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    December 2012 Current Affairs Study Material

    INTERNATIONAL

    Mahama Re-elected as Ghanas President

    On 10 December Ghanas incumbent President John Dramani Mahama of the ruling National DemocraticCongress (NDC) has won the countrys presidential election.Mahama took 50.70 percent of the total validvotes cast, while his closest challenger, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo of the New Patriotic Party(NPP) obtained 47.74 percent.With his re-election, Mahama becomes the fourth president to be electedunder the Forth Republic.He had served as Ghanas vice president since 2009.

    UN, Pakistan Launched Malala Fund

    Pakistan joined forces with the United Nations on 10 December 2012 to launch a fund aimed at boostinggirls education throughout the world.The fund is named for Malala Yousafzai, the 15-year-old Pakistanigirl. Pakistans President Asif Ali Zardari also announced a $10-million donation for a global war chest toeducate all girls by 2015 set up in the name of Malala Yousafzai for campaigning for girls education.

    Shinzo Abe Elected As Japans New PM

    The former Prime Minister and the Leader of LDP Shinzo Abe elected as a Prime Minister with a clearvictory over the Prime Minister and leader of the Democratic Party of Japan(DPJ) Yoshihiko Noda in theParliamentary Elections on 26 December 2012.The lawmakers in Japan voted in favour of Abe by 328votes. Opponent Banri Kaieda, the newly chosen leader of DPJ received merely 57 votes.

    Jacob Zuma re-elected as South Africas President

    South Africas ruling African National Congress on 18 December 2012 re -elected President Jacob Zuma

    as the party chief with a thumping majority. Mr.Zuma received the support of over 75 per cent of the totalvoting delegates at the ANC National Conference held in Bloemfontein. Juma was Deputy President ofSouth Africa from 1999 to 2005

    Park elected South Korean President

    Park Guen-hye, the daughter of former military dictator Park Chung-hee, beat her opponent on 19December 2012 in the South Korean presidential elections. Park is the countrys first woman President.She is the former head of the ruling Conservative Saenuri Party, had secured the necessary votes anddefeated Moon Jae-in, of the Democratic United Party.

    Pak Cleared Anti-terror Bill

    On 20 December Pakistans National Assembly passed a bill that will give intelligence and securityagencies sweeping powers to conduct surveillance and collect data from SMSs and emails.The NationalAssembly or lower house of parliament approved the Fair Trial Bill 2012 after incorporatingamendments proposed by the main opposition PML-N and the Muttahida Qaumi Movement, which is partof the ruling coalition led by the Pakistan Peoples Party.

    U.S. House Passed Defense Bill

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    On 20 December US (United States) House of Representatives passed the Defence Authorization Act of2013. The bill authorizing 633.3 billion dollar in defense spending for 2013, easing limits on satelliteexports and providing more Marines for embassy security.

    Napolitano Dissolved Italian Parliament

    On 22 December Italian President Giorgio Napolitano dissolved Parliament following the resignation ofPrime Minister Mario Monti. Italian Government under the leadership of Mario Monti brought forward aseries of austerity reforms backed by EU and business leaders.

    Morsi signed on Egypts New Constitution

    On 25 December Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi signed into law a new Islamist-drafted constitution.He signed a declaration enforcing the charter late after the official announcement of the result of areferendum approving the basic law. Two-thirds of the members of the 270-seat council were electedearlier this year in a vote in which only 12 per cent of registered voters participated. The remaining 90were appointed by Mohamed Morsi, the Islamist president.

    Pakistan Recognised the Republic of Kosovo

    On 26 December Pakistan Government officially recognised Kosovo as an independent state, almost fiveyears after it declared independence from Serbia on 17 February 2008. Pakistan is the 98th countryamong the 193 U.N-member states to recognise Kosovo .Kosovo is a small south east European statelies between Albania, Macedonia, Serbia and Montenegro.

    INDIA & WORLD

    Nitish Kumar, Hazare, Malala Among The Top 100 Global Thinkers List

    On 2 December According to the United States-based Foreign Policy magazine has released its list ofthe 100 Top Global Thinkers from 2012. The magazine has placed the Indians in the list include BiharChief Minister Nitish Kumar, who features way below at the 77th place, Anna Hazare who has beenplaced at the 37th position for his anti-corruption crusade in the country. 15-year-old Pakistani child rightsactivist Malala Yousafzai at 6th position, Aung San Suu Kyi is ranked first in list.

    Bangladesh Agreed on Zero Line Fencing along Tripura Border

    On 2 December Bangladesh had agreed to set up barbed wire fencing along zero line in nine stretcheson the Indo-Bangladesh border in Tripura. According to the MHA communique, fencing along zero linewas to be allowed in 9 areas.

    India & Japan Signed Currency Swap Agreement

    India signed a bilateral swap arrangement (BSA) with the Bank of Japan to swap their local currencies foran amount of $15 billion for a three year period on 4 December 2012.The BSA will effect from 5December 2012.

    India is Among Top Five Terror-Hit Nations

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    The Australian think tank released The Global Terrorism Index (GTI) on 4 December 2012, according tothis GTI, India, Pakistan and Afghanistan were among the nations most impacted by terrorism in 2011. In2011, the Middle East, India, Pakistan and Russia were the areas most impacted by terrorism. Indias GTIrank was 4 out of the 159 countries surveyed. While Iraq stood at number1, Pakistan at number 2,Afghanistan at number 3 and Yemen was number 5.

    Bangalore Best Indian City To Live

    Bangalore ranks better than New Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata amongst Indian cities in overallglobal quality of living index, according to a Mercer 2012 Quality of Living Survey.Bangalores overallquality of living rank went up from 141 in 2011 to 139 in 2012 and is highest amongst other Indian cities.

    India Ranked 94th Position in Corruption

    Denmark, Finland and New Zealand tied for the first place in watchdog Transparency Internationals2012 index of the least corrupt countries. India is on 94th position in the Corruption Perceptions Index.Most corrupted nations are Afghanistan, North Korea and Somalia in 174th positions.

    US Extends Exemptions For India to Iran Oil Sanctions

    On 8 December the US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has extended exemptions to India, China ,SouthKorea, Malaysia, Singapore, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Turkey and Taiwan from Iranian Sanctions Actmainly because of their significant reduction in oil import from Iran.The 9 countries have again qualifiedfor an exception to sanctions outlined in Section 1245 of the National Defence Authorisation Act (NDAA)for Fiscal Year 2012, based on additional reductions in the volume of their crude oil purchases fromIran.This is for the second time that countries including India has received waiver from US under theIranian sanctions act.

    3 Indian Projects among Strategic- Global Infrastructure Projects List

    Three Indian projects have placed in the new yorks Global Infrastructure Leadership Forum Top 100

    Strategic Global Infrastructure Projects list. GIFT city (Gujarat International Financial Tech city),Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail project (Maharashtra) and the Hyderabad Metro Rail (HMR)project (Andhra Pradesh).

    India, Ukraine Signed on Five Agreements

    India and Ukraine on 10 December 2012 signed on five agreements in New Delhi to enhance cooperationincluding in areas of defence, Nuclear, Science and Technology and also to remove barriers in trade andcommerce.

    Indians Largest Ethnic Minority Group in UK

    On 11 December According to the 2011 Britain population census record Indians are the largest ethnic

    minority group in the UK.With 1.5 percent of the Hindu religion became a third-largest religion in thenations. The Christian population in the country is also a drop in the statistics.. The Muslim communitypopulation in the countrys fastest growing increased by 3 percent to 4.8.

    India& Pak Signed on New Visa Agreement

    The new Visa Agreement between India and Pakistan on 14th December, 2012 at New Delhi. However,the Visa-on-Arrival will come into effect from 15th January, 2013. Shri Sushilkumar Shinde, HomeMinister of India and Mr. A. Rehman Malik, Pakistan Interior Minister singed on the agreement.

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    Cell Phone Connections to exceed the World Population by 2014

    The International Telecommunications Communication Union (ITU) to be designed and releasedInformation Society 2012 Observe report on 11 December. According to the report number of cellphone connections exceeding the worlds population by 2014. Now 6 billion (hundreds of millions) cellphone connections they will reach 730 Millions by 2014 .Then the worlds population is 700 crore.Already

    in Russia 1.8 times cell phone accounts more than 25 million people.

    Indians now Live Longer but in Poor Health in Old Age

    According to the the prestigious British medical journal, The Lancet report the life expectancy (LE) atbirth of an average Indian male has gone up by 15 years between 1970 and 2010. An average Chinesemale is living 10 years longer than an Indian male, while a Chinese woman is living 11.5 years longerthan her Indian counterpart. An average American lives nearly 13 years longer than an Indian.

    World Malaria Report 2012

    According to the WHO World Malaria Report 2012 India, the country most affected by malaria in theSouth East Asian Region, is projected to see a decrease of 50-75 per cent in malaria case incidence by

    2015.In South East Asia Region, Bhutan, Korea, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Thailand have registereddecreases of 75 per cent or more in the incidence of microscopically confirmed malaria incidence ratesbetween 2000 and 2011.

    Hinduism Third Largest Religion of World

    According to the Pew research survey report Hinduism is the third largest religion of the world afterChristianity , Islam and 97 per cent of all Hindus live in the worlds three Hindu-majority countries (India,Mauritius and Nepal), and nearly nine-in-ten Christians (87 per cent) are found in the worlds 157Christian majority countries.In the total world population 2.2 billion Chris tians (32 per cent of the worldspopulation), 1.6 billion Muslims (23 per cent) around the world as of 2010.

    India & Russia signed Rs 22,000 crore Defence Deals

    India and Russia signed defence deals worth around Rs. 22,000 crore ($4 billion) on 24 December.According to this pact Russia will sell India 71 military helicopters for $1.3 billion and technological kits toassemble 42 Sukhoi jet fighters for $1.6 billion.

    NATIONAL

    Sexual Assault a Gender-Neutral Offence Bill Passed by Lok Sabha

    The Criminal Law (Amendment) Bill, replacing the word rape by the phrase sexual assault and seekingto widen the scope of the offence passed by Lok Sabha on 4 December. Both men and women couldsoon be able to invoke the provisions of a criminal law in case of sexual assault .The amendment billexpands the definition so that cases of sexual assault where victims were male would fall under the samelaw along with cases where victims were women.

    Cabinet Approved Naval Base Phase II of Project Seabird

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    On 7 December The Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) cleared a Rs 13,500 crore major expansionplan of the strategic Karwar naval base Phase II Alpha of the project Seabird in Karnataka is set tobecome the countrys biggest Naval base by 2025. The Karwar naval base is Indias third major navalbase after Mumbai and Visakhapatnam on the east coast.

    Over 7 Crore Unemployed Youth in India

    According to the National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) report an approximate 7 crore youth people inIndia are either unemployed or under-employed. The figures were revealed by Labour and EmploymentMinister Mallikarjun Kharge in Rajya Sabha.As per results of the latest survey conducted by NSSOduring 2009-10, the number of unemployed or under-employed persons on usual status basis in thecountry was 95 lakhs and about six crore respectively.

    Rajya Sabha Passed SC/ST Quota Bill

    A Constitution 117th amendment bill providing for quota for SCs and STs in government job promotionswas on December 17 passed by Rajya Sabha.

    Unlawful Activities Amendment Bill Passed by Rajya Sabha

    On 20 December Parliament passed a bill that makes economic offences, including circulation of highquality counterfeit currency, a terrorist act.The Rajya Sabha passed Unlawful Activities (Prevention)Amendment Bill, 2012 by voice vote while several parties. The bill was already passed by Lok Sabha.

    LokSabha Approved Company Bill 2011

    On 18 December Lok Sabha passed the Companies Bill 2011 paving the way for a new modern companylaw.The Bill is aimed at improving corporate governance. It contains provisions to strengthen regulationsfor corporate as well as auditing firms.

    Banking Bill passed by Lok Sabha

    The Banking Laws Amendment Bill, 2011, have been passed in the Lok Sabha on 20 December .Theamendments pave the way for the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to issue new bank licences, and alsoopens door for more foreign investment into the sector.

    Usha Mehra commission for Delhi incident victim Nirbhayas Case

    A female physiotherapy intern student Nirbhaya beaten and gang raped in Delhi on 16 December anddied on 29 December while undergoing emergency treatment in Singapore for brain and gastrointestinaldamage from the assault.The government has formed a committee of enquiry under justice Usha Mehrato reconstruct the events leading to the incident identify lapses by police and other agencies and fixresponsibility for the crime.

    Microsoft Launches 14 Innovation Centres in India

    Microsoft Corporation (India) Pvt. Ltd had launched 14 Microsoft Innovation Centres (MICs) in India. It hassigned agreements with leading academic institutions across four States.As part of the globalprogramme, which currently has 75 MICs, Microsoft aims to launch a 100 such centres in India in the nexttwo years.

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    STATES

    Delhi Government Launched Delhi Annshri Yojna

    UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi was launched a major food security programme of Delhi Government

    Delhi Annshri Yojna on 15 December 2012.under which a monthly cash subsidy of Rs. 600 will betransferred directly into Aadhaar-linked bank accounts of the senior-most female members of two lakhpoor families.

    BJP Won in Gujarat Assembly Elections

    The BJP registered its fifth consecutive victory in Gujarat on 20 December 2012.This is the third victoryunder Modi leadership. BJP won the 115 seats. Congress won the 61 seats. Modi won by a landslidefrom Maninagar constituency in Gujarat, beating his nearest Congress party rival Shweta Bhatt by amargin of 86,373 votes.

    Congress has won Himachal Pradesh Elections

    The Congress returned to power in Himachal Pradesh after five years, defeating the Bharatiya JanataParty in the Himachal Pradesh State Assembly elections conduced on 4 November 2012.The Congresssecured 36 seats and the BJP 26 seats. The Congress Leader Virbhadra Singh won from Shimla (Rural)constituency and defeated the rival from BJP Ishwar Rohal by 19033 Votes.

    Meghalaya Passed Lokayukta Bill 2012

    On 14 December the Meghalaya Lokayukta Bill, 2012 was passed in the Meghalaya Legislative Assemblyand replaced the existing Lokayukta Act, 2002 amidst opposition from legislators. The new act under thelokayukta bill covered the chief minister, governor and all public servants, but allowed the stategovernment through a clause to exclude the complaints by citing public interest.

    Madhya Pradesh Government Set Up a Senior Citizen Commission

    On 21 December the Madhya Pradesh Government has set up a Senior Citizen Commission to look intoproblems of the elderly in the State.

    Assam Government Announced Special Health Scheme

    On 12 December Assam government announced that 50 riverine public health centres would be set up inthe state soon under the National Rural Health Mission.The public health centres would be locatedprimarily in the districts of Barpeta, Dhubri, Goalpara and Darrang.

    30% Reservation for Rural Candidates in Assam Govt. Jobs

    Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi on 26 December 2012 announced that 30 per cent state governmentjobs will be reserved for candidates belonging to rural areas from 2013.

    CONFERENCES

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    UN Climate Change Conference (COP 18)

    The United Nations Climate Change Conference , which is the 18th session of the Conference of theParties (COP 18) and 8th session of the Conference of the Parties (serving as the Meeting of the Partiesto the Kyoto Protocol ) ends on 8 December in Qatar, Doha. United Nations climate talks in Doha hadagreed to extend the Kyoto Protocol through 2020. Poland will host the next round of 19th session of the

    Conference of the Parties (COP) UN climate talks in 2013.

    World Conference on International Telecommunications (WCIT-12)

    The First ever World Conference on International Telecommunications (WCIT) from 3 -14 December heldin Dubai, United Arab Emirates.The conference reviewed the current International TelecommunicationRegulations (ITRs).The 193 member states of the ambassadors are attended this conference.While 89states have signed the UN International Telecommunications agreement and another 55 countries haverefused the deal.The new agreement will come into effect in January 2015.

    ASEAN India Commemorative Summit held in New Delhi

    India is hosted the ASEAN-India Commemorative Summit held from December 20-21 in New Delhi to

    mark the 20th anniversary of the ASEAN India dialogue partnership and the 10th anniversary ofASEAN-India Summit-level partnership.The theme of the summit is ASEAN-India Partnership for Peaceand Shared Prosperity. ASEAN and India have signed the awaited Free Trade Agreement (FTA) oncomprehensive economic cooperation as foundations for the establishment of an ASEAN-India Trade andInvestment Area.

    AWARDS & HONOURS

    Katy Perry Honored With Billboards Woman of the Year

    Pop Singer Katy Perry was honored with Billboards Woman of the Year 2012 (The Star of the Women)award in New York.

    Shah Rukh Khan Conferred With Moroccos Medal of Honour

    Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan had given the prestigious Medal of Honour by the Prince ofMorocco (Moulay Rachid) on 3 December 2012 in 12th Marrakech International Film Festival.

    DRDO Scientist Gets Top Award

    Brajnish Sitara scientist from Research Centre Imarat(RCI), a premier laboratory of DRDOs missile

    complex was conferred with INAE(Indian National Academy of Engineering)Young Engineer Award for2012 at the academys annual conventionheld at Roorkee on 6 December 2012.

    Rajan and Sajan Mishra Conferred National Tansen Samman

    On 14 December 2012 noted vocalist duo of Rajan and Sajan Mishra will be awarded prestigiousNational Tansen Samman for year 2011-12 for their contribution to Hindustani classical music

    Stephen Hawking Won Yuri Milner Award

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    A Russian billionaires foundation was awarded two special prizes of $3 million each to Britishcosmologist Stephen Hawking for his work on black holes and to seven scientists at the worl ds biggestatom-smasher for their roles in the discovery of a new subatomic particle believed to be the long-soughtHiggs boson. Yuri Milners Fundamental Physics Prize Foundation announced the awards on 11December 2012.Hawking is honored for his discovery of Hawking radiation from black holes and hisdeep contributions to quantum gravity and quantum aspects of the early universe.

    Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award for Ravi Shankar

    Sitar maestro Pandit Ravi Shankar will be honoured with a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Awardposthumously.He becomes the first Indian to get the prestigious award. The decision to honour RaviShankar, a three-time Grammy winner, was made before his death.

    Indian Journalists Association Honoured Sir Charles Wheeler

    On 16 December Indian Journalists Association has conferred its Lifetime Achievement Award for 2012posthumously to former BBC correspondent Sir Charles Wheeler.

    Scientist Venkatesh Mannar honoured with Order of Canada Award

    A Chennai born scientist of Indian origin, M.G Venkatesh Mannar and President, Micronutrient Initiative,Canada was awarded with Canadas Highest Civilian Award the Order of Canada on December .US,was honoured with the award for his forty years long contribution working towards reduction of debilitatingmicronutrient deficiencies among the worlds most vulnerable.

    Arunachal CM Selected for IAEWP Award

    On 18 December Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Nabam Tuki has been selected by the InternationalAssociation of Educators for World Peace (IAEWP) for a Lifetime Achievement Award. IAEWP is a non-governmental organization affiliated to the United Nations and engaged in the promotion of world peace.Besides the individual award he would also receive the Green State of the Year Award on beh alf of the

    Arunachal Pradesh Government for maintaining greenery in the state.

    Top Honour For 7-year-old South African Indian Rhino Campaigner

    A seven-year-old Indian-origin girl Afeefah Patel won a prestigious a wildlife conservation award in SouthAfrica for writing a letter to President Jacob Zuma asking for his assistance in saving endangered rhinos.Afeefah Patel, who has just finished Grade One, became the youngest winner ever of SANParkssCorporate Contribution to Conservation Award in individual category at the 8th annual Kudu Awards.

    P.Chidambaram received Best Administrator Award

    On 20 December Union Finance Minister P. Chidambaram received Best Administrator in India awardinstituted by K. Karunakaran Foundation.The award was presented to him by Vice President of India, M.

    Hamid Ansari.The award is being offered in the memory of renowned Congress leader as well as theformer Kerala Chief minister K.Karunakaran. First Karunakaran Foundation Award was given to PranabMukherjee.

    Archaeologist C.Govindarajanar Received Presidential Award

    President Pranab Mukherjee on 21 December 2012 conferred the Presidential Awards for ClassicalTamil at a function in Rashtrapati Bhavan. Prof. C. Govindarajanar was conferred Tolkappiyar Award foroutstanding contribution in the field of Tamil studies.

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    Top U.S. Innovation Award For Indian-American

    A renowned Indian-American inventor at IBM, Rangaswamy Srinivasan, was nominated by U.S.President Barack Obama for the prestigious National Medal of Technology and Innovation. He namedthe phenomenon Ablative Photo Decomposition (APD). He got this award for the discovery of APD.

    Shihab Ghanem the First Arab to receive Indias Tagore Peace Prize

    On 26 December The Asiatic society will award the Tagore Peace Prize to Emirati poet and translatorShihab Ghanem .Shihab Ghanem the first Arab to receive Indias Tagore Peace Prize.The peace prize isnamed after Rabindranath Tagore, a Bengali creative talent and Indias first Nobel laureate.

    Pratibha Ray Won 2011 Jnanpith Award

    Leading Oriya novelist and academician Pratibha Ray, who has over 40 novels, travelogues and shortstories to her credit, was named for the prestigious Jnanpith Award for the year 2011 on 27 December2012.

    Astronautical Societys Aryabhatta award for Muthunayagam & Saraswat

    The former secretary of the Department of Ocean Development, A.E. Muthunayagam, will received theprestigious Aryabhatta award, instituted by the Astronautical Society of India (ASI), for 2010 and V.K.Saraswat, Scientific Adviser to the Defence Minister, will receive the award for 2011.They have beenselected for their achievements in rocketry.

    SPORTS & GAMES

    Lalith Babu Top in Commonwealth Chess Championship

    Grandmasters M R Lalith Babu and Sergei Tiviakov scored final round victories to reached the top of thetable with 9.5 points in the Commonwealth Chess Championship in Chennai on 01 December 2012. Lalithwas crowned the Commonwealth Champion 2012 title.

    Rory McIlroy named PGA Tour Player of the Year

    On 2 December The PGA( Professional Golfers Association of America) Tour has announced RoryMcIlroy as Tour Player of the Year after McIlroy won four times on Tour in 2012. McIlroy, becomes theyoungest player to earn Player of the Year honors since Tiger Woods in 1998.

    Anna Ushenina is World Womens Chess Champion

    Anna Ushenina of Ukraine 02 December 2012 won the womens World Championship crown, defeatingAntoaneta Stefanova of Bulgaria in the first set of tie-break games.

    Air India Won Lal Bahadur Shastri Tournament

    Air India defeated Bharat Petroleum 3-1 to emerge champion in the 23rd Lal Bahadur Shastri hockeytournament at the Shivaji Stadium New Delhi on 4 December 2012.

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    Jadeja Created History Hitting 3rd Tripleton in FC Cricket

    Ravindra Jadeja became first Indian and only eighth batsman in the First-Class (FC) cricket history ofworld to score three triple-centuries in the unbeaten 320 runs against Railways in the Ranji Trophy GroupA match on 2 December 2012 in Rajkot.

    International Olympic Committee Suspended India

    The International Olympic Committee (IOC) suspended Indias national Olympic committee on 4December 2012 because of government interference in its election process.

    Australia Won 5th Consecutive Champions Trophy Hockey

    On 8 December Australia won fifth Consective Champions Trophy Hockey after defeated Netherlands inMelbourne.The bronze medal was claimed by Pakistan after they beated India on 9 december.

    Indian Wrestlers Won Nine Gold Medals in Copa Brasil Tournament

    The Indian wrestling contingent finished with a haul of nine gold and four bronze medals in the recentCopa Brasil-2012 tournament held at Rio in December 2012.

    Magnus Carlsen won the 4th London Chess Classic Tournament

    On 10 December Norways chess ace Magnus Carlsen won the 4th London Chess Classic Tournament inLondon .Carlsen defeated the World Champion Viswanathan Anand in the final round and claim thewinners trophy.Kramnik is second place , Adams and Hikaru Nakamura share the third place andViswanathan Anand fifth place.

    India Won Blind Cricket T20 World Cup

    India won the first T20 world cup for the Blind .In the final on 13 December 2012 India defeated the

    Pakistan by 29-runs.India did well to clinch the first ever blind cricket T20 World Cup on the home soil.

    India Won the World Cup Kabaddi Tournament 2012

    India won the 3rd World Cup Kabaddi Tournament for the third consecutive time in the Mens categoryand second consecutive time in the Womens category on15 December 2012. Indian men defeated thePakistan and India Women defeated the Malaysia in the finals held at the Guru Nanak Dev Stadium inLudhiana.

    Jeev Honoured with Asia Pacific Lifetime Achievement Award

    Indian golfer Jeev Milkha Singh (in pic) won the Asia Pacific Lifetime Achievement award along with Jack

    Nicklaus and Colin Montgomerie on 15 December 2012.

    China Claimed All Titles at Junior World TT Championship

    On 16 December China claimed the all titles at Volkswagen 2012 World Junior Table TennisChampionship after it won girls as well as boys trophies. Girls Singles : Zhu Yuling, Girls Doubles: GuYuting and Zhu Yuling, Boys Singles : Fan Zhendong, Boys Doubles : Gu Ruochen and Lin Gaoyuan,Mixed Doubles : Zhendong and Liu Gaoyang.

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    Federer & Nicola named Swiss Athletes of the Year 2012

    Tennis star Roger Federer was named Swiss male athlete of the year at the 2012 Credit Suisse SportsAwards on 16 December in Zurich.Federer received the honour for the fifth time. The female Athlete ofthe year was Nicola Spirig, the Olympic triathlon champion of Switzerland.

    England Won Test Series

    On 17 December The last test match between India and England of the Tournament England Tour toIndia ended up as a draw and with this India lost the four-test match cricket series against England .Withthis win England succeeded in ending a 28 year long wait of winning a test series on Indian Soil.

    Syed Rahim Nabi Named AIFF Player of the Year 2012

    Syed Rahim Nabi has been named the AIFF (All India Football Federation) Player of the Year, 2012 on20 December.

    Sachin Retired From One Day Cricket

    On 23 December Sachin Tendulkar announced retirement from one day cricket. Sachin scored 18426runs in 463 one-day matches and also made 49 hundreds in the one-day format, including a doublehundred which is the first in this form of cricket and 96 half centuries. He became the first cricketer toscore a double century in the history of One Day international Cricket against South Africa in February2010.Tendulkar scored his 100th international century on 16 March 2012 against Bangladesh, where hescored 114 runs.

    Kashyap Won First Grand Prix Title

    Kashyap Parupalli defeated Thailands Tanongsak Saensomboonsuk in a tight three game match to takehis first Grand Prix title at the Shaheed Dr. KL Garg, Syed Modi India Grand Prix Gold 2012.

    Apurvi Chandela Won Air Rifle Gold

    On 24 December Apurvi Chandela of Rajasthan won Womens Air Rifle Gold in the Sahara 56th NationalShooting Championship.Former champion and National record holder, Pournima clinched the bronze.

    Djokovic won World Tennis Championship

    On 29 December Spanish tennis player Novak Djokovic won World Tennis Championship final afterdefeated Nicolas Almagro in Abu Dhabi.

    Vijay Won Gold in National Shooting Championship

    London Olympics silver medallist Vijay Kumar 30 december 2012 clinched the gold medal in the mensrapid fire pistol event at the 56th National Shooting Championship in New Delhi.

    McGrath inducted into Hall of Fame

    The ICC announced on 30 December 2012 that McGrath, who took more Test wickets (563) than anyother fast bowler and holds the record for most wickets in World Cups (71), will be inducted as the 68thmale player in the International Cricket Councils Hall of Fame.

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    ECONOMY

    The ADB cut Indias Growth Forecast to 5.4 percent

    The Asian Development Bank (ADB) cut Indias growth forecast to 5.4 per cent in 2012-13 fiscal, barelytwo months after it had made a projection of 5.6 per cent growth for the Asias third largest economy.Indias growth forecast is revised from 5.6 per cent t o 5.4 per cent in fiscal year 2012 and from 6.7 percent to 6.5 per cent in FY 2013.

    Rich Gulf Families Own Wealth Worth USD 1.2 Trillion

    According to the KFH-Research report said one million wealthy families in the Gulf Cooperation Council(GCC) countries own investment assets worth about USD 1.2 trillion.The report about wealth and fundsmanagement said that the worlds population of high net worth individuals (HNWIs) grew by a marginal0.8 per cent year on year to 11 million in 2011.

    India Economy Would Dominate the Economy of the World by 2030

    US intelligence counsel was released report on 10 December 2012 declared that India would straddleinternational commerce and will also dominate the economy of the whole world by 2030.

    IOC Retains Top in Fortune 500 India List

    Government owned Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) is ranked as the largest company in terms of revenue,the Fortune 500 list of Indian companies for 2012 . In this list Indian Oil Corporation got the first place witha full-year revenue of Rs 4,202 billion, Reliance Industries Limited got the second place with a full-yearrevenue of Rs 3,675 billion and Bharat Petroleum Corporation got the third place with a full -year revenueof Rs 2,148 billion

    Indias Lost $123 bn in Black Money

    According to the report of Illicit Financial Flows from Developing Countries: 20012010, released byGlobal Financial Integrity (GFI) India lost $123 billion in black money during 2001-2010. However Indiasloss is far less than that of China, which according to the report suffered a loss of $ 2.74 trillion during thesame period (2001 to 2010). India is the eighth largest victim of black money loses.

    India Lags Several Nations in Per Capita Income

    India is lagging behind several countries in per capita income due to different levels of development andvarious other factors, the central government was informed on 19 December. Indias per capita GDP on

    Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) basis was $3,403 in 2010 and is estimated at $3,662.69 in 2011 and$3,851.31 in 2012.

    SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

    Canadian Scientists Created Artificial Brain

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    Software engineers as well as neuroscientists at University of Waterloo, Canada claimed that they havedeveloped a closest model of the functioning human brain, known as Spaun which is advanced enoughfor passing the basic IQ tests. This is the virtual brain which functions on the supercomputer andcomprises of a digital eye, which can be used for visual input. It also has the robotic arm which can beused for drawing the response.

    Voyager 1 Drifts Into Unknown Region of Space

    NASAs Voyager 1 spacecraft has discovered a new layer of the solar system that scientists hadnt knownwas there, researchers announced on 4 December 2012. Voyager 1, in particular, has entered a newregion of the heliosphere that scientists are calling a magnetic highway, which allows charged particlesfrom inside the heliosphere to flow outward, and particles from the galaxy outside to come in.

    New Anti-HIV Gel for HIV Transmission

    Researchers led by Dereuddre-Bosquet from the European Combined Highly Active Anti-RetroviralMicrobicides (CHAARM) Consortium describe the gels key ingredient, which are small peptidesengineered to present a decoy to bind up the virus and prevent it from entering and infecting the bodycells. Because this is a gel it can be topically applied and could represent a powerful preventative agent

    against sexual transmission of HIV. Bosquet and colleagues engineered peptides named miniCD4sbecause they mimic the CD4 receptor used by HIV to gain entry into immune cells of the body.

    NASA to Send New Rover to Mars in 2020

    NASA was announced plans to send a new robotic explorer to the the Red Planet, Mars in 2020.

    7 Planets Discovered In The Milky Way

    New York Scientists have been discovered Seven planets in the Milky Way outside our solar system thatcould potentially harbour life and researchers from an ambitious project to catalogue all habitable worldsclaim.

    Russia Delivered MiG-29 Fighter Jets to India

    Russia on 10 December 2012 delivered the first three upgraded MiG-29UPG fighter jets to India under aUSD 900 million contract to modernise the ageing fleet of MiG-29 aircraft with the IAF.

    Tata Group Developed new Artillery Gun

    On 11 December In a step towards developing the indigenous private sector defence industry, the Tatagroup has created a new Artillery Gun. The 155mm 52 calibre gun developed by the Tata group is likelyto have a strike range of 52 kms, which would probably be the longest in the Indian inventory.

    India Successfully Test Fired Agni-I Ballistic Missile

    India on 12 December 2012 successfully test-fired its indigenously developed nuclear capable Agni-Iballistic missile with a strike range of 700 km from a test range off Odisha coast. Weighing 12 tonnes, the15-metre-long Agni-I, which is capable of carrying payloads up to 1000 kg and destroy the targets at adistance of 700 km.

    North Korea Launched Unha-3 Rocket

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    On 12 December North Korea launched a long-range rocket Unha-3 despite international opposition andgrowing tensions in the region successfully delivering a scientific satellite Kwangmyongsong-3 intoorbit.Unha-3 is the second version of satellite Kwangmyongsong-3 which is successfully lifted off from theSohae Space Center by carrier rocket.The US and its allies view the launch as a disguised test of ballisticmissile technology.

    NASAs Twin Probes Crashed Successfully onto Lunar Mountain

    Ebb and Flow, the gravity mapping satellites of NASA ended the successful mission to Moon by crashingon the rim of crater. Lunar surface on which Ebb and Flow crashed will be given a name after Sally Ride,the first woman of America in the space who died earlier in 2012.

    Rocket with 3 Astronauts Takes off for ISS

    A Soyuz spacecraft carrying three astronauts took off atop a towering Russian rocket on 19 December2012, headed for the International Space Station.It launched from Russias manned-space facility in thefrigid steppes of Kazakhstan. American Tom Marshburn, Russian Roman Romanenko and CanadianChris Hadfield are travelled in capsule.

    Prithvi-II Flight- Tested Successfully

    The Strategic Forces Command (SFC) successfully flight-tested nuclear weapons-capable Prithvi-IImissile from Chandipur, off the Odisha coast on 20 December 2012. The surface-to-surface ballisticmissile, was fired from a road mobile launcher and tested for its full range of 350 km.The single-stage,liquid propelled missile can carry a payload of 500 kg.

    Astra Missile Successfully Test-fired

    India on December 2012 test launched its indigenously developed beyond visual range (BVR) air-to-airinterceptor missile Astra at the interim test range(ITR) at Chandipur in Odisha.Astra which has thecapability to intercept and destroy enemy aircraft at a supersonic speed can be fitted into any fighter

    aircraft. Considered as one of the best of its kind in the world, the 3.8 metre long missile which weighsabout 160 kg can carry explosive loaded conventional warheads up to 15 kg.

    Scientists Discovered Mini Nile River on Saturns Moon Titan

    Nasa scientists had spotted the longest extraterrestrial river system everon Saturns moon Titan andit appears to be a miniature version of Earths Nile river.

    Higgs Boson Tops Journal Sciences 2012 List

    The discovery of the Higgs Boson, an invisible particle that explains the mystery of mass, leads a list ofthe top 10 scientific advances of 2012 released by the US journal Science on 22 December .

    America Launched Reusable Rockets

    US California based SpaceXs industry successfully launched Grasshopper reusable rockets.The rockettook a giant leap for commercial space flight and when it rose 131 feet and landed safely back on Earth.Grasshopper rocket rose to a height of 131 feet around ten storeys and hovered before landing safelyon its launch pad using closed loop thrust vector and throttle control.

    Hot Spots For Worlds more Powerful Earthquakes Revealed

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    The locations of where the worlds largest earthquakes are most likely to take place had pinpointed withgreater accuracy than ever before, by researchers from the University of Sydney.The coasts of SouthernChile and Peru, Indonesias Sumatra Island, and several regions along the eastern Eurasian coastline,are some of the regions prone to great earthquakes.

    PERSONS IN NEWS

    a) APPOINTMENTS

    Visually-challenged Indian-American in key US post

    On 1 December Obama administration was appointed a visually-challenged Indian-American Sachin DevPavithran as a Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board member.

    Ajit Pawar sworn-in as Maharashtra Deputy CM

    Ajith Pawar sworn-in as Maharashtra deputy chief minister on 7 December. After getting the clean chitfrom the government on corruption in irrigation projects.

    Chautala Elected as IOA President

    Abhay Singh Chautala was on December 2012 unanimously elected president of the Indian OlympicAssociation (IOA) while Lalit Bhanot became the new secretary general.

    Parthasarathy Shome Appointed Adviser to Finance Minister

    The government of India appointed tax expert Parthasarthi Shome as adviser to Finance Minister P

    Chidambaram with minister of state rank, sending a strong signal that tax reforms may top its economicagenda in the remainder of the UPA governments second term.

    Malalas Father Ziauddin Yousufzai Appointed UN Education Adviser

    Ziauddin Yousufzai, the father of 15-year-old Pakistani schoolgirl Malala Yousufzai, who was shot by theTaliban for advocating girls right to education, has been appointed as Special UN Adviser on GlobalEducation on 10 December.

    Vijay Kumar appointed Senior Security Adviser in Home Ministry

    The Union government had appointed the former Director-General of the Central Reserve Police Force,

    K. Vijay Kumar, as Senior Security Adviser in the Home Ministry where he will advise on security anddevelopment in the Naxal-affected States.

    Vinod Rai Re-elected as Chair of UN Auditors Panel

    Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India Vinod Rai was re-elected Chair of the (UN) auditorsPanel for the year 2013, while the CAG of the United Kingdom, Amyas Morse, was re-elected the vice-chair of the Panel.

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    Naina Lal Kidwai Becomes First Woman President of FICCI

    Country Head of HSBC India, Naina Lal Kidwai, took over as President of FICCI on 15 December 2012.She become the first woman to head the leading industry body.

    Rita Singh Elected Federation of Indian Associations President

    Rita Singh, an Indian American businesswoman from Bihar was elected the first woman president ofChicago-based Federation of Indian Associations (FIA).

    Subhash Joshi Appointed As New BSF Chief

    Subhash Joshi was appointed as the new chief of Border Security Force (BSF) on 18 December 2012.Chadha, Special Secretary was appointed as Director General of ITBP(Indo-Tibetan Border Police).

    Obama Nominates John Kerry to be Secretary of State

    The senior senator John Kerry was nominated as Americas Foreign Minister by President Barack

    Obama on 21 December 2012.The John Kerry, who is the senior Senator from Massachusetts, now hebecame the chairman of the powerful Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

    Smita Singh Appointed as member of Global Development Council

    On 22 December The Obama administration has appointed Indian-American Smita Singh as member ofthe presidents Global Development Council.

    Virbhadra Singh Sworn in as Himachal Pradeshs Chief Minister

    On 25 December Former Union Minister Virbhadra Singh was sworn- in as Himachal Pradeshs chiefminister for a record sixth term in Shimla. He was Chief Minister five times between 1983 and 1985; 1985and 1990; 1993 and 1998 and 2003 and 2007.

    Narendra Modi Sworn in Gujarat CM for 4th time

    Narendra Modi sworn in as Gujarat chief minister for the fourth consecutive time on 26 December 2012.He was sworn in along with seven ministers of Cabinet rank and nine ministers of state.

    Cyrus Mistry took charge as Tata Group Chairman

    Cyrus Mistry, the new chairman of the Tata Group, took charge of his office on 31 December.Mistry is thesixth chairman of the Tata empire.

    b) RESIGNSMali Prime Minister Cheick Modibo Diarra Resigned

    On 11 December Malian Prime Minister Cheick Modibo Diarra resigned and dissolved his governmentafter he was arrested by the army in the West African nation.He was acting Prime Minister of Mali fromApril 2012

    Singapore Parliament Speaker Resigned

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    Singapores parliament speaker Michael Palmer announced his resignation on 12 December 2012 overan extramarital affair with a staff member of the Peoples Association, a statutory body leading efforts toreach out to members of the public.

    Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Resigned

    Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman formally submitted his resignation on 16 December 2012 dueto a pending indictment against him for fraud and breach of trust.

    Japan Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda Resigned

    On 16 December Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda resigned from his post to take responsibilityfor his Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) defeat in Lower House Election .He was formally appointed bythe Emperor on 2 September 2011.

    c) DEATHS

    Geophysicist Devendra Lal Died

    Devendra Lal, geophysicist and visiting professor at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography (SIO) of theuniversity of california, has died on 1 December in San Diego.He was conferred with Padma Shri in1971. Devendra Lal also won NASA Group Achievement Award.

    Worlds Oldest Woman and Tallest Woman Both Died

    Besse Cooper, the woman listed as the worlds oldest person was died on 4 December 2012 in Georgiaat the age of 116. Meanwhile, a Chinese woman, Yao Defen, was certified as the tallest in the world wasalso died. Mrs Cooper was declared the worlds oldest person in January 2011.Chinese woman YaoDefen was listed as the worlds tallest woman by Guinness World Records in 2010.

    Jazz Pianist & Composer Dave Brubeck Died

    On 5 December Legendary Jazz composer and pianist Dave Brubeck died in Norwalk. He had also wonvarious awards during his career which spanned over six decades.The Library of Congress designatedhim as the Living Legend.

    British Astronomer Sir Patrick Moore Died

    British astronomer and broadcaster Sir Patrick Moore on 9 December 2012 in Selsey, West Sussex.SirPatrick presented the BBC programme The Sky At Night for over 50 years, making him the longest-running host of the same television show ever.

    Ex-Bangladesh President Ahmed Died

    Former Bangladeshi President and Bangladesh Nationalist Party(BNP) leader Iajuddin Ahmed passedaway on 10 December 2012. Iajuddin Ahmed was the 13th president of Bangladeshserving from Sept. 6,2002 until Feb. 12, 2009.

    Bharat Ratna Pandit Ravi Shankar Died

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    Bharat Ratna Pandit Ravi Shankar, whose mastery over the sitar helped rejuvenate the classicalinstrumental tradition in India and popularise Indian music in the West through concerts andcollaborations with well known artists, died in San Diego, U.S. on 11 December 2012.

    Former Ranji Cricketer Nimbalkar Died

    Former Ranji cricketer B B Nimbalkar was passes away on 11 December 2012. BB Nimbalkar, who madean unbeaten 443 runs for Maharashtra against Kathiawar in a Ranji Trophy match in 1948-49. Yet this isthe Indias highest scorer in first-class cricket.

    First CM of Uttarakhand Nityanand Swami Passed Away

    The first Chief Minister of Uttarakhand Nityanand Swami died at Dehra Dun on 12 December 2012.Heworked as a first Chief Minister of Uttarakhand after dividing it from Uttar Pradesh in 2000.

    Barcode Co-inventor Woodland Died

    Norman Joseph Woodland, who co-created the barcode, was died on 9 December 2012 in New Jerseyat the age of 91. Woodland was the co-inventor of bar code. He as well as his partner Bernard Silver

    (who died in 1963) patented this idea of bar code back in 1952.

    Guinness Worlds Oldest Person Dina Manfredini Died

    Dina Manfredini (115 Years) the worlds oldest person and a resident of Iowa, has died on 17 Decemberin Johnston .Guinness World Records identified Manfredini as the worlds oldest person on December 5,a day after the death of 116-year-old Besse Cooper of Georgia.

    Former India Volleyball Captain Tilakam Gopal Died

    Tilakam Gopal, former India captain died on 18 December 2012. Mr.Gopals achievements was beingmember of the silver medal winning Indian squad in the 1962 Jakarta Asian Games and even led India in

    the five-Test series against the visiting Russians in 1966 which later on helped him to continue be captainin the Bangkok ASIAD in 1966 where India stood fourth.

    Hockey Legend Leslie Claudius Died

    Legendary hockey player and one of Indias greatest Olympians Leslie Claudius, passed away in Kolkataon 20 December 2012. India won the silver medal in the Asian Games in 1978 in Bangkok, when he wasthe team manager.He got the Padma Shree award in 1971.

    Former England Cricket Team Captain Tony Greig Died

    Tony Greig, the South Africa-born cricketer who became England cricket team captain and later

    continued to make his mark on the game as a revered commentator in Australia, died on 29 December2012.He played 58 tests for England and scored 3,599 runs at an average of 40.43 and took 141 wicketsat 32.20.

    d) VISITORS

    Palestinian Hamas leader Meshaal Visited Gaza

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    The political leader of Hamas, Khaled Meshaal has visited Gaza on 6 December .He attended acommemoration of the 25th anniversary of the founding of Hamas and a victory celebration .He visitedsouthern Gaza strip through Egypts Rafah border crossing over for the first time in 45 years.

    Ukrainian President Yanukovych Visited India

    Viktor Yanukovych the President of Ukrainian visited India from 9th to 12th December. During this visithe signed 5 agreements .He met Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan and the both nations discussed ways toimprove bilateral relations.

    Pak Minister Rehman Malik Visited India

    Pakistans Interior Minister Rehman Malik visited India from 14th to 16th December .During the visit hemet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and both nations signed on new visa agreement.

    Russian President Putin Visited India

    Russian President Vladimir Putin visited India on 24 December .During the visit he met Manmohan Singhin New Delhi and signed a series of pacts on defense cooperation and reached consensus to developeconomic and trade relations.Putin last visited India as prime minister in 2010.

    e) MISCELLANEOUS

    China Launched First High Speed Train in Extremely Cold Areas

    The worlds first high-speed train in areas with extremely low temperature started operation in China 01December 2012.This train move with a speed of 350 Kmph in the areas of minus 40 degreestemperature. This is the fastest train world in this areas.

    Forbes 2012 Most Powerful Persons List

    On 6 December 2012 Forbes Magazine released the most powerful persons list in the world. In that listAICC President Sonia Gandhi got the 12th place and Prime Minister of India Man Mohan Singh got the20th place. As usually this year also American President Barack Obama got 1st place. Germanchancellor Angela Merkel got the 2nd place. The list also includes Russian President Vladimir Putin atnumber three, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates (4), Richest Person in India Mukesh Ambani (37).

    Mumbai Among Worlds Dirtiest Cities

    Indias commercial capital, Mumbai, was named among the worlds dirtiest cities, ranking last in thecleanest streets category, a global survey of 40 key tourist cities has found. According to TripAdvisorsCities Survey, Tokyo grabbed the first place while Mumbai ranked last in the li st of cleanest streets.

    Jiroemon Kimura named Worlds Oldest Person

    On 18 December Jiroemon Kimura (115 years) has been named the worlds oldest person after the deathof his predecessor, an American woman named Dina Manfredini who died on 17 December afterreceiving the title of oldest person of the world.Jiroemon Kimura was born on 19 April 1897 and is just 15days younger than the deceased Dina Manfredini.

    Miss Universe 2012 Olivia Culpo (USA)

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    Miss USA Olivia Culpo is crowned Miss Universe 2012 on 19 December 2012, on the Las Vegas. MissPhilippines, Janine Tugonon, came in second, while Miss Venezuela, Irene Sofia Esser Quintero, placedthird.

    Obama is Times Person of the Year

    President Barack Obama had been named Time magazines Person of the Year for 2012 on 19December 2012. Obama also received the honour in 2008.

    8 Indians Among Worlds Best Performed CEOs

    Eight Indian CEOs have made it to the list of 100 best performing global chief executives, compiled byHarvard Business Review (HBR). Deveshwar was first among the Indian CEOs featured in this list, andcornered the seventh place overall.Former chairman and MD, ONGC Subir Raha (Rank 13).Chairmanand CEO, Reliance Industries, Mukesh Ambani (Rank 28).Chairman and Managing Director, Larsen &Toubro, AM Naik (Rank 32). Former CMD, Bharat Heavy Electricals, AK Puri (Rank 38). Chairman,Bharti Airtel, Sunil Bharti Mittal (Rank 65). CEO, Jindal Steel & Power, Naveen Jindal (Rank 87). FormerChairman, SAIL,VS Jain (Rank 89). Former Apple CEO, Steve Jobs (Rank 1). CEO, Amazon.com CEO,Jeff Bezos (Rank 2).

    China Launched Worlds Longest High-Speed Rail

    China launched service on the worlds longest high -speed railway on 26 December 2012 with trainsscheduled to run 2,298 kilometres between Beijing and Guangzhou in about eight hours.Travelling at anaverage speed of about 300 km per hour, the service would cut the journey time from more than 20 hoursby conventional trains.

    PLACES IN NEWS

    Typhoon Bopha Killed Hundreds in Philippines

    Bopha, the strongest typhoon hit the Philippines on 5 December 2012, was left at least 325 died. Thetyphoon with central winds of 115 kph and gusts of up to 145 kph was moved to west-northwest of thecentral Philippines on 6 December 2012.

    Powerful Earthquake in Japan

    The powerful earthquake had occurred in Japan on 7 December 2012.The magnitude of this earthquakewas recorded as 7.3. This earthquake had occurred in 240 km beyond the Miyagi coast in the PacificOceanin a depth of 10m.

    ABBREVIATIONS

    UNFCCC - United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change

    WCCB Wildlife Crime Control Bureau

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    TRAI Telecom Regulatory Authority of India

    SCI Shipping Corporation of India

    NSC National Security Council

    OIL Oil India Limited

    GAAR General Anti Avoidance Rules

    NCHRH National Council for Human Resources in Health

    IOA Indian Olympic Association

    GCC Gulf Cooperation Council

    NDAA National Defence Authorisation Act

    INAE Indian National Academy of Engineering

    ITSMA Information Technology Services Marketing Association

    GTI Global Terrorism Index

    BOOKS IN NEWS

    The Peak Book Released on Sachin Tendulkar

    On 2 December Indian Cricketer Yuvraj Singh was launched Sachin Tendulkars new book named ThePeak which is a unique photographed story on Tendulkar by photo -journalist Suman Chattopadhyay.

    The book captures some rare and memorable moments of Tendulkars life through Chattopadhyayslens and the stories behind them in the masters own words

    Pankaj, Bengals Forgotten Hero Book Released

    On 3 December Senior batsman Sachin Tendulkar and former India captain Sourav Ganguly released abook on former India opener Late Pankaj Roy named Pankaj, Bengals Forgotten Hero has been writtenby Bengali sports journalist Gautam Bhattacharya. Pankaj Roy had played 43 Tests for India in a span of10 years scoring 2442 runs with five centuries.

    My Tryst with Justice Book Released

    On 12 December President Pranab Mukherjee released a book My Tryst with Justice which was writtenby Former Chief Justice P.N.Bhagwati .The book would be a prized possession for every Indian whowants to make a difference to the world and who aspires for a world more just, he added.

    M.S. Subbulakshmi Queen of Carnatic Music Book Launched

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    The life story of carnatic music legend M.S. Subbulakshmi, the first musician to be conferred the BharatRatna, is now detailed in a graphic illustrated book launched on December. The story of the nightingale ofcarnatic music, fondly known as MS. It is being told through Amar Chitra Kathas new title M SSubbulakshmiQueen of Carnatic Music

    COMMITTEES

    Usha Thorat Committee for NBFCs

    Indias majority of Non-Banking Finance companies (NBFCs) may be freed from the regulatory clutchesprovided Reserve Bank of India (RBI) implements one of the recommendations made by Usha ThoratCommittee. The committee had submitted its recommendations to RBI. Currently, thoserecommendations are under RBIs consideration.

    Chandrashekhar Committee to Frame Rules for Foreign Investors

    On 13 December The market regulator Sebi has appointed a committee under ex-Cabinet secretary K MChandrashekhar to frame a single set of guidelines for all types of foreign investors.The committee willsuggest ways to simplify the investment process for all overseas entities like foreign institutional investors,foreign venture capital investors (FVCIs), qualified financial, institutional investors (QFIs)

    IMPORTANT DAYS & DATES

    Feb 4 World Cancer Day

    Feb 20 World Day of Social Justice

    Feb 21 International Mother Tongue Day

    Feb 22 World Scout Day

    Feb 22 World Thinking Day

    Feb 23 World Peaces and Understanding Day

    Feb 24 Central Excise Tax Day

    Feb 28 National Science Day

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