current affairs
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» International Affairs
.:: September 2010 International Affairs ::.
As per the WEF's Global Competitiveness Report 2010-11, released today, Switzerlandis
No. 1 followed by Singapore in the world in terms of its ability to provide the most competitive
environment on several fronts. India has slipped by two places to 51st. The global
competitiveness rankings are viewed as a barometer of the business climate in 139 countries
and mirror the assessments of leading businessmen on a range of political, social, and
economic parameters.
The new UN survey clearly showed that India is the second most preferred country for
investment for Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) after China. The next places go to
Brazil and USA.
World Water Week was started in Stockholm, Sweden as a part of Global Water Summit.
.:: August 2010 International Affairs ::.
President Pratibha Patil inaugurated the International Congress of Mathematicians (ICM
2010) at HICC, Hyderabad. For the first time ever, the Union's General Assembly has elected
Ingrid Daubechies of the U.S., a woman as its president for the 2011-14 terms.
Vuvuzela, the horn instrument which became the sound of the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South
Africa, has won an entry in the latest edition of the Oxford English Dictionary. It defines the
horn as a long plastic instrument, in the shape of a trumpet that makes a very loud noise when
it is blown and is popular with football fans in South Africa.
China passed Japan to become the world's second-largest economy behind the United
States, according to Chinese government figures. With this growth continuing, China will pass
the United States as the world's biggest economy as early as 2030.
Sri Lankan court martial, probing charges against General (retd.) Sarath Fonseka,found him
guilty and recommended that he be ‘cashiered.'When an officer was cashiered, he would lose
the rank and all the awards/honours received as a military officer.
The clock atop the Abraj Al-Bait Towers under construction in Macca, Saudi Arabia has billed as
the world's largest clock and will top a massive skyscraper that when completed will be around
600 metres tall, the second tallest in the world after Dubai's Burj Khalifa.
Jairam Ramesh, Minister of State for Environment and Forests, will be one of the 21 members
of the United Nations' (UN) newly formed High-level Panel on Global Sustainability. It will be co-
chaired by South African president Jacob Zuma and Finnish president Tarja Halonen, and
includes foreign and environment ministers, environmentalists, diplomats and businessmen, as
well as former Heads of State from around the world.
Nepal's Parliament failed to elect a Prime Minister for the fourth time. Both Unified
Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda' and Nepali
Congress leader Ram Chandra Poudel could not obtain a simple majority of 301 votes in the
House of 601 as required by the interim constitution.
The Jantar Mantar in Jaipur is now been in the United Nations Educational, Scientific and
Cultural Organisation's(UNESCO)World Heritage List. Located outside the city palace, this large
stone observatory with its many instruments was built by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II in the
18th century. It is one of the four existing astronomical observatories in India. The others are
located in Varanasi, Delhi and Ujjain.
.:: July 2010 International Affairs ::.
President Barack Obama made sweeping reform of Wall Street institutions a reality by signing
into law the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act. The reform
bill intends to crack down on abusive practices in the mortgage industry, provide students
taking out college loans with clear and concise information about their obligations and supply
more information to ordinary investors about the costs and risks of mutual funds and other
investment products.
For the prime ministerial election of the new Nepal government, the two candidates,
Maoist Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal (Prachanda) and Nepali Congress vice-president Ram
Chandra Paudel did not get a simple majority and the poll would be held again. As per the
interim constitution, a candidate must acquire a simple majority of 300 votes from the 599
Constituent Assembly members to be declared winner.
The 18th International AIDS Conference of scientists, policymakers and grassroots workers
was held in Vienna, Switzerland.
Reliance Industries Limited chief Mukesh Ambani has been chosen by the United Nations as a
member of a key advocacy group on Millennium Development Goals (MDG). Mr. Ambani is
the only Indian to be a part of the MDG Advocacy Group that comprises eminent international
personalities including Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates, philanthropist Ted Turner and Nobel
laureate Muhammad Yunus, among others. The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) are
eight international development goals that all the 192 United Nations member States and at
least 23 global organisations have agreed to achieve by the year 2015.These include reducing
extreme poverty, reducing child mortality rates, fighting disease epidemics such as AIDS and
developing a global partnership for development.
The Sixth international Annual meeting of women speakers and chairs of legislatures was held
in Berne, Switzerland.
The United States Senate passed a historic Wall Street reform bill on financial reformsthat
will bring greater economic security to families and businesses across the country.
Argentina became the first country in Latin America to legalise same-sex marriage.
The U.N. rejected to reopen the probe into the assassination of the former Premier,
Benazir Bhutto by a U.N.-appointed three-member headed by Chile's former U.N.
ambassador Heraldo Munoz, as Pakistan had raised objections to the report.
According to the report by the ‘Janasankhya Sthirta Kosh’ under the Union ministry of health
and family welfare, while India’s population grew by 1.4% over the last five years, China saw
only a 0.6% population growth for the corresponding period. India’s total population in 2009
was 119.8 crore, China’s 134.5 crore and Pakistan’s 18 crore. WhileIndia’s population will
increase to 161.38 crore by 2050, that of China will only reach 141.7 crore.
The Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI), developed and applied by the Oxford Poverty
and Human Development Initiative with UNDP support reveals that there are more ‘MPI poor’
people in eight Indian states (421 million in Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh,
Orissa, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal) than in the 26 poorest African countries
combined (410 million).
The Chinese government signed a $525-million deal to help Pakistan build two highways
namely, 165-km-long highway between Jaglot and Skardu, and a 135-km highway between
Thakot and Sazin in the disputed Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) region of Gilgit-Baltistan.
The International Monetary Fund has raised its world economic growth forecast from 4 per
cent to 4.5 per cent.
Ms. Rosa Otunbayeva (59), the first woman President in Central Asia was sworn in
Kyrgyzstan.
Bronislaw Komorowski of Civic Platform party won the Poland's presidential elections.
During the sidelines of a summit of the Eurasian Economic Community (Eurasec) in Astana,
Kazakhstan, the three countries Russia, Kazakhstan and Belarus signed a declaration to launch
a customs union as a first step towards forming a broader EU-type economic alliance of former
Soviet states.
.:: June 2010 International Affairs ::.
Nepal's Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal resigned. The resignation was part of an
agreement among the three major political parties,the opposition UCPN (Maoist) and the Nepali
Congress and the CPN (UML).
Taiwan and China signed a historic trade pact “The Economic Cooperation Framework
Agreement (ECFA)”, hailed by both sides as a milestone and the culmination of a Beijing-
friendly policy introduced by Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou after assuming power in 2008.
Kyrgyzstan voted for a national referendum on a new Constitution. If approved, the
Constitution would transform Kyrgyzstan from a presidential to a parliamentary republic, with
main powers shifted from a nationally elected President to a Prime Minister chosen by
Parliament. This would make Kyrgyzstan the first parliamentary democracy in former Soviet
Central Asia.
The two-day G-20 summit or the meeting of the heads of the world's major industrialised
powers was held in Toronto, Canada.
India has joined the Thirty Metre Telescope (TMT) project, the next generation
astronomical observatory that will be located on Mauna Kea, Hawaii.
Guinea, the West African country is holding in its first free election since independence in
1958.
Julia Gillard was sworn in as Australia's first woman Prime Minister after Kevin Rudd was
toppled as the leader of the ruling Labour party.
A 500-kg bronze sculpture of Mahatma Gandhi was unveiled at the Canadian Museum of
Human Rights (CMHR) in Winnipeg city.
According to the findings of the United States Geological Survey, Afghanistan has nearly
one trillion dollars in mineral deposits and could become one of the richest in the world.
Iran and Pakistan finalise gas pipeline project without India to supply 21 million cubic metres
of natural gas daily from 2014 to Pakistan.
The Bangladesh government shut down Bengali daily Amar Desh, citing that it has no
authorised publisher. Mahmudur Rahman, owner and acting-editor of the anti-government
daily, was arrested on a cheating charge.
.:: May 2010 International Affairs ::.
According to Google’s web traffic data, Facebook.com is most visited website with monthly
visits by 540 million people, or slightly more than 35 per cent of the Internet population.
Nepal political parties UCPN-Maoist, the Nepali Congress and the CPN-UML agreed toextend
the term of the Constituent Assembly by one year as part of a crucial deal under which
Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal agreed to step down.
In the midst of heightened tensions, North Korea announced the unilateral scrapping of
its pact with South Korea on the prevention of naval clashes between them.
The annual ministerial meeting of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and
Development (OECD) was held in Paris with Economy and Trade Ministers from 40 countries,
representing 80 per cent of the world economy attended. India, Russia, Brazil ,China, Indonesia
and South Africa have been invited to participate as observers.
Citing lack of evidence, the Pakistan Supreme Court upheld the Lahore High Court's decision to
release Jama'at-ud-Dawa chief Hafiz Saeed from house arrest.
The world's most expensive postage stamp “Treskilling Yellow” printed in Sweden in 1857,
was sold at auction in Geneva to an international consortium.
The National Commission co-chaired by Bob Graham and William Reilly was established to
investigate the oil spill from British Petroleum's Deepwater Horizon rig that exploded on April
20 and has since been spewing massive amounts of oil into the Gulf of Mexico seriously
endangering its marine life and the coastlands of Louisiana.
The French Cabinet approved a draft law to ban the Muslim full-face veil from
publicspaces.
A deal was reached to swap a major part of Iran’s low enriched uranium stocks on Turkish
soil for an equivalent amount of uranium enriched to 19.75 percent among Iran, Turkey and
Brazil.
Iran has freed Clotilde Reiss, French lecturer charged with spying following last June's
presidential elections.
The International Labour Organisation (ILO) has warned that efforts to eliminate the worst
forms of child labour have slowed down and called for a “re-energised” global campaign to end
the practice. In its global report on child labour, the ILO said the global number of child
labourers had declined from 222 million to 215 million, or 3 per cent, over the period 2004 to
2008, representing a “slowing down of the global pace of reduction.”
The Conservative leader David Cameron took over as Prime Minister and his Liberal Democrat
counterpart Nick Clegg as Deputy Prime Minister in the Britain's first post-war coalition
government.
The second Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS) in which 32 nations attended was held
in Abu Dhabi.
The short film ‘Last of the Tattooed Head Hunters’, on one of North East’s fiercest fighters,
Konyak Nagas, directed by Vikeyeno Zao, will be screened at the annual Cannes Film Festival
beginning May 12.
Pakistan said it had successfully tested two surface-to-surface missiles Ghaznavi and
Shaheen capable of carrying both nuclear and conventional warheads.
Britain's most closely-contested election resulted in a hung Parliament and the defeat for
the ruling Labour Party after 13 years in power. The conservative party ended up with 306
seats, 20 short of an outright majority .The Labour party got 258 seats and the Liberal
Democrats got 57 seats.
The four-week nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference was held at the United
Nations in New York.
Sri Lankan President government has decided to pardon journalist J.S. Tissainayagam,who is
out on bail after being convicted in August last year under the Prevention of Terrorism Act
(PTA). The pardon coincided with the World Press Freedom Day.
Iran and Syria have mooted the formation of a regional economic bloc with Turkey and Iraq as
their key partners. The two sides felt the move would yield economic benefits and impart
political stability and security to the region.
.:: April 2010 International Affairs ::.
The World Expo 2010 was held in Shangai in China. 189 countries have attended the event.
The Chinese government has spent an estimated $ 45 billion on the Expo, upgrading
Shanghai's infrastructure in a bid to make the city a “world financial capital” by 2020.
The 16th summit of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation decided to establish
an Inter-governmental Expert Group on Climate Change to develop a clear policy
direction and guidance for regional cooperation as envisaged in the SAARC Plan of Action
on Climate Change. The member-states also resolved to commission a study, for
presentation to the 17th summit, on ‘Climate Risks in the Region: ways to
comprehensively address the related social, economic and environmental
challenges'. It was also decided to plant one crore trees over the next five years to build a
“green and happy South Asia.”
On the sidelines of the SAARC summit, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his Pakistani
counterpart, Yusuf Raza Gilani, agreed to the resumption of high-level dialogue, which
has been disrupted since the Mumbai terror attacks of November 2008.
The 16th summit of South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC)
started in Thimpu, Bhutan. Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa,current head of the
South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation, took the chair. Other leaders of the grouping
Manmohan Singh of India,Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan, Sheikh Hasina of Bangladesh,
Lyonchhen Jigmi Thinley of Bhutan, Mohamed Nasheed of the Maldives, Madhav Kumar Nepal of
Nepal, and Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani of Pakistan attended the summit. For the first time, Bhutan is
hosting the summit.
Chamal Rajapaksa, brother of President Mahinda Rajapaksa, was unanimously elected
Speaker of the newly elected Sri Lankan Parliament on its opening day.
Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari signed into law a landmark constitutional amendment bill
that will divest him of his sweeping powers.
Addressing representatives of over 60 countries and several international organisations, at the
start of a two-day conference on nuclear disarmament in Tehran, Iranian President
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has called for the suspension of the United States from the
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and proposed a five-point plan to democratise the
global security architecture.
Russia has launched the construction of the $12-billion Nord Stream pipeline to Europe that
would carry up to 55 billion cubic metres (bcm) of gas a year from Siberian gas fields 900 km
over land and 1,200 km under the Baltic Sea from Vyborg in Russia to Greifswald in Germany.
Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has unveiled the first model of “third
generation” centrifuges that Tehran claims are six times more efficient than the previous
variants. Ahmadinejad said at a ceremony in Tehran marking the fourth “national nuclear
festival” that 60,000 new generation centrifuges would be installed at the Natanz enrichment
plant.
In the parliamentary elections in Sri Lanka, President Mahinda Rajapaksa-led ruling alliance
won in 120 constituencies of the 180 seats declared in the 225-member House. The main
Opposition grouping, led by the United National Party (UNP), bagged only 47 seats.
The Pakistan National Assembly passed the 18th Amendment Bill that seeks to bring back
the 1973 Constitution. The Bill , which proposes 102 amendments to the Constitution , was
passed by a two-thirds majority after the House rejected the amendments moved by some
members on the abolition of the concurrent list, renaming the North West Frontier Province
(NWFP), and removal of the provision for intra-party elections.
Presidents Barack Obama of the United States and Dmitry Medvedev of Russia signed
aStrategic Arms Reduction Treaty which will reduce their nuclear weapons stockpiles by a
third.
Anti-government protests broke out in Kyrgyzstan and its President Kurmanbek Bakiyev has
reportedly left the country and Prime Minister Usenov resigned, clearing the way for the
Opposition to form its own government. A “Cabinet of people's trust” has been headed by
Opposition leader Roza Otunbayeva.
Aid agencies are warning of an impending food emergency in South Sudan. According to them,
Akobo, in the eastern region of Jonglei, is now the“hungriest place on earth.''
A volcano erupted under the Eyjafjallajokull glacier, 120 km east of Reykjavik in
Icelandshooting smoke and steam into the air and forcing hundreds of people to leave their
homes.
A 7.1-magnitude quake struck a remote border area in north-west Qinghai province in western
China leaving at least 400 dead and more than 10,000 injured. The epicentre of the quake
was in Yushu county, in a Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture which borders Sichuan.
China is building a new airport near Mount Everest, to be called ‘Peace Airport’ in Xigaze
prefecture in Tibet.
The Nuclear Security Summit (NSS) was held in Washington in which 37 of the participating
47 countries are represented at the level of President or Prime Minister. The agenda of the
summit was how to physically secure sensitive nuclear materials around the world so that
terrorists don't get hold of them. The next Nuclear Security Summit will be held in South Korea
in 2012.
The President of Poland Lech Kaczynski and a high-level delegation were killed when the
president’s Tu-154 passenger jet carrying 97 people crashed as it was approaching a Russian
airport in the city of Smolensk.
Sudan geared up for its first multi-party elections in 24 years, with a 16-million-strong
electorate eligible to vote for President, MPs and local representatives.
.:: March 2010 International Affairs ::.
China stood first in implementing death sentence in the world, according to the report
given by Amnesty International.
Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak announced plans for a “New Economic Model
(NEM),” raising prospects of a fair deal for all racial groups.
During a session at the Arab League summit in Libya, the Arab leaders called for a review of
the 1970 Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) to create a definitive plan for eliminating
nuclear weapons development. These countries view Israel and Iran's nuclear programmes with
alarm, and have repeatedly called for an agreement to ban nuclear weapons from the region.
The Former interim Prime Minister of Iraq, Iyad Allawi's Iraqiyah formation has secured the
maximum number of seats in Iraq's March 7th parliamentary elections, narrowly edging
out the State of Law grouping led by incumbent Premier Nouri al-Maliki.Out of the 325 seats,
National Iraqi List (“Iraqiyah”) of Mr. Allawi secured 91. Mr. Maliki's State of Law grouping got
89.
India joined the world to celebrate Earth Hour, from 8.30 to 9.30 p.m. on 27th march 2010
organised by the World Wide Fund for Nature. The event is the largest global campaign on
climate change with over one billion people around the globe joined the campaign, involving
more than 6,000 cities and towns, to turn off lights in show of support for action on climate
change.
The Agriculture Ministers of the BRIC nations — Brazil, Russia, India and China have adopted
a Moscow Declaration where they identified four areas for quadripartite cooperation
1. To set up a common database of production and consumption of farm products in their
respective countries to facilitate comprehensive analysis of food security and
coordinate formation of national grain reserves.
2. The four countries to jointly draw up a BRIC food security strategy for vulnerable
sections of the population and share experience in providing food for the poor.
3. To mitigate the impact of climate change on food security and adapt farming to the
changing climate.
4. To promote cooperation and exchanges in farm technology and innovation.
The United States and Russia have concluded a new Strategic Arms Reduction
Treaty(START) which include reduction by about one third the nuclear weapons that the two
countries would deploy and a significant reductions in missiles and launchers and putting in
place a strong and effective verification regime.
China is now set to take the lead as the world's premier green energy power, according to
a report released by the Pew Charitable Trusts, which measured the growth of clean energy
investments in the world's major economies. In 2009, China invested $34.6 billion on expanding
its renewable energy capacity, out of $162 billion invested globally. The U.S. invested $18.6
billion, losing the top spot for most investments for the first time ever. India invested $2.3
billion, ranking tenth among the G-20 group of countries.
According to a new report from U.N.-Habitat, the U.N. agency for human settlements
1. The worldwide number of slum-dwellers now stands at 827 million and is on course to
grow to 889 million by 2020.
2. Southern Asia now has 190.7 million slum dwellers (35 per cent of the population) and
eastern Asia 189.6 million (28.2 per cent).
3. China and India, the world's most populous countries, have together lifted 125 million
people out of slums in the last decade.
The United States House of Representatives passed the Senate version of the Healthcare
Reform bill which will soon be signed into law by President Obama as the Patient
Protection and Affordable Care Act, will lead to additional insurance coverage for almost 32
million more Americans and also bring down the deficit of the country by $143 billion over 10
years and by over a trillion dollars within the following 10 years, according to the Congressional
Budget Office (CBO). It will cost the American taxpayer $940 billion, according to the CBO.
The temple city of Tirupati has been identified as 'most favourable' to be developed as
a 'low - carbon foot print city' by European Aid and Development which works under the
European Commission.
The Russia led defence bloc of ex - soviet states, Collective Security Treaty
Organisation (CSTO) signed a cooperation pact with the United Nations, which amounts to
recognition of the CSTO as a full fledged international security organisation.
Iran and Pakistan have signed in Istanbul, Turkey, the final agreement to launch the $7.5
billion Iran - Pakistan gas pipeline with a provision for India's possible participation in the
project at a later date. This would set in motion the broader Gas Sales Purchase Agreement
(GSPA) with the signing of two provisions i.e., the Operational Agreement (OA) and the Heads of
Agreement (HOA) which deals with details regarding the transportation of gas to India "if and
when India decides to join the project''.
Court martial proceedings begins against the former Army Chief of Srilanka, General
(retired) Sarath Fonseka, for alleged involvement in politics while in uniform.
U.S. magazine Forbes annual list of the world's top billionaires :
Richest men in the World:
1. Carlos Slim ($ 53.5 billion)
2. Bill Gates ($ 53 billion)
3. Warren Buffett ($ 47 billion)
4. Mukesh Ambani ($ 29 billion)
5. Lakshmi Mittal ($ 28.7 billion)
Richest men in India: There are eight Indians in the list of 100 wealthiest people in the world.
6. Azim Premji ($ 17 billion) (27th in the world)
7. Anil Ambani ($ 13.7 billion) (36th in the world)
8. Ravi Ruia ($ 13 billion) (40th in the world)
9. Savitri Jindal ($ 12.2 billion) (44th in the world)
10. Kushal Pal Singh ($ 9 billion) (74th in the world)
11. Kumar Birla ($ 7.9 billion) (86th in the world)
China supports India in opposing any international 'scrutiny' of voluntary actions toreduce
greenhouse gas emissions. As both countries face common challenges, such as task of
developing economy, eliminating poverty, improving people’s livelihood, reducing emissions
and protecting the environment, China sought to continue and expand cooperation with India
as negotiations between the developing world and the west headed towards the climate
change conference in Mexico later this year, said Xie Zhenhua, vice-chairman of the National
Development and Reform Commission of China.
The new constitution for the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal set to be launched on
May 28, 2010 was to be delayed as the calendar for its release has been amended for the tenth
time.
India has emerged as one of the world's top ten countries in industrial production,
according to United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) year book of
Industrial Statistics 2010.
"Power, Voice and Rights - A Turning point for Gender Equality in Asia and the
Pacific", a report brought out by the United Nations Development Programme to mark the
International Women's Day found that the problem of "missing girls" - a scenario where more
boys are born than girls, as girl foetuses are presumably aborted and women die from health
and nutrition neglect is growing in Asia Pacific. Birth gender disparity is the greatest in East
Asia, where 119 boys are born for every 100 girls. China and India together account for more
than 85 million of the nearly 100 million ''missing'' women estimated to have died from
discriminatory treatment in health care, nutrition access or pure neglect.
Iraq voted in the parliamentary polls defying the threat of militant attacks.
The united States House of Representatives followed the senate in passing the Hiring
Incentive to Restore Employment Act (The HIRE Act), which offers a payroll tax holding
for business that hire unemployed workers and an income tax credit of $ 1000 for businesses
that retain them. The bill is for tackling unemployment.
The Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF) led by V. Anandasangaree in its manifesto for the
April 8 general election in Srilanka has advocated a federal model on the lines of Indian system
to resolve the ethnic conflict.
The Chinese government has appointed the 11th Panchen Lama, Gyaincain Norbu, the
second most important figure in Tibetan Buddhism, to the country's top legislative advisory
body. His appointment comes amid Beijing's efforts to further legitimise its contested selection
of the monk, who analysts say may have a crucial role to play in the appointment of the current
Dalai Lama's successor.
.:: February 2010 International Affairs ::.
China has denied claims by Google, the internet Giant, that it had faced cyber attacks
targeting the E - mail accounts of several Chinese human right activists. American investigators
have reportedly traced the attacks to two Chinese universities.
Pakistan joined 52 other Asian States to endorse India's candidature for non - permanent
membership of the UN Security Council. Out of 128 votes needed to get the seat, India
already has 122.
Japan and Australia pledged to help countries with atomic energy programmes to stay clear
of the nuclear-weapons path in the realm of "3S". The "3S" relate to nuclear non-prolife ration-
related safeguards, safety and security.
A diplomatic battle between Britain and Argentina is underway over oil explorationaround
the Falklands as a rig hired by British companies is to begin drilling off the coast of the remote
archipelago. Geologists think the territory, over which the two countries fought a war in 1982,
could hold up to 60bn barrels of oil.
Octogenarian Tinoo was set free by the Myanmar's military rulers and will lead the
opposition National League for Democracy (NLD) as long as Nobel peace Laureate Aung San
Suu Kyi remains under house arrest.
The European Union member states have decided to temporarily withdraw preferential tariff
benefits known as GSP+ granted to Sri Lanka from August on the ground that they are
"significant shortcomings" in the implementation of three U.N. human rights conventions.
The Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA) at Shamshabad, Hyderabad was declaredthe
World's Best Airport under the 5 to 15 million passengers category by Airports Council
International (ACI). This is the first time that an Indian airport will be featured among the top
airports of the world.
International Conference on Biodiversity in relation to food and human security was held
in Chennai.
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad while declaring the country to be a 'nuclear state'
said, Iran had produced a first stock of 20 percent enriched uranium for its nuclear programme
and was capable of enriching it to 80 percent.
Ukraine's Opposition leader Viktor Yanukovych narrowly beat Prime Minister Yulia
Tymoshenko in the presidential election.
The Secretary - General of NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) Anders Fogh Rasmussen
Said that, NATO's troubles in Afghanistan showed it were vital to boost ties with nations like
China, India and Pakistan and transform the alliance into a global security hub.
An Australian mining firm Resource House has signed a record $60 - billion deal to supply 30
million tonnes of coal every year to China Power International Development (CPI)for the
next 20 Years. The deal is the biggest - ever export contract in Australia's history with the
energy - hungry china.
The last Bo speaking person on earth, an 85-year old Andamanese woman named Bo Sr,
was dead. The Bo are believed to have existed for 65,000 years, making them the descendants
of one of the oldest human cultures.
A landmark deal between Northern Ireland’s two major political parties, the Democratic
Unionist Party (DUP) and Sinn Fein, removed the last hurdle to granting full autonomy to the
province envisaged in the 1998 Good Friday agreement that brought decades of sectarian
violence to an end. The deal paves the way for transferring policing and justice powers from the
central government in London to the provincial administration in Belfast.
.:: January 2010 International Affairs ::.
The Chinese government's official growth figures released shows 8.7 growth in 2009. China
is now on course to overtake Japan as the world's second largest economy, while Japan's official
GDP figures are yet to be released.
India is ranked 123rd in the 2010 Environmental Performance Index (EPI) in pollution control
and natural resources management. Iceland was ranked 1st in EPI.
Sri Lankan president Mahinda Rajapaksa defeated the opposition consensus candidate and
former Army Chief, retired General Sarath Fonseka in the presidential election. This is the
second term for the Srilankan president Rajapaksa.
The world's largest aluminium producer, UC Rusal became the first Russian firm to list in
Hongkong and Paris stock exchanges.
The International Monetary Fund projected the India's economic growth rate to be 7.7
percent for 2010.
The group of four major emerging economics Brasil, South Africa, India and
China(BASIC) expressed their intention to communicate information on their voluntary
mitigation actions to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change(UNFCCC).
This decision was taken at the second ministerial level meeting of the BASIC group of countries
in New Delhi.
China and Japan have been added to the 39 non-traditional export markets identified by
the Union Government as part of series of new incentives to encourage Indian exporters to
explore non - traditional business avenues.
Billionaire Sebastian Pinera was elected Chile's president with the victory over ex-president
Eduardo Frei.
India is the 88th best place to live, according to the 2010 quality of Life Index published by
travel magazine International living.
A 7.0 magnitude powerful earthquake rocked Haiti, killing possibly over one lakh people.
China, the world's largest producer of gold is set to overtake India as the metal'sbiggest
consumer for the first time in history. China’s consumption of gold is estimated as 450 tonnes
in 2009 where as India's consumption forecast is 380 tonnes.
» National Affairs
.:: September 2010 National Affairs ::.
Tirumala Seshachalam hills, the abode of Lord Venkteswara, has been declared as a“biosphere
reserve” in the country by the ministry of environment and forest.
The Andhra Pradesh government has set a target of achieving 80 per cent literacy ratefrom
the existing 64 per cent by 2020
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh laid the foundation stone for the Tirupati international
airport to provide direct connectivity from various international destinations to the temple town
in Andhra Pradesh.
Shri K.H. Muniyappa, Hon’ble Minister of State for Railways laid the Foundation Stone
forKadapa-Bangalore Railway line on 1st September, 2010 at Kadapa Railway Station. The
new Railway line is one of the largest projects of the South Central Railway and estimated to
cost Rs.1785 Crs. for a length of 258.3 Kms. This project is being executed on 50 :50 cost-
sharing basis by the Railways and the State Govts.
.:: August 2010 National Affairs ::.
The Union Cabinet cleared a 300 per cent salary hike, from Rs. 16,000 to Rs. 50,000, for
members of Parliament and doubled their perks. The increase will be given with retrospective
effect from May 2009, when the 15th Lok Sabha was constituted when the Bill seeking
amendment to the Salaries and Allowances of Members of Parliament Act, 1954, is brought in
Parliament and passed by both the Houses.
The Union Cabinet approved the Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Bill 2010 with 18
amendments.
According to the chairman of the Board of Governors of the Medical Council of India (MCI) S.K.
Sarin, MBBS aspirants will have a common entrance test for admission to medical colleges
across the country from the next academic session (2011-12).
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh announced a Rs.125-crore relief for the flood-ravaged
Leh from the Prime Minister's Relief Fund.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh agreed for the setting up of a National Innovation Council
headed by Sam Pitroda, Adviser to the Prime Minister on Public Information Infrastructure and
Innovations, to give shape to the Government's decision to observe the current decade (2010-
2020) as the Decade of Innovation. The Council will have a mandate to evolve an Indian model
of innovation that focuses on inclusive growth and creating an appropriate eco-system
conducive to fostering inclusive innovation.
Bihar Chief Minister Mr. Nitish Kumar has declared the entire Bihar state to be drought
affected.
While addressing the nation from the Red Fort during the 64th Independence Day
celebrations in New Delhi, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said this country can resolve issues
through dialogue, be it with Pakistan, Kashmiri separatists, northeast groups or Naxalites.
A Bench of Justice Dalveer Bhandari and Justice K.S. Radhakrishnan of the Supreme Court asked
Parliament to revisit the provision relating to cruelty and dowry harassment,pointing out
that a large number of frivolous complaints are emanating from section 498-A of the Indian
Penal Code (Husband or relative of husband of a woman subjecting her to cruelty) and the
courts are flooded with such matrimonial cases.
The Group of Ministers (GoM), headed by Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, gave its
approval to the enumeration of caste in Census 2011. The GoM recommended that the caste
headcount should be done at the biometric stage which will cover photographing, fingerprinting
and iris mapping of all citizens over the age of 15 for the National Population Register (NPR).
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh while addressing an all-party delegation from Jammu and
Kashmir announced to set up an experts group to formulate a jobs plan. The committee,
headed by Dr. C. Rangarajan, will have members as N.R. Narayana Murthy, Tarun Das, P. Nanda
Kumar, Shaqueel Qalander and an official representative of the State government.the group
would be tasked with not only creating employment in the public and private sectors, but also
increasing employability through the National Skill Development Mission.
The Union Cabinet approved implementation of the ‘Swavalamban' scheme to cover workers in
the unorganised sector and provide old age security to all, especially the vulnerable sections.
Under the scheme, the government is to provide an assistance of Rs. 1,000 a year as co-
contribution to every NPS (New Pension System) account of 10 lakh unorganised sector workers,
starting this fiscal for four years, till 2013-14 to cover 40 lakh subscribers.
Thirteen districts of Andhra Pradesh have been identified by the Centre for inclusion in
the backward regions grant fund (BRGF) for the current financial year. Adilabad,
Nizamabad, Karimnagar, Warangal, Medak, Mahabubnagar, Rangareddy, Nalgonda and
Khammam in Telangana, Chittoor, Anantapur and Kadapa in Rayalaseema and Vizianagaram in
Andhra regions would get Rs. 348.28 crore.
The Union Ministry of Environment and Forests has told the Orissa government to stop all work
related to Posco's Rs.54, 000-crore steel project, including land acquisition and handover,
as it is violating the Forest Rights Act (FRA).
A Rs.10, 000-crore liquefied natural gas terminal jointly implemented by the Indian Oil
Corporation (IOC) and the Tamil Nadu Industrial Development Corporation (TIDCO) will be set up
Kattupalli near the Ennore port, Chennai.
The Centre has appointed two full-time members to the 19th Law Commission of India, which
was reconstituted in September 2009.Retired Supreme Court Judge P.V. Reddywas Chairman of
the Commission. Full-time Members are Justice Shivkumar Sharma, retired judge of the
Rajasthan High Court and Amarjit Singh Chandhiok, former Additional Solicitor General of India.
The Commonwealth Games Organising Committee formed a three-member panel headed
by Lalit Bhanot to probe allegations of irregular financial transactions.
.:: July 2010 National Affairs ::.
The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Rural Development heading by Sumitra Mahajan
while approving the Constitution (110thAmendment) Bill, 2009, submitted its report in
both Houses of Parliament. The Bill is aimed at enhancing reservation of seats for women to 50
per cent of total number of offices in the Panchayats.
Rashtrapati Bhavan was presented with an International Organisation for Standardisation
(ISO) 14001:2004 Certificate for having emerged as the country's first urban habitat with
excellent environmental management systems.
For the first time in over four decades women constables of the Border Security Force took part
in the ‘Beating Retreat Ceremony' at the India-Pakistan Attari-Wagah border near Amritsar.
Pune has become the first municipal corporation in India to have a Right to Information
(RTI) library named after Prakash Kardaley, a journalist from the city, who had a major role in
the drafting of the Right to Information Act.
The first commercial landing of the Airbus A380, the largest aircraft of the world, took place at
the newly inaugurated Terminal 3 of the Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi.
As part of the 150th birth anniversary celebrations of Rabindranath Tagore a book was published
on the Nehru-Gandhi family's connection with Santiniketan Titled “Three Chancellors”
compiled by Nilanjan Bandopadhyay.
During the meeting of the Chief Ministers of the Naxal-affected States in New Delhi, the Union
government asked Chhattisgarh, Orissa, Jharkhand and West Bengal, worst affected by
Maoist violence, to set up a Unified Command headed by the four States' Chief Secretaries.
The prestigious Mahatama Gandhi Institute of Education for Peace and Sustainable
Development (MGIEP), a UNESCO institute, will be unveiled on the birth annniversary of
Gandhiji on October 2 in New Delhi. It will be the maiden category I institute of UNESCO to be
located in Asia. Out of 11 such institutes, nine are situated in the developed world and two is in
Ethiopia and Venezuela.
The Union government has set up an oversight committee chaired by Union Minister of State for
Environment and Forests Jairam Ramesh to coordinate and monitor the clean-up of the Bhopal
gas leak disaster site.
The Union Health Ministry approved the revised draft that proposes a National Committee for
Accreditation and a National Medical Education and Training Boardthat will register and
accredit medical colleges and prepare curricula for all streams of education in the health sector.
The Union Cabinet cleared the Nalanda University Bill 2010, paving the way for the
establishment of Nalanda University in Rajgir, Bihar near the original Nalanda University site at
an estimated cost of Rs. 1,005 crore.
.:: June 2010 National Affairs ::.
UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi laid the foundation of the 8.8-km-long Rohtang tunnel
atDhundi near Manali(Himachal Pradesh).
The first World Classical Tamil Conference was held in Coimbatore. President Pratibha
Devisingh Patil presented the Kalaignar M. Karunanidhi Classical Tamil Award to Asko
Parpola for his work on the Dravidian hypothesis in the interpretation of the Indus script.
The Group of Ministers (GoM) submitted their report to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh
addressing the legal, medical, humanitarian, environmental and other aspects of the Bhopal gas
leak disaster. The GoM recommended Rs. 1,500-crore package for the victims.
The Central Advisory Board of Education (CABE) endorsed the setting up of the
proposedNational Commission for Higher Education and Research (NCHER) as an apex
body entrusted with framing policy, and to bring within its ambit, medical education and other
disciplines of higher education and research.
The 75th conference of presiding officers of legislatives bodies from different parts of the
country was held in Srinagar (J&K).
The Planning Commission estimated four percent growth in the agriculture sector during the
XII Plan (2012-17).
The Representation of the People's (Amendment) Bill aimed at NRIs for voting rights in
India was cleared by a GoM headed by Defence Minister A.K. Antony and is likely to be
presented soon before the Cabinet.
The government of India has declared the Indian Mujahideen (IM), suspected to be a shadow
outfit of the banned Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) and Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-
Taiba, a terrorist outfit.
Jharkhand came under Central rule with President Pratibha Patil accepting a
recommendation of the Union Cabinet after the Congress and the BJP gave up efforts to form an
alternative government following the resignation of Chief Minister Shibu Soren.
.:: May 2010 National Affairs ::.
The Constitutional Bench of the Supreme Court in its judgement upheld the intrinsic
constitutional validity of the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) and the National
Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT).
The United Progressive Alliance government decided to set up a Group of Ministers (GOM) on
the issue of caste enumeration in Census 2011. The GOM would work out the modalities of
doing a caste headcount along with Census 2011 while looking into the issue of the practicality
of such census.
The Central Board of Secondary Education launched worldwide, its self-designedinternational
curriculum (CBSE-i) at Dubai's Indian High School (IHS) that aims to compete with its western
counterparts to produce the global citizen of tomorrow.
World Telecom Development Conference was held in Hyderabad.
The Chief Justice and all the other judges of Himachal High Court have declared their assets
and properties.
An Air India Express plane IX-812 from Dubai overshot the table-top runway at the
Mangalore airport and plunged over a cliff into a wooded valley, killing 158 persons.
Cyclonic storm Laila which brought heavy losses to farmers crossed the Andhra Pradesh coast
near Bapatla in Prakasam district.
Under the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products (Packaging and Labelling) Rules, 2008, the
depiction of new and more stringent pictorial warnings on tobacco products has been
deferred by six months to December 1 from the earlier scheduled date of June 1 by the
government of India.
President Pratibha Devisingh Patil signed an ordinance empowering the government todissolve
the Medical Council of India, a regulatory body responsible for maintaining standards of
medical education. The government created a seven-member Board of Governors that took over
the functioning of the 30-member executive council, the highest decision-making body of the
MCI. The Board of Governors is chaired by Dr. S.K. Sarin,Department of Gastroenterology, and
G.B. Pant Hospital.
The Union Health Ministry is all set to bring in an ordinance to supercede the regulatory body
and appoint in its place a Board of Governors. In place of the present MCI team, the government
intends to appoint seven eminent medical practitioners and health experts to do the job that the
MCI is performing at present. The government would have no role in the new set-up.
The Special Investigation Team (SIT) headed by the former CBI Director, R.K. Raghavan,which
investigated Zakia Jaffry's complaint that Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi and 62 others
orchestrated the 2002 riots, submitted its report to the Supreme Court.
The Union Cabinet accorded in-principle approval for the setting up of an autonomous
defence university in Gurgaon district of Haryana at a cost of about Rs. 300 crore on a
200-acre campus that is expected to provide inputs to strategic policy making. It will be set up
under an Act of Parliament.
The Bihar government signed a Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) with the Bill and
Melinda Gates Foundation with the objective of accelerating State-wide improvements in
maternal, newborn and child health.
A five-judge Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court upheld the constitutional validity of
Articles 243 D (6) and243 T (6), providing for reservation of seats in any panchayat or offices
of Chairpersons in panchayats and municipalities in favour of backward classes.
According to a decision taken by the Maharashtra government all students up to Class VIII
would be given promotion to the next class even if they did not perform well in
examinations.
The Visva-Bharati University at santiniketan celebrated the 150th birth anniversary of
Rabindranath Tagore.
The Supreme Court in its judgement holding that gas is a national asset and the Centre's
pricing policy will prevail over any private agreement, has directed Reliance Industries
Ltd (RIL) of the Mukesh Ambani group to initiate renegotiations with Reliance Natural Resources
Ltd. (RNRL) of the Anil Ambani group for fixing the price of gas to be supplied to RNRL.The bench
thus rejected RNRL's claim that it was entitled to get 28 mscmd of gas from the KG Basin at
$2.34 mBtu in terms of a 2005 Memorandum of Understanding between Anil and Mukesh
without any price approval by the government.
A five-judge Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court held that a Governor cannot be
removed on the ground that he/she is out of sync with the policies and ideologies of
the Union government or the party in power at the Centre. Nor can he/she be removed
on the ground that the Union government has lost confidence in him/her. The bench gave this
ruling in a petition filed by the former Member of Parliament, B.P. Singhal.
The Lok Sabha Speaker made the following appointments for various parliamentary
committees Murli Manohar Joshi as the chairman of the Public Accounts Committee for 2010-
11, Congress MP from Goa Francisco Sardinha as the chairman of the Committee on
Estimates, V. Kishore Chandra S. Deo as the chairman of the Committee on Public
Undertakings, Gobinda Chandra Naskar as the chairman of the Committee on the Welfare of
Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.
The Supreme Court held that the Members of Parliament Local Area Development
(MPLAD) Scheme, under which every MP is allotted Rs. 2 crore a year for constituency
development was nothing unconstitutional. It held that the scheme falls within the meaning
of ‘public purpose' aimed at fulfillment of the development and welfare of the State as reflected
in the Directive Principles of State Policy.
The Rajya Sabha passed a Bill proposing to create a 78-member Legislative Council for Tamil
Nadu, 24 years after it was abolished.
Parliament approved the increase in the gratuity limit for employees from Rs.3.5 lakh to
Rs.10 lakh under the Payment of Gratuity (Amendment) Bill, 2010.
The Supreme Court held unconstitutional and violation of the ‘right to privacy' the use
of narco analysis, brain-mapping and polygraph tests on accused, suspects and witnesses
without their consent.
The tripartite Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed by Maharashtra Chief
Minister Ashok Chavan, his Gujarat counterpart Narendra Modi and Union Minister for Water
Resources Pawan Kumar Bansal to prepare detailed project reports on linking of rivers that will
benefit both the states.
The Lok Sabha passed the Payment of Gratuity (Amendment) Bill, 2010 which raises the
ceiling of gratuity for employees in private sector to Rs.10 lakh from Rs.3.5 lakh. The Lok Sabha
also passed the Employees' State Insurance (Amendment) Bill, 2009, to provide for medicare to
workers in the unorganised sector, especially those below the poverty line (BPL).
A special sessions court judge M.L. Tahaliyani pronounced Mohammad Ajmal Amir Kasab,
the lone surviving gunman of the November 26, 2008 Mumbai terror attacks along with nine
other terrorists and 20 co-conspirators in Pakistan, guilty of waging war against India.
The two day National Consultation for Second Generation Reforms in Legal Education was
held in Delhi.
.:: April 2010 National Affairs ::.
The cut motions moved by the Opposition parties in the Lok Sabha against the United
Progressive Alliance (UPA) government's economic policies especially price rise, were
defeated.Cut motion moved by Sushma Swaraj defeated by- in favour 162 and against 246.The
cut motion moved by Gurudas Gupta was defeated by- in favour201 and against 289.
The former chief of the Border Security Force, E.N. Rammohan, submitted his report to Union
Home Minister P. Chidambaram on the April 6 massacre of 76 security personnel by Maoists in
Dantewada district of Chhattisgarh.
The 16-digit unique identification number to be assigned to each individual by the Unique
Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) will come under the new name ‘AADHAR' or foundation.
The Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh K. Rosaiah launched the Rs. 600-crore Dr. YSR Protected
Drinking Water Scheme in Rayadurg of Anantapur dist.
The 98th executive committee meeting of the All-India Council of Mayors (AICM) was held in
Hyderabad.
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) has approved a proposal to set up
1,000 additional model schools as a benchmark of excellence in educationally
backward blocks (EBBs) through State governments. These schools will have norms and
standards equivalent to or better than Kendriya Vidyalayas. The requirement for the 1,000
schools has been estimated at Rs. 3,304 crore, the Centre's share being Rs. 2,478 crore.
The Navy plans to carve out an air enclave on the campus of the Cochin International Airport
Limited (CIAL) for sheltering the Navy's future air assets, especially the medium range maritime
reconnaissance aircraft.
The Commission on Centre-State relations headed by M. M. Punchhi, submitted its report to
Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram.The panel was constituted by UPA-I in April 2007 to take a
fresh look at the relative role and responsibilities of the various levels of government and
Centre-State relations.
The 59th year of birth of the Bhoodan Movement was celebrated at Bhoodan Pochampalli in
Nalgonda district on 18th April. Acharya Vinoba Bhave had secured the first land donation on
this day in 1951 at Pochampalli.
The Andhra Pradesh government launched the Praja Patham, the month-long mass contact
programme aimed at taking administration to the doorstep of people. K. Rosaiah started the
programme at Katarivaripalem in Vetapalem mandal of Prakasam district.Praja Patham
was a brainchild of the late YSR who wanted elected representatives to go to the people during
the difficult summer months and redress their grievances pertaining to drinking water and
Aarogyasri and other health related services.
The draft Cinematograph Bill, 2010 could be introduced in the next session of Parliament in
which the India’s film rating system is set for a revamp. The Central Board for Film Certification
(CBFC), better known as the Censor Board, will now be asked to certify films under the U, 12+,
15+, A and S categories. Under the current Cinematograph Act, 1952, there are three categories
— U, A and UA.
The government of Andhra Pradesh acquired the “hazardous material” handling vehiclefor
the Disaster Response & Fire Service (DSFS) Department at a cost of Rs. 5 crore to tackle
nuclear, biological, chemical accidents besides the usual fires.
The Jammu and Kashmir Assembly passed the Inter-District Recruitment Bill which bans
inter-district recruitment and provides a quota for Scheduled Castes in government jobs in all
districts.
The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) launched the test phase ofUnique
Identity Number (UID) project in Medak and Krishna districts of Andhra Pradesh.
The Union government has decided to soon declare the world's largest river island of
Majuli an eco-sensitive zone.
A new Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) Bill, likely to be introduced in the next
session of Parliament, will bring the institution of CAG under the ambit of the Right to
Information Act.
Delhi Metro Rail Corporation started the country’s first Standard Gauge Railway line. This
railway line width is 4ft 8inches.
Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit dedicated a Rs.40 crore sub-station 66/11 kV ‘green’grid
sub-station constructed by the power distribution company, BYPL, in the record time of 13
months at the Commonwealth Games Village to provide uninterrupted power supply for the
event.
Addressing the nation to mark the implementation of the Right of Children to Free and
Compulsory Education Act, 2009, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh asked the States and
Union Territories to work together as part of a common national Endeavour.
The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009 comes into effect
from April 1st 2010, and will directly benefit close to one crore children who do not go to school.
For the first time, education will become a constitutional right in India. According to this act
private institutes should provide 25% reservation to economically backward students. Right to
education was made fundamental right in 2002 by 86th amendment. The central and state
governments should spend money in 55:45 ratio to implement this act.
The plan outlay for Andhra Pradesh for 2010-2011 has been fixed at Rs.36, 800
crore,which is 9.86 per cent more than the outlay of Rs. 33,497 crore fixed for 2009-2010. The
actual increase is Rs.3, 303 crore this year.
The Union government has introduced a Bill in the Lok Sabha, that provides forconstitution of
a National Council consisting of representatives from the Medical Council of India, the Dental
Council, the Nursing Council etc., to determine the standards for the clinics, classify them,
develop the minimum standards and their periodic review, compile, maintain and update a
national register of clinical establishments.
The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams(TTD) of Andhra Pradesh has deposited 4,475 kg of
gold received by way of offerings in its temple Hundi in various nationalized banks. TTD
deposited 3,000 kg gold with SBI, 1,125 kg gold with Corporation Bank and the rest 650
kilograms with Indian Overseas Bank and will be earning an interest of over 1.6 and 1.5 per cent
respectively over the gold deposits.
The government of Andhra Pradesh launched the fifth phase of the government's land
distribution programme all over the State from 14th April, 2010 coinciding with the birth
anniversary of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar.An extent of 1.06 lakh acres will be distributed to 69,506
beneficiaries.
According to a report released by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), Gujarathas
been declared as the top contributor to the total hazardous waste generation in the
country. Gujarat generates almost 29 per cent of the 62 lakh metric tonnes of hazardous waste
generated every year. It is followed by Maharashtra (25 per cent) and Andhra Pradesh (9 per
cent).
The government of India has reconstituted the National Integration Council (NIC)which will
be chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. Set up in the early 60s by Prime Minister
Jawaharlal Nehru, the NIC held its first meeting in 1962. The council reviews matters relating to
national integration and makes recommendations over such issues.
According to the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), the first set of identity
numbers will be issued in February 2011.
During the sidelines of the 6th National Conference on Electoral Reforms organised by the
National Election Watch in Bhopal, Chief Election Commissioner Naveen Chawla said that
roughly 700 out of 1,000 registered political parties do not contest polls and the Election
Commission has no power to de-register them.
The National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) completed five years on 12th April 2010.
.:: March 2010 National Affairs ::.
Census 2011, the 15th census since 1872, billed as the largest census ever attempted in the
history of mankind, is set to take off on April 1st, 2010. It will also involve the task of preparing,
for the first time, the National Population Register (NPR).
The Cabinet Committee on Infrastructure (CCI) approved the establishment of National
Knowledge Network (NKN), which seeks to inter-connect all knowledge institutions in the
country through high speed data communication network, at an outlay of Rs 5,990 crore to be
implemented by NIC over a period of 10 years.
A three-judge bench of Chief Justice of Supreme Court K.G. Balakrishnan and Justices J.M.
Panchal and B.S. Chauhan lifted the stay on the Andhra Pradesh government's decision to
provide four per cent reservation in jobs and education for backward members of the
Muslim community. As many as 14 Muslim groups, identified as socially and educationally
backward sections by the State Backward Commission, will now be eligible for the benefit. But
the Supreme Court referred to a special bench the issue of its constitutional validity.
The Union Cabinet has approved a proposal of the Labour Ministry to amend the Employees
State Insurance Act, 1948, to provide medical facilities to unorganised workers in ESIC hospitals
and recognised private hospitals under the Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojna (RSBY), a
cashless health insurance scheme.
Planning Commission in its mid-term review has reduced the power generation
capacity addition target by over 20 percent to 62,374 mw for the 11th plan (2007-12) from the
original 78,577 mw.
The Union cabinet cleared the Prohibition of Unfair practices in technical, medical
Educational Institutions and Universities Bill, 2010 that seeks to make capitation fee a
cognizable offence. Two other Bills - The National Accreditation Regulatory Authority for Higher
Educational Institutional Bill 2010, proposing to setup an independent regulatory body which will
register, monitor and audit accreditation agencies and the Educational Tribunals Bill, 2010
providing an adjudicatory forum for speedy resolution of all issues that arise in the higher
Education sector - were also cleared.
The Union Government has officially confirmed its earlier decision to accord classical language
status to Telugu. It has addressed a communication to the Central Institute of Indian
Languages (CIIL) Mysore, and the University Grants Commission (UGC) to take steps
immediately to give the status to Telugu. This decision was the outcome of efforts by the late
Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy culminating in the adoption of a unanimous resolution in the Assembly on
February 22, 2006.
A commemorative stamp on former Chief Minister Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy is being
issued by the Postal Department on September 2 to coincide with his first death anniversary.
The Supreme Court appointed Central Vigilance Committee (CVC), headed by Justice D.P.
Wadhwa, while submitting its report to a Bench of Justices Dalveer Bhandari and K.S. Radha
Krishnan slammed the Public Distribution System as one of the most corrupt sectors, saying the
root cause of its failure in several states is political interference.
As announced by Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal, A seven-membercore
committee of vice-chancellors has been set up to focus on central universities lagging
behind in bench marks in academic and research performance.
For the first time in 20 years, Jammu and Kashmir will have direct trunk dialing facilitywith
Pakistan and Pakistan occupied Kashmir (POK).
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh inaugurated the world's first green legislature building,
the Tamilnadu Legislative Assembly Secretariat Complex.
The Union Cabinet cleared the Foreign Educational Institutions (Regulation of Entry and
Operation) Bill, 2010, for introduction in parliament. The bill seeks to allow foreign education
providers to set up campuses in the country and offer degrees.
The government of Andhra Pradesh has decided to waive the loans taken by weavers'
societies in the state from cooperative banks of APCOB and commercial banks. This waiver
which will place an additional burden of Rs. 312 crore on the ex chequer, will indirectly benefit a
large number of individual weavers.
Under the Indian Important Bird Areas (IBA) Programme, 12 more Important Bird Areas (IBA)
were identified in Kerala, which made it's total gone up to 36. The Indian IBA programme is
funded by the Royal Society for the protection of Birds.
India's first open jail for women was inaugurated at the Yerawada Central Prison in Pune by
Maharashtra Home Minister R.R.Patil. The Open jail would be made to agricultural work on the
17 acres of land adjoining the prison. This would improve their physical and mental well being.
They would also be eligible for remission in their punishment, for every one year served in the
open jail, a year of their sentence would be reduced.
The Government of Andhra Pradesh is set to bring Information Technology and IT Enabled
Services (ITES) sectors under the Essential Services Maintenance Act. A bill to amend ESMA
would be introduced in the Current Assembly session. The amendment, the Government felt
necessary to spare the IT industry from disruption to their mission critical applications during
agitations.
The Union government has set up an independent eight - member expert committeeunder the
chairmanship of Deepak Parekh to review the draft guidelines of Rajiv Awas Yojana (RAY), a
housing scheme for slum dwellers and urban poor.
The historic Women's Reservation Bill, formally known as 108th constitutional amendment
was passed in the Rajya Sabha with the House recorded its vote of 186 for and 1 against. Now
the bill must be passed by the Lok Sabha and ratified by at least half the states for becoming
effective.
The Secretary - General of the Supreme Court has challenged the Delhi High Court Judgement
that the office of the Chief Justice of India is a public authority that comes urthin the ambit
of the Right to Information Act. This can termed as Supreme Court appealing to Supreme Court
of its case.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh along with Lok Sabha speaker Meira Kumar inaugurated
the Women's Leadership Summit 2010 on Inclusive Growth and Empowering Women of
Rural India in New Delhi.
The Sam Pitroda led high - level committee formed to suggest the restructuring ofBharat
Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) has submitted a report to the Prime Minister Manmohan
Singh.
The first of the new generation Airbus A320 joined the Air India fleet. It has a host of latest
facilities, including advanced weather Radar System, Enhanced Ground proximity warning
system (EGPWS) and an LCD cockpit display system.
National Socialist Council of Nagalim (ISak - Muivah) general Secretary Thuingaleng Muivah
met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Singalling the Seriousness of his organisation to final a
solution to the six - decade old Nagaland issue.
.:: February 2010 National Affairs ::.
Women Entrepreneurs 2010, a platform to promote Indian heritage weavers and women
entrepreneurs was held in Delhi.
The Department of posts released a commemorative stamp in honour of P.C. Sorcar
(Senior), the Man who "took the magic of India to the rest of the world.
The Union Cabinet approved the Women's Reservation Bill, 2008 that seeks to reserve 33
percent seats for women in Lok Sabha and State Assemblies.
The 108th Constitutional Amendment Bill was tabled in the Rajya Sabha in 2008 and was
subsequently referred to the Parliamentary standing committee on Law, Justice and Personnel,
which in its report submitted in December last year had recommended its early passage in the
present form.
Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram laid the foundation for the Integrated Check Post
(ICP) at Attari on the India-Pakistan Border, one of the 13 planned for eight states at a cost of
Rs. 635 crore along various land routes to Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan and Myanmar.
Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh presented a Rs. 1.13 lakh crore budget for 2010-
11.This is the 16th budget presented by him and 1st one as a chief minister. The budget outlay
is Rs. 8,516 crore higher than that of the current fiscal (Rs.1.05 lakh crore). The plan outlay is
Rs. 40,313 crore and non plan outlay is Rs. 73,347 crore.
There was the revival of the Constituency Development Fund with allotment of Rs. one crore
each to members of the Assembly and the Legislative Council.
The Full Court, comprising 27 judges and headed by Chief Justice of India K.G.
Balakrishnan rejected the Law Commission's suggestion that the Supreme Court be split
into Constitution Bench in Delhi and Cassation Benches in the four regions.
Perambikulam Wildlife Sanctuary, Kerala was declared the country's 38th tiger reserve.
Seethampeta, located in the north - western part of Srikakulam district in Andhra Pradesh and
home to the Konda Savaras has now become part of the Food and Agricultural Organisation's
(FAO) Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS). GIAHS has begun
identifying and then documenting unique agricultural systems across the world to create
'agricultural heritage'.
The Cabinet Committee on security has approved the opening of an Officers Training
Academy at Gaya in Bihar in addition to the one in Chennai.
A five-judge constitution Bench of the Supreme Court held that "The Supreme Court and the
High Courts have the power to order a CBI probe without a state's consent into a cognizable
offence allegedly committed within the state's territory".
Palakkad district in kerala is the first fully electrified district in the country.
The Union Minister for Environment and Forests JaiRam Ramesh had allocated all Rs. 12
crore of his MPLADS share from 2004 on "Giripragathi'', a programme for sustainable
development of tribals in remote /hilly areas in Andhra Pradesh.
Giripragathi covers eight mandals, three each in Adilabad and khammam and two in warangal
districts. Its total allocation over six years is Rs. 88 Crore.
The World Bank has agreed in principle to extend Rs.1, 000 crore assistance to self-help
groups under the third phase of Poverty Alleviation Programme in Andhra Pradesh.
Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal took the decision to notify the Right of
children to free and compulsory education Act, 2009. The date for it is fixed for April 1,
2010. From that date children in the 6 -14 age group will finally get their right to education.
The Union Government announced the seven - point terms of reference of the five -
member B.N.Srikrishna committee on the telangana issue.
The 58th meeting of the North Eastern Council (NEC) was held in Gauwhati.
The two - member committee comprising former Director of Special Protection Group (SPG)
M.R.Reddy and former Director General of Civil Aviation H.S.Khola Submitted a 110 - page
report to the Government of Andhra Pradesh on the cause of the Bell helicopter crash that
killed former Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh Y.S.Rajasekhara Reddy and four others.
For the first time, the Union Government has agreed to formulate a general amnesty plan
for kashmiri youth undergoing training in terrorist camps in Pakistan - Occupied Kashmir
(POK)
The Indian Navy's Multilateral Milan 2010 exercise was held in Port Blair.
The conference of the Chief Ministers on internal Security was held in Delhi.
The West Bengal government announced a 10 per cent quota in jobs for the weaker
sections among Muslims under the OBC category.
The Andhra Pradesh High Court struck down the four per cent reservation provided by the
State government to selected sections of Muslims in education and public employment.
The Sustainable Development Summit, organised by the Energy and Research Institute was
held in Delhi. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh addressed
All the judges of the Delhi High Court led by Chief Justice A.P. Shah made their assets and
investments public by uploading the details on the court's website.
The Ministries of Health and Family Welfare and Railways signed a Memorandum of
Understanding (MoU) for developing health care infrastructure along the railway network
across the country.
The Government of India constituted a five - member committee headed by the former
Supreme Court Judge, Justice B.N. Sri Krishna to hold wide ranging consultations with all
sections of the people and all political parties and groups in Andhra Pradesh. The other
members of the committee are: Professor (Dr.) Ranbir Singh, Vice.Chancellor, National Law
University, Delhi; Dr. Abusaleh Shariff, Senior Research fellow, International Food Policy
research institute, Delhi; Dr (Ms.) Ravinder kaur, Professor, Departmentof Humanities and social
sciences. IIT Delhi; and Vinod K.Duggal, former home secretary.
The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, MNREGS Sammelan
2010 was held in New Delhi.
Defence Minister A.K.Antony announced that
1. The Indian Air Force has decided to procure 750 Akash missile systems fromBharat
Electronics Limited (BEL) at a cost of about Rs 4,000 crore.
2. The cabinet committee on security had cleared a proposal to sanction Rs. 8,000 crore
for further development of the indigenously built Light Combat Aircraft (LCA)
.:: January 2010 National Affairs ::.
There were atleast 199,132 farmer suicides between 1997-2008, according to the National
Crime Records Bureau (NCRB).
The share of the Big 5 states or 'suicide belt' in 2008- Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka,
Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh remained very high at 10,797 or 66.6 percent of the total
farm suicides in the country. Maharashtra remains the worst state in the nation for farm
suicides.
The brightest and biggest full moon of 2010 will be seen on Saturday. It will be around 15
per cent bigger and 30 per cent brighter than other full moons during the year.
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs approved the National Tobacco Control
Programme to facilitate the implementation of tobacco control laws and to bring about greater
awareness of tobacco's harmful effects. The programme will be implemented in the remaining
years of XI plan in 42 districts of the 21 states within the National Rural Health Mission
framework with financial outlay of Rs. 182 crore, from 2010 - 2011.
The 16th Edition of the Partnership Summit 2010 was held in Chennai, organised by the
confederation of Indian Industry.
The Environment Ministers meeting of the BASIC Countries (Brazil, South Africa, India and
China) was held in New Delhi.
A currency issued by Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose's Bank of Independence has been made
public in Bhopal on the eve of his 103rd birth anniversary.
The Andhra Pradesh government signed three agreements with the world bank to receive
loan assistance of Rs 3, 720 crore to fund three projects taken up at a cost of Rs 5699 crore to
develop roads, provide safe drinking water and improve infrastructure in urban areas. This is
the largest loan amount availed of from the bank in recent times, as the bank's share for the
Rs. 4,444 - Crore Nagarjuna Sagar modernization project is only Rs. 2,500 crore.
Rajya Sabha Chairman Hamid Ansari Constituted a three - member committee headed by
supreme court judge V.S. Sirpurkar, that will investigate the grounds forimpeachment of
karnataka chief - Justice P.D.Dinakaran whose removal from office has been sought jointly
by 75 Opposition members in the Rajya Sabha on corruption and land - grabbing charges.
Justice A.R.Dave, cheif Justice of the Andhra Pradesh High court and eminent Jurist P.P.Rao are
the other members of the panel.
President Pratibha Patil released a commemorative postage stamp at a function to mark the
platinum jubilee celebration of the Reserve Bank of India.
The Andhra Pradesh Government unveiled a Rs. 10 crore plan to develop Kondaveedu fort as
a major tourist destination in Guntur district.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh launched ''Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission
(JNNSM) at the Solar Energy Conclave 2010, New Delhi.
The Key high lights of JNNSM:
To create an enabling policy frame work for the deployment of 20,000MW of Solar power by
2022.
To create favourable conditions for solar manufacturing capability for indigenous production
and market leadership.
To promote programmes for off grid applications, reaching 1000 MW by 2017 and 2000 MW by
2022.
To achieve 15 million sq-meters solar thermal collector area by 2017 and 20 million by 2022.
To deploy 20 million solar lighting systems for rural areas by 2022.
A boatload of sky watchers set sail from Kochi for the Maldives on board the MV Aquamarine,
the country’s first eclipse cruise, to chase the Ring of Fire or the millennium’s longest annular
solar eclipse.
Union Environment and Forests minister Jairam Ramesh announced a Rs. 200 crore grant for
the Sunderbans, the world’s largest mangrove biosphere as part of the World
Bank'sIntegrated Coastal Zone Management Project.
The govt. announced that the state-run oil firms will start supplying Euro-IV grade petrol and
diesel in 13 big cities from April 1st, 2010.
A Bench of the Delhi High Court, comprising Chief Justice A.P. Shah and Justices Vikramjit Sen
and S.Muralidhar held that the office of the Chief Justice of India (CJI) is a "public
authority" and comes within the ambit of the Right to Information (RTI) Act and it is bound to
provide information about the declaration of asset details by Supreme Court judges.
Kite fliers from across 34 countries are expected to participate during the International Kite
Festival in Ahmedabad.
President Pratibha Patil delivering the valedictory address at the Pravasi Bhartiya Diwas (Jan,
9) on the day Mahatma Gandhi returned to India in 1915, pointed out that: Overseas Indian's
estimated at over 250 lakhs had come to be recognised as the "Knowledge Diaspora". India's
remittances from Overseas Indians estimated at over $ 50 billion last year are the highest in
the world.Of these about $ 20 billion comes from Overseas Indian workers in the Gulf consisting
of temporary contracted skilled and semi-skilled workers.
» Economic Affairs
.:: August 2010 Economy ::.
The Andhra Pradesh Government signed the concession agreement with L&T Hyderabad
Metro Rail Pvt. Ltd for the development of the Hyderabad Metro Rail project in the public-
private partnership (PPP) mode.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh laid the foundation stone for the much-awaited Rs 6,000
crore BHEL-NTPS power plant manufacturing project at Mannavaram, near Tirupati. Once
completed by the year 2014-15, the BHEL-NTPC joint venture project will manufacture power
plant equipment and would have capabilities to produce equipment required for generation of
5,000 mw power annually.
.:: August 2010 Economy ::.
Microfinance Institutions Network (MFIN), a self-regulatory organization of microfinance
institutions (MFIs) in India, has decided to set up seven task forces to monitor and manage the
MFIs and look into credit bureau, transparency, code of conduct, human resource development,
policy issues, product diversification and media relations.
The parliament passed the State Bank of India (Amendment) Bill providing for reduction of
government equity to 51 per cent from a minimum of 55 per cent. With the passing of this Bill,
the State Bank of India will raise fresh funds from the capital market.
The RBI has hiked the repo rate by 0.25 percentage points to 5.75 per cent and thereverse
repo rate by 0.50 percentage point to 4.50 per cent. The repo rate is the rate at which the
central bank lends to banks while the reverse repo is the rate it pays to banks for parking funds
with it.
.:: July 2010 Economy ::.
The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas signed a memorandum of understanding
(MoU) with the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) to facilitate close
coordination and cooperation on the latter's ambitious AADHAR project, which is primarily aimed
at curbing pilferage of PDS kerosene and domestic LPG.As per the MoU, oil marketing companies
IOCL, BPCL and HPCL will act as registrars for the UIDAI on behalf of the Ministry for
implementation of the project.
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) hiked its short-term indicative lending rate by 25 basis points
from 5.5 per cent to 5.75 per cent and borrowing rate by 50 basis points from 4 per cent to
4.50 per cent.
The world's largest farmers cooperative, Indian Farmers Fertiliser Co-Operative
Limited (IFFCO), said it was negotiating with two global players for setting up an integrated
dairy in its upcoming food processing special economic zone (SEZ) in Nellore.
The NDC approved the mid-term appraisal of the 11th Plan, scaling down the annual average
growth target to 8.1 per cent from 9 per cent targeted earlier.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh announced the sub-committee of the National
Development Council (NDC) to go “into the complex challenges of urbanisation.” The sub-
committee would be headed by Union Urban Development Minister S Jaipal Reddy.
The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) said India would emerge
as the third largest recipient of foreign direct investment (FDI) for the three-year period
ending 2012.
Three Indian projects KG-D6, an integrated gas infrastructure projects , the 4,000 MWMundra
plant and Indira Gandhi International Airport, Delhi have been featured in Global consultancy
firm KPMG's infrastructure 100 global project report.
The Takeover Regulations Advisory Committee, constituted under the Chairmanship ofC.
Achuthan, submitted its report to C. B. Bhave, Chairman, Securities and Exchange Board of
India (SEBI).
The Union Cabinet approved a unique symbol designed by Bombay IIT post-graduate D. Udaya
Kumar with a blend of the Devanagari ‘Ra' and Roman ‘R' to give a distinctive character and
identity to the Indian currency .
The State Bank of India and the State General Reserve Fund (SGRF) of Oman signed an
agreement to set up a joint investment fund with an initial corpus of $100 million. The India
Oman Joint Investment Fund shall aim at making equity investments in various sectors of the
Indian economy.
Eight Indian companies have made into the list of the world's 500 largest companies
compiled by Fortune magazine. IOC has the highest rank of 125 among the featured Indian
companies, followed by RIL at the 175th spot, SBI (282), BPCL (307), HPCL (354), Tata Steel
(410), ONGC (413) and Tata Motors (442).
According to a business survey conducted by Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of
India (Assocham).Tamil Nadu Gujarat and Maharashtra are the top three preferred
investment destinations in India.
.:: June 2010 Economy ::.
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) recommended that the foreign investment
limit for broadcast carriage services such as DTH, IPTV, Mobile TV, HITS, Teleport and MSOs,
which are upgrading to digital and addressable environment, may be raised to 74 per cent. The
existing limit for most of these services is 49 per cent.
The Reliance Communications (RCom) and its subsidiary, Reliance Infratel, have entered
into a Rs.50,000-crore deal with GTL Infrastructure to create the world's largest independent
telecom infrastructure company.
The Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) and Anil Ambani-led Reliance Natural
Resources Ltd (RNRL) signed a revised gas supply agreement as per the directions of the
Supreme Court.
According to a United Nations report on the Millennium Development Goals for 2010,
India is expected to reduce its poverty rate from 51 per cent in 1990 to 24 per cent in 2015.
The Central Government made it clear that unit linked insurance products (ULIPs) will be
regulated by the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority (IRDA). This puts an
end to a two-month-long turf war between the Insurance Regulatory and Development
Authority (IRDA) and the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI).
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs headed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh
approved for the disinvestment of 10 per cent each in Coal India Ltd. (CIL) and Hindustan
Copper Ltd (HCL). The move would likely to generate about Rs.16,000 crore for the
government.
During the two-day Global Investors Meet in Bangalore, the Karnataka Government has
signed as many as 361 memorandums of understanding (MoUs) with investors for a total
investment of Rs. 4 lakh crore.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh while releasing the UPA government's Report to the People
2009-10, said that the govt had decided to set up a National Social Security Fund for
workers in the unorganised sector which would cover weavers, toddy tappers, rickshaw
pullers and bidi workers with an initial allocation of Rs. 1000 crore.
The Petroleum and Natural Gas Ministry has given freedom to the state-run Oil and Natural Gas
Corporation (ONGC) and Oil India Limited (OIL) to price the natural gas produced by them
at market rates.
.:: May 2010 Economy ::.
During the first meeting of the newly constituted Prime Minister's Council on Trade and
Industry Dr. Manmohan Singh reviewed the state of economy with Mr. Tata, Mr. Ambani, Azim
Premji, Sunil Bharti Mittal, Swati Piramal, Chanda Kocchar, Deepak Parekh, Kesab Mahindra and
Kiran Majumdar Shaw and asked them to form sub-groups on food security, public-private-
partnership, backward area development and corporate social responsibility.
The Central Government has granted ‘Maharatna' status to four giant public sector
undertakings (PSUs) — NTPC, Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC), Indian Oil
Corporation (IOC) and Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL).
The Bank of Rajasthan, one of the oldest private sector banks in the country announced that
it would merge with the ICICI Bank.
According to the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), the 3G mobile license spectrum
auction generated Rs. 67,710 crore for the government. Reliance Communications
bagged the highest number of 13 circles followed by Bharti Airtel 12, Idea 11 and Tata and
Vodafone nine each.
The government decided to set up a Pharmacopoeia Commission in Ghaziabad at a cost of
Rs. 14.08 crore for developing indigenous medicines with the aim of raising the country's share
in the $62-billion global herbal drug market.
The Reserve Bank of India allowed infrastructure finance companies (IFCs) to raise money from
overseas markets up to 50 per cent of their owned funds automatically.
NTPC-BHEL Power Projects Ltd. (NBPPL) signed an agreement with its equal joint venture
partners NTPC and BHEL to meet the target of order bookings worth Rs.7,000-crore in the
current financial year. NBPPL has been jointly set up by NTPC and BHEL for capacity building in
manufacturing of power plant equipment.
:: April 2010 Economy ::.
The Central Government said that ICICI Bank and HDFC Bank could not be called Indian-
owned banks. According to Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) Secretary R.
P. Singh,”At best, the two can be called Indian-controlled banks.” ICICI Bank and HDFC Bank
have over 74 per cent foreign holding, including that of foreign banks and overseas institutional
investors.
According to the 13th Finance Commission report, the Transmission & Distribution losses
were about Rs.40,000 crore in 2009-10 which would swell to Rs.68,000 in the current fiscal.
The Planning Commission was trying to set up an expert committee to find out the causes for
such losses and to know the financial status of the distribution companies.
Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) and NTPC entered into a joint
venture agreement (JVA) to set up nuclear power projects in the country.
The Planning Commission announced the setting up of an 18-member expert committee headed
by Prime Minister's Economic Advisory Council Chairman C. Rangarajan to recommend
measures for efficient management of public expenditure.
The Union Cabinet approved a capital infusion of Rs.15,000 crore in Tier I capital
instruments of the public sector banks (PSBs) during the current fiscal to facilitate an
increase in their lending capacity by about Rs.1.85 lakh crore.
NTPC announced that it was exploring the possibility of setting up two coal-based thermal power
plants in Kazakhstan,which has huge coal reserves of about 33 billion tonnes. NTPC's total coal
requirement for the current financial year (2010-11) is about 145-150 million tonnes, of which
the company is planning to import 14 million tonnes.
The government would earn up to Rs. 45,000 crore from the auction of 3G and broadband
spectrum.
As said by Communications and Information Technology Minister A. Raja, the Telecom
Commission, the policy-making arm of the Department of Telecommunications, will soon take up
the issue of disinvestment in the Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited. The Sam Pitroda Committee
had recommended 30 per cent disinvestment in BSNL, besides offering voluntary retirement
scheme to 1 lakh employees, to improve the financial health of the organisation.
The Reserve Bank of India hiked the short-term indicative borrowing and lending rates — repo
and reverse repo and the mandatory Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR) of banks by 25 basis points each.
The Government has accepted the Tendulkar Committee Report to adopt a new poverty line to
identify poor. The new standards of the Planning Commission would consider more parameters
than only the sufficient food basket for assessing poverty. Earlier a family was called poor if did
not have the required income to buy sufficient food containing a minimum number of calories
(2100 for urban areas and 2400 for rural areas) per day. Now, the minimum income required to
rise above the poverty line, apart from food, would also depend on expenditure on education
and health. The new poverty estimate would not change the urban poverty figure but for rural
India, the number of poor would increase from 28.3 per cent to 41.8 per cent. As many as 372
million Indians will be categorized as poor.
BGR Energy Systems has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Orissa
Government for setting up a 1,320 MW (2 × 660) power plant at Bhapur in Nayagarh
district, Orissa, at an investment of about Rs. 6,287 crore.
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs approved financial support of Rs. 282.25 crore
to the Indian Maritime University (IMU), Chennai, to meet capital expenditure and
recurring deficit.
Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) banned Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in
cigarette manufacturing.
The UN Agency UNFC & CC (UNFCCC) issued the first set of certified emission reduction
(CER) to the ONGC from its first registered CDM (clean development mechanism) project,the
waste heat recovery project at Mumbai High. With this, ONGC is to earn green revenue from
CDM projects.
Union Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma released the final document of FDI
Policy Framework that would comprise the single document on FDI policy and mark the
inception of a whole new chapter on FDI policy.
The government of India is drawing up ambitious plans to set up a ‘Sovereign Fund'that would
help its state-run companies pursue acquisition of oil, gas, coal, LNG and other raw material in
other countries in order to compete with China which has $2.4 trillion of reserves and a $300-
billion sovereign fund. It has outpaced India in the global quest for resources. Chinese
companies spent a record $32 billion last year buying oil, coal and metal assets abroad, while a
$2.1-billion investment by OVL was India's sole energy acquisition.
Four major public sector undertaking (PSU) companies — Indian Oil Corporation (IOC), NTPC,
Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL) and Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) — are aiming
for the ‘Maharatna' status and have made presentations before the inter-ministerial committee
(IMC) making a claim for the status seeking more autonomy in decision-making and financial
investments.
The government of India indicated that it would soon put in place the Financial Stability and
Development Council (FSDC) to plug the regulatory gaps and loopholes generated recently
by the controversy surrounding the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) and the
Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDA) over administration of unit
linked insurance plans (ULIPs).
.:: March 2010 Economy ::.
AP’s per capita income for the financial year 2009-10 was Rs. 43, 556. It is 6.49% more
when compared to 2008-09 (Rs. 40, 902.). The GSDP was 7.76% for the financial year 2009-10.
Vizag steel plant was given Navaratna stature by the central government. The company
authorities need not take permission from the government up to Rs. 1000 crore investment.
The Seed processing plant under the Seed Business Incubation (SBI) initiative run by the
farmers in partnership with International Crops Research Station for Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT)
and Aakruthi Agricultural Associates of India (AAAI) is launched atUravakonda in
Anantapur district. This is first-of-its-kind in the country where ICRIST and a private
organisation came forward for establishing an innovative Public Private Partnership-based seed
system.
Coal India Ltd (CIL) is keen to join a consortium of companies comprising GAIL (India) and
Rashtriya Chemicals and Fertilizers (RCF) to launch a coal gasification project at the now
closed Talcher unit of the Fertilizer Corporation of India (FCI), which will enable CIL to source
one-third of its requirement of an explosive it now has to procure from outside. A mine with a
reserve of 5.5 million tonnes has been earmarked for this venture. The output of this mine would
yield 3.7 million tonnes of coal annually which would have 30 per cent less ash content and
could be gasified.
Having set an export target of $200 billion in 2008-09, India ended the fiscal year with$185
billion on account of the shrinking markets following the global meltdown.
The Planning Commission scaled down the 11th Plan growth target to 8.1 per cent from an
average annual growth of 9 per cent pegged earlier.
Planning Commission deputy chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia said, investment in
theinfrastructure sector in the Eleventh Five-Year Plan (2007-12) would be very close to the
target of $500 billion, primarily due to better show by the telecom sector. On growth prospects
during the Eleventh Plan, he said it was likely to be 8.5% in the 2010-11 fiscal and 9% during
2011-12.
State Bank of India (SBI) opened the 1,000th branch and 10,000th ATM in Mumbai. With
this, SBI now has 12,448 branches and over 21,000 ATMs.
The Reserve Bank of India has raised the repo and reverse repo rates (short - term rates at
which the RBI lends and borrows from banks) by 25 basis points to 5 percent and 3.5 percent
respectively.
Credit rating agency Standard & Poor's (S & P) pegged India's overall growth rate at 8
percent for 2011 - 12. S&P raised India's sovereign rating outlook to 'stable' from 'negative'
even as it cautioned that the high rate of inflation at nearly 10 percent could upset the country's
stable macro economic and interest rate environment.
The Central Government will set up a Central Food Security Fund to compensate the Below
poverty Line (BPL) beneficiaries of the Targeted Public Distribution system (TPDS) who fail to get
the proposed mandatory 25 kg of wheat or rice per family a month at a subsidised rate of Rs. 3 a
kg.
National Fertilizers Ltd (NFL) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the
Department of Fertilizers where the company has set a production target of 32.31 lakh tonnes of
urea for 2010-11.
The National Stock Exchange of India (NSE) and the Chicago Mercantile Exchange
(CME) Group entered into a memorandum of understanding with respect to cross-listing
arrangements, development and distribution of financial products and services.
Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee moved the State Bank of India (Amendment) Bill, 2010
in the Lok Sabha which reduces Centre's shareholding in State Bank of India (SBI) from 55
percent to 51 percent and allows the bank to raise more capital from the market through
preference shares.
Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee with RBI Governor D. Subba Rao unveiled a plaque at
RBI head quarters to mark the Central Bank's Platinum Jubilee celebrationsin Mumbai.
The Reserve Bank of India deferred the implementation of the Base Rate regime by three
months to July 1 and also exempted three categories of loans from the new system. The RBI
decided to replace the current benchmark prime lending rate system with the Base Rate to
increase transparency in lending at much lower rates than their benchmark lending rates to new
customers.
Italian helicopter manufacturer Agusta Westland and Tata Motors which recently signed
joint venture for setting up a final assembly unit of AW 119 have finalised Hyderabad as location
for the proposed unit.
Kobelco Group of Japan is setting up an equipment machinery facility at the multi -
product Special Economic Zone (SEZ) of Sri City at Tada in Andhra Pradesh.
Governor E.S.L. Narasimhan launched the 3G mobile services of Bharat Sanchar Nigam
Limited (BSNL) covering 29 cities and towns in Andhra Pradesh.
Eurocopter, world's leading helicopter manufactures announced that it would form ventures
with Pawan Hans Helicopters for maintenance repair and overhaul (MRO) and training
facilities either in Mumbai or Delhi. The MOUs for the two proposals would be signed during the
three - day, 'India Aviation - 2010' beginning at the Begumpet Airport in Hyderabad.
.:: February 2010 Economy ::.
Highlights of 2010/11 budget
Need to review stimulus
Challenge to return to 9% growth, then double-digit
Final FY10 GDP figure maybe higher than estimate of 7.2%
Need to move towards fiscal consolidation
Fiscal deficit seen at 6.9 pct of GDP in 2009/10
Fiscal deficit seen at 5.5 pct of GDP in 2010/11 (Reuters poll 5.6 pct)
Fiscal deficit seen at 4.8 pct of GDP in 2011/12; 4.1 pct in 2012/13
Total expenditure in 2010/11 11.87 trillion rupees (USD 256.75 billion)
2009/10 revised estimate for tax collection 7.47 trillion rupees (USD 161.58 billion) Need to
review public spending
Roadmap within six months to cut public debt
Government will be in a position to implement direct tax code from April 2011
Aims to introduce GST in April 2011
Since December have been signs food prices pressures transmitting to non-food items.
Government to simplify FDI policy
In one of the biggest recalls recorded in the Indian automobile industry, leading car maker
Maruti Suzuki India announced that it had recalled nearly one lakh 'A - Star' cars, the company's
flagship export model, to replace a faulty fuel pump gasket.
The recommendations of the Thirteenth Finance Commission, headed by Vijay Kelkar
are:
Asked the government to extend specific grants such as Rs. 24,000 crore for elementary
education and 15,000 crore for environment.
Suggested the government earmark 87,000 crore exclusively for local bodies.
Targeted the fiscal deficit at 3 percent by 2013 - 14 for the current level of 6.8 percent and the
elimination of revenue deficit b y 2013 - 14 from the current level of 4.8 percent this fiscal.
The States would get 32 percent of its tax revenue along with Rs 3.19 lakh crore as grant for the
next five fiscal years (2010 - 15)
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has cleared a proposal made by the state Government of
Andhra Pradesh to give loans upto Rs 1 crore to SC/ST entrepreneurs with out collateral security
to encourage them as industrialists.
13th Finance commission recommendations for the state of Andhra Pradesh:
The State was likely to get Rs 1 lakh crore as its share in Central taxes and another Rs. 13,802
crore as grants - in - aid over the next five year period.
The divisible pool of Central taxes had been increased from 30.5 percent to 32 percent of which
the state's share was 6.93 percent.
Economic survey 2009-10 tabled by Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee in the Lok
Sabha: -
Projection of GDP expansion - 8.75 Percent growth in 2010–11- 9 Percent growth in 2011-11
2008-09 2009-10GDP Growth 6.7* 7.2**Industrial Growth 2.6 8.6*Forex Reserves $ 252 billion $ 283.5 billionFood grainsProduction 230.8 Million tonnes 233.9* Million tonnesGross FiscalDeficit 5.9* percent of GDP 6.58 percent GDP* - Quick estimates ** - Advance Estimates
Andhra Pradesh was the first state to get the centre's approval for setting up thePetroleum,
Chemicals and Petro Chemicals Investment Region (PCPIR) proposed between
Visakhapatnam and Kakinada, as said by the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh.
Economic Advisory council to the Prime Minister under the Chairmanship of C. Rangarajan
released the ''Review of the Economy 2009-10''. It suggested that the Government have to
initiate fiscal consolidation in the coming fiscal year (2010 - 11) to ensure fiscal sustainability,
enable greater flexibility in monetary policy calibration, contain interest in payments and to
avoid upward pressure on interest rates and to curtail the expansion of the base of service tax in
Government's expenditure.
A World Class Seed Vault has been established on the Siachen Glacier to preserve India's
biological wealth for future generations. The vault, which has a natural temperature between –
20 and –40 Celsius, will hold samples of rice, pulses, peas and beans and can be used for
building food programmes across the nation.
Tata Sons and Italian defence major Agusta Westland signed an agreement for formation
of a joint venture company, which will establish a final assembly line for AW-119 helicopters for
the Indian army and the global market. The AW-119 has been offered to India by Agusta for
army's requirement for 197 choppers to replace its ageing fleet of Cheetah and Chetak light
helicopters.
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) issued a notification introducing a new category of Non -
Banking Finance Companies (NBFCs) as "Infrastructure Finance Companies(IFCs)'' with a
view to encouraging larger flow of funds to infrastructure. The existing categories of NBFCs are
Asset Finance Companies (AFCs), Loan Companies (LCs) and Investment Companies (ICs)
India's IT - BPO market (including exports) could touch $285 billion in 2020, said the report
prepared by KPMG and ASOCIO (Asian Oceanian Computing Industry Organisation).
The Union Cabinet liberalised the Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) policy further by allowing
the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) to clear proposals from overseas entities worth
up to Rs.1,200 Crore, against the existing limit of Rs.600Crore.
World's largest manufacturer and marketer of fertilizers in the cooperative sector, Indian
Farmers Fertilizer Cooperative (IFFCO) announced a strategic alliance with Canadian
Company Grow Max Agri Corp to make its foray into Potash Project and Oil and gas
exploration.
East India company, the trading company with a 400 - year history will soon open outlets to
sell tea, coffee, spices and fabrics. It was bought in 2004 by Indian - Origin businessman Sanjiv
Mehta.
The Central Statistical Organisation in its advance estimates pegged economic growth at
7.2 percent in 2009-10. It was higher than 6.7 percent recorded a year ago.
The Securities and exchange board of India (SEBI) has constituted a committee headed by
former Reserve Bank of India Governor Bimal Jalan to review the structures of the stock
exchanges as their role as self - regulatory bodies and functions as profit entities are sometimes
conflicting in nature. The committee may also look into the listing-related matters of the stock
exchanges.
GAIL (India) has been shortlisted as one of the 15 companies having qualified for the ambitions
$30 billion National Gas Master Development Plan and its implementation in Nigeria.
The National Mission on Enhanced Energy Efficiency would soon be launched to unlock the
$15 - billion energy efficiency market. The initiate would reduce carbon emissions by almost 99
million tonnes.
A Report of the Export Group on "A Viable and sustainble system of pricing of petroleum
products'' headed by Kirit.S.Parikh was submitted. The recommendations of the committee
are
1. Complete decontrol of the petrol and diesel prices.
2. Hike of Rs. 100 per domestic LPG cylinder and an increase of Rs. 6 for liter kerosene
.:: January 2010 Economy ::.
Prime Ministers Manmohan Singh received the report of the task force on micro, small and
medium enterprises (MSME) headed by T.K.A.Nair.
Recommendations of the task force are:
1. Changes in polices to help growth of the sector
2. Roadmap for the development and promotion of the sector
3. In setting up of appropriate legal and regulatory structures to create a conducive
environment for entrepreneurship and growth of MSMEs.
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) hiked the Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR) — the portion of
deposits that commercial banks are required to keep with the central bank — by 75 basis points
from 5 per cent to 5.75 per cent.
The CRR increase would be in two stages: the first stage of increase of 50 basis points will be
effective the fortnight beginning February 13, 2010 followed by the next stage of increase of 25
basis points effective the fortnight beginning February 27, 2010.
National Aluminium Company Limited (NALCO) announced its plan to setup mines and
refinery project in visakhapatnam, AndhraPradesh at a cost of $1.2 billion and the smelter
and a captive power plant with a cost of 16,350 crore in Brajrajnagar in Tharsiguda district,
Orissa.
Country's largest iron ore miner NMDC and the world's premier diamond producer De
Beers found traces of diamond deposits in kalahandi, Nawaranpur, Nuapada and Bolangir
dists of Orissa and in kurnool, Prakasam and Anantpur districts of Andhrapradesh.
The Union Cabinet approved ONGC Videsh Limited's (OVL) proposal to invest $359 million
(Rs. 1,651 crore) for oil exploration in two deep-sea blocks in Nigeria over the next five years.
OVL is the over seas investment arm of state-run Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC).
The Union Finance Ministry agreed to release over 12,000 crore in cash to loss making state-
run oil companies to cover for losses in the current fiscal. The projected loss of IOC, BPCL and
HPCL on the sale of domestic LPG and kerosene below cost is Rs. 29,405 crore. Another 12,000
crore loss is projected on petrol and diesel.
National Textile Corporation Limited (NTC) inaugurated three "revival-cum-modernisation"
textile mills, Tata Mills, Podar mills and the India United Mill no.5 with a capital outlay of Rs. 130
crore.
The Asian development Bank (ADB) had Sanctioned $150 million aid for the Khadi and village
Industries commission (KVIC).
ONGC petro - Additions, a joint venture firm promoted by ONGC, plans to set up a
grassroots Integrated Petro Chemical Complex at a cost of Rs 13,000 crore at Dahej in
Gujarat.
Bharti Airtel, India's leading telecom services provider said it had agreed to acquire a 70%
stake in Warid Telecom, Bangladesh, currently a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Dhabi Group
and will make a fresh investment of $ 300 million to expand the operations of Warid Telecom.
The Union Cabinet approved the proposal of the U.S-based soft drinks major, Pepsico
Holdings Pvt. Ltd to inject additional equity of $ 200 million (around Rs. 930 crore) into its
Indian arm within three years. With this Pepsico's total FDI into the country reaches $ 655
million.
» Science and Technology
.:: September 2010 Science & Technology ::.
India test-fired the supersonic BrahMos cruise missile, which has a range of 290 kms, from
the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Chandipur off the Orissa coast. The Brahmos-II, a result of an
Indo-Russian joint venture, can be potentially used for surgical strikes, including at terror
camps, without causing collateral damage. It can carry conventional warheads up to 300 kg
and effectively engage ground targets from an altitude of just 10 metres. The missile can travel
at three times the speed of sound.
The 13 computer cabinets containing the Tianhe-1, China's first domestically-made petaflop
supercomputer, have been installed and it is scheduled to begin system debugging and testing
in September, according to the National Supercomputing Center in Tianjin.
.:: August 2010 Science & Technology ::.
Amanjot Singh and Sahil Wadhwa, both students of Ryan International in
Rohini(Delhi)discovered the main belt asteroid named 2010 PO24. This is the first time an
asteroid has been spotted by any school in the country.
The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) is building a new test range in
Chitradurga district in Karnataka for its aeronautics missions for flight-testing sophisticated
unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), air-to-ground weapons, huge parachutes, Light Combat Aircraft
Tejas, aerostats and also for testing electronic warfare systems. The DRDO already has an Integrated
Test Range (ITR) at Chandipur-on-sea, near Balasore, Orissa, from where different missiles are flight-
tested.
.:: July 2010 Science & Technology ::.
On part of the initial phase of a robust Ballistic Missile Defence (BMD) shield by 2012 , a
supersonic interceptor missile, Advanced Air Defence (AAD), brought down an incoming
“enemy” ballistic missile (a modified Prithvi) of 2,000 km range, at an altitude of 15 km over
the Bay of Bengal giving a boost to Indian missile defence system.
The Indian Space Research Organisation's (ISRO) Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-
C15) put five satellites in their precise orbit. The five satellites launched were:
a. ISRO's 694-kg Cartosat-2B.
b. 116-kg Alsat-2A of Algeria.
c. 6.5-kg nano satellite, named NLS 6.1AISSAT-1 of the Space Flight Laboratory of the
University of Toronto, Canada.
d. One-kg nano satellite NLS 6.2 TISAT-1, built by the University of Applied Science
Sciences of Switzerland.
e. Tiny Studsat, built by 35 students of seven engineering colleges in Karnataka and
Andhra Pradesh.
The Indian Navy launched the Golden Jubilee celebrations of its frontline Sea Harrier (White
Tiger) squadron INAS 300 at Goa.
Vostok-2010, the largest war games ever was staged in the Russian Far East by Russia
bordering China and Mongolia.
India's first indigenous Light Combat Aircraft (LCA), designed specifically for the Navy rolled
out from the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) facility in Bangalore.
The first night trial of indigenously developed, beyond visual range air-to-air missile‘Astra' was
test-fired from the Integrated Test Range complex at Chandipur.
According to Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL), the public
sector defence production unit, will set up two missile manufacturing units in Andhra
Pradesh, one in Bhagayat village of Ibrahimpatnam in Ranga Reddy district and the other in
Kambalapalli village in Anantapur district.
:: June 2010 Science & Technology ::.
Andhra Pradesh Governor E.S.L. Narasimhan launched two water jet-propelled fast attack
craft, INS Cankarso and INS Kondul for the Indian Navy in Vishakapatnam.
The medium range surface-to-surface Prithvi-II ballistic missile capable of carrying nuclear
warheads was successfully test-fired from the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Chandipur, off the
Orissa coast.
The Cabinet approved a proposal of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) for
setting up an academy of scientific and innovative research that will offer instruction and
degrees in the frontier areas of science and technology.
India launched its first indigenously manufactured anti-influenza vaccine, Vaxiflu-
Smanufactured by Zydus-Cadila Healthcare that will protect people against the A (H1N1) flu.
:: May 2010 Science & Technology ::.
The first indigenously built Light Combat Helicopter (LCH), designed and developed by
the Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL), made its inaugural flight in Bangalore.
Japan successfully launched the H—IIA rocket, a Venus probe from the Tanegashima space
centre in southern Japan.
The team of scientists from Spain cloned a fighting bull named Got for the first time.
U.S. geneticist Craig Venter and his team have built the genome of a bacterium and
incorporated it into a cell to make what they call the world's first synthetic life form in an
experiment that paves the way for designer organisms that are built rather than evolved.
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration of America, the year 2010
is turning out to be the warmest ever in recorded history and April was the warmest
individual month ever.
Agni-II surface-to-surface ballistic missile was successfully flight-tested from the Wheeler
Island off the Orissa coast. The intermediate range missile can carry nuclear weapons and has a
range of more than 2000 km.
The 3rd inshore patrol vessel of the five series of vessels being built by Hindustan Shipyard Ltd
was launched in Vizag. The vessel was named as Rani Durgavati.
The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) has set up a committee headed by K.
Kasturirangan to study the capability of the National Aerospace Laboratory (NAL) to build civil
aircraft.
Microsoft Corporation launched its latest software Office 2010, SharePoint 2010, Visio
2010 and Project 2010 for business customers, unified productivity experience across
computers, web and mobile.
The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) submitted a proposal to the Union
government to set up an Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research that will primarily
focus on research on areas that are not taught in regular academic universities.
According to the Asiatic Lion census-2010, the population of Asiatic Lions in the Gir forest in
Gujarat's Saurashtra region, the only abode of the animals in the world, has grown by 13
percent to 411. The last count, taken in 2005, was 359.
.:: April 2010 Science & Technology ::.
INS Shivalik, India's first indigenous stealth frigate, was commissioned at Mazagon Dock
Limited in Mumbai.
According to a report titled ‘Monitoring of Tigers and Prey Animals of Kaziranga National Park,'
released by Assam government, the Kaziranga National Park, famous for one-horned
rhino, has the highest density of tigers in the world.The density of tigers at Kaziranga is 32.64
tigers per 100 sq.km., the highest in any known tiger habitat.
The Hubble Space Telescope, named after the astronomer Edwin P. Hubble celebrated the
20th anniversary of its launch on April 24 into low-Earth orbit.
According to Human Resources Development, the second campus of the prestigiousIndian
Institute of Science (IISc) is likely to be set up in Anantapur district.
By a report of the global conservation group WWF, a lung less frog, a frog that flies and a slug
that shoots love darts are among 123 new species found in Borneo since 2007.
Central Rice Research Institute (CRRI), the premier rice research centre of the country here
has come up with at least 11 new high-yielding varieties of rice, five of which are
exclusively suitable for cultivation in Orissa.
M.M. Pallam Raju, Union Minister of State for Defence launched the country's first Anti
Submarine Warfare Corvette (ASWC) for the Indian Navy at the Garden Reach Shipbuilders &
Engineers (GRSE) Limited.
Communic Asia 2010, the most established information, communication and technology (ICT)
event in Asia, will be held in Singapore from 15 to 18 of June.
The Discovery space shuttle took off from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, for a 13-day
mission aboard the International Space Station (ISS). The shuttle, a multi-purpose logistics
module, carries three women-mission specialists — Dorothy Metcalf-Lindenburger,
Stephanie Wilson and Naoko Yamazaki. Astronaut Tracy Caldwell Dyson is already at
the space station and this mission will mark the first time that four women have been in space
at one time.
India's third indigenous naval destroyer, INS Chennai, built at the Mazagon Docks, was
launched by Defence Minister AK Antony's wife Elizabeth. This belongs to Project 15A. Brahmos
missile will be attached to this warship.
The Ministry of Home Affairs sanctioned two new zonal units for the Narcotics Control
Bureau (NCB) at Bangalore and Patna.
ISRO’S mission to put communication satellite GSAT-4 in orbit with Geo-synchronous
Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV-D3) suffered a setback with the indigenous cryogenic
engine failing to ignite and the vehicle tumbling into the sea. The cryogenic technology is
crucial to put heavy satellites in geo-synchronous transfer orbit at an altitude of 36,000 km.
ISRO had worked for more than 17 years to develop its own cryogenic engine. The earlier five
GSLV flights from 2001 to 2007 were powered by Russian cryogenic engines.
Indian scientists announced the first-ever detailed mapping of Mycobacterium
tuberculosis. The government's Open Source Drug Discovery (OSDD) initiative released the
results of its ‘Connect 2 Decode' (C2D) project to re-annotate the biological and genetic
information relating to the Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) genome.
The Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) has proposed a National Mission on Monsoontowards
developing reliable dynamic models for forecasting the monsoon over the next three to five-
year period through a multi-institutional effort. The mission will include aspects of short (up to 3
days) and medium-range (up to a week) predictions as well.
The Indian Navy has deployed INS Betwa with an armed helicopter and marine commando
team for anti-piracy patrol in the Gulf of Aden. INS Betwa, 16th Indian Navy ship deployed in
the area since October 2008, has replaced INS Beas.
.:: March 2010 Science & Technology ::.
Laser Guided Bombs (LGB) were successfully tested from integrated test range, Chandipur,
Orissa.
The $10-billion Large Hadron Collider at the European Organization for Nuclear Research, or
CERN, made high-energy collisions with proton beams crashing into each other at 7 trillion
electron volts (TeV) to reveal about the unanswered questions of particle physics, such as the
existence of antimatter and the search for the Higgs boson, a hypothetical particle that
scientists theorise gives mass to other particles and thus to other objects and creatures in the
universe.
Agni-I ballistic missile, with range of 700-km, was successfully test-fired from the Wheeler
Island off the Orissa coast.
The 11-metre long Dhanush, a ship-to-surface and ship-to-ship system and the 8.5-metre-
tall Prithvi-II, a surface-to-surface missile were successfully flight-tested. While Dhanush, a
naval variant of Prithvi, was launched first from INS Subhadhra, anchored near Balasore, off the
coast of Orissa, Prithvi-II was fired a few minutes later from Launch Complex-III at the
Integrated Test Range, Chandipur.
The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has developed adiagnostic kit
that can detect A(H1N1) virus in an hour. The kit does not need sophisticated instruments
and can be used in villages where electricity is not available. It uses a simple technique called
real-time loop amplification methodology (RT LAMP) to detect the A(H1N1) virus.
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs approved a $75 million project to help clean-
up four polluted sites in preparation to developing a National Plan for Rehabilitation of
Pollution Sites. The ‘Capacity Building for Industrial Pollution Management' project,
which is being sponsored by the World Bank, will work on four sites in Andhra Pradesh and West
Bengal over the next five years.
The vertical launch of Brahmos missile was successful with the super sonic cruise missile,
while lifted off vertically from naval destroyer INS Ranvir, punched a hole in a decommissioned
vessel 290 km away in the Bay of Bengal off the Orissa coast. This is the 22nd launch of
Brahmos, which has already been inducted into the Army and the Navy.
The state - of - the - art new generation Offshore Patrol Vessel (OPV) - ICGS 'Vishwast'was
inducted into the Indian Coast Guard (ICG). 'Vishwast' is an OPV indigenously designed in -
house and built by the Goa shipyard limited (GSL).
Iran launched Nasr 1 missiles capable of evading radar and destroying targets up to 1,000
tons in size.
The Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities in Jerusalem began exhibiting the 46-
page hand written document of Albert Einstein's ground breaking theory of relativityfor the
first time.
For the first time anywhere in the world, biotech agriculture giant Monsanto has admitted that
insects like pink bollworm pest have developed resistance to its Bt cotton crop.
The Indian Space Research organisation (ISRO) successfully flight - tested new –
generation The Advanced Technology Vehicle (ATV - DO1) at the spaceport in Srihari Kota.
The ATV - DO1, weighing three tonnes at lift - off, is the heaviest sounding rocket developed by
the ISRO.
The demonstration named "Vayu Shakti-2010" by the striker aircraft and helicopter gunships
against mock terrorist camps and other support structures was mounted by the IAF at the
Pokhran ranges in the Thar Desert, barely 100 km from Pakistan. President Pratibha Patil, the
three services chief and the top brass of the IAF witnessed the first everday-and-night fire
power demonstration of its kind.
.:: February 2010 Science & Technology ::.
The Arctic writer expedition of Indian researchers is expected to leave on March 20; will
spend one month at the International Arctic Research Base at Ny-Alesund, Norway. Coordinated
by the National Centre for Antarctic and Ocean Research, the expedition’s research areas
include phytoplankton productvity and modelling, the ice - binding proteins of algae, the
diversity of heterotrophic bacteria and their role in phosphorus cycling in the Arctic water and
sediment and atmoshpheric and weather - related aspects of the region.
A National Bureau of Forest Genetics is to be established in Dehra Dun under the Indian
Council for Forest Research and Education to protect India's diminishing forest resources.
The Environment Ministry has taken a decision to impose a moratorium on the release of
the transgenic brinjal hybrid developed by Mahyco, a subsidiary of global seed giant
Monsanto.
The launch of Agni-III, the two - stage, surface-to-surface ballistic missile from the Wheeler
Island off Orissa coast was a complete success. V.K.Saraswat, Scientific Adviser to the defence
Minister, called it ''a fantastic launch and a hatrick''. Agni - III missile has the longest range in
India's arsenal.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) declared 2009 the warmest year since 1901.
The Andhra Pradesh Government has opposed the Commercial release of Bt brinjal,relying on
a report submitted by the Vice - Chancellors of two principal agriculture institutions - Acharya
N.G. Ranga Agricultural University and AP Horticulture University.
Bt brinjal is a genetically - modified variety developed by Majesco by inserting a gene from
Bacillus Thuringiensis bacterium into the plant. Such insertion is claimed to give resistance to
two important hosts, fruit borer and shoot borer. The Genetic Engineering Approval Committee
of the Union Enviroment Ministry has approved it, but the Centre withheld its release pending
public consultations.
.:: January 2010 Science & Technology ::.
India conveyed its association with the Copenhagen Accord to the United Nations Framework
convention on climate change (UNFCCC) secretariat by pronouncing its domestic mitigation
actions to prevent climate change. India told the UNFCCC that it would endeavour to reduce
emissions intensity of its gross domestic product (GDP) by 20 - 25 percent by 2020 in
comparison to the 2005 levels.
India has clarified that the domestic mitigation actions will be entirely voluntary in nature and
will not have a legally binding character. The actions will not apply to the agriculture sector.
China's voluntary mitigation actions will be to the lowering of CO2 emissions per unit of GDP by
40 - 45 percent by 2020 compared to the 2005 levels. The US announced a 17% cut in the
greenhouse gas emissions from 2005 levels.
The cabinet committee on infrastructure accorded in principle approval for the establishment of
the National Knowledge Network (NKN) that would inter connects all knowledge
institutions. To be implemented by the National Informatics Centre (NIC) within next two years,
will connect around 1,500 institutions.
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) successfully tested the biggest and most
powerful rocket motor called S-200, powered by 200 tonnes of solid propellants in Sriharikota.
This test is a vital step in the development of ISRO's Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle
Mark-III (GSLV MK-III), which will put a satellite weighing four tonnes in orbit.
S-200 is the third biggest solid rocket motor in the world after the booster rocket of NASA's
space shuttle and that of Arianespace's Ariane-5 launch vehicle.
The Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) launched a total of 10 Rohini series indigenous
sounding rockets from the Thumba, Equatorial Rocket Launching Station and the Satish
Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota to investigate the effects of the longest annular solar
eclipse of this millennium.
A team of five, including the present and past students of the Indian Institute of Technology
Madras won a business competition plan in New York and is to setup shop in New York to
commercialize product called 'XEstor' which uses algorithms to store parameters and
interfaces with the grid, thereby powering large networks and reducing power loss.
The test flight of Astra, Beyond Visual-Range Air-to-Air Missile (BVRAAM) was successfully
carried out from the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Balasore, Orissa.M
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh while launching Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission, called
for creation of 'Solar Valleys' in India, akin to the Silicon Valley, as a contribution to the
national as well as global efforts at combating climate change.
» Awards
.:: September 2010 Awards ::.
Social activist Irom Sharmila, who has been on fast-unto-death for the past nine years
demanding withdrawal of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act 1958 from Manipur, has been
awarded ‘Rabindranath Tagore Peace Prize’
The savoured Haleem dish, a mouth-watering delicacy of Hyderabad, has been awarded the
coveted Geographical Indication (GI) status.
Veteran film maker D. Ramanaidu has been selected for the prestigious Dadasaheb Phalke
Award 2009. The award, which includes a cash prize of Rs. 10 lakh, will be presented at the
National Film Awards event in October. The other recepients from Telugu film industry were BN
Reddy, LV Prasad, B Nagi Reddy, A Nageswara Rao.
The famous writer Kaluvakolanu Sadananda was conferred with Sahitya Academy Award for
his novel Adavithalli.
62nd Prime Time Emmy awards were presented in Los Angeles. Best Actor was won by
Bryan Cranton and best actress to Kyra Sedgwick. Best supporting actress was won by Archie
Punjabi whose origin is from India.
.:: August 2010 Awards ::.
Nagaraja, Senior Technical Assistant of the Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), Bangalore, has
been chosen for the Shram Ratna for 2008, the country's highest award given by the Ministry
of Labour and Employment. The award carries a cash prize of Rs.2 lakh and a “Sanad”
(citation).
Major Laishram Jyotin Singh, who sacrificed his life in the February terror attack in Kabul
this year, has been awarded the Ashok Chakra, the highest peacetime gallantry award, the eve
of 64th Independence Day.
Ennackal Chandy George Sudarshan, 78, an Indian-American professor at the University of
Texas, Austin, has won the prestigious Dirac Medal for his contribution to the understanding of
theoretical physics. The Dirac Medal of ICTP is awarded by the Abdus Salam International
Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP) on renowned physicist P.A.M Dirac's birthday — August 8.
Renowned Indian sand artist Sudarsan Patnaik has won the first prize at the 8th International
Sand Sculpture Championship for the 5Th time which was held in Berlin,Germany.
.:: July 2010 Awards ::.
Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar presented the prestigious Jnanpith Award for 2006 to
octogenarian Konkani litterateur Ravindra Kelekar. The 42nd Jnanpith Award for 2006 carried
a citation, shawl, srifal, a bronze idol of Vagdevi Saraswati and a cash prize of Rs. 7 lakh.
In recognition for his outstanding contribution to International Legal Co-operation, Union Law
Minister M Veerappa Moily has received the Next Step Foundation 2010 award.
The Vice President Hamid Ansari conferred the 'National Award in Statistics ' constituted in
honour of Prof. P.V.Sukhatme to renowned statistician Prof. Alok De.
AP’s IPS officer S Umapathy was presented the American Award by Stephen Light, U S
consulate In Charge in Hyderabad, for his work in controlling human trafficking.
Ravi Dixit became the first Indian to win the Under-19 boys' title in the Asian junior squash
championship (Individuals) in Colombo,Srilanka.
.:: June 2010 Awards ::.
Vice President M. Hamid Ansari presented the Lifetime Achievement Award to Dr. A.R.
Kidwai, former Governor of Bihar, West Bengal, Haryana and former Chairman of UPSC,
organised by the Institute of Objective Studies in New Delhi.
Kartar Singh Lalvani, founder of pharmaceutical major Vitabiotics in Britain, has been
awarded the Order of the British Empire (OBE) by Queen Elizabeth II in London.
.:: May 2010 Awards ::.
Vice President M. Hamid Ansari presented the Lifetime Achievement Award to Dr. A.R.
Kidwai, former Governor of Bihar, West Bengal, Haryana and former Chairman of UPSC,
organised by the Institute of Objective Studies in New Delhi.
Thai director Apichatpong Weerasethakul won the Palme d'Or top prize at the Cannes film
festival for Uncle Boonmee. Spanish actor Javier Bardem shared the best actor award with
Italy's Elio Germano. and France's Juliette Binoche was named best actress .
Internationally acclaimed Indian sand artist Sudarsan Pattnaik from Orissa won Gold medal
for People's Choice prize at 2nd Moscow World sand sculpture championship 2010, Russia.
The artists from Island won the 'Jury Choice', and 'Sculptor Choice' prize in this championship.
India's top industrialist and chairman of the Tata Group, Ratan Tata has received the 2010 CIF
Chanchlani Global Indian Award for his outstanding global leadership, vision and professional
excellence.
Social activist Ela Bhatt (76) received the Niwano Peace Prize for 2010 for her contribution
to the uplift of poor women in India.
Physicist and environmentalist Vandana Shiva has been awarded the Sydney Peace Prize
2010 in recognition of her works in social justice.
.:: April 2010 Awards ::.
President Pratibha Patil presented the Paulos Mar Gregorios Award 2010 to Dr. Karan
Singh for Outstanding Contribution in the Fields of Public Life, Inter-Faith Dialogue and
Culture.
Bengali novelist Mani Sankar Mukherjee's book, Chowringhee, has been shortlisted for one
of the Independent Foreign Fiction prize for 2010 — the first time that an Indian work has
accomplished the feat.
Pratap Bhanu Mehta, president, Centre for Policy Research, New Delhi, has been selected
for this year's Dr. Malcom Adiseshiah Award, instituted by the Malcom and Elizabeth
Adiseshiah Trust.
Tata group Chairman Ratan Tata was conferred the 2010 CIF Chanchlani Global Indian
award by Canada India Foundation for his outstanding global leadership, vision and
professional excellence.
Prof. Kolakaluri Enoch was conferred with Telugu Bharti Puraskaram given by CP Brown
Academy and Alfa foundation.
Neel Chowdary received The Hindu’s Metro plus Playwright award for his book
Taaramandal.
Vizag Steel Plant was conferred with Global Human Resource Development award-
2010 for following international standards in utilizing the human resources.
The Assam government has decided to confer the coveted Srimanta Sankaradeva Award to
noted journalist and writer Homen Borgohain for the year 2007 in recognition of his
significant contribution to journalism and literature and noted actor Sharmila Tagore in the
fields of art and culture for the year 2008.
Asko Parpola, leading authority on the Indus script and Professor Emeritus of Indology in the
University of Helsinki, Finland, has been chosen for the Kalaignar M. Karunanidhi Classical
Tamil Award for 2009.
.:: March 2010 Awards ::.
The Pritzker Prize, considered the highest honour in architecture and regarded by many
as equivalent to the Nobel Prize, has been awarded to the Japanese duo Kazuyo Sejima and
Ryue Nishizawa, partners in the architecture firm SANAA.
Rukhsana (21) and her brother Aijaz (19) were awarded the Sarvotam Jeevan Raksha
Padak and the Uttam Jeevan Raksha Padak respectively by the Centre for snatching an AK
rifle from LeT commander Abu Usma and killed him with the weapon when he and another
militant barged into their house on September 27, 2009.
American mathematician John Torrence Tate, 85, has been awarded the prestigiousAbel
Prize in Mathematics for 2010.
Well - Known Hindi writer Amar Kant has been selected for the prestigious Vyas Samman
award for his outstanding novel Inhi Hathiyaron Se.
Nandi Awards – 2008 were presented by the Government of Andhra Pradesh. Best Actor -
Ravi Teja (Neninthe), Best Actress - Swati (Ashta Chamma), Best Film - Gamyam, Best Director -
J. Radha Krishna (Gamyam)
Eminent heroine of yesteryears Jamuna has been chosen for the NTR National Film Award to
be given by the Government of Andhra Pradesh for the year 2008.
Actress-director Vijayanirmala will receive the Raghupathi Venkaiah Award for the year
2008.
The B.N. Reddy National Film Award will be given to renowned director K.B. Tilak.
Tehelka Executive Editor Shoma Chaudhury and Nagaland page Editor Monalisa Changkija will
share the Chameli Devi Jain Award for outstanding Women Media persons for 2009.
Indian-American computer scientist Subhash Khot, known for his 'Unique Games
Conjecture' has been selected for $ 500,000 National Science Award of the United States of
America.
The 82nd Academy Awards in Los Angeles:
Best Actor - Jeff Bridges (Crazy Heart)
Best Actress - Gabourey Sidibe (Precious)
Best Director - Kathryn Bigelow (The Hurt Locker) (First women to be awarded Best Director)
Best Film - The Hurt Locker
Veteran actress Jaya Bachchan has been honoured with Lifetime Achievement Award at the
film festival of British Academy of Film & Television Arts.
Vidyasagar, an inmate of the Government Home for Juvenile Delinquents and correctional
centre in kadapa received the Golden Nandi Award for 2009 from Chief Minister K.Rosaiah for
his portrayal of the role of a tribal boy named 'sega' in a Telugu play, Bapu Kalaluganna
Desam.
Veteran British Asian film maker Yavar Abbas will be honoured with the Lifetime Achievement
Award by the South Asian Cinema Foundation in London for making films like India! My
India!
.:: February 2010 Awards ::.
Prabhakar Mandara has won the Sahitya Akademi Translation Prize 2009 for translating
Yagati Chinna Rao's research book, '' Dalit struggle for Identity" into Telugu by the name
Andhra Pradesh Dalita Udyama Charitra.
John Flannery, President CEO, GE India was presented the Indo-US Business Cooperation
Award.
Veteran Congress leader G. Venkataswamy was presented the 'Eashwari Bai Memorial
Award' by the Governor of Andhra Pradesh E.S.L. Narasimham.
Eminent Journalist Sanjoy Hazarika has been awarded the Dr. Jean Mayer Award for Global
Citizenship by the U.S. - based Tufts University for his contribution to the north - east of India,
initiatives in health and governance.
Social worker Ela Bhatt, who set up the self - Employed Women's Association (SEWA) has been
chosen for the 27th Niwano Peace Prize for her contribution to the uplift of poor women.
British Academy of Film and Television Art's (BAFTA) awards
Best Film - The Hurt Locker
Actor - Colin Firth (A single Man)
Best Actor - Colin Firth (A single Man)
Best Actress - Carey Mulligan (An Education)
Dr. V.K.Saraswat, Scientific Adviser to defence Minister and Director - General of DRDO will be
presented the Dr.Y.Nayudamma Memorial Award for 2009 for his outstanding contribution
to India's defence research and development.
W. Selvamurthy, chief controller (Life Sciences and Human Resource), Defence Research and
Development Organisation (DRDO), has been chosen for the DRDO's Technology Leadership
Award for 2008 instituted by the DRDO.
Actor Amitabh Bachchan, Carnatic musician Balamurali Krishna, ISRO chairman
K.Radhakrishnan and Minister of state for external Affairs Shashi Tharoor were presentedthe
Pazhassi Raja charitable Trust Awards 2009 by the President Pratibha Patil.
Bhilai Steel plant was presented the Prime Minister's trophy for the best integrated steel
plant.
11th Mumbai International Film Festival of Documentary, Animation and short films
o Russain director Alexander Gutman's 17 August won the Golden Conch for the best
Documentary.
o The Spell, Directed by Umesh Kulkarni was adjudged the best fiction film.
Prominent Stage actor and director Chatla Sriramulu (75) has been selected for the prestigious
"NTR Rangastala Puraskar" given by the State Government of AP.
Andhra Pradesh Governor E.S.L. Narasimhan presented 'The Lifetime Achievement in
Science Award', instituted by B.M. Birla Science Centre, to Nobel Laureate Anthony James
Leggett.
Oscar winner A.R. Rahman won two Grammy awards.
1. Jai Ho - Best song written for motion pictures, TV and other visual media.
2. Best soundtrack for the film Slum dog Millionaire.
Social activist and actor Nafisa Ali and Kiran Bedi, the first woman IPS officer in the country
received the Kalpana Chawla Excellence Awards 2010.
.:: Januray 2010 Awards ::.
President Pratibha Patil conferred the Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and
development for 2009 on Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
GV Krishna Reddy, chairman of GVK group won the 'Entrepreneur of the year' award during
the economic times awards for Corporate Excellence.
University of Pennsylvania School of Engineering and Applied Science conferred theDean's
Medal to Reliance Industries chairman Mukesh Ambani.
» Sports
.:: September 2010 Sports ::.
US OPEN 2010 Men’s Singles title was by Rafael Nadal defeating Novak Jokovich.
Women’s Singles title was by Kim Clijsters defeating Vera Zvonareva.
Sushil Kumar created history by becoming the first Indian wrestler to win a gold medal
at the World Wrestling Championships in Moscow.
The Indian men's archery team won gold in the World Cup archery stage IV meet in
Shanghai. The Indians also picked up one silver and a bronze medal.
.:: August 2010 Sports ::.
Japan's Yuka Sato become the first gold medal winner of the Youth Olympic Games in
Singapore when she won the triathlon.
The Group of Ministers on the Commonwealth Games headed by Urban Development Minister
S. Jaipal Reddy approved the theme song for the event composed by Oscar winner A.R.
Rahman.
India won over Sri Lanka in the third Test at the P. Saravanamuttu Stadium in Colombo leveling
the test series. This is India's fourth highest successful chase in Test cricket. Laxman was
named the Man of the Match. Virender Sehwag was adjudged Player of the Series.
Tyson Gay beat Usain Bolt in the 100 metres at the DN Galan meet in 9.84 seconds in
Stockholm.
Bengal beat Punjab in the final of the 64th senior National football championship (Santosh
trophy) in Kolkata.
Tejaswini Sawant became the first Indian woman shooter to be crowned a World champion
when she won the 50m rifle prone event with a World record 597 in the 50th World shooting
championship in Munich.
Asher Noria won the double trap gold by equaling the junior World record of 146 in the 50th
World shooting championship in Munich, Germany.
Somdev Devvarman was ranked No. 96 in the latest rankings released by the ATP.
Devvarman became the sixth Indian man to figure in the top-100, after ATP rankings were
introduced in 1973, behind Vijay Amritraj (16), Ramesh Krishnan (23), Leander Paes (73),
Anand Amritraj (74) and Sashi Menon (87).
Australian Mark Webber won the Formula One Hungarian Grand Prix which was held in
Budapest, Hungary.
.:: July 2010 Sports ::.
India defeated China to win the bronze medal in the inaugural Asian women's Champions
Trophy hockey tournament at Busan, South Korea.
Gagan Narang won the air rifle bronze medal in the 50th shooting World championship in
Munich, Germany.
Badminton star Saina Nehwal has been chosen for the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna. Among
the titles Saina won in the last three years were the Indonesian Open (2009), Syed Modi Grand
Prix (2009) and World junior title (2009). She climbed to No. 2 in world rankings following three
major titles in a row in Chennai, Singapore and Indonesia. She also became the first Indian
woman to reach the semifinals of the All England and Asian championships.
Fernando Alonso won the German Formula One Grand Prix which was held at Hockenheim.
Muttiah Muralitharan became the first man to take 800 Test wickets and became the
highest wicket-taker in 133 matches at an average of 22.72. Muralitharan began his Test career
against Australia in Colombo in 1992. The 38-year-old ended his Test career with the victory
over India on the final day of the first Test held at Galle, Srilanka.
The International Hockey Federation (FIH) has allocated the FIH Champions Trophies for
2011. The men's event will be played in India, while the women's is scheduled to be held in
The Netherlands
Argentina won the Samsung hockey Champions Trophy for women, beating the Netherlands.
Dani Pedrosa of Spain won the German MotoGP F-1race which was held at
Sachsenring,Germany.
Louis Oosthuizen of South Africa won the British Open golf championship which was held in
St.Andrews,Scotland.
Poojashree Venkatesh and Rushmi Chakravarthi won the doubles title of the $10,000 ITF
women's tennis tournament at Hatyai, Thailand, beating the third-seeded Ayu-Fani Damayanti
and Lavinia Tananta of Indonesia 6-3, 7-6(10) in the final.
Ace Indian shuttler Saina Nehwal jumped one place to a career-best second in the latest
international rankings. She is now just behind number one, Chinese Yihan Wang.
Visakhapatnam won the inaugural Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy memorial South India cricket
tournament, beating Krishna by 23 runs in the final at Tirupati.
Spain holds the football World Cup trophy with their historic win in the final against the
Netherlands at Soccer City in Johannesburg, South Africa.
Australian Mark Webber won the British Grand Prix held in Silverstone, U.K.
Sharath Kamal of India won the US Open table tennis championship by beating Slovakia's
Keineth Thomas in the final at Michigan.
Rafael Nadal of Spain won the Wimbledon men's singles title defeating Tomas Berdych. This is
Nadal’s eighth Grand Slam title.
Defending champion Serena Williams won her fourth women's singles title at Wimbledon
open with the victory over Russian 21st seed Vera Zvonareva in the final.
Sharad Pawar assumed office as President of the International Cricket Council (ICC). Pawar is
only the second Indian, after Jagmohan Dalmiya, to have become the highest executive of the
world cricket body.
.:: JUNE 2010 Sports ::.
Sebastian Vettel of Germany won the European Grand Prix which was held in Valencia,
Spain.
Indian shuttler Saina Nehwal won the Indonesia Open Super Series defeating Japan's
Sayaka Sato. This was Saina's third successive title, having won the Indian Open Grand Prix and
the Singapore Open Super Series tournament.
India defeated Srilanka in the final of the Asia Cup cricket championship by 81 runs
Saina Nehwal won the Singapore Open badminton Super Series defeating Tzu Ying Tai of
Chinese Taipei in the final.
Saina Nehwal won the $1, 20,000 Yonex Sunrise-India Open Grand Prix gold badminton
championships in Chennai defeating Choo Wong Mew of Malaysia.
World record holder Ronjan Sodhi won the double trap gold in the shotgun World Cup in
Lonato, Italy.
.:: MAY 2010 Sports ::.
Somdev Devvarman became the first Indian in 13 years to qualify for the men's singles event
of the French Open.
Grandmaster RR Laxman defeated Argentinean Grand Master Pablo Lafuente to bag the gold
medal in the Commonwealth Chess Championship in New Delhi. The women’s title was bagged
by Dronavalli Harika.
Asian champion Pan Qiang of China equalled the World record on way to winning the double
trap gold in the shotgun World Cup in Dorset, Britain.
Mark Webber won the Monaco Grand Prix defeating his teammate Sebastian Vettel.
England defeated Australia by seven wickets to win its first title in the ICC World
Twenty20 at the Kensington Oval in Bridgetown (West Indies).
Defending champions India and South Korea were declared joint winners of the
Sultan Azlan Shah hockey tournament as the summit clash between the two teams
was called off due to rain.
Sushil Kumar notched up his first-ever gold medal in the Asian wrestling
championshipdefeating Korean Dae Sung Kim in Delhi.
Viswanathan Anand retained the FIDE World Chess Championship, defeating Bulgarian
Veselin Topalov in the final classic game of the series in Sofia (Bulgaria). Anand won the 12-
game match with a score of 6.5-5.5 to defend the title he claimed in 2007.
.:: April 2010 Sports ::.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) appointed vice-president (West Zone)Chirayu
Amin as interim chairman of the IPL.
Chennai Super Kings won the final of the DLF IPL3 against Mumbai Indian by 22 runs.
Eight-time National badminton champion Madhumita Bisht was presented the lifetime
achievement award for her long and illustrious career by the Calcutta Sports Journalists' Club.
Mumbai Indians captain Sachin Tendulkar was named best batsman while Deccan
Chargers Pragyan Ojha bagged the best bowler honour at the IPL Awards Night in Mumbai.
Jenson Button,the reigning World champion won the Chinese Grand Prix.
Third seeds Lukas Dlouhy and Leander Paes won the Sony Ericsson Open defeating fourth
seeds Mahesh Bhupathi and Max Mirnyi in the final. Female singles title was by kim clijsters
defeating Venus Williams.
Sebastian Vettel and his Red Bull team won the formula one Malaysian Grand Prix.
A massive web of spiralling steel in the form of five Olympic rings taller than the Statue of
Liberty and designed by the internationally renowned Mumbai-born artist Anish Kapoor, will
form the backdrop to the London 2012 Olympic Games stadium in East London.
Third seeds Lukas Dlouhy and Leander Paes won the Sony Ericsson Open defeating fourth
seeds Mahesh Bhupathi and Max Mirnyi in the final. Female singles title was by kim clijsters
defeating Venus Williams.
Sebastian Vettel and his Red Bull team won the formula one Malaysian Grand Prix.
A massive web of spiralling steel in the form of five Olympic rings taller than the Statue of
Liberty and designed by the internationally renowned Mumbai-born artist Anish Kapoor,will
form the backdrop to the London 2012 Olympic Games stadium in East London.
.:: March 2010 Sports ::.
March 2010 Sports
Formula One World champion Jenson Button won the Australian Grand Prix.
The seventh National youth (under-18) athletics championship, jointly organised by the
Tamil Nadu Athletic Association (TNAA) and the Coimbatore District Athletic Association (CDAA),
will be held in Coimbatore from April 23 to 25.
Pune and Kochi joined the Indian Premier League (IPL) after the auction for the new
teams. The Sahara Group won Pune with a $ 370 million bid for 10 years. Rendezvous sports
world, a consortium of five companies won Kochi with a bid of $ 333.3 million. The IPL will
feature 10 sides from 2011.
India won the overall title in the commonwealth boxing championship with a tally of six
gold medals.
Australia won the hockey world cup dethroning Germany at the Dhyan Chand Stadium in
New Delhi.
Pankaj Advani won the inaugural O.B. Agarwal Memorial 6 red snooker National
Championship title defeating West Bengal's Brijesh Damani.
Fernando Alonso won the Bahrain formula one Grand Prix held in Bahrain.
Kapil Dev was inducted into the International Cricket Council (ICC) Cricket Hall of Fameat a
ceremony in Dubai. The Hall of Fame recognises some of the legends of the game from its long
and illustrious history.
The National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) while releasing a comprehensive selection
policy has made it mandatory for all shooters to hence forth compete in the national
championship to be eligible for representing the country in international competition.
Ong Beng Hee clinched the PSA title at the Chennai open squash championships. In the
Women's section, World No.1 Nicol David won the WISPA title.
The Tamil Nadu team retained the Vijay Hazare Trophy - India's Premier one - day cricket
competition, defeating Bengal in the final.
.:: February 2010 Sports ::.
The Tamil Nadu team retained the Vijay Hazare Trophy - India's Premier one - day cricket
competition, defeating Bengal in the final.
Andrew Dodt clinched his maiden professional crown in the final round of the Avantha
Masters Golf tournament at Gurgaon.
Pakistan beat India in the final of the 11th South Asian Games hockey competition at
Dhaka, Bangladesh.
Gaganjeet Bhullar of India won the Asian Tour International Golf title held in Bangkok.
Olympic Champion Abhinav Bindra clinched the gold in the 10 - metre air rifle event, in the
first of the three competitions in the intershoot shooting championship at The Hague in the
Netherlands.
Leander Paes and his Zimbabwean partner Cara Black won the Australian open mixed
doubles championship beating Ekaterina Makarova of Russia and Jaroslav Levinsky of
Czechoslovakia. Women’s double championship was won by Serena and Venus Williams.
.:: January 2010 Sports ::.
Roger Federer has set a record of winning 16 Grand Slam Titles after defeating Murray in the
Australian open.
Defending Champion Serena Williams won her fifth Australian Open title and 12th Grand Slam
beating Justin Henin of Belgium.
Croatia's Marin Cilic defended his title at the Chennai Open Tennis Tournament by
defeating Swiss player, Stanislaus Wawrinka.
Chetan Anand won the 74th senior National badminton championship title beating former
champion Anup Sridhar. In the women's section, Trupti Murgunde defeated the defending
champion Sayali Gokhale of Air India.
Srilanka defeated India by four wickets in the final of Idea Cup Cricket tri-series.
Nobel laureate Archbishop Desmond Tutu became the Queen's baton-bearer for Delhi
Common Wealth Games.
Spain beat Great Britain to regain Hopman cup, a tennis championship held in Perth.
Kim Clijsters beat the fellow Belgian Justine Henin in the final of the Brisbane
International held at Sydney.
» Persons
.:: September 2010 Persons ::.
Indian nuclear scientist Homi Sethna has died at the age 86. During his career Sethna held
several posts including director of the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre and chairman of
the Atomic Energy Commission. During his time with the AEC Sethna presided over India's
nuclear experiment at Pokhran in 1974.
Arjun Munda was sworn in as Jharkhand chief minister heading a BJP-JMM coalition.
P.J. Thomas, former Telecom Secretary, was sworn in as 14th Central Vigilance Commissioner
by the President of India
Sonia Gandhi was anonymously elected as the Chairperson of AICCC for the fourth time.
The state government appointed Senior IPS officer Aravind Rao as Director General of Police
of Andhra Pradesh. He was 1977 batch IPS officer and was chief intelligence officer during YSR's
tenure.
India`s top cricketer Sachin Tendulkar was conferred with Indian Air Force`s honorary rank
of Group Captain on September 3, 2010.
In 2008, India`s World Cup winning captain Kapil Dev had received the honorary rank of
Lieutenant Colonel of the Territorial Army. In 2009, Mohanlal was conferred with the honorary
title of Lieutenant Colonel in the Territorial Army. Till date, 21 eminent personalities have been
granted honorary ranks by the IAF, the first person being the Raja of Jawhar Raja Yashwant Rao,
who was conferred the Flight Lieutenant rank in 1944. Industrialist J R D Tata was made an
honorary Air Vice Marshal in 1974 and the last one to get such an honour in 1990 was
industrialist-cum-aviator Vijaypat Singhania, who is now an honorary Air Commodore.
The government today released a five-rupee commemorative coin on Mother Teresa to
mark the centenary birth celebrations of the legend who made serving the poor her mission in
life.
Senior IPS officer R K Medhekar will be the new Director General of elite commando force
-- National Security Guard. Medhekar, a 1975 batch officer of Kerala cadre, currently serving
as Special Director General of Border Security Force.
Vineet Jain, Managing Director of the Times of India Group, was elected Chairman of the board
of directors of the Press Trust of India.
.:: August 2010 Persons ::.
The government has set up a committee headed by Professor Madhava Menon to evolve a
comprehensive policy on autonomy for Central universities, the Indian Institutes of Technology
and the Indian Institutes of Management.
Mammen Mathew (65) will be Chief Editor and Managing Director of Malayala Manorama.
Mr. Mathew is the eldest son of K.M. Mathew, who was the Chief Editor of the daily till his
demise on August 1.
Justice P.D. Dinakaran was sworn in the Chief Justice of the Sikkim High Court by Governor
Balmiki Prasad Singh. Proceedings for his removal is pending before a parliamentary panel
headed by Justice V.S. Sirpurkar. Justice Dinakaran faces allegations of land grabbing and
other charges. He was transferred from Karnataka.
Well-known physicist-turned author, journalist and television producer of Indian originSimon
Lehna Singh has been selected by the International Mathematical Union for the Leelavathi
Award in recognition of his outstanding contribution to public outreach in mathematics.Named
after the mathematical treatise of the great Indian mathematician Bhaskaracharya, the award
carries a cash prize of Rs.10 lakh and a citation and will be presented by the International
Congress of Mathematicians (ICM).
Former Foreign Secretary, Shyam Saran, was sent by India as special envoy to Nepal with a
mandate to engage all political parties, including the Maoists, and help build a consensus on
the formation of a government.
K.M. Mathew (93), Chief Editor of the Malayalam newspaper Malayala Manorama, passed
away. Mr. Mathew started off as a rubber planter in Chickmagalur in Karnataka. He joined the
family-owned Malayala Manorama in 1954 as its General Manager under his elder brother K.M.
Cherian and later became the Chief Editor of the newspaper. Mr. Mathew was honored with the
Padma Bhushan in 1998.
.:: July 2010 Persons ::.
The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Rural Development heading by Sumitra
Mahajan while approving the Constitution (110thAmendment) Bill, 2009, submitted its
report in both Houses of Parliament. The Bill is aimed at enhancing reservation of seats for
women to 50 per cent of total number of offices in the Panchayats.
President Pratibha Patil appointed Election Commissioner (EC) Shahabuddin Yaqoob
Quraishi as the next Chief Election Commissioner (CEC).
Gururaj ‘Desh' Deshpande, entrepreneur, philanthropist and Chairman of Tejas Networks,
USA, had been appointed Co-Chairman of the U.S. National Advisory Council on Innovation and
Entrepreneurship (NACIE) by the Obama administration.
Milon Kumar Banerjee(80), the former Attorney-General of India, passed away. Mr.
Banerjee, as Attorney-General, had the rare honour of being called upon to address the
Parliament regarding the powers of the Election Commission on August 5, 1993, a request that
had not been made to the Attorney-General for decades, and the Padma Awards case, where
he argued before the Supreme Court that these awards were not titles and as such were not
violative of Article 18 of the Constitution.
The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) appointed D.R.S. Chaudhary, Additional Secretary,
IAS officer of the Madhya Pradesh as its official spokesperson.
Noted academician Gita Gopinath has been named professor of economics at the prestigious
Harvard University, becoming the first Indian-origin woman professor in the institution's
history.
Indian cricket captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni has signed a marketing deal with an Indian
sports management company Rhiti worth $42 million over two years. The deal, the richest in
Indian cricket history, surpasses batting superstar Sachin Tendulkar's $40million three-year
contract with sports management firm Iconix in 2006.
The 22-year-old Patna-born Tathagat Avtar Tulsi is all set to become the country's youngest
faculty at the prestigious Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Powai in Mumbai. In 2003,Tulsi
was named as one of the world's “seven most gifted youngsters” by Time magazine.
Lieutenant General Chander Prakash has been appointed the Force Commander for the U.N.
peacekeeping force in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUSCO) by United Nations chief
Ban Ki-moon.
The U.S. government had appointed Preeta D. Bansal to serve as the Vice-Chair of the
Council of the Administrative Conference of the U.S. (ACUS).
Indian-American, Nisha Desai Biswal has been nominated by the U.S government to the post
of Assistant Administrator for Asia in the United States Agency for International Development
(USAID).
.:: June 2010 Persons ::.
Veteran Constitutional expert and noted advocate B. M. Masani passed away in Mumbai.
P. Obul Reddy, industrialist, philanthropist and patron of the arts, passed away. He was one
of the first industrialists from the South to enter into the television business, was the
proprietor of the firm that sold the popular Dyanora TV sets. He was also the former managing
director and founder of Nippo Batteries.
One of the towering figures of Indian wrestling, Chandgi Ram, passed away. He was an Asian
Games gold medallist in 1970.
According to Defence Ministry, Sachin Tendulkar will be conferred with the honorary rank
of Group Captain of the Indian Air Force.
Ratan Tata, Chairman of the Tata Group of Companies has been honoured with Doctor of
Law by the University of Cambridge in recognition of his business achievements and
philanthropic work.
A.K. Antony became the first Defence Minister to land on the Advanced Landing Ground
(ALG) of Nyoma in the Ladakh region of Jammu and Kashmir.The ALG, activated in
September,2009 for fixed-wing aircraft, is 23 km from the Line of Actual Control and close to
the Sino-Indian border.
International law expert Kishore Singh has been nominated as the U.N. Special Rapporteur
on the Right to Education.
Yogendra Pratap Singh has been appointed the first Ambassador to the Republic of Niger.
Woman Justice Rekha Manharlal Doshit was appointed as the Chief Justice of the Patna High
Court by President Pratibha Patil.
As part of Election Commission's ongoing diamond jubilee celebrations, 93-year-oldShyam
Saran of Kalpa village of Kinnaur district (Himachal Pradesh), one of the first few voters of
Independent India, was honoured by Chief Election Commissioner Navin Chawla.
Naoto Kan was elected Japan's Prime Minister by the House of Representatives and the
House of Councillors of Japan separately.
The government of India announced the appointment of the former Chief Justice of
India,Justice K.G. Balakrishnan, as the sixth chairperson of the National Human Rights
Commission (NHRC).
Japan's Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama from the ruling Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ)
resigned citing his failure to stay attuned to the people's wishes.
.:: May 2010 Persons ::.
Germany's President Horst Koehler resigned after criticism of comments he made about the
country's mission in Afghanistan.
S. Ramakrishnan, Director (Projects), Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, Thiruvananthapuram,
has been appointed Director of Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC) of the Indian Space
Research Organisation (ISRO).
Person of Indian Origin Dolar Amarshi Popat has been nominated by U.K Prime Minister
David Cameron to the House of Lords.
The U.S government appointed Indian-American Kshemendra Paul to a key IT position,
making him head of the Programme Manager for the Information Sharing Environment (PM-
ISE) agency that facilitates the sharing and access of terrorism-related information within
various wings of the U.S. government.
Neeraj Patil, a leading NRI doctor, has been elected Mayor of the Borough of Lambeth in
London.
The 13-year-old Jordan Romero became the youngest climber of the tallest mountain in the
world,Mount Everest.
Film personality Tapen Chattopadhyay(72), famous for his role as Goopi in Satyajit Ray's
classic Goopi Gayen Bagha Bayen (Goopi the singer Bagha the drummer), died of chronic
pulmonary ailment in Kolkata.
Commander Dilip Donde became the first Indian to circumnavigate the world solo in the
boat INSV (Indian Naval Sailing Vessel) Mhadei, covering about 21,600 nautical miles (38,880
km) under sail.
India-born Scot John Shepherd-Barron(84), inventor of the Automated Teller Machine
(ATM), died after a short illness in London.
Ratan Kumar Sinha, who is closely associated with the design and development of the
country's first thorium-based Advanced Heavy Water Reactor, will be the new director of the
Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC).
The former Vice-President and three-time Chief Minister of Rajasthan in the past, Bhairon
Singh Shekhawat died in Jaipur following cardiac arrest.
Justice Sarosh Homi Kapadia, the senior most judge of the Supreme Court, was sworn in as
the 38th Chief Justice of India.
The Centre decided to appoint Shantha Sinha as chairperson of the National Commission for
Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) for the second term.
Veteran actor Mac Mohan(71) who was part of blockbusters like Sholay, Zanjeer, Don,
Majboor died of cancer .
Shabana Mahmood, the Labour candidate for Birmingham Ladywood, in central England,
and Yasmin Qureshi, Labour candidate for Bolton South East, in the north-west, became
Britain's first women Muslim MPs.
The former Union Law Minister, Ram Jethmalani, was elected president of the Supreme Court
Bar Association.
Goodluck Jonathan was sworn in as the President of Nigeria, hours after the death of
incumbent Umaru Yar'Adua.
Dr. Shah Faesal became the first from Kashmir to top the civil services examination 2009
conducted by the Union Public Service Commission.
Indian-origin professor Nitin Nohria has been appointed as the 10th Dean of the Harvard
Business School (HBS) making him the first member from the community to occupy the post.
Indian scientist Goverdhan Mehta has been selected to be part of the 12-member committee
to review the procedures of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).
U.N. Secretary-general Ban Ki-moon has appointed Atul Khare of India as Assistant Secretary-
General for Peacekeeping Operations.
.:: April 2010 Persons ::.
Major General C.S. Nair is appointed as the 14th Judge Advocate General (JAG) of the Army
President Pratibha Patil has appointed senior-most judge of the Supreme Court Justice
Sarosh Homi Kapadia the 38th Chief Justice of India (CJI). He will replace Justice K.G.
Balakrishnan, who retires on May 11.Justice Kapadia will be the first CJI born after
Independence.
Oh Eun-sun (44), a South Korean mountaineer became the first woman to scale the world's
14 highest mountains.
Madhuri Gupta, a junior diplomat in the Indian High Commission in Islamabad has been
arrested by the special cell of the Delhi police on the charge of leaking sensitive national
secrets to Pakistani intelligence agencies.
Rajasthan Governor Prabha Rau died in Delhi following a heart attack.
John Wakefield(95), fondly known as ‘Papa,'the torchbearer of Karnataka's first eco-tourism
project — the Kabini River Lodge on the banks of the Kabini at Karapur in Mysore district,
passed away.
An ethnic Indian P.Kamalanathan won a prestigious parliamentary by-election for the Hulu
Selangor seat in Malaysia.
President Pratibha Patil cleared the appointment of Chief Justice of the Jharkhand High Court
Gyan Sudha Misra as Supreme Court judge. The President has also cleared the appointment of
Chief Justices of the Madras and Bombay High Courts H.L. Gokhale and Anil Ramesh Dave as
judges of the Supreme Court.
Juan Antonio Samaranch(89), giant of the Olympic movement heading the IOC from 1896 to
1925,died in Barcelona(Spain).
IT industry body National Association of Software and Services Companies (NASSCOM)
announced that Harsh Manglik will take over as the Chairman of its Executive Council for
2010-11, effective from April 20. Mr. Manglik, replaces Pramod Bhasin.
Activist Dorothy Height, described by President Obama as the “the godmother of the civil
rights movement” passed away at the age of 98 years. Ms. Height, a pioneer of the 1960s
movement, had joined historic marches with Martin Luther King Jr. and led the National Council
of Negro Women for 40 years
Mukul Sangma was sworn in Chief Minister of Meghalaya. Dr. Sangma replaces D.D. Lapang,
who resigned as Chief Minister, bringing the curtains down on nearly month-long dissidence in
the Congress. Twenty-one of the 28 Congress legislators had demanded his removal.
Vijay Gandhi was sworn in Magistrate Judge for the District Court of the Central District of
California (U.S). Mr. Gandhi is the first Indian-American federal judge in California and only the
second ever Indian-American federal judge in the history of the United States. The first was
Judge Amul Thapar, who was appointed to the U.S. District Court of the Eastern District of
Kentucky on December 13, 2007.
Coimbatore Krishnarao Prahalad, 68, Distinguished Professor in the Ross School of Business at
the University of Michigan, and a world authority on management thought, passed away in
San Diego after a brief illness. He was known for his work specialising in corporate strategy
focusing on top management in large, diversified, multinational corporations.
Sri Lankan cricketer Sanath Jayasuriya made his debut as a lawmaker, with a runaway
victory from a parliamentary constituency in Matara district in the south. Jayasuriya won on
the ticket of the ruling United People's Freedom Party alliance of the PresidentMahinda
Rajapaksa.
President Pratibha Patil has nominated M. Natarajan, former Scientific Advisor to the
Defence Minister, as Chairman, Board of Governors of the Indian Institute of Technology -
Mandi, Himachal Pradesh.
The former Director-General of the Border Security Force (BSF), E. N. Rammohan, was
appointed by the Central government to probe the circumstances leading to the massacre of
76 CRPF personnel in Dantewada district of Chhattisgarh.
Eminent Telugu storywriter and Sahitya Academy winner, Bhamidipati
Ramagopalam(78) passed away in visakhapatnam.
Chandigarh-born Srinija Srinivasan (40), one of the three co-founders of Yahoo! was
appointed as a member of the White House Commission on Presidential Scholars by the U.S
President Barack Obama.
Ramana Murthy has been appointed as Chairman of A P State Cultural Council.
~Famous mountaineer of Nepal, Apa Sherpa, who broke his own world record by climbing the
Everest 19th time last year, is all set to climb Mt Everest again on April 6th for his 20th climb.
Henry Edward Roberts, a developer of an early personal computer that inspired Bill Gates to
found Microsoft, died in Georgia. He was 68.
General Vijay Kumar Singh took charge as the Chief of Army Staff from General Deepak
Kapoor, who retired from service.
The 13-year-old Jordan Romero, the teenager from Big Bear, California will attempt to reach
the summit of Mount Everest. If he succeeds, will be the youngest person ever to stand on top
of the world's highest peak.
Solicitor general Gopal Subramaniam was elected as chairperson of Bar Council of India
(BCI).
President Pratibha Patil had appointed Justice Barin Ghosh as Chief Justice of the Sikkim High
Court.
.:: March 2010 Persons ::.
The government of India appointed Congress President Sonia Gandhi chairperson of
theNational Advisory Council (NAC). The NAC was set up after the UPA came to power in
2004 as an interface with civil society on implementation of the government's National
Common Minimum Programme (NCMP), including the National Rural Employment Guarantee
Act and the Forests Right Act.
Eminent Bhoodan leader Biswanath Patnaik, 94, a close associate of Vinoba Bhave, and was
popularly known as the “Koraputia Gandhi” passed away at Baliguda in Orissa's Kandhamal
district.
A commemorative stamp on former Chief Minister Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy is being
issued by the Postal Department on September 2 to coincide with his first death anniversary.
Chennai-born Shankar Balasubramanian of Cambridge University has been named
Innovator of the Year by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC),
Britain's leading agency for academic research and training in non-clinical life sciences.
The Supreme Court collegium, headed by Chief Justice K.G. Balakrishnan, has recommended
the elevation of Chief Justice of the Jharkhand High Court Gyan Sudha Misra as a Supreme
Court Judge. Justice Misra, who hails from Bihar will be the fourth woman judge of the
Supreme Court, after Fatima Beevi, Sujata Manohar, and Ruma Paul, who retired in June
2006.
The 31-year-old Tejdeep Singh Rattan became the first Sikh in a generation who had
continued wearing a traditional turban and yet joined the United States Military, a feat not
achieved since 1981.
Kanu Sanyal, one of the architects of the naxalite movement and who, in more recent times,
was critical of the Maoists, was found dead at his residence in the Naxalbari area of West
Bengal's Darjeeling district.
C.V. Midhun, a second semester B.Sc. Physics student of the Majlis Arts and Science College
at Puramannur in Valanchery, Kerala ,who had disputed the famous black hole theory of noted
scientist Stephen Hawking, has become part of the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) experiment.
The LHC, a gigantic instrument placed near Geneva, is studying the impact of particle
collision.
The Centre has appointed Justice P. Venkatarama Reddy, a retired judge of the Supreme
Court as chairperson of the 19th Law Commission, which will have tenure up to August
31, 2012.
Girija Prasad Koirala(86), the Nepali Congress president, who served as Prime Minister four
times and as head of state once, passed away. Koirala, popularly known as Girija babu, was
considered a ‘national guardian.'
Former Deputy Chief Minister and Veteran Dalit leader Koneru Ranga Rao (74) died after
prolonged illness. Rao held various port folios, including housing and social welfare in the
congress governments that were in power from 1978-88 and 1989-94 and went on to become
the Deputy Chief Minister in Kotla Vijaya Bhaskar Reddy cabinet.
Noted Marathi poet and Jnanpith award winner, Govind Vinayak Karandikar(91) - known by
his literary name Vinda, passed away in Mumbai.
Senior journalist T. Surender has been selected as the new Chairman of Press Academy of
Andhra Pradesh (PAAP).
Iron Sharmila, who has been on a fast - onto - death since November 4, 2000 demanding the
repeal of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958 (AFSPA) in Manipur, was rearrested, as
she continued her fast despite being released by the court.
Eminent industrialist G.P. Birla (87) passed away. Son of B.M. Birla, who had helped to set up
units such as Orient Paper and Industries, Hyderabad Industries and Nigeria Engineering
Works. He was also involved in setting up the Birla Institute of Technology in Ranchi, Birla
Science and Technological Museum and Birla Archaeological and Cultural Research Institute.
.:: February 2010 Persons ::.
M.F. Hussain, India's most celebrated artist has been conferred Qatar nationality.
Justice Nisar Ahmed Kakru was sworn in Chief Justice of the Andhra Pradesh High court by
Governor E.S.L. Narasimhan.
Indian - Origin lawyer Rashad Hussain will be U.S.’ new special envoy to the organisation of
the Islamic Conference (OIC).
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) 35 - member board of governors elected
Malaysian envoy Muhammad Shahrul Ikram Yaakob by consensus as its new chairman.
Deputy Chairman of Planning Commission Montek Singh Ahluwalia will represent India in a
high level panel to be set up by UN Secretary General Ban ki - Moon on financing climate
change action globally. The panel will be co - chaired by British PM Gordon Brown and
Ethopian PM meles Zenawi.
K.N.Raj, widely respected development economist, who was the economic adviser to Prime
Ministers from Jawaharlal Nehru to P.V.Narasimha Rao and one of the architects of the Indian
plan edifice, passed away. He was 85.
Lawra Chinchilla became Costa Rica's first woman president
Indian - American Pulitzer Prize - winning author Jhumpa Lahiri has been appointed as a
member of U.S. President Barak Obama's Committee on the Arts and Humanities, along with
five others.
Nepal’s first Vice-President appointee Paramananda Jha, whose post has been inactive for
the last five months over an oath-taking controversy, sworn in a second time.
For the first time, an India-born businessman Vim Kochhar (73) has been nominated to the
Canadian Senate by Prime Minister Stephen Harper.
.:: January 2010 Persons ::.
President Pratibha Patel presented the Ashok Chakra to
1. Major Rishima Sharma, wife of Major Mohit Sharma (Posthumous).
2. MS Beeta, Wife of havildar Rajesh Kumar (Posthumous)
3. Major D. Sreeram Kumar of 39 Assam Rifles.
Six Padma Vibhushans, 43 Padma Bhushans and 81 Padma Shris are being awarded for
the year 2010. The following are some of the names of the people chosen for the Padma
awards:
Padma Vibhushan
Ebrahim Alkazi (Art), Umayalpuram K. Sivaraman (Art), Zohra Segal (Art), Yaga Venugopal
Reddy (Public Affairs), Dr. Venkatraman Ramakrishnan (Science and Engineering), Prathap
Chandra Reddy (Trade and Industry)
Padma Bhushan
Ilaiyaraaja (Art), Aamir Khan (Art), Fareed Zakaria (Journalism), Mallika Sarabhai (Art), Prof.
(Dr.) Nookala Chinna Satyanarayana (Art), Prof. Bipan Chandra (Literature and Education), S.P.
Oswal etc.
Padma Shri
Resul Pokutty (Art), Rekha (Art), Deep Joshi (Social Work), Saina Nehwal (Sports), Vijender
Singh (Sports), Virendra Sehwag (Sports), Ram Narain Karthikeyan (Sports) etc.
According to defence ministry announcement, lieutenant General V.K.Singh will replace
the current chief of the Army Staff, General Deepak Kapoor, who retires from service on March
31, 2010.
Jyoti Basu, Veteran Marxist leader, who set a record as the nation's longest serving chief
minister and one of the tallest figures in the country's political life, died of septicemia due to
pneumonia that led to multi-organ failure. He was 95 and is survived by his son and three
grand children.
An Iraqi court sentensed Ali Hassan al-Majeed, the Saddam Hussain henchman widely
known as "Chemical Ali" to death by hanging for a 1988 gas attack that killed about 5,000
kurds.
Fitness trainer Dinaz Vervatwala enters Guinness book of world records for completing 26-
hour-long aerobics marathon.
President Pratibha patil has approved the Sarvottham Jeevan Raksha Padak for Jammu
gril Rukhsana Kosser, who killed one of the L.E.T terrorist and injuring another in Kalsian
village about 217 km from Jammu on the night of Sep 27, 2009.
Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar has appointed Gopinath Munde as chairman of the Public
Accounts Committee.