Sree Current Affairs JANUARY-32pages

CONTENTS
Honours & Awards News Makers Appointments Summits Committees Science Snippets Space Science Defence Places in News Environment Sports Deaths Economic Scenario NationalRound-Up International Round-Up Knowledge Capsules Banking Awareness (For Bank PO & Clerks Exams) Current MCQ Capsules 28 2 4 5 6 9 10 11 12 12 13 14 15 16 17 20 24 26
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Current News & Events
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Current Affairs
Inside, Wajdja win top prizes at 9th Dubai International film festival
Turkish film 'Inside' and Saudi production 'Wadjda' walked away with the best film trophies at the 9th Dubai International film festival while Indian documentary filmmaker Nishtha Jain's 'Gulabi Gang' won the top prize in the documentary section in Dubai. 'Inside' also won the best actor trophy for Engin Gunaydin in the Muhr AsiaAfrica Features category while child star Waad Mohammed took home the award for the best actress in Muhr Arab Feature category for her role in 'Wadjda', which has been directed by Haifaa Al Mansour, the first female director to come from Saudi Arabia. It was a big night for first films from India with Kashmiri movie 'Valley of Saints' by Musa Syeed winning the special jury prize while Egyptian actress Aida ElKashef won the best actress award in the Muhr AsiaAfrica Feature category for her turn as an intuitive photographer in Indian film 'Ship of Theseus'. The award was accepted by director Anand Gandhi on behalf of El-Kashef. The best director trophy went to Kim Ki-duk from South Korea for his film 'Pieta' while Bangladeshi director Mostofa Farooki won a special mention for his film 'Television' in this category.
Honours & Awards Life of Pi Bags National Tourism Awards

Recently released feature film Life of Pi has been given two National Tourism Awards by the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India recognizing the impact it has had in promoting India as a tourism destination, especially Puducherry and Munnar (Kerala). On December 8, Union Tourism Minister Chiranjeevi said these Awards would be given to Mr. Ang Lee, Director of the film Life of Pi and Mr. Yann Martel, writer of the book of the same name. The Minister expressed the hope that this will go a long way in encouraging more and more Film producers from abroad to shoot their films in India. Every year, the Ministry of Tourism recognizes various stakeholders, including film makers and writers for their contribution in promoting India Tourism by conferring National Tourism Awards.
Anhey Ghore Da Daan got Golden Peacock Award at IFFI

Punjabi film 'Anhey Ghore Da Daan' (Alms for a Blind Horse) won the Golden Peacock award for best film at the 43rd International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in Panaji on 30 November. The National Film Development Corporation movie (NFDC), adapted from a novel by Gurdial Singh and directed by Gurvinder Singh, was one of the 15 films in the international competition section vying for a cash prize of Rs four million. The Silver Peacock award for best director went to Kyuhwan Jeon for South Korean film 'The Weight'. Anjali Patil won the best actress Silver Peacock for her role in Tamil-Sinhalese film 'With You Without You' while Marcin Dorocinski was named the best actor for Polish film 'Rose'. A special jury Silver Peacock award was given to Lucy Mulloy for Spanish film 'Una Noche'. Filmmaker Mira Nair was given a special peacock and a Centenary Film Award for her new Hollywood movie, 'The Reluctant Fundamentalist', which was the 11day festival's closing film.

Kamal El Mahouti took home the best director trophy for his film 'My Brother', best actor award went to Elsheita Ellifat from Egypt for 'Winter of Discontent', Special Mention to Alexandra Kahwagi for her role in 'Round Trip and Special Jury Prize to Dina Farouk, again from Egypt, for her 'Chaos, Disorder' in the Muhr Arab Feature category.
India Bags three World Travel Awards

India has bagged three prestigious awards from World Travel Awards(WTA). These are: Worlds Leading Destination- India, Worlds Leading Tourist Board- Incredible India and Worlds Leading Tourist Attraction- Taj Mahal. Union Tourism Minister Sh. K. Chiranjeevi received these awards on December 13. Established 19 years ago, WTA is committed to raising the standards of customer service and overall business performance throughout the international tourism industry. This was for the first time that WTA ceremony was held in Asia. States. The National Award consists of Rs.1.00 lakh as cash prize, trophy and a certificate of citation. National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC) is a statutory Corporation set up under an Act of Parliament in 1963 to plan, promote and finance programmes through cooperatives for the production, processing, marketing, storage, export and import of agricultural produce and other notified services. NCDC has now completed 50 years of distinguished service to the cooperatives and is celebrating its Golden Jubilee this year. Significantly, this is also the International Year of Cooperatives (IYC) as declared by the United Nations. challenged Abdul Sajeed Ali for his efforts in ensuring work for disabled people under MNREGA in Andhra Pradesh; Radhika Chand, a painter and teacher with Down syndrome, and Ketan Kothari, who has facilitated access to printed words to visually impaired. In the Role Model Non-Disabled Individuals category, the awardees were Ishita Sanyal for promoting employment of mentally-ill people and R. Hari for making his Lemon Tree Hotels an inclusive workplace.
Hyderabad airport bags cargo terminal award

Rajiv Gandhi International Airport in Hyderabad has bagged Best Cargo Airport & Best Cargo Terminal of the Year award announced at the 39th annual convention of the Air Cargo Agents Association at Istanbul. The association has 278 members and 298 associate members, apart from 42 allied members, including airlines. It provides a regular medium for dialogue with the airlines, customers, exporters and importers and various government departments.
IRCTC wins Corporate Governance award

The Institute of Public Enterprise recently conferred the CSR Corporate Governance award on IRCTC for its remarkable work in the area of corporate social responsibility. At a glittering function held in Mumbai on November 24.
President to Confer NCDC Awards for Co operative Excellence 2012

President Shri Pranab Mukherjee will give away awards for cooperative excellence on December 8. National Cooperative Development Corporation has been conferring NCDC Award for Cooperative Excellence once every two years since 2002 to the best Primary Society from each State/UT. The award consists of Rs.50,000/- as cash prize, trophy and a certificate of citation. In addition, from this year onwards, NCDC has also instituted three National Level Awards for Primary Cooperative Societies, one each from cooperatively developed States, cooperatively underdeveloped States and cooperatively least developed
The Shell Helen Keller awards

The Shell Helen Keller awards are given away by External Affairs Minister Salman Khursheed to the people and institutions in service of differently abled persons.The Awards ceremony held in New Delhi on the eve of the World's Disability Day saw individuals with disability being recognised for their achievements in their field of work. Hearingimpaired Sangeeta Gala, who trained actor Ranbir Kapoor for 'Barfi' and has worked with noted film-makers like Sanjay Leela Bhansali and Mani Ratnam, was honoured for being a role model for people with disability. Other awardees included physically
NSPCL Rourkela receives CII (Odisha) Award

NTPC-SAIL Power Company Pvt Limited (NSPCL), Rourkela has won First prize in CII (Odisha) Award for Best Practices in Safety, Health & Environment. The Award was received by CEO, NSPCL, Vishwaroop and GM & Business Unit Head of NSPCL Rourkela unit, Debasis Sarkar from Chief Minister, Naveen Patnaik during the 17th Enterprise Odisha, the largest Trade Fair of the state, jointly organised by Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) Eastern Region and Govt of Odisha.
News Makers
Election Commission Makes Sportswomen Saina Nehwal And Mary Kom As Its "national Icons"
London Olympic medallists Saina Nehwal and MC Mary Kom have been designated as "national icons" by the election commission to help promote voter participation in polls. Sources in the election commission said 22-year-old Saina Nehwal and Mary Kom, 29, who had won bronze medals in London Olympics 2012 in badminton and boxing respectively, will help in boosting women participation during the forthcoming elections. Nehwal has earlier been the EC's 'state icon' in Andhra Pradesh. She has now been elevated as its 'national icon'. The commission has been using the services of prominent personalities across the country to help increase voter awareness and participation, and fight the public apathy towards elections. Kalam and Dhoni have earlier helped the poll body in its campaigns for increasing voter participation in elections.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress President Sonia Gandhi have been named among the top 20 most powerful persons in the world by Forbes magazine in its annual power rankings which placed US President Barack Obama as number one for a second year in a row. India's richest businessman Reliance Industries chairman Mukesh Ambani and Arcelor Mittal CEO Lakshmi Mittal also feature in the list that comprises 71 mighty heads of state, CEOs, entrepreneurs and philanthropists who "truly run and shape the world of 7.1 billion people." Gandhi dropped a notch from last year's list and ranks at number 12 this year ahead of Chinese Vice Premier Li Keqiang and French President Francois Hollande.
Forbes said the 65-year-old leader of India's ruling political party has the reins of the world's second-most-populous country and tenth-largest economy. Coming in at the 20th spot is Singh, the Oxford and Cambridgeeducated economist who is the architect of India's economic reforms. Singh had ranked 19th in the list last year. "But Singh's quiet intellectualism is increasingly seen as timid and soft," Forbes added. Forbes said 51-year-old Obama emerged "unanimously" as the world's most powerful person for the second year running. The decisive winner of the 2012 US presidential election, Obama now has four more years to push his agenda even as he faces major challenges, including an unresolved budget crisis,
Naina Lal Kidwai became the First Woman President of FICCI

Naina Lal Kidwai on 15 December 2012 took over as President of FICCI, becoming the first woman to head the leading industry body. Kidwai, is the first woman and professional manager to be elected as President of the chamber. She is 55 years old. Digjam Ltd,Sidharth Birla was elected as Senior VicePresident of FICCI. Kidwai succeeded R V Kanoria of Kanoria Chemicals & Industries Ltd. Chairman of Xpro India Ltd.
Forbes magazine top 20 most powerful persons in the world

Sonia and Manmohan feature in the list that comprises 71 mighty heads of state, CEOs, entrepreneurs and philanthropists who "truly run and shape the world of 7.1 bn people."

stubbornly high unemployment and renewed unrest in the Middle East. The second most powerful person in the world also happens to be the most powerful woman, German chancellor 58-year-old Angela Merkel. She jumped up from the number four position last year to take the runner-up spot on the 2012 list. Forbes termed Merkel as the backbone of the 27-member European Union, one who carries the fate of the Euro on her shoulders. The list also includes Russian President Vladimir Putin at number three, Microsoft cofounder Bill Gates (4), General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party Xi Jinping (9), Google co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin (20), Iran's Supreme leader Ali Khamenei (21) UN chief Ban Ki-moon (30), North Korean leader Kim Jong-un (44) and former US President Bill Clinton (50). Forbes dropped US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton from the list this year. Clinton, who had ranked 16th last year, does not feature in 2012 rankings as she is not expected to return to her powerful post for Obama's second term. Pakistan's Chief of Army Staff Ashfaq Parvez Kayani is ranked 28th in the list.
Appointment of Director, Intelligence Bureau

The Competent Authority has approved the appointment of S. A. Ibrahim, IPS, presently Special Director, Intelligence Bureau, as Officer on Special Duty in the Intelligence Bureau with effect from 01.12.2012, and as Director, Intelligence Bureau for a period of two years from the date of assumption of charge or until further orders, whichever is earlier, vice Shri Nehchal Sandhu, retiring on 31.12.2012.
Appointments
Vinod Rai re-elected as chair of UN auditors panel
Malala's father named as UN Advisor on education

The father of Pakistani schoolgirl Malala Yousufzai, who was shot by the Taliban for advocating girls' right to education, has been named as the Special UN Advisor on Global Education. The announcement was made by Gordon Brown, who is the United Nations' Special Envoy for Global Education. He said that once the 15-year-old school girl, who is currently in London, gets well, she too will join the campaign. "Ziauddin Yousafzai, Malala's father, will become my special advisor on global education.
The UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon has appreciated the panel and the yeoman service rendered by the external auditors in improving governance in the United Nations system. Comptroller and Auditor General of India Vinod Rai has been re-elected as chairman of United Nations Panel of External Auditors for 2013. "CAG Vinod Rai has been re-elected Chair of the (UN) Panel for the year 2013, while the CAG of the United Kingdom, Amyas Morse, has been re-elected the vice-chair of the Panel". The Panel headed by Vinod Rai discussed the major business transformations currently underway in the United Nations with Secretary General Ban Ki Moon. Some of the major issues that came up for discussion during the meeting include the requirement for optimising the process of deriving benefits from the business transformations currently underway. The need to put in place a mechanism to govern voluntary contributions which form
a major portion of funding that the UN receives and the need for strengthening coordination between the panel and the UN secretariat were other issues discussed during the meet. The panel of external auditors plays an important role in promoting accountability and strengthening governance mechanisms in the UN organisations. The panel meets annually to discuss emergent issues in the audit of UN organisations. At present, the panel comprises Canada, China, France, India, Italy, Pakistan, Philippines, Switzerland, Tanzania and the UK.
Parthasarathi Shome Appointed As the Adviser to Finance Minister of India

The Union government of India appointed Parthasarathi Shome, the tax expert, as the adviser to finance minister P Chidambaram. Shome was appointed with a rank of minister of state and this also indicated his

comeback to the Secretariat building after almost 5 years. Shome was also the adviser to P Chidambaram during the UPA-I. He was the working brain behind fringe benefit tax as well as banking cash transaction tax on the withdrawals of the cash. These tax policies were aimed towards keeping a check on black money which was a subject of sharp criticisms apart from the securities transaction tax. For past few months, he was also associated with acquiring back the investor confidence. He was the head of committee on General Anti-Avoidance Rules (GAAR) as well as retrospective amendments, the controversial legislative idea which was taken by Pranab Mukherjee in previous budget session.
Summits
Second India-ASEAN Business Fair & Business Conclave
stood at $80 billion. Besides the free trade pact with ASEAN, India is negotiating market opening pact bilaterally with the members of the block. India has already implemented FTA with Singapore and Malaysia and is negotiating with Indonesia in this regard.
Poland to Host UN Climate Talks in 2013

Poland has been officially named the host of the next round of UN climate talks in 2013. The decision was adopted by negotiators from over 190 countries who gathered two weeks ago in the capital of Qatar, Doha, for the current round of talks. Deeply divided on funding for poor countries and the fate of unused carbon emission permits, the participants of the Doha conference failed to yield a global climate pact to curb emissions of greenhouse gases. Poland, which heavily relies on coal production, was chosen on the basis of geographical rotation as next year marks the turn of East
Sachin Dev Pavithran

Sachin Dev Pavithran has been appointed the Member, Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board, the White House said, as it announced several other key administration appointments.Mr. Pavithran has more than 12 years of experience as a consultant and developing and training users of assistive technology and accessible websites. He serves on the Association of Assistive Technology Act Programs National Board, the Utah State Rehabilitation Council, the Research and Development Committee of the National Federation of the Blind, and the National Multicultural Council of the Association of University Centers for Disabilities. In 2007, the National Federation of the Blind awarded him the Kenneth Jernigan Scholarship. He received a B.A, B.S, and an M.S from the Utah State University.
The second India-ASEAN Business Fair (IABF) & Business Conclave slated from December 18 to 20 in New Delhi will give a fillip to business in the country. The two-way trade between India and the 10-member ASEAN block could touch $100 billion by 2015 on the back of increasing economic engagement between the regions. Currently, the trade between India and Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN)
India-ASEAN summit
India is hosting the ASEAN-India Commemorative Summit in New Delhi on December 20 and 21 to mark the 20th anniversary of the ASEAN-India dialogue partnership and the 10th anniversary of ASEANIndia Summit-level partnership. The theme of the summit is 'ASEANIndia Partnership for Peace and Shared Prosperity'. The ASEAN-India Commemorative Summit, which New Delhi is hosting for the first time, commemorates the 10th anniversary of the summit-level meeting between ASEAN and India and the 20th anniversary of sectoral dialogue partnership between the two sides. The event is expected to culminate in an all-embracing vision document based on recommendations from the Eminent Persons Group. The showpiece of the summit to be the formal announcement of the conclusion of negotiations on a free trade agreement on services and investment, a defining step that will accelerate India's engagements with this economically vibrant region. There is a new vibrancy in economic ties. ASEAN-India trade has been growing over 22 percent during the last six years. Since the signing of the ASEAN-India trade in goods agreement in 2009 and its implementation since last year, bilateral trade during 201112 has increased by more than 37 percent. The trade is estimated to be around $79 billion and the two sides have set a target of $100 billion by 2015.

European countries to host the annual event. The country has been struggling to sell its unused emission quotas as there are only a few potential buyers and developing countries want the emission permits scrapped altogether. The Kyoto Protocol, an international treaty linked to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), was first negotiated in 1997 with the goal of reducing global greenhouse gas emissions. After last years Climate Change Conference in Durban, 35 Kyoto Protocol member states agreed to adopt a universal legal treaty on climate change by 2015 after the initial agreement expires in 2012. The United States has never joined the Kyoto Protocol, while Japan, New Zealand, Canada and Russia have already announced they will not be signing up to a new interim commitment to the treaty. As a result, the extension would only cover about 15% of the world's emissions of greenhouse gases.
Hyderabad to host 6th Commonwealth Youth Parliament in 2013

Hyderabad has been selected by the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) to host the sixth edition of Commonwealth Youth Parliament (CYP 2013) on 2013.The CPA has formally chosen our State to organise the prestigious event in Hyderabad. The theme of the sixth edition would be youth and unemployment and need for providing free education. halt rising world greenhouse gas emissions. The world in Doha Climate Talk agreed to the second phase of the Kyoto Protocol, starting 2013 by agreeing to a roadmap for binding world to a new global legal compact on climate change by 2015 that would become operational by 2020. Environment ministers of different extended until 2020 the Kyoto Protocol, which obliges about 35 industrialised nations to cut their greenhouse gas emissions until the end of 2012. That keeps the pact alive as the sole legally binding climate plan. However, in an unparalleled incident, two of the most powerful countries the US and Russia decided to discard parts of the deal gaveled through using diplomatic guile by host Qatar. The US took on 192 countries to reject the principle of equity and the application of the principles of the UN climate convention to the post-2020 global deal. Switzerland too joined the US and demanded its reservations and rejection of some of the decisions be put on record. The Doha outcome adopted on 8 December 2012 is a tricky balance among three different streams of climate negotiations. It secures a second phase of the Kyoto Protocol since it permits the unresolved issues of the last five years like adaptation and finance for poor countries, technology to be carried forward into future talks and creation of a framework to hammer out a new global compact by 2015.
Highlights of the Doha Climate Talk:

Over the past two weeks from 26 November 2012 onwards the gathered nation made several compromises on each front to achieve a balance between competing demands to ensure that each stream of talks is concluded in parallel. The poor nations like the small island development countries and the least developed countries got the least out of the deal. There is neither a firm commitment for them on how the finances would be provided to fight climate change between now and 2020 and their cap on emission reductions during the eightyear period. For India, it was an instance of respite as it got its central plank - the principle of equity and common but differentiated responsibilities (CBDR) reinserted in the talks after it had been shut out of the negotiations in 2009 and 2010. Its concerns about high costs of intellectual properties in green technologies and the attempt by some developed countries to take unilateral decisions found weak references. The 27-member European Union, Australia, Switzerland and eight other industrialised nations agreed to the binding emission cuts by 2020. Each signatory had already legislated individual targets.
Doha Climate Talk: World agreed to Second Phase of Kyoto Protocol

The 18th session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nation Frame work Convention on Climate change (UNFCCC) and the 8th session of the Conference of the Parties serving as the Meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol opened on 26 November 2012 and continued until 8 December 2012 at the Qatar National Convention Centre in Doha in Qatar. The talks in Doha closed with a historic shift in principle but few genuine cuts in greenhouse gases. On 8 December 2012, Almost 200 nations extended a weakened United Nations plan for combating global warming until 2020 with a reserved set of measures that would do nothing to
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hosting this international scientific conference. Union Health and Family Welfare Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad will inaugurate the meet and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Kiran Kumar Reddy will preside. According to the World Health Organization, an estimated 300 million individuals have asthma worldwide, a figure that could increase to 400 million by 2025 if trends continue. Allergic diseases like other non-communicable diseases are escalating and up to 30-40 per cent of the worlds population is now affected by some form of allergy. account for about 19 per cent of all deaths in the country..
International Conference on Computers and Devices for Communication

International Conference on Computers and Devices for Communication is held in Hyatt Regency, Kolkata from December 17-19. This conference will consist of panel discussion and special session. This is going to be a substantially informative conference. Topics that will be featured in International Conference on Computers and Devices for Communication are electron devices and materials, optoelectronics and lightwave technology, radiocommunication and space science, antennas and propagation.
13th Mutual Fund Summit

13th Mutual Fund Summit held on December 12, 2012 at New Delhi. Its theme is Multiply Your Wealth with Investors Protection. The Summit would provide an ideal forum for expert discussion, information sharing and an excellent platform for business networking.
64th Annual Conference of Cardiological Society of India & SAARC Cardiac Congress
64th Annual Conference of Cardiological Society of India & SAARC Cardiac Congress held on 6th December at New Delhi. The Vice President of India, M. Hamid Ansari has Inaugurates and said that recent studies have shown that heart diseases have emerged as the number one killer in both urban and rural areas of the country. The diseases affect men and women alike. If all age groups are included, heart diseases
11th National Convention on Sustainable Housing for Masses

11th National Convention on Sustainable Housing for Masses held on 7 & 8 December 2012 at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi. The Two days Convention is expected to attract nearly 400 delegates from across the country. Representatives of Central and State Governments, State Development Authorities and Housing Boards besides real estate promoters, developers and builders, banking and housing finance companies, private equity players, town planners, architects, real estate consultants and other
Green Energy Investment Summit

Green Energy Investment Summit is held at New Delhi on December 17 for national conference. Featuring topics of this conference are green energy solutions for surface transportation, energy security and empowerment of rural India using bio mass and Jawaharlal Nehru national solar mission. Green Energy Investment Summit will include a discussion panel that will that will provide information about the policies and incentives that will that will beneficial to investors, strategies that will help the investors to speed up ROI. Overall it will be focusing on the various investment made in production and security of green energy and the profits obtained from it.
Second Indian Biodiversity Congress 2012

The Second Indian Biodiversity Congress (IBC 2012) is being organised at Bengaluru on December 9-12, with the focal theme Biodiversity of the Western Ghats- Challenges and Strategies for Conservation and Sustainable Management. Now the Western Ghats has been declared as a Natural World Heritage by UNESCO, as areas representing pre-eminent spots of biodiversity that must be identified, protected and conserved by a global community. IBC will discuss the biodiversity heritage and the challenges and strategies to conserve this area as a natural heritage. The first Indian Biodiversity Congress (IBC 2010) was organised under the initiative of Centre for Innovation in Science and Social Action (CISSA), with support from Navdanya (New Delhi), University of Kerala and Kerala State Biodiversity Board. The first IBC was attended by about 750 delegates from the 25 states of India and the programme included Indian Biodiversity Expo, Capacity Building Workshops, National Seminar, Civil Society Meet, Students Conclave, National Photography Exhibition and Documentary Film Festival on Biodiversity.
World allergy organisation meet in Hyderabad

The World Allergy Organisation's second International Scientific Conference held on 6-9th December at Hyderabad. For the first time in the country, the World Allergy Organisation will be
JBY & AABY has merged

associated industries are expected to participate. The convention also offers unique opportunity for networking with various stake holders of real estate industry.
JBY & AABY has merged

The Government has merged Janashree Bima Yojana (JBY) and Aam Aadmi Bima Yojana (AABY) into one scheme, since both the schemes have similar structure of benefits, premium and target group and are being implemented through Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC). The schemes were merged for better administration and services in providing life insurance cover to the economically backward sections of the society. It will also avoid any duplication of coverage of lives under the two schemes and thus allow more accurate claim experience. The objective of the merger of the two schemes is not to increase the savings but to ensure better administration and services under the schemes and also avoid any duplication of coverage of lives under the two existing schemes.
7th Public Procurement Summit

7th Public Procurement Summit held on on 6th December 2012 at Hotel Le-Meridien, New Delhi. The primary objective of the conference is to bring together various professionals involved in public procurement from different Government Departments, PSUs, State Govts, Private organizations to share the best practices and to discuss the critical issues of today and the future. The aim of this forum is to provide a common platform for all stakeholders to have a wider discussion on various aspects relating to public procurement.
Committees
Standing Committee of Inter-State Council Reconstituted
The Prime Minister has approved the reconstitution of the Standing Committee of the InterSate Council under the Chairmanship of Shri Sushilkumar S. Shinde, Home Minister. Union Cabinet Ministers Sharad Pawar, Minister of Agriculture & Food Processing Industries, P.Chidambaram, Minister of Finance, M.Veerappa Moily, Minister of Petroleum & Natural Gas, Pawan Kumar Bansal, Minister of Railways, M.K. Alagiri, Minister of Chemicals & Fertilizers and Ashwani Kumar, Minister of Law & Justice are Members of the Standing Committee of the Inter-State Council. Lal Thanhawla, Chief Minister, Mizoram, Ms. J.Jayalalitha, Chief Minister, Tamil Nadu, Prakash Singh Badal, Chief Minister, Punjab, Manik Sarkar, Chief Minister, Tripura, Naveen Patnaik, Chief Minister, Odisha, Narendra Modi, Chief Minister, Gujarat, Ashok Gehlot, Chief Minister, Rajasthan, Oommen Chandy, Chief Minister, Kerala and Akhilsesh Yadav, Chief Minister, Uttar Pradesh are also Members of the Standing Committee of the Inter-State Council.
Committee on Direct Cash Transfers

Government has constituted National Committee on Direct Cash Transfers chaired by the Prime Minister as a mechanism to coordinate action for introduction of direct cash transfers to individuals under various Government schemes and programmes. The National Committee on Direct Cash Transfers is mandated to engage in following tasks: a) Provide an overarching vision and direction to enable direct cash transfers of benefits under various government schemes and programmes to individuals, leveraging the investments being made in the Aadhaar Project, financial inclusion and other initiatives of the Government, with the objective of enhancing efficiency, transparency and accountability. b) Determine broad policy objectives and strategies for direct cash transfers. c) Identify Government programmes and schemes for which direct cash transfers to individuals can be adopted and suggest the extent and scope of direct cash transfers in each case. d) Coordinate the activities of various Ministries/Departments/Agencies involved in enabling direct cash transfers and ensure timely, coordinated action to ensure speedy rollout of direct cash transfers across the country.
Eleventh Meeting of India-Canada JWG on Counter Terrorism held in New Delhi

The 11th meeting of the India-Canada Joint Working Group (JWG) on Counter Terrorism was held in New Delhi on 29 November 2012. The meeting took place within the framework of the enhanced interaction in bilateral relations between India and Canada, and in keeping with the desire of the governments of India and Canada towards greater cooperation in counter terrorism matters. India and Canada shared their respective threat assessments and informed each other of the measures taken by them to strengthen counter terrorism policy and structure. India and Canada also exchanged views on international developments, coordination in international fora and their bilateral cooperation in the area. The next and the 12th meeting of the Joint Working Group will be held in Canada in 2013 on mutually convenient dates.
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greatly help in repairing the heart. This research would help treating the heart patients with the simple injection of so-called natural pacemaker. The researchers programmed ordinary cells of heart for becoming the exact imitations of specialised biological pacemakers through injection of single gene. This is said to be the major step towards a long search of 10 years for finding the biological therapy that can correct falling heartbeats. The researchers described the study the first one to depict that one gene can direct conversion of cells of heart muscle to authentic pacemaker cells. The new cells are said to generate electrical impulses unexpectedly and these were also different from the local pacemaker cells. Dinosaur supported and provided enhanced space for a soft tissue structure, sort of like an inflatable bladder, for display, recognition and communication purposes in general. The dinosaur also possessed sturdy hind limbs ending in three toes, and relatively smaller and thinner forelimbs ending in 4 digits meaning this animal was thumb-less. These dinosaurs were herbivores with a few thousand teeth closely packed together to form a grinding surface to chew the vegetation they fed upon. As per the report it was concluded that the environment that Latirhinus inhabited was likely warmer and more humid than it is todays time, with lakes and bays nearby.
Science Snippets
Research Indicated That Anti-Ageing Gene Might Suppress Tumours
Researchers of the University of Michigan Health System and Harvard Medical School in the second week of December 2012 showed that antiageing genes might be helpful in curtailing the multiplication of cancer. It was shown that the loss of anti-ageing gene can promote the occurrence of tumours in the human beings. The researchers had shown that the decrease in SIRT6 protein in rats increased the size, aggressiveness as well as number of tumours apart from promotion of tumour growth in the human colon as well as pancreatic cancers. The researchers however admitted that it was difficult to know about the range of genes which can suppress the development of tumours. In the meanwhile, the research suggested that the SIRT6 might play an important role in stopping cancer as well as controlling the cellular metabolism. Researchers decided to work further in this regard in order to understand how the protein could be helpful in suppressing the development of tumours. In the new research the role of SIRT6 in diminishing the growth of cancer by repressing aerobic glycolysis was highlighted. Aerobic glycolysis is said to be the primary feature of the cancer cells which involve conversion of the glucose to lactate. SIRT6 is also responsible for inhibiting the activity of major cancer gene called Myc.
New Dinosaur with Gigantic Nose Discovered in Mexico

Scientists in northern Mexico discovered a new dinosaur with a large prominent nose which lived about 73 million years ago. The duck-billed dinosaur, which was named Latirhinus uitstlani lived during the Late Cretaceous period and its wide nasal cavity might have given it incredible smell-detecting ability. As per researchers the giant nose of
Scientists Developed a Headset of 360 Degree Vision

French scientists claimed that they developed a new system called FlyVIZ which enables humans to get 360 degree vision. The headset in the system is said to capture the images from different directions and thereafter transform these into the matter which is possible for the human vision system to comprehend. The headset was designed at Grande Ecole d'Ingenieurs Paris-Laval, France.
Scientist Decoded genetic code of Honey Bees

Scientists unlocked the genetic secrets behind honey bees' high sensitivity to environmental change which will help show links between nutrition, environment and the insects' development. The decoded gene could offer an insight into problems like Colony Collapse Disorder, a mysterious cause of mass bee deaths globally. Honey bees live in complex societies comprising tens of thousands of individuals. Most of these are female 'worker' honeybees that are unable to reproduce and instead devote their short lives to finding food in flowers and other tasks such as nursing larvae inside the hive. However, the hive has a queen as well - the much longer-lived, reproductive head of the hive. As per the Researchers the change occurs as a result of a histone code - a process that sees genetic changes made to proteins called histones within cells' nuclei. Rather than "genetic" changes that are locked into DNA, these are known as "epigenetic" changes.
Researchers created natural heart pacemaker from single gene

Researchers of CedarsSinai Heart Institute developed pacemaker cells through injection of gene called Tbx18, which could
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Space Science
Planets around solar twins of Sun more habitable than Earth
Planets orbiting the scattered stars around the Milky Way may be even more hospitable to life than the Earth, researchers claim. According to a new study by Ohio State University, any planets orbiting those stars may very well be hotter and more dynamic than Earth. The interiors of any terrestrial planets in these systems are likely warmer than Earth - up to 25 per cent, which would make them more geologically active and more likely to retain enough liquid water to support life, at least in its microbial form. Researchers studied eight solar twins of the Sun stars that very closely match it in size, age, and overall composition in order to measure the amounts of radioactive elements they contain. Those stars came from a data set recorded by the High Accuracy Radial Velocity Planet Searcher spectrometer at the European Southern Observatory in Chile. They searched the solar twins for elements such as thorium and uranium, which are essential to Earths plate tectonics because they warm our planets interior. Plate tectonics helps maintain water on the surface of the Earth, so the existence of plate tectonics is sometimes taken as an indicator of a planets hospitality to life.
Jupiter to make closest approach to Earth

Jupiter, the largest after the Sun in the solar system, will be at its biggest and brightest on December 3 night much to the delight of sky-gazers. The planet, which has a system of rings, is at its closest approach and thus would appear more big and bright than usual. The planet can be seen with naked eyes an hour after the sunset in the eastern direction on December 3. It will be visible all through the night and at midnight one can spot it in the southern direction at a higher elevation. The last opposition of the planet occurred on October, 29, 2011 and the next will be January 6, 2014. The minimum distance of Jupiter from Earth is approximately 588 million kms while its maximum distance is about 967 million kms. On December 3, the ring planet will be at 608 million kms, which is very close to its minimum distance from Earth. earlier in 2012. Ebb and Flow, two spacecrafts of NASA that comprised Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory (GRAIL) mission, on 14 December 2012 were commanded for landing in lower orbit of Moon which would create an impact on the mountain near its North Pole. Ebb and Flow were launched in September 2011 and were orbiting Moon since 1 January 2012. After a year of their arrival on Moon, the twin spacecrafts of NASA hit the lunar surface as it was planned at 5:28:51 pm EST and 5:29:21 pm EST respectively. The speed of the two was 1.7 kilometres per second. The location of site is on southern face of around 2.5 kilometre tall Lunar Mountain near the crater called Goldschmidt. The principal investigator of GRAIL, Maria Zuber of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge declared that the lunar mission was complete and that they were proud to honour the contributions of Sally Ride after naming that corner of Moons surface after her. The impact indicated that the GRAIL mission was complete. This was the first planetary mission of NASA which carried cameras that were completely dedicated to public outreach as well as education. Apart from the basic science instrument, the spacecrafts carried MoonKAM, the camera which captured over 115000 images of Moons surface.
NASA Scientist Discovered Mini Nile River on Saturns Moon Titan

Scientists from NASA spotted the longest extra-terrestrial river system ever on Saturns moon Titan which appears to be a miniature version of Earths Nile River. As per NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, the river valley on Titan stretches more than 400 kilometres from its headwaters to a large sea comparing it with the Nile River on Earth which stretches about 6700 kilometres. The finding came into in light after NASAs Cassini mission sent images which revealed for the first time a river system this vast and in such high resolution anywhere other than Earth. Titan is the only body in the solar system apart from earth which is known to have vast seas and possess a cycle of liquids on its surface. However, the other evident fact is that the thick Titan atmosphere is a frigid where water could not possibly flow. The liquids on Titan are therefore composed of hydrocarbons such as methane and ethane.
NASAs Twin Probes Crashed Successfully onto Lunar Mountain

Ebb and Flow, the gravity mapping satellites of NASA ended the successful mission to Moon by crashing on the rim of crater. Lunar surface on which Ebb and Flow crashed will be given a name after Sally Ride, the first woman of America in the space who died
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Pyongyangs state media quickly claimed that the country had successfully put a peaceful satellite into orbit with its longrange Unha-3 rocket the Norths stated goal of the launch. But South Korea and Japan said they couldnt immediately confirm that. The launch was something of a surprise, as North Korea had indicated technical problems with the rocket and recently extended its launch window to December 29.
Defence
Agni-1 successfully testfired
India on December 12 successfully test-fired nuclearcapable, surface-to-surface Agni-1 ballistic missile for its full range of 700 km from the Wheeler Island, off Odisha. The single-stage, solidpropelled missile was launched by the personnel of the Strategic Forces Command at 8.15 a.m. from a road mobile launcher. The entire operation was supervised by Defence Research and Development Organisation's missile technologists, who described the mission as a success and said that all the objectives were met.
Places in News
Mumbai ranked among the Dirtiest Cities of the World
Mumbai, the commercial capital of India was named one among the dirtiest cities of the world in the Trip Advisors Cities Survey. Trip Advisors Cities Survey was the global survey including 40 main tourist cities. Mumbai ranked last in the category of cleanest streets. Tokyo got the first rank in this category. Mumbai was again ranked last in the category of ease of getting around. Zurich, on the other hand was ranked first. The survey also found out the cities that had rudest locals, worst shopping as well as dirtiest streets. It was found that the least-friendly locals were found in Moscow. Cities of Russia ranked last in various categories which included friendliest locals.
US to launch a new secretive pilotless military space plane

The United States is planning a new launch of its tiny, pilotless military space plane on December 11 as part of a futuristic Air Force program that has fueled speculation over its mission.
World's first unmanned robot aircraft piloted by artificial intelligence
India's first integrated traffic management institute

India's first integrated traffic management institute would come up in Alwar, Rajasthan, where policemen would be trained on all aspects of traffic related issues. The government has sanctioned budget for this and the institute would come up in the next two-three years.
The US Navy is testing a stealth drone set to be the world's first unmanned, robot aircraft piloted by artificial intelligence rather than a remote human operator. In case the futuristic killer drone completes all its sea trials then it will be first aircraft capable of autonomously landing onto an aircraft carrier.
Bangalore better than Delhi, Mumbai in quality of living

The X-37B, which weighs five tonnes and is 29 feet (8.9 meters) long, can return material to Earth in the way of the retired shuttle Orbiter program but is designed to stay in orbit for much longer at 270 days. The last X-37B returned in June after orbiting for 469 days in a test of endurance. The United Launch Alliance, a joint venture between Boeing and Lockheed Martin, approved the X37B at Cape Canaveral in Florida. Bangalore ranks better than New Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata amongst Indian cities in overall global quality of living index, according to a Mercer 2012 Quality of Living Survey. Mercer conducts this survey annually to help multinational companies and other organisations compensate employees fairly when placing them on international assignments. According to the global consulting firm, its Quality of Living index list covers 221 cities, ranked against New York as the base city.
Defiant North Korea launches long-range rocket

North Korea defied international warnings and fired a long-range rocket on December 12, the second launch under its new leader and a clear sign Pyongyang is pushing forward with its quest to develop the technology needed to deliver a nuclear warhead.
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the government is taking several steps to increase forest cover in 20 million hectares of land in 10 years under an ambitious programme called Green India Mission. The Forest Survey conducted last year had revealed that India's forest cover has declined, with the maximum loss recorded in Andhra Pradesh. The reduction was to the tune of 367 square km in comparison to the 2009 assessment. According to the biennial survey, the total forest and tree cover of the country is 78.29 million hectares, which is 23.81 per cent of the geographical area of the country. several species of vulture out of which three endangered species Gyps Bengalensis (whiterumped vulture), Gyps Indicus (Indian vulture) and Gyps Tenuirostris (slender-billed vulture) were also recorded. After toiling for three days, the team encountered a group of 49 vultures including Cinerous vulture, Lammergeier or bearded vulture, Himalayan Griffon, Eurasian griffon, long-billed vulture, slender-billed vulture and whiterumped vulture.
Environment
Indian forests face threat from illegal encroachment: Govt
India's forests are not only facing threat from mining, they are also being ravaged due to illegal human encroachment. According to a new government document, nearly 1.25 million hectares of ecologically fragile areas have been illegally occupied by humans. Andhra Pradesh, Assam and Chhattisgarh are the worst culprits in this regard, the document says. In Assam, 2,59,700 hectares of forest areas are under encroachment, while around 2,56,000 hectares of forest land in Andhra Pradesh has been illegally occupied by humans, it says. An estimated 1,18,494 hectares of forest areas are under encroachment in Chhattisgarh where Maoist insurgents and legal and illegal mining in biodiversity hotspots are very active. Forests in the Western Ghat region states, including Kerala, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Gujarat are also under threat of encroachment. Over 85,388 hectares of forests in Maharashtra have been illegally occupied, the document says. Forest areas in Karnataka (96,014 hectares), Kerala (44,420 hectares), Gujarat (34,791 hectares) and Tamil Nadu (14,352 hectares) have been occupied by violators, it says. Large-scale such violation of forests has been reported from many other states including Jammu and Kashmir (13,360 hectares), Odisha (78,505 hectares), Tripura (47,758 hectares), Arunachal Pradesh (58,553 hectares) and Uttar Pradesh (26,795 hectares). Interestingly, not a single case of violation has been reported from Bihar. The data is prepared based on the information provided by the state governments in 2010 and 2011 and 2012. The disclosure of violation of forest areas came at a time when
Three endangered vulture species spotted in Arunachal

Three endangered species of vultures have been spotted at the Dying Ering Wildlife Sanctuary in East Siang district by a team of researchers from the Rajiv Gandhi University in Arunachal Pradesh. The team of researchers including Daniel Mize, RGU Assistant Professor, and Junior Research fellow Rajat Chetry, who undertook research to assess vulture population status in Siang region, said they have come across
Central Zoo Authority of India Approved Exchanging White Tigress

The Central Zoo Authority of India approved exchanging white tigress from the Delhi Zoo against a pair of puma, which is also called cougar, panther or mountain lion, from the Krasnoyarks Park of flora and fauna, Roev Ruchey in Russia. This pair of puma would arrive soon from Russia. This pair would be among other foreign species such as South American jaguars as well as grey kangaroos which are nestled at National Zoological Park, New Delhi.
Extreme Climatic Conditions may Extinct Mammals

Scientists from Zoological Society of London (ZSL) warned that greater frequency of the extreme climatic conditions like droughts and cyclones pose a higher risk of extinction for the mammals. The scientists mapped out the population of land mammals and overlie this along with the information of the places where droughts as well as cyclones could occur. This enabled them to find out those species which had greater risk due to exposure to extreme climatic conditions. The scientists through their study described the results of review of around 6000 species of the land mammals. It was established that around one-third of reviewed species had around a quarter of the range exposed to droughts, cyclones or combined climatic conditions. In case the species are highly susceptible to conditions like these, it would lead to increase in mammals who are threatened under category of climate change and severe weather by International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The most highlighted species was the primates, which are already in the list of endangered mammals. More than 90 percent of Alouatta pigra or black howler monkey as well as Ateles geoffroyi yucatanensis or Yucatan spider monkey, which are known to be the habitats were damaged due to cyclones.
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Sports
India lifts World T20 for blind
India won the World Cup Kabaddi Tournament 2012

India on 15 December 2012 won the 3rd World Cup Kabaddi Tournament for the third consecutive time in the Mens category and second consecutive time in the Womens category. Indian men defeated arch rival Pakistan with a decisive margin of 37 points whereas, Indian women thrashed Malaysia 72-12. Both the finals were played at the Guru Nanak Dev Stadium in Ludhiana. The Kabaddi world cup was a 15-day tournament. In men's category, third prize went to Canada and in women's category, it was given to Denmark. Indian men registered a hat trick by outclassing Pakistan in every aspect of game. At the end of the first half, Indian men squad was leading with a point difference of 34-9. Indias raider and stoppers showed an extraordinary sport in collecting points for their country. Womens final was virtually a one sided show as Malaysian team was no match against Indian eves. Murugappa Cup with Indian Oil. Air India had an edge over Bharat Petroleum because the team was full of expereinced players. Besides, there was also an advantage because Bharat Petroleum did not give its 100 percent which was evident when it wasted a lot of opportunities. For Bharat Petroleum this was another runner-up in the second event consecutively. Air India, in the meanwhile, won the cheque worth 2 lakh Rupees along with the title of the tournament. Amir Khan, the Bharat petroleum striker was decided as the Best Player of the Tournament. V.S. Vinaya of Air India team, on the other hand won the title of Top Scorer of the Event with six goals. elections adhering to the government's sports code, while the IOC wants the governing body to abide by the Olympic charter. The IOC had repeatedly told the IOA not follow the government's sports code for the elections on the ground that it would be a violation of the Olympic Charter and compromise autonomy. But the IOA went ahead saying they were bound by the Delhi High Court order. Suspension meant that the IOA will stop receiving IOC funding and its officials will be banned from attending Olympic meetings and events. India's athletes will be barred from competing in Olympic events under their national flag, but they can participate under the IOC banner.
India on December 13 triumphed in the inaugural Blind Cricket Twenty20 World Cup after defeating Pakistan by 29 runs in the title clash in Bangalore. After Ketan Bhai Patel guided India to 258 with a hurricane knock of 98, the hosts restricted the visitors to 229 for nine in the allotted 20 overs. Batting first, Prakash Jayaramaiah made useful 42 while vice-captain Ajay Kumar Reddy contributed 25, helping India to post a competitive total. For Pakistan, Mohammed Jameel scored a quickfire 47, Ali Murthaza struck 38 while Mohammed Akram helped himself to 32 runs. Having won eight matches on the trot in the group stage, Pakistan could not maintain the winning streak when it mattered most. India had only lost to Pakistan in the group stage and thrashed Sri Lanka in the semifinal. Pakistan had spanked England by nine wickets in the semifinals. The victory is Indias first in a World Cup final after they lost to Pakistan in 2006.
IOC suspends the Indian Olympic Association

The International Olympic Committee reportedly suspended the Indian Olympic Association for holding elections under a controversial government sports code. The IOC had repeatedly told the Indian body to adhere to its own constitution and the Olympic Charter and not follow the government's sports code for elections. The IOC's decision taken in Lausanne, Switzerland- will prevent India from taking part in Olympics. The IOA has been directed by a Delhi court to hold the
Anna Ushenina won Chess Womens World Championship

Anna Ushenina of Ukraine on 1 December 2012 won the Womens World Championship Crown of Chess at KhantyMansiysk, Russia after defeating Antoaneta Stefanova of Bulgaria in first set of tie-break game. Anna won the title along with 60000 US dollar for the efforts made by her to win the Chess championship. In 2013 Anna would be playing the next world championship against Chinese Yifan Hou, which is a part of new cycle in Womens World Championship.
Air India won Lal Bahadur Shastri hockey tournament

Air India emerged champion against Bharat Petroleum in the 23rd Lal Bahadur Shastri hockey tournament at the Shivaji Stadium on 4 December 2012. This was second title of this season for Air India. Air India had already shared the MCC-
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Deaths
Sitar maestro Ravi Shankar passes away
Astronomer Patrick Moore dies

Friends of popular British astronomer and broadcaster Sir Patrick Moore say he has died at the age of 89. He died at his home in the coastal town of Selsey in southern England. No specific cause of death was given, but he had suffered from heart problems. Sir Patrick was well known for his long-running BBC television show The Sky at Night, which was credited for popularising astronomy with generations of Britons. He had presented the show for more than half a century.
Sitar maestro Pandit Ravi Shankar passed in San Diego on December 11. He was 92. The legendary musician and composer was India's musical ambassador and a unique phenomenon in the classical music worlds of East and West. He was well known for his pioneering work in bringing Indian music to the West. He was active as a professional musician till the end and was one of the contenders for the next Grammys.
Norman Woodland, the inventor of bar code died

Norman Woodland, the inventor of bar code, which revolutionalised retail in 70s, died at 91 on 8 December 2012 at New Jersey. He died because of complications resulting due to Alzheimers disease. He is survived by his wife (61), two daughters, one brother and granddaughters. Woodland was the co-inventor of bar code; the zebra pattern which stores information about the products. He as well as his partner Bernard Silver (who died in 1963) patented this idea of bar code back in 1952 and also sold that to Philco, the electronics company for 15000 US dollar.
Geophysicist Devendra Lal passes away

Noted geophysicist and Visiting Professor at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography [SIO] in California, USA, Devendra Lal, has passed away. He was 83. Paying tributes to his contributions to earth and planetary nuclear physics during his 40-years of career at the Institution, the notice noted that he was both a caring and a demanding teacher. Starting his research career at the age of 20 at the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research at Mumbai, the primary thrust of his work was in the field of cosmic ray physics, earth and planetary sciences and astrophysics. He was particularly interested in studying records of climate found in terrestrial minerals, and chemical history of ocean waters based on marine biogenic minerals.
of age. Besse Cooper had died peacefully in Monroe. Besse was recently taken ill with the stomach virus. Besse Cooper was declared as the oldest person of the world in January 2011 by the Guinness World Records. She was also the first Georgian who had world record with her. The birth place of Besse was Tennessee and she had moved during the First World War to Georgia. Guinness World Records declared that as of now, merely 8 people have reached the age of 116. Besse Cooper held this title of oldest person of the world since 2011. She explained her secret of living for such a long time, to Guinness World Records. She explained that she didnt eat junk food. After the death of Besse Cooper, the title of oldest person of the world now goes to Dina Manfredini of Johnston who is aged 115 years of age. Jeanne Calment, the French woman is the oldest known person till now. She was aged 122 when she died in 1997.
IK Gujral, Former Prime Minister of India Died

Former Prime Minister of India, Inder Kumar Gujral, the head of unsteady coalition government in 1990s, died at the age of 92 following brief illness on 30 November 2012. I.K. Gujral last breathed in a private hospital at 3.27 P.M following multiple organ failure. After lung infection, he was admitted to hospital on 19 November 2012. Gujral had taken ill some days ago and was also on dialysis for more than a year. A few days ago, he suffered from critical lung infection as well.
Oldest Person of the World, Besse Cooper Died

Besse Cooper, the woman listed as the oldest person of the world died on 4 December 2012 in Georgia nursing home at 116 years
Jazz legend Dave Brubeck passes away

Jazz legend Dave Brubeck has died at the age of 91. Dave Brubeck sometimes struggled to find acceptance among his peers, who thought his music didn't swing. But his album Time Out, packed with unusual time signatures and unorthodox rhythms, found a huge audience. Brubeck died one day shy of his 92nd birthday.
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Economic Scenario
India's domestic air traffic growth to be world's 2nd highest
India's domestic air travel market would be among the top five globally, experiencing the second highest growth rate in domestic passenger traffic after Kazakhstan but before China, IATA said. Global airlines' body International Air Transport Association (IATA) released its Airline Industry Forecast 20122016, saying only Kazakhstan, India and China would experience double-digit growth in domestic passenger traffic during the period, recording 22.5, 13.1 and 10.1 per cent growth respectively, adding a total of 49.3 million new passengers. By 2016, the five largest markets for domestic passengers would be the United States (710.2 million), China (415 million), Brazil (118.9 million), India (107.2 million) and Japan (93.2 million). Globally, the IATA industry traffic forecast showed that the airlines were expected to fly some 3.6 billion passengers in 2016, which is about 800 million more than the 2.8 billion carried by them in 2011. In terms of air cargo carriage too, India would be among five fastest growing international freight markets over the 2011-2016 period. The compound annual growth rate of the air cargo sector would be the highest for Sri Lanka at 8.7 per cent, followed by Vietnam (7.4 per cent), Brazil (6.3), India (6.0) and Egypt(5.9), the IATA said.
Bombay Stock Exchange launched SME Platform Index

The Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) on 14 December 2012 launched an SME index which primarily aims at tracking the current primary market conditions in the Indian capital market and measuring the growth in investors wealth over a period. The index is going to be constituted by small and medium enterprises (SMEs) which are listed on the BSE SME platform. Presently, there are 11 companies which are listed on the SME platform and this index is going to have features similar to the BSE IPO index. Through SME index the authorities can recognize the viability of the company and based on the report, people can invest in these companies, which will not only help the organisations to grow their businesses but also suppose to create employment. Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in India constitute an important segment of Indian economy. Currently, the contribution of SMEs alone is greater than 7 per cent to GDP and 45 per cent to industrial production. Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) is also the second largest provider of employment after agriculture. SMEs also contribute to 40% of total exports directly and a significant amount of exports indirectly through large trading houses or third parties. This index has been launched with the aim of creating a benchmark, and increasing awareness about the risks posed by climate change. It will enable investors to track performance of the constituent companies of BSE-100 index regarding their commitment to greenhouse gases emission reduction. Constituents of BSE Carbonex are over or under weighted compared to the benchmark based on their performance in the assessment process. In every industry, companies that achieve the strongest assessment scores are favoured at the expense of those achieving poor results. The British High Commission in India through the British Foreign & Commonwealth Offices Prosperity Fund supported the development phase of the index. ENDS Carbon, a specialist in environment, social and governance (ESG) ratings and benchmark services provider, has provided its expertise in assessing the companies with data sourced from the carbon disclosure project (CDP), a not-for-profit organisation which holds the largest and most continuous set of climate change data in the world. The top 10 constituents in BSE Carbonex are ITC Ltd having 7.11 per cent market capitalisation followed by Reliance Industries (6.48 per cent market capitalisation), ICICI Bank (5.54 per cent), HDFC Bank (5.48 per cent), HDFC Ltd (5.30 per cent), Infosys (5.27 per cent), L&T (4.21 per cent), TCS (3.49 per cent), Hindustan Unilever (2.73 per cent) and ONGC (2.68 per cent).
India has around 7 cr unemployed or underemployed

Around seven crore people in the country are either unemployed or under-employed, the National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) has said in its latest report. "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," Labour and Employment Minister Mallikarjun Kharge said in Rajya Sabha during Question Hour.
BSE launches carbonbased index CARBONEX

The Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) has launched BSE Carbonex, the first carbon-based thematic index in the country, which takes a strategic view of organizational commitment to climate change mitigation.
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Parliament to its controversial decision of allowing FDI in multibrand retail with a motion against it being defeated convincingly in Rajya Sabha, as the BSP voted in favour of the UPA. After a two-day animated debate during which the Opposition attacked the proposal to allow 51 per cent FDI in multibrand retail, 123 members voted against the motion while 109 voted in favour. The government strongly justified the FDI move saying it was in the best interest of the country. The governments victory in the Rajya Sabha, where the UPA lacks a majority of its own, came with the help of 15-member BSP, which had walked out of the Lok Sabha during voting on the issue. The UPA has 94 members in the Upper House which has an effective strength of 244. Sachin Tendulkar, nominated member who is playing test match in Kolkata, Murli Deora (Congress), who is unwell, and rebel BJD leader Pyari Mohan Mahapatra were absent.
National Round-Up
India ranks 94 in list of corrupt nations
India was ranked 94 out of 176 countries surveyed in the Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) 2012, with a score of 36 on a scale from 0 (highly corrupt) to 100 (very clean), the Transparency International India (TII) said. Last year India ranked 95 out of 183 countries. However, due to an update in the methodology, CPI scores of 2011 cannot be compared with this years' score, S.K. Agarwal, vice-chairman of TII told IANS. He added that India had the same score of 36 in 2011 as well. "The 2012 index ranks countries by their perceived levels of public sector corruption and assigns scores of between one (highly corrupt) and 100 (clean). While Somalia, North Korea and Afghanistan were the most corrupt countries with a score of eight, Denmark, Finland and New Zealand tied for the first place of the least corrupt with a score of 90. China had a CPI score of 39, which is better than India, while Pakistan's was 27. CPI scores and ranks countries based on how corrupt a country's public sector is perceived to be. It is a combination of surveys and assessments of corruption collected by a variety of reputable institutions.
Govt wins FDI vote in Lok Sabha

Foreign Direct Investment in multi-brand retail on December 5 got the approval of the Lok Sabha as the Opposition motion seeking
immediate withdrawal of the decision was rejected convincingly as the Bahujan Samaj Party and Samajwadi Party walked out. 218 members voted in favour of the Opposition motion, while 253 voted against it in the House where 471 members participated in the voting. The total strength of the House is 545. The House also rejected the motion seeking amendment to the rules notified by the Reserve Bank under Foreign Exchange
Kumbh Mela the greatest show on Earth

The Kumbh Mela, one of the largest religious gatherings in the world, to be held at Sangam in Allahabad. Up to 100 million people will gather on the shores of the Ganges to celebrate the Hindu festival commencing on 14th January 2013. For four years the team of British and Indian researchers have been studying the event, seeking to understand how people treat each other, how they experience the crowd and what impact the crowd has on their everyday lives. They will present their findings at a special event at Allahabad University on 24th January 2013. The study described the Kumbh Mela as an incredible event and the "greatest show on Earth". The Kumbh Mela attracts worldwide attention as a remarkable spectacle: millions of pilgrims bathing in the Ganges, parades of gurus on thrones, flanked by naked Naga Sadhus smeared in ash. This research, led by Nick Hopkins at the University of Dundee, Prof Stephen Reicher at the University of St Andrews, and Prof Narayanan Srinivasan at the University of Allahabad shows it to be remarkable in other ways as well.
Govt wins FDI vote in Rajya Sabha

The government on December 7 won the approval of

Management Act to enable FDI in multi-brand retail. Members of SP and BSP, with respective strength of 22 and 21, did not participate in the voting as they walked out alleging that interests of farmers and small retailers had been ignored.
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Rajya Sabha passes 117th Constitutional Amendment bill

The Rajya Sabha on December 17 gave its nod to the 117th Constitution Amendment Bill providing reservation to Scheduled Castes and Scheuduled Tribes in promotions in govt jobs. Rajya Sabha passed the bill with overwhelming majority with the amendments moved by Minister of State in Prime Minister's Office V Narayanasamy. 206 members voted in favour of the bill while ten members voted against it. The Bill required two-third majority. The bill provides for amendments to Article 16(4) of the Constitution that will allow states to reserve seats in promotion for SCs, STs without collecting data to show the backwardness of class and the inadequacy of that class in public appointments. Government earlier said that the officers belonging to general category need not worry from the proposed constitution amendment bill as it will not affect their promotion avenues. Panchayats and Gram Sabhas. The status of devolution of funds, functions and functionaries to Panchayats by States is at Annexure. Ministry of Panchayati Raj (MoPR) has continuously urged all States, including Government of Uttar Pradesh, to devolve powers to the Panchayats in accordance with the constitutional stipulation. Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and the Union Territory of Puducherry. The Minister in his interaction with the office bearers of World Travel & Tourism Council- India Initiative (WTTCII) welcomed the idea that emanated from the WTTCII Bekal Retreat held in September this year. The setting up of the Southern Zonal Tourism Council will help facilitate development of Tourism and tourism products of Southern India in a holistic and comprehensive manner.
11th Hornbill Festival

Nagaland is hosting the 11th Hornbill Festival, a weeklong annual event. It is from December 1 to 7 at the Naga Heritage Village, Kisama in Kohima, under the theme Unity. From its inception in 2001, the festival has grown in stature and popularity, attracting visitors and participants not only from the State but from other parts of the country and the world. The popularity and importance of Hornbill festival is not just a national phenomenon but has gained popularity around the world. Organized by the State Tourism and art and Culture Department, Hornbill Festival dubbed as the Festival of Festivals in Nagaland, encourages inter-tribal interaction, showcasing the entire array of Naga life and culture. Unlike other years, with more activities added to the event, the Department is expecting the biggest participation of both domestic and international tourists.
Punjab is No. 1 in fish farming in the country

Punjab is set to cross 1 lakh tonnes of fish production in the current year 2012-13, which would be record production in the country and more than 8,000 tonnes from the fixed target of 93,000 tonnes. More than 50,000 farmers were earning their livelihood directly or indirectly through fish farming. By producing 6,560 kilograms of fish per acre, Punjab has become number one state in fish farming besides playing a significant role in agriculture diversification.
Country has Potential of 8000 MW Tidal Energy

The Minister of New and Renewable Energy, DR. FAROOQ ABDULLAH informed Lok Sabha on December 7 that in order to exploit tidal power, Government of Gujarat has signed a Memorandum of Understanding in January 2011 for establishing a 250 MW tidal power project in Gulf of Kutch with Gujarat Power Corporation Ltd. (GPCL), Vadodara, M/s Atlantis Resource Corporation, United Kingdom and Perfect Mining Energy Solutions, Singapore. A Special Purpose Vehicle has been incorporated in May, 2011 and GPCL has taken up a 50 MW tidal power project at Mandavi in district Kutch in first phase. There is no other tidal power project under consideration.
Utilisation of Power of Gram Panchayats in UP

As per Article 243G of the Constitution, the Legislature of a State may, by law, endow Panchayats with such powers and authority as may be necessary to enable them function as institutions of self-government and for preparation of plans and implementation of schemes for economic development and social justice including 29 matters listed in the Eleventh Schedule. As per Article 243A, a Gram Sabha may exercise such power and perform such functions as the legislature of a State may, by law, provide. States vary in the extent to which they have devolved powers to the
Tourism Ministry Announces Setting up of Southern Zonal Tourism Council

Union Tourism Minister Shri Chiranjeevi on December 19 announced the setting up of the Southern Zonal Tourism Council (SZTC) comprising the States of
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Keshubhai Patel, who had launched his Gujarat Parivartan Party (GPP) months ahead of the elections, to dent the prospects of the Gujarat Chief Minister, did not succeed in making any mark, as his party merely managed to just open its account. GPP president Keshubhai Patel scored a facile victory in Visavadar in Saurashtra defeating BJP's Kanubhai Bhalala by over 42,000 votes. GPP failed to put up a challenge to Modi and BJP even in the Saurashtra-Kutch belt where his Leuva Patel community holds sway.
BJP wins in Gujarat, Cong takes HP

Assembly election results declared on December 20 show that Narendra Modi-led BJP government in Gujarat is set to return to power for the third consecutive term to get 115 Seats. On the contrary, Congress has managed to get a comfortable majority in 68-member Himachal assembly by crossing the half mark of 34 seats.
Modi scores hat-trick:
Congress rides on anti-incumbency factor in Himachal Pradesh:

The anti-incumbency factor seems to repeat itself in the state of Himachal Pradesh as the Congress returned to power by defeating the Bharatiya Janata Party. Despite being accused of several scams at the Centre, the Congress party fared well in the Himachal Pradesh Assembly election and has improved its tally.
Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi led the BJP to victory for a record third time. The 62-yearold saffron strongman, a favourite of big industry and city voters, led his party to a tally of 115 seats in the 182-seat assembly, just a couple short of its 2007 tally and considered a significant achievement in the face of a more organised opposition and rebellion within his own ranks. The Gujarat Chief Minister managed to book an impressive victory in the Maninagar constituency after defeating Congress candidate and suspended IPS officer Sanjiv Bhatt's wife Shweta Bhatt by a margin of over 86,000 votes.
Congress gets absolute majority by winning 36 seats while BJP has been reduced to just 26 seats. Former Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister and Himachal Pradesh Congress Committee (HPCC) president Virbhadra Singh, who had to leave his Cabinet rank because of serious allegations, won from Shimla (Rural) constituency defeating his BJP rival Ishwar Rohal by 19,033 votes. The state recorded highest polling of 74.70 per cent breaking the previous record of 74.51 per cent in 2003.
Himachal Pradesh (2012)

Total Seats Congress BJP Independents Himachal Lokhit Party : : : : : 68 36 26 5 1
Miss Universe 2012 is Miss USA Olivia Culpo

Miss Universe 2012 is the 61st Miss Universe pageant, and was held on December 19, 2012, at the Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, United States. Olivia Culpo, Miss USA was crowned Miss Universe 2012. Olivia Culpo beat out 88 other beauty queens to take the title from Leila Lopes of Angola. Miss Philippines held the second spot, followed by Miss Venezuela, Miss Australia and Miss Brazil. Ji Dan Xu, Miss China won the Best National Costume title while Laura Godoy from Guatemala grabbed the Miss Congeniality title. Diana Avdiu from Kosovo became Miss Photogenic of the year 2012. Indian beauty Shilpa Singh could not make it to the Top 10, though she succeeded in making it to the top 16 list. As Miss Universe, Culpo will receive an undisclosed salary, a wardrobe fit for a queen, a limitless supply of beauty products, and a luxury apartment in New York City.
GPP fails in its ambitions:

Another Modi rival and former Gujarat chief minister
Gujarat (2012)
Total Seats BJP Congress NCP GPP JD (U) Independents : : : : : : : 182 115 61 2 2 1 1
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used as a way to prevent hunger and alleviate populations from poverty. The IYQ also hopes to develop a better understanding of Quinoa markets in order to connect existing and future producers with the marketplace, and to facilitate exchange of scientific knowledge regarding the seed.
International Round-Up International Year of Quinoa - 2013

The United Nations (UN) has declared 2013 as the International Year of the Quinoa (IYQ). The Year of Quinoa aims to focus world attention on the nutritional, economic, environmental and cultural value of quinoa, a seed originally cultivated for food in the Andes, primarily in Peru, Bolivia, and Ecuador. The main objective of designating 2013 as the IYQ is to raise awareness of how quinoa can provide nutrition, increase food security, and help eradicate poverty around the world. The slogan for the year a future planted thousands of years ago recognizes the contribution of the Andean indigenous people as custodians of this nutritious and biologically diverse seed.
International Year of Water Cooperation 2013

The United Nations (UN) has declared 2013 as the International Year of Water Cooperation (IYWC). The IYWC aims to direct international attention towards the opportunities for water cooperation among communities and countries in order to solve the challenges of water management. The UN resolution to designate 2013 as the Year of Water Cooperation recognizes that water is critical for sustainable development, including environmental integrity and the eradication of poverty and hunger, and is indispensable for human health and well-being. The year will focus on the lessons that can be learned from successful water cooperation initiatives. It will also emphasize key water management issues such as water education; water diplomacy; sharing of water resources across national and community borders; and national and international legal frameworks on the use, and sharing of water.
Background:
Water has become one of most sought after natural resource in recent decades. Human conflict, wars, climate change, and over usage has left large portions of the worlds population without easy and sustainable access to clean, and drinkable water. Recognizing this as an impediment to the social and economic well being of communities, the UN has taken a series of steps to solve the problem of water scarcity and encourage a dialogue on how best to conserve and manage existing water resources. The first step in this direction was the designation of March 22 as the World Day for Water in December 1992. This was followed by the proclamation of the Water for Life Decade in 2005. The IYWC focuses on one of the most important aspects of water management water diplomacy and cooperation. As the quality and quantity of water has degraded in large parts of the world, so has competition among societies, and communities needing access to clean water has increased.
Background:
Quinoa is the only plant food that is gluten free, has a high protein content, and contains all essential amino acids. Additionally, it can easily adapt to different ecologies, making it easy to grow in all forms of weather and land conditions. Its nutritional value and its adaptability makes quinoa an excellent food source in places where ecological conditions do not allow other food crops to thrive, as well as in regions where animal protein do not prominently feature in daily diets. With the Food and Agriculture Organization at its helm, the key purpose of the year is to emphasize on how quinoa can be
Samsung become worlds leading top mobile brand for the year 2012
As per the research firm IHS iSuppli Samsung displaced Nokia to become the worlds leading top mobile brand for the year 2012. This is the first time in 14 years that Nokia is not on top of the global cell phone business on an annual basis. The report states that Samsungs market share account of worldwide cellphone shipments is expected to be 29 percent. It was 24 percent in 2011. On the other hand, Nokias share for 2012 dropped down to 24 percent, down from the 30 percent market share in 2011. Apple is expected to come in at number three with a 10 percent market share, up 3 percent from last year.
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Zuma re-elected ANC leader
India, U.S. collaborate on solar energy

India and the United States have started an initiative to develop solar energy through photovoltaic (PV) projects and concentrated solar power (CSP), also known as solar thermal. This comes four months after India experienced one of the worlds biggest blackouts, which affected more than 680 million people. Titled SERIIUS (Solar Energy Research Initiative of India and the United States), the $50 million project would be conducted by the Bangalore-based Indian Institute of Science and the Washington-based National Renewable Energy Laboratory. year, an activity that just a few decades ago was exclusively for the wealthy. The reasons for the upswing range from prosperity in developing countries like China to a perception of a more peaceful world. The London-based council, whose members include executives of travel companies, compiles global travel data including international airport traffic and visa records. It calculates that the 1 billionth tourist will cross an international boundary on December 13. The top five destinations in the world are Paris, London, New York, Mediterranean resort Antalya, Turkey, and Singapore, the United Nations World Tourism Organization said. India was among the 138 nations in the 193-member body that voted in favour while nine countries opposed the resolution that sought upgrading the status of Palestinian Authority from 'entity' to 'non-member observer state. Fortyone countries abstained from the voting. The vote could enable Palestine to access bodies like the International Criminal Court in The Hague, which prosecutes people for genocide, war crimes and major human rights violations. Now Palestine could use access to the ICC to complain about Israel.
South Africas ruling African National Congress on December 18 re-elected President Jacob Zuma as the party chief with a thumping majority, effectively paving the way for him to retain the presidency until 2017 if the ANC wins general elections in 2013. 70-year-old Mr. Zuma received the support of over 75 per cent of the total voting delegates at the ANC National Conference held in Bloemfontein. Mr. Motlanthe had decided to oppose Zuma for the Presidency, but got only 991 votes against Zumas 2984 from the voting delegates from across the country that have converged on Bloemfontein for the Conference hosted every five years. In Bloemfontein, the ANC also ended its centenary celebrations. Mr. Ramaphosa got an overwhelming 3,108 votes to clinch the position of Deputy President, while concern is being expressed about the future of Mr. Motlanthe, who technically is still Deputy President of the country until his term of office ends in 2013.
Queen Elizabeth Became First Peacetime British Ruler to Attend Cabinet Meeting
On 18 December 2012, Queen Elizabeth became first peacetime British ruler ever since 1781, who attended the cabinet meeting. Though she did not take part in any deliberations, but she participated in the cabinet meeting as an observer and a listener. Queen Elizabeth remained seated on the chair which is usually occupied by the prime minister. Historians believed that Queen Elizabeth became the first monarch in the history to attend any cabinet meeting, after George III did that. Factually, George I had abandoned joining the cabinet in 1717. Nevertheless, Queen Elizabeths father George VI had attended the cabinet meeting during World War II.
Palestine wins de facto UN recognition of sovereign state

The 193-nation UN General Assembly overwhelmingly approved the de facto recognition of the sovereign state of Palestine. The vote will upgrade its status to non-member observer state at the world body. The UN victory for the Palestinians was a diplomatic setback for the United States and Israel, which were joined by only a handful of countries in voting against the move to upgrade the Palestinian Authority's observer status at the United Nations to "non-member state" from "entity," like the Vatican.
International tourism to reach record 1 billion travelers in 2012

A record 1 billion people will travel across an international border as a tourist in 2012, according to the World Travel & Tourism Council. That means that one in seven people on the planet will participate in world traveling this
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SUMMITS HELD ON 2012-13

BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) Summits:
4th BRICS Summit 2012 New Delhi, India 5th BRICS Summit 2013 Durban, South Africa
OPEC Seminars:
OPEC Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries 4th OPEC International Seminar 2009 Vienna, Austria 5th OPEC International Seminar 2012 Vienna, Austria
G-8 Annual Summits:

(France, Germany, Italy, Japan, United Kingdom, United States of America, Canada, Russia) 37th G8 Meeting 2011 Deauville, France 38th G8 Meeting 2012 David camp, USA 39th G8 Summit 2013 County Fermanagh, UK 40th G8 Summit 2014 Russia
NAM Summits:
(NAM Non-aligned Movement) 16th NAM Summit 2012 Tehran, Iran 17th NAM Summit 2015 Caracas,Venezuela
SCO Meetings:
(SCO Shanghai Cooperation Organization) SCO Meeting 2011 Astana, Kazakhstan SCO Meeting 2012 Beijing, China SCO Meeting 2013 Kyrgyzstan
G-20 Summits:
7th G 20 Meeting 2012 Los Cabos, Mexico 8th G 20 Meeting 2013 Saint Petersburg, Russia 9th G 20 Meeting 2014 Brisbane, Australia
Asian Development Bank (ADB) Annual Meetings:

Annual meeting of the board of governors of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) held every year. ADB Annual Meeting 2012 Manila, Philippines ADB Annual Meeting 2013 New Delhi, India
SAARC Summits:
(South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) 17th SAARC Summit 2011 Addu, Maldives 18th SAARC Summit 2013 Kathmandu,Nepal
ASEAN Summits:
(ASEAN Association of South East Asian Nation) 19th ASEAN Summit 2011 (November) Bali, Indonesia 20th ASEAN Summit 2012 (April) Phnom penh, Cambodia 21th ASEAN Summit 2012 (November) Phnom penh, Cambodia
WTO Ministerial Conferences:

8th WTO Ministerial Conferences 2011 Geneva, Switzerland 9th WTO Ministerial Conferences 2013 (Expected) - Bali, Indonesia
Other Important Summits:

United Nations framework convention on Climate, 2011 Durban, South Africa 10th BASIC Ministerial Meeting on Climate Change New Delhi, India Arab summit 2012 Baghdad, Iraq Nuclear security summit 2012 Seoul, South Korea 12th Annual summit of European Union and India New Delhi, India G-20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors meeting Mexico City, Mexico Friends of Syria Meeting Istanbul,Turkey 5th Ministerial level India-UK Economic Financial Dialogue New Delhi United Nation Conference on Sustainable Development 2012 Rio de janeiro,Brazil 17th National youth Festival Mangalore, Karnataka World Economic Forum Davos, Switzerland World Polio Summit 2012 New Delhi, India India, Russia Inter-Governmental Commission meet 2012 New Delhi, India The sixth conference of the Association of SAARC Speakers and Parliamentarians held in Islamabad on 4th November 2012. E-9 countries review meeting held in New Delhi on 9th and 10th November 2012.The E-9 countries are India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, China, Brazil, Egypt, Indonesia, Nigeria and Mexico.
ASEAN-India Summit:
9th ASEAN-India Summit 2011 Bali, Indonesia 10th ASEAN-India Summit 2012 Phnom penh, Cambodia
East Asia Summit (EAS):

EAS meetings are held after annual ASEAN leaders meetings. 6th East Asia Summit 2011 Bali, Indonesia 7th East Asia Summit 2012 Phnom penh, Cambodia
IBSA Summits:
(IBSA Dialogue Forum - India, Brazil, South Africa) 5th IBSA Summit 2011 Pretoria, South Africa 6th IBSA Summit 2013 India
APEC Summits:
(APEC Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation) 23rd APEC summit 2011 Honolulu, USA 24th APEC Summit 2012 Vladivostok,Russia 25th APEC Summit 2013 Medan/Jakarta, Indonesia 26th APEC Summit 2014 China 27th APEC Summit 2015 Philippines 28th APEC Summit 2016 Lima, Peru

The 8th meeting of the India-UK Joint Working Group (JWG) on counter terrorism was held on 20 November 2012 in New Delhi. The 3rd Worldwide Cybersecurity Summit organized by East West Institute, a New York based think-and-do tank, kick-started in the New Delhi on 30th October 2012. South Korea will host the 12th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP12) to the Convention on Biological Diversity in 2014. The XI Conference of Parties (CoP-11) on the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) being hosted by India at Hyderabad starts on 1st October 2012. The 9th World Hindi Conference to be held in Johannesburg ,South Africa from 22-24 September 2012.The first world Hindi Conference was held in Nagapur from 10-12 January 1975. The APEC Russia 2012 Summit is the 24th annual gathering of APEC leaders of 21 countries.Leaders from the member economics are currently meeting on Russky Island off the Coast of Vladivostok, Russia from September 2-9 ,2012 . The worlds largest meeting on HIV/AIDS opened on 22nd July in Washington. The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) Summit held in HICC, Novotel Hyderabad. The summit was held between 22 August 2012 to 25 August 2012. 7th ASEAN education Ministers meeting on July 4 with the 1st Asean plus three education Minister Meeting and the 1st East Asia Summit Education Minister meeting from July4-5 in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. A One day International conference in Kabul took place on June 14,2012 to discuss ways to stabilize the situation in Afghanistan and boost regional cooperation. 101 st session of International Labour Conference organized by International Labour Organization(ILO), concluded on June 14 ,2012 in Geneva. The Rio+20 Conference, world leaders, along with thousands of participants from governments took place in Brazil on 20-22 June 2012 India To Host Alternative International AIDS conference World Agriculture Congress mega event will be hosted by the Hyderabad city for the first time in the country. The 6th Summit of the Americas was held At Cartagena, Colombia on 14 and 15 April 2012. The Russia, India and China (RIC) trilateral conference was held in Mascow on 13 April 2012. The seventh meeting of the India-Russia Joint Working Group was held in New Delhi on 11 April 2012. Two-days national agricultural conference held at New Delhi.
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The international exhibition-cum conference Indian Aviation 2012 held at Hyderabad from 14 18 March 2012. The 23rd Arab summit was held on 29 March 2012 Baghdad, half of the Arab worlds 22 heads of states had to meet for the summit in former president Saddam Hussains palace, but only few leaders gathered. India, the independence accreditation agency organized its 1st world summit on Accreditation from 25 -28 March 2012 in New Delhi. The Ist World summit on Accreditation is going to be held in March 2012 at New Delhi. A seven days Turkey World Trade Bridge International Business Summit is going to be organized by the confederation of Businessman and Industrialists of Turkey (TUSKON) and the Indo-Turkish Business Association (ITBA) from 3 June to 10 June 2012 in Istanbul. AIMAs second Knowledge summit was held in Bangalore on 7March 2012. The 9th three day International conference & exhibition was hosted by the society of Petroleum Geophysicists (SPG),which was inaugurated on 16 feb 2012 in Hyderabad. The 44Th session of Indian Labour conference was held on 14 and 15 Feb 2012, under the chairmanship of Shri Mallikajun Kharge, Union minister of Labour and Employment. The Association of South East Nations (Asean ) summit had held in New Delhi on 12 Feb 2012 with the theme of India and Asean partners for peace, progress and stability. The 12th India EU summit was held in New Delhi on 10 Feb 2012. The 4th International Conference on Luminescence and its Applications (ICLA) 2012 conference had been organised by the Rajiv Gandhi University of Knowledge Technologies on 8 Feb2012 in Hyderabad. The 15th National conference on e-Governance conference had been inaugurated by the chief minister of Odisha M.Naveen Patnaik on 8 Feb 2012 The 10th International Kimberlite conference meeting was held from 6 to 11 Feb 2012 at Bangalore (GSI). The 58th annual meeting of the Indian Association of Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgeons (IACTS) was held from 8 to 12 Feb 2012 in Kolkata The national conference on Governance was held on 29 Jan 2012 at the NCUI auditorium in New Delhi. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh inaugurated 15th Global Sanskrit Meetings in New Delhi on 4 January 2012. 99th Science Congress Conferences were inaugarated by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in Bhuvaneswar, Odisha on 3 January 2012.
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Knowledge Capsules
Banking Glossary
Account Agreement: The contract governing your open-end credit account, it provides information on changes that may occur to the account. Account History: The payment history of an account over a specific period of time, including the number of times the account was past due or over limit. Account Holder: Any and all persons designated and authorized to transact business on behalf of an account. Each account holder's signature needs to be on file with the bank. The signature authorizes that person to conduct business on behalf of the account. Acquiring Bank: In a merger, the bank that absorbs the bank acquired. Accrued interest: Interest due from issue date or from the last coupon payment date to the settlement date. Accrued interest on bonds must be added to their purchase price. Adjustable-Rate Mortgages (ARMS): Also known as variable-rate mortgages. The initial interest rate is usually below that of conventional fixed-rate loans. The interest rate may change over the life of the loan as market conditions change. There is typically a maximum (or ceiling) and a minimum (or floor) defined in the loan agreement. If interest rates rise, so does the loan payment. If interest rates fall, the loan payment may as well. Arbitrage: Buying a financial instrument in one market in order to sell the same instrument at a higher price in another market. Adverse Action: Under the Equal Credit Opportunity Act, a creditor's refusal to grant credit on the terms requested, termination of an existing account, or an unfavorable change in an existing account. Adverse Action Notice: The notice required by the Equal Credit Opportunity Act advising a credit applicant or existing debtor of the denial of their request for credit or advising of a change in terms considered unfavorable to the account holder. AER: Annual earnings rate on an investment. Affidavit: A sworn statement in writing before a proper official, such as a notary public. Alteration: Any change involving an erasure or rewriting in the date, amount, or payee of a check or other negotiable instrument. Amortization: The process of reducing debt through regular installment payments of principal and interest that will result in the payoff of a loan at its maturity. Anytime Banking: With introduction of ATMs, TeleBanking and internet banking, customers can conduct their business anytime of the day and night. The 'Banking Hours' is not a constraint for transacting banking business. Anywhere Banking : Refers to banking not only by ATMs, Tele-Banking and internet banking, but also to core banking solutions brought in by banks where customer can deposit his money, cheques and also withdraw money from any branch connected with the system. All major banks in India have brought in core banking in their operations to make banking truly anywhere banking. Annual Percentage Rate (APR): The cost of credit on a yearly basis, expressed as a percentage. Annual Percentage Yield (APY): A percentage rate reflecting the total amount of interest paid on a deposit account based on the interest rate and the frequency of compounding for a 365-day year. Annuity : A life insurance product which pays income over the course of a set period. Deferred annuities allow assets to grow before the income is received and immediate annuities (usually taken from a year after purchase) allow payments to start from about a year after purchase. APR: The annual percentage rate of interest, usually on a loan or mortgage, usually displayed in brackets and representing the true cost of the loan or mortgage as it shows any additional payments beyond the interest rate. Application: Under the Equal Credit Opportunity Act (ECOA), an oral or written request for an extension of credit that is made in accordance with the procedures established by a creditor for the type of credit requested. Appraisal: The act of evaluating and setting the value of a specific piece of personal or real property. Ask Price: The lowest price at which a dealer is willing to sell a given security. Asset-Backed Securities (ABS): A type of security that is backed by a pool of bank loans, leases, and other assets. Most ABS are backed by auto loans and credit cards these issues are very similar to mortgage-backed securities. At-the-money: The exercise price of a derivative that is closest to the market price of the underlying instrument. ATM: ATMs are Automatic Teller Machines, which do the job of a teller in a bank through Computer Network. ATMs are located on the branch premises or off branch premises. ATMs are useful to dispense cash, receive cash, accept cheques, give balances in the accounts and also give mini-statements to the customers.

Authorization: The issuance of approval, by a credit card issuer, merchant, or other affiliate, to complete a credit card transaction. Automated Clearing House (ACH): A computerized facility used by member depository institutions to electronically combine, sort, and distribute inter-bank credits and debits. ACHs process electronic transfers of government securities and provided customer services, such as direct deposit of customers' salaries and government benefit payments (i.e., social security, welfare, and veterans' entitlements), and preauthorized transfers. Automated Teller Machine (ATM): A machine, activated by a magnetically encoded card or other medium that can process a variety of banking transactions. These include accepting deposits and loan payments, providing withdrawals, and transferring funds between accounts. Automatic Bill Payment: A checkless system for paying recurring bills with one authorization statement to a financial institution. For example, the customer would only have to provide one authorization form/letter/document to pay the cable bill each month. The necessary debits and credits are made through an Automated Clearing House (ACH). Availability Date: Bank's policy as to when funds deposited into an account will be available for withdrawal. Availability Policy: Bank's policy as to when funds deposited into an account will be available for withdrawal. Available Balance: The balance of an account less any hold, uncollected funds, and restrictions against the account. Available Credit: The difference between the credit limit assigned to a cardholder account and the present balance of the account. Banking: Accepting for the purpose of lending or investment of deposits of money from Public, Repayable on demand or otherwise and withdraw able by cheques, drafts, order, etc. Bank Ombudsman: Bank Ombudsman is the authority to look into complaints against Banks in the main areas of collection of cheque / bills, issue of demand drafts, non-adherence to prescribed hours of working, failure to honour guarantee / letter of credit commitments, operations in deposit accounts and also in the areas of loans and advances where banks flout directions / instructions of RBI. This Scheme was announced in 1995 and is functioning with new guidelines from 2007. This scheme covers all scheduled banks, the RRBs and co-operative banks. Bancassurance: Bancassurance refers to the distribution of insurance products and the insurance policies of insurance companies which may be life policies or non-life policies like home insurance car insurance, medi-policies and others, by banks as corporate agents through their branches located in different parts of the country by charging a fee.
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Banker's Lien: Bankers lien is a special right of lien exercised by the bankers, who can retain goods bailed to them as a security for general balance of account. Bankers can have this right in the absence of a contract to the contrary. Basel-II: The Committee on Banking Regulations and Supervisory Practices, popularity known as Basel Committee, submitted its revised version of norms in June, 2004. Under the revised accord the capital requirement is to be calculated for credit, market and operational risks. The minimum requirement continues to be 8% of capital fund (Tier I & II Capital) Tier II shall continue to be not more than 100% of Tier I Capital. Brick & Mortar Banking: Brick and Mortar Banking refers to traditional system of banking done only in a fixed branch premises made of brick and mortar. Now there are banking channels like ATM, Internet Banking, tele banking etc. Business of Banking : Accepting deposits, borrowing money, lending money, investing, dealing in bills, dealing in Foreign Exchange, Hiring Lockers, Opening Safe Custody Accounts, Issuing Letters of Credit, Travelers Cheques, doing Mutual Fund business, Insurance Business, acting as Trustee or doing any other business which Central Government may notify in the official Gazette. Bouncing of a cheque: Where an account does not have sufficient balance to honour the cheque issued by the customer, the cheque is returned by the bank with the reason "funds insufficient" or "Exceeds arrangement. This is known as 'Bouncing of a cheque. Basis Point: One hundredth of 1%. A measure normally used in the statement of interest rate e.g., a change from 5.75% to 5.81% is a change of 6 basis points. Bear Markets: Unfavorable markets associated with falling prices and investor pessimism. Bid-ask Spread: The difference between a dealerss bid and ask price. Bid Price: The highest price offered by a dealer to purchase a given security. Blue Chips: Blue chips are unsurpassed in quality and have a long and stable record of earnings and dividends. They are issued by large and wellestablished firms that have impeccable financial credentials. Bond: Publicly traded long-term debt securities, issued by corporations and governments, whereby the issuer agrees to pay a fixed amount of interest over a specified period of time and to repay a fixed amount of principal at maturity. Book Value: The amount of stockholders equity in a firm equals the amount of the firms assets minus the firms liabilities and preferred stock. Broker: Individuals licensed by stock exchanges to enable investors to buy and sell securities. Brokerage Fee: The commission charged by a broker. Bull Markets: Favorable markets associated with rising prices and investor optimism.
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Banking Awareness
For Bank PO
1. Banks calculate Savings bank account interest on? 1) daily basis 2) monthly basis based on minimum balance 3) weekly basis based on minimum balance 4) yearly basis based on minimum balance 5) None of these Regional Rural Banks are supervised by? 1) RBI 2) IOB 3) SEBI 4) UTI 5) None of these Which among the following is the first Indian Bank to launch the e-Gift card facility, where a customer can buy and send a card of his choice by either emailing it or sending it via SMS to their loved ones? 1) ICICI bank 2) Axis bank 3) HDFC bank 4) SBI 5) None of these Which of the following is called a bankers cheque ? 1) Demand draft 2) Debit card 3) Pay order 4) Fixed deposit 5) None of these Private Banks are being licensed from? 1) 1995 2) 1996 3) 1993 4) 1994 5) 1998 Benefit of Bio - Metric ATM is ? 1) Chance of use of third party 2) Protects from misuse by third party 3) ATM looks good 4) Charges are less 5) Can provide to many customers The term "managed float" is used in economy in context with? 1) Foreign Exchange Rates 2) Stock Exchange Indices 3) Commodity Market Prices 4) Price Indices 5) None of these 8. 9.
& Clerks
Exams
15. 3) Wipro 4) Infosys 5) None of these Recently, the RBI has signed a currency swap agreement with? 1) Bank of Japan 2) Bank of England 3) World Bank 4) International Monetary Fund 5) None of these Statements related RBI subsidiary BRBNMPL given. Which one is incorrect? 1) Bharatiya Reserve Bank Note Mudran Private Limited was established by RBI 2) Its wholly owned subsidiary of RBI established on 3rd February 1995 3) It is established to bridge the gap between the supply and demand for bank notes in the country. 4) It is chaired by the Finance Minister of India as a Full time Director 5) The company manages two Presses one at Mysore in Karnataka and the other at Salboni in West Bengal. Vostro Account means? 1) An account maintained by Indian bank in foreign country with dollars 2) An account maintained by foreign bank in India in Indian Rupees 3) An account maintained by foreign bank in India in Foreign Currency 4) An account maintained by Indian bank in foreign in Indian Rupees 5) An account blocked by RBI Which bank in India usually acts as a coordinator in the operations of rural credit institutions? 1) RBI 2) SIDBI 3) NABARD 4) RRB 5) SCB Banks in India are required to maintain a portion of their
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Call Money refers to? 1) lending money for one day 2) lending money for 15 days 3) lending money for 1 month 4) lending money for 45 days 5) None of these Which was the first Indian Bank to introduce credit card? 1) State Bank of India 2) Central Bank of India 3) Union Bank of India 4) ICICI 5) None of these Branch Banking means? 1) Bank runs branches accepting deposits only 2) Bank operates through branches to make deposits and forward loans 3) Banks do not having branches 4) 1 & 3 5) None of these Which of the following organisations has been established mainly to promote micro, small and medium industrial sector in India? 1) NABARD 2) SIDBI 3) IDBI Bank 4) EXIM Bank 5) All of these Which bank was under the obligation for facilitating credit flow for promotion and development of agriculture, small-scale industries, cottage and village industries, handicrafts and other rural crafts? 1) SBI 2) NHB 3) NABARD 4) HDFC 5) IDBI Inter-bank mark is also known as? 1) call money 2) term money 3) new money 4) dear money 5) None of these "Finacle Core Banking" and "McCamish Insurance" products are to be launched by ? 1) Tata Consultancy Services 2) IBM
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demand and time liabilities with the Reserve Bank of India. This portion is called: 1) Statutory Liquidity Ratio 2) Cash Reserve Ratio 3) Bank Deposit 4) Reverse Repo 5) Government Securities Which among the following Governments has recently launched a new debit card named 'Saral Money' for Aadhaar beneficiaries? 1) Haryana 2) Punjab 3) Bihar 4) Delhi 5) None of these Which of the following banks has launched 'Yuva' branch in Hyderabad targeted at young professionals? 1) SBI 2) SBH 3) Andhra Bank 4) Bank of India 5) ICICI Bank Which among the following term not related to Banking? 1) Certificate of Deposit 2) Cash Reserve Ratio 3) Law of Demand 4) Clearing House 5) Basel Electronic Cheque means : 1) Cheque which automatically comes from a machine. 2) Cheque issued online 3) Cheque which does not need a signature in it. 4) Cheque signed digitally 5) None of these Who is 'Drawee' in the Bank Cheques? 1) Who encash the cheques 2) Who issue the cheques 3) Always the banker 4) Who rejects the payment of cheque 5) Who receive the cheques Which among the following is not one of the principles of Islamic banking? 1) It allows earning interest on deposits 2) It is based on risk-sharing 3) It allows profit sharing 4) It allows the concept of joint venture 5) None of these Banks in India are regulated under: 1) Companies Act, 1956 2) Banking Regulation Act, 1949 3) Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934 4) Special powers conferred on the RBI 5) None of these Which of the following terms is not used in Banking/Finance? 1) Letter of Credit 2) Discount Rate 3) General Ledger 4) Law of Motion 5) Cheque Clearing Land Development Banks form a part of the? 1) Commercial Banks 2) Industrial Development Bank of India 3) Food Corporation of India 4) Cooperative Credit Structure 5) None of these The money avail at high rate of interest is called? 1) Near money 2) Hot money 3) Optional money 4) Fiat money 5) Dear money Capital Adequacy Ratio means? 1) A ratio of bank's Staff to its risk 2) A ratio of central bank's capital to the capital of banks 3) A ratio of a bank's capital to its risk 4) A ratio of bank's capital to its profit 5) None of these Which sister organization of the World Bank helps private activity in developing countries by financing projects with longterm capital in the form of equity and loans? 1) Asian Development Bank 2) IMF 3) International Developmental Association 4) International Finance Corporation 5) None of these Who among the following is not one of the 20 Directors of the Central Board of the Reserve Bank of India? 1) Anil Kakodkar 2) Y.H.Malegam 3) Ratan Tata 4) Kumar Mangalam Birla 5) Ela Bhatt Which bank is not in Private Sector? 1) Axis Bank 2) ICICI Bank 3) Repco Bank 4) HDFC Bank 5) South Indian Bank Ltd
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34. SEBI has recently issued draft norms for mandatory safety, this is to the interest of? 1) Retail investors 2) Foreign investors 3) Bankers 4) Government Employees 5) None of these 35. Which of the following has launched 'Bank Branch Locator', a dynamic database that gives information on location of branches of a bank? 1) SBI 2) PNB 3) HDFC Bank4) RBI 5) ICICI Bank 36. National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) established on? 1) 12 July 1981 2) 12 July 1992 3) 12 July 2002 4) 12 July 1982 5) 12 July 2001 37. Which of the following is known as plastic money? 1) bearer cheques 2) credit cards 3) demand drafts 4) gift cheques 5) None of these 38. Which among the following banks has more ATMs? 1) Union Bank of India 2) ICICI 3) State Bank of India 4) HDFC 5) Syndicate Bank 39. Which of the following terms is not used in Banking/Finance? 1) Call Option 2) Blue Chip 3) Dividend 4) Jacksonian Seizure 5) Bid Price 40. If the Repo Rate increases by Reserve Bank of India, rate of interest of the loans offered by the banks? 1) Decrease 2) Become Zero 3) Become 100 percent 4) Increase 5) None of above
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ANSWERS
1. 1 6. 2 11. 2 16. 4 21. 1 26. 2 31. 4 36. 4 2. 1 7. 1 12. 3 17. 2 22. 3 27. 4 32. 3 37. 2 3. 2 8. 1 13. 2 18. 3 23. 4 28. 4 33. 3 38. 3 4. 3 9. 2 14. 4 19. 2 24. 3 29. 5 34. 1 39. 4 5. 3 10. 15. 20. 25. 30. 35. 40. 2 1 4 1 3 4 4
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Current MCQ Capsules

1. 2. Which among the following country will host the next UN Framework Convention on Climate Change talks, COP 19, in 2013? 1) Germany 2) Poland 3) Denmark 4) Spain 5) Norway Who among the following has became the first woman to head the leading industry body, the FICCI? 1) Vinita Bali 2) Chanda Kochhar 3) Anu Aga 4) Naina Lal Kidwai Who among the following heads the panel constituted by the Planning Commission to consider issues relating to Producers Price Index (PPI) and revision of Wholesale Price Index? 1) K. Kasturirangan 2) Narendra Jadhav 3) Syeda Hameed 4) Saumitra Chaudhury Kaushal Vikas Yojna is a scheme of? 1) Ministry of Human Resource Development 2) Ministry of Labour and Employment 3) Ministry of Panchayati Raj 4) Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment The 18th Conference of the Parties (COP18) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) has recently begun at? 1) Doha, Qatar 2) Durban, South Africa 3) Nagoya, Japan 4) Rome, Italy The recent UN conference on climate change has agreed to extend the life of the Kyoto Protocol till? 1) 2015 2) 2016 3) 2018 4) 2020 The third International Agronomy Congress on Agriculture Diversification, Climate Change Management and Livelihoods (26-30 November) was inaugurated in New Delhi. The Indian Society of Agronomy and the Indian Council of Agricultural Research jointly organizes the 3rd International Agronomy Congress. What is the primary objective of this Congress? 1.Stock of technology capital to address the issue of agriculture diversification 2. Climate change manage ment and livelihoods 3. Draw future strategies to address the sanitary problems in holistic manner. 1) 1 and 2 2) 1 and 3 3) 2 and 3 4) All 8. Which among the following country is the least corrupt as per Transparency Inter national's 2012 Corruption Perceptions Index? 1) Iceland 2) New Zealand 3) Denmark 4) Sweden 9. Web Ratna Awards acknowledge the exemplary initiatives in e-Governance using the medium of World Wide Web in different categories high lighting application of ICT. In Which year the first ever "Web Ratna Awards" were presented? 1)2007 2)2009 3)2010 4)2011 10. India's first carbon-based thematic index "Carbonex" has been recently launched by? 1) MCX Stock Exchange (MCXSX) 2) National Stock Exchange (NSE) 3) Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) 4) United Stock Exchange of India 11. Which among the following country is the winner of the 3rd World Cup Kabaddi Tournament in the men's category? 1) India 2) Pakistan 3) Iran 4) Canada 12. What are the ranks of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress president Sonia Gandhi among the most powerful persons in the world by Forber magazine in its annual power ranking? 1) 18 and 11 2) 20 and 12 3) 17 and 10 4) 15 and 14 13. Who will take charge as Managing Director and CEO of National Stock Exchange (NSE) from 1st April, 2013? 1) Akhila Srinivasan 2) Ravina Raj Kohli 3) Lalita D Gupte 4) Chitra Ramakrishna 14. Recently, which among the following has launched a Knowledge Partnership Initiative (KPI) with prominent law schools in India? 1) Supreme Court of India 2) Delhi High Court 3) Competition Commission of India (CCI) 4) National Law School of India University 15. Ninth World Hindi Conference held at? 1) Washington 2) Paris 3) Tokyo 4) Johannesburg 16. India has not signed bilateral deals on civilian nuclear energy technology cooperation with? 1) USA 2) UK 3) Japan 4) France 17. Which among the following is not one of the eight core industries? 1) Coal 2) Cement 3) Steel 4) Textiles 18. Which among the following states have recently played host to the International Conference on sustainable agriculture for food and
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livelihood security - 2012 ? 1) Haryana 2) New Delhi 3) Punjab 4) Rajasthan The Megatons to Megawatts Program was launched with the agreement between? 1) Russia and United States 2) China and Russia 3) United States and France 4) United States and China In which among the following States, the central government is planning to set up India's first geothermal power project? 1) Sikkim 2) Himachal Pradesh 3) Uttarakhand 4) Jammu & Kashmir Which among the following city is hosting the first-ever T-20 World Cup for the Blind? 1) New Delhi 2) Bangalore 3) Kolkata 4) Mumbai In which among the following states of India, the Bali Yatra festival is celebrated? 1) Odisha 2) Andhra Pradesh 3) Tamil Nadu 4) West Bengal Index of Industrial Production (IIP) details out the growth of various sectors in the economy. It is compiled and published by the? 1) Reserve Bank of India 2) Registrar of Companies 3) Central Statistics Office 4) Confederation of Indian Industries Comptroller and Auditor General of India Vinod Rai has been re-elected as chairman of United Nations Panel of External Auditors for 2013. Which of the following country's CAG has been reelected the vice-chair of the panel? 1) United state of America 2) United kingdom 3) Canada 4) Australia Which among the following acts need to be amended to allow FDI in multi-brand retail? 1) Foreign Exchange Regu lation Act (FERA) 2) Foreign Exchange Manage ment Act (FEMA) 26. 3) Consumer Protection Act 4) Companies Act 1956 The Shell Helen Keller awards are given to? 1) Disabled persons 2) Emerging entrepreneurs 3) Journalists 4) Scientists Recently, in which among the following State, a village has earned a rare distinction by becoming the first one in Asia to install an innovative, ecofriendly, waterless toilet the ECOSAN toilet? 1) Gujarat 2) Odisha 3) Andhra Pradesh 4) Karnataka Which among the following committee has suggested a common national examination with weightage to the State Board results normalised on the basis of percentile formula for admission to engineering institutions? 1) Suresh Tandon Committee 2) T.Ramasami Committee 3) Rajendar Kumar Committee 4) Dharam Paul Committee The FAO Food Price Index is a measure of the monthly change in international prices of a basket of food commodities. It consists of the average of five commodity group price indices, weighted with the average export shares of each of the groups for 20022004. Which among the following commodity group is not present in the index? 1) Cereal 2) Oil/fats 3) Fisheries 4) Dairy What is the mascot name given by FIFA for the Brazils World Cup 2014? 1) Zuzeco 2) Fuleco 3) Amijubi 4) Zakumi The word which has been chosen by the Oxford University press as the word of the year 2012? 1) Omnishambles 2) podcast 3) squeezed middle 4) unfriend and retweet Recently, in which among the following galaxy, scientists claimed that they have
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discovered the biggest ever black hole? 1) Andromeda Galaxy 2) Galaxy Henize 2-10 3) Galaxy NGC 1277 4) Galaxy NGC 4889 Which among the following film bagged the Golden Peacock Award at the 43rd International Film Festival of India (IFFI) 2012 in Panaji? 1) Deswa 2) Anhey Ghorey Da Daan 3) Umrao Jaan 4) Bhandhon Under the Open Source Drug Discovery (OSDD) initiative, the third project is for treatment of? 1) Malaria 2) Tuberculosis 3) Leishmaniasis 4) Filariasis Recently, a bust of Rabindranath Tagore was unveiled at world famous Borobudur temple. In which among the following country the Borobudur temple is located? 1) Malaysia 2) Myanmar 3) Thailand 4) Indonesia PURSE is a pro-active initiative of? 1) Department of Science and Technology 2) Department of Defence 3) Department of Health 4) Department of Higher Education Bhagidari, a scheme for Citizens Partnership in Governance is an initiative of? 1) Kerala 2) New Delhi 3) Maharashtra 4) Andhra Pradesh Recently, who among the following is honoured with the Asian Business Leadership Forum (ABLF) Business Courage Award? 1) Mallika Srinivasan 2) Kamal Nath 3) Anand Mahindra 4) Baba Kalyani In which of the following countries the World Bank has opened a Climate Innovation Centre recently? 1) Pakistan 2) Kenya 3) Nepal 4) India
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40. Silver Fibre Revolution is associated with: 1) Jute 2) Cotton 3) Silk 4) Steel 41. The 'Rule of Law Index 2012' report by World Justice Project's provides country-bycountry scores and rankings for eight areas of the rule of law. Which of the following facts are true about India? 1) Checks and balances system (Ranking 37th) 2) Independent judiciary, strong protections for freedom of speech (Ranking 50th) 3) Administrative agencies (ranking 88th) 4) The civil court system (ranking 78th) The correct sentence(s) is/are 1) 1, 2 and 3 2) 1, 3 and 4 3) 1, 2 and 4 4) 2, 3 and 4 42. Union Cabinet proposed to set up 14th Finance Commission under the Chairmanship of? 1) Y.V. Reddy 2) C. Ranga Rajan 3) Vijay. C.Kelkar 4) Ranganatha Reddy 43. The purpose of setting up of India Opportunity Venture Fund (IOVF) is to help? 1) Small infrastructure projects 2) Building renewable energy projects 3) Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) 4) Large infrastructure projects 44. Who among the following is known to have performed the world's first successful human organ transplant? 1) E. Donnall Thomas 2) Joseph Murray 3) Thomas Starzl 4) Alexis Carrel 45. According Planning Commi ssion's latest report on state finances, Which State finds top spot in revenue mobilisation during the 11th Five Year Plan? 1) Tamil Nadu 2) Kerala 3) Haryana 4) Assam 46. Who became youngest triple champion in Formula one history? 1) Lewis Hamilton 2) Jenson Button 3) Sebastian Vettel 4) Fernando Alonso Who among the following is the director of film Life of Pi , which has been selected for two National Tourism Awards for promoting India as a tourism destination? 1) Yann Martel 2) Gil Netter 3) Ang Lee 4) David Womark Which among the following textiles clusters in India has recently become the first textile cluster in India to achieve zero liquid discharge (ZLD) in their units? 1) Bagru, Rajasthan 2) Tirupur, Tamil Nadu 3) Ludhiana, Punjab 4) Bellari, Karnataka Which is announced as the official mascot for the 2014 FIFA World Cup? 1) Zakumi 2) Panda 3) Smiling Armadillo 4) None of These The World Institute of Sustainable Energy (Wise) is based in? 1) Nagpur 2) Pune 3) Mangalore 4) Mysore Recently, who among the following has claimed the women's World Chess Championship crown? 1) Tatiana Kosintseva 2) Yifan Hou 3) Antoaneta Stefanova 4) Anna Ushenina Recently, the status of Palestine in UN is upgraded to? 1) Member territory 2) Member state 3) Observer entity 4) Observer state Which of the following is in the top of the list in the Vulnerable Cities prepared by a team of researchers from the University of Leeds and the Netherlands? 1. Dhaka 2. Kolkata 3. New york 4. Shanghai First Community Based Rehabilitation (CBR) World
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Congress the first ever global meeting on communitybased rehabilitation for differently-abled persons was held in which among the following cities? 1) New Delhi 2) Agra 3) Pune 4) Bhopal What is the name of the secret project under which U.S. planned to detonate a nuclear bomb on the Moon during the Cold War as a show of strength? 1) Project A119 2) Project A129 3) Project B119 4) Project A129 Savita Halappanavar, an Indian-origin dentist, died after being denied abortion by doctors at a Government hospital in which of the following countries? 1) Norway 2) Denmark 3) Ireland 4) USA Which committee recently came up with recommen dations regarding the hassle free air travel for persons with disabilities and reduced mobility? 1) Ramesh Mitra Committee 2) Rajendar Committee 3) Asok Kumar Committee 4) Rajiv Varma Committee Asia Co-operation Dialogue Summit recently held in? 1) Kuwait 2) Saudi Arabia 3) India 4) Tokyo Which among the following State government is implementing the Infant and Young Child Nutrition (IYCN) programme to reduce malnutrition and anaemia in the State? 1) Manipur 2) Assam 3) Bihar 4) Odisha Recently, who among the following was sworn in as Mexico's new President? 1) Carlos Salinas 2) Enrique Pena Nieto 3) Marcelo Ebrard 4) Felipe Calderon The theme of 32nd India International Trade Fair being held at Pragati Maidan, New
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Delhi from 14 Nov 2012? 1) Skilling India 2) Indian Handicrafts: The Magic of the Gifted Hands 3) Clean and Energy Efficient Technology Products & Services 4) Export of Services The venue of Second International Buddhist Conclave? 1) Dharmasala 2) Madhrai 3) Varanasi 4) Amaravati Which country has recently honoured Malaysias opponent party leader Aung San Suu Kyi with Congressional Gold Medal, one of its top Civilian Honour? 1) Germany 2) England 3) USA 4) Australia Who has taken over as the new Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee (CoSC)? 1) DK Joshi 2) Bikram Singh 3) NAK Browne 4) PV Naik The "New Frontiers program" which has been frequently in news is related to? 1) Peace in Afghanistan 2) Russia and US Defense Negotiations 3) Space Research by NASA 4) Exploration and Scientific Research in Antarctica As per the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Policy, 2012, there would be an annual increase in prices of 348 essential medicines based upon which among the following indices? 1) Consumer Price Index Rural 2) Consumer Price Index Urban 3) Consumer Price Index Rural + Urban 4) Wholesale Price Index At which among the following places, India's first integrated traffic management institute would come up in recent future? 1) Ghaziabad, UP 2) Alwar, Rajasthan 3) Indore, Madhya Pradesh 4) Bangalore, Karnataka 68. According to a new study, based on the data collected by NASAs high-tech satellites, which among the following Indian city has been rated among top polluted mega cities in the world? 1) Kolkata 2) Bangalore 3) New Delhi 4) Mumbai 69. Who among the following has presented the BBC programme 'The Sky At Night' for over 50 years? 1) Pete Abel 2) Sir Patrick Moore 3) Paul Lawrence 4) Jean Sibelius 70. EKUVERIN-12, is the joint military training/exercise between which among the following two countries? 1) India and Indonesia 2) India and Maldives 3) India and South Africa 4) India and Malaysia 71. INDRA is a joint military exercise of India and? 1) France 2) Sri Lanka 3) Russia 4) Malaysia 72. INS Baaz is the ? 1) Indias first pilot less guided aircraft 2) Surface to Surface missile 3) Marine Boat imported from Russia 4) Southernmost air station of armed forces 73. For cooperation in which of the following fields, India and Egypt has signed an MoU recently? 1) Coastal Zone Security and Management 2) Electoral Management and administration 3) Border Area Defence and Management. 4) Disaster Management and Relief 74. National Institute for Research and Development in Defence Shipbuilding (Nirdesh) is coming up in? 1) Kerala 2) Karnataka 3) Maharashtra 4) West Bengal 75. The government is imple menting the RNTCP programme for which among the following diseases?
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1) Tuberculosis 2) Malaria 3) HIV/ AID 4) Cancer and Diabetes Which among the following State is the number one in fish farming in the country at present? 1) Punjab 2) Haryana 3) Gujarat 4) Andhra Pradesh Who among the following have been recently chosen as new National Icons of Election Commission of India to enhance voters participation in elections? 1) Saina Nehwal and Susheel Kumar 2) Saina Nehwal and Sachin Tendulkar 3) Saina Nehwal and Rahul Dravid 4) Saina Nehwal and M C Mary Kom Sima Samar was given the 2012 Right Livelihood Award which is often referred to as the 'Alternative Nobel Prize'. She is a human rights activist from? 1) Iran 2) Afghanistan 3) Pakistan 4) Yemen Who among the following has been appointed as the new Director General of Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB)? 1) Raghu Varma 2) Vinod Kumar 3) Arun Choudhary 4) Rajesh Mitra Recently, which among the following typhoon has created large scale devastation in Philippines? 1) Typhoon Chataan 2) Typhoon Bopha 3) Typhoon Louise 4) Typhoon Ekeka Which among the following scheme is not included in the pilot direct cash transfer ( DCT) scheme on subsidies to be tested from January 1, 2013? 1) Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme 2) Indira Awas Yojana 3) Mid Day Meal Scheme 4) Dhanalaxmi scheme
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82. Department of Economic Affairs is part of which of the following Ministries? 1) Home Affairs 2) Rural Development 3) Planning 4) Finance 83. 'Playing to Win' is written by which of the following sportspersons? 1) Sania Mirza 2) Sachin Tendulkar 3) Saina Nehwal 4) Anil Kumble 84. Earn While You Learn is a scheme of? 1) Ministry of Tourism 2) Ministry of Human Resource Development 3) Ministry of Finance 4) Ministry of Panchayat Raj 85. Which among the following State is host of the 2012 Men's Kabaddi World Cup? 1) Uttar Pradesh 2) Haryana 3) Punjab 4) Rajasthan 86. The Janamaithri Suraksha Project is the community policing project of which among the following state Governments? 1) Kerala 2) Karnataka 3) Andhra Pradesh 4) Tamil Nadu 87. The 11th annual Hornbill Festival is celebrated in? 1) Manipur 2) Nagaland 3) Mizoram 4) Meghalaya 88. 18 Dec 2012 is celebrated as _______ by National Commission for Minorities 1) Human Rights Day 2) Minorities Rights Day 3) Individual Rights Day 4) None of these 89. During the recent visit of President of Ukraine, India and Ukraine have signed five pacts on various sectors. Who among the following is the President of Ukraine? 1) Mykola Azarov 2) Viktor Yushchenko 3) Yuriy Lutsenko 4) Viktor Yanukovych 90. A National Aeronautics Commission on the lines of the Space Commission has been recommended by? 1) Rajesh Singh Committee 2) B.K. Chaturvedi Committee 3) B.D. Jayal Committee 4) Bharat Karnad Committee 91. The General Assembly granted which of the following states non-member observer State status in the United Nations on November 29, 2012? 1) Tuvalu 2) Palestine 3) Israel 4) Switzerland 92. The Justice Shah Commission has indicted Digambar Kamat for allowing illegal mining. He was the Chief Minister of which of the following states between 2007 and 2012? 1) Karnataka 2) Goa 3) Jharkhand 4) Maharashtra 93. Who has been re-elected as the President of Venezuela for the third term recently. 1) Ali Zeidan 2) Muammar Gaddafi 3) Hugo Chavez 4) Joe Biden 94. The new chairman of Tata Motors from Dec 28 is? 1) Pallonji Mistry 2) Cyrus Pallonji Mistry 3) Jimmy Tata 4) Navajbai Tata 95. "Lasting Peace through Joint Global Governance" is the motto of which of the following Summits held in 2012? 1) BRICS 2) G-8 3) G-20 4) NAM
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96. Which city will host the 18th Asian Games in 2019? 1) Surabaya (Indonesia) 2) Hanoi (Vietnam) 3) Dubai (UAE) 4) Incheon (South Korea) 97. The Real Time Water Quality Monitoring Stations is to be set up in the river? 1) Narmadha 2) Indus 3) Ganga 4) Cauvery 98. Which hurricane struck the Caribbean, the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, and Eastern Canada recently? 1) Issac 2) Nisha 3) Sandy 4) Aila 99. The Miss Universe 2012 pageant was held in Las Vegas on December 19, 2012. Who won the title? 1) Olivia Culpo (USA) 2) Ji Dan Xu (China) 3) Osmariel Villalobos (Venezuela) 4) Camila Brant (Brazil) 100. On December 14, 2012, Adam Lanza fatally shot twenty children and six adult staff members at Sandy Hook Elem-entary School in Newtown. It is located in which of the following states of the USA? 1) Colorado 2) Connecticut 3) California 4) Utah
ANSWERS
1. 2 6. 4 11. 1 16. 3 21. 2 26. 1 31. 1 36. 1 41. 3 46. 3 51. 4 56. 3 61. 1 66. 4 71. 3 76. 1 81. 3 86. 1 91. 2 96. 2 2. 4 7. 1 12. 2 17. 4 22. 1 27. 3 32. 3 37. 2 42. 1 47. 3 52. 4 57. 3 62. 3 67. 2 72. 4 77. 4 82. 4 87. 2 92. 2 97. 3 3. 4 8. 3 13. 4 18. 3 23. 3 28. 2 33. 2 38. 3 43. 3 48. 2 53. 4 58. 1 63. 3 68. 2 73. 2 78. 2 83. 3 88. 2 93. 3 98. 3 4. 2 5. 1 9. 3 10. 3 14. 3 15. 4 19. 1 20. 4 24. 2 25. 2 29. 3 30. 2 34. 3 35. 4 39. 2 40. 2 44. 2 45. 3 49. 3 50. 2 54. 2 55. 1 59. 2 60. 2 64. 3 65. 3 69. 2 70. 2 74. 1 75. 1 79. 3 80. 2 84. 1 85. 3 89. 4 90. 2 94. 2 95. 4 99. 1 100. 2
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CONTENTS

Current News & Events

Honours & Awards Life of Pi Bags National Tourism Awards

Anhey Ghore Da Daan got Golden Peacock Award at IFFI

Current News & Events

India Bags three World Travel Awards

Hyderabad airport bags cargo terminal award

IRCTC wins Corporate Governance award

President to Confer NCDC Awards for Co operative Excellence 2012

The Shell Helen Keller awards

NSPCL Rourkela receives CII (Odisha) Award

Current News & Events

Naina Lal Kidwai became the First Woman President of FICCI

Forbes magazine top 20 most powerful persons in the world

Current News & Events

Appointment of Director, Intelligence Bureau

Malala's father named as UN Advisor on education

Parthasarathi Shome Appointed As the Adviser to Finance Minister of India

Current News & Events

Poland to Host UN Climate Talks in 2013

Sachin Dev Pavithran

Current News & Events

Hyderabad to host 6th Commonwealth Youth Parliament in 2013

Highlights of the Doha Climate Talk:

Doha Climate Talk: World agreed to Second Phase of Kyoto Protocol

Current News & Events

International Conference on Computers and Devices for Communication

13th Mutual Fund Summit

11th National Convention on Sustainable Housing for Masses

Green Energy Investment Summit

Second Indian Biodiversity Congress 2012

World allergy organisation meet in Hyderabad

JBY & AABY has merged

Current News & Events

JBY & AABY has merged

7th Public Procurement Summit

Committee on Direct Cash Transfers

Eleventh Meeting of India-Canada JWG on Counter Terrorism held in New Delhi

Current News & Events

New Dinosaur with Gigantic Nose Discovered in Mexico

Scientists Developed a Headset of 360 Degree Vision

Scientist Decoded genetic code of Honey Bees

Researchers created natural heart pacemaker from single gene

Current News & Events

Jupiter to make closest approach to Earth

NASA Scientist Discovered Mini Nile River on Saturns Moon Titan

NASAs Twin Probes Crashed Successfully onto Lunar Mountain

Current News & Events

US to launch a new secretive pilotless military space plane

World's first unmanned robot aircraft piloted by artificial intelligence

India's first integrated traffic management institute

Bangalore better than Delhi, Mumbai in quality of living

Defiant North Korea launches long-range rocket

Current News & Events

Three endangered vulture species spotted in Arunachal

Central Zoo Authority of India Approved Exchanging White Tigress

Extreme Climatic Conditions may Extinct Mammals

Current News & Events

India won the World Cup Kabaddi Tournament 2012

IOC suspends the Indian Olympic Association

Anna Ushenina won Chess Womens World Championship

Air India won Lal Bahadur Shastri hockey tournament

Current News & Events

Astronomer Patrick Moore dies