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13
th
January 2011

1. Vibrant Gujarat summit off to a flying start The high-profile fifth edition of the
biennial Vibrant Gujarat Global Investors' Summit got off to a rollicking start at Gandhinagar
with 2,766 Memoranda of Understanding signed on the first day of the event itself promising
an investment of over Rs. 15 lakh crore in various projects in the state. Launched by the Chief
Minister, Narendra Modi, in the presence of a large number of top business magnates and
representatives of various countries as well as from different States in the country, the
Investor's Summit was expected to notch up record investments far exceeding the
expectations of the State authorities by the time the two-day event concludes. In the last
edition of Vibrant Gujarat Summit held in January, 2009, the MoUs promising investments of
over Rs 12 lakh crore were signed.

2. Prehistoric posthole sites unearthed in Palakkad A large number of prehistoric
posthole sites of pillared halls have been found in the Gayathripuzha Valley a left-bank
tributary of the Bharathapuzha in Palakkad district. The architectural activity has manifested in
socket remains (cupules\postholes) found on several rock outcrops at the foothills Thenmala of
the Western Ghats in the Palakkad gap zone. As part of research work in the region, V. Sanal
Kumar, Director of the Geo-Heritage Archaeology Research Centre, Palakkad, unearthed some
such sites recently.

3. Solution to decriminalise defamation under consideration Union Law Minister M.
Veerappa Moily said the government would shortly introduce bills to enforce judicial
accountability and tackle public corruption. It was seriously thinking of a solution to
decriminalise defamation. There was a perception that the media was concerned only about
the elite class. The atrocities in rural India where power, exploitation and casteism are
more rampant than in cities do not find space in the media, he said.

4. Army, IAF chiefs appear before PAC The Army and IAF chiefs appeared before the Public
Accounts Committee(PAC) in connection with irregularities in procurement of rations. While the
parliamentary body sought more clarifications from them, the Services chiefs said they will
come back to the PAC and welcomed suggestions made by MPs. The PAC had asked the
Services chiefs to appear before the body in connection irregularities in supply chain
management of rations and audit of unit-run canteens (URCs). The PAC is going through the
Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) reports on the twin issues. General VK Singh and Air
Chief Marshal PV Naik accompanied by senior military officials gave a presentation to the PAC.
The MPs, however, were not satisfied with the presentations and sought more clarifications in
the next hearing, sources said.

5. Trade unions pitch for ban on futures trading Even as the government tries to devise
ways and means to tackle rising prices, central trade unions argued for a ban on futures
trading in food items so as to contain the inflationary spiral and urged the government to make
the stimulus measures for industry conditional to employment creation. As of now, futures
trading is banned on specific food commodities such as rice and pulses (tur and urad).

6. SC panel wants Haryana to report on squatting, illegal mining by Cong MP A
Supreme Court panel on environment and forests has directed the Haryana Government to
explain the alleged illegal mining and encroachment of forest land activities by a Congress MP
that led to felling of thousands of trees besides construction of illegal structures on notified
forest land. The Central Empowered Committee (CEC) constituted by the apex court,
demanded a report on the complaint by one Shyam Dev Bhadana. In the complaint, it was
alleged that Congress MP from Faridabad Avtar Singh Bhadana engaged in illegal mining,
deforestation, construction of tube-wells, rooms in village Anangpur, which formed part of
Aravalli Hill range, a declared forest land under Section 4 and 5 of Land Preservation Act and
Forest Conservation Act.






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13
th
January 2011

7. Tamil Nadu tops in impressive healthcare facilities: Study Indias healthcare system
may be in a poor shape but Tamil Nadu is a shining example of how effective and organised
healthcare facilities can be ensured for quality health of the people. The leading health
magazine, The Lancet, in its Indian edition launched in Delhi has lauded the Southern State
for higher retention of medical practitioners within the public health system by mix of financial
and non-financial incentives backed by effective training, support and infrastructural
strengthening.

8. Bihar signs pact with World Bank to help flood victims
In a step to alleviate the plight of millions of people affected by the 2008 Kosi floods, the Bihar
government signed a $220-million agreement with the World Bank. The government will chip
in with $39 million for the $259-million Bihar Kosi Flood Recovery Project aimed at supporting
the State's recovery efforts, reducing risks of flooding and boosting emergency responses in
the event of future disasters.

9. Poudel quits PM race Nepali Congress has withdrawn the candidature of its parliamentary
party leader, Ram Chandra Poudel, for the post of the Prime Minister. This brings an end to a
seven-month-long process where no candidate was able to muster 301 votes in the house of
601 despite 16 rounds of voting. Unified Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) chairman Pushpa
Kamal Dahal Prachanda had withdrawn from the race after the seventh round.

10. Tajikistan cedes 1,000 sq km to China China, which has a land area of about 9.6
million sq km, the third-largest country in the world will get 1,000 sq km more; thanks to
Tajikistan which agreed to cede a territory under a 130-year-old dispute to the neighbouring
giant. The Majlisi Namoyandagon, Tajikistan's lower chamber of Parliament, ratified a protocol
on demarcation of Tajikistan's common border with China. This was decided at a regular sitting
of the second session of the Majlisi Namoyandagon, presided over by Speaker Shukurjon
Zuhurov.

11. Japan, S. Korea for defence tie-up Japan and South Korea are set to enhance
cooperation in the military domain, signalling the possibility of a new political dynamic in East
Asia. Japanese Defence Minister Toshimi Kitazawa and his South Korean counterpart Kim
Kwan-jin, who met in Seoul, agreed to continue discussions for close consultation and
coordination on security in the region.

12. IndiGo orders 180 Airbus A320s worth $15.6 billion Private low-cost domestic carrier
IndiGo has placed a firm order for purchasing 180 single-aisle Airbus A320 passenger jetliners,
making it the largest single order for such a large number of jets in commercial aviation
history. IndiGo has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for 180 eco-efficient Airbus
A320 aircraft of which 150 will be A320neo's and 30 will be A320s. It will also make IndiGo a
launch customer for the A320neo. Engine selection will be announced by the airline at a later
date. At the prevailing catalogue price of Airbus Industrie, the order is estimated to be worth
about $15.6 billion.

13. SBI, Airtel join hands for banking services State Bank of India (SBI) and Bharti Airtel
decided to join hands to form a joint venture to make available banking services to the
uncovered population of the country. A new entity will be floated with an investment of Rs.100
crore to add value to the banking and financial services sector. The joint venture will become
the business correspondent of SBI and offer banking products and services at affordable cost
to the citizens. Business correspondents are persons who, besides helping rural people to open
bank accounts, would facilitate in banking transactions. Their key role is to accept deposits and
remit money.







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January 2011

14. IDBI Bank signs MoU with UIDAI IDBI Bank has become a Registrar for Unique
Identification Authority of India (UIDAI). A memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed
by the bank and UIDAI at a function held at New Delhi. As a Registrar, the bank will enrol
residents in the UID Project and assist the Authority in the various stages, says a company
release.

15. SAFA gets new President A.N. Raman, Council Member of The Institute of Cost and
Works Accountants of India has been appointed as the President of South Asian Federation of
Accountants (SAFA), an apex body of SAARC, for the year 2011 with effect from January 1,
2011 at its 72nd Assembly meeting


16. Clinical South Africa maul India by 135 runs India suffered a top-order collapse to
slump to a humiliating 135-run defeat against a clinical South Africa in the first cricket one-
dayer here. Chasing 290 for victory, India were never in the hunt after they lost their first four
batsmen for just 43 runs and were ultimately bundled out for 154 in 35.4 overs yesterday.