December 2012 Current Affairs NatioNal EvENts

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negative marks system in the police recruitment tests. The decision comes after the department failed

to fill-up 6,000 vacancies during the previous recruitment drives because of the negative marks system.The decision comes as a major boon for the aspirants of police jobs, since the government

needs to fill up thousands of vacancies in the department. Director General of Police V Dinesh Reddy, Principal Secretary, Home, TP met Home Minister P Sabita discussed issues related to department has also decided officers of the rank of subremuneration paid for home day. The top brass further under the Arogyasri scheme Das and a few other top officials

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police reforms.

Indra Reddy on Thursday and The police

to accord gazetted status for the inspectors (SIs) and increase the guards from Rs 200 to Rs 300 a decided to bring home guards besides providing them bus pass

and uniform. The home guards have been demanding these benefits for long.Also, the department will

come under one police sub-division, unlike the present system where one constituency is divided between two or more sub-divisions.With the reorganisation, 10 new sub-divisions and 35 new police circles will be added to the existing system. The reorganisation will benefit the politicians to a great

project of the DGP, who has been speaking about it often.Sources said the government has already accepted the recommendations and what remains to be done is only the formality of issuing an official order.

NCP leader Ajit Pawar sworn in as Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Ajit Pawar, who had resigned as the Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra over the irrigation scam, was re-inducted into the state Cabinet as he took oath on 7December. The BJP and the Shiv Sena have boycotted the swearing-in ceremony. Governor K

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Sankaranarayanan administered oath of office to Pawar in the presence of the Maharashtra Chief Minister. The decision to re-induct Pawar in the cabinet came days after the White Paper on the irrigation scam in the state was tabled. The White Paper on irrigation scam had given a clean chit to the NCP leader.

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extent, sources in the home department said. The reorganisation of sub-divisions has been a pet

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soon reorganise the police sub-divisions in the State. After which, every Assembly constituency will

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SIs of Andhra Pradesh to get gazetted rank Andhra Pradesh police has decided to remove

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private sector, developed by TDT Infra Pvt Ltd was launched.Unlike other industrial parks, this park, located of near Vadodara on 105 acres free-hold land worth sell the plots on a Since the industries

the companys

Rs 100 crore, will permanent basis.

will buy these plots, reversal of land to case the buyer does specified also be no penal

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the original owner in not set up the unit in a timeframe. There will non-

utilisation of land.The industrial park that falls under the Halol-Savli Special Investment Region (SIR) would get natural gas as industrial fuel from the Gujarat Government and would have water harvesting facilities.

Bangalore best Indian city to live: Survey Technology hub Bangalore has emerged as the best city to live in India, pipping other metro cities such as New Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata, in terms of overall quality of living, according to a latest worldwide survey of cities by global HR consultancy cities,

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Bangalore (139) ranks higher than New Delhi (143), Mumbai (146), Chennai (150) and Kolkata (151) in overall quality of living, according to Mercer's 2012 Quality of Living Index. "Bangalore's rise in its quality of living ranking can be attributed to positive international schools

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which are suitable for expatriates,"

the report said. In terms of city infrastructure, however, Mumbai (134) was ranked highest among Indian cities followed by Kolkata (141), New Delhi (153), Chennai (168) and Bangalore (170). However, no Indian city could manage to find a place in the global list, which was topped by Vienna

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Gujarats first industrial park in private sector launched Gujarats first industrial park in the

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top 10 include Munich in fourth place, followed by Vancouver (5th). Dusseldorf dropped one spot to rank sixth followed by Frankfurt (7th), Geneva (8th), Copenhagen (9th), and Bern and Sydney tied in

10th place. Indian cities did not fare well compared to their global counterparts. Among Asia Pacific cities, Australian and New Zealand cities rank higher on the index with Sydney (11), Wellington (13), Melbourne (18) and Perth (21) following Auckland (3). Globally, the cities with the lowest quality of living are Khartoum, Sudan (217); N'Djamena, Chad (218); Port-au-Prince, Haiti (219); and Bangui, Central African Republic (220). Baghdad, Iraq (221) ranks last. Mercer's Quality of Living index list covers 221 cities, ranked against New York as the base city.

implementation of Direct Cash Transfer Scheme in Gujarat (EC) with on & 4 HP The

Election

Commission dissatisfaction

December

the

government

announcement timing of Direct Cash Transfer

Scheme (DCT). EC directed the government to defer the implementation of the scheme in four districts of Gujarat and two of Himachal Pradesh till the state

assembly elections are over. In a stern message to the government, EC said that the timing of government's DCT scheme was 'avoidable'. "The government should have maintained letter and spirit of model code of conduct," it said.

Government eases visa norms for tourists The government has eased restrictions on tourist

nationals of Afghanistan, China, Iran, Pakistan, Iraq, Sudan, Bangladesh, foreigners of Pakistani and Bangladeshi origin and "stateless persons" will continue to come under the 60-day gap rule. The move

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is likely to breathe fresh life into the tourism industry and comes just ahead of the peak tourist season. India's share of international tourist arrivals in 2011 was a mere 0.64%. The tourist visa restriction, which was relaxed on 3 December, was introduced in November 2009 in the aftermath of the Mumbai terror attacks when it was found that Pakistani-American David Coleman Headley had succeeded in

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visas which had mandated a two-month gap between consecutive visits by foreign nationals. However,

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and was followed by Zurich and Auckland in second and third place, respectively. Other cities in the

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the visa restrictions was taken by the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) in January 2012 after concerns were raised by the tourism ministry that the negative perception following the move had affected flow of tourists to India.

Haryana Topped the Chart of States that exceeded Revenue Mop up Target Haryana

exceeding the revenue mobilization targets as per the report released in the first week of December by the Planning Commission on State Finances during 11th Five Year Plan. As per the report, the state of Haryana was successful in mopping 64123 crore rupees during the Five Year Plan, which was 192 percent of the targeted resource mobilization for the

Pradesh were the only eight states of the nation that mopped up more than their target. Many of the states even failed to meet the projected planned resources and were able to fetch 92.5 percent of the target, collectively.

Andhra Pradesh SC, ST Sub-Plans Bill 2012 was passed by State Assembly The Andhra Pradesh Assembly on 2 December 2012 passed Andhra Pradesh SC, ST Sub-Plans Bill 2012 providing statutory status for implementation of the sub-plans for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. The legislation will ensure fund allocation proportionate to the SC and ST population and is expected to prevent diversion of sub-plan funds for other activities and not allowing them unspent. There is also a mandatory provision for allocation of nearly a fourth of the States annual plan of the budget for them hereafter. The bill was introduced on the recommendations of the Cabinet Sub-Committee. The demand for according legal status to the Sub-Plans was made on states for a long time by the Planning Commission of India and National Development Council (NDC). With this, Andhra Pradesh has become the first state in India to enact such legislation. The Opposition endorsed the legislation

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except the Telugu Desam. The party sought an amendment by inserting a provision in the legislation to provide proportionate allocations to ABCD groups within the SCs based on their populations and socio-economic conditions. The proposal was defeated by 22 votes when it was subjected to voting.

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11th Plan. As per the report released, Haryana, Goa, Assam, Karnataka, Odisha, Bihar and Arunachal

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topped on the chart of states for significantly

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breaching security norms to visit India several times over a period of 3-4 years. A decision to review

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constitutional provision to prevent lapsing of SC/ST funds.

investment (FDI) in retail, two days after it sailed through the Lok Sabha, finally getting endorsement from Parliament for a policy seen as a major step forward in its reforms process.Getting support once again from the unlikely combination of Mulayam Singh Yadav's Samajwadi Party (SP) and Mayawati's Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), the

government won the day in the Rajya Sabha by 14

votes.In the House, the opposition-backed motion got 109 votes and the government 123 votes. The government's win on getting 51 percent foreign equity in multi-brand retail has long been a

this, global names like Carrefour, Tesco and Wal-Mart will set up stores in India. The Minister of Overseas Indian Affairs, Vayalar Ravi replied for a question in the Rajya Sabha on 6 Decemer that the Government has launched Suraksha

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Mahatma overseas Indian

contentious issue, stalling almost the entire first two weeks of the winter session of Parliament.With

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Gandhi workers

Yojana(MGPSY) on 1st May 2012 on a pilot basis. The objective of MGPSY is to encourage and enable having Emigration Check

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Required (ECR) passports going to ECR countries, to (a) save for their return and resettlement and (b) save for their

pension. They are also provided Life Insurance cover against natural death, during the period of coverage, without any additional payment by them.The Government also contributes, for a period of five years, or till the return of workers to India, whichever is earlier, The National Commission for Safai Karamcharis presented its eleventh Annual Report for the year 2011-12. The report was presented by Smt. Kamla Gurjar, Chairperson and other members of the Commission to Kumari Selja, Union Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment. The report contains wide ranging recommendations by the Commission for

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The government on 7 December, won the vote in the Rajya Sabha on foreign direct

Since the state assembly had the power to adopt annual budget only for one year, there was no

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manual scavengers on a sustainable basis. The report highlights the social, living and working conditions of the Safai Karamcharis working at Government and Local Self Government level,

Corporate and private level in rural and urban areas. The report, inter-alia, contains observations, remedial measures and appropriate recommendations by the Commission on issues of Safai Karamcharis like housing, education, safety aspect vis--vis occupational hazards, regular health check-up etc.

The global Breastfeeding Initiative for Child Survival (gBICS), together with the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and Ministry of Women and Child Development, is organizing a 4-day World Breastfeeding Conference Babies Need Mom-made, Not Man-made, from 6th to 9th December, 2012, at New Delhi. Smt. Krishna Tirath, Minister for Women and Child Development will be the Guest of Honour and Salman Khurshid, Minister for External Affairs, will be the Chief Guest. More than 900 experts from 86 countries, including more than 100 representatives from 50

the important public health imperatives of how to increase breastfeeding rates, save mothers from the onslaught of the baby food industry, provide maternity protection for mothers and babies to stay together and evolve a universal service of skilled counseling accessible to all women. The Conference

progress on the Millennium Development Goals of reducing malnutrition and infant and child mortality. According to WHO and UNICEF, following optimal feeding practices could save 1.5 million infants every year, because under-nutrition contributes to more than one-third of these deaths.

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will position breastfeeding and infant and young child feeding interventions as a key to accelerate

Defence Minister AK Antony informed that in reply to a question in the Lok Sabha on 10 December, the Union Cabinet on 13th May, 2010, has decided "in principle" approval to setting up of Indian National Defence University (INDU) at Binola in District Gurgaon, Haryana. Government of Haryana has acquired the land for INDU. Educational Consultant of India Limited (EdCIL) has been appointed as consultant for preparation of Detailed Project Report, Layout Plan andAct & Statutes for setting up of the university.

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governments, 30 UN representatives and 150 civil society groups will be coming together to discuss

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eradication of manual scavenging in the country and meaningful and dignified rehabilitation of

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provide Tamil Nadu with 12 TMC feet of Cauvery water during December even as it asked

both the states to be more efficient in using available water. The meeting of the CMC came after the Supreme Court of India on 5 December 2012 asked the multi-state panel to meet within the next two days to decide on water requirement of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. The states sharing the disputed Cauvery River waters were informed that the final award of the Cauvery Waters Dispute Tribunal will be notified by the end of December 2012.In 1997, the Union Government of India had proposed the setting up of a Cauvery River Authority. Under this new proposal, the Government set up two new bodies- Cauvery River Authority and Cauvery Monitoring Committee. The Cauvery River Authority consisted of the Prime Minister and the Chief Ministers of all four states(Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Pondicherry, Kerala) and its headquarter is in New Delhi. The Cauvery Monitoring Committee is an expert body which consists of engineers, technocrats and other officers. This body takes stock of the ground realities and report to the government.

Corruption Perception Index (CPI) released on 5 December 2012. In 2011, India was ranked 95 out of 183 countries. Denmark, Switzerland and Finland topped the index with a score of 90 followed by Sweden which scored 88 Afghanistan and Somalia points. North Korea, scored a lowly 8, index. India scored a from 0 to 100 where 100 signifies least was attributed to the corruption in the

ranking at the bottom of the low score of 36 on a scale

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India was ranked 94th out of 176 countries in Transparency Internationals 2012

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officials, private officials and private companies. The Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) has been developed since 1995 by Transparency International as a composite indicator that measures perceptions of corruption in the public sector in different countries around the world. Transparency International is a non-profit, non-governmental organisation dedicated to fighting

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corruption. It is best known for its Corruption Perceptions Index. Its secretariat is located in Berlin, Germany. The organization is present in more than 100 countries. It came into existence in 1993.

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government

The Cauvery Monitoring Committee (CMC) on 7 December 2012 asked Karnataka to

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Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh

named in the list of top 20 most powerful people in the world by the Forbes power

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Magazine in 5 December 2012. consequently.

rankings which were declared on The US

President Barrack Obama got first rank in the list second time Prime Minister

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Manmohan Singh was ranked at no. 19. Sonia Gandhi stood at no. 12 Industries in 2012. chairman Reliance Mukesh

Ambani, the richest business tycoon of India as well as Arcelor Mittal CEO Lakshmi Mittal also appeared in this list. Ambani is ranked at number 37 and he outranked positions. Mittal by various

Get TB drugs at shops free, govt to pay up In a move to curb multi-drug resistant tuberculosis cases caused mostly because of irregular medication, the government has decided that relevant medicines will be available for free at all chemist shops and corporate hospitals. The scheme will be rolled out across the country by next March. A patient, confirmed positive for TB by a qualified doctor, simply needs to register with the Revised National Tuberculosis Control Program (RNTCP). The patient will then be issued a unique ID which will have all information on medicines prescribed and the dosage. "Any hospital or chemist shop will be able to give the medicine to him/her as per the

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Jagdhish Prasad, director general of health services (DGHS).The government presently spends about

Rs 250 crore on providing free medicines to TB patients. The new scheme will cost about Rs 100 crore more."We are in talks with manufacturers of the medicines and hospital groups to finalise the modality for reimbursement," Prasad said.

December said nationwide Mobile Number Portability (MNP) is expected to be rolled out by February 2013, which will allow users to retain their numbers even if they move from one State to another. For the timely implementation of 2012, the Department of the National Telecom Policy Telecom has finalised broad from at December 2012 to

agenda for next three months February 2013, Mr. Sibal said meeting in New Delhi. Some to be completed by February spectrum regime, assignment M&A and

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India 2013 pricing, are unified fund for

Nationwide Mobile Number Portability by February Telecom Minister Kapil Sibal on 13

of the key initiative in course approval of

guidelines,

finalisation of guidelines for R&D and

spectrum sharing, creation of manufacturing and of course,

he added. Currently, a user is allowed to switch to a different operator within his/her circle, while retaining his/her phone number. Under NTP 2012, the government had envisaged implementing MNP on a nationwide level allowing users to retain their mobile numbers even when they shift to a

Over 65,000 cases pending in Supreme Court till November this year A total of 65,703 cases are pending in the Supreme Court till November this year, out of which 6,445 cases have been pending for more than five years, Law and Justice Minister Ashwani Kumar told the Rajya Sabha on 10 December. In written reply to a question, the Union Minister said, "There were a total of 65,703 cases pending in the SC as on November 30, 2012. Out of them 22,133 matters were upto one year old

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and not in arrears. If connected matters were excluded, the pendency was only 37,230 cases as on November 30." There were 6,445 cases pending for more than five years and 52,074 cases were pending for less than five years as on December 31, 2011 in Supreme Court, he added. In effort to reduce the pendency, Kumar said a drive was undertaken from July to December 2011 for clearing

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different telecom circle. India has 22 telecom circles.

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treatment schedule, which will be available online. The government will bear all costs," said Dr

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subordinate courts under their jurisdiction. On recommendations of 13th Finance Commission, the government has sanctioned Rs 5,000 crore as grants to the states for five years between 2010-15 for undertaking various initiatives for reducing the pendency in courts.

Input subsidy hiked to Rs.10, 000 per hectare Cabinet sub-committee report recommends

to farmers for the damaged paddy, groundnut, cotton and other crops from Rs.6,000 per hectare to Rs.10,000 per hectare. Announcing this in the Legislative Council at the end of short discussion on Relief and Rehabilitation taken up after Neelam cyclone here on 10 December, Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy said the decision was based on the report by the Cabinet sub-committee that studied the need to increase input subsidy to help farmers. The increase in input subsidy is about 67 per cent, highest so far in the State, he said. The last time the government increased the input subsidy to Rs. 6,000 per hectare was in 2010 and of it, the State government bore Rs. 1,500 per hectare. The

Ratio of girls to boys falls to new low in Andhra Pradesh Efforts to curb female foeticide and pre-natal gender tests despite strong laws have failed miserably and the Child Sex Ratio (CSR )

is falling drastically in Hyderabad and elsewhere in the state , officials said two days before the government and independent groups begin the 'Save the girl child' campaign. In Hyderabad, the fifth largest city in South India , the CSR has come down from 943 girls per 1,000 boys to 938 girls to 1000 boys in the past 10 years and the situation in the districts is worse with the CSR in Warangal falling from 955 girls in 2001 to just 912 girl per 1,000 boys now . "The deplorable scenario is the result of increasing violence, foeticide, infanticide , trafficking of poor women , forced polyandry and availability of advanced technology for

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widespread use of sex determination and sex selective abortions ," said P Raghu , regional manager of Actionaid , which is spearheading the campaign along with the government in collaboration with other NGOs.

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input subsidy increase for other crops would be on the pro-rata basis.

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increase in input subsidy to help farmers. The government has increased the input subsidy sanctioned

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long pending cases and cases related to marginalised sections of the society in high courts and

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7 crore people in India are either unemployed or under-employed. The figures were revealed by Labour and Employment Minister Mallikarjun Kharge in Rajya Sabha."As per results of

the latest survey conducted by NSSO during 2009-10, the number of unemployed or under-employed persons on usual status basis in the country was 95 lakhs and about six crore respectively," the minister said.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was on Dec 8 conferred with an honorary Doctorate by the Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) with the citation describing him as the architect of economic reforms in the country.Besides the Prime Minister, to honorary degrees were Chief

awarded

Manmohan Singhs leadership as the Prime Minister of our country has won him wide acclaim. He is

citation of the Doctor of Science (honoris causa) conferred on him stated.The Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) in Punjab has earned international reputation for excellence in agriculture. It pioneered the Green Revolution in India in 1960s. Following the Centres nod for Phase-IIA of Project Seabird on 7 december, Karwar in coastal Karnataka is set to become the countrys biggest Naval base by 2025.The official sanction granted on 7 december for the latest phase of the ambitious project--with a whopping `13,500 cr outlay-- has the potential to transform the region into the countrys most important Naval base. It will also be home to the Navys submarine fleet in addition to having berthing facilities to accommodate as many as the 50-odd frigates.The base will enhance the Navys operational flexibility

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and strategic advantage in the Indian Ocean region, including in anti-piracy efforts.Actually, the move to set up an exclusive Naval base at Karwar is intended to decongest Mumbai on the West coast and Visakhapatnam on the East coast, as the two ports also have commercial shipping operations. Also, the decision was prompted by Mumbais proximity to Pakistan and the Islamic nations growing

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respected the world over for his scholarship and his deep knowledge of the global economy, the

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Minister Parkash Singh Badal, former Director General of ICAR, RS Paroda, and renowned soil scientist Jaswant Singh Kanwarat a special convocation organized as part of the universitys Golden Jubilee celebrations.Dr

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According to a recent report by National Sample Survey Office (NSSO), an approximate

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and helicopters, including combat aircraft, can operate.These apart, Karwars existing

Railway station will be upgraded and expanded to have a siding for the Navys use.The Naval base, when completed, will have over one lakh personnel working there, apart from their families living in an upcoming residential township. Civilian facilities such as educational institutions, hospitals, recreational centres and a sports complex too form part of the regions expansion plans.Officials says that the Karwar base has the facility to berth INS Vikramaditya, the erstwhile Admiral Gorshkov aircraft carrier, which is scheduled to join the Navy in the last quarter of 2013. The expansion will allow it to be home to two more aircraft carriers later.The 45,000-tonne Vikramaditya is currently

undergoing refit in Russia and its delivery schedule was revised in September.Apart from the one for Vikramaditya, Karwar will get two more jetties under Phase-IIA to berth the under-construction 40,000-tonne Indigenous Aircraft Carrier (IAC), to be called INS Vikrant, and its follow-on warship, which could weigh around 60,000-tonnes.By the end of Phase-IIA in 2018, Karwar will be home to about 30 of the Navys 160 surface warships and submarines.Another key facility will be the 10,000-

add two or three dry and repair berths.

Emboldened by Parliament's vote in favour of 51% FDI in multi-brand retail, the UPA Government on

proposal to set up the National Investment Board (NIB) and amendments to the Land Acquisition Bill.The cabinet also approved the re auction of 1800 Mhz spectrum in three circles at a base price which is 30% lower than what was fixed by the government in the auction concluded just a

Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) gave a nod to new investment policy on urea which might help in garnering investment worth Rs 35,000 crore.The proposed NIB, to be now known as the Cabinet Committee of Infrastructure, will be a body to speed up various clearances for infrastructure projects above Rs 1,000 crore of projects. The body, to be chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, would be set up at a time when the Planning Commission envisages investment to the tune of Rs 56,14,730 crore in infrastructure sector in the

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12th five year plan (2012-13 to 2016-17).Recently, Finance Minister P Chidambaram had said that there were over 100 projects, each involving investment of Rs 1,000 crore or more, that have been delayed due to various reasons.The cabinet also cleared the amendments to the Land Acquisiton bill, though in a diluted form.The cleared Bill requires the consent of only 70% of land owners when the

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month ago, which might help the government raise resources for its dwindling kitty.Besides, the

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13 December, gave up a big push to reformist agenda with the Cabinet clearing a much-awaited

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tonne ship lift, the only one of its kind in this part of the world. And the facility will be expanded to

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missile arsenal.Karwar will also get a new Naval air station from where maritime planes

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projects, 80% consent will be required.In its original form, the legislation, The Right to Fair

Compensation, Resettlement, Rehabilitation and Transparency in Land Acquisition Bill, had required 80% consent not just from landowners, but also from the dependent farm workers.This provision was removed after protests from industry and infrastructure lobbies.

cities, ranking last in the "cleanest streets" category, a global survey of 40 key tourist cities has found. According to TripAdvisor's Cities Survey, Tokyo grabbed the first place while Mumbai ranked last in cleanest streets".Similarly in the category of "ease of getting around", Mumbai ranked at the last position while Zurich stood at first place, the company said in a press release.The cities with the rudest locals, dirtiest streets and worst shopping have

"friendliest locals".Tokyo was the most highly decorated world city, ranking number one for best taxi

took out the top gong for shopping, but travellers felt the city's streets could use a sweep with the Big Apple ranking 28 out of 40 for cleanliness.The survey, completed by more than 75,000 people, looked into how travellers and locals viewed 40 key tourist cities around the world. New cases of HIV decreased by 57 percent in India: Union Health Minister Addressing the India Health Summit which was organised by CII in New Delhi, the Union health minister Ghulam Nabi Azad on 18 December 2012 declared that India was witnessing a steep decline in fresh cases of HIV. The health minister announced that the fresh cases of HIV have dropped down to 57 percent. Addressing the Summit, the heath minister also announced that there was a steep decrease in measles, mumps and rubella, infant mortality rate as well as new HIV cases by 57 percent.

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Also, it was declared that 2012 would be the second successive year to witness polio-free nation. The credit for putting an end to H1N1 was given to Indian manufacturers as well as Indian Council of Medical research (ICMR) for developing the vaccines as well as testing the regents. Apart from this, it

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services, friendliest taxi drivers, best public transportation, cleanest streets and safety.New York City

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been revealed by the Survey which found that the least-friendly locals were from Moscow.The Russian city ranked last in a number of categories, including

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India's commercial capital, Mumbai, has been named among the world's 'dirtiest'

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government acquires land for a public-private partnership (PPP) project. For all other types of

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well as evaluate affordable diagnostics which include test for diabetes, cancer and TB.

Pradesh after five years, defeating the Bharatiya Janata Party by a handsome margin on 20 December. The Congress put up a spirited campaign under former Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh to

party while winning Shimla(Rural) constituency defeating his BJP rival Ishwar Rohal by 19,033 votes.

Big win for Modi in Gujarat Narendra Modi has once again defended his Gujarat citadel. The incumbent December 182. As Chief with per Minister the BJP scored a massive win on 20 winning 116 seats out of the total Election Results 2012, the BJP has Congress finished a poor second challenger Keshubhai Patel of (GPP) failed miserably in his who had taken over from him as

the

Gujarat

won 116 seats, while the with only 60 seats. Modis Gujarat Parivartan Party

mission to uproot the man

Chief Minister in 2002 and has never looked back since. The GPP has won only two seats - one of the two winners being Keshubhai himself. Others won four seats. Government of Maharashtra ordered SIT Probe into Multi-Crore Irrigation Scam Government of Maharashtra on 17 December 2012 ordered a Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe into the matter of multi-crore irrigation scam. The announcement was made in both the legislative houses of the state. The SIT would be headed by the Dr. Madhavrao Chitale and comprise experts from law and judiciary and finance departments. Its deadline would be finalized by 31 December

capacities and served the Union Water Resource Ministry as its Secretary. AP Govt. agrees to exempt film industry from VAT The Andhra Pradesh State government has agreed in principle to exempt the film industry in Andhra Pradesh from value added tax (VAT), acceding to a long-pending request. Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy was said to have given the nod for such an exemption and Government Order is expected to be issued very soon. Film producer

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2012. Dr. Chitale is a water expert and has worked for different commissions and at different

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emerge victorious by a comfortable margin. Being pitched as a strong CM contender, Singh led his

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Congress wins Himachal Pradesh elections The Congress returned to power in Himachal

was declared that ICMR was working on 75 leads of public health importance in order to develop as

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industry was earlier exempted from General Sales Tax and, ever since VAT came into effect,, they

were demanding similar exemption. Our demand was justified because it would mean double

taxation. We anyway pay 14 per cent as Entertainment Tax, through ticket sales, just like people do for any product they

the lyrics of two songs for Rupesh Paul's 'Saint Dracula', is all smiles. The songs 'I Be Here' and 'I Have Secrets' written by her and composed by Sreevalson J Menon have made it to the list of 75 songs chosen for nominations in the original song category for the 85th Academy Awards 2012. Surprisingly, this is her maiden effort. It was last year when she noticed the Facebook notification searching for young talents to write lyrics for the

movie 'Saint Dracula 3D'. She contacted the administrative team of the movie and was asked to

send in a few of her original writings in prose. A month later, she was offered the opportunity to write the lyrics of two songs for the movie."It took me

movie. The songs were rewritten four to five times since then. Sreevalsan J Menon, the music composer, and myself would dedicate hours on teleconferencing, getting the lyrics right. He would sing the songs over and over again on phone and I

two amazing songs," Sherin, currently pursuing her doctorate in Cognitive Science from IITGandhinagar, said. Sherin, who is from Kottayam, feels this contention for nomination has changed her life. "Of course, I enjoy the fame. And it makes me want to think serious about writing as a career. I have got few offers in hand already. Parents, friends and folks seem to be happy. This is one of the happiest moments in my life."The young writer is planning to come out with a collection of short stories in Malayalam early next year. "I want to take writing more seriously now. Reading was always

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my inspiration. I read and got inspired to write. It is good to read. Even better to write,"

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would be correcting the lines accordingly. After a span of one and half years we finally emerged with

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Indian girl Sherin Catherine in line for Oscar nomination Sherin Catherine, 24, who wrote

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D. Suresh Babu said it was a good augury that government had seen their reason. He recalled that the

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orporate governance norms. It will also grant shareholders with greater powers to defend their

rights and lay down rules for companies to spend on welfare activities under the broad head of corporate social responsibility. The Bill seeks to legislate a framework for checks and balances to

prevent frauds, make corporate board room decisions transparent and hold auditors and directors more accountable.The legislation, which has been in the works for several years, is a key reform initiative of the UPA government that has announced a string of bold reformist moves since midSeptember.Replying to a debate before the Bill was passed by a voice vote, corporate affairs minister Sachin Pilot said through this new legislation, the government intends to make India an attractive and safe investment destination.He said special courts would be set up for speedy trials, as an assurance to investors that cases will not linger on. He also said India will be become the first country to mandate CSR spend through a statutory provision.It will allow shareholders' associations to take legal action against companies' promoters and management through 'Class Action Suits'-a form of lawsuit where a group of people bring a claim to court. This acts as a deterrent to carry out a fraud by tailoring and

The Lok Sabha on 18 december, cleared a Constitution amendment bill granting special status to the Hyderabad-Karnataka region, with provision for reservation in education

371-J to provide special recognition for the six backward districtsGulbarga, Yadgir, Raichur, Bidar, Koppal and Bellarywas passed unanimously.As all the members present in the House voted in favour, the bill was passed with an overwhelming majority. The bill, which required two-thirds

the Rajya Sabha. The bill provides for establishing a separate development board and equitable allocation of funds for development of the region. Apart from this, it will provide quota in public employment through local cadres and reservation in education and vocational training institutions for those who belong to the region by birth or by domicile. Bihar became the Fastest Growing Indian State between 2006 and 2010 As per the data

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released by the Planning Commission of India, Bihar became the fastest growing state in India at 10.9 per cent between 2006 and 2010 while Gujarats growth rate declined to 9.3 per cent and it lagged behind Bihar and other four states- Orissa, Maharashtra, Haryana, Chhattisgarh in terms of growth rate. Bihar was the slowest growing state during 2001-05 period with GDP figure of 2.9 percent

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majority, got 347 votes and none against. It is not known when the government will table the bill in

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and jobs for locals. The Constitution (118th Amendment) Bill, 2012, to insert a new Article

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influencing board decisions only to suit promoters' and managements' interests.

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The Lok Sabha on 18 december, passed the Companies Bill aimed at overhauling

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Chhattisgarh grew from 7.7 per cent in 2001-05 to 10 per cent growth between 2006 and 2010 while

Haryana grew from 8.4 per cent to 9.7 per cent, Maharashtra from 8.2 per cent to 9.6 per cent and

Orissa from 7.8 per cent to 9.4 per cent between 2006 and 2010. The period between 2004-05 and 2011-12 registered an average increase of 300 per cent in consumption in rural areas, minimizing the gap between rural and urban area thus highlighting the inclusive growth.

Andhra Pradesh to setup special ministry for promotion of Telugu The fourth World Telugu Conference (WTC) began in Tirupati on 27 December with Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy announcing that a separate ministry would be created for the promotion and development of Telugu language in the state. Addressing the conference, which was inaugurated by President Pranab Mukherjee, the chief minister promised that Telugu would be made the language of administration and education. He said steps would also be taken to make Telugu as the medium of instruction up to 10th standard. He said three academies for promotion of Telugu music, art and

Telugu, Governor ESL it as a sweet language future. The president Telugu personalities

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literature would be

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felicitated Akkineni

revived. Speaking in Narasimhan described and said it has a bright eminent

from various walks of Nageswara

life, including actor Rao Kumar. in Andhra and former The Pradesh

hockey player Mukesh conference, being held after a gap of 37 years, start at the sprawling Veterinary University. from India and abroad

got off to a glittering campus of

Over 5,000 delegates

are attending the three-day meet, which will discuss various issues for preserving the finesse of the Telugu language for posterity. Various sessions will deliberate on culture, dance, song, food and other aspects. There will also be sessions on films, plays and poetry besides cultural programmes.

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Seventeen feature films depicting the greatness of Telugu would be screened at select theatres in the town. Before the inauguration of WTC, the chief minister unveiled the statue of Telugu Talli (mother Telugu). A massive procession with 1,500 artists was taken out to highlight the rich cultural heritage of Telugu. Hundreds of students also participated in the procession. About 8,000 policemen have

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whereas Gujarat was the fastest growing state between 2001 and 2005 with figure of 11 percent.

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held in Hyderabad in 1975. The second was held in Malaysia in 1981 and the third in Mauritius in 1990.

The Minimum Support Price of Wheat was increased to 1350 Rupees per Quintal The Union government of India on 26 December 2012 raised the Minimum Support Price, MSP of

meeting this morning in New Delhi Chaired by the Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh. The government also decided to export additional 25 lakh tonnes of wheat from its go-downs. The CCEA approved the disinvestment of 12.5 per cent paid up equity capital to the Rashtriya Chemicals and Fertilizers. Current government holding is about 92.5 per cent. This will make the company compliant with the SEBI norms that 10 per cent float should be there. CCEA approved the proposal to export an additional 25 lakh tonnes of wheat. Earlier, we had approved export of 20 lakh tonnes of wheat of that a little over 17 lakh tonnes have been contracted.

President Pranab Mukherjee on 27 December 2012 declared open the 4th World Telugu Conference in the presence of thousands of Telugu-speaking people from across the world in the temple town of Tirupati of Andhra Pradesh. The event was also marked with the felicitation of 14 eminent Telugus. People were asked to pass on the rich Telugu culture, heritage and tradition to the next generation with a resolve to preserve and promote the honey-laced aura of the language. The inaugural also saw the laying of a foundation stone for an international convention centre. Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy announced that a separate ministry would be created in the Secretariat for protection and promotion of Telugu, and with this telgu is goin to be introduced as a medium of instruction in primary education up to Class X. Also the Sangitha, Nataka, Lalitha, Sahitya and Rangasthala akademis would be revived.World Telugu Conference is held for promotion of Telugu language. Literary exemplary personalities attend and share their views on spreading and preserving the rich language. First World Telgu Conference was held in Hyderabad in year 1975. It was the then Minister of Education, Mandali Venkata Krishna Rao instrumental in starting it.

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wheat by 65 rupees per quintal to 1350 rupees per quintal. The decision was taken in a Cabinet

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been deployed as part of the massive security arrangements for the conference. The first WTC was

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headed by females. Kerala tops the list of States with 23% households having a female as head. This finding has been revealed in the Household data released on 28

December, in New Delhi by Minister of State for Home Affairs R.P.N.Singh. Dr. C.Chandramouli, Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India gave the main highlights from Census 2011. Summary findings of the data are as below. a) There are about 27 million female headed households(HHs) in the country. They constitute 10.9% of the total households in the country. b) 43.7% of households in Lakshadweep and 23% households in Kerala have a female as head. c) About 49 lakh Single-Member Female HHs are there in the country. Three-fourth of them live in rural areas. d) In seven major States, namely Chattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Tamilnadu, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha and Gujarat, the proportion of Single Member Female Headed HH is more than 20%.e) The proportion of Male Headed HHs has declined by 0.6% in 2011 compared to 2001 while proportion of Female Headed HHs has increased by 0.5% in the same period. f) More than 60% of Female Headed HHs have permanent houses while in case of SC and ST categories amongst Female

The National Water Resource Council has adopted the National Water Policy (2012). The consensus in this regard was made during 6th meeting of the council held on 28

been stated by the Union Water Resource Minister Harish Rawat while addressing the media persons . However, after elongated discussions there were broader consensus on the issues of community management of water resources, strategy

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December, in New Delhi under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Dr. Man Mohan Singh. This has

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Headed HHs the percentage reduces to 55.8% and 33.4% respectively.

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law and the law on River Basin Management would be drafted only after extensive consultation with States so as to ensure that the powers of the States are not curtailed in any manner. Earlier , Dr. Manmohan Singh, Prime Minister presided over the 6th Meeting of the National Water Resources Council. Delivering his opening remarks, the Prime Minister stated that the National

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climate change adaptation

particularly increasing water storage through revival of traditional water harvesting structures and water bodies and efficient use of water. Rawat said states have been assured that the proposed National Water Framework

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About 27 million households constituting 11% of the total households of the country are

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road map for the future based on the fundamental principles of equity, sustainability and good governance. He called for a paradigm shift in the approach for judicious and wise management of

scarce water resources. The National Water Resources Council meeting was attended by several Chief Ministers, Union Ministers and State Ministers.

into the incident of rape and assault on a young woman on 16th December, 2012 in Delhi and to suggest measures to improve the safety and security of women. The Commission of Enquiry will be set up under the Chairmanship of Ms. Justice Usha Mehra, retired Judge of the High Court, Delhi. The Commission shall go into the various aspects of the shocking incident of rape and brutal assault of a young woman in Delhi on 16.12.2012; identify the lapses, if any, on the part of the police or any other authority or person that contributed to the occurrence; and fix responsibility for the lapses and / or negligence on the part of the police or any

of women, particularly in Delhi and North Commission shall submit its report to the Central Government as soon as possible but not later than three months from the date of its first sitting. The headquarters of the Commission shall be at New Delhi.

Government has decided on 24 December, to constitute a committee of eminent jurists to look into possible amendments to the criminal law so as to provide for quicker trial and enhanced punishment for criminals, accused of committing sexual assault of extreme nature against women. Justice (Retd) JS Verma, former Chief Justice of India will be the Chairman of the committee. Justice (Retd) Leila Seth, former Chief Justice of Himachal Pradesh and Gopal Subramaniam, former Solicitor General of India will be the other members. The committee shall submit its report within 30 days. In the light of the recent Delhi rape incident, the Government has given anxious consideration to the need for reviewing the present laws so as to provide for speedier justice and enhanced punishment in cases of aggravated sexual assault. The 23-year old para-medical student who was gang raped in New Delhi on 16 December 2012 passed away in Mount Elizabeth Hospital in Singapore on 29 December 2012.The victim died due to multiple organ failure and severe injuries to her brain and body. India's High Commissioner to Singapore TCA Raghavan announced that the body would be brought back to

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other authority or person. The Commission shall suggest measures to improve the safety and security

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The Cabinet on 26 December, approved setting up of a Commission of Enquiry to look

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Water Policy (2012) was an effort to focus on the human cause in the water sector and would lay a

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after two weeks of brutal sexual attack which horrified India. The chief executive of Singapore's Mount Elizabeth Hospital announced on 28 December 2012 that she was suffering from severe organ

failure because of injuries to her brain as well as body. She was raped on 16 December 2012 by six men who also assaulted her with iron rods. The victim was shifted to Singapore hospital on 27 December 2012.

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India on 29 December 2012. According to the Singapore doctors, the victim lost the battle of her life