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December 2012 Current Affairs
NatioNal EvENts
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SIs of Andhra Pradesh to get gazetted rank Andhra Pradesh police has decided to remove
negative marks system in the police recruitment tests. The decision comes after the department failed
to fill-up 6,000 vacancies during the previous recruitment drives because of the negative marks
system.The decision comes as a major boon for the aspirants of police jobs, since the government
needs to fill up thousands of vacancies in the department. Director General of Police V Dinesh Reddy,
Principal Secretary, Home, TP Das and a few other top officials
met Home Minister P Sabita Indra Reddy on Thursday and
discussed issues related to police reforms. The police
department has also decided to accord gazetted status for the
officers of the rank of sub- inspectors (SIs) and increase the
remuneration paid for home guards from Rs 200 to Rs 300 a
day. The top brass further decided to bring home guards
under the Arogyasri scheme besides providing them bus pass
and uniform. The home guards have been demanding these benefits for long.Also, the department will
soon reorganise the police sub-divisions in the State. After which, every Assembly constituency will
come under one police sub-division, unlike the present system where one constituency is divided
between two or more sub-divisions.With the reorganisation, 10 new sub-divisions and 35 new police
circles will be added to the existing system. The reorganisation will benefit the politicians to a great
extent, sources in the home department said. The reorganisation of sub-divisions has been a pet
project of the DGP, who has been speaking about it often.Sources said the government has already
accepted the recommendations and what remains to be done is only the formality of issuing an official
order.
NCP leader Ajit Pawar sworn in as Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Nationalist
Congress Party (NCP) leader Ajit Pawar, who had resigned
as the Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra over the
irrigation scam, was re-inducted into the state Cabinet as
he took oath on 7December. The BJP and the Shiv Sena
have boycotted the swearing-in ceremony. Governor K
Sankaranarayanan administered oath of office to Pawar in
the presence of the Maharashtra Chief Minister. The
decision to re-induct Pawar in the cabinet came days after the White Paper on the irrigation scam in
the state was tabled. The White Paper on irrigation scam had given a clean chit to the NCP leader. www.Gr8
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Gujarat’s first industrial park in private sector launched Gujarat’s first industrial park in the
private sector, developed by TDT Infra Pvt Ltd was launched.Unlike other industrial parks, this park,
located near Vadodara on 105 acres
of the company’s free-hold land worth
Rs 100 crore, will sell the plots on a
permanent basis. “Since the industries
will buy these plots, there will be no
reversal of land to the original owner in
case the buyer does not set up the unit in a
specified timeframe. There will
also be no penal provisions for non-
utilisation of land.The industrial park that falls under the Halol-Savli Special Investment Region
(SIR) would get natural gas as industrial fuel from the Gujarat Government and would have water
harvesting facilities.
Bangalore best Indian city to live: Survey Technology hub Bangalore has emerged as the best
city to live in India, pipping other metro cities such as New Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata, in terms of
overall quality of living, according to a latest worldwide survey of cities by global HR consultancy
Mercer. Amongst Indian cities,
Bangalore (139) ranks higher than
New Delhi (143), Mumbai (146),
Chennai (150) and Kolkata (151) in
overall quality of living, according to
Mercer's 2012 Quality of Living Index.
"Bangalore's rise in its quality of living
ranking can be attributed to positive
ratings for international schools
which are suitable for expatriates,"
the report said. In terms of city infrastructure, however, Mumbai (134) was ranked highest among
Indian cities followed by Kolkata (141), New Delhi (153), Chennai (168) and Bangalore (170).
However, no Indian city could manage to find a place in the global list, which was topped by Vienna www.Gr8
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and was followed by Zurich and Auckland in second and third place, respectively. Other cities in the
top 10 include Munich in fourth place, followed by Vancouver (5th). Dusseldorf dropped one spot to
rank sixth followed by Frankfurt (7th), Geneva (8th), Copenhagen (9th), and Bern and Sydney tied in
10th place. Indian cities did not fare well compared to their global counterparts. Among Asia Pacific
cities, Australian and New Zealand cities rank higher on the index with Sydney (11), Wellington (13),
Melbourne (18) and Perth (21) following Auckland (3). Globally, the cities with the lowest quality of
living are Khartoum, Sudan (217); N'Djamena, Chad (218); Port-au-Prince, Haiti (219); and Bangui,
Central African Republic (220). Baghdad, Iraq (221) ranks last. Mercer's Quality of Living index list
covers 221 cities, ranked against New York as the base city.
EC directs government to defer
implementation of Direct Cash Transfer
Scheme in Gujarat & HP The Election
Commission (EC) on 4 December expressed
dissatisfaction with the government on the
announcement timing of Direct Cash Transfer
Scheme (DCT). EC directed the government to defer
the implementation of the scheme in four districts of
Gujarat and two of Himachal Pradesh till the state
assembly elections are over. In a stern message to the government, EC said that the timing of
government's DCT scheme was 'avoidable'. "The government should have maintained letter and spirit
of model code of conduct," it said.
Government eases visa norms for tourists The government has eased restrictions on tourist
visas which had mandated a two-month gap between consecutive visits by foreign nationals. However,
nationals of Afghanistan, China, Iran, Pakistan, Iraq, Sudan, Bangladesh, foreigners of Pakistani and
Bangladeshi origin and "stateless persons" will continue to come under the 60-day gap rule. The move
is likely to breathe fresh life into the tourism industry and comes just ahead of the peak tourist season.
India's share of international tourist arrivals in 2011 was a mere 0.64%. The tourist visa restriction,
which was relaxed on 3 December, was introduced in November 2009 in the aftermath of the Mumbai
terror attacks when it was found that Pakistani-American David Coleman Headley had succeeded in www.Gr8
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breaching security norms to visit India several times over a period of 3-4 years. A decision to review
the visa restrictions was taken by the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) in January 2012 after concerns
were raised by the tourism ministry that the negative perception following the move had affected flow
of tourists to India.
Haryana Topped the Chart of States that exceeded Revenue Mop up Target Haryana
topped on the chart of states for significantly
exceeding the revenue mobilization targets as per the
report released in the first week of December by the
Planning Commission on State Finances during 11th
Five Year Plan. As per the report, the state of
Haryana was successful in mopping 64123 crore
rupees during the Five Year Plan, which was 192
percent of the targeted resource mobilization for the
11th Plan. As per the report released, Haryana, Goa, Assam, Karnataka, Odisha, Bihar and Arunachal
Pradesh were the only eight states of the nation that mopped up more than their target. Many of the
states even failed to meet the projected planned resources and were able to fetch 92.5 percent of the
target, collectively.
Andhra Pradesh SC, ST Sub-Plans Bill 2012 was passed by State Assembly The Andhra
Pradesh Assembly on 2 December 2012 passed Andhra Pradesh SC, ST Sub-Plans Bill 2012 providing
statutory status for implementation of the sub-plans for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. The
legislation will ensure fund allocation proportionate to the SC and ST population and is expected to
prevent diversion of sub-plan funds for other activities and not allowing them unspent. There is also a
mandatory provision for allocation of nearly a fourth of the State’s annual plan of the budget for them
hereafter. The bill was introduced on the recommendations of the Cabinet Sub-Committee. The
demand for according legal status to the Sub-Plans was made on states for a long time by the Planning
Commission of India and National Development Council (NDC). With this, Andhra Pradesh has
become the first state in India to enact such legislation. The Opposition endorsed the legislation
except the Telugu Desam. The party sought an amendment by inserting a provision in the legislation
to provide proportionate allocations to ABCD groups within the SCs based on their populations and
socio-economic conditions. The proposal was defeated by 22 votes when it was subjected to voting. www.Gr8
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Since the state assembly had the power to adopt annual budget only for one year, there was no
constitutional provision to prevent lapsing of SC/ST funds.
The government on 7 December, won the vote in the Rajya Sabha on foreign direct
investment (FDI) in retail, two days after it
sailed through the Lok Sabha, finally getting
endorsement from Parliament for a policy seen as a
major step forward in its reforms process.Getting
support once again from the unlikely combination of
Mulayam Singh Yadav's Samajwadi Party (SP) and
Mayawati's Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), the
government won the day in the Rajya Sabha by 14
votes.In the House, the opposition-backed motion got 109 votes and the government 123 votes. The
government's win on getting 51 percent foreign equity in multi-brand retail has long been a
contentious issue, stalling almost the entire first two weeks of the winter session of Parliament.With
this, global names like Carrefour, Tesco and Wal-Mart will set up stores in India.
The Minister of Overseas Indian Affairs, Vayalar Ravi replied for a question in the Rajya Sabha on 6
Decemer that the Government has launched
Mahatma Gandhi Pravasi Suraksha
Yojana(MGPSY) on 1st May 2012 on a pilot basis.
The objective of MGPSY is to encourage and enable
overseas Indian workers having Emigration Check
Required (ECR) passports going to ECR countries, to (a)
save for their return and resettlement and (b) save for their
pension. They are also provided Life Insurance cover against natural death, during the period of
coverage, without any additional payment by them.The Government also contributes, for a period of
five years, or till the return of workers to India, whichever is earlier,
The National Commission for Safai Karamcharis presented its eleventh Annual Report
for the year 2011-12. The report was presented by Smt. Kamla Gurjar, Chairperson and
other members of the Commission to Kumari Selja, Union Minister of Social Justice and
Empowerment. The report contains wide ranging recommendations by the Commission for www.Gr8
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eradication of manual scavenging in the country and meaningful and dignified rehabilitation of
manual scavengers on a sustainable basis. The report highlights the social, living and working
conditions of the Safai Karamcharis working at Government and Local Self Government level,
Corporate and private level in rural and urban areas. The report, inter-alia, contains observations,
remedial measures and appropriate recommendations by the Commission on issues of Safai
Karamcharis like housing, education, safety aspect vis-à-vis occupational hazards, regular health
check-up etc.
The global Breastfeeding Initiative for Child Survival (gBICS), together with the Ministry of Health
and Family Welfare and Ministry of Women and Child Development, is organizing a 4-day World
Breastfeeding Conference – Babies Need Mom-made, Not Man-made, from 6th to 9th
December, 2012, at New Delhi. Smt. Krishna Tirath, Minister for Women and Child Development
will be the Guest of Honour and Salman Khurshid, Minister for External Affairs, will be the Chief
Guest. More than 900 experts from 86 countries, including more than 100 representatives from 50
governments, 30 UN representatives and 150 civil society groups will be coming together to discuss
the important public health imperatives of how to increase breastfeeding rates, save mothers from the
onslaught of the baby food industry, provide maternity protection for mothers and babies to stay
together and evolve a universal service of skilled counseling accessible to all women. The Conference
will position breastfeeding and infant and young child feeding interventions as a key to accelerate
progress on the Millennium Development Goals of reducing malnutrition and infant and child
mortality. According to WHO and UNICEF, following optimal feeding practices could save 1.5 million
infants every year, because under-nutrition contributes to more than one-third of these deaths.
Defence Minister AK Antony informed that in reply to a question
in the Lok Sabha on 10 December, the Union Cabinet on 13th
May, 2010, has decided "in principle" approval to setting up of
Indian National Defence University (INDU) at Binola in
District Gurgaon, Haryana. Government of Haryana has
acquired the land for INDU. Educational Consultant of India
Limited (EdCIL) has been appointed as consultant for
preparation of Detailed Project Report, Layout Plan andAct &
Statutes for setting up of the university. www.Gr8
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The Cauvery Monitoring Committee (CMC) on 7 December 2012 asked Karnataka to
provide Tamil Nadu with 12 TMC feet of Cauvery water during December even as it asked
both the states to be more efficient in using available water. The meeting of the CMC came after the
Supreme Court of India on 5 December 2012 asked the multi-state panel to meet within the next two
days to decide on water requirement of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. The states sharing the disputed
Cauvery River waters were informed that the final award of the Cauvery Waters Dispute Tribunal will
be notified by the end of December 2012.In 1997, the Union Government of India had proposed the
setting up of a Cauvery River Authority. Under this new proposal, the Government set up two
new bodies- Cauvery River Authority and Cauvery Monitoring Committee. The Cauvery
River Authority consisted of the Prime Minister and the Chief Ministers of all four states(Tamil Nadu,
Karnataka, Pondicherry, Kerala) and its headquarter is in New Delhi. The Cauvery Monitoring
Committee is an expert body which consists of engineers, technocrats and other officers. This body
takes stock of the ground realities and report to the government.
India was ranked 94th out of 176 countries in Transparency International’s 2012
Corruption Perception Index (CPI) released on 5 December 2012. In 2011, India was ranked 95
out of 183 countries. Denmark, Switzerland and Finland topped the index with a score of 90 followed
by Sweden which scored 88 points. North Korea,
Afghanistan and Somalia scored a lowly 8,
ranking at the bottom of the index. India scored a
low score of 36 on a scale from 0 to 100 where
o implies most corrupt and 100 signifies least
corrupt. India’s low score was attributed to the
scams and incidents of corruption in the
public sector which involved government
officials, private officials and private companies. The Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) has been
developed since 1995 by Transparency International as a composite indicator that measures
perceptions of corruption in the public sector in different countries around the world. Transparency
International is a non-profit, non-governmental organisation dedicated to fighting
corruption. It is best known for its Corruption Perceptions Index. Its secretariat is located in
Berlin, Germany. The organization is present in more than 100 countries. It came into existence in
1993. www.Gr8
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Congress Precident Sonia
Gandhi and Prime Minister
Manmohan Singh were
named in the list of top 20
most powerful people in the
world by the Forbes
Magazine in annual power
rankings which were declared on
5 December 2012. The US
President Barrack Obama got
first rank in the list second time
consequently. Prime Minister
Manmohan Singh was ranked
at no. 19. Sonia Gandhi stood at
no. 12 in 2012. Reliance
Industries chairman Mukesh
Ambani, the richest business
tycoon of India as well as Arcelor
Mittal CEO Lakshmi Mittal also
appeared in this list. Ambani is
ranked at number 37 and he
outranked Mittal by various
positions.
Get TB drugs at shops free, govt to pay up In a move to curb multi-drug resistant tuberculosis
cases caused mostly because of irregular medication, the government has decided that relevant
medicines will be available for free at all chemist shops and corporate hospitals. The scheme will be
rolled out across the country by next March. A patient, confirmed positive for TB by a qualified
doctor, simply needs to register with the Revised National Tuberculosis Control Program (RNTCP).
The patient will then be issued a unique ID which will have all information on medicines prescribed
and the dosage. "Any hospital or chemist shop will be able to give the medicine to him/her as per the www.Gr8
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treatment schedule, which will be available online. The government will bear all costs," said Dr
Jagdhish Prasad, director general of health services (DGHS).The government presently spends about
Rs 250 crore on providing free medicines to TB patients. The new scheme will cost about Rs 100 crore
more."We are in talks with manufacturers of the medicines and hospital groups to finalise the
modality for reimbursement," Prasad said.
Nationwide Mobile Number Portability by February Telecom Minister Kapil Sibal on 13
December said nationwide Mobile Number Portability (MNP) is expected to be rolled out by February
2013, which will allow users to retain their numbers even if they move from one State to another. “For
the timely implementation of the National Telecom Policy
2012, the Department of Telecom has finalised broad
agenda for next three months from December 2012 to
February 2013,” Mr. Sibal said at India Telecom 2012
meeting in New Delhi. Some of the key initiative in course
to be completed by February 2013 are approval of
spectrum assignment and pricing, unified licences
regime, M&A guidelines, finalisation of guidelines for
spectrum sharing, creation of fund for R&D and
manufacturing and of course, MNP on a nationwide basis,
he added. Currently, a user is allowed to switch to a different operator within his/her circle, while
retaining his/her phone number. Under NTP 2012, the government had envisaged implementing
MNP on a nationwide level allowing users to retain their mobile numbers even when they shift to a
different telecom circle. India has 22 telecom circles.
Over 65,000 cases pending in Supreme Court till November this year A total of 65,703
cases are pending in the Supreme Court till November this year, out of which 6,445 cases have been
pending for more than five years, Law and Justice Minister Ashwani Kumar told the Rajya Sabha on
10 December. In written reply to a question, the Union Minister said, "There were a total of 65,703
cases pending in the SC as on November 30, 2012. Out of them 22,133 matters were upto one year old
and not in arrears. If connected matters were excluded, the pendency was only 37,230 cases as on
November 30." There were 6,445 cases pending for more than five years and 52,074 cases were
pending for less than five years as on December 31, 2011 in Supreme Court, he added. In effort to
reduce the pendency, Kumar said a drive was undertaken from July to December 2011 for clearing www.Gr8
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long pending cases and cases related to marginalised sections of the society in high courts and
subordinate courts under their jurisdiction. On recommendations of 13th Finance Commission, the
government has sanctioned Rs 5,000 crore as grants to the states for five years between 2010-15 for
undertaking various initiatives for reducing the pendency in courts.
Input subsidy hiked to Rs.10, 000 per hectare Cabinet sub-committee report recommends
increase in input subsidy to help farmers. The government has increased the input subsidy sanctioned
to farmers for the damaged paddy, groundnut, cotton and other crops from Rs.6,000 per hectare to
Rs.10,000 per hectare. Announcing this in the Legislative Council at the end of short discussion on
Relief and Rehabilitation taken up after Neelam cyclone here on 10 December, Chief Minister N.
Kiran Kumar Reddy said the decision was based on the report by the Cabinet sub-committee that
studied the need to increase input subsidy to help farmers. The increase in input subsidy is about 67
per cent, highest so far in the State, he said. The last time the government increased the input subsidy
to Rs. 6,000 per hectare was in 2010 and of it, the State government bore Rs. 1,500 per hectare. The
input subsidy increase for other crops would be on the pro-rata basis.
Ratio of girls to boys falls to new low in Andhra Pradesh Efforts to curb female foeticide and
pre-natal gender tests despite strong laws have
failed miserably and the Child Sex Ratio (CSR )
is falling drastically in Hyderabad and elsewhere
in the state , officials said two days before the
government and independent groups begin the
'Save the girl child' campaign. In Hyderabad, the
fifth largest city in South India , the CSR has
come down from 943 girls per 1,000 boys to 938
girls to 1000 boys in the past 10 years and the
situation in the districts is worse with the CSR in Warangal falling from 955 girls in 2001 to just 912
girl per 1,000 boys now . "The deplorable scenario is the result of increasing violence, foeticide,
infanticide , trafficking of poor women , forced polyandry and availability of advanced technology for
widespread use of sex determination and sex selective abortions ," said P Raghu , regional manager of
Actionaid , which is spearheading the campaign along with the government in collaboration with
other NGOs. www.Gr8
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According to a recent report by National Sample Survey Office (NSSO), an approximate
7 crore people in India are either unemployed or under-employed. The figures were
revealed by Labour and Employment Minister Mallikarjun Kharge in Rajya Sabha."As per results of
the latest survey conducted by NSSO during 2009-10, the number of unemployed or under-employed
persons on usual status basis in the country was 95 lakhs and about six crore respectively," the
minister said.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was on Dec 8 conferred with an honorary Doctorate
by the Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) with the citation describing him as the “architect
of economic reforms in the country.Besides the
Prime Minister, honorary degrees were
awarded to three others—Punjab Chief
Minister Parkash Singh Badal, former Director
General of ICAR, RS Paroda, and renowned
soil scientist Jaswant Singh Kanwar—at a
special convocation organized as part of the
university’s Golden Jubilee celebrations.“Dr
Manmohan Singh’s leadership as the Prime Minister of our country has won him wide acclaim. He is
respected the world over for his scholarship and his deep knowledge of the global economy,” the
citation of the Doctor of Science (honoris causa) conferred on him stated.The Punjab Agricultural
University (PAU) in Punjab has earned international reputation for excellence in agriculture. It
pioneered the Green Revolution in India in 1960s.
Following the Centre’s nod for Phase-IIA of ‘Project Seabird’ on 7 december, Karwar in
coastal Karnataka is set to become the country’s biggest Naval base by 2025.The official
sanction granted on 7 december for the latest phase of the ambitious project--with a whopping
`13,500 cr outlay-- has the potential to transform the region into the country’s most important Naval
base. It will also be home to the Navy’s submarine fleet in addition to having berthing facilities to
accommodate as many as the 50-odd frigates.The base will enhance the Navy’s operational flexibility
and strategic advantage in the Indian Ocean region, including in anti-piracy efforts.Actually, the move
to set up an exclusive Naval base at Karwar is intended to decongest Mumbai on the West coast and
Visakhapatnam on the East coast, as the two ports also have commercial shipping operations. Also,
the decision was prompted by Mumbai’s proximity to Pakistan and the Islamic nation’s growing www.Gr8
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missile arsenal.Karwar will also get a new Naval air station from where maritime planes
and helicopters, including combat aircraft, can operate.These apart, Karwar’s existing
Railway station will be upgraded and expanded to have a ‘siding’ for the Navy’s use.The Naval base,
when completed, will have over one lakh personnel working there, apart from their families living in
an upcoming residential township. Civilian facilities such as educational institutions, hospitals,
recreational centres and a sports complex too form part of the region’s expansion plans.Officials says
that the Karwar base has the facility to berth INS Vikramaditya, the erstwhile Admiral Gorshkov
aircraft carrier, which is scheduled to join the Navy in the last quarter of 2013. The expansion will
allow it to be home to two more aircraft carriers later.The 45,000-tonne Vikramaditya is currently
undergoing refit in Russia and its delivery schedule was revised in September.Apart from the one for
Vikramaditya, Karwar will get two more jetties under Phase-IIA to berth the under-construction
40,000-tonne Indigenous Aircraft Carrier (IAC), to be called INS Vikrant, and its follow-on warship,
which could weigh around 60,000-tonnes.By the end of Phase-IIA in 2018, Karwar will be home to
about 30 of the Navy’s 160 surface warships and submarines.Another key facility will be the 10,000-
tonne ‘ship lift’, the only one of its kind in this part of the world. And the facility will be expanded to
add two or three dry and repair berths.
Emboldened by Parliament's vote in favour of 51% FDI in multi-brand retail, the UPA Government on
13 December, gave up a big push to reformist agenda with the Cabinet clearing a much-awaited
proposal to set up the National Investment Board (NIB) and amendments to the Land
Acquisition Bill.The cabinet also approved the re auction of 1800 Mhz spectrum in three circles at a
base price which is 30% lower than what was fixed by the government in the auction concluded just a
month ago, which might help the government raise resources for its dwindling kitty.Besides, the
Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) gave a nod to new investment policy on urea which
might help in garnering investment worth Rs 35,000 crore.The proposed NIB, to be now known
as the Cabinet Committee of Infrastructure, will be a body to speed up various
clearances for infrastructure projects above Rs 1,000 crore of projects. The body, to be
chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, would be set up at a time when the Planning
Commission envisages investment to the tune of Rs 56,14,730 crore in infrastructure sector in the
12th five year plan (2012-13 to 2016-17).Recently, Finance Minister P Chidambaram had said that
there were over 100 projects, each involving investment of Rs 1,000 crore or more, that have been
delayed due to various reasons.The cabinet also cleared the amendments to the Land Acquisiton bill,
though in a diluted form.The cleared Bill requires the consent of only 70% of land owners when the www.Gr8
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government acquires land for a public-private partnership (PPP) project. For all other types of
projects, 80% consent will be required.In its original form, the legislation, “The Right to Fair
Compensation, Resettlement, Rehabilitation and Transparency in Land Acquisition Bill”, had
required 80% consent not just from landowners, but also from the dependent farm workers.This
provision was removed after protests from industry and infrastructure lobbies.
India's commercial capital, Mumbai, has been named among the world's 'dirtiest'
cities, ranking last in the "cleanest streets" category, a global survey of 40 key tourist cities has
found. According to TripAdvisor's Cities Survey, Tokyo grabbed the first place while Mumbai
ranked last in “cleanest streets".Similarly in the
category of "ease of getting around", Mumbai ranked
at the last position while Zurich stood at first place,
the company said in a press release.The cities with the
rudest locals, dirtiest streets and worst shopping have
been revealed by the Survey which found that the
least-friendly locals were from Moscow.The Russian
city ranked last in a number of categories, including
"friendliest locals".Tokyo was the most highly decorated world city, ranking number one for best taxi
services, friendliest taxi drivers, best public transportation, cleanest streets and safety.New York City
took out the top gong for shopping, but travellers felt the city's streets could use a sweep with the Big
Apple ranking 28 out of 40 for cleanliness.The survey, completed by more than 75,000 people, looked
into how travellers and locals viewed 40 key tourist cities around the world.
New cases of HIV decreased by 57 percent in India: Union Health Minister
Addressing the India Health Summit which was organised by CII in New Delhi, the Union health
minister Ghulam Nabi Azad on 18 December 2012 declared that India was witnessing a steep decline
in fresh cases of HIV. The health minister announced that the fresh cases of HIV have dropped down
to 57 percent. Addressing the Summit, the heath minister also announced that there was a steep
decrease in measles, mumps and rubella, infant mortality rate as well as new HIV cases by 57 percent.
Also, it was declared that 2012 would be the second successive year to witness polio-free nation. The
credit for putting an end to H1N1 was given to Indian manufacturers as well as Indian Council of
Medical research (ICMR) for developing the vaccines as well as testing the regents. Apart from this, it www.Gr8
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was declared that ICMR was working on 75 leads of public health importance in order to develop as
well as evaluate affordable diagnostics which include test for diabetes, cancer and TB.
Congress wins Himachal Pradesh elections The Congress returned to power in Himachal
Pradesh after five years, defeating the Bharatiya Janata Party by a handsome margin on 20
December. The Congress put up a spirited campaign under former Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh to
emerge victorious by a comfortable margin. Being pitched as a strong CM contender, Singh led his
party while winning Shimla(Rural) constituency defeating his BJP rival Ishwar Rohal by 19,033
votes.
Big win for Modi in Gujarat Narendra Modi has once again defended his Gujarat citadel. The
incumbent Chief Minister scored a massive win on 20
December with the BJP winning 116 seats out of the total
182. As per the Gujarat Election Results 2012, the BJP has
won 116 seats, while the Congress finished a poor second
with only 60 seats. Modi’s challenger Keshubhai Patel of
Gujarat Parivartan Party (GPP) failed miserably in his
mission to uproot the man who had taken over from him as
Chief Minister in 2002 and has never looked back since. The GPP has won only two seats - one of the
two winners being Keshubhai himself. Others won four seats.
Government of Maharashtra ordered SIT Probe into Multi-Crore Irrigation Scam
Government of Maharashtra on 17 December 2012 ordered a Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe
into the matter of multi-crore irrigation scam. The announcement was made in both the legislative
houses of the state. The SIT would be headed by the Dr. Madhavrao Chitale and comprise experts
from law and judiciary and finance departments. Its deadline would be finalized by 31 December
2012. Dr. Chitale is a water expert and has worked for different commissions and at different
capacities and served the Union Water Resource Ministry as its Secretary.
AP Govt. agrees to exempt film industry from VAT The Andhra Pradesh State government has
agreed in principle to exempt the film industry in Andhra Pradesh from value added tax (VAT),
acceding to a long-pending request. Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy was said to have given the
nod for such an exemption and Government Order is expected to be issued very soon. Film producer www.Gr8
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D. Suresh Babu said it was a good augury that government had seen their reason. He recalled that the
industry was earlier exempted from General Sales Tax and, ever since VAT came into effect,, they
were demanding similar exemption. “Our demand was justified because it would mean double
taxation. We anyway pay 14 per cent as Entertainment Tax, through ticket sales, just like people do for
any product they
Indian girl Sherin Catherine in line for Oscar nomination Sherin Catherine, 24, who wrote
the lyrics of two songs for Rupesh Paul's 'Saint Dracula', is all smiles. The songs 'I Be Here' and 'I
Have Secrets' written by her and composed by Sreevalson J Menon have made it to the list of 75 songs
chosen for nominations in the original song category for the 85th Academy Awards 2012.
Surprisingly, this is her maiden effort. It was last
year when she noticed the Facebook notification
searching for young talents to write lyrics for the
movie 'Saint Dracula 3D'. She contacted the
administrative team of the movie and was asked to
send in a few of her original writings in prose. A
month later, she was offered the opportunity to write
the lyrics of two songs for the movie."It took me
three months to finish writing two songs for the
movie. The songs were rewritten four to five times
since then. Sreevalsan J Menon, the music composer, and myself would dedicate hours on
teleconferencing, getting the lyrics right. He would sing the songs over and over again on phone and I
would be correcting the lines accordingly. After a span of one and half years we finally emerged with
two amazing songs," Sherin, currently pursuing her doctorate in Cognitive Science from IIT-
Gandhinagar, said. Sherin, who is from Kottayam, feels this contention for nomination has changed
her life. "Of course, I enjoy the fame. And it makes me want to think serious about writing as a career.
I have got few offers in hand already. Parents, friends and folks seem to be happy. This is one of the
happiest moments in my life."The young writer is planning to come out with a collection of short
stories in Malayalam early next year. "I want to take writing more seriously now. Reading was always
my inspiration. I read and got inspired to write. It is good to read. Even better to write,"
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The Lok Sabha on 18 december, passed the Companies Bill aimed at overhauling
orporate governance norms. It will also grant shareholders with greater powers to defend their
rights and lay down rules for companies to spend on welfare activities under the broad head of
corporate social responsibility. The Bill seeks to legislate a framework for checks and balances to
prevent frauds, make corporate board room decisions transparent and hold auditors and directors
more accountable.The legislation, which has been in the works for several years, is a key reform
initiative of the UPA government that has announced a string of bold reformist moves since mid-
September.Replying to a debate before the Bill was passed by a voice vote, corporate affairs minister
Sachin Pilot said through this new legislation, the government intends to make India an attractive and
safe investment destination.He said special courts would be set up for speedy trials, as an assurance to
investors that cases will not linger on. He also said India will be become the first country to mandate
CSR spend through a statutory provision.It will allow shareholders' associations to take legal action
against companies' promoters and management through 'Class Action Suits'-a form of lawsuit where a
group of people bring a claim to court. This acts as a deterrent to carry out a fraud by tailoring and
influencing board decisions only to suit promoters' and managements' interests.
The Lok Sabha on 18 december, cleared a Constitution amendment bill granting special
status to the Hyderabad-Karnataka region, with provision for reservation in education
and jobs for locals. The Constitution (118th Amendment) Bill, 2012, to insert a new Article
371-J to provide special recognition for the six backward districts—Gulbarga, Yadgir, Raichur, Bidar,
Koppal and Bellary—was passed unanimously.As all the members present in the House voted in
favour, the bill was passed with an overwhelming majority. The bill, which required two-thirds
majority, got 347 votes and none against. It is not known when the government will table the bill in
the Rajya Sabha. The bill provides for establishing a separate development board and equitable
allocation of funds for development of the region. Apart from this, it will provide quota in public
employment through local cadres and reservation in education and vocational training institutions for
those who belong to the region by birth or by domicile.
Bihar became the Fastest Growing Indian State between 2006 and 2010 As per the data
released by the Planning Commission of India, Bihar became the fastest growing state in India at 10.9
per cent between 2006 and 2010 while Gujarat’s growth rate declined to 9.3 per cent and it lagged
behind Bihar and other four states- Orissa, Maharashtra, Haryana, Chhattisgarh in terms of growth
rate. Bihar was the slowest growing state during 2001-05 period with GDP figure of 2.9 percent www.Gr8
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whereas Gujarat was the fastest growing state between 2001 and 2005 with figure of 11 percent.
Chhattisgarh grew from 7.7 per cent in 2001-05 to 10 per cent growth between 2006 and 2010 while
Haryana grew from 8.4 per cent to 9.7 per cent, Maharashtra from 8.2 per cent to 9.6 per cent and
Orissa from 7.8 per cent to 9.4 per cent between 2006 and 2010. The period between 2004-05 and
2011-12 registered an average increase of 300 per cent in consumption in rural areas, minimizing the
gap between rural and urban area thus highlighting the inclusive growth.
Andhra Pradesh to setup special ministry for promotion of Telugu The fourth World
Telugu Conference (WTC) began in Tirupati on 27 December with Andhra Pradesh chief minister N
Kiran Kumar Reddy announcing that a separate ministry would be created for the promotion and
development of Telugu language in the state. Addressing the conference, which was inaugurated by
President Pranab Mukherjee, the chief minister promised that Telugu would be made the language of
administration and education. He said steps would also be taken to make Telugu as the medium of
instruction up to 10th standard. He said three academies for promotion of Telugu music, art and
literature would be revived. Speaking in
Telugu, Governor ESL Narasimhan described
it as a sweet language and said it has a bright
future. The president felicitated eminent
Telugu personalities from various walks of
life, including actor Akkineni Nageswara
Rao and former hockey player Mukesh
Kumar. The conference, being held
in Andhra Pradesh after a gap of 37 years,
got off to a glittering start at the sprawling
campus of the Veterinary University.
Over 5,000 delegates from India and abroad
are attending the three-day meet, which will discuss various issues for preserving the finesse of the
Telugu language for posterity. Various sessions will deliberate on culture, dance, song, food and other
aspects. There will also be sessions on films, plays and poetry besides cultural programmes.
Seventeen feature films depicting the greatness of Telugu would be screened at select theatres in the
town. Before the inauguration of WTC, the chief minister unveiled the statue of Telugu Talli (mother
Telugu). A massive procession with 1,500 artists was taken out to highlight the rich cultural heritage
of Telugu. Hundreds of students also participated in the procession. About 8,000 policemen have www.Gr8
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been deployed as part of the massive security arrangements for the conference. The first WTC was
held in Hyderabad in 1975. The second was held in Malaysia in 1981 and the third in Mauritius in
1990.
The Minimum Support Price of Wheat was increased to 1350 Rupees per Quintal
The Union government of India on 26 December 2012 raised the Minimum Support Price, MSP of
wheat by 65 rupees per quintal to 1350 rupees per quintal. The decision was taken in a Cabinet
meeting this morning in New Delhi Chaired by the Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh. The
government also decided to export additional 25 lakh tonnes of wheat from its go-downs. The CCEA
approved the disinvestment of 12.5 per cent paid up equity capital to the Rashtriya Chemicals and
Fertilizers. Current government holding is about 92.5 per cent. This will make the company compliant
with the SEBI norms that 10 per cent float should be there. CCEA approved the proposal to export an
additional 25 lakh tonnes of wheat. Earlier, we had approved export of 20 lakh tonnes of wheat of that
a little over 17 lakh tonnes have been contracted.
President Pranab Mukherjee on 27 December 2012 declared open the 4th World Telugu
Conference in the presence of thousands of Telugu-speaking people from across the
world in the temple town of Tirupati of Andhra Pradesh. The event was also marked with the
felicitation of 14 eminent Telugus. People were asked to pass on the rich Telugu culture, heritage and
tradition to the next generation with a resolve to preserve and promote the honey-laced aura of the
language. The inaugural also saw the laying of a foundation stone for an international convention
centre. Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy announced that a separate ministry would
be created in the Secretariat for protection and promotion of Telugu, and with this telgu is
goin to be introduced as a medium of instruction in primary education up to Class X. Also the
Sangitha, Nataka, Lalitha, Sahitya and Rangasthala akademis would be revived.World Telugu
Conference is held for promotion of Telugu language. Literary exemplary personalities attend and
share their views on spreading and preserving the rich language. First World Telgu Conference was
held in Hyderabad in year 1975. It was the then Minister of Education, Mandali Venkata Krishna Rao
instrumental in starting it.
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About 27 million households constituting 11% of the total households of the country are
headed by females. Kerala tops the list of States with 23% households having a female
as head. This finding has been revealed in the Household data released on 28
December, in New Delhi by Minister of State for Home Affairs R.P.N.Singh. Dr. C.Chandramouli,
Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India gave the main highlights from Census 2011.
Summary findings of the data are as below. a) There are about 27 million female headed
households(HHs) in the country. They constitute 10.9% of the total households in the country. b)
43.7% of households in Lakshadweep and 23% households in Kerala have a female as head. c) About
49 lakh Single-Member Female HHs are there in the country. Three-fourth of them live in rural areas.
d) In seven major States, namely Chattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Tamilnadu, Andhra Pradesh,
Maharashtra, Odisha and Gujarat, the proportion of Single Member Female Headed HH is more than
20%.e) The proportion of Male Headed HHs has declined by 0.6% in 2011 compared to 2001 while
proportion of Female Headed HHs has increased by 0.5% in the same period. f) More than 60% of
Female Headed HHs have permanent houses while in case of SC and ST categories amongst Female
Headed HHs the percentage reduces to 55.8% and 33.4% respectively.
The National Water Resource Council has adopted the National Water Policy
(2012). The consensus in this regard was made during 6th meeting of the council held on 28
December, in New Delhi under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Dr. Man Mohan Singh. This has
been stated by the Union Water Resource Minister Harish Rawat while addressing the media persons
. However, after elongated discussions there were broader consensus on the issues of community
management of water resources,
climate change adaptation strategy
particularly increasing water storage
through revival of traditional water
harvesting structures and water bodies
and efficient use of water. Rawat said
states have been assured that the
proposed National Water Framework
law and the law on River Basin Management would be drafted only after extensive consultation with
States so as to ensure that the powers of the States are not curtailed in any manner. Earlier , Dr.
Manmohan Singh, Prime Minister presided over the 6th Meeting of the National Water
Resources Council. Delivering his opening remarks, the Prime Minister stated that the National www.Gr8
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Water Policy (2012) was an effort to focus on the human cause in the water sector and would lay a
road map for the future based on the fundamental principles of equity, sustainability and good
governance. He called for a paradigm shift in the approach for judicious and wise management of
scarce water resources. The National Water Resources Council meeting was attended by several Chief
Ministers, Union Ministers and State Ministers.
The Cabinet on 26 December, approved setting up of a Commission of Enquiry to look
into the incident of rape and assault on a young woman on 16th December, 2012 in
Delhi and to suggest measures to improve the safety and security of women. The
Commission of Enquiry will be set up under the Chairmanship of Ms. Justice Usha
Mehra, retired Judge of the High Court, Delhi. The Commission shall go into the various
aspects of the shocking incident of rape and brutal assault of a young woman in Delhi on 16.12.2012;
identify the lapses, if any, on the part of the police or any other authority or person that contributed to
the occurrence; and fix responsibility for the lapses and / or negligence on the part of the police or any
other authority or person. The Commission shall suggest measures to improve the safety and security
of women, particularly in Delhi and North Commission shall submit its report to the Central
Government as soon as possible but not later than three months from the date of its first sitting. The
headquarters of the Commission shall be at New Delhi.
Government has decided on 24 December, to constitute a committee of eminent jurists
to look into possible amendments to the criminal law so as to provide for quicker trial
and enhanced punishment for criminals, accused of committing sexual assault of
extreme nature against women. Justice (Retd) JS Verma, former Chief Justice of India
will be the Chairman of the committee. Justice (Retd) Leila Seth, former Chief Justice of
Himachal Pradesh and Gopal Subramaniam, former Solicitor General of India will be the other
members. The committee shall submit its report within 30 days. In the light of the recent Delhi rape
incident, the Government has given anxious consideration to the need for reviewing the present laws
so as to provide for speedier justice and enhanced punishment in cases of aggravated sexual assault.
The 23-year old para-medical student who was gang raped in New Delhi on 16
December 2012 passed away in Mount Elizabeth Hospital in Singapore on 29 December
2012.The victim died due to multiple organ failure and severe injuries to her brain and body. India's
High Commissioner to Singapore TCA Raghavan announced that the body would be brought back to www.Gr8
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India on 29 December 2012. According to the Singapore doctors, the victim lost the battle of her life
after two weeks of brutal sexual attack which horrified India. The chief executive of Singapore's
Mount Elizabeth Hospital announced on 28 December 2012 that she was suffering from severe organ
failure because of injuries to her brain as well as body. She was raped on 16 December 2012 by six
men who also assaulted her with iron rods. The victim was shifted to Singapore hospital on 27
December 2012.
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