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Current Event Course Materials

Election to the 15th Lok Sabha

The general elections to the 15th Lok Sabha were held in five phases on April 16,
23 and 30 and May 7 and 13, 2009.
1.
2.
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Number of constituencies affected by delimitation: 499/543

Number of constituencies with photo electoral rolls: 522/543
Number of SC constituencies : 84; In 2004 : 79
Number of ST constituencies : 47; In 2004 : 41
A polling booth in the interiors of Gir forest in Junagadh had one voter

UPA Begins its Second Term

General elections to the 15th Lok Sabha brought cheers to the Congress when the
results of the elections were declared In May 16, 2009. By returning Congress and
UPA back to power, the countrys electorate decisively indicated their reference for
a stable government.
Dr. Manmohan Singh was sworn in Prime Minister by the President, Pratibha Patil, on
May 22, 2009, for a second successive term.
Mr. Singh is only Indias second PM after Jawaharlal Nehru, to serve a full term in
office and be re elected for a second.

First Women Speaker of the Lok Sabha

Ms. Meira Kumar
June 3, 2009 to till date Speaker of the Lok Sabha

RISAT 2 and Anusat Launched Successfully

Radar Imaging Satellite (RISAT 2)
Anusat, built by Anna University, Chennai, was also put in orbit by the PSLV C 12.
It is an experimental communication satellite meant for storing and relaying
information.

ASTRA Missile Test fired

Beyond Visual Range Air to Air Missile (BVRAAM), was successfully carried out by
scientists of the Defence Research and Development Organisation recently at
Balasore, Orissa on May 7, 2009.

INS Airavat Inducted into Navy

The Indian Navys amphibious operations capabilities got a boost on May 19, 2009,
with the commissioning of INS Airavat, the fifth indigenously built Landing Ship Tank
(large).

Project Snow Leopard is Launched

The government on January 20, 2009, launched Project Snow Leopard to safeguard
and conserve Indias unique the age of high altitude wildlife populations and by
promoting conservation through a policies and actions. The Project Snow an
initiative for strengthening wildlife in the Himalayan high altitudes, covering Jammu
Kashmir, Hiachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh and Sikkim.

Criminal Procedure Code Amendment Bill Assented

President Pratibha Patil on January 19, 2009,gave assent to the Criminal Procedure
Code (Amendment) Bill (Cr. PC), which restrains the police from arresting a person
for criminal offences for which the maximum sentence is imprisonment up to seven
years.

Number of Supreme Court Judges Increased

The government on February 10, 2009 notified an increase in the number of
Supreme Court judges from 26 to 31, including the Chief Justice of India (CJI). This
follows enactment of the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Act, 2008.

G 20 Summit (2009)
Leaders of the worlds largest economies at the G20 summit in London on April 2,
2009, pledged additional $ 1.1 trillion in resources for the International Monetary
Fund and other multilateral institutions to boost global growth.

Zuma Assumes South African Presidency

Jacob Zuma, the indefatigable fighter against apartheid, was sworn in on May 9,
2009, as liberated South Africas fourth President.

US Preparing for the Cyber Battle Field

The US military is moving ahead with plans to create its first cyber command
designed to bolster Americas potential to wage digital warfare as well as defend
against cyber threats. President Barack Obama announced on May 29, 2009, his
plans to overhaul cyber security policy.

Obama Assumes Power in US

A history was created in the US on January 20, 2009. Barack Hussein Obama took
the oath of 44th President of the United States on this day. Racial barriers were
shattered. Obama became the first black leader of the nation.
Barack Obama was sworn in the President of the US by chief Justice John Roberts on
a Bible held by wife Michelle and used by Abraham Lincoln in 1861. Joe Biden was
sworn in the 47th Vice President. He took his oath of office from Associate Justice
John Paul Stevens.

Russia Ends Decade Long Chechnya Operation

Acting on orders of President Dmitry Medvedev, the head of the Federal Security
Service (FSB) Alexander Bourtnikov on April 16, 2009, cancelled a 1999 decree that
imposed a regime of anti terror operation in Chechnya. The operation saw
Russian forces defeat separatist rebels in what came to be known as the Second
Chechen campaign. In the first campaign in 1944 96, the federal army suffered a
defeat and withdrew from Chechnya.

SCO Summit
The Shanghai Co operation Organisation to jointly combat the global crisis and
build a international financial system. A declaration of the SCO Summit in
Yekaterinburg Russia, on 2009, said that global multi polarity is irreversible.
SCO comprises Russia, China, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. India, Pakistan
and Iran have observer status. Afghanistans attended the Summit as a special

guest.

New Zealand Most Peaceful Country

New Zealand been named the most peaceful country on Earth in the annual Global
Peace Index released in June 2009.
The index is based on the ranking of 144 nations on the basis of how peaceful they
are.

WHO Declares Flu Pandemic

The World Health Organisation told its member nations on June 11, 2009, it was
declaring a swine flu pandemic the first global flu epidemic in 41 years as
infections climbed in the United States, Europe, Australia, South America and
elsewhere.

First ever Summit of BRIC Countries

The leaders of Brazil , Russia , India and China (BRIC) at their first summit meeting
at Yekaterinburg , Russia , on June 16, 2009 , called for a drastic overhaul of the
global financial and political architecture.
International Conference on Food Security
The two day international conference on food security was held at Madrid on
January 26 27, 2009 .
Russia US Summit
Russia and the US agreed on July 6, 2009 , on a framework to cut their nuclear
arsenals by up to a third.
Fifteenth Summit of NAM
The 15 th Summit of the Non Aligned Movement (NAM) was held at Sharam El
Sheikh in Egypt on July 15 16, 2009 .
In a concluding declaration barely five pages long, Non Aligned Movement leaders
ended their summit with an agenda that was both focused and compact,
emphasizing the need for collective action on the principal global issues of the day.
G 8 Summit (2009)
Leaders of the G 8 industrial and the G 5 developing countries at their summit in
L' Aquila, Italy, on July 9, 2009, called for an ambitious and balanced conclusion

on the Doha Development Round of trade talks in 2010.

G 5 Summit (2009)
On July 9, 2009, the leaders of the developing countries meeting at their parallel G
5 summit at the venue of the G 8 summit urged the industrial nations to deliver on
the commitments they had made on financial and credit flows and on avoiding
protectionism.
The 16 th ARF Meeting
The 16 th ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) meeting was held Phuket , Thailand , on July
22 23, 2009.
The meeting was dominated by informal discussions on Terrorism, Myanmar and
North Korea .
Sepoy Mutiny in Bangladesh
Rebelling soldiers of the Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) surrendered their weapons in
Dhaka on February 26, 2009 , as tanks surrounded their headquarters after a
second day of gunfire in a mutiny that killed about 50 people
The 60 th Anniversary Summit of NATO
The 60 th anniversary Summit of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) was
held in Strasbourg ( France ) and Kehl ( Germany ) on Aril 3 4, 2009.
Chavez Wins Venezuelan Referendum
President Hugo Chavez and his supporters celebrated victory on February 16, 2009,
after Venezuelans 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.
World's Billionaires List
Microsoft Corporation founder Bill Gates is the richest man again, overtaking
investor Warren Buffett as the global financial meltdown wiped out $2 trillion from
the net worth of the world's billionaires, Forbes magazine said on March 11, 2009 .
Tsvangirai Sworn in Premier of Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe 's opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai was sworn in as Prime Minister on
February 11, 2009 , joining President Robert Mugabe in a unity government after a
decade of struggling to push him from power.
Fifth OAS Summit
Latin American leaders, who gathered in Port of Spain ( Trinidad and Tobago ) for the
Fifth Summit of the Organisation of the Americas (OAS), on April 19, 2009 , favoured
the return of Cuba into the grouping and urged the US to end its economic blockade
on the island nation.
Suu Kyi Found Guilty; Sentence Reduced

In a courtroom drama in Yangon on August 11, 2009 , Myanmar 's junta commuted a
tough sentence within minutes of its being pronounced against celebrated
democracy leader and Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi.
Mr. Suu Kyi has already served nearly 14 years of house arrest since she was
prevented by the military rulers from forming and leading a government after her
National League for Democracy's big win in the 1990 election, a rare democratic
exercise in Myanmar . For a few months during this period, she was also sent to
prison.
Lockerbie Bomber Release Controversy
Abdel Baset Ali al Megrahi, the Lockerbie bomber freed controversially from a
Scottish prison on compassionate grounds, is a fighter who deserves respect, said a
Libyan diplomat on August 21, 2009 .
British PM Visits Afghanistan
On August 29, 2009 , the British Prime Minister Gordon Brown visited his troops in
Afghanistan to counter criticism that the war effort was being undermined by a lack
of equipment and personnel.
Discovery Lifts Off Successfully
The space shuttle Discovery was on its way to the International Space Station (ISS)
on August 29, 2009 , after blasting off from the Kennedy Space Centre on a 13 day
mission to equip to space outpost.
Chandrayaan I Mission Terminated
The Chandrayaan I moon mission has been formally called off, as the Indian Space
Research Organisation (ISRO) has lost radio contact with the craft. There was no
possibility of retrieving it, ISRO Chairman Madhavan Nair said on August 30, 2009 .
However, the Chandrayaan II mission would be on the track as per schedule
(2012/13), albeit with valuable lessons learnt in the Chandrayaan I expedition,
he said.
Awards and Prizes
Sixty Second Cannes Film Festival Awards (2009):
These awards were presented in May 2009 in Cannes ( France )
Man Booker International Prize (2009):
Won in May 2009 by the Canada 's short story writer Alice Munro. It carries
60,000.
Whitley Award:
Awarded in May 2009 to wildlife biologist M.D. Madhusudhan for his work to reduce
human wildlife conflict in the Western Ghats

Miss India (2009):

The Pantaloons Femina Miss India 2009 pageant was held in Mumbai in April 2009.
The crown was won by the following:
1. Miss India Universe: Ekta Chaudhary from Delhi
2. Miss India World: Pooja Chopra form Pune
3. Miss India Earth: Shriya Kishore from Mumbai
Ramnath Goenka Excellence In Journalism Awards (2009):
Presented in April 2009 to the following:
i. Journalist of the Year (Print): P. Sainath, Rural Affairs Editor of The Hindu
ii. Journalist of the Year (Broadcast): Karan Thapar

UNESCO World Press Freedom Prize (2009):

Awarded in April 2009 to the murdered Sri Lankan journalist Lasantha
Wickrematunge. It carries $25, 000.

Pulitzer Prizes (2009):

The ninety third Pulitzer Prizes in journalism, letters, drama and music were
announced in New York in April 2009.

G.D. Birla Awarded for Scientific Research (2008):

Awarded in January 2009 to Professor Raghavan Varadrajan of the Indian Institute of
Science, Bangalore . It carries Rs.1.50 lakh

Forty Second Jnanpith Award (2006):

Presented in August 2009 to the eminent Sanskrit poet Satya Vrat Shastri for his
outstanding contribution to the enrichment of Indian literature

Ashok Chakra
Conferred in August 2009 on Major Mohit Sharma from 1 Para (Special Forces)
Ramon Magsaysay Awards (2009)
The 2009 Ramon Magsaysay Awards, considered as the Asian equivalent of the
Noble Prizes, were announced in Manila ( Philippines ) in August 2009. The six
winners are:
1. Deep Joshi of India
2. Ka Hsaw Wa of Myanmar

3.
4.
5.
6.

Yu Xiaogang of China
Ma Jun of China
Antonio Oposa Jr. of Philippines
Krisana Kraisintu of Thailand

Parliamentarian International Forum Award:

Presented in July 2009 to K.V. Rajan, Executive Vice Chairman, UPF India and
Convenor, IILM India Forum for his diplomatic work in the cause of peace and
development
Mahatma Gandhi International Award for Peace and Reconciliation
Awarded in July 2009 to the pro democracy Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi
Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development (2007)
Presented in July 2009 to Microsoft co founder Bill Gates in recognition of the work
done by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation in fighting poverty and illness,
especially HIV AIDS, in India .

National Award for Atmospheric Science and Technology

Awarded in July 2009 to Prof. Shishir Kumar Dube in recognition of his outstanding
contributions in the field
World Food Prize (2009)
Awarded in June 2009 to Ethiopian scientist Gebisa Ejeta for his work on drought
and weed resistant varieties of sorghum
PERSONS IN NEWS
Aung San Suu Kyi: In May 2009, this Myanmar 's prodemocracy leader was charged
with breaching the terms of her house arrest and faces upto five years in jail for
allowing an American man to stay at her lakeside home.
Sachin Tendulkar
The wax statue of this great cricketer was inauguarated at Madame Tussaud
Museum , London , in April 2009.

Navin Chawla
In April 2009, he took over as the 16 th Chief Election Commissioner. He succeeded
N. Gopalaswami

Nirupam Sen
In April 2009, this former Indian ambassador to the UN was appointed as Special
Senior Advisor to the President of the General Assembly on the world financial and

economic crisis.
Raja Chelliah
A veteran economist and chairman of the Tax Reforms Committee (1991 93)
passed away in April 2009
Kim Jong II
The North Korean leader was re elected to his most powerful post for the third
time in April 2009

Iftikhar Choudhary
The deposed Chief Justice of Pakistan was reinstated in March 2009.
A.Q. Khan
The architect of Pakistan's nuclear bomb and the man responsible for leaking
nuclear know how to countries like North Korea and Iran was declared a free man'
by the Islamabad high court in February 2009.
Lord Swraj Paul
In June 2009, this Labour Peer and leading UK industrialist became the first Indian
born Briton to be appointed a Privy Councillor.
V.K. Chopra
He was elected as the chairman of the Press Trust of India (PTI) in August 2009.
Gayatri Devi
The former Queen Mother of the erstwhile Jaipur state and a pioneer in women's
education, died in July 2009.

SPORTS AND GAMES (I)

Twenty 20 Cricket World Cup (2009)
The ICC World Twenty 20 Tournament was held in England from June 5 21, 2009
The final was played between Pakistan and Sri Lanka at the Lord's on June 21,
2009 .
Pakistan won the key moments of the final. The side made the early inroads, laid a
solid platform with its opening stand and was composed during the chase, picking
the right time to accelerate.
IPL II Championship (2009)
The Indian Premier League II Tournament was held in South Africa from April 18,
2009 to May 24, 2009 .

Awards and Prizes

1. Winner Prize Deccan Chargers (Rs.4.8 crore)