Current Affairs Dec 2012
INTERNATIONAL
Mahama Re-elected as Ghana’s President
On 10 December Ghana’s incumbent President John Dramani Mahama of
the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) has won the country’s
presidential election.Mahama took 50.70 percent of the total valid votes cast,
while his closest challenger, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo of the New
Patriotic Party (NPP) obtained 47.74 percent.With his re-election, Mahama
becomes the fourth president to be elected under the Forth Republic.He had
served as Ghana’s vice president since 2009.
UN, Pakistan Launched ‘Malala Fund’
Pakistan joined forces with the United Nations on 10 December 2012
to launch a fund aimed at boosting girls’ education throughout the world.The
fund is named for Malala Yousafzai, the 15-year-old Pakistani girl.
Pakistan’s President Asif Ali Zardari also announced a $10-million
donation for a global war chest to educate all girls by 2015 set up in the name
of Malala Yousafzai for campaigning for girls’ education.
Shinzo Abe Elected As Japan’s New PM
The former Prime Minister and the Leader of LDP Shinzo
Abe elected as a Prime Minister with a clear victory over the Prime
Minister and leader of the Democratic Party of Japan(DPJ) Yoshihiko Noda
in the Parliamentary Elections on 26 December 2012.The lawmakers in Japan voted
in favour of Abe by 328 votes. Opponent Banri Kaieda, the newly chosen leader
of DPJ received merely 57 votes.
Jacob Zuma re-elected as South Africa’s
President
South Africa’s ruling African National Congress on 18 December
2012 re-elected President Jacob Zuma as the party chief with a thumping
majority. Mr.Zuma received the support of over 75 per cent of the total voting
delegates at the ANC National Conference held in Bloemfontein. Juma was Deputy
President of South Africa from 1999 to 2005
Park elected South Korean President
Park Guen-hye, the daughter of former military dictator Park
Chung-hee, beat her opponent on 19 December 2012 in the South
Korean presidential elections. Park is the country’s first woman President. She
is the former head of the ruling Conservative Saenuri Party, had secured the
necessary votes and defeated Moon Jae-in, of the Democratic United Party.
Pak Cleared
Anti-terror Bill
On 20 December Pakistan’s National Assembly passed a bill
that will give intelligence and security agencies sweeping powers to conduct
surveillance and collect data from SMS’s and emails.The National Assembly
or lower house of parliament approved the “”Fair Trial Bill 2012 “” after
incorporating amendments proposed by the main opposition PML-N and the
Muttahida Qaumi Movement, which is part of the ruling coalition led by the
Pakistan People’s Party.
U.S. House Passed
Defense Bill
On 20 December US (United States) House of Representatives
passed the Defence Authorization Act of 2013. The bill authorizing 633.3
billion – dollar in defense spending for 2013, easing limits on satellite
exports and providing more Marines for embassy security.
Napolitano Dissolved
Italian Parliament
On 22 December Italian President Giorgio Napolitano dissolved
Parliament following the resignation of Prime Minister Mario Monti. Italian
Government under the leadership of Mario Monti brought forward a series of
austerity reforms backed by EU and business leaders.
Morsi signed on
Egypt’s New Constitution
On 25 December Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi signed into
law a new Islamist-drafted constitution. He signed a declaration enforcing the
charter late after the official announcement of the result of a referendum
approving the basic law. Two-thirds of the members of the 270-seat council were
elected earlier this year in a vote in which only 12 per cent of registered
voters participated. The remaining 90 were appointed by Mohamed Morsi, the
Islamist president.
Pakistan Recognised
the Republic of Kosovo
On 26 December Pakistan Government officially recognised Kosovo as
an independent state, almost five years after it declared independence from
Serbia on 17 February 2008. Pakistan is the 98th country among the 193
U.N-member states to recognise Kosovo .Kosovo is a small south east European
state lies between Albania, Macedonia, Serbia and Montenegro.
INDIA & WORLD
Nitish Kumar, Hazare, Malala Among “The
Top 100 Global Thinkers” List
On 2 December According to the United States-based
Foreign Policy magazine has released its list of the “100 Top Global
Thinkers” from 2012. The magazine has placed the Indians in the list
include Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who features way below at the 77th
place, Anna Hazare who has been placed at the 37th position for his
anti-corruption crusade in the country. 15-year-old Pakistani child rights
activist Malala Yousafzai at 6th position, Aung San Suu Kyi is
ranked first in list.
Bangladesh Agreed on Zero Line Fencing
along Tripura Border
On 2 December Bangladesh had agreed to set up barbed
wire fencing along zero line in nine stretches on the Indo-Bangladesh border in
Tripura. According to the MHA communique, fencing along zero line was to be
allowed in 9 areas.
India & Japan Signed Currency Swap
Agreement
India signed a bilateral swap arrangement (BSA) with the Bank of
Japan to swap their local currencies for an amount of $15 billion for a three
year period on 4 December 2012.The BSA will effect from 5 December 2012.
India is Among Top Five Terror-Hit
Nations
The Australian think tank released The Global Terrorism Index
(GTI) on 4 December 2012, according to this GTI, India, Pakistan and
Afghanistan were among the nations most impacted by terrorism in 2011. In 2011,
the Middle East, India, Pakistan and Russia were the areas most impacted by
terrorism. India’s GTI rank was 4 out of the 159 countries surveyed. While Iraq
stood at number1, Pakistan at number 2, Afghanistan at number 3 and Yemen was
number 5.
Bangalore Best Indian
City To Live
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.Bangalore’s overall quality of living rank
went up from 141 in 2011 to 139 in 2012 and is highest amongst other Indian
cities.
India Ranked 94th Position in Corruption
Denmark, Finland and New Zealand tied for the first place in
watchdog Transparency International’s 2012 index of the least
corrupt countries. India is on 94th position in the Corruption Perceptions
Index. Most corrupted nations are Afghanistan, North Korea and Somalia in
174th positions.
US Extends Exemptions
For India to Iran Oil Sanctions
On 8 December the US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has
extended exemptions to India, China ,South Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, South
Africa, Sri Lanka, Turkey and Taiwan from Iranian Sanctions Act mainly
because of their significant reduction in oil import from Iran.The 9 countries
have again qualified for an exception to sanctions outlined in Section 1245 of
the National Defence Authorisation Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2012, based on
additional reductions in the volume of their crude oil purchases from Iran.This
is for the second time that countries including India has received waiver from
US under the Iranian sanctions act.
3 Indian Projects
among Strategic- Global Infrastructure Projects List
Three Indian projects have placed in the new york’s Global
Infrastructure Leadership Forum “Top 100 Strategic Global Infrastructure
Projects “ list. GIFT city (Gujarat International Financial Tech city),
Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail project (Maharashtra) and the Hyderabad Metro
Rail (HMR) project (Andhra Pradesh).
India, Ukraine Signed on Five Agreements
India and Ukraine on 10 December 2012 signed on five agreements in
New Delhi to enhance cooperation including in areas of defence, Nuclear,
Science and Technology and also to remove barriers in trade and commerce.
Indians ‘Largest Ethnic Minority Group
in UK
On 11 December According to the 2011 Britain population census
record Indians are the largest ethnic minority group in the UK.With 1.5 percent
of the Hindu religion became a third-largest religion in the nation’s. The
Christian population in the country is also a drop in the statistics..
The Muslim community population in the country’s
fastest growing increased by 3 percent to 4.8.
India& Pak Signed
on New Visa Agreement
The new Visa Agreement between India and Pakistan on 14th
December, 2012 at New Delhi. However, the Visa-on-Arrival will come into
effect from 15th January, 2013. Shri Sushilkumar Shinde, Home Minister of India
and Mr. A. Rehman Malik, Pakistan Interior Minister singed on the agreement.
Cell Phone Connections to exceed the
World Population by 2014
The International Telecommunications Communication Union (ITU) to
be designed and released Information Society 2012 – Observe report on 11
December. According to the report number of cell phone connections
exceeding the world’s population by 2014. Now 6 billion (hundreds of millions)
cell phone connections they will reach 730 Millions by 2014 .Then the world’s
population is 700 crore.Already in Russia 1.8 times cell phone accounts more
than 25 million people.
Indians now Live
Longer but in Poor Health in Old Age
According to the the prestigious British medical journal, ‘The
Lancet ‘ report the life expectancy (LE) at birth of an average Indian male has
gone up by 15 years between 1970 and 2010. An average Chinese male
is living 10 years longer than an Indian male, while a Chinese woman is living
11.5 years longer than her Indian counterpart. An average American lives nearly
13 years longer than an Indian.
World Malaria Report
2012
According to the WHO “ World Malaria Report 2012” India, the
country most affected by malaria in the South East Asian Region, is projected
to see a decrease of 50-75 per cent in malaria case incidence by 2015.In South
East Asia Region, Bhutan, Korea, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Thailand have registered
decreases of 75 per cent or more in the incidence of microscopically confirmed
malaria incidence rates between 2000 and 2011.
Hinduism Third Largest Religion of World
According to the ‘ Pew research ‘ survey report Hinduism is
the third largest religion of the world after Christianity , Islam and 97
per cent of all Hindus live in the world’s three Hindu-majority countries
(India, Mauritius and Nepal), and nearly nine-in-ten Christians (87 per cent)
are found in the world’s 157 Christian majority countries.In the total world
population 2.2 billion Christians (32 per cent of the world’s population), 1.6
billion Muslims (23 per cent) around the world as of 2010.
India & Russia signed Rs 22,000
crore Defence Deals
India and Russia signed defence deals worth around Rs. 22,000
crore ($4 billion) on 24 December. According to this pact Russia will sell
India 71 military helicopters for $1.3 billion and technological kits to
assemble 42 Sukhoi jet fighters for $1.6 billion.
NATIONAL
Sexual Assault a Gender-Neutral Offence Bill
Passed by Lok Sabha
The Criminal Law (Amendment) Bill, replacing the word ‘rape’ by
the phrase ‘sexual assault’ and seeking to widen the scope of the offence
passed by Lok Sabha on 4 December. Both men and women could soon be able to
invoke the provisions of a criminal law in case of sexual assault .The
amendment bill expands the definition so that cases of sexual assault where victims
were male would fall under the same law along with cases where victims were
women.
Cabinet Approved Naval Base Phase II of
Project “Seabird “
On 7 December The Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) cleared a Rs
13,500 crore major expansion plan of the strategic Karwar naval base Phase II
Alpha of the project “Seabird “in Karnataka is set to become the country’s
biggest Naval base by 2025. The Karwar naval base is India’s third major naval
base after Mumbai and Visakhapatnam on the east coast.
Over 7 Crore Unemployed Youth in India
According to the National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) report
an approximate 7 crore youth people in India are either unemployed or
under-employed. The figures were revealed by Labour and Employment Minister
Mallikarjun Kharge in Rajya Sabha.”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.
Rajya Sabha Passed
SC/ST Quota Bill
A Constitution 117th amendment bill providing for quota for
SCs and STs in government job promotions was on December 17 passed by Rajya
Sabha.
Unlawful Activities
Amendment Bill Passed by Rajya Sabha
On 20 December Parliament passed a bill that makes economic
offences, including circulation of high quality counterfeit currency, a
terrorist act.The Rajya Sabha passed Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Amendment
Bill, 2012 by voice vote while several parties. The bill was already passed by
Lok Sabha.
LokSabha Approved Company Bill 2011
On 18 December Lok Sabha passed the Companies Bill 2011 paving the
way for a new modern company law.The Bill is aimed at improving corporate
governance. It contains provisions to strengthen regulations for corporate as
well as auditing firms.
Banking Bill passed by
Lok Sabha
The Banking Laws Amendment Bill, 2011, have been passed in the Lok
Sabha on 20 December .The amendments pave the way for the Reserve Bank of India
(RBI) to issue new bank licences, and also opens door for more foreign
investment into the sector.
Usha Mehra commission
for Delhi incident victim Nirbhaya’s Case
A female physiotherapy intern student Nirbhaya beaten and gang
raped in Delhi on 16 December and died on 29 December while undergoing
emergency treatment in Singapore for brain and gastrointestinal damage from the
assault.The government has formed a committee of enquiry under justice Usha
Mehra to reconstruct the events leading to the incident identify lapses by
police and other agencies and fix responsibility for the crime.
Microsoft Launches 14 Innovation Centres
in India
Microsoft Corporation (India) Pvt. Ltd had launched 14 Microsoft
Innovation Centres (MICs) in India. It has signed agreements with leading
academic institutions across four States.As part of the global programme, which
currently has 75 MICs, Microsoft aims to launch a 100 such centres in India in
the next two years.
STATES
Delhi Government Launched “Delhi Annshri
Yojna”
UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi was launched a major food security
programme of Delhi Government “Delhi Annshri Yojna” on 15 December 2012.under
which a monthly cash subsidy of Rs. 600 will be transferred directly into
Aadhaar-linked bank accounts of the senior-most female members of two lakh poor
families.
BJP Won in Gujarat Assembly Elections
The BJP registered its fifth consecutive victory in Gujarat on 20
December 2012.This is the third victory under Modi leadership. BJP won the 115
seats. Congress won the 61 seats. Modi won by a landslide
from Maninagar constituency in Gujarat, beating his nearest Congress party
rival Shweta Bhatt by a margin of 86,373 votes.
Congress has won Himachal Pradesh
Elections
The Congress returned to power in Himachal Pradesh after five
years, defeating the Bharatiya Janata Party in the Himachal Pradesh State
Assembly elections conduced on 4 November 2012.The Congress secured 36 seats
and the BJP 26 seats. The Congress Leader Virbhadra Singh won from Shimla
(Rural) constituency and defeated the rival from BJP Ishwar Rohal by 19033
Votes.
Meghalaya Passed
Lokayukta Bill 2012
On 14 December the Meghalaya Lokayukta Bill, 2012 was passed in
the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly and replaced the existing Lokayukta Act,
2002 amidst opposition from legislators. The new act under the lokayukta bill
covered the chief minister, governor and all public servants, but allowed the
state government through a clause to exclude the complaints by citing public
interest.
Madhya Pradesh
Government Set Up a Senior Citizen Commission
On 21 December the Madhya Pradesh Government has set up a
Senior Citizen Commission to look into problems of the elderly in the State.
Assam Government Announced Special
Health Scheme
On 12 December Assam government announced that 50 riverine public
health centres would be set up in the state soon under the National Rural
Health Mission.The public health centres would be located primarily in the
districts of Barpeta, Dhubri, Goalpara and Darrang.
30% Reservation for Rural Candidates in
Assam Govt. Jobs
Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi on 26 December 2012 announced
that 30 per cent state government jobs will be reserved for candidates
belonging to rural areas from 2013.
CONFERENCES
UN Climate Change Conference (COP 18)
The United Nations Climate Change Conference , which is the 18th
session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 18) and 8th session of the
Conference of the Parties (serving as the Meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto
Protocol ) ends on 8 December in Qatar, Doha. United Nations climate talks in
Doha had agreed to extend the Kyoto Protocol through 2020. Poland will host the
next round of 19th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP)
UN climate talks in 2013.
World Conference on
International Telecommunications (WCIT-12)
The First ever World Conference on International
Telecommunications (WCIT) from 3 -14 December held in Dubai, United Arab
Emirates.The conference reviewed the current International
Telecommunication Regulations (ITRs).The 193 member states of the ambassadors
are attended this conference.While 89 states have signed the UN International
Telecommunications agreement and another 55 countries have refused the
deal.The new agreement will come into effect in January 2015.
ASEAN – India Commemorative Summit held
in New Delhi
India is hosted the ASEAN-India Commemorative Summit held from
December 20-21 in New Delhi to mark the 20th anniversary of the ASEAN – India
dialogue partnership and the 10th anniversary of ASEAN-India Summit-level
partnership.The theme of the summit is “ASEAN-India Partnership for Peace and
Shared Prosperity”. ASEAN and India have signed the awaited Free Trade
Agreement (FTA) on comprehensive economic cooperation as foundations for the
establishment of an ASEAN-India Trade and Investment Area.
AWARDS & HONOURS
Katy Perry Honored With Billboard’s “Woman of
the Year”
Pop Singer Katy Perry was honored with Billboard’s “Woman of the
Year 2012” (The Star of the Women) award in New York.
Shah Rukh Khan Conferred With Morocco’s
Medal of Honour
Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan had given the prestigious
Medal of Honour by the Prince of Morocco (Moulay Rachid) on 3 December 2012 in
12th Marrakech International Film Festival.
DRDO Scientist Gets
Top Award
Brajnish Sitara scientist from Research Centre Imarat(RCI), a
premier laboratory of DRDO’s missile complex was conferred with INAE(Indian
National Academy of Engineering)Young Engineer Award for 2012 at the academy’s
annual conventionheld at Roorkee on 6 December 2012.
Rajan and Sajan Mishra Conferred ‘National Tansen
Samman’
On 14 December 2012 noted vocalist duo of Rajan and Sajan Mishra
will be awarded prestigious ‘National Tansen Samman’ for year 2011-12 for their
contribution to Hindustani classical music
Stephen Hawking Won Yuri Milner Award
A Russian billionaire’s foundation was awarded two special prizes
of $3 million each to British cosmologist Stephen Hawking for his work on black
holes and to seven scientists at the world’s biggest atom-smasher for their
roles in the discovery of a new subatomic particle believed to be the
long-sought Higgs boson. Yuri Milner’s Fundamental Physics Prize Foundation
announced the awards on 11 December 2012.Hawking is honored for his discovery
of Hawking radiation from black holes “and his deep contributions to quantum
gravity and quantum aspects of the early universe.”
Grammy Lifetime
Achievement Award for Ravi Shankar
Sitar maestro Pandit Ravi Shankar will be honoured with a Grammy
Lifetime Achievement Award posthumously.He becomes the first Indian to get the
prestigious award. The decision to honour Ravi Shankar, a three-time Grammy
winner, was made before his death.
Indian Journalist’s Association Honoured
Sir Charles Wheeler
On 16 December Indian Journalists Association has conferred its
Lifetime Achievement Award for 2012 posthumously to former BBC correspondent
Sir Charles Wheeler.
Scientist Venkatesh Mannar honoured with
Order of Canada Award
A Chennai born scientist of Indian origin, M.G Venkatesh Mannar
and President, Micronutrient Initiative, Canada was awarded with Canada’s
Highest Civilian Award – the “ Order of Canada “ on December .US, was honoured
with the award for his forty years long contribution working towards reduction
of debilitating micronutrient deficiencies among the worlds most vulnerable.
Arunachal CM Selected for “IAEWP”
Award
On 18 December Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Nabam Tuki has
been selected by the International Association of Educators for World Peace
(IAEWP) for a Lifetime Achievement Award. IAEWP is a non-governmental
organization affiliated to the United Nations and engaged in the promotion of
world peace. Besides the individual award he would also receive the ‘Green
State of the Year ‘ Award on behalf of the Arunachal Pradesh Government for
maintaining greenery in the state.
Top Honour For 7-year-old South African
Indian Rhino Campaigner
A seven-year-old Indian-origin girl Afeefah Patel won a
prestigious a wildlife conservation award in South Africa for writing a letter
to President Jacob Zuma asking for his assistance in saving endangered rhinos.
Afeefah Patel, who has just finished Grade One, became the youngest winner ever
of SANParks’s Corporate Contribution to Conservation Award in individual
category at the 8th annual Kudu Awards.
P.Chidambaram received
“Best Administrator” Award
On 20 December Union Finance Minister P. Chidambaram received
“”Best Administrator in India”” award instituted by K. Karunakaran
Foundation.The award was presented to him by Vice President of India, M. Hamid
Ansari.The award is being offered in the memory of renowned Congress leader as
well as the former Kerala Chief minister K.Karunakaran. First Karunakaran
Foundation Award was given to Pranab Mukherjee.
Archaeologist
C.Govindarajanar Received Presidential Award
President Pranab Mukherjee on 21 December 2012 conferred the
Presidential Awards for Classical Tamil at a function in Rashtrapati Bhavan.
Prof. C. Govindarajanar was conferred Tolkappiyar Award for outstanding
contribution in the field of Tamil studies.
Top U.S. Innovation
Award For Indian-American
A renowned Indian-American inventor at IBM, Rangaswamy Srinivasan,
was nominated by U.S. President Barack Obama for the prestigious National Medal
of Technology and Innovation. He named the phenomenon Ablative Photo
Decomposition (APD). He got this award for the discovery of APD.
Shihab Ghanem the First Arab to receive
India’s Tagore Peace Prize
On 26 December The Asiatic society will award the Tagore Peace
Prize to Emirati poet and translator Shihab Ghanem .Shihab Ghanem the first
Arab to receive India’s Tagore Peace Prize.The peace prize is named after
Rabindranath Tagore, a Bengali creative talent and India’s first Nobel
laureate.
Pratibha Ray Won 2011 Jnanpith Award
Leading Oriya novelist and academician Pratibha Ray, who has over
40 novels, travelogues and short stories to her credit, was named for the
prestigious Jnanpith Award for the year 2011 on 27 December 2012.
Astronautical
Society’s Aryabhatta award for Muthunayagam & Saraswat
The former secretary of the Department of Ocean Development, A.E.
Muthunayagam, will received the prestigious Aryabhatta award, instituted by the
Astronautical Society of India (ASI), for 2010 and V.K. Saraswat, Scientific
Adviser to the Defence Minister, will receive the award for 2011.They have been
selected for their achievements in rocketry.
SPORTS & GAMES
Lalith Babu Top in Commonwealth Chess
Championship
Grandmasters M R Lalith Babu and Sergei Tiviakov scored final
round victories to reached the top of the table with 9.5 points in the
Commonwealth Chess Championship in Chennai on 01 December 2012. Lalith was
crowned the Commonwealth Champion 2012 title.
Rory McIlroy named PGA
“Tour Player of the Year”
On 2 December The PGA( Professional Golfers’ Association of
America) Tour has announced Rory McIlroy as “Tour Player of the Year”
after McIlroy won four times on Tour in 2012. McIlroy, becomes the
youngest player to earn Player of the Year honors since Tiger Woods in 1998.
Anna Ushenina is World Women’s Chess Champion
Anna Ushenina of Ukraine 02 December 2012 won the women’s World
Championship crown, defeating Antoaneta Stefanova of Bulgaria in the first set
of tie-break games.
Air India Won Lal
Bahadur Shastri Tournament
Air India defeated Bharat Petroleum 3-1 to emerge champion in the
23rd Lal Bahadur Shastri hockey tournament at the Shivaji Stadium New Delhi on
4 December 2012.
Jadeja Created History
Hitting 3rd Tripleton in FC Cricket
Ravindra Jadeja became first Indian and only eighth batsman in the
First-Class (FC) cricket history of world to score three triple-centuries in
the unbeaten 320 runs against Railways in the Ranji Trophy Group A match on 2
December 2012 in Rajkot.
International Olympic Committee
Suspended India
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) suspended India’s
national Olympic committee on 4 December 2012 because of government
interference in its election process.
Australia Won 5th Consecutive Champions
Trophy Hockey
On 8 December Australia won fifth Consective Champions Trophy
Hockey after defeated Netherlands in Melbourne.The bronze medal was claimed by
Pakistan after they beated India on 9 december.
Indian Wrestlers Won Nine Gold Medals in
Copa Brasil Tournament
The Indian wrestling contingent finished with a haul of nine gold
and four bronze medals in the recent Copa Brasil-2012 tournament held at Rio in
December 2012.
Magnus Carlsen won the 4th London Chess
Classic Tournament
On 10 December Norway’s chess ace Magnus Carlsen won the 4th
London Chess Classic Tournament in London .Carlsen defeated the World Champion
Viswanathan Anand in the final round and claim the winner’s trophy.Kramnik is
second place , Adams and Hikaru Nakamura share the third place and Viswanathan
Anand fifth place.
India Won Blind
Cricket T20 World Cup
India won the first T20 world cup for the Blind .In the final on
13 December 2012 India defeated the Pakistan by 29-runs.India did well to
clinch the first ever blind cricket T20 World Cup on the home soil.
India Won the World Cup Kabaddi Tournament
2012
India won the 3rd World Cup Kabaddi Tournament for the third
consecutive time in the Men’s category and second consecutive time in the
Women’s category on15 December 2012. Indian men defeated the Pakistan and India
Women defeated the Malaysia in the finals held at the Guru Nanak Dev Stadium in
Ludhiana.
Jeev Honoured with Asia Pacific Lifetime
Achievement Award
Indian golfer Jeev Milkha Singh (in pic) won the Asia Pacific
Lifetime Achievement award along with Jack Nicklaus and Colin Montgomerie on 15
December 2012.
China Claimed All Titles at Junior World
TT Championship
On 16 December China claimed the all titles at Volkswagen 2012
World Junior Table Tennis Championship after it won girls as well as boys
trophies. Girls Singles : Zhu Yuling, Girls Doubles: Gu Yuting and Zhu Yuling,
Boys Singles : Fan Zhendong, Boys Doubles : Gu Ruochen and Lin Gaoyuan,
Mixed Doubles : Zhendong and Liu Gaoyang.
Federer &
Nicola named “ Swiss Athlete’s of the Year 2012
Tennis star Roger Federer was named Swiss male athlete of the year
at the 2012 Credit Suisse Sports Awards on 16 December in Zurich.Federer
received the honour for the fifth time. The female Athlete of the year was
Nicola Spirig, the Olympic triathlon champion of Switzerland.
England Won Test
Series
On 17 December The last test match between India and England of
the Tournament England Tour to India ended up as a draw and with this India
lost the four-test match cricket series against England .With this win England
succeeded in ending a 28 year long wait of winning a test series on Indian
Soil.
Syed Rahim Nabi Named “ AIFF
Player of the Year 2012 “
Syed Rahim Nabi has been named the ‘AIFF (All India Football
Federation) Player of the Year, 2012′ on 20 December.
Sachin Retired From One Day Cricket
On 23 December Sachin Tendulkar announced retirement from one day
cricket. Sachin scored 18426 runs in 463 one-day matches and also made 49
hundreds in the one-day format, including a double hundred which is the first
in this form of cricket and 96 half centuries. He became the first cricketer to
score a double century in the history of One Day international Cricket against
South Africa in February 2010.Tendulkar scored his 100th international century
on 16 March 2012 against Bangladesh, where he scored 114 runs.
Kashyap Won First
Grand Prix Title
Kashyap Parupalli defeated Thailand’s Tanongsak Saensomboonsuk in
a tight three game match to take his first Grand Prix title at the Shaheed Dr.
KL Garg, Syed Modi India Grand Prix Gold 2012.
Apurvi Chandela Won
Air Rifle Gold
On 24 December Apurvi Chandela of Rajasthan won Women’s Air Rifle
Gold in the Sahara 56th National Shooting Championship.Former champion and
National record holder, Pournima clinched the bronze.
Djokovic won World Tennis Championship
On 29 December Spanish tennis player Novak Djokovic won World
Tennis Championship final after defeated Nicolas Almagro in Abu Dhabi.
Vijay Won Gold in National Shooting
Championship
London Olympics silver medallist Vijay Kumar 30 december 2012
clinched the gold medal in the men’s rapid fire pistol event at the 56th
National Shooting Championship in New Delhi.
McGrath inducted into ‘Hall of Fame’
The ICC announced on 30 December 2012 that McGrath, who took more
Test wickets (563) than any other fast bowler and holds the record for most
wickets in World Cups (71), will be inducted as the 68th male player in
the International Cricket Council’s Hall of Fame.
ECONOMY
The ADB cut India’s Growth Forecast to 5.4
percent
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) cut India’s growth forecast to
5.4 per cent in 2012-13 fiscal, barely two months after it had made a
projection of 5.6 per cent growth for the Asia’s third largest economy. India’s
growth forecast is revised from 5.6 per cent to 5.4 per cent in fiscal year
2012 and from 6.7 per cent to 6.5 per cent in FY 2013.
Rich Gulf Families Own
Wealth Worth USD 1.2 Trillion
According to the ‘KFH-Research’ report said one million wealthy
families in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries own investment assets
worth about USD 1.2 trillion.The report about wealth and funds management said
that the world’s population of high net worth individuals (HNWIs) grew by a
marginal 0.8 per cent year on year to 11 million in 2011.
India Economy Would Dominate the Economy
of the World by 2030
US intelligence counsel was released report on 10 December 2012 declared
that India would straddle international commerce and will also dominate the
economy of the whole world by 2030.
IOC Retains Top in Fortune 500 India
List
Government owned Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) is ranked as the
largest company in terms of revenue, the Fortune 500 list of Indian companies
for 2012 . In this list Indian Oil Corporation got the first place with a
full-year revenue of Rs 4,202 billion, Reliance Industries Limited got the
second place with a full-year revenue of Rs 3,675 billion and Bharat Petroleum
Corporation got the third place with a full -year revenue of Rs 2,148 billion
India’s Lost $123 bn in Black Money
According to the report of ‘Illicit Financial Flows
from Developing Countries: 2001—2010,’ released by Global Financial Integrity
(GFI) India lost $123 billion in black money during 2001-2010. However India’s
loss is far less than that of China, which according to the report suffered a
loss of $ 2.74 trillion during the same period (2001 to 2010). India is the
eighth largest victim of black money loses.
India Lags Several
Nations in Per Capita Income
India is lagging behind several countries in per capita income due
to different levels of development and various other factors, the central
government was informed on 19 December. India’s per capita GDP on
Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) basis was $3,403 in 2010 and is estimated at
$3,662.69 in 2011 and $3,851.31 in 2012.
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
Canadian Scientists Created Artificial Brain
Software engineers as well as neuroscientists at University of
Waterloo, Canada claimed that they have developed a closest model of the
functioning human brain, known as Spaun which is advanced enough for passing
the basic IQ tests. This is the virtual brain which functions on the
supercomputer and comprises of a digital eye, which can be used for visual
input. It also has the robotic arm which can be used for drawing the response.
Voyager 1 Drifts Into Unknown Region of Space
NASA’s Voyager 1 spacecraft has discovered a new layer of the
solar system that scientists hadn’t known was there, researchers announced on 4
December 2012. Voyager 1, in particular, has entered a new region of the
heliosphere that scientists are calling a “magnetic highway,” which allows
charged particles from inside the heliosphere to flow outward, and particles
from the galaxy outside to come in.
New Anti-HIV Gel for HIV Transmission
Researchers led by Dereuddre-Bosquet from the European Combined
Highly Active Anti-Retroviral Microbicides (CHAARM) Consortium describe the
gel’s key ingredient, which are small peptides engineered to present a decoy to
bind up the virus and prevent it from entering and infecting the body cells.
Because this is a gel it can be topically applied and could represent a
powerful preventative agent against sexual transmission of HIV. Bosquet and
colleagues engineered peptides named ‘miniCD4s’ because they mimic the CD4
receptor used by HIV to gain entry into immune cells of the body.
NASA to Send New Rover
to Mars in 2020
NASA was announced plans to send a new robotic explorer to
the the Red Planet, Mars in 2020.
7 Planets Discovered In The Milky Way
New York Scientists have been discovered Seven planets in the
Milky Way outside our solar system that could potentially harbour life and
researchers from an ambitious project to catalogue all habitable worlds claim.
Russia Delivered MiG-29 Fighter Jets to
India
Russia on 10 December 2012 delivered the first three
upgraded MiG-29UPG fighter jets to India under a USD 900 million contract to
modernise the ageing fleet of MiG-29 aircraft with the IAF.
Tata Group Developed new “Artillery Gun”
On 11 December In a step towards developing the indigenous private
sector defence industry, the Tata group has created a new Artillery Gun. The
155mm 52 calibre gun developed by the Tata group is likely to have a strike
range of 52 kms, which would probably be the longest in the Indian inventory.
India Successfully Test Fired Agni-I
Ballistic Missile
India on 12 December 2012 successfully test-fired its
indigenously developed nuclear capable Agni-I ballistic missile with a strike
range of 700 km from a test range off Odisha coast. Weighing 12 tonnes, the
15-metre-long Agni-I, which is capable of carrying payloads up to 1000 kg
and destroy the targets at a distance of 700 km.
North Korea Launched Unha-3 Rocket
On 12 December North Korea launched a long-range rocket Unha-3
despite international opposition and growing tensions in the region
successfully delivering a scientific satellite Kwangmyongsong-3 into
orbit.Unha-3 is the second version of satellite Kwangmyongsong-3 which is
successfully lifted off from the Sohae Space Center by carrier rocket.The US
and its allies view the launch as a disguised test of ballistic missile
technology.
NASA’s 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 earlier in 2012.
Rocket with 3
Astronauts Takes off for ISS
A Soyuz spacecraft carrying three astronauts took off atop a
towering Russian rocket on 19 December 2012, headed for the International Space
Station.It launched from Russia’s manned-space facility in the frigid steppes
of Kazakhstan. American Tom Marshburn, Russian Roman Romanenko and Canadian
Chris Hadfield are travelled in capsule.
Prithvi-II Flight-
Tested Successfully
The Strategic Forces Command (SFC) successfully flight-tested
nuclear weapons-capable Prithvi-II missile from Chandipur, off the Odisha coast
on 20 December 2012. The surface-to-surface ballistic missile, was fired
from a road mobile launcher and tested for its full range of 350 km.The
single-stage, liquid propelled missile can carry a payload of 500 kg.
Astra Missile
Successfully Test-fired
India on December 2012 test launched its indigenously
developed beyond visual range (BVR) air-to-air interceptor missile Astra at the
interim test range(ITR) at Chandipur in Odisha.Astra which has the capability
to intercept and destroy enemy aircraft at a supersonic speed can be fitted
into any fighter aircraft. Considered as one of the best of its kind in the
world, the 3.8 metre long missile which weighs about 160 kg can carry explosive
loaded conventional warheads up to 15 kg.
Scientists Discovered
Mini Nile River on Saturn’s Moon Titan
Nasa scientists had spotted the longest extraterrestrial river
system ever – on Saturn’s moon Titan – and it appears to be a miniature version
of Earth’s Nile river.
Higgs Boson ‘ Tops
Journal Science’s 2012 List
The discovery of the Higgs Boson, an invisible particle that
explains the mystery of mass, leads a list of the top 10 scientific advances of
2012 released by the US journal Science on 22 December .
America Launched Reusable Rockets
US California based SpaceX’s industry successfully launched
‘Grasshopper’ reusable rockets.The rocket took a giant leap for
commercial space flight and when it rose 131 feet and landed safely back on
Earth. Grasshopper rocket rose to a height of 131 feet around ten storeys
and hovered before landing safely on its launch pad using closed loop
thrust vector and throttle control.
Hot Spots For World’s
more Powerful Earthquakes Revealed
The locations of where the world’s largest earthquakes are most
likely to take place had pinpointed with greater accuracy than ever before, by
researchers from the University of Sydney.The coasts of Southern Chile and
Peru, Indonesia’s Sumatra Island, and several regions along the eastern
Eurasian coastline, are some of the regions prone to great earthquakes.
PERSONS IN NEWS
a) APPOINTMENTS
Visually-challenged Indian-American in key US
post
On 1 December Obama administration was appointed a
visually-challenged Indian-American Sachin Dev Pavithran as a Architectural and
Transportation Barriers Compliance Board member.
Ajit Pawar sworn-in as Maharashtra
Deputy CM
Ajith Pawar sworn-in as Maharashtra deputy chief minister on
7 December. After getting the clean chit from the government on
corruption in irrigation projects.
Chautala Elected as
IOA President
Abhay Singh Chautala was on December 2012 unanimously elected
president of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) while Lalit Bhanot became the
new secretary general.
Parthasarathy Shome Appointed Adviser to
Finance Minister
The government of India appointed tax expert Parthasarthi
Shome as adviser to Finance Minister P Chidambaram with minister of state rank,
sending a strong signal that tax reforms may top its economic agenda in the
remainder of the UPA government’s second term.
Malala’s Father Ziauddin Yousufzai
Appointed UN Education Adviser
Ziauddin Yousufzai, the father of 15-year-old Pakistani schoolgirl
Malala Yousufzai, who was shot by the Taliban for advocating girls’ right to
education, has been appointed as Special UN Adviser on Global Education on 10
December.
Vijay Kumar appointed
Senior Security Adviser in Home Ministry
The Union government had appointed the former Director-General of
the Central Reserve Police Force, K. Vijay Kumar, as Senior Security Adviser in
the Home Ministry where he will advise on security and development in the
Naxal-affected States.
Vinod Rai Re-elected
as Chair of UN Auditors Panel
Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India Vinod
Rai was re-elected Chair of the (UN) auditors Panel for the year 2013, while
the CAG of the United Kingdom, Amyas Morse, was re-elected the vice-chair of
the Panel.
Naina Lal Kidwai
Becomes First Woman President of FICCI
Country Head of HSBC India, Naina Lal Kidwai, took over as
President of FICCI on 15 December 2012. She become the first woman
to head the leading industry body.
Rita Singh Elected
Federation of Indian Associations President
Rita Singh, an Indian American businesswoman from Bihar was
elected the first woman president of Chicago-based Federation of Indian
Associations (FIA).
Subhash Joshi
Appointed As New BSF Chief
Subhash Joshi was appointed as the new chief of Border Security
Force (BSF) on 18 December 2012. Chadha, Special Secretary was appointed
as Director General of ITBP(Indo-Tibetan Border Police).
Obama Nominates John Kerry to be
Secretary of State
The senior senator John Kerry was nominated as America’s
Foreign Minister by President Barack Obama on 21 December 2012.The John
Kerry, who is the senior Senator from Massachusetts, now he became the
chairman of the powerful Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
Smita Singh Appointed as member of
Global Development Council
On 22 December The Obama administration has appointed
Indian-American Smita Singh as member of the president’s Global Development
Council.
Virbhadra Singh Sworn in as Himachal Pradesh’s
Chief Minister
On 25 December Former Union Minister Virbhadra Singh was sworn-in
as Himachal Pradesh’s chief minister for a record sixth term in Shimla. He was
Chief Minister five times between 1983 and 1985; 1985 and 1990; 1993 and 1998
and 2003 and 2007.
Narendra Modi Sworn in
Gujarat CM for 4th time
Narendra Modi sworn in as Gujarat chief minister for the fourth
consecutive time on 26 December 2012. He was sworn in along with seven
ministers of Cabinet rank and nine ministers of state.
Cyrus Mistry took
charge as Tata Group Chairman
Cyrus Mistry, the new chairman of the Tata Group, took charge of
his office on 31 December.Mistry is the sixth chairman of the Tata empire.
b) RESIGNS
Mali Prime Minister Cheick Modibo Diarra
Resigned
On 11 December Malian Prime Minister Cheick Modibo Diarra resigned
and dissolved his government after he was arrested by the army in the West
African nation.He was acting Prime Minister of Mali from April 2012
Singapore Parliament
Speaker Resigned
Singapore’s parliament speaker Michael Palmer announced his
resignation on 12 December 2012 over an extramarital affair with a staff
member of the People’s Association, a statutory body leading efforts to reach
out to members of the public.
Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor
Resigned
Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman formally submitted his
resignation on 16 December 2012 due to a pending indictment against him for
fraud and breach of trust.
Japan Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda
Resigned
On 16 December Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda resigned
from his post to take responsibility for his Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ)
defeat in Lower House Election .He was formally appointed by the Emperor on 2
September 2011.
c) DEATHS
Geophysicist Devendra Lal Died
Devendra Lal, geophysicist and visiting professor at the Scripps
Institution of Oceanography (SIO) of the university of california, has
died on 1 December in San Diego.He was conferred with Padma Shri in
1971. Devendra Lal also won NASA Group Achievement Award.
World’s Oldest Woman
and Tallest Woman Both Died
Besse Cooper, the woman listed as the world’s oldest person was
died on 4 December 2012 in Georgia at the age of 116. Meanwhile, a
Chinese woman, Yao Defen, was certified as the tallest in the world was also
died. Mrs Cooper was declared the world’s oldest person in January 2011.Chinese
woman Yao Defen was listed as the world’s tallest woman by Guinness World
Records in 2010.
Jazz Pianist & Composer Dave Brubeck
Died
On 5 December Legendary Jazz composer and pianist Dave
Brubeck died in Norwalk. He had also won various awards during his career which
spanned over six decades.The Library of Congress designated him as the Living
Legend.
British Astronomer Sir Patrick Moore
Died
British astronomer and broadcaster Sir Patrick Moore on 9 December
2012 in Selsey, West Sussex.Sir Patrick presented the BBC programme The Sky At
Night for over 50 years, making him the longest-running host of the same
television show ever.
Ex-Bangladesh
President Ahmed Died
Former Bangladeshi President and Bangladesh Nationalist
Party(BNP) leader Iajuddin Ahmed passed away on 10 December 2012.
Iajuddin Ahmed was the 13th president of Bangladeshserving from Sept. 6,
2002 until Feb. 12, 2009.
Bharat Ratna Pandit
Ravi Shankar Died
Bharat Ratna Pandit Ravi Shankar, whose mastery over the sitar
helped rejuvenate the classical instrumental tradition in India and popularise
Indian music in the West through concerts and collaborations with well known
artists, died in San Diego, U.S. on 11 December 2012.
Former Ranji Cricketer
Nimbalkar Died
Former Ranji cricketer B B Nimbalkar was passes away on 11
December 2012. BB Nimbalkar, who made an unbeaten 443 runs for Maharashtra
against Kathiawar in a Ranji Trophy match in 1948-49. Yet this is the
India’s highest scorer in first-class cricket.
First CM of Uttarakhand Nityanand Swami
Passed Away
The first Chief Minister of Uttarakhand Nityanand Swami died at
Dehra Dun on 12 December 2012.He worked as a first Chief Minister of
Uttarakhand after dividing it from Uttar Pradesh in 2000.
Barcode Co-inventor
Woodland Died
Norman Joseph Woodland, who co-created the barcode, was died on 9
December 2012 in New Jersey at the age of 91. Woodland was the
co-inventor of bar code. He as well as his partner Bernard Silver (who
died in 1963) patented this idea of bar code back in 1952.
Guinness World’s Oldest Person
Dina Manfredini Died
Dina Manfredini (115 Years) the world’s oldest person and a
resident of Iowa, has died on 17 December in Johnston .Guinness World Records
identified Manfredini as the world’s oldest person on December 5, a day after
the death of 116-year-old Besse Cooper of Georgia.
Former India Volleyball Captain Tilakam
Gopal Died
Tilakam Gopal, former India captain died on 18 December 2012.
Mr.Gopal’s achievements was being member of the silver medal winning Indian
squad in the 1962 Jakarta Asian Games and even led India in the five-Test series
against the visiting Russians in 1966 which later on helped him to continue be
captain in the Bangkok ASIAD in 1966 where India stood fourth.
Hockey Legend Leslie Claudius Died
Legendary hockey player and one of India’s greatest Olympians
Leslie Claudius, passed away in Kolkata on 20 December 2012. India won the
silver medal in the Asian Games in 1978 in Bangkok, when he was the team
manager.He got the Padma Shree award in 1971.
Former England
Cricket Team Captain Tony Greig Died
Tony Greig, the South Africa-born cricketer who became England
cricket team captain and later continued to make his mark on the game as
a revered commentator in Australia, died on 29 December 2012.He played 58 tests
for England and scored 3,599 runs at an average of 40.43 and took 141 wickets
at 32.20.
d) VISITORS
Palestinian Hamas leader Meshaal Visited Gaza
The political leader of Hamas, Khaled Meshaal has visited Gaza on
6 December .He attended a commemoration of the 25th anniversary of the
founding of Hamas and a victory celebration .He visited southern Gaza strip
through Egypt’s Rafah border crossing over for the first time in 45 years.
Ukrainian President Yanukovych Visited
India
Viktor Yanukovych the President of Ukrainian visited India
from 9th to 12th December. During this visit he signed
5 agreements .He met Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan and the both nations
discussed ways to improve bilateral relations.
Pak Minister Rehman Malik Visited India
Pakistan’s Interior Minister Rehman Malik visited India from 14th
to 16th December .During the visit he met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and
both nations signed on new visa agreement.
Russian President Putin Visited India
Russian President Vladimir Putin visited India on 24 December
.During the visit he met Manmohan Singh in New Delhi and signed a series
of pacts on defense cooperation and reached consensus to develop economic and
trade relations.Putin last visited India as prime minister in 2010.
e) MISCELLANEOUS
China Launched First High Speed Train in Extremely
Cold Areas
The world’s first high-speed train in areas with extremely low
temperature started operation in China 01 December 2012.This train move with a
speed of 350 Kmph in the areas of minus 40 degrees temperature. This is the
fastest train world in this areas.
Forbes 2012 Most Powerful Persons List
On 6 December 2012 Forbes Magazine released the most powerful
persons list in the world. In that list AICC President Sonia Gandhi got the
12th place and Prime Minister of India Man Mohan Singh got the 20th place. As
usually this year also American President Barack Obama got 1st place. German
chancellor Angela Merkel got the 2nd place. The list also includes Russian
President Vladimir Putin at number three, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates (4),
Richest Person in India Mukesh Ambani (37).
Mumbai Among World’s
‘Dirtiest’ Cities
India’s commercial capital, Mumbai, was named among the
world’s ‘dirtiest’ cities, ranking last in the “cleanest streets” category, a
global survey of 40 key tourist cities has found. According to TripAdvisor’s
Cities Survey, Tokyo grabbed the first place while Mumbai ranked last in the
list of “cleanest streets”.
Jiroemon Kimura named ‘ World’s Oldest
Person
On 18 December Jiroemon Kimura (115 years) has been named the
world’s oldest person after the death of his predecessor, an American woman
named Dina Manfredini who died on 17 December after receiving the title of
oldest person of the world.Jiroemon Kimura was born on 19 April 1897 and is
just 15 days younger than the deceased Dina Manfredini.
Miss Universe 2012
Olivia Culpo (USA)
Miss USA Olivia Culpo is crowned Miss Universe 2012 on 19 December
2012, on the Las Vegas. Miss Philippines, Janine Tugonon, came in second, while
Miss Venezuela, Irene Sofia Esser Quintero, placed third.
Obama is Time’s
‘Person of the Year’
President Barack Obama had been named Time magazine’s “Person of
the Year” for 2012 on 19 December 2012. Obama also received the honour in 2008.
8 Indians Among
World’s Best Performed CEOs
Eight Indian CEOs have made it to the list of 100 best performing
global chief executives, compiled by Harvard Business Review (HBR). Deveshwar
was first among the Indian CEOs featured in this list, and cornered the seventh
place overall.Former chairman and MD, ONGC Subir Raha (Rank 13).Chairman and
CEO, Reliance Industries, Mukesh Ambani (Rank 28).Chairman and Managing
Director, Larsen & Toubro, AM Naik (Rank 32). Former CMD, Bharat
Heavy Electricals, AK Puri (Rank 38). Chairman, Bharti Airtel, Sunil Bharti
Mittal (Rank 65). CEO, Jindal Steel & Power, Naveen Jindal (Rank 87).
Former Chairman, SAIL,VS Jain (Rank 89). Former Apple CEO, Steve Jobs (Rank 1).
CEO, Amazon.com CEO, Jeff Bezos (Rank 2).
China Launched World’s
Longest High-Speed Rail
China launched service on the world’s longest high-speed railway
on 26 December 2012 with trains scheduled to run 2,298 kilometres between
Beijing and Guangzhou in about eight hours.Travelling at an average speed of
about 300 km per hour, the service would cut the journey time from more than 20
hours by conventional trains.
PLACES IN NEWS
Typhoon Bopha Killed Hundreds in Philippines
Bopha, the strongest typhoon hit the Philippines on 5
December 2012, was left at least 325 died. The typhoon with central winds of
115 kph and gusts of up to 145 kph was moved to west-northwest of the central Philippines
on 6 December 2012.
Powerful Earthquake in
Japan
The powerful earthquake had occurred in Japan on 7 December
2012.The magnitude of this earthquake was recorded as 7.3. This earthquake had
occurred in 240 km beyond the Miyagi coast in the Pacific Oceanin a depth of
10m.
ABBREVIATIONS
UNFCCC - United Nations Framework Convention on Climate
Change
WCCB – Wildlife Crime Control Bureau
TRAI – Telecom Regulatory
Authority of India
SCI – Shipping
Corporation of India
NSC – National
Security Council
OIL –
Oil India Limited
GAAR – General Anti Avoidance Rules
NCHRH – National Council for Human Resources in
Health
IOA – Indian
Olympic Association
GCC – Gulf Cooperation
Council
NDAA – National Defence Authorisation
Act
INAE – Indian
National Academy of Engineering
ITSMA –
Information Technology Services Marketing Association
GTI – Global Terrorism
Index
BOOKS IN NEWS
“The Peak” Book Released on Sachin Tendulkar
On 2 December Indian Cricketer Yuvraj Singh was launched Sachin
Tendulkar’s new book named ‘The Peak’ which is a unique photographed
story on Tendulkar by photo-journalist Suman Chattopadhyay.
The book captures some rare and memorable moments of Tendulkar’s
life through Chattopadhyay’s lens and the stories behind them in the master’s own
words
“Pankaj, Bengal’s
Forgotten Hero” Book Released
On 3 December Senior batsman Sachin Tendulkar and former India
captain Sourav Ganguly released a book on former India opener Late Pankaj
Roy named ‘Pankaj, Bengal‘s Forgotten Hero‘ has been written by Bengali sports
journalist Gautam Bhattacharya. Pankaj Roy had played 43 Tests for India in a
span of 10 years scoring 2442 runs with five centuries.
“My Tryst with Justice” Book
Released
On 12 December President Pranab Mukherjee released a book
“My Tryst with Justice” which was written by Former Chief Justice P.N.Bhagwati
.The book would be a prized possession for every Indian who wants to make a
difference to the world and who aspires for a world more just, he added.
’M.S. Subbulakshmi – Queen of Carnatic
Music’ Book Launched
The life story of carnatic music legend M.S. Subbulakshmi, the
first musician to be conferred the Bharat Ratna, is now detailed in a graphic
illustrated book launched on December. The story of the nightingale of carnatic
music, fondly known as MS. It is being told through Amar Chitra Katha’s new
title “M S Subbulakshmi – Queen of Carnatic Music’’
COMMITTEES
Usha Thorat Committee for NBFCs
India’s majority of Non-Banking Finance companies (NBFCs) may be
freed from the regulatory clutches provided Reserve Bank of India (RBI)
implements one of the recommendations made by Usha Thorat Committee. The
committee had submitted its recommendations to RBI. Currently, those
recommendations are under RBI’s consideration.
Chandrashekhar Committee to Frame Rules
for Foreign Investors
On 13 December The market regulator Sebi has appointed a committee
under ex-Cabinet secretary K M Chandrashekhar to frame a single set of
guidelines for all types of foreign investors.The committee will suggest ways
to simplify the investment process for all overseas entities like foreign
institutional investors, foreign venture capital investors (FVCIs), qualified
financial, institutional investors (QFIs)
IMPORTANT DAYS &
DATES
Feb 4 –
World Cancer Day
Feb 20 – World Day of
Social Justice
Feb 21 – International
Mother Tongue Day
Feb 22 – World Scout
Day
Feb 22 – World
Thinking Day
Feb 23 – World
Peaces and Understanding Day
Feb 24 – Central
Excise Tax Day
Feb 28
– National Science Day
For Download Current
Affairs See Below
Please like This Website
No comments:
Post a Comment