendment) Bill, 2011 The Customs (Amendment and Validation), Bill, 2011 The Benami Transactions (Prohibition) Bill, 2011 The National Academic Depository Bill, 2011 The Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Bill, 2011 The Nuclear Safety Regulatory Authority Bill, 2011 The Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (Amendment) Bill, 2011 II BILLS PASSED BY LOK SABHA The Appropriation (No.3) Bill, 2011 The State Bank of India (Subsidiary Banks Laws) Amendment Bill, 2009 The Transplantation of Human Organs (Amendment) Bill, 2009 The National Institutes of Technology (Amendment) Bill, 2010 The Customs (Amendment and Validation) Bill, 2011 The Indian Medical Council (Amendment) Bill, 2011 The Jawaharlal Institute of Post Graduate Medical Education and Research, Puducherry (Amendment) Bill, 2011 The Indian Institute of Information Technology, Design and Manufacturing, Kanchipuram Bill, 2011 The Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Amendment Bill, 2011 The National Council for Teacher Education (Amendment) Bill, 2011 The Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research Bill, 2010 The Orissa (Alteration of Name) Bill, 2011 The Constitution (One Hundred and Thirteenth Amendment) Bill, 2011 III BILLS INTRODUCED IN RAJYA SABHA The Inter-State Migrant Workmen (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) Bill, 2011 The Border Security Force (Amendment) Bill, 2011 The Administrators-General (Amendment) Bill, 2011


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IV BILLS PASSED BY RAJYA SABHA The Jawaharlal Institute of Post Graduate Medical Education and Research, Puducherry (Amendment) Bill, 2010 The Appropriation (No.3) Bill, 2011 The Coinage Bill, 2011 The Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children ) Amendment Bill, 2010 The National Council for Teacher Education (Amendment) Bill, 2010 The State Bank of India (Subsidiary Banks Laws) Amendment Bill, 2011 The Transplantation of Human Organs (Amendment) Bill, 2011 The Indian Medical Council (Amendment) Bill, 2011 The Customs (Amendment and Validation) Bill, 2011

Nuclear Safety Regulatory Authority Bill, 2011 tabled in Lok Sabha

A bill to establish a legal framework to regulate nuclear and radiation safety and establish an authority to carry out the task was introduced in the Lok Sabha on September 7, 2011. The Nuclear Safety Regulatory Authority Bill, 2011, introduced by Minister of State in the Prime Ministers Office, V Narayanasamy, provides for creation of a Council for Nuclear Safety headed by the Prime Minister, to oversee and review policies relating to radiation safety.

It also provides for establishment of a Nuclear Safety Regulatory Authority, to regulate radiation and nuclear safety and achieve the highest standards on the basis of scientific approach, operating experience and best practices followed by the nuclear industry, the Statement of Objects and Reasons of the bill said.

This Authority would also ensure the use of radiation and atomic energy in all its applications is safe for the health of the radiation workers, the people and the environment, it said.

The bill came in the wake of Prime Minister, Manmohan Singhs statement in the Lok Sabha, during the Budget Session assuring that Indias nuclear safety regulatory framework would be strengthened. The statement had come after the disaster at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, including a series of equipment failures, nuclear meltdowns and release of radioactive materials, following the earthquake and tsunami in Japan on March 11.

The bill also provides for establishment of regulatory bodies for the purpose of national defence and security. It seeks to empower the Council of Nuclear Safety to constitute an Appellate Authority to enable the central government or any person aggrieved by an order of the Nuclear Safety Regulatory Authority to file an appeal.

Government had set up the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board under the Atomic Energy Act 1962 to carry out certain regulatory and safety functions. But after the Fukushima disaster, the need was felt to further strengthen regulation of nuclear and radiation safety in the country, with the government attaching highest importance to the matter

INCOIS begins vulnerability mapping of coastline

The Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) has initiated work on multi-hazard vulnerability mapping of the countrys entire coastline to help authorities take up precautionary measures in the event of natural disasters. Once over with the multi-hazard vulnerability mapping, INCOIS will prepare 3D GIS maps to identify the most vulnerable sectors along the coast, INCOIS Director Satheesh C. Shenoi said on September 7, 2011. After mapping of the coastline INCOIS will identify the most vulnerable areas from the hazard point of view to set up the 3D GIS maps for those selected areas. The estimated time frame of the project is three years. The mapping will consider all coastal hazards arising from sea level rise, coastal erosion, wave action, storm surges and tsunamis. INCOIS, which houses the Indian Tsunami

Early Warning Centre, has already generated multi-hazard vulnerability maps of Nagapattinam in Tamil Nadu besides Nellore district in Andhra Pradesh. The 3D GIS maps will provide details on the most vulnerable areas on the coast having more population and infrastructure. In the event of tsunami and other natural calamities, the multi-hazard vulnerability mapping and 3D GIS maps will enable decision makers including Disaster Management authorities to give accurate information on the areas (prone to submerge) to plan on the precautionary measures including buildings evacuation.

11 killed in bomb blast outside Delhi High Court: Terror struck the Capital again on September 7, 2011 when a high-intensity blast outside the Delhi High Court claimed 11 lives and injured 76 people. The bomb, suspected to be placed in a


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briefcase, exploded at 10-14 a.m. near Gate No 5 when around 200 people were waiting to get entry passes. The deafening explosion left a small crater at the site. In May, the High Court was targeted when a low-intensity bomb went off in the parking lot. No one was injured in that explosion. The preliminary probe indicated the possible use of nitrate-based explosives laced with PETN (pentaerythritol trinitrate). The probe is now being handled by a 20-member National Investigation Agency (NIA) team. The Home Minister, P. Chidambaram, said the blast was of high intensity and called it a terrorist act. He said intelligence pertaining to threats from certain groups was shared with the Delhi Police in July. Some media houses claimed to have received a mail purportedly written by Bangladesh-based terror outfit Harkat-ul-Jehadi Islami (HuJI) claiming responsibility.

Manmohan Cabinet posts assets online: While PMs assets are over Rs 5 crore, defence minister A. K. Antony jointly with his wife has just Rs 33.54 lakh worth of property. Praful Patel, Kapil Sibal, Kamal Nath, P Chidambaram and Virbhadra Singh are among the richest cabinet ministers, going by their assets uploaded by the government on the worldwide web on September 4, 2011. The government has posted the assets and liabilities of the ministers as on March 31, 2011, on the website of the Prime Ministers Office (PMO). PM Singh had directed all ministers to declare their assets and liabilities and indicate their business interests by August 31. According to the submitted, heavy industries minister Patels assets, along with his wifes, are Rs 114.42 crore. Telecom minister Sibal has disclosed assets worth Rs 37.21 crore, urban development minister Nath has Rs 42.55 crore (assets of 25 companies in which he and his family have interests have not been included), home minister Chidambaram has around Rs 23.49 crore and SME minister Virbhadra Singh, over Rs 22.22 crore. Out of the 77 members of the Council of Ministers, of assets of five were not available on the website at the time of going to print. They include cabinet minister Vilasrao Deshmukh, ministers of state with independent charge Krishna Tirath and Jayanthi Natarajan, and ministers of state Jitender Singh and S Jagathrakshakan.

Term of JPC on 2G scam extended: The Lok Sabha on September 6, 2011 adopted a motion for extending the term of the Joint Parliamentary Committee on 2G spectrum scam up to the last date of budget session in 2012. P.C. Chacko, who heads the JPC, moved the motion in the Lower House for extension of the term of the committee. The JPC was required to submit its report by the last date of the ongoing monsoon session, which is to end on September 8. But the committee had, in its meeting in the end August, decided to request the Lok Sabha Speaker, Meira Kumar, to extend its term upto the last date of the Budget session next year. The JPC, consisting of 20 members from Lok Sabha and 10 from Rajya Sabha, was constituted on March 4 to look into the entire gamut of policy prescriptions in the telecom sector from 1998 to 2009.

IAF to induct 300 Sukhoi-30, Tejas aircraft: India will procure over 300 Sukhoi-30 MKI fighter jets and Tejas Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) at a total cost of Rs 64,408 crore to strengthen the combat capability of the IAF, the government said on September 7, 2011. Replying to a question on procurement of combat aircraft in the Rajya Sabha, defence minister A K Antony informed that Su-30 MKI aircraft and Tejas LCA are the major modern combat aircraft that have been contracted for induction into the Indian Air Force. The total cost of procurement of Su-30 MKI is over Rs 55,717 crore while the cost of procurement of Tejas LCA is about Rs 8,691 crore. The minister informed the House that Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) is already manufacturing the Su-30 MKI aircraft as well as Tejas LCA for the IAF. Further HAL would also eventually be manufacturing the Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) and Fifth Generation Fighter Aircraft (FGFA) planned for further induction into the IAF.

CVC for perks to overcome manpower crunch in CBI: The Central Vigilance Commission on September 6, 2011 recommended simplification of the recruitment process and best incentives to attract talent in the CBI which is facing shortage of close to 1,400 personnel. According to official data as on December 31, 2010, a total of 1,379 posts at various levels were lying vacant, out of which a highest of 946 vacancies existed at the level of executive officers, the anti-corruption watchdog said in its annual report for 2010. The CVC, which exercises superintendence over the CBI in matters related to offences under the Prevention of Corruption Act, has also asked the agency to speed up the process of implementing Letters Rogatory to complete its probe on time.

CVC to appear on Sep 15 before House Panel for Lokpal bill: To avoid overlapping of responsibilities, the Central Vigilance Commission has decided to recommend several steps to the Parliamentary committee examining the Lokpal issue including greater powers to prosecute higher bureaucracy in corruption-related cases. The Commission has been asked to give its views on September 15 and is likely to recommending a slew of measures to avoid conflict of interest in the work allocation between CVC and proposed Lokpal. The Commission, comprising Central Vigilance Commissioner Pradeep Kumar and two of his deputies R Srikumar and J M Garg, will appear before the House committee on Personnel, Public Grievances, Law and Justice. The Committee was formed in August 2011 to come out with a strong Lokpal bill after taking into account proposals made by Team Anna and others


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Beijing was asked to stop infrastructure work in PoK: Expressing concern over Chinese activities in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), India has asked Beijing to stop its infrastructure development work there. The government is aware that China is undertaking infrastructure projects in PoK. We have conveyed our concerns to China about their activities in PoK and asked them to cease such activities, Defence Minister A. K. Antony told the Lok Sabha on September 5, 2011. China has also been carrying rapid infrastructural development in Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) and in areas along the border with India. On Beijing improving its infrastructure on the Line of Actual Control (LAC), the minister said that Chinas construction of strategic roads, railway lines and airfields close to the LAC has improved its military capability. China disputes its International Boundary with India and there is no commonly delineated Line of Actual Control (LAC) between the two countries.

Chhattisgarh Auxiliary Armed Police Force Act came into force: Two months after the Supreme Court held that the deployment of Special Police Officers in the fight against Naxals was illegal, the Chhattisgarh Assembly on September 9, 2011 passed an Act authorising an auxiliary armed force to assist security forces in dealing with Maoist/Naxal violence and legalising existing SPOs by inducting them as members. The Chhattisgarh Auxiliary Armed Police Force Act came into force with retrospective effect from July 5, the day the apex court passed its order. Despite anything contained in any judgement, order or decree of any court, each person working as SPO on the date this Act came into force will have a right to remain at the post, says Section 11(3) of the Act. The government said the Supreme Court had only pointed at the illegality of process under which the SPOs were employed. The new law gives legal status to SPOs. Their pay-scale and training have been legalised.

International Conference on Education organised: The Ministry of Human Resource Development organised a three-day International Conference on Womens Literacy for Inclusive and Sustainable Development from September 8 to 10, 2011 in New Delhi. Fourteen countries including India participated in the Conference. Essentially the SAARC nations and the E-9 countries will be participating. These countries include: Brazil, China, Indonesia, Egypt, Nigeria, Mexico, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Bhutan and Nepal besides India. The three-day Conference had sessions on subjects such as Centrality of Womens Literacy to Inclusive and Participative Development, Emerging International Perspective on Adult Education and Lifelong Learning, Innovations in Design & Delivery of Indias Adult Literacy Programme and International Cooperation for Promoting Adult Education.

Top 200 QS World University Rankings unveiled: The worlds second-fastest growing economy does not have an educational institute in the top 200 global list this year. The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Bombay the only Indian varsity that found itself in the Top 200 Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) World University Rankings in 2010 at the number 187 spot dropped 38 places to 225 in 2011. The rankings by QS, a leading networking organisation in higher education, are based on employer reputation, academic reputation and research quality. University of Cambridge and Harvard University retained their number one and two positions respectively. Globally, while Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and University of Oxford bettered their last years rankings from five and six to three and five, respectively, Yale University dropped one place from third to fourth rank. In the Asia list, Japan was the best-represented nation, with five of the top 10 and 57 of the top 200 universities, ahead of China (40) and South Korea (35), Taiwan (16), India (11), Thailand (9), Indonesia (8), Malaysia (7) and Hong Kong (7).

WHO, International Pharmaceutical Federation tie up to tackle tuberculosis: The World Health Organisation, in a landmark initiative to curb the current tuberculosis epidemic, has signed up with The International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP) on the role of pharmacists in tuberculosis care and control. The FIP is the apex body of pharmacists. The joint statement on the cooperation was issued at the federations 71

st International Congress in Hyderabad on September 4,

2011. The move establishes a series of measures to help detect tuberculosis, offer treatment support to tuberculosis patient and substantially reduce the number of deaths. The plan is it to encourage the FIPs network of two million pharmacists and pharmaceutical scientists around the world to become fully engaged in national tuberculosis care and control efforts.

NEWSMAKERS

Lok Sabha drops impeachment proceedings as Justice Sen resigns: The Lok Sabha on September 5, 2011 dropped impeachment proceedings against Calcutta High Court Judge Soumitra Sen who had submitted his resignation to the President on September 3, two days before the Lower Houses scheduled debate and vote on the matter. After Law and Justice Minister Salman Khursheed informed the Lok Sabha of Justice Sens resignation, which was accepted by President Pratibha Patil, Speaker Meira Kumar dropped the proceedings against the judge. Sen was facing impeachment for misappropriation of large sums of money, which he received in his capacity as Receiver appointed by the Calcutta High


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Court; and misrepresenting facts with regard to the misappropriation of money before the High Court. In August, CPI (M) leader Sitaram Yechury moved the motion of impeachment in the Rajya Sabha against Justice Sen for misappropriating Rs. 33.23 lakh in a 1983 case when he was appointed Receiver by the High Court. When put to vote, 189 members supported the motion and 16 opposed it, after the judge, who was standing in the bar placed in the Upper House, mounted a strong defence.

Former Karnataka Minister Janardhan Reddy arrested in Bellary scam: The former Karnataka Minister, Gali Janardhan Reddy, and his relative and managing director of the Bellary-based Obulapuram Mining Company, B.V. Srinivas Reddy, were arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation on September 5, 2011 and remanded in judicial custody for two weeks, till September 19. The CBI teams seized more than Rs. 3 crore in cash, 30 kg of gold and several documents from Mr. Janardhan Reddys house, while the searches in Mr. Srinivas Reddys house yielded more than Rs.1.5 crore in cash and documents. A director of the controversial OMC, the BJP leader has been at the centre of the controversy over illegal mining of iron ore on the Andhra Pradesh-Karnataka border, near Bellary.

Army Chief got last 2 promotions on basis of 1950 Date of Birth Defence Minister: Amid the continuing controversy over the age of Gen V K Singh, Defence Minister A. K. Antony on September 7, 2011 said the Chief of Army Staff has a little over eight months in office as per his May 10, 1950 date of birth on the basis of which he got his last two promotions. Gen Singh has two different sets of dates of birth in official documents and has filed a Statutory Complaint on his age issue. The date of birth of Gen Singh has been maintained as May 10, 1950 at the time of his selection as Corps Commander in 2006 as well his subsequent promotions as Army Commander in 2008 and the Chief of Army Staff in 2010. However, a different date of birth finds mention in certain documents and the Army Chief has filed a Statutory Complaint in this matter. In the Statutory Complaint, Gen Singh has petitioned the Defence Minister against Ministrys July 21 decision rejecting his contention of treating May 10, 1951 as his date of birth. While the Military Secretary branch records his date of birth as May 10, 1950, the Adjutant Generals branch has May 10, 1951 in its documents. The Army Headquarters has said that Gen Singhs matriculation certificate, which shows his date of birth to be May 10, 1951, cannot be ignored while deciding the issue.

Filmmaker Mundhra passes away: Film director Jagmohan Mundhra passed away at the age of 62 on September 4, 2011. Mundhra was best known for his film Kamla starring Shabana Azmi and Deepti Naval. During the last decade, he made women-oriented films like Bawandar with Nandita Das and the Aishwarya Rai Bachchan-starrer Provoked. His last release was Govinda-starrer Naughty@forty. Mundhra also wanted to make a biopic on Sonia Gandhi.

Section B: AWARDS

Faust wins Golden Lion at Venice Film Festival: Faust, a film by Russian director Alexander Sokurov has won the film a Golden Lion for the Best Film at the Venice Film Festival organised in Venice, Italy from August 31 to September 10, 2011. The classic tale explores the corrupting nature of power as scholar Faust sells his soul to the devil. Hollywood director-actor Al Pacino was presented with the Glory to the Film-maker award on September 4. Marco Bellocchio was awarded with the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement in September. Complete list of winners: Golden Lion for Best Film Faust by Aleksander Sokurov (Russia); Silver Lion for Best Director Shangjun CAI for the film Ren Shan Ren Hai (People Mountain People Sea) (China - Hong Kong); Special Jury Prize Terraferma by Emanuele Crialese (Italy); Coppa Volpi for Best Actor Michael Fassbender in the film Shame by Steve McQueen (United Kingdom); Coppa Volpi for Best Actress Deanie Yip in the film Tao jie (A Simple Life) by Ann Hui (China - Hong Kong); Marcello Mastroianni Award for Best New Young Actor or Actress Shta Sometani and Fumi Nikaid in the film Himizu by Sion Sono (Japan); Osella for the Best Cinematography Robbie Ryan for the film Wuthering Heights by Andrea Arnold (United Kingdom); Osella for Best Screenplay Yorgos Lanthimos and Efthimis Filippou for the film Alpis (Alps) by Yorgos Lanthimos (Grecia).

President gives away National Award to Teachers -2010: The President of India Pratibha Devisingh Patil gave away the National Award to Teachers 2010 in New Delhi on September 5, 2011. Given away on Teachers Day every year, these awards accord public recognition to teachers of primary and secondary schools. Today the awards were given to 298 teachers. The Award carries a Silver Medal, a Certificate of merit and a cash award of Rs. 25,000/-.


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Section C: WORLD NEWS ROUND UP

G8 pledges $38bn to Arab states; IMF recognises Libya

Finance ministers from the G8 group of industrialised countries on September 10, 2011 pledged nearly $40bn to several Arab countries to help with reconstruction and moves towards democracy. The funds will go to Egypt and Tunisia, which overthrew their autocratic leaders, as well as Morocco and Jordan. In addition, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has recognised Libyas post-Gaddafi leadership. The G8 - the worlds richest countries plus Russia met in Marseille, France. In addition to the pledge of $38bn from G8 countries, the IMF is extending further funds.

The IMF can actually extend an approximate total of $35bn for the region and particularly with the focus on those that are oil-importing countries because, as we know, they are the ones that

are suffering the most from the high commodity prices, whether its fuel or prices of food, said IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde. Morocco and Jordan, both monarchies, have seen some protests but have weathered the upheavals in the Arab world by offering constitutional reforms. The total of $73bn in pledges nearly doubles the amount originally pledged by the G8 and lenders including the World Bank at an earlier summit in May 2011.

The IMF decided to recognise Libyas National Transitional Council (NTC) as the legitimate representatives of the Libyan people, replacing fugitive leader Col Muammar Gaddafi. The move paves the way for the IMF to offer aid to the new authorities.

5 Indians in 50 Bloomberg Most Influential Global List: Indian-born bankers Anshu Jain and Vikram Pandit, ICICI Banks Chanda Kochhar, leading industrialists Mukesh Ambani and Ratan Tata have been named among the 50 most influential in global finance by Bloomberg Markets magazine in a first such list released on September 9, 2011. Pandit, CEO of Citigroup, and Jain, imminent co-chief executive of Deutsche Bank, resident Indians Kochhar, CEO of ICICI Bank, Mukesh Ambani, chairman of Indias largest company RIL and Tata, chairman of Tata group, share the distinction of finding place in the magazines first annual list with the likes of US Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke and Christine Lagarde, MD, International Monetary Fund. The 50 most influential have been defined as the people who matter most in global finance: those whose comments move markets, whose deals set the value of companies or securities, whose ideas and policies shape corporations, governments and economies. Bloomberg has focused on people who matter right now rather than those who have been influential over the course of a long career, although some clearly meet both criteria.

Irans first nuclear plant inaugurated: Iran has connected its first nuclear plant at Bushehr to the countrys national electricity grid with an initial contribution of 60 megawatts of power. This was announced by the Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran (AEOI) on September 3, 2011. The completion of the Bushehr atomic project, which had commenced prior to the Islamic Revolution of 1979, has faced repeated delays. After the revolution, Iran signed in 1995, a deal with Russia for the completion of the plant in the next four years. But the facility could be eventually completed after a delay of three decades. Other factors have also disrupted the previously set time-lines. In February 2011, Iran was forced to remove fuel from the reactor on account of the attack on the industrial software of the plant by the highly sophisticated Stuxnet computer virus. Iran has allayed fears that the Bushehr facility can be misused for making bombs. Iran will return to Russia all the spent fuel the material generated by the reactor that can be potentially used for making weapons.

Haitis President Martelly appoints new PM: President Michel Martelly on September 5, 2011 chose physician Garry Conille as the new prime minister of Haiti as he seeks to end an impasse with parliament over the makeup of his government. Conille, 45, has been serving as chief of staff to former US president Bill Clinton, the UN special envoy for Haiti. Conille is Martellys third choice as cabinet chief since taking office almost four months ago. The opposition-led parliament rejected names of businessman Daniel-Gerard Rouzier and legal scholar Bernard Gousse.

JAXA to ignite Akatsuis engine to enter Venuss orbit: The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) on September 5, 2011 said it will ignite the engine of the space probe Akatsuki twice this month to check if it can enter orbit around Venus, after its failure to do so late last year. Akatsuki failed to enter the orbit due to overheating of its engine caused by a foreign substance stuck in the fuel valve. The agency is considering adjusting Akatsukis posture in November to pave the way for a renewed attempt to enter orbit around Venus in late 2015.


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Section D: ECONOMY & CORPORATE

2011 12:01 IST

NEWS ROUND UP CAG report on functioning of Air-India in 2002-10 tabled in Parliament

Air Indias decision to buy 68 Boeing planes in 2004-05 imposed an undue long term financial burden on the carrier. The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) has criticised the government and the aviation ministry for the purchase of

planes worth $11 billion by state-owned Air India when it couldnt afford to do so. In its report on the carrier for 2002-10, the governments auditor has also found fault with what it said was the excessively liberal grant of flying rights to foreign airlines and the botched merger of Air India and Indian Airlines. Air India, which has around Rs. 40,000 crore of debt on its books, is in the midst of a government-backed rescue programme, the first time in its history that the carrier has had to seek money from the exchequer. It made record losses of more than $1 billion in each of the last two fiscal years and has been defaulting on payments to employees, oil companies and airports. The report was introduced in Parliament on September 8, 2011, the last day of the monsoon session. Following is a

detailed account of the important points raised in the CAG Report.

Aircraft acquisition: The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) has pulled up the government for risky acquisitions of a large number of aircraft for Rs 46,000 crore, funded almost entirely through debt, and creating no cost benchmarks before negotiating with manufacturers. It has raised questions over Air Indias flawed assumption that buying 50 long-range aircraft to increase capacity would automatically increase its market share. The auditor has also pointed a finger at the speed at which decisions were taken in acquiring new aircraft. It has observed the aircraft acquisition programme under consideration from 1996 suddenly picked up steam and a contract for new aircraft was signed in seven months. The CAG says the civil aviation ministry should have acknowledged that such an acquisition would involve substantially negative cash flows and should have approved appropriate arrangement for funding the resultant cash deficit.

Liberal access for foreign airlines: The audit report said while the airlines acquisition plans were revised upwards, its chances of increasing market share were hampered by liberal bilateral entitlements. The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) criticised the civil aviation ministry for granting massive increases in bilateral air traffic rights to Gulf nations in 2004-05, despite Air Indias (AI) strong reservations, as this was its most profitable international sector. Between May 2007 and March 2010, the Dubai sector saw the number of seats per week rise from 18,400 to 54,200. The CAG said as a result of unilateral liberalisation of the bilateral rights, Indian carriers did not get any increase in the number of destinations in the Gulf countries, while airlines from that region got the right to operate to 14 destinations in India, four more than before.

Hasty merger: The report said the financial case for a merger was not validated prior to it. In our view, the focus of the process leading up to the implementation of the merger was on consideration of alternative options for a merger, stamp duty and tax implications, creation of top-level posts for accommodating existing incumbents, etc.

Course of action: CAG has recommended the government give autonomy to Air India with regard to commercial and operational decisions and get strict on bilaterals. It is imperative Air India is headed by a professional, who has a stake in the success of the airline, it said. It has suggested ways in which Air India could improve revenues and cut costs.

WAN-IFRA Expo India 2011 & WAN-IFRA India 2011 Conference organised

With print circulation continuing to rise, Indian newspapers are in an enviable position. But publishers on the subcontinent still need to innovate be it in cross-media advertising, digital media, or print quality and efficiency. That was the message that emerged from WAN-IFRA India 2011, where an abundance of ideas and best innovative practices was presented to more than 600 senior newspaper executives in Chennai from September 6 to 8, 2011. The conference consisted of newsroom, printing, and cross-media advertising summits. The conference was complemented by an expo, the second-largest international exhibition in the world for trends and practices in the newspaper printing and publishing industry. The event,

the 19th annual in the series, was organised by the World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers (WAN-IFRA) and

co-sponsored by The Indian Newspaper Society.

Jacob Mathew, president, WAN-IFRA, said the print media was expanding its presence in the South Asian region, even as circulation was dropping in mature markets. This region was still able to guarantee a reliable and sizeable audience for the


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print stream. In India, China, Brazil and South Africa, the circulation was increasing. There were about 170 million newspaper readers in India, roughly 20 per cent of the adult population (12 years and above). Globally, the industry connected with a 1.8-billion population. On free content being available online, the president of WAN-IFRA, the World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers, said it was important for print publications to get together and prevent freeloading of online content. K. Balaji, Managing Director, Kasturi and Sons is the Chairman of WAN-IFRA South Asia Committee

WAN-IFRA Expo India 2011: WAN-IFRA Expo India is the second-largest international exhibition in the world for trends and practices in the newspaper printing and publishing industry. The industrys top technology and service providers showcased their latest product and service developments and offerings, providing publishers a vital resource for keeping up with the industry challenges.

WAN-IFRA India 2011 annual conference featured three parallel summits: Printing Summit: The Printing Summit South Asia was aimed at technical and production directors, prepress and plant managers as well as IT heads that are tasked with managing the publishing and printing operations. The programme addressed the challenges of efficient newspaper production. Newsroom Summit: The Newsroom Summit South Asia was aimed at Editors, Managing Editors, News Editors, Sub-Editors, Chief Reporters and New media professionals and those who are involved in leading and managing newsrooms. The programme addressed the issues of creating engaging content, reaching the readers in multi-format and monetizing the content. Cross Media Advertising Summit: The Cross Media Advertising Summit was aimed at Managing Directors, Advertising Directors, Advertising Managers, Business Development Managers and other executives in news publishing companies involved in marketing cross media solutions to advertisers. The Summit addressed the emergence of business on cross-media advertising, the demands it brings with it and how newspaper publishers can gear upto to offer cross-media solutions, etc.

About WAN-IFRA South Asia: Headquartered in Chennai, WAN-IFRA South Asia, started its operation in 2001 as a private limited company registered under the Indian Companies Act. But the origin of IFRA in India dates back to 1992 when the services of IFRA, with only an Annual Conference, were offered in this country through a representative office. From this modest beginning, it today stands as a separate company catering to the needs of the Indian publishing industry. Currently there are about 42 members - both publications and suppliers. Most of the leading publications in India are our members, the list includes ABP, Amar Ujala, Bartaman, Daily Ajit, Dainik Bhaskar, Dainik Jagran, Dainik Sambad, Deccan Chronicle, Deccan Herald, Dinamalar, DNA, Eenadu, India Today, Kala Kaumudhi, Lokmat, Madhyamam, Malayala Manorama, Manipal Media, Mathrubhumi, Mid Day, New Indian Express, The Daily Thanthi, The Hindu, The Hindustan Times, The Times of India, The Tribune, The Hind Samachar, Saakshi, Sanmarg and Sakal.

Parliamentary committee calls for performance evaluation of Planning Commission

The parliamentary standing committee on finance on September 9, 2011 said that the Planning Commissions policies have failed to deliver the desired results and has suggested that an expert group be constituted immediately to evaluate the Plan panels role and re-define its objectives.

The committee has blamed the disjunction between planning, budgeting and lack of synchronisation between the Planning Commissions plans and implementation to be the cause of its failures. In a recent note to Plan panel Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia, the standing committee said that the extent of progress made so far has been far from satisfactory despite the Commissions experience of over six decades of planning.

Though a good number of policy measures were initiated and interventions made at various levels, yet the development policies have not benefited majority of the countrys populace, the standing committee, headed by former Finance Minister

Yashwant Sinha said.

This, committee argued, could be widely seen through prolonged imbalance in development across states and within the provinces, unsatisfactory human development parameters, failure in achieving desired farm sector growth, high dropout at primary level education and the absence of universalisation of higher education. The committee said the Plan panels policy initiatives have not helped in bridging the mismatch in demand and supply of skilled personnel, and in its inability in earmarking 2-3 per cent of the GDP to the health sector as envisaged.

Stating that the commission lacked futuristic vision in social planning in the post-reforms period, the standing committee said that while planning was very much relevant in India, the Planning Commission has to come to grips with the emerging


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social realities to reinvent itself to make itself more relevant and effective for aligning the planning process with economic reforms and its consequences for the poor. The committee therefore recommend that the government should constitute an expert group immediately for evaluating the performance of the Planning Commission and re-defining its role and objectives so as to relate the planning process to the life of the common man and its role in implementation of schemes.

Indias external debt at $305.9 billion on March 31, 2011

Higher external commercial borrowings (ECBs) and short-term trade flows pulled up Indias external debt stock by 17.2 per cent to $305.9 billion at end-March, 2011 from $261.0 billion at the end-March, 2010. The share of ECBs in Indias total external debt increased from 19.7 per cent at end-March, 2005 to 28.9 per cent at end-March, 2011. This was largely on account of strong domestic demand and high growth rate of the economy.

The changing composition of debt in favour of commercial borrowing can be seen as an indication of maturing market economy and the increasing role of corporate India, an official release from the ministry of finance said on March 8, 2011.

Indias total long-term external debt showed an increase of 15.4 per cent to $240.9 billion at end-March, 2011 from $208.7 billion in the corresponding period of the previous year. It accounted for 78.8 per cent of Indias total external debt. Short-term debt grew significantly by 24.2 per cent to a level of $65.0 billion in the period from $52.3 billion at end March, 2010 and accounted for the balance 21.2 per cent of the external debt.

The currency composition of Indias external debt showed that US dollar accounted for 53.5 per cent of total external debt at end-March, 2011, followed by the Indian rupee at 19.5 per cent, Japanese yen at 11.4 per cent and special drawing rights (SDRs) at 9.7 per cent.

Committee on gas prices against pooling domestic natural gas with imported LNG

A high-level government committee, headed by Planning Commission member, Saumitra Chaudhari, on September 5, 2011 has ruled out pooling of natural gas prices, stating that domestic natural gas users could not be asked to subsidise costlier imported liquefied natural gas (LNG). This is in marked contrast to its previous interim report a few months ago in which it had suggested averaging out the price or polling of prices of costlier imported LNG with cheaper domestic gas. The pooling of prices would have resulted in users of cheaper domestic natural gas paying double the existing rates so that imported LNG could be sold at affordable rates. In its final report, the committee has stated: The committee does not recommend a pooling mechanism for natural gas at the overall level, nor does it recommend a price pooling on sectoral basis.

The report backed preferential allotment of domestic gas only for priority sectors such as fertilizers and power. It recommended that the rest of the consumers such as steel plants be allocated imported LNG. Domestic gas is currently priced at $4.2 to $5.5 per million British thermal unit (mBtu) while the fuel imported in ships in its liquid form or LNG is priced at $10 to 14 per mBtu. The non-priority users operate in a market environment where their output prices are market-driven with no regulatory burden and hence they should be able to pass on the higher costs of gas feedstock, it said.

UNCTAD unveils Trade and Development Report 2011

The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) has projected an economic growth of 8.1 per cent for India in 2011 the fastest rate of expansion in the world after China in its Trade and Development Report 2011 released on September 6, 2011. The report was released in New Delhi by Kiran Mehra-Kerpelman, Director, UN Information Centre for India & Bhutan, and Jayati Ghosh, Economist, JNU.

The report says that despite the slowdown in developed countries, the Indian economy is set to grow by 8.1 per cent in 2011 as against to 8.6 per cent in 2010. China would have a growth rate of 9.4 per cent in 2011, slightly lower than the 10.3 per cent posted in 2010. UNCTADs growth projection for India during the calendar year is only marginally lower than the International Monetary Funds estimated of 8.2 per cent and slightly above the 8 per cent level forecast by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) for the current fiscal year. The various estimates are also in line with the World Bank s projection of 8 per cent 2011-12 and the Asian Development Banks 8.2 per cent for the fiscal.

While global economic growth in 2011, the report said, is likely to slow down to 3.1 per from almost 4 per cent in 2010, developing economies are also likely to be affected by recession in the developed world. However, even as the developing countries are expected to regain the pre-crisis growth rate of 6 per cent in 2011, economic expansion in the developed economies is likely to be only about 1.5-2 per cent, it said. The South Asia region, UNCTAD said, is likely to be among the best performers globally, with a growth of seven per cent in 2011. On the other hand, growth in the U.S. is likely to remain low


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on account of low domestic demand, stagnating wages while the European debt crisis is also expected to act as a drag on the global growth. As for India, UNCTAD noted that its growth story is mainly on account of domestic demand.

Government bans onion exports, allows wheat shipment

The governemnt on September 8, 2011 banned exports of onion to increase domestic supplies. The ban comes a day after the government raised the minimum export price of the commodity by a whopping $175 per tonne to $475. In the last three months retail prices of onion had almost doubled. Rising onion prices have contributed to the rise in food inflation which had reached 10.05 per cent for the week ended August 20.

Sufficient stock of foodgrain also prompted the Centre to lift the ban on wheat, after almost four years. Two million tonnes of wheat and an additional two million tonnes of non-basmati rice have been allowed to be exported under the open general license. The government had banned exports of wheat and rice in 2007 as domestic prices had jumped due to supply constraints. Since then, retail price of grains have remained largely stable, but the government had stopped exports because of the adverse impact on procurement. As on August 1, the government had more than 61 million tonnes of grains in its warehouses, almost double the quantity required under the buffer norms and strategic reserve needs.

Among other key decisions, the government extended the order for duty-free import of crude palm oil for one year starting October. The import duty on refined edible oil has been fixed at 7.5 per cent for another year starting October. The scheme to provide subsidised edible oils to poor families has also been extended by one-year starting October 1. Under the scheme, the government gives a subsidy of Rs 15 per kilogram for sale of edible oils to poor families.

India 56th on World Economic Forum Index

The annual Global Competitiveness Report (GCR) of the World Economic Forum (WEF) continues to list Switzerland as the most competitive country globally, with the United States falling to the 5

th position. Singapore is the 2nd most competitive

country in the World Economic Forums Global Competitiveness Report for 2011-12 unveiled on September 8, 2011.

The GCR finds Asia has become globally more competitive, as a result of its rise to economic prominence. The report states that over the past five years several countries in the Asian Pacific regions, including China, Indonesia, Vietnam and Sri Lanka, have made important strides in the GCI rankings. Indias performance is, however, disappointing and it has fallen 5 positions since 2010 from 51 to 56 out of 142 economies. Indias gap with China has widened. China is ranked 26th. The WEF states that Indias low ranking is due to its mediocre accomplishments in areas which are considered to be the basic factors underpinning competitiveness. Indias supply of transport, ICT, and energy infrastructure remains largely insufficient and ill adapted to the needs of business (89

th). India Inc. continuously cites Indias infrastructure as the biggest

hindrance to doing business in the country. WEF notes that though there has been a slow improvement since 2006 it does not translate into a higher ranking because other countries have been improving faster. The report paints a similar picture in Indias health and basic education (which is 101

st) pillar. It finds that despite improvements over the past years the quality

of public health and basic education are a prime cause of worry.

It also states that though there are some encouraging trends in education quality and public health, the same cannot be said of the countrys institutions (69

th, 37

th in 2010) and macroeconomic environment (105

th), which are the other two

dimensions comprising the basic requirements component of the GCI (Global Competitiveness Index). Indias macroeconomic environment is rated low down at 105, for its continued large and repeated public deficit and high debt-to-GDP ratio. High inflation hovering around 10% is undermining the macroeconomic environment.

However, the reports state that the positive strengths of India are in its more advanced and complex drivers of competitiveness. It is a country that boasts of a vast domestic market that allows for economies of scale and attracts investors. It can rely on a well-developed and sophisticated financial market (21

st) that can channel financial resources to

good use, and it boasts of reasonably sophisticated (43rd

) and innovative (38th) businesses.

Indias scorecard: OVERALL Ranking 56th; Ranking on different parameters: Transport, ICT, and energy infrastructure 89

th, Institutions 69

th, Macroeconomic environment 105

th, Health and basic education 101

st, Business

sophistication 43rd

, Innovation 38th

Indias biotech sector crosses USD 4 bn E&Y report

Domestic biotech industry crossed the USD 4 billion-mark last fiscal, growing from around USD 3 billion in the previous fiscal, according to an Ernst & Young India report. Vaccines, diagnostics and devices and personalised medicine are the key innovative growth areas for the domestic biotech sector, says Beyond borders: Global Biotechnology Report - 2011 unveiled


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on August 30, 2011. The report notes that though the year has seen R&D funding increasingly become scarce for vast majority of firms globally, Indias biotech sector is one of the fastest growing knowledge-based sectors with numerous comparative advantages in terms of R&D facilities, cost effectiveness and budding capability. Enhanced performance following the recovery from economic downturn gave rise to a new ray of hope for the global biotechnology industry, says the E&Y report. The Indian biotech industry is largely dependent on government funding, with only a handful of venture capital funds focusing on this industry and an almost negligible angel investment flowing in, notes the report.

On the M&As in the sector, report says the years noteworthy deals included Ranbaxy Labs acquisitions of Biovel Lifesciences, Biocon s commercialisation agreement with Pfizer (the company also announced plans to establish R&D centres in Malaysia) and Cipla s acquisition of a large stake in MabPharma and BioMab.

Metallurgical sector gets Rs 5,023 crore FDI in 2010-11: The countrys metallurgical sector garnered Rs 5,023.34 crore in Foreign Direct Investment in the 2010-11, a 150 per cent increase compared to 2009-10. The sector, which also includes steel, had attracted over Rs 1,999 crore in FDI in 2009-10, Steel Minister Beni Prasad Verma said in the Lok Sabha on September 5, 2011. Japanese firm JFE Holdings had bought a 14.99 per cent stake in JSW Steel in 2010-11. The minister said the countrys total finished steel production in 2010-11 amounted to 66 million tonnes, while demand stood at 65.6 million tonnes.

Fruit, vegetable production up 3.7% in 2010-11: Indias output of fruits and vegetables increased by 3.7 per cent to over 213 million tonnes in 2010-11 on the back of an increase in the area under cultivation. The country produced 205.24 million tonnes of fruits and vegetables in the year-ago period, Minister of State for Agriculture Harish Rawat informed Lok Sabha on September 6, 2011. The total area under vegetable and fruit cultivation rose by 4 per cent to 14.84 million hectares in 2010-11 from 14.31 million hectares in the year-ago period. India is the worlds second-largest producer of fruits and vegetables. The country registered a 3 per cent increase in vegetable production to 137.68 million tonnes in 2010-11, compared to 133.73 million tonnes in the previous year. Fruit production increased 6 per cent to 75.82 million tonnes in 2010-11 from 71.51 million tonnes in 2009-10.

Indian investment overseas up 94% in April-June 2011: Overseas investments by Indian companies jumped by 94% to USD 5.5 billion in the April-June period of the current fiscal year. In the corresponding period of 2010-11, outward investment totalled USD 2.8 billion, according to the latest figures given by Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee in the Rajya Sabha on September 6, 2011. Mauritius (USD 548.54 million) was the top destination for Indian investors in the first quarter of 2011-12, followed by the US (USD 185 million) and Singapore (USD 157.31 million). Overseas investment by Indian firms was highest in agriculture sector (USD 1419 million) followed by community services (USD 1349 million) and Construction sector (USD 1336 million). As per data, investments by resident individuals abroad during April-June of current fiscal year stood at USD 63.9 million against USD 62 million in the previous year.

Banks to discontinue prepayment penalty on consumer loans: Prepayment penalty, levied on home or car loans taken by individual borrowers is set to end. In a meeting with the Reserve Bank of India held recently, banks agreed to waive prepayment charges on floating rate loans, the central bank said on September 5, 2011. The move is aimed at bringing fairness in bank charges. Prepayment penalty in some banks can range between one and five per cent on the loan due, depending on the nature of the loan. The removal of prepayment penalty will make it easier for customers to shift loans to other banks if they get a better interest rate. Also, it will increase competition among banks. Banks have also been asked to revive fixed rate home loan products. Currently banks offer floating rate loan products to protect themselves from interest rate fluctuations.

RBI Governor calls for lower reserve requirements: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has mooted the idea of lowering banks reserve requirements, which have remained high for the Indian banking sector. The move is aimed at making more resources available to market participants. Currently, the cash reserve ratio and the statutory liquidity ratio amount to 30 per cent, which has come down from 65 per cent over the years. But it is still considered high, said RBI Governor D Subbarao, while addressing a national finance symposium organised by Indian Institute of Foreign Trade on September 7, 2011. He said the RBI believes it should be brought down in a gradual manner. Currently, banks are mandated to keep six per cent of net demand and time liabilities (NDTL) with RBI as cash reserve ratio (CRR). Banks also have to keep 24 per cent of NDTL in government bonds and other certified securities as statutory liquidity ratio (SLR). SLR has protected us in crises because banks had liquidity, and Basel-III has a provision which is similar to SLR, Said Subbarao. He added SLR needed to be reduced to make credit available for the private sector.


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First Meeting of the South Asia Forum organised: The first meeting of South Asia Forum was organised by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry. Anand Sharma, the Union Minister for Commerce, Industry and Textiles, has announced that India will meet its commitment of reducing tariff lines under sensitive list by 20% for all SAARC countries by October 2011. This will fulfil a critical requirement of the SAFTA agreement signed by SAARC member countries. The Minister also informed that India has been bringing down the peak tariffs under SAFTA in a very transparent manner for imports from Pakistan and the peak rates would be 8 percent. The peak tariff rates would be 8% by 1st January 2012 and again by 5% by 1st January 2013. India has already allowed zero duty access for the SAARC Least Developed Countries, for almost 97% of the total tariff lines. Indias trade with SAARC stands at mere US$ 13 billion at a time when our global trade has expanded to cross US$ 600 billion. Indian companies have stepped out and engaged in foreign shores investing over US$ 100 billion and more than 90% of this investment has been outside South Asia. India investment flows into SAARC have been around US$ 10 billion. The Objective and scope of the South Asia Forum will serve as an open platform for generation of debate, discussion and exchange of ideas on South Asia and its future development; and would provide inputs for charting out the future course of SAARC in the medium and long run. SAARC comprises Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Afghanistan, Maldives, India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. The next summit of the 1985-formed organisation will be at Maldives on November 10-11.

DD wants equal share in sports broadcast revenue: Doordarshan could soon get a bigger slice of the revenue pie in lucrative sport broadcasting deals. Prasar Bharati the umbrella body that includes Doordarshan and All India Radio on September 7, 2011 proposed a policy amendment to the Sports Broadcasting Signals (Mandatory Sharing with Prasar Bharati) Act. Passed in 2007, the Act mandates that any live telecast of events of national importance be shared with Prasar Bharati, with Doordarshan getting to keep 25 per cent of the advertisement revenue while 75 per cent is given to the original content rights owner. The Prasar Bharati Board has suggested that this arrangement be changed to a 50:50 revenue sharing ratio.

FICCI launches Credible India campaign: The Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) on September 4, 2011 launched Credible India, a project aimed at making the country an attractive global investment destination for foreign and domestic firms, at Chennai. FICCI president Harsh Mariwala said the idea was to push for procedural reforms and galvanise the States into adopting national best practices so that India was seen as a global investment destination. Besides, FICCI would evaluate the procedures and processes of indicators that had a direct bearing on investment decisions in different States across sectors. FICCI had recently launched a joint venture with the government called Invest India Company to facilitate entry of foreign and domestic firms. Mariwala said the industry chamber would work with the Credible India project to improve the state of business environment; map the progress of States over time on select indicators and develop a Credible India Index; and ensure that all States adopt best practices. FICCI Secretary General Rajiv Kumar pointed that India was in the bottom half of the annual ranking in the World Bank s Doing Business report. The 2011 report places India in 134

th place among 183 countries.

European Central Banks Chief Economist resigns: European Central Bank (ECB) Chief Economist, Juergen Stark, stepped down on September 9, 2011. Stark had repeatedly spoken against ECBs controversial bond buying programme favoured by its President Jean-Claude Trichet, arguing that it will increase the risk of inflation in the 17-nation euro zone. He maintained that it could also endanger the banks main goal of preserving stability in the euro area. Announcing Starks surprise resignation, ECB said he will leave office nearly three years earlier than his term s expiry in 2014 for personal reasons.

Russia launches undersea gas pipeline to Europe bypassing Ukraine: Russia pumped the first technical gas into a new undersea pipeline to Germany that will increase Europes dependence on Russian natural gas and drastically cut Moscows reliance on transit countries. Prime Minister Vladimir Putin on September 6, 2011 pressed the start button to launch the filling of the Nord Stream pipeline at a ceremony in Vyborg, near St. Petersburg, the starting point of the $12.5 billion 1,220-kilometre pipeline built across the Baltic Sea to Germany. Russia currently accounts for about a quarter of the gas consumed in the European Union. Nord Stream is the first Russian export pipeline that bypasses transit countries. The pipeline will greatly reduce Russias dependence on Ukraine, which currently carries 80 per cent of Russian gas to Europe through Soviet-era pipelines. Disputes between Ukraine and Russia over gas prices repeatedly disrupted shipments to Europe in recent years.


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Section E: SPORTS

USA tops medals tally in Daegu IAAF World Championships

The Jamaican team of Usain Bolt, Nesta Carter, Michael Frater and Yohan Blake created the only world record of the

tournament when they won the gold in 4X100 m relay race in 37.04 seconds on the final day

of the 13th edition of the IAAF World Championships organised from August 27 to September

4, 2011 at Daegu in South Korea. France won the silver while. St. Kitts and Nevis won the

bronze medal. Blake had also won the 100 m individual event.

The United States led the team tally with 12 gold, 8 silver and 5 bronze followed by Russia

with 19 medals (9 gold, 4 silver, 6 bronze), Kenya with 17 (7 gold, 6 silver, 4 bronze),

Jamaica with 9 (4 gold, 4 silver, 1 bronze), Germany with 7 (3 gold, 3 silver, 1 bronze), Great

Britain with 7 (2 gold, 4 silver, 1 bronze), China with 4 (1 gold, 2 silver, 1 bronze), Australia with 3 (1 gold, 1 silver, 1 bronze),

Ethiopia with 5 (1 gold, 4 bronze) and Ukraine with 2 (1 gold, 1 bronze) in the top ten list. In all, athletes from 41 countries

took home medals. Several multiple medallist emerged from the championships, with Kenyan Vivian Cheruiyot, who won

golds in the 5000 and 10,000m, was the only athlete to have won more than one individual gold medal in the championships.

Complete list of Gold medal winners is as follows:

Gold medal winners MEN:

TRACK:

100 metres Yohan Blake (Jamaica) 9.92 sec; 200 metres Usain Bolt (Jamaica) 19.40 sec; 400 metres Kirani James (Grenada) 44.60 sec; 800 metres David Rudisha Kenya (Kenya) 1:43.91; 1500 metres Asbel Kiprop (Kenya) 3:35.69; 5000 metres Mo Farah Great Britain (Great Britain) 13:23.36; 10,000 metres Ibrahim Jeilan Ethiopia (Ethiopia) 27:13.81; Marathon Abel Kirui Kenya (Kenya) 2:07:38; 110 metres hurdles Jason Richardson (United States) 13.16; 400 metres hurdles Dai Greene Great Britain (Great Britain) 48.26; 3000 metres

steeplechase Ezekiel Kemboi (Kenya) 8:14.85; 20 kilometres walk Valeriy Borchin Russia (Russia); 1:19:56; 50 kilometres walk Sergey Bakulin (Russia) 3:41:24; 4 100 metres relay Jamaica Nesta Carter, Michael Frater, Yohan Blake, Usain Bolt (37.04); 4 400

metres relay United States Greg Nixon, Bershawn Jackson, Angelo Taylor, LaShawn Merritt (2:59.31)

FIELD:

High jump Jesse Williams (United States) 2.35 m; Pole vault Pawe Wojciechowski (Poland) 5.90 m; Long jump Dwight Phillips (United States) 8.45 m; Triple jump Christian Taylor (United States) 17.96 m; Shot put David Storl (Germany) 21.78m; Discus throw Robert Harting (Germany) 68.97 m; Javelin throw - Matthias de Zordo

(Germany) 86.27 m; Hammer throw Koji Murofushi (Japan) 81.24 m; Decathlon Trey Hardee (United States) 8607 points.

Gold medal winners WOMEN:

TRACK:

100 metres Carmelita Jeter (United States) 10.90 sec; 200 metres Veronica Campbell-Brown (Jamaica) 22.22 sec; 400 metres Amantle Montsho (Botswana) 49.56 sec; 800 metres Mariya Savinova (Russia) 1:55.87; 1500 metres Jennifer Simpson (United States) 4:05.40; 5000 metres Vivian Cheruiyot (Kenya) 14:55.36; 10,000 metres Vivian Cheruiyot (Kenya) 30:48.98; Marathon Edna Kiplagat (Kenya) 2:28:43; 100 metres hurdles Sally Pearson (Australia) 12.28; 400 metres hurdles Lashinda Demus (United States) 52.47; 3000 metres steeplechase Yuliya Zarudneva Zaripova (Russia) 9:07.03; 20 kilometres

walk Olga Kaniskina (Russia) 1:29:42; 4 100 metres relay (United States) Bianca Knight, Allyson Felix, Marshevet Myers, Carmelita Jeter 41.56 sec; 4 400

metres relay (United States) Sanya Richards, Ross Allyson, Felix Jessica Beard, Francena McCorory 3:18.09

FIELD:

High jump Anna Chicherova (Russia) 2.03 m; Pole vault Fabiana Murer (Brazil) 4.85 m; Long jump Brittney Reese (United States) 6.82 m; Triple jump Olha Saladukha (Ukraine) 14.94 m; Shot put Valerie Adams (New Zealand) 21.24 m; Discus throw Li Yanfeng (China) 66.52 m; Javelin throw Mariya Abakumova (Russia) 71.99 m; Hammer throw Tatyana Lysenko (Russia) 77.13 m; Heptathlon Tatyana Chernova (Russia) 6880 points.

FIH cancels Delhi as Champions Trophy host: India has lost the right to host this years Champions Trophy, the International Hockey Federation (FIH) announced on September 6, 2011. The FIH rejected the Sports Ministry-brokered peace agreement between Hockey India (HI) and the Indian Hockey Federation (IHF), saying there could not be more than


19

one federation running the game. We regret that we have to move the Champions Trophy from India, FIH president Leandro Negre said in a statement. It is difficult for the teams, the organisers and the fans. But we feel that this is the only way to maintain the integrity of our sport. The FIH was reviewing bids from other nations and a new venue for the elite December 3-11 event would be named within a week. Losing the tournament also means India will have to play in Novembers Champions Challenge in South Africa in November to qualify for the eight-team event. It is a fundamental and non-negotiable requirement of the Olympic Charter and the FIH statutes that there only be one governing body for any one sport in any country, the governing body said.

South Korea clinch womens Asian Champions Trophy hockey: South Korea fought their way back from two-goal down to overpower hosts China 5-3 and win the womens Asian Champions Trophy hockey tournament at Ordos, China on September 10, 2011.

Tendulkar, Dravid move up in ICC Test rankings: Batsmen Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid gained a place each in the latest ICC player rankings for Test batsmen, which is being headed by South Africa all-rounder Jacques Kallis. Bell and Alastair Cook have jointly claimed the second position after Sri Lankas Kumar Sangakkara slipped three places to fifth. Kevin Pietersen and Jonathan Trott are other batsmen in the top-10. While Tendulkar improved from fifth to fourth, Dravid was ninth. In bowlers rankings, Darryl Steyn of South Africa is at the top followed by James Anderson (England), Graeme Swann (England), Morne Morkel (South Africa) and Stuart Broad (England). In allrounder rankings, Jacques Kallis is again at the top followed by Stuart Broad of England, Shane Watson of Australia, Daniel Vettori of New Zealand and Shakib Al Hasan of Bangladesh. Among Test teams, England is No. 1 followed by South Africa, India, Sri Lanka and Australia.

Vijender Singh wins gold at World Police and Fire Games: Indian boxer Vijender Singh (75kg), an Olympic and World championship bronze medallist, won gold and also bagged the Best Boxer award as the Indian team ended the tournament with two golds, two silvers and a bronze at the World Police and Fire Games in New York on September 4, 2011. Dinesh Kumar (81kg) won the second gold medal for India.

Arsenal Jaago Re Soccer Stars win tournament: Arsenal Tata Tea Jaago Re Soccer Stars (ATTJRSS) won the 21st International Soccer festival (under-15) in UK in August-September 2011. In all, 126 teams from 12 countries took part in the festival conducted by Arsenal. After losing two matches, the Indian team defeated Marks Park (South Africa), New Windsor Heronstop (UK) , Flying Eagles (USA) and Forest Royal (Essex, UK) to win the U-15 AISF Cup 2011.

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Weekly Current Affairs update For the Week: September 11 to 17, 2011


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Major news of the week

Section A: INDIA Government accepts recommendations of GoM on corruption Govt seeks public comments on Draft Food Security Bill India and UAE sign revised MoU on manpower Oceansat-2 Ground Station inaugurated Independent railway safety audit committee constituted Bengal willing to pay compensation for Tatas in Singur World Congress on Safety and Health at Work organised in Istanbul Centre to contribute 90 per cent for RAY schemes for north eastern states Delhi school rated Indias most respected in EducationWorld survey Govt approves amendments to NIMHANS Bill IIT Council decides common entrance test for IITs, NITs JK Light Infantry adopts Kashmir Stag as mascot Gujarat govt launches incubation center icreate My Earth My Duty Campaign plants 1 crore saplings Remembering Tagore organised at UNESCO headquarters Professor Sushanta Duttagupta to be new V.C. of Vishwabharti B C Khanduri appointed new CM of Uttarakhand S.J. Mukhopadhaya, J.S. Khehar, Ranjana Desai sworn in as Supreme Court judges Singhvi re-nominated as Parliamentary Committee chairman on Lokpal Bangladesh PM to visit Tripura, to be conferred D Litt Veteran celebrity photographer Gautam passes away

Section B: WORLD Big drop in child mortality rate worldwide: UNICEF China warns India on oil exploration in South China Sea India calls for extension of Kyoto Protocol G7 Financer Ministers meet organised at Marseille NASA plans launchers for manned space flights beyond low-Earth orbit Explosion at nuclear plant in France kills one India, Vietnam discuss cooperation in defence, trade Helle Thorning-Schmidt to be new Danish PM Angolas Leila Lopes is Miss Universe 2011 Chinese PM Wen Jiabao calls for more democracy Otto Molina leads in Guatemala President

1 current gk 2011 - 09 final

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week section

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section b

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