2010

Current Affairs
December 06

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Praveen
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12/6/2010
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NATIONAL NEWS

Resume composite dialogue with Pak: delegation

A the 11-member 'fact-finding' delegation to Kashmir consisting of parliamentarians

and civil society activists favoured resumption of composite dialogue with Pakistan
and talks with separatist leaders in the Valley to resolve the Kashmir issue.

CPI leader D Raja, who is part of the delegation pressed for “a meaningful dialogue
process in which all the issues should be dealt bilaterally” and also underscored the
need for simultaneous comprehensive talks process with the leadership of Jammu and
Kashmir including the separatists while taking into consideration the interests of the
state's three regions -- Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh.

Four-fold increase in separatist sponsored strikes in J&K

There has been an almost four-fold increase this year in the strikes and protest
demonstrations called by separatist organisations in Jammu and Kashmir, according
to statistics of the state's Home Department.

Data compiled by the state Home Department upto November 2010 revealed that there
were 131 hartals and 134 processions and demonstrations sponsored by separatists
in the state this year.

In 2009, there were only 45 such demonstrations and processions and 35 days of
strike, while in 2008 there were 15 protest demonstrations and 33 hartals, the data
revealed.

Parliamentary panel recommends compensation for torture victims

Victims of torture inflicted by public servants may be eligible to get compensation from
their tormentors if the suggestions of a Parliamentary panel on the Prevention of
Torture Bill are accepted and turned into law.

The Select Committee on the Bill has also fine-tuned the definition of the torture to
bring it in line with the UN Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman,
and Degrading Treatment or Punishment.

The Prevention of Torture Bill, that seeks to provide punishment for torture inflicted
by public servants, was passed by the Lok Sabha in May but was referred to a Rajya
Sabha Select Committee following concerns expressed over certain inadequacies in the
draft legislation.

Pakistan judicial panel may be allowed to visit India

The government may allow a Judicial Commission from Pakistan to record and verify
the statements of judicial and investigating officers who had recorded the confessional
statement of Ajmal Kasab, the lone surviving terrorist of the Mumbai terror attacks.
The government had written to the Bombay High Court seeking its opinion on this
aspect. The reply is expected early this week. Officials said the government would then
inform Pakistan of its decision.

Pakistan had mooted that a commission be sent to India to strengthen the case
against its nationals arrested for involvement in the Mumbai terror attacks. Pakistan
wanted to send the commission because its laws do not allow for examination through
video-conferencing.

India has sought clarifications on the law under which the commission will be set up
and its composition, nature and scope. It was also made clear that no cross-
examination would take place.

Hacking of CBI website raises question over safety

The recent hacking of CBI's website by a group called 'Pakistani Cyber Army' has
raised questions over the safety regulations of servers provided by National Informatics
Centre, the organisation responsible for maintaining government servers.

While the NIC maintains a studied silence over the entire issue, sources in the security
establishment say that the safety mechanism of the NIC was not up to the mark and
several reminders were being sent to them for upgrading their hardware.

The official website of the CBI was hacked by the 'Pakistani Cyber Army' on the
intervening night of December 3 and 4. The CBI had yesterday registered a case
against unknown persons in this connection.

Parliamentary deadlock delays Sen impeachment process

The stalemate in Parliament has put the process of impeachment of Justice Soumitra
Sen on the backburner, at least for the time being.

Even if some immediate rapprochement is arrived at between the government and the
opposition over the issue of JPC on the 2G spectrum scam, the impeachment issue
cannot be taken up in this session which is concluding on December 13.

With barely a week left for the winter session to conclude without transacting any
substantive business, the process of impeachment of Sen is now likely to begin only in
the budget session.

This was because as per the rules, both Houses needed to dispose of the impeachment
issue in the same session after the proceedings are initiated.

Delhi to have brain-mapping and narco-analysis units

According to sources in Home ministry, the Central Forensic Science Laboratory of the
CBI has initiated the process of setting up brain-mapping and narco-analysis units in
its laboratory to speed up criminal investigation and to cater to the needs of
investigation agencies. The move will also reduce dependence on outside agencies.
Planning Commission seeks inputs from NGOs, social groups for 12th Plan

• The Planning Commission has invited leading non-governmental organisations

and civic society, to share their inputs, suggestions and experiences, for
preparing its approach paper for the 12th Five Year Plan that will cover the
duration of 2012-17.

• Though NGOs were involved in previous Five Year Plans, this is the first time
that the Planning Commission has sought engagement of the civil society, by
asking them to identify the challenges and areas that require special focus, so
that the Plan document will be more holistic in nature.

• The Planning Commission had also asked civil society groups to hold 15
consultations across India on various social issues and issues relating to
marginalised groups. Already three such meetings have taken place on issues
related to adolescents, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), and transgenders;
on tribal issues at Tilda in Raipur (Chhattisgarh); and on urban poor in Nagpur.

• More such consultations are expected to follow this month. These include
issues related to North-East at Shillong; women's issues and
migrants/displaced people in Chennai; the elderly in Mumbai. Similarly, Delhi
will hold meetings on issues related to youth, children, Dalits, conflict, Muslims
and disabled.

• After the consultations, a report would be submitted to the Planning

Commission incorporating all the inputs, which would be utilised in the
drafting of the new Plan.
INTERNATIONAL NEWS

IAEA agrees to create international nuclear fuel bank; India visualizes a supplier
role

• The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) approved on Friday an U.S.

proposal on the establishment of a Low Enriched Uranium (LEU) Bank run by
the agency.

• According to the plan passed at the IAEA board meeting, the agency (IAEA) will
be the owner of the LEU in the bank, which will be located in one or more
Member States that is prepared to act as a host state.

• The plan says LEU from the IAEA LEU bank will be supplied to Member States
that experience a nuclear fuel supply disruption due to exceptional
circumstances, and is unable to secure supply from the commercial market.

• India with well established high-level capabilities over the entire fuel cycle and a
sizeable pool of highly qualified and trained manpower, visualizes a role of a
supplier nation - where it is prepared to supplement international efforts for
sustainable growth of nuclear energy while addressing proliferation concerns.

• The fuel bank plan was adopted last week by the IAEA governing body, of which
India is a member. India voted for the resolution, which is intended to provide
fuel to countries accepting full scope safeguards — international inspections —
on all their nuclear activities.

• This means India, along with the five “official” nuclear weapons states as
defined by the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty, will be ineligible to draw on the
bank. So will Pakistan and Israel and, presumably, North Korea, until it
reverses its withdrawal from the NPT.

• The latest IAEA resolution, unlike 2009 Russian proposal on fuel bank, does
not require recipient countries to abjure enrichment activities of their own.
Nevertheless, India made it clear in its explanation of vote at Vienna that “the
right of any member state to carry out research and development on nuclear
fuel cycles for peaceful purposes should not be affected by these arrangements.”

• However, the plan has met opposition from Nonaligned countries such as
Brazil, Egypt and South Africa. They worry that a nuclear fuel bank could
undermine their right to acquire their own nuclear technology for peaceful
purposes. Some countries are also concerned with the possibility of fuel supply
being controlled by western powers and used for political purposes.

• I think India along with Pakistan, North Korea and Israel are called SWN (States
with Nuclear Weapons) vis-à-vis NWS (Nuclear Weapon States) which include
United States, Russia, the United Kingdom, France, and China. I request the
knowledgeable members to throw light on the usage of the term.
Nuclear Weapon States

• Nuclear Weapons States

China, France, Russia, United Kingdom, and United States: These states have
declared their nuclear weapons program and are recognized under the NPT as a
nuclear weapons state.

• Non-NPT Nuclear Weapons States

India, Israel, and Pakistan: These states are not members of the NPT and
possess nuclear weapons.

• States that Have Renounced Nuclear Weapons

Argentina, Belarus, Brazil, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Libya, South Africa, South Korea,
Taiwan, and Ukraine: The states in this category had, or were believed to have
had, active nuclear weapons programs. These states went on to renounce-some
voluntarily and some through force-such activities.

• States of Concern

Iran, North Korea: These states have taken steps in the recent past to acquire
nuclear weapons.

IPCC chief warns against delaying mitigation action

As the slow-moving talks on combating climate change enter their final stretch at
Cancun, top UN scientist R K Pachauri has warned governments against delaying
mitigation action, though he remained optimistic about "significant progress" at the
ongoing meet.

R K Pachuari who heads the Inter-governmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), a

UN scientific body underlined that negotiators had to keep science at the forefront and
warned that delaying climate action would keep ratcheting up the costs.

"It doesn't make economic or social sense to delay action," he said. "If we delay
mitigation action, then to achieve the same results later will mean much higher costs.

NGOs suspicious of ''green room'' diplomacy at climate talks

Non-governmental organisations have expressed concern over "green room" talks on

mitigation related issues here at the climate change meeting among a select group of
countries like the US, India, China and Japan.

Meena Raman of the Third World Network said that key issues such as mitigation
targets were being discussed in these informal sessions, while more technical aspects
such as a "Monitoring Reporting and Verification" were being left for the official
channels.

Raman questioning the non-transparency, said "Text based negotiations are not
happening and you have other kinds of forums that are taking place" referring to the
negotiating texts that delegates are supposed to follow.

Delegates here, however, said that there was nothing wrong in holding informal
consultations with their counterparts as it was easier to flesh out differences and
speak freely in smaller settings and clarified that no secret draft was being prepared at
these "green room" meetings, which are not listed in the daily programme of work
available to the public.

NGOs, however, insist that even the existence of such a group is reminiscent of
backdoor dealings that were detrimental to negotiations during Copenhagen.

What is “Green Room”?

Tippani explains

The “Green Room” is a phrase taken from the informal name of the director-general’s
conference room. It is used to refer to meetings of 20–40 delegations, usually at the
level of heads of delegations.

These meetings can take place elsewhere, such as at Ministerial Conferences, and can
be called by the minister chairing the conference as well as the director-general.

In the past delegations have sometimes felt that Green Room meetings could lead to
compromises being struck behind their backs. So, extra efforts are made to ensure
that the process is handled correctly, with regular reports back to the full
membership.

Joint survey of disputed Indo-Bangla border from tomorrow

• A joint survey of the disputed Indo-Bangladesh border in Meghalaya will begin

on December 7 and is expected to pave the way for fencing of certain patches of
the boundary.

• While the initial phase of the verification would be carried out by Meghalaya
government officials, the second leg would comprise central government
representatives. The verification, beginning at the Sylhet-Meghalaya border, will
be conducted by the Land Records departments of Bangladesh and Meghalaya
in at least 31 patches.

• The decision for the joint verification is expected to resolve the nagging disputes
over the border areas like Dibir haor, Sripur, Tamabil, Sonarhat, Bichnakandi,
Protappur and Lalakhal in Sylhet with the Indian state of Meghalaya.
 • Border guards of both the countries have been locked in gun battles time and
again on those frontiers over possession of the stretches, leading to fleeing of
locals.

• "Bangladesh government has been objecting to the fencing in these patches as

the proposed alignment of the fencing is within 150 yards from zero line. The
fencing cannot be erected at 150 yards due to terrain constraints," a BSF
official said.

• The Indian side impressed upon their Bangladeshi counterparts that a "single
channel" fence would be erected instead of the double barbed fence and that too
not close to the zero line.

• So far, out of the 571 km of the sanctioned fencing work on the Bangladesh
border of Assam and Meghalaya, only 248 km has been completed. Work is in
progress in another 123 km. But there have been objections either from
Meghalaya or from Bangladesh in the remaining stretches.

India, France to sign pact on two nuclear reactors

The agreement between the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd. (NPCIL) and the
French nuclear vendor, Areva, will be signed here today for the construction of two
1,650-MWe French nuclear reactors at Jaitapur in Maharashtra

With the final negotiating obstacles having been crossed, India and France will sign a
framework agreement today in the presence of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and
French President Nicolas Sarkozy.

Myanmar pro-junta party thanks voters

Myanmar's main military-backed political party has thanked citizens for voting
overwhelmingly in its favor in last month's elections, the first in two decades.

The Union Solidarity and Development Party, in a half-page advertisement in the

state-run Myanma Ahlin newspaper yesterday, said it had won 882 of a total 1154
seats at stake in the Nov 7 polls. Official final results have yet to be released.

Opponents as well as outside critics of the junta, such as the US government, said the
vote was neither free nor fair, and instead manipulated to ensure that the military's
allies would win.

NKorea lambasts SKorea's new defense chief

North Korea lambasted South Korea's new defense chief today for threatening to
launch air strikes against the North and accused the South of causing "uncontrollable,
extreme" tension on the peninsula.
The South's Defense Minister Kim Kwan-jin told a confirmation hearing last week that
jets would bomb the North if it stages another attack like the shelling on a front-line
island that killed four South Koreans.

The North's official Korean Central News Agency statement said "The frantic
provocations ... are rapidly driving the situation on the Korean peninsula to an
uncontrollable extreme phase."

Google hacking ordered by a top Chinese leader

The "politically-inspired" hacking of the US-based Google that forced it to withdraw

from China earlier this year was orchestrated by a top leader of the ruling Communist
party after he found internet search results critical of him, according to leaked
American cables.

The latest round of WikiLeaks disclosures published by the UK's 'Guardian' newspaper
claimed that Li Changchun, who is ranked fifth in the Chinese Communist Party
politburo, became hostile to Google after he searched his own name and found articles
criticising him.

UN appeals for USD 678 million aid for Afghanistan

The UN is appealing for USD 678 million for humanitarian aid to Afghanistan in 2011.
Catherine Bragg, the UN's Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator, said yesterday that
the toll of conflict and natural disasters requires continued aid to Afghanistan in
2011.
Gulf Cooperation Council summit opens today

The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) summit is all set to begin at Abu Dhabi today to
take a collective view on political, economic, security and social issues of the six-
member States, nearly three decades after it came into being.

The Summit is being hosted by the United Arab Emirates under its President Sheikh
Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan and the Foreign Ministers' 117th ministerial meet on
Sunday night is expected to have submitted their recommendations relevant to
political, economic, security, military and other issues to the Supreme Council.

The ministers also discussed the draft of the final statement and decided to submit it
to the Supreme Council for the leaders' approval.

On Iran’s nuclear efforts, the Council hailed the international efforts aimed at solving
Iranian nuclear crisis through diplomatic means. It hoped all sides will reach a
political settlement that will eliminate fears and doubts on the nature of the dossier
and bring about peace and stability in the region while guaranteeing the right of the
countries of the region to use nuclear energy for peaceful purposes within the
framework of international agreements under the International Atomic Energy Agency
procedures.

Iranian Foreign Minister has also endorsed the establishment of a fully monitored
international fuel bank that could provide enriched uranium for atomic power plants.
In his remarks at the annual security conference in Bahrain, he said, Iran was not
developing atomic weapons and in principle stood opposed to all forms of weapons of
mass destruction.

Founded in 1981, the GCC groups Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and
the UAE. The six states together hold around 45 percent of the global oil reserves and
contribute 16 million barrels of crude oil daily.

International response to Pirate attacks and Maritime Security

Tippani Backgrounder

CGPCS (Contact Group on Piracy off the Coast of Somalia)

The UK supported UN Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1851 adopted by the

Security Council on 16 December 2008. This called for the establishment of the
international CGPCS to enhance the co-ordination of information.

The contact group established four working groups focusing on areas including:

• operational coordination and regional capability development

• judicial frameworks
• industry self-protection
 • effective communications to the Somali and regional populations (including the
Somali diaspora)

The UK chairs Working Group 1 on operational coordination and regional capacity

development.

The CGPCS supports regional counter-piracy capability development (including within

Somalia as security permits, notably in the region of Puntland, where most of the
pirates are based) as the medium/long-term solution, complementing immediate
military action against pirates.

The UK led assessment work involving international partners such as the UN, EU,
International Maritime Organisation and the US, assessing the requirements of
regional partners.

NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organisation)

NATO has contributed a Standing NATO Maritime Group (SNMG) to the counter-piracy
effort off Somalia though Operation Allied Provider and Operation Allied Protector.

The UK supported an enhanced role for NATO in counter piracy operations off the
Horn of Africa.

NATO's contribution is complementary to the efforts of international actors in the

region and that forces for NATO's counter piracy activity is drawn from existing
resources, in this case Standing NATO Maritime Groups.

CMF (Combined Maritime Forces)

The CMF is a 23 nation coalition established originally to conduct Counter Terrorism,
narcotics and smuggling operations.

However, due to the rise in piracy attacks, CMF established a specific counter piracy
mission, Combined Task Force 151, working closely with EUNAVFOR, CMF and other
national contributions.

SHADE (Shared Awareness and Deconfliction)

The EU and CMF co-chair the military coordination mechanism known as SHADE
(Shared Awareness and Deconfliction) which brings together EU, NATO, and CMF with
China, Russia, Japan and India amongst others, ensuring multi-national deconfliction
of activity and cooperation, working towards shared taskings in the near future.
REGIONAL NEWS

Over 400 structures identified as heritage in Goa

The Rajiv Yaduvanshi Committee, constituted by Govt of Goa has recommended that
as many as 434 structures, including 107 Catholic churches and 17 temples, be
added to the list of heritage monuments in the state.

Currently, Goa has 51 notified structures under state Archaeology Department and 22
under Archaeological Survey of India, officials said.

The list includes churches, temples, hospital buildings, an island, water springs, caves
and other monuments recommended for preservation after classifying them under
three different categories.

The list also includes Azilo and Hospicio hospital buildings, both state-run district
hospitals, constructed during the Portuguese regime.

BSY seeks divine help to ward off detractors

Facing opposition onslaught over alleged land scams, Karnataka Chief Minister B S
Yeddyurappa, who sought divine blessings by taking part in a yagna at a Tamil Nadu
temple, asserted that he will complete his tenure.

Yeddyurappa, who had been going through one crisis after another in his two years in
power, performed 'Sathru Samhara Yagam' to ward off troubles from detractors at the
Lord Subramanyaswamy temple in Tiruchendur in Tuticorin district yesterday, temple
sources said.

The chief minister, who recently emerged triumphant after BJP leadership decided to
allow him to continue after toying with the idea of directing him to step down in the
wake of charges of nepotism in land denotifications, told reporters that he performed
the yagna "for the welfare of people.
BUSINESS/FINANCE/ECONOMICS

LIC to invest 61,000 crore in equity market this fiscal

Unfazed by controversy surrounding its housing finance arm, country's largest insurer
Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) plans to pump in about Rs 61,000 crore in the equity
market during this fiscal.

Increase in exposure to equity market secondary or primary market would depend on

market conditions, according to sources. Last year, LIC had garnered a total profit of
Rs 9,400 crore by churning its portfolio. This year till mid-October it has earned Rs
12,000 crore.

LIC Managing Director - Thomas Mathew

AI finalises USD 840mn compensation from Boeing

State-run Air India is finalising a USD 840-million compensation package, which the
airline is seeking from US aircraft maker Boeing for the inordinate delay in the delivery
of Boeing 787 Dreamliners. The Compensation package would be a mix of both
discount in services and cash.

Air India had ordered 27 Dreamliners, but Boeing failed to supply those planes by the
scheduled time. Air India had placed orders for 111 aircraft at an investment of over
13-billion with Airbus and Boeing in 2006 to replace its ageing fleet and leased planes.

Air India Chairman and Managing Director - Arvind Jadhav

13 lakh new jobs created in 2009; IT/BPO top list

The overall employment figure in the country rose by 12.96 lakh during the last one
year with the IT/BPO sector generating maximum employment opportunities.

According to a survey conducted by the Labour Bureau, under Ministry of Labour,

between September last year and September this year, the IT/BPO sector generated
8.54 lakh employment opportunities while the textiles sector generated the second
highest employment opportunity at 1.52 lakh jobs being created during this period.

This was followed by the metals sector which created 1.37 lakh jobs while the
automobiles sector generated 1.10 lakh employment opportunities. The gems and
jewellery produced 0.93 lakh jobs.

The quarterly surveys were carried immediately after the onset of recession in October
2008, which had said about 4.91 lakh people had lost their jobs in its aftermath.

ISI ties up with London School of Economics

Country’s premier statistical and economic research boday Indian Statistical Institute
(ISI) has entered into an agreement with London School of Economics for promoting
research on economic growth.

The collaboration's central objective is to produce demand driven research outputs

relevant to India's long term growth and to strengthen the capacity of India's policy
think tanks, Chairman of ISI Council and finance minister Pranab Mukherjee said.

Government to facilitate land buying abroad for growing pulses

In order to meet the domestic demand, the government will act as a facilitator for
private industry to buy land abroad to grow pulses if the private players show interest
in this, Food and Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar said yesterday at 6th Agriwatch
the Global Pulses Summit in New Delhi.

At present, the country has about 23 million hectares of land under pulses cultivation
that produces about 14-15 million tonnes of pulses annually. The shortage of about 2-
3 million tonnes is met through imports. India is likely to harvest a record 16.5 million
tonne pulses this year.

Some enterprising Indians are already leasing land in Africa and South America for
growing pulses and exporting it back to India.

Global cloud computing market to be worth USD30bn

The global market for the 'transformational' cloud computing technology is expected to
be worth over USD 30 billion (around Rs 1.35 lakh crore) in the next four years,
according to research group Gartner.

Cloud computing refers to the technology, whereby entities can share resources and
software on-demand through the internet.

Mythili Bhusnurmath’s case for deregulating savings bank interest rates

Few excerpts

• Indian households save more than other emerging markets like China (15%) or
Brazil (5%) and 2% for Britain and 1% for the US, respectively. Yet the RBI
governor was drawing attention to increasing the savings rate and channelling
savings to investment?
• The reason is that a substantial share of domestic savings is held in the form of
physical, rather than financial, assets. The household sector is the main
contributor to our high savings rate, (accounting for as much as 70% of gross
domestic savings at the end of March 2008-09). But it holds 54% of its savings
in relatively unproductive physical form — land, gold, silver. What is worse, this
ratio seems to be increasing, rather than decreasing, over the years.
• Today, faster growth in credit (22% year-on-year) relative to deposits (15%) has
led to a severe resource crunch for banks. The RBI has been tweaking liquidity
periodically by offering additional support under its liquidity adjustment
facility. Government, on its part, has promised an additional capital infusion of
 Rs. 6,000 crore into government banks. But these are at best temporary sops. A
longer-term solution to the resource crunch would be increase the flow of
household savings into banks by deregulating the interest rate.
• How would this help? For one, increased competition among banks would lead
to product innovation and make the humble savings bank deposit a far more
sought-after investment avenue for households. For instance, banks could
design separate products for customers who want to have savings (with liquidity
and ease of operations) as opposed to those who are looking mainly at ease of
transactions.
• Fears that deregulation would inevitably push up interest costs for banks and
thereby affect bank profitability adversely are unfounded. Competition does not
necessarily mean higher interest rates as rates are a function of market
conditions. However, there would be better price discovery and as a result,
greater incentive for households to park their surpluses in savings bank
deposits.
• Experience has shown the core nonvolatile portion of saving bank deposits is
very high. In effect, therefore, banks will get stable funds at a far lower cost
than in the case of fixed deposits. Even if the cost does go up marginally, it
would still be lower than in the case of fixed deposit funds so overall banks will
benefit.
• Thus, deregulation of interest rates on savings bank deposits will lead to
deposit growth and product innovation, possibly even resulting in more
financial inclusion as banks tailor savings bank deposit accounts to customers’
needs. It could be a win-win for both banks and customers. Customers will
have more choice and banks, more funds.
• Read full article here
SPORTS

Saina eyes Hong Kong Open

The Asian Games loss did not shatter her confidence and ace shuttler Saina Nehwal
said she would look to end the season on a high when she opens her campaign
against local player Tsz Ka Chan in the Hong Kong Super Series in Wanchai today.

After a high at the Commonwealth Games, where she won the gold medal, Saina
suffered a quarterfinal loss at the Asian Games.

Chess: Humpy beats Melissa Greeff; Harika held by Kruttika

Top seed Koneru Humpy started off with an easy victory in the women's world
championship opener but second highest Indian D Harika was held to a draw by
compatriot Kruttika Nadig in the first game of the opening round here.

Women’s World Championship Venue – Hatay, Turkey

Kochi to be a part of 2001 IPL

The Kochi franchisee will be part of the fourth edition of the Indian Premier League
(IPL), with the IPL Governing Council accepting the team's new ownership pattern at a
crucial meeting held in Mumbai on Sunday.

The fourth season of the IPL gets under way on April 8, 2011.
VOCAB BUILDER

ameliorate pronounced - uh-MEEL-yuh-rayt

1. To make better; to improve.

2. To grow better.

Synonyms - amend, better.

Antonyms - worsen.

gaucherie - pronounced goh-shuh-REE

1. lack of social grace, sensitivity, or acuteness; awkwardness; crudeness;

tactlessness.
2. an act, movement, etc., that is socially graceless, awkward, or tactless.

predilection - pronounced pred-l-ek-shuhn,

1. a tendency to think favorably of something in particular; partiality; preference:

a predilection for capitalism.

efficacious - pronounced ef-i-key-shuhs

capable of having the desired result or effect; effective as a means, measure, remedy,
etc.: The medicine is efficacious in stopping a cough.

Sacrosanct - pronounced sak-roh-sangkt

1. extremely sacred or inviolable: a sacrosanct chamber in the temple.

2. not to be entered or trespassed upon: She considered her home office
sacrosanct.
3. above or beyond criticism, change, or interference: a manuscript deemed
sacrosanct.