Professional Documents
Culture Documents
9 Jan The Centre approves the proposal of the US-based soft drinks major PepsiCo to inject
additional equity of $200 million (around Rs. 930 crore) into its Indian arm within three
years.
10 Jan The Planning Commission constitutes a 25-member expert panel to explore options before
the country for a low-carbon economy.
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) sanctions $150 million aid for the Khadi and Village
Industries Board (KVIB)
11 Jan Two ballistic flight tests of Astra, the Beyond-Visual-Range Air-to-Air Missile (BVRAAM), are
successfully carried out fom the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Balasore, Orissa.
Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh launches the Jawaharlal Nehru Solar Mission, or "Solar
India"
India and Bangladesh Prime Minister Ms. Sheikh Hasina and her Indian counterpart Dr.
Manmohan Singh, the pacts are aimed at bolstering Bilateral ties.
12 Jan Seeking to aggressively pursue export of products to China and Japan, the centre announces
the inclusion of both the countries in the MarketLinked Focused Programme (MLFP) scheme;
the Centre also unleashes incentive worth Rs. %00 crore for exporters, especially those in
the labour intensive sectors.
13 Jan The Centre announces a slew of new measures to curb the soaring price of essential
commodities.
14 Jan India and France exchange the instruments of ratification of the agreement on civil nuclear
energy cooperation, bringing into force the historic Indo-France N-deal
The Central Government allows ONGC Videsh to invest $39 million (Rs.1,651 crore) for oil
exploration in two deep-sea blocks in Nigeria over the next five years.
15 Jan The millennium's longest (11-Minute) annular solar eclipse covers a swathe of 1000 km in
India; the spectacle enthrals millions.
The Central agrees to releas Rs. 12,000 crore in cash to loss-making state-run oil companies
to cover for their losses in the 2009-10 fiscal.
16 Jan The Union Ministry of Environment and Forests decides to conduct a vulnerability line
mapping along the country's coastline, to ensure the safety of those living close to the coast.
The Centre annoumces that the next assembling centre for the BrahMos missiles will be
Rajasthan's Pilani. At present BrahMos missiles are assembled only in Hyderabad.
17 Jan Jyoti Basu, the famous Leftist icon of India, passes away at the age of 95 in Kolkata, West
Bengal.
18 Jan The Suprime Court extends to June 30, 2010 the deadline for the Telecom Regulatory
Authority of India (TRAI) to fix the tariff for the Direct-to-Home (DTH) platform.
19 Jan At the joint Economic Group (JEG) dialogue held in Beiging (China), India and China agree to
work together to bridge the widening trade gap between the two nations.
20 Jan Malaysian Premier Md. Najib Tun Razak visit India; during this visit, India and Malaysia sign
an extradition treaty and two two other accords on economic cooperation and higher
education.
21 Jan Former Foreign Secretary Mr. Shiv Shankar Menon is appointed as a new National Security
Adviser (NSA); he succeeds Mr. M.K. Narayanan.
The Cabinate Committee on Infrastructure accords in-principle approval for the
establishment of the National Knowledge Network (NKN) that will interconnect all knowledge
institutions of the country.
22 Jan Lt. Gen. Vijay Kumar Singh is appointed the new chief of the Army Staff; he succeeds
Gen,Deepak Kapoor.
23 Jan Maldives President Mohamed Nasheed attend and delivers the keynote address at the 16th
edition of the India-maldivas Partnership Summit, organised by the Confederation of India
Industry (CII) in chennai, Tamil nadu.
24 Jan The second ministerial-level meeting of the BASIC group of nations-Comprising China,
India,South Africa and Brazil-is held in New Delhi.
In a milestone, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) tests its biggest and most
powerful rocked motor called the S-200, powered by 200 tonnes of solid propellant. The test
is conducted at Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh.
25 Jan The Civilian Awards for 2010 are announced on the eve of the nation's 61st Republic Daky;
in all, the President approves the names of 130 persons for the awards -6 for Padma
Vibhushan, 43 for Padma Bhushan and 81 for Padma Shri. The President also approves 442
gallantry awards.
India and South Korea sign four crucial agreement in various sectors; the agreements are
signed in New Delhi during the state visit of South Korean Prime Minister Mr,Lee Myung
-bak.
26 Jan Hon,ble President Ms. Pratibha Patel confers the gallantruy awards on the recipients on the
occasion of the 61st Republic Day; Visiting South Korean Premier Mr.Lee Myung-bak takes
part in the Repubic Day celebrations in New Delhi as the chief guest.
27 Jan Seeking to enhance its presence in mineral and oil rich African counries. The agreement is
signed in Luanda , Angola.
28 Jan The 2010 Environmental performance Index,released worldwide, places India at the 123rd
rank among 163 countries; the list is topped by Iceland.
29 Jan In a move to contain rising inflation, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) hikes the Cash Reserve
Ratio (CRR)-the portion that commercial banks are required to keep with the central bank-by
75 basis points from 5 percent to 5.75 percent.
30 Jan The high-level task force, constitude toset a growth agenda for the development of the
micro,small and medium enterprises (MSME) sector, submits its recommemdation to prime
Minister Dr.Manmohan Singh.
India submits its emission cut proposals to the UN; in its proposals, India says that it will
endeavour to reduce its emission intensity by 20-25 percent by 2020 in comparison to the
2005 levels.
31 Jan In a step that could creat a major socio-political impact in Punjab as well as other parts of
the country, Dera Sachkhand Ballan announces a new religion, Ravidassia Dharm; it is also
announced that the community will have its own separate religion book, Amrit Bani Guru
Ravidass.
International
9 Jan Afghan President Mr.Hamid KarZai submits a new list of Cabinet nominees to replace
Ministers rejected by the nation's parlaiment.
10 Jan Reports reveal that after a 13-month slump, China's exports posted strong growth in
December 2009, helping the country surpass germany to become the world's largest
exporter.
An earthquake of a catastrophic 7.0 magnitude devastates the Caribbean nation Haiti, killing
Lakhs of People and rendering millions homeless.
13 Jan Internet Giant Google threatens to close its operations in china, following a string of vicious
cyber attacks on its services.
14 Jan Japan and Germany agree to work together on climate change, nuclear disarmament and
rebuilding Afghanistan , during aTokyo visit by german Foreign minister Mr. guido
Westerwelle.
15 Jan Russia lifts its opposition to a long-delayed reform of the European Court if Human rights in
a major gesture towards the west; the new move will also improve the Russian legal system.
16 Jan The Government of hong Kong approves a controversial $8.6 bollion rail link to China's high-
speed rail network.
17 Jan Amnesty international accuses Israel of ''collectively punishing'' the population of the Gaza
Strip with border closures.
18 Jan Chilean billionaire Mr. Sebastian Pinera is elected as the nation's President; with his election,
the latin American nation Witnesses a political shift to the right to the right after 20 years of
leftist rule.
19 Jan Cadbury, the flagbearer of the British Chocolate industry , is acquired by US giant Kraft
Foods for $19 billion ; the amalgamation creates a world leader in food and confectionery.
20 Jan In a major setback for US President Mr. Barack obama, Republican Mr.Scott Brown Captures
the US Senate seat held by the legendary Democrat Edward Kennedy for neraly half a
century.
21 Jan A report released by the Chinese Government reveals that after suffering one of its worst
declines in decades, China's econiomy has rebounded strongly, recording 8.7 percent growth
in 2009.
22 Jan In a Crucial Development, the Us Supreme Court that labour unions and corporations can
spend unlimited amounts to influence federal elections, throwing out a ban that had been in
effect for 63 years.
23 Jan A year after the Gaza War, Israel pays the Un $10.5 million as compensation for danaging its
offices during an attack by its defence forces.
24 Jan Afghanistan postpones parliamentary elections for four months , saying it will not be safe to
hold elections amid a spiralling Taliban Insurgency.
25 Jan Dalai Lama's envoys arrive in Beijing for the resumption of talks with china, Which have
been suspended since November 2008 over disagreements on the question of Tibet's
autonomy.
26 Jan In a Significant development, the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)
says that the Copenhagen Accord, finalised at the Copenhagen Conference in December
2009, is not a legally binding document but merely a political one.
27 Jan Sri Lankan President Mr. Mahinda Rajapaksa is re-elected for a second term; in the
presidential elections, he beats former army chief Gen. (Retd.) Sarath Fonseka by a
comfortable margin.
Kim Clijsters of Belgium defends her US Open women singles title, beating Vera Zvonareva
of Russia 6-2, 6-1 in the final in New York, USA.
13 Sept Rafael Nadal of Spain wins the 2010 US Open men's singles title, beating Novak Djokovic of
Serbia 6-4, 5-7, 6-4, 6-2 in the final; with this win, 24-year-old Nadal becomes the youngest
man in the Open Era to complete a Career Grand Slam.
18 Sept M.C. Mary Kom of India maintains her great record at the women's World boxing
championship, clinching her fifth successive title at the 2010 World championship final held
in Barbados. She beats Steluta Duta of Romania 16-6 in the final of the 48-kg category.
26 Sept Chennai Super Kings clinch the title of the Champions League T20 championship, beating
Eastern Cape Warriors of South Africa by eithts wickets in the final in Johannesburg, South
Africa.
October National
1 Oct A report reveals that India's exports continued to surge for the tenth successive month,
growing by 22.5 percent to 16.64 billion in August 2010 as compared to the last period last
fiscal.
10 Oct The "cold desert" of Leh enters the Guinness Book of World Records after 50,300 saplingns
are planted at a village in less than an hour by 9,000 volunteers under a special drive.
12 Oct India is elected as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council.
16 Oct Indian Railways' first AC doubledecker rake is rolled out from the Rail Coach Factory in
Kapurthala; the rake, comprising eight double-deckers among ten coaches in all, will run
between Howrah and Dhanbad.
17 Oct The Bharat Diamond Bourse (BDB), the largest of its kind in the world, is inaugurated in
Mumbai by Commerce and Industry Minister Mr. Anand Sharma.
25 Oct India and Japan decide to extend their cooperation to areas such as joint ventures in rare
earth minerals, some unexplored areas in defence, and transport and industrial corridors.
The pacts are reached at a meeting between Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh and his
Japanese counterpart Mr. Naoto Kan in Tokyo, Japan.
28 Oct In the biggest-ever deal between Indian and Chinese commpanies till date, Reliance Power
awards a $8.2-billion contract to the Shanghai Electric Group of China, to supply 36 coal-
fired generators.
31 Oct The Union Environment Ministry announces that forest management panels will henceforth
come under Gram Sabha. The move is aimed at giving local communities a key role in
managing forest resources.
International
1 Oct China successively launches its lunar probe Chang'e II, The lunar probe will collect data for
future landings of Chang'e III and Chang'e IV.
3 Oct Germany celebrates 20 years of reunification which officially materialised in 1990 after
decades of Cold War division.
4 Oct Robert Edeards, the British scientist whose research led to the birth of the world's first test-
tube baby in 1978, wins the 2010 Nobel Prize for Medicine.
5 Oct Andre Geim of the Netherlands and Russian-British national Konstantin Novoselov jointly win
the 2010 Novbel Physics Prize.
9 Oct Four Indian naval ships--INS Tir, INS Shardul, INS Tarangini and ICGS Varuna--arrive in Sri
Lanka for training and exercises with the Sri Lankan Navy.
12 Oct In a landmark trial of the controversial process, US doctors begin the first tests of human
embryonic stem cells in patients, treating a man with spinal cord injures.
14 Oct All the 33 miners trapped in San Jose Mine for 70 days in Chile are rescued safely in a 22-
hour rescue operation.
15 Oct The world's longest railway tunnel (57-km long), named the Gotthard Base Tunnel, is
completed as a giant drilling machine forces its way through the final section of Alpine rock
in Sedrun, Switzerland.
18 Oct Chinese Vice-President Mr. Xi Jinping is appointed Vice-Chairman of the country's Central
Military Commission, a move seen as confirmation that he is on track to succeed President
Mr. Hu Jintao when his term expires in 2012.
20 Oct The UK announces the biggest post-War spending cuts, which will see half-a-million jobs
disappear and take nearly away welfare benefits worth over $7 billion over the next four
years.
21 Oct The US announces one of the largest weapons sales in its history, worth nearly $60 billion, to
Saudi Arabia.
Myanmar's military rulers change the country's official name, flag and national anthem. The
country will henceforth be known as the Republic of the Union of Myanmar, instead of the
earlier Union of Myanmar.
25 Oct The Singapore and Australian stock exchanges announce a multi-billion dollar merger, which
will create one of the world's largest and most diversified financial trading hubs.
26 Oct China unveils the world's fastest bullet train, named CRH380A, which will connect two of the
country's main industrial hubs travelling at an average speed of 350 km per an hour. The
highest speed of the train is 420 km per hour.
30 Oct Ms. Alexandria Mills from USA wins the Miss World 2010 title at the pageant held i n Sanya,
China. Ms. Emma Wareus from Botswana and Ms. Adriana Vasini from Venezuela emerge as
the first and second runners-up, respectively.
31 Oct The Shanghai Expo, the biggest world's fair in history, coses its doors after breaking a
number of records during its six-month course. The Expo, on which the Shanghai
government spent $45 billion, dwarfs what Beijing spent on the 2008 Olympics, and
becomes the most expensive and well-attended fair in the 159-year history of the world's
fair. During its course, the event receives 73 million visitors, breaking the record set by
Osaka, Japan, in 1970, which had received 64 million visitors.
Sports
2 Oct East Bengal win the title of Federation Cup football championship, beating arch-rivals Mohun
Bagan 1-0 in the final in Cuttack, Orissa.
5 Oct Olympic shooting champion Abhinav Bindra and world record holder Gagan Narang win the
first Gold for India at the 2010 Commonwealth Games, clinching the men's air rifle pairs
event.
13 Oct India retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy with a seven-wicket win over Australia in the
second Test in Bengaluru. The 2-0 win marks India's first-ever clean sweep over Australia in
a series of two or more Tests.
14 Oct India comes to No. 2 spot in the medals tally in the 19th Commonwealth Games with Saina
Nehwal's Gold in badminton just before the closing ceremony. India's tally of medals goes up
to 101, for the first time. Australia finish on top while England end up at the third position.
November National
1 Nov Data made available by the Centre shows that India's exports posted a 23.2 percent grwoth
in September 2010, recording a two-year high of $18.2 billion.
6 Nov US President Mr. Barack Obama begins his historic India visit; during meetings with business
leaders in Mumbai, the two sides sign deals worth $10 billion (nearly Rs. 44,000 crore).
9 Nov The Lok Sabha passes two bills to change the name of Orissa and the name of the language
of the State. The name of the State will be Odisha and the name of the language will be
Odia.
11 Nov Mr. Prithviraj Chavan is sworn in as the Chief Minister of Maharashtra; he succeeds Mr.
Ashok. Chavan.
12 Nov India is elected to the board of UN Women, a new Un agency aimed at promoting equality
for and empowerment of women.
18 Nov The Centre announces the setting up of a high-level committee on financing of infrastructure
in India.
24 Nov Mr N. Kiran K. Reddy assumes charge as the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh; he succeeds
Mr. K. Rosaiah.
25 Nov The Stragegic Forces Command of the Army successfully test-fires Angi-1, the surface-to-
surface missile, from Wheeler Island off Orissa.
26 Nov Mr. Nitish Kumar is sworn in as Bihar Chief Minister for his second consecutive term.
28 Nov The Jaitapur nuclear power project in Maharashtra receives clearance from the Union
Environment Ministry.
30 Nov Hon'ble President Ms. Pratibha Patil wraps up her 9-day UAE and Syria visit; furing the visit,
a number of crucial pacts are signed with he two countries.
International
1 Nov Brazilians celebrate the election of their first-ever woman President, Ms. Dilma Rousseff, who
emerges winner after garnering 59 percent of the votes in the presidential run-off. Ms.
Rousseff was backed by incumbent President Mr. Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.
2 Nov Setting aside their historic rivalry, Britain and France sign an unprecedented 50-year nuclear
deal nuclear facilities and jointly develop technology.
6 Nov The Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions (ACABQ), a key body
that controls the purse strings of the UN, elects India as one of its members, the other
inductees being China and Japan.
10 Nov A report reveals that China has pulled off a tricky and uncommon feat in space flight,
manoeuvring one of its satellites, named SJ-12 to within about 300 metres of another,
named SJ-06F, while they were orbiting Earth.
12 Nov The two-day 2010 G20 Summit concludes in seoul, South Korea; at the summit, leaders of
the world's biggest economies agree to curb "persistently large imbalances" in saving and
spending.
13 Nov Myanmar's pro-democracy campaigner Ms. Aung San Suu Kyi is set free after several years
of house arrest.
15 Nov The 10th Russia, India, China (RIC) trilateral meeting, featuring the Foreign Ministers of the
three nations, is held in Wuhan, China.
19 Nov Sri Lankan President Mr. Mahinda Rajapaksa is sworn in for his second term at a grand
ceremony in Colombo, Sri Lanka.
20 Nov At the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) summit held in Lisbon, Portugal, the 28
members of NATO agree on a missile defence pact in Europe.
23 Nov In an alarming development, North Korea shells a South Korean island, killing four and
injuring many people.
27 Nov The Iran Government announces that the fuelling of the Bushehr plant, the nation's first
nuclear power plant, has been completed.
28 Nov The US is catapulted into a grave diplomatic crisis, as WikiLeaks, a whistleblower website,
releases a large number of classified cables containing blunt remarks about many foreign
nations made by American diplomats.
30 Nov Sri Lanka and Pakistan hold talks in Colombo, wherein the two sides agree to promote
dialogue on security and defence issues, including training of security forces and personnel.
9 Nov Italian football legend Roberto Baggio is chosen for the prestigious Peace summit Award for
2010 in recognition of his long-time efforts in charities. This special award is bestowed
annyally by the world's Nobel Peace laureates.
19 Nov Former Brazilian President Mr. Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva is chosen for the Indira Gandhi Prize
for Peace, Disarmament and Development for 2010.
24 Nov The 2010 Aga Khan Awards for Architecture are conferred on the recipients in a ceremony in
Doha, Qatar. The awardees are: Wadi Hanifa Wetlands, Riyadh, Sudi Arabia; the
Revitalisation of the Hyperecentre of Tunis, Tunisia; the Madinat Al-Zahra Museum, Cordoba,
Spain; the Ipekyol Textile Factory, Edirne, Turkey; and the Bridge School, Xiashi, China.
27 Nov The Indo-Pak tennis stars Rohan Bopanna and Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi, who play as a pair in
the professional tennis circuit, are honoured with the Arthur Ashe Humanitarian of the Year
Award in London.
Poet Mr. Hemant Shesh is conferred the Bihari Puraskar 2009 for his poetry collection Jagah
Jaisi Jagah.
30 Nov Two short films on environmental issues--Niyamgiri You Are Still Alive directed by suma
Josson, and Kaippad directed by Babu Kambrath are declared joint winners of the Vasudha
Award, India's only government award for an environmental film.
Sports
12 Nov The XVI Asian Games 2010 open amid much pomp and pagentry in Guangzhou, China.
27 Nov The XVI Asiad 2010 comes to an end in Guangzhou, China; China top the medals tally with
416 medals (199-119-98), followed by South Korea with 232 (76-65-91), which is the
nation's best-ever overall tally at the Asian Games.
29 Nov Swiss maestro Roger Federer wins the title at the ATP World Tour Finals in London, beating
Rafael Nadal of Spain in the final.
December National
1 Dec The Centre approves additional capital infusion of Rs. 6,000 crore in 10 public sector banks
with an objective to raise its holding to a minimum 58 percent in all state-run banks.
4 Dec French President Mr. Nicolas Sarkozy begins his high-profile four-day India visit; in his initial
interactions with the media, he pitches for India's inclusion in a reformed UN Security
Council.
6 Dec The fourth of the new Naval Offshore Patrol Vessel (NOPV)- Sumitra--is launched at the Goa
Shipyard.
8 Dec India Oil Corporation (IOC) tops the list of top 500 Indian companies compiled by Fortune
magazine, followed by Reliance Industries at the second place.
9 Dec The Centre gives financial sanction for establishment of two new power reactors of 700 MW
capacity each at the Rawatbhata Atomic Power Station in Rajasthan.
10 Dec A report released by the Centre reveals that India's industrial production soared by 10.8
percent in October 2010.
11 Dec Indian Coast Guard Ship Vijit, the second in the series of 90-m Offshore Patrol Vessels, is
commissioned in Goa.
12 Dec The Centre announces its decision to extend visa-on-arrival facility to five ASEAN countries--
Cambodia, Philippines, Vietnam, Laos and Myanmar.
International
1 Dec The Russian Government warns the WEst of a new arms race if Russia and the North Atlantic
Treaty Organisation (NATO) fail to agree on missile defence in Europe.
Heavy snow and sub-sero temperatures disrupt road, rail and air transport in many parts of
northern Europe.
2 Dec In a report, the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) says that India
and China will become global leaders in manufacturing competitiveness by 2015.
3 Dec Data compiled by the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) reveals that the year 2010
would rank among the top three warmest years since the beginning of instrumental climate
records in 1850.
4 Dec Iran endorses the establishment of f fully monitored international nuclear fuel bank that
could provide enriched uranium for atomic power plants; however, the nation's government
stops short of committing to halt domestic production of enriched uranium.
5 Dec A nammoth forest fire--the worstever in the country's history--rages on in Israel, killing
scores of people in its wake.
6 Dec Iran's talks with six world powers--five permanent members of the UN Security Council and
Germany--get under way in Geneva, Switzerland.
7 Dec US President Mr. Barack Obama strikes a deal with his entrenched Republican opposition to
extend Bush-era tax cuts for another two years.
The UN warns that the peace process in Nepal is moving into a "critical period" and urges the
nation's leaders to resolve "issues of integration and rehabilitation, power-sharing and the
drafting of the new constitution.
8 Dec Dayang Yihao, a Chinese scientific research ship, sets sail from Guangzhou, China on a 376-
day global trip that will take it across the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian Oceans. The objective
of the mission is to conduct research on hot liquid sulfides--which could provide clues about
the origin of life--and deep-sea biological diversity.
9 Dec The UK Government led by Mr. David Cameron narrowly survives a revolt in the House of
Commons to win a crucial parliamentary vote on its plans to raise university tuition fees.
10 Dec A crucial European Union-India meeting is held in Brussels, Belgium; at the meeting, visiting
Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh and European Council President Mr. Herman Van
Rompuy agree to strengthen bilateral cooperation on a wide range of issues, including
counter-terrorism, a new initiative to improve cultural ties and legal agreements on
extradition.
11 Dec At the 16th Conference of Parties (COP) to UN Framework Convention on Climate Change
(UNFCCC) held in Cancun, Mexico, the Cancun Agreements on emission cuts are adopted.
These include long-pending decisions on finance, technology transfer, transparency, a Green
Climate Fund, and a Cancun Adaptation Framework and Reducing Emissions from
Deforestation and Forest Degradation.
12 Dec Kosovo votes in a historic poll, the nation's first since declaring independence in 2008.
Sports
1 Dec Belgian tennis ace Kim Clijsters is named the WTA Player of Year 2010.
The Asian Television award for the Best Current Affairs Presenter is conferred on noted India
10 Dec
TV personality Mr. Karan Thapar at a glittering ceremony in Singapore.