CURRENT AFFAIRS

01 to 15 Jan, 2009
National
·               Rural India go get Rs. 76k-cr allocation: While it has unveiled stimulus packages to help the
Indian industry, government hasn’t lost sight of the needs of rural India. The expenditure on rural
development projects that the Centre is likely to incur by the end of March 2009, would be as much
as 55% higher than the original Budget allocation. “Against initial allocation of Rs 49,000 crore for
the rural development programme, the government is expected to incur an expenditure of more
than Rs 76,000 crore during current fiscal,” said Raghuvansh Prasad Singh, union rural
development minister. The rural development ministry runs various anti-poverty schemes like
National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA), Bharat Nirman, Indira Aawas Yojana, etc
being administered by ministry of rural development.

·               Tata, quippo merge tower biz: Tata Teleservices Ltd (TTSL) merged its tower arm with
Quippo Telecom, a pure play tower company, to create a Rs 13,000-crore ($2.6 billion) entity with
18,000 towers. According to the company, this makes it the second largest firm in terms of number
of towers.

·               Focus on troubled tiger reserves: The National Tiger Conservation Authority has called a
meeting of the field directors of 12 of its “troubled” tiger reserves in the country seeking to re-
assess the situation. would focus on measures for active management at these reserves. “This is
part of our ongoing programme to deal with the situation that is contributing to the skewed sex-ratio
of tiger population,” said Rajesh Gopal, Inspector-General of Forests and Member-Secretary of the
National Tiger Conservation Authority. The tiger reserves that are being reviewed include Panna
(Madhya Pradesh), Nagarjunasagar Srisailam (Hyderabad), Namdapha (Arunachal Pradesh),
Dampa (Mizoram), Similipal (Orrisa), Kalakad Mundanthurai (Tamil Nadu), Valmiki (Bihar), Palamau
(Jharkhand), Manas (Assam), Buxa (West Bengal) and Sanjay Dubri (Madhya Pradesh).

·               Indian Naval Academy (Navac), built on 2,452 acres of land facing the Arabian Sea, at
Ezhimala in Kannul district.

·               Centre disbands Satyam board: The Centre disbanded the board of Satyam Computer
Services, cancelled its meeting scheduled and announced that a 10-member board of new
directors would be nominated soon. The erstwhile board of Satyam was to meet in Hyderabad on
January 10 to discuss the crisis in the wake of the Rs. 7,100-crore accounting fraud, which its
founder-chairman B. Ramalinga Raju owned up to before quitting his post. Five other directors of
Satyam had also put in their papers, leaving the strength of the board at just three.

·               Cabinet nod for Arunachal highways:  The Union Cabinet cleared a Rs.12,513-crore project
to improve road connectivity in the border State of Arunachal Pradesh in the North-East, including
construction of a 1,412-km trans-Arunachal highway interlinking the headquarters of 11 of the
State’s 16 districts and upgrading the connectivity to the headquarters of the other five districts with
roads of two-lane standards totalling 847 km. Apart from providing efficient road connectivity to
remote and backward areas, the project is of strategic importance as it would provide better road
communication to the forward areas of Anini and Anjaw districts of the State, which border China.

·               Haryana invokes ESMA: The Haryana Government enforced the Haryana Essential Services
Maintenance Act, 1974 (Act 40 of 1974) prohibiting for six months any strike by officers under the
employment of public sector oil companies in the State.
·               Night Safari at G. Noida: The Supreme Court cleared the decks for India’s first night safari
tourism project. A bench headed by Chief Justice K.G. Balakrishnan permitted the Greater Noida
Authority to go ahead with the project in accordance with the conditions prescribed by the Central
Zoo Authority (CZA). Zoological gardens like the night safari have already been established in
Asian nations like Singapore and China and are attractive tourist spots. CZA’s approval came after
it surveyed the 100-hectare land in Greater Noida. It, however, said the approval was subject to the
SC’s nod. The Greater Noida Authority approached SC in compliance of an eight-year-old order in
which it had banned setting up of zoos without the SC and CZA’s permission. The night safari in
Greater Noida would be developed on the lines of the Singapore night safari.

·               Sharp drop in travel agents in India with Iata accreditation: Travel agents in India have
either voluntarily surrendered their International Air Transport Association (Iata) accreditations or
saw them terminated in 2008, reporting the highest number of withdrawals from India in the last five
years. Industry experts attribute this to cost-cutting measures by agents and airlines in the wake of
global economic recession. Based in Montreal, Canada, Iata works with airlines and accredits
some 60,000 travel agents worldwide. In India there are now about 2,900 Iata accredited agents.
The Iata accreditation fee varies across countries. In India, the fee for a new applicant is $550
(Rs26,895) and an annual fee of $90 for existing members.

·               6,000 year old species of rice discovered in Meghalaya: He mentioned water lily as a rare
species now found only in Meghalaya. Earlier, some species of water lily were found in Siberia,
Russia, though the climatic conditions in Meghalaya and Siberia vary to a large extent. Among
other rare plants are Dancing Girl, Holly Tree and Mishmi Getta. Dancing Girl varieties are under
the women's empowerment scheme of the department of biotechnology (DBT). In Sandolpara,
6,000-year-old species of rice are still grown. Women are the caretakers of these varieties of rice.
They select the right varieties for cultivation and handle processing and storage of rice. Men help in
cultivation and manage the fields.

·               Oldest impact structure: One of the oldest impact structures in the world, created by an
asteroid of the size of about one km in diametre about 2,500 million years ago, has been
discovered by an Indian geologist in Madhya Pradesh’s Shivpuri district. The newly discovered
Dhala structure, second in India after Lonar, has been named after the village near which it was
discovered. It is the eroded remnant of the an impact structure with an estimated present day
diametre of 11-km, the largest in Asia. Till date not a single confirmed impact structure has been
reported from Japan and China.

·               Govt. sends in pros to salvage Satyam: In a decisive move aimed at restoring customer and
investor confidence in Satyam Computer Services Ltd, roiled by an accounting fraud involving
founder-chairman B. Ramalinga Raju, the government named three respected business
professionals to the board of directors at the software firm, empowering them to expand the board
and, if necessary, appoint a new chief executive officer. The new members—Deepak Parekh,
chairman, Housing Development Finance Corp. Ltd, or HDFC; Kiran Karnik, past president of
software industry body National Association of Software and Service.

·               PFRDA fixed Rs. 100-cr cap for PoPs: Pension fund regulatory & development authority
(PFRDA) has stipulated Rs. 100-crore capital for any institution bidding for points (PoPs), which will
be receiving contribution fro the customers for their pension accumulation. The PoP(s) are
expressed to commence their operation with effect from 1 st April, 2009. POP shall be the first point
of interaction between the voluntary subscriber and the new pension system (NPS) architecture.

·               Renewable energy take: Globally, the significance of renewables relative to conventional
energy is increasing. Currently, around 4% of global power comes from renewables, excluding
large hydropower plants, which account for a further 15%. With 16% of the world’s population, India
 has only 0.6% of global oil reserves and 7% of coal reserves. With economic growth envisaged at
8-9% a year for the next several years. The gap between domestic demand for energy and
domestic sources of supply is widening at a rapid rate. Consequently, India’s dependence on
imported energy sources is increasing. Currently, only 8% of India’s installed capacity is based on
renewable sources (small hydropower units, biomass, solar, wind, etc). Large hydropower, also a
renewable, is a significant 25%, while thermal (coal, oil and gas), the mainstay, is 65%. The Rural
Electrification Corporation (REC) had identified 9,075 such villages in 24 states. But the progress
so far is unsatisfactory: only 4,237 villages and 1,142 hamlets have been provided with electricity
or lighting systems. This is particularly significant, as the national rural electrification policies of
2006 had declared that providing electricity to all households by 2009 was its aim. According to
data available until September 30, 2008 on a cumulative basis, new and renewable sources
generated 13,450 mw of grid-interactive power, or 8% of the total power generating capacity of the
country. With a view to promoting renewable energy, the central government set up energy parks in
489 districts in 27 states and Union territories. Also, 554 renewable energy clubs have been set up
in 20 states and Union territories.

·               Power-starved Karnataka inks three MoUs: Karnataka created a new record in the country’s
power sector by signing three separate memorandums of understanding on a single day for setting
up power generation projects with a total capacity of 6,900 MW, at a cost of about Rs. 35,000 crore.
It is said to be the first time in the country that a State has signed MoUs all at once for setting up
power projects with such massive capacity. Of the three agreements which were signed two were
with the National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) for setting up a 4,000 MW thermal power
station in Kudgi of Bijapur district, and setting up wind power mills with a total capacity of 500 MW
in six areas in three northern districts of Karnataka at a cost of about Rs. 3,000 crore. Another MoU
was signed between the State-held Karnataka Power Corporation Limited (KPCL) and the Bharat
Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) for setting up two thermal power projects with a total capacity of
2,400 MW on a joint venture basis in Yedlapura and Yermarus in Raichur district. The 4,000 MW
plant for which the MoU was signed between KPCL and NTPC, is the first generating station to be
set up by the NTPC in Karnataka.

·               Pharma cos agree to code on freebies: The government's efforts to curb the rising trend of
pharmaceutical companies promoting their medicines by sponsoring trips and offering gifts. At a
meeting with pharmaceutical secretary, Ashok Kumar, company representatives said, within a
month, they would frame a uniform code of ethics for the sector that will be followed by all drug
companies and their associations. They requested the government to refrain from any legal
intervention and leave the matter to be sorted out by the pharma corporate bodies.

·               Delhi to host greenest games ever: Sheila: Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit said Delhi would
host the greenest ever Commonwealth Games in the world in 2010. Asserting that all stakeholders
were committed to working in tandem, she said the reconstructed Thyagraj Stadium and Shivaji
Stadium were being developed as green buildings. Ms. Dikshit said the Delhi Development
Authority had also appointed TERI (The Energy Resource Institute) as its consultant for
construction of the Games Village using green building concepts.

·               Vibrant Gujarat Global Investors’ Summit 2009’ concludes: Far exceeding the State
government’s own expectations, the two-day ‘Vibrant Gujarat Global Investors’ Summit 2009’
concluded with promises of investments of over Rs. 12 lakh crore in the coming years. Announcing
this at the valedictory ceremony of the summit, Chief Minister Narendra Modi said more than 8,500
Memoranda of Understanding were signed between the State government and the intending
investors, creating additional over 25 lakh job opportunities.
·               Mobile number portability: Not only 3G services but also another customer-friendly measure
announced with much pomp and show by communications and IT minister mobile number
portability (MNP)—which has got delayed by almost a year. While as per the department of
telecommunications (DoT), MNP was to begin functioning in metros from this month and in the rest
of India by June, the revised draft puts metro launch around September and pan India only by
January 2010.

·               IRCTC’s Bharat Darshan from West, south zones too: With the success of Bharat Darshan
(tourist train run by eastern zone), Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) is
planning to run a similar service from western and southern zones as well. Earlier, western and
southern zones of IRCTC were running such service via private operators. The tour details are
being finalised, it is learnt that the service will be preliminarily restricted to the hinterland of both the
regions and central India. “This is being done in accordance with the ministry’s idea of launching
the concept of village on wheels.

·               Himachal to get Rs. 2,000-crore nano-tech park: Himachal Pradesh will soon emerge as a
nano-business valley as the state government has proposed to set up a Nano-Biosym technology
park in collaboration with the department of science and technology of the Union government. The
state has tied up with a US-based company NBS Inc and private investors to set up the proposed
park with an investment of about Rs 2,000 crore on 400 acres at Aduwal near Nalagarh in Solan
district. Multi-purpose project such as pharmic (DNA diagnostic kit), incubator, health, medical,
education activities and BT-based units will be carried out effectively in the park. It will have a
critical mass of creative minds that can attract and create a technological culture so that the hill
state can compete in global nanobusiness race.

International

·               India to send team to finalise Gorshkov price: In an effort to finalise the issues concerning
Admiral Gorshkov, now called “INS Vikramaditya,” will shortly send a team of price negotiators to
Moscow. The aircraft carrier’s purchase ran into rough weather after India signed the deal in 2004
at an originally contracted price of $1.5 billion for its refit and modernisation. Delivery has been
delayed from the scheduled year of 2008 and recent reports indicate that the Russians want an
additional $2 billion. The delivery is now expected to take place in 2012.

·               Dissappointment at WTO: Going by the track record of the Doha round of trade talks over the
past seven years, few were surprised that yet another attempt to complete it -before the end of
2008 -had failed. On December 12, WTO Director General Pascal Lamy announced that he was
calling off a meeting of trade ministers scheduled for the middle of the month. India and many other
developing countries have long complained that the Doha round has lost its development
character. The U.S., though a signatory to the Doha agenda in 2001 and other agreements
including the Hong Kong Ministerial declaration, had always insisted on a hard bargain; in return for
modest cuts in farm subsidies, it had sought unlimited access in India, China, Brazil and South
Africa for its major farm products such as soya and cotton as well as certain industrial goods. Thus,
as the deadlock continues, the chances of reviving the talks have begun to fade. The irony is that
while a successful conclusion would help the troubled world economy, it is the macro economic
environment of the day that hinders an early resumption of talks.

·               India, US ink $2.1bn defence deal: The UPA government has quietly gone ahead and signed
the biggest-ever defence deal with US: a $2.1 billion contract for eight Boeing P-8I long-range
maritime reconnaissance (LRMR) aircraft for Navy. India will get the first P-8I towards end-2012 or
early-2013, with the other seven following in a phased manner by 2015-2016. The contract also
provides an option for India to order four to eight more such planes. Armed with torpedoes, depth
bombs and Harpoon anti-ship missiles, the P-8I will also be capable of anti-submarine warfare and
 anti-surface warfare. They will replace the eight ageing and fuel-guzzling Russian Tupolev-142M
turboprops currently being operated by Navy.

·               Zillur to be next Bangla prez: Awami League will name veteran party leader Zillur Rahman as
Bangladesh’s next president, PM-elect Sheikh Hasina said, setting aside an apparent pre-poll deal
reached with key ally H.M. Ershad.

·               Iraq allows China to explore oil field: Energy hungry China has finally got its hands into oil
assets in Iraq, which has remained off-limits to foreigners since Saddam Hussein nationalized the
industry in 1972. The state run China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) has become the first
foreign company to start work in an Iraqi oil field after a gap of 30 years. CNPC has launched work
on a $3bn. Development project at the Al-Ahdab oilfield in Iraq’s eastern province of Wasit. This is
really a revival of an old project that was negotiated when Saddam still ruled the country. But his
government later shelved the project when nationalization took place.

·               Guantanamo Bay: American government is serious about Guantanamo Bay which has
become a shortland for all the exercises of the Bush administration’s war on terror. Barak Obama,
the incoming President, has said that shutting the camp down “in a responsible way” would be a
major priority of his government.

·               LTTE loses Elephant Pass: Sri Lanka President Mahinda Rajapaksa announced the capture
of Elephant Pass, a crucial base of the LTTE at the gateway to Jaffna linking the peninsula with
Wanni. With this, the military has taken total control of A 9 highway. In a special address on state-
owned television, Mr. Rajapaksa dwelt on the significance of controlling the highway that linked the
north to the south and talked of an ‘international conspiracy’ to belittle the victories of the forces
against terrorism.

·               Climate governance ranking: IBM, Tesco and Dell have the best climate change governance
practices in the world. They emerged toppers amongst 63 largest global retail, pharmaceutical,
technology apparel and other companies in a report released recently by Ceres, a Boston-based
coalition of investors and environmental groups working with businesses on sustainability issues
like climate change. Though IBM, Tesco and Dell scored 79, 78 and 77 points on a 100-point
scoring system, a majority of the companies earned less than 50 points, as per the Ceres report
titled Corporate Governance and Climate Change: Consumer and Technology Companies.

·               Russia to resume gas supplies to Europe: Russia and Ukraine prepared to restart gas
supplies to the European Union (EU) after a deal was signed on deploying international monitors to
help adjudicate in Moscow and Kiev’s gas conflict. The stage was set for a resumption of supplies
by the EU’s largest foreign gas provider Russia after shuttle diplomacy by Czech Prime Minister
Mirek Topolanek secured both sides agreement to the deployment of monitors.

·               India to ink nuclear deal with Kazakhstan by months-end: State-run Nuclear Power Corp.
of India Ltd, or NPCIL, will enter into a nuclear cooperation pact with Kazakhstan’s state-owned
Kazatomprom this month-end. Power generation: Kazakhstan President Nursultan Nazarbayev will
sign the agreement during his visit to India starting 23 January. Tomohiro Ohsumi/Bloomberg
“Kazakhstan has signed strategic agreements with Russia, China and Japan. A similar agreement
will be signed with India during the Kazakhstan president’s visit vsaid Jairam Ramesh, minister of
state for power and commerce. Kazakhstan President Nursultan Nazarbayev will be the chief guest
at India’s Republic Day celebrations on 26 January.

·               IRRI project to help poor farmers in S Asia: Six million South Asian farmers would be able to
produce an additional five million tonne grain annually and yearly income of the poor farmers would
 increase by at least $350 within a span of 10 years. This goal is expected to be achieved under the
Cereal Systems Initiative for South Asia (CSISA), announced by the Philippines-based International
Rice Research Institute (IRRI). The 10-year project would focus initially on eight hubs in
Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, and Nepal, which represent key intensive cereal production systems
and plays a major role in feeding close to a quarter of the world's population. The initiative will bring
together a range of public and private sector organisations to enable sustainable cereal production.
CSISA will be led by IRRI with support of $19.59 million from the Bill and Melinda Gates
Foundation over three years and more than $10 million aid from the United States Agency for
International Development (USAID) over the first three years.

·               Air safety: India faces the threat of being downgraded by the US Federal Aviation
Administration (FAA) for consistently not adhering to the safety standards of the International Civil
Aviation Organisation (ICAO). The result of the downgrade will mean that airlines like Jet Airways
and Air India, which operate to and from the US, will face stringent security checks when planes
land there. ‘‘The Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) is lobbying hard with the FAA to buy six
months’ time to fall in line with the ICAO norms and prevent India from being downgraded from
Category 1 to Category 2. Category 2 nations are those that violate ICAO norms. As a Category 2
nation, India will join the ranks of Serbia, the Ukraine, Indonesia, Guyana and the like. Pakistan
and China are in Category 1.

·               Cambridge announces Manmohan scholarships: The University of Cambridge announced a

new scholarship programme for Indian students in honour of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. The
Manmohan Singh Under-Graduate Scholarship Programme starting from 2010 will provide full
funding, covering fees and means-tested maintenance for under-graduate study in any subject at
any of the colleges that are part of the university.A £1.5 million fund has been set up to support
Indian students. It will be launched with gifts from Sir Evelyn and Lady Lynn Forester de Rothschild
through the Eranda Foundation and from the Sunil Bharti Mittal-led company Bharti Airtel.

·               India wins major arbitration case in Malaysia: India won a major arbitration case in the High
Court of Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, in the $55 million commercial dispute between Oil and Natural
Gas Corporation and Cairn Energy Pty Ltd. Allowing India’s appeal, the High Court set aside an
award passed by an Arbitral Tribunal in favour of Cairn Energy relating to Rava production sharing
contract.

·               World Bank ban on Wipro, Megasoft too: The World Bank disclosed that apart from Satyam
Computer Services Ltd, it had barred Wipro Ltd and Megasoft Ltd from doing any work for it for
“providing improper benefits to bank staff” in the first instance, and “participating in a joint venture
with bank staff while also conducting business with the bank” in the second.

·               Qatar to step up LNG supplies to India: Qatar, the world's largest liquefied natural gas
exporter, said it will sell additional LNG cargoes to India this fiscal to ease fuel deficit faced by
power and fertilizer units in the country.

·               100% FDI in fax editions of foreign newspaper okayed: In a move that would allow
international media houses to open subsidiaries and market and distribute facsimile editions of their
magazine and newspaper in the country, the government allowed 100% FDI in fax editions of
magazines and newspapers. The FDI policy for the facsimile edition of magazines and newspapers
needed clarification. While non-news segment already attracts a 100% FDI in the country, foreign
investment in news and current affairs segment is restricted to 26%. Facsimile or fax edition of a
magazine or newspaper implies a 100% replica of a publication that is originally published outside
the country.
Economy

·               PSBs to raise credit up to Rs. 22.5 lakh cr. In current fiscal: Coming to aid the slackening
economy, public sector banks will increase their lending to about Rs 22.5 lakh crore in the current
fiscal, up around 4% over the target fixed for them. With the upward revision of their credit target by
Rs 56,000 crore officials said.

·               Industrial growth recovers: Industrial production recovered in November 2008 with a growth
of 2.4 per cent after having slipped into negative territory for the first time in 15 years in October in
the wake of the slowdown owing to the ongoing global financial crisis. According to the official data
on the Index of Industrial Production (IIP) released.

·               PE flows decline first time in six yrs: Private equity (PE) investments have declined for the
first time in six years, by as much as 23% in 2008, even as the outlook is positive for media and
education, a latest report says. The PE investment space of the country saw over 399 deals worth
$10.79 billion in India during 2008, against $14 billion invested across 439 deals in 2007, according
to the data compiled by deal tracking firm Venture Intelligence.

·               Total excise waiver on green petrol: As an incentive for petroleum companies to go green by
blending 10% ethanol with petrol, the government has exempted such fuel from excise duty. The
Central Board of Excise and Customs through a recent notification has said such fuel, also known
as E-10, will not attract any central excise duty. At present, a basic excise duty of Rs 6.35 per litre
is levied on petrol along with an additional excise duty of Rs 2 per litre and a special additional
excise duty of Rs. 6 on every litre.

·               Satyam: A Rs. 7,000 Cr. Lie: India’s fourth largest IT company - after TCS, Infosys and Wipro
and ahead of HCL - was for several years cooking its books by inflating revenues and profits, thus
boosting its cash and bank balances; showing interest income where none existed; understating
liability; and overstating debtors' position (money due to it).

Science & Technology

·               Ocean fertilization opposed: The Indian Biodiversity Forum has protested against the
involvement of the National Institute of Oceanography (NIO) in the expedition to fertilise sea near
Antarctica with iron sulphate. The NIO is conducting the operation in collaboration with the Alfred
Wegener Institute of Germany as part of a project called LOHAFEX (Indo-German Iron Fertilisation
Experiment). The expedition, which has set sail from Cape Town last week, plans to ‘fertilise’ 300
sq. km. of the Scotia Sea, close to Antarctica, with 20 tonnes of iron sulphate. (The dumping of iron
in the ocean in order to generate an algal bloom is often called ocean fertilization).

·               ISRO plans satellite to aid sea fishing: The Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) has
planned to launch Ocean Sat-II with a view to help sea fishing. It has also decided to launch a
number of satellites in 2009 to help agriculture production. “The OceanSat-II will have better
capabilities than the OceanSat-I launched in 1999. The OceanSat-II will have two instruments –
ocean colour monitor and scatterometre. The OceanSat-I launched earlier in May 1999 also has an
instrument for monitoring ocean colour and a multi-frequency scanning microwave. The OceanSat-I
has been giving information for aiding fishing in the sea fishing zones.
Person
·               Oldest woman dies: A Portuguese woman who lived to see five of her great-great
grandchildren born and was believed to have been the world's oldest person died at the age of 115.
She had been listed by the Guinness Book of World Records as the world's oldest person. That title
now falls to an American, 114-year-old Gertrude Baines, who lives in a Los Angeles nursing home.

·               Omar takes oath as 11th CM of J&K: National Conference chief Omar Abdullah was sworn in
as11th chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir at a simple ceremony

·               Cristiano Ronaldo wins FIFA award: Manchester United and Portugal winger Cristiano
Ronaldo was named FIFA World Player of the Year for 2008. Ronaldo, who is the holder of the
prestigious Ballond’or for the European Footballer of the year.

Awards

·               Slumdog millionaire wins 5 awards: "Slumdog Millionaire", the rags-to-riches story of a
Mumbai slum dweller, had a golden run at the Oscars sweeping eight awards with two going to
music maestro A R Rahman, at the Broadcast Film Critics Association’s 14 th annual Critics Choice
Awards. British Director Danny Boyle’s Indian drama was a big hit at the award ceremony. It won
Best Film, Best Director for Danny Boyle’s Writer for Simon Beaufoy, Best Young Actor for Dev
Patel and Best Composer for A. R. Rahman.

·               Tribal Awards 2009: With a view to setting an ideal before society by perpetuating the self-
respect, identify, leadership qualities and sacrifices of tribal communities and to publicize and
recognize the tribal arts and skills and creative contribution of the tribal life, Madhya Pradesh
Government has instituted Tribal Awards.

o              National Awards

               Rani Durgawati Samman (amount of Rs. 2 lakh and scroll)- To be given to a tribal
woman for outstanding achievements and contribution in tribal and traditional in tribal
and traditional creative arts, crafts, social service and administration.
              Veer Shankar Shah-Raghunath Shah Samman (amount of Rs. 2 lakh and scroll)- To
be given for long term contribution in excellent painting-writing about tribal life in India
literature and long and outstanding devotion to traditional tribal arts.
             Thakkar Bapa Samman (amount of award-Rs. 2 Lakh and scroll)- To be given in
recognition of service of the service of the poor, exploited and backward tribal
communities rendered with dedication, love and objectively.
o              State Level Award
              Janayak Tantya Bhill Award: (Amount of award Rs. 1 lakh and scroll)- to be give a
tribal youth for outstanding devotion and excellent performance in the field of education
and/ or sports.
               Extent- For the national awards entire Indian and for the state level award entire
Madhya Pradesh.
·               UNICEF wins top U.S. award: UNICEF has bagged a top U.S. award for adapting basic cell
phone technology to monitor the health of children in danger of malnutrition.
Books & Author
·               The state in Myanmar: Robert H. Taylor.
·               Droughts and Integrated Water Resource Management in South Asia-Issue Alternatives and
Futures: Jasveen Jairath, Vishwa Ballabh
·               The Myth of Judicial Activism-Making Sense of Supreme Court decision: Kermit Roosevelt III.
·               Concept of Untouchability in Dhamashashtra: Shashi Kashyiap
·               Trying to crow: Firdaus Kanga
·               The Ascent of money-A Financial History of the World; Nial Ferguson; Allen Lane
·               Foreigner and Foreign Language in India-A Sociolinguistic History- Shreesh Chaudhary
·               Creating a Future Islamic Civilization: Rashid Shaz
·               Development, Livelihood and Empowerment: S. Gregory
·               Innovation with IT: Sanjiva Shankar Debey
·               Indian and China A Thousand Year’s of Cultural relations: Prabodh Chandra Bagchi
·               The Untold Story of the Universe: Ramanand Pande
·               Constitutional Law and the Governance: Problems and Prospects: Rais Ahmad
·               Memory’s Gold Writings on Calcutta: Amit Chaudhuri
·               Dinner with Mugabe-The Untold Story of a Freedom Fighter Who became a Tyrant: Heidi
Holland

Miscellaneous
·               Dell, the world’s No. 2 PC maker, is shifting its European manufacturing base from Ireland to
Poland and cutting 1,900 of 3,000 jobs at its Limerick plant in a bleak start to the year for the
shrinking Irish economy.

·               Nokia to put up recycling bins across the country: Nokia India has announced the launch
of ‘Take Back’ campaign which is aimed at educating mobile phone users on the importance of
recycling eWaste and will be rolled out in phases across the country. According to D Shivakumar,
VP & MD, Nokia India; “Ecology is one of the biggest concerns and as an industry leader, Nokia
has designed India’s first take-back programme for mobile handsets.”

·               Google searches affect environment: The next time you do a Google search from your
computer, please spare a little thought for the environment. A new study has revealed that
performing two Google searches from a desktop computer can generate about the same amount of
carbon dioxide as boiling a kettle for a cup of tea, which adversely affects the environment.
According to researchers, a typical search generates about 7g of CO2 while boiling a kettle
generates about 15g. “Google operates huge data centres.

·               Young boozers count goes up by 60%: Liquor consumption among youth, especially among
those staying in college hostels, in the country has increased by 60%, according to a recent
Assocham survey. The survey under Assocham’s Social Development Foundation indicated alcohol
intake in youth in the age group of 19 to 26 has registered a whopping 60% increase over the
years. Major cities and towns where respondents were interviewed were Chennai, Mumbai and
Hyderabad, among others. The findings said that rural families spent 27% of their income on
alcohol, while the urban population spent 38%. As far as Tamil Nadu is concerned, sources in
TASMAC (Tamil Nadu Marketing Sales Corporation) said the state ranked third in alcohol
consumption after Punjab and Andhra Pradesh.

·               Indian airport world's most-delayed: Indian airports emerging as the world's most-delayed
airports with most frequent late arrivals into the country in 2008, according to US magazine Forbes.
Country's financial hub Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji International and national capital's Indira
 Gandhi International (IGI) airports have grabbed the first and second ranks in terms of late arrivals
in the world's most-delayed airports. "India takes the prize as the country with most frequent late
arrivals in our second annual tallying of the world's most-delayed airports," Forbes said in its latest
report. Topping the list of the world's most-delayed airport for the second year in a row, Mumbai's
international airport saw just 49.95 per cent of on-time arrivals. At New Delhi's IGI airport, the
percentage of on-time arrivals is 50.89 per cent.

·               China’s e6: A purely electric car with a range of 400 km on a single charge, claimed to be the
first of its kind, was launched at the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit.
The car, developed by Chinese automaker BYD Co. Ltd. and named “e6,” drew much attention
from both the industry and the media at its debut at NAIAS.

·               The Booker is the biggest, the most visible, literary prize the British bestow on a writer from any
of the Commonwealth countries every year. In little over decade, three Indians have prevailed over
the competition to bring home the bounty.

·               AMU to step out of home turf:  The Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) is poised to set up five
countrywide campuses, which will take it beyond its birthplace. Last year, the AMU had opened four
admission test centres outside Aligarh, in spite of stiff resistance from a strong internal lobby. The
new AMU centres will be opened in places where Muslims face an acute lack of educational
facilities-Murshidabad in West Bengal, Kathihar in Bihar, Malappuram in Kerala, Bhopal in Madhya
Pradesh and Pune in Maharashtra.

16 to 31 Jan, 2009

National

·               It’s Puducherry, not Kerala that stops education index: Puducherry has eased out Kerala
from the top spot in elementary education. `God's Own Country' is now at the second position
followed by Lakshadweep at third and Delhi at fourth position in the Educational Development Index
for 2007-08 prepared by the National University of Educational Planning and Administration
(NUEPA). The Index is based on a host of variables like access to schools, infrastructure, quality of
teachers and outcomes.Despite India being an IT superpower; barely 14.25% schools have
computers with a huge gap between states. In Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh-seats of big IT
companies --, only 11.44% and 13.46% schools, respectively, have computers. In Delhi,
Chandigarh, Kerala and Puducherry, computers are available in 60%-70% schools. In Bihar, the
figure is less than 1%, West Bengal 1.79% and Uttar Pradesh 3.3%.

·               NIA chief: Radha Vinod Raju, a senior IPS officer of Jammu and Kashmir cadre, has been
appointed the first Director-General of the National Investigation Agency (NIA). The appointment
was announced by Home Minister P. Chidambaram. Mr. Chidambaram gave a free hand to Mr. Raju
to put in place logistics and a core team with proven track record to begin the initial staffing of the
NIA.

·               Rajasthan power generation to get a big boost: The Rajasthan Government has sanctioned
another super critical thermal power station in the tribal-dominated Banswara district after its recent
decision to establish similar power plants at Chhabra and Suratgarh. The power station is proposed
to be set up in the private sector, for which tenders will be floated shortly. According to official
sources here, the combined capacity of the three super critical thermal power stations in the State
after they are commissioned will be 3,960 MW.
·               Telugu Ganga water released for Chennai: For the second time this year, the Andhra
Pradesh government released Krishna water to Chennai from Kandaleru reservoir of the Telugu
Ganga project as a Sankranti gift to the residents of the city. The sluices of Kandaleru in Nellore
district were opened on the festival day to send out nearly 2,000 cusecs of water, out of which 800
cusecs was meant for Chennai. The balance of 1,200 cusecs is being used to provide irrigation to
rabi crops in Nellore and Chittoor districts and supplement drinking water sources of Tirupati,
Srikalahasti and other places en route.

·               Super Luxury Tourist Train: Punjab Heritage and tourism promotion board (PHTPB) envisage
to run a super luxury tourist train covering tourist attractions in Punjab and neighbouring State e.g.
Amritsar, Agra and Jaipur; and with optional chartered tours within India. The project is supported by
grants from Government of India and Government of Punjab. In addition, India Railways will be
providing bare shell of the train. The luxury train would comprises air conditions luxury coaches of 5-
star plus category.

·               BAPL to come up with 2,700 acre aerotropolis project in Ludhiana: Amid the economic
slowdown and various bureaucratic hurdles, Bengal Aerotropolis Projects Limited (BAPL) has firmed
up its plan to come up with an aerotropolis project on 2,700 acre in Ludhiana. The project will
include an international airport and a modern township with housing on 500 acres.

·               SC: Make national I-cards a must: The Supreme Court suggested to the Government to
enforce mandatory Multi-Purpose National Identity Card (MNIC) system across the country to check
illegal immigration, particularly from Bangladesh. Hearing petitions seeking direction to the
Government to take stringent steps to stop Bangladeshi infiltration, a three-judge bench, headed by
Chief Justice of India K.G. Balakrishnan, said, once the MNIC scheme and National Register for
Indian Citizens (NRIC) were implemented; it would be easier to identify illegal immigrants.

·               3,000 village courts to function soon: Union Minister for Law and Justice H.R. Bhardwaj
announced that 3,000 gram nyayalayas (village courts) would start functioning within a month
across the country. The Minister said the Union Cabinet had sanctioned Rs. 600 crore, with each
court being granted Rs. 20 lakh. The Centre intended to fund 50 per cent of the salaries of the
judges for three years and the State would have to bear the entire burden thereafter.

·               40 p.c. child marriages in India: UNICEF: Forty per cent of the world’s child marriages take
place in India, resulting in a vicious cycle of gender discrimination, illiteracy and high infant and
maternal mortality rates. According to the UNICEF’s latest “State of the World’s Children-2009”
report, discrimination on the basis of gender has a direct impact on maternal health. It can deny girls
and women access to education prevent them from receiving or seeking adequate health care and
bar them from making critical decisions that can affect their health and that of the newborn.

·               CSB gives facelift to Eri silk in eleventh five-year plan: Central Silk Board (CSB), the apex
body of the Indian silk industry, has decided to give a facelift to Eri silk, the only silk that does not
require killing the silkworms to get the fibre. While other varieties of silks predominately produced in
Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh, the Eri culture has been practiced in the north and
eastern parts of the country like Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Chattisgarh, West Bengal, Orissa and
Bihar. CSB has set a target to strengthen 50 Eri farm-cum-grainages, support construction of 2,000
rearing houses.

·               Centre approves plan to study Toto tribe in north Bengal: The Department of Biotechnology
under the Ministry of Science and Technology has approved a Rs. 30 lakh proposal of the city-
based Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose Cancer Research Institute (NSCBCRI) to conduct a study on
the health patterns and health management of the Toto tribal people in north Bengal. There are
1366 members left in the Toto tribe – one of the oldest Indo-Bhutanese tribes – living at Totopara,
 100 km. from the district town in the Jalpaiguri district in the State. Endogamous in nature, the
members of the tribe suffer from various inherent genetic disorders as a result of children born out of
wedlock between close relatives and this social trait in the tribe is fast pushing it to the brink of
extinction.

·               Nilambur to be first dowry-free panchayat: The Nilambur grama panchayat has embarked on
a unique project against dowry that can bring about a social revolution in this Malappuram village in
a year or so. The panchayat set the ball rolling to become in a year the country’s first dowry-free
village.

·               Cr. PC Amendment Bill gets President’s assent: President Pratibha Patil has given assent to
the Criminal Procedure Code (Amendment) Bill, which restrains the police from arresting a person
for criminal offences for which the maximum sentence is up to seven-year imprisonment. The Bill,
passed in the last session of Parliament, has now become a law and it will come into force from the
date of notification by the Centre. It incorporates the recommendations of the Law Commission, the
Justice Malimath Committee report and guidelines issued by the Supreme Court from time to time to
prevent overcrowding of jails with undertrials. The amended Section 41 of the Cr.PC. says: “No
person concerned in a non-cognisable offence or against whom a complaint has been made or
credible information has been received or reasonable suspicion exists of his having so concerned
shall be arrested except under a warrant or order of a magistrate.” However, arrest can be made
without a warrant, after recording the reasons in writing, if the police officer is satisfied that it is
necessary for proper probe, or to prevent the person from committing any further offence or making
any inducement, threat or promise to anyone acquainted with the facts of the case.

·               Kerala project to improve processed seafood quality: Seafood exporters are setting up a
common processing centre at Ambalappuzha in coastal Kerala, the first of its kind in the country
aimed at raising sanitary benchmarks to global standards. The Rs3.06 crore project is expected to
begin functioning by August and will be established jointly by industry lobby group Seafood
Exporters Association of India, or SEAI, and trade promotion body Marine Products Export
Development Authority, or MPEDA.

·               MCX gets nod for imported thermal coal futures trade: Multi-Commodity Exchange of India,
or MCX, is at an advanced stage of launching imported thermal coal futures after receiving
permission from the regulator, Forward Markets Commission, or FMC.

·               Bara proejct delayed again: The Uttar Pradesh Power Corporation (UPPCL), has, for the
fourth time in a row, extended the last date for the submission of financial bids for the 1,980- mw
Bara mega power project in Allahabad, from January 19 to February 5.

·               Haryana to launch smart cards for PDS: Haryana is ready to join ranks with the Union
territory of Chandigarh in introducing smart cards for the Public Distribution System (PDS). Haryana
State Electronics Development Corporation (Hartron), the nodal agency for the implementation of
the project in the state, is ready to launch the pilot for smart cards in three districts-Sonepat, Kaithal
and Panchkula. The total cost of the project is estimated at Rs.137 crore and will be funded by the
Centre. With this, the 53-odd-lakh families staying in the various districts of Haryana will no longer
have to stand in long queues to collect their ration. With the project of replacing the paper based
ration cards with smart cards getting the central government’s approval, the denizens of the state
are set to lead the way in using this technology. The entire state will be covered under the smart
card project in 15 months of implementation and three districts will be taken up at a time.

·               Country’s key jeera (cummin seed) producing states are Gujrat and Rajasthan.

·               Bhartiya stays on top, but tough Q4 seen: Bharti Airtel Ltd, the country’s largest mobile
 phone operator, has reported a 25% increase in net profit for the December quarter from a year ago,
as it added a record number of customers expanding into villages not covered by phone networks.
But earnings growth slowed for the sixth consecutive quarter on such expansions, as the firm started
the so-called third generation, or data-heavy, services in Sri Lanka and launched its direct-to-home
satellite television service in a competitive market. The company also made foreign exchange losses
of Rs222 crore in the quarter. Airtel Digital TV is adding some 100,000 customers a month in a
market where players, numbering at least five, are making losses.

·               Prisoner welfare gets Tihar Jail an ISO certificate: Tihar Jail has just received global
recognition, an ISO (International Organisation for Standardisation) certificate, for its management
systems focusing on prisoner welfare and visitors’ convenience.

·               Govt steps in to save gharials: Fast vanishing crocodiles from Chambal wildlife sanctuary
have forced the Department of Science and Technology to use science to monitor the endangered
species in the area spread over three states of Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan.
Close to 2,500 captively bred crocodiles have been released into the Chambal 1,000 are estimated
to be surviving in the river. The department has asked the WII and forest departments of the three
states to use radio of the three states to use radio collaring to monitor the crocodiles released into
the river from captive centres. Radio collaring is a technology, which uses Global Positioning
Responses System to record movements of the animal on a daily basis after it is released in the
wild. The will soon be starting a pilot project in the regard.

·               Tata Teleservices, join hands to launch Mandi Bhav for farmers: Farmers worried about
getting a good price for their crops now have a reason to cheer because the prices from over 3,000
mandis across the country will be available on their handphones. Telecom services provider Tata
Tele-services (TTSL), part of the $62-billion Tata group, India's largest industrial house, has joined
hands with Impetus Technologies to launch value added service (VAS) Mandi Bhav for rural market.
"This service for Tata Indicom subscribers will help farmers and commodity traders get spot prices
from all markets for any commodity of their interest, real time, enabling them to make informed and
prudent buy and sell decisions."

·               Ashok Chkra for police officer killed in Mumbai: The government decided to confer Ashoka
Chakra, the highest peacetime gallantry award, on the occasion of Republic Day to as many as 11
personnel, including six people who lost their lives in the Mumbai terror attacks. Authoritative
sources told The Hindu that the award this year would include the four Mumbai police personnel—
ATS Chief Hemant Karkare; Additional Commissioner of Police, Ashok Kamte; Inspector Vijay
Salaskar; and Assistant Sub Inspector Tukaram Umble. When a formal announcement will be made
on the eve of the Republic Day, it will be the highest number of persons ever to be presented
Ashoka Chakra on an occasion.

·               Tobacco alternative cropping: Government has sanctioned Rs.2.17 crore to Rajahmundry-
based Central Tobacco Research Institute (CTRI) to undertake a pilot project on “Alternative
cropping system to beedi and chewing tobacco” in various States. The pilot projects will be taken up
at Nandyal (Andhra Pradesh), Anand (Gujarat), Dharmaj (Gujarat), Nipani (Karnataka), Vedasandur
(Tamil Nadu) and Dinhata (West Bengal).

·               SC quashes Vodafone plea, asks it to reply to tax dept show-cause: In a major setback for
telecom major Vodafone, the Supreme Court dismissed its special leave petition challenging a
show-cause notice issued by the income-tax department. The department demands $1.7 billion in
capital gains tax for Vodafone's February 2007acquisition of Hutchison's 52% stake in Hutch-Essar
for $11.2 billion. Vodafone says the income-tax department has no jurisdiction over a deal between
two overseas companies. A bench headed by Justice SB Sinha refused to hear the Vodafone plea,
 saying there was no need for judicial intervention at this stage.

·               Reaching the unserved: Two recent reports, one by the Raghuram Rajan Committee on
Financial Sector Reforms, and the other by the Reserve Bank of India on the Trend and Progress of
Banking in India 2007-08, underscore the magnitude of the task of financial inclusion. Four decades
after India nationalised its banks, 41 per cent of the adult population remains outside the banking
system. Providing financial access to these sections through savings and credit-linkages will boost
economic growth, and improve individual well being. The results of the initiatives taken so far
indicate that a great deal of ground remains to be covered. India’s fresh focus should be viewed
against the decline in the number of rural branches over the past decades, a trend that has
increased rural dependence on non-institutional sources such as the moneylender. The first phase
of financial inclusion, between 1969 and 1991, focussed on geographic expansion. The second
phase, since 2005, hinges on new steps such as “no-frills” accounts, use of business
correspondents, and support to microfinance schemes. In addition to these largely supply-side
solutions, it is important to stimulate the demand for banking services. The Raghuram Rajan
Committee’s recommendation that non-traditional entities could be used to provide financial services
is welcome. The suggested non-traditional entities are: those with extensive low-cost networks (post
offices), regular contact with the underserved sections (neighbourhood shops, and mobile phone
companies), and commercial linkages with potential borrowers (buyers of produce and sellers of
fertilizers). These have the twin advantage of expanding the reach and taking attractive financial
products closer to the unbanked population. Mobile phones and smart cards can build on the results
achieved by providing quick connectivity. An evaluation by the RBI finds that several accounts
opened as a part of the financial inclusion drive remained inoperative mainly because households
did not have “regular incomes.” An evaluation by the RBI finds that several accounts opened as a
part of the financial inclusion drive remained inoperative mainly because households did not have
“regular incomes.” The 2008 review by the Union Ministry of Rural Development, which said that
5.27 crore bank/post office accounts were opened for workers under National Rural Employment
Guarantee Act, points to the positive impact of making payments through formal systems.

·               Pvt. Airlines must spare planes during crisis: The delayed NSG response due to
unavailability of an aircraft during the Mumbai terror attack on 26/11 has forced the government to
make it mandatory for private airlines to spare their immediately available aircraft for use by security
agencies during a terror attack safety. The private airlines can even offload passengers to make the
aircraft personnel anywhere in this country. According to the rules, notified by the civil aviation
ministry.

·               In Pak, a site older than Mohenjodaro: An archaeological site dating back about 5,500 years
and believed to be older than Mohenjodaro has been found in Sindh province. A team of 22
archaeologists found semi-precious and precious stones and utensils made of clay, copper and
other metals during an excavation in Lakhian Jo Daro in Sukkur district. “At present, we can say that
it is older than Mohenjodaro”, Ghulam Mustafa Shar, the director of the Lakhian Jo Daro project.

·               Antony to officiate at R-Day ceremonies: As Prime Minister Manmohan Singh recuperates
from his surgery, the government announced that Defence Minister A.K. Antony would perform the
duties of the Prime Minister during the Republic Day and functions associated with the occasion. On
January 26, it will be Mr. Antony who will receive President Pratibha Patil and Kazakhstan President
Nursultan Nazarbayev, the Chief Guest at the parade on Rajpath.

·               Operation Desert Storm: A 2,000-km journey across Rajasthan on motorcycles by 25 young
men to promote public awareness about HIV/AIDS. The mission, called “Operation Desert Storm”,

·               Rajasthan presents a bleak record in maternal health: In a shocking eye-opener, the United
Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) has revealed that on an average 13
 children die every hour in Rajasthan before their first birthday. Besides, at least one woman loses
her life every hour in the State due to complications arising out of pregnancy and child birth.
UNICEF made these revelations while releasing its report on “The State of the World’s Children-
2009. The report says that while Rajasthan contributes to about 7 per cent of the total live births in
the country, it also accounts for 9.2 per cent of the total maternal deaths. “States like Karnataka,
Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh together contribute to 18 per cent of total live births in the
country but only 10 per cent of the total maternal deaths,” it adds.

·               1 P.C. profit of major projects to fund local welfare initiatives: The Union Government has
decided to roll back one per cent of the profit from major projects for development and welfare of the
project area so that the locals also benefit from it.

·               Rs. 3,700-crore package for north Karnataka: Karnataka Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa
announced a special package of Rs. 3,700 crore for 30 projects aimed at the comprehensive
development of north Karnataka. A Rs. 600-crore drinking water project comprising 80 schemes
would be implemented in 878 villages in north Karnataka, where fluoride content in water was high.

·               Nirmal Gram Puraskar for 798 Haryana villages: Sanitation is fast catching up with the
villagers of Haryana, sanitising villages against diseases, improving the quality of life and winning
gram panchayats’ recognition and reward from the Centre, an official spokesman said here. a
flagship programme launched by the Centre. In the preceding fiscal, only 60 gram panchayats had
won the award. The Nirmal Gram Puraskar is given to each such panchayat which gets individual
toilets constructed in all houses, ensures 100 per cent sanitation in schools and anganwadis and
rids the village of the despicable practice of open defecation, dry latrines and manual scavenging.
The award money is used for improving and maintaining sanitation and creation of community
sanitation facilities at public places.

·               Disaster management in rural areas: A year-long pilot project on disaster preparedness
carried out in six tehsils of four districts in Rajasthan generated awareness, built up a powerful
opinion and enhanced the capacity of the local rural communities and local bodies to deal with the
natural calamities and disasters. Jaipur-based Centre for Community Economics and Development
Consultants’ Society (CECOEDECON) took up the project during December 2007 to December
2008 in collaboration with ICCO Netherlands – a global aid agency – as part of its work for relief,
protection and rehabilitation of the affected population. The Central Government has enacted the
Disaster Management Act, 2005, to set down responsibilities at various levels and reduce the
dependence on the official machinery while laying emphasis on people’s participation in the drive to
minimise the loss of lives and property.

·               RelPower bags Tailaiya ultra mega project: Reliance Power outbid NTPC, Jindal Power and
Sterlite Energy for the 4,000 mw ultra mega power project at Tilaiya in Jharkhand. This is the Anil
Ambani group firm’s third successful bid for India’s largest series of power projects through which
the government expects to add about 50,000 mw by 2015. India has an installed capacity of
1,40,000 mw.

·               Suzlon to set up steel plant in Karnataka: Wind energy major Suzlon plans to invest around
Rs 50,000 crore to set up an integrated steel plant in Bijapur district of Karnataka. Suzlon’s Rs
49,720-crore project was among the 15 proposals with investment of Rs 75,541.25 crore, cleared by
the high-level clearance committee chaired by the Karnataka chief minister BS Yeddyurappa.
“Instead of taking steel from other companies, they (Suzlon) would like to make steel and then
convert it into (wind) towers”, he said.

·               Nabard preparers Rs. 45.7k-cr credit plan for Uttar Pradesh: The ground-level credit
potential for development under agriculture, animal husbandry, horticulture, farm mechanisation and
 rural non-farm sector in 71 districts of Uttar Pradesh for the year 2009-10 has been estimated by
Nabard (the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development) at Rs 45,705.51 crore, a little
over 13% increase over the credit potential for the year 2008-09 estimated at Rs 40,367.87 crore. Of
this, the credit potential for agriculture stands at Rs 30,080.51 crore.

·               India proposes 4 sites for Unesco heritage list: India proposes 4 sites for Unesco heritage
list of nominees for Unesco’s world heritage status for 2011. Mumbai's Churchgate building
(presently the Western Railway headquarters), Mussorie's Oak Grove School premises, Gwalior's
Maharaja Light Railway and the Kangra Valley Railway have been nominated for the tentative list by
India.

·               Haryana to develop two green cities: The state of Haryana has got in-principle approval to
develop Gurgaon as a solar city by using renewable energy sources for power generation. The
proposal for Faridabad has also been forwarded to the ministry of new and renewable energy for
approval. The step is being taken in the wake of rising electricity demand—which has gone up by
15% over the last couple of years—in the major cities of the state.

·               Wheat MSP fixed at Rs. 1,080 a quintal: The Centre announced a minimum support price of
Rs.1,080 a quintal for wheat for the 2008-09 rabi season — an increase of Rs. 80 over last year’s
MSP. Pointing out that the hike was in keeping with the recommendations of the Commission for
Agricultural Costs and Prices. The CCEA cleared the upgrading of nine stretches of national
highways from four lanes to six lanes at a cost of Rs.18,238 crore. The stretches are: Delhi-Agra,
Krishnagiri-Wallajapet, Vijayawada-Eluru-Rajahmundry, Nellore-Chilkaluripet, Belgaum-Dharwad,
Udaipur-Kishagarh, Varanasi-Aurangabad, Bhubaneswar-Jagatpur-Chandhikol and Indore-Dewas.

·               Reliance Power bags Tilaiya mega project in Jharkhan: Scoring a hat trick, Anil Ambani-
owned Reliance Power Ltd. (RPL) bagged the 4,000 MW Tilaiya Ultra Mega Power Project (UMPP)
in Jharkhand beating rivals such as Sterlite Energy,Jindal Power and National Thermal Power
Corporation (NTPC) in the final bids.

• Bank account must, no cash payment for NREGA wage: Despite managing to open a
record number of savings accounts for payment of wages to workers under the National Rural
Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA), the government feels that there is a need to make changes
in the Act itself to make cash payments of the wages illegal. Perturbed by delays in opening of
savings accounts by many states, the rural development ministry has now forwarded the proposal to
incorporate changes in the schedule of NREGA, 2005 to the ministry of law and justice for issuance
of final notification. The ministry believes that cash payments would deal with the problems of
irregularities to a large extent. For the past six months, the rural development ministry, in
collaboration with the finance ministry and the department of post, had been lobbying with state
gover nments to expedite opening of savings bank accounts with post offices and banks in rural
areas to stop cash payment of wages altogether. After the law ministry gives its nod, wages under
the NREGA would be paid to workers only through their savings accounts.

International

·               China, world's 3rd largest economy: China has overtaken Germany to become the world’s
third-largest economy earlier than expected, after estimates for the country’s gross domestic product
were revised higher. The National Bureau of Statistics of China reported this. Applying the revision
to previous calculations carried out by the World Bank shows that China’s gross national income
reached $3.218 trillion in 2007, compared with $3.197 trillion for Germany. Economists were already
confident that China overtook Germany during 2008, but it now seems that the change occurred a
year earlier. China took fourth place from Britain in 2005, and now has Japan and the U.S. in its
 sights.

·               L&T, Westinghouse tie up for 1,000 mw nuclear power plants: Larsen & Toubro (L&T) has
signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with US-based Westinghouse Electric Company
(WEC) to build 1,000-megawatt nuclear plants in India. The agreement is to pursue modular nuclear
power reactors for co-operation to effectively address the projected need in India for pressurised
water nuclear reactors with modular construction technology. The recent agreement between India
& US regarding co-operation in the field of civilian nuclear power has opened up new opportunities
for both countries. Westinghouse technology is in use in over 40% of the operating nuclear power
plants in the world. Westinghouse Electric Company, a group company of Toshiba Corporation, is
the World’s Pioneering Nuclear Power Company and is a leading supplier of nuclear plant products
and technologies to utilities throughout the world. Westinghouse supplied the world’s first
pressurised water reactor in 1957 in Shipping port, US.

·               Nissan to move top model’s production to India: Nissan Motor will soon join the bandwagon
being led by Suzuki Motor Corporation as the company gears up to move production of a top-selling
model to India and Thailand because of the cost advantage that these countries offer. In a recent
development, the company has decided to shift production of the Micra, the March subcompact for
overseas markets, from the UK to India in 2010, when the vehicle is slated for a full makeover of its
own.

·               Developing world accounts for 99 per cent of maternal deaths: Neonatal deaths contribute
to 50 per cent under five deaths, despite India having cut its under five mortality rate from 117 to 72
between 1990 and 2007. However, not much progress has been made in addressing health risks for
mothers, who are most vulnerable during delivery and in the first days after birth. In India, States
show disparity in the maternal mortality ratios that averages to 301 per 100,000 live births. While
Uttar Pradesh has an MMR of 517 comparable to Sudan at 550 while in Kerala the MMR is only
110, according to the latest ‘State of the World’s Children – 2009’ report brought out by UNICEF. In
India, more than two-thirds of all maternal deaths occur in Uttar Pradesh, Uttaranchal, Bihar,
Jharkhand, Orissa, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan and Assam. Despite an increase in
institutional deliveries, 60 per cent of pregnant women still deliver their babies at home. In the
developing world, a woman has a 1 in 76 lifetime risk of maternal deaths, compared with a
probability of 1 in 100 lifetime risk of maternal deaths in India, the report titled ‘Maternal and
Newborn Health’ suggests. While many developing countries have made excellent progress in
improving their child survival rate in recent years, there has been less headway in reducing maternal
mortality. Approximately 99 per cent of global deaths arising from pregnancy and complications
occur in the developing world where having a child remains among the most serious health risks for
women.

·               UAE set to be first nuclear Arab Country: The United Arab Emirates took a step towards
becoming the first Arab country to acquire a nuclear capability, a move that could prompt other
states to seek to join the club and alter the balance of the power in the region. The Gulf state said it
was seeking a nuclear programme for energy, not to produce an atomic weapon. But other Arab
countries, if they built reactors, may be more likely to switch from civilian to military use.  Israel is the
only country in the Middle East with a nuclear weapons capability, though it publicly refuses to
confirm this.

·               World Bank ranks Karnataka first, Kerala second:  The World Bank has developed a new
Investment Climate Index to help identify the key challenges and bottlenecks to be overcome in
attracting business investment. In a policy research working paper, World Bank analyst Guiseppe
Iarossi ranks the investment climate in 16 Indian States, using data from a survey of 4,000
entrepreneurs in 2005. Karnataka tops the list, with Kerala a close second.
·               OPEC closes in on making biggest output cut in decades: Saudi Arabia opened the door for
OPEC’s most dramatic output reduction since the 1970s, calling for the group to slash world oil
supplies by at least another two million barrels a day to keep abreast of faltering demand. Saudi Oil
Minister Ali Naimi, arriving for a summit here of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries,
said a cut of that size was the only way for OPEC, which supplies more than 40% of the world’s oil,
“to bring things into balance”.

·               Zero interest rate: For the first time ever, the US has adopted a policy of zero interest rates.
The US Federal Open Markets Committee was thus a historic occasion, with the central bank
announcing that it would establish a target range for the Fed funds rate between 0% and 0.25%.
Japan is the only nation to have experimented with such a policy.

·               France first to get piece of Indian N-pie: Stealing a march over US, Russia and UK, France
will take the first bite of the lucrative Indian nuclear pie. Over the next few months, France will
deliver 300 tonnes of enriched uranium to India, and by the end of this year will have a contract for
six nuclear reactors. After meeting PM Manmohan Singh and national security adviser MK
Narayanan, Jean-David Levitte, diplomatic adviser to French president Nicholas Sarkozy, told
journalists that France was on track to translate the Indo-French nuclear agreement into action.
Areva, which has been selected as one of the top vendors of reactors and technology by the
Nuclear Power Corporation (NPCIL), will be able to generate electricity from these reactors within
eight years. US nuclear company Westinghouse and India's Larsen & Toubro signed on the dotted
line to set up a joint venture to build nuclear reactors in India. But while that will have to wait for India
to make the necessary legal and regulatory changes to allow the private sector into the game,
France is dealing directly with the government entity, as does Russia.

·               Bahrain-based company acquires stake in S Tel: Bahrain-based integrated

telecommunications company Batelco has announced plans to invest in India in the current year by
purchasing a 49 per cent stake in S Tel Limited. Batelco chairman Shaikh Hamad bin Abdulla Al-
Khalifa said that the company which has operations in six markets in the Middle East, had agreed to
buy a stake in S Tel, which recently established Indian mobile operations, for $225 million, as leader
of a consortium.

·               World economic growth to slow down to 0.5% this year: The world economic growth is
projected to come down to 0.5% this year whereas the European economy is anticipated to witness
much worse trends, with the GDP in the region expected to shrink 1.8%, the European Commission
says. According to the Commission, world GDP would slow down to 0.5% this year from 3.3% in
2008.

·               L & T, Canadian firm ink pack for nuclear reactor at Hazira: India and Canada are close to
sign nuclear cooperation agreement. The agreement envisages production of nuclear components
locally and exports them to third world countries. Engineering major Larsen and Toubro has already
signed an MoU with Atomic Energy of Canada to manufacture the 1,000-mw advanced reactors at
its facility in Hazira (Gujarat).

·               India hands over highway to Afghanistan: Delaram (South Afghanistan): Reflecting its
determination to carry on development work in war-ravaged Afghanistan, India handed over the
strategic Delaram-Zaranj highway built by it braving Taliban attacks in which some Indians were
killed. The 215-km long highway, a symbol of India’s developmental work in this country, was
handed over to the Afghan authorities by External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee in the presence
of Afghan President Hamid Karzai Mr. Karzai said the completion of the project, which opened a
shorter alternative route connecting Kabul to Iran. The highway provides India easy and alternate
access for its goods to Afghanistan via Iran. This is significant because Pakistan has been denying
 transit facility to India for Afghanistan through its territory.

·               Indian bans Chinese toys for 6 months: India slapped a ban on import of toys from China
after cheap supplies from the neighbouring country upset the applecart of the domestic
manufacturers. The ban, notified by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT), will remain
valid for six months.

·               ONGC-Mittal to get 25% stake in Kazkh oil field: After three years of exasperating
negotiations, Kazakh national oil firm Kazmunaigaz will assign a 25% stake in the medium-size
Caspian concession of Satpayev to ONGC-Mittal Energy Ltd, steel tycoon Laxmi Mittal's joint
venture with state-owned explorer ONGC. The offer had first been formalised at talks PM
Manmohan Singh had with Kazakhstan president Nursultan Nazarbayev in 2005 on the sidelines of
a regional meeting in Moscow. As a sweetener, HPCL-Mittal Energy Ltd and Bharat Petroleum will
ink MoUs that could lead to business worth $20-25 million for KazStroyService. The Kazakh
engineering firm will build sulphur units for refineries being built by the Indian firms in Bhatinda and
Bina, respectively.

·               Pfizer agree to buy Wyeth for $68 billion: The board of Pfizer, the world’s largest drug maker,
agreed to acquire a rival Wyeth, for $68 billion according to people involved in the negotiation. The
deal would not only create a pharmaceutical behemoth but would be a rarity in the current financial
tumult: a big acquisition that is not a desperate merger of two banks orchestrated by the
government. It would also be the first big merger backed by Wall Street in months. While credit has
been notoriously tight of late, five banks have agreed to lend Pfizer $22.5 billion to pay for the deal.

·               US cuts $55m of terror aid to Pakistan: Obama administration's threat to make Pakistan more
accountable in the war on terror is materialising quickly, with Washington now withholding $55
million from the latest tranche of reimbursement of expenses Pakistan claims to have incurred while
fighting against terrorism. The decision was taken after auditors raised objections about some of the
bills handed over by Pakistan for expenses incurred in the war on the Pak-Afghan border.

·               China marches on in Africa despite downturn: Chinese businessmen are taking a long-term
view and pursuing strategic expansion in Africa even though China's multiplying investments on the
continent have lost some luster in the global downturn. Chinese companies have pledged tens of
billions of dollars to Africa in loans and investments mostly to secure raw materials for the world's
fastest-growing large economy. That long-term interest remains intact, despite a worldwide
economic slump that has hit China's exports to the rich world and a sharp decline in Africa's mineral
shipments to China. China-Africa trade has surged by an average 30 percent a year this decade,
soaring to nearly $107 billion in 2008.

·               ONGC bags 2 Nigerian oil blocks: Oil and Natural Gas Corp (ONGC) will get back two highly
prospective deep-water oil blocks in Nigeria, which the government in the African country had three
years ago snapped from the Indian firm to award them to a Korean company. ONGC Videsh Ltd had
in August 2005 won blocks 321 and 323, which hold inplace reserves of two billion barrels each,
committing $485 million in signing amount. But Nigeria awarded these to Korean National Oil Corp
(KNOC), claiming that the Korean firm had a first right of refusal over the blocks.

Economy

·               China: China’s emergence as the third largest economy, by pushing down Germany to the
fourth place after revising up the GDP growth figures for 2007, marks yet another milestone in its
slow and arduous climb up the global hierarchy of nations. Though it edged out Germany by just $
0.06 trillion, and even though it is still only around a quarter of the $13.8 trillion US economy, the
Chinese prospects are even better as it is still expected to move to the second position by the end of
 the decade and even overtake the US over the next 20 years if current trends continue. That is not
too bad for a country whose national GDP was just about a 16.4% of the size of the US economy
less than 60 years back in 1950. What is however more striking is how India, which was globally
ranked only next to China in the 9th position in 1983, with its $ 211 billion economy a third smaller
than of its neighbor, has missed out on a great opportunity. Numbers show that the latter half of the
eighties was not particularly inspiring for either country when Latin America emerged as the main
driver of growth in the developing countries. While India slipped three rungs to the 12th position,
China slipped two rungs down to 10th. In fact it was only in the nineties that the Chinese catapulted
far ahead of India, moving up six rungs to the 6th position. In contrast, India’s ranking, which sunk
further to 15, after the crisis of the early 90s, only made it to the 13th position by decade end.

·               Pak levy not to impact Indian potato exports: National Horticultural Research and
Development Foundation (NHRDF) Pakistan slapped an import duty of 25% on Indian potatoes to
encourage its farmers to increase crop yields. Though India ranks fifth in production after China,
Russia, Poland and USA, its share in global exports is very low.

·               Indian drug cos increase US sales despite slump: Their current 5% share of the US market
is expected to rise as companies await more regulatory approvals.

·               Punjab defies crisis, posts 42% growth in investment: Defying slowdown, Punjab has
clocked 41.66% growth in investment flow during October-December 2008 compared to the same
period last year while Haryana and Himachal Pradesh have fallen behind and registered negative
growth during the period. According to a study released, “Assocham Invesment Meter, October-
December 2007-08 and 2008-09: Shifting Investment Destinations”, Haryana showed a negative
growth of -86.87% during this period. Out of 21 states, only four registered positive growth rate in
terms of investments planned by corporate India during the third quarter of 2008-09 vis-a-vis the
same period in the previous fiscal. The states are Rajasthan (with 245%), Bihar (100%), Punjab
(41.6%) and UP (26.8%). The remaining 17 states witnessed negative growth in investment
announcements.

·               Lending woes add to small enterprises’ apathy: India has 1.3 crore micro, small and medium
enterprises (MSMEs), constituting almost 75% of the country’s total enterprises. Of the total MSMEs
—employing 42 million people, and contributing around 9% to the country’s gross domestic product
and 40% to exports—55% complain of non-availability of adequate funds. There are 1.14 lakh sick
MSMEs, 74% of which blame the lack of funds for their current status. Growth rate of bank credit,
the major source of funds, to the sector has come down from 35.6 % in December 2007 to 7.5% in
December 2008. And, only 40 lakh MSMEs have accounts with banks. Despite initiatives from the
government and Reserve Bank of India, banks have curtailed the flow of funds across the board as
the confidence is at its lowest in a decade due to the global slowdown. Banks are instead parking
funds in government securities for stable and risk-free return.

·               Per Capita income rises to Rs. 33,283: Backed by robust economic growth, India’s per capita
income has increased to Rs 33,283 in 2007-08 indicating an overall improvement in the living
standards of the people. Rising by almost 60% since 2003-04, India’s per capita income, which
indicates what an average person earns, has increased to Rs 33,283 in 2007-08, reveals the quick
estimates of national income released by the Central Statistical Organisation (CSO)

·               Small landowners get govt nod to jointly develop special zones: Tough times call for
innovative measures. At a time when funds for special economic zones (SEZ) are drying up and big
companies are facing opposition while acquiring large tracts of contiguous land for such projects, the
lowed small land landholders to jointly developan SEZ.

·               MP, Rajasthan and Gujarat top health mission spendings: The government's attempt to
 increase public investment in rural healthcare sector, through the National Rural Health Mission
(2005-2012), seems to be working well in states such as Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Gujarat.
The government data indicates the three states have outpaced their peers by ensuring consistent
progress and utilising over 80% of the budget allocation. Interestingly, the same states have been
lauded for proactively implementing NREGA as well. During 2008-09, Madhya Pradesh has used up
to 81%, Rajasthan and Gujarat utililised 156% and 117% of the sum released

Science & Technology

·               Mission to dump iron off Antartika suspended under ‘green’ pressure: In a major setback
to the Indo-German Antarctic expedition, LOHAFEX, the German science ministry has bowed to
pressure from environmental NGOs and suspended permission to the mission's proposed ocean
fertilization experiment till its impact is independently reviewed. The expedition's of 48 international
scientists, including 29 from India, is currently cruising in the South Atlantic Ocean and is just days
away from the proposed experiment site in Scotia Sea near the Antarctic Peninsula. There, the
scientists aimed to conduct ocean iron fertilization (OIF) experiments involving the dumping of 20
tonnes of iron sulphate to study whether the resulting proliferation of tiny plant life on the ocean
surface actually leads to carbon dioxide (CO2) being sucking from the atmosphere and stored below
the ocean. CO2 is a major greenhouse gas and OIF is being touted by some experts as a way to
fight climate change.

·               Chandrayaan detects X-ray signals: Chandrayaan-I has picked up first X-ray signals from the
Moon, revealing the presence of three elements. The Imaging X-ray Spectrometer (CIXS), one of
the 11 payloads onboard Chandrayaan-1, has received X-ray “signatures” of aluminium, magnesium
and silicon—three of the six elements it has been designed to detect, the others being titanium, iron
and calcium, said an Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) spokesperson. CIXS detected the
X-ray signals on December 12, 2008 from a region close to the Apollo landing sites.

·               Biofuelling the big birds: hope or hype?: Ever since Virgin Atlantic crossed the Rubicon with
its much publicised maiden push to exploit the burgeoning biofuels bandwagon in February 2008,
commercial airlines have been queuing up by the drove to top their tanks with alternate fuels in a
bold attempt to replace kerosene, the traditional fossil fuel in the wake of rising fuel costs and
increased pressure to curb emissions. The race to find cleaner alternatives based on anything from
the humble drumstick to the lowly pond scum is now hotter than ever. The successful test flight this
week of a Continental jet using a 50-50 blend of jet fuel and biofuel made from jatropha and algae,
two of the hot bio-resources among a long list of potentials candidates in this race of pioneering
efforts with next-generation biofuels from non-food sources has been a shot in the arm for the
fledgling biofuels industry that started off with much excitement several years ago but began to
meander in the absence of big brand name tags. All of that is now changing. The International
Airline Transport Association, which represents 93% of the world’s carriers, is targeting a
replacement of 10% of its fuel from renewable sources by 2017 of the roughly 240 MT of jet fuel that
airlines burn each year at present.

·               In October, India witnessed the slowest ever industrial growth in 15 years, plummeting to the
negative zone at -0.3% (over the previous October). While November’s number was better at 2.4%,
analysts forecast cumulative output for 2008-09 to remain in the range of 2.5-4%. During the first
eight months (April-November) of the year, growth in factory output was 3.9%, compared with 9.2%
a year ago.

·               Navio founders youngest Indians to attend WEF: Sachin Duggal and Saurabh Dhoot,
founders of Nivio, a company that has developed technologies to make cloud computing more
accessible and affordable to all, created history today by becoming the youngest Indian attendees at
the World Economic Forum. Nivio’s founders are being honored among six thousand delegates as
 Technology Pioneers for 2009 and they join an elite group of companies chosen for innovation in
developing technologies that would have a deep impact on society and businesses.

·               Chandrayaan II to be launched on GSLV: Chandrayaan II will be launched on a

Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) as opposed to the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle
used to launch Chandrayaan I, Madhavan Nair, Chairman of the Indian Space Research
Organisation (ISRO).

Person

·               Kim picks 3rd son as heir: North Korean leader Kim Jong-il, thought to be recovering from
serious illness, has picked his third and youngest known son to succeed him, a South Korean news
report said.

·               Film director Tapan Sinha passes away: Renowned film director Tapan Sinha died in a
hospital after a prolonged illness. He was 84 and is survived by his son. Shri Tapan Sinha shall
always be remembered for his films such as ‘Kabuliwala’ and ‘Ek Doctor Ki Maut’ which touched on
social issues of our times. In his passing away, the nation has lost a creative personality and a
legendary filmmaker.

·               Advanced radiotherapy technology comes to India: The Cancer Institute (WIA) at Adyar in
Chennai will become the first such centre in India to introduce the treatment technique known as
RapidArc Union Minister Anbumani Ramadoss inaugurates it. The technology, described as
revolutionary, was introduced for the first time ever in the U.S. in May 2008. It will change the way
radiotherapy is planned and delivered. It is a major advancement from conventional Intensity
Modulated Radiotherapy Technology in that it improves dose conformity while significantly
shortening treatment times compared to conventional IMRT techniques. While ensuring all the
benefits of IMRT, RapidArc delivers treatment within two minutes with precision, enabling physicians
to improve the standard of care and treat more patients.

·               Robert Zagha posted as WB director for India: Roberto Zagha, who has nearly three
decades of experience working with the World Bank, would be the bank's new country director for
India. Zagha, a Brazilian national, assumed office as India's country director on January 1, 2009,
replacing Isabel Guerrero who is now the World Bank's vice-president for the South Asia region.

·               R. Venkataraman passes away:  The former President, R. Venkataraman, who presided over
the era of coalition politics at the Centre in the late 1980s, died here following multiple organ failure.
He was 98.

·               Wasim Jaffer was declared the ‘Ceat India Cricketer of the year 2008-09’ here. The Ceat cricket
rating for domestic competition was instituted three years ago.

·               U.K. honor for Sneha founder: Lakshmi Vijayakumar, founder of suicide prevention centre
Sneha, will be conferred the “Honorary Fellow of the Royal College of Psychiatrists” (FRCPsych),
the Royal College of Psychiatrists. The second Indian and the first Indian woman psychiatrist to
receive the award.

Awards

·               Vyas Samman for Mannu Bhandari: Writer Mannu Bhandari has been selected for the
prestigious K.K. Birla-instituted Vyas Samman for 2008 for her autobiography Ek Kahani Yeh Bhi.
Vyas Samman, apart from another top literary recognition for outstanding writers, the Saraswati
 Samman, is given annually by the foundation.

Awards

·               Chairman of Atomic Energy Commission Anil Kakodkar, who played a key role in finalising the
India-U.S. civil nuclear cooperation agreement, Indian Space Research Organisation chief G.
Madhavan Nair, involved in the first Chandrayaan mission, Sister Nirmala of Mother Teresa’s
Kolkata-based Missionaries of Charities and noted environmentalist Sunderlal Bahuguna are among
ten distinguished personalities honoured with Padma Vibhushan, the country’s second highest
civilian award, on this year’s Republic Day. In all, 133 personalities from various fields were named
for Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri awards on the occasion of the 60th
Republic Day. The first Olympic Gold medallist Abhinav Bindra, India’s cricket captain M.S. Dhoni,
Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar, and the former Miss World Aishwarya Rai figure among the Padma
awardees this year. The first chancellor of Sweden-based World Maritime University Chandrika
Prasad Srivastava, noted historian D.P. Chattopadhyaya, Jasbir Singh Bajaj from Punjab and
Purushotam Lal from U.P., both from the world of medicine, the former Governor and noted civil
servant Govind Narain and industrialist A.S. Ganguly from Maharashtra were the other Padma
Vibhushan awardees. The country’s highest civilian award–Bharat Ratna–was already announced
for noted 86-year-old vocalist Pandit Bhimsen Joshi in November last year.

Sports

·               India on course for 2011 F1 grand prix: New Delhi is all set to open its doors to F1 in 2011.
Funded by public-private partnership JPSK Sports, a subsidiary of Jaiprakash Associates, will stage
the first ever Formula One India Grand Prix.

·               Chetan Anand occupies the 14th spot in the badminton World rankings among men. Saina
Nehwal enjoys a higher place, ranked 10th among women. Many others Indian players, seniors and
juniors, are making a mark internationally.

·               Muralitharan eyes world record in series-decider: Muttiah Muralitharan needs five more
wickets to become the highest wicket-taker in one-day cricket history as Sri Lanka take on Pakistan
in the third and deciding one-day match here. The wily off-spinner needs two more wickets to
become only the second bowler to cross the 500-mark in limited over internationals. Another three
would help him overtake Pakistan's Wasim Akram's one-day tally of 502. The 36-year-old
Muralitharan is already the world's top wicket-taker in Test cricket with 769 in 125 Tests.

·               Formidable Malaysia creates history: Malaysia made history and swept the honours at the
Asian junior squash championship, adding the boys’ and girls’ team trophies to its twin wins in the
individual events earlier this week. The Malaysian boys took apart India in the final.

Books & Author

·               Say It Like Obama-The Power of Speaking with Purpose and Vision: Shel Leanne

·               Good women do not inherit Land Politics of Land and Gender in India: Nitya Rao

·               The Rozabal Line : Ashwin Sanghi

·               Tribes-We Need You to Lead US: Seth Godin

·               Child and the Law: Laxmidhar Chouhan

·               The Genius of India: Asha Puri

·               The World’s Best Inspiring Stories: G. Francis Xavier

·               Women Empowerment-The S Substantial Challenges: Jasprit Kaur Soni

·               Gandhian Perspective on Global Interdependence, Peace and Role of Professional Social
Work: K.D. Gangrade

·               Medicinal Plants of India: Satish Narain Lal, Meenakshi Singh

·               Indian Iconography : Indian Temple Sculpture: Johan Guy

·               Crisis of Governance – The Case of Bihar: Sachchidananda

·               Women in Agricultural Development: K. Radhika

·               Between Democracy & Nation – Gender and Milliarisation in Kashmir: Seema Kazi

·               Indian and ASEAN-Partners at Summit- P.V. Rao

·               Transnational Migrations-The Indian Diaspora: William Safran, Ajay Kumar Sahoo

·               America-In Pursuit of Happiness: Asha Puri

Miscellaneous

·               NDPL offers life insurance policy to slum consumers: Power distribution company NDPL
has offered life insurance policies of Rs.1 lakh each to its 2,000 registered consumers living in
jhuggi-jhonpri colonies. The term insurance policy of LIC for death cover is being offered free of cost
to the already existing consumers living in JJ colonies in the NDPL distribution network area of North
Delhi and North-West Delhi and to those who will take metered connections from now on.
01 to 28 Feb, 2009

National

· 7-yr tax holiday for gas producing company under study: Deora: Petroleum minister Murli
Deora said the government is working on granting tax incentives for companies on production of natural
gas from oil blocks awarded to them. Deora said the petroleum ministry is trying to get a seven-year tax
holiday on gas production from oil blocks that would be awarded to bidding firms under the soon-to-be-
commenced New Exploration Licensing Policy (Nelp)-VIII.

· Punjab gives green signal to ecotourism: The meeting of the council of the ministers held
under the chairmanship of Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh Badal approved the formulation of the
Eco Tourism Policy as one of the major thrust areas for the promotion of tourism in Punjab as identified
by the Madrid-headquartered United Nations World Tourism Organisation. The Department of Tourism
had taken the initiative to frame the eco-tourism policy based on the inputs of the Department of Forests
and Wildlife Preservation, as the state has tremendous potential to become a premier eco-destination.
The Shivalik Hills in the northern part of the state with good forest cover present vast opportunity for
wilderness tourism. The rich bio-diversity of the river system of the state and species rich network of
wetlands connected to these rivers also have a great potential for development of nature-based tourism
or ecotourism. The Cabinet also approved a levy of 4% VAT on mosquito repellents, toilet cleaners, wood
preservatives, chemicals for killing domestic insects, termicides, phenyl and similar products that are not
used for agriculture.

· Drug pollution: Andhra under pressure to act: Calls have mounted for action against big
drug makers that activists say are responsible for industrial pollution, after a medium-sized pharma
company shut its manufacturing plant on the outskirts of Hyderabad on the orders of the Andhra Pradesh
Pollution Control Board (PCB). The board asked SMS Pharmaceuticals Ltd, which trades on both the
National Stock Exchange (NSE) and Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), to shut the plant located in
Patancheru after protests by local activists. The shutdown followed a probe announced by the Prime
Minister’s Office last week into the results of a Sweedish study that found supposedly treated waste water
in the area contained a cocktail of 21 different active pharmaceutical ingredients.

· A record 441 mining projects cleared in 2008, a rise of 63.94%: Even as agitations over the
land for mining and other infrastructure projects are gaining momentum; Rajasthan, Orissa, Karnataka,
Goa, Andhra Pradesh, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra continue to be the major destinations
for mining projects. Ministry of environment and forests (MoEF) has cleared 441 mining projects in the
calender year 2008 compared to 269 mining projects approved in the calender year 2007, an increase of
a record 63.94%. Of 441 projects, nearly 369 have been proposed in the above given eight states. These
approvals were granted as per the environment impact assessment notification of 2006. The rise in
mining approvals is especially due to the Centre’s move, which has allowed private sector in mining of
thirteen minerals like iron ore, manganese ore, chrome ore, sulphur, gold, diamond, copper, lead.
 · Unique ID number for every Indian citizen by 2011: In what will curtail frauds related to the
identity of a person and enhance national security, the government is working on a plan to issue unique
identification number to every Indian citizen by 2011. The project is to be implemented by the National
Authority for Unique Identity, which will be a part of Planning Commission.

· Haryana joins hands with NBHC for warehouse management: Haryana Warehousing
Corporation, a Haryana state government enterprise has joined hands with the National Bulk Handling
Corporation (NBHC), the leading collateral and commodity management services provider in India for
sharing mutual benefits on the warehousing management front. The two corporations recently signed a
memorandum of understanding to form strategic collaboration in commodity & warehousing management
services

· Cochin Port becomes country’s first e-port: Crossing a major milestone, the Cochin Port
Trust (CPT) has become the county’s first e-port by integrating the port’s operations, financial, real estate
and human resources systems on an integrated port information system. Called ‘e-thuramugham’ or e-
port, the Rs 13 crore project, goes ‘live’.

· Adopt GST, it will provide stimulus to economy, create more jobs: Kelkar: Chairman of
13th Finance Commission Vijay Kelkar has pitched for the introduction of goods & services tax (GST), as
it will provide a stimulus to the economy during the slowdown. “A flawless GST emerges as a hugely
attractive policy option in the Indian context. The present economic crisis portends a huge challenge; the
only ‘gain without pain’ will come if we can improve the efficiency of the economy and thereby, our
productivity and international competitiveness. According to Kelkar, the existing tax system introduces
myriad distortions which favour some goods and services at the expense of others. Such distortions in our
tax system are also adversely affecting the growth for manufacturers, particularly labour-intensive
manufacturers, who are extremely important in meeting the challenge of providing productive
employment.

· Coastline security high on agenda: Chidambaram: Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram

has said the Centre has drawn up an ambitious plan to make the country’s coastline secure. Inaugurating
the Kerala’s first coastal police station at Neendakara, he said as part of the plan, the Centre had asked
the Registrar General of India to complete the enumeration of people living in all coastal villages of the
nine coastal States and four Union Territories of the country by 2009-2010.

· Major amphibious exercise in Gujarat: The armed forces on Monday conducted the largest-
ever amphibious exercise “Exercise Tropex 2009” on the Madhavpur beach in Gujarat. Amphibious
landing is considered the most complex of all military manoeuvres, involving coordination and synergy
from conceptualisation to planning and final execution. A Coast Guard element was also a part of this
short, swift and intense conflict.

· Rural electrification project launched: The Rs.447.41-crore rural electrification project,

aimed at benefiting nearly 5.25 lakh below-the-poverty-line households (BPLHH) spread over 27 districts,
was launched at Kollumedu village, about 30 km north of Chennai. In the initial phase, about 54,000
households will be covered by March-end. The project is expected to be completed by December.
Electricity Minister Arcot N. Veeraswami inaugurated the project at the village in Tiruvallur district.

· Rural vocational training model to be replicated across all district: In a bid to support rural
unemployed youth with vocational training facilities, the Centre has decided to replicate the rural
development and self employment training institute (RUDSETI) model across all the districts of the
country. Public sector banks like Syndicate Bank and Canara Bank, along with Sri Dharmasthala
Manjunatheshwara Educational Trust, an NGO, initiated the RUDSETI concept in Karnataka in early
1980s. Through 20 such institutes across 12 states, more than 2 lakh rural youth have been successfully
imparted training facilities, leading to self employment ventures in rural areas. As per the tripartite
agreement, the state government would provide the land for setting up such an institute, while the initial
grant of Rs 1 crore per district would be allocated by the Planning Commission, subject to the condition
that 70% of the people trained must be from rural backgrounds and below poverty line families.

o The ministry’s support for the programme of the Centre’s plan to push an estimated 5 crore BPL
families above the poverty line by scaling up an existing schemes called Swarajayanti Gram Swarozgar
Yojana

· Govt. readies Rs. 20,000 cr to make e-governance a reality: The citizens’ dream of
“anytime, anywhere ” government services could be a reality by 2013 with the Centre deciding to pump in
Rs 20,175 crore for as many as 27 projects for this purpose under its National e-Governance Plan
(NeGP) in the next four years. The plan, jointly formulated by the department of administrative reforms
and public grievances and department of information technology, will cover all kind of services which can
be provided to citizens online. While 16 projects worth Rs 10,622 crore have already got the cabinet’s
approval, the remaining ones will be unveiled in due course. “Though some of the services are currently
available to citizens in big cities, the idea is to decentralise it down to village level across the country by
2012-13.”

· Fertiliser firms to be first beneficiaries of KG-D6 gas: Tata Chemicals, Indo Gulf and Iffco
will be among the first consumers of natural gas that Reliance Industries will start producing from its
eastern offshore Krishna Godavari basin fields by next month. The government has given gas-based urea
manufacturing plants the top most priority in allocating the initial 40 million standard cubic meters per day
output expected from Reliance's KG-D6 fields, official sources said.

· HMEL plans to set up Rs. 2,500-cr. Petrochemical hub in Ludhiana: With construction work
picking up momentum at the Rs 18,900-crore Guru Gobind Singh Refineries Ltd (GGSRL) being
commissioned at Bathinda (Punjab), HPCL-Mittal Energy Ltd (HMEL) is mulling the development of a Rs
2,500-crore petrochemical hub in Ludhiana to process polypropylene.

· ONGC plan for oil exploration in Rajasthan hits a roadblock: ONGC’s plans for oil
exploration in a national park in Rajasthan has hit a road block with the government deciding to carry out
a detailed environmental impact study before granting approval. The PSU along with an Italian firm had
proposed to carry out seismic survey in the three zones of Desert National Park spread over an area of
3162 sq kms and set up in 1980 for exploring oil in the region. It is already carrying out oil exploration
activities outside the park.

· Put down ragging with an iron hand court tells educational institutions: The Supreme
Court directed educational institutions to put down ragging with an iron hand and suspend/expel students
indulging in this activity. It asked regulatory bodies to reduce grants-in-aid to institutions that tried to shield
the culprits. A Bench of Justice Arijit Pasayat and Justice Mukundakam Sharma gave this direction on the
basis of reports submitted by a committee constituted under the chairmanship of the former CBI Director,
R.K. Raghvan.

· Chief Election Commissioner: equal or superior?: Under Article 324(5), the CEC cannot
suo motu exercise his power of recommending removal of an Election Commissioner because the
members of the Election Commission are of equal status. Arrogation of any suo motu power will amount
to an assumption of superiority, which will obliterate the equality and nullify the independent functioning of
the Commission.

· 29th state in the making?: Though it will not happen overnight, the last important hurdle
before the creation of India’s 29th state, Telangana, has been removed. Chief Minister Y.S.R. Reddy
announced in the assembly that his government had no objection to the carving out of a separate
Telangana state from Andhra Pradesh. “The government has decided to constitute a committee of both
Houses to deliberate the issues and concerns on the formation of Telangana, and further steps could be
taken after the report is submitted,” he said, reading out from a prepared statement. Other parties in the
state have already announced their support for the creation of Telangana, including the Telegu Desam
Party (TDP) that once bitterly opposed it.

· RBI plans task force for Gujarat diamond biz: Committed to minimise stress on various
sectors of the economy due to the global slowdown, the Reserve Bank decided to constitute a task force
to look into the plight of diamond industry in Gujarat. "A task force will be constituted, comprising the
representatives of the state (Gujarat) government, the state- level bankers committee convener and other
bankers to look into the distress arising on account of problems faced by the diamond industry."

· Sahara to foray into healthcare sector: In its first ever foray into medical health, Sahara
Prime City Ltd, the real estate arm of the Sahara India Pariwar, is aggressively eyeing the healthcare
sector for its expansion plans. The group plans to set up three super specialty, multi-disciplinary, tertiary
care hospitals in Lucknow, Gorakhpur and Amby Valley at an investment of Rs 2,500 crore over the next
two-three years and would follow it up by high-ended secondary care hospitals in all its 217 Sahara City
Homes townships across the country, each of which will have an estimated cost of Rs 15-20 crore.

· Pandher, Koli convicted of murder, rape: Punjabi businessman Moninder Singh Pandher
and his servant Surinder Koli, both accused in the Nithari serial killings, were pronounced guilty of murder
and rape of a 14-year-old girl, leaving the CBI red faced as it had given a cleat chit to the entrepreneur.
Pandher (55) and Koli (38), who have been in judicial custody since January 2007, were produced in the
jam-packed court of Rama Jain, Special CBI Judge, who pronounced the duo guilty of murder, rape,
criminal conspiracy and destruction of evidence.

· LIC launches money back plan Jeevan Varsha: The Life Insurance Corporation of India
(LIC) launched a new close-ended guaranteed additions plan, Jeevan Varsha. The plan would be open
for sale from February 16 till March 31,

· NPCIL and NTPC sign agreement: The Nuclear Power Corporation of India (NPCIL) and
NTPC (NTPC) signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to form a joint venture company for setting
up nuclear power plants to meet growing demand for electricity. As per the agreement, the two entities
will work together in setting up nuclear power plants within the frame-work of the Atomic Energy Act.
While NPCIL will hold 51 per cent stake in the joint venture company, NTPC will hold the balance.

· Haryana gets nod for power distribution reforms: Haryana is one of the first States in the
country to get approved power distribution reforms projects for 36 towns which are covered under Part I of
the Restructured-Accelerated Power Development and Reforms Programme (R-APDRP) of the Union
Government.

· Global aid to iodise Rajasthan salt: Self-help groups of salt producers in this dusty town
situated near the historic Sambhar Lake have joined a unique pilot project launched with global financial
and technical support for iodisation of salt and improving the accessibility of quality salt to vulnerable
sections of rural communities. Often described as Rajasthan’s “salt hub”, the little Nawa town in Nagaur
district has produced 1.55 lakh tonnes of iodised salt during the two-and-a-half years of the project
initiated by the UN World Food Programme (WFP) in association with the Micronutrient Initiative, UNICEF
and the Canadian International Development Agency.

· CIL to shut down two mines: Power crisis is looming over large parts of the country,
especially in the western region from March 1, if Coal India Ltd. (CIL) shuts down two of its biggest mines,
which fuel a capacity of 11,000 MW across five States. CIL’s decision to shutdown the mines followed a
restriction on their production imposed by the Chhattisgarh Environment Conservation Board (CECB).

· Coastal Energen to set up power plant in Tuticorin: Coastal Energen Pvt Ltd, the power
generating flagship company of Coal and Oil (C&O) group, has signed a boiler turbine generator (BTG)
procurement contract with Harbin Power Engineering Co Ltd, the largest power equipment company in
China for $450 million. Coastal Energen will generate 1,200 MW of electricity at Tuticorin in Tamil Nadu.
The 2 x 600 MW coal-fired power plant, with an outlay of Rs. 4,500 crore, will be commissioned within 36
months and is slated to be one of the largest merchant power plants in India, according to Ahmed A. R.
Buhari, Founder President and Chief Executive Officer.

· BSNL 3G services launched in 11 cities: The country’s second largest telecom operator by
combined subscriber base, BSNL, launched 3G mobile services on a commercial basis in 11 cities across
the country. With this, BSNL became the country’s second operator after MTNL to commercially launch
the services. Earlier this month, MTNL launched its 3G services commercially in the Delhi circle.

· France to lend support for new IIT in Jaipur: The French government will lend its support to
the setting up of a new Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) in Jaipur, which will focus on the study of
aeronautical engineering and energy research.

· RPL set to merge with RIL: Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) said it would merge its wholly-owned
subsidiary, Reliance Petroleum Ltd (RPL), with it to create an integrated behemoth in oil refining and
petrochemicals. In a statement to the Bombay Stock Exchange, RIL said that the boards of the two
companies would meet on March 2 to consider a scheme of amalgamation for the two companies. The
merger would catapult the entity among the world’s top 10 non-state refineries. As a polypropylene
producer, the merged entity would the world’s fifth largest.

· Defence to release 15 mhz of spectrum: The spectrum scarcity is likely to ease as the
defence forces would release 15 mhz of radio frequency for 2G and 3G mobile services soon after the
agreement between the ministries of defence and telecom is signed.

· Bhatinda attracts Rs 50k-cr project: Major development plans have been initiated in the last
two years in Bathinda, one of the oldest towns of Punjab. The city that boasts of having Asia’s biggest
railway junction and well-connected to each and every part of the country through rail network has drawn
major projects worth Rs 50,000 crore. If all goes as planned then Bathinda will emerge as a modern
industrial hub in the coming years. The industrial growth of the city received a major push with the
commencement of the ambitious project Guru Gobind Singh Refineries Ltd (GGSRL) attracting
investment of Rs 18,900 crore. GGSRL is being commissioned in Bathinda by a joint venture of HPCL-
Mittal Energy Ltd.

· White revolution at Jantar Mantar: Jantra Mantar is about to change colour: When an
ongoing conservation and restoration project is complete, the red 18th century observatory will be
sparkling white, like it originally was.
· Higher share for women, children: A higher allocation for schemes benefiting women and
children has been made in the interim budget. Besides, several new schemes have also been
announced. Widows in the age group of 18 to 40 will be given priority in admissions to Industrial Training
Institutes (ITI). They will also be paid a monthly stipend of Rs. 500. The government would bear the cost
of their training. The government also announced the implementation of “Priyadarshini Project,” a rural
women’s empowerment and livelihood programme, as a pilot project in Madhubani and Sitamarhi districts
of Bihar. Launched in Uttar Pradesh in December 2008 with assistance from the International Fund for
Agricultural Development (IFAD). The Indira Gandhi National Widow Pension Scheme and the Indira
Gandhi National Disability Pension Scheme – would be launched in the current year. The former
envisaged a monthly pension of Rs. 200 for widows in the 40-46 age group, while the latter would provide
pension to severely disabled persons. The government announced Rs. 8,000 crore for the ambitious mid-
day meals scheme, the world’s largest school feeding programme.

International

1815 Britain gets Tamil labour from India to work on tea plantations

1948 Ceylon gains independence

1949 Tamil workers disenfranchised and many deprived of citizenship

1958 Anti-Tamil riots leave 200 dead

1972 Ceylon changes name to Sri Lanka; Buddhism becomes primary religion, further alienating the
mainly Hindu Tamils

1976 LTTE formed, armed conflict begins as tensions increase in Tamil areas

1985 First attempt at peace talks between government and LTTE fails

1987 India, Sri Lanka sign peace pact, IPKF lands in Sri Lanka and gets embroiled in the civil war 1990
Indian troops return home

1995 LTTE launches 'Third Eelam War'

2002 Norway mediates ceasefire

2006 Fighting erupts again

2009 Government troops capture Tiger territories, including their capital

Text Box: 1815 Britain gets Tamil labour from India to work on tea plantations 1948 Ceylon gains
independence 1949 Tamil workers disenfranchised and many deprived of citizenship 1958 Anti-Tamil
riots leave 200 dead 1972 Ceylon changes name to Sri Lanka; Buddhism becomes primary religion,
further alienating the mainly Hindu Tamils 1976 LTTE formed, armed conflict begins as tensions increase
in Tamil areas 1985 First attempt at peace talks between government and LTTE fails 1987 India, Sri
Lanka sign peace pact, IPKF lands in Sri Lanka and gets embroiled in the civil war 1990 Indian troops
return home 1995 LTTE launches 'Third Eelam War' 2002 Norway mediates ceasefire 2006 Fighting
erupts again 2009 Government troops capture Tiger territories, including their capitalAs Sri Lanka enters
the final and toughest phase in its long, brutal war against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE),
the word 'endgame' increasingly being used by analysts. The Sri Lankan armed forces have reduced the
northern territory held by the Tigers from an estimated 15,000 sq km to a 250 sq-km pocket. Only a large
civilian population now stands between the army and it sweeping through the island's north, say military
leaders as their offensive closes in on LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran's once-invincible strongholds.
But what would an 'endgame' mean for the country's Tamil minority, which is roughly 12% of the
population? As a people, the Tamils have long and bitter memories of anti-minority riots, discriminatory
policies, forgotten promises of equality and trashed agreements. After Sinhala was declared the sole
official language in 1972.

· SJVN bags projects in Bhutan, Nepal: Union Minister of State for Power Jairam Ramesh said
that Sutlej Jal Vidyut Nigam (SJVN), a joint venture between Himachal Pradesh and Power Ministry had
bagged 1700 MW of major projects in Bhutan and Nepal making it an international player. In Nepal the
company had been allotted the 402 MW Arun III Hydro Power Project for which the survey was going on.
Similarly, in Bhutan, the JV had been awarded the 486 MW Kolongchu and 900 MW Wangchu hydro
power projects.

· No slowdown in India’s arms business: India says the global economic meltdown will not
adversely impact its quest for military hardware and software. With India ready to spend well over $30
billion for importing weapon systems and platforms over the next four-five years, global armament giants
are jostling to grab a piece of the lucrative action. India is already the developing world’s largest arms
importer, having notched deals worth around $28 billion since the 1999 Kargil conflict. And now, with the
government deciding to fast-track defence deals after 26/11 to plug gaps in the operational capabilities of
Army, Navy, IAF and Coast Guard, armament companies are once again making a beeline for India.
There will be as many as 303 foreign companies, as also 289 Indian firms, to hawk their wares during
Aero India-2009 in Bangalore from February 11 to 15. Leading the pack will be Germany and France, with
31 companies each.

· Zimbabwe knocks off 12 zeroes to tame inflation: Zimbabwe’s central bank revalued its
dollar again, lopping another 12 zeros off its currency to try tame hyperinflation and avert economic
collapse.

· Denmark-Seeking a global green leadership: A crisis implies both danger and opportunity.
Especially when the economic storm it raging globally-with enterprises running into financial difficulties
and employees being laid off in thousands Denmark is one country which seems well prepared to weather
the storm. The reasons for this are not hard to find. The advances that Denmark has made over the past
30 years have made it the undisputed global leader in energy and environmental conservation. Over this
time period, the Danes have doubled their gross national product while maintaining the same level of
consumption of natural resources. They have managed this by creating policies and enforcement
procedures, as well as incentives, which make it necessary for business to develop good environment
practices. Denmark has a low unemployment rate, whereas other countries have a high unemployment
rate. It has balance of payments surplus, whereas other countries have a balance of payments deficit. It
has low public debt where as other countries are burdened by huge deficits and growing debt. Above all,
Denmark is well prepared because it has for a number of years pursued a sound and stable economy
policy. Among wealthy OECD countries, Denmark has the greatest proportion of exports in the form of
energy and environment technology.

· Iran launches home-built satellite: Iran has successfully placed into orbit its first domestically
made satellite, using an indigenous launcher. The lightweight satellite can carry out remote sensing and
satellite telemetry operations. It is expected to have a maximum life of three months and will orbit the
earth 15 times per day.
· China to take India to WTO on toy ban: The war over toys is set to get grimmer. Barely two
weeks after India announced a six-month ban on toys from China, Beijing is set to challenge the decision
in the World Trade Organization. The move, reported by a Chinese daily, is being seen as Beijing’s bid to
save its toy manufacturers, already reeling under curbs by the US and European Union. The ban
announced on January, 23. Sources said the decision was meant to protect local manufactures against
the flooding of the market with cheap Chinese imports. China accounts for nearly 50% of India’s Rs.
2,500 crore toy market.

· Russia to let US supplies pass through: Russia will let the US send supplies across its
territory to Afghanistan and offer flexible support, a top Moscow diplomat said, a day after Kyrgyzstan
decided to close down a US military airbase. Moscow had in recent days responded in principle to a
United States request to provide logistical support to aid Washington's forces in Afghanistan.

· Asia’s tallest monument in Mumbai: The 325-feet Global Vipassana Pagoda nearing
completion in Mumbai. President Pratibha Patil will inaugurated the pagoda the tallest stone monument in
Asia.

· India inks agreement with EU patent office: India has signed an agreement with the
European Patent Office (EPO) to establish a mechanism to protect India’s traditional medicinal knowledge
from bio-piracy. As per this access agreement, India’s ‘Traditional Knowledge Digital Library (TKDL) – the
first of its kind database on traditional medicines – would now be available to the Patent Examiners at the
EPO for establishing prior art, in case of patent applications based on the Indian systems of medicines.
The EPO has 34 member states.

· Iran may give India access to Afghanistan: Iran said India could soon have a sea-cum-land
route that would give Indian goods access to Afghanistan and further on to Central Asian countries,
bypassing Pakistan. Tehran also said that as a friend of both Pakistan and India, it would “have to play a
role” in reducing tensions between the two countries and ensure that differences over the proposed Iran-
Pakistan-India gas pipeline are overcome. From there, a 217-km India-built road from the Afghan border
town of Zaranj will provide the last-mile connectivity to Delaram located on the “garland highway” of
Afghanistan which connects most of its major cities, including Kabul, Kandahar, Herat, Mazar-e-Sharif
and Kunduz.

· India, Russia to work on advanced fighter plane: India will join Russia in practical work to
develop the fifth-generation fighter plane later this year after the two sides sign research and development
contracts. “We have made good progress since concluding an inter-government agreement in 2007 for
the joint development and production of the fifth-generation fighter aircraft and are ready to sign detailed
contracts this year for implementing the programme,” said Mikhail Pogosyan, CEO of the Sukhoi aircraft
building company, which is the chief contractor of the fighter on the Russian side. Sukhoi partners with
the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited for the project. The fifth-generation advanced multi-role fighter is
expected to begin flight tests in Russia before the end of 2009 and go into mass production in both
countries in 2015. Russia and India are planning to build two versions of the plane for their Air Forces
each — a single-seater and a two-seater.

· Reach the Poor, insurance cos told: Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram urged insurance
companies to reach their products to the poor people of this country. “Poor need insurance more than
anyone,” said Mr. Chidambaram while launching the business operation of Star Union Dai-ichi Life, a joint
venture of Bank of India, Union Bank of India and Dai-ichi Mutual Life Insurance Company, Japan. Mr.
Chidambaram was instrumental in forming this joint venture when he was the Finance Minister.
· Punjab signs MoU to set up international co-operatives centre: The Punjab Government
inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with International Cooperative Alliance (ICA), the world
confederation of cooperatives, to establish an International Centre for Promotion and Development of Co-
operatives in the State. According an official release, the MoU was signed by Punjab Cooperation
Minister, Kanwaljit Singh and ICA Chief, Ivano Barberini, who is currently in the State capital to participate
in a national level conference on revival of rural cooperative credit structure.

· Largest-ever aero show takes off today: India’s largest-ever air show, Aero India 2009,
opens here with participation by frontline fighter aircraft from the United States, Europe and Russia, all of
whom are in the race for the Union Government’s plans to acquire multi-role combat aircraft.

· $17 bn order for 100 planes intact: Boeing: Boeing, the world’s leading aerospace major and
the largest manufacturer of commercial jetliners and military aircraft, said that there have been no order
cancellations from Indian carriers and it will supply $ 17 billion worth 100 commercial airplane in the next
five years to airline operators in India. Boeing’s current market outlook for India projects a need for 1,001
new commercial airplanes, including passenger and freighter planes worth $105 billion at current list
prices over the next 20 years while the Indian defence aviation sector’s demand was pegged at $31 billion
in the next 10 years.

· MoU with BEL for facility: Boeing has singed a MoU with defence PSU Bharat Electronics Ltd
(BEL) to jointly develop an analysis and experimentation centre in India to offer customers the ability to
make better informed decisions in modernising India’s defence forces.

· HAL to hand over five light Dhruv helicopter to Ecuador: State owned Hindustan
Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) will hand over five advanced light helicopters (ALH) ‘Dhruv’ to Ecuador during the
Aero-India 2009.

· Taiwan plans to relax visa norms for India investors: Indians holding US, Canada, Europe
and Japan visas will be free to visit Taiwan. It will encourage in a big way the investment of Taiwanese
companies.

· Livni, Netanyahu declare victories after close vote: Leaders of Israel’s two main parties
have declared victory following inconclusive parliamentary election. Tzipi Livni’s Kadima party had
secured 28 seats, one seat above the rival Likud’s tally of 27.

· Tsvangiai sworn in Premier: Zimbabwe’s opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai was sworn in a
Prime Minister joining President government to push him from power.

· U.S.- Russia: focus on nuclear arms cuts: Nuclear arms cuts look set to top the agenda of
Russian-American relations, as the new U.S. administration has vowed to improve relations with Russia.
Speaking at a security conference in Munich, Vice-President Joseph Biden offered an olive branch to
Moscow. “The last few years have seen a dangerous drift in relations between Russia and our [NATO]
alliance. Mr. Biden said the U.S. and Russia should “renew the verification procedures in the START
[Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty] and then go beyond the existing treaties to negotiate deeper cuts in
both our arsenals.” This marks a major reversal of the policy of George W. Bush, who rejected Russia’s
persistent efforts at negotiating a replacement for the 1991 START, which expires at the end of 2009.
Under the pact, the U.S. and Russia halved their nuclear stockpiles from the previous total of 10,000
warheads to 5,000 warheads each. In May 2002, the two sides signed the Moscow Treaty, which
committed them to further reducing the number of operationally deployed nuclear warheads, on each
side, to no more than 1,700-2,200 warheads by 2012.
· Europe wants emission caps for India, China: The European Commission (EC) has upped
the ante on climate change negotiations and demanded that developing countries such as India and
China be prescribed mandatory emission targets and, at the same time, be removed from the global
carbon credits market. The two Asian countries have so far declined to accept any such emission caps,
arguing that their development strategies risk being set back as a result, and have instead made a case
for assessing each country’s commitment levels based on per capita emissions.

· ICICI in first foreign tie-up for pension fund in India: Unlike the life insurance industry, the
newly opened up pension fund industry, which will see the entry of six players, will have only one foreign
joint venture. The pension fund company to be set up by ICICI Pru Life Insurance Company, which has
received license along with other five leading players from the Pension Fund Regulatory & Development
Authority (PFRDA), will be the first joint venture with a foreign partner in the country. Confirming the
development Shikha Sharma, managing director & CEO, ICICI Pru Life Insurance, said, "My Company
will be setting up the new pension fund company. Our partnership with the UK-based Prudential will
continue in the pension fund company,'' she said.

· Israel largest defence supplier to India: Israel has emerged as India’s largest defence
supplier, overtaking Russia. It has signed defence deals worth $ 9 billion with New Delhi in the last
decade. Russia had averaged sale of $875 million annually to India for the past 40 years. In the wake of
the Mumbai terror attacks, India purchased from the Jewish state the aerostat radar system to defend the
country’s coastline for $600 million. The radars will be deployed at strategic points to provide warning
against enemy aircraft and missiles. Israel and India have also agreed upon the joint development of
medium-range surface-to-air missiles for the Air Force. New Delhi is expected to receive the first of three
new Phalcon Airborne Warning and Control Systems, part of a $1.1 billion deal signed between the two
countries by March.

· Hugo Chavez wins Venezuelan referendum: President Hugo Chavez and his supporters
celebrated victory day after Venzuelans voted to scrap term limits on elected posts, paving the way for
him to seek re-election in 2012 and beyond. Mr. Chavez said he intended to stand for a third term in
2012.

Economy

· Dubai refinery shifts to cheaper Brazillian sugar: The world’s largest sugar refinery, the 1.5-
million-tonne-a-year Al Khaleej plant in Dubai, is shifting to imports of raw sugar from Brazil taking
advantage of falling freight rates, and is likely to shun Indian imports in 2009.

· India not transparent enough in Budget-making: India, arguably the biggest democracy of
the world, fails to hold a position amongst the top 10 countries of the world as far as transparency in the
Budget formulation process via allocation of financial resources to key sectors of economy is concerned.
India ranks 13th among 85 countries, says a transparency survey conducted by the Centre for Budget
and Governance Accountability (CBGA), in collaboration with Washington-based International Budget
Partnership. The Open Budget Index (OBI) ranks countries according to their openness of Budgets-
making process, based on parameters such as accessibility of public to the process, and participation and
articulation of people’s need on the Budget. According to OBI, India is among the 27 countries that
provide incomplete information to its citizens on Centre’s Budget and financial activities. The worst
performers are China, Saudi Arabia, Algeria, Democratic Republic of Congo, Sudan, Rwanda, Equatorial
Guinea and Sao Tome e Principe.

· Govt to borrow Rs. 46k cr more to perk economy up: Faced with a surging expenditure bill
and dwindling tax revenue, the Centre announced a massive dose of additional borrowing of Rs 46,000
crore from the market, to be completed in two months. The additional funds for 2008-09 will be raised in
four tranches through the sale of dated securities between February 20 and March 20 to finance the slew
of stimulus measures announced over the past two months to prop up the growth rate in the economy
that has dipped to 7.1%- a five-year low.

· Norms for indirect FDI eased: As part of its effort to rejuvenate moribund capital inflows, the
government rationalised indirect FDI norms for sectors that have caps. The move would enable foreign
entities to hold higher stakes in joint ventures with firms owned and controlled by Indians that may also
have an FDI component. Under the new norms approved by the Cabinet committee on economic affairs,
direct investments by NRIs would now be considered FDI, while funds routed through an entity owned or
controlled by a resident Indian or an Indian company would be considered domestic investment. The
department of industrial policy & promotion will shortly release the definitions of ‘ownership’ and ‘control’.
Basically, what this means is that any FDI in the equity structure of an Indian partner would no longer be
considered indirectly in a joint venture, thereby giving the foreign partner scope to raise its stake up to the
sectoral FDI cap. Previously, FDI in an Indian partner would have been indirectly included when
calculating the overall FDI component of a joint venture.

· Simbhaoli to import 20,000 tonne of raw sugar: Taking advantage of the Centre's move to
liberalise norms for importing raw sugar to meet the country's sugar demand and also ease the deficit in
domestic production, Uttar Pradesh-based Simbhaoli Sugars (SSL) has contracted to import 20,000
tonnes of raw sugar from Brazil. The imported raw sugar will be processed at the company's plants in
Uttar Pradesh during off season.

· Govt to infuse Rs. 3,800 cr. In 3 PSU banks: In order to strengthen the public sector banks,
the government on Wednesday decided to infuse Rs 3,800-crore into three state-run banks —UCO Bank,
Central Bank of India and Vijaya Bank — to shore up their capital bases. Under the recapitalisation
package, Central Bank of India will get Rs 1,400 crore, while UCO Bank and Vijaya Bank will get Rs
1,200 crore each. The capital infusion would be done in two tranches, he said, adding, the first tranche
would be made available during the current financial year and the remaining in 2009-10.

· Citi Financial shuts down 280 branches: Citi Financial, which took the lead in financing four-
wheelers in the country a few years back, has discontinued its auto loan financing activity. Kick starting
the restructuring of its retail operations, Citigroup has decided to shut down around 280 branches of Citi
Financial in India. The closure of branches resulted into downsizing of Citi Financial’s workforce from
3,000 employees to around 2,000 in the current fiscal.

· Blight attack damages 30% of potato harvest in West Bengal: Potato prices in West
Bengal, the country’s second largest producer, are set to rise in the coming months as the early blight
disease in the state has been estimated to have damaged as much 30% of the crop.

· Railway Interim Budge:

o Annual plan for 2009-10 Rs. 37,905 crore.

o Accident down to 194 in 2007-08.

o Agartala connected by railway line. First train service in Kashmir between Anantnag and
Rajwansher started: to be followed by Baramulla and Qazigund.

o 43 new train services to be started in 2009-10, extension of 14 trains envisaged and the frequency
of 14 trains increased.

o Two new railway divisions at Bhagalpur and Thawe.

o Pre-feasibility for running high speed bullet trains in various regions; action soon on studies for
Delhi-Patna bullet trains.

o Construction of Rail Wheel Factory, Chapra in full swing; Work on diesel and electric locomotive
factories at Marhoura and Madhepura.

Reduction in tarrifs:

o Reduction in passenger fares of ordinary passenger trains by Re. 1 for fares costing up to Rs. 50
per passenger for journey above 10 km.

o Second class and sleeper class fares of all Mail/Express and ordinary passenger trains to be
reduced by two per cent for tickets costing Rs. 50 and more per passenger.

o Fares of AC First Class, AC II tier, AC III tier and AC Chair car also to be reduced by two percent.

· Service tax, excise duty reduced: The government announced a reduction of 2 percentage
points in the rates of excise duty and service tax, bringing relief to industry and aam aadmi in an
atmosphere of economic slowdown. The Central excise duty stands reduced from 10 to 8 per cent while
the service tax has been brought down from 12 to 10 per cent. The rate of excise duty on goods attracting
ad valorem rates of 8 and 4 per cent will remain unchanged.

· India eyes quantum leap in exports: India’s merchandise exports maintained a high tempo
growth with exports increasing form US$ 63.8 billion in 2003-04 to US$ 162.9 billion. recording an
average annual growth rate of 25.4 per cent. India has done considerably well in the sphere of export
figures. Earlier India’s trade was with immediate neighbours or third world countries but during the last 5
years India has made inroads in the markets of leading industrialized nations around the world. During the
last four years, the Government has taken major steps to cement strong ties with Singapore. In June
2005 a Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA) signed between the two countries.
This was India’s first CECA with any country and also for the first time India entered into a Bilateral
Economic Integration Agreement in Services. Similar CECAs are being discussed with Japan, China,
Korea, and Afghanistan. The discussions with ASEAN, Korea & Sri Lanka have already been completed.
With an aim to facilitate a quantum leap in bilateral trade between India and Merocosur in particular an
Latin American region in general, a Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA) with MERCOSUR (a bloc of
Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay & Uruguay) and Chile had been signed. With the signing of PTA both the
sides get the benefit of mutual tariff concession in case of imports from either side.

· Highlights of Interim Union Budget 2009-10:

o Revenue deficit for 2009-10 estimated at 4% and fiscal defict at 5.5% fo gross domestic product
(GDP)

o Rs. 9,53, 231 corore expenditure proposed for 2009-10

o Rs. 1,31, 317 corore allocated for flagship programmes

o Defence gets Rs. 1,41,703 core in the interim budget

o Indira Gnadhi National Widow Pension and Indira Gandhi National Disability Pension Schemes
to be launched

o Widows in the age group 18-40 to be given priority in admission to ITS, women ITIs and
national/regional ITIs for women. Government will bear the training cost and provide a stipend of Rs. 500
a month

o NPAs of public sector banks decline.

o 60/12 lakh houses for weaker sections constructed under Indira Awaas Yojana.

o Rs. 100 core for unique identification authority

o Rs. 65,300 core debt waiver and relief given to 3.6 core farmers

o Farm credit disbursements up 300% since 2003-04 touching Rs. 2.5 lakh crore in 2007-08.

o Rural infrastructure development fund corpus increased to Rs. 14,000 crore in 2008-09

o GDP records growth of over 9% for three consecutive years

o 15 central universities established, six new ITIs start functioning: two more this years.

o $32.4 billion FDI received in 2007-08

o Financial sector reforms strengthen regulatory mechanism of securities market

o CPSEs turnover increses from Rs. 5,87,000 crore in 2003-04 to Rs. 10,81,000 crore in 2007-
08.

o Panchayat empowerment and accountability scheme to be substantially expanded.

· Ban on foreign airline FDI in domestic carriers to remain: The government made it clear
that foreign airlines would not be permitted to pick up stakes directly or indirectly in the country’s
commercial airline sector. This will scupper the plans of carriers like Kingfisher, which is reported to be
scouting foreign airlines as an equity partner. The government told Parliament that no foreign airlines
would be allowed to participate “directly or indirectly in the equity of an air service undertaking”.

· Biggest renewable power project in Jharkhand soon: The Jharkhand Renewable Energy
Development Agency (JREDA) is readying to launch the biggest biomass-generated power project in the
country in 2009-10. The project, on completion, will provide electricity to five lakh poor households in the
state at an affordable price. The JREDA has so far identified four districts-Pakur, Chatra, Latehar and
Gumla-to be covered under the project.

· Diamond is not hardest material on earth now: Diamond is no longer the “world’s hardest
material”, according to scientists. Instead, a rare natural substance, called lonsdaleite, which is made
from carbon atoms just like diamond, has emerged as 58% harder than the gemstone, according to a
report in the New Scientist. An international team, led by Zicheng Pan at Shanghai Jiao Tong University.

Science & Technology

· A new risk on the horizon: The world’s oceans have long buffered the effects of climate
change by absorbing a substantial portion of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide. But this benefit has a
catch: As the gas dissolves, it makes seawater more acidic. Now an international panel of marine
scientists says this acidity is accelerating so fast it threatens the survival of coral reefs, shellfish and the
marine food web generally. The panel, comprising 155 scientists from 26 countries and other international
groups, is not the first to point to growing ocean acidity as an environmental threat.

· Four nuclear power units to become operational this year: With decks cleared for the
supply of nuclear fuel to India, the country expects to kick-start four nuclear power plant units from this
calendar year. “Two units in Rajasthan and one in Kaiga, and later this year one of the Kudankulam units
may also come upstream, which is expected to add around 1660 MW of nuclear power to the national
grid.” “Currently, nuclear power constitutes only 3 per cent of the total electricity generated in the country.

· BATL to get AS9100 certification: BrahMos Aerospace Thiruvananthapuram Ltd. (BATL) is

all set to enter the club of internationally acclaimed aerospace companies and expand its clientele base
on getting AS9100 certification by March 31, its Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director A.
Sivathanu Pillai told. The company was now catering to the needs of Indian Space Research
Organisation (ISRO), Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and the Atomic Energy
Commission, mainly producing robotic arms with remotely operated systems. BATL would become
eligible to take up orders of external agencies. The certification, a hallmark for precision, was attained in
record time and the success should be attributed to the work culture that was created since its takeover.

· Russian, American satellites collide: Scientists are keeping a close eye on orbital debris
created when two communications satellites—one American, the other Russian — smashed into each
other hundreds of km above the Earth. NASA said it would take weeks to determine the full magnitude of
the unprecedented crash and threat if any to other satellites or even the Hubble Space Telescope. The
collision, which occurred nearly 800 km. over Siberia, was the first high-speed impact between two intact
spacecraft, said NASA officials. NASA believes any risk to the International Space Station and its three
astronauts is low. It orbits about 435 km. below the collision course.

Person

· Chaudhary Ranbir Singh passes away: The lone surviving member of the Constituent
Assembly, Ranbir Singh, father of Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, passed away at his
residence in Rohtak. He was 94.

· Qaddafi pan-African vision: President Muammar Qaddafi of Libya was named chairman of
the African Union. His installation as the new head of the 53-member body resembled more of a
coronation than a democratic transfer of power.
· Murali joins Akram: Muttiah Muralitharan has drawn level with Wasim Akram as the highest
wicket-taker in ODI cricket; both the bowling giants have claimed 502 wickets each. The achievement
marks yet another triumph for the off-spinning wizard in a career of miles and milestones.

· Satyam names new CEO: The government-appointed interim board of Satyam Computer
Services selected AS Murty as CEO. Murty, who is currently chief delivery officer, has been with Satyam
since 1994. He will draw an annual salary of Rs 5 crore. The six-member board also announced the
appointment of Tata Chemicals former MD Homi Khusrokhan and Murugappa group former CFO Partho
Datta as special advisors to the board. As Datta will oversee the company’s financial operations, the
board decided not to appoint a separate CFO at this juncture.

· Kiran Karnik appointed Satyam chairman: Kiran Karmik was appointed chairman of Satyam
Computer Service.

· Pakistan court frees ‘rogue’ nuke scientist: The Islamabad High Court on Friday declared
disgraced Pakistani nuclear scientist Abdul Qadeer Khan, under virtual house arrest for the past five
years, a free man. It said there was no proof Khan was involved in any nuclear technology proliferation or
criminal activity. The release is bound to inflame Western nations, especially the US, which have long
wanted to question Khan, said to be the kingpin in an international nuclear weapons’ smuggling ring
busted five years ago.

· 56-yr-old 1st woman to swim Atlantic: Jennifer Figge pressed her toes into the Caribbean
sand, exhilarated and exhausted as she touched land this week for the first time in almost a month.
Reaching a beach in Trinidad, she became the first woman on record to swim across the Atlantic Ocean.

· 2nd Grammy for Zakir: Ustaad Zakir Hussain won his second Grammy after a gap of 17
years. The Tabla maestro was nominated in the Best Contemporary World Music Category for Global
Drum Project, for which he collaborated with Micky Hart, Giovannia Hidalgo and talking drum ace
Adepoju.

· Steve Bucknor to retire: West Indian umpire Steven Bucknor, who has officiated in a record
126 Test, will retire form international matches in March. South Africa v Australia series will be his last.

· Deepak Parekh’s term extended till Dec 2009: Housing Development Finance Corporation
(HDFC) has re-appointed Deepak S Parekh as its chairman with effect from March 1, 2009, up to
December 31, 2009.

· Hemant Nerurkar appointed Tata Steel executive director.

· Flying high in the mighty MiG-35: Suman Sharma, daughter of a retired Indian naval officer
and an Army colonel’s sister, became the world’s first woman to fly the mighty Russian MiG-35 fighter jet
at the Aero India international air show. The 30-year-old also became the first civilian woman to co-pilot
the American-strike fighter F-16IN of Lockheed Martin.

Awards

· WEF honours Amitabh with Crystal Award: Legendary Bollywood actor Amitabh Bachchan
has been honoured with the World Economic Forum’s Crystal Award at Davos for his contribution to the
world of cinema. Bachchan received the award along with another Indian artist—Mallika Sarabhai—a
Kuchipudi and Bharatnatyam danseuse. Bachchan and Sarabhai would be joining the league of famed
US cellist Yo-Yo Ma and British actress Emma Thompson, who bagged the award in 2008.

· Bhimsen Joshi presented with Bharat Ratna: Hindustani classical vocalist Pandit Bhimsen
Joshi (87) was presented with Bharat Ratna, country’s highest civilian award, at his residence here. The
award comprises a certificate signed by the President of India and a medallion by a senior bureaucrat.
The award, announced after a gap of seven years, was last given to melody queen Lata Mangeshkar and
Shehnai maestro Ustad Bismillah Khan. Bhimsen is the sixth person from the field of art and culture to get
Bharat Ratna after Satyajit Ray, M.S. Subbulakshmi, Pandit Ravi Shankar, Lata Mangeshkar and Ustad
Bismillah Khan.

· 'Ambikatanayadatta Award' conferred on Gangopadhyaya: The “Ambikatanayadatta

National Award,” instituted by the D.R. Bendre National Memorial Trust, was conferred on president of the
Sahitya Academy and Bengali writer Sunil Gangopadhyaya during the 113th birth anniversary of D.R.
Bendre. The award carries a cash prize of Rs. 1 lakh.

· Best Motion Picture: Sulmdog Millonarie

· Actor: Sean Penn, Milk

· Actress: Kate Winled, The Reader

· Supporting Actor: Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight

· Supporting Actress: Penelope Cruz, Vicky Cristina Barcelona

Sports

· Sania- Mahesh win mixed doubles title: Mahesh Bhupathi and Sania Mirza became the first
Indian pair to win a Grand Slam mixed doubles title when they crushed Andy Ram of Israel and
Frenchwoman Nathalie Dechy 6-3, 6-1. For Mahesh, this victory was his 11th Grand Slam title while
Sania celebrated her first success at this level.

· The Spaniard winds his first court Grand Slam: Rafael Nadal reduced Roger Federer to
tears as he won a classic Australian Open final to secure his first hard-court Grand Slam title and stop the
Swiss equalling the all-time Majors record.

· Dhoni: The most successful Indian captain: With a series victory against Sri Lanka,
Mahendra Singh Dhoni became the first Indian captain to enjoy a winning % of 60. With eight successive
wins between November, 2008 and February 3, 2009, Dhoni has now won 27 and lost 14 (apart from
three ‘no-result’ games) out of 44 ODIS, enjoying a success % of 61.36.

· Ponting, Clarke joint winners of Allan Border medal: Australia captain Ricky Pointing has
got a reason to smile in the toughest time of his career as he shared the Allan Border Medal with his
deputy Michael Clarke. This is for first time in the 10-year history of the award that two people have jointly
awarded the top honour.

· Big win for West Zone: West Zone wrapped up the formalities after lunch on the final day here
at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium, completing a 274-run win over South Zone to lift the Duleep Trophy.

· 35th National Games in Kerala in May next year: The 35th National Games will be held
across seven centres in Kerala from May 1 to 14, 2010. The Games to be held for a second time in the
State since 1987, will have Thiruvananthapuram as the main venue and will have one new discipline in
beach handball.

· Zillur Rahman elected Bangladesh President: Veteran politician and Awami League loyalist
Zillur Rahman was elected President of Bangladesh by the Election Commission. Mr. Zillur, who resigned
as an MP, will take oath as the 19th President of the country.

· Jayawardene to step down as captain: Sri Lanka's Mahela Jayawardene is stepping down as
captain after their tour of Pakistan, the 31-year-old announced. Jayawardene, Sri Lanka's most
successful Test captain, met with national selectors earlier in the day and informed them of his decision to
stand down after three years at the helm.

Books & Author

· Nationalism: Rabindranath Tagore

· Scythian Elements in Early Indian Art: Swati Ray

· History Through the lens: S. Theodore Baskaran

· The Sun Will Rise Again: Sudhamahi Regunathan

· Water First: Issues and Challenge for Nations and Communities in South Asia: Kuntala Lahiri
Dutt

· Dragon’s Shadow over Arunachal-A challenge to India’s Polity: R.D. Pradhan

· Glimpses of Great Soul-A Portrait of Swami: Saradananda Swami Aseshananda

· Connecting India: Indian Telecom Story: S. D. Saxena

· Dr. Ambedkar and the Indian Constitution: Shailendra K. Tiwary

· The External History of the Tamils: S.N. Kandaswamy

· The Partnership-A History of Goldman Sachs: Charles D. Ellis; Allen Lane

· Indian Theatre in 21st Century: Utpal K. Banerjee

· Daughters of Shame: Jasvinder Sanghera

· A Silence of Desire: Kamala Markandaya

· Technology I medieval India c.650-1750: Irfan Habib

· The Long Revolution: The Birth and Growth of India’s IT Industry: Dinesh C. Sharma

· An Eye for Excellence: Fifty Innovative years of IIT Kanpur: E. C. Subbarao

· Seeing is Believing: Selected Writings on Cinema: Chidananda Das Gupta

· The Charismatic Leader: Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah and the Creation of Pakistan:
Sikarndar Hayat

· Chin Tibet India: The 1962 war and the strategic Military Future: Gautam Das

· Himalayan Degradation - Colonial Forestry and Environmetal Changes in India: Dhirendra Datt
Dangwal

· Indo-US relations and Peace Prospects in South West Indian Ocean: Amita Agarwal.

· The Joy of Ageing: PV Ramamurti

Miscellaneous

· Anil Ambani co in record deal for film rights: Even as there's talk of ambitious Bollywood
projects being put on hold and superstars slashing their price, here's some news that should come as a
welcome boost to the industry. Anil Ambani's entertainment company, Big Pictures, has reportedly picked
up the marketing and distribution rights for producer Rakesh Roshan's Kites for Rs. 110 crore, the largest
such deal ever in Bollywood.

· On sale now: a pear carpet: A rare 19th century pearl carpet, hailed as an extraordinary
symbol of India’s secular cultural history, is expected to fetch more than $5 million when it goes on sale
as the centrepiece of an auction of the Arts of the Islamic World in Doha on March 19. The Pearl Carpet
of Baroda was commissioned circa 1865 by the Maharaja of Baroda “Gaekwar” Kande Rao. It was
possibly intended as a gift for the tomb of Prophet Mohammed in Medina. “The Maharaja died before he
made the donation and the carpet therefore remained in his family.”
01 to 31 Mar, 2009

National

· Airtel launches wireline broadband in New Delhi, Chennai and Bangalore: The Bharti
Airtel has launched wireline broadband with 16 Mbps in select cities - New Delhi, Chennai and Bangalore.
The service will be available in Hyderabad, Pune, Mumbai and Kolkata very soon. The Bharti Airtel has
targeted to offer the new wireline broadband to 70 per cent of the households in New Delhi, Chennai and
Bangalore.

o Initially, there will be two plans - "Speed Combo 2999" and "Speed Combo 4999". The Speed
Combo 2999 will have a monthly data transfer limit of 20 GB with a fixed line connection at Rs. 2,999 per
month.

o The "Speed Combo 4999" plan will have a monthly data transfer limit of 50 GB along with a
fixed line connection at Rs. 4,999 per month.

· Congress gets majority in Rajasthan, as 6 BSP MLAs join the Party: In a huge setback to
Mayawati and her Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), six BSP MLAs joined the Congress in Rajasthan, giving a
majority to the Ashok Gehlot government in the state assembly. The Congress government was in
minority after discarded BJP leader Kirori Lal Meena pulled out his wife Golma Devi from the Ministry.
However, the Congress emerged as stronger after the induction of six BSP MLAs to the party fold.

· Advani asks the Govt to bring back India's money from Swiss Banks: BJP's Prime
Ministerial candidate LK Advani has raised the issue of black money of Indians lying in Swiss banks.
Swiss banks had earlier maintained secrecy about the people who kept their money at their banks.
However, that law was changed recently and now they are obligated to disclose the details if the
government agency of a country needs those.

· Orissa Governor terms Naveen Patnaik's Trust Vote "illegal": Orissa may be heading for
President's Rule, as Orissa Governor MC Bhandare has termed the trust vote won by Chief Minister
Naveen Patnaik in Orissa Assembly on March 11 as "illegal", according to sources. While submitting the
report to the President, the Governor said that the entire trust vote process was not conducted in a proper
manner. It is not immediately known whether the Centre will accept the recommendations of the Governor
or not.

· Kosala Kranti Dal in Orissa demands Kosala State, to fight Elections: The newly-launched
regional party in Orissa, Kosala Kranti Dal (KKD) has decided to contest from 6 Lok Sabha seats and 41
Assembly seats in the upcoming elections. The party will contest the elections in Western Orissa on an
agenda of formation of a new Kosala State.

· Naveen Patnaik-led BJD Government wins Trust Vote in Orissa Assembly: In a dramatic
development, the Naveen Patnaik-led BJD Governmnent in Orissa won the trust vote by a voice vote. The
BJD government did not go for a debate or vote division, as the BJP and Congress MLAs created
pandemonium in the house. There were reports that the house was adjourned till 2 PM. But that came out
to be false, as the BJD took advantage of the situation to win the trust vote.

· AIADMK Chief Jayalalithaa goes on fast over Sri Lankan Tamil issue: Former Tamil Nadu
Chief Minister and AIADMK supremo J Jayalalithaa has gone on a day-long fast today to protest against
the alleged atrocities against Tamil civilians in Sri Lanka and demand an immediate ceasefire in that
country. She was joined by hundreds of AIADMK workers in the fast. Jayalalithaa, who is a part of the
Third Front, was supported by other political parties - CPI, CPI(M) and MDMK.

· GSM services can be now offered by CDMA players too.

o In a major blow to GSM operators, the telecom tribunal upheld the government’s decision to allow
CDMA players, such as Reliance Communications and the Tatas, to launch GSM services.

o The tribunal also observed that GSM players are not entitled to more than 6.2 MHz of radio
frequencies, a move that will strengthen the government’s efforts to impose a one-time fee for radio
frequencies, exceeding this mark.

o Some GSM players such as Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Essar have up to 10 MHz in certain circles.

· Rajdoot

o "Rajdoot" is the name given to the first of the planes. To be used by the President.

o It is a new Boeing 747/700 and is one of the three such aircraft that have been bought by the
country to cater to the VVIPs, including the Prime Minister.

o While one of the three jets is meant exclusively for the President and the Prime Minister, the other is
for ferrying special guests and senior ministers. The third jet would be on a stand-by.

These planes are inducted into the IAF's Headquarters Communication Squadron.

· India gets first Uranium fuel consignment post Indo-US nuclear deal

o Following clearance by the Nuclear Suppliers Group, first consignment of 60 tonnes of uranium
ore concentrate, imported from France, has arrived at the Nuclear Fuel Complex (NFC), Hyderabad for
being converted into fuel for power reactors.

* Audit of major telecom companies?

o Telecom companies have to pay 6 to 10% of their annual revenues as licence fee and 2 to 6% as
spectrum usage charges. Reporting a lower revenue will enable these companies to pay less towards the
licence fee and spectrum charges.

* Pension for all citizens

o The New Pension Scheme, which has hitherto been applicable only for government employees
since April 1, 2004, is set to be extended to all other organized and unorganized sectors from April 1,
2009.
 o With the clearing of the decks for this from the Election Commission, it is expected to have a
smooth launch.

* West Bengal and bio-villages

o The West Bengal government, in its efforts to spread organic cultivation, has resolved to set up
one bio-village in each of the 341 blocks in the state in the next two years. The objective behind setting up
bio-villages is to create role models for adaptation to organic farming. Already 75 bio-villages have been
set up across the state up to 2007-08 since its launch in 2004-05. There was plan to set up another 64
biovillages in 2008-09.

· UP government has asked Gurdeep Singh aka Ponty Chadha to manage liquor business on its
behalf- the first of its kind of arrangement in the country.

o What this means is that he will decide what stock to buy, how much and at what price, from
domestic as well as multinational spirits companies. The Chadha group will buy wholesale stock at a
discount from the firms and sell to the trade at a margin.

o The Chadha group directly and indirectly influences the liquor trade in Punjab,

* Tackle ragging in educational institutions?

o Justice Raghavan, who headed the commission set up by the apex court to look into ways to curb
ragging.

* March 8:

o It is the International Women's Day.

o Today, less than one in ten legislators in parliament or state assemblies in India is a woman.
Women accounted for less than 7% of the total MLAs in 28 states and two union territories and little over
9% of the total number of MPs in the last Lok Sabha.

o It was in 1911 that the very first International Women's Day was observed.

o 2011 would be marking its centenary.

o The UN sponsored theme for this year is: Women and men united to end violence against women
and girls.

* Helicopters to get a separate corridor

o After the recent security breach involving helicopters of President Pratibha Devisingh Patil's
entourage and a domestic aircraft, the Civil aviation ministry has decided to build separate corridors at
airports for helicopter landing in four major cities - Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Bangalore. Once these
are operational, other cities and airports could also have such a facility.

o Reportedly there are around 240 helicopters in the country. The country is poised to offer
helicopter emergency medical services shortly.
 * Vijay Mallya does the country proud

o He made a bold $1.8 mn winning bid to acquire Mahatma Gandhi’s spectacles, sandals, a pocket
watch, a plate and a bowl at an auction by New York’s Antiquorum Auctioneers.

· Indian General Election

o India is the world's largest democracy with 714 mn i.e., 71.4 crore voters.

o The mammoth exercise will deploy over 40 lakh civil officials and nearly 21 lakh security
personnel, including 75,000 paramilitary personnel.

o With the announcement, the model code of conduct has come into force, shutting the government
exchequer.

o The EC will also hold simultaneous assembly polls in Andhra Pradesh, Orissa and Sikkim as the
terms of their assemblies expire on May 30, May 29 and May 23 respectively.

o Incidentally, this is the first parliamentary election to be held after the the Delimitation
Commission redrew constituencies. Delimitation has been completed in all states except Arunachal
Pradesh, Assam, Jammu and Kashmir, Jharkhand, Manipur and Nagaland. Thus, the election for 499 of
the 543 Lok Sabha seats will be held on the basis of delimited constituencies; the five UTs do not require
the exercise. Delimitation has also pushed up the number of scheduled caste seats in Parliament to 85
from 79 and scheduled tribe seats to 47 from 41.

o The number of polling stations has also been increased significantly, from 6,87,402 in the 2004
Lok Sabha polls to 8,28,804 now. The large rise is on account of rationalisation of polling stations,
resulting in an addition of 12,901 polling stations for villages with under 300 electors to address concerns
of threat and intimidation.

* Competition Commission of India gets Chairman and a Member

o The government has appointed Dhanendra Kumar, former executive director of the World Bank,
as chairman of the Competition Commission of India (CCI) and former coal secretary Harish Chandra
Gupta as one of its members.

* President rejects CEC's recommendation about Navin Chawla

o As expected, the central government did not find favour with the CEC's recommendation about
Election Commissioner Navin Chawla. Indications about this were evident even at the time the CEC
made the recommendation. But the swiftness with which this has been brought about has something to
with the fact that a new CEC has to be finalized as the present CEC's tenure is going to end shortly.

o Therefore, now it is almost certain that Navin Chawla will be the new CEC on April 24

International

· Italy Earthquake death toll reaches 100; Hunt on for Survivors: The death toll in the deadly
earthquake in Italy rose to 100. The number of injured has gone up to 1500. Rescue and relief operations
are going on, and tents are being set up to accommodate the homeless victims. L'Aquila in central Italy,
was worst affected by the quake, which measured at 6.3 on the Richter scale. The rescue teams are
searching for any survivors in the towns and villages across the Abruzzo region.L'Aquila is a medieval
city, which was founded in the 13th century. The city is located in the mountainous Abruzzo region. The
city has a population of over 70,000. Some villages and towns in the area were completely devastated by
the quake.

· North Korea launches long-range Rocket; US, Japan call it "Missile Test": Defying the
world community including the US, Japan and South Korea, North Korea launched a long-range rocket,
which is allegedly a missile in disguise. Although North Korea claimed that the rocket carried a
communications satellite, the US and Japan are sure that it was a missile test. US President Barack
Obama issued strong warnings to North Korea over this "provocative" act. An emergency meeting of the
UNSC has been called to discuss the issue.

· Najib Razak sworn-in as the Prime Minister of Malaysia : Najib Razak has been sworn-in as
the new Prime Minister of Malaysia. Najib took over at a time when the country is going through its worst-
ever economic crisis and the ruling Umno Party is losing its popularity thick and fast. Prime Minister Najib
himself faces allegations of corruption and is linked to the murder of a Mongolian woman.

o Najib took over as the Malaysian Prime Minister, as previous Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi
resigned after his ruling party lost its two-thirds majority in the Parliament.

· US House and Senate approve $3.5 trillion Budget: US President Barack Obama's
ambitious $3.6 trillion budget, was approved by the US House and Senate, although the budget was
pegged at $3.5 trillion. The plan called for spending $3.5 trillion for the budget year that begins on
October 1. The Senate passed the bill by 55-43 margin. Earlier, the US House had passed the budget by
233 - 196.

o The House of Representatives and the Senate voted along the party lines and the result was
expected. The approval of the $3.5 trillion budget came as a huge relief for Barack Obama, who is
currently in London to attend the G-20 Summit.

· Four Indian Students killed in accident in St. Louis, USA: New Delhi (24/7 News Network):
In a shocking development, four Indian students were killed in a road accident in Des Peres St. Louis,
USA. They were hit by a speeding car driven by an off-duty woman police officer. According to the
investigators, the woman officer was drunk and going in the wrong way. All victims were from Andhra
Pradesh. Christine L Miller, a Sunset Hills patrol officer, who caused the accident, is in a critical condition.

· British Television Reality Star Jade Goody dies of Cancer: After waiting for the inevitable
for more than a week, British Television reality star Jade Goody died in her sleep this morning. 27-year-
old Jade Goody was suffering from cervical cancer and fell terminally ill after her treatment failed to revive
her health condition. She is survived by her husband Jack Tweed and two sons Freddy and Bobby.

o Jade Goody was a dental nurse by profession. She shot into fame during the Big Brother show
in 2002.

o Jade Goody was in news for her alleged racial remarks against Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty
during UK's biggest reality show, "Big Brother". Jade later apologized for remarks after the public turned
against her and voted her out of the show. Shilpa later went on to win the show.
· Iftikhar Chaudhry takes over as the Chief Justice of Pakistan's Supreme Court: Deposed
Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry has again taken over as the Chief Justice of Pakistan's Supreme Court.
Chaudhry assumed charge of the office after outgoing Chief Justice Abdul Hamid Dogar's term expired.
Other deposed judges also took over. Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry, who was sacked by former
President Pervez Musharraf, was reinstated by the Pakistan government after the opposition parties and
lawyers staged a massive country-wide protest, demanding the restoration of the judges.

o Chaudhry is expected to start attending court only after March 24. There were jubilation across
the country, as lawyers celebrated Chief Justice Chaudhry's return to the top judiciary post. A flag-
hoisting ceremony was held outside his official residence to mark the occasion.

· The US House votes for 90% tax on AIG Bonuses: The US House of Representatives have
voted for a 90% tax on all AIG bonuses, dealing a huge blow to the company, which was widely criticised
for using the bailout money to give bonuses to its executives. The House voted a bill in this regard by a
huge majority 328-93. The bill says that employees who earn more than $250,000 a year, will have to pay
90% tax if they receive in additional "rewards".

· James Otis wants Gandhi's Memorabilia back: Us collector James Otis, has demanded that
Gandhi's memorabilia (personal items), which were sold during an auction in New York, be returned to
him with immediate effect. Otis cited "political controversy" in India to justify his demand.

· Bernard Madoff pleads guilty in $50bn Ponzi Fraud Scheme: Disgraced US financier and
Ex-Nasdaq Chairman Bernard Madoff has pleaded guilty to all 11 charges levelled against him in the $50
billion Ponzi fraud scheme. The 70-year-old Madoff admitted his guilt in a New York court and said he
was deeply sorry and ashamed for what he had done. Madoff has been running the Ponzi scheme since
the early 1990s, and cheated his investors.

· Barack Obama lifts restrictions on Stem Cell Research: In a significant development, US

President Barack Obama has lifted some restrictions on funding of human embryonic stem cell research
with immediate effect. The ban was imposed by his predecessor Geroge W. Bush. Obama's move may
upset the abortion opponents, but most people hailed the decision, saying it could produce treatments for
many diseases.

· ICC Match Referee Chris Broad slams Pakistan Security: ICC Match Referee Chris Broad
has slammed the poor security in Pakistan and said that they were left like "sitting ducks" when the attack
on Sri Lankan cricket team's bus, took place in Lahore.

· Sri Lankan Team Bus attacked in Pakistan, Six Cricketers injured: In a shocking
development, around 12 terrorists attacked on the Sri Lankan team bus in Lahore, killing six policemen on
the spot and injuring six Sri Lankan cricketers. This is the first time cricketers have been attacked by the
terrorists.

o According to police sources, 7 Sri Lankan cricketers Samaraweera, Ajantha Mendis, Kumara
Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardene, Chaminda Vaas, Suranga Lakmal and Tharanga Paranavitana were
injured in the attack. The injured were rushed to the hospital immediately after the shootout.

· Sheikh Hasina seeks FBI help to probe Mutiny: Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina
has sought American Intelligence agency FBI's help to probe the mutiny at the BDR Headquarters, which
killed at least 150 people including over 100 Army officers.
 * World Bank announces a $50 bn programme to revive confidence

o The World Bank announced a $50 billion programme to counter a decline in global trade.

o Robert Zoellick, the Bank's President said the Bank expects world trade volumes to fall by 6
percent this year, the largest decline in 80 years.

* CEPEA and ASEAN+3?

o CEPEA: Comprehensive Economic Partnership of East Asia. It is about economic cooperation

among ASEAN+3, Japan, China, India, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand. That is 16 countries in
all.

o ASEAN+3: It refers to ASEAN 10 countries plus Japan, China and South Korea.

o EAS: East Asian Summit of CEPEA countries is going to be held between April 11 and 12 in
Thailand.

* Chiang Mai Initiative (CMI)

o CMI was launched by Asean+3 to provide liquidity assistance to countries in difficulty through a
system of bilateral swaps in the wake of the 1997 Asian crisis, subsequently multilateralised into a pool of
about $120 billion.

* The ensuing G20 summit at London on April 2.

o Leaders from the world’s 20 biggest economies meet in the British capital to discuss how better
regulation, help for international trade and extra spending could help pull the world out of the worst
recession since the 1930s.

* El Salvador elects Leftist President

o Mauricio Funes of El Salvador's former Marxist rebel FMLN party has won the country's
presidential election. He is the first FMLN leader who has not been a combatant. He defeated his
conservative rival, the Arena party's Rodrigo Avila.

o FMLN (Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front) party was founded by Marxist guerrilla fighters
from the civil war. The conflict ended in a UN-sponsored peace accord in 1991, after the loss of some
70,000 lives over less than two decades.

* Israeli politics

o Israel has seen elections in February. No political party won substantial seats in the 120 member
Knesset to form government on its own. Let's take a look at the political firmament:
 o Likud: Led by Benjamin Netanyahu this party has been asked to form the government now. But it
still needs support from other political parties to form a stable government.

o Yisrael Beiteinu: Led by Avigdor Lieberman, this party supports Israeli settler movement and
opposes exchanging land for peace with the Palestinians.

o Kadima: Led by Tzipi Livni, this was the party that was in power till the elections in February. It
supports the formation of a Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza.

o Labour: Led by Ehud Barak.

o There are a lot many other parties; all having single digit seats in the Knesset. Israel mostly had
coalition governments. This time round, it is the Kadima party which has won the largest number of seats
in the Knesset -- 28. But it decided to stay in the opposition.

* Who is Asif Mustafayev?

o He is an artist from Azerbaijan. He has become an instant celebrity in this ex-Soviet Caucasus
state for bearing a striking resemblance to US President Barack Obama.

The 31-year-old with tanned skin and curly hair is called ‘our Obama’ by his fellow villagers, who often
drop into his place with their guests to show off the local look-alike of the world’s No.1 leader.

* Global markets lost $50 trillion says an ADB study

o Financial markets across the world lost a whopping $50 trillion, including $9.6 trillion in the
developing Asian market.

o This is what was stated by ADB president Haruhiko Kuroda while briefing about the report
prepared by ADB: 'Global Financial Turmoil and Emerging Market Economies: Major Contagion and a
Shocking Loss of Wealth’.

* Palestinian PM resigns to pave way for reconciliation

o Palestine is ruled by two rival factions - the Hamas and Al Fatah. While the former controls the
Gaza strip the latter controls the West Bank.

o Ever since Israel raided the Gaza strip and ended its seize on January 18, there were
expectations among Palestinians that the two factions would come together to enable formation of a
national unity government. To make this process easier, the Palestinian PM Salam Fayyad has resigned.

* Barbie turns 50 this year!

o BARBIE, the iconic doll that has claimed countless hours of girls’ lives in a make-believe world
that mirrored real life glamour, high-fashion and fabulous careers, is turning 50.

o Introduced at a toy fair in New York City on March 9, 1959 as a teenage fashion model, Barbie,
whose full name is Barbie Millicent Roberts, cost $3. With her shapely figure, carefully styled pony tail and
curly bangs, strapless black and white geometric bathing suit and spiked heels, Barbie was at once an
instant rage.

* BDR revolt leader arrested

 o Touhidul Alam, a senior officer of Bangladesh paramilitary force, BDR, who is suspected to have
led the bloody rebellion, was arrested on Monday while attempting to flee the country as the army
launched a massive hunt for about 1,000 fugitives facing murder charges. Alam had led a rebel
delegation in talks with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

* Guinea-Bissau's President killed by its army

o Guinea-Bissau's President Joao Barnardo Vieira has been killed by rebel soldiers reportedly in
revenge for the death of the army chief of staff. His death came hours after chief of staff, Gen Tagme Na
Waie, died in a blast that destroyed part of the military headquarters.

* Indian Ajit Jain to head Berkshire Hathaway?

o While admitting to doing some 'dumb things' in 2008, Warren Buffet has lavished praise on Ajit
Jain, the reinsurance business head in the Berkshire Hathaway group. Buffet who is currently 78 years
old and is looking forward to retirement sometime soon, has said time and again that there is a
succession plan in place with about three or four probables; but has consistently refused to name the
successor.

Economy

* Country's total external debt figures

o THE country’s total external debt rose to $230.85 billion (Rs 11,18,565 crore) at the end of
December 2008, up $6.2 billion from the total foreign debt in September, mainly because of a rise in long-
term borrowing. Total external debt stood at $205.98 billion, or Rs 8,11,880 crore, at the end of December
2007.

o Government or sovereign external debt stood at $57.4 billion at end-December 2008 while non-
government debt amounted to $173.5 billion.

* We are all now free from BCTT!

o Banking Cash Transaction Tax

o Introduced in the 2005-06 budget, with the aim for setting an audit trail and to prevent money
laundering using the banking channels it was applicable in whole of India except Jammu & Kashmir.

o It was withdrawn in the 2008-09 budget proposals.

o A total of Rs. 600 crores was collected in 2008-09 under this head.

* KG basin gas production commenced

o RIL started producing 2.5 million metric standard cubic metres a day (mmscmd) of natural gas
from the D-6 block. The output is expected to go up to 5 mmscmd in a day.
 o Along with the oil it produces, the field will meet about one-sixth of India’s total oil and gas
consumption. The country’s annual consumption of petroleum and natural gas is equivalent to 175 million
tonnes of crude oil.

o RIL’s KG gas will reduce the country’s import bill by $9 billion annually during peak production at
the current price.

* Exports contribution to our GDP.

o It is about 18%.

* Intra-regional trade

o Intra-regional trade among developing countries accounts for only 37% of exports in our region
compared to Nafta at 51% and the EU at 68%. As a result, the survey calls for more intra-regional and
investment linkages so that domestic markets are strengthened to provide a secondary buffer to global
market fluctuations.

* Gold production figures: national and global

o While India remains a small player globally, gold production in 2008-09 is likely to remain stuck at
a shade below 12 tonnes, which the country produced in 2007-08.

o Globally too, gold production has been on a marginal but steady decline in the last two years.
From a high of 3,575 tonnes in 2006, production decreased to 3,488 tonnes in 2007, sliding further in
2008.

* GAIL split into two companies

o GAIL India, the country’s flagship natural gas company, will spin off its marketing business into a
separate firm from April 1 to comply with the policy guidelines outlined by the petroleum regulator.

o Gail India will remain a gas transmission company and will construct cross-country pipelines to
transport gas, while Gail Gas (GGL) will carry out marketing business. GGL will be listed on the domestic
bourses soon.

* Inflation touches record lows.

o Inflation has fallen to 0.44% for the week ended March 7, 2009.

o Deflation is defined as a sustained decrease in the general price of goods and services.

o Disinflation: a continued fall in the inflation rate.

o An explanation as to why deflation is a bigger evil than inflation:

o Just as high inflation reduces the real value of money and has negative welfare implications apart
from affecting investment decisions adversely, deflation, though it might seem to increase the real value
of money, is just as avoidable from the larger economy perspective. Most economists agree that between
inflation and deflation the latter is the worse evil. The effects of modest, long-term inflation are less
damaging than deflation. This is because when prices are falling, consumers tend to delay their
purchases in the hope they will be able to buy later at still lower prices. This reduces overall demand and
economic activity. Deflation also raises real wages at a time when falling demand is gnawing at
companies’ profits, resulting in layoffs and rising unemployment.

* Gold deposit scheme?

o Banks -- especially the SBI -- are reportedly relaunching the gold deposit scheme in view of the
tremendous upward movement seen in gold prices of late.

o During the investment tenure, the deposited gold will earn an interest, which is currently tagged
as 1% (3 years), 1.25% (4 years) and 1.5% (5 years).

o The investment shall be locked-in for one year. Premature withdrawal, after the lock-in period but
before the maturity, shall attract a penal interest of 0.5% if withdrawn within 3 years and 0.25% thereafter.

o However, unlike the regular deposits, interest here is calculated in grams and not in rupees.
Thus, an investment of 500 grams of gold for three years shall earn 5 grams of gold as interest per
annum, compounded annually.

* The case for independent third party ATM operators

o In the wake of the ICICI Bank's decision of hiving off its ATM operations into a separate entity --
possibly for an eventual sale to third parties –

o Third-party operators would be able to rationalise the network, moving the less used machines to
other areas. While the savings so obtained would help reduce ATM usage fees for banks, the bigger gain
would be a leg up for financial inclusion. Independent ATM operator whose business is to install and
manage the machines would be more interested in their spread than banks who may increasingly see
them as noncore in the charge-free regime.

* A bank has to maintain a margin of 3% between its borrowing and lending rates to be in good
health.

o Of late banks appear to have instructed their branches to go slow on accepting bulk deposits of
Rs. 5 crore and above. This is because they are not able to find adequate avenues for deploying the
funds for onward lending at reasonable rates (i.e., with a spread of more than 3%).

o So branches which are approached for depositing Rs. 5 cr or above, will have to obtain the prior
approval of the banks' Alco (Asset Liability Committee) before accepting the deposit.

* CST reduction put off again

o Blame the elections and the fall in revenues of states for this.

o Due to the slowing economy, revenue collected by states grew by just 12% in the first nine
months of the current financial year, compared with 24% in the same period last year. That prompted
some states to ask the Centre, through the aegis of the empowered committee on CST phase-out, to
continue with the 2% rate this financial year and postpone the mandatory 1% reduction.
 o A reduction of 1% in CST would lead to a revenue loss of Rs 6,000 crore for states, and it has to
be compensated by the Centre. The Centre is already giving Rs 12,000 crore to them as compensation
for the 2% reduction in CST.

o Under the plan earlier agreed between the Centre and states, CST had to be reduced by 1%
every year, beginning 2007, and eliminated by April 1, 2010, when a common goods and service tax rolls
out. CST, which does not provide for input credit, is inconsistent with the general sales tax (GST) regime.

* What is EGI?

o It stands for Economic Governance Index. EGI is a measure of the environment provided by
local bodies for private enterprises and households. It is a comparative measure of how private
enterprises operate in conditions provided by the state.

o A group of researchers at the Institute for Financial Management and Research (IFMR) are trying
to come up with this unique index. It will be initially formulated for Tamil Nadu and later extended to other
states.

Science & Technology

* Electric bulb technologies and their phasing out

o This week, the European Commission formally adopted new regulations that will phase out
incandescent bulbs in Europe by 2012. America will do so by 2014. Some countries, such as Australia,
Brazil and Switzerland, have got rid of them already.
o Incandescent bulbs are inefficient, because only about 5% of the energy they use is turned into
light and the rest is wasted as heat. A typical bulb also has to be replaced every 1,000 hours or so.

o In contrast CFLs (Compact Fluorescent Lights) use up to 75% less power and last ten times
longer. Fluorescent lights use electricity to excite mercury vapour. This produces ultraviolet light that
causes a phosphor coating inside the bulb to glow. The lights can flicker, which could set off epileptic fits,
and badly made ones might leak ultraviolet radiation, and may thus pose a cancer risk. There are also
concerns about the disposal of the toxic mercury.

o The third and more modern variety is the LED bulb. An LED is made from two layers of
semiconductor, an “n-type” with an excess of negatively charged electrons, and a positive “p-type” which
has an abundance of “holes” where electrons should be but aren’t. When a current is applied across the
sandwich, the electrons and holes team up at the junction of the two materials and release energy in the
form of light. The colour depends on the properties of the semiconductor, and these can be tuned to
produce light that is similar to natural daylight but with virtually no ultraviolet or heat. They promise
energy savings of up to 80% and a working life of 45,000 hours. These are prohibitively costly though --
about $56 per bulb.

* Europe set to launch one of the most challenging space missions to date

o Goce (Gravity Field and Steady-State Ocean Circulation Explorer) is a satellite to be launched
from Russia (but it is a European Space Agency satellite) that will map minute variations in the pull of
gravity experienced across the planet.
 o The data from the satellite is expected to enhance our understanding of how the oceans move,
and to frame a universal system to measure height anywhere on Earth.

o Hailed as a 'supermodel' satellite for its great looks, it is arrow shaped and sports fins to keep it
stable as it flies through the wisps of air present at an altitude of just under 270 km. Take a look at the
craft here.

o Goce will be put into a sun-synchronous orbit, meaning the spacecraft will be kept in daylight for a
sustained period of time.

o Goce is the first of ESA's Earth Explorers, a series of spacecraft that will provide quick answers to
key environmental questions.

o An interesting scientific fact worthy of note in this connection:

o The force of gravity is not uniform all across the earth. It is less at the equator than it is at the
poles. It is because of this that we weigh more at the poles than at the equator

* Some stats and questions about renewable energy sources

o Every environmentalist of repute condemns coal as the big polluter and suggests that solar and
wind power is the way to go.

o But, only about 0.5% of the world’s energy comes from these renewable sources. Even with
optimistic assumptions, the International Energy Agency estimates that their share will rise to just 2.8% by
2030.

o The reason for thier slow growth is that we don’t know how to store the energy from these
sources: when the wind doesn’t blow and the sun doesn’t shine, what powers your computer or the
hospital’s operating room?

* A battery that gets charged in a few seconds

o Scientists at MIT are designing a battery that can recharge in a few seconds as against a couple
of hours at present.

o If the attempt succeeds this will be like a manna from heaven for all the laptop and cell phone
users, besides perhaps speeding up the use of battery driven vehicles.

o What exactly happens when a battery is being charged?

o When a lithium battery is being recharged, positively charged atoms or ions flow from the lithium
electrode to the carbon one. When a battery is discharging, the ions flow the other way.

* What is Colony Collapse Disorder?

o It is about the disappearance of honeybees and the collapse of their communities.

o Scientists are still clueless as to what causes this and have no satisfactory explanation to offer.

o But why should it bother us?

 o The potential gravity of the problem can be gauged from the fact that some 80% of all food crops
are pollinated by honeybees; in the US alone bees are crucial to some $15 billion worth of agri-products.
No bees, means no food!

* NASA launches Kepler telescope to search for Earth like planets

o The telescope will orbit the Sun to watch a patch of space thought to contain about 100,000 stars
like ours.

o Equipped with the largest camera ever launched into space, it is the first mission designed to find
rocky worlds orbiting Sun-like stars. Planets located in a warm zone - known as the habitable zone - might
host liquid water on their surfaces.

o It is expected to keep observing about 100,000 stars for about 3.5 to 4 years.

o The spacecraft will be launched into an orbit where it will drift behind Earth as it circles the Sun.
This will ensure our planet does not block the stars which need to be observed continuously by the
observatory.

· What exactly constitutes e-waste?

o Consumers must understand that all e-waste contains a cocktail of toxic substances such as lead
and cadmium in circuit boards; lead oxide and cadmium in computer batteries; polychlorinated biphenyls
(PCBs) in capacitors and transformers; and halogenated chlorides and bromides as flame retardant on
printed circuit boards, plastic casing, cable and polyvinyl chloride cable insulation, all of which pose health
hazards not just for the people engaged in recycling them but also to the environment. Cathode ray tubes
used in television sets have high content of carcinogens such as lead, barium, phosphor and other heavy
metals.

* Some interesting stats and terminology related to telecom

o What is backhaul?

+ It is the fibre optic cable used for communication between mobile towers and the nearest hub.

o Telecom density disparities between rural and urban areas

+ Rural: 12.62 per 100

+ Urban: Over 80 per 100

o It is in this context that the funds (Rs. 20,000 cr) lying unused in the USOF (Universal Service
Obligation Fund) account draw attention. If companies still show a disinclination to go rural in spite of the
availability of part funding from this USOF, then the USOF administrator should go ahead and take up
projects in its own and establish rural and countrywide optic fiber infrastructure.

* Slimona, Obitone and Riobant

o These are antiobesity drugs that reportedly cause suicidal tendencies in consumers.

o Therefore, the government is reported to be considering banning these drugs.

Person

* Maurice Jarre

o The musician who composed music for some all time great movies like Dr. Zhivago, Lawrence of
Arabia and A Passage to India has passed away at the age of 84.

o His use of the balalaika for composing the theme in Dr. Zhivago is very well known. He won
Oscars for his composition in all these three moviesAwards

Books & Author

* "Profiles in courage". By John F. Kennedy. It won the Pulitzer Prize.

Miscellaneous

o Mukesh Ambani pipped Lakshmi Mittal to the post as the richest Indian.

o The other richest Indians are Anil Ambani, Sunil Mittal, Azim Premji and the Ruia brothers.

· Killing in self defence is legal; rules Supreme Court -- What a judgment, But it
has come 30 years slow for the duo that killed another person in self defence.

o A person can kill another when there exists a reasonable apprehension that his adversary is
going to cause him/her grievous injury even though he might not have actually inflicted any, the Supreme
Court ruled.
01 to 30 Apr, 2009

National

· Reliance begins gas production from KG basin: Reliance Industries Ltd. (RIL) has
commenced production of gas from Dhirubhai 1 and 3 discoveries of D6 block in Krishna-Godavari basin,
located off the coast in the Bay of Bengal.

Top of the Chart

Rank Organization

Name

1. HLC Technology

2. Hindustan Zinc Ltd.

3. Taj Hotels Resorts and Places

Text Box: Top of the Chart Rank Organization Name 1. HLC Technology 2. Hindustan Zinc Ltd. 3. Taj
Hotels Resorts and PlacesHCL best employer in India: HCL tops the sixth Hewitt Best Employer in India.
The result released is significant at a time when employee retrenchment is at its height due to global
slowdown. It is part of the larger Hewitt Best Employers in Asia study, which covered Australia, China,
Hong Kong, Thailand, Korea, Malaysia, and Singapore. The Hewitt Best Employers study is now in its
eighth year, having begun in 2001. The winners according to Hewitt Best Employers project are those
companies which despite the downturn have used their workforce more productively and yet met all the
goals.

· Karnataka sees highest rise in reserved seats: The number of constituencies reserved for
Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in Karnataka has gone up after the delimitation of
constituencies, from four in the 2004 Lok Sabha elections to seven in 2009, the highest increase for any
State or Union Territory. The change in categorisation occurred way back in 1977, it is being reflected for
the first time in these Lok Sabha elections.
· Nod for two more AIIMS-like institutions: The Union Cabinet approved two more AIIMS-like
medical institutions, one in West Bengal and the other in Uttar Pradesh, at a cost of Rs.823 crore each.
The Cabinet also decided to upgrade five government medical colleges in five States to the level of the
All-India Institute of Medical Sciences in New Delhi.

· Health scheme for all districts: The National Health Insurance Scheme will be implemented
in all Haryana districts to provide free treatment to three members of each family living below the poverty
line in authorized private hospitals.

· Gurgaon, Faridabad to become ‘solar cities’: Gurgaon and Faridabad in Haryana have been
selected for development as solar/green cities under a scheme of the Union Ministry for New and
Renewable energy. While approval in principle has already been received for Gurgaon, it would be
received soon for Faridabad. The Ministry for New and Renewable Energy had introduced the
“Development of Solar Cities” programme during the 11th Plan period to enable/empower urban local
governments to address energy challenges at the city level. A total of 60 cities with population ranging
from 5 lakh to 50 lakh are proposed to be supported for development as solar/green cities of which
approval in principle for 15 cities, including Gurgaon, has been accorded by the Ministry.

· Salwa Judum disappearing: The Chhattisgarh government told the Supreme Court that the
Salwa Judum (people’s army) was slowly disappearing in the State. It submitted that it had taken firm
action on the findings of the National Human Rights Commission on the allegations of atrocities
committed by the Salwa Judum against innocent people.

· Dhamra Port: Will be deepest port in India when completed in April 2010, 50:50 Joint Venture
of Tata Steel and L & T.

· Chennai port: The second container terminal at the Chennai port, built by a PSA-SICAL
consortium at an estimated cost of Rs. 495 crore, will become operational from May 1. With this the port
will have two terminals with facilities to handle over two million TEUs. The port is also planning to build a
mega terminal to handle four million TEUs. This will make Chennai the container hub on the east coast
and the largest container terminal in the country.

· Joining hands to save glaciers: The Energy and Resources Institute and the Indian
Mountaineering Foundation signed a memorandum of understanding to study, preserve and safeguard
the Himalayan glaciers under the National Mission of Sustaining the Himalayan Eco-system.

· Nabard aid to Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh: Nabard has extended a record support of
Rs 8,188 crore for agriculture and rural development in the states of Punjab, Haryana and UT Chandigarh
in 2008-09, a growth of 32% over 2007-08.

· Navin Chawla takes over as CEC: Senior Election Commissioner Navin B. Chawla took over
as the 16th Chief Election Commissioner. Union Power Secretary V.S. Sampath assumed office as the
new Election Commissioner in the vacancy caused by the retirement of N. Gopalaswami as CEC. This is
the first time in the country that a CEC is assuming office in the midst of the general elections.

· Indian equity market third biggest in Asia: The Indian equity market has emerged as third
biggest after China and Hong Kong in the emerging Asian region, with a market capitalisation of nearly
$600 billion, a latest ADB report says.

· Indus Valley symbols linked to language: The 4,000-year-old Indus Valley civilisation that
thrived around what is now the Indo-Pakistan border might have been marked by a literate society that
used a script that is close to present-day languages such as Tamil, Sanskrit and English, a new finding
claims. A group of Indian scientists conducted a statistical study of the symbols found in Indus Valley
remains and compared them with various linguistic scripts and non-linguistic systems. They found that the
inscriptions closely matched those of spoken languages such as Tamil, Sanskrit and English. It had been
believed that Indus Valley’s was not a literate civilization.

· GAIL to build pipeline from Vijayawada to Vijaipur: Seeking to cash in on the new
discoveries of natural gas, Gas Authority of India Limited (GAIL) planned to invest Rs. 8,000 crore for
laying pipeline from Vijaywada in Andhra Pradesh to Vijaipur in Madhya Pradesh for transporting natural
gas from the discoveries in Bay of Bengal by private and public sector companies such as Reliance
Industries, ONGC and Gujarat State Petroleum Corporation (GSPC). GAIL Chairman and Managing
Director U. D. Choubey said the company had applied to the Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory
Board (PNGRB) for permission to lay a 1,100-km pipeline. At Vijaipur, the proposed pipeline would be
connected to GAIL’s cross-country Hazira-Vijaipur-Jagdishpur pipeline.

· Chhattisgarh, Delhi-among top 5 power-selling states: Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Gujarat, West

Bengal and Punjab have emerged as the top five states selling electricity, while the top five states
purchasing electricity are Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.

· Chhattisgarh government extends ban on CPI (Moist) by a year: Amid rise in naxal
violence the Chhattisgarh government has extended ban on CP (Maoist) and its other extremist units for
one year.

· Karnataka to get gas from Dabhol: Power-starved Karnataka may have better times ahead,
about two-and-a-half years from now, when the 800-km gas pipeline from Dabhol, in Maharashtra, to
Bangalore becomes operational. An agreement was signed by Director (Marketing) of Gas Authority of
India Ltd. (GAIL) B.C. Tripathi and Principal Secretary to the Karnataka Government. GAIL, which has
around 7,000 km of gas pipelines in the country, has plans to augment it by 5,500 km, in two phases, both
to be completed by 2012.

· Tulip garden in Srinagar attracts tourists: An explosion of colour in Asia’s largest

recreational tulip garden has emerged after 60 varieties were imported from Netherlands and planted in
the Siraj Bagh Tulip Garden. The garden is attracting around 1400 tourists on regular basis. About 80,000
tourists visited this garden during the years 2008-09. of these, about 95 percent are tourists from country
and abroad. Set in the foothills of the Dal Lake, this garden is fast becoming another tourist attraction.

International

· First consignment of natural uranium arrives: In the wake of the international nuclear
market opening up for India, the first consignment of natural uranium of 60 tonnes from French nuclear
supplier AREVA Inc. arrived at the Nuclear Fuel Complex (NFC) in Hyderabad. India signed an
agreement with France for bilateral cooperation for supply of nuclear reactors and fuel. Subsequently,
Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) entered into a contract with AREVA for supply of 300 tonnes, and a
part of that quantity was received.

· India happy with outcome, seats on 2 key bodies: India is quite happy with the outcome of
the G20 Ministers meet Manmohan Singh said while briefing the media at the conclusion of the summit. In
particular, the PM said, he was pleased about the fact that India will now be a member of the Financial
Stability Forum as well as the Basle Committee on banking supervision, two key standard setting bodies.
· London summit pledges $1.1 trillion to boost global economy: Leaders of the world’s
largest economies at the G20 summit in London pledged additional $1.1 trillion in resources for the
International Monetary Fund and other multilateral institutions to boost global growth. Addressing the
media at the end of the summit, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown said this would be in addition to the
fiscal stimulus packages that the individual countries had unveiled that would total $5 trillion by the end of
next year. There was agreement on the biggest stimulus package in history, the biggest interest rate cut,
the biggest infusion of resources into multilateral institutions and the biggest boost to trade in history. The
leaders agreed to treble the resources available to the IMF to $750 billion and support the allocation of
new Special Drawing Rights of $250 billion, support at least $100 billion in lending by multilateral
development banks that will be available to all members and ensure $250 billion in trade finance while
allowing the IMF to sell gold and provide concessional finance to the poorest countries. The summit for
the first time agreed on a set of principles to reform the global banking system. The shadow banking
system including hedge funds would be brought under the regulatory regime and new accounting stands
would be formulated.

· Ending decades-old rift with NATO: France will return to the fold of the North Atlantic Treaty
Organisation as a full member when the military structure holds its 60th birthday bash in the French city of
Strasbourg and the German towns of Baden-Baden and Kehl on April 3 and 4. The fact that the
celebrations will be taking place in France and Germany is in itself a symbol of how far Europe’s
traditional enemies have travelled since the Second World War and there is little doubt that the existence
of NATO has contributed to continued peace and cohesion in Western Europe. France was a founding
member of the NATO alliance in 1949 but it left the military structure in 1966 amid friction with the United
States. General de Gaulle shut down NATO bases and booted out the military pact’s headquarters from
Paris. “To cooperate is to lose your independence,” Charles de Gaulle said at the time. The autocratic
French President engaged in little if any consultations: the U.S. president was informed by letter and the
French Parliament was told of the General’s decision only once it had been officially communicated to
Washington — a fait accompli if ever there was one.

· More Japanese aid for Hogenekkal water project: The Japan International Cooperation
Agency (JICA) will provide about Rs.800 crore more for the Hogenekkal Water Supply and Fluorosis
Mitigation Project. This tranche is for covering Hosur and adjoining areas of Krishnagiri district. The JICA,
an organisation established by the Japan government for implementing Overseas Development
Assistance programmes, has already committed to providing Rs.785.5 crore for other components of the
project, including construction of head-works and treatment plant and laying distribution lines.

· India 54th in networked readiness index: India has been ranked 54th among 134 countries
in the latest edition of a global report that evaluated the capability of nations to leverage Information and
Communication Technology (ICT) for their overall benefit and economic progress. The country has
slipped down four positions compared to last year in the Networked Readiness Index (NRI) 2008-09,
which primarily evaluates the ICT environment, readiness and usage in different nations, taking different
variables into consideration. The eighth edition of The Global Information Technology Report (GITR),
prepared by the World Economic Forum in partnership with INSEAD, a leading business school. Denmark
occupies the first position in the index and Chad comes last. As for India’s neighbours, Pakistan occupies
the 98th position and Nepal the 127th.

· Anna University to set up campus in Dubai: Anna University, Chennai is expanding its
global reach. Its Syndicate approved a proposal to set up an off-shore campus in Dubai. From the coming
academic year, undergraduate courses in four departments – automobile, chemical, electrical and civil
engineering – will be offered at the new campus, Vice-Chancellor P. Mannar Jawahar said.
Arms Control Treaty

1972: Anti Ballistic Missile (ABM)

1987: Intermediate Range

Nuclear Forces (INF)

1990: Conventional Forces in Europe (CFE)

1991: Strategic Arms

Reduction (START I)

1993: START II

2002: Strategic offensive

Reductions (SORT)

1997: START- III

Text Box: Arms Control Treaty 1972: Anti Ballistic Missile (ABM) 1987: Intermediate Range Nuclear
Forces (INF) 1990: Conventional Forces in Europe (CFE) 1991: Strategic Arms Reduction (START I)
1993: START II 2002: Strategic offensive Reductions (SORT) 1997: START- III New Start for nuclear
arms reduction: Presidents Barak Obama and Dmitry Medvedeve have agreed to reopen negotiations on
nuclear weapons controls to replace the 1991 Strategic arms Reduction Treaty (STARTI) which is due to
expire in December. A new treaty is seen as essential to reduce nuclear proliferation.

· Danone to sell Britannia stake to the Wadias: In a strategic move, France’s Groupe Danone
SA will sell its entire 25.48% stake in Britannia Industries Ltd to the Wadia Group, giving the erstwhile
Indian partner a majority holding in the biscuit maker.

· Pak okays pipleline with Iran, by passes India: With India not indicating whether it would join
the multi-billion dollar IPI gas pipeline venture, Pakistan has decided to go ahead with the project with Iran
on a bilateral basis.

· Verlicchi announces 50-50 JV with HEIL: Eyeing the huge demand for two-wheelers in the
country, euro Verlicchi Group of Italy has decided to set up operations in India. The motorcycle frames
manufacturing company, entered into 50:50 joint ventures with Gurgaon-based auto component
manufacturer, Hema Engineering Industries (HEIL), to set up a manufacturing facility at Hosur near
Bangalore.

· Anti-dumping and safeguard steps: India retained its numero uno spot in the list of countries
that initiated anti-dumping investigations and safeguard measures to protect their domestic industry from
cheap as well as increasing imports, according to a report released by World Trade Organization (WTO)
director general Pascal Lamy.

· ONGC, Mittal Energy to invest $400 m in Kazakhstan oil field: Public sector Oil & Natural
Gas Corp (ONGC) and its billionaire partner Lakshmi N Mittal will invest about $400 million in
Kazakhstan‘s prospective Satpayev oil field in the Caspian Sea.
· Renault shelves India car plans: French auto major Renault has put on hold indefinitely its
plans to introduce its cars in the Indian market from the upcoming Chennai plant on account of the global
slowdown, which has affected the firm’s worldwide operations. Renault India had last year announced
plans to invest Rs. 4,500 crore over a period of seven years to produce four lakh cars annually from the
Chennai plant in alliance with Japanese firm Nissan.

· India-U.S. Japan naval exercise planned: Japan will join India and the United States in
trilateral naval exercises from April 26 to May 3. The exercise, named Malabar 2009, will be conducted
east of Okinawa islands.

· Microsoft quarterly revenue falls, first time in 23 yrs.: Software giant Microsoft reported a
decline in quarterly revenue for the first time in 23 years as adverse economic conditions globally took a
toll on the entity’s business. Hit by plunging sales, Microsoft saw its profit plunge to a little below $ 3
billion for the third quarter ended March 31, 2009.

· IAEA inspectors leave North Korea: Following north Korea snapping links with the
international Atomic Energy Agency and ceasing cooperation with the united states on de nuclearization,
the IAEA inspectors left north Korea on April 16,2009 after removing all the agency's seals and switching
off its surveillance cameras at the Yongbyon nuclear facility, which was being disabled under the six-party
process. The U.N. monitors who also were stationed in the monitoring of the entire disablement process
were in the process of leaving. The expulsion of IAEA inspectors and U.S. monitors from the Yongbyon
nuclear complex was announced on April 14, 2009. The move was in protest against the United Nations
Security Council chairman's statement on North Korea's controversial launch of a satellite on April 5,
2009.

· China's massive naval expansion plan: China on April 16, 2009 unfolded massive naval
expansion plan to give its warships longer reach capabilities, announcing that it would build new
generation of seacraft—including stealth submarines, supersonic cruise aircraft and long range missiles.
Proclaiming that sophisticated weapons were key to winning battles, commander-in-chief- of the Chinese
Navy Admiral Wu shingly said that china wanted to build futuristic weapon system and platforms to give it
capability to operate far from its shores. The admiral said that the "Navy will move faster in researching
and building new-generation weapons to boost the ability to fight in regional sea wars under the
circumstance of information technology". The Admiral is a member of the Chinese powerful central
military commission headed by President Hu Jintao.

Economy

· ‘Satyam’ Comes Under Tech Mahindra’s Fold: A Satyam computer service has now come
under tech Mahindra’s fold. Tech Mahindra–a joint venture between Mahindra and Mahindra (M & M) and
British telecom snaps the Satyam group defeating Larsen and Toubro (L & T) by offering Rs.58 a share in
the bid against 45.90 per share bid offered by Larsen and Toubro. Tech Mahindra will pay around
Rs.1,750 crore for a preferential allotment of 302.8 million shares amounting to 31 per cent of Satyam’s
equity. This will be followed by an open offer to acquire an additional 20 per cent within 55 days. The
acquisition is expected to cost the company around Rs.2, 900 Crore. After bringing Satyam in its fold,
Tech-Mahindra, India’s sixth largest IT software exporter will figure among the top 5 IT service players in
terms of revenue, market capitalization and the number of employees. As on December 31, 2008 tech
Mahindra’s consolidated headcount stood at 25,429 and revenues for the third quarter ended December
31, 2008, stood at Rs.1132.2 crore, with a net profit of Rs.222.8 crore. Add the 48,000-odd employees of
Satyam, the employee figure works to around 73 thousand, which is next to India’s third largest IT
services provider Wipro Ltd. Which has around 97,000 employees.
· Indian Firms in Forbes list of Top Global Companies: The reputed US magazine Forbes
has released its “Global 2000 List” for the current year in which as many as 47 Indian companies led by
Reliance Industries and state bank of India have been included. The rankings have been compiled on the
basis of a composite score of sales, profit, assets and market capitalization. Hero Honda Motors, Sun
Pharma, are the new entrants of the list. However, five Indian companies—scamhit IT firm satyam
computer, realty firm Unitech, Suzlon Energy and two Anil Ambani group firms Reliance power and
Reliance Capital—have been dropped out of the Forbes ‘Global 2000 List’ this year. Mukesh Ambani-
promoted RIL, state bank of India, and oil and Natural Gas Corporation are among the top 200 companies
ranked 121st, 150th and 152nd, respectively, on the list. All the three top Indian firms have improved their
ranks considerably from their last year’s positions, where-in RIL had been 193rd, SBI at 219th spot, while
ONGC was ranked 198th the other top Indian firms on the list include Indian oil (207th), NTPC (317th),
ICICI bank (329th), Tata steel (463rd) and Bharti Airtel (508th). Overall, the list is topped by Industrial
conglomerate general electric, followed by Dutch oil and gas major Royal Dutch Shell, Japan’s Toyota
Motor, Exxon Mobil and UK’s BP in that order. According to Forbes, the Global 2000 companies have
combined revenue of 32 trillion dollars, 1.6 trillion dollars in profit, 125 trillion dollars in assets and 20
trillion dollars in market capitalization.

Science & Technology

· Boeing sets up R & D centre: Boeing in Bangalore launched its research and technology-
India centre. The centre will be only the third technology development centre — the other two being in
Australia and Europe. Dinesh A. Keskar, President, Boeing-India.

· Potable water from the air: They are now making water from thin air, literally. Jalimudi village
in East Godavari district will get 1,000 litres of potable water every day, produced from air. The water
station, the first of its kind set up in any village in India, has begun trial runs. “The water… has been sent
for quality tests and it’s been certified fit for consumption.

· Vitamin D is in fact, a hormone say researchers: A new study has suggested that vitamin D
is not really a vitamin – it’s actually a hormone made inside the body without any help from the sun. An
international team has carried out the study and concluded that the increase of vitamin D in our modern
diets is based on a common belief which is actually a misconception with potential consequence.

· PSLV PUTS RISAT-2 INTO ORBIT: Highlighting India’s stature as one of the premier space
faring nations in the world, the Polar Satellite launch Vehicle (PSLV C-2) of the Indian space Research
organization (ISRO) successfully placed two satellites—Radar Imaging Satellite (RISAT-2) and ANUSAT
—in the desired orbit on April 20, 2009. The 44 meter tall PSLV C-12 was launched from the Satish
Dhawan space centre in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh. RISAT-2 is primarily a surveillance satellite. The
ANUSAT, which travelled as a co-passenger in the launch, is India’s first University-built satellite built by
the Anna University, Chennai. It will facilitate the use of technologies related to message store and
forward operations. With this launch, the versatility and reliability of the PSLV were proved once again, as
it highlighted its importance as the main launch vehicle of India. It is the first time the ISRO put into orbit a
RISAT in the microwave band. The satellite has the ability to take images of the Earth day and night,
irrespective of weather conditions. It can see through the clouds and identify objects on the ground. The
RISAT, which was procured from Israel, weighed about 300 kg at the time of the launch. The satellite will
enhance ISRO’s capability in many areas. It could precisely look at water bodies and vegetation. Its
images will play a great role in helping to manage disasters such as cyclones, floods and landslides more
efficiently. The RISAT-2 has a microwave radar imaging configuration. Till now, the ISRO’s earth
observation satellites operated in the visible and the infrared region. Now for the first time, ISRO will have
a satellite operating in the microwave band. It will have the ability to precisely take images of the objects.
RISAT-2 will have more enhanced capacity to discriminate ground features. On the other hand, ANUSAT
has been designed to store a lot of data. It has the ability to relay messages from one station to another in
the digital format. The launch of RISAT-2 marked a significant milestone in Indo-Israel cooperation in the
sphere of space research. It was in January 2008 that the PSLV launched Israel’s TECSAR radar spy
satellite. The newly launched RISAT was strikingly similar to the TECSAR, and their weights and orbits
were also matching. The new satellite has a resolution that varies from one to 10 meters, depending on
the mode in which it operates. This means that the RISAT will be able to detect very small objects on the
ground. Experts have opined that RISAT-2 will give India a radar reconnaissance capability comparable
to that of the latest U-2 spy planes operated by the US Air Force.

· Conservation plan for endangered Markhor: Markhor, an endangered species which is

facing the danger of extinction in the near future is now going to be preserved by Jammu and Kashmir
wildlife protection department under Markhor Recovery Plan. The project is being launched at a cost of
Rs.10.72 crore which the wildlife department has received from the public works department.

· Prithvi-II Test-fired: India on April 15, 2009 successfully test-fired a version of nuclear-capable
Prithvi-II ballistic missile, with a range of 350 km from the integrated test range at Chandipur. The missile,
already inducted with the army, was launched from a mobile launcher and the entire trajectory was
tracked by sophisticated instrumentation systems, including radars. The single stage nine metre long
missile is liquid propelled and could carry conventional or nuclear warheads. The user’s trial of ‘Prithvi-II’
was last carried out on May 23, 2008 from the ITR, Chandipur.

Person

· Malaysian PM quits, deputy to take over: Malaysia’s prime minister resigned after 5 1/2
years of largely ineffectual rule in a prelude to handing power to his deputy, who faces the mammoth task
of rebuilding the economy and the ruling party’s shattered reputation. Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi
submitted his resignation to the king, the constitutional monarch, who is to swear in Najib Razak as the
new prime minister.

· Najib Razak is Malaysia’s Prime Minister: Najib Tun Razak was sworn in Malaysia’s Prime
Minister in the constitutional monarch’s palace in Kuala Lumpur. Outgoing Prime Minister Abdullah
Ahmad Badawi had led the long-governing National Front, a coalition of race-based parties, to victory in
that poll; but the reduced margin led to calls for his resignation.

· Asiamoney award for SBI chief: The Chairman of State Bank of India, O. P. Bhatt, has been
conferred the award of the ‘Best Executive 2008’ under the category of Asia’s best companies and
executives by Asia money, Asia’s leading financial magazine.

· Muttiah Muralitharan: Muttiah Muralitharan became the highest wicket taker in One- Day
International cricket at the Premadasa Stadium. The Sri Lankan is already the leading wicket-taker in Test
cricket with 769 scalps. Muralitharan surpassed former Pakistan Paceman Wasim Akram’s ODI mark of
502 wickets when she had Gautam Gambhir.

· Safina replaces Serena on Top: Russia’s Dinara Safina will replace Serena Williams as the
World’s top-ranked women’s tennis player, despite never having won a Grand Slam. The 22-year-old
Safina, whose brother Marat was the men’s top player in the world in 2000, will replace Serena who has
been on top for 11 consecutive weeks and 72 in all on April 20. Her move up the rankings will represent
the first time a brother and sister have been N0. 1 in the World.
· V.S. Sampath new election commissioner: Union Power Secretary Veeravalli Sundaram
Sampath, a 1973 batch IAS officer of the Andhra Pradesh cadre, will be the new Election Commissioner.
He will fill the vacancy to be caused by Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) N. Gopalaswami, who is
retiring on April 20, in the three-member Commission. The government has already announced that
senior most Election Commissioner Navin B. Chawla will take over as new CEC with effect from April 21.

· Yahoo names Monster's Tadanki as India head: It took Yahoo! over 20 months to find a
successor to George Zacharias who quit the company as MD of Yahoo! India. Arun Tadanki, the young
president (Asia Pacific) of Monster.com will take the reins of Yahoo! India in May.

· Shikha Sharma: Shikha Sharma as its managing director & CEO. Incumbent chairman & CEO
is PJ Nayak

· Film director Ramineedu dead: Telugu film director Gutha Ramineedu (82) died.

Awards

· Sehwag: Wisden honour for Sehwag

· British award for Ramadorai: Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) CEO and Managing Director S.
Ramadorai was awarded with the Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE).

Sports

· Bhullar wins British Open date: He will become the sixth golfer in Indian history to play in the
oldest Major.

· Gagan Narang wins gold: Gagan Narang clinched the gold in the men’s 50-metre free rifle 3-
position event in the shooting World Cup in Changwon, Korea. It is the second medal in the World Cup for
the Hyderabad lad, who is supported by Olympic Gold Quest, after his bronze in the air rifle earlier.

· Field Turf bags Salt Lake Stadium Contract: The Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata, the world’s
second largest facility by capacity, has opted for Field Turf artificial grass for its 90,000 sq. ft. soccer field.
Installation, at an estimated cost of Rs. 5 crore, has begun. “This is only the second artificial grass football
field in India,” Field Turf Tarkett The first one at Chowgule College, Margao, Goa.

· Rimpledeep wins both titles: Rimpledeep Kaur won both the girls’ under-16 and under-14
crowns in the AITA Super Series junior tennis tournament.

· Australia pulls out of Davis Cup ties against India: Australia has pulled out of the Davis Cup
Asia-Oceania group tie against India that was scheduled to be staged in Chennai from May 8 to 10,
quoting security concerns during the elections in the country.

· Quattrocchi out of Interpol wanted list: The name of Italian businessman, Ottavio
Quattrocchi, the only surviving accused in the Bofors payoffs case, has been dropped from the Red
Corner Notice (RCN) list of the Interpol at the request of the CBI. The notice against him had remained
“active” for the last one decade.
· India gets most of 2011 Pak games: Pakistan's loss in India's gain. BCCI, as expected, got
the lion's share matched for the 2011 World Cup of following the International Cricket Council’s (ICC)
decision to remove Pakistan as co-hosts of the event. The headquarters for the tournament will now be at
BCCI’s Cricket Centre in Mumbai instead of Lahore, while eight of the 14 matches allotted to Pakistan will
be played in India. Sri Lanka and Bangladesh will be the other hosts for the World Cup.

· India won Azlan shah Hockey tournament: India won the Azlan shah hockey tournament by
defeating the host Malaysian team 3-1 in the final played in Ipoh on April 12, 2009. Arjun Halappa,
Prabhjot Singh and Shivendra Singh of India scored a goal each in the 8th, 20th and 41st minutes,
respectively, whereas Malaysia could score only one goal in the 11th minute. Indian captain Sandeep
Singh was adjudged the player of the tournament. India won this tournament after a long gap of 13 years.

· Bronze medal for Gagan Narang in the World Cup: The ace Indian shooter, Gagan Narang
won a Bronze medal in the first ISSF World Cup of the year at Chongwon South Korea on April 10, 2009.
He won in the 10–metre air-rifle event and scored 696.7 points. He was adjudged the 8th in the qualifying
round, but later on, by scoring 102.7 points, jumped to the third position. China’s Zho Qinan won the Gold
and Cao Yifei won the Silver. Another Indian in the fray, Sanjeev Rajput, also reached the final finishing at
fifth place.

· Barcelona Open title: World No. 1 Rafael Nadal of Spain won his fifth consecutive Barcelona
Open title with a 6-2, 7-5 won over his compatriot David Ferrer on April 26, 2009. The top seed Nadal,
who had beaten Ferrer in the last year’s final as well, exchanged early breaks with the fourth seed on the
clay court in the Catalan capital before taking a 5-2 lead and winning the set with an ace. Ferrer did not
give up easily. In the second set, he put up a stiff fight when the players broke each other twice, but he
lost serve again in the 11th game and Nadal sealed victory on his second match point when Ferrer set a
forehand long. Nadal holds the Australian open and Wimbledon titles too.

· India Registers Historic Win Against New Zealand: India registered a historic win against
New Zealand on April 7,2009 in Wellington—after 41 years—a feat last accomplished by Mansur Ali Khan
Pataudi's team in 1968. The third test ended in a draw due to rain. India won the first test in Hamilton by
10 wickets and drew the second test in Napier. India's Gautam Gambhir was declared player of the series
for his magnificent 167 runs which he scored in india's second innings. It may be noted here that BCCI
has announced Rs.15 lakh bonus award to each and every member of the Indian team that has won the
one day and test series in New Zealand.

· Rahul Dravid: The world Record holder for most catches in test Cricket: Rahul Dravid on
April 6,2009 became the world Record holder of most catches in tests surpassing Australia's mark Waugh
when he caught New Zealand's opener Tim Mcintosh at the third slip for his 182nd catch on the fourth
day of the third and last cricket match in Wellington. Dravid's record came in his 134th Test. Waugh's tally
of 181 catches came from 128 tests in a career spanning 11 years (1991-2002). Former New Zealand
skipper Stephen Fleming is the third on the list with 171 catches in 111 matches.

· Churchill Brothers Grabs Maiden League Title: Churchill brothers won its maiden I league
title after a 6-2 defeating Mohammedan sporting 6-2 in margao on April 16, 2009. It may also be
mentioned Churchill brothers which topped the table with 46 points pocketed Rs. 50 lakh as the winner's
prize money. Okolie with 26 goals in the tournament earned 50,000 for being the highest scorer.

· Rafael Nadal Clinches Monte Carlo Masters Titles: Rafael Nadal became first tennis player
to clinch five straight Monte Carlo masters title after defeating Noak Djokovic 6-3, 2-6 6-1 on April 19,
2009 in Monte Carlo. The top ranked, Spaniard, with this victory, extended his winning streak to 2-7 and
won his 21st straight victory since he lost to Juan Carlos Ferrero of Spain in the second round of the
Rome-Masters in May 2008.

Books & Author

· Madhavaro Scindia- A Life: Vir Sanghvi, Namita Bhadare

· Child Development-Myths and Misunderstandings: Jean Mercer

· India-China Relations-The Border Issue and Beyond: Mohan Guruswamy, Zorawar Daulet
Singh

· Annual Digest to Human Rights Judgments 2008: M. J. Antony

· The Court and the Constitution of India: Summits and Shallows

· Managing Indian Banks-The Challenges Ahead: Vasant C Joshi, Vinay V Joshi

· Violence Martyrdom and Partition-A Daughter’s Testimony: Nonica Datta

· The Tragedy of Farmer’s Suicide in Vidarbha- A Lesson and A Ray of Hope: Nixon Fernando-
Compiller.

· Epic Nation-Reimaging the Mahabharata in the Age of Empire: Pamela Lothspeich

· Law as Culture: Kathy Laster

· Reading in Indian Agriculture and Industry: K.L. Krishna, Uma Kapila

· A Time of Transition: Rajiv Gandhi to the 21st Century: Mani Shankar Aiyar

· Spatialising Politics – Culture and Geography in Postcolonial Sri Lanka: Cathrine Brun, Tariq
Jazeel.

· The Origins of Yoga and Tantra-India Religions to the Thirteenth Century: Geoffrey Samuel

· Kingship and Ideology in the Islamic and Mongal Worlds: Anne F. Brodbridge

· Where Nothing Happens-Padmanabh Vijai Pillai

· Lilavati’s Daughters-The women Scientist of India: Rohini Goodbye, Ram Ramaswamy

· A Better India; A better world: N.R. Naryan Murthy

Clean Ride

§ Ministry wants to use CNG on suburban and long-distance trains.

§ Modified engines to use 50% CNG, which will be scaled up to 70%.

§ Rs. 8,560 cr. Spent on diesel last year, which will fall by around 60%.
Text Box: Clean Ride § Ministry wants to use CNG on suburban and long-distance trains. § Modified
engines to use 50% CNG, which will be scaled up to 70%. § Rs. 8,560 cr. Spent on diesel last year, which
will fall by around 60%.Miscellaneous

· Leading Producer of Tobacco: China (2,395,000), Brazil (919,393), India (555,000), USA
(353,177) and Indonesia (180,000).

· Indian Railways is developing technology to run trains on compressed natural gas. In

fact, it has set up the Indian Railways Institute of Alternate Fuels to devise technology to tap into
compressed natural gas and biofuel.

· In search of a role: The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) came into being in
Washington on April 4, 1949 as a body dedicated to providing mutual and collective defence to any
member attacked by an external party. Such defence includes military force only if that is deemed
necessary. Until 2001, when NATO sent the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) to
Afghanistan, the alliance was limited to acting in Europe and North America. It has always generated
strong opinions from supporters and critics. Claims that it kept the peace in Europe during the Cold War
have been countered with statements that it exacerbated global tensions. For example, NATO rejected
the Soviet Union’s application to join in 1954 but admitted West Germany in 1955; that led directly to the
creation of the socialist bloc’s counter-body, the Warsaw Treaty Organisation. Other criticisms are that,
despite NATO’s constitutional requirement that member states should be democracies, the Catholic-
fundamentalist and brutal dictatorship of Portugal was included as a founder-member, and that in the
1970s the western-alliance-aided military dictatorships in Turkey, which had joined in 1952. In the 1990s,
NATO action in the Balkans was highly controversial, and was seen by many as intended to help
dismember Yugoslavia. More recently, the organisation’s moves to locate missiles in Poland and the
Czech Republic, as well as discussions on the possible accession of Georgia and Ukraine have triggered
justified Russian accusations of encirclement and provocation. Indeed, had Georgia been a full NATO
member in 2008, the alliance would probably have had to engage Russian forces during the Georgian-
provoked battles that year. Inevitably, a body whose members account for 70 per cent of a global military
expenditure of $1,473 trillion constitutes a powerful lobby. U.S. dominance also makes NATO a de facto
agent of its foreign policy.

· Maharaja will be called Al gain: The Maharaja has finally undone. The government made
while merging Air India and Indian Airlines. The merged entity was termed "National Aviation Company of
India Ltd" or NACIL that many employees refer to as "NAASH-IL" while wishing this name to go away.
The airline board has now decided to dump this name and go back to good old Air India Ltd.

· Inspiring Conservation: Dismantling and relocating the endangered monuments at Abu

Simbel and the Island of Philae is one of the inspiring moments in the history of conservation. This April
marks the 50th anniversary of the beginning of what was to become the most spectacular effort to
safeguard the 3000-year-old archaeological treasures of Egypt and Sudan located along the river Nile.
When the proposal to build a high dam at Aswan was under consideration, the massive displacement of
people and the submergence of 22 priceless monuments had to be taken into account. The two temples
at Abu Simbel were broken down to 1,036 blocks, which were lifted to higher ground and reassembled
against an artificially created hill. The group of monuments at Philae were spliced into 37,363 blocks,
moved to another safe island downstream, and reconstructed as they stood at the original site.
· NYC-sized ice shelf collapse in Antarctica: An area of an Antarctic ice shelf almost the size
of New York City has broken into icebergs this month after the collapse of an ice bridge widely blamed on
global warming, a scientist said. China's Great Wall is 3000 km Longer than 'Thought: The most
comprehensive and technologically advanced survey of china's great wall has discovered that the ancient
monument is a much longer than previously estimated, state media reported on April 20, 2009.However
the project has also shown that the world heritage listed site is in danger of disappearing in many places
due to road construction and other forms of development, as well as extreme weather, the China Daily
said. China, Stretches for 8,851.9 kilometers, much further than common estimates of 5,000 kilometers
according to the findings of the survey. The defensive structure includes 6,259,6 kilometers of actual wall,
plus 359.7 kilometers of trenches and 2,323.5 kilometers of national barriers such as hills and rivers.

01 to 15 May, 2009

National

· New pension system for all citizens: The Pension Fund Regulatory and Development
Authority (PFRDA) announced the launch of the New Pension System (NPS) for all citizens with effect
from May 1. The PFRDA noted that while Tier-I of the NPS comprising the non-withdrawable pension
account will be operational, Tier-II (withdrawable account) of the NPS account will become operational in
about six months. “On the basis of recommendations of the NPS Trust and on advice from the
government, it has been decided that investment by an NPS participant in equity would be subject to a
cap of 50 per cent,” the PFRDA statement said. As per the scheme, the investment in equities would be
only in index funds that replicate either 30-share BSE sensitive index (Sensex) or the 50-share (Nifty) of
the National Stock Exchange (NSE). The pension subscriber will have the option to decide on the
proportion of fund investment in the three asset classes. The NPS facility has been in operation for
Central government employees since April 1, 2008. As per the scheme, Central government employees
who joined service on or after January 1, 2004, are covered under the NPS.

· The Election Commission created history by deploying its men and machinery just to collect
one vote that too in the polling station set up in the Gir forest of Gujarat, sanctuary for the Asiatic lion. The
lone voter-Guru Bharatdasji Darshandasji Maharaj (58) - a priest in the local Shiva temple and resident of
Banej within the forest.

· EC notice to BJP MP for calendar supply: The Election Commission has issued notice to
Kailash Joshi, the BJP MP and candidate from Bhopal, for distributing calendars containing religious
invocations to voters in Sehore and Bhopal, violating the model code of conduct. Such an act by a
candidate or his agent or by any other person with the consent of a candidate or his election agent could
attract the penal provisions of Section 123(3) of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, that deals
with “corrupt practices.”
· Court: Set up six fast track courts to try Godhra & riot cases: The Supreme Court ordered
the setting up of six fast track courts (FTCs) to try the 2002 Godhra and post-Godhra riot cases in Gujarat
and vacated its 2003 order staying the trial. Gujarat High Court to set up these FTCs in the districts of
Ahmedabad (four cases — Naroda Patia, Naroda Gam, Gulbarg and Godhra train at Sabarmati jail);
Mehsana (two cases); Saabarkantha (British national case) and Anand.

· Dabur India is setting up new manufacturing facilities in Himachal Pradesh and Egypt under its
Dabur Egypt subsidiary.

· BoB 3rd largest PSU bank now: Bank of Baroda (BoB) has pipped Canara Bank in terms of
net profit and total business for fiscal 2008-09 to become third-largest public sector player in India.
Mumbai-based BoB's net profit for 2008-09 stood at Rs 2,227 crore, about Rs 155 crore higher than that
of Canara Bank in FY09.

· Bongaigaon to receive Cairn’s Ravva Crude: Bongaigaon Refinery and Petrochemicals, a

subsidiary of Indian Oil Corporation, has been nominated by the Government as the agency to receive
crude oil from Cairn India’s Ravva oilfield in the Krishna-Godavari basin. The offshore field is expected to
yield about 1.45 million tonnes (10.63 million barrels) of crude in 2009-10.

· Law on Jallikattu proposed, State tells court: A comprehensive legislation with sufficient
safeguards and guidelines for regulating Jallikattu (bullfight) is proposed in the State, the Tamil Nadu
government informed the Supreme Court. Additional Solicitor-General Gopal Subramaniam, appearing for
the State, submitted this information before a three-Judge Bench of Chief Justice K.G. Balakrishnan,
Justice P. Sathasivam and Justice Mukundakam Sharma, hearing an appeal from the Animal Welfare
Board of India seeking a ban on Jallikattu. Mr. Subramaniam submitted that the State had decided to
enact a law and restrict the event to villages where jallikattu was being held for the last five years, usually
from January till April.

· Lack of peace in neighbourhood worries Prime Minister: Union Home Ministry directed
border guarding force Seema Suraksha Bal (SSB) to remain on high alert on the India-Nepal border. The
SSB, which patrols the 1,750-km India-Nepal border, has been asked to keep an eye on people crossing
over into the country.

· Food insecurity on the rise: It is estimated that close to one billion people in the world suffer
from hunger and malnutrition, compared with some 825 million a decade ago. On current trends, the 1996
World Food Summit’s target of halving the number of hungry people by 2015 and the first Millennium
Development Goal of halving the prevalence of hunger and poverty appear increasingly unattainable,
according to the U.N. agency. Continuing high population growth in developing countries — some 80
million extra mouths to be fed every year — plus the rising challenges of climate change and a limited
resource base are also some of the longer-term constraints on the world’s capacity to adequately feed all
of its inhabitants. “But agriculture’s share in total Official Development Assistance slumped from 17 per
cent in 1980 to a mere 3.8 per cent in 2006.

· Reining in errant NRI spouses: The Law Commission has taken note of the problem of ‘desi’
brides being dumped by Non-Resident Indian (NRI) grooms. Noting that the problem has assumed
alarming proportions, the Commission has recommended a slew of measures, including compulsory
registration of such marriages. In its 219th report on “Need for Family Law Legislations for Non-Resident
Indians”, submitted to the government, the Commission said that compulsory registration of such
marriages would “ensure compliance of conditions of a valid marriage, provide proof of marriage and act
as a deterrent for bigamous practices”.
· Tungabhadra Dam work to cost Rs. 192 cr.: For the first time in 35 years, the Department of
Water Resources has taken up modernisation of the Tungabhadra Dam and canal system, which irrigates
lakhs of acres of land in Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka, at a cost of Rs.192 crore. Announcing this at a
press conference, Karnataka Water Resources Minister Basavaraj Bommai said that the work would be
over by June-end.

· Andhra’s Uppada Jamdani saris get GI status: Believed to be a more than 300 years old
handicraft, Uppada Jamdani saris from Andhra Pradesh is the latest product to get Geographical
Indications (GI) certification. The registration allows approximately 1,500 weavers from Kothapalli Mandal
of the East Godhavari district in Andhra Pradesh exclusive rights for production and marketing of products
by the said name. This takes total products registered under GI to 106. The certification is associated of a
product with a particular region and cannot be used by any other region for a similar product. This
protects products against forfeiting.

· Total ban on mining in Arvalli: The Supreme Court has imposed a total ban on mining
activities in eco-sensitive Aravalli ranges in Haryana, saving the degradation caused to the environment
has become “irreversible” and ‘extraordinary’ situation demands extraordinary remedies.

· 740 mw Tripura project to be commissioned by 2012: Oil exploration and production major
Oil & Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) said that the 740-mw gas based power project in Tripura will be
commissioned by the end of the calender year 2012. The project entails an investment of Rs 3,000 crore.
The project is being developed through a special purpose vehicle (SPV) known as ONGC Tripura Power
Company (OTPC).

· HPCL’s Bhatinda refinery to be commissioned in ’11: State-run Hindustan Petroleum Corp

(HPCL) said that despite the global meltdown, the Rs. 18,000-crore refinery at Bhatinda in Punjab will
achieve mechanical commissioning in February 2011 and the actual commissioning three months
thereafter.

· Sebi issues simplified norms for corporate debt securities: Markets regulator Sebi issued
simplified rules governing corporate debt paper, thereby making it possible to raise funds quicker on
domestic capital markets. The notification comes more than three years after the RH Patil committee laid
out a road map to make debt issues as attractive as equity for companies. Companies that have already
floated one debt or equity issue can now cut through several layers of formalities when issuing another
tranche.

· HSIIDC to develop Panipat petrochem: The Haryana State Infrastructure and Industrial
Development Corporation (HSIIDC) plans to go ahead with the development of the proposed
petrochemical hub at Panipat on its own by pumping in about Rs 3,700 crore. As per the officials of
HSIIDC, the project, which is to be spread over 4,000 acre (near Indian Oil’s Panipat refinery), will be
developed in two phases. But the project may be delayed further as Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) has
decided to quit as an equal partner with HSIIDC in the petrochemical project.

· KP Singh raises Rs. 3850 crore: KP Singh, promoter of the country's largest real estate
company DLF Ltd, sold 16.8 crore shares (at Rs 230 per share) to raise around Rs 3,850 crore. A part of
the fund raised would be used to compensate the loss incurred by DLF Asset Ltd (DAL), another
company promoted by Singh. Post-sale, the promoter's holding in DLF Ltd will be down at 78.6%.

International
· India seeks greater access to aid agencies: India joined other nations in demanding greater
access for international humanitarian agencies to the Sri Lanka government-run temporary camps where
over 1.8 lakh civilians, who fled from the LTTE, had taken shelter, even as President Mahinda Rajapaksa
declared that the time for ceasefire with the Tigers was over.

· Ybrant buys Latin American Co.: Ybrant Digital, Hyderabad, a provider of digital marketing
solutions, has announced the acquisition of Dream Ad, another major company with a strong regional
presence in Latin America. “With this acquisition, Ybrant deepens its reach into South America adding
four more countries — Argentina, Chile, Uruguay and Mexico — to its global presence in 16 countries”.

· Militants offering stiff resistance: Pakistan: The Pakistan Army is still battling to establish
control over Buner in the North-West Frontier Province where the Taliban militants have taken an entire
village hostage. The provincial government, meanwhile, appealed to Sufi Mohammed, the cleric with
which it controversially agreed to set up Sharia courts in Swat and six other districts making up Malakand
division in order to buy peace with the Taliban.

· U.K. ends role in Iraq: The six-year British military occupation of Iraq ended. Month ahead of
schedule, amid conflicting claims whether it was worth the cost and loss of lives. At a Flag-down
ceremony in Basra, the British Army formally transferred authority to the Iraqis paving the way for Britain
to pull out the bulk of its 3,700 troops in accordance with an agreement with the Iraqi government.

· Japan to give aid to Sri Lanka: Japan announced an emergency grant aid of $4 million for Sri
Lanka to meet the immediate needs of an estimated two lakh Internally Displaced Persons lodged in
government-run temporary shelter homes. The announcement coincided with the three-day visit of
Japanese special envoy Yasushi Akashi for a first-hand assessment of the humanitarian crisis.

· Citi to sell Japanese unit for $5.5 bn: Citigroup Inc, agreed to sell its Japanese securities
units to Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group Inc for 545 billion yen ($5.5 billion).

· Sikhs in Orakzai are not of concern to India: Pakistan: The statement came after India’s
official communication of concern to the Pakistan government and also public expression of anxiety at
reports of hardships that a small group of Sikhs living in the Orakzai tribal area had to face at the hands of
Taliban militants.

· $3.4 billion for ecological project: China has allocated 23 billion yuan (3.37billion U.S.
dollars) for energy saving, anti-pollution, ecological and environmental protection projects since the fourth
quarter of last year. China unveiled a 4-trillion-yuan stimulus package in November last year to be spent
over the next two years with 1.18 trillion yuan spending from the central government, to cope with the
adverse effects of the global financial crisis and shore up the domestic economy. "This ratio of 10 percent
was not low. It shows that the central government not only focuses on stimulating domestic demand and
keeping stable economic growth, but also stresses laying a good foundation for the economy's
sustainable development in the long run.

· India joins race for land in Africa, China was ahead: After years of competing for overseas
oil and mines to fuel their still-growing economies, India and China are silently scouring the world for their
next great need: farmland to grow food. So, more than a dozen companies from India, backed by the
government, invested about $2 billion (Rs 10,000 crore) in leasing land and installing plants in Ethiopia
last year to produce sugar, tea and several other crops. That number is expected to double to $4 billion
this year. While India is just warming up, China and rich Gulf States that face graver land and water
shortages have been aggressively acquiring land across Africa and some parts of Asia, said a report
prepared by the Washington-based International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
· India part of G-20 task force: Just before the London summit, the Swiss confederation had
told the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)-a Paris based group with 30
member countries including the US, UK and many European nations-that it was ready to withdraw its
earlier reservation on sharing information and renegotiated its tax treaty with other governments. India is
part of the task force constituted by the G-20 at its London summit to formulate a “global plan for recovery
and reform which promises to take actions against non-cooperative jurisdictions, including tax haven and
also to deploy sanctions to protect public finances and financial system.

· Interpol deals with crimes involving 2 or more nations: The first International Criminal
Police congress held in Monaco in 1914 failed to achieve anything concrete because of the outbreak of
the First World War. Subsequently the second International Police Congress met in Vienna in 1923 and
set up the Vienna 1923 and set up the Vienna-headquartered International Criminal Police Commission
(ICPC), whose functioning was again disrupted by the Second World War. After the end of the War in
1945, a conference was held in Brussels in 1946, which resulted in the revival of the ICPC and Interpol
was chosen as the telegraphic address of its headquarters, which was now moved to Paris. In 1956, the
ICPC became the International Criminal Police Organisation and the telegraphic address was adopted as
its common names. Since November 1989, the organization has been Headquarter in Lyons, France.

· $120bn emergency fund gets nod: Thirteen East and Southeast Asian countries agreed to
set up a $120 billion emergency fund for use in an economic downturn, the first independent move by
Asia to shield itself from financial crisis. Japan, the region's biggest economy, also announced a plan to
supply up to 6 trillion yen ($61.54 billion) to support its neighbors in an economic downturn. The initiatives
were announced on the Indonesian island of Bali, on the sidelines of the Asian Development Bank's
(ADB) annual meeting.

· Jindal arm finds gas in Bolivia: A subsidiary of Jindal power & Steel Ltd. says it has found
new natural gas reserves in a well in eastern Bolivia. Kinn says it is a “moderate reserve” that will start
production in the next 40 days. Bolivi’s natural gas deposits are the second largest in South America after
Venezuela.

· A quarter of India’s to live on $1.25/day in 2015: World Bank: India now is ahead of only
Sub-Saharan Africa among developing countries in terms of the percentage of population below the
poverty line, though it fared better than China on this count in 1990, according to the World Bank. The
multilateral lender, in its recently released report ‘Global Economic Prospects for 2009’, said a quarter of
India’s population will be living in extreme poverty, on less than $1.25 a day, in 2015. The corresponding
figures for China is 6.1% and for Sub-Saharan Africa 37.1%. These are based on purchasing power parity
exchange rates derived from the 2005 price surveys.

· India-Mercosur pact to boost bilateral trade: The India-Mercosur Preferential Trading

Arrangement (PTA), which is likely to be inked by June 2009 will provide a significant boost to bilateral
trade and investment flows. The pact will also mark the first step towards the creation of a Free Trade
Area between Mercosur and India. Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay are the four countries of
South America that together constitute the Mercosur bloc. Venezuela is in the process of becoming a full-
fledged member of the bloc soon.

· Power Grid in JV with Dutch co for transmission project: Power Grid Corporation, the
country’s largest power transmission company, has tied up with Netherlands-based transmission major
KEMA to lay the transmission system in Middle East. The corporation will also explore the opportunities in
designing the transmission network and system maintenance. The corporation, which is investing Rs
55,000 crore to set up a national grid with the inter-regional transmission capacity of 37,000 mw in the
country, also plans to take up consultancy for laying transmission system in Myanmar and Ghana.

· Prachanda quits as Army chief is asked to stay: Nine months after he was elected the first
Prime Minister of the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, Pushpa Kamal Dahal “Prachanda,”
announced his resignation. The announcement came after the President, who is the Supreme
Commander-in-Chief, asked the Chief of the Army Staff, General Rookmangud Katawal, to continue in
office.

· India pips US, UK in IP laws enforcement: India has been ranked top globally for enforcing
intellectual property laws, ahead of some of the most advanced nations, like the US and the UK, a survey
says. According to a survey conducted by London-based Consumers International, South Korea, China,
the US and Indonesia follow India in the “best rated countries”.

· Sri Lanka to push NTPC’s power project: Sri Lanka has assured to expedite the
implementation of a NTPC's 500-mw imported coal-based power project at Trincomalee in Sri Lanka. Sri
Lankan power secretary has assured to accelerate signing of joint venture agreement between Ceylon
Electricity Board (CEB) and NTPC. The government has assured support to board of investment to
enable tax sops for the project.

· Bombardier to open Gujarat unit: Bombardier Transportation, a leading manufacturer of rail

products, including locomotives, is betting big on the Indian market. The company is setting up a new
facility at Savli, south Gujarat, to cater to the $137 million fresh order secured recently from the Delhi
Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC). The company, which has been in India for over 35 years and is involved
in supplying technologically advanced rail products electric locomotives for passenger and freight
applications, will be investing close to 35 million euro into the new facility in Gujarat.

· India, Oman to set up fund for IT & infra: India and Oman will be signing an agreement to set
up a fund with equal contribution from the two countries by mid of next month. To begin with it will have a
corpus of $ 100 million that could eventually go up to as much as $ 1.5 billion and will primarily be used to
finance infrastructure development, education, tourism and IT training.

Economy

· IIP shrinks 2.3% but revival seen: Industrial production-accounting of GDP-shrank 2.3% in
March from a year earlier, the worst since the current index of industrial production (IIP) series started in
1994. This is the third contraction in four months and is steeper than widely expected, prompting calls for
a further lowering of key rates by RBI. Manufacturing, with a weight of 80% in IIP, contracted by 3.3% in
March from the same month the previous year-the sharpest fall since April 1995. Equally worrying was
the surprising 8.2% fall in the output of capital goods-an important indicator of investment-the poorest
performance since June 2001, when it fell by 9.8%.

· FDI inflow falls over 55% in March to $2 bn: Reeling under the impact of the global financial
crisis, foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows into the country is estimated to have fallen by more than
55% to $2 billion in March 2009 from $4.44 billion in the same month last a year. This is the fifth time in
six months that FDI inflows into India have seen a drop. The figures for March 2009 took the total FDI
inflows into the country for 2008-09 to around $27.38 billion, 11.75% more than $24.5 billion in 2007-08,
but missed even the reduced target of $30 billion. In 2006-07, India had received only $15.5 billion worth
FDI. The government had initially set a FDI target of $35 billion for 2008-09 and later reduced it to $30
billion. However, it has set a similar target for 2009-10 too.
· Mercer likely to be investment advisor for forex reserve: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI)
is expected to appoint Mercer Investment to prepare an investment framework for the country’s $251.7-
billion forex reserves. This will be the first time RBI has given the mandate to any organisation to work as
investment advisor for the fund. Australia based Mercer has been selected after two rounds of bidding
process-technical and financial, said sources knowledgeable about the process. Mercer Investment will
run the mandate for a period of three years. The management of the foreign exchange reserves of RBI
has been debated extensively over the past few years. The Deepak Parekh committee on infrastructure
has suggested investing $5 billion of the reserves in IIFCL papers. This has been done recently.

Value Added tax

1995 First Preliminary discussion on value added tax by then finance minister Manmohan Singh with
Chief Ministers

1996 NDA’s finance minister Yashwant Sinha proposes floor rate for sales tax and sets finance
ministers for implementation of VAT.

2002 Empowerment Committee of state finance ministers finalise rate for VAT regime.

2003 Haryana is the first state to introduce VAT

2008 Finally, a country-wide VAT regime, with UP introducing the tax.

Good and service tax:

2004 Second Vijay Kelkar Committee report proposes a dual goods and services tax regime.

2006 UPA’s finance minister P Chidambaram Committee to prepare a roadmap for the introduction of a
national GST.

2007 Chidambaram asks the Empowerment Committee to prepare a roadmap for the introduction of a
national GST.

2008 Empowerment Committee proposes a dual GST: Centre and states agree to work out rate.

2009 Thirteenth Finance Commission led by Vijay Kelkar says 16% is revenue neutral rate for GST.

GST

Text Box: Value Added tax 1995 First Preliminary discussion on value added tax by then finance minister
Manmohan Singh with Chief Ministers 1996 NDA’s finance minister Yashwant Sinha proposes floor rate
for sales tax and sets finance ministers for implementation of VAT. 2002 Empowerment Committee of
state finance ministers finalise rate for VAT regime. 2003 Haryana is the first state to introduce VAT 2008
Finally, a country-wide VAT regime, with UP introducing the tax. Good and service tax: 2004 Second
Vijay Kelkar Committee report proposes a dual goods and services tax regime. 2006 UPA’s finance
minister P Chidambaram Committee to prepare a roadmap for the introduction of a national GST. 2007
Chidambaram asks the Empowerment Committee to prepare a roadmap for the introduction of a national
GST. 2008 Empowerment Committee proposes a dual GST: Centre and states agree to work out rate.
2009 Thirteenth Finance Commission led by Vijay Kelkar says 16% is revenue neutral rate for GST.
GSTSome pain, plenty gain: The country’s most significant tax reform in recent years—the goods and
services tax (GST)—is scheduled to be introduced. GST, which subsumes service tax, central excise
duty, state value added tax and other state level dues and taxes, is a multi-stage consumption tax. GST’s
appeal lies in that it will simplify, harmonise and lower the burden of many levies on the manufacturing
process while simultaneously making tax administration more effective and revenue collections more
buoyant. The deadline for introducing the tax—April 1, 2010. State governments have said GST should
be levied at not less than 20% and are unwilling to cut rates, as it will cause revenue losses to them.
Thirteenth Finance Commission has revealed that a 16% GST rate would be revenue neutral and optimal.

· Corporate taxes are high in India: Corporate Taxes are high in India as compared to
developed countries and most of emerging economies. At present, the corporate tax rate in India is
33.99% (30% plus 10% surcharge and 3% education cess on both) for a domestic company with taxable
income of Rs 1 crore or above. The corporate tax rate in Bulgaria is 10%, Hong Kong 16.5%, Egypt 20%,
China 25%, the Netherlands 25.5%, Malaysia 26% and the UK 28%. It is pertinent to note that the global
average corporate tax rate is only 25.9%. And it has been going down over the years. In 2006, it was
27.2% and it came down to 26.8% in 2007. Regrettably, in India the situation is quite the reverse.

· Tata steel to shut corus Teesside unit: Tata Steel Ltd, the world’s sixth-largest steel
manufacturer and owner of UK's Corus since 2007, said it might close European arm Teesside Cast
Products (TCP) after four international bidders last month terminated a ten-year contract for slab off-take
from the unit. Two members of the consortium, Marcegaglia of Italy and Dongkuk Steel of South Korea,
have also decided not to pick up an agreed 80% stake in the unit because of the persistent weakness in
global steel markets.

· Parikh projects 7-7.5% growth: The Indian economy is expected to grow at a rate of 7-7.5%
in 2009-10 as the worst is over, planning commission member and noted economist Kirit Parikh, said.
Parikh’s projections are higher than the Reserve Bank of India’s projection of 6%.

· Slowdown- hit textile sector gets lifeline from Argentina: It looks like a silver lining for the
Indian textile industry, which is one of the worst hit sectors by the global financial crisis. Argentina is
eyeing investments into India’s textile industry and 34 Indian companies received orders at the recently
concluded exhibition and buyer and seller meet in Buenos Aires.

· India’s exports to Argentina have gone up by 28%in 2008.

· IOC likely to cut stake in Farsi fields: Indian Oil Corp (IOC) may cuts its stake in the massive
Farsi gas and oil field in Iran as it faces financing pressure due to continuing losses on fuel sales. IOC
holds 40% interest in Farsi, where ONGC Videsh, the overseas arm of Oil and Natural Gas Corp (ONGC),
is the operator with an equivalent shareholding. Oil India Ltd holds the remaining 20%.

· Sebi to pay first-year peer review fees: The Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi)
will pay auditors fees for the first year of peer review of accounts of companies in the 50-index Nifty and
the 30-index BSE. In an effort to build investor confidence and avoid reoccurrence of Satyam-like frauds,
Sebi had announced a peer review of company accounts.

· Bharti Alcatel in $500 m deal: Telecom major Bharti Airtel signed a five-year managed
services deal valued at $500 million with Alcatel Lucent for its fixed-line and broadband operations. The
services would be managed by a joint venture in which Alcatel Lucent would hold 74 per cent, while the
remaining 26 per cent would be held by Airtel, Bharti Airtel Chief Executive Officer Manoj Kohli said.

· Siemens bags Rs. 1,380-crore Adani Power Contract: Adani Power, part of the Adani group,
awarded Siemens a Rs. 1,380-crore contract for transmission of power from its Mundra power plant to
Mohindergarh in Haryana. Power from Mundra would be transmitted to Mohindergarh under a power
purchase agreement of 1,420 MW signed by Adani Power with the Haryana Government. The power
plants under execution were in Mundra and Trioda (Maharashtra). The company was planning to develop
two projects with combined capacity of 3,300 MW at Dahej (Gujarat) and Kawai (Rajasthan).

· Wipro signs contract with Unitech Wireless: Wipro Infotech has won a multi-million, long
term outsourcing contract from Unitech Wireless, the newest telecom services player in India. Unitech
Wireless, with licence to operate in all 22 circles across India, is launching state of the art
telecommunication services to provide advanced wireless voice.

· ONGC to flow first gas from K-G basin in April next year: India’s exploration and production
major Oil & Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC). Announced that it would start gas production from its
eastern offshore Krishna Godavari basin field and GS 15 from April next year and from G 1 field from April
2011.

· Export from SEZs to rech Rs. 1.25 lakh crore this fiscal: Exports from the Special Economic
Zones are expected to reach the target of Rs 1,25,000 crore in the current fiscal, with Reliance Industries’
Jamnagar refinery alone likely to contribute Rs 35,000 crore to the total shipments. While leading SEZs
like Mahindra World, Nokia, Apache, Hyderabad Gems and Jewellery became operational in 2008-09,
exports from these zones fell short of target of Rs 1,20,000 crore in the last fiscal.

· Punjab ranks 4th in PPP investment: With Rs. 14,516 crore worth of investment in public
private partnership (PPP) initiatives between 2000 and 2008, Punjab is at No. 4 among nine major states
ranked according to PPP investment attracted. According to the Associated Chambers of Commerce and
Industry of India (Assocham), the major areas in which the state has received PPP investment in the last
eight years are civil aviation, education, health, IT, road, tourism and transport. In a statement issued
here, DS Rawat, Assocham secretary general, said that Punjab leads the stakes among the north Indian
states, The state of Karanataka has topped the list with its total PPP investments reaching Rs 1,05,090.2
crore from the year 2000, followed by Gujarat with Rs. 36,207.9 crore and Orissa with Rs 15,143.63
crore.

Science & Technology

· Model of space crew module ready: India’s manned mission to space has taken a small step
forward with the fabrication of the ergonomic model of the crew module that will take two Indian
astronauts into space in seven years from now. This model has already arrived at the Vikram Sarabhai
Space Centre (VSSC), Thiruvananthapuram, from Bangalore. The Indian Space Research Organisation
(ISRO) calls its manned mission ‘Indian Human Space Flight Programme. VSSC Director K.
Radhakrishnan said the mission’s objective was to send a two-member crew into space in low-earth orbit
at an altitude of 275 km to 400 km, “orbit them for about seven days and bring them back safely” to earth.
The ISRO’s Geo-Synchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) would be used in the initial flights to carry
the crew into space. The vehicle had to be improved with high reliability to be called “a human rated
vehicle” — to put humans into space. GSLV-Mark II would be used to carry two astronauts. Dr.
Radhakrishnan said: “Later, when the GSLV-Mark III is ready, we should be able to take at least three
members.

· New Software: Revolutionary new software that will understand questions and give specific,
tailored answers in a way that has never been seen is promising to shake up the internet. Experts say
that the new system, Wolfram Alpha, to be launched later this month, could put giants like Google in the
shade,

Person
· Arvind Jadhav: Arvind Jadhav, a 1978 batch IAS officer, has been appointed the full-time
Chairman and Managing Director of Air India.

· Guitarist enters Guinness: Sebastian Joseph booked his slot in the Guinness World Records
with a guitar – by giving the longest show ever on that instrument.

· Madhu Kannan: Madhu Kannan has been appointment the new MD & CEO of Bombay Stocks
Exchange (BSE).

· JS Sharma takes charge as Trai Chairman.

· Shabd Swaroop Acharya, honorary professor at the Jaipur-based Institute of Development

Studies, has been appointed Member of the Board of Directors of the Africa Harvest International Biotech
Foundation based in Nairobi, Kenya. The Foundation is engaged in agricultural development in several
African countries through the application of improved technology, including bio-technology, to help the
poor achieve food security and economic well-being and ensure sustainable rural development.

· D.D Lapang of the Meghalaya united alliance that was sworn in chief minister of Meghalaya on
May 13, 2009 won the trust vote on May by a voice vote.

· Jacob Zuma-Leader of African national congress (ANC), Jacob Gedleyihlekisa Zuma took oath
as the fourth president of South Africa since the end of apartheid. Jacob Zuma, a self taught man who
fought the Apartheid regime from inside South Africa and spent 10 years in prison in Robben Island along
with Mandela succeeded outgoing president Kgalema Motlanthe.

· Ricardo Martinelli-Conservative supermarket magnate Ricardo Martinelli was elected New

President of panama on May 3. Presidents in Panama are elected for a single, five year term. The U.S.
educated, pro-business, 57 year old Martinelli owns panama’s largest supermarket chain.

· Roh Moo-Hyun-former South Korean president Roh-Moo-hyun died after throwing himself off a
rocky cliff that overlooks his home in the village of Bongha, 450 kilometers southeast of Seoul on may 23.
Roh was under investigation for receiving millions of dollars in bribes from a businessman while in office.

· Viswanathan Anand -World Champion Viswanathan Anand was formally presented the chess
Oscar in Baku, Azerbaijan. He was awarded, for the year 2008, for his outstanding play while retaining his
world championship title in Bonn. It was his sixth Oscar. Thus he became only non Russian to have won
the award more than 5 times. The maximum number of chess Oscars had been won by the chess master,
Garry Kasparov-a record 11 times. The first winner of chess Oscar was bent Larsen in 1967 and the
award ceremony was held in Madrid. In 1988 Puig died and the award was not giver until 1995. They
were reinstituted in the year 1995.

Awards

· Award for Indian professor: Bina Agarwal, Professor of Economics at the Institute of
Economic Growth here, has been awarded the Leontief Award 2009 instituted in honour of Nobel laureate
Wassily Leontief. The award is in recognition of outstanding contribution to economic theory that
addresses contemporary realities and supports sustainable societies.

· Whitley Award for Mysore-based wildlife biologist: Wildlife biologist M.D. Madhusudhan has
been awarded the Whitley Award in recognition of his work to reduce human-wildlife conflict in the
Western Ghats. He is the Director of the Mysore-based Nature Conservation Foundation (NCF). The
award, reckoned to be one of the most important international nature conservation awards, includes a
£30,000 project grant to carry forward outstanding science-based research and conservation efforts.

· Alice Munro wins man booker international: Canada’s short story writer Alice Munro has
won the man booker international Prize. She beat Mahshweta Devi and host of other literary figures
including V.S. Naipul and Mario Vargas Llosa to grab the coveted prize. Indian writer Amit Chaudhuri
—“Alice Munro is mostly known as a short story writer, yet she brings as much depth. International prize
is different from the annual Booker Prize. It is awarded once every two years to a living author for his or
her lifetime achievement. Previous awardees included Ismail Kadre (2005) and Chinua Achebe (2007).

Sports

· In Rome Rafael the King: Rafael Nadal won his record fourth Rome Masters title beating
defending champion Novak Djokovic 5-6 (2) 6-2. It’s the third clay-court title in three weeks for the top-
ranked Spaniard, following victories at the Monte Carlo Masters and the Barcelona Open. Nadal extended
his winning streak on clay to 30 matches.

· National Games postponed to November: The 34th National Games is put off yet again. This
time the Jharkhand Olympic Association (JOA) promises to have it in November this year.

· Asia cup- South Korea won Asia cup hockey title after beating Pakistan 1-0 in a tough title
clash on may 16. It was the third Asia cup hockey title for South Korea. Their previous two titles came in
1994 and 1999, Korea now holds both the Asian games and the Asia cup titles and also secured a place
at the 2010 world cup in India.

Books & Author

· International Trade and Global Civil Society: Dev Nathan, D Narsimha Reddy

· Special Economic Zones in India: P.K. Manoj

· Lahore to Delhi- Rising from the Ashes: Pran Seth

· The Indian Tribes – The Soul of the Soil: Pintui Mahakul

· Politics Triumphs Economics: Pradeep S. Mehta

· New Forms of Urban Governance in India: I.S.A. Baud J. De Wit

· Social Justice Philanthropy: Sukhadeo Thorat

· Towards Freedom: K.N. Panikkar

· Terrorism and the Indian Media: Rakesh Sinha

· The Untold History of the Tamils: S. Kaliaperumal

· Judiciary in India – Constitutional Perspective: G. Manohar Rao, G.B. Reddy, V Geeta Rao

· Disaster Management-Global Challenge and Local Solutions: Rajib Shaw, R.R. Krishnamurty

· Never Done and Poorly Paid – Women’s work in Globalizing India: Jyati Ghosh

· Challenge and strategy rethinking India’s managing policy: Rajiv Sikri

· India and the global financial crisis: managing money and finance: Y.V Reddy

· Government in India: an inside view: T.S.R. Subramanian

16 to 31 May, 2009

National

·               India gives congress & UPA a clear mandate: The Indian National Congress and its allies
stormed back to power in the Lok Sabha as the country’s voters decisively indicated their
preference for a stable government in New Delhi. It is for the first time since 1991 that it has tasted
this kind of success nationally. Dr. Singh will be the first Prime Minister since Jawaharlal Nehru to
be voted back after a five-year term.

·               Congress retains power in A.P.: Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy is all set to become Chief Minister
of Andhra Pradesh for a second consecutive term after he led the Congress to a comfortable
majority in the Assembly and a spectacular victory in the Lok Sabha elections.

·               BJD landslide in Orissa: The Biju Janata Dal, headed by Orissa Chief Minister Naveen
Patnaik, registered a landslide victory in the Assembly elections.

·               Oriental, PNB in bancassurance tie-up: Oriental insurance company and Punjab national
Bank (PNB) have entered into a Tie-up for a bancassurance venture in order to give a new
direction to their mutual business relations and reach out to the rural masses in a big way through
the PNB network. Under the agreement, PNB’s customers would be able to avail themselves of
Oriental insurance products at competitive rates.

·               NREG performers: The National Rural Employment Guarantee scheme is the single largest
public works programme in human history. The scheme made the government legally accountable
for providing employment to all citizens seeking work. It was notified in 200 districts in February
2006, extended to an additional 130 districts in 2007-08, and across the whole country in April
2008. There were 2.12 crore households demanding employment in 2006-07. The numbers rose to
3.43 crore in 2007-08 and to 4.52 crore in 2008-09. The government, in response, was forced to
increase the number of households provided employment from 2.1 crore to 3.39 crore and further
to 4.46 crore during this period. Obviously, the expansion of the NREG to 4.46 crore households by
just the third year is an impressive achievement. Equally obviously, it has had a major impact on
both the economy and the polity. For one, the inclusion of 4.46 households in the scheme would
mean that it has impacted almost 70% of the country’s rural labour households. Expenditure on the
NREG has gone up from Rs 12,074 crore in 2006-07 to Rs 19,279 crore in 2007-08, and further to
Rs 36,153 crore in 2008-09. Let’s just see how the listing of states making maximum NREG use
has been changing. In 2006-07 the top 5 states providing jobs to households under the NREG
were West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh and Bihar. In 2007-08 the
ranking changed substantially, with the top 5 ranks going to Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh,
Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and West Bengal. This churning continued in 2008-09, with Rajasthan moving
to the top position, followed by Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.

·               Blueprints ready for 4 rail freight corridors: The Planning Commission has prepared the
blueprints for four more dedicated rail freight corridors. In addition to the ongoing Ludhiana-Kolkata
(Eastern Corridor) and Delhi-Mumbai (Western Corridor), the Commission has developed
blueprints for Kolkata-Mumbai, Delhi-Chennai, Kharagpur-Vijayawada and Chennai-Goa dedicated
freight corridor projects. These projects are double rail line projects. State-run Dedicated Railway
Freight Corridor Corporation of India Limited established in October 2006, is implementing the
Ludhiana-Kolkata and Delhi-Mumbai freight corridors which are also called Eastern and Western
freight corridor, respectively. The total length of these two corridors is around 2,762 Km and the
project is likely to entail an investment of over Rs 28,000 crore to Rs 37,000 crore. The projected
 investment in dedicated freight corridor during the Eleventh Five Year Plan (2007-12) is Rs 30,000
crore.

·               Airtel pips BSNL, is top Telco by sales: Bharti Airtel Ltd has vaulted ahead of Bharat
Sanchar Nigam Ltd, or BSNL, by revenues, making for the country’s first instance of a private
enterprise seeded in the post-liberalization era overtaking a state-owned business in any sector.

·               FIPB relocated in ministry reign: The government has decided to bring the Foreign
Investment Promotion Board into a new division within the ministry: the infrastructure & investment
division. FIPB approves all proposals from abroad for joint ventures, mergers and takeovers of an
Indian company.

·               SC upholds Himachal’s Kuther project allotment to JSW energy: The Supreme Court has
upheld the Himachal Pradesh government’s decision to cancel the allotment of the 261 mw Kuther
hydro-electric project to DSC-Himal Company and award it to the second highest bidder, JSW
Energy.

·               Met dept forecasts to help farmers: The country plans to start more accurate weather
forecasts from next year, a move that experts say can raise farm output by 10% in a country that
mainly depends on rains for irrigation. Ajit Tyagi, director general of the India Meteorological
Department (IMD), said a new Indian satellite, INSAT 3D, slated for launch later this year would
help improve the quality of forecasts. The satellite will be a real breakthrough. More effective data
from the new satellite will be fed into numerical models, raising the level of precision.

·               ‘Indian woman live longer than men’: Women in India live longer than their male
counterparts. But around 55 of 1,000 girls born every year don't live beyond their first birthday and
77 per 1,000 births don't live beyond the age of five. While a girl born in India today is expected to
live for 65 years, the average life expectancy of a male child stands at 63.

·               Coast guard vessel rebased to Chennai from Andaman: The Indian Coast Guard rebased
its inshore patrol vessel Ganga Devi from the Andaman and Nicobar region to Chennai as part of
measures to strengthen territorial surveillance off the Tamil Nadu coast.

·               Mandatory use of solar heating system: The government intends to make mandatory the
use of solar heating systems in all functional buildings under the first phase of the proposed
National Solar Mission. To be implemented between 2009 and 2012, the Mission proposes to make
it compulsory for all hospitals, guest houses, hotels and nursing homes to install solar water
heaters. This will be applicable to residential complexes too if a minimum plot area of 500 square
metres is available.

·               Indus towers reaches record 1-lakh mark: Indus Towers, an independent telecom tower
company, has become the first ever in the world to have 1 Lakh towers under its management. The
company is a JV between Vodafone-Essar, Bharti Group and Idea Cellular. Vodafone Essar and
Bharti Airtel each hold 42% stake in the company, and Idea Celluar has the remaining 16% stake.
It operates in 16 telecom circles across India.

·               Haryana to impart health education: Determined to spread health awareness and take
health education message to the rural population, health department, Haryana, has evolved an
innovative strategy and launched an integrated Behaviour Change Communication (BCC)
Programme using the medium of ‘Sakshar Mahila Samooh’ (SMS).SMS in each village is a group
of educated women who have done their matriculation and above, and are engaged in all types of
developmental activities in the village. The programme has been launched by the health
department, acting in concert with the women and child development department.

·               Telcordia arm begins number portability: MNP Interconnection Telecom Solutions India
Private Limited, a joint venture between Telcordia Technologies, Inc and Gurgaon-based DTC
Private Limited has announced that the joint venture will soon start implementing the mobile
 number portability services in southern region. MNP Interconnection is one of the two companies
offered license by DoT to provide the number portability services in Zone 2—south and eastern
region.

·               Now M. Phil. Holders will have to clear NET to become lecturers: The National Eligibility
Test (NET) is all set to return as the basic eligibility criterion for recruitment and appointment of
lecturers in colleges and universities. M.Phil. degree holders will not be exempted from the NET.
Ph.D. holders remain exempted but only with a condition. Candidates who have done their Ph.D. in
compliance with the UGC guidelines, will get exemption from clearing NET/SLET for appointment
as lecturers,” University Grants Commission chairman Sukhadeo Thorat told.

·               IAF moving Sukhoi fighter base to Tezpur: The Indian air force is shoring up its facilities in
the northeast by upgrading infrastructure, improving airfields and moving a Sukhoi frontline fighter
base to Tezpur.

·               Kushinagar International airport set to woo foreign tourists: Decks have been cleared for
the Uttar Pradesh government's highly ambitious Rs. 650-crore green-field Kushinagar international
airport and integrated development of the Buddhist circuit under public-private partnership (PPP)
on a design-build-finance-operate-transfer (DBFOT) basis. The Uttar Pradesh Tourism
Development Corporation (UPTDC) has prepared a project definition report, which will now be
modified into a detailed project report and sent to the Centre for approval. The circuit is a big draw
among Buddhist pilgrims, particularly from East Asia, South-East-Asia and South Asia; yet tourism
prospects in the area suffer due to lack of infrastructure facilities. As a result, an international
airport at Kushinagar is deemed necessary to cater to the traffic originating from Japan, China,
Taiwan, Myanmar and South. Korea, Bhutan, Singapore, Thailand, and Sri Lanka and Nepal.

·               First inshore patrol vessel launched: The quiet and majestic sliding of ‘Rani Abbakka’ into
the blue waters of the Bay of Bengal marked the launch of the first inshore patrol vessel. It is the
first of the five such vehicles being built by the Hindustan Shipyard for the Coast Guard.

·               NTPC south plans 6,000 MW capacity addition: NTPC is planning to add a capacity of over
6,000 MW in the southern region in the coming years. It is gearing up to set up power plants —
4,000 MW unit at Kudgi in Bijapur of Karnataka in the XII Plan, 1,000 MW Simhadri Stage-II near
Visakhapatnam and two 500 MW units at Vallur in Tamil Nadu — in association with Tamil Nadu
Electricity Board in addition to 500 MW capacity wind power projects in Karnataka. Of these, works
on Simhadri Stage-II are in advanced stage and Unit-I of the project will be commissioned by
November next year.

·               Himachal Pradesh to follow Kerela model to boost health tourism: The Himachal Pradesh
government has decided to follow the Kerala model of health tourism to promote ancient systems
of nature cure in the hill state. The state government has decided to send 28 Ayurvedic Medical
Officers for training to Kerala shortly. These health officers will imbibe Kerala model of Ayurvedic
Treatment “Panchakarma”, which has gained reconviction in many states and private centres.

·               Widening the scope of heritage: Three sites — Jantar Mantar, the 18th century observatory
at Jaipur, the eco-regions of the Western Ghats and the Matheran light railway in Maharashtra-
have been nominated for possible inclusion in the world heritage list next year. So far, the list of 27
world heritage sites in India has been dominated by ancient monuments. Brasilia, a modern town
built in 1956 in Brazil, and modern housing estates built between 1910 and 1933 in Berlin are now
part of the world heritage list. Historic cities are the category that has been left out from the
conservation efforts in India. The world heritage list contains 242 cities. In spite of rich urban
heritage, none from India figures in it. Much like heritage buildings, old cities, as collective
ensembles, embody cultural significance and reflect the town planning history as Jaisalmer and
Jaipur illustrate this. The Archaeological Survey of India is limited to the preservation of
monuments and the existing legal framework only takes care of a periphery of 200 metres around
 the monuments and not the city as a whole.

·               Airavat: Indian Navy commissioned its ship INS Airavat, the fifth indigenously built landing
Ship tank. It is third in the Shardul Class of Ships, this was the 132nd Ship commissioned by the
Indian Navy built by the Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) in Kolkata. INS Airavat
would render humanitarian assistance and disaster relief in times of disaster on the Indian Coast
and neighboring countries, in addition to operations in times of conflict. The ship is capable of
carrying army tanks, trucks and 500 troops in addition to a crew of nearly 170. It is equipped with
two helicopters, rockets and other weapons. Garden Reach shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE)
the builders of the INS Airavat had earlier delivered INS Shardul and INS Kesari in 2006 and 2008.

·               11 Indians Conquer Everest: Eleven gutsy Indians on May 21, 2009 quietly strode into
mountaineering history by summiting Mt. Everest, even as their feat was eclipsed by legendary
climber Apa Sherpa, who reached the peak an incredible 19th time. Ten of the new Everest heroes
are from the Nehru institute of mountaineering (NIM) expedition 2009.

·               Astra Missile Test-Fired: As part of development tests, the flight trial of Astra, beyond visual
range Air to Air missile, was successfully carried out by scientists of the Defence Research and
Development Organization recently at Balasore, Orissa. The missile’s dual mode guidance was
fully proved when it was fired from the ground at an imaginary target. Astra is high end tactical
missile and is envisaged to intercept enemy aircraft at supersonic speeds in head on mode at a
range of 80 km and in tail chase mode at 20 km. Once the full-fledged flight test is completed, the
missile will be integrated with the IAF’s Sukhoi-30, MIG-29 and the Light Combat Aircraft (Tejas).

·               Six Bihar Districts Selected for India—UN Programme: As per PTI reports, six districts of
Bihar were selected under a joint Government of India—United Nations (UN) programme on
convergence to meet Millennium Development Goals (MDG) for the 11th Five Year Plan. These
districts include Vaishali, Nalanda, Gaya, Bhagalpur, Purnea and Supaul. The GOI-UN programme
on convergence provides technical assistance in the districts to leverage better utilization of
government resource for implementation of national flagship programmes in the state, UNICEF
sources reported. A high level meeting chaired by district magistrates of Nalanda and Gaya on
GOI-UN programme on convergence was held at Nalanda Gaya District Collectorate recently.

International

·               Indo-US type N-deal from France to Pak: France offered Pakistan civilian nuclear technology
to meet its growing energy requirements, overlooking global concerns over Islamabad's poor non-
proliferation record. "France has agreed to transfer civilian nuclear technology to Pakistan. The two
countries have agreed in principle on the move," Pakistan foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi
said, after President Asif Ali Zardari held talks his with his French counterpart Nicolas Sarkozy in
Paris.

·               End of the war: The Sri Lankan armed forces have won a comprehensive victory over the
Liberation tigers of Tamil Eelam in a military campaign that began in the eastern province in August
2006. With its entire top leadership and thousands of fighting cadres killed in action, its military
structures, assets, and capabilities destroyed, its political organization decimated, the LTTE no
longer exists as a military force.

·               China-assembled A 320 test flight successful: After four hours of successful test flight, the
first China-assembled Airbus A320 aircraft landed smoothly at Tianjin Binhai International  Airport.

·               Race for UN nuclear watchdog’s top job: Five contenders to succeed Mohammed ElBaradel
as Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency will present their credentials to the
35 member board on May 26. A straw poll will reduce the field to two candidates before a formal
election in June in which a two-thirds majority is needed to win.

o              Yukiya Amano, 62: Japanese envoy to IAEA and Veteran of nuclear Non-Proliferation
 Treaty negotiations.

o              Abdul Samad Minty, 69: Politically outspoken South African IAEA envoy.

o              Luis Echavarri, 60: Former Spanish nuclear regulatory chief.

o              Jean-Pol Poncelet, 59: Former Belgian defence and energy minister Senior Vice
President at French nuclear giant.

o              Ernest Petric, 72: Former IAEA envoy is currently serving as Judge on Silovenia’s
Constitutional Court.

·               Rafale allowed to take part in aircraft bid: French fighter aircraft Rafale has been allowed to
take part in the Indian Air Force’s bid to acquire 126 medium multi-role combat aircraft. The
decision was taken at a meeting of the Defence Procurement Board. Rafale, made by Dassault,
was earlier declared out of the race after technical evaluations.

·               Pakistan, India, US sharing intelligence: Pakistan and India have begun sharing intelligence
on Islamic extremists, with the prodding of the US, in an arrangement that represents
unprecedented cooperation between the two nuclear-armed nations.

·               Japan’s economy: Japan, the world’s second largest economy, by the end of this year will
have experienced a decline in its national output of 10 per cent from the peak in 2008. Figures
announced show that in the first three months of this year output fell by 4 per cent. This is the
fastest rate of decline since the war; overall it is the biggest decline of any major economy since
the U.S. economy contracted by a quarter during the Great Depression.

·               Gurkhas win major victory in U.K.: Former British Gurkha soldiers won a major victory when
the government finally gave in to their long-standing demand to be allowed to settle in Britain as a
reward for their “loyalty” to the country. More than 30,000 Gurkhas, who retired before 1997 and
were hitherto not entitled to automatic residence, would benefit from Prime Minister Gordon
Brown’s U turn which followed an embarrassing defeat for the government in the Commons
recently when a large number of Labour MPs voted with the opposition on the issue.

·               Post-Lonza, Alexandria to invest in Genome valley: Genome Valley, the knowledge park
developed exclusively for the biotech industry in Hyderabad, has seen yet another major
investment coming its way. This time around, the investment is from Alexandria, the world’s largest
lab space provider, to the tune of $200 million. Recently, Lonza, a Switzerland-based global giant
in bio-pharma sector, announced plans to invest $150 million in the knowledge park.

·               France invites Manmohan for national day Celebrations: France has invited Prime Minister
Manmohan Singh to be Chief Guest at its National Day celebrations in July this year. The invitation
by French President Nicolas Sarkozy seems to reciprocate the Indian gesture of making him the
Chief Guest at the Republic Day celebrations last year.

·               International children’s film festival at Kolkata: A six-day international festival of children’s
films showcasing film from 20 countries will be held in the city from May 24, giving children a
chance to watch films from abroad.

·               Iran, Pakistan ink gas pipeline deal: Iran and Pakistan signed a deal to lay a gas pipeline for
taking Iranian gas to Pakistan. The deal, christened the Peace Pipeline, was signed in Tehran by
Iran’s President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and his Pakistani counterpart, Asif Ali Zardari, on the
sidelines of a trilateral summit on Afghanistan security.

·               Resumption of Indo-Tibet trade awaits Chinese nod: China has not yet given permission to
resume Indo-Tibet border trade from the scheduled date of June 1, heightening the suspense
whether the traditional barter deals would at all take place this year. The Pithoragarh district
 authorities said they had written to the Centre for early resumption of the trade as well as passes
required to visit Tibet.

·               North Korea conducts second nuclear test: Unfazed by global pressure, a defiant North
Korea conducted a second “more powerful” nuclear test and test-fired three missiles, triggering an
emergency U.N. Security Council meeting and calls for a global “action” against a “reckless”
Pyongyang. The state-run Korean Central News Agency said the North “successfully conducted
one more underground nuclear test on May 25 as part of the measures to bolster up its nuclear
deterrent for self-defence in every way.

·               NCDEX signs pact with Singapore exchange for cross-trading: Singapore Commodity
Exchange Limited (Sicom) and the National Commodity & Derivatives Exchange of India (NCDEX)
announced that they have signed an agreement for cooperation and the development of their
commodity markets. This would make Sicom the first exchange outside India to trade NCDEX’s
products and NCDEX the first exchange outside Singapore to trade Sicom’s products.

·               Indonesia palm oil exports: Indonesian exports of palm oil to India are forecast to jump 25%
this year, driven by higher consumption in the world’s second-biggest edible oils buyer and tight
supply of rival soybean oil. The world’s largest palm oil producer Indonesia is the top supplier of
palm oil products to India, ahead of Malaysia, because India buys mostly crude palm oil to supply
its refiners, not refined products. Malaysia is a bigger supplier of refined products. In contrast, the
world’s biggest buyer of edible oils China buys mostly refined products, not crude palm oil.

·               Israel: 80 per cent of west bank water for Israelis: A deepening drought in the Middle East is
aggravating a dispute over water resources after the World Bank found that Israel is taking four
times as much water as the Palestinians. The region faces a fifth consecutive year of drought this
summer, but the World Bank report found huge disparities in water use between Israelis and
Palestinians, although both share the mountain aquifer that runs the length of the occupied West
Bank. Palestinians have access to only a fifth of the water supply, while Israel, which controls the
area, takes the rest. Joint Water Committee, established in 1995 with Israelis and Palestinians as
an interim measure under the Oslo peace accords, had failed to produce results and needed
reform.

·               U.N. adopts Sri Lanka’s resolution: The United Nations Human Rights Council dropped a
Swiss-EU draft resolution calling for an investigation into possible war crimes during Sri Lanka’s
recently-concluded war on terrorism and adopted Sri Lanka’s counter resolution with some of the
proposals in the Swiss-EU document incorporated into it. Of the 47-member Council, 29 voted for
Sri Lanka’s resolution, 12 against and 6 abstained. U.N. human rights chief Navi Pillay had told the
Council there was credible evidence that both the forces and the LTTE grossly violated
international humanitarian laws. But Sri Lanka — backed by Asian countries including China, India
and Pakistan — managed to push through its own resolution.

·               Germany to ink deal with Magna: Germany reached a land mark deal with Canadian auto
parts group magna, General motors and governments to save car maker Opel from the imminent
bankruptcy of its US parent.

·               World’s first manure-powered town: A German town will become the first in the world to be
powered by animal waste when it launches a biogas network this year. Lunen, north of Dortmund,
will use cow and horse manure as well as other organic material from farms to provide cheap and
sustainable electricity for its 90,000 residents. Biogas is already used around the world — it will
power buses in Oslo from September — but Lunen claims to be the only town to build a dedicated
biogas network.

·               Pak SC lifts ban: Pakistan’s Supreme Court overturned a ban that prevented two times Prime
Minister Nawaz Sharif and his brother Shahbaz Sharif from contesting elections and holding public
 officer.

·               The Sejil 2 Missile: The stated range of the surface-to-surface Sejil 2 missile would be almost
as far as another Iranian missile Shahab 3 and military analysts say it could enable Iran to reach
Israel and US bases in the Gulf. The Sejil 2 missile, which has an advanced technology, was
launched on May 20, and it landed exactly on the target, the IRNA news agency quoted
Ahmadinejad as saying.

·               Iran, Pakistan Sign Gas Pipeline Agreement: May 24, 2009 signed an agreement to lay a
gas pipeline for taking Iranian gas to Pakistan. The agreement, termed as peace pipeline, was
signed in Tehran by Iran’s President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and his Pakistani counterpart, Asif Ali
Zardari, on the sidelines of a trilateral summit of the presidents of Iran, Pakistan and Afghanistan
on Afghanistan security. The Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) reported that the 2,700 km.
pipeline would transfer Iranian gas to India, through Pakistan. As originally proposed, the project
envisages construction of 1,100 km of pipeline in Iran, 1,000 km. in Pakistan and 600 km in India.

·               India’s competitiveness ranking slips: India has been ranked 30th for overall
competitiveness in 2009,which is one position lower than that of the previous year, in the World
Competitiveness Yearbook (WCY) brought out by the International Institute for Management
Development (IMD). Among the 57 major countries compared, the United States still retains the
title of the most competitive nation in the world followed by Hong Kong and Singapore at second
and third positions respectively. India’s dip in rankings has now continued for the second
consecutive year. Medium term trends show that though the rankings improved from a low of 33 in
2005 to 27 in 2006 the Indian rankings have continued to deteriorate since then.

·               GE Hitachi signs pact with L&T for nuclear plants: GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy (GEH)
announced that it had signed a nuclear power plant development agreement with Larsen & Toubro
(L&T). The agreement involves establishing an extensive network of local suppliers to help build a
future GEH-designed advanced boiling water reactor (ABWR) power station in India.

Economy

·               CST to phase out with GST entry: In a significant departure from its original plans, the Centre
and states have decided not to reduce the Central Sales Tax (CST) rate in 2009-10. Instead, the
tax will be completely withdrawn once the proposed goods and services tax (GST) is introduced.
As part of the implementation of value added tax (VAT) and introduction of GST in the country, the
Centre and the states had agreed to phase out CST through a 1% annual rate cut starting April 1,
2007, over a period of four years. It was scheduled to be completely abolished by 2010-11.

·               India tops in FDI growth: India saw an 85.1% increase in FDI in 2008, the highest increase
across all countries, even as global flows declined by 14.5%, according to the study. The study,
which updates the organization’s January assessment, estimates that the FDI into India went up
form $25.1 billion in 2007 to $46.5 billion in 2008, while global flows declined from $1.9 trillion to
$1.7 trillion during the period.

·               Per capita income: The per capita monthly income of an average Indian has, for the first time,
crossed the Rs.3,000 mark on current price levels. Beside this upbeat piece of news, the revised
estimates of annual national income released also showed that the economy had grown by 5.8% in
the March quarter form a year earlier, higher then the previous estimate. However, the per capita
figures may look a bit less impressive when adjusted for inflammation. The central statistical
organization (CSO) estimates showed that when adjusted inflation, the per capital income reached
only Rs. 25,494 against Rs. 25,661 per annum estimated in February.

·               Reliance power to invest Rs12k Cr in Arunachal Pradesh: Anil Ambani-led Reliance Power
will invest over Rs 12,000 crore for executing 2,520-MW hydro power projects in Arunachal
Pradesh, to be commissioned in the next Five Year Plan. "Reliance Power has signed an
 agreement with the Arunachal Pradesh government for developing 2,520 MW of hydro power
projects in the state.

·               Urban uplift to get Rs25k-Cr World Bank aid: The Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban
Renewal Mission (JNNURM) is going to get fresh fund infusion of around $5 billion from the World
Bank, said M Ramachandran, secretary, urban development ministry.

·               Bharti, MTN renew talks for $23-bn swap deal: The country’s largest telecom operator,
Bharti Airtel, has reopened discussions to acquire a 49% stake in South Africa’s MTN for over $23
billion in a cash-cum-stock swap, after a year-long hiatus following the breakdown of talks between
the two over the combined entity’s controlling structure. In the latest round, for which the two sides
have entered into exclusive negotiations until July 31, MTN and its shareholders would get 36%
stake in Bharti.

·               PNB set to buy Kazak Bank: Punjab National Bank, the country’s second largest state owned
bank, likely to acquire a bank in Kazakhstan this year. “We are exploring opportunities in
Kazakhstan and are keen to go for a buyout by deploying capital worth $30-40 million, “said PNB
CMD KC Chakrabarty.

·               Bharti will get access to 21 Nations: Bharti is already the world's sixth largest telecom
company, purely on the basis of the booming Indian economy. But a deal with MTN would give it
access to 21 more countries, allowing it to boast of being a true Indian multinational, and a
champion player in emerging markets.

·               Airtel launches Net PC for broadband users: Bharti Airtel announced its entry into the “cloud
computing” space with the launch of Airtel Net PC, a low-cost online computer for its broadband
customers. The Airtel Net PC is a ready-to-use computer and available at Rs.7,999 for Airtel
broadband customers in Delhi, Gurgaon and Noida.

·               Uniform gold price in the country: The days of spot prices of gold differing from one city to
another will soon be over. The launch of the Indian Bullion Market Association (IBMA), which will
represent the Indian Bullion Trade and Industry, will ensure the country now has a uniform price of
the yellow metal.

·               Bharti Wal-Mart first store: Bharti Wal-Mart Private Limited, the joint venture between Bharti
Enterprises and U.S.-based retail giant Wal-Mart Stores for cash-and-carry and back-end supply
chain management operations in India, opened its first store in Amritsar (Punjab). The company
also announced plans to set up 15 more outlets across India and invest $100 million in 2 to 4
years.

·               Bharti enterprises in JV to foray into F&B sector: Bharti Enterprises has ventured into food
and beverage products in partnership with the Singapore-based Del Monte Pacific and is planning
an investment of Rs. 100 crore in the current financial year. The joint venture has launched a range
of food and beverage products from Filipino-based Del Monte Pacific that includes fruit drinks,
packaged fruits, ketchup and sauces, apart from several Italian products for the Indian market.

·               Re-enter Bina refinery: Oman Oil Company has offered to buy a 26 per cent stake in the
upcoming refinery at Bina for $250 million (Rs 1,200 crore), reversing an earlier decision not to
increase its stake beyond the 2 per cent it currently owns. The Rs. 10,400-crore Inland refinery is
being built by Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL) through its subsidiary, Bharat Oman
Refinery, in Madhya Pradesh. Bina refinery was conceived in 1994 with BPCL and Oman Oil
Company holding 26 percent each, while the remaining 48 per cent was supposed to come from
strategic investors and the public.

·               China Largest Source of India’s Import: RBI: According to RBI’s statistics, China has
emerged as the largest source of India’s imports in the last two years forcing the commerce and
finance ministries to take recourse to safeguard and anti dumping measures. India’s imports from
 China almost doubled to $ 24.16 billion in April December 2008-09 from $ 12.64 billion in the
comparable period of 2006-07. China continued to be the single largest sources of imports, with a
share of 10.3 per cent in total imports followed by Saudi Arabia, the UAE, the US and Switzerland.
The items include fabrics, nylon tyro cord, yarns and certain high End stainless steel products.

Science & Technology

·               World’s first battery that charges on air: The world’s first battery fuelled by air, which could
provide up to 10 times the energy storage of designs currently available and could power electric
cars, mobile phones and laptops, has been unveiled. Scientists say the revolutionary ‘STAIR’ (St
Andrews Air) battery is charged in a traditional way but as power is used or ‘discharged’, an open
mesh section of the battery draws in oxygen from the surrounding air. This oxygen reacts with a
porous carbon component inside the battery, which creates more energy and helps to continually
‘charge’ the cell as it is being discharged.

·               Phalcon AWACS to arrive on may 24: Barring a last-minute hiccup, the Indian Air Force (IAF)
pilots will fly home the first of the three Phalcon Airborne Early Warning and Control Systems
(AWACS) making India the first country in the South-Asian region to have this capability. The
AWACS will provide India the means to track incoming missiles and look deep into the neighboring
countries under all weather conditions. Under the tripartite deal among India, Russia and Israel, the
aircraft should have been delivered by the end of March this year. The Phalcon is mounted on
Russian Ilyushin-76 airframe.

·               DRDO hands over 16 Arjun tanks to army: with the delivery of 16 Arjun tanks, the army was
equipped with the first armored regiment of the indigenously built main battle Tanks (MBTS), the
development of which took 35 years. Arjun tanks have good mobility and firepower, specially suited
for the Indian desert. The tanks, with advance technology and capacity to fire in the range of 3-4
Km, have been built at DRDO’s Avadi-based combat Vehicles Research and Development
Establishment.

·               Agni-II was Tested: User trial of nuclear capable Agni-II missile was successfully conducted
by the Army on May 19. Scientists from Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO)
were present to provide the necessary logistical support. The test of ‘Agni-II’, an indigenously built
intermediate range ballistic missile was carried out from a mobile launcher Pad-4 of integrated test
range at wheelers Island near dharma, about 80 km from Balasore (Orissa). He state owned
Bharat dynamics Ltd is the nodal agency for the production of Agni-I and Agni-II missiles. Agni-II
missile was first tested on April 11, 1999, and inducted in the army in 2004. The indigenously built
surface-to surface Agni-I missile has a strike range of 1500 km, while Agni-II missile has the
capability of hitting tang etc at ranges between 2500 to 3,000 km with a 1000 kg pay-load.

Person

·               Madhav Kumar Nepal: With the Madhesi Janadhikar Forum (MJF) finally agreeing to back the
CPN (UML)-Nepali Congress alliance, senior leader of CPN-UML Madhav Kumar Nepal is set to be
the next Prime Minister of Nepal.

·               Sahal Kaushik: The Delhi boy-genius has already brought home a silver medal from the Asian
Physics Championship. And he is now all set for something even more stupendous he is a step
away from representing India in the International Physics Olympiad in Mexico where he will be
pitted against geniuses from 82 countries who will be far older than him.

·               Pawan Kumar Chamling: Pawan Kumar Chamling (58) is all set to take over as chief minister
of Sikkim for a fourth consecutive term this week. His Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF) won all the
32 assembly seats, equalling the record of his mentor, Nar Bahadur Bhandari, who had led his
Sikkim Sangram Parishad (SSP) to a similar clean-sweep two decades ago. Like SSP in 1989,
SDF has also signed off its assembly victory by winning the state’s lone Lok Sabha seat with a
 huge margin.

·               Shikha Sharma: The Reserve Bank of India gave an approval to the appointment of Shikha
Sharma by the board members of Axis Bank as its Managing Director and CEO for a tenure of five
years.

·               Charles Bolden: U.S. President Barrack Obama has selected the former astronaut, Charles
Bolden, to become NASA administrator. The retired marine corps general would be the first African
American to head NASA.

·               Malvinder Singh steps down, Sobti new Ranbaxy CEO: Nearly a year after selling his
family’s entire 35% stake in the country’s largest drug manufacturer, Ranbaxy Laboratories Ltd, to
Japanese firm Daiichi Sankyo, Malvinder Singh stepped down as the company’s chairman, CEO
and managing director. Daiichi Sankyo Director and Ranbaxy board member, Tsutomu Une, has
been appointed as the executive chairman of the company while, Atul Sobti been appointed the
new CEO.

·               Prakash M Telang as the company's new managing director in place of Ravi Kant who retires
on June 1. However, the company said that Kant who retires at 65 would continue with Tata
Motors, though in a non-executive position.

·               Sabita Indra Reddy: Sabita Indra Reddy, 46, was given the all-important post of state’s home
minister. She is the first woman to occupy the coveted post in the state. Popularly called Chevella
Chellemma.

·               Meera Kumar: Meera Kumar 64, daughter of Former Deputy Prime Minister Babu Jagjivan
Ram would be the first woman to hold the office of the speaker of the Lok Sabha.

·               Horst Koehler: Horst Koehler was re-elected as the president of Germany by a single vote for
a second five-year term on May 23.

Awards

·               Popular film wins Palme d’Or: The Cannes film festival ended with a popular winner in
Austrian director Michael Haneka, but the starkest image at the world’s biggest cinema showcase
may be Lars von Trier’s searing “An tichrist”. Haneke’s “The whit Ribbon” was awarded the coveted
Palme d’Or (Golden Palm) ceremony late.

·               Mahatma Gandhi International Award for Peace and Justice 2009: Pro-democracy leader
of Myanmar Ang San Suu Kyi was chosen for Mahatma Gandhi International award for peace and
justice 2009. Mahatma Gandhi international Award for peace and justice is awarded by the
Mahatma Gandhi foundation of South Africa. Ela Gandhi is the chairman of the Mahatma Gandhi
foundation.

Sports

·               South Korea beats Pakistan to lift Asia Cup: South Korea won its third Asia Cup Hockey title
after beating three time champion Pakistan 1-0 in a hard fought final.

·               Surendra Singh picks up gold: Surendra Kumar Singh accounted for India’s solitary gold
medal in the opening leg of the Asian Grand Prix athletics meet. Surendra, national record holder in
the event won the 3,000 metres untroubled.

·               Ganguly wins Asian Championship: Grandmaster Surya Shekhar Ganguly won the Asian
chess championship following a draw against China’s Zhou Jianchao in the 11th and final round at
Subic, Olongapo City in the Philippines.
·               IPL’S NEW NIZAMS: Underdogs Hyderabad beat Royal Challengers by 6 runs in a thriller to
emerge as champs of IPL.

·               Brawn Driver claims 5th win of Season: brawn GP’s Jenson Button Won the Monaco Grand
prix capturing his fifth Victory in six races to extend his formula one championship lead. England
mauls Windies, regains Wisden Trophy.

·               Sayali Gokhale Grabs Spanish Open Title: Sayali Gokhale who is the reigning champion
won the women’s singles titles in the Spanish open Badminton championship in Madrid on May 24,
2009.

·               European Champions League: Barcelona registered 2-0 Victory against holder Manchester
united final on May 28 at the Stadio Olimpico stadium in Rome. This was the third title of the
season for Barcelona. Thus it became the first team to win the Spanish treble of La Liga, the king’s
cup and the champion’s league.

Books & Author

·               Why I support the Emergency: Essays and Profiles: Khushwant Singh

·               The Indian Conveyancer: P.C. Mogha

·               Service Law of Government Employees: R.K. Bag

·               Human Rights and the Law: Neera Bharihoke

·               Foreign Policy and Human Rights-An Indian Perspective: Suresh R

·               Mysore As a Seat of Music: M.B. Vedavalli

·               Democracy and Human Development in India: Naresh Gupta

·               Replicating Dreams: Nabiha Syed

·               The making of Roman India: Grant Parker

·               Unfreedom and Waged work: Sunanda Sen, Byasdeb Dasgupta

·               In Quest of Indian Folktales: Sadhana Folktales

·               Meandering through Malgudi: S. John Sahyam

·               The miracle of democracy: T. S. Krishnamurthy

·               Humanistic Buddhism: John Balcom

·               Twilight of the Tigers: G.H. Peiris

Miscellaneous

·               As Alaska glaciers melt, sea level is falling, not rising: Global warming conjures images of
rising seas that threaten coastal areas. But in Juneau, Alaska, as almost nowhere else in the world,
climate change is having the opposite effect: As the glaciers here melt, the land is rising, causing
the sea to retreat.

·               New beat: BSF will march to Rahman’s tune: the border security force (BSF) Jawans will now
march to the beats of Oscar winner A R Rahman with his ‘Jai Ho’ number, has composed the
 theme song for the paramilitary force. The five minute song ‘Hum Seema Suraksha Bal… Veeron
Ka Hai Ye Dal’ composed by Rahman praises the strength and valour of the force.

·               Washington woman first to die under assisted suicide law: Linda Fleming was diagnosed
with terminal cancer and feared her last days would be filled with pain and ever-stronger doses of
medication that would erode her mind. The 66-year-old woman with late-stage pancreatic cancer
wanted to be clear-headed at death, so she became the first person to kill herself under
Washington state's new assisted suicide law, known as "death with dignity.

·               Tobacco pictorial warnings: Pictorial warnings on the packs on all tobacco products will be
mandatory from May 31, World No Tobacco Day. The products will have to clearly display a
scorpion and lungs as warnings, covering at least 40 per cent of the principal display area of the
pack. The products cannot carry any message that directly or indirectly promotes a specific tobacco
brand or tobacco use in General.

01 to 15 Jun, 2009
National

·               Passenger Traffic Share of Airports: The government would not privatize any existing
airports, civil aviation minister Praful Patel said. Spelling out the likely contours of the aviation
policy, Patel said, "We are not going to go for any more disinvestment or take the PPP (private-
public partnership) route for any more airports. The country's passenger traffic is projected to touch
54.78 million this year and go up to 85.30 million by 2016-17, requiring massive investments in
airport development.

·               Wireless Subscribers Base Cross 400-million Mark: The country’s wireless subscriber base
has crossed the 400-million mark in April this year with an addition of 11.9 million new users. The
total telecom (wireless and Wireline) subscriber base stood at 441.47 million at the end of April
2009. It now looks like the target of 500 million phones by 2010 set by department of
telecommunications is very much achievable, even before the target period. The overall Tele-
density has reached 37.94 at the end of April as against 36.98 in March 2009. Tele-density means
the number of people having phones per a population of 100.

·               Sea Wave to Generate 500 MW in Maha: After the successful launch of a 25-kw sea waves-
based power generation project at Guhagar in the Konkan region, the Maharshtra government
proposes to encourage similar projects in the state to tap a potential of 500 mw in this segment.
Maharashtra, which strives to tackle the daily power shortage of 3,500 mw to 5,000 mw, has a 720
km coastline development of such projects will provide a partial relief. Initial investigations have
revealed that such projects can come up at around 150 sites. The generation is possible by upward
and horizontal thrust of sea waves. Guhagar project does not depend on tide and the generation of
power is possible by powerful sea waves. Efforts will be made to increase the power generation to
 250 kw and 1 mw by August. The generation cost will come to less than a rupee against the cost of
Rs 3.50 per unit for a coal based or other power projects.

·               Report Calls for Change in Atomic Energy act: Private sector has made a strong pitch for
51% equity instead of 49% equity in the nuclear power projects. Besides, the private sector has
called for an amendment to the Atomic Energy Act, 1962. The focal point while amending the act
should maintain a balance between commercial interests and effective implementation of the
national power capacity.

·               DLF Allowed to withdraw 4 SEZs; Govt Approves 10 New ones: The government gave in-
principle approval to DLF to withdraw four of its IT and ITES special economic zones, which the
realty major did not want to build in the face of slowdown in the real estate business. However, the
board of approval in the commerce ministry asked the DLF to return all the tax sops it had taken
from the Centre before it’s SEZs in Gujarat, West Bengal, Orissa and Haryana could be de-notified.
The BoA also cleared ten fresh proposals for setting up SEZs, most of which related to IT and
ITES, followed by the bio-technology sector. It gave a green signal to Gulf Oil Corporation, L&T,
Emaar MGF and MM Tech to set up IT/ITES tax-free enclave in Bangalore, Mumbai, and
Chenagamanadu (Kerala), respectively.

·               Meira Kumar Becomes First woman Speaker of LS: History was scripted as senior
Congress leader Meira Kumar was unanimously elected as Lok Sabha Speaker to become the first
woman to hold the top Constitutional post and the second dalit person after G.M.C Balyogi. The 64-
year-old dalit leader was elected after a resolution moved by UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and
seconded by Leader of the House Pranab Mukherjee was approved by a voice vote amidst
thumping of desks by the entire House.  She is IFS officer and Union minister. Meira’s father is late
Jagjivan Ram.

·               Stability Mantra in Plan Commission too as PM Retains Key Members: Continuing with his
theme of maintaining stability in his government’s second term at the Centre, Prime Minister
Manmohan Singh re-appointed Montek Singh Ahluwalia as the deputy chairman of the Planning
Commission. Ahluwalia is the first deputy chairman to retain the post for a second term, although
Gulzari Lal Nanda had served the post twice as he was the minister of planning in the Jawaharlal
Nehru government between 1953 and 1963. The PM also approved the reconstitution of the
Planning Commission, which will have three new members. These include Saumitra Chaudhuri,
former member of the Prime Minister’s Economic Advisory Council, Narendra Jadhav, honorary
vice-chancellor of Pune University and Mihir Shah, secretary, Samaj Pragati Sahayog. Apart from
them, the Plan Panel has retained three earlier members—Abhijit Sen, Syeda Hameed and BK
Chaturvedi. Immediate task at hand for the Plan Panel members is to send inputs for the Budget
2009-10 and also undertake a mid-term review of the 11th Plan. Ahluwalia will enjoy Cabinet rank,
while the other members will be on par with ministers of state.

·               Vedanta to Start Bauxite Mining in Orissa By August: London-based Vedanta Resources is
expected to start bauxite mining from the Niyamgiri mines in Orissa’s Kalahandi district by August.
The mining project has already received the environment and stage I forest clearances. Vedanta
Resources has set up a 1 million tonne alumina refinery at Lanjigarh in Kalahandi district through
its group company Vedanta Aluminium Ltd. It has also set up a 0.25 million tonne aluminium
smelter along with a 675mw captive generating plant at Jharsuguda. Vedanta Resources has
firmed up a joint venture company with Orissa government owned Orissa Mining Corporation
(OMC) through its group company Sterlite Industries (India) Ltd for mining bauxites from the
Niyamgiri mines.

·               Tata Tele-DoCoMo Begins GSM Price War: Triggering a fresh round of tariff war, the
country’s sixth largest mobile operator, Tata Teleservices Ltd and Japan’s NTT DoCoMo, will
launch GSM handsets for less than Rs1,000 in the rural markets. The move will mark the
company’s entry later this month into the GSM segment, for which an investment of $2 bullion has
been earmarked. The Rs 900 handset would be the cheapest GSM device bundled with talk time in
 the market Anlysts see this as the first major push by the Japanese major into the Indian market.
The $40 bullion NTT DoCoMo has operations in nine Asian markets, including in South Korea and
the Philippines.

·               Honda Jazz-es up Compact Car Segment: After over a decade-long presence in India with
bigger cars Honda Siel Cars India (HSCI) forayed into the mass volume compact car segment with
Honda Jazz. The car, available in three variants.

·               Shinde-Led Panel to Push Power Capacity Addition: The power minister Sushilkumar
Shinde will head a committee of former power secretaries and members to independent power
producers (IPPs) to review the slow pace of capacity addition and make necessary
recommendations to give a much needed push for it. The Centre has proposed a capacity addition
of 78,577 mw by the end of 2011-2012. During 2007-08 against the target of 16,335.20 mw, only
9,263 mw was achieved leaving a gap of 7072.20 mw. In 2008-09, against the target of 11,061.20
mw, the capacity addition was of the order of a paltry 3,452.70 mw leaving a gap of 7,607.80 mw.
Ironically, in the current year 2009-2010, 300 mw was added in April against the target of 14,507
mw.

·               Maha Gets CAG Rap on MPLADS Shortfall:  The comptroller & Auditor general (CAG) in its
report for 2007-08 has rapped the Maharashtra government as the  non-recommendation of works
by present and former members of parliament from Maharashtra and  non-utilization of scheme
funds by district collectors led to shortfall of Rs204 crore in receipt of central funds.

·               Gopalpur Port to be fully Operational by August 2010: Gopalpur Port in Orissa will be fully
operational by August 2010. The fair-weather port in Ganjam district is being developed as the all-
weather port by Gopalpur Port Ltd (GPL), a consortium led by Orissa Stevedores Ltd (OSL). The
statutory clearances like the environmental green signal have also been obtained by the developer.
Gopalpur Port will be the second all-weather port after Paradip in Orissa coast. The state
government had selected Gopalpur Port Ltd through the international competitive biddings (ICB)
route and signed the Concessional Agreement (CA) on September 14, 2006. According to the
Concessional Agreement, Gopalpur Port Ltd will develop the port under BOOST (build, own,
operate, share and transfer) basis. The all-weather port would handle 10 million tonne of cargo with
an investment of Rs 1700 crore. 

·               Pepper re-plantation Scheme to Raise output by 75k tonne: In an effort to regain its top
position in pepper production, the Spices Board has embarked on a massive re-plantation and
rejuvenation programme in Idukki district of Kerala. The initiative, when completed, will add an
additional 75,000 tonne of pepper to the national kitty. The scheme is meant to re-plant old as well
as disease-affected pepper vines with disease-free high yielding varieties. With the active support
and approval of the National Horticulture Mission, the scheme is scheduled to be completed by
2013-14.

·               NSG Base in Chennai by Year-end: The country's counter-terrorism force, the NSG, is
gearing up to set up its full-fledged commando unit in Chennai. The NSG commandos would arrive
in Chennai next week and would temporarily function at the Police Training College at Ashok Nagar
in Chennai. In the wake of 26/11, TN CM M Karunanidhi had made a strong plea for the NSG unit
in Chennai to avert possible terror strikes.

·               IAF Station Sukhois Close to China Border: Four Sukhoi fighter planes will fly into Tezpur
next week to set up the newest base. Aircraft of the Indian, Air Force in a British era air field located
only 370km from the last post on the India-China border. Tezpur is also the headquarters of the 4 th
corps of the Indian army. The four aircraft will move out of the Lohegaon airbase in Pune, which is
the hub for raising new Sukhoi squadrons.

·               Tata Steel to Set Up 2nd Training Centre in J’khand: Tata Steel signed a memorandum of
understanding (MoU) with the Jharkhand government for a second industrial training centre (ITC)
 at Tamar, 60 km near Ranchi.  The steel major had earlier on, as part of its 12 million tonne per
annum (mtpa) greenfield steel project at Tontaposhi in the adjacent Seraikela-Kharswan district,
inaugurated an industrial training centre with support of the local administration.

·               Centre Set to give N-E a Rs 1,400cr Makeover: In what might just put the "neglected" North-
East on to the tourist map, the Centre is set to launch a Rs 1,400 crore programme aiming to build
and revamp urban infrastructure in the far-flung area with the aim to make its natural wonders more
accessible. The Urban development ministry is making a concerted effort and has taken the
initiative to showcase the scenic beauty and diverse culture by making cities modern and more
liveable. The North East Urban Development Programme, for which the ministry has managed to
get funds from Asian Development Bank, will cover five state capitals— Aizawl, Shillong, Gangtok,
Kohima, and Agartala— in the first phase.

·               Govt. Plans to Lease out Three Units of National Jute Corp: In the first such move in
India’s chequered public sector history, the government is considering leasing out three production
units of National Jute Manufacturers Corporation Ltd (NJMC) to private companies. NJMC has
been sick since 1994 and had a negative net worth of over Rs 6,250 crore by 2007-08. NJMC has
six jute mills in West Bengal and Bihar. The units that are proposed to be leased out are Kinnison
and Khardah in West Bengal and RBHM in Bihar. The remaining three factories-National,
Alexandra, Union in West Bengal-are to be closed, according to the proposal of the textiles
ministry, which administers operations of the company.

·               HP, Haryana Lead the Way in Socio-Economic Uplift: Himachal Pradesh and Haryana have
done exceedingly well in socio-economic uplift programmes under the 20-point programme of the
Centre, with number 1 and 3 ranking, respectively, says a latest review report received from the
Centre. The report, compiled till January 2009, says Himachal had topped the chart in 13 of the
total 18 parameters in the country in the implementation of socio-economic programmes. The 20-
point programme gives a thrust on poverty alleviation, employment generation, housing, education,
health and other social indices. Similarly, Haryana has improved its performance under schemes
relating to the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, social security, minimum wages to
labourers, provision of houses for the poor, welfare of women and children, Indira Awas Yojana
and accelerated urban and rural water supply schemes. However, it is Himachal Pradesh, which
has outperformed all other states in self-employment schemes like Swaranjayanti Gram Swarojgar
Yojna, where it has provided self-employment to 7,157 individuals. This is over 495% above the
target, which was to cover 1,446 individuals.

·               HP Gets Lifeline in World Bank Project: In a move that would boost the economy of
Himachal Pradesh, the state Cabinet has given its nod to the Rs 142-crore road-widening project.
The 72-km stretch from Kumarhatti to Nahan would be widened and strengthened under the World
Bank-aided project, which would link the Kalka-Shimla road to the Paonta Sahib-Nahan road.

·               Haryana Records all Time High Food Grain Output: Haryana has achieved an all-time high
foodgrain production of 108.56 lakh metric tonne during rabi 2008-09.

·               Now, all Human Clinical Trials to be Registered: In a significant move aimed at making
clinical trials on human beings more ethical and transparent, the Drugs Controller of India has ruled
for the first time that all clinical trials taking place across the country in all areas of health - new
drugs, treatments, therapies, surgical procedures and new medical devices - must be compulsorily
registered.

·               Def Ministry Blacklists 7 Companies For Corruption: with former ordnance factory board
(OFB) chairman Sudipto Ghosh being arrested by CBI recently in a major defence scandal, the
defence ministry has blacklisted seven companies. Foreign firms are Israeli military Industries,
Singapore Technology, Media Architects (Singapore) and BVT Poland, the Indian ones are HYT
engineering, RK Machine tools and TS Kishan and company Pvt Ltd.
International

·               Thousand Join oz rally Against Racism:  Shaken by a wave of racial assaults, thousands of
Indian students scrambled to contain the rising anger and frustration within the community. The
`peace rally', organized by the Federation of Indian Students in Australia (FISA) and National Union
of Students among others, kicked off from outside the Royal Melbourne Hospital, where 25-year-
old Shravan Kumar has been admitted since May 9 when he was stabbed with a screwdriver by a
group of teenagers.

·               NREGA Scheme Gets Thumbs up from ILO: The UPA's flagship programme NREGA has
got the thumbs up from the ILO, which has said that had it not been for the scheme, the labour
class in India would have been badly hit by the recession. Lauding the NREGA that guarantees
hundred days of employment to the rural work force, the ILO in its latest report has said that the
social protection scheme "stands to offset the potential shock to the poor in this time of recession.

·               Air France Plane Goes missing, 228 feared Dead: An Air France plane with 228 people on
board was presumed to have crashed into the Atlantic Ocean after hitting heavy turbulence during
a flight from Rio de Janeiro to Paris.

·               N Korea Missile could Reach Alaska: North Korea has moved its most advanced long-range
missile to a new launch site and has banned ships from the waters off its west coast threaten to
exacerbate tensions on the peninsula. The missile, which has arrived at the Dongchangi-ni launch
site on the North-West coast, is believed to be a version of the Taepondong-2 rocket that the North
fired on April 5 saying it was a satellite launch, the South Korean Dong-a Ilbo newspaper reported.
The International ballistic missile has an estimated range of 4,000-6, 500 km. The Alaskan coast is
about 4,800 km. from North Korea while the US West Coast is 8,000 km. away.

·               New Zealand most Peaceful Country: New Zealand has been named the most peaceful
country on earth in the annual Global peace Index. The index is based on the ranking of 144
nations on the basis of how peaceful they are. The kiwi nation’s relatively low rate of violence,
decrease in military spending. New Zealand also topped the list because of its homicide rate and
the level of respect for human rights. Iceland came second, third and fourth, respectively, followed
by Austria and Sweden.

·               Obama Another first on Forbes Power List: US President Barack Obama is the first sitting
head of state to make the Forbes Celebrity 100 Power List, with his many magazine covers and
best-selling books blurring the line between politics and celebrity. The president came in at No 49
on the annual list released which ranks celebrities based on their earnings and mentions in the
media. Obama is the first African American to be elected US president. Topping the list is actress
Angelina Jolie, followed by talk show host Oprah Winfrey, then singers Madonna and Beyonce
Knowles, making this the first year all top four spots were taken by women, Forbes said.

·               India Seals Free-Trade Pact With Thailand: India took its trade diplomacy up several notches
with negotiators wrapping up a free trade deal in goods with other BIMSTEC countries, i.e.
Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Economic Co-operation. Officials from all the
countries met in Thai resort Phuket to conclude the negotiations after 18 rounds since 2004.
Commerce ministers are expected to approve the deal in the coming months, paving the way for a
signing possibly by year's end. The India-Asean FTA too is waiting for a signature around October,
which is the time Thailand has set for the twice-postponed East Asia Summit. The free trade
agreement will be in addition to other agreements that are already in play. For instance, India
already has an FTA with Sri Lanka. Thailand and Myanmar will be covered under the India-Asean
FTA as well.

·               Global Crisis may Restrict India to Eradicate Hunger by 2015: UNDP: The global financial
crisis may keep India from achieving its goal of eradicating hunger by 2015 and other Millennium
Development Goals, says a paper by the UN Development Programme. India is doing good by the
 government's definition of poverty, but not as per the World Bank's estimates, the Target in Goal-I
which aims at hunger eradication by 2015. The MDGs, eight goals to be achieved by 2015 that
respond to the world's main development challenges, are drawn from the Millennium Declaration
adopted by 189 nations during the UN Millennium Summit in 2000. They are: eradicating extreme
poverty and hunger, achieving universal primary education, promoting gender equality and
empower women, reducing child mortality, improving maternal health, combating HIV/AIDS,
malaria and other diseases, ensuring environmental sustainability, and develop a global
partnership for development.

·               HAL Bags $10-m Export order for Chetak, Cheetah: Giving an impetus to its export
programme, Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) has bagged a $10-million order for supplying two
Chetak and one Cheetah light utility helicopters to the Namibian armed forces. The deal with the
Namibian ministry was signed in April this year and it came in the wake of series of export orders
bagged by HAL for supply of Dhruv advanced light utility helicopters in the past one year. Chetak is
a multi-purpose, seven-seater helicopter and Cheetah is a light observation helicopter and both
these platforms are used by the Indian Air Force and the Army’s Aviation Corps. HAL, which began
export of Dhruv to Nepal in 2004, has bagged orders in the past one year from Ecuador, Peru and
Turkey for supply of the advanced light helicopter in both military and civilian roles. Other countries
to show interest in Dhruv include Myanmar, Bolivia, Venezuela, Malaysia and Indonesia.

·               IATA Projects $9-bn Loss For Global Aviation Sector: Airlines’ financial loss worldwide has
been forecast at a whopping $ 9 billion for 2009 by the International Air Transport Association
(IATA), nearly double the association’s March estimate of a $ 4.7 billion loss. IATA also revised its
loss estimate for 2008 to $ 10.4 billion from the previous estimate of $ 8.5 billion.  IATA director
general and CEO Giovanni Bisignani told top leaders of global airline industry at IATA’s 65th
Annual General Meeting.

·               World Bank Praise For NREGA: World Bank praised the UPAs national rural employment
guarantee scheme saying “In these hard times.” “India is fortunate to have in place a program that
people can fall back on to find work in these hard times”, world bank country director Roberto
Zagha said.

·               GM Crashes into Bankruptcy: General motors filed for bankruptcy protection as part of the
Obama administration’s plan to shrink the automaker to a majority ownership stake to the federal
government. GM’s bankruptcy filing is the fourth largest in US history and the largest for an
industrial company. The company said it has $172.81 billion in debt and $82.29 billion in assets.

·               Bhave Head of Securities Panel in Asia-Pacific: Sebi chairman CB Bhave has been elected
chairman of the Asia-Pacific Regional Committee of the International Organisation of Securities
Commissions (Iosco), at the 34th Annual Conference of Iosco being held at Tel Aviv, Israel. The
members of the Asia-Pacific Regional Committee are Australia, Bangladesh, Brunei, People’s
Republic of China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Kyrgyz Republic, Malaysia,
Mongolia, New Zealand, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Chinese
Taipei, Thailand and Vietnam. Iosco is recognised as the international standard setter for securities
markets. The Organisation's wide membership regulates more than 90% of the world's securities
markets and Iosco is the world's most important international cooperative forum for securities
regulatory agencies. Iosco members regulate more than one hundred jurisdictions.

·               Fulbright-Nehru Scholars: The first batch of scholars for the Fulbright Nehru fellowships are
ready to take off for the US, marking a watershed in US-India education cooperation. In 2008, India
and the US opened a new chapter with an agreement that made the two government’s full partners
and increase by 100% the total scholarship amount awarded annually. According to a statement by
the US government, the US plans to offer around 85 scholarships to Indians in 2010. India will
contribute $2.30 million every year to the Fulbright scholars programme with the US, to match the
US contribution and attempt to bring more scholars from the US and India under its ambit.
Economy

·               RIL, ONGC, Bharti among 500 Top Global Cos: Ten Indian companies, including Mukesh
Ambani-led Reliance Industries and telecom major Bharti Airtel, are among the 500 top global
companies for 2009 in terms of market capitalization. The league of 500 companies is topped by
American energy giant Exxon Mobil followed by oil major Petro China and US retailer Wal-Mart
Stores at the second and third positions, respectively. Reliance Industries is the lone Indian entity
featuring in the top 100 and is ranked at the 75th place with a market capitalization of $47.25
billion. The entity was placed at the 80th spot last year. Other Indian firms featuring in the list are
Oil & Natural Gas Corporation (120th rank), National Thermal Power Corporation (138), Bharti
Airtel (188), Infosys Technologies (330), Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd (345), ITC (362), State Bank
of India (372), Tata Consultancy Services (483) and Hindustan Unilever (495).

What’s a cross border merger? : One firm acquiring full control over another that is registered
overseas and subsuming the latter.

·         Infrastructure Growth Kindles revival Hopes: Reviving hopes of a recovery in industrial
production, which has been sliding since December, the index of infrastructure sectors grew 4.3% in
April, against 2.3% a year earlier. The index includes six core sectors—cement, finished steel, coal,
electricity, crude oil and refinery products—which account for 26.7% of the country’s total industrial
production.

·         Govt Plans Big-bang Divestment: The government is planning a big-bang disinvestment in the
state-owned PSUs. It plans to raise over Rs 25,000 crore in 2009-10, not only to reduce fiscal deficit
but also for expansion of public sector enterprises. The main chunk of fund would come from the
divestment of government stakes in blue chip companies like BSNL, MMTC, NMDC, Coal India,
NTPC and NALCO. Disinvestment of up to 10% in BSNL alone could fetch around Rs 20,000 crore.

·         NTPC Eyes overseas Coal assets to Light up Expansion Plans: Power behemoth NTPC is
aggressively looking to acquire coal assets abroad to secure coal for its planned generation of 55,895
mw by the end of the 11th Plan period in 2012. NTPC has an installed capacity of 29,894 mw. In the
11th Plan period it targets to add another 22,000 mw with a capital expenditure of Rs55,000 crore.
Sharma said NTPC has identified blocks in Indonesia and Mozambique and the company is in the
process of doing due-diligence for it.

·         Top 10 merger deals of 2009:

Target                           Acquirer                        Size ($bn)

Wyeth                                   Pfizer                                    64.50

Schering-plough                 Merck                                   46.00

MTN                                     Bharti                                   23.00

Lloyd’s banking group   HM treasury                        22.30

Royal bank of Scotland     HM treasury                        18.60

Prtro-canada                        Suncor energy                    18.20

Liberty entertainment         Direc TV                            14.50

Endessa                               Enel                                      14.20

Essent                                  AWEAG                                12.40

 Nuon                                    Vattenfall                             10.90 

·         Inflation Enters Negative Zone after Three Decades: The inflation rate fell into negative territory
for the first time in more than three decades. The inflation rate, measured by the Wholesale Price
Index (WPI) stood at – 1.61 percent for the week ended June 6, 2009 against 11.66 per cent in the
corresponding week of year 2008. Inflation rate was 0.13 per cent (i.e., about zero level) for the week
ended May 30, 2009. Official sources give expression that the economy is improving and there is
nothing unusual about deflation appeared in India’s economy. Analysts describe this deflation, phase
as a ‘temporary phenomenon’ since demand in the economy has not contracted. Deflation marked by
a fall in the demand becomes a matter but India’s deflation scenario is not annual to demand
contraction. RBI in its annual policy statement for the year 2009-10, stated that fall of inflation rate
into the negative territory is only of statistical significance and does not indicate a sharp contraction in
demand. This is also worth noting that though the previous years high base has dragged inflation into
negative territory, inflationary pressures on food items, particularly primary articles like wheal and rice
continue to rise. Despite negative like cereals and pulses continued to post double-digit inflation rates
of 13.57 per cent and 16.77 percent respectively providing no relief to the common man.

·         SBI Board Approves Merger of State Bank of Indore: After the merger of State Bank of
Saurashtra with itself, State Bank of India, the country’s largest bank has decided to acquire State
Bank of Indore has been approved by the Board of State Bank of India. State Bank of India holds
98.05 per cent state in Sate Bank of Indore, which is the smallest stake among its six associate
banks. SBI’s latest move comes after Finance Minister’s call to consolidate in public sector banking
group. During the year-ended March 2009, State Bank of Indore, which became on SBI subsidiary in
1960, had started as Bank of Indore under a special character of Maharaja Tukojirao Holder-III, the
then ruler of this region. The bank has acquired the businesses of The Bank of Dewas in 1962 and
The Dews Senior Bank of 1965. Comparative Scene of SBI and State Banks of Indore. It is also
worth noting that in August 2008, SBI has emerged State Bank of Saurashtra with itself. The SBI,
which has six associate banks at present, and it has 100 per cent stake in two other banks-State
Banks of Hyderabad and State Bank of Patiala. It is expected to take up shortly the merger of listed
subsidiaries – State Bank of Bikaner and Jaipur, State Bank of Mysore and State Bank of
Travancore. The merger of all associates of State Bank with itself will take the total assets of the
combined entity to Rs. 8,00,000 crore which will place SBI as a global financial power hose.

Person

·         Kamala Das: Noted poet and writer kamala Das, who later in her life was known as Kamala
Surayya, passed away.

·         P.V. Naik: Air Chief Marshal Pradeep Vasant Naik, a fighter pilot, took over as the Chief of IAF
succeeding FH major who retired after a 26 month tenure Major, a helicopter pilot, was the first IAF
chief who was not a fighter pilot.

·         Nirmal Verma: Vice Admiral Nirmal Kumar Verma, the eastern Naval Commander, was named the
next chief of Navy. He will take over from Verma will take over from incumbent Admiral Sureesh
Mehta on August 31. Verma had once commanded India's sole aircraft carrier INS Viraat. He comes
with a rich experience of 39 years.

·         Chakrabarty Goes to RBI: The Centre has finally notified the appointment of Kamlesh Chandra
Chakrabarty as the deputy governor of Reserve Bank of India (RBI). The post against which
Chakrabarty has been appointed was lying vacant since the retirement of V Leeladhar in December
last year. The Centre would also decide on the filling up of another vacancy of deputy governor post
after Rakesh Mohan has gone to Stanford University as the distinguished professor.  

·         GK Pillai is Home Secretary: Commerce Secretary G K Pillai was named as the new Home
Secretary and will take over from Madhukar Gupta who retires on June 30. Pillai who has earlier
served in the Home Ministry as a joint secretary, will have a tenure of two years. Gupta, whose
 tenure ended on March 31 this year, was granted an extension of three months because of the
general elections.

·         Pisharody is Tata motors president: Ravindra Pisharody has been appointed president of Tata
Motors (commercial vehicles), following Prakash Telang's promotion as company managing director. 
The commercial vehicles division is the largest revenue earner for Tata Motors, contributing almost
60%. Recently, Ravi Kant, on turning 65, made way for Telang. Kant is now vice-chairman of Tata
Motors. Besides the new appointments Tata Motors's management team has now been expanded to
15 people from the earlier 13 till last year.

·         Cabinet Secretary Get One Year extension: Cabinet secretary KM Chandrashekhar has been
given a One Year extension. The term of Chandrashekhar was coming to an end on June 3.

·         PNB Chief is IBA Chairman: The Indian banks association (IBA) Named Punjab National Bank
chairman and managing director KC Chakrabarty its chairman for 2009-10.

·         Goolam E. Vahanavati: Mr. Vahanavti, till recently the Solicitor General was on June 15, 2009
appointed  the next Attorney General of India for a period of three years. Mr. Vahanavti, who will
succeed Milon K. Banerjee, is the first muslim to occupy the top law officer’s post in the country in the
last six decades. Mr. Vahanavti was appointed the Solicitor-General in 2004. Prior to that
appointment he was Advocate-General of Mahashtra from December 1999 of June 2004.

·         Palghat Raghu:Mridangam maestro Palghat R. Raghu who evolved a unique style by blending the
finer aspects of legends Palghat. T.S. Mani Iyer and Pazhani Subramani Pillai, died at Chennai on
June 2, 2009. He was 81.

Awards

·         Global Leadership Award Conferred on Shabana: Noted Bollywood actress Shabana Azmi was
conferred the International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) Global Leadership Award at Macau on June
12, 2009.

·         Indian Gets New Zealand Order of Merit: Roshan Lal Nauhria- an Indian from a small village in
Punjab has been awarded one of the highest civil honours in New Zealand-The New Zealand order of
Merit (NZOM) in the Queens Birthday Honors list announced in June 2009 by the Prime Minister’s
office. The award created in 1996, recognizes distinguished service in various fields and comprises
five levels. He is the only India to figure in this year’s Honours list, although two other Indians have
earlier received knighthoods. The award will be presented in September 2009.

·         Laxmipat Sinhania Award for Missile Scientist:  B.K. Das Joint Director, Integrated Test Range
(ITR) Chandipur, Orissa has been awarded the Laxmipat Singhania- Indian Institute of Management
Lucknow National Leadership Award for 2008 for his outstanding  achievements as a young leader in
Science and technology. Vice-President Hamid Ansari gave away the award in New Delhi on June
10, 2009.

·         Indira Gandhi Paryavaran Puraskar Presented: The President of India Smt. Pratibha Patil
presented Indira Gandhi Paryavaran Puraskar (IGPP) for the years 2006 and 2007 on June 5, 2009-
World Environment Day. These awards were given in recognition to those who have made
measurable and major impact in the protection of environment. For the year 2006 in organization
category Bongaigaon Refinery and Petrochemical Limited Assam and 130 Infantry Battalion (TA)
Ecological Uttrakhand have been presented IGPP award. In the individual category the first award
was presented to Dr. J. Raghav Rao, Chennai, Tamil Nadu and the second was presented to Smt. S.
Annapurna, Vizianagarm, Andhra Pradesh. For the year 2007 two organizations, one from Karnataka
and another from Uttar Pradesh got IGPP award jointly. These are BAIF Institutes of Rural
Development Tiptur (Karnataka) and Antyoday Nirbal Durbal Shoshit Mahila Evam Balk Kalyan
Samiti Lucknow (U.P.) for the same year Shri Afzal Khatri and Smt. Dr. Rachna Gaur, Rajsamand
 (Rajasthan) in the individual category.

Sports

·         Vijender Stuns World Champ: Olympic bronze medallist Vijender Singh stunned world champion
Atoev Abbos of Uzbekistan to enter the quarterfinals of the Asian Boxing Championships in Zhuhai,
China.

·         Dixit Wins SU-19 Squash Title: Indian squash player Ravi Dixit notched up his Third International
Title, clinching the Milo all Star Malaysian Junior Open boys U-19 title in Kuala Lumpur.

·         High Five for Ageless Paes: Leander Paes won the French Open Men’s doubles title with Czech
partner Lukas Dlouhy. The pair beat Wesley Moodie of SA and Belgium’s Norman.

·         Goa Clinches Santosh Trophy: Goa registered a 4-2 win over Bengal through a tie break in the
final and lifted the break in the final and lifted the Santosh trophy in the 63 rd edition of the National
Football Championship in Chennai on June 14, 2009. Goalkeeper Felix D’Souza’s Performance in
the final was glittering and brought victory for his team. It was one of the cleanest football match
effectively handled by Referee Pradeep of Tamil Nadu. It is worth noting that Goa’s seventh meeting
with Bengal proved a landmark. In the past five times it has failed and one it had emerged joint
winner with Bengal. But this time it clearly emerged triumphant.

·         Murray Bags Queen’s Club Championship: Top seeded And Murray beat James Blake 7-5, 6-4
in the Queen’s club final on June 14, 2009 in London and became the first British winner of the pre-
wimbled on warm-up event for 71 years. Murray was the fifth British man to reach the final since
Bunny Austin’s victory in 1938. The Scot’s first glass-court title took his career haul of tournament
victories to 12 and was also his fourth tour triumph this year.

·         The 2009 French Open Winners/Runners up: At a Glance

     Category              Winner                                     Runner up

1. Men’s Single            Roger                                                  Robin Soderling

2.   Women’ Single        Svetlana Kuznetsova                         Dinara Safina

3.   Men’s Double          Lukas Dlouhy Leander Paes            Wesley Moodie & Dick Norman

4.   Women’s Double     Anabel Medina Garrigues                Victoria Azarenka & Elena Vasnina

                                       & Ruano Pascual

5.   Mixed Double         Liezel Huber and Bob Bryan            Vania King & Mercelo Melo

Books & Author

·         From Fatwa to Jihad-The Rushdie Affairs and its Legacy: Kenon Mallik

·         Rethinking India’s Past: R. S. Sharma

·         The Ultimate Gift: Jim Stovall

·         The Miracle of Democracy: India’s Amazing Journey: T.S. Krishnamurthy; Harper Collins

·         India’s Energy Security: Ligia Noronha and Anand Sudarshan

16 to 30 Jun, 2009
 National

·               Railway panel to Ensure Trains run on Time: In tune with the new catchline for the railways
—service with a human face—railways minister Mamata Banerjee announced a committee to
ensure 85% accuracy in running trains. She said; “punctuality machinery’’ and a panel regarding
that has already been set up. The general managers of all the railways throughout the country will
submit a weekly report to the railway board.

·               HUDA to Construct Houses for the Poor: Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda
said that the Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA) would construct 37,513 houses in
phases for people belonging to weaker sections of society. Out of these, 15,311 houses were being
constructed during the current financial year at a cost of Rs.460 crore.

·               IIT-Kanpur Plans extension Centre in Noida: The Human Resource Development Ministry
has granted permission to IIT-Kanpur to open an extension centre in Noida. IIT-Kanpur Registrar
Sanjiv Kashalkar told that the work will be completed by 2012.

·               Punjab installs RO system for clean water in villages: Punjab has become the first state in
the north to install Reverse Osmosis (RO) plants to provide drinking water in 327 villages of
Bathinda, Mansa, Faridkot, Ferozepur, Sangrur, Patiala and Tarn Taran, at a cost of Rs 34.82
crore. These districts have a high degree of salinity in the ground water.

·               Haryana to get $330-m World Bank loan for power: Haryana government has successfully
concluded negotiations with the World Bank for a $330-million loan to support one of its power
sector projects, Haryana Power System Development Project. Haryana chief minister Bhupinder
Singh Hooda said the state had made rapid strides in adding to its power generation capacity with
the Rajiv Gandhi Thermal Power Plant at Khedar in Hisar district and Indira Gandhi Thermal Power
Plant at Jhajjar.

·               A new name now for grand old Indian botanical gardens: The 230-year-old Indian
Botanical Gardens are going to be renamed as Acharya Jagadish Chandra Bose Botanical
Gardens. This is the fourth time the gardens are being renamed. Starting off as “Company Bagan”
in the days of the East India Company, they came under the management of the Botanical Survey
of India in 1953. Covering an expanse of 273 acres on the banks of the Hooghly, the gardens are
home to over 12,000 trees and shrubs. The Great Banyan Tree, one of the main attractions of the
gardens, is over 250 years old.

·               Free education for Thalassemia students:  Punjab University will offer free education to
students suffering from Thalassemia from the upcoming new academic year, according to an
official announcement here.

·               India Set to Grow faster than China in 2010: Hopes of an economic rebound became
stronger with the World Bank predicting that India's gross domestic product (GDP) would grow by 8
per cent in 2010. If achieved, it would make India the hottest growth economy in the world, better
even than China that was forecast to grow at 7.7 per cent next year. The world economy was
projected to grow at 2 per cent in 2010.

·               Plan Panel ok with IIT, IIM offshore Campuses: Doors may soon be open for Indian
universities and government-run institutions like IIMs and IITs to set up campuses abroad to cross
subsidies higher education for vulnerable sections of society. The Planning Commission is in
favour of formulating guidelines to allow Indian universities and government-run institutions to run
business abroad to fund higher education for the poor back home and to expand the educational
 infrastructure in the country. The move has come at the time when India is wooing foreign
universities to set up campuses in the country. Interestingly, as of now, there are no rules and
regulations to permit government-run institutions to set up offshore campuses. So far, only private
educational institutions were free to explore education opportunities abroad. Private institutions like
Symbiosis and BITS, Pilani, have already opened campuses abroad. Only in May this year, Pune
University became the first government-run institution to open its campus abroad, in UAE. The
human resources development ministry had objected to the proposal of Pune University on the
ground that there were no guidelines on opening campuses on foreign soil by government-run
institutions. Pune University had to knock the doors of the PMO to get its proposal cleared.

·               Expansion of Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission: The government is
working on the expansion of Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) by
including cities having a population of at least 5 lakh, thus expanding into 28 more cities, and is
seeking to raise earmarked funds from Rs 1,00,000 crore to Rs 1,50,000 crore.

1.     JNNURM is the flagship scheme of the ministry of urban development.

2.     It currently covers 65 cities, each having a population of at least 10 lakh people.

3.     Rs.1,00,000 crore are to be raised by the centre, state government and urban local bodies.

4.     The new fund is planned to be raised equally by the union government and stats.

5.     The government is also looking at additional allocation under its urban infrastructure
development scheme in small and medium towns

·         India-Lanka Undersea Power Cable Pact soon: India and Sri Lanka are set to energise their
relations. The two neighbors will soon sign an MoU to study the feasibility of laying an undersea
cable— which will be one-of-its-kind in Asia when completed— to connect their power networks.
Sources said the MEA has approved the draft Agreement which is to be signed shortly. An Interlink
between India and Sri Lanka will also firm up the idea of establishing a South Asian energy grid being
discussed by the Saarc grouping. India already has a heavy-duty power link with Bhutan and
connecting Bangladesh.

·         Oil India celebrates its Golden Jubilee: oil India limited celebrated its golden jubilee. Oil India
Pvt. Ltd was incorporated in 1959. It is now the second national oil company in the Exploration and
Production (E&P) sector.

·         Authority to be set up to Regulate Ports: The Union Ministry of Shipping has decided to set up
an authority to regulate the functioning of major ports along the coastline of the country. The
department circulated the draft of the new law it proposes to enact to set up the authority under the
Major Ports Regulatory Authority Act, 2009. Once enacted, the new law would supersede the Major
Port Trust Act, 1963, and the Tariff Authority for Major Ports constituted in 1963, and it would also
cease to function. The regulatory authority would comprise a chairman and four members with a five-
year term and would have the liberty to set up regional offices as well. The authority would decide on
the rates for the facilities and services provided at the major ports and to monitor the performance
standards of the port authorities and private operators providing such facilities and services. The
authority would also be vested with powers to arbiter specific disputes between port authorities and
private players and groups of users.

·         Yashpal Committee Suggests New Apex Body for Higher Education: The creation of a
 National Commission for Higher Education and Research that will subsume as many as 13 existing
professional councils and regulatory agencies, including the University Grants Commission, the
Medical Council of India and the AICTE, is a key recommendation of a committee headed by well-
known educationist Yashpal.

·         Ban on Chinese Dairy Products Import Extended: India extended the ban on import of dairy
products from China and banned import of mobile phones that lack unique International Mobile
Equipment Identity (IMEI) number from China and also banned import of toys that do not adhere to
international safety standards for all the countries. The dairy products ban has been extended for six
months to ward of any threat of contaminated whitener which had caused deaths of few infants and
made several thousands ill. The ban was to expire on June 24. India, in September 2008, had
imposed ban on Chinese milk and its products for three months which was later extended in
December last year for six months.

·         Agreement with Ukraine to Upgrade AN-32:  The accord, signed envisaged upgrade of the Air
Forces over 100 AN-32 aircraft over the next five years. In the first phase, the upgrades will be done
in Ukraine and in the second half at Kanpur. The medium range transport aircraft that used to ferry
both men and material across the country has been in the service of the Air Force for over two
decades. The officials said that with the upgrades, the aircraft life could be extended by another 10 to
15 years.

·         India, Germany to Work on Education: India and Germany have agreed to set up a joint working
group on education which will act as an apex forum and work in areas like research, academic
training and faculty exchange. Both the countries could work together in the area of skill
development, the Union HRD Ministry said.

·         Shipping Ministry Action Plan: The Union Shipping Ministry will release its 100-day action plan.
It would provide detailed planning and action programme for renovation of ports and a broad
roadmap on how to improve their turnover. At present, the country was in 20th position in shipping
trade in the international arena and steps would be taken to improve the position.

·         National green Tribunal: The Environment and Forests Ministry has mooted a proposal to set up
a National Green Tribunal to deal with civil issues related to
environment and forests. The National Green Tribunal will be on
the lines of the Central Administrative Tribunal, comprising judges State spending on social
and experts in the environment. welfare
As % of GDP
·         Slowdown Hits Indian Exports: The slowdown in economic Sweden 28.9
growth coupled with recession hitting major economies like the Germany 27.4
United States and Europe has badly impacted India’s exports, UK 21.8
which continue to grow in the negative territory for the last eight Japan 18.6
months with little sign of recovery in the near future. India’s USA 14.8
exports, which had clocked a healthy growth of over 30 per cent in Brazil 12.2
the first half of 2008-09, suddenly felt the heat of global recession Russia 10.4
and entered the negative zone from October 2008. Exports China 3.6
managed to clock a meagre growth of 3.4 per cent in 2008-09 India 1.1
aggregating $168 billion against the original target of $200 billion
and revised target of $170 billion.

·         Welfare for All: Rs139 Per Indian: India spends just over 1% of its gross domestic product (GDP)
on social welfare schemes. Studies have shown that many of the poorer countries in Africa and Asia
 spend more than India on social welfare schemes. Bangladesh spends 3.8% and Senegal 4.3% of
GDP respectively on social welfare.

·         Sea Link amid Skepticism: The Bandra-Worli Sea Link (BWSL), India’s first cable-stayed bridge
in the open sea, will be inaugurated Sonia Gandhi. The 4.2 km-long bridge, stretching over the
Mahim Bay.

·         Government Plans to Promote medicinal Plants: The Health and Family Welfare Ministry has
decided to develop “clusters” across the country on the lines of special economic zones (SEZs) to
promote medicinal and herbal plants. To be set up at a cost of Rs.100 crore, the move is expected to
double the current export of medicinal and herbal products from Rs. 500 crore to Rs.1, 000 crore
annually. “The government has already allocated Rs. 4,000 crore in the 11th Plan. Of this, Rs. 1,000
crore had been earmarked for the National Medicinal Plant Board (NMPB) to promote medicinal
plants in India. The remaining amount will be spent for various Central and State government
scheme.

·         Centre Planning to Sell 10% Stake in Bhel: The Government said that it was considering
disinvesting 10 per cent of its equity stake in Navratna public sector power equipment manufacturing
company Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL). BHEL is a Rs. 28,000-crore power equipment
manufacturing company. The government at present holds a 67.72 per cent equity stake in BHEL,
which would come down to 57.72 per cent if it divests 10 per cent equity. BHEL would Synchronise
eight thermal and hydro sets to generate 1,200 MW of capacity in the next 100 days, he added. The
Minister also said that BHEL would sign an agreement with Madhya Pradesh Power Generation
Company for setting up a joint venture to build, own and operate 2 x 800 MW super critical power
plant in Bansagar in the State and also sign a similar agreement with Gujarat State Electricity
Generation Company for the setting-up of a 1 x 800 MW supercritical thermal power plant.

·         Sarod Maestro Ustad Ali Akbar Khan Passes Away: Sarod maestro Ustad Ali Akbar Khan died
in San Francisco, U.S., after a prolonged kidney ailment, according to a family friend here. Born on
April 14, 1922 in Shibpur village of Comilla district, now in Bangladesh. He became the court
musician of the Maharaja of Jodhpur and continued for seven years until his patron’s death. The state
of Jodhpur bestowed upon him the title ‘Ustad.’ At the request of Menuhin, Khan visited the U.S. in
1955 and performed at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. He founded the Ali Akbar College of
Music in Kolkata in 1956. In 1965, he began teaching in the U.S. and later opened a branch of his
college there and in Switzerland. In 1997, the maestro preformed at a programme ien the United
Nations to celebrate the 50th year of India’s independence.

·         Its Official Now: Monsoon will be Less than Normal: Monsoon rains will be below normal this
year, the government said, in a setback to the Indian economy’s recovery from a global slowdown.
Poor rains could lower agricultural output, push up food prices and dent rural demand that was once
a silver lining for India in the face of the global economic downturn.  It could also affect the
government’s ambitious plans to provide cheaper rice and wheat to the 250 million people living
below the official poverty line. “Rainfall is likely to be below normal,” earth sciences minister Prithviraj
Chavan told reporters. Monsoon rainfall, which spans from June through September, will be 93 per
cent of the normal or the historical average of 89 centimeters of rain. A deviation of more than 4 per
cent from this level is considered below normal. What is worrisome is that the India Meteorological
Department (IMD) predicted the northwest region to get only 81 per cent of normal rainfall this
season.

·         3 States Get New Governors:

 o        H.R Bhardwaj: Farmer law minister, Bhardwaj has been appointed governor of Karnataka.

o        Rameshwar Thakur: Karnataka governor Thakur has been transferred to Madhya
Pradesh.

o        Devanand Konwar: Konwar, a former Assam minister, replaces R.L. Bhatia as Bihar
governor.

·         Tata Tele Launches ‘Pay per use’ Concept: Tata Tele-services jumped on the GSM bandwagon
with the commercial launch of Tata DOCOMO brand of services initially in Tamil Nadu. The services
would be extended to cover the entire South within a fortnight. The pan-India roll out was expected to
be completed by this year. The Tata DOCOMO GSM service, however, would charge its users a
paisa per second for all voice calls across the country.

International

·         A Global Patenting Model for India: The United Nations’ arm on intellectual property is planning
to implement a global patenting model, which will pave the way for global firms to obtain patents in
India easily. It will mandate all member countries, including India, to grant patent to drugs approved
by any two international patent offices. The World Intellectual Rights Organization (WIPO) recognizes
patent offices of 11 countries, including the US, UK, Germany and Japan. The international body
does not recognize the Indian Patent Office.

·         2011 Declared as Visit Sri Lanka Year: Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa has said that
with terrorism defeated, the government has ended the need for travel advisories that cripple tourism.
In an address at the launch of the new image of Sri Lanka Tourism l, Sri Lanka Tourism officially
launched its new logo and tagline, “Sri Lanka Small Miracle”. Referring to the new opportunities for
tourism, Mr. Rajapaksa said: “We can now add Passikudah and Trincomalee, up to Kokilai Lagoon in
the East, as major tourist attractions, and many locations in the North too, as part of the Uthuru
Vasanthaya- the development agenda for the North.” Mr. Rajapaksa declared 2011 as “Visit Sri
Lanka Year.

·         UNMIN Term to be extended: The United Nations Mission in Nepal (UNMIN), which has been
assisting in Nepal’s peace process since 2007, is likely to get a new mandate. A Cabinet meeting has
agreed to extend its term one more time.

·         Samtel Display Breaks Japanese Monopoly in Avionics Products: Breaking the Japanese
monopoly in the World for Electronic Flight Instrument System (EFIS), Samtel Display Systems
(SDS), a key Indian player in high-technology products for commercial and military avionics
applications, is replacing Sony as the single source in the World. The company would be inking a
deal with the US based electronics major Honeywell for manufacturing EFIS in India.

·         Rebuilding of Buddha Statue Begins in Bamiyan: The work for the reconstruction of one of the
two giant Buddhas, destroyed in Taliban regime, has begun in Afghanistan’s central Bamiyan
province. German company was carrying out the reconstruction process. Taliban fanatic militants had
dynamited the world’s cultural heritage, the 53-metre and 35-metre giant Buddhas, in March 2001.
Rebuilding both the statues requires $100 million.

·         Perot Systems to tap Asia Pacific Markets: Perot Systems Corporation of the U.S., a leading IT
solutions healthcare solutions provider, has firmed up plans for expanding its footprint in the Asia-
Pacific region starting with India. Perot Systems, which registered $2.8 billion business last year,
despite adverse market conditions, has initiated steps in this direction by opening its facility in
 Hyderabad.

·         Energy Demand in Asia to Double by 2030, Says ADB: Energy demand in Asia to reach 6,325
million tonne of oil equivalent (mtoe) by 2030 from 3,227 mtoe in 2006, projected recently released
energy policy of Asian Development Bank (ADB). It also said China and India will account major
shares.

·         Beijing to Launch Clean Energy Plan: Ten million energy-saving lamps will be distributed on the
streets of Beijing starting in one of the largest ever energy conversion exercises of its kind. With
soaring power costs in China, the government estimates replacing incandescent lamps with energy-
saving alternatives could save $35 million a year in electricity bills. The energy conversion
programme is part of the Chinese government’s plan to distribute 100 million energy-friendly light
bulbs in cities across China this year.

·         Nortel to sell assets to Nokia: Canadian telecommunications firm Nortel, in bankruptcy protection
since January, will sell most of its wireless business to Nokia Siemens Networks for 650 million
dollars.

·         Michelin May open India Factory in Three Years: French tyre giant Michelin, which plans to cut
nearly 1,100 jobs in France, aims to open a factory in India in three years.

·         Sri Lanka- China Pact on Power Project: Sri Lanka and China signed an agreement on the
second and third stages of the $891-million Norochcholai Coal Power 600 MW Project. The 300-MW
first stage commenced in 2006 and is to be completed next year. The Chinese government facilitated
long-term loans at a low interest rate for implementation of the project.

·         U.S. House Nod for Climate Bill: The US House of Representatives has narrowly passed historic
legislation to limit pollution blamed for global warming, handing President Barack Obama a major
hard-fought victory. The American Clean Energy and Security Act aims to reduce greenhouse gas
emissions by 17 percent from 2005 levels by 2020, and 83 percent by 2050.

·         G-8 to Ask India, China to Reduce Emissions: Group of eight (G-8) leaders will ask major
emerging economies like India and China to adopt actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The
leaders meeting from July 8-10 in L’Aquila, Italy, will urge major emerging economies such as China
and India to adopt actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Economy

·         BSNL Joins Hands with Microsoft: Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) has joined hands with
Microsoft to launch ‘BSNL Managed SaaS’ (Software as a Service) in India. The State-owned
telecom firm is also awaiting government nod to come out with its public issue, besides looking for
acquisition abroad. BSNL also launched ‘Managed Business Mail’ (MBM) as its first SaaS.

·         25 per Cent Hike in MSP for Sugarcane Cleared: The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs
approved an increase of about Rs.25 a quintal in the minimum support price (MSP) for sugarcane for
2009-10.  The price would be Rs. 107.76. The MSP for the last season was Rs81.18.

·         Anti-Dumping Duty on Vitamin-C from China: Continuing with its move against cheap imports,
the Central Government has imposed an anti-dumping duty of $3.99 a kg on import of Vitamin-C from
China for five years as it was found that the domestic industry was suffering material injury.

·         CII to Set up Business Forum in U.K.: The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) has decided to
form a CII India Business Forum, U.K., (CII-IBF, U.K.) with a view to forging a new strategic
economic engagement between the two countries. Bilateral merchandise trade crossed $12 billion in
 2008-09 with services trade at $5 billion. The CII has proposed a target for merchandise trade at $40
billion by 2015 and special emphasis on expanding services trade to $12 billion. 

·         Govt. to Sell up to 10% Stake in Coal India: India will sell up to 10% of its holding in state-owned
Coal India Ltd, a minister said, in the latest share sale plan announced by the government to raise
funds and plug a bloated fiscal deficit.

·         Bhel to Partner Pvt. Firms for Hydro Projects: State-owned Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd (Bhel)
will partner private construction firms to build overseas hydropower projects and is in talks with
companies including Patel Engineering Ltd. Angel Broking Ltd. Jaiprakash associates Ltd, Hindustan
construction Co, Ltd and Gammon India Ltd.

·         RIL Refinery First Private Entity to Get CISF Cover: reliance refinery in Jamnagar, the world
biggest Greenfield refinery, will be the first private installation to come under the security cover of
central industrial security force a central paramilitary force which has decided the dedicate its 2,000
men for it. Less then two months after receiving in principle clearance from the home ministry for
providing security cover to the refinery, central security agencies carried out survey of the installation
and said 2,000 personal were needed for it.

·         Govt. Exempts PAN for Limited SIP investments: mutual fund investments under systematic
investment plans (SIPs) up to Rs 50,000 can soon be made without quoting the permanent account
number (PAN), with the government extending in principle nod.

·         India second largest investor in UK this year: India, with 108 FDI projects (up 44% from last
year) has not only replaced Japan as the largest Asian supplier of FDI projects in the UK, but has
also leapt forward from seventh place last year to being the second largest source of investments
overall in the UK this year, second only to the US. Indian projects created 4,139 new jobs in the UK,
30% more than the next highest job creator.

·         Indian Cos create 3 lakh jobs in US: Indian companies have created three lakh jobs in the United
States, while contributing $105 billion to the economy of that country during 2004 to 2007, commerce
and industry minister Anand Sharma has said.

·         Nokia stays no.1 in Equity Survey: Nokia, for the second consecutive year, has taken the
Numero Uno spot. In this sixth year of the MTB survey, there are two new entrants into the top 10
coming one of India’s oldest brands, reliance mobile, which failed to crack the top 20 in 2008, is
ranked no 10 this year. With Airtel, BSNL and Vodafone surging up the charts to finish in the top 30,
ranking 12,19 and 30 respectively.

·         Bhel wins IOC contract: Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd (BHEL) has secured a Rs 105-crore
contract from Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) for setting up a captive power plant at its Barauni refinery
complex.

·         India May Get Rs.25, 000-cr. World Bank Loan: There is a likelihood of the country getting a
World Bank loan of $5 billion (about Rs. 25,000 crore) for urban development. Talks in this regard
have commenced between the Union Ministry of Urban Development and the World Bank. Of the
total assistance, about $ 3.5 billion (Rs. 17,500 crore) would go towards urban development
programmes while $ 1.5 billion (Rs. 7,500 crore) was being planned to be used towards urban
transport.

Science & Technology

·         Advisory body to consider recognizing plant-based drugs: The Drug Technical Advisory
 Board, or DTAB, a government body that approves changes in drug administration rules before they
become part of the law, is expected to consider in July an expert committee’s report on recognizing a
new class of drugs known as phytopharmaceuticals. Phytopharmaceuticals are drugs developed from
herbs and plants using modern methods such as toxicity and safety studies on animals and humans,
and clinical trials on healthy volunteers and patients. There are no specific provisions in the Drugs
and Cosmetics Act of India for conducting studies for this class of drugs, so they are not recognized
as modern medicine. As a result, many pharmaceutical companies and research organizations,
which have successful leads based on plants and herbal science, either do not take them forward to
the clinical stage or launch such potential drugs in the market in the form of food or health
supplements. Pharma and consumer products makers such as Himalaya Drugs Ltd, Suven Life
Sciences Ltd, Dabur India Ltd, Bio-Sciences Ltd and many research institutions, including Indian
Institute of Integrative Medicines in Jammu, are some of the key players in phytopharmaceutical
research. At present, drugs obtained from plants are not categorized as modern medicines due to
lack of norms.

·         Drugs Price Regulator Says Vitamins Falling Under the Category of drugs Cannot be Sold
as Dietary Supplements: The drugs price regulator has written to the ministry of health and family
welfare requesting action against drugs being sold as vitamin supplements. The move comes soon
after concern was raised over Merck Ltd, India, a subsidiary of Germany-based Merck KGaA, taking
out its vitamin E product Evion, out of the category of drugs and began selling it as a dietary
supplement. The National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) has written to the health ministry,
asking it to initiate action against drugs being sold as food supplements, Vitamins that fall under the
category of drugs, in line with the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, should not be categorized as dietary
supplements, according to the case made by NPPA to the ministry.

Person

·         New CEOs for Satyam: Tech Mahindra announced new leadership roles for itself and Mahindra
Satyam, erstwhile Satyam Computer Services, which it acquired in April. The company named CP
Gurnani, earlier president, international operations at Tech Mahindra, as chief executive officer
(CEO) of Mahindra Satyam. Gurnani succeeds AS Murthy, who was appointed by the government
board after the multi-crore scam broke out at Satyam.

·         Nooyi, Narayen Among Top CEOs in US: Two India-origin persons-Indra Nooyi and Shantanu
Narayen-have been named among the top 25 chief executive officers in the US, who kept their
companies on success path despite challenging economic conditions, according to Forbes magazine.

·         Yashwant Bhave to Head Airport Regulatory Body: Yashwant S.Bhave, secretary, department
of consumer affairs in the ministry of consumer affairs, food and public distribution, has been
appointed chairmen of the country’s new airport regulator.

·         Pokhriyal to Become New Uttarakhand CM: Uttarakhand health minister Ramesh Pokhriyal will
be the new chief minister of the state in place of B.C. Khanduri who resigned owing moral
responsibility for the rout of Bharatiya Janata Party in the Lok Sabha elections. The 51-year-old
journalist-turned-politician Pokhriyal was elected unanimously leader of the BJP legislature party at
the meeting of MLAs.

·         Nilekani to Head Unique Identification Authority: Nandan M. Nilekani, co-chairman of the Board
of Directors of Infosys Technologies, is all set to join the Central government, as chairperson of the
Unique Identification (UID) Authority of India.

·         MV Nair Appointed New Chairman of IBA:  Nair, who was deputy chairman of the IBA until now,
 succeeds K.C. Chakrabarty, who is now a deputy governor at Reserve Bank of India, IBA said in a
release. M.D. Mallya, chairman and managing director of Bank of Baroda, will succeed Nair as
deputy chairman of IBA.

·         Michael Jackson is Dead: The 50-year old king of pop is dead.

Awards

·         Allahabad Bank wins Rajbhasha Award: Reserve Bank of India has conferred Rajbhasha Award
for excellence in implementation of official language policy on Allahabad bank for the year 2007-08.
In an award distribution ceremony held at the central office of RBI in Mumbai, the award was
received by Shri K.R. Kamath, CMD of the bank from Shri D. Subbarao, governor of RBI.

Sports

·         English Women on Top of the World:  Women cricket team beat New Zealand by six wickets to
win the first women’s ICC world twenty 20 title.

·         Germany Claim Junior WC Title: Germany won their fifth junior world cup (Rodger Donet Trophy)
hockey title (u-21) beating the Netherlands 3-1 in Joharbaru.

·         Dey Bags Bronze at world Meet: National record holder Sukhen Dey became the first Indian
male lifter to win a medal at the world level when he bagged a bronze medal in the world junior
weightlifting championships in Bucharest, Romania.

·         Three Indian in ICC’s hall of fame list of 55: Only three Indian greats -- left-arm spin wizard
Bishen Singh Bedi, prolific opener Sunil Gavaskar and champion all-rounder Kapil Dev figure in the
International Cricket Council's 55-strong Hall of Fame list, which has 22 Englishmen. The ICC, while
announcing Colin Cowdrey as the 19th cricketer to be formally inducted in its elite list of cricket
greats, provided the list of persons chosen for the Hall of Fame, but yet to be formally inducted. The
list contains 22 Englishmen, 11 Australians, 13 West Indians, three each from India, Pakistan and
two South Africans and a lone New Zealander. Apparently, the list does not contain cricketers who
have retired post-1995.

·         Saina Nehwal Claims Indonesian open: Ace Indian shuttler Saina Nehwal scripted history by
becoming the first Indian to win a Super Series tournament after she clinched the Indonesian Open
title with a stunning victory over the higher ranked Chinese Lin Wang in Jakarta. Saina clinched her
maiden Super Series title beating Wang. In the men’s singles, World’s No. 1 Lee Chong Wei of
Malaysia defeated Indonesian ace Taufik Hidayat.

Books & Author

·         Why not I: Siddhi Desai

·         Musharraf- The Years in powers: Murtuza Razvi

·         The Idea of Justic: Amartya Sen

·         The Making of Barack Obama: Richard Volki

·         The Calcutta Chromosome: Amitav Ghosh

·         Bad Boy : Jim Thompson

·         A captains Diary 2007-08: Grim Smith

·         India the Global Financial Crisis: Y.V. Reddy

Miscellaneous

·         India is Home to Largest No. of Local Terror Outfits: From within, agent of death

o              United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA)

o              National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) in Assam.

o              Peoples Liberation Army (PLA)

o              United National Liberation Front (UNLF)

o              Peoples Revolutionary Party of Kangleipak (PREPAK)

o              Kangleipak Communist Party (KCP)

o              Kanglei Yaol Kanba Lup (KYKL)

o              Manipur Peoples Liberation Front  (MPLF)

o              Revolutionary Peoples Front (RPF) in Manipur

o              All Tripura Tiger Force (ATTE)

o              National Liberation Front of Tripura (NLFT) in Tripura

o              Hynniewtrep National Liberation Council (HNLC)

o              Babbar Khalsa International

o              Khalistan Commando Force

o              International Sikh Youth Federation

o              Al-Umar-Mujahidee

o              Jammu And Kashmir Islamic Front

o              Students Islamic Movement of India

o              Deendar Anjuman

o              Communist party of India (Marxist-Leninist)- Peoples War Group

o              Maoist Communist Centre (MCC)

o              Dukhtaran-E-Millat (DEM)

o              Tamil Nadu Liberation Army (TNLA)

o              Tami National Retrieval Troops (TNRT)

o              Akhil Bharat Napali Ekta Samaj (ABNES)

·         India appears quickest on the draw in banning terror groups. Out of 34 terror groups banned in
India, 27 are indigenous, making it home to the largest number of banned domestic terror groups in
the world.
·         Of the home grown terror groups, 12 are Islamist groups, another 12 are from the Northeast, 4 are
radical left bodies, 3 Khalistani and 3 Tamil radicals, seven banned groups have foreign origin, like al-
Qaida, LTTE and Let.

·         US have banned 44 terror groups, UK 42 and Canada 40, but all have foreign origin in our
neighborhood, Pakistan has banned 11 domestic groups, Bangladesh 4 and China 2.

01 to 15 Jul, 2009

National
·         50% Indians Living Below Poverty Line: Govt. Panel: A government panel has
Recommended that 50% of India's population be given below-poverty-line cards. The
recommendations of the rural development ministry's committee on BPL surveys, chaired by
Supreme Court-appointed food commissioner N C Saxena.

·         Bridge to Somewhere: Travel in India's financial capital just got a little easier. The much-
awaited bridge connecting Mumbai's Bandra and Worli on the city's western coast was
inaugurated to the delight of thousands of harried commuters. At 5.6 km, the sea link is India's
longest bridge and the first in the country to be built over open sea.
·         Doing Business is Tough in India: Country is placed at a dismal 122 out of a 180-nation
ranking for doing business.
·         Urgent Need to Stem Maternal Mortality: “A quarter of the world’s maternal deaths occur in
India and in some States the levels are alarming. Orissa is one such example with a maternal
mortality rate of 303 per 100,000 live births and an infant mortality rate of 65 per 1,000 live births,”
It was with this objective that the ‘Deliver Now for Women and Children’ campaign was launched
nationally on April 11 last year with a focused initiative in Orissa. While the national maternal
mortality rate is reducing, in Orissa it continues to plateau.
·         Doctors in Rural Areas: As part of monetary incentive to encourage medical personnel to take
up rural postings, doctors, specialists and Para-Medical staff serving in the rural, particularly far-
flung and inaccessible areas, will get double the salary their counterparts in other areas earn. The
Ministry, through the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM), will make funds available for
contractual appointments and provide significantly higher monetary incentives based on the
location of the posting.
 SBI Life Becomes Largest Pvt. Life Insurer: SBI Life has taken over ICICI Prudential to become
the largest private insurer by garnering first year premium of Rs 784 crore in the first two months
of the current fiscal.
·         Travel only by Air India: In an effort to shore up revenue streams for Air India, the finance
ministry ordered all central government employees to fly only on the state-owned flag carrier for
their official travel—both domestic and international. This is one of the steps the government is
taking to lend confidence to a clutch of lenders the airline plans to tap for medium-term loans. The
National Aviation Company of India Ltd (Nacil), which runs AI, expects to post about Rs 5,000-
crore loss in 2008-09. Nacil is facing a financial crisis after its borrowings rose sharply to Rs
15,241 crore in June 2009 from Rs 6,550 crore in November 2007. A part of the borrowings was
for buying new aircraft.
·         Fresh Bids for Hyderabad Metro Project: The Andhra Pradesh government has decided to
call for fresh bids for the over Rs 12,000 crore Hyderabad Metro Rail Project. Andhra chief
minister has asked senior officials to start the global tendering process on July 16 and complete it
within 120 days. It may be recalled, the state government had awarded the Hyderabad Metro Rail
project to Maytas Infra-led consortium last year and last week cancelled the contract after the
company failed to achieve financial closure even after the deadline.
 Toyota Set to Export Cars Via Ennore Port: Toyota Kirloskar Motor (TKM), the Indian
subsidiary of Japanese auto giant Toyota, will ink a pact with Ennore port in Tamil Nadu to export
its small cars, which would be manufactured at the company's upcoming plant near Bangalore
from 2010-11.

 Tapping the Hydropower Potential: India has considerable potential for harnessing hydropower,
with most estimates placing the country’s potential capacity at close to 1.5-lakh mw, with the
Brahmaputra, Indus and Ganga basins contributing about 80% of this. The installed capacity
currently stands at over 36,000 mw. Central sector organizations such as National Hydroelectric
Power Corporation and North Eastern Electric Power Corporation along with private developers
have helped the country develop hydroelectric power stations. Private players such as the Jaypee
Group, the Tatas and GMR have been quite active, with the Baspa-II project being one of the
largest in the private sector. The current thermal-hydro mix stands at approximately 74:26. On the
flip side only about one-fourth of the country’s hydropower potential has been developed so far.
While the reasons for the shortfall are many, they can be broadly classified as being related to
problems around evacuation of power, project development and tariffs. Most of the potential for
hydro-based generation exists in relatively remote regions, with the hilly states of Arunachal
Pradesh (with the potential of 50,000 mw), J&K, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand accounting
for a bulk of the potential. This presents huge challenges in the construction and cost of hydro
 projects, especially large ones.  Another issue is land acquisition and the consequent need to
rehabilitate the local populace.
 Govt. Clears Free Education For 6-14 Age Group: Right to Education Bill, a big-ticket move to
make education a fundamental right for every child in the 6-14 age group, was cleared by the
Union Cabinet. It's slated to be introduced in Parliament in the current session of Parliament. One
of the longest awaited political promises. When RTE becomes law, it would empower the seven-
year-old 86th Constitutional amendment that made free and compulsory education a fundamental
right.
 CERC Approves Power Exchange: Central electricity regulatory commission (CERC) has given
its nod to NTPC, NHPC, and Tata consultancy services for setting up a power exchange. The joint
venture company has been granted in-principle approval to set up and operate a National Power
Exchange.
 SpiceJet Planning to Expand Fleet: Leading no-frill carrier SpiceJet is working on fleet
acquisition plans an analyzing routes as it aims at launching international operations by may next
year. An airline has to complete five years of domestic operation and have a fleet of 20 or more
aircraft before it is allowed to fly abroad. SpiceJet operates over 125 domestic flights to 18 cities
daily and would fulfill the eligibility criteria for international operations on May 23, 2010.
 Nitish Kumar to Revamp Case Disposal Processes in Panchayat System: Bihar Chief
Minister Nitish Kumar said steps would be taken to facilitate speedy settlement of disputes at the
Panchayat level and promised to radically alter the case disposal processes within the Panchayat
system. Article 90 of the Bihar Panchayati Raj Legislature of 2006 provides for the establishment
of a “Gram Kachahary” in every Panchayat.
 Draft of New Immigration Law Ready: A draft of a new immigration law has been prepared by
the Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs and it will now initiate consultations with Law, External
Affairs and Home Ministries to finalise the document before tabling it in Parliament. “A draft for the
new [immigration] legislation is ready,” Minister for Overseas Indian Affairs Vayalar Ravi told PTI.
The draft provides for more power to police to deal with unscrupulous agents who dupe those
migrating to other countries.  Fixing Responsibility- It also aims at fixing responsibility of agents
and officials involved in the immigration process. Noting that the existing law was the basis of the
draft, Mr. Ravi said, “It will be a very progressive law to deal with the changed circumstances
around us.” The Minister said the existing Immigration Act would be repealed “after the Cabinet
approves” the draft.
Food subsidy bill crosses Rs 50,000cr: The annual food subsidy bill crossed the Rs 50,000
crore-mark as the government announced plans to implement the promised Rs 3 per kg of
foodgrain scheme to below poverty line (BPL) families. The subsidy is provided in the budget of
the food and public distribution department to meet the difference in cost of procurement of wheat
and paddy from farmers and selling it at a lower rate at fair price shops. The subsidy is provided to
Food Corporation of India, the main government body responsible for procurement and
distribution of foodgrains under targeted public distribution system and other welfare schemes and
for maintaining the buffer stock of foodgrains as a measure of food security. In 2008-09 the food
subsidy bill stood at Rs 43,627 crore.
·         Ayodhya, 17 Year Later: The Liberhan Commission report was finally submitted to the union
government last week, 17 year after the demolition of the Babri Masjid at Ayodhya. Set up on
December 16, 1992 the commission received as many as 48 extensions.

·         Ratan Tata asked to head Board to be Set up to Revive AI: J R D Tata founded Air India in
1932 and 77 years later, the responsibility of reviving the crisis-ridden airline could fall on his son
Ratan Tata. Aviation minister Praful Patel is setting up an international advisory board comprising
prominent people, including former heads of major global airlines, to helm the turnaround of Air
India. And top government sources said Ratan Tata has already been approached to head this
 board.

 Power firms Now Free of State Meddling: The power ministry has decided to amend Section 11
of the Electricity Act, 2003, to allow independent power producers to sell power to consumers of
their choice through open access system, under which current intervention of states will be done
away with.
 Sen, Mittal and Nooyi in PM’s Advisory Panel: Eonomist Amartya Sen, business tycoon L N
Mittal and Pepsico CEO Indra Nooyi are among the members of a high-level panel headed by
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh constituted to advise the government to draw upon experience of
the best Indian minds abroad for a two-way engagement.
 154 New SBI Branches: State Bank of India will simultaneously open 154 branches—the most
ever on a single day—and 1,540 ATMs across the country.
 Meghalaya Likely to have rail Link with Bangladesh: If things go according to plan, Meghalaya
will soon be on the Railways network as the North East Frontier Railway has submitted a Rs.
16,000-crore project to the ministry for connecting key trading points along the Bangladesh border
in the State and in Assam. Railway lines would be set up from Jogighopa in Goalpara district to
Silchar in Assam via some key trading points along the Bangladesh border such as Dawki, Shella
and Baghmara under the project.
 Center Launches Scheme for Forest Regeneration: The Union Environment and Forest
Ministry has launched a new scheme for Accelerated Programme of Restoration and
Regeneration of Forest Cover. Minister of State for Environment and Forests Jairam Ramesh said
the scheme was the initiative of the Prime Minister who had expressed his desire to have a ‘green
cover’ over all the schemes. The Budget allocation for Environment and Forests for 2009-10 is
Rs.2,129 crore, an increase of Rs.422 crore compared to last year.
 Roads to Get Rs 1 Lakh crore this Fiscal: The government will invest Rs 1 lakh crore in 2009-
10 to build 12,000 km of roads. The target set by road transport & highways minister Kamal Nath
is almost six times more than what India has achieved in any fiscal year since 2000-01.
 Andhra Bank gets Irda Nod: Hyderabad-based Andhra Bank has received Insurance Regulatory
and Development Authority (Irda) approval for its proposed insurance foray, said R S Reddy,
chairman and managing director of the bank.
 PM to Head Cabinet Panel on Core Sector: The government has constituted the Cabinet
Committee on Infrastructure (CCI) to fast-track implementation of infrastructure sector projects
and monitor their performance. The 12-member committee, to be headed by Prime Minister
Manmohan Singh, will look into and take decisions on all infrastructure-related proposals costing
over Rs 150 crore, particular emphasis on rural housing and urban slum clearance.

 Modernization of Zoological Parks: Union Environment and Forests Minister Jairam Ramesh
announced that the Central Zoo Authority had prepared a 2020 Vision Document for revamping
and modernization of 196 zoological parks in various parts of the country during the next 10 years.
Delhi would have the privilege of having India’s first “Natural History Museum” alongside the
present zoo. India would hold the World Zoo Congress in 2014, the venue of which will be decided
later.
 Country’s Deepest Port Sets Sail: India's deepest and most modern port, Gangavaram, built as
a public private partnership between the Andhra Pradesh government and US-based private
equity investor Warburg Pincus, is exploring further options for raising funds. The Rs 1,800-crore
port is the only one in the country that has the infrastructure to handle bulk cargo vessels of
200,000 dwt that avoid Indian ports because of their low depths.
 India’s Longest Rail Tunnel: The countdown for the commissioning of India’s longest railway
 tunnel in the Kashmir Valley has started, The 11-kilometre-long “Pir Panjal” tunnel between
Banihal and Qazigund is part of the 340-km-long railway project in Jammu and Kashmir, which will
link the Valley with the rest of the country.
 Women to Join BSF Combat Duties: The first women battalion of about 1,000 personnel of the
Border Security Force (BSF) will be inducted for combat duties by July end.
 Pranab Heads Group on 3G Mobile Services: The Centre constituted an empowered Group of
Ministers (e-GoM) that will look into the issues related to pricing and other aspects of spectrum for
3G (third generation) mobile services. The nine-member e-GoM will be headed by Union Finance
Minister Pranab Mukherjee.  The members are: Home Minister P. Chidambaram, Defence
Minister A.K. Antony, Communications and Information Technology Minister A. Raja, Agriculture
Minister Sharad Pawar, Law Minister M. Veerappa Moily, Information and Broadcasting Minister
Ambika Soni, Minister of State for Science & Technology Prithviraj Chauvan, and Planning
Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia.
 India Sitting on a Volatile Volcano: India was the first to launch a national family planning
programme in 1952, which promoted contraceptives to control fertility, but the country has
repeatedly failed to achieve its total fertility rate (TFR) target. At present, India’s TFR is 2.7%
whereas the National Population Policy of 2000 sets a goal of achieving replacement level fertility
of 2.1 children per woman nationally by 2010, which is highly unlikely.  The TFR among rural
women is still too high and stands at an average of three children per family. Specially in the case
of Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Meghalaya and Nagaland.
International

·         Foursome Needs a Shared Agenda: The first summit of the emerging Bric powers that took
place in Russia earlier in June failed to come up with anything significant. The four different
emerging market powers presented a broad common front to try to get more say in negotiations
with rich powers, and to ensure the developing countries’ interests at the G8 and G20 meetings.
The next G8 summit for developed powers will be taking place in Italy in July, and the US will host
the next G20 summit later in the year. China is the world’s largest holder of US Treasuries with
$767.9 billion, according to recent US Treasury Department data, while Japan has $686.7 billion.
The Bric powers have agreed to continue their four-way courtship next year in Brazil.

·         Libya Bans Drugs Form India: Libya has become the third African country to ban the import of
Indian drugs, after Nigeria and Uganda. Though there is no official confirmation from the Libya
embassy about the Ban.

·         World Bank Approves $197-m Loan to UP: The World Bank has approved a $197 million
International Development Association (IDA) credit to increase the agricultural productivity of
barren lands in Uttar Pradesh. The credit from the IDA, the World Bank’s concessionary lending
arm, The third Uttar Pradesh sodic lands reclamation project builds on the achievements of the
first two such projects in the state which have already helped reclaim more than 2,50,000 hectares
of unproductive land. ‘‘More than 4,25,000 poor families have benefited.
·         World Bank Commits $58.9b to Crisis-Hit Countries: The World Bank said that it committed
$58.9 b in fiscal year 2009 to help countries struggling amid the global economic crisis, a 54 per
cent increase over the previous fiscal year and a record high for the global development
institution. In fiscal year 2009 (July 1, 2008 - June 30, 2009), the World Bank supported 767
projects to promote economic growth, fight poverty, and assist private businesses, including $20.7
b in infrastructure financing.
·         President Rajapaksa Solution From The People: President Mahinda Rajapaksa highlighted
his determination to re-settle “as soon as possible” close to 300,000 Tamil civilians displaced by
the conflict with the LTTE. And after the military operations, Mr. Rajapaksa announced a 180-day
 resettlement plan.
·         Riots in China’s Muslim Minority Region: Riots broke out in the capital city of China’s
Muslim-majority Xinjiang autonomous region with hundreds of protesters attacking passers-by and
torching vehicles. Xinjiang is home to 8 million Uighur Muslims, a minority group in China, and the
region has seen intermittent tensions between Uighurs and China’s majority Han ethnic group.
·         Liberty’s crown Reopens after 8 Years: The statue was closed to the public after the Sept.
11, 2001, attacks. The base, pedestal and outdoor observation deck were reopened in 2004, but
the crown remained off-limits.
·         Russian-America Summit Focuses on Arms Reduction: Russia and the United States have
pressed the “Reset button” agreeing to remedy their badly frayed ties during U.S. President
Barack Obama’s first visit to Moscow. In two days of talks on July 6 and 7, the two countries
agreed to slash their nuclear arsenals, dramatically expand anti-terror cooperation in Afghanistan
and upgrade bilateral ties in all spheres. The Russian and U.S. President signed a Joint
Understanding a framework agreement to reduce the two countries’ nuclear arsenals from 2,200
to between 1,500 and 1,675 warheads and from 1,600 to between 500 and 1,100 delivery
vehicles. The cuts will be formalized in a new treaty the sides aim to sign by December. It will be
the first full-fledged arms control treaty between the two countries since the Strategic Arms
Reduction Treaty (START-1), which was negotiated in the final days of the Cold War and expires
on December 5.
·         G8 and G5 Leaders Work for Early Agreement on Trade: Leaders of the G8 industrial
nations and the G5 developing countries at their summit in this mountain town north-east of
Rome. This is the first time in a G8 plus G5 summit that a joint declaration has been issued. The
G8 and G5 nations decided to continue the dialogue process started in 2007 in Heiligendamm,
Germany, and now renamed the Heiligendamm-L’Aquila Process (HAP). This dialogue process
has been described as a partnership on an equal footing and a steering committee will prepare a
report for the next G8 plus G5 summit in Muskoka.
·         World Bank to Give TN Rs. 1,912cr for Road Projects: The World Bank will lend Rs. 1,912
crore and the state government will provide Rs. 530 crore for Rs. 2,442-crore road projects in
Tamil Nadu, which will be completed by March 2010.
·         Desert National Park in UNESCO Heritage List: After remaining merely on official records for
almost three decades, the Desert National Park in Jodhpur division is seemingly on the threshold
of better days ahead with UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee placing it in the latest Tentative
List of National Heritage properties. The existing UNESCO heritage site in Rajasthan in the
category is the famous bird sanctuary, the Keoladeo National Park near Bharatpur. The Desert
National Park, notified back in 1980, is among four sites from India approved in the tentative list of
natural heritage properties, which include the Great Himalayan National Park in Himachal
Pradesh, the Bitarkanika Conservation Area in Orissa and the Neora Valley National Park in West
Bengal. UNESCO keeps these sites on the tentative list for a year before the full nomination is
granted. “The site has to undergo very rigorous and competitive processes for getting into the
World Heritage List finally”.
·         LIC ropes in Nomura AMC as Strategic Partner: LIC Mutual Fund Trustee Company Private
Limited (LICMF Trustee) and LIC Mutual Fund Asset Management Company Limited (LICMF
AMC) announced the induction of Nomura Asset Management Co as a strategic partner in India.
Nomura Asset Management will acquire a 35 per cent stake in LICMF AMC as well as in LICMF
Trustee.
·         Russia, China to Conduct War games: Russia and China will conduct massive joint war
games in a display of growing strategic ties between the two neighbours. The “Peace Mission-
2009” exercises, to be held from July 22 to 26, will involve about 3,000 troops from both sides, the
first joint exercises to be staged on both sides of the common border.
 Economy
·         Agriculture Growth Rate Drops to 1.6%: The Economic Survey has painted the Agriculture
sector in a rather bleak picture with a sudden drop in the growth rate during 2008-09 to just about
1.6 percent. The Agriculture sector had recorded an average growth of about 4.9 per cent over
three years, from 2005-06 to 2007-08, lending credible support to the overall growth in the GDP.
The sector, which accounted for 21.7 percent of the GDP in 2003-04, accounted for only 17.8
percent of the GDP in 2007-08. Foodgrain production during 2005-06 to 2007-08 had shown an
annual increase of 10 million tonnes, but in 2008-09 it improved only marginally by 1.97 million
tonnes to stand at 222.85 million tonnes – short of its target of 233 million tonnes.
·         India Remains Preferred FDI Destination: Notwithstanding global meltdown and the financial
crisis impacting major economies of the world, India continued to remain as the preferred and
attractive foreign direct investment (FDI) destination attracting nearly $46.5 billion of FDI during
2008. According to the Economic Survey, FDI flows in 2008-09 were also the reflection of the
confidence of foreign investors in the growth prospects of the Indian economy.
·        

Country        $billion     share %

China             31.42          24.60

Italy               19.28          15.10

Hong Kong   10.98          8.60

France            5.13            4.02

Germany       5.12            4.01     

  Brazil             4.33            3.39

Belgium         -3.66           2.87

Spain              3.50            2.74

India              3.47            2.72

Romania       2.00            1.57

Indian Tea Companies in Acquisition Mode: After a prolonged period of recession, the Indian tea
industry is now in the acquisition mode. Most of the major companies and even some of the smaller ones
think that this is a good opportunity to acquire a garden - within the country or outside. India is the largest
producer and consumer of black tea in the world. However, now it is becoming clear that neither would it
be possible to increase the acreage under tea cultivation nor bring any quantum leap in the production of
this agro-commodity which is among India's top foreign exchange earner, without a change in the age-old
technology and introduction of mechanization.

·         International Leather Trade: China and the US dominate the global trade in leather and
leather products with China being the major exporter and the US as the leading importer. While
India stands at the 9th place among the exporting countries in 2007. Global trade in leather and
leather products stood at $127.73-billion in 2007 while it was $90.80 billion in 2003, according to
the data available from the Geneva-based International Trade Centre (ITC).
·         States Seek Increased Share of Central Taxes to at Least 50%: States asked the
government to raise their share of central taxes to at least 50% from the present 30.5% and
include central surcharges and cess in the divisible pool. Finance Commission recommends the
rate at which the states share the central taxes. At present, it is in accordance with the
recommendations of the 12th Finance Commission.
·         $2.2-bn World Bank Loan: India borrowed $2.2 billion from the World Bank Group in the fiscal
year 2009 (July 1, 2008–June 30, 2009), the highest in South Asia, mainly to revive growth and
alleviate poverty. Within South Asia, India was the largest borrower from the International Bank for
Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) and International Development Association (IDA),
accounting for $2,242 million, the World Bank said in a release.
·         IT Sector Gets Attention: The 2009-10 budget proposal to extend the Software Technology
Parks of India (STPI) scheme for one more year will help the information technology industry
mitigate the impact of the current economic downturn and help India retain its competitiveness,
says Som Mittal, President, Nasscom, the trade body for IT and ITeS (IT-enabled Services)
industries.
·         CTT Abolition: In a bid to expand commodity futures markets that has been reeling under the
impact of the repeated government interventions, Budget 2009-10 abolished the Commodity
Transaction Tax (CTT) proposed in the previous budget.
·         IMF Raises India’s Growth Forecast to 5.4%: The international monetary fund (IMF) has
raised its 2009 growth forecast for Asia’s developing economies from 4.8% to 5.5% but cautioned
that a sustained rebound will depend on recovery in developed economies. It cited improved
prospects for regional giants China and India. In a report, it raised its 2009 growth outlook for
China by one percentage point to 7.5% and for India by 0.9 percentage points to 5.4%.
·         RIL’s Gas to Save Country $8.3bn Annually: Reliance Industries’ eastern offshore KG-D6
gas fields at peak production will help the nation save $8.3 billion annually or 0.7% of the GDP,
investment banker Morgan Stanley said. RIL, which is currently producing 31-32 mmcmd, is likely
to touch 80 mmcmd in next six months. This peak output could replace close to 26 million tonne of
crude oil, which is as much as ONGC produces domestically, or about 17 %of current demand in
India.
·         NHB to Bring 25 Cities Under Realty Price Index: National Housing Bank (NHB) is hopping
to take the number of cities to 25 under its ambit for Residex the residential property price index in
another four years. The index test launched in 2001 so as to help determine the price trends of
residential properties of a region.
·         Singapore Top Asean Nation to Invest in India: Singapore continues to be the single largest
investor in India amongst the Asean countries with FDI inflows into India rising to Rs 15,776 crore
in 2008 from Rs 1,417 crore in 2005. Malaysia is a distant second with FDI inflows from there
rising to Rs 453.8 crore in 2008 from Rs 21.3 crore in 2005, according to a report on India-Asean
Investment prepared by the industry chamber, Ficci. What is noteworthy is that FDI from
Myanmar, which invested a mearly Rs 0.23 crore during the period August 1991-December 2005,
raised its stakes sharply in India with inflows shooting up to a whopping Rs 34.7 crore in 2008.
Sector-wise distribution of FDI inflows received from Asean countries the highest inflows have
been in the services sector (financial and non financial), which accounts for about 30% of FDI
inflows from Asean. Petroleum and natural gas occupies the second place followed by computer
 software and hardware, mining and construction.
Science & Technology
·         Biomin Launches ‘Mycofix’ For Farmers: Leading global animal healthcare product maker
Biomin has announced the launch of its new veterinary feed ‘Mycofix,’ which could help farmers in
managing the risk posed by the problem of ‘Mycotoxin’ in India. Mycotoxin is the contamination
caused by fungus to the animal and bird feed, and it results into a host of disease and productivity
losses to the farmers.
·         Magnetic ‘Thinking Cap’: Taking a step closer towards a “Thinking cap” that can enhance the
mind’s ability to learn, scientists have found that stimulating the brain with magnets could boost a
person’s learning ability. It was found that when a magnetic pulse was applied to the pre-motor
cortex — the area of the brain just behind the forehead — the brain’s ability to learn a task and
remember it was greatly enhanced. The researchers, led by Dr Lara Boyd at the University of
British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada, have claimed that the technique could be used to
enhance intellectual capacity, and help those with learning difficulties.
·         Astronauts Gather for Big Space Station Build:  Space shuttle Endeavour is scheduled for
launch on a 16-day mission to deliver the final Places of Japan’s Kibo module to the international
space station. Mission STS-127 will see the largest number of people together in orbit ever six
station crew and seven shuttle visitors.
·         Poultry Waste-based 6 mw Power Plant to Come up in Haryana: In a first of its kind
initiative, Haryana has approved a 6 mw power plant to be set up in Barwala (district Panchkula),
where power will be generated from poultry waste. As per the Haryana Renewable Energy
Development Agency (Hareda) Gurgaon-based Emergent Ventures, US-based Indus Terra
Energy and Haryana Poultry Farmers Association will have a stake in the power plant.
·         Cars to be Started by Lasers: Scientists have developed what they claim is an ignition system
which uses focused beams of laser light to ignite the fuel. A joint team from Liverpool University
and car giant Ford has come up with the technology that is more reliable and efficient than current
spark plug technology and would enable vehicles to start more easily in cold and damp conditions.
Person
·         Missile Woman: Tessy Thomas, India’s missile woman has been appointed the project director
(mission) of India’s most ambitious missile, Agni-v with a strike range of 5,000km, slated to be
tested for the first time next year.

·         Nirupama Roa is New Foreign Secy: Nerupama Roa, India’s ambassador to China, will take
over as foreign secretary from S S Menon on august 1. Rao comes to the top job after crucial
ambassadorships in Sri Lanka and china, apart from being India’s first women foreign ministry
spokesperson.

·         HCL CEO: Shiv Nadar of HCL has quietly completed his succession planning by elevating his
daughter Roshni Nadar as the executive director and CEO of HCL Corporation, the holding
company of HCL Tech and HCL Info.

 Lakhma Ram: Lakhma Ram’s uniqueness lay in the fact that he was he first Zila Pramukh when
Panchayati Raj was launched in the country by Prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru from Nagaur
district in Rajasthan on October 22, 1959.
 Achuthanandan: The central committee of the communist party of India (Marxist) decided to drop
kerala chief minister V.S. Achuthanandan from the Polit Bureau for violating the organizational
principles and discipline, however, the senior most party leader would continue to head the state
government.
 Rakesh Mohan to Join Mc Kinsey as Global Adviser: Former Reserve Bank of India (RBI)
deputy governor Rakesh Mohan, who quit the central bank in May to take up an assignment at the
Stanford Center for International Development at Stanford University in the US, is now set to join
global consultancy Mc. Kinsey and Co.’s economic research wing.
Awards
·         Indian Bank Wins Bank Award: Indian Bank has won the Model bank award for 2009 from
Celent, a banking industry research and advisory firm, for implementing core banking solution.
The award was presented to the bank’s Chairman and Managing Director, M. S. Sundara Rajan,
by Bart Narter, Senior Vice-President, Banking Group, Celent.
·         British Award for Bharat Electronics: The Ghaziabad unit of defence Navratna PSU, Bharat
Electronics limited has been awarded the 18 th British Safety council award. Earlier, the unit was
conferred the union labour ministry safety award and has also been conferred the American
Safety council Award.
 
Sports
·         Vaughan Bids Final Farewell: former England captain Michael Vaughan announced his
retirement from all professional cricket. Vaughan, England’s most successful test captain, has not
played for his country since tearfully resigning the captaincy in august during the home series loss
to South Africa.
·         India Win Three Gold Medals in Asian Youth Games: India continued its good show in the
inaugural Asian Youth Games by winning three more Golds. Two Golds came from athletics while
the third came from swimming. With today’s three Golds, India’s medal tally swelled to five Golds,
three silvers and two bronzes. Ravi Kumar won gold in the boys’ 800m. In the girls’ 800m, Namita
Kabat bagged gold.
·         Roger Federer: The victory in the men’s singles final of the 123rd championships saw Federer
ease past the greatest Wimbledon champion of modern times. His sixth Wimbledon title saw
Federer move back to the No.1 spot ahead of Rafael Nadal for the first time since August 2008
when the Spaniard eased past him. It was also a record 20th Grand Slam final for the man who
had held the No.1 ranking for 237 consecutive weeks. Roger Federer won his record 15 th grand
Slam title outlasting Andy Roddick for his sixth Wimbledon Championship.
·         Williams Sisters Retain Doubles Title: Serena Williams won a pair of Grand Slam titles at
Wimbledon, just like her sister Venus did last year. Serena added the women’s doubles title to her
take at this year’s tournament, teaming with big sister Venus to beat Rennae Stubbs and
Samantha Stosur of Australia.  It is their fourth Wimbledon title together, part of their haul of nine
Grand Slam women’s doubles championships.
·         India Wins Series: India won the one-day series against the West Indies 2-1 after fourth and
final match was abandoned due to heavy rain.
·         Serena Eclipses Venus: The 27 year old Serena put up a power packed performance to win
her third Wimbledon title. The second seeded Serena prevailed 7-6 (7-3), 6-2 in an hour and 27
minutes to deny the 29 year old Venus, seeded third a hat trick of title at the All England Club.
·         Joshna Wins: Squash ace Joshna Chinappa won the third WISPA title of her career when she
defeated home favorite low wee wern in the Final NSC series event Kuala Lumpur.
·         Aitova sets Asian Record: Marina Aitova of Kazakhstan set an Asian record of 1.99 metres
while winning the Athens Grand Prix high jump event.
·         Longest Course: The world’s longest golf course (1,365-km) of desert highway, with holes at
18 towns and service stations, is to open in Australia this year.
 ·         Lanka Wins Series: Sri Lanka clinched its first home series win over Pakistan.
Books & Author
Quest for Emancipation: K. Asaiah.
Abul Kalam Azad- Vision and action: Sheik Ali.
Curing the Ills of India: Prem Kumar Sinha.
India in Turmoil-Jammu & Kashmir, the Northeast and left extremism: Ved Marwah.
Timeless Wisdom: Eknath Easwaran.
The Laws of the Spirit: Nirad C. Choudhuri.
The Middleman: Arunava Sinha.
Midnight’s Diaspora: Encounters with Salman Rushdie.
Terrorism: A global Challenge: Lokesh, Dr. Anil Dutta Mishra.
Social-Political and Economic Challenges in South Asia: Tan Tai Yong.
Jammu and Kashmir, the Cold War and the West: D.N. Panigrahi Routledge.
The Hour Past Midnight: Lakshmi Hoimstrom.
Unruly Times: Prashant Bhawalkar.
Miscellaneous

 Self-Watering Plant: The world’s first ‘Self-watering’ plant has been discovered in Israel’s Negev
desert – one of the driest regions on earth. The Desert Rhubarb can hold 16 times more water
than its rivals and has developed a unique ability to effectively water itself in its barren habitat.
 RK Shanmukham Chetty: On Nov 26, 1947, RK Shanmukham Chetty had presented the first
Budget of independent India. But actually it was review of the economy and no new taxes were
proposed as the Budget day for 1948-49 was just 95 days away.
 First Five-Year Plan: In 1953-54, a group of technical experts from the IMF came on the
agency’s first visit to India to study the first Five-year plan as well as fiscal, economic and
monetary policies.
 Morarji Desai: Morarji Desai has presented the maximum number of budgets. He presented 10
Budgets-a Record that stands even today. Morarji Desai holds the unique distinction.
 In 1959-60, for the first time, different ministries submitted their demand for grants, the document
that shows their expenditure requirements, separately, a practice that continues to this day.
Demands for grants begin to be submitted from September for the Budget to be presented on the
last working day of February.
 Robert Bruce Foote: The grave of Robert Bruce Foote, an influential figure in the history of
Indian archaeology and geology, has been discovered at Yercaud.  His discovery of a stone-tool
on May 30, 1863 at Pallavaram, near Chennai, pushed back the antiquity of humankind in the
Indian subcontinent and placed India in the world map of pre-history. It was a remarkable find
because the stone tool, used by hunter-gatherers, was more than 500,000 years old.
 Udaipur World’s Best City for Travelers: The Indian city of Udaipur, known as the “Venice of
the East,” was voted the world’s best city for travelers in 2009 in an online poll by Travel + Leisure
magazine, trumping last year’s winner Bangkok. The island of Bali in Indonesia topped the
Galapagos to be named Best Island in the annual poll, in which casual and laid-back destinations
prevailed. Magazine readers also voted Bushmans Kloof Cedar Mountains, in South Africa, as the
 world’s top hotel while Singapore Airlines grabbed the best airline award again.

16 to 31 Jul, 2009

National

 Plan in Against Red Terror: With the Naxal insurgency taking on deadly new proportions,
India’s premier paramilitary troubleshooters are set to become the frontline anti-Maoist fighting
force. The government is working on a plan to add 38 new battalions — or more than 35,000
men and women — to the 60-year-old Central Reserve Police Force, which is already the
country’s largest paramilitary force with 2.7 lakh personnel and is bigger than the armies of many
countries.
 Mid Day Meal Scheme: The government’s flagship Programme to provide one nutritious warm
cooked meal a day to schoolchildren upto class VIII are covered under the scheme launched in
1995 to increase student enrollment, address malnutrition and check dropout rate. The plan has
led to an improvement in enrollment and a fall in dropout rate. The success led to the Programme
being extended to upper primary classes (up to Class VIII). The budget, too, was increased to
Rs. 8,000 crore in 2008-09 to cover 13.9 crore children.
 Himachal Tops Again in 20-Point Programme: Himachal Pradesh has done it once again by
maintaining first position in implementation of the 20-Point Programme among all states in the
country with 92% achievement. This achievement is two percentage points more than Gujarat,
four percentage points more than Uttarakhand and five percentage points more than Andhra
Pradesh, the four top states that have been ranked in implementation of this Programme. The
main thrust of the 20-Point Programme is poverty alleviation, employment generation housing,
education, family welfare and health, protection of environment and other schemes having a
bearing on the quality of life, especially in rural areas. Under the employment generation
Programme, 8,17,364 job cards have been issued.
 Haryana Tops in Providing Insurance Cover to BPL Families: Haryana has edged past
Kerala in coverage of BPL families to emerge on top in extending health insurance cover to
below poverty line families in the state. As many as 25 states in the country have initiated moves
to implement the scheme which aims to cover about six crore BPL families in fiscal 2009-10.
However, no state in the country has completed the process of providing such cover to all the
eligible BPL families. Till June 30, Kerala was on top with issuance of Smart Cards to 9.77 lakh
BPL families. Under the scheme, the centre and the state governments share the premium of the
insurance cover in the ratio of 75:25 except in case of the North Eastern states and Jammu and
Kashmir where the ratio is 90:10.
 Silk Board to Promote Eri Silk: The government-owned Central Silk Board (CSB), the apex
body of the Indian silk industry, has taken major drive to promote eri silk in north and non-
traditional southern parts of the country. The CSB has been encouraging establishment of spun
silk mills in the private sector under the Catalytic Development Programme (CDP) to covert eri
cocoons into mill spun yarn.  While one unit has already been set up at Hindupur in Andhra
Pradesh, two more units are coming up in the North-East, the first one of which has been
commissioned recently at Kokrajhar in Assam with the technical and financial assistance from the
CSB and the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) of Assam.
 Two Pronged Approach to Tackle Naxalism: Home Minister P. Chidambaram told the Rajya
Sabha during question hour that the government would pursue a two-pronged approach to deal
 with the menace — first a police action to secure the ground and follow it up with development
work.
 Delhi High Court Approves Child Labour Abolition Action Plan: The Delhi High Court put its
seal of approval on Delhi Action Plan for Total Abolition of Child Labour in the Capital and issued
a series of directions to the public bodies concerned for its implementation. The Action Plan has
been prepared by the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) following
consultations with various stakeholders and conduct of a survey and research. The Court had
last year directed the NCPCR to prepare a detailed action plan for strict enforcement and
implementation of the Child Labour (Prohibition & Regulation), Act 1986 on a public interest
litigation seeking directions for rescue and rehabilitation of child labourers in the Capital. The
highlight of the Action Plan is that it provides for rescue for all children between 14 and 18 years
of age though the Act defines a child as a person who has not completed 14 years of age. “The
Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2000, will apply to children between the
age of 14 and 18 years as well as to those children who are below the age of 14 years and
employed in non-scheduled occupations and processes. Consequently, the said children would
be governed by the Juvenile Justice Act as well the Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act, 1976,
if applicable, not by the CLPRA as stipulated in the Action Plan”, the Court said.
 IAF Fighter Base Likely in Kayathar: The Indian Air Force (IAF) is in talks with the Tamil Nadu
government for the transfer of a World War II airfield at Kayathar, about 60 km from Tirunelveli,
for developing it into a full-fledged fighter base in South India. “While Sulur and Thanjavur are
being built up as fighter stations, Kayathar is the next one in our mind,” Air Marshal S.
Radhakrishnan.
 CERC to Take up Renewable Energy Tariff: At present, about 14,000 mw of renewable energy
is installed in the country comprising 10,000 mw of wind power mostly confined to Tamil Nadu
and Rajasthan. About 4,000 capacity of micro Hydel, cogeneration, solar and biomass are
situated in various parts of the country.
 Chandrayaan Falters As ‘Star Sensors’ Fail: Less than nine months after India’s first lunar
satellite Chandrayaan-I was launched. The chairman of the Indian Space Research Organization
announced that the satellite’s ‘star sensors’ – vital in determining the orientation – had failed.
Describing the failure a “handicap,” Madhavan Nair told journalists at the ISRO headquarters that
Chandrayaan’s orientation had been set right by activating contingency “gyroscopes” on board.
Being an electro-mechanical device, however, the life span of the gyroscopes cannot be
predicted, said S. Satish, ISRO spokesperson. He added that on May 19 Chandrayaan’s orbit
was raised from 100 km to 200 km from the lunar surface to “save fuel” after the gyroscopes
were activated. According to an ISRO press release, one of Chandrayaan’s bus management
units, which perform crucial control functions on the spacecraft, has failed. This would imply that
the spacecraft is running on the backup unit. The technical snag, which occurred on April 26, was
detected on May 16, according to ISRO sources. Mr. Nair attributed it to “excessive radiation
from the sun” that “can degrade devices in the star sensors.” The sensors cannot be recovered at
this stage and the remaining part of the two-year mission would be completed in the “gyro mode,”
he said, adding that “the orientation accuracy has been quite satisfactory.”
 Election Commission Recognizes Praja Rajyam as a State Party: The Election Commission
(EC) has recognized the Praja Rajyam (PR), led by actor-politician Chiranjeevi, as a State party,
and allotted “full Sun with rays” as its election symbol as requested by it.
 Parliament Approves: Parliament approved the extension of President’s rule in Jharkhand, with
the Rajya Sabha turning down a motion seeking its revocation after the government promised
Assembly elections in the State at the earliest opportunity. The Rajya Sabha also returned the
Jharkhand Budget and the related Appropriation Bill to the Lok Sabha, which had earlier
approved both this and the extension of President’s rule.
 ADAG to Set up Cement Units: In one of the largest investments in Maharashtra, Anil Dhirubhai
 Ambani Group (ADAG) company Reliance Cementation announced setting up of two cement
units in Maharashtra with a total investment of Rs. 2,250 crore. Reliance Cementation is going to
set up a five million tonne integrated cement plant in the Yavatmal district and a two- million
tonne cement Grinding unit at Butibori in the Nagpur district.
 Mumbaikar gets First ‘Nano’: The much awaited Nano hit the roads Raghunath Vichare
becoming the first owner of the world’s cheapest car.
 $80m Boost to Fight Against HIV: India’s fight HIV just got an $80 million push. The Bill and
Melinda gates foundation increased its funding commitment to Avahan its initiative to reduces the
spread of HIV in India to $338 million (Rs1, 650 crore) from the previous $258 million.
 Our Laws Older than our Country: India has 2,000 laws, but almost two-third have not been
used since 1947 and majority are from 19 th century, The debate generated by a Delhi High Court
judgment that legalized homosexuality among consenting adults turned the spotlight on the
Indian legal system that relies on laws-majority of which were framed in the 19th century. All
major laws in the country-criminal or civil-borrowed from the British legal system are 100 to 150
years old. Countries across the world regularly update their laws, except India. Britain had
scrapped the law that criminalized homosexuality in 1967; the court judgment here came more
than four decades later. Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC)-which till this month
declared homosexuality a crime-is a law that was framed in 1860 and had not been changed
during the last 159 years. Some other shocking laws in the IPC include holding only a man guilty
for adultery, sentencing an individual to a year’s imprisonment if he/she attempts suicide and if a
woman is accused of murder, she is entitled to bail-while a man is not. The Law Commission of
India, an advisory body that gives its opinion on the relevance of laws to the Law Ministry, in its
numerous reports has recommended the repealing of irrelevant laws and “updating of the
important ones”. But government action has been missing so far. “This is an issue of wider
debate and needs careful consideration,” said Law Minister M. Veerappa Moily. Noted jurist
Justice V.R. Krishna Iyer, a former Supreme Court judge, headed a commission that found at
least 300 outdated laws in Kerala alone. “Outdated laws will continue to govern our lives for a
long time to come unless a comprehensive law reform is undertaken by the Centre and state
governments,” Justice Iyer said. The last time an attempt was made to review these archaic laws
was in 2001, when the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance government was in power. It had
repealed 357 of the country’s 2,500 laws. All the repealed laws were more than a 100 years old.
Successive Law Commission reports show that nearly two-thirds of the laws have not been used
even once since independence. They had recommended, “10 per cent of these laws can be
scrapped straightaway”. The oldest law in the country was made in 1836. It is a single sentence
law that allows the West Bengal government to create as many districts as it can. It is still in
force. The Indian Telegraph Act, 1885, came into force when the concept of television and other
electronic revolutions was not heard of. It is time to change these laws, say experts.
 Mandatory registration for Indians studying abroad: The Union government would initiate
steps to enforce a compulsory registration regime for the Indian students studying abroad, as
against the existing voluntary registration system, Union Minister for Overseas Indian Affairs
Vayalar Ravi said.
 Indigenous Nuclear Submarine to be Launched For Trial on July 26: Prime Minister
Manmohan Singh will launch India’s first indigenous nuclear powered submarine at
Vishakapatnam for trial on July 26. The top-secret ‘Advanced Technology Vessel’ (ATV) project
will re-induct India into the exclusive club of five countries that operate nuclear submarines,
called silent killers for their extensive ability to remain under water because of nuclear-powered
engines unlike the diesel electric versions that have to come up to recharge their batteries and
thus stand a greater chance of being spotted. India briefly used a nuclear submarine leased by
Russia from 1988 to 1991. Since then it has been trying to build one of its own.
 Language policy: Apex Court Refuses to Stay Karnataka High Court Judgment: The
Karnataka Government suffered a setback with the Supreme Court refusing to stay the operation
 of a July 2008 judgment of the Karnataka High Court quashing the 1994 language policy of
compelling unaided schools to impart primary education to students only in their mother tongue,
Kannada, in classes 1 to 4. A three-judge Bench comprising Chief Justice K.G. Balakrishnan,
Justice P. Sathasivam and Justice B.S. Chauhan in a brief order while declining to stay the
judgment, however, stayed the contempt proceedings initiated against the State in the High
Court. The Bench asked the Government not to pass orders for closure of the about 2,200
English-medium schools which had admitted about five lakh students. The Bench directed the
matter to be listed for final hearing.
 ‘Izzat’ Scheme to be Launched on August1: The Railways will launch on August 1 the “Izzat”
monthly season tickets (MSTs) for Rs.25 to persons working in the unorganized sector with a
monthly income not exceeding Rs.1,500. Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee had announced the
scheme in her budget speech earlier in the month. The MST would include all surcharges and
would be issued for travel up to 100 km.
 India to Have 3rd Largest Online Population by 2013: The number of Internet users worldwide
is expected to touch 2.2 billion by 2013 and India is projected to have the third largest online
population by then, a report by technology and market research firm Forrester Research said.
 Eco-Labels On Electronic Goods to be Mandatory: The Centre is in the process of making
eco-labeling mandatory for electronic and other goods of daily use to make them environment-
friendly and energy-efficient.
 Energy for electricity generation in India: 50%-coal, 26%-hydropower, 10%-oil and gas, 6%-
wind and solar, 3%-nuclear.
 GUJCOC Bill: The Gujarat Assembly passed the controversial anti-terror bill, Gujarat Control of
Organised Crime (GUJCOC) Bill, for the second time rejecting changes sought by the Centre,
setting the stage for a fresh confrontation with the government. Ignoring suggestions by
President Pratibha Patil to modify the GUJCOC bill passed five years back and still awaiting
presidential assent, the House approved the unchanged Bill unanimously with only ruling party
members present in the House.
 Centre Launches New Scheme For MSMEs: The Centre launched ‘Lean Manufacturing
Scheme’ for the micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) to enhance the manufacturing
competitiveness of the sector. The scheme aims at enhancing the manufacturing
competitiveness of MSMEs by applying lean techniques to identify and eliminate waste in the
manufacturing process. “The scheme would be implemented initially in 100 MSME clusters on a
pilot basis in the next 12 months.
 Copters for PM, Prez: After getting three desi versions of US president’s 'Air Force One', the
Indian President and PM are now all set to also acquire 12 swanky and secure helicopters for
VVIP travel on the lines of ‘‘Marine One’’. The multi-million dollar deal to procure the 12 EH/AW-
101 helicopters, manufactured by Italian aviation major AgustaWestland, is in the concluding
stages now, say defence ministry sources.
International

·         HCL Tech in Pact With S-African co for SAP Solutions: Just six months after acquiring UK-
based SAP consulting major Axon Plc for around £440 million, the country’s fifth largest software
firm, HCL Technologies, has entered into a strategic partnership with South Africa’s UCS Group.
As part of the all-cash deal, HCL will acquire UCS’s enterprise solutions SAP practice focused on
the retail sector.
·         US Gets Right to Inspect Arms: India and US finalized the End-Use Monitoring Agreement
(EUMA) to govern arms supplies to Indian armed forces. The EUMA text agreed to by the two
nations apparently upholds the right of US to physically inspect defence equipment and
technology sold to India. India, in turn, got the concession that the time and place of such
 verification would be decided by New Delhi, as also that the standardized text cannot be altered
without joint consultations if there is any change in US laws in the future. With eyes firmly on the
lucrative Indian defence market, the US had been pushing India to ink the EUMA, which is
required under its domestic laws.
·         India, U.S. Firm up 3 hi-Tech Pacts: India and the U.S. finalized three hi-tech agreements
with the visiting Secretary of State Hillary Clinton singling out the military end user agreement as
the harbinger of greater defence cooperation. The other two agreements are the Technology
Safeguards Agreement (TSA), a type of end user agreement in the space sector, which will pave
the way for the use of U.S. components in Indian satellites, and the Science and Technology
Cooperation Agreement, signed by External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna and Ms. Clinton.
·         Making NAM More Relevant: Since the end of the Cold War, it has become fashionable to
question the relevance of nonalignment as a guiding principle for Indian foreign policy. True,
nonalignment had a specific meaning at a time when the world was divided into competing blocs
and developing countries came under enormous pressure to choose one or the other side. Being
nonaligned offered a decent measure of protection from entanglement in unwanted conflicts. But
nonalignment was also about countries in Asia, Africa, and Latin America coming together to
increase their individual and collective room for manoeuvre in a world system stacked against
them. On both these counts, the Nonaligned Movement retains its relevance. The absence of
bipolarity has not made the developing world more secure; if anything, the security threats some
countries face have become even more acute. As for collective action, never has there been
greater need. There are new global issues related to trade liberalization, the financial crisis and
the system that engendered it, non-proliferation, climate change, pandemics, migration, and so
on. In the main, the agenda, discourse, and plan of action the advanced industrial countries are
pushing tend to be diametrically opposed to the interests of developing countries. As a focal point
for developing and articulating alternative positions, NAM is indispensable. Rising to the task, the
NAM summit at Sharm-el-Sheikh found a new focus. But the real hard work will be to translate
the sentiments expressed in the debate and declaration into concrete steps in forums like the
United Nations, the G20 and G77, the WTO, the International Atomic Energy Agency, the NPT
Review Conference, and December’s Copenhagen conference on climate change. Traditionally,
ambassadors from the NAM countries consult extensively at major international institutions and
events but this process needs to become more proactive and practical. Nowhere is there greater
need for coordination than on climate change. Ensuring that the United States and other rich
countries take on and implement significant medium-term commitments is vital, as is the transfer
of technology to developing countries to help them respond better to the challenge. At the same
time, fast-growing developing countries like India need to rethink. The just reiterated official
stance that while India will “never allow its per capita [Greenhouse Gas] emissions to exceed
those of developed countries,” it will not accept any legally binding reduction in emissions signals
an intent to continue to bring up the rear in the international debate and action on climate
change. This do-little-for-now mindset and the associated policy must change radically.
·         $2.6-billion IMF Loan For Sri Lanka: After approving a 20-month stand-by arrangement
worth Special Drawing Rights 1.65 billion (about $2.6 billion) for Sri Lanka, the International
Monetary Fund (IMF) said the government should take advantage of the opportunity created by
the end of the conflict to ensure national reconciliation, restore macroeconomic stability and
promote strong and durable growth.
·         Afghanistan, India to set up Partnership Council: India and Afghanistan have decided to
establish a new dialogue architecture to further improve bilateral ties and bring renewed focus to
rebuilding and restoration of the war-ravaged country. At a meeting between External Affairs
Minister S.M. Krishna and his Afghan counterpart, Rangin Dadfar Spanta, the two sides agreed
to set up an India-Afghanistan Partnership Council that will consist of seven groups. The intention
behind initiating official-level dialogue in the seven areas — political consultation, capacity
development and education, power and water, culture, trade and industry, health and agriculture
— is to “harness greater institutional support” for implementing ongoing programmes and expand
 development, cooperation between the two countries.
·         Govt. eyes FDI from Germany, France to boost textile growth: The ailing textiles and
apparel sector is all set to receive Foreign direct investment (FDI) from France, Germany, Italy
and Switzerland. The government has undertaken an ambitious project to attract FDI this sector.
“We have zeroed in on the western countries of France, Germany, Italy and Switzerland to attract
FDI in the first phase as these nations have good technology at their disposal.
Economy

·         Trade with Dhaka: India’s trade with Bangladesh rose from $1,000 million in 2001-02 to
$1,855 million in 2006-07. In 2007-08, bilateral trade jumped to $3,175 million, an increase of
71% over the previous year, mainly on the back of a 79.4% increase in India’s exports.
·         Tata Communication in Pact with SSTL: Tata Communications has won a deal from
Sistema Shyam Tele Services (SSTL) to depoloy its on-demand hosted contract centre services
for all SSTL circles. SSTL, a joint venture between Russia’s Sistema and India’s Shyam group, is
currently undertaking a roll- out plan of its mobile services under the MTS brand.
·         Birla Sun Life Introduces ‘Super 20’ Fund: Birla Sun Life Insurance launched ‘Super 20’.
‘Super 20’, is a large-cap fund that will invest in 20 fundamentally strong large-cap stocks
resulting in long-term capital appreciation for policyholders. Moreover, the active fund
management of ‘Super 20’ gives it an edge over Index funds, according to a release.
·         China Replaces US as India’s Largest Trade Partner: China has emerged as India's largest
trading partner, replacing US in 2008-09. Apart from increasing trade engagement with the
neighbouring country and weak demand for foreign goods in the US, which is reeling under
recession contributed to this. Bilateral trade engagement between India and China stood at Rs
1,63,202 crore (nearly $ 36 billion) in April to February 2008-09, an increase of nearly 7% over
Rs 1,52,713 crore in the year ago period. In the same period under consideration, bilateral trade
between India and the US dipped 7.5% and stood at Rs 1,55,353 crore (approximately $ 34
billion).
·         Nabard loans for Punjab, Haryana rural infra: National Bank for Agriculture and Rural
Development (Nabard) has sanctioned Rs 127 crore and Rs 245 crore for Punjab and Haryana,
respectively, for improving rural infrastructure under the Rural Infrastructure Development Fund
(RIDF). Nabard approved two projects for the Punjab government on rural connectivity and
irrigation. With this sanction, the cumulative sanction to Punjab under RIDF reaches the level of
Rs 3,586.88 crore. For Haryana, a sum of Rs 147.54 crore was sanctioned for remodeling of 545
watercourses, which would benefit 16 districts.

Science and Technology

·         Safeguards against identity fraud: The European Union’s recent launch of separate
passports for children in the Schengen borderless states, besides the requirement of two
fingerprints of persons above 12 years, marks a major change in the incorporation of biometric
data to protect personal identities world over. The latest drive to harmonies the rules on the
deployment of biometric features in the bloc would further facilitate visa-free travel to the United
States for citizens from EU countries that are currently part of such an arrangement. Second
generation biometric passports contain a microchip wherein personal data are embedded,
allowing remote access and a cryptographic means to prevent unauthorized use. Since 2006,
digital facial images (given their greater social acceptability) are embedded in the microchip on
passports and travel documents of the EU with a validity of over 12 months. In addition, the
European Parliament recently gave an overwhelming endorsement to the controversial proposal
to include two fingerprints, besides iris scans, as a backup to fine-tune data validity.
·         DNA Nanomachine can Predict PH of Live Cells: Yamuna Krishnan and her colleague,
 Souvik Mody at the National Centre for Biological Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental
Research, Bangalore have designed a Nanomachine by joining DNA pieces.
·         Brightest X-ray Beam in World: The most intense X-ray beam of its type in the world has been
generated in side a 2,300 metre circular tunnel under he German city of Hamburg.
·         Extreme Survival, in Deep Freeze: Arctic springtails (Megaphorura arctica) survive freezing
temperatures by dehydrating themselves before the coldest weather sets in. Researchers have
now identified a suite of genes involved in controlling this extreme survival mechanism. Melody
Clark led a team of researchers from the British Antarctic Survey and the University of Novi-Sad,
Serbia, who studied the arthropods. This is the first in-depth molecular study on the underlying
cold survival mechanisms in this species. Such information is not only of interest to ecologists,
but also to the medical field of cryobiology. This is part of a larger European project called
sleeping beauty.
Person
·         Anand Sharma Replaces Birla as Trade Body Chief: Ahead of the new foreign trade policy,
likely to be announced next month, the government has named commerce and industry minister
Anand Sharma as chairman of the Board of Trade, a post last held by industrialist Kumar
Mangalam Birla. The Board is the government’s highest advisory body on export- and import-
related issues. “The commerce and industry minister will be the chairman of the Board of Trade
(BOT).
·         Oldest Man Dies at 113: The world’s oldest man, Henry Allingham, died at the age of 113.
Allingham was the last surviving original member of the Royal Air force, formed in 1918.
·         Three State Get New Governors: Congress leaders Margaret Alva, D.N. Dwivedi and
Jagannath Pahadia were appointed governors of Uttarakhand, Gujarat, and Haryana
respectively.    
·         Pattammal Passes Away: One of the celebrated icons of Indian classical music, D.K.
Pattammal, passed away. She was 90. She was known for her rich repertoire, and particularly for
her rendition of compositions of Muthuswami Dikshitar.
·         Sunil Mittal Honoured: Bharti Enterprises Chairman and Group CEO Sunil Mittal has been
awarded the degree of Doctor of Laws honoris causa by the University of Leeds in the United
Kingdom.
·         Gangubai Hangal Dies: Doyen of Hindustani vocal music Gangubai Hangal, who mesmerized
audiences with her melodious voice for over six decades, died at a hospital after a brief illness.
She was 97.
·         Keki Dadiseth Sony India Chairman: Sony India announced the appointment of Keki B
Dadiseth - former director of the world's largest FMCG conglomerate Unilever and former
chairman of its domestic arm, Hindustan Unilever (formerly HLL) - as its chairman. Dadiseth has
also been appointed as senior advisor to the group in India with immediate effect.
·         Nilekani Takes Over as Unique Identification Authority Chief: High-profile Information
Technology expert and Infosys co-founder Nandan Nilekani took charge as Chairman of the
newly created Unique Identification Authority of India (UIAI) and promised to roll out the first set
of unique identification numbers within 12-18 months.
·         K.V. Rajan: Nepal president Ram Baran Yadav presents the ‘parliamentarians international
forum award’ to K.V. Rajan, for his diplomatic work in the cause of peace and development.
·         Hindi actor Leela Naidu passes away: yester-year Hindi film actress Leela Naidu passes
away after prolonged illness. She was 69.
Sport
 ·         Langer Overtakes Don as Top-scoring Aussie: Justin Langer became the highest scoring
Australian of all time in first class cricket playing for Somerset against Worcester. The 38 year old
former test opener, needed six runs to pass don Bradman’s career total of 28,067.
·         Jasvir is Overall Champion: Jasvir Singh of the Army Yachting Node (AYN), Mumbai,
emerged overall champion of the Standard rig in the laser National sailing championships that
concluded at the Hussain Sagar.
·         England Ends 75-year wait: Andrew Flintoff help England defeat Australia at Lord’s for the
first time since 1934.
·         Seema Sets New National Record: Seema Jakhar set a new National record in women’s
hammer throw on day one of the ninth National Federation Cup junior athletics championships.
Seema achieved the distance of 52.34m to break Jharkhand thrower Archana Bara’s eight-year-
old National record of 49.55m for the gold medal.
Award
·         Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace: President Pratibha Patil presents the Indira Gandhi Prize for
Peace, Disarmament and Development for 2007 to Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates at the
Rashtrapati Bhavan. The award is in recognition of the work done by The Bill and Melinda Gates
Foundation in fighting poverty and illness, especially HIV-AIDS, in India.
·         Royal medal for C.N.R. Rao: C.N.R. Rao, National Research Professor at the Jawaharlal
Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, has been awarded the prestigious Royal Medal
by the Royal Society, London, for his contributions to Solid State and Materials Chemistry.
Professor Rao will receive the award in London on November 30.
·         Shakti Bhatt Prize: The Shakti Bhatt Foundation has invited nominations for the 2009 Shakti
Bhatt First Book Prize, which carries a prize money of Rs. 1 lakh and a trophy. Last year’s winner
was Pakistani author Mohammed Hanif.
·         Sangita Kalanidhi for Valayapatti Subramainam: Thavil maestro Valayapatti A.R.
Subramaniam has been selected for this year’s Sangita Kalanidhi title of the Music Academy.
·         Gandhi Peace Award Conferred on Suu Kyi: The pro-democracy Myanmar leader and
Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi has been felicitated with the Mahatma Gandhi International
Award for Peace and Reconciliation. The award was bestowed by the South African-based
Mahatma Gandhi Foundation at a function at the Durban City Hall.
·         Hindiratna Samman for Alkazi: The “Hindiratna Samman”, awarded every year to a non-
Hindi speaking individual who has made a distinctive contribution to various aspects of Hindi
language in the country, is being conferred this year on the veteran theatre director Ebrahim
Alkazi.
·         U.S. Award For Two Indian NGOs: Two Indian non-governmental organisations, Ecosphere
Spiti in Himachal Pradesh and Barefoot College in Rajasthan, have been chosen for the 2009
Green Energy and Green Livelihoods awards, for their work towards engaging local communities
in sustainable occupations. The NGOs will receive Rs. 20 lakh each. In addition, the Gujarat-
based organisation Self-Employed Women’s Association will receive a grant of Rs. 10 lakh.
·         Mary Kom Chosen for Khel Ratna Award: Mary Kom had won the world titles in 2002, 2005,
2006 and 2008 while three other Indian woman boxers, Jenny R.L, Lekha C. and Sarita Devi
hade also won world championship gold medals in 2006. Rajiv Gandhi khel Ratna Award M.C
Mary Kom (boxing). Mangal Singh Chempia (archery), Sinimole Paulose (athletics), Saina
Nehwal (Badminton), Sarita Devi (boxing), Tania Sachdev (chess), Gautam Gambhir (cricket),
lgnace Tirkey and Surinder Kaur (hockey), Pankaj Shirsat (kabaddi), Satish Joshi (rowing),
Ronjan Sodhi (shooting), Poulomi Ghatak (table tennis), Yogeshwar Dutt (wrestling), Girdhari Lal
Yadav (Sailing), and V. Prabhu (wheelchair tennis). P. Gopi Chand (badminton), Satpal
 (wrestling), J. Uday Kumar (Kabaddi), Baldev Singh (hockey) and Jaidev Bisht (boxing).
Miscellaneous

 Anil Ambani Signs $815 Million Multi Movie Deal With Spielberg: Reliance ADAG chairman
Anil Ambani and Holly-wood’s star director Steven Spielberg have entered into the first phase of
the multi-movie deal committing an initial investment $815 million on for the first three years.
Spielberg’s studio, Dream Works would eventually make 5-6 films per year and the production of
the first film under the venture, expected to release in 2010, will go on floor later this year.
 Elderlies to Outnumber Kids: The world’s population of older people is growing at the fastest
rate ever seen and the old will soon outnumber the young for the first time, US researchers
reported. An aging population will push up pension and healthcare costs, forcing major increases
in public spending that could slow economic growth in rich and poor countries. The number of
people 65 and older hit about 506 million as of midyear 2008.
 India no. 2 in Sending Students Abroad: More students than ever before are leaving their
homeland to pursue higher studies abroad. The number of these mobile students increased two-
and-a-half times between 1975 and 2007, to reach 2.8 million. Two-thirds of these foreign
students make a beeline for six countries — the US, UK, France, Australia, Germany and Japan
in that order. Interestingly, Germany and Japan also figure among the top countries of origin of
such students. China sends the largest number of students outside (about 421,000 in 2007)
followed by India (153,300), Republic of Korea (105,300), Germany (77,500) and Japan (54,500).
 India Dominates World of Films: Indian film industry is the world’s largest in terms of number of
films produced as well as the number of cinemagoers is perhaps known.  But you really get an
idea of its size when you discover that it produces almost as many films as the next three - the
US, Japan and China - combined.
 World’s largest solar steam system inaugurated in Shirdi: Union Minister for New and
Renewable Energy Farooq Abdullah inaugurated the world’s largest solar steam system,
installed at Sri Sai Baba Sansthan, Shirdi. The system has been designed to cook food for the
devotees.

01 to 15 Aug, 2009

National

·               Madhya Pradesh Children Die of Malnutrition: According to National Family Health Survey-
III, malnutrition in the State has increased from 54% to 60%, making MP children the most
undernourished in India. Madhya Pradesh also tops the list of States in infant mortality rate (IMR),
with 72 deaths per 1,000 live births, according to the Sample Registration Survey 2007-08.
·               BSNL Bets Big on Tower Sharing Business: Virtually shaken by the record dip in its profit,
state-owned Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd. (BSNL) has decided to share its infrastructure spread
across the country with private telecom operators to generate additional revenues this fiscal. With
over 40,000 towers spread across India, BSNL hopes to generate Rs. 1,000 crore within a year
from sharing its passive as well as active infrastructure. It has the advantage over private players
due to its infrastructure spread in rural areas where private players are struggling to expand. “The
 ‘master sharing agreement’ (MSA) for sharing BSNL towers.
·                Govt. Introduces Green Tribunal Bill: In order to deal with rising number disputes
regarding environmental clearance of industrial projects pending in Supreme Court, the
government introduced the National Green Tribunal Bill, 2009 in the Lok Sabha. The tribunal,
which would function under the Supreme Court, shall have jurisdiction over all civil cases relating
to environment and have powers to order relief and compensation to victims of pollution and other
environmental damage, including accidents occurring while handling hazardous substances. The
bill would also provide for relief and compensation to persons for environmental damage, minister
for environment and forest Jairam Ramesh said in the parliament.
·               Govt. Oks Rs 9,773cr Rehab Plan: In one of the biggest rehabilitation plans in the world, the
Centre will launch a scheme to relocate to safer areas some 1.12 lakh families whose houses face
the threat of being sucked in by underground fires raging for the last 40 years or so in vast
stretches of coalmines in Jharkhand's Jharia and land subsidence in Bengal's Raniganj areas.
Coal minister Sriprakash Jaiswal told the scheme would be implemented under the supervision of
the National Disaster Management Authority and housing finance firm Hudco at a cost of Rs 9,773
crore. State-run Coal India Ltd will fund the plan from its accruals and a Rs 6 per tonne increase in
storage duty. The increase will have negligible impact on coal prices.
·               Gram Sabha Nod Must for Mining Proposals: In a giant leap towards making the Forest
Rights Act effective, the environment ministry has informed states that it would not approve any
forest clearance proposals till the consent of the gram Sabhas has been sought for the projects.
·               L&T Wins $1.81-Billion Contracts From ONGC: Larsen and Toubro (L&T) has won two
offshore platform contracts worth over Rs. 5,300crore ($1.81 billion) from Oil and Natural Gas
Corporation (ONGC). The order, the single largest in the Indian hydrocarbons sector, comes to
about 13% of L & Ts net sales in 2008-09.
·               Food Parks at Rai, Saha Attract Huge Investment: The two food parks at Rai in Sonepat
and Saha in Ambala district being developed by the Haryana government are attracting industry
bigwigs. These food parks are proving an ideal solution for all small and medium-scale
entrepreneurs and industrialists with a food processing idea.
·               Solar Mirrors to Line Border in Kutch: Now, the scorching sun could light up ring along the
inhospitable border with Pakistan, if a Rs 61,019 crore dream comes true. And, it won't be an
illusion, but real mirrors. With about 45 investment promises lined up in solar energy sector,
Gujarat plans to promote the desert as a hub for renewable energy. However, the shadow that
could fall on Gujarat's solar ambitions is that tapping energy from the Sun has so far proved
technically complicated and economically unviable. Also, the scale of just one of the projects -- the
Clinton Foundation proposal to generate about 5,000 megawatt of power -- is way larger than
India's biggest power project of 3,260MW in Vindyachal. The biggest solar power plant planned so
far is a 16000MW project in Portugal. Gujarat has decided to allocate 1,500 hectares of land in the
desert and a small stretch in Santalpur in Bankaskantha district. The Gujarat Industrial
Development Corporation will create infrastructure for the ambitious `Solar Park'.
·               Education is Now a Right: India joined a select global club with the passage of the Right to
Free and Compulsory Education Bill, providing education to every child in the age bracket of 6-14
years. The law is unique as while providing compulsory education, it would not fail any student till
Class 8th while enjoining upon all government and private schools to provide 25% quota to
“disadvantaged” children. Parliament has adopted ‘The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory
Education Bill, 2009,’ which envisages free and compulsory education to children in the 6-14 age
group with the Lok Sabha approving it by voice vote. The Rajya Sabha passed the Bill on July 20.
·               Collective Fines on Villages for Dalit Atrocities: Maharashtra government has decided to
invoke tough provisions of the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act
1989, and fine an entire village where the atrocity is reported and consider curtailing development
funds it’s entitled to. The state, home to the second largest Dalit population in the country after
Uttar Pradesh, is the first to consent to such stringent action.
·               Motor Sports City: The Haryana investment promotion Board (HIPB) approved in principal
the proposal of pioneer urban land and infrastructure Ltd to develop Gurgaon Motor sports city
near Sohna.
·               Bhel Bags Rs 2,600cr Project From Jindal: Bharat Heavy electrical limited (Bhel) said that it
had secured an order for the main plant package for an upcoming thermal power project in Orissa,
involving two new-rating units of 600 mw each.
·               Fake Drug: In a Landmark move to combat the menace of fake or spurious life saving
medicines, the government has now made the offence cognizable and non-boilable. Peddlers of
spurious drugs will face life imprisonment and fine of Rs 10 lakh or three times the value of the
drugs confiscated, whichever if more.
·               India’s Andaman ‘Theatre Command’: India’s first and only regional ‘theatre command’ in
the strategically located Andama and Nicolbar Island, created as part of the National security
reforms after the 1999 Kargil conflict, is floundering and that too badly.
·               Panel to Resolve Issues in Highway Development: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has
constituted a committee to resolve the inter-ministerial issues to speed up the ambitious national
highways development project taken up by the Road Transport and Highways Ministry. The three
Member committee will be headed by Planning Commission Member B.K. Chaturvedi, while the
Finance Secretary and the Road Transport and Highways Secretary will be its members.
·               MTNL Launches Remote Email Access Services: Shri S.M Talwar executive Director,
MTNL recently announced the commercial launch of remote email access service for the first time
in India in association with M/s Mantec consultants and M/s one voice. The first of its kind service
gives MTNL subscribers the ability and convenience to read and send Yahoo Mail, Gmail,
Hotmail, Rediffmail, etc.
·               Malana Project: The 86MW Malana hydroelectric power project in Himachal Pradesh is
unique in many ways. The project, developed by Bhilwara Energy Ltd, is situated on the Malana
nallah—a tributary of the Parbati river in Kullu district—and has many firsts to its credit. It is the
first merchant power project (MPP) in India and also the first to have interstate transmission of
electricity. It also has the distinction of being the first independent power producer in the Indian
hydropower sector. MPPs generate electricity to sell in the open market.
·               Rs. 12,000cr Push Planned to Plug Labour Skills Gap: As part of a bold move to provide
150 million people with the skills needed to work on factory shop floors and assembly lines, a
public-private initiative is putting the final touches to a plan to spend an estimated Rs. 12,000
crore over the next 10 years to plug a skill gap that leads to labour shortages despite a growing
labour force. Indian industry is expected to need a workforce of 500 million by 2022, according to
the government. Only 2% of the country’s population has undergone any skill training, one of the
lowest in the world. As a result, a large section of a young and growing workforce is unemployable
and not fit to be absorbed by industry. The Planning Commission’s 2001 report on employment
opportunities says 44% of all workers in 1999-2000 were illiterate another 22.7% had schooling
only up to the primary level. In the age group of 20-24, only 5% of the Indian labour force had
vocational skills. In comparison, Mexico has managed to offer vocational training to 28% of its
labour force.
·               Forest Cover: India contributes around 5% to global carbon dioxide emission but is still only
about a quarter of the emissions of China and the US. According ministry of environment and
forest, only 2% of country’s land area is referred as ‘high density’ forest and 10% of area is termed
as ‘medium density forest’ and 9% of land area is considered as ‘degraded forest’. The state of
environment report said the total forest cover in the country as per the 2005 assessment is 677,88
sq km, which constitute 20.6% of the total geographical area.
·               4 States Drawing too Much Groundwater: Four north Indian states —Punjab, Rajasthan,
Haryana and Delhi — are depleting at least 30% more of their groundwater resources than
previously estimated by the government, a new report from the US National Aeronautical and
Space Administration, or Nasa, says. The scientists used satellite imagery from the Gravity
 Recovery and Climate Experiment, The scientists report these states depleted on average 17.7
billion cu. m. (Bcm) of water annually between August 2002 and October 2008, more than the
government’s estimates of 13.2bcm in the same period. According to the Planning Commission,
irrigation consumes 83% of the country’s annual water budget.
·               Temporary truce- Gorkhas Reach and Agreement with the Center, West Bengal: Nearly
two decades after it came into existence, the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council (DGHC) is set to
become history. The Centre, the West Bengal government and the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha
(GJM) have, after their latest round of talks, decided in principle to scrap the DGHC Act, 1988.
This is a step forward in resolving the crisis that has kept the Darjeeling hills on the boil for several
months. The Gorkha hill council was created after a violent agitation for a separate Gorkhaland
spearheaded by the Gorkha National Liberation Front (GNLF) and its leader Subhas Ghising. But
once the hill council was formed, it rapidly became Ghising’s fiefdom. Since 2004, there were no
elections held in the DGHC and it was accused of rampant corruption. This led to a breakaway
faction, the GJM, resurrecting the demand for a Gorkhaland and scrapping of the hill council.
Another of GJM’s demands was Sixth Schedule status for Darjeeling. This would have given
Darjeeling greater autonomy and legislative and executive powers similar to those enjoyed by
district councils in tribal areas and in the North-East. However, there is plenty of opposition to this
idea in parts of Darjeeling, as it would mean a tribal council running the affairs of non-tribals. The
demand for Sixth Schedule status has been dropped after the decision to scrap the hill council
was taken. So far so good. Now comes the difficult part: How to tackle the demand for a separate
Gorkhaland? It seems that the Centre has told the Gorkhas that a separate state was untenable
because it did not have the backing of either West Bengal or Parliament.
·               New Slum Policy: The Centre has decided to grant land Patta and occupancy right of
dwelling units in the name of a woman member of the beneficiary household under the Rajiv Awas
Yojana for slum dwellers and the urban poor. Alternatively, property rights can be allotted in the
name of both wife and husband. Launched by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Poverty
Alleviation, the Yojana aims at making India slum-free in the next five years. Targeting “inclusive
growth,” the scheme will support the States that are willing to assign property rights to people
living in slums for provision of shelter and basic infrastructure and civic amenities. The national
sample survey organization’s 61st round data reveal that about 81 million people lived below the
poverty line in 2004-2005. While the number of the poor in rural areas declined by about 231 lakh
between 1993-94 and 2004-05, in urban areas it increased by about 44 lakh. As revealed by the
slum census conducted by the registrar general of India in 640 towns in 2001, about 23.5 per cent
of the urban population there in slums.
·               Govt., India Inc get together to prepare rural talent for the big league: The leading lights
of India Inc have joined hands with the Centre to improve the career prospects of bright young
people from rural India. The government and the private sector may share the cost equally — the
details are still being worked out — but those selected will not have to pay a paisa. In a public-
private partnership effort to be shortly announced, foundations run by Wipro chief Azim Premji,
Sunil Mittal’s Bharti Group and others corporate chiefs will fund the coaching of school-leaving
rural youth to prepare them for engineering, medical and other technical entrance examinations.
Around 4,000 youth will be selected every year, comprising the top 10 per cent of students who
pass out of the Jawahar Navodaya Vidalayas (JNV) — the network of 576 schools across the
country set up to promote quality education in the rural areas. Functioning in almost every district
of the country, JNVs reserve three-fourths of their seats for rural students.  
·               Army to Acquire Advanced Heron UAVs: Defence ministry has approved another major
induction of spy drones or UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles) for armed forces, with surveillance
and intelligence-gathering missions becoming critical on the western and eastern fronts as well as
along the huge coastline. Similarly, Navy’s case for two more Israeli UAVs at a cost of Rs. 386
crore has also been approved, in addition to the ongoing Rs 1,163 crore joint projects between
Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) and DRDO for NRUAVs (naval rotary UAVs). Indian armed
forces inducted around 100 Israeli UAVs after Kargil conflict in 1999 and Operation Prakram in
2002. Elated with their operational success, the forces now want some more to further bolster
 their surveillance and precision strike capabilities.
·               WB Grants $330-m Loan for Power Supply in Haryana: The World Bank has approved a
$330-million loan to strengthen the electricity transmission and distribution system in Haryana to
support state’s broader goals of sustainable and inclusive growth.
International
·               India, China to Set up Hotline: India and China have decided to set up a hotline between
Prime Ministers Manmohan Singh and Wen Jiabao as a confidence building measure. At the
ministerial level, India now has a hotline only with Russia, while China has a functional hotline with
the United States.
·               Juki to Set up Plant in India: Japan's largest sewing machines maker Juki Corporation is
planning to set up a manufacturing plant in India. With the domestic textiles industry operating on
outdated machinery, it is estimated that fresh investments of $40 billion are required by 2020 for
sewing machines industry. In the next three years alone, apparel manufacturers need at least one
lakh sewing machines. Though the country allows 100% foreign direct investments (FDIs) in the
textiles sector through automatic route, less than 1% of the total FDIs goes to it. During April-
December 2008, the textiles sector received FDIs of merely $90 million, or 0.43%, of the total
foreign investment of $21.15 billion. Juki Corporation already has a subsidiary in India to sell its
products in the country.
·               Seal the Deal India China: Trade ties between India and China have been burgeoning, Last
year, India-China trade was $52 billion. If one leaves out trade in information technology products
China is now India's largest trading partner, surpassing the US. By, that yardstick, more should
have been achieved at the border talks. To be sure, both sides have agreed to set up a hotline
between prime ministers, and observe peace and tranquility along the Line of Actual Control.
That's a marked improvement given that Beijing had adopted a more aggressive stance on
Arunachal Pradesh in recent times as well as laid claim to the town of Tawang a move that
contradicted the guiding principle laid down by both countries in 2005 that settlement of the border
dispute would not include exchange of populated territory.
·               Freer Trade with ASEAN: After six long years of tough bargaining, India and the 10-member
Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) have clinched a Free Trade Agreement that will
take effect on January 1, 2010. There has been a great deal of give and take and compromises in
the format of the agreement, but negotiations on services and investments are still on. Only when
they too come under the FTA umbrella can India derive full benefits. Any such agreement
invariably comes under the scanner of domestic special interest groups, and sure enough, the
FTA with ASEAN has met with some stiff resistance from industrial and agricultural constituencies
in India as also in some of the South East Asian countries. As a result, the number of items under
the ‘sensitive’ list remains large, with the deadline for scrapping them extending to 2019. India-
ASEAN trade climbed to $40 billion last year, and it should grow significantly in the coming year.
The balance of trade remains in ASEAN’s favour and it can be corrected only when the present
agreement, which now covers goods, is enlarged to include services and investments also. The
pact should have been inked at least two years ago, but the reservations on both sides and the
general election in India delayed it. In India, much of the opposition comes from Kerala, which had
also resisted the FTA with Sri Lanka. Its concerns centre on the plantation sector, notably
coconuts, coffee, pepper and rubber. These have been retained in the sensitive list for now. As a
result, Indonesia and Malaysia succeeded in binding the tariff on crude palm oil at 37.5 per cent
and the one on refined palm oil at 45 per cent. The other area of concern for Indian industry
relates to auto components, but 52 of them figure in the sensitive list. At some stage, domestic
producers will have to face up to international competition under the World Trade Organization
agreements. Free trade with ASEAN would be of great benefit to the economy as a whole,
particularly consumers. Regional trade blocs such as this should be seen as building blocks for
global free trade. The India-ASEAN trade bloc becomes the fourth largest in the world and should
be welcomed in the setting of New Delhi’s ‘Look East’ policy, ushered in about 15 years ago.
Coming close on the heels of a pact with South Korea, this advances that policy further. As the
Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) Secretary-General Amit Mitra
 says, India should work to secure 8 to 10 per cent of ASEAN’s $1 trillion import. After all, Indian
goods and services too will have access to that market at 5 per cent duty initially and zero duty.
·               Volkswagen to Absorb Porsche into Group: The Volkswagen’s supervisory board
approved absorbing Porsche into VW by the end of 2011, with an initial stake to be acquired this
year for euro 3.3 billion ($4.72 billion), the Wolfsburg-based company said in a statement. Under
the agreement, the merger is to be fully completed in the next two years, and “Volkswagen’s solid
financial base and Porsche’s independence will be preserved”.
·               Indian law firms: Even as project finance and public-private partnership (PPP) deals dried up
across the world in the first half of 2009-ostensibly thanks to the global economic slowdown —
Asia has emerged as the only region with positive growth in the segment during the period. Indian
law firms have benefited from this trend. India Law Services emerged second-best in project
finance deals (and third in PPP rankings). Indian law firms have beaten some of the world’s
biggest firms at a global stage — enjoying a 22.8% market share in all PFI (private finance
initiatives) and PPP deals as well as 18.1% in all global project finance deals.    
Economy
·               Services Exporters in Foreign Trade Policy: Services sector constitutes over 54% of India‘s
total output. According to Reserve Bank of India data, services exports in 2008-09 rose 12.5 % to
$ 101.2 billion, as against a 22 % rise in the previous year. In the period under consideration,
software services rose 17.5 % to $ 77.46 billion, slower than 27.8 % in 2007-08.
·               2004-05 to be New Base Yr for WPI: FM: Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee said the
wholesale price index (WPI) series, which is used to calculate inflation in the country, will have
5004-05 as the base year. The WPI series is being up graded with base year 2004-05 in lieu of
the existing one with base year 1993-94. The advancement of the base year and probably a
revision of commodities in the index and their weights, it is expected that the index would provide
a better picture of the current scenario of prices.
·               Social Sector Spending: The government may have enhanced allocation for its social sector
in the current budget but the net expenditure as percentage of the gross domestic product (GDP)
is still too low in comparison to some of the developed economies. The total combined
expenditure of central and state governments on social services in 2008-09 was 6.72% of GDP at
current prices. This is too low when compared to what some of the western countries spend on
their people. Germany leads others by spending a significant 25% of its GDP on social services
that include education, sports, art and culture, medical and public health, family welfare, social
security and nutrition. France is a close second with an expenditure of 23% of GDP while UK and
US come third and fourth with 13% and 12%, respectively, according to data from the IMF. The
share of money spent on social services, including rural development, in the total expenditure
(plan and non-plan) has increased from 11% in 2002-03 to 19% in 2008-09. Expenditure has
increased from 9.5% in 2003-04 to 10.8% in 2008-09. Share of health in the total expenditure has
also increased from 4% in 2003-04 to 5% in 2008-09. According to the National Sample Survey
Organisation (NSSO), the poverty ratio in the country was 28% for rural areas, 26% for urban
areas and 27% for the country as a whole in 2004-05. The corresponding poverty ratio from the
consumption distribution data is around 22% in the country.
·               Indonesia, Malaysia Develop Cold Feet Over India-Asean Free Trade: Manmohan Singh's
Look East policy flagship, the India-Asean free trade agreement (FTA), could hit a fresh external
roadblock Asean members like Malaysia and Indonesia are unwilling to ratify the pact just yet, The
key problem: elected representatives of the two Southeastern nations are not be satisfied with the
duty cuts offered by India on commodities like palm oil. The key problem: elected representatives
of the two Southeastern nations are not be satisfied with the duty cuts offered by India on
commodities like palm oil.
·               India, S Korea Sign Trade Pact: India and South Korea signed a Comprehensive Economic
Partnership Agreement that would enable duty-free trade in goods and services between the two
countries and help double bilateral trade to $20 billion. Commerce and industry minister Anand
Sharma and South Korean trade minister Kim Jong-hoon signed the agreement in Seoul. This is
 India's second comprehensive deal with any country after Singapore.
·               Total Cost of World Financial Crisis at $11.9Trillion: IMF: The world has spent a
staggering $11.9 trillion to wriggle out of the financial crisis, the sum which is enough to finance a
£-1,779 handout for every person living on the planet, “Most of the cash has been handed over by
developed countries, for whom the bill has been $10.2 trillion, while developing countries have
spent only $1.7 trillion — the majority of which is in central bank liquidity support for their stuttering
financial sectors.
·               Indo-Asean Trade Pact: Barely a week after signing a Comprehensive Economic Partnership
Agreement (Cepa) for free trade of goods, services and investment with South Korea, India is
likely to ink a similar pact with Association of South East Asian Nations (Asean). Experts point out
that the FTA will pave the way for a combined market of over 1.7 billion people in India and
Asean, with a total gross domestic product of $ 2.4 trillion. The free trade agreement (FTA) will
involve duty free trade of merchandise goods and was cleared by the Cabinet headed by Prime
Minister Manmohan Singh. The 10 member Asean, accounts for nearly 11% of India's exports and
9% of imports.
·               Reserve Bank’s Surplus Rises 67%: It may be crunch time for the economy but the Reserve
Bank of India (RBI) has seen its profit soaring by 67% to Rs 25,000 crore in 2008-09. RBI said it
would pay a surplus profit of Rs. 25,009 crore to the government for the year ended June 30,
2009. Last year, the RBI had transferred Rs 15,011 crore for the year ended June 30, 2008.
·               Big Tax Cut Coming Your Way: Finance minister Pranab Mukherjee unveiled a roadmap for
reforms in direct taxes that promises to drastically cut the tax liability of most individuals by
considerably raising tax slabs. The new direct taxes code, proposed to be implemented from April
2011, aims to moderate effective tax rates in the hope that this will encourage more people to pay
up. The most significant changes proposed are in personal income tax, which could lead to tax
savings of up to Rs 2.67 lakh each year. The 10% tax rate, currently applicable for incomes
between Rs. 1.6 lakh and Rs. 3 lakh, will apply to incomes between Rs. 1.6 lakh and Rs. 10 lakh,
which means those with incomes between Rs. 3 lakh and Rs. 10 lakh could save up to Rs. 1.17
lakh from their annual tax liability. The next slab of 20% would be applicable for incomes between
Rs. 10 lakh and Rs. 25 lakh instead of — as is currently — between Rs. 3 lakh and Rs. 5 lakh and
the 30% slab would be for incomes exceeding Rs. 25 lakh, which now kicks in at Rs. 5 lakh. The
new code proposes to allow for exemptions on savings up to Rs. 3 lakh rather than the Rs. 1 lakh
now allowed under Section 80C of the I-T Act.
·               ‘India Biz Climate Better Than China’: India offers a better business climate as compared to
China, concludes a survey of corporate credit risk management in the two countries. Coface, the
world's leading trade receivables management company, has assigned a higher rating to the
business climate in India (A4) as compared to China (B), with standard payment terms being
longer in China than in India (an average of 60 days compared with 30 days in India). In terms of
country risk rating in emerging Asian countries, India is ranked 6th after Singapore, Korea, Hong
Kong, Malaysia and Taiwan.
Science and Technology
·               Malaria May Have Come From Chimps, Says Study: Malaria may have jumped to humans
from chimpanzees much as AIDS did, U.S. researchers reported in a study they hope could help
in developing a vaccine against the infection. They found evidence the parasite that causes most
cases of malaria is a close genetic relative of a parasite found in chimpanzees. Genetic analysis
suggests the human parasite is a direct descendant of the chimp parasite, they reported in the
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The malaria-causing parasite Plasmodium
falciparum may have been transmitted to human beings as recently as 10,000 years ago,
Francisco Ayala of the University of California Irvine and colleagues said.
·               India an Attractive Destination for Clinical Trials: Despite accounting for only 2% of the
global clinical trials pie in terms of volumes, India has emerged as the third most attractive
destination for clinical trials in the AT Kearney global survey and the twelfth most active country in
terms of industry-sponsored Phase II & III sites. The number of industry-sponsored Phase II-III
 sites in India has grown by 116% over the last 15 months and India has moved from rank 18 to 12
among the 60 most active countries. India ranks second in Asia after Japan in the number of
industry-sponsored Phase II-III clinical trial study sites and accounts for nearly 20% of all Asian
study sites.  
·               Launching Bhuvan: Google Earth’s got some competition now-From the Indian Space
Research Organization (Isro), which unveiled its beta version of Bhuvan (meaning earth in
Sanskrit). A web-based tool like Google Earth, Bhuvan promises to give better 3-D satellite
imagery of India than is currently being offered by the US-based software giant plus a host of
India-specific features like weather information and even administrative boundaries of all states
and districts.
Person
·               Nandita Das to Head Children’s Film Society: Actor Nandita Das has been appointed
chairperson of the Children’s Films Society of India (CFSI). She will hold the office for three years.
The last chairperson was Nafisa Ali.
·               Sridhar is New Chief of CBEC: V Sridhar, member of central board of excise and customs
(CBEC), has been appointed as chairman of the board. He will replace P. C. Jha.
·               Nirupama Rao takes over as foreign Secy: Rao is only the second woman foreign secretary
after Chokila Iyer. She was earlier ambassador to China and Sri Lanka. She succeeds Shiv
Shankar Menon who retired.
·               Rangarajan in PM council: Economist C. Rangarajan was appointed chairman of the Prime
Minister’s economic advisory council following which he resigned from the Rajya Sabha.
·               T. S. Narayanasami: The Board of United stock exchange India’s newest stock exchange
has announced the appointment of T.S Narayanasami as its managing director and CEO.
·               Sam Pitroda: After constituting the Unique Identification Database Authority of India with
former Infosys co-chairman Nandan Nilekani at the helm, the UPA government is setting up a
National Information Highway Authority (NIHA) on similar lines. The new body—which would
synergies the government’s various e-activities such as e-governance, e-learning and e-health—
will be headed by Sam Pitroda.
·               Music Icon Les Paul Dies: Music icon and guitar legend Les Paul died in New York.
·               Sonia Sotomayor: Sonia Sotomayor is worn in U.S. Supreme Court she will be First Hispanic
a justice and first Supreme Court member to have oath taking make available to T.V. Cameras

Sport
·               Aaron Peirsol Regains 200m Backstroke: Aaron Peirsol regained the 200m-backstroke title
at the World swimming championships. His World record-smashing swim erased the memory of
his failure to reach the 100m backstroke final.  Japan’s Ryosuke Irie was second.
·               Yuki Breaks the 500 Barrier: Became the second youngest player to be ranked within ATPs
top 500—after Australia’s Bernard Tomic—at 498. Tomic, three months younger to Yuki, is at 300.
·               Egypt Retains World Team Title: Egypt was crowned the world junior girls team champion
at the Indian squash Academy.
·               AIFF to Get Rs. 25 Crore: In a far reaching decision that would encourage other sports
federations to knock at the door of BCCI for financial assistance, the BCCI Working Committee
here decided to grant Rs. 25 crore to the All India Football Federation (AIFF). The money will be
paid in two installments.
·               Olympics Beckons Indian Women: The Indian boxing fraternity was overjoyed as women’s
boxing was included in the 2012 London Olympics. International Olympic Committee (IOC)
President Jaques Rogge announced in Berlin.
·               Golf, Rugby Could Get Nod For 2016 Olympic: Golf, along with rugby sevens, look to be
 the favorites among the sports being considered for inclusion in the 2016 Summer Games by the
International Olympic Committee. The IOC executive board will select two sports from a proposed
list of seven, which also includes baseball, softball, squash, karate and roller sports. The 15-
member board will submit two sports for ratification in a vote of the full 106-member IOC assembly
in Copenhagen in October.
Award
·               Ashok Chakra for Mohit Sharma, Sreeram Kumar: Major Mohit Sharma from 1 Para
(Special Forces), killed in a battle with terrorists in the Hafruda forest in Jammu and Kashmir this
March, has been honoured with Ashok Chakra, the country’s highest peacetime gallantry award
on the occasion of Independence Day. Major D. Sreeram Kumar, who killed 12 terrorists in
counter-insurgency operations in the northeast, will also be honoured with Ashok Chakra. Apart
from the two Ashok Chakras, President Pratibha Patil has approved 146 gallantry medals,
including four Kirti Chakras, 26 Shaurya Chakras, two Bar to Sena Medals, 100 Sena Medals, four
Nao Sena Medals.
·               Pakistan Honour for Nirmala Deshpande: On the occasion of its Independence Day,
Pakistan president Asif Ali Zardari conferred the Sitara-e-Imtiaz (star of excellence) posthumously
on parliamentarian Nirmala Deshpande, a passionate advocate of India-Pakistan peace. Sitara-e-
Imitaz, Pakistan’s third highest Award is given to both civilians and military personnel.
·               CIL, SAIL Chief Get SCOPE Award: Coal India Ltd. (CIL) has been given the standing
committee of public enterprise (SCOPE) award for excellence and outstanding contribution to the
public sector management in the institutional category in 2007-08. At the same award function,
Chairman of Steel Authority of India Ltd S. K. Roongta was given the award for excellence in the
individual category.
Miscellaneous
·               WADA: The world Anti-doping agency (WADA), which has been in hot pursuit of cheats since
it was founded in 1999.
·               Coal India to Buy Gandhi’s South Africa House: Coal India plans to buy the house in
Johannesburg, where Mahatma Gandhi had lived for over a year, with an aim of building a
memorial there. “The coal ministry intends to purchase the house and build a memorial on it,”
minister of state for coal Shriprakash Jaiswal said, adding directions have been given to the
officials of the ministry to purchase the house “at any cost.”
·               From Green to Evergreen Revolution: The Indian agriculture research institute (IARI), New
Delhi became in 1958 the first deemed university in the country under the UGC Act of 1956. The
other Institution, which was granted deemed university status in 1958, was the Indian institute of
science, Bangalore.

16 to 31 Aug, 2009

National

·               National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC): Set up in 1975, NTPC has redrawn the power
map of India. NTPC has been playing a major role in meeting the power need in the country and
thus contributing to the economic and social development of the country. It is today India’s largest
power company with an installed capacity of 30644MW through 15 coal based, 7 gas based and 4
joint venture power stations. NTPC has been ranked as No.1 Independent Power Producer in Asia
by Platt’s an entity of the Mc Graw Hill group. NTPC also ranks 317 th in the Forbes 2000 list 2009.
With nearly 19 per cent of the installed capacity, NTPC generated 206.93 Billion Units (Bus) of
electricity in 2008-09, about 30 per cent of electricity in the country. Going forward, NTPC plans to
 become a 50,000 MW company by 2012 and a 75,000 MW Plus company by 2017.

·               National Hydraulic Power Corporation (NHPC): The Mini-Ratna PSU-NHPC Ltd is involved in
Government of India’s efforts to develop Hydel power projects in the country. The last two years
have been very significant for NHPC on various fronts, be it capacity addition, establishing joint
ventures or signing memorandum of under standings. During the last two years, NHPC has added
1030 MW to the country’s power generation through two projects including the 510MW Teesta
Stage-V project in Sikkim and 520 MW Omkareshwar project in Madhya Pradesh through NHDC
Ltd, a joint venture of NHPC with government of Madhya Pradesh.

·               POWERGRID: Power Grid Corporation of India limited (POWERGRID), a Navratna Company of
the country, is playing a key role in Indian power sector, directly contributing to economic
development, through establishment of huge and complex transmission network and as the grid
operator. POWERGRID presently owns and operates around 71,500 Circuit Kms of transmission
lines along with 120 sub-stations and transformation capacity of is about 80,000 MVA. Presently,
their transmission network wheel about 45 per cent of total power generated in the country and is
being maintained consistently at system availability of more than 99 per cent. Thus in a span of only
17 years of commercial operation, POWERGRID has grown by leaps an bounds and has carved a
niche for itself amongst the largest transmission utilities in the world.

·               Electrifying Villages and Beyond: Rural electrification is viewed as a Prime mover for rural
development. Power is the basic pre-requisite for all industrial activity and also contributes
significantly to increasing agricultural productivity, jobs and income generation activities. Keeping
this in mind, the government has from time to time launched a number of schemes for electrification
of rural areas in the country. These include the minimum Needs programme (MNP), Prime Minister
Gramodya Yojana (PMGY), Kutir Jyoti, accelerated electrification of one lakh villages and one crore
households and the Rajiv Gandhi Grameen Vidyutikaran Yojana (RGGVY). Rural Electrification
Corporation Limited (REC) is a wholly owned government enterprise with a net worth of Rs 5368
crore. Its main objective is to finance and promote rural electrification projects all over the country.  
REC has also been appointed nodal agency for the implementation of ambitious Rajiv Gandhi
Grameen Vidyutikaran Yojana (RGGVY) which aims at electrification of 1.5 Lakh un-electrified
villages and providing free electricity connections to 2.34 crore below poverty line (BPL) households
wherein government of India funds 90 per cent of the project costs by way of grant and remaining 10
per cent is provided by REC as loan. 

·               THDC: Tehri Hydro development Corporation (THDC), a joint venture of the government of India
and the government of Uttar Pradesh was incorporated in July’ 88 to develop, operate and maintain
the 2400 MW Tehri Hydro Power Complex and other hydro project. THDC successfully completed
the stage-I of the Tehri Hydro Power Complex and added 1000 MW to the country’s power
generation through Tehri HPP. The Koteshwar project shall be commissioned by March 2011, there
by contributing 400 MW in the XIth Plan.

·               NEEPCO: NEEPCO is a premier power generating company with a strong contingent of 3096
employees operating in six out of eight states of the North Eastern Region barring Sikkim and
Manipur with its headquarters in Shillong having schedule “A” status. The main goal of NEEPCO is
to harness the vast hydro and thermal power potential of the region and to produce pollution free
and inexhaustible power through planned development of power generation projects while caring for
the environment. Since inception in 1976, NEEPCO has grown to become a company that provides
electricity to 7 out 10 houses in the North Eastern Region while generating more than 60 per cent of
the energy requirement of the region.

·               Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam Limited  (SJVN): Public sector Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam Limited, a joint
venture of the Govt. of India and Govt. of Himachal Pradesh is a central public sector undertaking
(CPSU) under the ministry of power. The present authorized capital of SJVN is Rs.4500 crores,
which is under revision to Rs. 7000 crore. The present installed capacity of SJVN is 1500 MW. Satluj
Jal Vidyut Nigam Ltd. has been conferred with the prestigious “Mini Ranta: Category-I” status by the
 government of India. SJVN is schedule ‘A’ Company.

§         Nathpa Jhakri Hydro Power station: The country’s 1500 MW Nathpa Jhakri Hydro power
station was commissioned in the year 2003-04 and has since been supplying valuable power to
nine states of the Northern grid. The power station has established a benchmark of generation
during the year 2008-09 with an all time high generation of 6609 million units.

§         SJVN going Global Nepal: Another achievement of the organization was its bagging 402
MW Arun-III Hydro Electric Project in Nepal in open competition. The MoU for this project was
signed with the Govt. of Nepal on March 02, 2008. SJVN has already received the survey
license from the Govt. of Nepal in June. 2008 and its DPR will be completed by January 2011.

§         Projects in Bhutan: Expanding its base from a single projects to multi project and from a
single state operations to multi state operations, SJVN has expanded its base now to Bhutan
with the award of two projects of the Govt. of India, Ministry of Power, for preparation of DPR.
These projects are 486 MW Kholongchu HE project and 900 MW Wangchu HE Project.

·               India Leads World in Road Deaths: In a dubious distinction for the country, the World Health
Organization has revealed in its first ever Global Status Report on Road Safety that more people die
in road accidents in India than anywhere else in the world, including the more populous China. At
least 13 people die every hour in road accidents in the country.

·               Delhi 2010: XIX Commonwealth Games the logo is inspired by the Ashoka Chakra, the National
Symbol. The 24 spokes in the Chakra in the Indian flag represent an essential quality in each human
being. It is an unfurling of the Chakra to represent the growth of India into a vibrant nation. It also
symbolizes the coming together as they celebrate the spirit of the commonwealth games and
contribute to its success. The games icon is  ‘Shera’, 71 Nation will participate in the games, but this
is not final work. The colour scheme combines two distinctive colours of the Delhi 2010 emblem with
the official colours of the games. It draws upon the energies of green, purple and pink and generates
a sprit of sports from the games colours of red, yellow and blue.

·               Carbon: India is set to renew its efforts in the global climate change negotiations to get
recognition for its green efforts and earn credits. For, the carbon stocks stored in the country’s
forests and trees between 1995 and 2005 have increased from 6,245 million tonne to 6,662 million
tonne, registering an annual increment of 38 million tonne of carbon or 138 million tonne of CO2.
Top five CO2 emitting countries in the world in 2008 1-China, 2-US, 3- Russia, 4-India, 5-Japan.

·               Solar Energy Mission: Solar power is all set to light up the renewable energy industry in the
country with the launch of Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission on November 14. The Rs
91,684-crore draft plan, which aims to install 20,000 MW of solar power in the first phase ending
2020, was approved in principle by the Prime Minister’s Council on Climate Change recently. India is
also the seventh largest manufacturer of solar photovoltaic cells. Power from conventional sources,
which costs Rs 3.5/kwh, is expected to increase annually by 3% to reach Rs 4.70/ kwh by 2020. In
contrast, solar specific tariff, which is Rs 18/ kwh, is expected to fall to Rs 5.60/kwh or lower by
2017-2020. The plan aims to achieve grid tariff parity by 2020, and parity with coal-based thermal
power by 2030.

·               Rural Experience to Boost Tourism in Punjab: Chandigarh Looking at new ways to generate
revenue, the Punjab tourism department is now promoting a "rich, rural experience" for tourists in its
villages. The initiative was also lauded at a travel and tourism fair organised in Hyderabad recently,
where the department bagged the "best innovative product" for its concept of farm tourism.

·               China Forces India to Change Funding Rules: With China raising objections to an ADB loan
for a project in Arunachal Pradesh, the government has been forced to arrange funds from internal
agencies for projects in sensitive areas. It is a conscious decision taken by the government of India
that all projects in sensitive areas will be funded by our own internal resources. We don’t have to get
 multilateral agencies to funds these projects said external affairs minister SM Krishna.

·               National Rural Employment Guarantee (NREGA) to Widen Broadband Reach: Rural
workers under the National Rural Employment Guarantee (NREGA) scheme will now help usher in a
broadband revolution in the country. In an innovative and Ambitious project, the government has hit
upon the idea of tweaking the scheme to lay a 12-lakh km, countrywide optic-fibre network at an
overall investment of Rs 40,000 crore over the next five years. Since a major chunk of this would be
the wage cost, the government proposes to tap the NREGA Programme. 

·               XI Plan to Miss Power Capacity Addition Target: Faced with a slow pace of reforms in the
power sector in last three years, the country will fall short of meeting the XI Plan capacity addition
target of 78,000 MW by 2012, a repeat of the X Plan performance.

·               38% Indians Are Poor: Thirty-eight per cent of Indian are poor, reported a government
committee appointed to give an estimate of poverty. The figure is 10 per cent higher than the
present poverty estimate of 28.5 per cent. The committee, based on new methodology, has taken
into consideration indicators for health, education, sanitation, nutrition and income, as per the
National Sample Survey Organisation (NSSO) survey of 2004-05, to reach at new poverty
estimation for India. The survey had said India’s population was 1.1 billion that year. A committee
headed by S.D. Tendulkar, former chairperson of the PM Economic Advisory Committee (PMEAC),
has used a different methodology, in its preliminary findings, to reach at the 38 per cent figure. 
Since 1972, poverty has been defined on basis of the money required to buy food worth 2,100
calories in urban and 2,400 calories in rural areas.  In June this year, a government committee
headed by N.C. Saxena estimated 50 per cent Indians were poor, as against the Planning
Commission’s 2006 figure of 28.5 per cent. In 2007, the Arjun Sen Gupta of the National
Commission for Enterprises in Un-organised Sector had said that 77 per cent of Indians were poor.
The government had, however, rejected both the claims. The Union government has spent Rs
1,51,460 crore (Rs 1,510 billion) in the past four years for poor under just three major anti-poverty
schemes. On the basis of the Tendulkar Committee estimation of 8.32 crore BPL households, the
government has estimated that additional annual food subsidy of Rs 9,500 crore (Rs 90.5 billion) will
be required, over Rs 37,010 crore for financial year 2009-10.

·               Akshay Urja Diwas: Rajiv Gandhi Akshay Urja Diwas is an annual affair being observed on
Shri Rajiv Gandhi’s birth anniversary since 2004. One state is selected every year to hold this
prestigious event. This year this honour has been given to Rajasthan. Celebrations of this year’s
Rajiv Gandhi Akshay Urja Diwas will be held in Jaipur.

·               Depleting Groundwater: India is staring at a looming water shortage. A NASA mission has
revealed that Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan lost 109 cubic km of water in six years. Or an
alarming 1foot a year. With drought covering nearly half the country’s 500-odd districts this year, the
stress on groundwater has increased manifold, now, even in the hills of Uttarakhand and Himachal
Pradesh, drinking water is being supplied through tankers.

·               Govt. to Invoke Anti-Smuggling act: Worried about the continuous infiltration of fake Indian
currency notes, the Union government has decided to deal with cases of counterfeit notes under the
Conservation of Foreign Exchange & Prevention of Smuggling Activities (COFEPOSA) Act. The
anti-smuggling Act would be imposed along with the existing sections of the Indian Penal Code
(IPC). The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), under the Union finance ministry, has sent a
circular to home departments of all states to book those found carrying or dealing with fake currency
notes under COFEPOSA.

·               A Maruti Car to be made Entirely in India: When the first Maruti 800 rolled out in 1983 from its
factory in Gurgaon, then a sleepy and largely rural suburb of New Delhi, the only things Indian about
the small car were the carpet, the battery and the tray on which it rested. Around 25 years on, 99%
of the parts that go into the 800 are made in India.  Maruti Suzuki India Ltd will lay the foundation
stone for a 700-acre, state-of- the-art Research and Development (R&D) facility in Rohtak, Haryana.
 The company plans to spend Rs1, 200-1,500 crore on setting up facilities including testing tracks,
collision test areas, emission labs and a wind tunnel testing facility. Behind this R&D investment is
an ambitious objective: To design and build from scratch a car in India by 2012—the first for a
foreign car Maker.

·               Govt. Plans Rs 10,000cr Dedicated Telecom Network or Armed Forces: In a significant
national security-related development, the government is moving to build a $2 billion or Rs 9,970.16
crore dedicated, highly secure and state-of-the-art optical fiber cable (OFC) network for the Army,
Navy and Air Force. This will be one of the world’s largest, closed user group (CUG) networks for
exclusive use by the million-plus personnel of the Indian armed forces.

·               Educating Women: The HRD ministry is not only renaming the National Literacy Mission as
National Women's Literacy Mission but is also making substantial changes in the definition of
literacy with specific focus on achieving 80% literacy for women by the end of the 11th Plan. With a
new slogan -- Literate India -- the mission will be launched next month in 365 districts. It would be
run in active participation with the state governments unlike in the past when it was run directly by
the Centre through different implementation agencies at the district level. Mission would be launched
in those districts where the female literacy level is below 50%.

·               High-tech Insurance Management: For the first time in India a leading general insurance
company has come out with a unique cattle claims management system using latest technology
advancements. The system will not only reduce unscrupulous fraudulent claims of cattle insurance
but also help farmers manage their cattle in a better and insured way. After providing the farmers
with accidental, critical and crop insurance coverage schemes, Iffco-Tokio General Insurance
Company (ITGI) has come out with an unique cattle management or cattle claims handling system.
In this, the insurer will use the latest chip-based RFID (radio frequency identification) technology.

·               Haryana Bans mining: Haryana Cabinet, which met under the chairmanship of chief minister,
Bhupinder Singh Hooda, decided to ban the mining of major minerals in the districts of Faridabad,
Gurgaon and Mewat for a period of 10 years, unless a mineral of national and strategic significance
is found to be present in these areas.

·               Punjab Scraps RIL’s Agri Projects Deal: Within weeks of Punjab becoming the sixth state in
the country to adopt the SEZ Act, the biggest private investment proposed for the farm sector came
to naught this weekend, when the state cabinet decided to terminate the agreement with Mukesh
Ambani-led RIL for setting up mega agricultural projects. The MoU signed in August 2006 with the
government entailed RIL making an initial investment of Rs 500 crore and later taking that up to Rs
3,000 crore for giving Punjab a state-of-the-art farm infrastructure that would connect it with global
markets, increase farmers’ income by four-fold, provide jobs to 30,000 people and introduce crop
diversification.

·               New Pension System: One of the most significant policy reforms in the post-independence
Indian economy is the introduction of the New Pension System (NPS) as a part of social security
reform. NPS is a National Policy initiative attempting to tackle the problems arising from increased
longevity, insufficient retirement savings and absence of formal social security, particularly for the
un-organized and informal segment of labour force. The NPS introduced since 1st January 2004,
mandatory for central government employees who joined services on or after that date, has been
accepted by 22 state governments and subsequently opened to all citizens on voluntary basis with
effect from May 1, 2009. NPS is a unique low-cost technology-driven system with provision of
portability switch over, mandatory annuitisation, flexible pay outs, multi-option portfolio and multiple
fund mangers.

·               MMTC loses Chhattisgarh Power Project: The Chhattisgarh government has decided to scrap
a controversial proposal to award a 1,350MW power project and a coalmine to state-owned mineral
trading company MMTC Ltd, which had sought to partner with a private sector firm to develop the
 project.

·               India, FAO Ink Pact: India, the World’s second biggest litchi producer, has signed an
agreement with the food and agriculture organization (FAO) for a  $3,66,000 project, meant for
improving the quality and yield of the fruit in the country. India’s agriculture ministry and FAO singed
a project of improving the productivity and quality of litchi in Bihar, which accounts for nearly 80% of
the country’s total production, according to the FAO statement.

·               Himachal to Promote Herbal Plantation: After working for the preservation and protection of
precious forest wealth, Himachal Pradesh has now come up with a novel forestation scheme,
‘Sanjha Van-Sanjivani Van’, a community driven programme, which envisages a massive plantation
of medicinal plants. The scheme has been launched recently by the state government to gather with
the participation of the people. Every household has been motivated to plant at least one medicinal
plant in its premises. The aim of the programme is to draw the attention of people towards the
degradation of environment and also the consequences, besides protecting the eco-system planting
trees in order to make Himachal Pradesh a herbal state. The State is the largest supplier of
Chilgoza, Kuth, Dioscoria, Dhoop, Picrorrhiza, Valeriana and ephedra in the country. 

·               Big Four Bags Mega BP Deal: Indian IT bigwigs Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), Infosys
Technologies and Wipro, along with American technology giant IBM, announced separately that
they have bagged applications development and application management (ADAM) contracts from oil
and gas major British Petroleum (BP).   

·               SC Judges to Disclose Assets: Bowing to intense public pressure and faced with division in
their ranks, supreme court judges finally agreed to take a belated step towards transparency and
make public their asses and liabilities. Details of Judges Holdings will now be posted on the website
of the apex court. However, the landmark decision comes with a caveat: the judges will not entertain
any query relating to their assets and liabilities and how their wealth has increased or decreased.
The decision to make public personal assets and liabilities as well as those of their spouses and
dependents was taken by chief justice of India KG Balakrishnan and the judges.

·               Class X Boards to be Optional from Next Year: From the coming academic year (2010-11),
the Class X board exams will become optional in all CBSE schools. The board will make a formal
announcement to this effect probably, once the blueprint of the new system to replace the board
exams is frozen.               

·               Healthcare: India only has 0.6 physicians per 1,000 people compared with China’s 1.4 only 0.9
hospital beds per 1,000 people compared with the global average of 3.0 only 1.3 midwives and
nurses per 1,000 compared with Brazil’s 3.8 and so on.

·               MCI to be Scrapped, Single Council to Regulate Medical Edu: In a complete overhaul aimed
at cleansing the medical education system in the country, a task force of the Union health ministry
has decided to scrap all regulatory bodies, including the Medical Council of India, Dental Council of
India, Pharmacy Council and the Nursing Council, There will instead be a single regulatory body -
National Council for Human Resources in Health - which will oversee seven departments related to
medicine, nursing, dentistry, rehabilitation and physiotherapy, pharmacy, public health/hospital
management and allied health sciences, sources involved in the revamp process. The move now
needs a formal government notification. This will not only perform the regulatory functions but also
carry out assessment and accreditation of medical and health institutions across India. 

·               Panchayat seats for women: The country seems set to have an army of women politicians.
The union cabinet clearing a proposal to increase reservation for women to 50% in Panchayats. The
proposal, aims to amend article 243D of the constitution that currently provides for 33% reservation
for women in Panchayats. This is proposed to be increased to 50% the “women only” seats in
 Panchayats are rotated. It was during Rajiv Gandhi’s tenure as PM that the idea of decentralizing
power and empowering women at the grassroots was mooted. The one-third reservation for women
in Panchayats came through the 73 rd constitutional amendment during PV Narasimha Rao’s tenure
as Prime Minister. The move will at one stroke boost the number of women politicians at  grassroots
Bihar is the first state to reserve half of the Panchayats seats for women –shows making the
administration more gender sensitive. Taking the lead in women empowerment, five states Bihar,
Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh already have 50% reservation
for the women  as states have the power  to Bring  in amendments in their state laws  to increase
women’s representation upto 50% Rajasthan has also  announced 50% reservation that will be
implemented in the next Panchayat election  in early 2010 Kerala, too , has   announced 50%
reservation for women in Panchayats an other local bodies. In Uttarkhand, women have an
overwhelming Panchayats.

·               Govt. to cap NREGA wages at Rs. 100 for its entire term: The Centre has decided to cap
NREGA wages at Rs. 100 for entire UPA term, in a move designed to curb the propensity of states
to hike wages arbitrarily with the knowledge that they are borne by the Union government. While
rural development ministry is set to notify a wage-bar of Rs. 100 under job guarantee scheme. It
means till 2014, a state hiking its minimum agricultural wage beyond Rs. 100 will have to shoulder it
itself.

·               Mangala Oilfield: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh dedicated to the nation the Mangala oil
field, marking the start of commercial production of oil from the area. Dr. Singh, who termed the
occasion as the “beginning of a new era” for the desert State, said the success of the joint venture of
Cairn Energy and the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited (ONGC) was a signal to the world
community to invest in India. Carin energy has invested Rs.10, 000 crore in the area so far Sir Bill
Gammell, chairman of Cairn India. Mangala is the largest of 25 discoveries made by Cairn in the
Barmer Basin. Discovered in January 2004, it is said to be the largest onshore discovery in the
country over two decades. The Mangala, Bhagyam, and Aisharya fields together have a recoverable
oil reserve of one billion barrels. The production at Mangala, situated some 35 km from Barmer
district town, is expected to peak at 1,75,000 barrels a day in the next two years to account for 20
per cent of India’s domestic production.

·               IIMs to be Set up in Seven States: The Union Cabinet approved a proposal to set up seven
Indian Institutes of Management in Tamil Nadu, Haryana, Rajasthan, Jammu and Kashmir,
Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Uttarakhand. Four of the IIMs-in Tamil Nadu, Haryana, Jharkhand, and
Chhattisgarh-would be set up this year and become operational from the next academic year. The
others would be set up next year and become operational in 2011. In Tamil Nadu, the IIM would
come up in Tiruchi, in Haryana at Rohtak, in Jharkhand at Ranchi and in Chhattisgarh at Raipur.

International

·               Pune Firm Gets $2m From WHO For Vaccine: The World Health Organisation (WHO) has
given $2 million to a Pune-based vaccine making firm to develop and manufacture swine flu vaccine.
“WHO has given $2 million to Serum Institute of India.

·               Pak Delivers 4,500 mw Shock: Mammoth dam to generate 4,500 MW a day will come up on
the Indus in Gilgit in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir despite India’s objections. The Pakistan
government cleared construction of the $8.5 billion Diamer-Bhasha power project, which will
reportedly be built with Chinese help, possibly workers who constructed the Three Gorges Dam, the
world’s largest. India had in 2004 objected to the dam being built saying it fell in territory Pakistan
illegally occupied and there was the danger of floods in Jammu and Kashmir. Under the Indus Water
Treaty, Pakistan is free to build dams anywhere on the river. The Diamer-Bhasha project is ten
times the size of the 450MW Baghlihar project that India commissioned on October 10, 2008, in the
Jammu region. Pakistan had gone to the World Bank against construction of the Baglihar dam,
accusing India of violating the Indus Water Treaty.  The World Bank, which is a guarantor of the
treaty, had appointed a Swiss engineer to settle the case. The treaty gives India first rights over the
 waters of the Ravi, Sutlej and Beas and Pakistan the same privileges over Indus, Chenab and
Jhelum. One of the major reasons for Jammu and Kashmir not fully exploiting the hydro-power
potential of these six rivers is the Indus Water Treaty.

·               Army, Air force to conduct joint exercises in October: A five-day joint exercise involving the
Indian and US armies and air forces, ‘Cope India-09’, will simultaneously conduct their largest joint
exercises in October featuring a variety of armoured vehicles, medium and heavy lift aircraft and
helicopters. According to Indian Air Force (IAF) official, “The army element of the exercise will be
conducted at Babina in Uttar Pradesh, while the two air forces will engage each other at Agra.”

·               Russia gold output Raises 21%: Russian gold output jumped 21% in the first seven months of
the year due to the launch of several large projects in the country’s far-east, including Kinross Gold’s
Kupol mine in the remote Chukotka region. Russia, the world’s fifth-largest gold miner, produced
101.77 tonne of the precious metal between January and July, the Russian gold industrialists’ union
said. In the same period of 2008, it produced 84.13 tonne. Russia produced about 8% of the world’s
gold last year and plans to significantly increase this share by developing its reserves that are
second only to South Africa’s.

·               Nissan to Shift Production of Small Car from UK to India: In a move that reflects the
growing stature of the Indian car industry globally Japanese major Nissan has decided to shift the
entire production of its small car, Micra, from the UK to India. After production of the Micra begins
here, Nissan plans to manufacture four more models in India, involving a total investment of over Rs
2,000 crore.

·               Landslide Win for Japan Opposition: For only the second time in postwar history, Japanese
voters cast out the long governing liberal Democratic Party in elections handing a landslide victory to
an untested opposition that must tackle severe economic problems and point Japan in a new
direction. After the vote, PM Taro Aso conceded defeat. 

·               India to Tap Namibian Uranium Reserves: India and Namibia will sign an agreement on
mineral resources during the five-day visit of Namibian President Hifikepunye Pohamba that starts.
Under the pact, India will be able to access the African country’s abundant uranium reserves.
Through this agreement, India will also be looking at Namibia’s healthy reserves of diamond,
copper, gold and zinc. The cooperation over uranium will be covered under an umbrella framework
for development of mineral resources and promote investments in geology and mines in both
countries. The agreement was approved by the Union Cabinet. Nigeria is south African region’s
biggest producer of uranium and the sixth largest in the world. India has already signed
Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in the civilian nuclear sector with Russia, France and the US.
It is negotiating similar pacts with Kazakhstan and Canada.

Economy

·               BoB to Boost India-UAE Investment Flow: Bank of Baroda (BoB) has launched an initiative to
facilitate two-way flow of investments between India and the UAE. "We have extensive network of
about 3,000 branches in India, and fairly good presence in the UAE market. We will be ready to
provide funds to the investors from both the countries and help them identify viable projects and
suitable partners at the investment destinations," Ashok K Gupta, the bank's CEO, GCC Operations.
Share of the UAE in the overall FDI flows to India is only one per cent and there is tremendous
scope to enhance this.

·               Fisheries: The share of fisheries in agriculture GDP has increased robustly from 2.17% in
1980-81 to 5.93% in 2004-05. “It is the fisheries sector which is pushing agriculture growth for the
past five-and-a-half decades. Indian's fish (both inland and marine) production increased from 5.6
million tonne in 2000-2001 to 6.5 million tonne during 2006-2007. This fiscal, it is estimated to cross
7 million tonne.
·               India Slowly Turns into Net Importer of Ginger: During 1975 through the 80s, India was the
major producer of ginger with a market share of 30-35% of world production. India was followed by
China with a share of 10-15%. In the later part of 90s, Chinese production of ginger increased
dramatically and Indian share fell. Rising input cost and cheaper competition from China has seen
Indian ginger lose its share in the global trade.

·               Kerala’s Lost City: This was the port where the Romans, Greeks and Persians once, anchored
their ships to trade in spices, especially black pepper, for the tables of the rich and powerful. Later,
they turned it into a meeting point for Judaism, Islam and Christianity. But in the 13 th century, the
port city of Muziris near Kodungallur, 35 Km north of modern day Kochi, was submerged in a flash
flood. Now the Kerala government is planning to develop the city as a unique heritage site.

·               Banana Exports: Due to rising demand of Banana in Gulf countries, Indian banana exports are
looking northwards. The West -Asia countries that traditionally sourced bananas from Philippines
have been gradually shifting their focus towards India because of improved quality and price
advantage. According to the Apeda official —the main canalising agency for such exports—banana
exports worth Rs. 100 crore is targeted for the current fiscal against Rs. 64 crore achieved during
2008-09. India’s productivity is one of the highest in the worlds, barring Costa Rica, which has far
lesser area under banana cultivation.

·               Tax Break for Mauritius Based Indian Firms: Indian companies raising overseas funds
through the Mauritius route has just won a breather from the income tax department. An income tax
tribunal has held that a company can claim benefits of the Indo-Mauritius Double Tax Avoidance
Agreement on the basis of a valid tax residency certificate from the island.

·               Govt. Throws AI a Rs. 5,000cr Lifeline: The government decided to infuse Rs. 5,000 crore
equity in the cash-strapped airline over the next three years, subject to AI improving performance
and cutting costs aggressively, to prevent it from shutting down.

·               High Speed Parcel Train from Delhi to Gujarat Soon: For the first time in the country,
Northern Railway will run a high-speed parcel train from the capital's Tughlaqabad station to Vapi in
Gujarat. “Like normal passenger trains, this train will also have a fixed timetable. There will be a
penalty clause under which the railways will be accountable to vendors if the train gets delayed”.

·               Services Sector too Offer 60% of New Jobs over Next Five Years: According to BCG Boston
consulting group Agriculture’s contribution to the economy has been steadily declining from 1957
when it formed 47% of India’s GDP to 30% in 1987 and 18% in 2007 with 2012 projections standing
at 14% of GDP. Services sector has increased from 36% in 1957 to 44% in 1987 and currently form
about 52% of the GDP, and is expected to grow to 57% in 2012, the report said.

·               RBI Transfers Rs. 25,000cr to Center: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has transferred
surplus funds to the tune of Rs. 25,009 crore to the Union Government during 2008-09. This is about
Rs. 10,000 crore more than what it had transferred in 2007-08, according to RBI annual report.
Significantly enough, there has been a consistent rise in the transfer of surplus funds from the RBI
since 2004-05. From Rs. 5,400 crore in 2004-05, the transfer has risen to Rs. 8,404 crore in 2005-
06 and further to Rs. 11,411 crore in 2006-07. Surplus funds transferred to the Government
constituted 28.38 per cent of the apex bank’s total income in 2004-05. This has risen to 41.18 per
cent in 2008-09. The surplus fund transfer from the RBI is no insignificant resource avenue for the
Central Government, which has gone in for a massive deficit programme to stem the slide in the
GDP (gross domestic product) number and put the economy back on higher growth orbit.

·               Credit Flow to MSMEs to be Doubled: Assuring micro, small, and medium enterprises
(MSMEs) of all help, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said the center would double credit flow to the
crucial sector, which provides employment to around six crore people and contributes over 45 per
cent of the total manufactured output and 40 per cent of export earnings.
·               Incentives for Exporters: In a bid to boost exports and save jobs in export oriented industries,
the new foreign trade policy, unveiled, seeks to give incentives including extended tax holiday and
duty refund to exporters, it also allows duty free capital goods import to insulate them from global
recession. Unveiling the five year policy, commerce and industry minister Anand Sharma promised
to re-visit it after two years keeping in the mind the current economic uncertainty. The minister has
set an ambitious target of $200 billion worth exports for the next fiscal a feat the country failed to
achieve in 2008-09 due to slump in global demand. India has not been affected to the same extent
as other economies of the world yet our exports suffered a decline in the last 10 months due to a
contraction in demand in the traditional markets.

·               Explore New Markets, Basket of Exports: Union Commerce and Industry Minister Anand
Sharma announced various sops and incentives for exporters who explore markets in Asia and
Africa and asked the exporting community to look beyond the U.S. and European markets. The new
Foreign Trade Policy, coming in the backdrop of a 30 per cent contraction in exports in the last 10
months, seeks to identify 26 new markets for trade that would be eligible for sops. These include 16
in Latin America and 10 in Asia and Oceania. At present, India’s $168 billion exports are highly
concentrated in Europe (36 per cent), the U.S. (18 per cent) and Japan (16 per cent) and these are
the worst hit by the biggest financial crisis since the 1930s. “We have taken a conscious view to
expand and diversify our export markets, especially in the emerging markets of Africa, Latin
America, Oceania and CIS countries,” Mr. Sharma said. The new policy has sought to give special
focus to help the gems and jewellery sector, one of the worst hit, by allowing duty drawback on
exports.

Science and Technology

·               Space Junk: Far up in the sky, 1,000 km above Earth to be precise, a growing collection of
mechanical debris is accumulating. Disused and retired satellites, old rocket boosters, and even
pieces of an intentionally exploded Chinese satellite threaten to destroy millions of dollars worth of
orbiting surveillance, weather, and telecom satellites. Worse still, the accumulated debris is now so
dense that objects will continue to crash into each other, creating even more objects, expanding the
rubbish cloud geometrically. Satellites have an operating lifespan between five and 20 years. Today,
the former Soviet states launch about 1,300 satellites into orbit per year, the US about 1,000, Japan
100, China 50, France 40, India 30, the UK 25, and a few from Australia and Israel. Canada’s
nastiest encounter with space debris occurred in 1978, when a nuclear-powered Russian satellite
broke up across the Northwest Territories, triggering an expensive cleanup of radioactive material.
The Soviet Union eventually paid $3 million in compensation for the crash of Cosmos 954.  
Person
·               Vinod Kambli retires from international cricket.
·               SAIL Chief Bags SCOPE Excellence Award: SK Roongta, Chairman, Steel Authority of India
Ltd has won the SCOPE award for excellence and outstanding contribution to the public sector
management individual category for the year 2007-08.
·               Kevin Watts: Kevin Watts, who is now heading Merril Lynch operations in India, will take over
as the managing director & country executive for Bank of America, India. Watts, who will succeed
Vishwavir Ahuja, is likely to take charge during the first week of September 2009.
·               Sonia, Nooyi High on Forbes’ Power List: The new annual list of the world’s 100 most
powerful women prepared by Forbes, the international business magazine, puts Congress president
Sonia Gandhi at 13th place, eight notches above her ranking in last year’s list. There are two other
Indian women in the list — Chanda Kochhar chief executive officer of ICICI Bank, ranked 20th and
Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw chairman and managing director of Biocon, ranked 91st. “Gandhi, leader of
India’s most powerful political party (Congress), is still the country’s dominant force,” said Forbes.
Two other women of Indian origin have also made the list. Indra Nooyi, chief executive of Pepsico, is
 ranked third. The other is Navan-Ethem Pillay, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, ranked
63rd.
·               K. Kanan: Justice of Punjab and Haryana High Court K. Kanan became the first to disclose his
assets.
Sport
·               Zimbabwean Equals ODI Record of Highest Score: Zimbabwean batsman Charles Coventry
equaled the highest one-day international score, hitting 194 not out in a match against Bangladesh.
Coventry smashed 16 boundaries and seven sixes in 156 balls to equal Saeed Anwar’s record.
·               Bolt Wins Gold, Betters Own Record: Usain bolt won the 100m gold at world athletics
championships in Berlin. Bolt clocked 9.58 sec, breaking his earlier world record of 6.69 sec at
Beljing. Tyson Gay finished 2nd at 9.71 Sec.
·               Bekele Triumphs: Ethiopian Kenenisa Bekele wrote his name in the history books here after
claiming a fourth consecutive world 10,000m title. Ethiopian superstar Kenenisa Bekele and
Americans LaShawn Merritt and Sanya Richards won their second gold medals on the final day of
the world athletics championships. Bekele’s came in the 5,000 metres as he became the first man to
do the 5,000-10,000m double, a feat even his compatriot Haile Gebrselassie failed to achieve the
one time he tried in 1993.  
·               Bhupathi Wins: India’s Mahesh Bhupathi and his Bahamian partner mark Knowles claimed
their first title at an ATP world Tour Masters tennis tournament. Defeating max Mirnyi of Belarus and
Israeli Andy Ram in Straight sets.
·               Nehru Cup Factfile: Nehru Cup, originally known as Nehru international Gold cup, was first
held in 1982 in Kolkata. Initially, it was an annual event but due to paucity of funds, it was made
biennial and then altogether stopped, it was revived in 2007. Since 2007, Nehru Cup has been an
All-Asian Affair, because of Indian coach Bob Houghton’s insistence. India’s first win was against
Yugoslvai in 1982.
·               Yang’s: Until the 2009 PGA championship, players from every continent except Asia and
Antarchtica had captured a major championship. Over the last three years as “GlobalGolf” became a
buzz term. That changed hazel-tine when Yang, a 37 year-old Sough Korean, Delivered shot felt
across oceans. When Woods won the 1997 Masters by a record 12 shots, many believed it would
be a watershed moment for minorities on the PGA Tour.
·               Sandeep Sejwal: Sandeep has just returned home after impressing in the World
Championships in Rome and at the Asian Age Group Championships in Tokyo. He won three
individual and two relay medals in Tokyo and more importantly, erased his own record twice within a
week. Sandeep has become the first Indian to break into the top 100 FINA rankings in all three
events  (50, 100 and 200m breaststroke).
·               Berline: Olympic champion shelly Ann Fraser Gave Jamaica its second sprint gold.
·               ONGC: Defending champions India who started their ONGC Nehru Cup campaign with a
whimper, losing to Lebanon at the Ambedkar Stadium in Delhi.
·               Vijender is World No.2: Olympic bronze medal winner Vijender Singh achieved a career high
second spot in the international boxing association’s official rankings. He is behind Cuba’s Olympic
silver medallist Emilio Correa Bayeux.
·               Teen Sailor Breaks World Solo Record: A 17-year-old Briton became the youngest person to
sail round the globe single-handed after nine months at sea. Mike Perham suffered knockdowns and
damage to his yacht during the 24,000-mile (38,700-km) trip and the teenager from Herefordshire,
southern England.

·               Somedev Breaks a Jinx: India no.1 Somedev Devvarman showed more restraint than joy or
relief in sealing his maiden entry into the singles main draw of a grand Slam event. The two times
NCAA champion, the first Indian man since Prakash Amrtraj who had received a wild card for 2002
 US Open to make the main draw of a Grand Slam.

Award

·               Rajiv Gandhi Awards: Top achievers from different walks of life were presented the Rajiv
Gandhi Awards at the 12th awards ceremony in Mumbai. The winners include Isro chairman G
Madhavan Nair, Olympic gold Medalist Abhinav Bindra, industrialist-social worker Rajashree Birla,
telecom whiz Sam Pitroda and Times Group MD Vineet Jain. Isro boss Nair, who got the super-
achiever award. Others who received the award are: Shahid Kapoor, Katrina Kaif (entertainment),
Narendra Jadhav (education), Ramesh Chandra Agarwal (journalism), Rohit Kochhar (young
entrepreneur), Krushnaa Patil, who scaled Mount Everest recently (woman achiever) and 10year-old
Avika Gor of TV serial Balika Vadhu (child prodigy). Pitroda got the award in the ‘‘Global Indian’’
category, Birla for her social work and Vineet Jain was recognized as the ‘‘Best Industrialist’’ of the
year.

·               Jnanpith Award: Sanskrit poet Satya Vrat Shastri was conferred the Jnanpith award for his
contributions to the enrichment of the language by his disciple and Princess of Thailand Maha
Chakri Sirindhorn. Shastri became the first Sanskrit poet to be conferred the award since its
inception.

·               President Presents Sports Awards: President Pratibha Patil conferring the prestigious Rajiv
Gandhi Khel Ratna award to boxers M.C. Mary Kom, Vijender Singh and wrestler Sushil Kumar,
apart from presenting Arjuna Awards, Dronacharya Awards and three other awards. The Khel Ratna
award, the nation’s highest sports honour, carries a medallion, Rs. 7.5 lakh and a scroll each.
Former badminton ace P. Gopi Chand, a past winner of the Khel Ratna and Arjuna awards, received
the Dronacharya Award and became the first to be honoured with the nation’s all three sports
awards. Gopi’s protégé Saina Nehwal was presented the Arjuna Award, woman Grandmaster Tania
Sachdev, who got the Arjuna award.   Major H.P.S. Ahluwalia, one of the four recipients of the
Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Award, honoured for his yeoman work in support of
mountaineering and Himalayan adventure. The newly instituted Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puruskar
went to Tata Steel (for Community sports identification and nurturing of budding young talent &
Establishment and Management of Sports Academies of Excellence) and Railways Sports
Promotion Board (for Employment to Sportspersons and Sports Welfare Measures)

Miscellaneous

·               Metro: Completed boring India’s longest tunnel in an Urban Area. The 2.85 km long funnel from
Talkatora Garden to Buddha Jayanti Park of the 22.7 km Airport express line, which will connect the
city to the international airport.

·               Indians on Amazon’s Greatest Music Albums: Indian artistes have made it to Amazon.com's
100 Greatest World Music albums of all time. The list includes albums of Asha Bhosle, Ustaad Ali
Akbar Khan, Shujaat Hussain Khan and A.R. Rahman.

·               Now, PHD not needed to teach at IIT: Close to three decades ago, the Indian Institutes of
Technology (IITs) upped the bar for selecting faculty: only PhDs were allowed to take classes.
Diluting that lofty standard, the HRD ministry has now allowed non-PhDs to join as lecturers. What’s
more shocking is that at least 10% jobs have been reserved at the lecturer’s level, an obsolete term
that has been scrapped from academia around the world.

·               Heritage tag for Visva-Bharati: As Rabindranath Tagore’s sesquicentennial year approaches
in 2011, the government has decided to nominate Santiniketan as its entry for Unesco’s world
heritage site status next year. The verdant Visva Bharati campus was founded and nurtured by three
generations of the Tagore family. An ASI official said the initiative was timed to coincide with
Tagore’s 150th birth anniversary.
01 to 15 Sep, 2009

National
·               India’s Longest Rail Bridge: Engineers in Kochi are giving final touches to the 4.62-km-long
rail bridge connecting the mainland to the proposed international container transshipment terminal
on Vallarpadam Island across the picturesque Vembanad Lake in Ernakulam district of Kerala. Due
to be commissioned in November this year, it will be the longest rail bridge in India. Currently, the
Record is held by the Nehru Setu Bridge near Dehri on the river Sone. Located on the Kolkata-
Delhi Line, the Nehru Setu is 3.065-km long. "This is the longest railway bridge ever built in India
and the project contractors AFCONS.
·               IPO Norms for Insurance Firms by Oct, Says Irda: Insurance Regulatory & Development
Authority (Irda) would release the initial public offer (IPO) norms for insurance companies within
two months. Said Irda Chairman J Hari Narayana. There are 22 life insurance firms and 21 non-life
insurance companies operating in the country currently, with total asset under management of over
Rs 9 lakh crore. The Sebi rules require a company to have three consecutive years of profitability
 for launching an IPO.
·               Indian Greenhouse Gas Emissions to Stay Low: The government’s report card on
greenhouse gas emissions, the cause of global warming, has estimated that per person emissions
will rise to only 2.1 tonne by the year 2020 and stabilise at 3.5 tonne by 2030. This means “even
two decades from now, India’s per capita emissions would be well below the global average 25
years earlier.” The report is the first mapping of detailed emissions data by the government after
2004, when the per capita greenhouse gas emissions was calculated at 1.3 tonne.
·               Assam’s Soft, Low Starch Rice to Save Fuel Costs: 1. A rice variety sourced from Assam
may soon change the cooking pattern of rice in the country. Termed as soft rice or komal chawl,
this rice has low starch content. It does not need boiling, and becomes eatable after being soaked
in water for less than an hour. Scientists from Cuttack-based Central Rice Research Institute,
affiliated to the Indian Council for Agricultural Research (ICAR), which has been conducting field
trials in Orissa, has found it to be suitable for the state's hot and humid condition. Scientists have
studied the rice named Aghonibora and has found that it retains quality. 2. The agriculture ministry
said that while area under rice cultivation remained static at around 35 million hectares since 1997-
98, production has gone up from 82.53 million tonne during 1997-98 to 99.37 million tonne during
2008-09. 3. Central Rice research institute has also introduced a flood resistant paddy variety that
can withstand flood water for close to two weeks.
·               CRPF to Get Intelligence Unit: The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) will soon have its
own intelligence wing. “We have started the process,” said A.S. Gill, CRPF Director-General,
confirming the decision. The para military force, expected to begin playing a enhanced role in
countering the Maoist threat, will have 10 intelligence officers per battalion, attached to 150 of its
battalions. The CRPF currently relies on state and central agencies for intelligence inputs. The
home ministry has also approved a proposal to add 38 new battalions -- or more than 38,000 men
and women -- to the 60-year-old CRPF, which is already the country’s largest paramilitary force
with 2.7 lakh personnel.
·               A Special Secy to Look at CPSEs Security Issues: The government has deputed special
secretary for internal security in the home ministry UK Bansal as the nodal point to address security
concerns of central public sector enterprises (CPSEs) that are setting up projects worth nearly Rs
1,50,000 crore in Naxal-infested areas of the country. The move is likely to benefit companies such
as National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC), Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC),
National Aluminium Company (Nalco) and the Indian Railways, whose projects are affected by
Naxal interference. Implementation of government programmes like Rajiv Gandhi Grameen
Vidyutikaran Yojana (RGGVY), work on which is slow due to problems posed by Naxals, would
also improve. Bansal will be responsible to coordinate with CPSEs and address their security
problems on a priority basis.
·               Plan to Clear Pending Cases By 2012: The Centre for the first time made public its plan to
deal with the huge Tendency of over three crore cases in the trial courts and high and told the SC
that it was preparing a roadmap to ‘liquidate’ the backlog in courts by the year 2012. Solicitor
General Gopal Subramaniam told a Bench comprising Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan and Justice
P.Sathaisvam that “the Centre is looking at liquidating arrears in courts by 2012 and a roadmap is
being prepared for that purpose”.
·               Rly to Give 75% Discount on Train Fares to HIV+: For people living with HIV/AIDS, travel to
hospitals and ART centres will get cheaper with the railway ministry agreeing to provide them with
75% concession even in reserved compartments. Till now, HIV/AIDS patients were given 50%
concession in unreserved coaches though patients of other diseases like cancer, leprosy and TB
were given 75% concession even in reserved compartments. Both railway and food ministries
agreed not to refer to such patients as HIV or AIDS infected but as persons with “immune
deficiency.
·               PM Launches New Literacy Project: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh launched a new adult
literacy programme Sakshar Bharat (Literate India), aimed at ending India’s dubious distinction as
 being the country with the highest number of illiterates. “The government has launched a number of
initiatives (the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, the Right to Information Act) … literacy,
in particular female literacy, is important to their success.” The Rs 6,500 crore (Rs 65 billion)
programme has made significant shifts from its precursor, the National Literacy Mission of 1988,
with its iconic logo and evocative “Chalo Padhaein” (Let’s teach) slogan. Sakshar Bharat will be
administered through 170,000 panchayats or village assemblies and not by the civil administration.
It is going to concentrate on more than 300 districts where over 50 per cent of females are illiterate,
as well as 33 districts where Naxalism is strong. The 1988 National Literacy Mission helped India
achieve its highest 10-year growth in literacy, from 52 per cent in 1991 to 65 per cent in 2001.
·               Torrent Power All Set to Light up Taj City: Private sector power giant Torrent Power Limited
(TPL) is all set to take over the power supply in Taj city Agra from September 28. Agra will be the
first experiment with privatization of power distribution in the state. It may be mentioned that Torrent
has already bagged the power supply for both Agra and Kanpur under the franchisee model and
had signed the MoU with the Uttar Pradesh Power Corporation (UPPCL) in May. The Taj city is
among the few district headquarters in the state that gets uninterrupted power supply, as it falls in
the Taj Trapezium Zone. The Supreme Court had directed the state government to provide
uninterrupted power supply in Taj Trapezium Zone to save the celebrated monument from the
pollution generated by gensets.
·               Rajiv Awas Yojana: Eager to make cities slum-free within the next five years, the Union
government has drawn up the Rajiv Awas Yojana (RAY) under which States which are ready to
accord property rights to slum dwellers would be assisted by the Centre to upgrade their slums. A
promise made by President Pratibha Patil in her address to the joint session of Parliament in June
and reiterated by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in his Independence Day address, the contours
of RAY were unveiled by Union Minister for Housing & Urban Poverty Alleviation.
·               Sharp Decline in Out of School Kids: In another feather to the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan’s cap,
the number of out-of-school (OOS) children in the 6-14 age group has come down dramatically
from 1.34 crore in 2005 to 80.4 lakh in 2009. In percentage terms, 4.22% of the total children in this
age agroup are not going to school as per the latest figures. The first survey of 2005 had showed
that 6.94% children in this age group were OOS. The survey, done for HRD ministry, corroborates
the prestigious private survey by Pratham. The big news is Bihar’s success story and Rajasthan
and UP’s poor performance. The north-south divide is also clear. Kerala, Karnataka, Andhra
Pradesh and Tamil Nadu have OOS children ranging between just 0.38% in Kerala to 1.4% in AP.
In 2005, when the first survey was carried out, Bihar was the second worst performer in terms of
OOS children — 31.7 lakh constituting 17% of children in the state in the 6-14 age group. Now,
only 13.15 lakh are OOS. In percentage terms, this is just 7%. Bihar’s success story can be
ascribed to massive teacher recruitment, specific efforts to attract children of marginal communities
and girl child. On the other hand, in Rajasthan, OOS children’s number has gone up. In 2005, 6.9%
or 7.95 lakh children were OOS. Now it is 10 lakh taking the OOS children to 8.21%. Sources said
the state’s poor performance can be attributed to lack of proper SSA monitoring.
·               OBCs Account For 38.5% of Rural Population: The mist over the percentage of OBCs in the
population might have lifted a bit with an official survey revealing that backward castes account for
around 38.5% of the rural populace. Tamil Nadu tops the OBC chart with 54.37% of rural
households (HH) belonging to backward category. Uttar Pradesh has 51.78% rural HHs in OBC
bracket. It is 37% in the Mandal powerhouse of Bihar while Chhattisgarh may be seen as a surprise
with 50.37% of households surveyed belonging to the OBC category. Importantly, while a national
figure of 38.5% falls well short of Mandal Commission estimates of 52%, they tally with an NSSO
survey which pegged OBC population at around 35%. The findings are part of an exercise which
scanned all rural households as part of BPL survey 2002 whose results have come in recently. The
52% figure given by Mandal Commission has been doubted as it was based on an extrapolation
from the last caste census of 1931 - by eliminating non-OBC communities from total population.
The issue blew up in 14th Lok Sabha when a parliamentary committee questioned the rationale of
allocation of funds for OBC welfare without knowing the group's numbers. It called for a caste
survey, kicking off a sharp duel among political players and government.
·               Bundelkhan Gets Rs.30k Cr Package: The Prime Minister’s office (PMO) approved a Rs.
30,000 crore (Rs 300 billion) special development plan for the poverty hit Bundelkhan region of
central India, covering parts of Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh.
·               Consensus on Judicial Service: An all India service for recruitment to lower judiciary may
finally take shape, bringing in much-needed uniformity in the selection and service conditions of
judges in the lower courts. he Law Commission, parliamentary panel and chief justices of India
have been pushing for such a service for a long time. At a recent conference of chief ministers and
chief justices, states and high courts “in principle” agreed to a proposal for an All India Judicial
Service. This is for the first time that the judiciary and executive have reached a broad consensus
on the issue.
·               NREGA Renamed after Mahatma Gandhi: The government has renamed the National rural
employment Guarantee act as Mahatma Gandhi National rural employment Guarantee Act. This
was announced by the Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh while addressing a convention on
Panchayati Raj in New Delhi to mark its golden Jubilee on October 2, 2009.
 
 
International
·               China Rare Mineral Exports: China is set to tighten its hammerlock on the market for some of
the world’s most obscure but valuable minerals. Alarm bells: Coal miners in China. In each of the
last three years, China has reduced the amount of rare earth elements that can be exported.
Natalie Behring / Bloomberg China currently accounts for 93% of production of so-called rare earth
elements—and at least 99% of the output for two of these elements, vital for a wide range of green
energy technologies and military applications such as missiles. A single mine in Baotou, in China’s
Inner Mongolia, produces half of the world’s rare earths. Much of the rest—particularly some of the
rarest elements most needed for products from wind turbines to Prius cars made by Toyota Motor
Corp.—comes from small, often unlicensed mines in southern China. China produces over 99% of
dysprosium and terbium and 95% of neodymium. These are vital to many green energy
technologies, including high-strength, lightweight magnets used in wind turbines, as well as military
applications.
·               OVL-IOC-OIL Joint Venture: ONGC Videsh Ltd and its partners Indian Oil Corp and Oil India
Ltd would invest around $5 billion in developing a massive gas field discovered in offshore Iran.
·               Biggest cumulative carbon emitters (1840-2005): US-27.8, China-8.1, Russia-8.0,
Germany-6.7, UK-5.9, India-2.4.
·               Opec’s options are limited now: The global financial crisis and the resultant price decline
have taken the edge out of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (Opec) meetings
to review its oil supply policy. One such meeting is scheduled for September 9 in Vienna. Oil at $70
is what many member-countries, notably Saudi Arabia, believe is fair for consumers and producers.
The cartel has not altered output targets since it agreed in December 2008 to reduce total
production for its 11 members with quotas, excluding Iraq, by 4.2 million barrels a day to arrest the
sharpest fall in demand since 1981 as the world fell into recession. However, it is likely that the
status quo decision could cause intra-Opec wrangling. It is well known that the oil cartel is a divided
house when it comes to pricing. Venezuela and Iran lead the hawks that want a cut in production to
jack up prices. However, as always, Saudi Arabia, the biggest producer and the only country in the
cartel with an excess production capacity at any given time, is the swing state. While Saudi Arabia
is said to be in a mood to accept prices as low as $50 a barrel, Iran and Venezuela are among
those who need much higher prices to balance their ever-increasing populist budgets at home.
·               America leads in global sales of weapons: The United States accounted for more than two-
thirds of foreign weapons sales in 2008, a year in which global sales were at a three-year low, The
New York Times reported. United States was involved in 68.4%of the global sales of arms. US
 weapons sales jumped nearly 50 %in 2008 despite the global economic recession to $37.8 billion
from $25.4 billion the year before. Italy, the second ranked country, amassed only $3.7 billion in
arms sales, while Russia ranked third with sales falling to $3.5 billion in 2008, down from $10.8
billion in 2007. The United State also led in arms sales to the developing world. India, Iraq, Saudi
Arabia, Egypt, South Korea and Brazil also reached weapons deals with the United States, the
Times said. The report revealed the United Arab Emirates was the top buyer of arms in the
developing world with $9.7 billion in arms purchases in 2008. Saudi Arabia ranked second with
$8.7 billion.
·               India Setting up Radar Network in Maldives: 1. India is installing 10 radars across islands in
the Maldives to help it monitor the surrounding seas. The radars, besides assisting the Maldives in
building a maritime surveillance system, will also help India keep track of its strategic interests in
the region. 2. Nasheed is Maldives’ first democratically-elected president. 3. The Maldives, made of
1,192 islands, stretches for 1,200 nautical miles from north to south and the radars would help in
keeping a watch on activities around the vast stretches of the Indian Ocean, Nasheed said.
·               India Moves Up One Spot on Global Competitiveness list: The Global Competitiveness
Report 2009-2010, released by the World Economic Forum, ranked Switzerland as the world’s
most competitive nation, overtaking the US. The top ten rankings show no significant changes
despite the global slowdown. Other than the US, the other two nations to have slid are Denmark
and the Netherlands, to 5th and 10th positions, respectively. India improved on its position by one
rank to the 49th slot. The report ranks 133 countries for their competitive strengths. The report says
the more competitive a country is, the more prosperity it can provide its citizens. A comparable
survey conducted.
·               3 Indian Firms on Global Clean-tech 100 list: Three Indian companies have found place on
the list of 100 promising private clean technology companies in the world. The list, the first-ever of
its kind, recognises companies offering solutions to the world's most pressing environmental
challenges. The Indian companies that feature on the list are Deeya Energy, D. Light Design and
Jain Irrigation. The Guardian and Cleantech Group, a research advisory service, released the
Global Cleantech 100 list in London and Boston.
·               India Still Accounts for 21% of under-five deaths: First the good news — 10,000 fewer
children are now dying every day before reaching their fifth birthday compared to 1990. The bad
news — India alone accounts for 21% of the under-five mortality of the globe. In fact, half of the
deaths occurred in India, Nigeria, Congo, Pakistan and China. Interestingly, among them, India and
Nigeria together accounted for nearly one-third of the total number of under-five deaths worldwide
(21% and 12%, respectively). According to a new Unicef study, published in ‘Lancet’, there has
been a 28% decline in the under-five mortality rate since 1990. Africa (51%) and Asia (42%)
combined still account for 93% of all under-five deaths that occur each year.
·               US Clears Hawkeye E-2D Aircraft for India: The US government has cleared yet another
high technology system for India, the "futuristic" shipboard Hawkeye E-2D aircraft for Airborne
Early Warning (AEW) and battle management. The clearance has been described by diplomatic
sources as a fallout of the "successful" visit of Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and the signing of
the End User Monitoring Agreement (EUMA) of military equipment being supplied or sold by the
US to India. India is the second country after the UAE to be cleared by the US State and Defense
Departments for sale of this sophisticated system.
·               Per capita energy consumption of Major GHG emitting countries: Canada-44.13, Sweden-
40.21, US-34.60, Australia-28.70, China-5.26, India- 1.25.
·               India Lanka CEPA Talks Likely to be Finalized by 2010 End: With the end of a 27-year-old
civil war in May this year, Sri Lanka has stepped on the gas to woo Indian investors to the island
nation in areal like petroleum exploration, manufacturing and information technology. India has an
operational free trade pact with Sri Lanka India since 2000, which is expected to graduate in to a
Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) covering services and investment by
the end of 2010.
·               India to Turn World’s Third Largest Steel Producer this Year: Going by the production of
steel in the country so far this year, India is on its way to becoming the third largest steel producer
in the world. With an output of 55 million tonne (mt) last year, the country was ranked fifth in the
world after China (501 mt), Japan (119 mt), United States (91 mt) and Russia (69 mt). Germany,
Ukraine and Brazil followed India at the sixth, seventh and eighth positions, respectively. India,
which had earlier set itself the target of becoming the world’s third largest steel producer by 2013,
is also aiming to produce 124 mt of steel by 2011-12.
·               India Sing Civil Nuclear Deal with Mongolia: India and Mongolia signed a crucial civil
nuclear agreement for supply of uranium to New Delhi, making the country number fifth in the world
to seal a civil nuclear pact. The government, apart from announcing a soft loan of $25 million to
rejuvenate the economy of the resource-rich Central Asian country, also signed four more
agreements talks between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Mongolian President Tsakhia
Elbegdorj here. Later in the evening an MoU was also signed between Ficci and Fifta (Foreign
Investment and Foreign Trade Agency of Mongolia, to further enhance trade relations with India.
The MoU on “development of cooperation in the field of peaceful uses of radioactive minerals and
nuclear energy” was signed by senior officials in the department of atomic energy of the two
countries.
·               Russia’s largest Bank to Open Branch in India: Russia's oldest and largest state- run retail
bank - Sberbank (Savings Bank) - is to shortly open its branch in New Delhi as part of its strategy
to expand in the emerging markets. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) last month cleared
Sberbank's application for opening a fully-operational branch in New Delhi Earlier, Russia's number
2 state-owned VTB bank had opened a branch in India.
·               China builds 4th space launch center: Aiming to set up a space station in near future, China
has began erecting its fourth rocket launching centre on the Hainan island in the southern part of
the country. The Hainan Space Launch Centre would come up near the Wenchang city in the
north-east coast of the island and would be operational by 2013, official Xinhua news agency
reported. The new launch pad would be used for the launch of large space stations, deep space-
probe satellites, synchronous satellites and would be China’s first coastal launch centre located at
the lowest altitude. China’s space programme is run by the military and setting up of a fourth
launching station comes as Beijing also prepares for future manned space flights.
Economy
·               Asean FTA: Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between India and Association of South East Asian
Nations (ASEAN) concluded on August 13. The deal—which was signed in Bangkok—will lead to
cut in import tariffs in 80% of the 5,000 broad list of products that India trades with the rest of the
world, which accounts for three quarters of the bilateral trade between the country and Asean. In
addition, about 600 products will see duty cuts over a period of up to 10 years while 489 items,
which includes farm goods, select auto-components and items manufactured by the small scale
industry, will not see any reduction in tariffs. Achuthanandan (Kerala CM) wrote a missive to Prime
Minister Manmohan Singh, warning him of adverse impact on the Kerala’s economy, due to
liberalised import of rubber, tea, pepper, marine products and edible oil in to the country, due to the
trade pact. “These are the very commodities on which Kerala always had an edge. With liberalised
imports, prices of these commodities are bound to crash leading to a direct fall in income of
farmers,”. The letter also warned of over a million job losses in the state’s fishing industry, because
of liberalized sea food imports.
·               Tax Sops Fail to Cut Electronics Reliance on Imports: Report: Despite the government
providing income tax exemption of 150% for infusing technologies in electronics and appliances
industry through R&D, the Indian industry spends only $0.1 billion on the same and meets 70% of
its electronics demands through imports, especially from China, US and Asian countries, says a
report by E&Y and Assocham. “It is interesting to observe that more than 35% of electronics
appliances imports in India are sourced from China.
·               Service Tax on railway freight withdrawn: In a clear anti-inflationary move, the finance
 ministry has rolled back the proposal to impose a 10.3% service tax on goods transported by the
railways. Budget 2009-10 had proposed a 10% service tax on goods carried by the railways, ‘in
order to provide a level-playing field in the goods transport sector.
·               WTO Talks to Resume on Sept 14 in Geneva: The impasse over WTO Doha Development
Round negotiations has been broken in the meeting of trade ministers of 35 countries with the
representatives deciding to take the negotiations further ahead from Geneva July 2008 meet. The
basis of the negotiations will be the text issued by WTO director general Pascal Lamy in December
2008. Now, the chief negotiator and senior officials will resume the talks on September 14 in
Geneva." The issue of advancing the negotiations on services along with that in agriculture and
non-agriculture market access (NAMA) will also be considered in Geneva. Countries like US, Brazil
and China raised various substantive issues, which need to be resolved in Geneva. Considering
the fact that 60% of the world economic growth will come from emerging economies like India,
Brazil, China, South Africa and the ASEAN region, the US asked these nations to take up more
responsibilities and give market access to the products of the developed world.
·               Press Note 6 Liberalises FDI rules for MSMEs: The government has paved the way for
micro, small & medium enterprises to attract foreign investment within the current sectoral limits.
The Centre issued a fresh Press much in step with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s promise to
double credit flow to such enterprises over the next five years, A Press Note 18 issued in 1997 had
capped all foreign investment in small-scale industries at 24%.
·               India Overtakes China in Auto Exports this year: India, whose auto market is 19% of
China’s, has the edge in exports. Suzuki Motor Corp, Hyundai Motor Co, and Nissan Motor Co are
making India a hub for overseas sales of minicars as incentives lift demand for smaller, fuel-
efficient autos. Helped by cheaper labour and a surging local market, India this year overtook
China in auto exports and is challenging Thailand and South Korea as an alternative production
centre in Asia. 
·               Govt-Ficci Agency to Attract FDI: A day after an International Finance Corporation report
showed that India had slipped in its ease of doing business rankings, the government approved the
setting up of a not-for-profit, single-window facilitator for prospective overseas investors. The move
comes as India saw foreign direct investment (FDI) worth $3.5 billion in July—an annual increase
of 50%—indicating that the slump in inflows had been arrested. The new company, christened
Invest India, will be set up as a joint venture between the department of industrial policy &
promotion (DIPP) and industry lobby Ficci. State governments will be offered a 0.5% stake in the
company, totalling 14%, while the Centre would have 35%. Ficci will hold the remaining 51%. The
company will have three primary roles: hand-holding prospective foreign investors, promoting
investment and providing feedback on FDI policy.
Science and Technology
·               A New Hope of Vision: In an exciting invention, retinal implant has been designed by
engineers at the Massachusetts institute of technology which will enable the partial restoration of
vision in people who have lost it. The retinal prosthesis has the potential to restore vision partially
by electrically stimulating nerve cells which transfers the visual input from the retina to brain. Even
though the chip cannot restore complete vision, it enables the people to navigate within a room or
walk down a sidewalk more easily. They will be able to identify objects and move without help.
Patients, after receiving the implant, need to use glasses that come with a camera, which will send
images to the microchip attacked to the eyeball. The glasses also contain a coil that wirelessly
transmits power to receiving coils surrounding the eyeball. When the micro chip receives visual
information, it activates electrodes that stimulate nerve cells in the areas of the retina
corresponding to the features of the visual scene. The optical nerves carrying signals to the brain
are activated by the electrodes which evades damaged retinal layers. The invention of retinal
implants has been widely regarded as a great initiative in field of ophthalmic sciences where until
now only successful corneal grafting was possibly registered. 
Person
·               Nair: Isro chief G. Madhavan Nair was elected president of the International Academy of
astronautics, becoming the first non-American to head the half-a-century-old organization of world’s
foremost space scientists. This is the first time a non-American will become president in 50 years of
the IAA’s existence. IAA has a membership spanning 94 countries.
·               Admiral Verma takes over as new Navy Chief:  Admiral Nirmal Verma, an expert in
Communication and electronic warfare took over as the country’s new Navy Chief. He is the 20 th
chief of Nevy Staff and succeeds admiral Sureesh Mehta.
·               Citigroup’s Piyush Gupta named CEO of DBS Group: DBS Group Holdings Ltd, the biggest
South-East Asian bank, hired Citigroup Inc.’s Piyush Gupta as chief executive officer (CEO),
ending a five-month search for a new leader after Richard Stanley died.
·               Rajeev Suri named Nokia Siemens CEO: Nokia Siemens Networks, the world’s second
biggest maker of telecommunications equipment, named Rajeev Suri chief executive officer (CEO)
of the joint venture between Nokia Oyl. And Siemens AG. Suri, will succeed Simon Beresford Wylie
on 1 October.
·               John Mack to quit as Morgan Stanley CEO: John Mack, who struggled to return Morgan
Stanley to profitability after surviving the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression, will turn
over his chief executive officer title to co-president James Gorman. Mack (64) will step down at the
end of the year and remain chairman of the New York-based bank for at least two years.
·               Green Revolution Pioneer Dies: Norman Borlaug, the genial scientist-pacifist who died of
cancer in Dallas, was as much India’s ‘annadaata’ as he was the father of the Green Revolution.
Around the time Borlaug arrived on the scene in the mid-1960 s, the specter of famine, shortages,
and starvation hung over the sub-continent. India was importing huge quantities of food grains from
the US — much of it dole — to feed its growing millions in a manner that was famously described
as “ship-to-mouth” sustenance. By cranking up a wheat strain containing an unusual gene, Borlaug
created the so-called “semi-dwarf’’ plant variety — a shorter, stubbier, compact stalk that supported
an enormous head of grain without falling over from the weight. This curious principle of shrinking
the plant to increase the output on the plant from the same acreage resulted in Indian farmers
eventually quadrupling their wheat — and later, rice — production.
Sport
·               Bekele: Kenenisa Bekele achieved what no other long-distance runner has: the 'double'
(5000m and 10,000m gold medals) at the Olympic games as well as the World Championships.
After this feat in Beijing last year, Bekele stamped his authority over the distances by repeating it in
Berlin last month, unprecedented in the history of World Championships.
·               IBSF world Billiards Championship: Indian Ace Pankaj Advani beat defending champion
mark Russel to win the World professional billiards championship 2009, he beat the defending
champion 2030-1253. Advani became the second Indian to win the title in its 139 th years of history;
Geet Sethi was the first Indian to win the title in 1992. National Billiards Championship:  World
champion pankaj Advani has retained his National billiards title in Agra. He scored a stunning 5-4
victory over Geet Sethi in a nerve-wracking to claim his third consecutive national title.
·               Men’s Singles: In US open tennis, Juan Martin Del Potro has dethroned five time defending
champion Roger Federer 3-6, 7-6, 4-6, 7-6 and 6-2 to win the Men’s Singles in New Youk. The
Shock result made Del Potro only the Second south American to win the US open men’s crown
after countryman Guillermo Vilas in 1977.
·               Woman’s Singles: Kim Chijisters of Belgium won the US open for the second time, defeating
caroline Wozniacki of Denmark 7-5, 6-3 just five weeks after returning to action following a 27
month retirement.
·               Men’s Doubles: Leander Paes won the battle of Indian as well as his 10 th Grand Slam title
after defeating Mahesh Bhupathi and Mark Knowles in the US open men’s doubles final along with
 his partner Luaks Dlouhy. Fourth seeds Paes and Czech Dlouhy sensational win 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 in
the championship match over third seeds Bhupathi and his Bahamian partner.
·               ICC Awards, 2009: The Sixth ICC awards ceremony had held in Johannesburg, South Africa
on 01 October 2009. Mitchell Johnson of Australia capped a tumultuous year by becoming the sixth
winner of the prestigious sir Garfield sobers Trophy after being named as the ICC world player of
the year.
·               Other awards winners are: 1. Player of the year: Mitchell Johnson (Australia) 2. Test Player
of the year: Gautam Gambhir (India) 3. ODI Player of the year: Mahendra Singh Dhoni (India) 4.
Twenty 20 International performance of the year: Tilakaratne Dilshan (Sri Lanka) 5. Emerging
player of the year: Peter Siddle (Australia) 6. Umpire of the year: Aleem Dar (Pakistan) 7. Women’s
Cricketer of the year: Claire Taylor (England) 8. Associate Player of the year: William Porter field
(Ireland) 9. Spirit of Cricket: New Zealand National Cricket team
Book Authors
·         “India: Perspectives on Equitable Development”-Mehendra Dev and N. Chandrashekhar
Rao.
·         “Engaging with a Resurgent Africa”- M. K Rasgotra.
·         “The other India: Realities of an emerging power”- Shri Rajesh Chakrabarty.
·         “Water and the Laws in India”- Shri Ramawsay R. Iyer.
·         “Veer Abdul Hamid”- Shri Syed Ahsan Ali.  
Award
·               Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Awards, 2009: Eleven scientists have been selected for the Shanti
Swarup Bhatnagar Awards of the council of scientific and industrial research (CSIR) for 2009. The
winners are. N. Jayaraman, S.K. Sateesh, Giridhar Madras, and J.R. Haritsa of IISc; Abhishek
Dhar of the Raman Research institute and Amitabh Joshi of the Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for
Advanced Scientific Research. The others are Charusita Chakravarty of IIT, Delhi; Bhaskar Saha of
the National center for cell science; V. Suresh of the University of Hyderabad; S.G. Honavar of the
L.V Prasad eye institute and R. Gopakumar of the Harish Chandra Research Institute.
·               Nelson Mandela Award: Senior Congress leader Oscar Fernandes has been chosen of the
Nelson Mandela Award in recognition of his efforts for promoting minority rights. The Nelson
Mandela Award which is given for minority empowerment was presented to him by Charles Steele
Jr. a prominent civil rights activist and CEO of southern Christian leadership conference, the
Atlanta based organization co-founded by Martin Luther king, junior.
·               55th National film Awards: Best feature: ‘Kanchivarm’ (Tamil) percept picture company
Priyadarshan. Best Film for wholesome entertainment: ‘Chak De India’ (Hindi) Aditya
Chopra/Shimit Amin. Indira Gandhi Award for best first film: ‘Frozen’ (Hindi) Shivajee
Chandrabhushan. Best director: Adoor Gopalakrishnan Pennungal (Tamil).
·               Phalke Award to Manna Dey: Legendary Playback singer manna Dey will be honoured with
the prestigious Dada Saheb Phalke award for 2007.
·               Venice Film Festival: Golden Lion Winners: “Lebanon”, an Israeli film (directed by Samuel
Maoz) Silver Lion: An Iranian film “Abour Women and Repression” took the no. 2 Prize, the silver
Lion.
Miscellaneous
·               Pfizer to Pay Record $2.3bn Fine: Pfizer has agreed to plead guilty to a criminal charge
relating to promotion of its now-withdrawn Bextra pain medicine and will pay a record $2.3bn to
settle allegations it improperly marketed 13 medicines. The world's biggest drug manufacturer was
 hit with the huge fines by the US government after being deemed a repeat offender in pitching
drugs to patients and doctors for unapproved uses. Pfizer pleaded guilty in 2004 to an earlier
criminal charge of improper sales tactics and its practices have been under US supervision since
then. Largest settlement so far for improper marketing of prescription drugs, topping the $2.3 billion
paid by Eli Lilly. Settlement includes a $1.3 billion criminal fine, the largest such fine in US history.
·               Orangi Biggest Slum: North of Karachi, where the city meets the Khasa Hills, forming a
natural border for the city, stands Orangi Town — one of the largest slum dwellings of Asia. It is
spread over nearly 50 square Kms. Earlier, it was believed Dharavi— which is in the heart of India's
financial capital Mumbai — is not the largest slum. But the Human Development Report for
Mumbai, by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and released by the
Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has clarified that “Dharavi is not Asia's largest slum,
but Karachi's Orangi Township has surpassed Dharavi.”
·               Fastest Boat:  British researchers have designed a James Bond style naval interceptor which,
at 100 miles per hour is the fastest boat ever, built and is set to take to the water in the battle
against pirates and drug smugglers.
·               Doordarshan Turns 50: Television came to India on September 15, 1959, when the United
Nations Educational, Scientific and cultural organization gave the government of India $ 20,000
(Rs.9.7 Lakh) and 180 Philips TV sets. The national broadcaster’s head officer was a makeshift
studio then, and they worked with just a small transmitter.
16 to 30 Sep, 2009

National

·         Railways Gives a Leg-upto Stainless Steel-Industry: Despite the lull in the business activities
owing to slowdown in the economy, the stainless steel industry is looking up, piggybacking on the
increased demand from the railways. The railways has placed order for 1,500 stainless steel wagons
and coaches besides steel peripherals, which can be extensively used inside the compartments.
However, the major order from the railways will be for railway tracks. The railways has a long-term
plan to replace all its existing lines with the rust-free stainless steel ones, there by saving crores of
rupees which may otherwise go into replacing the tracks in regular intervals. In the first phase,
railways has decided to replace 500 km of its track with stainless steel and order for the same is been
given to leading manufacturers, India is approximately producing 2.5 million tonne of stainless steel
of which 70% is being used in utensil sector. The construction industry is the major customer of the
sector, with high-rise buildings and towers increasingly opting for stainless steel.

·         Country’s First Rural Docs Roll Out: Assam appoints 700 doctors on condition they work in
villages for a year. They will become the first government doctors appointed on the condition that
they will be eligible for post graduate studies anywhere only after serving in rural areas for at least a
year. If any of them opts out of this bridge between MBBS and PG, he or she will have to pay the
government Rs.7 lakh at one go. Health official calculated that this was the amount the government
spent to produce a doctor.

·         Job Plan Returns to Dalits, Tribal Farmers: The government has amended its guidelines under
the national rural employment guarantee scheme (NREGS) the world’s largest job security scheme.
The guidelines, issued in July, allowed asset creation on private land owned by small and marginal
farmers. In the UPAa first innings, it was allowed only on government land. Since February 2006, Rs.
70,000 crore (Rs. 700 billions) has been spent on the NREGS to benefit 43.2 million people.

·         HCL Info, BSNL in Pat for PCs in Rural India:  HCL info systems announced entering into
partnership with state run telecom operator BSNL for offering low cost broadband enabled computers
in rural areas to bridge the digital divide. As part of the National broadband penetration programme
(NBPP), HCL info systems and BSNL will provide personal computers to the rural masses for a down
 payment of Rs. 300 per month for a period of 3-5 years for the personal computer and subsidized
monthly broadband package at Rs.99 or 150.

·         War Against Naxalites: To rein in the red terror and systematically implement the country’s first
ever anti-Naxal plan, the Union home ministry has posted the Central Reserve Police Force’s (CRPF)
Special Director General Vijay Raman at Raipur, capital of Chhattisgarh. He will report to the CRPF
Director General A.S. Gill.

·         No New Projects in Coastal Areas River Basins: The environment ministry has decided not to
allow any new projects in the coastal parts of India, river basins of Teesta and Ganga and ecological
hotspot of Western Ghats, till damage caused by existing projects is assessed. It is for the first time
that the ministry has put a moratorium on construction of new projects and implementation of the
pending projects in the environmentally sensitive areas. This means that work on four powers
projects in Teesta river basin in Sikkim, National Thermal Power Corporation’s 600 MW plant in
Lohari Nath Pala (Uttarakhand) and three power projects in Western Ghats (Karnataka) has been
stopped.

·         Govt. to Fund More Work Under NREGA in Drought Hit Districts: In a bid to provide succour to
NREGA beneficiaries, who have already exhausted their 100-day quota in drought-hit districts, the
government has now decided to finance additional work for the rest of the year through the calamity
relief fund (CRF) kitty. The decision, taken at the meeting of the empowered group of ministers
(eGoM) on tackling drought is expected to benefit 4.6 Lakh families in 299 districts spanning across
12 states that have been declared drought-hit. There had been proposals earlier to increase the
number of days under NREGA but UPA circles pointed out that this would have required a
constitutional amendment.

·         India’s Patient, Hospital Bed Ratio: Even with an investment of $86 billion (Rs 3.7 lakh crore)
over the next 15 years, India would not be able to reach the present hospital bed density levels of
Brazil, China and the current world average. However, if India, which accounts for 20% of the global
disease burden and 6% of world’s hospital beds, incurs this much of investment in the next 15 years,
it can increase its hospital bed density to two per 1,000 population by 2025, from the current 0.86 per
1,000 population, estimates an Ernst & Young-Ficci projection. The country would still lag miserably
behind the current world average of 2.6, Brazil’s 2.6 and China’s 2.2, even as India’s disease burden
is around 37% higher than Brazil and 86% higher than China. The Bulletin of Rural Health Statistics
in India shows that while there has been a 66% rise in reported ailments between 1995-96 and 2004-
05, the bed density has actually gone down to 0.86 from 0.93 during the same period.

·         India Opens Airstrip Near China Border: Signaling India’s capability to move its troops quickly to
forward areas, the Indian Air Force, for the first time landed an AN-32 transport aircraft at Nyoma
advanced landing ground in eastern Ladakh, barely 23km from the line of actual control with China.
Although IAF helicopters have been landing there, this is the first time a fixed wing aircraft has landed
at the airstrip of Nyoma. 

·         Students to Get Smart Cards: Health department is planning to give smart cards to all the
children in Delhi government schools as part of the School Health Scheme (SHS). The 64 KB chip
will initially have information on the child's, medical history, anthropometrics measurements, blood
group, allergies etc but may be upgraded to include other information as the child grows up. This is a
part of the plan to revamp SHS, which had become all but non-existent. Some time back the 9 NGOs
who were running the scheme in the 925 schools in the city were removed because of non-
performance. Each was receiving Rs 2-3 lakh per year from the government. The plan to revamp also
includes sprucing up the medical infrastructure available to schools by increasing the number of
school health clinics to 100 from the present 12, introduction of mobile school health clinics and
computerisation of the entire smart card data to gather authentic data about the health problems in
 school children.

·         Agency to Keep Tabs on ‘Aam Aadami’ Plans: With Government spending large sums on ‘Aam
aadmi’ schemes, the Centre is finalising a proposal to set up an independent agency for evaluating
government programmes to ensure that the benefits of social sector schemes reach the masses. As
of now, the monitoring and evaluation of government schemes has been an “in-house” exercise,
which fails to reflect the reality at the ground level and the bottlenecks in different social sector
schemes. The new agency — Independent Evaluation Organisation — which will be out of
government control, would make full use of talent in universities, management or research institutions
and NGOs. The need for such an agency was felt as government itself has admitted that many of its
programmes involving huge expenditure have not been satisfactory and have failed to make a
significant impact on the ‘Aam aadmi’.

·         A Better Vigil by The Sea For Mumbai: From October, Mumbai's coastline will be better
monitored because the coastal police will have amphibious vessels, to patrol the city's coastline as
well as the sea. By 2010, Mumbai's coastal police will be the first in the country to acquire six
Sealegs or amphibious boats costing Rs. 21 crore to beef up security along the city's 124-km-long
coastline.

·         Govt. Plans to Have Broadband Connection For Every Panchayat Across the Country Within
Next 3 Year: This is an effort to bring the World Wide Web to the grassroots. If all goes as planned,
in the next three years, Panchayats across the country will have a broadband connection for e-
governance. Bharat Nirman Seva Kendra at every Panchayat -- the lowest level elected local body in
a three-tier system. This will mean that villagers do not have to travel long distances to government
offices for petty jobs and will be able to skip the Red Tape. The Rs 28,000-crore (Rs 280 billion)
scheme is the third biggest rural development scheme after National Rural Employment Guarantee
Programme (Rs 39,100 crore) and National Rural Livelihood Mission (Rs 10,000 crore). The Kendra
(centre) will be set up in a two-room building to be constructed in each of the 265,000 Panchayats.
The state governments will provide the land, while the Centre will fund the infrastructure. Once the
Kendras start functioning, the villagers would be able to check their National Rural Employment
Guarantee Scheme bank accounts, pay premium for health insurance scheme for below poverty line
families and can get many other services through these centres. "All government schemes would be
administered through these Seva Kendras (service centres)," said Mihir Shah, a Planning
Commission member. "These centres will connect Indian villages with the world through high speed
Internet to be provided by BSNL."A centre, on an average, would cater to 5,000 people -- population
under the jurisdiction of a Panchayat. All Government schemes would be administered through these
Seva Kendras (service centers).

·         Tiger Conservation Foundation Soon: A Tiger Conservation Foundation will be formed for the
Periyar Tiger Reserve by dissolving the Periyar Foundation. The new foundation will be named Tiger
conservation Foundation, Periyar Tiger Reserve, Kerala. The Foundation is being formed as per the
guidelines of the National Tiger conservation Authority. The Periyar Foundation was formed in 2004
for supporting tiger conservation and allied activities.

·         Made-in-India ‘Stealth’ Frigate to Add Firepower: India will add another lethal punch to its
growing “blue-water” warfare capabilities by inducting an indigenously desinged and manufactured
“Stealth” frigate. The 5,300 tonne frigate, INS Shivalik, armed with a deadly mix of foreign and
indigenous weapon and sensor system, is currently undergoing “ advanced” pre-commissioning sea
Trials. “INS Shivalik is the first stealth frigate to be designed and built in India. It should be ready to
enter service in Navy in November”, the project-17 to construct three stealth frigates the other two,
INS Satpura and INS Sahyadri, will be delivered in 2010-2011 at a cost of Rs.8,101 crore at Mazagon
Docks has, of course, been plagued by delays ever since it was approved by the government in
 1997. 

·         To Young to Retire From Work at 60: Our view on retirement age has not moved much either. At
independence India’s life expectancy was only 37.9 years but the retirement age for government
employees was set at 55 years. This was increased in 1962 to 58 but it stayed unchanged for 36
years till the Vajpayee government increased it to 60 in 1998 where it is today. Average life
expectancy today stands at 65. In fact in 1950 there were only 20 million people over the age of 60 in
India of which only 8 million were in the age group between 60 and 64.

·         Yashpal Committee Report on Higher Education: The Committee to advise on renovation and
rejuvenation of Higher Education, headed by Prof. Yashpal, has submitted its draft report to MHRD.
The report has some innovative suggestions. It proposes research laboratories to engage in teaching
in neighbouring universities; wants universities to have on-campus undergraduate (UG) programmes
so that top-ranking professors and researchers could teach and interact with younger minds; moots
that single discipline institutes like IITs and IIMs be converted into sort of universities where
horizontal mobility and cross-discipline knowledge could be acquired and projects become an integral
part of learning; wants subsidiary courses replaced by elective courses from among the main courses
of other departments; every needy student be provided with loan or scholarship; and university
teachers be trained through orientation programmes, and so on.

·         BSNL to Shift Most Staff: Before firming up plans to list state-owned telecom service provider
Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) on the stock exchanges, the government is working on a plan to
trim the company’s bloated employee size. The department of telecommunications, says about two-
thirds of BSNL’s employees would be shifted to a newly created PSU, the National Optic Fibre
Authority (Nofa). 

·         SHGs in Punjab Extend Help to Rural Woman: Self-help groups (SHGs) operating in rural
Punjab as parts of the STEP (strengthening, training and employment programme) project of the
Centre are proving to be a step in the right direction for village women. These groups follow two
models of functioning. According to one model, every member of a group deposits Rs 100 per month
in a bank account. The SHGs that have been functioning for the last few years in places like Banur,
Mohali, Ropar, Noorpur Bedi, Mullanpur now have good cash reserves, and are able to provide loans
to members at an interest rate of 2%. The other model is that members make products like pickles,
jams, detergents, phenyls, etc. The products are sold at a small profit, which is distributed among the
women.

·         Women Outnumber Men in NREGA Workforce: Women in the rural parts of India are
contributing more than half the work force under the ambitious National Rural Employment
Guarantee Act (NREGA), according to a latest assessment of the rural development ministry. At
present, Kerala is topping the chart in regard to female participation and Jammu & Kashmir figuring at
the bottom. About 52% of the total households, which were given employment across the country
under NREGA since 2008, are women. Kerala and Tamil Nadu have taken a march over other states
on the number of women participation followed by Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh. As per statistics with
the ministry, women constituted 85.05% of the total 3,16,287 households, which were provided jobs
under the Rural Employment Guarantee Act since 2008. In J&K, of a total 55, 176 employed in the
state, the percentage of women stood merely at 4.22%.

·         Dabur To Set up Units in Himachal, Uttarakhand: Personal care and food products-maker,
Dabur India, plans to open three manufacturing facilities in India and overseas, which will be
operational by June-July next year. The company is setting up an unit each in Himachal Pradesh and
Uttarakhand, besides one in Egypt.

·         Cost of Right to Education: The cost of implementing the Right to Education Act over the next
 five years by the Centre and states works out to a whopping Rs 1.78 lakh crore. The new law will
come into force from the next academic year and since education is now a fundamental right, it is
mandatory on the part of the government to provide what is demanded.  HRD ministry sources say
the amount that needs to be raised would actually be around one-third of Rs 1.78 lakh crore. They
said nearly Rs 50,000 crore can be provided to the kitty by the Centre and states from the Sarva
Shiksha Abhiyan fund. This brings the demand down to Rs 1.28 lakh crore. The ministry expects that
in the 12th Plan, nearly Rs 60,000 crore will be allocated to SSA. But this will still leave the effective
demand at Rs 68,000 crore. SSA is funded by the centre and states in the ratio of 60:40.  It will be
50:50 by the 12th Plan.

·         Govt. asks States to give top cops more powers: After deciding to implement five main points
of police reforms -- as directed by Supreme Court in 2006 -- in Union Territories Centre has asked
the states to speed up the process in a time-bound manner. In a communication to all state chief
secretaries, the Union home ministry recently pitched for giving two-year fixed tenures to key police
functionaries, creating separate law and order and investigative wings and setting up State Security
Commission (SSC), Police Establishment Board (PEB) and Police Complaints Authority (PCA) in
each state. While SSC is meant for laying down broad policies and evaluating the performance of the
cops, PEB will take decisions on all transfers, postings and promotions. The role of the PCA will be to
look into public complaints against police officers in cases of serious misconduct. some of the states
like Gujarat, Tamil Nadu and Kerala have made substantial progress in bringing reforms in their
respective police establishments as per the apex court's directions, the majority of them including
Punjab and Uttar Pradesh have miles to go.

·         Global Honour for Barefoot Wonder Bunker Roy: Bunker Roy, founder-director of the much
talked-about Barefoot College at Tilonia in Rajasthan’s Ajmer district, has been chosen for this year’s
Robert Hill Award for his contribution to promotion of photo-voltaics (solar energy). He is the first
Indian to be recognised by the Global Solar Community, which had its 24th European Photovoltaic
Solar Energy Conference in Hamburg, Germany.  

·         1 Crore Women Hold PSU Bank Accounts: In the long haul for women empowerment, another
milestone has been achieved. For the first time, the total number of women bank account holders
who have been brought under the credit umbrella of the public sector banks has crossed the one-
crore mark. The number of accounts with access to credit grew from 92 lakh in the year ended March
31, 2008 to 1.05 crore on March 31, 2009.

·         Indus Valley Motifs In Kerala Cave: Researchers in Kerala claim to have discovered a unique
motif associated with the Indus Valley civilisation from the pre-historic Edakkal caves in Kerala's
Wayanad district. "The man with the jar, a symbol found in Harappan seals, was so distinctively
visible on the rock etchings in the cave,'' historian M R Raghava Varrier who made the discovery.

International

·         OVL-Led Consortium Drops Plan to Develop Iran oil Field: ONGC Videsh-led consortium has
dropped plan to develop an oil field in Iran after the discovery was found to be commercially unviable.
The joint venture of OVL, Indian Oil Corp and Oil India (OIL) had in 2006 made an oil discovery in the
Farsi offshore block, which was, in the initial estimates, thought to contain one billion barrels of
reserves. ‘‘The oil discovery has been found to be commercially unviable primarily due to high
Sulphur content.

·         Pakistan Port is Chinese Pearl: Gwadar Town Chinese have transformed it into one of the
region’s most important trading hubs, a strategic foothold for China in the Asian heartland, crucial
 gateway of trade between the Gulf countries and Central Asia. It will be a tax free port set up with
investments from both China and Pakistan that authorities hope will create at least 2 million jobs.
Gwadar, located at the mouth of the Strait of Hormuz, was inaugurated last year and has already
become a key part of China’s plan to build a “String of Pearls” a series of ports across the Indian
Ocean that it doesn’t own, but where it can use its warships.

·         AIG to Sell Stake in Life Insurance JV to Tata: After exiting from its IT outsourcing outfit,
financially battered American International Group (AIG) is now gearing up to sell its 26 per cent stake
in Tata AIG Life Insurance to its Indian partner. Tata, which holds 74 per cent in the life insurance
joint venture, has roped in consulting and auditing firm KPMG to structure the deal. However, AIG will
continue in another joint venture, Tata AIG General Insurance.

·         Nehru in ‘60 Foreigners Who Shaped China’ List: Jawaharlal Nehru and Rabindranath Tagore
have been chosen among 60 foreigners who shaped modern China, Nehru was mentioned for
fostering close ties with China, overlooking the fact that the Chinese attacked India in 1962 the only
time the two modern nation states have formally gone to war.

·         US-Russia Missile Shield: NATO proposed a new era of cooperation with the US and Russia
calling for joint work on missile defense systems. Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen
appealed for unity a day after US shelved a Bush-era plan for an east European missile defense
shield that has been a major irritant in relations with Russia. Russian PM Vladimir Putin described as
“correct and brave” President Barack Obama’s decision to drop the missile shield planned for Europe
by predecessor George Bush. NATO’s ties with Russia have improved since the Cold War ended but
deteriorated again following the defense alliance’s eastward expansion to take in former Communist-
ruled countries in Eastern Europe and Moscow’s war in Georgia last year. Under a new plan,
Washington would initially deploy ships with missile interceptors and in a second phase would field
land-based defense systems.

·         US Names IIT-Ian its New Green Czar: White House naming Arun Majumdar, a product of the
best engineering schools in India and US, as the first Director of the US Department of Energy’s
Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E). It is an agency tasked with reducing
America’s reliance on foreign energy supplies, cutting greenhouse gas emissions and improving
energy efficiency.

·         Russia Ready to Help India Build its Own Advanced Radar: As the race to secure the Indian
Air Force’s $10-billion tender for 126 combat jets reached the crucial stage of flight trials, Russia, on
top of a full technology transfer, is offering India help in building its own advanced radar. This would
put India in the elite league of manufacturers of some of the most sophisticated Defence equipment.
The company has build Russia’s first Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar.

·         Foreign Degree Won’t do to be a Doc in India: Indians with foreign MBBS degrees must clear
medical council of India’s screening test in order to practice here. India has reciprocity agreements
with a few countries, including UK, Ireland, Bangladesh and Nepal. India recognizes their medical
degrees and Vice-Versa. Now Indians with degrees from these countries too must clear MCI’s test.

·         G-20 Economies: The G-20 was established in 1999 as a response both to the financial crisis of
the late 1990s and to growing recognition that key emerging market countries were not adequately
included in the core of global economic discussion and governance. The Group is made up of the
finance ministers and central bank governors of 19 countries and European Union. G20
Comparison- GDP at current prices in billion of US$: EU27-15,343, U.S-14,003, Japan-4,993,
China-4,833, Germany-3,060, France-2,499, Britain-2,007, Italy-1,988, Brazil-1,269, Canada- 1,229,
India-1,186, Russia-1,164, Mexico-827, Australia-755, Korea-727, Turkey-552, Indonesia-468, Saudi
Arabia-374, Argentina-310, South Africa-243. World GDP-54, 863.55, G20 States-48, 276.31, Rest of
 World-6587.24

·         Rise in Almond Imports from California: Almond imports to India over the next two years will
grow at an incredible pace, propelling the country as second largest importer of Californian almonds
from the fourth position, it currently occupies. According to the Almond Board report, India has grown
to become the fourth-largest export market for California almonds followed by Spain, Germany and
China.

·         Switzerland Sign Pacts on Tax Norms: Switzerland has inked double taxation agreements with
12 countries, the latest being Qatar, paving the way for the nation to be removed from the OECD’s
(Organization of Economic co-operation and Development) list of non-cooperative tax havens. In
April, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development had named many nations,
including Switzerland, as those, which are not fully-compliant with the global tax norms. Switzerland
has signed such treaties with Denmark, Luxembourg, France, Norway, Austria, U.K., Mexico,
Finland, Faroe Islands, U.S. and Spain. The grey list was published following the pledge by G-20
leaders to crackdown on tax havens, during their summit in London last April. OECD, a grouping of
rich nations, takes into account many factors to determine a jurisdiction as a tax haven, including
whether the country imposes “no or only nominal taxes”. Other criteria include lack of transparency
and whether laws prevent exchange of information related to tax with other governments. Meanwhile,
the Swiss government in the statement asserted that banking secrecy continues to be in place.

·         India Ready for Global Scrutiny on Emissions: India has once again dramatically shifted
position on its international climate change policy. The Indian government has said it could agree to
international review and reporting of its domestic, voluntary and self-funded actions on greenhouse
gas emission reductions along the lines of IMF conducting `surveillance' on monetary issues and
WTO monitoring trade policies of member countries. Till recently, India had insisted that it would only
allow international scrutiny of those actions, which were funded by Industrialised countries through
the UN process. The domestic actions it undertook voluntarily and with its own funds would not be
open to international reporting or scrutiny. Industrialised countries have asked for `accountability',
`measurement', `verification' and `review' of all mitigation actions of emerging economies, such as
India, regardless of whether the rich nations fund the actions or not.

·         World Rabies day: 28th September is the World Rabies Day.

·         Iran Tests Missiles, Raises N-Tension: Iran test-fired missiles to show it was prepared to head
off any military threat, four days before the Islamic Republic is due to hold rare talks with World
powers Worried about its nuclear ambitions. State radio said that the revolutionary Guards would test
fire the Shahab 3 missile, which Iranian officials say has a range of around 2,000km, potentially
putting Israel and US bases in the Gulf Within reach. It was last tested in mid-2008.

·         The Five Countries to Install the Maximum wind energy capacity in 2008: US-8,358, China-
6,300, India-1,800, Germany-1,665, Spain-1,609.

·         Talks For Climate Treaty Start in Bangkok: UN negotiations for a global climate treaty resumed
in Bangkok amid bleak warnings that failure to break a deadlock ahead of a showdown in
Copenhagen would threaten future generations. The talks involving 192 countries are the latest
session in nearly two years of haggling that have fallen far short of an agreement to tackle climate
change beyond 2010, when the current Kyoto Protocol on greenhouse gases expires. The task in
Bangkok is to thrash out a draft text for December’s Copenhagen talks on the post-Kyoto treaty, but
delegates are wrangling over the two key issues — cutting carbon emissions and meeting the
 associated costs.

·         Johnson And Johnson Buys Stake in Crucell: U.S. health care products maker Johnson &
Johnson has bought an 18 per cent stake in Dutch biotechnology company Crucell in Hopes of
developing a universal flu vaccine.

·         Superseding of the G-8 by G-20: The last two G-20 summits mark epochal changes in the way
that emerging economies might get to steer IMF policymaking. Pittsburgh Summit Declaration was
the announcement that the G-8 is no longer the primary international economic forum. G-20 leaders
declared the G-8 has been superseded by the G-20 as the main economic council of wealthy nations.
This illustrates the ascent of emerging markets. China will soon overtake Japan as the world’s
second largest economy while Russia, Brazil, India, and other ‘second-tier’ economies are catching
up fast. Meanwhile the G-20 comprises 85% of global production, 80% of world trade, and 66% of the
world population.

·         India Called for Elimination of All Nuclear Weapons as far Back as 1948: International Atomic
Energy Agency (IAEA) Director-General Mohammad ElBaradei acknowledged India as a “leading
advocate” for nuclear disarmament and felt the world must listen to its “voice” for the complete
elimination of all nuclear weapons. India called for the elimination of all nuclear weapons as far back
as 1948.

·         Hunting Uranium: India hosted the Mongolian president, who signed an agreement that will help
us source uranium from his country. A couple of weeks ago, a similar agreement was inked while the
Namibian president was visiting India. Before that, President Pratibha Patil was in Tajikistan, which
has now agreed to allow Indian companies to explore for uranium deposits there. Clearly and
admirably, the government is not letting the grass grow under the big US pact finalised last year. That
landmark accord saw the lifting of the 34-year-old global embargo on India purchasing civilian nuclear
technology. Plus, although India is not a signatory to the NPT, it won a waiver from the NSC that
allows it to buy nuclear fuel to boost electricity production. India entered the uranium spot market
without delay. Early international agreements include the one signed with French giant Areva in
December 2008. On the Mongolia front, India is just the second country to sign a uranium deal after
Russia. Its president has chosen India as its first foreign destination. His country has 62,000 tonnes
of uranium and no nuclear power plant. Namibia has 5% of the world’s reserves, but, like Mongolia,
needs help to develop them. Tajikistan, too, has cited ‘mutual’ benefit.

·         Mauritius Seeks to Partner India For Developing ICT Sector: Mauritius is keen on Partnering
the Indian information and communication technology (ICT) sector to jointly tap the huge potential of
the African nations. Such Partnership also enables Indian to benefit from the double taxation
avoidance treaty, which Mauritius has with countries of eastern and southern Africa.

·         China Begins Work on Space Centre: China has begun construction of its space launch centre
in Wenchang City, on the northeast coast of the tropical island province of Hainan, scheduled to be
completed by 2013. The Hainan Space Launch Center, the fourth and the lowest latitude one in
China, only 19 degrees north of the equator, would allow it to take part in more international
commercial space launches, said Wang Weichang, director of the Hainan Space Launch Center
Project Headquarters. He said the site would be mainly used for launching synchronous satellites,
heavy satellites, large space stations and deep space probe satellites. He said China’s current three
space launch centres in Jiuquan, Taiyuan and Xichang — all landlocked in western plateau and
mountainous regions — lack commercial development and are inconvenient for transportation.

Economy

·         Tea Industry: India’s domestic tea industry is under threat over fears of large influx of cheap low
 quality tea into India, because of easing of import norms and also the recently signed free trade
agreement with Asian, one of the largest tea producing region in the world. India, world’s second
largest tea producer, consumes around 23% of Total tea production in the world, of which around 75-
80% is its own production. Imports during January-July 2009 is increased 28% in volume, while the
value of imports stood higher by 46% and 14% respectively. Imports from Vietnam during the first
seven months of 2009 have increased by 318%, while Sri Lanka tea imports are seen higher by
174%.

·         States Agree on GST Structure: In a Breakthrough, the empowered committee of state finance
ministers reached a broad consensus on the rate structure for the goods and services tax (GST). The
committee also agreed to set up a joint working group to prepare for a constitutional amendment and
a model law for the tax. But the GST may still miss the April 1, 2010 rollout date fixed by the Centre—
other than Tamil Nadu and Madhya Pradesh.

·         India Got $40bn FDI in’ 08: Unctad: India received the 13th highest inflow of foreign direct
investment (FDI) during 2008 which stood at about $40 billion, nearly double of what was seen in the
previous year when it was ranked 19th, the World Investment Report prepared by United Nations
Conference on Trade and Development (Unctad) said. This increase in inflow of foreign investments
came about even as India ’s position slipped behind China as the third most attractive destination for
FDI in an earlier survey of the UN agency. Significantly, while FDI inflows to advanced countries
declined 29%, it increased nearly 40 % to developing nations, lead by China and India.

·         Small Farmers Get Bulk of Their Income From Non-Agriculture Activities: Contrary to
common perception that agriculture is the dominant source of income for rural farm households, a
new study by the National Centre for Agriculture Economics and Policy Research (NCAP), an affiliate
body of Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) has found out that rural households with small
land holdings receive a substantial share of their income from non-agricultural sources. “With falling
farm sizes and lower yield, the rural marginal and small farmers are increasingly looking towards non-
farm sector for earning his livelihood, which also reflects the crisis Indian agriculture faces in the
coming years,” the NCAP study said. The Study also validates a 2005 survey conducted by the
government, where in it was proved that almost 40% farmers are willing to quit agriculture, if
alternative occupation is available to them.

·         Fertiliser Sop: The green revolution is running out of steam. The evidence lies in an estimate that
steep increases in fertiliser subsidy, currently touching Rs 100,000 crore, have failed to bring about
anything more than a niggardly 1.3% annual growth in farm production over the past 6-7 years.  This
when India lags in fertiliser usage. To China’s average consumption of about 290 kg of fertiliser per
hectare, India’s is merely 113.26 kg a hectare. Even Bangladesh does better at 197 kg a hectare.
While India’s fertiliser mix leaves a lot to be desired, its costing seems wasteful and off target. An
official assessment of the fertiliser subsidy regime lays bare the declining benefits of a mounting bill.
Only 6% of the increase in subsidy bill is due to higher consumption while the rest, or 94%, of the
costs are linked to increase in international prices. Between 2001-02 and 2007-08, while food-grain
production increased by 8.37% and productivity by 6.92%, subsidy went up by 214%.  There have
been no significant investments in the urea sector for the last 10 years and the case is similar for
phosphates. Import dependence has grown to 30% in nitrogenous sector and 90% in Phosphatic. In
2001-02, the food-grain production was 212.85 million tonnes and in 2007-08, it was 230.67 million
tonnes while subsidy rose from Rs 12,800 crore to Rs 40,338 crore.

·         Indo-Asean Trade Treaty a Threat to Kerala Plantations: Less productive plantations and
relatively higher labour cost are making Kerala plantations more vulnerable under the Indo-Asean
free trade agreement, officials of the Association of Planters of Kerala (APK) said. “The recently
signed Indo-ASEAN free trade agreement is no doubt going to have disastrous consequences for
plantations in Kerala as the state is the abode of all the plantations crops,” MP Cherian, former
 chairman of APK, said. As per the agreement, the import tariff of tea and coffee would be brought
down to 45% from the existing level of 100% and for pepper from 70 to 50% by December 31, 2019.

·         India Keen on Signing preferential Trade Agreement With South African Union: Having
unveiled a slew of incentives to exporters who seek to explore new markets and destinations for their
products, Union Minister for Commerce and Industry Anand Sharma said that India’s presence in and
exports to African nations are causing concern to a number of international players, especially in view
of India’s growing share of generics. We are actively pursuing the Signing of preferential trade
agreement with South African Customs Union (SACU) Which would open floodgates for Indian
exports and companies to do business and made major investment in African nations. This new
treaty is expected to provide a gateway to our exporters to the African economies.

·         India, Russia to add Impetus to Economic ties: India and Russia, two to the famous four ‘BRIC’
economies, vowed to add muscle to their bilateral relations by forging partnership in nuclear energy,
bio technology, Nano-technology and core infrastructure. Russia’s vast mineral energy resources,
cutting edge technology and India’s highly developed IT sector and the auto component industry can
push the bilateral trade to $9 billion mark in the near future. The two nations, at the core of the BRIC
Brazil, Russia, India, China have trade totaling $7 billion. In its much debated 2003 report, Goldman
Sach’s had projected that in less than 40 years, the four BRIC economies together could be larger
than the G-6 industrialized countries.

Science and Technology

·         Gene Therapy Reverses Colour Blindness: Two squirrel monkeys that were colour blind from birth
have had their vision restored after receiving gene therapy. The experiment paves the way for the
treatment of range of genetic eye disorders in humans, including some that cause full or partial
blindness in millions of people worldwide. The therapy targets specialized “Cone” cells in the eye,
which allow animals including humans to see in colour.

·         Ethanol as Polluting a Fuel as Petrol: Cars running on sugarcane ethanol can produce as many
harmful pollutants as those using ordinary petrol (gasoline), according a study published by Brazil’s
environment ministry.    The study ranked emissions based of a scale of “green grades” that
measured three pollutant gases that do not produce climate change but do affect the health of a
country’s population: carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxide. The green grade scale,
ranging from 0-10, does not count carbon emissions, which are the main driver of global warming,
because emissions from burning ethanol are offset by the carbon dioxide that sugarcane absorbs as
it grows, the study said.

·         New Evidence Points to Water On Moon Poles: Two Separate lunar missions have found
evidence, which indicates that the polar regions of the moon are chock full of water altered minerals.
According to report in Nature News, early results from Nasa’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO),
launched on June, are offering a wide array of watery signals. The Moon, in fact, has water in all
sorts of places: not just locked up in minerals, but scattered throughout the broken up surface, and
potentially, in blocks or sheets of ice at depth.       

·         AVG Global Temp up Just 0.01 0 F Since’99: World leaders who are meeting at the united
nations to discuss climate change are faced with an intricate challenge: building momentum for an
international climate treaty at a time when global temperatures have been stable for decade and may
even drop in the next few years. Since 1999, the global average temperature has warmed only an
early imperceptible 0.01 degrees Fahrenheit.

·         Oceansat-2: ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation) as it rears back for PSLV C-14 launch
carrying the 960-kg payload Oceansat-2. Old timers recall that Oceansat 1, drafted for five-year
 lifespan when launched in 1999, has outlived a whopping 10 years and is still going robust in its
ocean-watching vigil. The Oceansat I could sleep off any moment and it needs replacement well in
time. The Oceansat-2 satellite also looks to identify potential fishing zones and coastal studies but it
can also keep a sleuth eye on the naval movements and defence activities in the region. The data will
be transfered to the Department of Oceanography, Isro said. Besides the indigenous Oceansat-2, six
European nanosatellites are also part of the payload. Of these, four are cubesats (usually payload of
camera units)--first, the Beesat built by Technical University, Berlin; second, the UWE-2 built by the
University of Wuerzburg, Germany; third, ITU-pSat from the Istanbul Technical University, Turkey;
forth SwissCube-1 built by the Ecole Polytechnique Federal de Lausanne, Switzerland. The others
are two Rubinsats (small German satellites).

·         Big Step for India: It is a giant leap for India's space programme and the biggest scientific
discovery of the 21st Century. India's maiden moon mission, Chandrayaan-1 has found water, a
discovery that scientists say will upend thinking about space and boost research. And, of course, it
has helped shake off the failure tag from the Rs 386-crore Chandrayaan-I project that was aborted
last month. The historic development, took place just prior to the termination of the mission on August
30, 2009. Although water was spotted by the Moon Mineralogy Mapper (M3), a NASA probe and one
of the 11 payloads on the spacecraft, glory shone on ISRO for the discovery that was made after
nearly five decades of lunar exploration by Western nations.

·         Finally, a Vaccine to Fight AIDS: For the first time ever, a trail vaccine has successfully cut the
risk of HIV infection by 31% in humans. In the largest human trial of an AIDS vaccine till date,
involving more than 16,000 Volunteers in Thailand, Scientists found that HIV infections were
prevented in over a third of the 8,000 people who received the vaccine.

·         Ahmedabad ISRO Centre to Map Himalayan Region: The Indian Space Research
Organisation’s (ISRO) Space Application Centre in Ahmedabad will undertake mapping and tracing
of the Himalayan region to keep track of the movement of glaciers and their health. This is to put in
place governance and management of the Himalayan eco-system.

Persons

·         Record: Brown’s New Book Sells: The latest novel from “Da Vinci Code” author Dan Brown,
“The Lost Symbol,” broke one-day sales records, its publisher and booksellers said. Readers
snapped up over one million hardcover copies across the US, Canada and the UK after it was
released. 

·         Merkel Wins Second Term: German voters Gave chancellor Angela Merkel a second four year,
mandate to govern the country.

·         Vijender Now World Number1: Olympic and World Championship bronze medallist Vijender
Singh has achieved yet another first for Indian boxing by becoming the world's top-ranked pugilist in
the middle weight (75kg) category. The 23-year-old Bhiwani boxer, who won India's maiden World
Championships medal in Milan earlier this month, has 2700 points and is ranked higher than the
reigning champion Abbos Atoev of Uzbekistan. Atoev, to whom Vijender lost in the World
Championship semifinals, is third in the list with 2100 points.

·         Sulabh Founder Among “Heroes of 2009”: Sulabh International founder Bindeshwar Pathak has
been named among “Heroes of Environment 2009” by Time magazine under the “scientists and
innovators” category. The magazine has credited Dr. Pathak with developing the technology for a
new toilet and founding the non-profit non-government Sulabh sanitation movement to bring his
 creation to those who need it the most.

Sports

·         Don Juan: The Saga of Roger Federer’s most compiling Grand Slam season produced a surprise
ending, when he was caught from behind by Juan Martmn Del Potro, the huge hitting 20-year-old
argentine, in the Open final. Del Potro put an end to the No.1 seeded Federer’s extended run of
invincibility at the Open, depriving him of a sixth consecutive singles title and halting the major
momentum he had acquired by winning the French Open and Wimbledon. Del Potro’s victory, the
first by an Argentine man in New York since Guillermo Vilas won in 1977.

·         India Cancels Major International Shooting Event: In an embarrassing blow to India ahead of
next October's Commonwealth Games, the first -ever pistol and rifle World Cup to come here has
been cancelled. The World Cup was scheduled for March 2010. India officially told the ISSF it would
not host the World Cup because they were upset that a new ruling meant there would be no Olympic
quota places (for the 2012 London Olympics), which was up for grabs this March. So they saw no
point in staging a World Cup.

·         Somdev Takes India Back Into World Group: India No.1 Somdev Devvarman Came back from
two sets down to beat South Africa’s Rik De Voest in a match that lasted nearly 5 hours. The thrilling
win gave India an unbeatable 3-1 lead over South Africa and ensured a return to the elite Davis Cup
World Group for the first time in 11 years.

·         Ramesh Ends 42 Year Wait: Haryana Wrestler Wins World Championship Bronze in 74kg
Freestyle. The Wrestler from Haryana ended India’s 42 years wait for a medal in the men’s segment
at the World championships by winning bronze in the 74kg freestyle category in Herning Denmark,
Vishambar Singh was the last Indian male wrestler to win a medal at the Worlds, with a freestyle
silver in 1967. In 2006, Alka Tomar had won bronze in the women’s event. India also boasts of two
Olympics bronze medal winning Wresters Kasaba Jadhav in 1952 and Sushil Kumar in Beijing last
year Ramesh, a two time common wealth champion.

·         Delphic Games: India’s participation in the little known Delphic Olympics held on Jeju Island,
South Korea from September 9. The Games are dedicated to the Greek sun god, Aplollo. The games
held on Jeju Island were the third, Fifty four countries participated and India did exceptionally well,
finishing third in the overall tally, with one gold, tow silver, and three bronze medals. The first modern
Delphic games were held in December 2000 in Moscow, twenty-seven countries participated.

·         Kimiko Wins Title: Japan’s Kimiko Date Krumm became the Oldest player to win a WTA
tournament since Billie Jean King when he capped a remarkable comeback by beating seeded
enable medina Garrigues of Spain claim the Korea Open title.

·         Klitschko Retains WBC Title: Vitali Klitschko Ukraine’s easily defended his world Boxing Council
heavy weight title, pummeling previously unbeaten Cristobal Arreola.

·         Ronjan Sodhi Bags Gold: Ronjan Sodhi shot the gold with a score of 187 out of 200 in the Asian
Clay Shooting Championship in Almaty, Kazaqkhstan.

·         Ace Swimmer Retires at 22: Former World and Olympic Swimming Champion Laure Manaudou
has retired at the age of 22. The Frenchwoman told Le Parisien newspaper. Manaudou, who gave
France its first swimming gold since jean Boiteux in 1952 when she won the 400 meters freestyle at
the Athens Olympics in 2004.
 Awards

·         Special Award Bestowed on Rajiv Gandhi: The “Revolutionary Leader of Modern India” award
was conferred on former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi while Tata Group chairman Ratan Tata and
ICICI Bank chairman K. V. Kamath were honoured with “Lifetime Achievement Awards” at the India
Leadership Conclave. A joint initiative of Wockhardt Foundation and Assocham, the conclave also
saw honours being conferred on several dignitaries from the Indian business and corporate sectors.
The “Corporate Citizen of the Year” award went to Reliance Industries Ltd chairman Mukesh Ambani
and the “Young Business Leader” award to Uday Kotak of Kotak Mahindra Bank.

·         ‘Rajasthan Ratan’ for Shanti Dhariwal: Rajasthan Home Minister Shanti Dhariwal has been
honoured with the “Rajasthan Ratan” award by the Rajasthan Association of North America (RANA)
in Fremont, California.

·         U.S. Award for Mallika Dutt: Indian-American human rights activist Mallika Dutt has won the
American Courage Award for her work in the U.S. and India. In 1989, Ms. Dutt co-founded ‘Sakhi,’ an
organisation that helped south Asian women suffering domestic violence in New York.

Books and authors

·         Empires of Mud: Wars and Warlords in Afghanistan- Antonio Giustozzi.

·         The Magic of Awakening: Sir Shree.

·         Making India Work: William Nanda Bissell.

·         India’s Fragile Borderlands: The dynamics of Terrorism in North East India- Archana Upadhyay.

·         Snake Dance in Berlin: Ronny Noor.

·         Against Stigma: Studies in caste, Race and justice since Durban- Balmurili Natrajan, Paul
Greenough.

·         State’ Fiscal Management and Regional equity: An Overview – edited by M. Govinda Rao,
Anwar Shah.

·         Marriage and Modernity: Family Values in Colonial Bengal- Rochona Majumdar.

·         The Black Hole War: Leonard Susskind.

·         Sri Aurobindo: A Contemporary Reader- Sachin Dananda Mohanty. ·         The History of
Development: From Western Origins to Global fait Gilbert Rist.

01 to 15 Oct, 2009

National

·               Mumbai is set to become only the second Indian city, after Kolkata, to host a cricket World Cup
final will host the final of the 2011 tournament, apart from two other matches. This will be the first
 World Cup knockout match to be played in the city in 24 years, after the 1987 semifinal which India
lost to eventual runner up England.

·               Panel approves commercial cultivation of Bt Brinjal: The Genetic Engineering Approval
Committee (GEAC), country’s bio-technology regulator, has approved the commercial cultivation of
genetically modified (GM) Bt Brinjal. If approved by the government, it will become the first GM food
crop in India. There are four varieties of brinjals on the table for approval with the important one being
cry 1Ac. The research is also part of a United States Agency for International Development (USAID)
programme called Agri-Biotechnology Support Programme under a private-public partnership where
three institutions — the Indian Institute of Vegetable Research (Varanasi), the University of
Agricultural Sciences (Dharwad) and the Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (Coimbatore) are working
with Monsanto and Mahyco. Bt Brinjal has been under trial for the past nine years and was first sent
to the GEAC for approval in 2004. It was cleared by a panel led by Deepak Pental but a review
committee was constituted in 2007 when civil society groups and NGOs raised doubts over health
safety and environmental concerns. The outcome of this committee was discussed and the GEAC
cleared the commercial cultivation of Bt brinjal.

·               Prime Minister Manmohan Singh met with Argentina President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner at
Hyderabad House, in New Delhi. The two countries agreed to double trade in the next three years.

·               Gram Nyayalayas Act to take effect on October 2: More than 5,000 village court, aimed at
providing inexpensive justice, set up under the provisions of the Gram Nyayalayas Act, 2008, will start
functioning from Gandhi Jayanthi. This was announced by the Central government. The Act has been
enacted to establish Gram Nyayalayas (GNs) at the grassroots level for providing access to justice to
the citizen at their doorsteps. The GNs will provide in expensive justice to people in rural areas. It will
be a court of the Judicial Magistrate of the first class, and its presiding officer (Nyayadhikari) will be
appointed by the State government in consultation with the High Court. The GN will be established for
every Panchayat at the intermediate level or a group of contiguous Panchayats at the intermediate
level in a district or where there is no Panchayat at the intermediate level, in any State, for a group of
contiguous Panchayats. The Nyayadhikaris, who will preside over these GNs, are strictly judicial
officers and will draw the same salary and derive the same power as the First Class Magistrate
working under the High Courts. The GN will be mobile court and exercise the powers of both the
criminal and civil courts. The seat of the GN will be located at the headquarters of the intermediate
panchayat, they will go to villages, work there and dispose of the cases. It will try criminal cases, civil
suits, claims or disputes which are specified in the First Schedule and the Second Schedule to the
Act. They will follow summary procedure in criminal trial and exercise the power of a civil court with
certain modifications and follow the special procedure as provided in the Act.

·               Kerala HC Judges first to disclose assets:  The Kelara High Court has become the first in the
country to post details of the assets and liabilities of its judges on the Court’s official website.   

·               HDI: India ranks low among neighbours: Human Development Index (HDI) ranking of eight
major economies of South Asia in the 2009 Human Development Report, released earlier this week,
show a dismal record with all countries relegated to the third category of medium development states
with the global rankings falling in the second half of the listings of 182 countries. Topping the ranking
list of the South Asian nations in 2007, the date for which comprehensive data was available, was
Maldives (95), followed by Sri Lanka (102), Bhutan (132), India (134), Pakistan (141), Nepal (144),
Bangladesh (146) and Afghanistan (182).

·               Pitroda is advisor to PM: The father of India’s communications revolution, Sam Pitroda, has
been appointed advisor to the Prime Minister on infrastructure, innovation and information. Pitroda will
 have the rank of a Cabinet minister.

·               India to buy more MiG-29Ks: Decks have now been cleared for India to order another batch of
MiG-29Ks after the specially-designed maritime fighters underwent successful flight-deck trials from
Russian aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov in the Barents Sea on September 28-29. Defence ministry
sources said the fresh order for 29 more MiG-29Ks from Russia for around Rs 5,380 crore (around
$1.12 billion) will "soon'' be sent to the Cabinet Committee of Security for the final approval. These
jets will be in addition to 16 MiG-29Ks already contracted through the initial $1.5-billion Admiral
Gorshkov package deal, which earmarked $974 million for the aircraft carrier's refit and the rest for
the fighters, inked in January 2004. While the military asymmetry with China is quite stark, aircraft
carrier operations is one particular arena in which India is ahead of its much larger neighbour.
Grappling it may be with only 11 Sea Harrier jump-jets now, India's solitary aircraft carrier, the 28,000-
tonne INS Viraat, has just undergone an 18-month life extension refit to ensure it can run smoothly for
another five years. China, in contrast, does not have an aircraft carrier. But it's furiously working to
build them, India, will get the fully-refurbished Gorshkov only by early-2013, with New Delhi and
Moscow likely to agree to a revised refit cost of around $2.6 billion. MiG-29Ks will operate from both
44,570-tonne Gorshkov - rechristened INS Vikramaditya after India has already paid $602 million for
its refit - as well as the 40,000-tonne indigenous aircraft carrier being built at the Cochin Shipyard,
which should roll out by 2014-2015. Armed with eight types of air-to-air missiles, including extended
range BVR (beyond visual range) missiles, as well as 25 air-to-surface weapons for land-attack
missions, the MiG-29Ks will provide the Navy with a lethal punch on the high seas.

·               A better future: India needs new policies to deal with child mortality: The numbers are
certainly disgraceful. India, along with two other countries, accounts for 40 per cent of the world's
under-five deaths, according to UNICEF. Save The Children, an international NGO, estimates that
over four lakh newborns die in India in the first 24 hours after their birth every year, the highest
anywhere in the world. But the very magnitude of such figures and the presumed cost of fixing the
problem seem to have inured civil society from pressuring the government to enact effective policies
to address the issue. It is a tragedy that India, despite a sustained period of high growth, has been
unable to check under-five mortality. But the experience of some of the world's poorest countries,
including those in our neighbourhood, suggests that throwing money at the problem isn't enough.
Public health spending in India is about 1 per cent of the GDP, much lower than the global average of
5 per cent. That's bad enough, but worse is that the spending is often ineffective. Leakages are high,
and studies have shown that large centrally-sponsored schemes like the National Rural Health
Mission and Integrated Child Development Services have improved access to health care, but have
failed to make a substantial dent in child mortality rates. But the cost of reducing the number of child
deaths is not nearly as high as people think it to be. There are several affordable measures that the
government can take to reduce child deaths by nearly 90 per cent. For instance, studies suggest that
the major causes of death in the under-fives are malnutrition, diarrhoea and pneumonia, all of which
are easily and cheaply treatable. Better neo- and antenatal care could also reduce infant mortality by
up to 70 per cent. Earlier, the Accelerated Rural Water Supply and Swajaldhara Programmes greatly
improved rural access to potable drinking water, thus significantly improving child health. By and
large, though, the government needs to look beyond the one-size-fits-all approach. The most
successful examples of Government-Sponsored Health Programmes were formulated in the local
context and are community based. For instance, the Rajasthan government's Anchal Se Angan Tak
strategy initiated a special action plan to tackle child malnutrition in 2005 and has been successful in
improving the nutritional status of children under three.

·               Rs. 7,300-crore plan for infrastructure, security in naxal area: The Centre is planning to pump
in Rs. 7,300 crore in security and infrastructure projects in districts affected by Maoist violence over
 the next three years. To begin with, six districts would be selected in Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh and
Jharkhand to implement the plan. “The strategy will be to first secure the area and then carry out
infrastructure and development projects like police stations, health centre, schools, roads and
community centres,” Union Home Secretary G.K. Pillai told reporters.

·               Kerala gets third IT Park: Kerala Chief Minister V. S. Achuthanandan has said that the State
Government is targeting creation of two lakh jobs in the information technology sector within two
years. He was addressing a function here to open the State’s third IT Park at Koratty, Thrissur District.
“Capital investment of Rs. 10,000 crore has been initiated in the IT sector involving expansion of
existing parks and creation of new ones. The Government plans decentralised development of the
sector. A cyber park modelled on Infopark (in Kochi) and Technopark (in Thiruvananthapuram) is
being developed in Kozhikode. Under the cyber-park, IT parks will be set up at Eramam in Kannur
and Cheemeni in Kasaragod. Construction of the parks will begin this year.

·               India asks China to stop development activity in PoK: Vishnu Prakash, the spokesman, noted
that Pakistan had been illegally occupying parts of Jammu and Kashmir since 1947, and Beijing was
fully aware of India’s position and concerns about Chinese activities in PoK. “We hope that the
Chinese side will take a long-term view of India-China relations and cease such activities in areas
illegally occupied by Pakistan.”

·               India expresses concern over China's objection: The Chinese objection was to Dr. Singh’s
visit to the State on to campaign ahead of the October Assembly Poll that witnessed 72 per cent
turnout. India and China have jointly agreed that the outstanding Boundary Question would be
discussed by the Special Representatives appointed by the two Governments. The 13th round of talks
between the two Special Representatives, M.K. Narayanan and Dai Bingguo, was held in New Delhi
during August this year.

·               Ragging in U.P. to be made cognizable offence: Ragging is to be made a cognizable offence
in Uttar Pradesh, where several cases have been reported recently from colleges and private
engineering institutes. In a few cases, students of private institutes have committed suicide on
account on ragging by seniors. Official sources said an ordinance making ragging a cognisable
offence would be issued soon. The decision was approved at a Cabinet meeting presided over by
Chief Minister Mayawati. It has been named “Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Ragging in Educational
Institutions Ordinance, 2009.”

·               Credit cards for farmers soon: The Rajasthan Government will shortly issue credit cards
through cooperative banks to 1 lakh farmers across the State to enable them to get the benefits of
various schemes for their agricultural activities. “Uphaar” mini-supermarkets would start functioning in
rural areas across the State by this year-end.

·               NDFB looks to China, Bangla to realize ‘Bodoland’: The anti-talks faction of the National
Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) has sought help from Bangladesh and China for its armed
struggle towards a "Sovereign Bodoland". The outfit's chairman, Ranjan Daimary alias D R Nabla,
has appealed to security forces in Bangladesh not to harass or arrest militants of his group when they
cross over to that country "for safety and security". Incidentally, Daimary was charged by CBI with
masterminding the serial blasts in Assam on October 30 last year which claimed 89 lives and left over
300 wounded.

International

·               Making India proud at UN conference on child rights: Two teenaged girls have made child
journalists from their villages in Uttarakhand proud as they got the rare opportunity to highlight the
 challenges faced by Indian children at the recent United Nations Convention on Rights of the Child
conference in Geneva. Anjana Juyal and Renu Saklani were invited by the United Nations Office of
High Commissioner for Human Rights to take part in the two-day celebrations last week to
commemorate the 20th anniversary of the adoption of the convention on the rights of the child. Both
are members of Umang, supported by Plan India and Shri Bhuvneshwari Mahila Ashram that works
for improving the life of children in Uttarakhand. Anjana, a Class XI student and Renu, a Class XII
student.

·               Indo-Scottish pact on higher education: The Association of Indian Universities and its Scottish
counterpart, Universities Scotland, have signed a memorandum of understanding to promote
cooperation between the higher education institutions of the two countries. Under this agreement,
Universities Scotland and Association of Indian Universities (AIU) will facilitate knowledge exchange
and sharing of best practices between institutions to promote student and faculty exchanges, and
drive collaboration in research and development. The two organisations will also encourage joint
degree development and help identify opportunities for enhanced funding to support institutional
initiatives and drive advocacy in areas of mutual interest.

·               25 million more children will go hungry by 2050: Twenty-five million more children will go
hungry by the middle of this century as climate change leads to food shortages and soaring prices for
staples such as rice, wheat, maize and soya beans, a report says. If global warming goes unchecked,
all regions of the world will be affected, but the most vulnerable — south Asia and sub-Saharan Africa
— will be hit hardest by failing crop yields, according to the report, prepared by the International Food
Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) for the World Bank and Asian Development Bank. The children of
2050 will have fewer calories to eat than those in 2000, the report says, and the effect would be to
wipe out decades of progress in reducing child malnutrition. The grim scenario is the first to gauge the
effects of climate change on the world’s food supply by combining climate and agricultural models.
Spikes in grain prices last year led to rioting and unrest across the developing world, from Haiti to
Thailand.

·               Foot in the Door: Geneva meeting strikes the right note for a new beginning with Iran: The
first, crucial step has been taken in breaking the longstanding deadlock between the US and its allies,
and Iran. Confounding predictions that the Geneva talks would be no more than another exercise in
time-wasting, Iran has agreed in principle to let International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspectors
go through its newly revealed nuclear facility north of Qom. More importantly, it has agreed that the
bulk of its low-enriched uranium (LEU) stockpile will be shipped to Russia and then France. The
uranium will be further enriched and converted to fuel rods before being returned to Iran, ensuring the
availability of nuclear fuel for Tehran’s civilian programme while ruling out its weaponisation. Now, as
then, the dialogue marked the first true diplomatic engagement between erstwhile rivals in decades.
Now, as then, it has resulted in the tentative outlines of a way forward. To stand upon its earlier
insistence that Iran give up its right to the nuclear fuel cycle is no longer feasible for Washington. It is
not something Tehran will or can agree to, whether under Mahmoud Ahmadinejad or a more
moderate dispensation. The current LEU proposal is a more viable solution; a division of the
enrichment process with the ultimate goal of IAEA monitoring on the Iranian side. If successful, it will
preserve Iran’s rights under the Non-proliferation Treaty (NPT) while minimising the chances of
weaponisation.  Many hurdles remain, however. For one, there is no certainty that Qom and Natanz
are the sum of Iran’s nuclear programme. It is conceivable that they are links in a larger network of
facilities. For another, IAEA experts have tentatively concluded that Iran has the know-how to design
and build a nuclear bomb. If Tehran wishes to allay these fears, signing on to the NPT’s Additional
Protocol – which plugs significant loopholes in the treaty – is necessary.
·               China, Japan Plan Group on EU Lines: In a move that is considered to send shock waves
around the world, Japan and China have proposed a plan to create an “East Asian Community,”
similar to the European Union, which could make a fierce force to reckon with and which would also
improve economic and political relationships in the region. The proposal is in its initial stages and it
could include visa-free travel, public health, energy and the environment. In the later stages of the
proposal, it is being said that political issues and common policies on defence and agriculture would
also play a major part. The alliance could become a big force in future, as Japan is currently the
second-largest economy in the world, while China is in third place. It is also said that India would also
join the league. According to reports, Japanese PM Yukio Hatoyama put the proposal to Chinese
president Hu Jintao during their first meeting, in New York.

·               Hong Kong now the largest wine Market: Hong Kong has overtaken New York and London as
the largest wine market for Sotheby’s, the auction house said, after it sold $7.9 million of rare vintage
to Asian buyers over the weekend. Sotheby’s recorded total wine sales of $14.3 million in the
Southern Chinese city this year. The figure surpassed those New York and London, which
respectively fetched total of $10.5 million from four auctions and $8 million from seven auctions,
Sotheby’s.

·               India-Pakistan sow seeds of cooperation: seeds that helped the country double its cotton
production in seven years will soon be available to farmers in Pakistan. Bt or Bacillus Thuringiensis is
a bacterium that produces crystals proteins that are toxic to many species of insects and pests.
India’s regulatory body for GM crops, Genetic Engineering Approval Committee (GEAC), under the
environment and forest ministry, gave permission to top GM seed companies like Monsanto,
Hyderabad-based Bayer Hybrid Seeds and Aurangabad-based Nath Biogene in September to export
GM hybrid seeds to Pakistan for trials. “It provides us a good opportunity to test highly successful GM
cotton seeds in a similar geographical terrain in Pakistan,” said Jagresh Rana, director, Mahyco-
Monsanto Biotech. “Bt Cotton is grown on the Indian side of border in Abhor in Punjab and normal
cotton is grown on a similar soil in Pakistan. We have no reason to believe that India’s cotton success
story cannot be replicated in Pakistan.” With the approval, the Indian government has put to rest
claims in the Pakistan media that India was unwilling to share its cotton success story with Pakistan.
“Our bonhomie with our neighbours (Pakistan) on environment issues from climate change to GM is
good,” said Indian environment minister Jairam Ramesh. To improve Pakistan’s standing in the
international cotton market, where it is the fourth largest producer after China, India and the United
States, Indian companies were the first to get an import permit for testing of Bt Cotton hybrid seeds
from the Pakistan government earlier this year. In Pakistan’s Punjab and Sindh provinces, some
untested varieties of Bt Cotton from China are reportedly being grown since 2005 without permission
of the federal government. 

·               Irish voters back treaty, remove hurdles for EU: Irish voters have over whelmingly approved
the European Union's Lisbon reform treaty 40% of constituencies showed 67% support for the treaty
in referendum, much higher expected and a sharp turn around from a vote last year in which the Irish
rejected the charter. The treaty would make it easier to reach decisions in the EU now that it has 27
member states and create the posts of a long-term president and foreign policy chief to give it more
say and reinforce its image as a global fore.

·               No Afghan solutions for Nato: The request by the United States and NATO commander in
Afghanistan, General Stanley Mc Chrystal, for an additional 40,000 troops sharply highlights NATO’s
rapidly worsening problems. If President Barack Obama concedes Gen. McChrystal’s demand, the
number of foreign troops in Afghanistan will rise to 140,000, including 110,000 Americans. There is,
however, a void at the centre of NATO policy on Afghanistan. The original plans were to find Osama
 bin Laden, destroy Al Qaeda, and overthrow the Taliban regime, which harboured bin Laden. All
those plans have failed disastrously. The Taliban were driven out of Kabul in five weeks. But they
have never relinquished Helmand province in the southwest, and are now resurgent in the north and
east. They control Kunduz and have just taken Nuristan, inflicting serious casualties on U.S. forces.
Politically, NATO has had to collaborate with non-Taliban warlords, whose attitudes and ways are
often not very different from those of the Taliban. In addition, the civilian government of Hamid Karzai
is corrupt, bereft of legitimacy, and in any case barely exists outside Kabul. Independent observers
regard at least a third of the votes for him in the yet-to-be-settled presidential election as fraudulent.
More than 31,000 Afghan civilians have died as a result of the NATO invasion, which occurred in
October 2001. If the very recent suicide bombing near the Indian Embassy in Kabul is a guide, the
Taliban may be re-establishing a presence in the capital. As to Osama bin Laden, he has never been
found. The issue of Afghanistan is now causing serious problems in several NATO countries,
particularly the U.S., the United Kingdom, and Germany. The Obama administration has reproved
Gen. McChrystal for making public his troop request. But it is not long since Mr. Obama himself
castigated his predecessor George W. Bush for not listening to the military over Afghanistan and Iraq.
Public support for the war is falling. Al Qaeda continues to be a global threat but the Taliban are
clearly not. At most they are a regional threat and it is surely significant that it is Pakistan’s armed
forces that have dealt most effectively with that country’s Taliban elements when they have been set
that task. NATO, confused about what this ‘global war on terror’ is all about, cannot solve anything in
Afghanistan. It is time for the world to move towards an enforceable U.N. agreement that ends the
U.S.-led occupation and restores Afghanistan’s tradition of strict neutrality, so that the region can find
some semblance of stability and peace.

·               Dhaka to take row with India, Myanmar to U.N.: Bangladesh has announced its decision to go
to the United Nations for a resolution of its long-standing dispute with India and Myanmar over
maritime boundary. The country has served legal notices to India and Myanmar to settle the disputes
before a U.N. tribunal. Negotiations with the two neighbours over the last 35 years had failed to
resolve the issue. “We are submitting the issue to compulsory arbitration under the United Nations
Convention on the Law of the Sea [UNCLOS] to ensure our sovereign rights to the natural resources
in the Bay.

·               Poland signs Lisbon Treaty: Poland's President Lech Kaczynski signed the European Union's
reforming Lisbon Treaty in a ceremony, leaving his ultra eurosceptic Czech counterpart Vaclav Klaus
as the only holdout. The treaty aims to streamline the running of the EU, which has nearly doubled in
size in the past five years as a swathe of ex-communist countries such as Poland have joined. The
text- which notably creates a new full-time President and Foreign Minister for the EU-has to be
approved by all 27 member states in order to come into force.

·               KFC, pizza Hut to enter Nepal: Known for its indigenous fast food momos (dumplings), thukpa
(noodle soup) and sekuwa (kebabs), Nepal is now gearing up for an American invasion from KFC and
Pizza Hut. The RJ Corp. a Ravi Jaipiria company that has entered Nepal’s real estate sector with a
bang with a mega luxury condominium project in Kathmandu Valleys, is now introducing the two fast
food giants to Kathmandu.

·               SCO meet’s focus on economics, terrorism: The 10-member countries and observers of the
Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, the Central Asian regional security grouping, pledged to work
together on combating terror and improving financial co-operation among Asian nations to combat the
financial crisis. India, one of four observer countries at the SCO, reiterated its desire to work with the
group’s Regional Counter Terrorism Structure (RCTS) to share intelligence data and boost counter-
terrorism initiatives. The SCO was set up in 2001 largely as a security organisation, but its ambit has
 since widened.

·               BRIC Countries reach consensus on key issues: Finance Ministers of the BRIC nations
(Brazil, Russia, India and China) discussed the challenges facing the World Bank and the
International Monetary Fund (IMF) in the wake of the global financial crisis, and arrived at a
consensus on several key issues pertaining to a shift in parity and quota shares to benefit the
dynamic emerging markets and developing countries (EMDCs). According to an official statement
here, the BRIC nations meeting—convened by Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee in the backdrop of
the annual meetings of the World Bank and the IMF in Istanbul—was attended by Brazilian Finance
Minister Guido Mantega, Russian Finance Minister Aleksey Kudrin, Yong Li. Finance Ministers and
Governors of the Central banks of various countries are in the Turkish city to participate in the annual
meetings of the two institutions. The BRIC ministers took up several issues facing the institutions to
arrive at common positions on many fronts. On matters pertaining to the IMF, the ministers agreed to
aim for achieving a significant seven per cent shift in Quota Shares in favour of the EMDCs, and also
discussed the ‘New Arrangement to Borrow’ (NAB). As for the World Bank, the BRIC nations
discussed ways and means of enhancing the voice and participation of developing countries and
agreed to aim for a shift of six per cent for parity. They also supported an increase in capital for both
the World Bank and its private lending arm, the International Finance Corporation (IFC). The
statement noted that such meetings of BRIC nations at the levels of Finance Ministers and
Deputies/Executive Directors have become a regular feature, as they facilitate the sharing of views
and adoption of common positions. Just as he did during the BRIC Finance Ministers’ meeting in
London prior to the G-20 Summit in April this year, United States Treasury Secretary Timothy
Geithner dropped in at this meeting at Istanbul. While Mr. Geithner acknowledged their constructive
role in finding solutions to the current global problems, the Finance Ministers conveyed to him their
common positions on governance issues of the IMF and the World Bank.

·              

Best of the Lot

§         Havard University

§         Cambridge University

§         Yale University

§         University College of London

§         Imperial College London

No Indian university in top -100 lists: None of the Indian universities figure among the top 100 varsities of
the world, with America and UK dominating the scene, says a report published. America's Harvard
University has retained its top position in 2009 while UK's Cambridge University has moved up from third to
second position. Yale University of US has slipped one position to third. According to the QS/Times Higher
Education rankings, the University College London (UCL) leapfrogged Oxford University as the latter
slipped from fourth to joint fifth position along with Imperial College, London.  Overall, the UK still punches
above its weight, second only to the US, the report said. It has four out of the top 10 slots and 18 in the top
100. The number of Asian universities in the list of top 100 has increased from 14 to 16. The University of
Tokyo, at 22, is the highest ranked Asian university, ahead of the University of Hong Kong that stands at 24.
Economy
·               India inks $4.2 b loan agreement with World Bank: India inked three agreements with the
World Bank for a total loan of $4.2 billion (about Rs. 20,000 crore) for recapitalizing some of the public
sector banks (PSBs) and supporting development of infrastructure and power transmission projects.
Out of the total credit quantum, while the Centre signed a $2-billion loan agreement for capital
infusion in a few of the PSBs during 2009-11, representatives of Power Grid Corporation of India Ltd.
(PowerGrid) and India Infrastructure Finance Company Ltd. (IIFCL) signed similar loan pacts with the
World Bank for $1 billion and $1.195 billion, respectively.

·               China sends more science students to US than India: According to the US office of
immigration statistics, on which the study is based, 26,000 Indian students moved to the US for higher
education in 1998, compared with 58,000 Chinese students that year. By 2005, the two countries
were level at about 60,000 students. In 2007, China had a slight edge with 90,000 students against
India’s 85,000. In the context of China’s research publication in top scientific journals being nearly
three times that of India. Officials say India is taking steps to improve its scientific infrastructure. T.
Ramasami, secretary, department of science and technology, cites INSPIRE (Innovation in Science
Pursuit for Inspired Research), launched in 2007 to provide scholarship and assured career
opportunities for basic science graduates, as a panacea. “The IISERs (Indian Institutes of Science
Education and Research) and new IITs (Indian Institutes of Technology) will significantly boost the
quality and quantity of Indian research output.

·               India-Argentina trade to touch $3bn by 2012: India and Argentina announced relaxation in their
visa regimes for business visitors as the two emerging economies seek to more than double two-way
trade in the next three years. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Argentine President Cristina
Fernando de Kirchner also signed four other memoranda of understanding, which includes an
agreement in civil nuclear cooperation. The two countries have set a trade target of $3 billion by 2012
from $1.3 billion in 2008. An agreement on easing sanitary and phyto-sanitary standards, which
govern the trade in agriculture and plant items, will also reached soon said a joint statement released
after the meeting. The statement said that efforts would also be made to facilitate entry of Argentine
agricultural and agro-industrial products into India and the entry of Indian pharmaceutical products
into the Latin American nation. Ashok Leyland and Argentina Cirigliano also signed a deal for
production of trucks and buses based on Indian technology. An MoU between Ficci & LA Union
Industrial, Argentina, was also inked to maintain and further mutual cooperation and understanding for
the purpose of promoting the development of business relations among the two nations.

·               The Iniquitous Perils of the free Trade Pact: Some of the provisions of the Free Trade
Agreement (FTA) that India recently signed with the Association of South East Asian Nations
(ASEAN) will weaken India’s, and specifically Kerala’s, rubber sector because Malaysia and a few
other countries that are a part of the ASEAN will flood the market with their rubber and push Indian
rubber out. Kerala’s rubber sector, in particular, will vanish if the free import of rubber from outside
India under the FTA is allowed. Pepper, coconut, plantation products and similar commodities which
form the backbone of Kerala’s economy will die, too. When Chinese tyres offered at fabulously cheap
rates threatened the American tyre industry, President Barack Obama imposed 30 to 40 per cent duty
on the import of tyres in order to save the American tyre industry. The same Obama strategy of
imposing heavy import duties to protect the farmers of the State ought to be instantly imposed here.
And to that extent, the ASEAN agreement should be made subject to nationalist conditions.

·               Economic tie-ups, to India, top Argentina Prez’s visit: President of Argentina Cristina
Fernandez de Kirchner is coming 3-day visit with an agenda to promote economic cooperation. 
 Kirchner, accompanied by a high-level delegation including the foreign minister, and a large business
team. ‘‘A number of agreements for cooperation are expected to be signed during the visit and will
cover wide-ranging areas such as sports, science and technology, industrial research, hydrocarbons,
trade promotion and business visas,’’ said a statement released by the ministry of external affairs.
With India being a large-scale importer of oilseeds and pulses, Argentina will continue to be a major
source, especially due to its higher agricultural productivity, which is almost three times that of India.
The balance of trade is in favour of Argentina, with imports at $836 million, being nearly double of
exports from India at $492 million in 2008. The bilateral trade recorded 87% increase in five years
from $694 million in 2003 to $1.3 billion in 2008. India Inc has already invested $119 million in IT,
agro-chemicals and mining sectors in Argentina. ONGC Videsh is likely to sign a pact with Enarsa.
Reliance-Pluspetrol combine has won a concession in Peru for oil and gas exploration.

Science and Technology

·               Nuclear power: Myths, realities: Nuclear power suffered because of accidents. But no one
abandoned it because of accidents at Three Mile Island (1979) and Chernobyl (1986). U.S. electric
companies connected 50 out of the currently operating 104 nuclear power reactors since 1979;
nineteen of these after 1986. Canadian companies connected all the 14 operating nuclear power
reactors to the grid after 1979. Of the fifty-nine French reactors, 53 came on line after 1979. Some
European nations decided to phase out nuclear power. Since they are substitutes for fossil power
stations (which are implicated in global warning), these nations are decisively moving away from their
“phase out” decision. Recently, “National Alliance of Anti-nuclear Movements (NAAM)” claimed that
the nuclear plant at Kudankulam would lead to pollution in the near shore areas, affecting fish stocks.
They alleged that this would impact on the health of fish-eating people in Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Sri
Lanka. These allegations have no scientific basis. Pollution of sea-shore is another myth.

·               New tech to grab CO2 out of thin air: As the world wrestles with how to cut greenhouse gas
emissions, new technologies are gearing up to grab climate-warming carbon right out of the air. This
is different from trapping carbon dioxide as it comes out of pollution sources like factories and power
plants. This so-called air capture technology could be set up anywhere and suck carbon directly from
the atmosphere. The devices to do this are varied in appearance. Some look a bit like telescopes,
others involve vast, thin wall-like structures to capture the carbon. But all aim for a net reduction in
atmospheric carbon, instead of just slowing down the increase of greenhouse emissions. Because air
capture need not be near carbon-belching factories, it could help the world's poorest countries, which
at this point cannot benefit from the global carbon market, in which companies in developed countries
get credits for investing in carbon-limiting projects in poor countries. Chemicals giant BASF and glass
and ceramics firm Corning are working with a team at Columbia University in New York on a company
called Global Thermostat that is investigating this technology. As global greenhouse gas emissions
increase, carbon gets more concentrated in the atmosphere, the planet gets warmer overall and the
most dangerous effects of climate change -- floods, droughts, rising seas -- get more likely. Right
now, there are about 390 carbon dioxide molecules in the atmosphere for every million molecules of
air.

·               Now, pilotless planes to ‘see’ for themselves: Scientists have created visual systems which
they claim would help unmanned aircraft see for themselves as they fly fast and low over dangerous
terrain. Unmanned aircraft today have rapidly expanding roles ranging from mineral exploration, to
military applications from scouting and intelligence gathering to interception. In future, they are
expected to play an important role in the exploration of Mars. Now, an international team, led by
Queensland University, has developed the visual systems inspired by honey bees which can navigate
accurately despite their tiny brains. According to the scientists, the systems not only provides stereo
 vision to enable aircraft to see their way around obstacles in very low-level flight but also controls the
aircraft's attitude by watching the horizon.

·               Giant ring found around Saturn: Stunned astronomers have discovered a new mega-ring
around Saturn and believe its genesis is a small, distant moon of the beringed giant. Phoebe, a
Saturnian satellite measuring only 214 kilometres across, probably provides the record-breaking
tenuous circle of dusty and icy debris, they report in Nature, the weekly British science journal. The
largest ring identified so far in the Solar System, the circle starts about six million kilometres from
Saturn and extends outwardly by another 12 million kms, within the orbit of Phoebe. The champion
planetary rings in the Solar System were so-called "gossamer rings" surrounding Jupiter, the Solar
System's largest planet, and Saturn's E ring. Phoebe's ring is far fainter than both, and appears to
comprise dust from rocks bashed off the little moon by interplanetary debris or other particles.

·               Oceansat-2 payloads providing good images: All the three payloads on board India’s
Oceansat-2 have been switched on and are providing good quality images of India and oceans
around the world, according to the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). The payloads are the
ocean colour monitor, scatterometer, and Tadio Occultation Sounder for Atomospheric studies
(ROSA). The satellite collects data over the entire globe once in two days.

·               How cells make proteins: This year’s Nobel Prize in Chemistry recognises the achievements of
three scientists, one of them an Indian-born American, in painstakingly piecing together a detailed
atomic model of the ribosome, a key component of living cells. All living organisms, from the simplest
microbes to plants and animals, rely on ribosomes to turn the blueprints stored in their genes into the
myriad proteins needed to produce and sustain life. The ribosome is an intricate molecular machine
made up of hundreds of thousands of atoms. Venkatraman Ramakrishnan, Thomas A. Steitz, and
Ada E. Yonath have successfully mapped the position of each of those atoms.

·               In new fossil, a clue to ear’s evolution: Researchers digging in north eastern China say they
have discovered the fossil of a previously unknown chipmunk-sized mammal that could help explain
how human hearing evolved. Paleontologists unearthed the 123-million-year-old creature, which is
just 15 centimeters (five inches) long, in fossil-rich Liaoning Province, near the Chinese border with
North Korea.

·               Advanced Prithvi missile Tested: India tested two advanced versions of the nuclear capable
Prithvi-II ballistic missile, with a strike range of 350 km, from the Chandipur interim test range off the
Orissa coast.

·               Two U.S. spacecraft crash into moon in search of water: Searching for stocks of water on the
moon, NASA crashed two spacecraft into an eternally dark lunar crater hoping to splash ice into the
light where instruments could assess it. A two-tonne empty rocket stage hit the dark Cabeus crater
near the moon’s south pole at about 4.31 am Pacific Daylight Time (PDT) and a second craft crashed
four minutes later. A camera on the following spacecraft did not capture an image of the impact as
hoped, but scientists said they were confident that the explosive hit took place as planned.

Person
·               C.B. Muthamma passes away: C.B. Muthamma, India’s first woman career diplomat and first
woman Ambassador died. She was 85. Opting for the Foreign Service after she passed the civil
services examinations in 1949, Ms. Muthamma served in her diplomatic career with distinction in
many capacities in Europe, Asia and Africa.

·               B. Prasad Rao: B. Prasada Rao, 55, has assumed charge as CMD of Bhel, recently. Rao takes
 over to lead the company at a crucial juncture when BHEL is building capacity and capability to
contribute fully for meeting the country’s power forecast for the 11 th plan and beyond. For this, the
company is enhancing its manufacturing capacity to 15,000 MW per annum and will further augment it
to 20,000 MW per annum by March, 2012.

·               New Greek PM George Papandreou Sworn in: Greek Socialist leader George Papandreous
was sworn in as Prime Minister.

Sport

·               RIO’s victory makes Delhi dreams of 2020 Olympics: A day after the city of Rio de Janero
bagged the 2016 Olympics and Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva wept, the images from
faraway Copenhagen sent hopes soaring in Delhi. One year from now, the capital hosts the world’s
second largest sporting event, the Commonwealth Games. After the success of Brazil, another
developing nation, India, sees a real chance of bagging the biggest.

·               Games to create $6bn biz opportunity: According to a report prepared by Price water-house
Coopers, CWG 2010 will create business opportunities worth around $6 billion in India, the highest
ever in the history of the Commonwealth Games. According to one estimate, more than 25m foreign
tourist and 4.5m domestic tourists are likely to visit Delhi for the Games. The Organizing Committee
has already floated about 20 tenders for various services like housekeeping, insurance, electronic
timing and scoring, among others. The massive expansions of infrastructure have also translated into
hefty orders. To cite just one example, SAIL has supplied about 65,000 metric tones of steel for the
construction activity.

Book Authors
·               Mahatma Gandhi: The Congress & The Partition of India: D.C. Jha
·               Learning Through Art: Jane Sahi, Roshan Sahi
·               Excellence, Ethics and the World of Management: Ramesh K. Arora, Tanjul Saxena
·               Two countries, One Life-encounter of Culture: Carlos G.
·               The International Law of the Sea-India and the UN Convention: O.P. Sharma
·               We are Not in Pakistan-Shauna Singh Baldwin
Award

·               Prof. Yashpal Selected for Kalinga Prize: Renowned scientist and former Director of UGC,
Professor Yash Pal has been selected for the prestigious Kalinga Prize. The award is given by
UNESCO for popularisation of science. It should be noted that Kalinga Prize was instituted by former
Chief Minister of Orissa and legendary late Biju Patnaik. Professor Pal would become the fifth Indian
scientist in the coveted list, after being conferred with the esteemed award which carries a cash prize
of 10,000 pounds. After 12 years, any Indian scientist was selected for Kalinga Prize.

·               Bharat Shiromani Awards Presented: The Arunachal Pradesh Governor and former Army
Chief, General J.J. Singh, Law Commission Chairman Justice A. R. Lakshmanan, actor and MP
Jayaprada and former cricketer and MP Mohammad Azharuddin were among those who received the
Lifetime Achievement Bharat Shiromani Award for 2008-09 for distinguished service. Orissa Governor
M. C. Bhandare gave away the award, instituted by the Shiromani Institute in 1977 to focus the public
attention on the achievements of Indians, including NRIs.

·               NDPL wins Safety Innovation Award: NDPL has won the safety innovation Award 2009,
 instituted by the institution of engineers (India), under the aegis of Safety and Quality Forum. The
Award was presented to NDPL for implementing various safety measures in its distribution network of
North and North West to mitigate electrical hazards and ensure the safety of its consumers and
employees.

·               Man Booker for Britishf Novelist Hilary Mantel: British Novelist Hilary Mantel’s historical
doorstopper, Wolf Hall, set in the court of Henry VIII, has won this year’s £50,000 man Booker Prize
beating five of other contenders, including two previous booker winners A.S Byatt and J.M Coetzee.
For the first time in many years, there was no Asian writer in contention.

·               Last Ten Nobel winners for Literature:

§         2009      Herta Mueller                                     Germany

§         2008      Jean-Marie Gustave Le Clezio          France

§         2007      Doris Lessing                                     UK

§         2006      Orhan Pamuk                                    Turkey

§         2005      Harold Pinter                                     UK

§         2004      Elfriede Jelinke                                  Austria

§         2003      J.M. Coetzee                                      South Africa

§         2002      Imre Kertesz                                       Hungary

§         2001      V.S. Naipaul                                      Trinidad/UK

§         2000      Gao Xingijan                                      China

·               Coconut Development Board gets Rajbhasha Award: Minnie Mathew IAS, Chairman, CDB
received the Indira Gandhi Rajbhasha Puraskar 2007-08 from Pratibha Patil, President of India.

·               Ostrom, Williamson win Economics Nobel: Elinor Ostrom became the first woman to win a
Nobel Prize in economics, honored along with fellow American Oliver Williamson for analyzing
economic governance — the rules by which people exercise authority in companies and economic
systems. Ms. Ostrom is the first woman to win the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences since
it was founded in 1968, and the fifth woman to win a Nobel award this year.

·               International Press Institute (IPI) award for The Week scribe & Indian Express: The IPI India
Award for Excellence in Journalism, 2009, has been given to Bidisha Goshal of The Week and The
Indian Express for their outstanding journalistic work in 2008.

·               Nobel Peace Prize for Barack Obama: United States President Barack Obama sensationally
won the Nobel Peace Prize, just nine months into his term, prompting world leaders to urge him to
use the accolade to step up efforts for global peace. The jury hailed Mr. Obama’s “extraordinary”
efforts in international diplomacy and to hasten nuclear disarmament, but criticism surged quickly over
how the award could be given so soon.
·               Noble Hearts, Noble Minds:

§         Mother Teresa (1979) for her work among the poor and destitute in Kolkata.

§         Dalai Lama (1989) for spreading harmony.

§         Kimdae-Jung (2000) South Korean President.

§         Kofi Annan (2001) the United Nations and its Secretary General

§         Jimmy Carter (2002) Former US president.

§         Shirin Ebadi (2003) Iranian Human rights lawyer

§         Mohammed Elbaradei (2005) The International Atomic Energy Agency and its head.

§         Muhammad Yunus (2006) Bangladesh’s Grameen Bank for working to end poverty.

§         Al Gore, Ex. US Veep (2007) along with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, led
by R. K. Pachauri.

§         Martti Ahtisaari-Former Finnish President (2008) for peace efforts from Nambia to Kosovo.

·               PSUs bag India pride award: Power Finance Corporation has received India prize award in the
non-banking financial company category. The award presented to Satnam Singh, CMD of the
company by the Union home minister P. Chidambaram.

Miscellaneous

·               U.N. Releases Mahatma Stamp: The $1 stamp is designed by Miami based artist Ferdie
Pqacheco, Marking the International Day of Non-violence the United Nations released a Mahatma
Gandhi stamp on the occasion of his 140th birth anniversary. 

16 to 31 Oct, 2009

National

·               BSNL joins hands with Intel and HCL: BSNL joined hands with leading chip-maker Intel and
computer manufacturer HCL to launch a series of initiatives for ensuring access to wireless
broadband Internet and affordable computers in villages. Launching the initiative, Minister of State
for Communication and IT Sachin Pilot said: “This programme has the potential to connect millions
more Indians to 21st century. This will spur economic and educational opportunities in rural India.”
·               Kakodkar to head IIT reforms panel: The government has set up a committee to suggest a
broad road map for the IITs for next ten years. The five-member committee, to be headed by atomic
energy commission chairman Anil Kakodkar, will give its report in six months, outlining the broad
areas of reforms required to make the elite institutions global brands.
·               Orissa all set to become ‘Odisha’: With the Union Cabinet set to grant its stamp of approval,
Orissa will soon be known as ‘Odisha’ in deference to the way in which the State’s name is
pronounced in its own language. The name of the language, too, will be changed from Oriya to Odia.
The State Assembly resolved to change both names last August, but this requires an amendment to
the Constitution in order to take effect.
·               More schemes included in 15-Point Programme: The Union Cabinet decided to include three
 more schemes in the Prime Minister’s New 15- Point Programme for the welfare of minorities. The
additional schemes are the National Rural Drinking Water Programme, the Urban Infrastructure
Development Scheme for Small and Medium Towns and the Urban Infrastructure and Governance
Scheme. Chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, a meeting of the Cabinet also approved
inclusion of Mewat district in place of Gurgaon in Haryana as one of the minority concentration
districts under the programme. It also decided to include Members of Parliament and the Legislative
Assemblies in the State and district-level committees for monitoring its implementation.
·               Unclog The Courts: There's finally some movement on tackling the mountain of cases that has
clogged Indian courts at all levels. Law minister Veerappa Moily has unveiled a vision statement
containing a package of reforms, whose primary objective is reducing the backlog of cases. There
are over three crore cases pending in Indian courts, of which roughly 2.5 crore are in lower courts,
40 lakh in high courts and around 52,000 in the Supreme Court. The backlog has not only paralysed
delivery of justice but also exacted a high economic cost. Finance minister Pranab Mukherjee said
that delays in the courtroom were shaving off 2 per cent from the country's GDP. This is mainly
because of the inordinately long time an astounding 425 days taken to enforce a contract in India.
The law ministry's vision document envisages establishing a National Arrears Grid to ascertain the
exact number of cases in every court and then take steps to reduce the tendency of cases from 15 to
three years. It proposes to do this by increasing the number of judges. With a sanctioned strength of
31 judges for the Supreme Court, 725 for the high courts and around 14,000 for the lower courts
there are too few judges for India's huge population. According to the 120th Law Commission report,
India's population-to-judge ratio is one of the lowest in the world.
·               UP Spanner in Raebareli Automotive testing Project: In 2005, the UPA had approved setting
up of seven automotive testing Centres in the country by September 2011 to provide testing
platforms to the automobile industry which tests a majority of its products out of India. Besides
Raebareli, the projects were to come up at Ahmednagar and Pune in Maharashtra, Manesar
(Haryana), Indore (Madhya Pradesh), Silchar (West Bengal) and Chennai. The two testing centres in
Maharashtra have already become operational.
·               India: Disease Capital: India has the ‘unenviable’ position of leading the world. More Indians
suffer from diabetes 50.8 million- than anywhere else in the world. By 2010, we well have 58.7
million diabetics, says the international diabetic federation. Meanwhile, a 2008 study published in
medical journal the lancet says that 60% of the world’s cardiac patients will be in India by 2010. It
doesn’t end there. Cancer, hypertension, obesity- India already is, or is on its, way to being world
capital of the disease. China has just 43.2 million diabetic patients.
·               Private sector to compete with DRDO, PSUs: The government has announced a significant
shift in the latest Defence procurement policy (DPP) by inserting a new “Buy and Make [Indian]”
category and promised to make public contours of its 15-year acquisition plan and enhance the role
of independent monitors to ensure probity in defence deals. Aimed at energizing the private industry,
the new category would make it possible for companies with requisite financial and technical
capabilities to absorb technology and undertake indigenous manufacture. It would also enable
private industries to compete with the Defence Public Sector Undertakings. In the current procedure
under the “Buy and Make” category, the Request for Proposal (RFP) is issued only to foreign
vendors, who are required to transfer technology to Indian defence industry called production
agency.
·               Coast guard will become one of the best in the world: In a span of two years, the Indian
Coast Guard would be among the best in the world as there was a plan to induct more men, machine
and material to patrol the 7,500-km shoreline, Defence Minister A.K. Antony said. The government
had sanctioned 3,000 additional personnel to make it a potent force to counter terrorism from sea.
 Recently, a Coast Guard Regional Headquarters was operationalised in Ahemdabad, while nine new
Coast Guard stations would be established.
·               Indian T-90 tanks in action during “Yudh Abhyas 09”, an India-U.S. training exercise, at Babina
in Uttra Pradesh. The 18-days exercise started on October 12.
International
·               U.S. aid to Pakistan tripled: President Barack Obama signed into law the Kerry-Lugar Bill that
triples U.S> Non–military assistance to Pakistan to $1.5 billion annually over the next five years, after
tow key congressional panels refused to make change to its text despite objections from the
Pakistan Army. Mr. Obama signed the Enhanced Partnership with Pakistan Act of 2009, popularly
known as Kerry-Lugar Bill.
·               New 10-year defence tie-up with Russia finalized: India and Russia have finalised a new 10-
year military cooperation pact that will take bilateral defence partnership to new heights. The new
programme of military-technical cooperation during 2011-2020 will cover both ongoing projects —
such as the Su-30 MKI fighter plane and the T-90 tank production in India — as well as 31 new
projects, Defence Minister A.K. Antony said. He co-chaired with Russian Defence Minister Anatoly
Serdyukov the ninth session of the Indo-Russian Inter-Governmental Commission on Military
Technical Cooperation (IRIGC-MTC). “It will be a bigger programme than the current 10-year
programme which expires next year, and will see a further shift from the buyer-seller relationship to
joint design, development and production. An inter-governmental agreement on extension of the
military-technical cooperation programme up to 2020 will be signed during Prime Minister Manmohan
Singh’s visit to Russia in December, Mr. Serdyukov announced in his closing statement.
·               Klaus tries to scratch the EU: The Czech President, Václav Klaus, is causing considerable
irritation among his fellow heads of state and government in the European Union by not signing the
Treaty of Lisbon. The Czech Republic is the only one of the 27 EU states yet to ratify the Treaty,
which all member-states signed on December 13, 2007. Both chambers of the country’s parliament
have approved the Treaty, and the constitutional court has ruled it does not violate the constitution.
Mr. Klaus nevertheless has raised objections at this very late stage. He demands exemptions from
the European Charter of Fundamental Rights, which is a part of the Treaty, and new provisions to
protect the Czech Republic against claims arising from the expulsion of Carpathian Germans after
the Second World War. He seeks to bolster his case by pointing out that Poland and the United
Kingdom specifically obtained exemptions from the Treaty (although this happened before the
ratification process began). Mr. Klaus’s demands, if conceded, would require a repetition of the
ratification process in all 27 EU states. As the process has taken eight years and is still incomplete.
·               New Security Council members elected: The UN Security Council will be getting five new
members in January--regional powers Nigeria and Brazil, former war-torn Bosnia and Lebanon, and
the politically troubled African nation of Gabon. The General Assembly elected the five countries to
serve two-year terms on the UN's most powerful body.  The Security Council has five permanent
members - the United States, Russia, China, Britain and France. The 10 non-permanent members,
representing regional groups, serve two-year terms. The five newly elected members will replace
Burkina Faso, Costa Rica, Croatia, Libya and Vietnam on January 1, 2010. The five countries
elected last year-Australia, Mexico, Japan, Turkey and Uganda will remain on the council until
January 1, 2011.
·               U.S. welcomes site allocation for nuclear plants: The U.S. has welcomed India’s allocation of
sites for the construction of nuclear plants by U.S.-led companies. Russia has been given a site at
Haripur in West Bengal, besides Koodankulam. French company Areva will start work at Jaitapur in
Maharashtra. Anil Kakodkar, Secretary, Department of Atomic Energy, had said recently that the
government would soon announce the sites. The grant of the sites to the U.S.-led consortia at
 Chhayamithi Virdi in Gujarat and Kovvada in Andhra Pradesh followed an agreement between the
U.S. and India for expanded cooperation in the peaceful uses of nuclear energy. The promise of
providing business to the U.S.-led companies for production of nuclear power worth 10,000 MWe
was held out by India in the run-up to ending the country’s isolation from the global civil nuclear
commerce as it is not a signatory to the nuclear non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).
·               Centre to give Rs. 500 crore more for rehabilitation of Sri Lankan Tamils: The Indian
government would give another Rs.500 crore to the Sri Lankan government towards rehabilitating
Tamils displaced by the civil war, after the country submitted the project report, said Union Home
Minister P. Chidambaram
·               Russia worst-hit among Bric nations: Russia claimed in the beginning of 2008 that its
economy would not be affected by global financial crisis soon found itself among the worst hit
countries of the world. Among the emerging economies, particularly Bric economies, Russian
economy turned out to be worst affected as a result of the global financial crisis with its GDP
projected to shrink by 8% in the current year while China, India and Brazil are expected to achieve
an annual growth rate of 7%, 6.5% and 2.8% respectively. Russia which witnessed annual growth
rate of about 7% for 7 years in a row and climbed from 14th to 7th position in the world in terms of
size of the GDP happened to be the only Bric country that entered negative growth trajectory. Russia
as a result of the crisis has lost $ 1 trillion of wealth, which is equivalent to 84% of its GDP in 2008
when the size of Russian GDP was larger than that of Canada , Spain and Brazil, which now along
with India and South Korea are likely to overtake Russia by this yardstick.
·               India, Nepal to curb illegal trade across border: India and Nepal signed a “historic” new treaty
to control unauthorized trade across the border and redefine their trade and commercial relations.
The revised “India-Nepal treaty of Trade and Agreement of Cooperation to Control Unauthorized
Trade” was signed by Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma and Nepalese Minister for
Commerce and Supplies Rajinder Mahto. The groundwork for singing of the treaty was done during
the visit of Prime Minister Madhav Nepal to New Delhi in September. The treaty aims at providing a
stabler framework, enhancing access for Nepalese primary and manufactured products to India,
promoting investments, facilitating trade through simplification of procedures, mutual recognition of
certificates and development of border infrastructure, and assisting Nepal in developing its capacity
to trade. The treaty will lead to opening four additional land customs stations, allow trade by the air
route, and help to set up an additional trade port for Nepal at Visakhapatnam. Talks are already on
for opening a trade route by rail. The significant points include extension of the treaty from five to
seven years, along with a provision of automatic extension for further periods of seven years at a
time. Turning point: The 1996 Treaty has been a turning point in the trade relations between the
two countries. It resulted in a phenomenal growth of bilateral trade from Rs. 28.1 billion in 1995-96 to
Rs. 204.8 billion in 2008-09. During this period, Nepalese exports increased from Rs. 3.7 billion to
Rs. 40.9 billion and Indian exports from Rs. 24.4 billion to Rs. 163.9 billion. The 2009 treaty allows
export of goods imported by Nepal from India to third countries without the necessity for any
manufacturing activity in the country. This will enhance exports from Nepal to third countries where it
has a better market access than India. Similarly, it will allow export of goods imported by India to
third countries.
·               China has set up an earthquake monitories station at the foot of Mount Everest: China has
set up an earthquake monitoring station at the foot of Mount Everest on the China-Nepal border.
India and China have for long been discussing joint projects for monitoring earth quake and weather
patterns in the Himalayas. But it now seems that China has decided to go ahead on its own. The
seismic monitoring facility will also help Beijing to keep a close vigil on possible testing of nuclear
devices by India, informed sources said. Seismic monitoring has been used in recent years to collect
data on nuclear testing by North Korea and judge the extent of Pyongyang’s nuclear development.
 The new monitoring station is being set up 4,255 meters above sea level at Tingri County in Xigaze
Prefecture of southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region.
·               India, China sign MoA on climate change:  Reiterating that the United Nations Framework
Convention on Climate Change and the Kyoto Protocol are the most appropriate framework for
addressing climate change, India and China signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) to establish
a partnership in the area for strengthening dialogue and practical cooperation. They agreed to set up
an India-China Working Group on Climate Change that will hold annual meetings alternately in China
and India to exchange views on important issues concerning international negotiations and domestic
policies and measures.
·               Demand for more equitable distribution of voting power: For the first time Bangalore has
been chosen as the venue for the first meeting outside New Delhi of the Foreign Ministers of India,
Russia and China. The three countries, ahead of the G20 finance ministers meeting in Scotland next
month, have pooled in their collective economic weight to push for greater voting power and
representation of developing and emerging countries in global economic bodies. “Normally, such
meetings are held in the national capitals of the host countries. The three countries also decided to
give impetus to their trilateral relations in various areas including health, agriculture and disaster
mitigation besides deciding to cooperate closely on climate change and reducing the impact of global
recession. referring to the key decisions taken at the third G20 summit in Pittsburgh, US, last month,
they called for “speedy shift” in quota share in International Monetary Fund by at least 5 % to
emerging market and developing countries and a significant increase of at least 3% of voting power
in the World Bank for developing and transition countries. The common stance of the three major
emerging economies—that together comprise 20% of the total global landmass and represent 39%
of the global population-is expected to push the ongoing process of recasting the international
economic order to accommodate developing countries in economic governance.
·               Dhruv Helicopter sold to Ecuador air force crashes: In a major setback to India's efforts to
market its indigenous helicopters in the overseas market, a Dhruv helicopter sold to the Ecuadorean
air force crashed in Quito during military parade, leaving two of the pilots injured. The helicopter,
from among the fleet of seven Dhruvs that India’s Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) sold to
Ecuador last year in a $50 million deal, was destroyed in the crash.
·               Finland tops global prosperity index: For those who value their freedom of expression as
much as health, wealth, and prosperity, then Finland is the place to be, with an  index ranking the
Nordic nation the best in the world. The 2009 Legatum Prosperity Index, compiled by the Legatum
Institute, an independent policy, advocacy and advisory organization, ranked 104 countries which
are home to 90% of the world’s population. With the exception of Switzerland, which came in at
number 2, Nordic countries dominated the top 5 slots, with Sweden in third place followed by
Denmark and Norway.
·               From Soviet-era ruin, Aral Sea is reborn: The Aral Sea was once the world's fourth-largest
body of fresh water, covering an area the size of Ireland. But then the nations around it became part
of the Soviet Union. With their passion for planned economics and giant, nature-reversing projects,
the communists diverted the rivers that fed the inland sea and used them to irrigate vast cotton
fields. The result: The Aral shrank by 90 percent to a string of isolated stretches of water. Aralsk is a
port that ended up 100 kilometers (60 miles) inland. But now, a dam built by the World Bank and
Kazakh government is slowly resurrecting a small part of the sea, reviving the fishing industry.
·               Manmohan calls for saving Himalayan eco-system: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh
emphasized the need for greater engagement and coordination with all the country’s neighbours who
share the Himalayas and pointed out that some bilateral initiatives are being taken up with China and
Bhutan in this respect. While a large part of the Himalayan range is within the Indian Territory, there
 are other countries who share the mountain ranges with India, including Nepal, Bhutan, China and
Pakistan.
·               India, U.S. to conclude three trade pacts: India and the U.S. agreed to fast-track and conclude
within a given timeframe agreements on enhancing and deepening trade and investment
engagement, and Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) cooperation agreement and an agreement for
putting in place traditional knowledge digital library. The two countries also issued a joint statement
at the end of the Sixth Ministerial Level meeting of the India-U.S. Trade Policy Forum (TPF) with
readiness to continue focus on agriculture, innovation and creativity, investment, services and tariff
and non-tariff barriers. The Indian team was headed by the Commerce and Industry Minister, Anand
Sharma, and the U.S. delegation was headed by the U.S. Trade Representative, Ron Kirk.
·               Asian Integration process an ‘Act of foresight’: India used the occasion of the fourth East
Asia Summit to wade into the debate on Asian integration, with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh
calling for an Asian Regional Trade agreement as a pivotal step towards the integration of the region
into a broader “Asian Economic Community.” Competing proposals Though India first floated the
concept of an AEC in 2005, the current debates in the region revolve around competing proposals by
Tokyo and Canberra, and, of course, Asean, which sees itself as the driving force behind regional
integration. The EAS brings together the ten countries of the Association of South-East Asian
Nations and its six dialogue partners, namely China, Japan, South Korea, India, Australia and New
Zealand.
·               Pact Signed: India granted the market economy status to Vietnam, which responded by
entering into the Indo-ASEAN free trade agreement that was signed with other members of the 10
nation block in August. The Grant of Market Economy Status (MES) will ensure that in case of any
anti dumping investigation in India against Vietnamese imports, the information provided by that
country will be taken as transparent and correct. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his
Vietnamese counterpart, Nguyen Tan Dung, applaud as minister of industry and Trade of Vietnam
Vu Huy Hoang and Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma Exchange documents after a
meeting during the 15th Asean summit in Hua Hin, Thailand.
·               Airtel Launches Ethernet in four continents: Telecom major Bharti Airtel said it has launched
Ethernet services in more than 25 cities across Asia, Europe, North America and Australia. As a
promotional offer, Bharti Airtel is offering 'One Capacity One Price' to US, UK, Singapore and Hong
Kong to both the enterprises and wholesale customers.
·               106 US Banks Collapse this Year: The number of US bank failures has surpassed the century-
mark this year, with a whopping 106 entities going out of business, the highest in nearly two
decades. Last some days seven banks were shut down by the authorities, taking the tally of failed
banks to well past hundred. Reflecting the severity of the financial meltdown, this year’s failures are
more than a four-fold increase from the 2008 level, when 25 banks were closed down. 
·               US ‘Softens’ Myanmar Stance: In the past couple of years, India has taken a lot of international
heat for its close engagement with Myanmar ruling junta when the US and EU were slamming on
sanctions, essentially driving Myanmar into even greater isolation.  Earlier, the 15th Asean Summit
issued a statement saying the Asean leaders discussed the Myanmar situation and underscored
“that the general elections to be held in Myanmar in 2010 must be conducted in a fair, free, inclusive
and transparent manner in order to be creditable to the international community”.
Economy
·               New series of WPI-based inflation soon: The Central Government decided to shift the base
year for Wholesale Price Index (WPI) based inflation from 1993-94 to 2004-05 and release the
comprehensive data on a monthly basis. However, the price movement of primary articles, including
food items, and fuel will continue to be released every week, as at present.
·               RBI kicks off exit process: The Reserve Bank of India has finally begun to withdraw from an
accommodative monetary policy, citing inflation expectations, but kept unchanged the soft interest
rates. The balancing act by RBI governor D Subbarao included raising the percentage of deposits
that banks compulsorily park with it to 25%-a 100-basis point rise. To prevent an asset bubble in the
commercial real estate sector, it has asked banks to set aside more funds as cover for loans. In the
G-20 league, India now becomes the second country after Australia to take steps that will raise
borrowing costs. RBI has injected about Rs 5.85 lakh crore in cash since September 2008 as
additional liquidity support for the Indian economy. RBI allowed domestic scheduled commercial
banks to freely open branched in Tier-3 to Tier-6, cities, that is, town with population of up to 50,000.
·               Food Industry poised to Grow by 42.5 per cent: The Indian food industry is poised to grow by
42.5 per cent from Rs. 8, 43,460 crore ($ 181 billion) to Rs.12, 02,280 crore ($ 258 billion) by 2015
and at the rate of 76 per cent to Rs.1481880 crore ($ 318 billion) by 2020, throwing up huge
opportunities for investment across the entire value chain, according to a study done by FICCI in
collaboration with Ernst and Young. The study, ‘Flavours of Incredible India – Opportunities in the
Food Industry’ notes that the Indian food industry was a significant part of the Indian economy, with
food constituting about 30 per cent of the consumer wallet. The key drivers for growth in the sector
are an increase in per capita disposable income by eight per cent over last five years that has led to
an increase in per capita consumption expenditure on food by 20 per cent over the same period.
India is one of the largest producers of milk and meat products.
·               Ready to Takeoff: The country’s largest elevated expressway-from Mehdipatnam to Aramghar-
is set to be inaugurated by Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister K. Rosaiah in Hyderabad. The 11.6 km
overpass will shorten the travel time from the Hyderabad International Airport at Shamshabad to the
city.
·               Cabinet nod for divestment in two power utilities: The Union Cabinet gave its nod to
disinvestment in two power utilities-NTPC and Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam Limited (SJVNL)-as part of its
promise to unlock value and increase public ownership of national assets. The Cabinet Committee
on Economic Affairs (CCEA), chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh gave its approval to five
percentage point stake sale in NTPC and 10 percentage point in SJVNL.
·               Pranab Mukherjee launches NSDC: Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee launched the
National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC), a unique PPP (public-private partnership)
enterprise which has been mandated to skill 30 per cent of the overall target of 500 million people by
the year 2022. Incorporated as a not-for-profit organisation by the Union Finance Ministry under Sec.
25 of the Companies Act, 1956, the NSDC has been formed as a 51:49 shareholding venture
between the private sector and the government, with contributions from all prominent industry bodies
to its initial capital.
·               Wipro in pact with DIAL to boost airport IT infra:  Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL)
and IT major Wipro, announced a 10-year outsourcing agreement to provide world-class IT
infrastructure and services at Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi. This partnership
assumes significance as New Delhi airport’s new integrated terminal (T3) will be the gateway for the
Commonwealth Games. Terminal 3 at IGIA will be one of the largest airport terminals in the world.
·               Hino Motors to focus on Indian market: Hino Motors of Japan has turned its focus on India in
marketing its range of trucks, tippers, reefer and vans.  The Japanese company has signalled its
commitment to this initiative with Masakazu Ichikawa, Executive Vice- President and a team of
officials visiting India on the occasion.
·               Import duty on rice scrapped till Sep. 2010: The Centre has scrapped import duty on rice till
September 2010 to augment domestic supply, as the twin-impact of drought and floods have
deepened fears of a dip in output by as much as 16 million tonne this year. “It is notified that the
 customs duty (70%) on rice has been scrapped till September 2010.”
·               NIIT in Global Alliance with IBM: NIIT and IBM entered into a global alliance to offer cutting
edge training programs in IBM technologies.
·               India a Dynamic IT Service Exporter: Terming India as one of the most dynamic exporters of
IT and ICT-enabled services (information and communication technology), a UN report has said
India’s exports of the entire sector have risen to an estimated $69 billion from $10 billion. India
managed to increase its export market share to 4.2 per cent from 1.6 per cent between 2002 and
2007, said the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)’s “Information
economy report 2009: trends and outlook in turbulent times”. “Between 2000 and 2007, India and
Ireland reported the largest growth in export market share in IT and ICT-enabled services. In the
case of Ireland, the world’s fourth largest exporter in 2007, its market share grew by 2.4 percentage
points to 4.6 per cent. Other dynamic developing and transition economy exporters included
Argentina, China, Kuwait, Russian Federation and Singapore.
·               Global hunger index: India is home to the world’s largest food insecure population; India rank
66th among 88 developing countries on the Global Hunger Index. Not one state in India has low or
even moderate levels of hunger; 12 states fall into the ‘alarming’ category and Madhya Pradesh has
an ‘extremely alarming’ level of hunger. Bihar and Jharkhand have hunger index levels lower than
Zimbabwe and Haiti, while Madhya Pradesh falls between Ethiopia and Chad.
·               Fresh pacts take Indo-Argentine trade relations to newer heights: Business relations
between India and Argentina would enter a new phase with the provision for free visa to those
traveling for business purposes to Argentina. Under the visa agreement signed earlier this week
during the visit of the Argentina President Cristina Kirchner, the Argentina government has agreed to
grant five year multi-entry business visas ...and that too free of cost. Stay during each visit is 90 days
extendable by another ninety days. “The embassy of India in Buenos Aires will do the same thing for
Argentine visitors.
·               RIL among top 25 global champion list: Reliance Industries, which managed to outperform
the competition in midst of meltdown in the financial markets, has been named among the top 25
global champions for 2009, Reliance Industries is the only Indian company in the 25 AT Kearney
Global Champions for 2009 list, which has been topped by Japanese firm Nintendo, followed by US-
based Google and Apple at the second and the third positions respectively.
Science and Technology
·               Bangalore to have world class research institute on climate change: India will demonstrate
to the world that “we are serious about climate change” through a set of new initiatives -the first
being the setting up of a world class institute here to carry out research on climate, global warming
and its impact on the economy and environment. “National Institute for Research on Climate and
Environment” would help build India’s own capacity for measuring, monitoring and modelling climate
at a time when most information on global warming was derived from the West. The institute would
use space-based and ground-based observation systems to create an indigenous “nucleus” for
research into all issues relating to climate, including the impact of climate change on aspects of the
economy such as agriculture and water, Mr. Ramesh said. The institute would be a joint initiative of
the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and the Union Ministry for Environment and Forests
(MoEF).
·               Submergence-tolerant rice: The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), in
collaboration with the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), has developed a rice variety with
submergence tolerance. The Central Rice Research Institute (CRRI) in Cuttack has developed a rice
variety called FR13A with submergence tolerance some years ago. But it failed to become popular
with farmers as it had low yield. Now, the ICAR and IRRI have developed a new variety, Swarna. In
 fact, this variety is a developed version of FR13A with sub 1 gene.
·               Hopes of AIDS vaccine breakthrough dashed: The first Aids vaccine to show an encouraging
result in clinical trials is only modestly effective and did not protect those at highest risk of HIV, it
emerged on 20 October, as U.S. and Thai researchers revealed their full results in Paris.
·               Microsoft launched windows 7 Operating System:: Microsoft launched the Windows 7
operating system (OS). It comes with a host of tools for multimedia applications for business and
retail customers.
·               By 2012, Russia plans to go nuclear in space: Russia’s space agency chief has proposed to
build a new spaceship-one with a nuclear engine. Anatoly Perminov told a government meeting that
the preliminary design could be ready by 2012. He said it will then take nine more years and 17
billion rubles (about $600 million) to build the ship. Russian president Dmitry Medvedev urged the
cabinet to consider providing the necessary funding. Russia is using 40-year old Soyuz booster
rockets and capsules to send crews to the International Space Station.
·               NASA is 'go' for test: NASA is set to blast off a prototype rocket that carries hopes of returning
humans to the Moon, and for the first time to Mars, despite deep uncertainty about the program's
future. The space agency said everything is in order for two-minute, 30-second test of the Ares I-X
rocket, a first look at the launch vehicle designed to replace NASA's aging space shuttle fleet. It is
the culmination of three years work on Constellation, a human space flight program conceived by
former president George W. Bush in the wake of the 2003 Columbia shuttle disaster that killed all
seven crew onboard.
·               ‘By 2015 India will be ready for Manned Moon Mission: K. Radhakrishnan, who has been
appointed Chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation, said that by 2015 India would be
ready for a manned moon mission.
·               NASA launches world’s tallest rocket: NASA launched the world’s tallest rocket, Ares I-X on a
two-minute test flight.
·               Large tunnel spotted on moon: Scientists have spotted a deep hole in the lunar surface that
could provide shelter for future astronauts against the harsh radiation and surface temperatures on
the moon. The tunnel goes at least 260 feet down and is believed to open into an underground
tunnel more than 1,200 feet wide. The discovery is powerful evidence for long, winding tunnels
carved by lava beneath the lunar surface, New Scientist magazine said in a recent report.
Person
·               K. R. Kamnath new CMD of Punjab National Bank: K. R. Kamanth has been appointed
Chairman and Managing Director of Punjab National Bank with effect from October 28. He was
earlier CMD of Allahabad Bank.
·               Patel set to become AIFF chief:  Praful Patel, All India Football federation's vice president, will
formally be elected president of the federation Patel has been the de facto head since Priya Ranjan
Dasmunsi suffered a cardiac arrest. Going by the AIFF constitution, Patel will be elected as the
president.
·               Yodhoyono begins second term: Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono began his second five-year
term as Indonesia’s first directly elected President.
·               Pfizer’s Handa is new MD of Wyeth India: Kewal Handa, managing director of Pfizer India,
has been appointed as the MD of Wyeth India Ltd.
·               R S Lodha’s son to head Birla Corp: Harsh V Lodha, son of the late R. S. Lodha, has been
appointed as the Chairman of Birla Corporation, a company which has been in news over the
ownership battle between the Birla clan and their one time auditor the late Rajendra Lodha. A BCL
release said that the company’s board of directors has taken an unanimous decision to appoint
 Harsh Lodha as the Chairman.
·               Dorjee Khandu to be sworn: Dorjee Khandu is all set to be sworn in as Arunachal Pradesh
Chief Minister for a second consecutive term. The newly elected Congress MLAs re-elected him
leader of the Congress Legislature Party (CLP).  
·               Gulzar honoured at Osian’s film Fest: Veteran lyricist poet Gulzar was honourd with lifetime
achievement Award at the 11th edition of Osian’s Cinefan film festival.
·               RBI gets new Deputy Governor: Global rating agency Standard and Poor’s (S&P) Asia-Pacific
Chief Economist Subir Gokarn will be the new Deputy Governor of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI),
Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee said. The post of Deputy Governor (for economist) in the RBI
has been lying vacant since mid-June after Rakesh Mohan quit months ahead of his retirement. The
apex bank traditionally has four deputy governors. At present, the other three deputy governors
include Usha Thorat, K. C. Chakrabarty and Shyamala Gopinath.
·               Fifth term for Ben Ali: Tunisia’s President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali was re-elected for a fifth term
with an overwhelming 89 per cent of the vote.
Sports
·               Another feather in Jeev Milkha's cap: Jeev Milkha Singh will reach another milestone in his
illustrious career when he becomes the first Indian to tee off at the 16-man World matchplay
championships.
·               Ghana wins uder-20 World Football Cup: Ghana held on with 10 men to beat Brazil in a
penalty shootout to become the first African team to win the under-20 World Cup and end a decade
of South American dominance.
·               Vettori named NZ cricketer of the year: Daniel Vettori was named New Zealand cricketer of
the year as part of a hat-tric of awards for the captain of the national team.
·               David Shephered dead: Former Test Match umpire and Gloucestershire cricketer David
Shepherd died from cancer at the age of 68. As umpire, Shepherd stood in 92 Tests and 172 ODIs,
including three World Cup finals.
·               Rossi Captures Seventh Title: Defending World champion Valentino Rossi claimed his seventh
MotoGP title in a thrilling race in wet conditions at the Malaysian MotoGP.
Book Authors
·               More Salt Than Pepper: Karan Thapar
·               Another Way to Live-A Psychiatrist Among Indian Ascetics: R.L. Kapur
·               Stars and superstition: Shammi Sukh
·               The Great Indian Love Story: Ira Trivedi
·               Global Shift in the World Mind: Ervin Laszio
·               Pre and Early Chalukya Sculpture-Origin and Development: R. H. Kaulkarni
·               Law of Connection: Michael J Losier: Hodder  and Stoghton
·               I am another You:  Priya Kumar
·               Sri Lanka From War to Peace: Nitin A Gokhale
·               The Second Hand: Nilesh Shrivastava
·               Gandhi toady: S.V. Prabath
·               Ethics, Language and Tradition-Essay in Philosophy of Professor Rajendra Prasad:
Bijayananda Kar
·               Dr. B.R.  Ambedkar’s Philosophy of Social Justice and its Relevance: G. Bhadru Naik, V.
Rajasekhar
·               Earth in Peril: P. S. Gopinath
·               O My Darling India-A. Sathyanarayanan
·               Global Warming-An International Issue: Rajendra Chauhan
·               India-Perspectives of Equitable Development – S. Mahendra Dev, N. Chandrasekhara Rao
Award
·               Manna Dey conferred Dadasaheb Phalke Award: Legendary play back singer Manna Dey,
who has enthralled audiences for over five decades, was conferred the Dadasaheb Phlke award by
President Pratibha Patil at the 55th National Film Awards ceremony.
·               Asha Pande: Prof. Asha Pande of Rajasthan University’s Department of Foreign Languages
here who has been nominated for the highest civilian award of France this year attributes it to her
tireless work spanning three decades devoted to promotion of French education and culture in
Rajasthan. The President of the French Republic, Nicolas Sarkozy, has chosen Dr. Pande for the
award of Ordre national de la Légion d’honneur (National Order of the Legion of Honour), the highest
decoration in France, in recognition of her outstanding contribution to French culture and ethos.
Miscellaneous
·               Maldives Cabinet to hold underwater meeting: Maldivian President Mohamed Nasheed is to
preside over the world’s first underwater Cabinet meeting off the island of Girifushi, about 20 minutes
journey from the capital Male, to draw global attention to the pressing issue of climate change.
·               Tagore's house to be renovated: The nearly 120-year-old ‘Bichitra Bhavan,’ which served as
the living quarters of Rabindranath Tagore in the city and was pivotal in the life and works of the
Nobel laureate, is going to be restored by the Rabindra Bharati University in preparation for the
150th birth anniversary celebrations of the poet.
·               Nasa, Google seeks ways to save forests: Space agencies and Google Incare helping an
international project to monitor forests by satellite to fight global warming. Deforestation from Brazil
to Indonesia is blamed for emitting about a fifth of all greenhouse gases from human activities. The
system would aim to make annual assessments of forest carbon stocks, compared to a current five-
year cycle.
·               First World Pneumonia Day on November 2: November 2 will be observed as the first World
Pneumonia Day by a coalition of more than 50 child health organisations from across the world to
ensure that necessary intervention reaches children in the world’s most vulnerable countries.
·               No more ‘tall’ claims in food ads: The government is set to come down hard on food and
beverage companies which make ‘tall’ claims about the benefits of their products through
advertisements. These companies will soon have to follow a code — specifically drawn up for them
by the government, which restricts misleading and deceptive claims to consumers on the effect of
products on nutrition, health, exceptional intelligence or physical ability. At present, there is no legal
framework in the country regulating advertising standards on food and beverage companies. All
claims made by companies, in ads should be based and supported by scientific evidence.
·               Heathrow ‘Worst’ airport again: London’s Heathrow Airport has been voted the worst airport in
the world for the second year running while Singapore’s Changi was again ranked as the best, Paris’
Charles de Gaulle airport as the world’s second worst with Los Angeles International Airport coming
third despite a recent $1 billion overhaul.
·               Taj Mahal replica in New Zealand soon: A group of Indians have drawn up a $20 million plan
to build a replica of the Taj Mahal in this New Zealand city. The miniature version of the monument to
love is planned to be built at the Mahatma Gandhi Centre in New North Road, in the Auckland.
01 to 15 Nov, 2009

National

·                     7 of 8 Northeast States lag Behind avg. India Income: The Northeast is on a downward
spiral. Latest data shows that incomes in seven of eight northeastern states are now below the
national average. Just 15 years ago, four of these states had income levels higher than the
country’s average. Mizoram is the only state where per capita income has remained above the
national average through the past decade and a half. Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland and Sikkim
had incomes 10% to 20% higher than the national average in 1993-94. All three have now
crashed below it. Arunachal is below the national benchmark by over 15% while Nagaland is
lagging by a whopping 25%. Sikkim is fractionally below the national average by 2%. Of the
remaining four states, always poor in terms of incomes, three have slid even further down.
 Assam and Manipur are trailing by over 35%, compared to about 25% in 1993-94. Meghalaya
used to be 10% below the national average, now it is 17% behind.

·                     Cyclone Phyan Kills four in Maharashtra: Cyclone Phyan, which passed along the
Mumbai and Konkan coasts, claimed four lives and caused massive damage to property in the
coastal districts of Ratnagiri, Raigad, Sindhudurg, Thane and Palghar in Maharashtra.

·                     Three More Rajasthan Monuments in ASI List: The Archaeological Survey of India has
enlisted three more historic monuments in Rajasthan for inclusion in the category of protected
buildings. The ASI’s State office has sent a proposal in the connection to the Centre. According
to an official release, the proposal includes a historic, rare nine-storey ‘baori’ (step-well) of the
17th or 18th Century situated in Neemrana town of Alwar district. Its structural design is stated to
be a matchless example of architecture. The two other monuments are a historic fort on the hills
in Jamwa Ramgarh tehsil of Jaipur district and the Todarai Singh Palace in Tonk district.

·                     Entrepreneur centre in Chandigarh: An Entrepreneur Development Centre was

inaugurated at the Rajiv Gandhi Chandigarh Technology Park in Chandigarh. It aims to enhance
software exports and develop professionals potential and capabilities in a state of the art
environment.

·                     Farmer’s commission to be set up in Haryana: The Haryana Government decided to set
up a Farmers’ Commission within three months to safeguard the interests of the farming
community and also decided to enhance the financial incentive admissible under Indira Gandhi
Priyadarshini Vivah Shagun Yojana from Rs.15,000 to Rs.31,000 with effect from November 19,
which coincides with the birth anniversary of the late Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.

·                     Recent Major disasters at Oil Installations: Oct.2006-Fire at reliance Jamnagar refinery,
July.2005- ONGC’s Mumbai High fire, Sep.2005-Fire at ONGC rig in Andhra, Sep. 2005 Major
fire in OIL India’s oil well in upper Assam, Sep 1997, HPCL Vizag refinery explosion.

·                     India to Raise Drug seizure Issue with EU: Perturbed by repeated confiscation of Indian
drugs by European Union (EU) authorities en route Africa and Latin America ostensibly on patent
issue, the government will raise the matter during the India-EU summit. Both commerce and
industry minister Anand Sharma head of European Union delegation to India Daniele Smadia
said that the issue would be discussed at the highest level.

·                     India Registers 500mn Phone Customers: Trai: India’s telephone customer base has
crossed the 500 million mark 15 months ahead of target, official figures released showed. The
government had forecast India would hit half a billion phone users by the end of 2010, but it
crossed this level in September. 

·                     New Scheme to cut infant, Maternal Mortality Rate: Aimed at reducing the infant and
maternal mortality rate, a new programme, Navjat Shishu Suraksha Karyakaram, has been
launched to train health care providers at health centres across the country. They are imparted
training in resuscitation, prevention of infections and hypothermia, and in early initiation of
women to breastfeeding the New born. Another priority area would be strengthening the
government’s resolve towards population stabilisation. Eleven States and Union Territories have
 already reached the replacement level of total fertility. In the coming months, the Ministry would
focus on Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, Assam, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and
Chhattisgarh, which have high total fertility rates (TFR). “Though achievement of a TFR of 2.1 by
2010 seems impossible, as we were at 2.7 in 2007, we will make all efforts to ensure that we
move closer towards replacement levels by 2015,” Mr. Azad said. This exercise helped to identify
288 districts which account for 80 per cent of maternal and infant deaths; and primary health
centres and community health centres that are geographically remote and difficult to access
within villages and blocks which have a high percentage of the Scheduled Castes and the
Scheduled Tribes. “In these areas, we are now formulating a comprehensive package of
additional incentives to health workers and doctors. We intend to give special focus on new-born
care, as nearly 23 per cent of the neonatal deaths occur in the first two days of birth,” he said.
Asphyxia, hypothermia and sepsis are major causes of such deaths.

·                     Delhi, Mumbai in Richest Cities by 2025: PwC: India’s financial hub Mumbai and political
capital Delhi are likely to witness a significant jump in economic growth along with other
emerging markets and make it to the league of the world’s wealthiest cities by 2025, a report
says. “New York, London and Paris may tip off the tongue as the world’s top cities in terms of
wealth but over the next 15 years emerging cities like Sao Paulo, Shanghai and Mumbai will give
them a run for their money,” the Observer said quoting a research report of consultancy firm
Price water house Coopers. The league table of the world’s great cities is going to change
radically between now and 2025, thanks to the economic growth of many cities in the emerging
world, which is likely to be much stronger than that in many developed economies.

·                     Notice to 14 States on Discrimination in Levying Entertainment Tax on Films: The

Supreme Court has issued notice to 14 States seeking their response as to why they levied
higher entertainment tax on films in languages other than the official State language. A Bench of
Justices S.H. Kapadia and Aftab Alam issued notice on a writ petition filed by Hyderabad-based
Aashirvad Films challenging the notification issued by the Andhra Pradesh government levying
higher taxes on non-Telugu films produced and released in Andhra Pradesh. The petition
pertained to Andhra Pradesh the court permitted the petitioner to implead 13 other States after
senior counsel Harish Salve and Counsel K.V. Dhananjay pointed out that 14 States including
Andhra Pradesh were indulging in such discrimination in levy of taxes.

International

·                     Mineral and Metal Trading Company Corporation (MMTC) Swiss Firm to Start Coin
Minting: Government Owned Trading Company MMTC Limited has joined hands with Swiss
Precious Metals Refiner PAMP SA to start gold refining and minting of coins displaying the
coloured picture of the Indian world heritage sites. The JV Company, MMTC-PAMP, with MMTC
holding at 26%, its employees 2% and the foreign partner PAMP the rest 72%, will be situated in
Gurgaon near Delhi. Chairman of MMTC Sanjiv Batra said that the new facility will have the
refining capacity of 300 tonne of gold, 300 tonne of silver. That means, the plant will have the
refining capacity of almost half of the India’s gold import at 600 tonnes annually. It can also mint
3 million pieces of medals annually. Batra said that the company wills also exports gold and silver
medals to other countries like China.
·                     India, China Top Priority Mkts: Honda: Honda listed India and China among “top priority”
markets globally as growth remains doubtful in traditional volume markets in Europe and US.
Takanobu Ito, Newly-appointed president and CEO of Honda Motor, said the company would like
business and to grow in India as well as China which were the only few markets across the world
to witness growth in numbers, “our top priority is on china and India, where we would like to grow
the size of our business as much as possible.

·                     Forbes most Powerful: Obama on top; Osama Makes it, too: Four Indians, including
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and fugitive Dawood Ibrahim, have made it to the Forbes list of
the world’s most powerful people topped by US president Barack Obama. Obama is followed by
Chinese President Hu Jintao and Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin in the Forbes annual
rankings that also features world’s most wanted terrorist Osama bin Laden. Among the four
Indians, Singh has been ranked highest at 36th position, while the country’s top corporate house
Reliance Industries’ chief Mukesh Ambani finds himself ranked 44th ahead of Tata Group
chairman Ratan Tata (59th).

·                     Japan, U.S For Nuclear Free World: Japan and the United States agreed to “explore
ways to enhance a new [global] framework for civil nuclear cooperation … without increasing the
risks of proliferation” of atomic weapons. This issue was discussed by Japanese Prime Minister
Yukio Hatoyama and U.S. President Barack Obama in Tokyo. In a joint statement on “a world
without nuclear weapons,” issued after these talks, Japan and the U.S. pledged to “work
actively…to achieve the total elimination of nuclear weapons” across the world. The two
governments would seek to achieve this goal in a manner that would “not in any way diminish the
national security of Japan and the United States of America and its allies.” The statement
addressed their concerns about the nuclear programmes in North Korea and Iran. The two sides
also “agree that cradle-to-grave nuclear fuel management could be one important element of the
[envisioned] framework.” Japan and the U.S. further pledged their “support for efforts to secure
all vulnerable nuclear material around the world within four years.” In a “joint message on climate
change negotiations,” also issued after Mr. Obama held talks with Mr. Hatoyama at his office, the
two sides said they “aspire to reduce our own [greenhouse gas] emissions by 80 per cent 2050
and endorse a global goal of reducing emissions by 50 per cent by that year.” The reference year
for these percentages was not spelt out in the “message.”

·                     ‘Emission Rate Alarming in China, India’: Japan said that greenhouse gases emission
rate in China and India had reached an alarming proportion and hoped that a legally binding
agreement would be arrived at Copenhagen to prevent global warming. Talking to journalists
from South East Asia here, Yoshiko Kijima, senior negotiator for Climate Change, Climate
Change Division, International Cooperation Bureau, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said that an
agreement at Copenhagen was also important because the negotiations would not only be about
climate change but also on economic competitiveness, including transfer of technology and
green technology. Asked whether Japan was ready to accept forest cover as part of the
negotiations on climate change, as proposed by China and India, Ms. Kijima said forests had the
potential of acting as carbon sinks.

·                     “China gave Pakistan Uranium for Nuclear Bombs: China provided Pakistan with a “do-
it-yourself” kit and weapons grade uranium for making two nuclear bombs in 1982, a leading
American daily said, quoting notes made by disgraced Pakistani scientist A. Q. Khan. The
Washington Post said the deliberate act of proliferation was part of a secret nuclear deal struck in
1976 between Chinese leader Mao Zedong and Pakistan’s Prime Minister Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto.

·                     Grounding of IL-76 Worries IAF: Russia’s move to ground its entire Ilyushin-76 fleet after
one of the heavy-lift military aircraft crashed in Siberia, killing the 11 crew members on board,
has sparked widespread concerns in India. IAF has two IL-76 ‘Gajraj’ squadrons (around 12
 aircraft in all), one based in Nagpur and other in Chandigarh, as well as six IL-78 mid-air
refuellers in Agra. The aircraft crash in Russia, soon after taking off from Mirny Airport in the
Sakha Republic, was the second such accident of IL-76, the mainstay of the Soviet and Russian
air force since the 1970s, in less than a month. “We have received no official word from Russia
till now. We are trying to find out what led to the crash. Checks will be carried out on our IL-76s
but there is no plan to ground them as of now,” said a senior IAF officer. “Russia had also
grounded its entire MiG-29 fleet earlier this year but we did not follow suit with our MiG-29
fighters. We have proper maintenance procedures in place and carried out extensive checks,” he
added.

·                     Runoff Scrapped, Karzai Declared Winner in Polls: Afghanistan’s election commission
proclaimed President Hamid Karzai the victor of the country’s tumultuous ballot, canceling a
planned runoff and ending a political crisis two and a half months after a fraud marred first round.
The cancellation of vote came one day after Former Foreign Minister Abdullah Abdullah
announced the wasp pulling out of the November 7 vote.

·                     India, Nepal meet in Kathmandu: India and Nepal reiterated their commitment not to
allow their territories for cross-border terrorism. However, no decision was taken on the pending
extradition treaty and the threats posed by Maoists. “We agreed on a coordinated effort to
prevent cross-border terrorism,” said Home Secretary G.K. Pillai while addressing a joint press
conference with his Nepali counterpart, Govind Prasad Kusum, in Kathmandu.

·                     China Africa meet in Cairo: China has begun a new round of engagement with West Asia
and Africa with Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao embarking on a visit to Egypt where he will
also participate in a key meeting of the China-Africa cooperation forum. During talks with his
Egyptian counterpart, Ahmed Nazef, Mr. Wen spoke about enhancing Chinese investments in
what is called the China-Egypt Suez economic and trade cooperation zone project. Energy tie
ups and infrastructure development were also identified as priority areas. Mr. Wen will travel to
the Egyptian resort of Sharm-el-Sheikh for a meeting of the Forum on China-Africa Co-operation,
which has linked China with 48 African countries.

·                     Microsoft Launches Online Services in India: Software major Microsoft today launched
'Online Services' in India, which will allow small and medium businesses (SMBs) and enterprise
customers to access e-mail and conferencing solutions through Internet, for as low as $2 per
user a month. "Customers can access a suite of products directly from the company website and
pay a use-based monthly subscription fee.

·                     China Offers Huge aid to Africa: China reinforced its credentials as a pro-Third World
economic powerhouse by offering billions of dollars of concessional loans to Africa and pledging
to contribute significantly to the continent’s skilled human resources base. Addressing delegates
from 50 countries, participating in the two-day Forum on China-Africa Cooperation at the
Egyptian Red Sea resort of Sharm-el-Sheikh, Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao promised $10
billion of preferential loans to Africa over the next three years. China, he said, would also launch
a partnership with Africa on science and technology, which would allow 100 African postdoctoral
fellows to carry out scientific research in China, Xinhua reported. By 2012, Chinese government
scholarships to Africa would rise to 5,500, and around 20,000 African professionals would be
trained over the next three years. China’s ambitious plans also include building 50 schools and
training 1,500 school principals and teachers for Africa. Agriculture would be another focal area
of the evolving China-Africa relationship. China would increase the number of its agricultural
technology demonstration centres in Africa to 20.  It would send 50 agricultural technology teams
to Africa and train 2,000 agricultural technology personnel, to help boost the continent’s food
security. In the field of health-care, China would provide medical equipment and anti-malaria
materials worth $73.2 million to 30 hospitals and 30 malaria prevention and treatment centres
 built by China. Around 3,000 doctors and nurses would also be trained under this initiative.   Mr.
Wen said China would further open up its market to African products, with provisions of duty free
access to 95 per cent of the products produced by the least developed African countries.

·                     G-20 Agrees on Timetable for Framework to Promote Balanced Global Economy: The
finance ministers of G-20 nations have agreed on a timetable for the new framework for balanced
and sustainable growth of the global economy, but made a little progress on financing efforts to
reduce global warming. The world’s leading developed and emerging economies committed to
have peer review and “more specific policy recommendations” in place by next November. The
finance ministers during the two-day meeting at St Andrews in Scotland hoped that if all countries
put political weight behind the negotiations over the next year, the world can recover without
developing the huge trade and financial imbalances of the past decade.

·                     Yahoo aims to Grow Operation in India: Yahoo Inc. wants to triple its operating margin
to 15-20% over the next three years by increasing revenue and keeping costs under control,
chief executive carol Bartz said. She also said that Yahoo planned to expand its business in India
and hire more people there as it targets emerging markets with low internet penetration and high
growth potential. She would be heading from Singapore to India, she said, where she is
scheduled to meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and other senior officials.

·                     Gender Equality Index: India Ranks a Poor 113: India may be weighed down by the
daily spectacle of honour killings and female foeticide, but something positive seems to be
emerging on the front of political empowerment of women. According to the latest Global Gender
Gap Report (GGGR) prepared by the World Economic Forum (WEF), India ranks 25th on a list of
160 countries, leaving behind developed countries like the US and Australia in this category.
However, India’s overall ranking is a dismal 113 in the Global Gender Gap Index of 2008. Even
India’s ranking among the 36 lower middle-income group of countries is 31. The report ranks
countries according to gender equality rather than women’s empowerment and underlines rich
countries have more education and health opportunities for all members of society in comparison
to others.

·                     China’s Fighter Jets for Pakistan: In a move that could further add to the growing
tensions between New Delhi and Beijing, China has agreed to sell up to 150 of its most
advanced home-made J-10 fighter jets to Pakistan in a deal potentially worth $6 billion, according
to reports. The South China Morning Post reported that the two countries had agreed on the sale
and that Pakistan wanted them “delivered soon”. The paper quoted an unnamed official of the
China Aviation Industries Corporation (AVIC), which manufactured the aircraft. The report was
not immediately confirmed by authorities in Beijing. China and Pakistan first began negotiating a
deal over the sale of 36 J-10 in 2006 during Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf’s visit to
Beijing. Reports said Pakistan would first purchase 36 aircraft, but the deal could eventually see
Islamabad buying up to 150 aircraft.

·                     India, Columbia Sing Bilateral Agreement: India and Columbia inked a bilateral
investment promotion and protection agreement. The agreement was signed by Commerce and
Industry Minister Anand Sharma and Minister of Commerce, Industry and Tourism of Columbia
Luis Guillermo Plata. After signing of the agreement, both Ministers hoped that the agreement
would serve as a catalyst in boosting investment flows between the two countries. The
agreement aims at enhancing bilateral investment and technology flows between the two
countries, by creating favourable conditions for investors.

Economy

·                     IDRs: What is an IDR?  An IDR is an Instrument Denominated in Indian Rupees in the
 form of a depository receipt created against the underlying equity of the issuing firm. Essentially,
the foreign firm would issue its equity shares to an overseas custodian bank, which in turn would
authorize a domestic (Indian) depository to issue IDRs to investors. The IDR would be listed on a
recognized stock exchange in India and traded like any other listed security. The IDR would
derive value from the underlying equity shares of the foreign firm, and the holder would be
entitled to participate in the dividends or other corporate actions (bonus, rights etc.), just as
GDRs of Indian firms.  The issue and operation of IDRs are governed, primarily, by the
Companies (Issue of Indian Depository Receipts) Rules, 2004 and the Sebi (Issue of Capital and
Disclosure Requirements) Regulations, 2009. RBI, on its part, has operationalized IDRs under
the exchange control regime. Regulatory framework The IDR rules and Sebi regulations lay down
the eligibility criteria for the issuing foreign company as under: • Pre-issue paid-up capital and
free reserves of at least $50 million (Rs234.5 crore) • Average market capitalization (over the last
three years) in the home country should be at least $100 million • Continuous trading track record
for at least the three preceding years. • Dividend track records for three out of five preceding
years • Continuous listing and compliance track record in the home country.

·                     Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd. (BHEL) wins Rs. 91 cr. Order From UK Company: State run
Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd (BHEL) said it has won a Rs. 91 crore order from UK based Power
Engineers Contracting Inc to supply gas turbine generating unit for its Nasiryah Power Project in
Iraq BHEL has also singed a memorandum of under standing with the firm for supplying gas
turbine generators and steam turbine generators for future projects in Iraq, the Indian company
said.

·                     Cabinet to Decide on SAIL, NMDC Divestment in Dec: The proposal of disinvesting
stakes of steel authority of India Ltd (SAIL) and National Mineral Development Corporation
(NMDC) will go to the cabinet by December, according the Union steel ministry Virbhadra Singh.
“We will try to do some disinvestments of SAIL within the current financial year,” Singh said.
Union steel secretary Atul Chaturvedi said that the government was proposing a divestment of
NMDC and SAIL through a combination of fresh equity and offer of sale of existing government
equity. The minister said that the country is expected to produce 54 million tonne of steel in the
current year, considerably short of the domestic demand it is witnessing. While the demand
internally is growing by 9% production is growing by 4.5% Singh said on the sidelines of an
award ceremony of the Indian institute of metals. While the overall steel sector is expected to
perform better this year, government owned SAIL and NMDC are also expected to do the same.
A public issue of the two government companies is expected to generate considerable additional
resources to the government, an official said meanwhile, the merger of the Orissa government
owned Orissa Mineral Development Corporation and Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Ltd, the
Visakhapatnam based government owned steel maker would be completed by January,
Chaturvedi said.

·                     Posco’s Orissa Ops may Start by Jan: World’s fourth-largest steel maker Posco’s Rs.
54,000-crore project in Orissa may get off the ground by January next year as the state
government is “actively working” to remove the hurdles coming in the way of the mega steel
plant.

·                     Linking Ken and Betwa Rivers to Cost Rs7, 615 crore: A project to link the Ken river in
Uttar Pradesh with the Betwa river in Madhya Pradesh is likely to cost Rs. 7,615 crore, according
to a detailed project report prepared by the ministry of water resources. The project involves
building 231km of canals to divert surplus water from the Ken river basin to the water-deficient
Betwa basin, which would provide irrigation to 155,000ha of farm land in Uttar Pradesh and
490,000ha in Madhya Pradesh.

·                     Full Circle: India Buys IMF gold: More than 18 years after New Delhi pawned 67 tons of
 gold to tide over a balance of payments crisis, the Reserve Bank of India has bought thrice that
amount of gold from the International Monetary Fund to diversify its assets. The IMF announced
the sale of 200 metric tons of gold to the RBI, saying it represented almost half of the total sales
volume of 403.3 metric tons that was approved by the Fund's Executive Board in September.

·                     SAIL Plans to Build steel Plant in Jharkhand: The nation’s biggest state-run producer,
steel authority of India Ltd (SAIL), plans to build a 10 million tonne (mt) steel mill in expectation of
beating Arcelor Mittel for the rights to control the nation’s biggest Iron ore reserves.  Sites for a
plant to exploit the Chiria deposit in Jharkhand are being short listed, Chairman S.K Roongta said
without specifying the cost or time frame.

·                     IRDA, SEBI Discuss Rules for IPO:  The Insurance Regulatory and Development
Authority (IRDA) is in discussion with the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI)
regarding guidelines to be followed for the initial public offer (IPO) by an insurance company,
IRDA Chairman J. Hari Narayan said.

·                     HSBC Global Buys Stake in L&T: Foreign fund HSBC Global Investment Funds Mauritius
has acquired 0.68 per cent stake in engineering major Larsen and Toubro, after buying shares
worth Rs. 628.72 crore, through an open market transaction.

·                     BHEL bags order for 126 MW gas Turbine Generating Unit from Oman: Bharat Heavy
Electricals Limited (BHEL) has received a prestigious export order for two Gas Turbine
Generating Units of 126 MW each from the Sultanate of Oman, valued at Rs. 205 crore, the
order envisages supply and supervision of erection and commissioning of one number state of
the art 126 MW gas turbine generation unit for a power project being set up by PDO at Qarn
Alam.

·                     Anti Dumping Duty fails to cure Silk Import form China: India has failed to control
imports of silk from China despite imposing anti-dumping duty on both raw silk and silk fabric.
The country imported silk items like raw silk, silk yarn and fabric worth Rs 1,713 crore in 2008-09,
up from Rs. 1,597 crore in the previous fiscal. In value terms, raw silk imports increased to Rs
900 crore in 2008-09 from Rs. 734 crore a year ago. In addition, India imported silk yarn and
fabrics worth Rs. 812 crore primarily from China during 2008-09. In terms of volume, India's total
raw silk imports increased to 8,369 tonne in 2008-09 from 7,922 tonne a year ago. Of this, a
major chunk of 8,297 tonne was imported from China, up from 7,840 tonne in the previous fiscal.
Besides China, India imported a minuscule amount of 72 tonne of raw silk from Uzbekistan,
Brazil, Hong Kong, Vietnam and a few other countries.

·                     Tata Steel In pact with New Millennium: Tata Steel, through its subsidiary, Tata Steel
Global Minerals Holdings, has entered into joint venture agreement with New Millennium Capital
Corp and LalMag Limited (NML) Partnership (through its general partner) for development of the
direct shipment ore (DSO) project in Canada. DSO project contains a resource of about 100
million tonnes of direct shipping quality ore. NML expects to produce four million tonnes of iron
ore products annually from the DSO project.

Science and Technology

·                     White revolution: Beijing Seeds clouds for early snow: Beijing residents woke up morning
to a city turned white with snow that came far ahead of the winter. It was only in the later part of
the day that people learnt that 186 doses of silver iodide went into persuading the clouds to
release the snow flakes. The meteorological department said that it had started seeding the
 clouds from 8pm to beat down the drought lingering in and around Beijing.  The department
claimed success in producing 16 million tones of snow for the city. “We won’t miss any
opportunity of artificial precipitation since Beijing is suffering from the drought,” said Zhang
Qiang, who is in charge of the Beijing metrological office, said in a statement.

·                     How Climate change hits desert plant life: As the climate gets warmer, arid soils lose
nitrogen as gas, reports a new study. That could lead to deserts with even less plant life than
they sustain today. This is a way of damage to an ecosystem, into accounted for before.

·                     Cervical Cancer Cured, prevented in mice: Researchers at the University of Wisconsin
Madison School of medicine and public health have eliminated cervical cancer in mice with two
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved drugs currently used to treat breast cancer and
osteoporosis.

·                     Researchers make ice cream healthy, tastier: Ice Cream researchers at the University of
Missouri have discovered ways to make ice cream tastier and healthier. Now they are adding
nutrients such as fibre, antioxidants and pro-biotics to premium ice cream.

·                     Mitigation of climate change by glacial melt: Large blooms of phytoplankton are
flourishing in areas of open water left exposed by the rapid melting of glaciers around the
Antarctic Peninsula. As they die and sink to the sea-bed they can store carbon for millions of
years.

·                     World’s Tallest tower in final LEG: Bruj Dubai, the World’s tallest tower being built in
Dubai, is nearing completion with the final leg of world on interiors and landscaping under
progress, the developer of the project has announced.

·                     NASA finds Frozen water on Moon: A "significant amount" of frozen water has been
found on the moon, the US space agency said heralding a major leap forward in space
exploration and boosting hopes of a permanent lunar base. Preliminary data from a moon probe
"indicates the mission successfully uncovered water in a permanently shadowed lunar crater,"
NASA said in a statement. "The discovery opens a new chapter in our understanding of the
moon," it added, as ecstatic scientists celebrated the landmark discovery. The data was found
after NASA sent two spacecraft crashing into the lunar service last month in a dramatic
experiment to probe Earth's nearest neighbor for water.

·                     Mars Exploration by 2030: ISRO Chief: Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)
Chairman K. Radhakrishnan has said exploration of Mars will take a tangible shape by 2030. He
called it the “next logical frontier in space” after Chandrayaan-II, which will be put in place by
2013 with robots and rovers to study the surface of the moon. Speaking after receiving the
prestigious ‘Dr. Y. Nayudamma Memorial Gold Medal’ at the second Andhra Pradesh Science
Congress, jointly conducted by the Andhra Pradesh Akademi of Sciences and Sri Venkateswara
University here, Dr. Radhakrishnan spoke of ISRO’s latest initiative on interplanetary exploration
and the study on ensuring human presence in the solar system.

·                     Coming Soon: A Device that Smells Human Fear: Modern science is well on its way to
gauge human emotions; with scientists in Britain developing what they call its a "fear detector"
which can smell human fear found in sweat. A team at the City University London is working on
the unique device which relies on a technology that recognises a pheromone, or scent signal,
produced in human sweat when a person is scared. And, according to the scientists, the "fear
detector" will make it possible to identify individuals at check points who are up to no good.
Terrorists with murder in mind, drug smugglers, or criminals on the run are likely to be very
fearful of being discovered-however, calm they might appear on the surface, their bodies could
 give them away, they said.

·                     In a First, Heart Surgery via Radiation: In what’s claimed to be a surgical feat, British
doctors have carried out the world’s first heart operation using radiation technology. A team at
Harley Street clinic, London, successfully conducted the operation on a 67 year old, which
involved highly focused radiation as a “Scalpel” to cut away the tumour inside his heart. The
treatment is the first time the radiation scalpel, called the “Cyber knife”, and has been used in a
heart operation.

·                     Scientists Map Pig Genome: An international team of scientists announced that it had
produced a first draft of the genome of a domesticated pig, an achievement that researchers say
will lead to insights in agriculture, medicine, conservation and evolution. The draft sequence,
which is about 98% complete, will allow researchers to pinpoint genes that are useful to pork
production.

·                     ‘No Snow on Kilimanjaro in 20 Yrs’: The snow capping Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa’s tallest
peak, is shrinking rapidly and could vanish altogether in 20 years, most likely due to global
warming, a US study published said. The ice sheet that capped Kilimanjaro in 1912 was 85%
smaller by 2007, and since 2000 the existing ice sheet has shrunk by 26%, the
paleoclimatologists said. This is the first time researchers have calculated the volume of ice lost
from the mountain’s ice fields,” said study co-author Lonnie Thompson, professor of earth
sciences at Ohio State University.

·                     First Malaria Vaccine May be Ready in 3 Years: The most clinically advanced malaria
vaccine so far should be ready for use in three to five years after Phase three trials began in
May, researchers. The vaccine -- known as the RTS,S -- is targeted to be at least 50 percent
effective against the severe form of malaria and to last up to one year. "We believe and hope that
in three to five years from today we will be able to put the vaccine in use," Joe Cohen, the
vaccine's co-inventor and a GlaxoSmithKline researcher told AFP. Up to 16,000 children aged
between six weeks to 17 months in seven African countries-Burkina Faso Gabon, Ghana, Kenya,
Malawi, Mozambique and Tanzania-will be vaccinated. "This is a tremendous moment in the fight
against malaria and the culmination of more than two decades of research, including 10 years of
clinical trials in Africa," said Cohen. Malaria is the world's deadliest infectious disease. It kills
around 900,000 people every year, mainly children under five in sub-Saharan Africa. Phase three
tests monitor safety and potential side effects and evaluate efficacy on a large scale.

·                     2,800 Species on Endangered List: A rare tree frog found only in central Panama could
soon croak its last, as deforestation and infection push the species toward extinction, an
environmental group said. The Rabb’s fringe-limbed tree frog, which only became known to
science four years ago, is one of 1,895 amphibian species that could soon disappear in the wild,
according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Switzerland-based IUCN
surveyed a total of 47,677 animals and plants for this year’s “Red List” of endangered species
and determined that 17,291of them are threatened with extinction.

·                     High Fissile Fuel in Nuclear Submarine Lasts Long: Every year, on October 30,
scientists, engineers and other officials from the Department of Atomic Energy gather near the
Central Complex Building, Trombay to celebrate the Founder’s Day. Being the Birth Centenary
year of Dr. Homi Bhabha, this year’s celebration was unique. The stock taking of the research
and development activities at the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) covered compact
reactor for Arihant (the nuclear submarine), improved gas centrifuges for uranium enrichment,
fuel fabrication for fast reactors and work on innovative reactors among other areas in the cutting
edge of technologies. BARC designed, developed and built the steam generating unit of Arihant
by facing many technical challenges “The compact Pressurized Water Reactor was designed for
 this purpose with several features; such as very quick response for power ramping, extremely
stable undership motions and resistance against exposure to very high acceleration resulting
from eventual depth charges”, Dr Sukumar Banerjee, Director, BARC said in his Founder’s Day
Address “Since the nuclear reactor is fuelled with high fissile containing fuel, it can supply energy
in the submerged condition for an extended period without refuelling”, he clarified. Details about
the reactor are classified. Generally, Pressurized Water Reactors (PWR) power nuclear
submarines. A PWR has a core of highly enriched uranium. When uranium nuclei undergo
fission, the fission fragments carry enormous energy. They dissipate the energy in the core which
gets heated up. The high pressure primary system with water as coolant removes the heat from
the core continuously. Water at high temperature enters the steam generators. In the steam
generators, the heat from the water in the primary system is transferred to the secondary system
to create steam. In the secondary system, the steam flows from the steam generators to drive the
turbine generators, which supply the ship with electricity, and to the main propulsion turbines,
which drive the propeller. After passing through the turbines, the steam condenses into water
which is fed back to the steam generators by the feed pumps. Naval reactors pitch and roll.
Demands of power change rapidly. Prototype system: The development of the steam generating
plant of Arihant was preceded by setting up of the land based prototype system at Kalpakkam.
The reactor which has been working for the past three years has served as a technology
demonstrator. “The entire plant with primary, secondary, electrical and propulsion system along
with its integrated control was packed in the aft end of a land based submarine hull designed and
built specifically for the purpose. This protoype is serving as a training centre for the crew for the
nuclear submarine”, Dr Banerjee said. The crew gets training with the help of an indigenously
designed and built full scope simulator. 

·                     Nanoparticles in Medical Equipment Can Damage DNA: Scientists reported that
nanoparticles used in medical applications can indirectly damage DNA inside cells by
transmitting signals through a protective barrier of human tissue. The stunning discovery by
researchers of South mead Hospital in Bristol, Britain, adds to a growing body of research
highlighting proven and potential health hazards from the rapidly expanding universe of
engineered objects measured in billionths of a metre. Nano-scale products already widely in use
range from cosmetics to household cleaning products to sporting goods. But the new findings,
reported in the British journal Nature Nanotechnology, could also point to new ways in which
nano-therapies might zero in on disease-causing tumours, the researchers said. They could even
shed light on how poorly understood pathogens penetrate into human organs. For Jim Thomson
of the Canada-based technology watchdog ETC Group, the findings "expand significantly the
hurdles that any theoretical nano-safety assessment would need to clear".

·                     Capturing Sun Rays in Space to Light up Japan: It may sound like a sci-fi vision, but
Japan’s space agency is dead serious: by 2030 it wants to collect solar power in space and zap it
down to Earth, using laser beams or microwaves. The government has just picked a group of
firms and a team of researchers tasked with turning the ambitious, multi-billion-dollar dream of
unlimited clean energy into reality in coming decades. Japan has long been a leader in solar and
other renewable energies and this year set ambitious greenhouse gas reduction targets. But
Japan’s boldest plan to date is the Space Solar Power System (SSPS), in which arrays of
photovoltaic dishes several square kilometres in size would hover in geo-stationary orbit outside
Earth’s atmosphere. “Since solar power is a clean and inexhaustible energy source, we believe
this system will help solve the problems of energy shortage and global warming,” researchers at
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, one of the project participants, wrote in a report. The solar cells
would capture the solar energy, which is at least five times stronger in space than on Earth, and
beam it down to the ground through clusters of lasers or microwaves. These would be collected
by gigantic parabolic antennae.

·                     ‘No proof of Himalayan ice Melting: The environment ministry published a discussion
paper stating that there was no conclusive evidence to prove that the Himalayan glaciers are
melting due to climate change. The report, released by Union environment minister Jairam
 Ramesh, however, made it clear that the views expressed by the author, Dr V K Raina, retired
deputy director-general of the Geological Survey of India, are not that of the Union government
and that it is meant to "stimulate discussion". While releasing the report, Ramesh said that the
discussion paper presents evidence that most glaciers are in the process of retreat while some
Himalayan glaciers, such as the Siachen glacier, are actually advancing and some others are
retreating at a rate lower than before, such as the Gangotri glacier. The minister clarified that
there was no doubt that the `health' of the glaciers was very poor and the situation was reaching
alarming proportions but warned that there was little evidence to connect it to climate change or
black carbon.

Sports

·                     Ethiopian Retains Men’s Crown: Kenyan Keitany Best Among Woman: Deriba Merga the
Ethiopian runner walked home with his second consecutive Airtel Delhi Half Marathon men's title.
Unlike last year, he did not set any course record but still finished eight seconds ahead of his
nearest rival, compatriot Eshetu Wendemu. Merga came up with a timing of 59.54 minutes to
Wendemu's 60.02. Last edition's runner-up Wilson Kipsang came third at 60.04. In the women's
section. Ethiopians - Ayelew Wude and Aberu Kebede - took the next two positions at 67.58 and
67.59 respectively.

·                     Serena is the Champion: Serena Williams underlined her dominance at the top of
women’s tennis, completing her year in style with a 6-2, 7-6(4) defeat of sister Venus in the final
of the WTA championships here. The two Americans, facing each other across the net for the
22nd time in their glittering careers. Serena, who came here ranked second as World No. 2
behind Dinara Safina will return home as the rightful No. 1.

·                     India win 3 Medals, Finish 3 rd in China: Long distance runner Kavita Raut and women's
4x400m relay team won a silver each while men's 4x400m relay quartet bagged a bronze on the
final day as India ended the Asian Athletics Championships at third position. India, who sent a
60-strong squad, ended the five-day competition at third with 12 medals (one gold, 4 silver, 7
bronze). China (18 gold, 19 silver, 10 bronze) and Japan (12 gold, 5 silver, 5 bronze) finished first
and second respectively. Raut, who had won a bronze in 5000m on the opening day.

·                     Australia Remain No.1: Australia confirmed its number one position, beating challenger
India by 24 runs in the Fourth ODI at Mohali on Nov.2.

·                     Mary Kom, Kavita Bag Gold: Four-time world champion MC Mary Kom staved off a stiff
resistance from local pugilist Hoa Nguyen Thi to win the 46 kg title as India won two gold and as
many silver medals in women's boxing of the third Asian Indoor Games. Kavita Goyat (64kg) won
the second gold for India while L Sarita Devi (54 kg) and N Usha (57kg) bagged silvers each.

·                     Soumya Wins World Junior Crown: Soumya Swaminathan scored a much-needed final-
round victory to become the girls’ champion in the World junior chess championship at Puerto
Madryn, Argentina.

·                     Bangladesh are Champions in Special Olympics: Bangaldesh won the gold medal in
the 2007 Special Olympics World Summer Games held in Shanghai after mentally challenged
cricket made its debut in the event.

·                     D’Souza Wins Silver: Aaron D’Souza won the silver and Virdhawal khade took the bronze
in the men’s 200m freestyle event of the swimming competitions in the Asian Indoor Games.  

·                     China Regains Asia cup with Facile Win: With a display that underlined the elements of
authority, athleticism and technical elegance, China inflicted a 5-3 defeat on India to regain the
trophy in the Asia Cup hockey championship for women. China had won the trophy last in 1989
 at Hong Kong.

·                     Abhinav and Saina Adjudged the Best: Abhinav Bindra and Saina Nehwal were
adjudged best sportsmen and best sportswomen of the year respectively, in the first Sahara
Indian sports awards, which were given away at a glittering function here. Saina also won the
best young achiever award in the female category, with tennis ace Yuki Bhambri taking the
honours in the male category. The other winners were P. Gopichand (Coach of the year), Mithali
Raj (Best Female Cricketer), Vijender Singh (boxing), Shushil Kumar (Wresting), Gaganjeet
Bhullar (golf) and Jayanta Talukdar (archery), all under the category of outstanding performances
in other sports. The Indian cricket team was adjudged the team of the year, while there was a
special award for woman boxer MC Mary Kom.

·                     Saina Now No.6 in the World: Ridding back to back quarterfinal appearances at the
Denmark and French Super Series, ace Shuttler Saina Nehwal rose tow rungs to be placed sixth
in the latest world rankings.

Persons

·                     Father of China Space Tech Programme Dies: Qian Zuesen, a Rocket scientist known
as the father of China’s space technology program, died in Beijing, Xinhua News Agency.

·                     Aishwarya is ‘Smile Train’ Ambassador: Actor Aishwarya Rai Bachchan has been
appointed first goodwill ambassador of the  ‘Smile Train’ am international charity that provides
free cleft lip and palate surgery to children in need. 

·                     Veeraraghavan is VSSC chief: P.S. Veeraraghavan, a rocket technologist, took over as
Director, Vikram Sarabahi Space Centre (VSSC), Thiruvananthapuram, from K. Radhakrishnan
who has been appointed Chairman, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). Mr.
Veeraraghavan was till now Director, ISRO Inertial Systems Unit (IISU), Thiruvananthapuram.

·                     Obama Appoints Shah as Chief of USAID: Indian-Americans won one of their highest-
ever appointments in the US government when President Obama nominated Dr Rajiv Shah as
administrator of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

·                     Fonseka Quits as Chief of Defence Staff: Sri Lanka’s chief of defence staff (CDS) Sarath
fonseka, who as army chief led the war against the liberation tigers of Tamil Eelam, sent his
resignation letter to President Mahinda Rajapaksa, possibly to join politics.

·                     CII’s Tarun Das Retires: The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) announced the
retirement of chief mentor Tarun Das. Das has held the post since 2004, prior to which he was
director-general for three decades. “Under Tarun's leadership, CII has been instrumental in
managing and initiating changes that shaped the socio-economic environment of the country
over several decades,” said CII president Venu Srinivasan.

·                     Prabhash Joshi Passes away: Eminent Hindi journalist and founder-editor of Jansatta
Prabhash Joshi died. He was 73.

·                     Levi Strauss, Father of Modern Anthropology, dies: Claude Levi-Strauss, widely
considered the father of modern anthropology for work that included theories about
commonalities between tribal and industrial societies, has died. He was 100. The French
intellectual was regarded as having reshaped the field of anthropology, introducing the concept of
structuralism—concept about common patterns of behavior and thought, especially myths, in a
wide range of human societies. Defined as the search for the underlying patterns of thought in all
forms of human activity, structuralism compared the formal relationships among elements in any
given system. During his six decade career, Levi Strauss authored literary and anthropological
classics including “Tristes Tropiques” (1955), “The Savage Mind” (1963) and “The Raw and the
 Cooked” (1964).

·                     Bajaj Allianz appoints Hemant Kaul as CEO: Private non-life insurer Bajaj Allianz today
announced the appointment of Hemant Kaul as the new CEO of the company. "The board of
Bajaj Allianz General Insurance has approved the appointment of Hemant Kaul as the new CEO.
The change would be effective from December one, 2009 and is subject to IRDA approval," the
insurer said in a release. He earlier was the executive director with private sector lender Axis
Bank.

Awards

·                     Award for ICAR Scientist: Indian Council of Agricultural Research scientist Pramod
Kumar Aggarwal-who has done pioneering work on the intricate relationship between agriculture,
climate and the environment, and enhanced understanding of the probable impact of climate
change on agriculture — has won the 2009 Ernesto Illy Trieste Science Prize. He shares the
$100,000 prize money with Carlos Clemente Cerri from Brazil. Dr. Aggarwal has developed a
broad range of innovative strategies to examine the potential impact of global warming on
agriculture, especially in India. Studies have shown that in the country, global climate change
could lead to crop losses of 10 to 40 per cent by the end of the century as a result of rising
temperatures, more variable rainfall, and declining water supplies for irrigation.

·                     ONGC Bags four National Safety Awards: ONGC has bagged four national safety
awards in ‘Oil Mines’ category for the year 2007. This is fourth consecutive year that ONGC has
bagged these awards, instituted by the ministry of labour and employment. The Awards were
given away by the vice president of India in New Delhi.

·                     Prize for Space Elevator Model: A Seattle team has collected a $900,000 prize in a
NASA-backed competition to develop the concept of an elevator to space — an idea spurred by
science fiction novels. The team’s robotic machine raced up more than 900 metres of cable
dangling from a helicopter. Powered by a ground-based laser pointed up at the robot’s photo
voltaic cells that converted the light into electricity, the Laser Motive machine completed one of
its climbs in about 3 minutes and 48 seconds. The contest is intended to encourage development
of a theory that originated in the 1960s and was popularised by Arthur C. Clarke’s 1979 novel
The Fountains of Paradise. Space elevators are envisioned as a way to reach space without the
risk and expense of rockets. 

·                     BPCL wins OISD Awards: Oil industry safety directorate (OISD) is the technical
directorate under the ministry of Petroleum and natural Gas that formulates and coordinates the
implementation of a series of self regulatory measures aimed at enhancing the safety in the oil
and gas industry in India. Oil industry safety awards (OISD) are instituted in order to inculcate
competitiveness among oil companies to improve their safety performance.

Books and authors

·                     Secrets of Our Magic: N.C Ramanulachary.

·                     Television and Cultural Crisis: An Analysis of Transnational television in India: Mira K.
Desai.

·                     Bose of Nakamuraya:  An Indian Revolutionary in Japan: Translated by Prem Motwani.

·                     A New Political Paradigm for India: A Christian Response: Moses P. Manohar.

Miscellaneous

·                     Climate Change Milestones: 1824 French Physicist Joseph Fourier uses greenhouse
analogy to describe importance of atmosphere in trapping heat and influencing earth Os. 1859
 Irish physicist John Tyndall identifies water Vapour and carbon dioxide as heat trapping gases.
1896 Swedish chemist Svante Arrhenius concludes that CO 2 emissions from industrial age coal
burning will enhance greenhouse effect D first suggestion that human activity produces
greenhouse gases. 1938 British engineer Guy Calendar first suggests that fossil fuel burning is
responsible fro observed warming of words Os climate. 1858 American scientist Charles keeling
makes first direct measurement of Atmospheric CO 2 at Mauna Loa, Hawaii. 1965 U.S advisory
panel warns that greenhouse effect is a matter of O real concern O. 1975 U.S scientist Wallace
Broecker introduces term O global warming O into public domain in title of scientific paper. 1979
First World Climate conference urges government O to foresee and prevent potential man made
changes in climate. 1987 Montreal Protocol signed, restricting chemicals that deplete ozone
layer. Although not established with climate change in mind, it has major impact on greenhouse
gas emissions. 1988 UN sets up intergovernmental panel on climate change to collate and
analyse evidence on global warming. 1990 first IPCC report states that human activities are
significantly adding to concentrations of greenhouse gases and documents global 0.5 degree
Celsius increase in temperature over past 100 years. 1991 Debris from eruption of Moust
Pinatubo volcano in Philippines shields earth from solar energy, causing global temperature to
fall for two years before rising again. 1992 UN earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro creates
Framework convention on climate change D developed countries agree to cut emissions to 1990
levels. 1997 Kyoto protocol sets binding targets for industrialized nations to reduce emissions by
5% against 1990 levels over period 2008 2012. 1998 strong EI Nio conditions combine with
global warming to produce warmest year on record. 2001 president George W. Bush removes
U.S from Kyoto process. 2002 Larsen B ice shelf D over 3, 000 sq. km in size D breaks off
Antarctic peninsula 2003 Europe Os worst heat wave in 500 years kills an estimated 30,000
accelerating divergence between European and U.S public opinion.  2006 China overtakes U.S
as world Os biggest CO emitter, but U.S remains well ahead on per capita basis. IPCC states
that O Warming of climate is unequivocal O and places blame firmly on human activity. Oct. IPC
and former U.S Vice President AI Gore share Nobel peace prize for efforts to spread awareness
of climate change. 2009 New evidence shows Antarctica is warming rapidly, leaving Wilkins Ice
Shelf D largest of its kind D on Brink of breaking away. Oct. International energy agency says
global economic emissions by 3% in 2009, giving world leaders unexpected opportunity to take
decisive action on global warming. Dec.7 192 governments convene for UN summit in
Copenhagen to negotiate new climate change treaty.  

·                     EC Allows transgenders to register as “Other”: The Election Commission announced

that transgenders will hereafter be referred to as “other” on the basis of willingness of the
individual, instead of mentioning them as “male” or “female” in the electoral rolls. This is to give
them an independent identity. This will apply to all registration forms used by the EC. Necessary
instructions have been issued to the State Chief Electoral Officers to implement it down the level.

·                     All about Tendulkar: Test debut: v Pakistan, Karachi, November 15, 1989 One-day debut:
v Pakistan, Gujranwala, December 18, 1989 Twenty20 debut: v South Africa, Johannesburg,
December 1, 2006 Career: Tests: Matches 159, Runs 12,773 runs, Average 54.58, Centuries 42,
Wickets 44. One-dayers: Matches 436, Runs 17,178, Average 44.50, Centuries 45, and Wickets
154 Twenty 20: Match 1, Runs 10, Average 10.00, and Wicket 1. World records: - Most Test runs
(12,773) and centuries (42) - Most one-day runs (17,178) and centuries (45) - Most World Cup
runs (1,796) - 1,000 or more Test runs in a calendar year five times: 1997, 1999, 2001, 2002, and
2008. (Shares the feat with Matthew Hayden (AUS), Ricky Ponting (AUS) and Brian Lara (WIS)) -
1,000 or more one-day runs in a calendar year seven times: 1994, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2003
and 2007. - First batsman to score more than 50 international centuries. His tally stands at 87 -
42 Test and 45 one-day hundreds.

·                     Om Wins Gold: Om Prakash of Army won the 10m air pistol gold with a total of 677.1 in
the 53rd National shooting championship.

·                     One-third of World Species Face Extinction: Over a third or 17,291 out of 47,677
 species assessed in an international biodiversity study are now threatened with extinction,
researchers have warned. These species under threat of extinction include 21% of all known
mammals, 30% of all known amphibians and 12% of all known birds, according to the latest
update of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened
Species. Besides, 70% of plants, 28% of reptiles, 37% of freshwater fishes and 35% of
invertebrates assessed so far are also facing the threat. “The scientific evidence of a serious
extinction crisis is mounting,” an official IUCN release quoted Jane Smart, director of IUCN’s
Biodiversity Conservation Group, as saying. “January sees the launch of the international year of
biodiversity. The latest analysis of the IUCN red list shows the 2010 target to reduce biodiversity
loss will not be met.” “It’s time for the governments to start getting serious about saving species
and make sure it’s high on their agendas for next year, as we’re rapidly running out of time,” he
warned.

·                     In 2012, Spend 3 Night at Space Hotel for $4.4m: A company behind plans to open the
first hotel in space says it is on target to accept its first paying guests in 2012 despite critics
questioning the investment and time frame for the multi-billion dollar project. The Barcelona-
based architects of The Galactic Suite Space Resort say it will cost $4.4 million for a three-night
stay at the hotel, with this price including an eight-week training course on a tropical island.
Galactic Suite Ltd, set up in 2007, hopes to start its project with a single pod in orbit 450km
above the earth, with the capacity to hold four guests and two astronaut-pilots.

·                     Dalai Lama Surprised over China’s Claim to Tawang: Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai
Lama criticized China for objecting to his visit to Arunachal Pradesh and expressed surprise over
its claims to the border town of Tawang. The 74-year-old leader, who is visiting Arunachal
Pradesh after a gap of six years, said there was no point in holding talks with China on the Tibet
issue unless Beijing spelt out its policy on it. “It is quite usual for China to step up campaigning
against me wherever I go,” he told journalists after opening a museum at the 400-year-old
Tawang Monastery.

16 to 30 Nov, 2009

National

·         Obama calls for Suu Kyi’s Freedom: United States President Barack Obama called for the
unconditional release of Myanmar’s celebrated democracy campaigner Aung San Suu Kyi. Under
house arrest under the orders of Myanmar’s military rulers, Ms. Suu Kyi has spent over 14 years in
detention, including a brief spell in prison. Mr. Obama spelt out his position when he met Myanmar’s
Prime Minister Thein Sein and nine other leaders of the Association of South East Asian Nations
during the first-ever U.S.-Asean summit.

·         Barc reactor to be shut down by December 2010: The 40 MW CIRUS research reactor located
at Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) will be shut down completely by December 2010 as per
the Separation Plan under the Indo-US civil nuclear deal reached between Prime Minister Manmohan
Singh and former US President Bush. The 49 year old CIRUS which was refurbished in 2005 for
carrying out research work and production of medical radioisotopes will be closed down completely
by the end of December 2010 and subsequently decommissioned, BARC director Dr Srikumar
Banerjee said.

·         Navy’s First Women Combatants to Take to the Skies: Putting an end to debates over the
 induction of women into combat roles in the Armed Forces, the Navy will script history when it enlists
two women officers as observers on board its fleet of maritime patrol aircraft (MPA). With the coveted
‘wings’ conferred on them at a passing-out ceremony, Sub-Lieutenants Ambica Hooda and Seema
Rani Sharma, both 22, will become the first women airborne tacticians of the Navy.

·         More Americans Opt India for Higher Studies: It’s not a one-way traffic any more, though Indian
students constitute the largest group of foreign scholars in U.S., more and more Americans are also
heading to India to pursue higher studies. According to figures released, 3,150 Americans came to
India to study in 2007-08, which is a jump of nearly 20 per cent from the previous year Overall, India
is ranked 17th in the list of the Open Doors 2009 topped by Britain with 33,333 students, Italy
(30,670); Spain (25,212); France (17,336) and China (13,165).

·         Union of India a sovereign owner of gas, centre tells apex court: The Centre   maintained in
the Supreme Court that gas being a national asset could not be allowed to be divided or allocated on
the basis of private agreement entered into between two parties. Making this submission before a
three-judge Bench of Chief Justice K. G. Balakrishnan, Justice B. Sudershan Reddy and Justice P.
Sathasivam, Additional Solicitor General Mohan Parasaran said “any attempt to dispose of natural
gas in an unfair, non-transparent manner that results in the concentration of the same in the hands of
an individual or a few would be violative of the Constitution.” The Bench is hearing appeals filed by
Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL), Reliance Natural Resources Ltd (RNRL) and the Centre against a
judgment of the Bombay High Court on dispute relating to allocation of gas.

·         India Targets 1000MW solar power in 2013: India is all set to open a new front with the solar
mission under national action plant on climate change, a aiming to generate 1,000mw of power by
2013. The Union cabinet is going to consider the mission document, which proposes to propel the
power sector into solar reforms that could lead to annual production of 20,000mw by 2022 if phase 1
of the mission goes well. In the first phase, between 2010 and 2013, the government is also
proposing to generate 200mw of off-grid solar power and cover 7 million square metres with solar
collectors.

·         Himachal Seeks Israel Help in Irrigation Tech: Israel and Himachal Pradesh agreed to
strengthen economic and bilateral ties through technology cooperation and cultural exchange
programmes. Himachal Pradesh chief minister Prem Kumar Dumal, who is in Jerusalem on a three-
day visit to explore possibilities in the field of water management, said the state would seek Israeli
irrigation technology. Dhumal will be touring upper Galilee region in the north of Israel to see
techniques of horticulture. The climate in this region resembles with the climate in Himachal Pradesh.

·         ‘Needed: Special Schemes for Backward States’: Planning Commission deputy chairperson
Montek Singh Ahluwalia Bihar had made progress in infrastructure, education and health sectors and
recorded desired economic growth in the last four years. Ahluwalia said he was in favour of the
Centre carrying out special schemes for backward states rather than distorting tax structure. If Bihar
kept up the momentum, it would achieve 8-9% economic growth, he added. Ahluwalia came to Bihar
for the first time during Nitish Kumar’s regime.

·         Bhel to set up Power Plant in Madhya Pradesh: Power equipment maker Bharat Heavy
Electricals Ltd (Bhel) said it has signed a joint venture pact to build a 1,1600mw thermal power plant
in Madhya Pradesh. The power plant at Khandwa will be equipped with supercritical technology,
 which helps lower coal consumption and leads to lower emission. Madhya Pradesh power generation
co .Ltd and Bhel will initially have an equal share in the venture.

·         Number of Indian Billionaires doubles in 09: The combined net worth of India’s 100 richest
people doubled to $276 billion (Rs 1,289,000 crore), according to the latest Forbes’ India Rich List
released. That’s almost a quarter of the country’s GDP. A rebounding stock market that gained 66
per cent in the past year and an economy growing at more than 6 per cent have boosted the net
worth of India’s richest people. Against 27 billionaires on the India Rich List last year, the number has
almost doubled to 52 in 2009. Reliance Industries chairman Mukesh Ambani, with a personal wealth
of $32 billion (Rs 150,000 crore), is India’s wealthiest man. Steel tycoon Lakshmi Mittal with a net
worth of $30 billion (Rs 140,000 crore) stands next, while Mukesh’s estranged brother Anil, with a net
worth of $17.5 billion (Rs 82,000) ranked third in the list. Mukesh’s net worth jumped 54 per cent
since last year, while that of Mittal and Anil grew by 46 per cent and 40 per cent respectively. The
richest newcomers are two brothers from Torrent Power — Sudhir and Samir Mehta, ranked 23 at
$2.02 billion (Rs 9,400 crore).

·         Cabinet Approves Nehru Solar Mission: The Union Cabinet approved the Jawaharlal Nehru
National Solar Mission that aims to add 20,000 MW of power in India by 2022. “The Cabinet has
sanctioned Rs.4,337 crore for the initial activities in this regard,”

·         Six women in Forbes India rich list:  As many as six women, including O. P. Jindal group
chairperson Savitri Jindal and Biocon’s Kiran Mazumdar Shaw, have made it to the Forbes’ list of 100
richest Indians this year. Ms. Jindal has retained the tag of being the richest woman in India with a
net worth of $12 billion, according to the annual India rich list compiled by the business magazine.
She is ranked seventh in the list, which is topped by Reliance Industries Limited Chairman Mukesh
Ambani with a fortune of $32 billion.

·         Two Technoparks in Kerala made special economic Zones: The Government of India has
formally notified Technopark Phase 3 and Technopark Kollam as Special Economic Zones (SEZ).
Technopark Phase-I (31 acres) and Phase-II (86 acres) have already been notified by the
Government of India. Technopark Phase 3 will be developed over 92 acres of land. The construction
of a signature building with 1 million sq. ft. built-up area has commenced.

·          Centre for Conservation of Wetlands:  Union Minister of State for Environment and Forests
(Independent charge) Jairam Ramesh said that the Ministry would widely expand projects for
conservation of inland wetlands and coastal areas facing the threat of destruction. There are 60,000
inland wetlands in the country spread over seven million ha facing a grave threat from real-estate
promoters and were also being used as dumping yards for municipal and industrial waste. The
Ministry would initiate an expanded national project for protecting and rejuvenating these wetlands.
Similarly, the Ministry would intensify its focus on coastal wetlands. The Minister said that there was a
threat to the Eastern Ghats because of mining activities and his Ministry had asked SACON to evolve
a project for studying and protecting the Eastern Ghats ecology. SACON will also evolve a project for
protecting the endangered Edible Nest Swiftlet in Andaman and Nicobar, which were being smuggled
out in large numbers besides evolving a project for protecting the population of hornbills, the State
bird of Nagaland, which was fast becoming extinct.

·         Goa Movie Fest: The II day international film festival of India begins in Goa in buffs can catch 112
 movies from over 40 countries to be screened at the fest, the opening film will be Volver, directed by
Pedro Almodovar, featuring Penelope Cruz. The festival will close with Alejandro Gonzalez’s Babel,
with Brad Pitt in the lead role.

·         Delhi Metro Crosses Billion Mark: The Delhi Metro railway has achieved a historic milestone with
over one billion passengers having travelled on its vast network since it began operations in the
Capital in December 2002. Tracing the journey of the Delhi Metro, he recalled that the service
became operational on December 25, 2002, and was initially limited to a small stretch of 8.5 km.
“Today it stretches across 90 km and by October next year another 100 km would be added to the
metro’s growing network”.

·         Fourth of India Turning into Desert: ISRO: No less than a fourth of India’s geographical area, or
81 million hectares, is undergoing a process of desertification, reveals a first-of-its-kind
‘desertification status map’ of the country created by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)
in collaboration with several scientific institutions across the country. A host of reasons are
responsible for this phenomenon, including changes in rainfall pattern and over-exploitation of natural
resources, Together 32.07 per cent of the total geographic area is being transformed by land
degradation. State-wise, Rajasthan has the largest area (21.77 per cent of the total geographical
area) undergoing land degradation, followed by Jammu and Kashmir (12.79 per cent), Maharashtra
(12.66 per cent) and Gujarat (12.72 per cent).

·         First Film on RTI at IFFI: India’s first film on the Right to Information is out. The film “Ek Cup
Chaya,” was screened at the 40th International Film Festival of India Panji to a thunderous response
from the audiences.  Directors Sumitra Bhave and Sunil Sukthankar said: “ It is the first film on RTI in
any language in the country we wanted to create awareness of the law among people”.

·         Judiciary Bill Soon: Moily:  According to an study a bill to check corruption in judiciary will soon
be introduced in Parliament, Law Minister M. Veerappa Moily told the Rajya Sabha. He said the
Judges Standard and Accountability Bill will be brought before the Cabinet and moved in Parliament
soon.

·         India ranks fifth in prison population: India, the second most populous nations, occupies the
fifth place in the world in terms of prisoners’ population. The US holds the No.1 spot.

·         N-Milestone: 18th Plant Begins Ops: India’s nuclear programme crossed a milestone with fifth
unit of the 220 megawatt Rajasthan Atomic Power Project (Raps-5) attaining criticality.   With this, the
number of operating nuclear power reactors in India has gone up from 17 to 18, increasing the total
atomic power generating capacity from 4,120 mw to 4,330 mw.

·         Mumbai Now has a Smart Anti-terror Force: Mumbai’s brand new anti-terror outfit, Force One,
was introduced. Force One takes 15 minutes to get ready and respond to a terror strike. It has an
array of AK-47s, MP5 and Glock pistols, apart from shotguns, under barrel grenade launchers,
breeching equipment and explosives at its disposal. The 216 Jawans have been trained in Pune,
apart from the College of Military Engineering and the High Energy Materials Research Laboratory of
 the Defence Research and Development Organisation.

·         “India will Accept Legally Binding Emission cuts”: Reiterating that India will not accept any
legally binding emission reduction cuts in the coming climate change summit in Copenhagen, Union
Minister of State for Environment and Forests Minister Jairam Ramesh has said it was the obligation
of developed nations (to cut emissions), including the U.S., and not that of developing nations.
Replying to a Calling Attention notice on ‘government’s changing position on climate change’ in Rajya
Sabha, he said: “India will continue to play a positive role in the international negotiations without
compromising on national endeavour of social and economic development and eradications of
poverty.”

·         Delhi Turns busiest airport: The Delhi airport is now officially the busiest in the country, having
overtaken Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport, but the honour has come with a price;
air traffic congestion and delays.

·         In 20yrs, India’s Water Need to be Double the Supply:  In the next two decades, global water
consumption will increase from the present 4,500 billion cubic metres (bcm) to 6,900 bcm. This will
be 40% more than the estimated reliable and sustainable supply today, if no action is taken to
conserve water and use it more efficiently. This is the conclusion of a study on the global water
scenario by international consultancy McKinsey, in collaboration with the World Bank affiliate,
International Finance Corporation. The study, released   in Washington, was sponsored by several
global food and beverage corporations who have often faced criticism by development activists for
pushing unsustainable water use. The situation in India will be dire as water demand will grow
annually by 2.8% to reach a whopping 1,500 bcm while supply is projected at only about 744 bcm,
that is, just half the demand, according to the report. This increase will be driven by domestic demand
for rice, wheat, and sugar for a growing population, and a growing demand for a better diet. As a
result, most of India’s river basins could face severe deficit by 2030, with some of the most populous,
including the Ganga, the Krishna, and the Indian portion of the Indus facing the biggest absolute gap.
Four countries/regions have been studied in greater detail in the report: India, China, South Africa
and Sao Paulo state in Brazil. Together, they represent 30% of world GDP and 42% of global water
demand projected for 2030.

·         Take IFFI (International Film Festival of India) to Cannes Scale: The inauguration of the 40th
International Film Festival of India (IFFI) with a special screening of the Chinese period film 'Wheat.' It
is set in 260 B.C. when China was mired in a prolonged bloody war.    

·         Solar Mission Launched: The Centre launched the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission. It is
one of the eight key missions of the national action plan on climate change and aimed at ensuring
long term energy security as well as ecological security. Speedy development and deployment of
renewable energy was imperative as fossil fuel sources were getting rapidly depleted. In view of high
solar radiation over the country, Solar energy provided a long term sustainable solution. The mission
recommends implementation in three stages leading up to an installed capacity of 20,000 MW by the
end of the 13th plan in 2022.

·         Modi Invites Maruti to set up Plant: Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi invited Japanese car
maker Maruti Suzuki to set up a plant in the state.  Inaugurating the Asia’s first Rs 20-crore driving
and technical training institute managed by Maruti Suzuki at Gajadara, Modi said, it would be in the
 interest of company as it would be cheaper and economically viable to export cars from Mundra Port
to Europe and other countries.

·         In 20 Yrs, India’s Water need to be double the supply: In the next two decades, global water
consumption will increase from the present 4,500 billion cubic metres (bcm) to 6,900 bcm. This will
be 40% more than the estimated reliable and sustainable supply today, if no action is taken to
conserve water and use it more efficiently. This is the conclusion of a study on the global water
scenario by international consultancy McKinsey, in collaboration with the World Bank affiliate,
International Finance Corporation. The study, released in Washington, was sponsored by several
global food and beverage corporations who have often faced criticism by development activists for
pushing unsustainable water use. The situation in India will be dire as water demand will grow
annually by 2.8% to reach a whopping 1,500 bcm while supply is projected at only about 744 bcm,
that is, just half the demand, according to the report. This increase will be driven by domestic demand
for rice, wheat, and sugar for a growing population, and a growing demand for a better diet. As a
result, most of India’s river basins could face severe deficit by 2030, with some of the most populous,
including the Ganga, the Krishna, and the Indian portion of the Indus facing the biggest absolute gap.
Four countries/regions have been studied in greater detail in the report: India, China, South Africa
and Sao Paulo state in Brazil. Together, they represent 30% of world GDP and 42% of global water
demand projected for 2030.

International

·         India, Canada to Ink Civil N-Deal Soon:  India has already signed similar deals with the US,
Russia and France after supply ban was lifted in 2008 Uranium-rich Canada hopes to sign an
agreement soon with India for civilian nuclear cooperation. Both the nations had signed
memorandum of understanding early this year, which will enable Canada to facilitate the planned 25
to 30 Indian reactors. India has proposed nuclear capacity addition of 63,000 mega watt by 2032.
The bilateral trade with Canada was about $3.8 billion in 2008-09. India proposes to increase its
exports of industrial and agricultural goods to Canada and seek better opportunities for its service
professionals. Indian exports to Canada consist of textiles and apparels, jewellery, chemicals and
iron & steel products. On the other hand, Canada’s exports include aerospace and aircraft parts,
cereals, vegetables, fertilisers, pulp & paper products, machineries, electrical and nuclear boiler,
ores, slag and nickel products.

·         India, Iran Discuss energy, Transit routes:  India and Iran held talks on closer cooperation in
energy, transit routes to central Asia and sharing of information on militant activity in the Pakistan-
Afghanistan belt. In the first high-level talks after elections in both countries, Prime Minister
Manmohan Singh and External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna, in talks with visiting Iranian Foreign
Minister Manouchehr Mottaki, flagged New Delhi’s interest in the Iran-Pakistan-India gas pipeline.
Trilateral dialogue: They also discussed prospects of trilateral dialogue between India, Iran and
Afghanistan on transit routes to central Asia, with the Iranian port of Chabar to be the staging point
for goods. It was planned to construct a railway line from Chabar to Bam. From there, goods would
be taken from the Afghan border town of Zaranj to Delaram on an Indian-built road to the Afghan
garland highways, which provide access to several central Asian republics. Economic content: The
need to add greater economic content was also recognised during delegation-level talks between the
two Foreign Ministers. Both sides touched upon increasing contacts in the banking sector, civil
aviation cooperation, double taxation avoidance agreement, bilateral investment protection
agreement. Mr. Mottaki renewed an invitation to Dr. Singh to visit Tehran, LNG deal: India also raised
the issue of the implementation of the Liquefied Natural Gas deal signed in 2005 for the supply of five
million tonnes per annum of gas.
·         $1 billion EU aid for Nigeria: The European Commission has signed a €677 million ($1 billion)
deal to help Nigeria tackle challenges in its restive oil producing region, promoting peach, good
governance and trade. The Niger Delta has for more than three years been a haven for armed
militants claiming to be fighting for a greater share of oil wealth for their communities.

·         UNESCO to certify IGNOU course in Journalism: The United Nations Educational, Scientific
and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) will jointly certify Indira Gandhi National Open University’s M.A.
course in Journalism and Communications. The course was adapted from the model journalism
curriculum circulated by UNESCO in 2008.

·         Iran Plans 10 Nuke plants: Iran’s government has approved plans to build 10 new uranium
enrichment plants, a clear show of defiance after the UN nuclear watchdog rebuked Tehran over
secret nuclear work. Hardline President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Iran should aim to produce 250-
300 tonnes of nuclear fuel a year.

·         Climate Heats up C’ Wealth Meet: Climate change is the chief focus of the Commonwealth
Heads of Government Meet (CHOGM) in Trinidad, Caribbean island nation, a week ahead of the
mega conference on climate in Copenhagen from December 7.

·         India Backs Iran Censure: The 35 nation board of the international Atomic energy agency (IAEA)
passed the resolution with as 25-3 margin, with six abstentions, The resolution had India’s backing as
it is consistent with its policy that signatories to the non-proliferation treaty have certain “rights and
obligations”, said an Indian government source in port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, where the
commonwealth heads of Government meeting is underway. India is, however, opposed to sanctions
against Iran.

·         After China, India Considers Setting Emissions Intensity Target: India may follow China’s
example and for the first time set a specific target to limit the growth of its greenhouse gas emissions,
Union Minister of State for Environment and Forests Jairam Ramesh said. China announced it would
reduce its carbon intensity to 40-45 per cent of the 2005 levels by 2020. But its net emissions are set
to continue growing. “We can’t sweep [aside] the fact that China, Indonesia, Brazil, South Africa and
peer-group countries have put down voluntary, unilateral, non-legally binding, quantitative targets. He
argued that there was “considerable room” for India to reduce both energy intensity and its emissions
intensity “without jeopardising” a 7-8% growth trajectory. In a bid to encourage the Industrialised
nations to commit themselves to greater cuts in their greenhouse gas emissions ahead of next
month’s climate summit in Copenhagen, several developing countries have proposed voluntary
emission reduction targets. Brazil has announced a 36 per cent decrease in emissions from a
“business as usual” projection by 2020, while South Africa has said its emissions will peak by 2025.

·         Zardari hands over-n-weapon key to Gilani: Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari appeared to take
the first step towards handing executive powers to the elected Prime Minister by divesting himself of
the powers of the head of the nuclear chain of command and transferring them to Prime Minister
Yusuf Raza Gilani. Mr. Zardari reissued the National Command Authority Ordinance 2009, amending
it in the process to make the Prime Minister the Chairman of the body that has overall control of
Pakistan’s nuclear weapons.

·         Dubai Crisis: Dubai has huge debts. The state has borrowed $80 billion to finance construction
designed to reinvent it as a centre for finance and tourism. Dubai World, the state’s main holding
company, which owns assets ranging from the Palm Island to Barneys department store in New York,
a stake in Las Vegas casino company MGM Mirage and ports around the world, owes some $59
billion. The fear is the loans will not be repaid in full. Dubai World’s creditors include some of the
banks which escaped most lightly from last year’s meltdown, such as HSBC and Standard Chartered
as well as the U.K. state-backed RBS  (Royal Bank Scotland) and Lloyds Banking Group. If Dubai
 defaults on its debts it would be the largest sovereign default since Argentina in 2001. Dubai World
has 70 creditors.

·         New Scientific advisory Committee in Place: The government has reconstituted the Scientific
Advisory Committee to the Prime Minister. It now has 32 members, with four more on the existing
panel. Eminent scientist C.N.R. Rao will continue as the Chairman.

·         After Russia, France Operationalises n-accord:  France has become the second country after
Russia to fully opertionalise the inter-country nuclear agreement with India. The French National
Assembly adopted a law authorising ratification of the Cooperation Agreement between India and
France on the Development of Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy signed in Paris on September 30
last year. The Senate approved the same law on October 15 this year. India has allotted a nuclear
power park at Jaitapur in Maharashtra’s Ratnagiri district to the French company Areva, to build two
power plants initially with an option for setting up more. Both countries have also reached an
understanding on guaranteed supply of uranium to power these reactors.

·         India, Finland Sign Three Agreements: India and Finland signed three agreements to boost
cooperation in science and technology. Both the countries also decided to set up a joint business
council and address climate change.

·         I-Cards for citizens on Nepal Border: People on both sides of the porous Indo-Nepal border
might soon be issued identification cards to prevent Pakistan from using the Himalayan republic to
foment trouble in India. The survey of no-man’s land is being carried out on the 1,800- km border
stretch right from Uttarakhand up to Bengal. The exercise, according to him, would help in identifying
the positions of the international border pillars, most of which have either been dislocated or wiped
out owing to various reasons.

·         PM’s American Visit: PM Manmohan Singh is in Washington to boost the burgeoning economic
relationship between two countries, which had relatively marginal commercial dealings a decade ago.
Bilateral trade: $5 billion- Trade volume in 1990, $14 billion- Trade volume in 2000, $50 billion-
Trade volume in 2008, Indian Imports From US: Aircraft and parts, Advanced machinery, Cotton,
Fertilizers, computer hardware. Exports to US: Textiles and leather goods, internet services,
agricultural products, gems, chemicals, US is India’s largest trading partner, India reckons trade has
at least doubled in the past five years, while US exports to India have tripled in this period.
Investment: US cumulative direct investments through mid 2008, 75%- Annual rise in US bound
investment from India since 2002. Areas of investment: power and oil refineries, telecommunications,
electronics, Food processing, Services, The Indian embassy lists the United states as the largest
portfolio investor in India. Information Technology: Two- In every five of America’s fortune 500 firms
outsource their software to India. $84 billion- Is needed in India’s telecom sector to hit its target of
650 million subscribers by 2012, The US High tech regions of the silicon valley in California and route
128 corridor in Massachusetts have deep ties with their Indian counterparts, Banglore and
Hyderabad. Nuclear Power: $150billion- India’s potential power plants market, The 2005 US India
civil nuclear agreement eases strictures on US nuclear export to India, Big deals for US Nuclear
reactor builders like general electric co and Westinghouse electric co may take place in this sector.
Arms Sales: $3.5 billion- US arms sales to India in 2008. $10.4 billion- Worth of 126 multi role fighter
aircraft that India needs, for which US is competing with Europe and Russia, In March, US approved
a $2.1 billion sale to India of eight Boeing co P-81 maritime patrol aircraft, In January 2008,
Washington and New Delhi clinched a deal to purchase six Lockheed martin Corp C-130J Super
Hercules Military transport planes.

·         HIV has killed 25m and infected 60m so far: UN Report: Almost 60 million people have been
infected by HIV and 25 million people killed by causes related to the virus since the epidemic started,
according to new data published by UNAIDS. While prevention programmes have helped to cut
 infection rates by 17% over the past eight years, the total number of people living with HIV continued
to rise in 2008. Sub-Saharan Africa remains the most affected region, as it is home to 67% of those
living with the human immunodeficiency virus. In South and South-east Asia, 3.8 million people are
living with the infection, added UNAIDS.

·         Lanka Presidential polls in Jan 2010: Sri Lanka President Mahinda Rajapaksa has decided to
hold presidential elections in January, amid speculation that he will be challenged by former chief OD
defence staff Sarath Fonseka.

Economy

·        Nippon Steel Steps up Rail Exports to India: Nippon Steel Corporation, one of the world’s largest
steel producing companies, provides heat-treated heavy rails to the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation.
The deal was struck for supplying rails for the second phase of Delhi Metro which has just become
operational. The rails for the first phase that became operational in 2002 were provided by some
European and Indian companies. The rails supplied by Nippon Steel do not wear down easily and
hence do not require frequent replacement unlike the carbon rails in which wearing occurs faster. The
Delhi Metro Rail Corporation is a joint venture of the Indian railways and the Delhi government with
Japan providing the soft loan for the project, which has helped ease traffic and pollution in New Delhi.

·        SAIL gets chiria mines again: SAIL chairman and managing director S K Roongta that the
Jharkhand government was willing to renew leases for the Chiria mines to meet the public sector
unit's current needs. "Jharkhand government has provided a written confirmation, approving 810MT
of mineable iron ore reserves. The company had initially asked for 1000MT of the Chiria reserves
from the Jharkhand government.

·        China Plans entry into the US Market as Norms ease: Chinese and US regulators are
negotiating a pact aimed at encouraging Chinese financial institutions to buy into small & medium-
sized banks in the United States, Chinese bankers have complained that it’s been difficult for them to
set up branches or invest in banks in the world’s leading economy, due partly to US regulators’ tough
supervision and strict approval process for financial deals. But the global financial landscape has
been revamped by the credit crisis, and cash-rich Chinese banks are now bigger players on the world
scene and are scouting around for investment targets. To illustrate the global shake-down, Industrial
and Commercial Bank of China is now the world’s biggest bank by market value, while Citigroup Inc,
once the world’s No 1 bank, is worth the same as a second-tier commercial bank in China.

·        India Targets $50-billion FDI by 2012: With economies reviving from the global meltdown, India is
targeting annual foreign direct investments worth $50 billion by 2012. It would double the inflows by
2017. In order to make the investment environment in states more lucrative for prospective overseas
investors, the commerce ministry would set up a panel comprising state industrial ministers. The
panel would recommend measures to iron out procedural difficulties faced while setting up a
business. Sharma also proposed to institutionalise the meeting of state industrial ministers by making
it an annual feature. In the period between 1991 and March 2009, FDI worth $158 billion has come in
to India. Even during 2008-09, when the global financial crisis squeezed availability of capital, FDI
inflows in to India stood at $35.16 billion, a near flat growth.

·        Unido in talks with centre to expand in NCR, Jamshedpur: The United Nations Industrial
Development Organisation (Unido) is in talks with the Indian government to expand its successful
business partnership programme for auto component makers in the national capital region and
Jamshedpur (Jharkhand). The programme, the second phase for which has just concluded, benefited
120 small and medium auto-parts manufacturers in the country. Discussions are also under way with
 the ministry of heavy industries to extend the programme to other clusters in the north and the east
(Jamshedpur),” Unido.

·        Agriculture credit stands at Rs1.38 lakh Crore in 1 st half: Banks and co-operatives have
disbursed farm loans to the tune of Rs 1.38 lakh crore in the first half of 2009-10, meeting over 42%
of the target set by the government for the whole financial year.  The target to be achieved during
2009-10 is to the tune of Rs 3.25 lakh crore,” an official statement said. Of the farm loans offered till
September, commercial banks account for Rs 92,595.08 crore, co-operatives Rs 27,704.85 crore and
regional rural banks Rs 17,531.31 crore, it added. While the government has set a target of
disbursing farm loans worth Rs 2.5 lakh crore for commercial banks, both co-operatives and regional
rural banks are supposed to extend credit to the tune of Rs 45,000 crore and Rs 30,000 crore,
respectively, during this fiscal.

·        UNIDO all set to launch $7 million energy efficiency project in India: The United Nations
Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) is all set to launch a major initiative costing $7 million
to promote energy efficiency in selected energy intensive micro, small and medium enterprises
(MSME) clusters across India. It has selected 12 prominent cities, including Jamnagar, Coimbatore,
Jalandhar, Tumkur, and Belgaum, for this purpose.

·        Countries Close to tariff cut deal: Twenty-two developing countries are close to an agreement on
cutting tariffs that could be signed when ministers from 153-member states of the World Trade
Organization gather for a meeting. Negotiators from countries including Argentina, Brazil, India,
Indonesia, Egypt and South Korea “agreed on a document to be submitted to the ministers for
approval,”. The agreement would only affect trade among the 22 and is not connected to the broader
Doha round of negotiations that aim for a global reduction in trade barriers.

·        Singapore firm in JV to build ships at Kakinada: Singapore’s Sembawang Shipyard Pte Ltd will
set up a $375 million (Rs1,750 crore) yard with a local partner in Kakinada, Andhra Pradesh.
Sembawang Shipyard has floated Sembmarine Kakinada Ltd, a joint venture with Kakinada Seaports
Ltd, which operates the Kakinada port, to develop and operate the shipbuilding and repair facility.
The joint venture agreement was signed in New Delhi.

·        Raju 4th most outrageous chief exec on Forbes List: It's one Forbes list where none would want
to figure, but Ramalinga Raju, the founder-chairman of Satyam Computers (now Mahindra Satyam),
is in this World's 10 Most Outrageous CEOs. Raju has been ranked as the  fourth most outrageous
CEO in 2009 on the list compiled by the Forbes, known for its rankings of the richest and the most
powerful the world over. Sri Lankan-origin American hedge fund manager Raj Rajarathnam (third),
former Merrill Lynch CEO John Thain (2nd) and Goldman Sachs' Lloyd Blankfein (1st). Raju, the only
Indian on the list dominated by Americans, owes his place on the list to his disclosure in January
about committing the country's biggest ever corporate fraud.

·        Bundelkhand Plant to end UP’s Power Woes: After approving the Rs 7,277-crore special
package for Bundelkhand, the Centre is working on a plan not only to give Uttar Pradesh its first ultra
mega power project in Chitrakoot district of Bundelkhand but also a higher power allocation than
other states as per the national policy.

·        Food Industry to reach $258bn: The Country’s food industry size is expected to reach $258 billion
by FY 2.15 from the current level of $181billion. India is one of the world’s largest producer as well as
consumer of food products, with the sector playing an important role in contributing to the
development of the economy. “The food processing industry in India is one of the largest in terms of
production, consumption, export and growth prospects.

·         OVL eyeing 25% stake in Iranian Gas field: State-owned Oil and Natural Gas Corporation
 Videsh Limited (OVL) will seek around 20-25 per cent stake in the South Pars gas field in the Persian
Gulf Interestingly, OVL is still awaiting a green signal from the Iranian authorities for the development
plan for a gas field that it had discovered two years ago. The Hinduja Group has also evinced interest
in the $7.5-billion South Pars Phase-12 (SP-12) project but OVL’s pursuit is independent of it.

·         Finance Panel for 12% GST: The proposed goods & services tax (GST) could turn out to be a far
more benign impost than anyone expected. In what would amount to a radical tax reform, the 13th
Finance Commission is understood to have arrived at a revenue-neutral rate of around 12%, at least
4 percentage points lower than what most believed the combined Centre-state rate would be. 

     Different Models:

     Vat/GST rates, in%

      Region                           Standard rate

      Worldwide                     16.40

      Asia-Pacific                  9.88

      EU                                  19.40

      Africa                             15.95

      Middle East                   10.33

      South America             16.00                            

·         Oman Oil’s BPCL Stake: Oman Oil Company has paid a premium to pick 26% stake in Bharat
petroleum corporation’s Bina Refinery project in Madhya Pradesh. The project is under  construction.
“Oman Oil company has paid Rs5 for a share of Rs10 for the stake”.

·         NTPC’s Rs 18k-cr Bundelkhand Plant to Come up in Six Years: State-owned power producer
NTPC would take at least six years to set up the proposed 4,000-mw plant envisaging an investment
of about Rs 18,000 crore in the Bundelkhand region. 1. The proposed 4,000 mw plant will entail an
investment of Rs 18,000 crore. 2. NTPC is yet to UP’s nod for setting up the power project at Bargarh
in Chitrakoot district. 3. Earlier, Lalitpur was identified for the setting up of this power project.

·         Arcelor Mittal Plans Plant In K’taka for Rs 30k cr: While South Korea's biggest steel-maker
Posco has announced it would set up a Rs 60,000-crore steel plant in Karnataka, the world's largest
steel company Arcelor Mittal has approached the state government about setting up a plant worth Rs
30,000 crore. We'll disclose more details on cost, capacity, timeline, etc. once technical studies are
completed in about 3-4 months,'' a company spokesperson said.

Science and Technology

·         World’s first Universal Quantum comp created: Scientists in the United States have unveiled
the world’s first universal programmable quantum computer, capable of processing two quantum bits
or Qubits which store more data than the simple “on” or “off” bits of conventional computing. But, the
test programme has revealed significant hurdles which the scientists claim must be overcome before
it is ready for real work, the ‘New Scientist’ reported. A team, led by the National Institute of
 Standards and Technology in Colorado, has developed the experimental device, which uses
beryllium ions to store qubits in the way they spin while the laser-pulse quantum gates perform the
simple logic operations on the qubits.

·         Netherlands to store CO 2 Underground: The Dutch government had approved the experimental
below-ground storage of excess CO2 to curb damaging emissions, The test project would kick off
from 2012 with CO2 stored in a spent natural gas field with a capacity of 0.8 megatonnes underneath
the eastern town of Barendrecht, a government statement said. "After the CO2 has been stored there
for several years, an evaluation will be done," it said.

·         Scientists grow ‘Veggie meat’ in Lab: A team in the Netherlands has created the “Soggy pork”
by using cells from a live pig to replicate growth in a petridish, which it believes may lead to sausages
and processed products being made from laboratory meat in fiver years’ time.

·         Vitamin D is nature’s antibiotic: Vitamin D is being appreciated as "nature's antibiotic” as a string
of recent discoveries about the multiple health benefits of this nutrient have Vitamin D. Right from the
health of your immune system to prevention of heart disease and even vulnerability to influenza,
vitamin D is now seen as one of the most critical nutrients for overall health.

Sports

·         China Completes Golden Sweep; Ma, Ning singles champs: The final day’s proceedings of
19th Asian table tennis championship World No. 2 Ma Long picked up this second title of the month
and fifth of the year by stopping sixth seed Zhang Jike in six games. The triumph not only completed
China’s sweep of all seven gold medals, including two that came with the team titles, but also gave
Ma Long his fourth gold of the championship. In the women’s singles final, sixth seed left-hander
Ding Ning surprised her doubles partner and top seed Li Xiaoxia in seven games. The results (Prefix
denotes seedings): Men singles (final) 1-Ma long (Chn) bt 6-Zhang Jike (Chn) Women Singles
(Final): 6 Ding Ning (Chn) bt 1-Li Xiaoxia (Chn) Men doubles (final): 1-Ma long and Xu Xin (Chn) bt 2-
wang liquin and Zhang jike (Chn) Women doubles (final): 1-Ding Ning and Li Xiaoxio (Chn) bt 3 kim
Kyung ah and park Mi young (Kor).

·         Italy Clinches First World Cup: Brothers Francesco and Edoardo Molinari won a dramatic three-
way final round battle with Sweden and Ireland to claim a first World Cup of Golf for Italy by one
stroke. 

·         A 100 Splendid Wins: Landmark occasion Humiliation of Sri Lanka marks India’s 100 th Test
Victor, As it was with India in this second test against Sri Lanka Kanpur, where they posted a
massive win, an innings and 144 runs.

     INDIA’S RECORD AGAINST ALL OPPOSITIONS IN TESTS:

Against           Tests    Won   lost    Tied   Drawn

Australia           76           18        34        1          23

 Bangladesh      5             4          0          0          1

England            99           19        34        0          46

New Zealand     47           15        9          0          23

Pakistan            59           9          12        0          38

South Africa      22           5          10        0          7

Sri lanka           31           12        5          0          14

West Indies       82           11        30        0          41

Zimbabwe          11           7          2          0          2

At Home            221        68        48        1          104

Abraod               211        32        88        0          91

Total                            432           100      136       1              195

INDIA’S BIGGEST WINS IN TEST CRICKET

Margin              Against      Venue        Season

Inn&239 runs     Bangladesh Mirpur         2007

Inn&219 runs     Australia     Kolkata        1997-98

Inn&144 runs     Sri lanka     Kanpur        2009-10

Inn&140 runs     Bangladesh Dhaka          2004-05

Inn&131 runs     Pakistan      Rawalpindi 2003-04

·         Order of Australia for Brian Lara: Former West Indies Star Brian Lara has been appointed an
honorary member of the order of Australia, a government acknowledgement of his record breaking
career. The Australian Government issued a statement praising Lara’s Service to Australia Caribbean
relations by promoting goodwill, friendship and sportsmanship goodwill, through the Sport of Cricket”.

·         Bronze for Indian Swimmers: Leading Indian swimmers Virdhawal Khade and Sandeep Sejwal
won bronze medals in 50m butterfly and 100m breaststroke events respectively at the Asian
Championships in China. Khade clocked a national record of 24.14sec in 50m butterfly, eclipsing his
previous best of 24.17, while Delhi boy Sejwal also made a mark, clocking  01.90sec in the 100m
breaststroke event.

·         Usain Bolt and Sanya Richards bag IAAF honours: Jamaican Sprinter Usain Bolt, who became
one of the world’s most recognized athletes, and American women’s 400 metres worlds champion
Sanya Richards were named International Amateur Athletics Federation (IAAF) world athletes of the
 year. Bolt, who won the Award for the second year in a row, wiped out his 100 and 200 metres runs
in the Berlin world Championships in August.

·         Take IFFI (International Film Festival of India) to Cannes Scale: The inauguration of the 40th
International Film Festival of India (IFFI) provided a platform for Information and Broadcasting
Minister Ambika Soni to pitch for greater global recognition of the event. The festival started with a
special screening of the Chinese period film ‘Wheat.’ It is set in 260 B.C. when China was mired in a
prolonged bloody war.

Persons

·         Tendulkar first to reach 30,000 international runs: Sachin Tendulkar conquered yet another
peak when he became the first batsman to complete 30,000 runs in international cricket.

·         Sanam Bags gold Medal: Isiah Rajendra Sanam snatched a gold medal in the men’s individual
compound event of the 16th Asian archery championship at Bali.

·         Srikumar Banerjee: Srikumar Banerjee, Director, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC),
Trombay, has been appointed Chairman of Atomic Energy Commission (AEC). He will also be
Secretary, Department of Atomic Energy (DAE). He will hold office for three years. He will take over
from Anil Kakodkar on November 30.

·         ISRO Eyes six to eight missions a year: The Indian Space Research Organisation [ISRO] will
aim at launching between six and eight missions every year to meet its objectives in the areas of
national development and space science,” ISRO Chairman K. Radhakrishnan said. “The Indian
space industry is robust, comprising 500 firms and employing a total of 15,000 people.” India’s first
launch vehicle with an indigenous cryogenic engine, GSLV-D3 (Geo-synchronous Satellite Launch
Vehicle) was in the final stages of preparation, A hypersonic wind tunnel will be ready in a span of
between six months and a year in Thiruvananthapuram for testing model launch vehicles. While
ISRO’s unmanned mission to Mars could take place anytime between 2018 and 2030, India will aim
to have a “human presence” in space within seven years with its manned space mission.

·         Journalist Rajkhowa passes away: Veteran journalist Naresh Chandra Rajkhowa, who broke the
news about the Dalai Lama’s flight from Tibet through Tawang in March 1959 and his seeking asylum
in India, passed away.

Awards

·          BSP Wins PM’s trophy for best steel plant: Bhilai steel plant (BSP) the flagship unit of steel
authority of India Ltd (SAIL) has won the Prime Minister’s trophy for ‘The Best integrated steel plant’
in the country for 2006-07 and 2007-08 on the occasion.

·         Sheikh Hasina Chosen for Indira Gandhi Peace Prize: Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh
Hasina is the recipient of the prestigious Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and
Development for 2009 for her contribution to the promotion of democracy and pluralism.  

·         French Honour for Lata: Noted Singer Lata Mangeshkar will be conferred the legion d’honneur”,
the French government’s highest awrds, the melody queen will receive the awards from the French
ambassador in India at the opening of the French film festival, which is to be held in Mumbai.

·         Coloumbo Varsity honour for Nishank: The International Open University of Colombo has
conferred an honorary D. Lit. degree on Uttarakhand Chief Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank for
 excellence in literature and creative writing. Conferring the honour at a simple ceremony here,
University Director S. Nagendran said the doctorate had been awarded to Mr. Nishank for his highly
thoughtful and moving poems and other literary works.

·         2Teachers receive G.D Birla awards: Union Minister of State for Commerce and Industry
Jyotiraditya Scindia presented the 2009 G.D. Birla Award for Scientific Research to Manindra
Agrawal, a computer science professor.  Scindia also gave away the 2008 G.D. Birla Award for
Scientific Research to Bangalore-based Indian Institute of Science professor Raghavan Varadrajan
for his work in the field of molecular science. Hindi writer Devendra Raj Ankur was presented the
2008 Shankar Puraskar and Sanskrit litterateur Harinarayan Dikshit the 2008 Vachaspati Puraskar. 
All the awards are instituted by the K.K. Birla Foundation and carry a cash component of Rs 150,000.

Books and authors

·         Jinnah India partition independence: Jaswant Singh

·         Nine Lives: In Search of the sacred in Modern India: William Dalrymple.
·         The lost years of Jesus: Elizabeth Clare.
Miscellaneous
·         The world’s tallest skyscraper, the 160 story Burj Dubai, which is scheduled to open on January 4
estimated constructions cost: $1 billion.
01 to 15 Dec, 2009

National

·         Haryana, NPCIL in talks for N- Power Plant: The scheduled visit of a team of Nuclear Power
Corporation of India (NPCIL) officials to Haryana on December 2 will kick off formal discussions on
the proposed nuclear power plant in the state. Haryana, which has recently bagged a nuclear power
plant to be set up over 1,000 hectare in Kumharia village in Fatehabad district, will soon start
planning its pre-project activities.  The project was approved by the centre3 under the 11 th plant
period. With the commissioning of two units of 600 mw each of the Rajiv Gandhi Thermal Power
Project at Khedar, and three units of Indira Gandhi Super Thermal Power Project at Jhajjar, more
than 1,950 mw of additional power will be available in Haryana within a year.

·         L&T Forges Venture with NPCIL: Larsen & Toubro (L&T) set up a joint venture with the Nuclear
Power Corporation of India (NPCIL) to make special steels and ultra-heavy forgings. The Rs. 1,725-
crore joint venture will supply forgings for nuclear reactors, pressurisers and steam generators,
besides heavy forgings for critical equipment in the hydrocarbon sector and for thermal power plants.
NPCIL will hold 26 per cent sake in the joint venture while the balance will be held by L&T.

·         India’s Forest cover rises to over 21%: Continuing the commendable trend of the past decade,
India's forest cover increased by 728 sq km during 2005-07 — a marginal rise of 0.03%. Overall,
21.02% of the country's geographical area is now under green cover. In the 10 years, forest cover in
the country has increased by 3.31 million hectares, showing an average 0.46% increase every year.
These figures are contained in the State of Forest Report 2009, released by environment minister
Jairam Ramesh. The biennial report is based on satellite imagery up to 2007.

·         Kaiga Incident: Recently, a bizarre incident at the Kaiga Generating Station received wide media
attention. Someone deliberately added some triturated heavy water into a water cooler at the Kaiga
Generating Station causing radiation exposure to 55 workers who drank water from it.

·         First International Cruise Ship Launched: Kochi’s prominence as a world class cruise
 destination came to the fore once again with the Union Minister of Tourism Kumari Selja launching
M.V. Aquamarine, the first international cruise ship to operate from a port in India.

·         Nod for Bill to give higher compensation for workers in case of Injury of death: The Rajya
Sabha has unanimously approved, by voice vote, the Workmen’s Compensation (Amendment) Bill,
2009, that seeks to give higher compensation to workers and their families in the event of injury or
death. It empowers the Centre to enhance the compensation and funeral expenses, by notification,
from time to time. It also empowers the government to specify, by notification, monthly wages for an
employee. The compensation would be paid in three months. All sorts of hazardous occupations had
been covered under the Act including those “on ground, water and air.

·         In 3 Yrs, English Rises to No.2 Medium: Marathi Manoos and various others fight over the
supremacy of languages, English has quietly marched on and become the second largest medium in
India's primary schools, after Hindi. In 2006, English as a medium of instruction was fourth -- behind
Hindi, Bengali and Marathi in that order -- but by 2007 it had climbed to second place and grew even
further in 2008.

·         Farmers Get Back Dadri Project Land: In a major setback to Anil Ambani’s Reliance ADA Group,
the Allahabad High Court quashed a controversial state notification allotting land to Reliance Power
Ltd to set up the world’s largest gas-based power plant at Dadri in Ghaziabad district of Uttar
Pradesh. But the group claimed the court order did not set aside land acquisition for the 7,800-mw
Project. Reliance Power CEO JP Chalasani said in a conference call that the company has all
approvals needed for the project.

·         Supreme Court Judges Discloser Assets: Twenty-one judges of the Supreme Court, including
Chief Justice of India K.G. Balakrishnan, have declared their assets, giving details of movable and
immovable property owned by them and their spouses in the Supreme Court website. Justice B.N.
Agrawal, who retired last month, has also declared his assets on special request, while Justice H.S.
Bedi is yet to do so. Declaration says it is in terms of the May 7, 1997 resolution and it is purely
voluntary. At present, there is no law governing the declaration of assets by judges.

·         Govt. to introduce Hib vaccine from next year: The government will introduce Hib (Haemophilus
influenza type b) pentavalent (five-in-one) vaccine in the routine immunisation programme from next
year. It will replace the DPT and Hepatitis ‘B’ vaccines. The Hib vaccine will initially be introduced in
10 States that have an immunisation coverage of more than 80 per cent, said Indian Academy of
Pediatrics president Panna Choudhury. The vaccine will be given at the sixth, 10th and 14th weeks.
The need for such a vaccine is felt more in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, but the immunisation coverage
in these States is less than 40 per cent, so it is not viable to introduce such a vaccine at present.
Pneumonia is the largest killer of children in India, with 50 per cent of the deaths being caused by
Streptococcus pneumoniae and Hib, both of which are vaccine preventable It is the single largest
cause of death among children worldwide: every year, it kills 1.8 million children aged under five,
accounting for 20 per cent of all deaths under five. India accounts for almost 40 per cent of the
worldwide childhood pneumonia cases. In India, West Bengal and Delhi have the highest number of
pneumonia-related deaths.

·         Ayurvedic Drugs to Come Under Quality Net: The government is striving to bring the Rs 8,000-
crore Ayurveda drug industry and traditional medicine system under a quality certification system, a
 move that could help the domestic industry in tapping the export potential, mainly in the emerging
economies. The department of Ayush has launched a quality control system in which Ayurvedic drug
manufacturing companies would need to get their products validated by third party certifiers
authorised by the autonomous body Quality Council of India (QCI), mainly on the parametres of purity
levels and good manufacturing practices. While the scheme is voluntary initially, it could become
mandatory in future.

·         ‘Slum-Free India’ Plan: Basic services to the urban poor (BSUP) and integrated housing and slum
development programme (IHSDP), the two components of Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban
Renewal Mission (JNNURM), would be discontinued in their present form. The government plans to
merge the two schemes with Rajiv Awas Yojna (RAY), an ambitious programme of the Centre to
transform Indian cities by making them slum-free. “Once Rajiv Awas Yojna (RAY) starts, which is
likely to be early next year, BSUP and IHSDP would stop in its present form. Rajiv Awas Yojna allows
slum dweller to get property rights of a house. This implies that if need be, the dweller can mortgage
his house in order to obtain loans. “The centre is looking at involving private developers in a big way
to complete this task. In order to encourage public private partnership (PPP), the Centre is ready to
give up to 40% viability gap funding along with capital subsidy and interest subsidy. The Centre
would also bear the infrastructural costs.

·         What’s Wrong with Power: India’s electricity generation has gone up from a few hundred MW at
the time of Independence, to over 1,50,000 MW. Yet, over 40% of the country’s households remain
without any power, and quite a lot more are without adequate power. Particularly telling is the inequity
between cities and villages; while many of the big cities now have nearly 24-hour supply, most
‘electrified’ villages have half of that, and that too unreliable. This inequity is compounded by the
environmental impacts of such power generation. Over 53% of the current electricity capacity is from
coal-based thermal plants, which are amongst the worst polluters and climate crunchers. Hydro-
power, mostly from big dams, contribute about 25% of the power, and has caused enormous
submergence of forests and displacement of millions of people. Interestingly, those most badly
affected by such power generation are often the ones to get the least electricity.

·         Foundation of Science City Laid: ‘Full of Resources’ Laying the foundation stone for a state—of-
the art Vigyan Dhha (science city) near Dehradun. Mr. Pokhriyal said Uttarakhand is full of natural
and Human resources waiting to be tapped judiciously.

·         New e-Marketing Scheme: The Rajasthan Government has formulated an e-marketing scheme
for farmers to provide regular information on the prices of their produce in various mandis and enable
them to get remunerative prices. Minister of State for Agricultural Marketing Gurmeet Singh Kunnar
said while interacting with farmers at Mandore Krishi Upaj Mandi in Jodhpur that all steps would be
taken to ensure safety of agricultural produce in mandis along with profit in the sale. The Minister said
the infrastructure at all krishi mandis in the State would be expanded and the works in progress
completed on time.

·         India Eager to Question Headley: Nirupama Rao: India would like to have access to David
Headley who, the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation claims, was involved in the Mumbai terror
attacks. “The matter is under investigation and I would not like to say much. This should be
addressed to the Union Home Ministry,” said Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao. At the same time,
she expressed India’s eagerness to question Headley, whose interrogation, according to the FBI, has
 revealed incriminating evidence of his involvement in 26/11.

·         It’s a betrayal by Bangladesh, say militant outfits: Militant outfits in the northeast — the
Manipur People’s Liberation Front (MPLF), the National Liberation Front of Tripura (NLFT), the
Tripura People’s Democratic Front (TPDF), and the National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB
anti-talk faction) —said the people of the region engaged in “liberation struggle” felt “betrayed” by
Bangladesh’s handing over of ULFA chairman Arabinda Rajkhowa and other leaders to India.

·         Largest Assemblage of Raoman amphorae: The excavations undertaken at Pattanam by the
Kerala Council for Historical Research (KCHR) have yielded the largest assemblage of Roman
amphorae (transport containers of wine, oil and fish sauce) in India, the most significant of these
being amphorae of Catalan lineage. As many as 1,100 fragments have been uncovered at Pattanam,
25 km north of Kochi, where excavations have been on for three seasons from 2007 in collaboration
with the Archaeological Survey of India. The largest group of Roman amphorae was previously found
at Arikamedu, located on the Coromandel Coast.

·         NACO promises more ART centers:  Nearly 350 HIV+ people came together in the city to
promote better access to treatment and care for people living with this life-threatening infection.
Experts say with the population of HIV+ people gradually increasing in India, there is a need for
increasing the number of anti-retroviral therapy (ART) centres to provide better treatment. At the
national consultation on `Promoting Access to Care and Treatment' organized by Public Foundation
of India (PFI) and Global Fund, the latter committed 500 million dollars for the next six years to
continue care, support and treatment programmes being provided by National AIDS Control
Organization (NACO). At present, there are 227 ART centres in the country and NACO plans to scale
it up to 375. There are 200 district level networks of positive people in nine states, providing care and
support services.

·         Kalam is Green Ambassador: On the sidelines of the climate change summit in copenhagen, the
ministry of environment and forests announced the name of the first “Paryavaran” ambassador of
India. Part of a campaign by the MoEF started last year, around 2 lakh school children from all over
the country chose Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam, former president of India as the ambassador.

·         RSS Chief for EU Lunch: He arrived in western clothes and did not utter a word out of place. RSS
chief Mohan Bhagwat, an unusual guest of European Union ambassadors, left his hosts and
audience wondering whether he was indeed the head of the RSS with its radical Hindutva agenda.
As part of its outreach in India, the 27-nation EU regularly invites leaders, opinion-makers etc to
interact with it. The effort is "internal", EU.

·         3,800 Communal Riots in Last 5 Yrs: India reported more than 3,800 communal clashes in the
last five years (2004-2008), which on an average accounts for more than two incidents everyday. The
highest number of incidents were reported in 2008 when 943 cases took place across the country
with maximum reported from Orissa. Minister of state for home ajay maken, in a written reply, told Rs.
“The total number of cases reported during the five year period was 3,858 with 677 reported in 2004,
779 in 2005, 698 in 2006, 761 in 2007 and 943 in 2008.

·         S Asian Unity on EU Lines: Cautioning that the future would be shaped and predicted by those
with a vision, Nobel Peace Prize winner Md Yunus of Bangladesh unfurled a unique proposal for
 closer integration of South Asia on the patterns of European Union. "It is time to take charge of our
future, it's time to decide what we want South Asia to be in the year 2030," Yunus said delivering the
second Hiren Mukherjee memorial lecture in the Central Hall of Parliament.  

·         Hubble Spies Farthest Galaxies: The Hubble telescope has captured some of the oldest galaxies
yet seen in the universe using a new infared camera, scientists in Britain said The camera newly
installed on the telescope by NASA astronauts has snapped the galaxies, “which are likely to be the
most distant ever seen”, said scientists. The Galaxies date back to when the universe was still in its
infancy, less than one billion years after the big bang, they said, the highly sensitive camera can
detect starlight from distant objects light that has been “Stretched” by the expending universe.

·         IOC to have 26-49% Stake in N-Plant: Indian Oil Corp, the nation’s largest oil firm, said it will take
26-49% stake in the Rs 10,000-crore nuclear power plant it will set up in collaboration with the
Nuclear Power Corp of India Ltd. “We have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for
setting up at least one 1,000 mw nuclear power plant with NPCIL,” IOC director (business
development) B M Bansal said.

·         Himachal to get first Biotech Park:  The Himachal Pradesh Cabinet has approved setting up of a
biotechnology park — the first for the state — near Nalagarh in Solan district under public-private
partnership mode. A senior official of the biotechnology department said UK-based consultant Matt
MacDonald will assist the department in selecting the promoter, as well as signing the final
agreement with the company.

·         India has 500m Mobile Numbers:  By the start of the New Year, India will have breached a
previously unthinkable landmark — half a billion wireless connections — making  it the second
largest group of mobile phone users after China. Overall, telephone connections in India (fixed line
and wireless) will be closing in on 550 million. This translates into a teledensity (phone connections
per 100 population) of roughly 45%, an urban teledensity closer to 97% and a rural teledensity of
about 18%. India had crossed 488.40 million wireless connections at the end of October 2009 and
will be breaching the half-billion wireless connections mark just about now. Yet, the actual number of
subscribers might be less than half a billion, since a few hold multiple SIM cards and not all of them
are in use at the same time. In sharp contrast, wire line connectivity is down to 37.25 million phones,
exhibiting a clear consumer preference for wireless, including mobile phones, as a preferred
technology for voice and data communications. India’s broadband penetration, however, is abysmally
low at 7.5 million. India has 13 to 14 operators providing wireless connectivity — mostly mobile — in
its 22 service areas. Of these, 8-9 companies are operational and another 5-6 are obligated to launch
service to meet rollout obligations.

·         I & B Revamp film Awards: Seeking to revamp its most high profile events — the National Film
Awards and the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) — the I&B ministry has set up two high level
national committees that include film industry stalwarts like Kamal Haasan, Govind Nihalani, Karan
Johar, Shyam Benegal, Vishal Bharadwaj and Nagesh Kukunoor.

·         Dhanush Successfully test fired: The Navy day successfully test fired the nuclear capable
Dhanush missile from a warship off the Orissa coast. An indigenous naval version of the Prithivi short
range ballistic missile, Dhanush has a strike range up to 350km, can carry a 500kg conventional, can
be used as an anti ship weapon as well as for destroying land targets depending on the range, this
 was the sixth test of the missile.

·         Red Carpet for Nepal Army Chief: Worried about China’s strategic inroads into Nepal, India has
rolled out the red carpet for Nepal Army chief General Chhatraman Singh Gurung’s eight-day visit to
India. Gen Gurung, who took over as Nepal Army chief on September 9, 2009, will be conferred the
honorary rank of ‘General of Indian Army’ by President Pratibha Patil at an investiture ceremony at
Rashtrapati Bhavan. Gen Gurung was chief guest at the passing-out-parade at the Indian Military
Academy (IMA) in Dehradun. Incidentally, Gen Gurung passed out of IMA in the early-1970s. Though
he attended several military courses in India thereafter, he also graduated from China’s National
Defence University. India has recently resumed military aid to Nepal, which was largely suspended
after former king Gyanendra assumed absolute power and declared emergency in 2005.

·         The New BJP chief: Nitin Gadkari is set to be the next BJP president despite the claims of the
party’s ideological fount, the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS), that it wasn’t forcing its choice
on the party. Gadkari heads Maharashtra BJP.

·         ‘Headley Cooperating to Avoid Death Penalty’: Pakistani Origin US national David Coleman
Headley, a lashkar-e-Laiba (LeT) operative charged with criminal conspiracy in the 26/11 terror
attacks, now appears to have turned informant to FBI to avoid death penalty. Given the Strong case
against him, headley is unlikely to come out of the jail and faces death penalty. But by talking this
time, headley might escape the death penalty”. Philadelphla inquirer.  

·         Prabhakaran, Amman Dead; Rajiv case may be closed: Decks have been cleared for the
closure of Rajiv Gandhi assassination case with Sri Lankan government confirming the deaths of two
most important conspirators in the case, LTTE chief V. Prabhakaran and its intelligence chief Pottu
Amman, formally to India.

·         Big plan for medicinal plants across the Country: Union Health and Family Welfare Minister
Ghulam Nabi Azad has said that medicinal plants would be set up across the country at a cost of Rs.
650 crores under the aegis of the Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homeopathy
(AYUSH) Department. Speaking at the valedictory function of the AROGYA fair in Patna, Mr. Azad
informed that the plants would be established over an area of 80,000 hectares, the benefits of which
would be accrued to States like Bihar. “While States in South India had taken big strides in the private
health sector, regions like Uttar Pradesh and Bihar have lagged behind in this respect.

·         Railways Ready to set up coach Factory in Singur: The Railways has formally communicated
to the West Bengal government its willingness to set up a coach factory in Singur at an estimated
cost of Rs. 1,800 crore. Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee discussed the issue with Railway Board
chairman S.S. Khurana after receiving a formal letter of offer from the State government to hand over
997.11 acres of land at Singur to the Railways.

·         Misra Panel: A panel headed by former chief justice Ranganath Misra has recommended wide-
ranging affirmative action, including quotas for Muslims, Christians and other religious minorities in
educational institutions, government jobs and employment programmes, and suggested that the
scheduled caste (SC) net be made “fully religion-neutral”. The National Commission for Religious and
Linguistic Minorities, formed in March 2005, has proposed that 15% of posts in “all cadres and grades
 under the Central and state Government.

·         India and China interest in Sudan: India and China look set to renew their battle for hydrocarbon
reserves around the world, some of them in unsettled countries that have been turned into pariahs by
the global community. India is now seeking to edge ahead of China in Sudan. As part of its attempt to
help energy firms secure assets in oil-rich Sudan, state-owned Ircon International Ltd will develop a
180km rail link from Khartoum to Al-Masala-Mian through a soft loan extended by the Union
government. “The loan of $150 million (Rs700 crore) will go towards the rail project, for which the
technical and financial agreement is expected to be signed in Sudan this month.”

·         Tendulkar panel’s report Released: The Planning Commission has released the expert group
report on poverty chaired by Suresh D. Tendulkar, former chairman of the National Statistical
Commission. The report states that four out of 10 people in rural areas in India are poor—a
significant change from an existing estimate dating back to 2004-05, according to which around three
in 10 people in rural areas are poor.

·         $405 mn WB loan for transport in Andhra: The World Bank has approved two projects worth US
$405 million designed to promote environment friendly modes of urban transport and to improve
management and delivery of services in urban areas in Andhra Pradesh. A US $105 million loan for
the Sustainable Urban Transport Project (SUTP) will finance capacity building and demonstration
projects in select cities that will create models of sustainable transport solutions for Indian cities to
replicate. These projects include public transport development such as new bus systems, and non-
motorized transport development including cycle track investments.

·         ‘World Bank Fund for Ganga River Authority:  The World Bank announced a soft loan of $one
billion in the next 5 to 7 years for the recently launched National Ganga River Basin Authority
(NGRBA) to clean and conserve the river. Speaking on the occasion, the World Bank President
Robert B. Zoellick said India had shown “visionary leadership” to address the challenge of conserving
large rivers and the Bank would begin its engagement by facilitating the exchange of relevant
experience from elsewhere such as river Thames.

·         Govt. clears visa-on-Arrival for citizens of five Countries: The government has decided to offer
visa-on-arrival facility to citizens of a select group of five countries, something New Delhi had been
hesitant to do so far due to security concerns. The government, it is learnt, has decided to clear the
names of Japan, Singapore, New Zealand, Luxembourg and Finland as the countries whose
nationals can fly in to India and obtain a visa at the airport.   The decision has ostensibly been taken
with the aim of promoting tourism but its significance is much more than that. This is the first time
India is offering visa-on-arrival to any country. The decision to offer visa-on-arrival is currently only a
pilot project. And the choice of the selected countries has been dictated by the fact that no national of
any of these countries has ever been found to be involved in—even linked to—any terror-related
incident anywhere in the world.

·         Karnataka, Centre ink MoU on Health Insurance scheme: The government of Karnataka and
the Union government signed a Memorandum of Understanding to implement the Rashtriya
Swasthya Bima Yojana (RSBY), an ambitious health insurance scheme for workers in the
unorganised sector. Labour Minister B.N. Bache Gowda, who signed the agreement, said that the
scheme would be launched in five districts in the first phase in 2009-10. It will be extended to other
 districts the year after. The districts to be covered in the first phase are Belgaum, Shimoga, Mysore,
Dakshina Kannada and Bangalore Rural. The scheme envisages cashless health insurance cover up
to Rs. 30,000 a year on hospitalisation to a Below Poverty Line (BPL) family.

International

·         India, Bangladesh Finalise drafts of 3 Pacts: India and Bangladesh finalised drafts of three
pacts – on mutual legal assistance in criminal matters, on combating international terrorism,
organised crime and illicit drug trafficking and on transfer of sentenced persons. The drafts were
finalised during the three-day meeting of the Home Secretaries of India and Bangladesh. 

·         U.S. Allies Pledge 7,000 troops: Some two dozen countries will send an estimated 7,000 more
troops to Afghanistan next year, the chief of NATO said as U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham
Clinton told her allied counterparts that an infusion of forces is crucial to turning the tide in the long
war. NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen of Denmark told reporters at NATO
headquarters that at least 25 nations would provide the additional forces in Afghanistan in 2010, “with
more to come.” And he said the 44 countries now involved are “absolutely united” in their
commitment to seeing the eight-year war through to a successful outcome.

·         RIL rope in state firm Ecopetrol for Columbian deep water blocks: In an apparent bid to cut
the risks in its Columbian exploration blocks, Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Industries (RIL) has
signed an agreement with state-controlled Ecopetrol, giving the Columbian company a 20% stake in
its two deepwater blocks. In a filing to the Bombay Stock Exchange, RIL said its wholly-owned
subsidiary, Reliance Exploration and Production DMCC (REP), would give a 20% stake to the
Columbian oil firm and retain the remaining stake in the two hydrocarbon blocks, subject to the
approval of Columbia's upstream regulator. RIL owns 14 hydrocarbon blocks in various countries like
Oman, Australia, Yemen and Peru, besides Columbia, with 80% to 90% stake in each block through
REP.

·         India Pledges 25% emission cut by 2020: India pledges to cut its emission intensity by 20-25%
by 2020 on a baseline of 2005. While making the announcement in the Lok Sabha, environment and
forests minister Jairam Ramesh said, “It’s a voluntary and unilateral commitment and won’t be taken
on as legally binding commitment.” He was responding during a special discussion on India’s position
on climate change. “India won’t accept any legally binding emission reduction targets or peaking year
for emissions,” he added.

·         India and Russia: In an unanticipated development, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s intensive
engagement in the Russian capital with President Dmitry Medvedev and Prime Minister Vladimir
Putin led to understandings of immediate and long-term nature to access the vast Russian resources
in eastern Siberia and far eastern Russia. Mr. Medvedev gave an indication of enhanced
partnerships in the energy sector when he observed that with the civil nuclear deal 3.0 in the bag, “we
can think of working in other areas.” Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao said Russia agreed to allow
India to enter the Trebs and Titov oil fields in the Timan Pechora region. ONGC Videsh Limited (OVL)
and Russia’s Sistema signed a memorandum of understanding to scout for oil and gas assets in
Russia and other Central Asian countries. The Russian political leadership also gave a “very positive
response” to India’s request to participate in the bidding for the lucrative Sakhalin-3 oil field. With
OVL having entered into tie-ups to study investment opportunities with Russian oil and gas giants
Roseneft and Gazprom, Ms. Rao was confident of India obtaining sourcing rights in at least some of
the projects. In the case of Sakhalin-3, Russia told India that it was yet to take a decision on allowing
foreign participation. In case such a decision is taken by the first quarter of next year (when Mr. Putin
will visit India), New Delhi could take a stake in the project. OVL now has a slice of the Sakhalin-1
and swaps oil accruing to its account with crude carriers operating in India’s vicinity. Sistema also is
 no stranger to India. It is Russia’s biggest investor in the Indian telecom sector. Its chief co-chairs the
Indo-Russia CEOs Council with Reliance Industries head Mukesh Ambani. India, Russia Finalise
new Nuclear Agreement: India and Russia have finalised the text of an overarching framework for
nuclear cooperation which will ensure that no ongoing nuclear power project or uranium fuel supply
arrangement with the Russian side would be affected or stopped in the event of termination of
bilateral cooperation for any reason. This assurance, which mirrors a similar provision in the Indo-
French nuclear cooperation agreement, is considered by India a major improvement over the ‘123
Agreement’ it had signed with the United States. That agreement provides for not just termination of
ongoing cooperation but also for the return to the U.S. of already supplied components and fuel in the
event of the agreement being terminated. India, Russia agree on Gorshkov Price: Taking their
progress in defence ties beyond the three military pacts signed in the presence of Prime Minister
Manmohan Singh and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev. India and Russia have reached an
agreement on the price to be paid for modernising and refurbishing the aircraft carrier Admiral
Gorshkov (now renamed INS Vikramaditya). The two sides also held talks on purchasing an
additional 50 Sukhoi-MKI planes as well as fighters of the MiG-29 class for the indigenous aircraft
carrier being built at Kochi. India, Russia Sign Six Agreements:  India and Russia inked six
agreements aimed at invigorating their relationship that had endured a lukewarm phase in recent
years. Apart from the path-breaking civil nuclear energy agreement, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh
and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev presided over the signing of three pacts in the military
sphere to resolve the existing irritants as well as take the relationship into the realm of joint
development and production. They agreed on a cultural exchange programme over the next two
years and a credit line for facilitating bilateral trade. With consolidation in existing areas of
cooperation sought to be strengthened by the agreements, both countries identified energy,
pharmaceuticals and Information and Technology and communications as new thrust areas. All three
areas have seen impressive growth in recent years that has ensured healthy growth rates in
investment and trade despite the global recessionary conditions. It was also decided to triple the
modest bilateral trade of $7 billion to $20 billion in the next five years.

·         FROM KYOTO TO COPENHAGEN: A Clear Picture of haze- China and the US top the charts,
leaps and bounds as the highest CO2 emitters at over 6 billion mt, way above third place Russia’s 1.6
billion mt. In the two world maps, one quantifies the total CO2 emissions for a each country, the other
shows per capita figures. Includes a side-by-side comparison of various economic and demographic
statistics for China and the US.

Top Emitters     Metric tonne (Billions)

      China                                6.28

      U.S.                                   6.01

      Russia                              1.67

      India                                 1.40

      Japan                                1.26

      Germany                          0.84

      Canada                             0.59

      U.K.                                   0.56

      South Korea                     0.52

      Iran                                   0.49

Top Emitters     In Metric tonne (per person)

      Qatar                                 70.6

      Netherlands antilies       55.7

      Bahrain                            41.0

      United Arab Emirates     38.5

      Trinidad and Tobago      38.1

      Singapore                         33.9

      Kuwait                              31.3

      Brunei                              27.2

      Luzembourg                     25.4

      Australia                          22.0

      Housing Trouble: Climate change and environmental degradation will force as many as 1 billion
people to migrate over the next four decades to Southeast Asia, Central America and parts of west
Africa.

1. Between 25 million to 1 billion people could be displaced by climate change by 2050.

2. Afghanistan, Bangladesh, most of central America and parts of west Africa and southeast Asia as
“ future hotspots” where large numbers of people are expected to flee as a result of
environmental and climate pressures.
3. In 2008, 20 million people were made homeless by sudden onset environmental disasters that
are set to amplify as global warming increases.
4. The Number of natural disasters has more than doubled in the past 20 years and water pollution,
desertification and other strains would made even more of the planet uninhabitable as
greenhouse gases keep building up.        

·         Japan Unveils new $81 billion stimulus Package: Japan’s government unveiled $81 billion of
new stimulus spending to keep the world’s second-biggest economy from lurching back into
recession. Despite shrinking tax revenue, Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama and his Cabinet agreed to
7.2 trillion yen ($80.6 billion) in new spending after days of negotiations with coalition partners. The
largesse underlines that the world’s biggest economies are still too fragile to get by without
government life support even as a recovery from the global recession takes shape. In export-reliant
Asia that’s partly because demand from Europe and the U.S. is improving only tepidly and efforts to
 reduce dependence on trade by boosting consumer spending will take several years to fully bear
fruit.

·         Hottest decade: The first decade of the 21st century is set to be the warmest on record, the head
of the world meteorological organization said at the U.N climate talks. “The decade 2000-2009 is very
likely to be the warmest on record, warmer than the 1990s, which were in turn warmer than the
1980s”, said WMO secretary general Michel Jarraud at a press conference. Mr. Jarraud also said that
the year 2009 would probably rank as the fifth warmest since the beginning of accurate instrumental
climate records in 1850.

·         Baghdad Serial Blasts leave 118 Dead: A series of five coordinated attacks struck Baghdad,
including two suicide car bombers and another vehicle that blew up near a government site, leaving
at least 118 dead and hundreds injured in the worst wave of violence in the city in over a month.

·         Tibet Military Region Commander on goodwill Visit: In a sign of lowering of temperatures
between India and China, a top military official from the Tibet region is currently on an official visit
here being hosted by the Eastern Command. Lt. Gen. Shu Yu Tai, Army Commander of the Tibet
Military Region, arrived in India on a five-day tour during which he would visit Kolkata and Bagdogra.
The tour was described as a goodwill visit and runs concurrently with the visit of a 43-member
delegation of military officers from the Chinese National Defence University, an institute on the lines
of the National Defence College. Besides New Delhi, during their four-day stay, the delegation will
visit Pune.

·         ‘Green fund’: Four nations will propose a “Green fund” to try to break deadlock on ways to raise
and manage billions of dollars at UN climate talks in Copenhagen, delegates said. Australia, Mexico,
UK and Norway would outline ideas in a dollars toward 2020.

·         Bulgaria to Host NATO Simulation Exercise:  Bulgaria will host the North Atlantic Treaty
Organisation (NATO) computer-assisted exercise called Phoenix-2010, where terrorist attacks will be
simulated, experts told Xinhua at a workshop for the preparation of the event in Sofia. The goal of this
exercise is to train civil and military organisations from different countries to have a coordinated
emergency response to a suite of disaster events. It will take place in November 2010 in the National
Centre for Modelling and Simulation “Charalitsa”. The Phoenix-2010 scenario and technical tools are
still under discussion between Bulgaria, the NATO Industrial Advisory Group and NATO Research
and Technology Organisation. The Joint Exercise Management Module (JEMM) and Joint Conflict
and Tactical Simulation (JCATS) implemented by NATO are among the possible technologies to be
used in execution of this computer-assisted exercise.

·         India and Israel to boost defence ties: India and Israel have decided to further bolster their
already expansive military ties, especially in areas like joint R&D defence  projects, counter-terrorism
and intelligence-sharing. This came after visiting Israeli Defence Forces chief of general staff Lt-
General Gabi Ashkenazi met national security advisor M K Narayanan, Army chief General Deepak
Kapoor, IAF chief Air Chief Marshal P V Naik and Navy chief Admiral Nirmal Verma. Lt-Gen
Ashkenazi is also slated to visit the Jaipur-based South-Western Army Command, one of the six
operational commands of the 1.13-million strong Indian Army. Indian armed forces have inducted a
wide array of Israeli military hardware and software, ranging from UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles),
electronic warfare suites and night-vision devices to missiles, anti-missile defence systems and
sophisticated radars, after the 1999 Kargil conflict. Israel since then has rapidly emerged as India's
second largest defence supplier.

·         India, Italy to Increase Trade: India and Italy entered into an agreement to promote bilateral trade
 and investments. The agreement was signed between Invest India, a joint venture firm between the
government and the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), and the
Italian National Agency for Inward Investment Promotion and Enterprise Development.

·         Lanks, India for lasting Solution of Ethnic Issue: Sri Lanka has assured India of initiating a
lasting political solution to the ethnic issue in the island nation which could serve and protect the
aspirations of all Lankan citizens. The Sri Lankan government knows the importance of sustaining the
peace that was achieved after the military defeat of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam in May this
year, a high-powered delegation from here told counterparts in New Delhi. The Lankan delegation
consisting of senior Presidential advisor Basil Rajapaksa, President’s Secretary Lalit Weeratunga and
defence secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa met Minister of External Affairs S M Krishna to discuss
issues related to the resettlement of Tamil civilians.

·         Kotnis in China’s top 10 Friends List:  Indian doctor Dwarkanath kotnis, who treated Chinese
soldiers during the Sino Japanese war of 1938 and won the heart of maozedong with his selfless
service, has been chosen in a nationwide poll in china as one of 10 foreigners who have made
exceptional contributions to the country in the past 100 years. Kotnis died at 32 after spending four
years in China. On his death, Mao Zedong said, “The army has lost a helping hand, the nation a
friend. Let’s always bear in mind his international 1st spirt.

·         Ancestors of Chinese came from India: Study: The ancestors of most Asian populations,
including the Chinese and southeast Asians, came from India, a new genetic study across 10
countries has revealed. The study found that humans first migrated to the Indian subcontinent from
Africa some 100,000 years ago and then spread to other parts of Asia.

·         BIMSTEC’s convention to combat Terrorism: The seven-nation BIMSTEC grouping adopted a
convention to combat terrorism and insurgency, a step that is expected to add teeth to India’s action
against militancy, particularly in its north East. Foreign Ministers of India, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Sri
Lanka, Bhutan, Thailand and Nepal signed the Convention on Cooperation in Combating
International Terrorism, Trans-National Organised Crime and Illicit Drug Trafficking at the 12th
BIMSTEC Ministerial meeting at Nay Pyi Taw.

·         Miss World 2009: Gibraltar’s Kaiane Aldorino won the 2009 Miss World crown at a glittering
ceremony, defeating 111 contestants from across the world. An HR clerk, the 22-year-old Miss
Gibraltar brought her country the Miss World title for the first time. Miss Mexico Perla Beltran finished
second, while South Africa’s Tatum Keshwar took the third place. Miss India Pooja Chopra
disappointed by failing to make it to the final round.

·         New Afghan Strategy: United States President Barack Obama announced that he was pouring
30, 000 more troops into Afghanistan, vowing to “seize the initiative” to end the unpopular was and
start a pullout in July 2011. In a Major speech unveiling a new fast track was strategy, Mr. Obama
pledged for the first time that U.S forces would start coming home in 19 months, as he groped for an
exit from a conflict many backers see as a Vietnam style quagmire.

·         Greece may be First EU Default: Former Bank of England Policymaker Willem Buiter said
Greece may be the first major country in the European Union to default on its debts since the
aftermath of world war.

Economy

·         RBI allows banks to Widen Agent Network: Very soon, the kirana shop and the PCO in your
neighbourhood, your insurance agent, a retired teacher and the nearby petrol pump, could  provide
 you with a slew of banking services like deposits and withdrawals, opening of accounts etc from their
premises. RBI permitted banks to appoint these entities to act as their agents and carry out several of
the bank's operations. All these though, will come for a fee, pre-decided by your bank. RBI has
allowed entities like individual kirana/medical/fair price shop owners, PCO operators, agents of
government-sponsored small savings schemes, insurance agents, petrol pumps owners and retired
teachers to act as ‘business correspondents' (BCs) of banks. A notification by the RBI said that
allowing banks to appoint BCs (agents in common parlance) was part of its financial inclusion
initiative. In August, an RBI working group was of the view that since the traditional ‘brick and mortar'
banking model had limitations penetrating remote areas of India, the BC model could give banks a
workable solution to provide banking services in inaccessible areas in a cost-effective manner.

·         World Bank lending to India Hiked to $7 Billion this Fiscal: The World Bank has committed to
hike its lending to India to about $7 billion this fiscal as compared to an average loan assistance of
$2.3 billion in the previous four financial years. Mr. Zoellick complimented India on being the single
largest borrower of the World Bank and hailed the country’s contribution and the role that it has
played in the World Bank group. The Finance Minister informed the Bank chief that India has always
been at the forefront of providing greater capital support to all multilateral development institutions.
For instance, it had enthusiastically supported a 200 per cent capital increase for the Asian
Development Bank (ADB). 

·         Iffco project attracts Rs 200 crore in first phase: The proposed Indian Farmers Fertiliser
Cooperative Ltd (IFFCO) Kisan SEZ project coming up at Nellore district in Andhra Pradesh has
attracted investments to the tune of Rs 2,000 crore in the first phase. This is significant as the multi-
product SEZ is the first-of-its-kind in the country in which farmers’ cooperatives are participating as
stakeholders having primary focus on food processing and agri-based industries. The SEZ, coming
up on around 2,700 acre with an approximate investment of Rs 5,000 crore, has caught the attention
of some big investors.

·         India can surpass China as hub for consumer durables –Study: According to a study by the
Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) and Price water house Coopers
(PwC)-conducted on behalf of the National Manufacturing Competitiveness Council (NMCC)-“despite
its present lead in manufacturing consumer durables, China may become less attractive for
international investments after recent changes in tax regulation, currency appreciation and demand
saturation in urban markets. China’s loss may be India’s gain. India has a huge untapped domestic
market as well as favourable demographics to lead its way.” According to FICCI Secretary General
Amit Mitra, “of late, India has entered into the world map for manufacturing of consumer durable
items. However, we still continue to import a large amount of these items from the world and
especially from China. Time has come that India has its own manufacturing facilities for various
consumer durable items.”

·         Union Bank Awarded: Union Bank awarded the certificate of merit by South Asian federation of
accountants (SAFA), an apex body of Saarc, for best presented accounts and corporate governance
disclosure for 2008 under the “Financial sector banking” category. Nominations for the award are
sent by the institute of chartered accountants of India.

·         Central Nod for 4e-trading Platforms: The centre it has approved setting up of four electronic
trading platforms or Terminal market complexes to eliminate the role of middlement in farm trading.
The Terminal Market complexes one each in Bihar, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra and Orissa will replace
the mandis (Wholesale market yard) and will provide far mers direct access to markets. The Minister
TMC will be set up at Babangaon in Thane district in Maharashtra, at Perundurai in Erode district in
Tamil Nadu, Patna in Bihar and Sambalpur in Orissa.

·         ONGC to bid for Iraqi Oilfield: Oil and Natural Gas Corporation, along with state-run Oil India and
 Turkish Petroleum Corp (TPAO), is likely to bid for Iraq's giant Halfaya oilfield under that country's
second licensing round this week. Russia's Gazprom or Rosneft may also join ONGC Videsh, the
overseas arm of the state-run explorer, in Iraq's second post-war bid round on December 11-12,
industry sources said. Turkish Petroleum will have 50 per cent interest in the consortium, while OVL
would hold 30 per cent. OIL would keep the remaining 20 per cent. In case the Russian firm joins the
consortium, the shareholding of TPAO and OVL may be reduced.

·         TCS feat in China: The core banking solution of Tata Consultancy Services BaNCS has been
ranked as the leading core banking solution in China based on its performance in 2008 by IDC, a
global market research and analysis firm specialising in Information technology. This was the third
year in a row that TCS had been ranked at the top of solution providers for the financial services
industry in China.

·         Bharat Electronics has Rs4, 694-cr radar order: Bharat Electronics Ltd (BEL), a navartna
defense PSU, said it has Rs 4, 694 crore worth of orders in hand in the radar segment. Currently BEL
owns orders to supply 152 radar systems for various appliocations, said IV sarma, director (R&D) of
BEL, he said “The current orders will be executed in the next two to two and a half years period. BEL
in the only company in India that manufactures radar for defence and civil purposes, he said while
announcing the four-day event “International radar symposium India” which will be held in Bangalore
from December 8-11. He said the company generated around Rs. 900 crore in the last financial year
in radar segment, accounting for around 20% of its total tournover order in 4, 618crore.

·         Allahabad Bank’s New CMD: Public sector lender Allahbad bank said it has appointed JP Dua as
its chairman & managing director. “Dua would hold office till august 31 2012.

·         Three Types of Kerala rice get GI protection:  Three kinds of rice -- Pokkali, Navara and
PalakkadanMatta -- produced in Kerala have been registered as GIs underthe Geographical
Indications of Goods.

·         Put agriculture high on agenda: The G8 rich countries have promised to increase spending on
agricultural development by $20 billion over the next three years. While this is commendable, the
amount is still woefully less than the $44 billion that FAO estimates will be needed each year to end
malnutrition. Also, rich countries have to match their words with action. But developing countries also
need to get their house in order. A paradigm shift from instating makeshift measures during droughts
and floods to long-term agricultural solutions needs to come about. Governments need to increase
spend on agri-science research and rural infrastructure including roads. Our farmers need better
facilities to make them less dependent on erratic rains. To be exact they need superior training,
technology and marketing opportunities. These will make farming a profitable enterprise for our
smallholder farmers.

·         VW-Suzuki Plans: Days after agreeing to buy 20% stake in Japan’s Suzuki Motor Corporation for
$2.5 billion, German car giant Volkswagen AG has said the two companies are looking at jointly
working on hybrid and electric car projects. India could play a significant role in this. For, VW may
look at leveraging Suzuki’s R&D centre in the country for developing hybrid and electric cars, among
other products. A hybrid electric vehicle combines a conventional internal combustion engine
propulsion system with an electric propulsion system, and is, therefore, more fuel-efficient. Globally,
auto companies are looking at alternative fuel technologies in a bid to reduce carbon emissions and
comply with stringent environmental regulations. However, since this involves high development
costs, automakers are looking at joining hands in these areas. Even Indian auto majors like Tata
Motors are betting big on hybrids and electric cars. Tata Motors, which has a tie up with Norwegian
company Miljo Grenland/Innovasjon for its hybrid project, is also planning to introduce a hybrid
 version of Nano, the world’s cheapest car.

·         Indian Ports: SIGNS of economic recovery can be seen fro the cargo movement across all ports 
in the country. In the month of November, the overall cargo traffic improved by 13% to 48.2 million
tones, the second highest cargo movement since April last year. Twelve out of the 13 ports reported
growth in cargo traffic for the month of November. On a year to date basis, total cargo traffic grew by
4.7% to 362.8 million tones. Both dry bulk cargo and container volumes are showing signs of stability.
The main driver for the growth in cargo came from iron ore, coal and container cargo. While coal
cargo went up by 10.9%, iron ore grew by a significant 16.4% year on year. the only dampener was
petroleum, oil and lubricants (POL) cargo, which saw a decline of 2.7% because of weakening
demand for these products. Demand of iron ore is increasing in China of Iron ore is increasing in
China as the country wants to build inventory. The movement of coal is more in the domestic market
because of increase in demand from power plants, especially the Ultra mega power projects
(UMPPs). It is estimated that each UMPP would require around 15 million tones of coal by 2012.
Paradip port saw the highest movement of cargo in the month of November, a growth that was mainly
driven by coal cargo. Other ports like Vishakhapatnam and Chennai also saw a significant year on
year increase. The only three ports which saw a de-growth were Haldia (-22.3%) ennore (-5%) and
JNPT (-1.7%). Analysts also say ports’ volume for the month of November saw an increase because
of heavy congestion in Australian ports. As a result, some of the cargo has been diverted to Indian
ports.

·         Govt to award 17 ports to private sector: The Government is planning to award 17 major port
development projects to private players, under the ambitious National Maritime Development
Programme. "We would like to have more private participation in the maritime sector under the
NMDP. As per the current plans, 17 projects will be awarded to the private sector," Shipping
Secretary K Mohandas.

·         Suzlon: Suzlon Energy Ltd, India’s biggest maker of wind turbine generators, plans to complete
$2.8 billion (Rs13,076 crore) of refinancing by the end of January, chairman tulsi Tanti.  Ahmadabad
based firm Suzlon has gained 34% this year, lagging behind the 78% rise it the Bombay stock
exchange’s sensitive index.

·         GM-SAIC JV to invest $100m in India: General Motors and its main Chinese partner announced
a venture to sell vehicles in India. The 50:50 joint venture of GM with China-based Shanghai
Automotive Industry Corporation (SAIC) will manufacture light commercial vehicles and passenger
cars, particularly in the smaller segment. The company aims to cater to the domestic as well as
export markets. The joint venture company, GM SAIC Investments Ltd, will be headquartered at
Hong Kong and will invest $100 million in India to initially make light commercial vehicles, followed by
cars.

·         2, 254-crore World Bank aid for Rajasthan: The World Bank extended its support to the
Rajasthan Government with a proposed assistance programme of 490 million US dollars or
approximately Rs.2,254 crore for four new State-level projects over the coming two years. The
projects pertain to livelihood, water resources, rural roads and agricultural competitiveness.

·         Indo-Israeli Agriculture pact extended to Rajasthan: The Indo-Israeli pact on agriculture signed
in 2007 is being extended to Rajasthan for treatment of barren and unproductive land and
improvement of water supply for irrigation. An agricultural expert from Israel, Avri Berger, has met
State Agriculture Minister Harjiram Burdak.

·         Panel: agents’ commission on Term Insurance Plans: The insurance industry can heave a sigh
of relief as the expert panel on investor protection and awareness has dropped its original proposal to
end all commissions for insurance agents from April 2011. In its final report submitted to the
 government last week, the committee led by Dhirendra Swarup has suggested that agent
commissions must be retained for pure life cover products like term insurance. Swarup panel for
capping commission at 5% after 2011. Aims is to promote pure insurance products for wider
coverage, also to ensure savins are not frittered away in commissions, Irda representative opposes
move, puts n a dissent note.

·         Task Force recommends National electronics Mission: A high-level task force for the
information technology (IT) industry has recommended constitution of ‘National Electronic Mission’, a
nodal agency for the electronics industry within the Department of Information Technology (DIT) with
direct interface to the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO). It has also supported the IT industry’s demand
of extending existing tax holidays to ensure fast growth of the industry. The nodal agency would help
in the synchronised functioning of the industry through effective coordination across various
ministries and government departments. The report envisions a $140-billion electronics and $105-
billion software and services industry by 2014. It has also called for immediate building of adequate
basic, business and social infrastructure; favourable business policy and regulatory environment;
fostering a sustainable ecosystem for innovation, R&D and manufacturing; and maintaining globally
competitive tax regime. Headed by HCL Infosystems Chairman and Chief Executive Ajai Chowdhry.

·         New high yield Sugar Variety After 20yrs: Cane growers in north India are poised to shift to
more profitable varieties that will give 10 tonnes more cane per hectare, pushing the country’s yield to
match that of Brazil.

Science and Technology

·         Atom- Smasher Sets World Record: THE "Big Bang" experiment at CERN near Geneva scored a
world record this week by accelerating beams to the highest energy ever achieved in a particle
collider. Scientists at CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research, said the achievement
marked a major milestone on the way to tests next year, which they hope will unlock secrets of the
origins and make-up of the universe.

·         Home-made N-sub INS Arihant to be Inducted in 2 Years: India’s first-ever indigenous nuclear
submarine, aptly named INS Arihant (annihilator of enemies), should be ready for induction into Navy
in another two years or so. With progress finally being made in fulfiling India’s long-standing aim to
have a credible ‘nuclear triad’, or the ability to fire nukes from land, air and sea, Navy now wants a
well-balanced underwater strategic arm. This will include three SSBNs (nuclear-powered submarines
with long-range strategic missiles) and six SSNs (nuclear-powered attack submarines) in the long-
term . But much before all this, Navy will begin operating a nuclear submarine by early next year.
That is when, after several glitches, India will finally get the 12,000-tonne ‘K-152 Nerpa’ Akula-II class
submarine from Russia on a 10-year lease. Nerpa, of course, will not come armed with long-range
missiles due to international treaties like the Missile Technology Control Regime. But apart from
being a potent hunter of enemy submarines, Nerpa will also help train Indian sailors in the complex
art of operating, maintaining and deploying nuclear submarines like INS Arihant and its already-
approved two follow-on vessels. At present, the government has sanctioned well over Rs 30,000
crore for the ATV project to construct three submarines, with the third being of a much larger size.

·         Virgin Galactic Unveils Commercial spaceship: British billionaire sir Richard Branson’s virgin
Galactic took the cloak off spaceship tow, after two years of secret development in the Mojave desert.
The sleek, bullet shaped spacecraft is about the size of a large business jet with wide windows ands
seats for six well heeled passengers to take a thrill ride into space. The company plans to sell
suborbital space rides for $200,000 a ticket, offering passengers 2 hour fights that include about five
minutes of weightlessness.

·         CSIR Sequences Human Genome: The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) has
 added yet another feather to its cap. Scientists at the Council’s New Delhi-based Institute of
Genomics and Integrative Biology (IIGB) have succeeded in completely sequencing the genome of
an individual, enabling India to join a league of select countries — the U.S., the U.K., Canada, China
and Korea. CSIR Director-General Samir K. Brahmachari said a major significance of the Indian effort
was that it would help understand several diseases that were of importance to India and other
developing countries. The effort would also add to global knowledge on genetic variations and pre-
disposition to various diseases, he said. The CSIR had successfully completed the genetic diversity
of the Indian population. It had also completed the genome sequence of a fish variety, called
Zebrafish, popularly used by the scientific community as an organism for modelling human diseases.
Noting that Zebrafish genome was half the size of human genome, he said its sequencing earlier this
year gave the CSIR the confidence to take up the challenge of human genome sequencing.

·         Loneliness raises Cancer Risk, say Researchers: Lonely, stressed out rats were far more likely to
develop breast tumors than rats living in a social group, a finding that suggests loneliness can have a
profound effect on health, researchers said. They said rats separated from a social group shortly after
birth had a three times higher risk of developing breast tumors than did rats living in a social group,
and the tumors in the isolated rats were more deadly. The leading suspect is poorly regulated stress,
Gretchen Hermes from Yale University, who led the study said. The effects (of loneliness) are equal
to ore greater than effects of cigarette smoking that includes a shortened life span.

·         Earth More sensitive to CO2 in the long term: In the long term, the earth’s temperature may be
30-50 per cent more sensitive to atmospheric carbon dioxide than has previously been estimated,
reports a new study.

·         Unraveling the Mystery behind coral bleaching: Three chemicals that the bacteria, V.
coralliilyticus, produces in warmer water are involved in the transformation of coral from healthy to
Bleached. The discovery helps unravel the mystery of coral bleaching.

·         Nasa’s eye in the Sky: Nasa's latest space telescope will scan the sky in search of never-before-
seen asteroids, comets, stars and galaxies, with one of its main tasks to catalog objects posing a
danger to Earth. The sky-mapping WISE, or Wide-Field Infrared Survey Explorer, is scheduled to
launch before dawn from Vandenberg Air Force Base on the central California coast aboard a Delta 2
rocket. If all goes as planned, WISE will orbit some 325 miles above the Earth and produce the most
detailed map yet of the cosmos. It is designed to detect objects that give off infrared light or heat.
Infrared light is ideal for uncovering dusty, cold and distant objects that often can't be seen by optical
telescopes.     

·         ‘Invaluable Lessons From Chandrayaan-I: Insisting that many lessons learnt from Chandrayaan-
I would prove invaluable during subsequent missions, Mylswamy Annadurai, Project Director of the
ISRO Satellite Centre, Chandrayaan-II would land two rovers on the Moon’s surface by 2013.
“Chandrayaan-I demonstrates a quantum jump in systems engineering practices in the country.
There have been 17 previous moon missions and thanks to Chandrayaan, we have conclusive proof
for the presence of water on the surface of the Moon,”

Sports

·         Serena Handed Fine: World number one Serena Williams was hit with a record fine and two years
of probation for her outburst over a foot fault call in a US Open semi-final. The punishments handed
down by the International Tennis Federation's Grand Slam committee could result in a US Open
suspension if Williams commits another major violation in any Grand Slam event in 2010 or 2011.
Williams was fined a record 175,000 dollars with the amount to be reduced to 82,500 dollars if she
stays on good behaviour over the next two seasons.
·         Federer Tops ATP Rankings: Roger federer has topped the ATP end-of-year world rankings for
the fifth time during his career having ceded the position last year to Rafael nadal. The 28 year old
Swiss star, who won the French open and Wimbledon during the summer, was world no.1 previously
from 2004 to 2007 and he is now level with Jimmy Connors and one behind the all time best set by
pete Sampras from 1993 to 1998. Federer has also topped the rankings for 259 weeks and is closing
in on the record of 286 weeks held by Sampras.

·         Golden Ball Award goes to Barcelona’s Messi: Argentina’s Lionel Messi won the Golden Ball
awarded to the European Footballer of the Year with the biggest margin ever following an exceptional
season with Barcelona. Messi became the sixth Barcelona player to take the award and the first
since Brazilian Ronaldinho in 2005. He beat last year’s winner Cristiano Ronaldo into second place.

·         Davis Cup to Stay with Spain for another year: Spain retained the Davis Cup by winning the
doubles match and taking an insurmountable 3-0 lead over the Czech Republic in the final. Feliciano
Lopez and Fernando Verdasco beat Radek Stepanek and Tomas Berdych Spain, which won its
fourth title since 2000, is the first country since Sweden in 1998 to defend the trophy.

·         Sriram Jha Becomes GM: FIDE Zone 3.2 champion Sriram Jha became India’s 21st
Grandmaster when he drew with Neelotpal Das of Kolkata to complete his third and final
Grandmaster-norm in the 47th National premier chess championship at Mumbai.

·         Sehwag back in top five of Test Rankings:  Virender Sehwag stormed into the top five of the
ICC Player Rankings for Test batsmen by virtue of his superlative Day in Pics: December 8 double-
century against Sri Lanka in the third Test in Mumbaim has rocketed him 14 places to the fifth
position which he shares with Pakistan captain Mohammad Yousuf. Sehwag's Delhi teammate
Gautam Gambhir leads the batting table with Sri Lanka duo of Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar
Sangakkara second and third. It is the first time since October 2006 that Sehwag has returned to the
top five.

·         India beat Maldives, win SAFF cup: Goalkeeper Arindam Bhattacharjee made two crucial saves
as India under 23 defeated the Maldives 3-1 via the tiebreaker to lift the SAAF cup.

·         India Bags Bronze; New Zealand wins Title: India overcame a two goal deficit to eke out a 3-2 win
over host argentine and finish with the bronze medal in the champions callenge hockey tournament
salta (Argentina).

·         The Ressult-Final: New Zealand bt Pakistan, For third place, India bt Argentina.

·         Harika wins Maiden Title:  Top Seed International Master Dronavalli Harika of Andhra Pradesh
proved her supremacy when she won her maiden title in the 36th National Women Premier Chess
Championship. Harika drew her game against WGM Aarthie Ramaswamy to take the top honours
with 8.5 points. Harika was playing black against Ramaswamy.

·         On top of the World: India reached the No.1 spot in the ICC Test Rankings, for the first time, with
an emphatic innings and 24 run victory over Sri Lanka at the Brabourne Stadium. Third with 119
points at the beginning of the series, India now has 124 points, it overtook south Africa, which stays
on 122 points. Australia is third with 116.

·         Jamie Dwyer is FIH player of the Year:  Australia’s Jamie Dwyer has been crowned field
hockey’s world player of the year for a third time, the international hockey Federation (FIH) said. He
becomes the second player along with Netherlands striker Teun de Nooijer to win the award three
 times. Dwyer is the Second Australian to win field Hockey’s top honour along with Jay stacy in 1999.

·         Australia claims champions Trophy for 10 th time: Australia claimed the men’s  field hockey
champions trophy for a record 10th time with a come from behind 5-3 victory over Germany in the
gold medal match.

·         Suranjoy wins Gold: Asian champion Suranjoy Singh became the first Indian boxer to clinch a
gold medal in the inter-continental President’s Cup.

Persons

·         Srikumar Banerjee takes over as AEC chief: Srikumar Banerjee took over as Chairman of the
Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) and Secretary, Department of Atomic Energy (DAE), from Anil
Kakodkar. Mr. Kakodakar, who retired after a 45-year-long stint in the DAE, including nine years as
AEC Chairman and DAE Secretary, made pioneering contributions to the indigenous development of
a large number of critical systems of the Pressurised Heavy Water Reactors (PHWRs), both of 220
MWe and 540 MWe capacity. Mr. Kakodkar was among the chosen few involved in India’s nuclear
tests in 1974 and 1998.

·         Dua to head Allahbad Bank: J. P. Dua has taken over as the chairman and managing director of
Allahabad Bank with effect from December 4. The post was lying vacant following the demission of
office by K. R. Kamath.

·         Mistry is new HDFC CEO: Keki Mistry will take chargeas CEO at HDFC Ltd from January 1. In
cumbent Deepak Parekh will continues chairman, albeit in a non-executive capacity. Mistry is
currently vice chairman & MD.

·         Basu is chief economic advisor: Kaushik Basu was appointed chief economic adviser in the
finance ministry in place of Arvind virmani, who has joined the IMF.

·         Vineet Nayyar to head Mahindra Satyam: Vineet Nayyar has been appointed Chairman of
Mahindra Satyam.

·         Nobel economics laureate Paul Samuelson: Paul Samuelson, whose work helped form the
basis of modern economics, died in his home in Belmont, Massachusetts, after a brief illness. He was
94. Samuelson was the first American to be awarded a Nobel prize in economics—in 1970, the
second year of the award.

Awards

·         ‘Golden Pen of freedom’ Pirze: Najam Sethi, the former Editor-in-Chief of the Friday Times and
Daily Times, Pakistan, was presented the “2009 Golden Pen of Freedom,” the annual press freedom
prize of the World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers (WAN-IFRA).

·         Rare Honour: Eminent gastroenterologist Rakesh Tandon has been honoured as “Master of the
World gastroenterology organization” by the World Gastroenterology Organisation in London.

·         Firodia award: Scientist Yash Pal and Project Director of Chandrayaan-1 M. Annadurai have been
chosen for the H.K. Firodia awards for 2009. While Professor Yash Pal has been chosen for his
contribution to education and communication technology, Mr. Annadurai gets the honour for his role
in the moon mission. The awards were announced by the former Director-General of the Council of
Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), R.A. Mashelkar, and chairman of the Firodia Group Arun
 Firodia. The awards, instituted in 1996 in memory of H.K. Firodia, a doyen of automobile industry.

·         Lifetime Grammy honour: Michel Jackson is to be posthumously awarded a lifetime achievement
Grammy, the US recording academy announced.

·         Indian footballers to award their peers: Best young Indian: Subhash Singh (Air India), Rakesh
Masih (Mohun Bagan), Baljit Singh (JCT). Best Coach: Karim Bencherifa (Mohun Bagan). David
Booth (Mahindra United) and Zoren Djordjevich (Churchill Brothers). Best Foreigner: Jose Barreto
(Mohun Bagan), Okolie Odafa (Churchill Brothers), junior Elijih( Sporting Clube de Goa) Best Indian:
Sunil Chhetri (East Bengal), N.S Manju (Mohun Bagan) and Anthony Perriera (Dempo).

·         Mohinder Receive Award: Mohinder Amarnath, received the Col C.K Nayudu lifetime
achievement Award at the annual BCCI awards 2008-2009.

·         FIH player of the Year:  Australia’s Jamie Dwyer has been crowned field hockey’s world player of
the year for a third time, the international hockey Federation (FIH) said.

Books and authors

·         World order Vision and reality: Hans Kochier.

·         Days Well Spent: A cricketing Odyssey: Rajan Bala.
·         Asia Perspectives on Human Evolution: A. R. Sahnkhyan.
·         Rock art in the World: Dario Seglie.
·         Kinnar: Unfolding Exotic Himalayan land: O.C. Handa.
·         I Dare: Kiran Bedi
·         Stop the Excuses: How to change lifelong thoughts: Wayne W. Dyer.
·         Arming the Indian arsenal: Challenges and policy options: Deba R. Mohanty.
·         Riots as Rituals: Manoj K. Jha.
·         Effective Mentoring of developing human resources: Parth Sarathi.
·         Unleashing Nepal: Past, present and future of the economy: Sujeev Shakya.
·         Hymns of Tulsidas: V.K. Subramanian.
·         Studies in Anglo Indian Fiction: M.K. Nair.
·         Gender and discrimination: Health, Nutritional status and role of women in India: Edited by
Manoranjan Pal, Premananda Bharati.
·         Corporate Social Responsibility and Human Rights: V.T. Patil, Sarbajit Sharma.
·         Environmental movements in India: Politics of Dynamism and Transformations: Padam
Nepal.
·         Indian Rural Marketing in liberalized Era: A. Vijayakumar.
·         Translating Women: Indian Interventions: Edited by N. Kamala.
·         Humanist Wordworth: Study of Himanism in his major poetry: Pralay Kant.
·         The International law of the Sea: India and the UN convention of 1982: O.P Sharma.
·         ‘Yours Sincerely’: Natwar Singh.
·          Another Way to Play: R.L. Kapur.
16 to 31 Dec, 2009
National
·         END OF AN ERA: A day before Nitin Gandkari takes over as BJP president from Rajnath Singh,
L.K. Advani stepped down as leader of opposition in keeping with the wished of the party’s parent
body, the RSS, for a change of guard in Parliament. Advani (82) made way for Sushma Swaraj to take
his place.
·         National Mission for Women soon: Women will soon be able to avail themselves of a single
window service for all programmes run by the government for them under a new national mission for
empowerment of women. Minister of State for Women and Child Development Krishna Tirath said the
mission would help make development programmes easily accessible to women from all sections of
society.
·         Post Offices to Distribute New Pension System: The Pension Fund Regulatory & Development
Authority (PFRDA) has enlisted the Department of Posts (DoP) as a ‘Point of Presence’ (PoP) for
distribution of the New Pension System (NPS). To start with, DoP would make the NPS available at
more than 800 of its branches in various States and expand the distribution network in a phased
manner in its endeavour to make the pension scheme available to all citizens throughout the country.
The pension system will now be sold through over 1,600 outlets of DOP.
·         ‘Operation Rakshak: The 24-hour drill organised in coastal Tamil Nadu to test the efficiency of
security forces against infiltration of ‘terrorists’ saw some real-time action involving various law
enforcing agencies. ‘Operation Rakshak’, a meticulously planned mock drill, was a challenge between
the ‘Red Force’ (commandos posing as terrorists) and the ‘Blue Force’ (police/defence personnel).
·         Minority Panel backs three-language Formula:  A Panel, which recommended reservation for
Muslims and other minorities in government jobs, has advocated implementation of a three language
formula all over the country for welfare of linguistic minorities. The five member national commission
for religious and linguistic minorities headed by former chief justice of India Rangnath Misra said, the
three-language formula hold be implemented every where in the country making it compulsory for the
authorities to included in it the mother tongue of every child including especially Urdu and Punjabi. All
necessary facilities, financial and logistic should be provided by the state for education in accordance
with this dispensation,” it said. The commission noted that “those linguistic minority groups, who keep
their education restricted to their own languages are often handicapped in competing with others in
respect of educational development and economic advancement. The National Commission has
recommended the extension of quota to all religious minorities — including Hindus where they are in a
minority — while advocating an overhaul of the reservation policy to make income the lone criteria for
affirmative action. 1. Commission suggests that the scheduled caste status be delinked from religion.
2. 15p.c of seats in all non-minority educational institutions is earmarked for minorities. Of the 15 per
cent, the largest chunk of 10 per cent should go to Muslims — commensurate with their 73 per cent
share of the total minority population in the country — and the remaining five per cent to other
minorities.
·         Anand Vihar Railway Terminal: Union Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee inaugurated the Anand
Vihar railway terminal New Delhi which is the first major passenger terminal in the trans-Yamuna area
and will cater to East-bound trains.
·         IGI Airport’s new terminal: IGI Airport's new terminal T3 is being equipped to handle Airbus A-
380, the world's largest commercial carrier which can carry 555 passengers. At the moment, only
Hyderabad airport is equipped to handle the aircraft. But none of the five international carriers that
own the aircraft-Air France, Singapore Airlines, Emirates, Quantas and Lufthansa - operate it in India.
·         Gujarat makes voting mandatory: Gujarat Assembly passed a bill making voting for municipal
corporations, municipalities and village Panchayats compulsory.
·         Organ Transplant Bill: The government introduced in the Lok Sabha the Transplantation of Human
Organs and Tissues Bill, 2009. It seeks to allow swapping of organs and including grandparents and
grandchildren in the list of donors.
·         Gratuity Bill: The government would bring in the budget session of Parliament, a comprehensive
bill on gratuity, which would address issues like raising the gratuity ceiling from Rs. 3.5 lakh, in the
light of the Sixth Pay Commission report that recommended raising it to Rs. 10 lakh.
·         14 Coast Guard Stations: Fourteen new coast guard stations are being set up in different coastal
areas to address the security gaps along the Indian coastline, the Director-General of the Indian Coast
Guard, Vice-Admiral Anil Chopra said.
·         Courts must assess whether a dying declaration is trustworthy: The Supreme Court has urged
Sessions and High Courts to exercise caution while convicting an accused, particularly in dowry death
cases merely on the basis of the dying declaration. A Bench of Justice Aftab Alam and Justice Deepak
Verma ruled that no court could record a conviction unless a dying declaration was trustworthy,
inspired confidence, and was corroborated by other evidence.
·         Oil companies agree on ethanol price: State-owned oil companies will pay Rs. 27 a litre, or 25
per cent higher from the existing level, for buying ethanol from sugar mills for blending with petrol. At
present, oil marketing companies-Indian Oil Corporation, Hindustan Petroleum and Bharat petroleum-
pay Rs.21.50 to buy a litre of ethanol while the sugar millers were seeking a price up to Rs.31 a litre.
On the outcome of the meeting held among various ministries, Mr. Pawar said, “`I am happy to inform
that we have reached a broad agreement in the matter which will be announced soon.” He hoped that
after the price revision, the five per cent compulsory blending programme would be a success. The
programme to blend five per cent ethanol in petrol had derailed because of non-availability of the
sugarcane-extract. Last month the Cabinet had issued instructions for ensuring the implementation of
the scheme.
·         Impetus to power projects in North-East: The Central Government has chalked out an ambitious
investment programme for expanding the power sector in the North East States entailing an
investment of around Rs. 37,400 crore. The plan includes setting up of 5,350 MW power projects by
2016. Seeking to bring the North-East States into the national mainstream of developmental activities,
apart from the 3,926 MW which is under various stages of construction. Officials in the Power Ministry
said that PSUs such as NHPC and North Eastern Electric Power Corporation (NEEPCO) have
evinced keen interest in setting up power projects to harness the huge hydro potential of the region.
NHPC is constructing a 2,000 MW project on the Subansiri River in Arunachal Pradesh and NEEPCO
is putting up a 600 MW Kameng hydel project. The latter is also building the 1,500 MW Tipaimukh,
one of the largest hydel projects, for which the detailed project report (DPR) had been prepared and
the project would go on stream soon. Subansiri (2,000 MW) and Kameng (900 MW) projects are under
construction and the detailed project report for the Tipaimukh (1,500 MW) project is also ready. BHEL
and ONGC along with the Tripura Government are executing the 700 MW thermal power project at
Palatana in the State. NTPC is also constructing a 750 MW thermal power project at Bongaigaon in
Assam, which is scheduled for commissioning in 2012. The total installed capacity of the North-
Eastern region is 2,285 MW.
·         UP tribals get forest land ownership: Over six decades of struggle of tribals and forest workers in
UP yielded some result when the state government gave ownership rights on 3258.50 acre forest land
to over 3100 tribals in Sonbhadra district under the Forest Rights Act 2006. The land was already
being tilled by the tribals but now with ownership titles, their claim has been legalised. Besides uplifting
the status of tribals, the decision would also check spread of naxalism in the area.
·         Energy conservation award: The state of Chhattisgarh has been awarded the National Energy
conservation Award for its constructive and encouraging efforts towards energy conservation. The
award that was provided to Chhattisgarh State Renewable Energy Development Authority (CREDA).
·         India’s First e-Court:  Delhi High Court created history by showcasing the first e-courtroom in the
country. The court of justice S Ravindra Bhat looked unlike any other courtroom, with a sleek, wide
LCD screen on the wall and a touch screen handbook replacing the bulky files as the HC launched its
first eco-friendly initiative to go peerless and also bring about speedy justice. The Court has already
digitalized around 5.5 crore papers pertaining to various cases upto 2007, it is also considering
recording the statement of witnesses through video conferencing to avoid procedural delays.
·         Rajya Sabha eases rules on question: The Upper House of Parliament changed the rules on
Question Hour to avoid the kind of embarrassment faced by the Lok Sabha where the segment had to
be cancelled because members who had listed queries were absent. The Rajya Sabha adopted rules
to ensure that the government replies to questions and supplementary queries by other members
even if the members of Parliament who have posed them are not present. The amended rule reads: “If
on a question being called it is not put or the member in whose name it stands is absent, the chairman
shall direct that the answer be given. Many questions in the Rajya Sabha could not be taken up due to
members not being Present, forcing House chairman Hamid Ansari to comment that absenteeism was
a “virus”.
·         Compulsory Voting: The former Chief Election Commissioner (CEC), N. Gopalaswami, has
advocated making voting compulsory in all elections in the country. Even as the Election Commission
was sceptical about the Gujarat Assembly’s move to make voting compulsory in all elections to the
local self-government bodies in the State, the former CEC favoured compulsory voting across the
country. Mr. Gopalaswami said. Acknowledging that some of the 32 countries which had made voting
compulsory had to retract their steps later, he pointed out that three countries had successfully
implemented the rules to this effect. Giving the example of Australia where voting was made
compulsory some 100 years ago, he said now “every Australian thinks that voting was his or her duty.”
The country registers over 95 per cent turnout in every election.
·         Nod for competition (Amendment) bill: The Rajya Sabha approved the Competition
(Amendment) Bill 2009 which was passed by the Lok Sabha. The Bill repeals and replaces the
Competition (Amendment) Ordinance, 2009. The Bill provides for transfer of anti-competition cases
pending before the Monopolies and Restrictive Trade Practices Commission (MRTPC) to an appellate
tribunal.
·         Fractured Verdict in Jharkhand:  Stability continued to elude Jharkhand, with the elections to 81
Assembly seats throwing up a fractured verdict. The alliances led by both the Congress and the BJP
failed to secure a majority of 41 seats. The Congress, along with the Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (JVM),
emerged as the largest alliance with a total of 25 seats, Congress securing 14 and JVM 11. The BJP
got 18 seats and its partner Janata Dal (United) two seats in a tally of 20 seats. JD(U) State president
Jaleshwar Mahto was routed in the Baghmara constituency. Much of the Congress and BJP thunder
was stolen by Shibu Soren’s Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), which garnered 18 seats. This firmly
placed Mr. Soren in a position to bargain for the Chief Minister’s post.
International
·         Bhutan King to visit India: Bhutan’s King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck will be in India on a
5-day state visit from December 21. This is his first visit to a foreign country after his coronation as the
fifth King of Bhutan in November 2008.
·         Nepal Army Chief: Enhanced bilateral cooperation is emerging as the key area of convergence
during talks between visiting Nepal Army Chief General Chhatra Man Singh Gurung and Indian
Officials. Sources in the government said the issue of non-lethal military supplies did not figure during
the official talks with the visiting dignitary, since there was no formal request. India has been supplying
 equipment to Nepal in the ‘non’-lethal’ category after stopping other military equipment. India enjoys a
special military relationship with Nepal, with a large number of Nepalese domicile Gorkha soldiers and
officers serving in Indian Army, a defence Ministry release said.
·         Boeing Dreamliner begins first test flight: Boeing's revolutionary lightweight 787 Dreamliner took
to the skies for the first time marking a new era in air transport as it became the largest passenger jet
to fly made mostly of composite materials. The fuel-efficient plane is expected to compete fiercely with
a airbus A350 plane which is scheduled to launch in 2020.
·         India to fund rail projects in Sri Lanka: India extended a line of credit of $425 million to Sri Lanka
for three rail projects to be executed by IRCON International, a company under the Ministry of
Railways, in the war-ravaged Northern Province.
·         India, Bhutan to sign four MoUs: Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck arrived New Delhi on his
first state visit to a country after his formal coronation as the fifth King of Bhutan last year. India and
Bhutan intend cementing their ties further by signing a dozen pacts including four memoranda of
understanding for hydel projects. The two sides will also ink a pact on setting up a super-specialty
hospital on the lines of the All-India Institute of Medical Sciences. However, an agreement on laying of
a rail line that would have provided Bhutan a more enduring and economical trade link with countries
in the region is not on the cards owing to land acquisition issues in some tea gardens on the Indian
side, diplomatic sources here said. The MoUs on initiating the detailed project reports (DPRs) on the
hydel projects will be inked under the 60-year umbrella agreement signed in 2006. Originally, India
planned to import 5,000 MW from Bhutan by 2020 but this has been doubled under an accelerated
hydel power development agreement. According to Indian sources, over 60 per cent of Bhutan’s gross
domestic product accrues from sale of surplus power from three hydro power stations-Kurichu,
Chukha and Tala-and the generation will rise exponentially once work on four more -Punatsangchu,
Wangchu, Bunakha and Sankosh-is over. During the King’s visit, the MoUs will be signed on initiating
DPRs for the Amochhu (620 MW), Kuvi-Gongi (1800 MW), Kholongchhu (486 MW) and Chamkarchu-I
(670 MW) projects.
·         World’s fastest rail link in China: The Wuhan-Guangzhou high-speed railway with the world’s
fastest train journey at a 350-kmph designed speed, started operation.
·         Iran tests long-range missile: Iran successfully test fired a long range, up graded Sejil 2 missile.
Iranian defense minister Ahmad Vahidi said the test was part of efforts to boost the country’s deterrent
capabilities.
·         World’s Longest Sea Bridge: China announced it had begun construction of the world’s longest
sea bridge Barely 18 months after opening the current record holder. The Y-Shaped link between
Hong Kong, Macau and China will be around 50 km long in totals, 35 km of which will span the sea.
Due to be completed by 2015, the £675 billion cost of the bridge will be shared by the authorities in the
three territories.
·         Lost City of Atlantis found: Around 350 BC, Greek philosopher Plato wrote about a technically
advanced city, Atlantis, which vanished under the Atlantic Ocean waves in one night. Time and time
again hopes have been raised that the lost city has been found -- only for those hopes to be dashed
against evidence. Now, a team of "undersea archaeologists" has become the latest to claim that it has
finally found the lost city of Atlantis beneath the Caribbean.
·         Nuclear submarine Nerpa inducted in Russian Navy: The nuclear attack submarine Nerpa has
been formally inducted in the Russian Navy for subsequent leasing to the Indian Navy next spring.
The submarine was commissioned after the successful completion of final sea trials. The Nerpa
induction was delayed due to an onboard accident last November during sea trials, when accidental
release of lethal fire-fighting gas had killed 20 civilian technical staff and crewmembers. Before the
submarine is commissioned as INS Chakra in March, the Indian crew would undergo training and
sailing together with Russian specialists and servicemen.
·         Boost to renewable energy in China: China’s top legislature has adopted an amendment to the
renewable energy law mandating electricity grid companies to buy all the power produced by
renewable energy generators. Last month, the State Council announced that China was going to
reduce the intensity of carbon dioxide emissions per unit of GDP in 2020 by 40 to 45 per cent
compared with the level of 2005.
·         Russia to resume gas imports from Turkmenistan: Russia has agreed to resume gas imports
from Turkmenistan after an eight-month halt over a price dispute. The deal may ruin Western hopes of
breaking Russia’s monopoly on gas exports to Europe. Under a long-term agreement signed during
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev’s visit to Turkmenistan, Russia’s Gazprom monopoly agreed to
import up to 30 billion cubic metres (bcm) of Turkmen gas. The two countries also agreed to co-
operate in building a pipeline.
·         US stops aid to Nepal over human rights row: The US has passed a law that denies financial aid
to the Nepal government, amid stepped up pressure on the country's army to fulfil its human rights
obligations, a news report has said.  US president Barack Obama has signed into law the
Consolidated Appropriations Act 2010, which prohibits assistance to the Nepal Armed Forces till they
fulfil their human rights obligations. The US decision comes amid widespread pressure to arrest and
hand over Nepal army Major Niranjan Basnet to the civilian administration to be tried at the district
court for his alleged role in the torture and subsequent murder of a 15-year-old Nepalese girl Maina
Sunar.
Economy
·         Tata steel’s corus gets French rail contract: Tata Steel said it European unit corus had got a 350
million Euro ($510 million) contract to supply rail tracks to French operator SNCF.
·         Stake in Australian Firms:  Making an entry into the aerospace business, auto major Mahindra &
Mahindra (M&M) had picked up 75.1 per cent stake each in two Australian aerospace firms for Rs.
175-crore and planned to make aircraft and allied components to service the global market. In a joint
acquisition with Kotak Private Equity, Mahindra Aerospace Pvt. Ltd. (a unit of M&M) bought majority
stake in component-maker Aerostaff Australia and general aircraft manufacturer Gippsland
Aeronautics.
·         Lanco Solar’s PV SEZ Cleared: The Board of Approval for Special Economic Zones (SEZs) gave
formal approvals to six new SEZs, including a solar PV (photovoltaic) SEZ of Lanco Solar Pvt. Ltd. at
Ramdaspur in Cuttack district (Orissa). Formal approvals were also given to three information
technology (IT) SEZs by the Delhi State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation at
Baprola village (Delhi); the Uralungal Labour Contract Cooperative Society Limited at Nellikode village
in Kozhikode (Kerala) and Empire Industries at Ambernath in Thane district (Maharashtra). So far 570
formal approvals have been granted for setting up of SEZs, out of which 346 have been notified. Over
Rs.1.30-lakh crore have been invested in SEZs so far, generating direct employment to over 4-lakh
people.
·         Revival of 36 CPSEs: The government said it would spend over Rs. 15,000 crore for reviving 36
sick Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs) A per the public enterprises survey 2007-08, there
were 214 operational CPSEs of which 160 were profit making and 53 were loss making and one unit
was neither loss making nor profit making.
·         Delhi Ranked top e-Commerce Hub: eBay India, country's leading eCommerce marketplace has
ranked Delhi as the top eCommerce hub in the country followed by Mumbai and Chennai. eBay India
Census 2009 documents the key findings and trends in online buying and selling across the top100
eCommerce hubs. The eBay's top ten eCommerce hubs, apart from Delhi and Mumbai, are Jaipur,
Bangalore, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Pune, Ahemadabad and Chandigarh.
·         Core sector Growth:
     Sector                                                  Weight        Nov          Nov         Apr-Nov        Apr-Nov
                                                                       In IIP (%)     2008     2009     2008-09     2009-10
      Crude Oil                                     4.17             0.5          -1.6        -0.6              -1.4
      Petroleum refinery Products     2                   -1.1        4.9          3.8                -1.2
      Coal                                              3.22             9.7          3.3          8.6                9.3
      Electricity                                    10.17           2.6          1.8          2.8                5.9
      Cement                                         1.99             8.7          9             6                   11
      Finished steel (Carbon)              5.13             -6.3        11.7       3                   2.9
      Overall                                          26.68           0.8          5.3          3.5                4.6
·         Essar Oil to become 3rd largest oil refining firm:  Ruias-owned Essar Oil is set to emerge as
 India's third largest oil refining company and one of the most complex refineries worldwide after it
completes expansion of its Vadinar unit, according to an analyst report. Essar is raising the Vadinar
refinery capacity to 16 million tonnes from 10.5 million tonnes by December 2010 and further to 34
million tonnes in Phase-II expansion to be completed by December 2011, making it the country's third
largest refining company after Reliance Industries and Indian Oil Corp.
·         ONGC makes two gas Discoveries: State-run Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) has
announced that it has made two gas discoveries. The company has found gas in the well Godavri-
Krishana (GK)-28-1 drilled in the Kutch offshore block-1 in western offshore, according to an ONGC
statement.
·         PNB Dubai, Bhutan ops to begin in January: The country’s second-largest public sector lender,
Punjab National Bank, said its Bhutan joint venture and its branch in Dubai will start operating from the
next month. PNB chairman and managing director KR Kamath said. The branch will be based at the
Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC). Druk PNB Ltd, the joint venture in Bhutan, will also be
functional from next month. The JV has a paid-up capital of Rs 30 crore. PNB has signed a
memorandum of understanding with a local partner in Bhutan. Kamath said PNB is in the process of
upgrading its Shanghai (China) representative office to a branch. The bank is also seeking approval
for setting up a subsidiary in Vancouver, Canada. The bank has already secured the Reserve Bank’s
approval.
·         World’s five best CEOs: Mukesh Ambani, who heads India’s most valuable company Reliance
Industries, has been ranked among top five best performing CEOs in the world by the prestigious
Harvard Business Review. Ambani, the only Indian to feature among top 55 CEOs, is in the same
league as Steve Jobs of Apple, Yun Jong-Yong of Samsung Electronics, Russian energy firm
Gazprom’s Alexey Miller and John Chambers of Cisco Systems.
·         Eco-Cities around DMIC Planned: Giving a major thrust to the ambitious Rs. 3.6-lakh crore Delhi-
Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC) project, India and Japan have inked two pacts, including that for
collaboration in developing eco-cities around the project. “The DMIC is conceptualized as a global
investment and manufacturing destination with emphasis on expanding manufacturing and services
base,” Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma said signing the two pacts late. The Minister
said the project would involve huge investment and initial projection points to Rs. 3,60,000 crore.
DMIC Development Corporation entered into a pact with Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO)
for collaborating with the environment-related projects and for transfer of Japanese expertise in
developing and promoting smart communities (eco-cities) around the DMIC project area. The Japan
Bank of International Cooperation (JBIC) also singed a loan agreement totalling up to $75 million (Rs.
330 crore) with India Infrastructure Finance Company to prepare a plan for the overall DMIC region
and developing plans for investment in Phase-1. DMIC Project Development Fund is envisaged to be
set up with equal contribution from India and Japan. The Centre has already approved a grant of Rs.
330 crore towards this. The DMIC is planned to promote integrated development of industry and
infrastructure in a band of 150-200 km on either side of the dedicated railway freight corridor between
Delhi and Mumbai, over a length of about 1,500 km.
·         RIL strikes more gas in KG basin: Mukesh Ambani owned Reliance Industries Ltd. (RIL)
announced a third successive gas discovery in the D3 deep-sea block in the Krishna-Godavari basin,
off the east coast. RIL found three gas reservoirs in the KGV-D3-R1 well drilled on the block KG-
DWN-2003/1 (or D3), a company statement said. The block, located about 45 km off the coast in the
Bay of Bengal, is in the vicinity of its prolific D6 block where three of the 19 oil and gas finds have
already been put on production. “This discovery in D3 supplements RIL’s understanding of the
petroleum systems within the block.” RIL holds 90 per cent interest in the block that it won in the fifth
round of auction under the New Exploration Licensing Policy. The first two exploratory wells (KGV-D3-
A1 and KGV-D3-B1) resulted in gas discoveries (Dhirubhai 39 and 41).
·         Prominent Indian CEOs: PepsiCo chief executive Indra Nooyi inevitably tops the list of what
Forbes calls “Eight Indian-Flavoured CEOs” who lead US corporations with revenues of at least $2
billion as the premier business magazine chronicles the rise of Indians in corporate ranks in America.
Forbes quotes Richard Herman, co-author of a book on migrants to the US, Immigrant, Inc. Vikram
Pandit, the embattled CEO of Citigroup, is the other prominent native Indian in the corner office. Third
on the list is Kenya-born Francisco D’Souza heads Cognizant Technology Solutions, which out
 sources IT services for its Western world clients. Next come Shantanu Narayen, 46, at the helm at
Adobe Systems. The diversified software company’s flagship Internet video tool is Flash. “At least one
top boss of Indian descent is plotting a growth strategy,” says Forbes of Quest Diagnostics’ head
Surya Mohapatra, fifth on the list.  Mohapatra has raised $750 million from the capital markets for
acquisitions. Also featured are Dinesh Paliwal of Harman International, Jai P Nagarkatti of Sigma-
Aldrich and Abhijit Talwalkar of LSI.
Science and Technology
·         Russia to help India Build manned Spaceship: Russia will help India build a manned spaceship and
send an Indian astronaut to space under a 10-year cooperation programme. The spaceship would be
modelled after the Soyuz craft, but it would be smaller to match the lighter Indian boosters. “It is not
surprising that India has turned to Russia for help in its space programme as we have been
cooperating since the 1980s. Our new programme will extend to 2020.” India’s first astronaut Rakesh
Sharma travelled to space aboard a Soyuz in 1984. He spent eight days on the Salyut-7 orbital station
and did various scientific experiments. Subsequent plans to send two Indian astronauts to space on a
U.S. shuttle were scrapped after the Challenger disaster in 1986.
·         Milky Way’s oldest stellar population: A New object with an age of thousands of millions of years
and a mass of one tenth of the sun. placing it at the frontier between low-mass stars and brown dwarfs
has been discovered as the furthest of its class in milky way.
·         Barc scientists help end hamlet’s dry spell: For the people in Pauri Garhwal, called the third pole of
the world, water is a precious commodity. forestation and growing population the springes age going 
are going dry across the ills, Nuclear Scientist of Bhaba atomic research centre (Barc), Mumbai have
used isotope analysis, to trace water isotope analysis, to race water flows inside the mountain. As a
result of this experiment, the spring at Chowki, a hamlet under Nagrasu Pachayat has revived similar
projects are now being tried out at nine locations in Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and J&K. 
·         Earliest case of leprosy unearthed in Israel: The DNA of a first-century shrouded man found in a
tomb on the edge of the Old City of Jerusalem has revealed the earliest proven case of leprosy.
Israel’s Hebrew university announced, the Find is also the first of fragments of a burial shroud from the
time of Jesus in Jerusalem.
·         ‘Super Earths’: An international team of scientists has found the first “super Earths” to be discovered
around two sun-like stars. These are rocky planet larger than earth, but smaller than ice giants such
as Uranus and Neptune. Unlike previously discovered stars with super-earths, both of the stars are
similar to the sun, suggesting that low-mass planets may be common around near by stars.
·         Human Protein that prevents H1N1 found: A naturally occurring human protein that helps prevent
infection by H1N1 influenza and other viruses, including West Nile and dengue virus, has been
identified. A research team led by Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator Stephen J. Elledge
and his colleague, Abraham Brass, discovered that human cells respond to infection by the H1N1
influenza virus by ramping up production of proteins that have unexpectedly powerful antiviral effects.
They found a small family of flu-fighting proteins called interferon inducible transmembrane proteins
that boost the body’s natural resistance to viral infection.
·         Breast cancer being detected late: Awareness about breast cancer, even in urban areas of the
country, is very low and only 15-20% women diagnosed with the disease are able to ‘conserve’ the
affected organ, says a recent study conducted by the breast cancer clinic at AIIMS. Because of this
lack of awareness, doctors say 90% of women with the illness seek medical attention only after they
have crossed stage 1 of the disease. ‘‘Breast conservation is successful if we get patients in the early
stages, that is, 1 and 2. But we see a very small percentage of women, about 10-12%, in the second
stage or before. As the disease progresses, the involvement of the lymph nodes and other tissues
increases and surgeons have very little chance of conserving the organ.
§         After cervical cancer, breast cancer is the second highest causes of death due to cancer
among women. Due to lack of awareness, close to 73% of women have no option but to undergo
masterectomies, says a recent study by the breast cancer clinic at AIIMS. According to the Delhi
Cancer Registry, 20 women in every 1 lakh are diagnosed with breast cancer.
·         T-rays may soon replace X-rays:  T-rays are more penetrating than X-rays and are likely to replace
the latter in locating terror bombs or illegal drugs, says new research. Alexey Belyanin, associate
 professor in physics and astronomy at Texas A&M University, is focusing on terahertz, otherwise
known as THz or T-rays, which he specifies is the most under-developed and under-used part of the
electromagnetic spectrum.
·         Bt Chickpea: In a landmark achievement, CCS (Common Channel Signaling) Haryana Agricultural
University has developed Bt chickpea (gram) similar to Bt cotton. This transgenic chickpea is resistant
to an insect called pod borer (Helicoverpa armigera) which is known to cause heavy losses in yield of
pod and boll bearing crops.
·         World’s oldest plant survives by cloning itself: Americans researchers have discovered the
world’s oldest plant which has been around for 13,000 years, has managed to survive the extreme
effects of climate by cloning itself. Jurupa Oak, which belongs to the species Quercus Palmeri or
palmer’s Oak, is said to have started life during the last Ice age, and is still found in abundance in the
arid scrublands of California.
Sports
·         Gujarat, TN share title: Tamil Nadu and Gujarat were declared joint winners of the C. K. Nayudu
Trophy (under 22) following a washout of the final day’s play at the IIT Champlast ground at Chennai.
·         Cricketer of the decade: Britain’s Daily Telegraph, known for its sports coverage has appointed
Virender Sehwag the ‘Cricketer of the Decade’.
·         Test Championship Mace: India Captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni was presented with the reliance
Mobile ICC Test Championship mace by ICC chief executive Haroon Lorgat Night. The mace was
presented to mark India’s ascent to the No.1 Ranking in Tests. India had achieved the top ranking
after claiming a 2-0 win over Sri Lanka in the Test series last month.
·         Federer & Serena named ITF World champions: Rogger Federer has been named International
Tennis Federation (ITF) championship for the fifth time with Serena Williams taking the women’s
award of the second times. They will receive their awards at the annual ITF World Champions dinner
on June 1 in Paris, during the French Open. Serena Williams the women’s World Champion for the
first time since 2002 after producing her best performance at the biggest events.
·         Loonel Messi is FIFA player of the year: Lionel messi has won the FIFA world player of the year
award for leading Barcelona to an unprecedented treble of Spanish and European titles. The 22 year
old Argentine beat 2008 winner Kaka and his teammates Xavi Hemandez and Andres Iniesta in
voting.
·         Team India Celebrates after pulling off a dramatic victory on Dec16. 2009 in the first ODI
against Sri Lanka.
§         It was the highest ODI total ever recorded on Indian soil, and the most by any team put in to bat
by the opposing captain.
§         Lanka finished at 411/8, the highest ever scored against India.
§         The Lankans thus became the first team ever to score 400-plus while chasing and till lose.
§         The combined aggregate of 825 runs is the second highest ever in ODI’s behind only south
Africa Australia’s 872 at Johannesburg in 2006.
§         India became only the 2nd team, after South Africa, to score over 400 twice soon, Lanka
became the 3rd.
§         Zaheer khan gave 88 runs in 10 overs, the most by an Indian bowler in ODI’s.
·         Railway recognition: Railway minister Mamata Banerjee felicitates Sachin Tendulkar on completing
20 years in international cricket at a function in Kolkata. The Former Indian captain, Sourav Ganguly,
was also given a lifetime achievement award.  Both Cricketers were awarded lifetime passes for free
travel in AC first Class, with family.
Persons
·         C. D. Gopinath: Nearly six decades later, Gopinath is the sole surviving member of the playing 11
which gave India its first Test victory.
·         Yves Rocher: Yves Rocher, founder of the natural cosmetics and beauty brand that carried his
name, died at the age of 79 in Paris. French President Nicolas Sarkozy paid homage to Mr. Rocher,
calling him a great French industrialist”.
·         Jaswant Singh: Expelled Bharatiya Janata party leader Jaswant Singh has resigned as chairman
of the public Accounts committee (PAC). He submitted his resignation to Lok Sabha Speaker Meira
Kumar.
·         Person of the Year: Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanake, who helped steer the US economy
through its darkest days since the great depression was named Time magazine’s 2009 person of the
year.
·         Baishya elected IWF president: B.P. Baishya, a Member of Parliament (MP) and the chairman of
the North-Eastern Commission of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA), was unanimously elected as
the President of the Indian Weightlifting Federation.
Awards
·         Lal Bahadur Shastri Award: Chairman and Group CEO of Bharti Enterprises Sunil Mittal was
conferred the 10th Lal Bahadur Shastri National Award by President Prratibha Devisingh Patil at a
function in Rashtrapati Bhavan. The Award is given to an individual for his contribution in the fields of
Public administration, academics and management by the Lal Bahadur Shastri institute of
Management, New Delhi (LBSIM).
·         Award for Saina Nehwal: Ace women Shuttler Saina Nehwal has been chosen as the CNN-IBN
sportsperson of the year. Saina bagged the Award for becoming the first Indian to win a super series
tournament.
·         Green Award for Durgapur plant: Durgapur Steel Plant (DSP), a unit of Steel Authority of India
Limited, has bagged the first prize of the prestigious National Energy Conservation (NEC) Awards
2009, in the Integrated Steel Plant (ISP) sector. The NEC Awards of the Ministry of Power,
Government of India, recognize industrial units, office buildings, hotels and hospitals, zonal railways,
state designated agencies, municipalities and manufacturers of BEE star labeled appliances who have
made commendable efforts in energy conservations in their respective fields.
·     
    Award for Cairn India: Cairn India, oil and Gas Company Producing crude from the border district of
Barmer in Rajasthan was awarded the Best Employer Brand Award in the oil and gas sector at a
ceremony organised at the 4th Employer Branding Award 2009 in Indore. This was in appreciation for
good work and contribution to human resources by the company.

·         Poets dominate 2009 Sahitya Akademi Awards: Poets dominated this year’s Sahitya Akademi
award winners with eight of their books chosen for the honours in 24 categories of literature. The
poets honoured were: Praduman Singh Jindrahia (Dogri), Kailash Vajpeyi (Hindi), Jess Fernandes
(Konkani), Raghu Leishangthem (Manipuri), Vasant Abaji Dahake (Marathi), Phani Mohanty (Oriya),
Damayanti Beshra (Santhali) and Puviarasu (Tamil). Those who won the awards for their collection of
short stories include Vaidehi (Kannada), the late Manmohan Jha (Maithili), Samiran Chhetri
‘Priyadarshi’ (Nepali), Major Ratan Jangid (Rajasthani), Prashasya Mitra Shastri (Sanskrit) and Anand
Khemani (Sindhi). Well-known novelists Dhrubajyoti Bora (Assamese), the late Manoranjan Lahary
(Bodo), U. A. Khadar (Malayalam) and Yarlagadda Laxmi Prasad (Telugu) were also honoured with
the awards for 2009, Secretary of the Sahitya Akademi, Agrahara Krishna Murthy, told journalists. Sri
Chaturvedi Badrinath (English), Shirish Panchal (Gujarati), Mashal Sultanpuri (Kashmiri) and Abdul
Kalam Qasmi (Urdu) won the awards for their books of criticism. Sourin Bhattacharya (Bengali) for his
book of essays, and Atamjit (Punjabi) for his book of plays also got the prestigious awards. The
Akademi also announced ‘Bhasha Samman’ for 2008, to Vishwanath Khaire and Surendranath
Satapathy in the field of classical and medieval literature.

·         Award for ICRISAT’s: The Agri-business incubator at the international crops research institute for
the Semi-Arid Tropis (ABI-ICRISAT) received the “Best Incubator” award for the year 2009 from
Villgro, a rural innovation network based at Chennai.

·         Award for Ratan Tata: Ratan Tata receiving the ‘Order of merit of Italian Republic’ award from
Claudio scajola, minister of economic development, Italy, in Mumbai.
·         NTPC bags award: NTPC Limited has been awarded ‘ICSI National Award for Excellence in
Corporate Governance 2009.

·         New Director at DMRC: Kumar Keshav has been appointed as director (Project and Planning) of
the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation Ltd. (DMRC).

·         Fullerton gets award for CSR initiative: Fullerton India has been recognised as the “Company
with the Best CSR (corporate social responsibility) practices 2009” by the Indian Merchants’ Chamber
and the Asian Centre for Corporate Governance and Sustainability.

Books and authors

·         “The British, the Bandits and the Bordermen”: P.V. Rajgopal.
·         India Yatra: Neelesh Misra, Zara Murao.
·         Looking East to Look West: Lee Kuan Yew’s Mission India Sunanda K Datta-Ray.
·         The partition of India: Ian Talbot, Gurharpal Singh.
·         Crises and Creativities: Amit Kumar Gupta.
·         Decoding Intolerance: Pratap K. Lahiri.
·         Rediscovers India: Meghnad Desai.

Miscellaneous
·         A proposal for U.P. division:
1.      Harit Pradesh: will have 24 districts and 30 Lok Sabha seats (11 from Rohilkhand and 19 from
West UP). Assembly seats: 150. While dalit population is between 17% to 28%, it has nearly
30% OBCs like Jat, Lodh, Yadav. In Rampur and Moradabad, Muslim population.
2.       Central UP or Awadh: Gandhi family’s home turf of Amethi and Rae Bareli are here. Aside from
its central districts, the rest of Awadh is backward. Has 13 districts, 14LS and 60 Assembly seats.
Dalit Population is between 19-25%, Brahmins, 8-12%; and, Muslims 19-28%.
3.     Bundelkahnd: More than 80% of people here are below poverty line. Have seven district, four
LS, and 20 assembly seats. Dalits between 27-32%; Brahmins 9-14% and Muslims 6-8%. Six MP
districts, too, fall within Bundelkhand.
4.     Poorvanchal: Predominantly Bhojpuri Speaking. It has 27 districts; 32 Lok Sabha and 160
assembly seats. Over 60% people below poverty line. The region includes naxal-infested
Vindhyanchal. Dalits are between 19-23%, Brahmins 6-14% and Muslims 8-27% advantage BSP.