1

Weekly Current Affairs update

For the Week: April 17 to 23, 2011

Major news of the week

Section A: INDIA
PSLV-C16 puts 3 satellites in orbit India, Kazakhstan sign 7 agreements during PM Singhs visit New Delhi-Dhaka to strengthen economic integration Essential Steps for Progress in Higher Education unveiled India to sign of Nagoya Protocol on Access & Benefit Sharing South-West monsoon will be normal IMD Conference of Cooperative Ministers organised ICMR invites scientists to study drug resistant bacteria Navy sends INS Talwar to tackles pirates off Somali coast SC bans employment of children in circuses Govt. makes double fortified salt mandatory in midday meals Uttarakhand selected 'first' tourism destination The Darbhanga Gita-Govinda unveiled Chandigarh Police the first to get UAV Super 30 founder is Europe journal's global personality Pulitzer Prizes announced Binayak Sen wins Korean human rights prize

Section D: ECONOMY & CORPORATE

Exports register growth of 37.5% in 2010-11 Committee on Semiconductor Manufacturing set up National rollout of e-District Mission Mode project approved India and Japan Sign TKDL Access Agreement Manufacturing sector profits most from employees PwC Poverty rate declines to 32% Planning Commission Refining capacity to reach 240 MTPA by March 2012 Navigation to be separated from AAI functions Consultant appointed to set up modern silos Central tax collection reaches Rs 7.92 lakh cr in 2010-11 CACP for private sector role in foodgrain procurement CMIE projects 8.8% GDP growth in 2011-12 CIBIL launches credit score for consumers SBI to discontinue teaser' home loans Air India forms panel to study HR issues New simpler forms for IT returns introduced SEBI calls for higher stake for Sovereign wealth funds Marine products exports at $2.67 bn Inter-ministerial group to review pharma FDI policy NSDC partners Everonn to skill' nine sectors Railway Week celebrated New Delhi, Mumbai in worlds top global cities index MMTC to launch gold jewellery brand FICCI and YES Bank study on health tourism unveiled Asia to account for 50% of global GDP by 2050 ADB British Petroleum to sue Transocean over oil spill Amway's Yoginder Singh elected IDSA head

Section B: WORLD
5 Indians in Time list of 100 most influential people in 2011 UNESCOs 2011 Global Monitoring Report released National Coalition Party wins in Finland elections Jonathan wins presidential election in Nigeria Raul Castro named first secretary of Cuba's Communist Party De Niro to head Cannes Film Fest jury Christopher Painter appointed US cyber envoy Whistle blower Bradley Manning to be shifted to new prison Victoria Cross holder Nepalese passes away British ex-PM Gordon Brown joins WEF UK to hold referendum on Alternative Vote system European Parliament condemns Pak for supporting Taliban Pakistan test-fires short-range missile Hatf Laos defers decision to build Mekong river dam Earth Day observed World Heritage Day observed World Book Day observed I Am Kalam screening at Buckingham Palace FAO, World Food Programme launch food security platform NASA awards contracts for space shuttle replacements UN non-proliferation committee gets 10-year extension Well-being survey puts India in 71st spot Maritime Counter-Piracy Conference organised

Section E: SPORTS
Dilshan appointed Lankan skipper Malinga quits Test cricket Former Windies skipper Alexander passes away Nadal wins Monte Carlo Masters Czech Republic enters Fed Cup final Wimbledon prize money increased Real Madrid wins Spanish Cup Abhijeet Gupta wins Dubai Open chess McLaren's Hamilton wins F1 Chinese Grand Prix New Badminton clothing regulations postponed Marathon runner Grete Waitz passes away

Section C: AWARDS
Awards conferred on National Panchayati Raj Diwas PMs Excellence Awards conferred on Civil Services Day Rajeev Bhargava wins Dr Malcolm Adiseshiah Award

Section A: INDIA
NEWS ROUND UP
PSLV-C16 puts 3 satellites in orbit
The Resource Organisation (ISRO) successfully launched PSLV (Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle) C16, carrying the remote sensing satellite Resourcesat2 and two auxiliary satellites, from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre at Sriharikota on April 20, 2011. The launch was at 10.12 am, and the satellites reached the orbit in 18 minutes from the time of launch. The Sun Synchronous Polar Orbit fixed for the vehicle was at 822 km (from the earth), reached in 18 minutes. P. Kunhikrishnan was the Mission Director of PSLV-C16 ISRO Chairman K. Radhakrishnan said that the mission cost Rs 250 crore, including around Rs 135 crore on developing the Resourcesat2 satellite and another Rs 90 crore for the launching vehicle. The PSLV-C16 put three satellites in orbit India's 1,206-kg Resourcesat-2, the Indo-Russian 93-kg Youthsat and the 106-kg X-Sat from the Nangyang Technological University of Singapore. Resourcesat-2 The Resourcesat-2, a 1,206-kg satellite would work with the Resourcesat-1 launched in 2003, with three cameras to monitor specific areas such as agriculture, water resources, rural development, bioresources, coastal studies, urban development, forest resource inventory and monitoring and geological exploration. The images from the satellite would be useful in monitoring the earth's resources, including crop yield before harvest, the snow-cover in mountains, the glaciers advancing or the changes in the coastal zones and the urban landscape; locating groundwater; and realigning roads in rural areas. The information would be used for national requirements and the data from ground stations out of India could be sold to other countries. India has nine remote sensing satellites in the atmosphere, delivering information on various segments. Resourcesat-2 also carries an additional payload known as Automatic Identification System from Comdev, Canada, as an experimental payload for ship surveillance in the VHF band to derive position, speed and other information on ships. Indian Space With the successful launch of Resourcesat-2, India now has nine remote sensing satellites in service. They are the Technology Experiment Satellite, the Resourcesat-2, the Cartosat-1, 2, 2A and 2B, the Indian Mini Satellite-1, the Radar Imaging Satellite-2 and the Oceansat-2. They make the IRS system the largest civilian remote-sensing satellite constellation in the world. Youthsat Youthsat, second in the Indian Mini Satellite series, intends to investigate the relationship between solar variability and thermosphere-ionosphere (upper layers of the atmosphere) changes. The satellite carries three payloads, of which two are Indian and one Russian. They would be useful in studying the solar X-ray and gamma ray fluxes, and the influence of the activities in the sun on the upper layers of the earth's atmosphere. X-Sat X-Sat, also Singapores first satellite, is a mini-version with a multispectral camera as its primary payload. The mission is to demonstrate technologies related to satellite-based remote sending and onboard image processing. PSLV record India launched its first remote sensing satellite, the IRS-1A, aboard a Russian rocket in 1988. Many more followed, especially after the PSLV became available. India now has one of the largest constellations of remote sensing satellites in operation, supplying data to users at home and across the globe. The PSLV was conceived as a rocket that would put 1,000kg remote sensing satellites into orbit. After the failure of its first flight in 1993, the rocket was successfully flown a year later and has not looked back since. In the course of 17 successful launches, it has put 47 satellites into orbit, 21 of them Indian. Through a variety of weight-reducing measures and increased propellant loading, the rocket's performance has been steadily enhanced. In the flight on April 20, the PSLV effortlessly carried three satellites that together weighed over 1,400 kg. The rocket has also proved capable of carrying out a range of missions. Apart from launching remote sensing satellites into polar orbit, it put the Kalpana meteorological satellite into a near-equatorial orbit and took the Chandrayaan-1 spacecraft on the first leg of its journey to the Moon. Three more launches of the PSLV are scheduled this year. GSLV Challenge In recent times, ISRO has suffered setbacks such as the consecutive failures of the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) and the scandal that erupted over a deal to provide S-band spectrum to a private company. The space agency had gone to great lengths to ensure a successful flight of the PSLVC16. The launch, originally

scheduled for earlier this year, was postponed for checks on the Vikas liquid propellant engine. The engine was made by MTAR Technologies Private Ltd., jointly with Godrej Boyce. ISRO is preparing to launch the Communication Satellite, GSAT-8, on May 19. The vehicle, weighing 3,200 kg would carry 24 transponders in KU Band. Indeed, a key challenge for the space agency will be to transform trouble-prone GSLV, equipped with an indigenous cryogenic stage, into as reliable a rocket as its predecessor. Also Chandrayaan-2 would be put in an orbit around the moon by a Geo-synchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) in 2013. It would be a joint mission with Russia: while the spacecraft and the rover would be built by India, the lander would be from Russia. Meanwhile, NASA has asked ISRO to build an orbiter that will provide the communication between the soil samples collected from the far side of the moon and the earth. This joint venture between the ISRO and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, would be part of the Moonrise missions planned by the NASA.

3 The agreement on atomic energy envisages a legal framework for mutually beneficial cooperation between the two sides in peaceful uses of nuclear energy. These include fuel supply, nuclear medicine, reactor safety mechanism, exploration and joint mining of uranium, design construction and operation of nuclear plants. The Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev announced that his country was ready to supply India with 2,100 tonnes of uranium. The agreement between Ministries of Agriculture is for cooperation in agricultural research and technologies, food and agriculture production.

New Delhi-Dhaka to strengthen economic integration

The Union Commerce and Industry Minister, Anand Sharma called for further strengthening of economic integration between the two countries during his visit to Bangladesh from April 23-24, 2011. Increased Indian investments in Bangladesh will provide employment and value addition for Bangladesh exports to the rest of the world. The two countries agreed to take further steps to promote trade and economic cooperation. These include:(a) India has offered a tariff-free quota of 10 million pieces of apparel exports from Bangladesh, marking an increase of 25% over previous years. (b) Countervailing Duties lifted on all jute exports from Bangladesh. (c) Strengthening of infrastructure at borders, including construction of Land Custom Stations and Integrated Check Posts, particularly at Petrapole and Agartala such that trade is facilitated. A Working Group on Infrastructure will coordinate implementation. (d) Stepping up schedule for completion of border haats in Meghalaya for a formal launch in June 2011. (e) India offered assistance for the upgradation of BSTI such that their certification and level of standards improve. It has also been agreed to provide training facilities for capacity building. (f) India welcomed the submission of DPRs by the Bangladesh side for infrastructure projects under the US $ 1 billion LOC. (g) India has offered assistance in the construction of the bridge over river Feni, including the construction of the connecting road on the Bangladesh side. (h) India renewed its offer to export 300,000 tonnes of parboiled rice to Bangladesh (i) India welcomed the offer of use of Chittagong and Mongola ports and noted that this will provide tremendous benefit for trade and development of Bangladesh and the North-East of India.

India, Kazakhstan sign 7 agreements during PM Singhs visit

ONGC Videsh Ltd (OVL) on April 16, 2011 signed definitive agreements with KazMunaiGas (KMG), the national oil company of Kazakhstan, for acquiring a 25 per cent participating interest in the Satpayev exploration block. With this, the company has marked its entry in the Kazakhstan hydrocarbon sector. The agreement was one of the seven initialled between India and Kazakhstan in Astana during the Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh's visit. The other agreements include cooperation in the civil nuclear field, agriculture, cyber security and healthcare. The Satpayev exploration block is situated in a highly prospective region of North Caspian Sea. The block contains two prospective structures with 256 million tonnes in estimated hydrocarbon resources. OVL has already got the Cabinet's approval to invest $400 million in the block. The package of three agreements signed between OVL and KMG apart from the participating share assignment agreement, include carry agreement and joint operating agreement. Carry agreement spells out that OVL can sell any discovery in Satpayev Block locally and use cash generated from such transaction for purchases elsewhere. This is mainly because there is no means to transport oil from Kazakhstan to India. A Joint Operating Agreement on running the exploration block was also signed by OVL and KMG. Kazakhstan is important for world energy markets because it has significant oil and natural gas reserves.

Science Advisory Council lists Essential Steps for Progress in Higher Education
The Science Advisory Council to the Prime Minister (SACPM) submitted its check-list on higher education titled Essential Steps for Progress in Higher Education on April 21, 2011. Prof. C.N.R. Rao, Chairman, SACPM has called on the government to declare higher education as a National Mission for the next decade. It has asked the government to prepare an actionoriented document on higher education to prepare the country to face many of the problems and challenges in the higher education sector. The check-list begins with a serious manpower planning effort. It says it is necessary to handle the surge of young students in the next two to three decades and to give them direction to different areas of study, instead of all of them going for standard university courses in science, engineering and other subjects. The Council wants the government to ensure that undergraduate education is relevant to employment, well rounded and at the same time sufficient for taking up higher studies. Variety of course packages and flexible curricula will be helpful in this direction. A group needs to be appointed by MHRD to prepare a vision document, which foresees the problems 20 years hence. To make India a major contributor of higher quality research and a global leader in science and technology, around ten higher educational institutions could be provided all the support required to enable them compete with the best of institutions in the advanced countries. About the present examination system, the Council has called for a re-look at the entire examination system including the system of final examinations, entrance examinations, qualifying examinations, selection examinations, and so on. For entrance examinations related to admission to higher education institutions, the Council recommends only one national examination, which should be able to assess the eligibility of the candidates. The Council suggests the administration of the education system must be given to persons having interest in education and background from that particular stream instead of giving them to administrators trained in bureaucratic practice. Universities are overloaded with work related to the conduct of examinations. Some of them are too large because of the affiliated colleges. There should be guidelines as to the maximum number of students in educational institutions.

State governments should be persuaded to support higher education with greater care as well as investment. Administrative autonomy, dedicated budget for R&D, recruitment and promotion of faculty are some of the other issues that require attention. It will be counter-productive to allow uncontrolled increase in the number of governmentsupported colleges and universities without careful consideration of manpower requirements. Greater importance to the teaching profession and accord due respect to teachers is necessary. This would involve providing good emoluments and amenities as well as continuing education opportunities to teachers. It also recommends High-quality continuing education and training programmes for teachers at all levels should be provided on a massive scale.

Cabinet approves signing of Nagoya Protocol on Access & Benefit Sharing

The Union Cabinet on April 20, 2011 approved the signing of the Nagoya Protocol on Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS) by India. The Nagoya Protocol would also contribute to the other two objectives of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) relating to conservation and sustainable use, since benefits accruing from utilization of genetic resources would act as incentive to biodiversity-rich countries and their local communities to conserve and sustainably use their biodiversity. India would be hosting the next Conference of Parties (CoP) to the CBD in October 2011. This will give India an opportunity to consolidate, scale up and showcase its strengths and initiatives on biodiversity before the world. The ABS Protocol is open for signature from February 2, 2011 to February 1, 2012. So far six countries have signed the Protocol including three megadiverse countries (namely Brazil, Mexico and Colombia). As the incoming President of CoP-11, it is expected that India would be one of the early signatories to the ABS Protocol. India is one of the identified megadiverse countries rich in biodiversity. With only 2.4% of the earth's land area, India accounts for 7-8% of the recorded species of the world. India is also rich in associated traditional knowledge, which is both coded as in the ancient texts of Indian systems of medicines such as Ayurveda, Unani and Sidha and also non-coded, as it exists in oral undocumented traditions. The genetic resources and associated traditional knowledge can be used to develop a wide range of products and services for human benefit, such as medicines, agricultural practices, cosmetics etc.

India is a Party to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) which is one of the agreements adopted during the Rio Earth Summit held in 1992. One of the three objectives of the CBD relates to ABS, which refers to the way in which genetic resources may be accessed, and benefits resulting from their use shared by the users with the countries that provide them. The CBD prescribes that access to genetic resources is subject to national legislation. Accordingly, India enacted Biological Diversity Act in 2002 for giving effect to the provisions of the CBD. However, in the near absence of user country measures, once the resource leaves the country providing the resources, there is no way to ensure compliance of ABS provisions in the country where it is used. Towards this, a protocol on access and benefit sharing has been negotiated under the aegis of CBD, and adopted by the tenth Conference of Parties (CoP10) held in Nagoya, Japan in October 2010. The objective of the Nagoya Protocol on ABS is fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from the use of genetic resources, including by appropriate access to genetic resources and by appropriate transfer of relevant technologies. It is expected that the ABS Protocol would address the concern of misappropriation or biopiracy of its genetic resources.

5 demand from those whose income depends on the farm sector, the biggest employer in the country. During 2010-11, foodgrain output was estimated at 235.88 million tonnes, the highest ever, as compared to 218.11 million tonnes in the previous year. All crops, except rice, saw record production.

Conference organised

of

Cooperative

Ministers

The Conference of Cooperative Ministers of States and Union Territories organised in New Delhi on April 20, 2011 unanimously resolved to take steps for revitalising the cooperative sector which is facing the challenge of tough competition on the one hand and government issues on the other. The Conference has been organised in the backdrop of United Nations Declaration to observe 2012 as the International Year of Cooperatives. The major initiatives taken by the Central Government to reform the cooperatives to make them vibrant, viable and democratic institutions include: (i) enunciation of National Policy on Cooperatives (ii) enactment of the Multi-State Cooperatives Societies Act, 2002 and its proposed amendment to provide greater functional autonomy to cooperatives; reduce Government interference and to encourage them to become professionally managed institutions (iii) proposed amendment in Constitution of India with a view to ensure the democratic, autonomous and professional functioning of co-operatives and (iv) approval of revival package for Short Term Cooperative Credit Structure (STCCS) envisaging financial outlay of Rs.13, 596 crores. The Conference unanimously resolved to take action in the following areas to strengthen the cooperative movement in the country: (i) Government of India and the States may take steps for th early passage of the Constitution (111 Amendment) Bill, 2009. (ii) States may initiate measures for bringing in legal, institutional and systemic reforms on the lines of recommendations made by High Powered Committee on Cooperatives. (iii) States may take steps to accelerate the pace of implementation of revival package for short term cooperative credit structure for having robust cooperative credit institutions in the State for enhancing credit flow to the farmers. (iv) Government of India and the States will constitute appropriate institutional mechanism to facilitate revival and rehabilitation of sick cooperatives. (v) To strengthen and revitalize the cooperative sector, Government of India, States, cooperative institutions and other stake holders will work in close collaboration to take

South-West monsoon will be normal IMD

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on April 19, 2011 predicted normal rainfall this year. This brightened the prospects of a higher farm output providing relief from high food prices. IMD said rainfall in the southwest monsoon was expected to be 98 per cent of the long-period average (LPA). This means the monsoon will be normal for the second consecutive year. Large parts of the country were hit by a drought in 2009. The southwest monsoon is important as 60 per cent of the countrys area under agriculture depends on rain. Almost 70 per cent of the total annual rainfall occurs during the monsoon months (June-September). The output of major crops such as paddy, pulses, oilseeds and sugarcane depends on the quantum, timeliness and distribution of the southwest monsoon. IMD said there was a very low probability of either any deficiency or excess. Normal monsoon is defined as 96-104 per cent of the LPA the average from 1951 to 2000 which is 89 centimetres. Drought in many states in 2009 had dragged down farm sector growth to 0.4 per cent in 2009-10. Farm output is projected to expand by 5.4 per cent in 2010-11. Agriculture contributes a little over 17 per cent to the gross domestic product. Also, it boosts the economy through higher

various measures and initiatives in the International Year of Cooperatives, 2012. (vi) The States will create conducive environment for facilitating growth of micro-finance institutions and joint liability groups for expanding the outreach of institutional credit to farmers.

ICMR invites scientists to study drug resistant bacteria

The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has invited research proposals from scientists across the country to study the superbug or the drug resistant bacteria. The announcement comes soon after the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare announced a national anti-microbial policy to help address the issue of superbug, which became international news after the presence of such bacteria (NDM-1) was reported in British medical journal The Lancet. The study would be jointly conducted by the Ministry and a special task force set up for the purpose. A project coordinator and the surveillance team set up in select tertiary care hospitals will implement the surveillance of antimicrobials. The ICMR has invited researchers to submit proposals by May 15, 2011. The research is vital to understand the unknown mechanisms of drug resistance in various micro-organisms. The applications have been invited for funding research projects in genetic analysis of microbes to determine the sequences of genes and reveal vulnerable areas in a microbe's genome that could be used as potential drug targets or aid in the development of better diagnostic tests. Other areas include mechanisms of emergence and transfer of resistance genes among pathogens in vivo (in the host), and the distribution and dissemination of specific antimicrobial resistance genes over time. The investigations will also probe contamination of water and soil by pesticides, heavy metals and antibiotic residues and its relationship to drug resistance as well as role of normal flora and probiotics in the emergence/control of drug resistance. The journal recently claimed the presence of antibioticresistant superbug NDM-I in the public water supply of the National Capital. The claim was denied by the Ministry as well as the Delhi government.

6 Talwar, currently deployed on an anti-piracy patrol mission off the Gulf of Aden, was diverted towards the coast in April 2011. After releasing eight other Indian sailors of the cargo ship MV Asphalt Venture, the pirates who were holding them hostage since last September have sought to hold the other seven back. It is understood that they are seeking release of 120 pirates held in Indian prisons following naval action in the Indian Ocean during the past few months.

SC bans employment of children in circuses: The

Supreme Court on April 18, 2011 banned the employment of children in circuses and directed the Union government to take immediate steps to rescue those engaged in such employment. A Bench of Justices Dalveer Bhandari and A.K. Patnaik, passing orders on a petition filed by the Bachpan Bachao Andolan, said: To implement the fundamental right of children under Article 21A [right to education], it is imperative that the Central government issue suitable notifications prohibiting the employment of children in circuses within two months.

Govt. makes double fortified salt mandatory in midday meals: The Union government on April 18, 2011
said it will promote the use of iron fortified iodised salt (double fortified salt) to battle anaemia, one of the major causes of malnutrition, particularly among women and children. Wide prevalence of anaemia is a major public health challenge and should be tackled urgently. Anaemia is caused by inadequate intake and poor absorption of iron. It can be prevented and cured by promoting consumption of iron rich foods and iron supplements. One cost-effective way of increasing iron intake is fortification of salt with iron in addition to iodine. To begin with, the Ministries dealing with food and nutrition programmes such as the Integrated Child Development Services and midday meal will make the use of double fortified salt (DFS) mandatory. The Department of Food and Public Distribution will also examine the possibility of supplying DFS through the Public Distribution System. Uttarakhand selected 'first' tourism destination: Uttarakhand was on April 23, 2011 selected as the first tourist destination of India which would be developed in the new Five-Year Plan. A total of 10 new destinations would be developed in the country, said Union Tourism Minister Subodh Kant Sahay. Centre would provide nearly Rs 200250 crore for the development of each tourist destination. The government is developing investment plans for key circuits/destinations. These plans will identify components requiring investments through public-private partnership (PPP) models. IL&FS was chosen as the infrastructure partner to explore new destinations & bring new investments in the PPP mode from home & abroad.

Navy sends INS Talwar to tackles pirates off Somali coast: The Navy has sent a warship towards the
Somali coast to keep a vigil on the hijacked merchant vessel on which seven Indian sailors are being held as hostages, despite payment of ransom by the owners of the ship. INS

The Darbhanga Gita-Govinda unveiled: The

Darbhanga Gita-Govinda, a book authored by noted writer and Rajya Sabha Member Dr. Kapila Vatsyayan was

7 released by the Vice President of India M. Hamid Ansari on April 20, 2011. The Darbhanga Gita-Govinda is the eighth in the series of monographs by Dr. Kapila Vatsyayan on the Gita-Govinda and the miniature painting tradition of India. It exemplifies both the continuity and changes which take place over time in comprehending the text as also its visual representation. Police on April 20, 2011 became the first police force in the country to acquire an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) to keep a strict vigil on the movements of criminals and trouble mongers. It has procured the UAV named Golden Hawk for four months on trial basis. UAVs, equipped with a highpower small camera to record the activities on the ground, are mainly used by armies around the world for surveillance and reconnaissance purposes.

Chandigarh Police the first to get UAV: Chandigarh

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Section B: WORLD
NEWS ROUND UP
5 Indians in Time list of 100 most influential people in 2011
As many as five Indians including cricket captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who inspired the country to its first World Cup title in 28 years, are included in the Time magazine's list of 100 most influential people in the world for the year 2010 nd released in April 2011. Dhoni, ranked 52 in the chart, was the only Indian sportsperson to make the list which also included four of his compatriots in Titan of Industry Mukesh Ambani (61), Brain Mapper V.S. Ramachandran (79), Philanthropist Azim Premji (88) and Change Agent Aruna Roy (89). Dhoni is only the second Indian sportsman after Sachin Tendulkar to find place in Time list till date. The list is topped by Wael Ghonim, the Google executive who became the Spokesman for a Revolution in Egypt. Wael Ghonim is followed by American economist and 2001 nd Nobel Economics Laureate Joseph Stiglitz (2 ), Netflix rd Inc. CEO Reed Hastings (3 ), US comedian actress Amy th Poehler (4 ), American social activist and educator th Geoffrey Canada (5 ), Facebook founder Mark th Zuckerberg (6 ), creator of Angry Birds, a puzzle video game developed by Finland-based Rovio Mobile, Peter th th Vesterbacka (7 ), German Chancellor Angela Merkel (8 ), th WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange (9 ) and US real estate developer and founder of Middle-East based Education for th Employment Foundation (EFE) Ron Bruder (10 ) in the top ten list. Others in the list include President Barack Obama (86), US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton (43) and Pakistans ISI Chief Ahmed Shuja Pasha (17). is not on track to achieve by 2015 the six Education for All goals that over 160 countries signed up to in 2000. Although there has been progress in many areas, most of the goals will be missed by a wide margin especially in regions affected by conflict. UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova said that this groundbreaking report documents the scale of this hidden crisis, identifies its root causes and offers solid proposals for change. The report is endorsed by four Nobel Peace Prize laureates: Oscar Arias Snchez (Costa Rica), Shirin Ebadi (Islamic Republic of Iran), Jos Ramos-Horta (Timor-Leste) and Archbishop Desmond Tutu (South Africa) Of the total number of primary school age children in the world who are not enrolled in school, 42% 28 million live in poor countries affected by conflict. This years report sets out a comprehensive agenda for change, including tougher action against human rights violations, an overhaul of global aid priorities, strengthened rights for displaced people and more attention to the ways education failures can increase the risk of conflict. Thirty-five countries were affected by armed conflict from 1999 to 2008. Children and schools are on the front line of these conflicts, with classrooms, teachers and pupils seen as legitimate targets. Hundreds of schools in conflict-ridden countries were destroyed, damaged or looted during fighting in 2009 and 2010 between government and rebel forces. Insecurity and fear associated with sexual violence keep young girls, in particular, out of school. Armed conflict is also diverting public funds from education into military spending, the report warns. Many of the poorest countries spend significantly more on arms than on basic education. Twenty-one countries spend more on the military than on basic education; if they were to cut military spending by just 10%, they could put 9.5 million more children in school. Military spending is also diverting the resources of aid donor countries. The humanitarian aid system is failing children, warns the report, which calls for a major overhaul in aid to education in conflict-affected countries. Education accounts for just 2% of humanitarian aid, and only a small fraction of requests for humanitarian aid for education are met. Financing for humanitarian pooled funds must be increased to US$2 billion to cover shortfalls in education financing.

UNESCOs 2011 Global Monitoring Report released

Armed conflict is robbing 28 million children of an education by exposing them to widespread rape and other sexual violence, targeted attacks on schools and other human rights abuses, says the UNESCOs 2011 Global Monitoring Report released on March 1, 2011. The report, The hidden crisis: Armed conflict and education, cautions that the world

National Coalition Party wins in Finland elections:

The National Coalition Party led by Jyrki Katainen won the highest number of 44 seats (20.4% vote share) in the elections for the 200-member Parliament called Eduskunta

in the held on April 17, 2011. The Social Democrats led by Jutta Urpilainen won 42 seats (19.1%) followed by 39 (19.1%) for Timo Soinis True Finns and 35 (15.8%) seats for Prime Minister Mari Kiviniemis Centre Party. Left Alliance (14 seats), Green League (9 seats), Swedish People's Party (10 seats) and Christian Democrats (6 seats) accounted for the rest. The True Finns Party, which campaigned on a platform of stringent fiscal and immigration controls in the European Union and held just five seats in the outgoing Parliament, is almost certain to become a part of a new governing coalition in Helsinki. Finland's new political landscape might jeopardise economic bailout packages for governments like that of Greece or Portugal which are facing huge and unmanageable deficits. The True Finns said they could use their veto to block any EU legislation giving more aid to ailing and failing European economies.

9 Department working on cyber issues to more effectively advance US cyber interests.

Bradley Manning to be shifted to new prison:

Bradley Manning, a US Army serviceman suspected of passing classified information to the whistle-blowing website WikiLeaks, is being transferred to a new prison, the Pentagon said on April 20, 2011. Manning was arrested in May 2010 in Iraq on suspicion of having passed restricted material to the website WikiLeaks. He was charged in July that year with transferring classified data onto his personal computer, and communicating national defense information to an unauthorized source.

Victoria Cross holder Nepalese passes away: Tul

Bahadur Pun, a Nepalese soldier who won Britain's highest military honour and later spearheaded the Gurkha rights campaign, passed away on April 21, 2011. Pun was awarded the rare Victoria Cross, Britain's greatest possible decoration for bravery in the face of the enemy, for his extraordinary heroics in Burma in June 1944. He singlehandedly stormed a Japanese machine gun position, under heavy fire. The VC takes precedence over all other military honours and Pun's death leaves just one living recipient from World War II, and only eight in total. Pun's bravery won him an invitation to Queen Elizabeth II's coronation in 1953 and he had tea with her mother, queen Elizabeth.

Jonathan wins presidential election in Nigeria:

Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan of the ruling People's Democratic Party (PDP) has won the presidential election with 58.89% of the votes polled, according to the results announced by the electoral commission on April 18, 2011. His main challenger, ex-military ruler Muhammadu Buhari of the Congress for Progressive Change, got 31.98% votes. Jonathan had become President of the country following the demise of President Umaru Yar'Adua in May 2010.

Raul Castro named first secretary of Cuba's Communist Party: President Raul Castro was named
first secretary of Cuba's Communist Party on April 19, 2011, with his brother Fidel not included in the leadership for the first time since the party's creation 46 years ago. Despite raising hopes during the gathering that a new generation of leaders was poised to take up important positions, Raul Castro announced that Jose Ramon Machado Ventura, an 80-year-old long-time confidante, would be his No. 2. Ramiro Valdes, a 78-year-old Vice-President, was named to the No. 3 spot.

British ex-PM Gordon Brown joins WEF: Former British Prime Minister Gordon Brown has been appointed unpaid chairman of a new policy group at the World Economic Forum, the organisation announced on April 22, 2011. The WEF, which organises the annual meeting of global business and political elites in Davos, said Brown had "valuable insights into the global agenda" from his ten years as British finance minister and three years as premier. Brown will chair a new "policy and initiatives coordination board," an informal group of heads of international organisations and government representatives. UK to hold referendum on Alternative Vote system: United Kingdom's first referendum in more than 30 years will be held on May 5 when people will decide whether to abandon the current first-past-the-post voting system in favour of Alternative Vote (AV), a form of Proportional Representation, in which voters rank candidates in order of preference. It is practised only in three countries Australia, Fiji and Papua New Guinea. Opinion polls give a significant lead to the no'' camp and barring a dramatic surge in the closing days of the campaign, the yes'' campaign looks set to lose. A defeat will be a huge personal blow to the Liberal Democrat leader and Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg who has tried to sell the referendum as a major victory for his party's campaign for more comprehensive electoral reforms.

De Niro to head Cannes Film Fest jury: Robert De

Niro will be the head of the jury at the 64 Cannes Festival from May 11 to 22, 2011. Jury members include Argentine actress and producer Martina Gusman, Chinese producer Nansun Shi, Norwegian critic, writer Linn Ullmann, Hollywoods Jude Law and Uma Thurman, French director Olivier Assayas, Chadian director Mahamat Saleh Haroun, winner of Cannes' 2010 Jury Prize, and Hong Kong director Johnny To. The festival features 19 films in competition for the Palme d'Or.
th

Christopher Painter appointed US cyber envoy: US

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on April 22, 2011 appointed a cyber envoy to handle issues related to Internet and the World Wide Web. In this capacity, Christopher Painter will bring together the many elements in the State

10

European Parliament condemns Pak for supporting Taliban: The European Parliament (EP) on
April 22, 2011 two declarations against the Pakistan government condemning it for its support to the Taliban and instructed the European Commission to re-evaluate the size of financial packages provided to Islamabad to eradicate terrorists from its soil. These declarations came after recognising the need for urgent measures to be taken for the safety and security of EU, as Pakistan didn't stop supporting the Taliban and has been involved in supporting export of terrorism to EU countries. Expressing the EU's worry, one declaration warned about infiltration of the Taliban in Pakistan governmental structures especially military, intelligence and security establishment and cited U.S. President Barack Obama's 2009 warning of Taliban snatching a nuclear weapon in transport or inserting sympathisers in laboratories.

World Heritage Day observed: The International Day

for Monuments and Sites (informally known as the World th Heritage Day) was created on 18 April, 1982, by ICOMOS (International Council on Monuments and Sites) and later approved at the UNESCO General Conference in 1983. This special day offers an opportunity to raise publics awareness concerning the diversity of the worlds heritage and the efforts that are required to protect and conserve it, as well as to draw attention to its vulnerability. The Cultural Heritage of Water was the theme of the World Heritage Day observed on April 18, 2011. Some recent World Heritage Day themes include: 2010: Agricultural Heritage; 2009: Heritage and Science; 2008: Religious heritage and sacred places; 2007: Cultural landscapes and monuments of nature & 2006: Industrial Heritage.

Pakistan

test-fires short-range missile Hatf: Pakistan on April 19, 2011 conducted the first test of Hatf-9 or Nasr missile, a newly developed short-range surface-tosurface missile capable of carrying a nuclear warhead. The Pak military said the launch was aimed at boosting the "deterrence value" of the country's strategic weapons programme.
Laos announced on April 19, 2011 that it would defer a decision on building the first dam on the lower Mekong river in the face of opposition from its neighbouring countries including its closest ally, Vietnam. Those opposing feared the $3.5 billion Xayaburi dam would open the door for a building spree of as many as 10 others on the Mekong's lower mainstream, degrading the river's fragile ecology and affecting the lives of millions who depend on it for their livelihoods. Vietnam has urged at least a 10-year moratorium on all mainstream dams on the river. But hydropower is one of Laos' few major resources, and the landlocked country has argued that revenue from the 1,260 megawatt dam will spur economic and social development. Thailand agreed last year to buy 95 per cent of Xayaburi's electricity output.

World Book Day observed: World Book Day and Copyright Day is a yearly event on 23 April, organized by UNESCO to promote reading, publishing and copyright. The Day was first celebrated in 1995. The connection between 23 April and books were first made in 1923 by booksellers in Spain as a way to honour the author "Miguel de Cervantes" who died on that day. The idea for this celebration originated in Catalonia where on 23 April, Saint George's Day, a rose is traditionally given as a gift for each book sold. I Am Kalam screening at Buckingham Palace: After winning the Audience Choice Award at the Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles (IFFLA), I Am Kalam, a film directed by Nila Madhab Panda and produced by Smile Foundation on a child's struggle to get an education against all odds, is reportedly headed to the Buckingham Palace after Prince Charles expressed an interest in watching the movie. The film, which has won 11 international awards, is set in Bikaner, Rajasthan, and revolves around the trials and tribulations of Chhotu.
FAO, World Food Programme launch global food security platform: In order to maximise its food assistance efforts, United Nation's bodies FAO and the World Food Programme (WFP) on April 17, 2011 launched a new global food security platform for effective co-ordination during crises such as natural disaster and conflicts. Apart from FAO and WFP, the global team comprises of International Red Cross, Red Crescent Movement, non governmental organisations (NGOs) among other humanitarian agencies. FAO said that a food security clusters already exist and is helping in coordinating food security responses in more than 25 countries worldwide affected by crises like natural disasters, conflicts, etc.

Laos defers decision to build Mekong river dam:

Earth Day observed: The Earth Day was observed

worldwide on April 22, 2011. The day intended to inspire awareness and appreciation for the Earth's natural environment, was founded by US Senator Gaylord Nelson on April 22, 1970. While this first Earth Day was focused on the United States, an organization launched by Denis Hayes, who was the original national coordinator in 1970, took it international in 1990 and organized events in 141 nations. Earth Day is now coordinated globally by the Earth Day Network, and is celebrated in more than 175 countries every year. In 2009, the United Nations designated April 22 International Mother Earth Day.

NASA awards contracts for space shuttle replacements: NASA on April 19, 2011 announced it has
awarded nearly 270 million dollars to four US companies to help their pursuit of making a spacecraft to replace the US space shuttle. The companies winning contracts under the NASA commercial crew development programme, or

CCDev2, include Boeing, Sierra Nevada Corporation (developing DreamChaser shuttle), SpaceX (a company that last year completed its first successful test of an unmanned space capsule into orbit and back) and Blue Origin.

11 their lives between 4 or less, are considered "suffering", while "struggling" respondents fall between the two groups. Denmark topped as the most contented country as almost two-thirds of its residents described themselves as thriving. With having 69 per cent happy people, Sweden and Canada ranked as the second most happiest countries, followed by Australia (66 per cent), Finland and Venezuela (64 per cent), Israel and New Zealand (63 per cent), Netherlands and Ireland (62 per cent).

UN non-proliferation committee gets 10-year extension: The UN Security Council on April 20, 2011
unanimously adopted a resolution to extend the mandate by 10 years of the committee established pursuant to UNSCR 1540, which obliges states to implement measures to prevent the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMD). Resolution 1540 is considered a landmark measure because it was the first to recognise the nuclear threat from terrorist and militant groups.

Maritime Counter-Piracy Conference organised:

Maritime industry has proposed a set of measures including a stronger public-private effort to combat the increasing incidence of pirate attacks on commercial and noncommercial vessels. The continual loss of ships and their cargoes, and the serious risk to the lives of mariners, is too great for the international community to endure for much longer, Diplomats and shipping industry representatives said at the conclusion of the Maritime Counter-Piracy Conference in Dubai on April 19, 2011. DP World, which coorganised the meet, stressed the need for an increased military presence in the waters off the shores of Somalia, in the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean.

Well-being survey puts India in 71st spot: With only

17 per cent people describing themselves as "thriving", India ranked 71, in a new Gallup study on overall well-being conducted in 124 countries unveiled on April 20, 2011. The study had asked people to rate themselves on a ladder with steps labelled 0 to 10. People who rate their current lives a 7 or higher and say they expect their lives in five years to be an 8 or higher are considered to be thriving. Those who rate

Section C: AWARDS
INDIA Awards conferred on National Panchayati Raj Diwas
The Rashtriya Gaurav Gram Sabha Puraskar 2011, e Panchayat Puraskar 2011 and the Prizes for the National Level Winners of Drawing Painting and Essay Competitions nd held during the Year of the Gram Sabha (2 October nd 2009-2 October 2011) were conferred on their winners by Union Minister of Panchayati Raj and Rural Development Vilasrao Deshmukh on the occasion of National Panchayati Raj Diwas on April 24, 2011. Panchayat Empowerment & Accountability Incentive Scheme (PEAIS) Panchayat Empowerment Accountability Incentive Scheme (PEAIS) was implemented by the Ministry of Panchayati Raj (MoPR) in 2005-06 to motivate states to empower the Panchayats by devolving Funds, functions and functionaries (3Fs). The scheme aims at encouraging the States for empowering the Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) and putting in place mechanism for transparency and accountability of the PRIs. Performance of the States in these respects is measured through a Devolution Index (DI) formulated by an independent institution. A token award is also given to the States, for which the annual provision is currently at Rs. 10 crore. This year in addition to the cumulative achievement of the state, the DI study also took into account incremental achievement since 1st April 2009.For 2010-11, the Indian Institute of Public Administration (IIPA), New Delhi was engaged for the task of preparation of DI and ranking the States.

Rashtriya Gaurav Gram Sabha Puraskar 2011

In order to appreciate and devise an appropriate structure of incentives and to recognize and encourage the Panchayats for outstanding performance through effective Gram Sabhas, especially in respect of improvements in the social and economic structure of the village, the Ministry of Panchayati Raj instituted National level Awards for Best Gram Sabhas and name it as Rashtriya Gaurav Gram Sabha. The prize money for this award is Rs 10 lakhs. The Award money will be utilized by the Panchayats for public purposes such as augmentation of civic services like primary education, primary health care, safe drinking water, public utilities; provision rural infrastructure in the Panchayat jurisdiction etc.

This year the following Gram Sabhas and Gram Panchayats have merited for RGGS 2011:
2 S. N o. Name of the District Name of the Block/Tal uka Athani Sanguem Padadhari Rohtak Chopda Shrinagar Melli Name of the Gram Panchayat/ Gram Sabha Nominated Shiraguppi Kirlapal Dabal Depaliya Assan Chahardi Aradaka MellidaraPaiyong State Name of the Sarpanch ( recipient of the Award) Vinesh Iragouda Patil Rama Sonugaonk ar Rasilaben Dalsaniya Raj Singh Sangitabai Koli Raheesa Khatoon Ganesh Rahi

Dattatreya Chavhan Meghawi Saini

3(1)

Ajaz-Ul-Haq

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Belgau m South Goa Rajkot Rohtak Jalgao n Ajmer South District

Karnataka Goa Gujarat Haryana Maharashtr a Rajasthan Sikkim

3(2)

Jyoti Manoharrao Mate

Koregaon, District. Satara Nasibpur, Narnaul, District Mahendraga rh Akramabad Village, District Doda District Aurangabad

12

Haryana

Rs. 15,000

Jammu Kashmir

&

Rs. 10,000

Maharashtra

Rs. 10,000

LIST OF WINNERS OF ESSAY COMPETITION AT NATIONAL LEVEL

S. No . 1 2 Name of the winner Rini Joshi Diana Thomas Kalluri Eswar Datt Adarsh Village/Tehsil/ District New Cera, District Pithoragarh DistrictMalkapuram, Vishakapattanam Chillakur Village, District-Nellore State Prize Money Rs. 25,000 Rs. 15,000 Rs. 10,000

Uttarakhand Andhra Pradesh Andhra Pradesh

e Panchayat Puraskar 2011

This Year a national award in the category of e panchayat Puraskar has been instituted by MoPr in order to appreciate the excellent achieving of various States in the implementation of Model Accounting system for Panchayats (MAS) and PRIASoft. A prize money of Rs 50 lakhs for first prize, Rs 30 lakhs for second and Rs 20 lakhs for third prize will be given to the winning states. It is expected that the prize money would be utilised for further strengthening / development of MAS/ PRIASoft initiative in the state viz., provision of computers, training to concerned functionaries etc. The following States have been selected for the e Panchayat Puraskar:

Highlights of National Panchayati Raj Diwas awards:

Maharashtra bags maximum awards: RGGS, PEAIS -3 Second Prize in e Panchayat Puraskar) Haryana bags three awards (RGGS, PEAIS 5 Painting Competition -2nd prize). J&K bags one prize in Drawing and Painting competition. Karnataka bags three awards (RGGS and 2 PEAIS awards) Odisha bags first prize in e Panchayat Puraskar. Sikkim bags two awards (RGGS and PEAIS) Rajasthan gets two awards (RGGS and 1st prize in PEAIS Incremental devolution)
th rd

prize, 2 prizes for national drawing and painting and in

incremental index and Winner of National Drawing

1 2 3 4 5

STATE ODISHA MAHARASHTRA TRIPURA PUNJAB ASSAM

PRIZE FIRST PRIZE SECOND PRIZE SECOND PRIZE THIRD PRIZE THIRD PRIZE

PRIZE MONEY RS 50 LAKHS RS 30 LAKHS RS. 30 LAKHS RS 20 LAKH RS. 20 LAKHS

Prizes for the National level winners of Drawing Painting and Essay Competitions held during the Year nd nd of the Gram Sabha (2 October 2009-2 October 2011) LIST OF WINNERS OF DRAWING COMPETITION AT THE NATIONAL LEVEL
S. No. 1 Name of the winner Parasad Tehsil District Tehsil / State Maharashtra

PMs Excellence Awards conferred on Civil Services Day

The Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh inaugurated the Civil Services Day in New Delhi on April 21, 2011 and gave away the `PMs Awards for Excellence in Public Administration for the year 200910 on the occasion. The Civil Services is being celebrated since 2006.

PAITING

Prize Money Rs 25,000

Five initiatives in three categories individual, group and organization were selected for the award. Individual category: Bridging the Gap the Turnaround of Bihar Rajya Pul Nirman Nigam, (Bihar) Group category: (i) Success Story of Malkapur 24x7 Water Supply Scheme (Maharashtra) and (ii) Education and Training Centre Dreams to Reality, Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation, (Maharashtra). Organization category: (i) Sickle Cell Anemia Control Programme, of Government of Gujarat and (ii) Sustainable Plastic Waste Management of Himachal Pradesh. Under this scheme of awards, all officers of Central and State Governments individually or as group or as organization are eligible. The award includes a medal, scroll and a cash amount of Rs.1 lakh. In case of a group, the total award money is Rs.5 lakh subject to a maximum of Rs. 1 lakh per person. For an organization this is limited to Rs. 5 lakh.

13 composition. It was established by Hungarian-American publisher Joseph Pulitzer and is administered by Columbia University in New York City. Pulitzers are awarded in 13 journalism categories and seven arts categories. In twenty of these, each winner receives a certificate and a US$10,000 cash award. The winner in the public service category of the journalism competition is awarded a gold medal. Complete list of winners for 2011 is as follows:

Journalism
Public Service: Los Angeles Times Breaking News Reporting: No award Investigative Reporting: Paige St. John of Sarasota Herald-Tribune Explanatory Reporting: Mark Johnson, Kathleen Gallagher, Gary Porter, Lou Saldivar and Alison Sherwood of Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Local Reporting: Frank Main, Mark Konkol and John J. Kim of Chicago Sun-Times National Reporting: Jesse Eisinger and Jake Bernstein of ProPublica International Reporting: Clifford J. Levy and Ellen Barry of The New York Times Feature Writing: Amy Ellis Nutt of The Star-Ledger, Newark, NJ Commentary: David Leonhardt of The New York Times Criticism: Sebastian Smee of The Boston Globe Editorial Writing: Joseph Rago of The Wall Street Journal Editorial Cartooning: Mike Keefe of The Denver Post Breaking News Photography: Carol Guzy, Nikki Kahn and Ricky Carioti of The Washington Post Feature Photography: Barbara Davidson of Los Angeles Times

Rajeev Bhargava wins Dr Malcolm Adiseshiah Award: Prof Rajeev Bhargava, director and senior fellow,
Centre for the Study of Developing Societies, New Delhi, will be the recipient of the Dr Malcolm Adiseshiah award this year. The announcement was made by the Elizabeth Adiseshiah Trust on April 19, 2011. The award is announced on the birth anniversary of Dr Malcolm Adiseshiah, distinguished economist and educationist who passed away in 1994. The award will be presented to Bhargava on November 21, the death anniversary of Adiseshiah, during which he will deliver a memorial lecture. The award consists of a citation and a cash award of Rs 2 lakh. The award is given to make economics research attractive for scholars.

Letters, Drama and Music

Fiction: A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan (Alfred A. Knopf) Drama: Clybourne Park by Bruce Norris History: The Fiery Trial: Abraham Lincoln and American Slavery by Eric Foner (W.W. Norton & Company) Biography or Autobiography: Washington: A Life by Ron Chernow (The Penguin Press) Poetry: The Best of It New and Selected Poems by Kay Ryan (Grove/Atlantic) General Nonfiction: The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer by Siddhartha Mukherjee (Scribner) Music: Madame White Snake by Zhou Long (Oxford University Press) Special Citations: There are no special citations this year

Super 30 founder is Europe journal's global personality: Anand Kumar, who founded Super 30,
Bihar's free coaching centre which helps economically backward students crack the IIT-JEE, was on April 20, 2011 selected by Europe's magazine Focus as one of the global personalities who have the ability to shape exceptionally talented people. He is the only Indian named in the list. Focus is published by Italy's biggest publishing house Arnoldo Mondadori Editore.

WORLD Pulitzer Prizes announced

The New York Times won Pulitzer Prizes on April 18, 2011 for its economics commentary and its reporting on Russia, while The Los Angeles Times received the coveted public service Pulitzer and the award for feature photography. The Pulitzer Prize is a U.S. award for achievements in newspaper and online journalism, literature and musical

Indian-American doctor's book wins Pulitzer in non-fiction

Indian-American physician Siddhartha Mukherjee's acclaimed book on cancer, The

Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer, has won the prestigious 2011 Pulitzer Prize in the general non-fiction category. According to the Pulitzer citation, the book by the New York-based cancer physician and researcher is an elegant inquiry, at once clinical and personal, into the long history of an insidious disease that, despite treatment breakthroughs, still bedevils medical science. The Pulitzer for general non-fiction is awarded to a distinguished and appropriately documented book of nonfiction by an American author that is not eligible for consideration in any other category. India-born Dr. Mukherjee is an assistant professor of medicine at Columbia University and a cancer physician at the Columbia University Medical Centre. A Rhodes scholar, he graduated from Stanford University, University of Oxford, Harvard Medical School. In his book, Dr. Mukherjee recounts centuries of discoveries, setbacks, victories and deaths, told through the eyes of his predecessors and peers, training their wits against an infinitely resourceful

14 adversary that, just three decades ago, was thought to be easily vanquished in an all-out war against cancer. An award-winning science writer, Dr. Mukherjee examines cancer with a cellular biologist's precision, a historian's perspective and a biographer's passion.

Binayak Sen wins Korean human rights prize: Civil rights activist Binayak Sen, recently freed on bail by the Supreme Court in a sedition case, has been honoured with the 2011 Gwangju Prize for Human Rights, South Korea's most prestigious award for those working on peace, democracy and justice in Asia. The award was announced on April 21, 2011 by 2011 Gwangju Prize Committee in Seoul. The prize, which carries a sum of USD 50,000 is awarded each year on May 18 on the anniversary of the May 1980 Gwangju democratic uprising -- to a person or organisation who has made significant contributions in the field of human rights and democracy.

Section D: ECONOMY & CORPORATE

NEWS ROUND UP
Exports register growth of 37.5% in 2010-11
EXPORTS in 2010-11 Major Sectors Engineering Oil Gems & jewellery Readymade garments Manmade yarn & fabrics Cotton yarn and made-ups Textiles Electronics goods Drugs & pharmaceuticals Chemicals Plastics Leather Iron ore Marine products Carpets IMPORTS in 2010-11 Major Sectors Oil Pearls, gems & jewellery Gold & silver Fertilsers Vegetable oil (in $ billion) 60.1 42.5 33.5 11.1 4.2 5.7 21 7.4 10.3 8.6 4.6 3.7 4.5 2.5 1.1 Growth (%) 84.8 50.6 15.3 4.2 16.1 43 14.5 35.5 15.1 26 38 12 25 21 53.3 Machinery Electronics Chemicals Iron & steel Ores & scrap Resins & plastics 27.2 21.7 14.9 10.5 9.6 6.9 29 3.5 25 26.6 24.6 38

Indias merchandise exports for the year ending March 2011 touched US$ 245.9 billion registering a growth of 37.5%. This was the first time export figure reached the US$ 200 billion mark. Imports for the same period grew 21.5% to US$ 350.3 billion. The trade deficit figure has come down to US$ 10.4.4 billion. The government had set a target of achieving exports worth $200 billion in the last financial year. It had also set an ambitious goal of realising $450 billion in export of goods by 2014. In 2009-2010, exports ended up falling 3.6 per cent to $178.6 billion and imports declined by 5.5 per cent year-onyear at $286.8 billion. Union Minister for Commerce & Industry Anand Sharma, in his briefing about the trade performance for the financial year 2010-11 on April 19, 2011, said the growth had mainly come from newer markets such as Latin America and Africa and not from traditional destinations of the US, Europe and Japan. Recent bilateral trade agreements signed with South Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand and Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) would contribute in achieving the target of $450 billion in exports by 2014. Highlights of Indias trade in 2010-11 are:

(in $ billion) 101.3 28.2 36.8 6.7 6.5

Growth (%) 16.7 72.8 23.6 0 16.5

Engineering goods by far constituted the largest component of exports. Entailing considerable domestic value addition, engineering exports crossed US$ 60 billion registering a growth of 84.76%. Petroleum Products export were in the range of US$ 42.45 billion registering a growth of 50.58% Gems & Jewellery sector which is a considerable employer of people saw an export of US$ 33.54 billion showing a growth of 15.34% Drugs & pharmaceuticals sectors for which India has gained a considerable global reputation saw total exports of US$ 10.32 billion showing a growth of 15.08%. Textiles exports were $21 billion registering a growth of 34.5% over 2009-10. Readymade garments exports crossed US$ 11.1 billion showing a growth of 4.23%. Manmade yarn & fabrics saw exports of US$ 4.2 billion registering a growth of 16.1%. Cotton yarn fabrics saw an export of US$ 5.66 billion registering a growth of 42.87%. Exports of carpet, jute and leather which are the labour intensive sectors assured considerable dynamism in growth. Carpets exports reached $1.1 billion in 2010-11, the first time they have exceeded the $1 billion-mark. Exports of electronic goods grew 34.5 per cent at $7.4 billion. Agricultural exports and allied sectors including tea, coffee, tobacco, spices, cashew, oil meals, fruits and vegetables and marine products crossed US$ 12.92 billion. Iron Ore exports went down by 25% at US$ 4.5 billion.

15 and recommend the nature and Quantum of Government support such as equity/grant/ subsidy in physical/financial terms that may be required. The Committee shall submit its recommendations to the Government by 31.7.2011. Background: A, earlier Committee comprising the Chairman, National Manufacturing Competitiveness Council (NMCC) and others had made five recommendations: (i) Set up Semiconductor Wafer Fabs; (ii) Create policies for preferential access to "Manufacturedin-lndia "Indian Products" electronics goods for all government procurements and procurement by Government Licensees; (iii) Set up a dedicated "Electronic Development Fund"; (iv) Set up of a National Electronics Mission (NEM) and (v) Encourage manufacture of specific high priority electronic product line in India by providing capital grant and creation of electronic manufacturing clusters. Electronics hardware sector is capital intensive. The Rough Order of Magnitude (ROM) of investment for the two wafer fabs (Fab-1 and Fab-2) is estimated at to be Rs.25,000 Crore (approx. US$ 5 Billion). The Indian electronics hardware industry and the Indian economy would be the direct beneficiaries of the proposal. The Semiconductor Wafer Fabs will have catalytic impact on development of downstream and upstream products, including ancillaries. It would have sizable impact on the development of IT/ITES sector particularly in Very Large Scale Integration (VLSI) design software, solutions and services. It will also bootstrap innovation and R&D, especially in the area of semiconductors and others. It will help generating employment of the order of about 3 Crore (direct and indirect) by 2020 across various levels of competencies.

Committee on Semiconductor Manufacturing set up

The Union Cabinet on April 20, 2011 approved the proposal to set up an Empowered Committee for identifying technology and investors for setting up two Semiconductor Wafer Fabrication (Fab) Manufacturing Facilities in the country. The Empowered Committee comprising Adviser to PM on Public Information, Infrastructure and Innovation; Chairman, National Manufacturing Competitiveness Council (NMCC); Secretary, Department of Expenditure; Member (Industry), Planning Commission; Dr. M. J. Zarabi, Former CMD, Semiconductor Complex Ltd. (SCL) - Technical Expert and Secretary, DIT - Member Convenor has been set up. The Empowered Committee will identify technology and potential investors for establishment of Semiconductor Wafer Fabs, and thereafter ascertain their interest in setting up of Semiconductor Fab facilities in the country; to assess

National rollout of e-District Mission Mode project approved

The Cabinet Committee on Infrastructure has approved the scheme of National Rollout of e-District Mission Mode Project on April 21, 2011. The estimated total project cost for the nation-wide rollout of e-District MMP is Rs 1663.08 crore spread over years 2011-2012 to 2014-2015. The Government of India's share is estimated to be Rs 1233.08 crore and States' share Rs 430 crore. The project will be implemented in all 640 districts (including the 41 districts where e-District Pilot Projects have already been initiated) of the country for a period of 4 years. The approval is for an outlay of Rs 1663.08 crore with an expenditure of Rs 541.22 crore in the Eleventh Five Year Plan and of Rs 1121.86 crore in the Twelfth Five Year Plan. Back ground

The Government had in May 2006, approved the National e Governance Plan (NeGP) with the following vision: Make all Government Services accessible to the common man in his locality, through common service delivery outlets and ensure efficiency, transparency and reliability of such services at affordable costs to realize the basic needs of the common man. To realize this vision, 27 Central, State and Integrated Mission Mode projects (MMPs) along with 8 support components were identified and approved under NeGP. States have the flexibility to identify upto 5 additional statespecific projects, which are particularly relevant for the economic development of the State. NeGP also envisages creation of the core IT infrastructure in the form of State Wide Area Networks (SWANs), State Data Centres (SDCs) State Service Delivery Gateways (SSDGs) and one lakh Front Ends namely Common Services Centres (CSCs), in rural areas across the country to deliver public services electronically. e-District is one of the 27 MMPs under NeGP, with the Department of Information Technology (DIT), Government of India as the nodal Department, to be implemented by State Government or their designated agencies. The MMP aims at electronic delivery of identified high volume citizen centric services, at such district and sub-district level.

16 Organization. However, so far there has been no consensus on ensuring protection of traditional knowledge. TKDL, a collaborative project between CSIR and Department of AYUSH, is a maiden Indian effort to help prevent misappropriation of traditional knowledge belonging to India at International Patent Offices. It has scientifically converted and structured the Indias traditional knowledge available in 148 ancient books on Indian Systems of Medicine, into five international languages, namely, English, Japanese, French, German and Spanish (30 million A4 size pages), with the help of IT tools and a novel classification system, namely, Traditional Knowledge Resource Classification (TKRC). Today, India through TKDL is capable of protecting about 2 lakh (0.226 million) medical formulations similar to those of neem and turmeric. On an average, it takes five to seven years for opposing a granted patent at international level which may cost Rs 1-3 crore (0.2-0.6 million US$). These unique international TKDL Access Agreements would have long-term implications on the protection of traditional knowledge and global intellectual property systems in view of the fact that in the past, patents have been granted at EPO and USPTO on the use of over 200 medicinal plants due to the lack of access to the documented knowledge in public domain. Also, at any point in time, 40-50 patent applications based on Indian traditional knowledge are awaiting grant of patent.

India and Japan Sign TKDL Access Agreement

Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), India signed the TKDL (Traditional Knowledge Digital Library) Access Agreement with the Japan Patent Office (JPO) on April 20, 2011. The Agreement would help prevent misappropriation of Indias traditional knowledge at JPO. It also successfully concludes the arrangement of protection of Indias traditional knowledge with trilateral offices like United States Patent & Trademark Office, European Patent Office and Japan Patent Office. This is considered significant as most of the international patent applications get filed at least in one of these trilateral offices. Rejection of a patent application at any one of these offices would facilitate its rejection at any other International Patent Office. A recent study carried out by TKDL expert team has revealed a sharp decline (44%) on filing of patent applications concerning Indian systems of medicine at EPO in particular on generic group concerning medicinal plant preparation. Misappropriation and bio-piracy are the issues of great concern for 130 developing countries and this agenda is being pursued at multilateral forums such as Convention on Biological Diversity, TRIPs Council at World Trade Organization and at World Intellectual Property

Manufacturing sector profits employees PwC Study

most

from

Engineering and manufacturing generate the most revenue and profits per employee followed by FMCG and pharma space. Overall, companies make an investment of Rs. 7,000 on learning and development (L&D) per employee. IT and ITeS have the lowest spend on learning and development per employee. Measuring Human Capital - Driving Business Results, a PwC Saratoga India Survey 2010 on human capital effectiveness was conducted amongst 37 Indian companies across different industries recently. According to the survey, with an average remuneration of Rs 4.8 lakh and profit of Rs 6 lakh per employee, the human capital return on investment is 1.79 for organisations in India. Indian companies make a pure profit of Rs 15 from every Rs 100 worth revenue generated by their employees.

17 According to the study, the engineering and manufacturing sectors earn the most revenue and profit per employee. This is followed by the FMCG and pharma sectors. Companies make an investment of Rs 7,000 on learning and development (L&D) per employee. Pharmaceutical companies spent the highest (Rs 10,000) on learning and development (L&D) per employee and delivered the highest number of L&D hours per employee, while IT and ITeS were found to spend the least on L&D per employee. IT/ITeS witnessed the highest termination and resignation rate. responsibility of an 'aerodrome operator' and of ANS provider, a senior AAI official said.

Poverty rate declines to 32%: The latest data of the

Planning Commission indicates that poverty has declined to 32 per cent in 2009-10 from 37.2 per cent five years ago. The preliminary estimates are based on the formula suggested by the Tendulkar Committee for computing the number of poor. Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia on April 20, 2011 said that the 2009-10 data shows a decline in poverty from 37.2 per cent in 2004-05 to 32 per cent in 2009-10 as the per the preliminary data worked out by the Planning Commission member Abhijit Sen. The Tendulkar Committee had suggested that poverty be estimated on the basis of consumption based on the cost of living index instead of caloric intake. It said that the basket of goods should also include services such as health and education. The new poverty line, as suggested by the Tendulkar Committee, is different for rich and poor States, and for rural and urban areas within a State. Estimates of poverty are important because the cheap grains under the proposed Food Security law will be provided based on these numbers.

Consultant appointed to set up modern silos: The Planning Commission on April 17, 2011 appointed a consultant to prepare a feasibility report for creating 20 lakh tonnes capacity of modern foodgrains storage facilities like silos in the country. The Committee headed by Planning Commission Member Abhijit Sen has appointed Matt Macdonald as consultant for creating modern silos. The term of reference includes cost comparison between modern silos and conventional storage, identification of location and setting parameters for tender process. The study is being commissioned in view of announcement made by Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee in his Budget speech that the government has decided to construct 20 lakh tonnes of storage capacity in the form of modern silos. Central tax collection reaches Rs 7.92 lakh crore in 2010-11: The central tax collection direct and indirect
reached about Rs 7.92 lakh crore in 2010-11, exceeding even the revised estimate, on the back of strong economic growth. The total Budget estimate for direct and indirect tax collections was Rs 7.45 lakh crore for the last fiscal, which was revised upwards to Rs 7.80 lakh crore. Higher tax collection will not only provide the government resources to fund development projects but also help reduce the fiscal deficit. Of the total, the direct tax mop up was about Rs 4.50 lakh crore and indirect tax, about Rs 3.42 lakh crore.

CACP for private sector role in foodgrain procurement: The Commission for Agriculture Costs and
Prices (CACP), a statutory body which advises the government on pricing policy for major farm items, on April 18, 2011 has suggested private sector participation in foodgrains procurement to boost the purchase process. It also favoured export of 3-5 million tonnes (MT) of rice and wheat to cash in the booming international markets. CACP Chairman Ashok Gulati said that the export will not only solve the problem of storage but will also benefit the farmers. The government godowns have foodgrains stock worth Rs 40,000-43,000 crore over and above the buffer norm. The country is witnessing decline in procurement of wheat and rice in the ongoing marketing season (OctoberSeptember).

Refining capacity to reach 240 MTPA by March 2012: India's petroleum refining capacities is expected to
rise to 240 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) by March 2012 from the current 188 MTPA, attracting an estimated investment of Rs 60,000-65,000 crore. The capacity addition is believed to boost country's exports of petroleum products, said Petroleum Secretary P Sundereshan on April 20, 2011. Currently, India's total demand for the petroleum products is estimated at 140 MTPA. This creates a spare capacity of 48 million tonnes per annum at the refineries. The spare capacity will increase to around 90 million tonnes per annum which will be exported.

Navigation to be separated from AAI functions: To

demarcate the functional responsibility of the Airports Authority of India (AAI) as an 'aerodrome operator' and air navigation service (ANS) provider, the government on April 17, 2011 announced separation of the air navigation wing from the airport operator. The decision follows recommendations of the Ajay Prasad Committee for formulation of next generation futuristic Air Navigation Services Master Plan. The Committee had opined that the present structure does not clearly demarcate its functional

CMIE projects 8.8% GDP growth in 2011-12: India's GDP is projected to grow at a brisk pace of 8.8 per cent in 2011-12, the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE) said on April 18, 2011. The domestic environment is conducive for growth and private final consumption expenditure is projected to grow by a healthy 7.5 per cent and gross fixed capital formation by 14.6 per cent, said the CMIE in its latest monthly review of the country's economy. In 2010-11, the performance of India's economy has been robust, it said, adding that the real GDP is estimated to have grown by nine per cent during the fiscal. This has been powered by a rebound in the agricultural sector following the

drought in 2009-10, and a sharp pick-up in private consumption and gross fixed capital formation. In 2011-12, the agricultural and allied sector is projected to grow by 3.1% on top of the 5.1% growth estimated in 2010-11. The industrial sector, including construction, is likely to grow by 9.4% during 2011-12, as compared to 8.5% estimated in 2010-11.

CIBIL launches credit score for consumers: The

country's oldest credit information bureau, CIBIL, launched its CIBIL TransUnion Score for retail consumers, on April 20, 2011. This score will be available for a fee of Rs 450, will take into consideration factors such as the loan amount, the nature of loan (secured or unsecured), the tenure, delinquencies (repayment history or defaults if any), number of loans, among others. The final score is arrived at based on the weightage assigned to each of these aspects. It ranges between 300 and 900 and provides a snapshot of a consumer's credit history. CIBIL provides the score along with the Credit Information Report, which is available separately for a fee of Rs 142. While the report is an analysis of 36 months of the consumer's repayment history, the score uses that history and other information to indicate the likelihood of default in future. While lenders have been using the score for the past two years, now individual borrowers can also access it. SBI to discontinue teaser' home loans: State Bank of India has finally decided to toe the Reserve Bank of India line on its much debated teaser' home loan scheme. SBI on April 20, 2011 said it will discontinue the scheme from April 30. The withdrawal of teaser rates comes soon after the new chairman Pratip Chaudhuri took over the charge at SBI. The scheme was started by former Chairman, O.P. Bhatt. SBI will replace teaser loans with a new floating rate home loan product with effect from May 1. Teaser loans are advances offered at a comparatively lower rate of interest for the first few years, after which rates are re-set at higher rates. SBI introduced the teaser home loan product two years ago. Under the new floating rate structure, customers can get home loans at a spread above the base rate, currently at 8.5 per cent. Besides, the bank has waived penalty on pre-payment and introduced a graded processing fee, which will be charged only if the loan application is passed.

18 forms Sahaj' and Sugam' aimed at reducing compliance burden on salaried persons and small businessmen. Central Board of Direct Taxes Chairman Sudhir Chandra in April 2011 said the new forms were major steps towards simplification of income tax return filing. While Sahaj is for salaried people, the Sugam return form is applicable to small businessmen and professionals covered under presumptive taxation. Under presumptive taxation, person carrying on business are not required to get accounts audited if the annual total sales, turnover or gross receipts is less than Rs.60 lakh. The earlier limit of Rs. 40 lakh was increased by Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee in the 2010-11 Union Budget. The presumptive tax limit in case of professionals was increased from Rs.10 lakh to Rs.15 lakh. The Government also plans to notify a provision in early June exempting people of salary income up to Rs. 5 lakh a year from filing returns. However such salaried people (earning up to Rs.5 lakh) will have to file the return if they seek refund. SEBI calls for higher stake for Sovereign wealth funds: The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has mooted a proposal to allow sovereign wealth funds to pick up a 20 per cent stake in an entity without invoking an open offer. The stake buy should not lead to a change in management control. Sovereign wealth funds are stateowned investment funds that consist of all kinds of asset classes debt, equity, commodities, and the like. This proposal was made at the SEBI board meeting on March 25.

Marine products exports at $2.67 bn: Export of marine products from the country were USD 2.67 billion during the fiscal 2010-11 by registering a growth of 10.96 per cent in quantity, over the year-ago period. This is 20.42 per cent in rupee value and 25.55 per cent in USD realisation compared to the previous fiscal, according to the provisional export figures released on April 21, 2011. This was the first time in the history of Marine Products Industry, that India had crossed the USD 2.5 billion mark. A total quantity of 75,2791 tonnes of marine products were exported during April-March 2010-11 valued at Rs 12,100.48 crore against 67,8436 tonnes valued at Rs 10,048.53 crore over the year-ago period. Inter-ministerial group to review pharma FDI policy: The government on April 21, 2011 said it will form
an inter-ministerial group chaired by Planning Commission member Arun Maira to examine the issue of imposing a ceiling on FDI in pharmaceutical industry in the country. Currently the government permits 100 per cent foreign direct investment (FDI) via automatic route.

Air India forms panel to study wage and HR issues of merger: Air India's Board of Directors on April 21, 2011
constituted an independent committee, headed by Justice (retd) D.N. Dharmadhikari of the Supreme Court to address the wage and human resource-related issues after the merger of Indian Airlines Ltd and Air India Ltd. The committee will examine the principles of integration across various cadres and determination of level and seniority. New simpler forms for IT returns introduced: The Union Finance Ministry has introduced simpler income tax return

NSDC partners Everonn to skill' nine sectors: The National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC), a not-forprofit company under the Ministry of Finance and Everonn Education Ltd (EEL) have jointly launched International

Skills School' on April 18, 2011. Through the venture with Everonn, 1.5 crore people will be imparted skills in 12 years, across nine sectors textile and apparel, retail, hospitality, automobile, healthcare, construction, IT and ITeS, basic engineering and multimedia. Dilip Chenoy is the Managing Director and CEO, NSDC while Dr. J.J. Irani is the Chairman of Everonn. The International Skills School' will impart training through 271 multi skill development centres across the country.

19 and Wellness Tourism Advantage India', the study recommends increasing the health tourist base in India through appropriate marketing initiatives keeping in mind good quality accommodation, hospitals and post treatment recuperative centres. It also recommends that the government should offer tax breaks to hospitals to promote medical tourism

Railway Week celebrated: The 56th Railway Week

Asia to account for 50% of global GDP by 2050 ADB: Calling for improved economic collaboration among
India, China and Japan, an ADB report has said Asia could re-emerge as engine of global growth by 2050 accounting for over 50 per cent of the world GDP, up from 35 per cent, at present. The report unveiled by the ADB on April 17, 2011 said Asian nations would account for 52 per cent of the global economic output, followed by Europe at 18 per cent and North America at 16 per cent by 2050. Besides greater cooperation among the leading nations of India, Japan and China, the report also called for open trading system and peace and security for expediting growth.

celebrations were held across Indian railways from April 10 to 16, 2011 in commemoration of the first train run on Indian soil on April 16, 1853 from Bombay to Thane.

New Delhi, Mumbai in worlds top global cities index: Two Indian cities have made it to the list of top
global cities index by the Annual Citi/Knight Frank Wealth Report and the next decade is likely to witness significant improvements from emerging market cities particularly in the Asian behemoths. New York has topped the overall cities index ranking released on April 21, 2011, followed by London and Paris. New Delhi and Mumbai were ranked 37 and 38 in the list. The 2011 Wealth Report assessed key markets across the world in terms of their provision of investment opportunities and their influence on global business leaders and the political elite.

MMTC to launch gold jewellery brand: Public sector

MMTC on April 19, 2011 announced plans to launch a new gold jewellery brand, aimed at expanding its footprint in the domestic retail market. Of the company's estimated turnover of Rs 67,500 crore in 2010-11, precious metals are expected to contribute Rs 50,000 crore. The company also plans to set up more over 30 more retail outlets to sell the branded jewellery. At present, it has about 15 outlets across the country. Currently, the company has a silverware brand named 'Sanchi.' At present, the PSU has a joint venture with Gitanjali Group for gold and diamond jewellery retail.

British Petroleum to sue Transocean over oil spill: Energy giant British Petroleum has filed lawsuits against Swiss-based rig owner Transocean, suing it for USD 40 billion for failing to stop the calamitous Gulf oil spill last year. It is also suing US firm Cameron International, the manufacturers of the blowout preventer (BOP), BP said in a lawsuit filed on April 20, 2011 in a New Orleans federal court. The British company said they (Transocean and Cameron) were largely to blame for the accident that killed 11 and spilled 4.9 million barrels of oil into the Gulf of Mexico on April 20, 2010 in the worst offshore oil spill in US history. Amway's Yoginder Singh elected IDSA head:
Yoginder Singh, Vice- President - Legal & Corporate Affairs, Amway India was elected for a second-term as the Chairman, Indian Direct Selling Association on April 18, 2011. S. Subramanian, Finance Director, for Oriflame India was elected for the position of Vice-Chairman and P. Devadas from K-Link Health was elected for the position of Secretary. The new Executive Committee shall be in force for FY 2011-12. The elected members of the Indian Direct Selling Association will each serve one-year term in their elected positions.

FICCI and YES Bank study outlines roadmap to boost health tourism: India needs to identify and
develop circuits to cater to health tourists, says a joint study by industry chamber FICCI and YES Bank, released on April 17, 2011. The study offers a 10-point prescription to boost health and wellness tourism in India. Titled Health

20

Section E: SPORTS
Dilshan appointed Lankan skipper: The 34-year-old
Tillakaratne Dilshan was on April 18, 2011 appointed the captain of the Sri Lankan cricket team for the tour of England from May 2011. Sri Lanka will play three Tests, a one-off Twenty20 international and five ODIs. Dilshan takes over from Kumar Sangakkara, who led Sri Lanka to the ICC ODI World Cup final. Dilshan emerged as the highest scorer in the World Cup with 500 runs at an average of 62.50. In 66 Tests, he has 3990 runs at 42.44 with 11 centuries. The right-hander has also collected 5456 runs in 203 ODIs at 36.61 (strike rate 87.54). And in Twenty20 internationals, he has 758 runs in 32 games at 29.15 (strike rate 120.70).

Wimbledon prize money increased: Wimbledon organizers have increased the prize money for the winners of this year's tournament to 1.1m, which amounts to a rise th of 10 per cent. The total prize fund for the 125 edition of the tournament has also been increased and by 6.4% from last year and is 14.6m. The singles runners-up will earn 550,000 pound, the beaten semi-finalists will get 275,000 pound and even a first-round loser pockets 11,500 pound for their efforts. Rafael Nadal and Serena Williams triumphed last year. Nadal had defeated Tomas Berdych of the Czech Republic, while Williams got past Vera Zvonareva of Russia. Real Madrid wins Spanish Cup: Real Madrid defeated archrivals Barcelona 1-0 after extra time in a dramatic finale on April 21, 2011 at Valencia to win the Spanish Cup for the first time since 1993. A header from Cristiano Ronaldo sealed the championship, delivering coach Jose Mourinho's first trophy since joining the club last May. Abhijeet Gupta wins Dubai Open chess: Former
World junior champion and Grandmaster Abhijeet Gupta defeated BPCL teammate Parimarjan Negi in a battle of nerves to clinch the Dubai International Open chess title in Dubai on April 19, 2011. Abhijeet finished the tournament on 7.5 points out of a possible nine and took the winner's purse of $8000.

Malinga quits Test cricket: Sri Lanka fast bowler Lasith

Malinga on April 22, 2011 quit Test cricket in a bid to prolong his career in One-Day Internationals and Twenty20 matches. Malinga made his Test debut in July 2004 against Australia and has taken 101 wickets in 30 tests at an average of 33.15. He is currently playing for Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League. He is the only bowler with two World Cup hat tricks, against South Africa in the 2007 and the other against Kenya in the 2011.

Former Windies skipper Alexander passes away:

Former West Indies captain and wicketkeeper Franz Gerry' Alexander, who represented the team in 25 Test matches, passed away at the age of 82 on April 23, 2011 at Kingston, Jamaica. Alexander, who made his debut against England in 1957, scored 961 runs at an average of 30.03, including a top score of 108 against Australia.

Nadal wins Monte Carlo Masters: Rafael Nadal beat

his Spanish compatriot David Ferrer 6-4, 7-5 on April 17, 2011 to win his seventh straight Monte Carlo Masters tennis th th title. It was his 44 career title and 19 at a Masters event. Doubles title was won by Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan who beat Juan Ignacio Chela & Bruno Soares 6-3, 6-2 in final.

McLaren's Hamilton wins F1 Chinese Grand Prix: McLaren driver Lewis Hamilton won the Chinese Grand Prix on April 17, 2011 at Shanghai followed by Red Bull drivers Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber in second and third positions respectively. New Badminton clothing regulations postponed:
The Badminton World Federation (BWF) has decided to push back the date of implementation of its new clothing regulations, which require female players to wear skirts or dresses for Level 1 to 3 tournaments, to June 1, 2011

Czech Republic enters Fed Cup final: Czech Republic

beat hosts Belgium in the semi-final 3-2 on April 16-17, 2011 at Charleroi, Belgium to meet Russia in the final of the Fed Cup tennis tournament in November. The Czech team comprised Iveta Benesova, Petra Kvitova, Lucie afov and Kveta Peschke while the Belgian team consisted of Kim Clijsters, Kirsten Flipkens, An-Sophie Mestach and Yanina Wickmayer. Russia entered the final by beating Italy 5-0 in the semi-final played at Moscow on April 16-17, 2011. The winning team had Vera Zvonareva, Ekaterina Makarova, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova and Svetlana Kuznetsova while the Italian team comprised Francesca Schiavone, Flavia Pennetta, Sara Errani and Roberta Vinci.

Marathon

runner Grete Waitz passes away: Norwegian race legend Grete Waitz, who won nine New York marathons and a world title, passed away at the age of 57 on April 19, 2011. In addition to her nine New York marathon wins between 1979 and 1988, she became marathon world champion in Helsinki 1983 and won the silver medal at the Los Angeles Olympics the following year. Waitz also broke the 3000 metres world record twice in 1975 and 1977.

Weekly Current Affairs update

For the Week: April 24 to 30, 2011

Major news of the week

Section A: INDIA
Indo-Pak commerce secretary-level talks held Sai Baba passes away Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan meeting held Only Dassault, Eurofighter in IAF aircraft selection New Delhi, Dhaka to restore abandoned rail lines Work on Pravasi Bharatiya Kendra begins Morocco, India to share expertise on food products SC Bench delivers split verdict in BCCI case SC stays impeachment of Justice Dinakaran Creative Services Support Group launched IAF to observe 2011 as Year of Consolidation Map indicating coastal erosion in Orissa unveiled AP launches project for cyclone-prone districts MP is the first state to link Aadhaar to PDS Gadchiroli village is first to get bamboo sales rights Colloquium on Freedom of Expression held Padmanabh Singh appointed ruler of Jaipur M. M. Joshi submits PAC report to the Speaker CBI chargesheets Kanimozhi in 2G case Kalmadi, two others remanded in CBI custody in CWG case ED grills Puducherry Lt Governor on Ali links US ambassador Timothy Roemer resigns

Section C: AWARDS
K. Balachander selected for Dada Saheb Phalke Award Indian mathematician wins Knuth Prize Congolese activist wins World Childrens Prize Swedish film She Monkeys wins Tribeca prize Chaskielberg wins world photographer of the year award CII Intellectual Property Awards conferred GAIL receives Outstanding PSU of the Year award AP minister wins Pride of India Leadership award RSP bags Srishti Good Green Governance Award

Section D: ECONOMY & CORPORATE

Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India Pipeline meet held PM approves Jaitapur nuclear project DGH review blames RIL for falling D6 gas output ONGC reports two oil finds in Gujarat FTA with EU not to go beyond TRIPS/domestic law PM CCEA approves funds for automotive testing project CCEA approves funds for Ganga River Authority CCEA approves funds for Food Technology Institute CCEA approves funds for Malaria Control Project Negotiable warehouse receipt system launched Govt. committee to track black money SC suspend 19 mining leases in Bellary Non-food credit up by 20.6% in 2010-11 RBI India Corruption Study: 2010 unveiled India ranks 48th on Networked Readiness Index Indias electricity generation at 811 BU in 2010-11 Development fee at Mumbai, Delhi airports quashed Cuddalore PCPIR proposal goes before CCEA US firm gets DRDO technology for Explosive Detection Kit HCL to develop system for CCI M&A cases Rajendra Pawar is new NASSCOM Chairman K V Kamath appointed Infosys Chairman

Section B: WORLD
China census shows population ageing and urban Thai-Cambodia clashes reach Preah Vihear Rising food prices to worsen poverty ADB Lobsang Sangay elected Tibetan exile leader Gen David Petraeus is new CIA director Leon Panetta is new US Defence Secretary U.N. panel accuses Colombo, LTTE of war crimes Israel rejects Palestinian unity govt. with Hamas Ukraine marks 25th anniversary of Chernobyl Pakistan tests Raad missile France returns ancient Korean books Elders visit N. Korea to resolve nuclear standoff Australia, New Zealand mark Anzac Day US Religious Freedom Commission critical of India Stockholm Convention for ban on Endosulfan Aronofsky to head Venice film festival jury Russian space agency head replaced Teleprompter inventor Schlafly passes away Chilean poet Gonzalo Rojas passes away

Section E: SPORTS
Duncan Fletcher appointed India coach BCCI increases cash prize for World Cup win IFA launches Premier League Soccer Former footballer Abdus Sattar passes away India win 2 golds at Belgrade boxing tournament

Section A: INDIA
NEWS ROUND UP
Indo-Pak commerce secretary-level talks held
BREAKING TRADE BARRIERS Bilateral trade is around $2 billion Plan to initiate trade in electricity and petroleum products Plan to sign a preferential trade agreement Expansion of the Wagah-Attari land route Dedicated corridors for passengers and freight Faster clearance of cargo on the Wagah-Attari border Movement of large containers and trucks To explore trade in Bt cotton India and Pakistan have agreed to remove trade barriers and ensure easier movement of goods between the two countries, while deciding to explore signing of a preferential trade agreement. A six-page joint statement issued on April 28, 2011 listed 19 areas for boosting trade. The statement th was issued at the end of the 5 round of talks on commercial and economic cooperation held in Islamabad on April 27-28. The Indian delegation was led by Commerce Secretary Rahul Khullar, while Pakistan was represented by his counterpart Zafar Mahmood. Pakistan would grant the most-favoured nation (MFN) status to India. India has already given the MFN status to Pakistan. The two sides agreed to expand trade in all petroleum products. An expert group has been set up to discuss trade arrangements, building of cross-border pipelines and use of road/rail routes, including the Munabao-Khokrapar route. The two sides also decided to trade electricity. A committee of experts to look into this would meet in October. Both countries also agreed to establish a working group to address issues such as lowering of sector-specific trade barriers. The group would meet by September this year. The two also decided to expand trade through the WagahAttari land route and to open a second gate, besides creating dedicated routes for passenger and freight movement. The new Integrated Check Post at Wagah would be fully functional by October. The two countries also pledged to increase trading hours on the Wagah-Attari border, facilitate faster movement of cargo and allow movement of large container trucks. The two sides also decided to relax the process of granting business visas. Both would also seek to initiate trade in Bt cotton seeds to help Pakistans farmers and textile industry. The last round of bilateral trade talks was held in August 2007. The relations between the two were strained after the terror attack on Mumbai in November 2008.

Sai Baba passes away

Sri Sathya Sai Baba (born November 1926) passed away on April 24, 2011 at Puttaparthi, Andhra Pradesh. Born into an ordinary family as Satyanarayana Raju in the Puttaparthi village in the dry Anantapur district of Andhra Pradesh, on November 23, 1926, he was to later become Satya Sai Baba, the reincarnation of the saintly Sai Baba of Shirdi. It was on October 20, 1940 at the age of 14 that Satyanarayana Raju declared himself as the reincarnation of Sai Baba of Shirdi. Satya Sai Baba became famous for his magic tricks by producing objects from thin air. But he was reviled by critics and rationalists who campaigned against him with magic shows. In 1944, a small temple was built for Satya Sai Babas devotees at Puttaparthi and in 1950 a sprawling ashram popularly called the Prasanthi Nilayam was built, making it his permanent abode. His divine preaching apart, Satya Sai Baba pioneered many social service activities beginning with a tiny general hospital at Puttaparthi which has now transformed into the Satya Sai Institute of Higher Medical Sciences, a 220-bedded super-speciality hospital. The Satya Sai Central Trust manages all the service activities and also runs the Satya Sai University (formerly Satya Sai Institute of Higher Learning) at Puttaparthi. Besides, the trust also runs many schools and dispensaries in different states while it has also completed large water supply projects in Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra. Volunteers from the Satya Sai Seva Organisation are known for carrying out relief and rehabilitation work during natural calamities not only in AP but also in other states. Satya Sai Baba established three primary mandirs (spiritual centres) in India Dharmakshetra in Mumbai, Shivam in Hyderabad and Sundaram in Chennai. Besides, there are Satya Sai centres located in over 114 countries in the world. In 1957, Satya Sai Baba went on a temple tour of north India and made his only overseas trip to Uganda in June 1968.

Rashtriya Madhyamik meeting held

Shiksha

Abhiyan

The first Meeting of the National Mission of Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA) was held under the Chairmanship of Union HRD minister Kapil Sibal on April 25, 2011. The National Mission is the apex body to take decisions on implementation, monitoring and evaluation of RMSA so as to implement the programme efficiently and effectively. The RMSA was launched in March, 2009 as part of the Central Governments commitment to make secondary education of good quality available, accessible and affordable to all young persons. The objective of RMSA is to enhance access to and improve quality of education at secondary stage, while ensuring equity. The scheme envisages enhancing the enrolment ratio from 52.26% in 2005-06 to 75% for classes IX-X within 5 years by providing a secondary school within a reasonable distance of every habitation, improving quality of education imparted at secondary level through making all secondary schools conform to prescribed norms, removal of gender, socio-economic and disability barriers, universal access to secondary level education by 2017, and universal retention by 2020. Broad physical targets include providing facilities for opening of about 11,000 new secondary schools, strengthening of about 44,000 existing govt. secondary schools, appointment of additional teachers to improve Pupil Teacher Ratio (PTR) and to provide subject specific teachers.

3 in Meghalaya for a formal launch in June 2011. India has offered many trade concessions to Bangladesh. These include, enhanced tariff-free quota of 10 million pieces of apparel exports from Bangladesh, marking an increase of 25% over previous years. Lifting of countervailing duties on Bangladesh Jute items, strengthening of infrastructure at borders, including construction of Land Custom Stations and Integrated Check Posts, particularly at Petrapole and Agartala such that trade is facilitated.

Work on Pravasi Bharatiya Kendra begins: Ground

breaking ceremony of the Pravasi Bharatiya Kendra (PBK), which will be a prominent centre for Overseas Indians, was held in New Delhi on April 28, 2011. Vayalar Ravi, Minister of Overseas Indian Affairs and Civil Aviation said that the PBK would develop into the hub of activities for sustainable, symbiotic and mutually rewarding economic, social and cultural engagement between India and its Diaspora. The cost of construction of the Kendra has been estimated at about Rs. 80 crore. The National Building Construction Corporation (NBCC) has been appointed as the Consultant and Project Manager on a turn-key basis from concept to completion of the building. Overseas Indians estimated at over 27 million are spread across every region of the world.

Morocco, India to share expertise: India has offered to

provide expertise in the area of standardization of products, packaging and managing Food Distribution System to Morocco. This was conveyed by Prof. K.V.Thomas, Minister of Food to Abdellatif Maazous, Moroccan Minster for Foreign Trade in New Delhi on April 28, 2011. Briefing about the latest developments in the field of retail marketing, consumer protection and standardization of goods in Morocco, the visiting minister said that his country can provide edible oil and pulses to India. He said that both the countries can share technology and expertise in related fields.

Only Dassault, Eurofighter in IAF aircraft selection:

Indias purchase of 126 medium multi-role combat aircraft (MMRCA) for some Rs 42,000 crore ($9.5 billion) entered its final phase when four of the six vendors were officially ruled out of the fray on April 29, 2011. The aircraft that the MoD ruled out of contention include Boeings F/A-18 Super Hornet; Lockheed Martins F-16IN Super Viper; the Russian MiG-35; and the Swedish Gripen NG. The Ministry of Defence (MoD) wrote to them, providing full details about how their fighters had failed to meet the specifications laid down by the Indian Air Force (IAF). Just two vendors did not receive letters of rejection: Eurofighter Typhoon of EADS and Rafale of French company Dassault.

New Delhi, Dhaka to restore abandoned rail lines:

The Union Minister of Commerce and Industry, Anand Sharma called on the Prime Minister of Bangladesh Smt Sheikh Hasina at Dhaka on April 24, 2011. Both sides agreed that serious efforts are needed to restore the railway lines that went into disuse after 1965 war. During the visit India got further assurance on the use of Chittagong and Mongola ports which will help in trade and development of Bangladesh and the North-East of India. Similarly, there was stepping up of schedule for completion of border haats

SC Bench delivers split verdict in BCCI case: A twojudge bench of the Supreme Court on April 28, 2011 delivered a split verdict on a petition challenging amendment in BCCI regulation to exclude IPL and T-20 tournaments from its purview and has referred the matter to the Chief Justice for allocating it to a larger bench. The petition, filed by former BCCI president A C Muthiah, had alleged that the amendment was brought to favour the cricket boards secretary N Srinivasan, owner of the Chennai Super Kings team. While Justice Panchal dismissed the petition filed by Muthiah, challenging the validity of the amendment in clause 6.2.4, Justice Mishra allowed the petition holding that a BCCI officer-bearer cannot have stake in the IPL team. SC stays impeachment of Justice Dinakaran: Paying heed to Sikkim High Court Chief Justice P D Dinakarans reasonable apprehension of bias against the panel inquiring into his judicial misconduct, the Supreme

Court on April 29, 2011 stayed the impeachment process against him. The probe panel led by Justice Aftab Alam of the SC, which was appointed by Rajya Sabha Chairperson Hamid Ansari, has framed 16 charges against Justice Dinakaran, including possession of wealth disproportionate to his sources of income and encroachment on public property and land in Tamil Nadu. The SCs decision comes after Justice Dinakaran complained to the SC about the presence of senior advocate P. P. Rao on the panel. He alleged that Rao was part of a delegation that met then CJI K G Balakrishnan in 2009 to protest his elevation to the Supreme Court.

4 (MoEF), World Bank and the Orissa government, being implemented in the state on a pilot basis, is aimed at developing an integrated approach to coordinate activities of various government agencies and departments for sustainable management and use of coastal resources. The shoreline change assessment is done by Anna University and is funded by the MoEF. Orissa is the third state to have the Shoreline Change Atlas after Tamil Nadu and Gujarat.

Creative Services Support Group launched:

To promote Indian creativity globally, a non-profit organisation, Creative Services Support Group that focuses on dance, opera, fashion, music, theatre, design, cinema, literature, education, architecture and other sectors was launched in New Delhi in April 2011. Founded by Image Foundry Studios director Anand Kapoor, CSSR is attempting to herald a cultural exchange between India and Britain by organising a two-day summit at Manchester beginning in September.

IAF to observe 2011 as Year of Consolidation:

The Chief of Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal P.V. Naik, has said the Indian Air Force which is in the process of modernisation would observe the period as Year of Consolidation at the Air Force Commanders Conference in Delhi in April 2011. Over the past few years, the IAF has added different platforms, radars and weapon systems in its quest to look first and look farthest and the Air Chief emphasised the need to consolidate the operational availability of weapon systems and sensors on account of times of transformation. Earlier this year, the IAF inducted the first of the six C 130J Super Hercules transport aircraft. It has completed the evaluation and report to procure 126 Medium Multi Role Combat Aircraft, and a decision as to which of the six competitors would get the deal is expected to be taken by the government during the current financial year. In addition, the IAF has ordered for two squadrons of indigenous Akash surface-to-air missiles besides other equipment. At a separate Army Commanders Conference, the Chief of Army Staff, General V.K. Singh, underlined the global and regional trend and said the strategic shift was more in favour of balance of interests than balance of power. Map to indicate coastal erosion in Orissa unveiled: The vulnerability of Orissas coastline and the extent of coastal erosion which the state has witnessed came to the fore with the release of Shoreline Change Assessment Atlas of Orissa and Report of Shoreline Change. The assessment atlas and shoreline report was released by the Union minister for environment & forests Jairam Ramesh in the states Kendrapara district on April 29, 2011. The Integrated Coastal Zone Management Project (ICZMP), a joint initiative of the Union ministry of environment & forests

AP launches project for cyclone-prone districts: The AP state government on April 29, 2011 launched a disaster mitigation project for nine coastal districts of the state prone to cyclones, to be funded by an interest-free loan of Rs 771.5 crore from the World Bank. The three-year project in the state is part of the National Cyclone Risk Mitigation Project-I initiated by the National Disaster Management Authority that also covers Orissa in the current phase. The second phase would cover states like Gujarat, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal. Funds for these projects would be routed through the central government to the respective state governments. The project involves four components, namely, early-warning system, infrastructure like shelters and roads, capacity building and knowledge creation, and project management and implementation support. Except for the infrastructure component, the funding for all the other three components would be in the form of a 100 per cent grant from the Centre. For the infrastructure segment, the state government would have to contribute 25 per cent of the project cost. MP is the 1st state to link Aadhaar to PDS: Madhya
Pradesh has become the first state to link Aadhaar, the 12digit number issued by UIDAI, to the subsidised foodgrain scheme. The objective of the new arrangement is to eliminate fake beneficiaries of the subsidised foodgrain scheme. MP has cancelled lakhs of bogus ration cards over the last couple of years that were proving to be a drain on the public distribution system. The first phase of issuing cards in 5 districts was completed in April 2011.

Gadchiroli village is 1st to get bamboo rights:

Mendha-lekha in Naxal-affected Gadchiroli district on April 28, 2011 became the first village in the country to become eligible to own, cut, use and sell bamboo declared minor forest produce by the Forest Rights Act. Mendha-Lekha is the also the first village to get community rights over its forest under FRA. In a programme attended by, among others, Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan, Union Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh handed over the transit pass required to transport bamboo out of the village.

Colloquium on Freedom of Expression held: A two

day International Colloquium on Freedom of Expression & Human Rights was organised by the Press Council of India (PCI) in New Delhi on April 28-29, 2011. Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Ambika Soni said the Government is committed in ensuring level playing field for

different segments of the media in order to promote a sustainable growth process and a robust industry. The growing number of newspaper readers within the country is an indicator of the growth of the regional press in different forms and dialects. In the broadcast sector, 653 satellite channels had been granted permission till date, while the FM Phase-III roll out shortly would ensure availability of 806 radio stations across 283 cities. Chairman, PCI, Justice G. N. Ray said the endeavour of Press Council of India was to ensure that media enjoyed the utmost freedom.

5 director Karim Morani. The five accused, along with Raja and DB Realty co-owners Shahid Balwa and Vinod Goenka, have been indicted for alleged involvement in the transfer of Rs. 200 crore from the DB Realty group to Kalaignar TV between December 2008 and August 2009 by following a circuitous route through Dynamix Realty, Kusegaon Fruits and Vegetables Ltd. and Cineyug Films.

Kalmadi, two others remanded in CBI custody: The

CBI on April 26, 2011 got eight-day custody of the former Commonwealth Games Organising Committee chairman and suspended Congress leader, Suresh Kalmadi, along with two other former Organising Committee (OC) officials from a special court in New Delhi, for their alleged involvement in the criminal conspiracy to award the Games Timing, Scoring and Results system contract to a Swiss company. The accused are said to have abused their official position and awarded the contract to Swiss Timing at an exorbitant rate of approximately Rs.107 crore, in a most wrongful manner, restricting and eliminating all competition, causing wrongful loss to the Government of India and corresponding wrongful gain to Swiss Timing. The Defence Counsel rebutted the allegation that Kalmadi took the decision on the TSR contract noting that the file had been vetted by different committees and that it was a matter of record that the ultimate decision in the matter was taken by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports under M. S. Gill.

Padmanabh Singh appointed ruler of Jaipur:

Teenager Padmanabh Singh grandson of the erstwhile Jaipur ruler, the late Brigadier Sawai Bhawani Singh ascended the titular throne of the Pink City at a coronation ceremony at the City Palace in Jaipur on April 27, 2011. Brig. Singh, who died on April 17 at the age of 80, had adopted Padmanabh, son of his daughter Diya Kumari, as the heir to the Kachwaha Rajput dynasty at a grand ceremony in November 2002.

M. M. Joshi submits PAC report to the Speaker:

The Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) and BJP veteran Murali Manohar Joshi submitted the committees controversial draft report to the Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar on April 30, 2011. Kumar has not indicated so far if Joshis report is accepted or not. The UPA members of PAC have already rejected the report. In the draft report, the Joshi-led PAC had indirectly criticised the Prime Minister apart from indicting the PMs Office, then Finance Minister P Chidambaram and Department of Telecom. The UPA members, along with SP and BSP, had voted against the draft report. Eleven out of 21 members had rejected the draft.

CBI chargesheets Kanimozhi in 2G case: The CBI on

April 25, 2011 chargesheeted Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhis daughter and Rajya Sabha member M.K. Kanimozhi along with four others for criminal conspiracy and receiving illegal gratification in the 2G spectrum case. Kanimozhi, a 20 per cent stakeholder in Kalaignar TV Pvt. Ltd., is the second DMK politician chargesheeted by the CBI after the former Union Telecom Minister, A. Raja. The others who figured in the supplementary charge sheet are Kalaignar TV director and 20 per cent equity holder Sharad Kumar; Asif Balwa and Rajiv Aggarwal, directors of Kusegaon Fruits and Vegetables; and Cineyug Films

ED grills Puducherry Lt Governor on Ali links: A five-member ED team from Mumbai on April 25, 2011 questioned Puducherry Lieutenant Governor Iqbal Singh at his official residence in New Delhi on his alleged links with Hasan Ali who is embroiled in one of the countrys biggest money-laundering cases. Singh has clarified that though he had recommended Alis case for expeditious issue of passport, he never knew Ali personally. ED questioned Singh on his association with Ali and Kashinath Tapuriah. US ambassador Timothy Roemer resigns: Timothy Roemer, the US ambassador to India resigned on April 28, 2011. 54-year-old Roemer, a political appointee, said he has accomplished all of the strategic objectives set two years ago and he wants to go back home to look after his family. Roemer, who was nominated by US President Barack Obama in May 2009, is expected to leave by June.

Section B: WORLD
NEWS ROUND UP
China census shows population ageing and urban
Chinas census shows its population grew to 1.34 billion people by 2010, 73.9 million more than that of 2000, when China conducted its fifth national census.

The figures released on April 28, 2011 reveal that Chinas population has shown a sharp rise in the number of people over 60 and is growing more slowly than in the past. Nearly half of all Chinese now live in cities and people over the age of 60 now account for 13.3% of the population, up nearly 3% since 2000. That could affect the economy, as the number of potential workers, especially from rural areas, could shrink. The proportion of mainland Chinese people aged 14 or younger was 16.6%, down by 6.29 percentage points from the last census in 2000. The number aged 60 or older grew to 13.26%, up 2.93 percentage points. The governments strict controls on family size, including its one-child policy for most urban families, have reduced annual population growth to below 1% percent. The rate is projected to turn negative in coming decades. The average household now numbers 3.1 people. Some demographers have said that the limits on family size may now threaten Chinas economic future, with fewer people left to pay and care for an older population, as well as to work in the factories that have transformed the country into the worlds second largest economy. "The data from this census show that our country faces some tensions and challenges regarding population, the economy and social development," said Ma Jiantang, head of the National Bureau of Statistics. But state-run Xinhua news agency said President Hu Jintao on April 26 reiterated that Chinas family planning policy would remain unchanged and the low birth-rate be maintained.

6 further to the west that both sides claim. Some 36,000 people have been displaced by the fighting, and the UN has called for a ceasefire. On April 23, 2011 UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said the border dispute could not be resolved by military means and both sides needed to engage in "serious dialogue".

Rising food prices to worsen poverty ADB

Resurgent global food prices, which averaged 10 per cent in many economies and posted record increases in the first two months of this year, may push nearly 30 million Indians and 64 million people in the Asian region into extreme poverty, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) said on April 26, 2011. In a report titled Global Food Price Inflation and Developing Asia, the Manila-based bank warned that a 10 per cent rise in food prices would push as many as 23 million Indians living in the rural areas and 6.68 million in the urban areas to below poverty line (BPL) at $ 1.25 (around Rs. 55.65) earnings a day. In case, the food price hike is to the extent of 20 per cent, the resultant impact would push 45.64 million in the rural areas and 13.36 million in the urban areas into extreme poverty in India. The report pointed out that while food prices were expected to continue a gradual ascent in the wake of a spike in 2008, the fast and persistent increases in the cost of many Asian food staples since the middle of last year, coupled with crude oil reaching a 31-month high in March, are a serious setback for the region, which has rebounded rapidly and strongly from the global meltdown. For poor families in developing Asia, who already spend more than 60 per cent of their income on food, higher food prices will further reduce their ability to pay for medicare and their childrens education, ADBs Chief Economist Changyong Rhee said. Left unchecked, the food crisis will badly undermine recent gains in poverty reduction made in Asia.

Thai-Cambodia clashes reach Preah Vihear

Fighting has erupted between soldiers from Cambodia and Thailand along their disputed mountainous border. Skirmishes broke out near the Preah Vihear temple on April 26, 2011. The violence follows four days of fighting around the temple of Ta Krabey, 160km (100 miles) to the west. At least 12 soldiers have been killed in the latest outbreak of violence between the two neighbours. Parts of the ThaiCambodian border have never been formally demarcated, causing continuing tensions and firing nationalist sentiment in each country. The 11 Century hill-top temple of Preah Vihear is a particular flashpoint. An international court awarded the temple to Cambodia in 1962 but both sides claim ownership of the surrounding area. At least 10 people were killed in clashes around the temple in February. It comes after days of fighting around Ta Krabey and another temple, Ta Moan, which stand in jungle areas
th

Lobsang Sangay elected Tibetan exile leader

Harvard University academic Lobsang Sangay has been elected prime minister of the Tibetan government-in-exile and will take on the political role previously played by the Dalai Lama. Lobsang Sangay won 55% of the votes cast by Tibetans around the world. He defeated two candidates for the role, Tenzin Tethong and Tashi Wangdi. Sangay will inherit the spiritual leaders political powers when he assumes office on August 15, the day the term of the present House expires and the incumbent kalon tripa, or PM, Samdhong Rinpoche, steps down. Sangay must now assume the political functions of the Dalai Lama, who said in March he wanted to devolve this responsibility to an elected official. The Dalai Lama will retain his role as Tibetan spiritual leader.

The elections were held in March and the result announced on April 27, 2011 in Dharamsala, India, where the Tibetan government-in-exile is based. Almost 83,400 Tibetan exiles were eligible to vote and more than 49,000 ballots were cast. The 42-year-old winner is an Indian-born legal expert who has never lived in Tibet. His father fled Tibet in 1959, the same year as the Dalai Lama. He says he will move to Dharamsala to serve as prime minister and that he supports the Dalai Lamas stance on ties with China. Dalai Lama had announced that he wanted an elected official to assume some of his responsibilities, saying that such a move was in the best interests of the Tibetan people. Analysts say he aims to ensure that even if Chinas government tries to select the next Dalai Lama, the Tibetans will have an elected leader they can look to who is outside China and beyond the Communist Partys control. Sangay has the daunting task of trying to keep the issue of Tibet alive while the man who embodies the struggle for Tibetan rights gradually steps back from the limelight. He has been elected head of a government which no country recognises and will face in China an opponent which has shown no sign of wanting to compromise. A section of Tibetans feels Sangay could be effective as he shares the Harvard department with US President Barak Obama and has a massive network of contacts to push Tibets case.

7 The Sri Lankan government has condemned the 196 page report, dismissing it as flawed and biased. The panel said there were credible allegations of serious violations of international law by government forces and the LTTE, some of which would amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity.

Israel rejects Palestinian unity govt. with Hamas:

Israel has criticised a reconciliation deal between rival Palestinian factions, Fatah and Hamas. The foreign minister, Avigdor Lieberman warned that Israel would not negotiate with the new unity government. Under the agreement brokered in Egypt on April 27, 2011, an interim Palestinian government will be formed and a date fixed for elections. The Fatah party of the Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas - which runs parts of the West Bank - and Hamas, which governs Gaza, have been divided for more than four years. Israel has threatened measures to restrict the freedom of movement of Abbas and the Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad and freeze the transfer of taxes collected by Israel for the PA. Hamas has carried out bombings and rocket attacks against Israel for years and does not recognise its right to exist. The split between Fatah and Hamas occurred when violence erupted a year after Hamas won Palestinian elections in 2006. Hamas seized control of Gaza in 2007.

Gen David Petraeus is new CIA director: US

President Barack Obama on April 28, 2011 nominated General David Petraeus, the US head of international forces in Afghanistan, as the next Director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). Gen Petraeus, who will replace Leon Panetta as CIA Director, will be replaced in Afghanistan by Lt Gen Allen, currently deputy head of US Central Command - the command unit covering central Asia and the Middle East. Obama also nominated CIA director Leon Panetta to take over as the next Defence Secretary when Robert Gates retires in June. Panetta, a 72-year-old Democrat from California, served as chief of staff to President Bill Clinton between 1994 and 1997 and took over as the Director of the CIA in February 2009. He is a Democratic Party insider seen as close to Obama who could be more receptive to deeper defense spending cuts than outgoing Defense Secretary Robert Gates, a holdover from the Republican Bush administration.

Ukraine marks 25th anniversary of Chernobyl:

Ukraine on April 26, 2011 marked the 25 anniversary of the worlds worst nuclear accident - at the Chernobyl power plant. An explosion at one of the plants reactors sent a plume of radiation across Europe in 1986, harming or killing possibly thousands of people. Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych and his Russian counterpart, Dmitry Medvedev, visited the site for a memorial ceremony. The anniversary comes amid renewed global protest over nuclear power. The debate has been reinvigorated by the threat of radiation from Japans crippled Fukushima plant in the aftermath of a devastating earthquake and tsunami. It was on 26 April 1986 that Number Four reactor at Chernobyl, which was then in the Soviet Union, exploded. The accident forced the evacuation of hundreds of thousands of people from their homes in Ukraine, western Russia and Belarus. Soviet officials held off reporting the accident for several days. There is still a 30 km exclusion zone around the plant. Soviet engineers encased the damaged reactor in a temporary concrete casing to limit the radiation but a new shield is needed. A conference of donors in Kiev, Ukraine, in April 2011 raised 550m euros of the 740m euros needed to build a new shelter and a storage facility for spent fuel.
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U.N. panel accuses Colombo, LTTE of war crimes:

A United Nations (UN) advisory panel, led by former Indonesian Attorney General Marzuki Darusman on April 25, 2011 submitted a report to the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, which found credible evidence that the Sri Lankan military shelled civilians in no-fire zones and sought to silence critics in a brutal fashion, during the war against the guerrilla group Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in 2009. The report also accuses the LTTE of forcibly recruiting ethnic Tamil citizens to fight for them; they also killed other Tamils who tried to flee as the Sri Lankan army surrounded them in the North of Sri Lanka during the war.

Pakistan tests Raad missile: Pakistan on April 29,

2011 successfully tested the nuclear-capable Hatf-VIII or Raad ("thunder" in Arabic) cruise missile that has a range of 350 km, with the military saying the weapon system would give the country "greater strategic stand-off

capability" on land and at sea. The air-launched cruise missile, which can carry a nuclear or a conventional warhead, was tested at an undisclosed location.

France returns ancient Korean books: A second

batch of ancient Korean royal books that had been stored in France for 145 years were returned on April 29, 2011, two weeks after the first shipment, under a summit deal between the two sides. Seventy-three of the 297-volume "Oegyujanggak" books reached Incheon International Airport in Seoul as scheduled. The texts featuring the protocols of royal ceremonies and rites will be displayed at the National Museum of Korea in Seoul. Oegyujanggak was part of a royal library in the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910). South Korean President Lee Myung-bak and his French counterpart Nicholas Sarkozy agreed in November last year to the transfer of the royal texts that French troops looted in 1866 when they invaded Ganghwa Island in retaliation for Koreans persecution of French Catholic missionaries. The books had since been kept at the National Library of France.

8 religious freedom in April 2011, saying justice for the victims of 1984 anti-Sikh riots, 2002 Gujarat riots and the 2007 Orissa violence remains slow and often ineffective. The USCIRF is an independent federal body that monitors religious freedom violations abroad and makes recommendations to the US President. Also on its 2011 Watch List Countries are Afghanistan, Cuba, Indonesia, Russia and Turkey. But two important panel members Felice Gaer and William Shaw said the decision to include India was ill advised. It ignores the logic of its own observationsthat the Indian government and Supreme Court have taken a range of commendable and significant steps demons trating the will to prevent new outbreaks of religiously motivated communal violence, they wrote.

Stockholm Convention for ban on Endosulfan: The

Conference of Parties to the Stockholm Convention in Geneva on April 29, 2011 approved the recommendation for elimination of production and use of Endosulfan subject to certain exemptions. The decision will not be binding on India unless specifically ratified by the country. The Persistent Organic Pollutants Review Committee to the Convention, which recommended the ban in 2010, will come up with alternatives to Endosulfan. The Convention also approve financial assistance to developing countries for replacing Endosulfan with alternatives..

Elders visit N. Korea to resolve nuclear standoff:

Former US President Jimmy Carter has arrived in the North Korean capital Pyongyang as part of a push to resolve the stand-off over the countrys nuclear programme on April 26, 2011. Carter is taking part in a three-day visit by former world leaders from a group known as the Elders. They hope to meet North Koreas reclusive leader, Kim Jong-il and heir-apparent Kim Jong-un. The group includes former Finnish President Martti Ahtisaari, former Irish President Mary Robinson and former Norwegian Prime Minister Gro Brundtland. Talks aimed at ending Pyongyangs nuclear programme have been stalled for months. The Elders group was formed four years ago by former South African President Nelson Mandela. Members believe that their unique experience as former leaders - and their independence from any country or organisation - allows them to help resolve some of the worlds most intractable problems.

Aronofsky to head Venice film festival jury: Oscarnominated director Darren Aronofsky will head the jury for this years Venice film festival, it was announced on April 27, 2011. Aronofsky won the Golden Lion at the festival in 2008 for Mickey Rourke film The Wrestler, while Black Swan opened last years festival. This years festival runs from 31 August to 10 September. Aronofsky was Oscarnominated this year for Black Swan, which picked up the award for Natalie Portmans performance as a leading actress. Russia space agency head replaced: Russia on April 29, 2011 replaced the head of its space agency, Anatoly Perminov, who was reprimanded over a failed satellite launch in December. Russia lost three satellites when a rocket crashed into the Pacific Ocean. In December President Dmitry Medvedev had fired Roscosmos deputy chief Viktor Remishevsky and Vyacheslav Filin, deputy head of the space rocket corporation Energia, over the loss of the three Glonass-M navigation satellites. He also reprimanded Perminov. An inquiry showed the Proton-M rocket failed to reach orbit because of a fuel miscalculation.

Australia, New Zealand mark Anzac Day: Australians

and New Zealanders on April 25, 2011 marked Anzac Day to remember those who died fighting for their country. The Anzacs were the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps who suffered huge losses at Gallipoli in Turkey in a failed allied assault in 1915. New Zealand PM John Key has made an address in the UK, while his Australian counterpart, Julia Gillard, is taking part in a ceremony in South Korea. Anzac Day has become one of the most revered occasions in both countries. Gallipoli was the first time that Australia and New Zealand had fought as independent countries and the heroic defeat on the Aegean coast is widely seen to have forged the nations character.

US Religious Freedom Comm. critical of India: The

US Commission for International Religious Freedom has, for the second year in a row, placed India under its watch list of

Schlafly passes away: Hubert Schlafly Jr., a key member of the team that invented the teleprompter, which feeds scripts to actors, politicians and newsreaders, died at the age of 91 on April 27, 2011. th Schlafly was working at 20 Century Fox film studios in 1950 when he developed the teleprompter, which is also known as the autocue. He had been asked by the company to build a device that would help actors remember their

Teleprompter inventor

lines. Schlaflys prototype teleprompter, which debuted on the set of a US soap opera, was placed beside a film camera and used a motorised scroll of paper inside a suitcase to assist the shows actors.

Chilean poet Gonzalo Rojas passes away: Chilean

poet Gonzalo Rojas, regarded as one of Latin Americas greatest modern writers, died in Santiago on April 25, 2011,

9 at the age of 93. He won numerous literary prizes, including the 2003 Cervantes Prize, the top award for Spanish-language literature. Rojas was forced into exile for some years after the 1973 military coup led by Gen Augusto Pinochet. Rojas produced a huge body of work, with his poems translated into several languages. His works included The Misery of Man, Against Death, Dark and On Lightning.

Recent Books Federalism And Fiscal Transfers In India by C Rangarajan and D K Srivastava Faith and Power: Religion and Politics in the Middle East by Bernard Lewis Economic Diplomacy: Indias Experience (edited) by Kishan S Rana and Bipul Chatterjee A Sea In Flames: The Deepwater Horizon Oil Blowout by Carl Safina The Cage: The Fight for Sri Lanka & the Last Days of the Tigers by Gordon Weiss Footprints On the Sands of Time; Indian Armys Unique Achievements Jayalalithaa A Portrait by Vaasanthi Patrons Of The Poor - Caste Politics And Policymaking In India by Narayan Lakshman Contested Spaces, Citizenship And Belonging In Contemporary Times (edited) by Meenakshi Thapan The Nowhere Nation by Ashok Mitra Empires Apart - America and Russia From the Vikings to Iraq by Brian Landers Business and Polity - Dynamics of a Changing Relationship by D.N. Ghosh Hazard Ecology - Approaches and Techniques by B.W. Pandey Inclusive Growth in Agriculture (edited) by M. Upender, B. Shiva Reddy, TLN Swamy Billy Arian Singh - Tiger of Dudhwa by Shaminder Boparai Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro - Seriously Funny Since 1983 by Jai Arjun Singh

Section C: AWARDS
INDIA K. Balachander conferred Dada Saheb Phalke Award for 2010
Director K. Balachander, one of the influential filmmakers and trendsetters in Indian cinema, will receive the Dadasaheb Phalke Award for the year 2010, the Information and Broadcasting Ministry announced on April 29, 2011. The award is conferred by the Government of India for outstanding contribution to the growth and development of Indian Cinema. The award consists of a Swarn Kamal, a cash prize of Rs.10 lakhs and a shawl. K. Balachander has been film director, screen play writer and producer for more than 45 years. He has written, directed and produced more than 100 films in Tamil, Telugu, Hindi and Kannada. Balachander is known for his distinct film-making style and has the uncanny knack of spotting talent. He has been responsible for bringing into limelight many stars of the present day, including Rajnikanth, Kamal Haasan, Prakashraaj and Vivek. Born in Thanjavur District, Tamil Nadu in July 1930, Balachander came into prominence as a playwright with his dynamic plays like Major Chandrakanth, Server Sundaram, Naanal and Neerkumizhi. These plays enjoyed huge popular and critical acclaim. He entered the film industry in 1965 and shot into fame with his very first film Neerkumizhi. Since then he has directed and produced a number of movies which have won many

National Awards, awards from the State Govts. and other organizations. Some of the prominent films he has directed include Apoorva Raagagal, Avargal 47 Natkal, Sindhu Bhairavi, Ek Duuje Ke Liye (Hindi), Maro Charithra, and Rudraveena in Telugu and Bekiyalli Aralida Hoovu, in Kannada. He was conferred the Padma Shri in 1987 and was honoured with the title Kalaimamani by the Tamil Nadu Government in 1973. He has also won the Golden Nandi award and Silver Nandi awards from Govt of Andhra Pradesh and has also won the Filmfare award as Best Director numerous times.

10 poet Ingrid Jonker. British writer and director Jerry Rothwell won the best feature film prize in the online competition, voted for by visitors to the Tribeca website. Rothwell also won a $25,000 prize for his film, Donor Unknown, about a womans quest to find her biological father. Chaskielberg wins world photographer of the year award: Argentinas Alejandro Chaskielberg was named Sony World Photographer of the Year for his series of photographs titled High Tide. The 34-year-old won the LIris DOr for his photos of a community of islanders living on the Parana River Delta in his native Argentina. Chaskielberg lived with the residents for two years to document their lives for his series of striking pictures. He was presented with the award plus a $25,000 (15,100) cash prize at a London ceremony on April 27, 2011. The Open photographer of the year title was awarded to Chan Kwok Hung for his dramatic image, Buffalo Race. American photographer Bruce Davidson also collected the award for outstanding contribution to photography. The 77year-olds past work has included following a Brooklyn gang in the 1950s and chronicling the civil rights movement in the early 1960s. Other awards presented at the ceremony included the professional category winners covering current affairs, to travel and fine art portraiture. Over 105,000 images were entered into the 2011 competition from 162 countries.

WORLD
Indian mathematician wins Knuth Prize: Indian
mathematician and theoretical computer scientist Ravi Kannan was on April 26, 2011 selected for the 2011 Knuth Prize, a prestigious international recognition for research in computer science. Professor Kannan, who leads the algorithms research group at Microsoft Research Labs India, is the first Indian to receive the award. He is also the first adjunct faculty of the Computer Science and Automation department at the Indian Institute of Science. The Association for Computing Machinerys (ACM) Special Interest Group on Algorithms and Computation Theory has awarded the prize to Professor Kannan for developing influential algorithmic techniques aimed at solving longstanding computational problems. Congolese activist wins World Childrens Prize: Congolese childrens rights activist Murhabazi Namegabe has won the $100,000 World Childrens Prize. The Stockholm-based award foundation, on April 26, 2011, cited Murhabazis dangerous struggle to free children forced to be child soldiers or sex slaves in Congo. The foundation says that since 1989, Murhabazi and his organisation BVES have freed 4,000 child soldiers and more than 4,500 girls who had been assaulted by armed groups. It says the winner was decided in a vote among 3.2 million children worldwide. Since 1999, the Swedish Childrens World Association has awarded the annual Worlds Childrens Prize for the Rights of the Child for outstanding contributions in defending the rights of children and youth. Swedish film She Monkeys wins Tribeca prize: A Swedish film about two teenage girls whose friendship turns to rivalry has won a top award at the Tribeca film festival in New York on April 29, 2011. She Monkeys, directed by Lisa Aschan and set in the world of equestrian acrobatics, won the $25,000 (15,000) prize for best narrative feature. Bombay Beach by Israeli director Alma Harel won the $25,000 best documentary prize. Ramadhan "Shami" Bizimana won the award for best actor in the Rwandan and Australian film about genocide, Grey Matter. Carice van Houten was named best actress in Black Butterflies, a drama based on the life during apartheid of South African

CORPORATE & ECONOMY Intellectual Property Awards conferred

India celebrates the World Intellectual Property Day by honouring some of the outstanding achievements for development of Intellectual property in India. Confederation of Indian (CII) in collaboration with Department of Industrial Policy & Promotion (DIPP) & Indian Intellectual Property Office, Govt of India on April 26, 2011 conferred awards to: The Indian Owned Private Company securing highest number of patents in last five years (103 patents) TATA Steel Limited The Public Sector Undertaking securing highest number of patents in last five years (240 patents) Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd The Educational Institution / University securing highest number of patents in last five years (78 patents) IIT Madras An Indian Individual for securing highest number of patents in last five years (23 patents) Lalit Mahajan Securing highest number of registered Designs in last five year (539 registered Designs) - Crompton Greaves Ltd Dipak Bharali of National Innovation Foundation GE India Innovator award for designing accessory for Jacquard Loom

11 GAIL receives Outstanding PSU of the Year award: State-owned gas utility GAIL India Ltd was on Apr 21, 2011 conferred the Outstanding PSU of the Year award by All India Management Association (AIMA). The company has been earlier ranked the number one gas utility in Asia and number two gas utility in the world by Platts, an eminent petroleum research and publishing house. GAIL is Indias principal natural gas company with activities ranging from gas transmission and marketing to processing (for fractionating LPG and propane); transmission of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG); production and marketing of Petrochemicals like HDPE and LLDPE and leasing bandwidth in Telecommunications. The company has extended its presence in power, liquefied natural gas (LNG) re-gasification, city gas distribution and exploration and production through equity and joint venture participations. GAIL owns and operates a network of around 8,000 km of natural gas high pressure trunk pipeline with a capacity to carry 180 million standard cubic meters of natural gas per day. AP minister wins Pride of India Leadership award: Mauritius President Anirudh Jagannath on April 16, 2011 presented the prestigious Pride of India Leadership Award 2011 to Andhra Pradesh Information and Public Relations Minister D K Aruna in Social Service category at a function in Mauritius on Friday. The awards were instituted by the Mauritius based NRI Institute to honour Indians who rendered services in various fields. RSP bags Srishti Good Green Governance Award: Rourkela Steel Plant (RSP) on April 26, 2011 won the prestigious Srishti Good Green Governance Award for 2010. The award was conferred on RSP in recognition of its eco-friendly efforts to reduce pollutants and green house gas emissions and effluent discharge, as well as measures to optimise waste utilisation and water conservation and expand green and corporate social responsibility initiatives. Srishti Publication publishes the magazine, "Creativity in Nature", and "Prakriti ke roop rang".

Section D: ECONOMY & CORPORATE

NEWS ROUND UP
Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India Pipeline meet held
The Ministerial-level Steering Committee of TurkmenistanAfghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) Pipeline project met in New Delhi on April 28, 2011. It was attended by S. Jaipal Reddy, Minister, MoP&NG, Government of India, W Shahrani, Minister of Mines, Afghanistan, Dr. Asim Husasain, Advisor to PM on P&NR, Pakistan and B Nedirov, Minister of Oil & Gas Industry and Mineral Resources, Turkmenistan. It has been decided that the Gas Sales Purchase Agreement (GSPA) between the four countries should be finalized, so that it can be signed by 31st July, 2011. The TWG also finalized the Terms of Reference of the Transaction Advisor, who would facilitate the formation of the consortium for execution of the TAPI project. As per the Gas Pipeline Framework Agreement (GFPA) signed by all the participating countries in December 2010, a consortium of technically competent and financially capable international companies would be formed for finance, design and construction of the project. While a transit fee is payable to the countries through which the TAPI pipeline passes, transportation charges would be levied by the consortium operating the pipeline. A consortium of international companies with experience in implementing such projects would operate the pipeline. The consortium would take over the project after the construction is completed, on reimbursement of cost basis. The TAPI Pipeline project envisages the construction of a 1,700 km long pipeline which would originate from Dauletabad field in Turkmenistan, travel through Afghanistan and Pakistan before entering India. The estimated cost of the pipeline is US $ 7.6 billion and it would carry 90 MMSCMD (million standard cubic metres per day) gas. Of this, 14 MMSCMD would be meant for Afghanistan and 38 MMSCMD each for India and Pakistan. The project was originally conceived in the 1990s by Turkmenistan, Afghanistan and Pakistan. India was formally admitted as a member of the TAPI project in April 2008. The Government of India has nominated GAIL (India) Limited for off-taking the Indian portion of the gas. The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has been designated as the lead development partner of the project.

12

PM approves Jaitapur nuclear project

The first phase of the nuclear power plant project at Jaitapur in Maharashtra has been approved with additional safety measures and a generous new compensation package to be announced soon. The decision to approve the setting up of two 1,650-MWe reactors at Jaitapur was taken at a meeting convened by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on April 26, 2011. Among those who briefed the Prime Minister were S. Banerjee, Secretary, Department of Atomic Energy; S.K. Jain of the Nuclear Power Corporation of India that will operate the plant at Jaitapur and National Security Advisor Shivshankar Menon. The government has also decided to introduce a bill in the next session of Parliament creating an independent and autonomous Nuclear Regulatory Authority of India (NRAI) that would subsume the existing Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB). The AERB has been criticised for being administratively subordinate to the very atomic energy establishment whose operations it is meant to regulate. The meeting also decided to make public the initial results of the six safety review committees set up after the Fukushima accident, as also the action taken on previous safety reviews. The government will invite the Operational Safety Review Team of the International Atomic Energy Authority to assist in its own safety reviews and audit. All reactors and technologies, whether indigenous or imported, will, without exception, meet the safety standards that are stipulated by the regulatory authorities. Nuclear power at present contributes about three per cent towards Indias energy needs. The government plans to increase the contribution of nuclear energy to six per cent by 2020 and 13 per cent by 2030. JNPP details Jaitapur Nuclear Power Plant (JNPP) derived its name From Jaitapur lighthouse which is mentioned in many international maps. The Jaitapur site is not considered earthquake-prone. As per seismic zoning map of Government of India, Jaitapur site falls within zone III. As per the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) codal requirement, there should not be any active fault within 5 km radius from the proposed site of an NPP. Further, based on the studies carried out by various government institutes/ organisations, there is no active fault found up to 30 km radius from JNPP site. Hence, the site is not considered earthquake-prone. Generation Capacity of JNPP: One unit of 1650 MWe plant operating at full capacity shall generate 36-39 million units per day. Presently, generation capacity of six units is 1650 MWe capacity each. Evolutionary Pressurised Reactors (EPR) from AREVA, France is under consideration of the Government of India.

Number of Reactor Units: There will be six reactor units of 1650 MWe each at JNPP. The distance between each adjacent reactor unit is planned to be 250-300 meters. Completion of Project: 5 to 6 months time is required to declare commercial operation after completion of construction. The time required for completion of each unit is approximately six years from the start date. Approximately all the six units of 1650 MWe each will be constructed in a twin-unit mode in phased manner and implemented in a period of 15-18 years. Life Span of Each Plant: The guaranteed life of the proposed plant is 60 years. Type of Fuel: This plant will be PWR-type, based on enriched uranium fuel. The uranium will be supplied by AREVA, France, which will be also supplying the reactor units. Source of Fresh Water: The fresh water requirement of the plant units and the proposed residential complex of JNPP will be met from a desalination plant facility installed by (NPCIL).

DGH review blames RIL for falling D6 gas output

An independent review of Reliance Industries (RILs) D6 block in the Krishna-Godavari (KG) basin off the east coast has found the company responsible for the fall in gas production from the countrys most-prolific field. An independent review of the KG-D6 block commissioned by the Directorate General of Hydrocarbons (DGH) recently pointed out that the non-drilling of four additional wells has caused the decline in production. The report, submitted to the government in April 2011, says the slow pace of field development by RIL is the reason for fall in production. The report said non-drilling of four additional wells was behind the fall in production. The report said 22 wells were required to be on stream in the second year to produce 61.8 million standard cubic metres a day (mscmd) but the company has only 18 wells in operation. Earlier Director General of Hydrocarbons S K Srivastava said the DGH was not satisfied with the reasons given by RIL and the company. Due to lower production, gas supply to critical sectors such as power, fertilizer and steel has been affected. RIL has so far signed up customers for 60.76 mscmd gas, while production is around 50 mscmd. The government has given priority to fertiliser plants, followed by LPG extraction units, power plants and city gas distribution projects.

With production falling, RIL has cut supplies to customers on a pro-rata basis. But the government has asked RIL to divert gas from sectors such as steel and petrochemicals to fertilizer and power in line with its gas-use policy.

13 comprehensive FTA between Australia and India would benefit both countries and such liberalization would provide impetus to economic activity and economic welfare in each economy. The Committee accorded approval to the launch of the FTA negotiations with Australia. FTA with COMESA: The TERC also considered the proposal for establishing a Joint Study Group to examine the policy framework for enhancing the bilateral economic relationship between India and COMESA and assessing the feasibility of a comprehensive FTA/PTA covering trade in goods, services and investment and accorded its approval for the same. It was observed that bilateral trade between India and COMESA has shown very good growth during the last five years and the trade balance continues to be in our favour.

ONGC reports two oil finds in Gujarat

Oil and Natural Gas Corporation on April 27, 2011 said it had made two discoveries in Gujarat, taking the number of oil and gas strikes to 24 in 2010-11. ONGC said it added almost 237 million tonne of inplace oil and gas reserves in the fiscal gone by. With this, its reserve replacement ratio stands at 1.76. In other words, for every unit of oil or gas pumped, the company has added nearly twice the quantity to its reserves. According to Chairman A K Hazarika, the first of the two latest discoveries was made in block CB-ONN-2004/2 in Gujarat. ONGC has 50% interest in the concession it had won along with Gujarat State Petroleum Corp (40%) and Sunterra (10%). The second discovery was made in a nomination block in the western offshore, identified as Linch Extn-I PML. ONGC produced over 27 million tonne of crude in 2010-11, marginally higher than the target. Gas production stood at 25.322 billion cubic metres, which too was a tad higher than the target. It sold over 20 bcm (billion cubic metres) of gas and produced over 3 million tonnes of value added products in 2010-11.

Funds approved for automotive testing project

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) on April 28, 2011 approved the revised cost estimate of Rs 2,288.06 crore for the National Automotive Testing and R&D Infrastructure Project in place of the original approved cost estimate of Rs 1,718 crore. NATRIP, the flagship project of Department of Heavy Industry (DHI), was approved by the CCEA in July, 2005, with a total investment of Rs.1718 crore, for up-gradation of three existing automotive testing and R&D centers viz. (Vehicle Research & Development Establishments) at Ahmednagar, Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI) at Pune and International Centre for Automotive Technology (ICAT) at Manesar and for setting up of four greenfield centers at Chennai, Indore, Silchar and Rae Bareilly for automotive testing, homologation and R&D. The completion of project will ensure that full bouquet of automotive testing and R&D facilities are available for introduction of higher emission and safety norms by 2015. This will contribute to lowering of vehicular emissions and improve vehicle safety. The Project will also lead to manifold increase in the growth of the automotive sector and its contribution to national economy.

FTA with EU not to TRIPS/domestic law PM

go

beyond

The Trade and Economic Relations Committee (TERC) held th its 17 meeting on April 29, 2011 under the chairmanship of the Prime Minister. The committee reviewed the status of the India-European Union Bilateral Trade and Investment Agreement (FTA) and discussed the various issues involved in the negotiations. It was observed that concern has been raised by various quarters about the Indian stand on issues on Intellectual Property Rights, especially in the context of the Indian Pharma products. The PM directed that the Indian side shall not take on any obligation beyond TRIPS/ Domestic Law. The Committee also discussed proposals for two new economic engagements through the mechanism of FTA with Australia and with the Common Market of Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA). FTA with Australia: The Joint Study Group constituted for studying the feasibility of a FTA with Australia has observed that India and Australia produce highly competitive and largely complementary goods for export to international markets. While economic activity in each country has led to substantial growth in bilateral goods trade, tariffs and nontariff barriers continue to raise the cost of imports, imposing implicit taxes on businesses and consumers alike. A

Funds approved for Ganga River Authority

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs on April 28, 2011 approved the Project for cleaning of River Ganga to be implemented by the National Ganga River Basin Authority (NGRBA) at an estimated cost of Rs. 7000 crore. The share of Government of India will be Rs 5100 crore and that of the State Governments of Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal will be Rs 1900 crore. The World Bank has agreed in-principle to provide a loan assistance of US $ 1 billion (approx. Rs 4600 crore) to the Government of India for the NGRBA project, which will form part of the central share of the project. The duration of the project will be eight years.

NGRBA was constituted in February, 2009 as an empowered planning, financing, monitoring and coordinating authority for the Ganga River under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986. The objective of the Authority, which is chaired by the Prime Minister, is to ensure conservation of the river Ganga and to maintain environmental flows by comprehensive planning and management, adopting a river basin approach. The project is envisaged as the first phase in a long-term programme of World Bank support to NGRBA. The project will support NGRBAs objective of Mission Clean Ganga. The project has been designed keeping in view the lessons learnt from the previous Ganga Action Plan and International River clean-ups. The project will have three components relating to (a) institutional development for setting up dedicated institutions for implementing the NGRBA program, setting up Ganga Knowledge Centre, strengthening environmental regulators (Pollution Control Boards) and local institutions (ULBs, etc) (b) infrastructure investments including for municipal sewage, industrial pollution, solid wastes and river front management, and (c) project implementation support.

14 Programme with support from Global Fund for AIDS, TB and Malaria at a cost of Rs 417.22 crore. The programme is being run under the National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme (NVBDCP) with support from Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria (GFATM Round 9). The approval envisages continuance of the erstwhile Global Fund Supported Intensified Malaria Control Project (IMCP-I) (2005-10), with revised geographical focus in high-endemic seven North-Eastern States for accelerated control of malaria. Human resources development, procurement and distribution of commodities and drugs, information, education and communication, behaviour change communication (BCC) activities and planning, monitoring and evaluation are the main components of the programme. Further, it includes measures for improving behaviour change communication, vector and parasite surveillance, partnership development and capacity building. The aim of the project is to reduce malaria-related mortality and morbidity in project States by at least 30 per cent by 2015 as compared with the 2008 levels. The project will cover a five-year period from October 1, 2010 to September 30, 2015.

Funds approved for Food Technology Institute

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs on April 28, 2011 approved revised cost estimates from Rs 244.60 crore to Rs 479.91 crore for setting up of the National Institute of Food Technology, Entrepreneurship and Management at Kundli, Haryana. This increased cost will have a foreign exchange component of $ 8.1 million. NIFTEM will be a global centre of excellence integrating all facets of food science, technology, entrepreneurship, research and management and will be recognized as the focal point for catalyzing the growth of the food processing industries in India in the global context. The Institute will cater to the needs of various stakeholders such as entrepreneurs, industry, exporters, policy makers, the government and existing institutions. It will develop world-class managerial talent and entrepreneurship with advanced know-how in food science and technology, increase the importance of food hygiene and safety standards, facilitate business incubation services, collect and disseminate information on national and international market trends for food products.

Negotiable launched

warehouse

receipt

system

Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Prof. K.V.Thomas launched the Negotiable Warehouse Receipt System (NWRs) on April 26, 2011. Henceforth, farmers can seek loans from banks against the warehouse receipts issued to them against their storage. These receipts issued by the warehouses registered with the Warehousing Development and Regulatory Authority (WDRA) would become a fully negotiable instrument backed by a Central legislation. The WDRA was setup by the Government in October 2010 to regulate and development of warehouses in the country. The new initiative would help the farmers to avoid distress sale and become a tool of trade and facilitate finance to the farmers. It would also allow banks to improve the quality of their lending services in agriculture sector, increase the liquidity in the rural areas and encourage better price risk management in agriculture commodities. The Minister has directed the Central Warehousing Authority to undertake extensive training programme for scientific storage of goods to minimise losses. He also called for linkages of registered warehouses should also be

Funds approved for Malaria Control Project

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs on April 28, 2011 approved a Ministry of Health & Family Welfare proposal for second phase of the Intensified Malaria Control Project for seven North Eastern States (except Sikkim) under National Vector Borne Disease Control

provided with Agriculture Produce & Marketing Committee (APMC) and Spot Exchanges so as to enable the farmers to fetch better prices of their agriculture produce.

15 figure. The state imposed a ban on iron ore exports in July 2010.

Non-food credit up by 20.6% in 2010-11 RBI Govt. committee to track black money
The Union government on April 25, 2011 informed the Supreme Court that it would set up a 10-member highpowered supervisory committee to track black money and their link to terror funding and drug syndicates. The revenue secretary will head the committee, which will include directors of the CBI, Enforcement Directorate (ED), Intelligence Bureau (IB), Directorate of Revenue Intelligence and chiefs of Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT), Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), Financial Intelligence Bureau, Foreign Trade and Tax division as well as deputy governor of Reserve Bank of India (RBI). Solicitor general Gopal Subramaniam said that this committee will start work immediately. Every time any of the investigating agencies comes across some information about black moneyboth abroad and domesticit will be shared with other investigating agencies and investigation will be coordinated. During the last hearing, the Supreme Court had asked the Centre to respond to why an Special Investigation Team (SIT) should not be set up to track black money as the government appeared to have done nothing concrete and why names of foreign bank account holders who had stashed black money there not be disclosed. Non-food bank credit grew by 20.6 per cent during 2010-11 as compared with 16.8 per cent during 2009-10, according to the RBI on April 29, 2011. In 2010-11, banks extended non-food credit aggregating Rs 6,27,347 crore (Rs 4,38,182 crore in 2009-10). As per the RBIs sectoral deployment of credit data, credit to the services sector, led by non-banking finance companies (59 per cent increase or by Rs 62,136 crore), professional services, transport operators and tourism, hotels and restaurants, grew by 23.9 per cent during 2010-11, compared with 12.5 per cent in the previous year. Personal loans grew significantly by 17 per cent (or by Rs 99,739 crore) during 2010-11 as compared with 4.1 per cent (or by Rs 23,154 crore) during the previous year, with all its components barring credit card outstanding exhibiting high growth. Credit to industry, led by infrastructure, metals, food processing, rubber, plastic and their products and engineering grew by 23.6 per cent in 2010-11, compared with 24.4 per cent in the previous year. Credit growth to agriculture, however, decelerated to 10.6 per cent during 2010-11 from 22.9 per cent in the previous year.

India Corruption Study: 2010 unveiled

The India Corruption Study: 2010 prepared by the Centre for Media Studies was released in New Delhi on April 29, 2011. The study says that the grievance redress system in the country is poor and public service providers lack accountability. This is indicated by the fact that 95 per cent of the households that were asked to pay a bribe ended up doing so. The report based on a survey of around 10,000 households across 12 major cities claims that the general perception about corruption in public services involving the aam admi has shown a declining trend. However, people continued paying bribes for services like the public distribution scheme, medical assistance and water supply. The bribe paid by households for various purposes ranged between as low as Rs. 5 to as high as Rs. 800. For example, to get an application form to apply for a ration card, some households paid Rs. 5 while to get the BPL ration card, without being eligible fore the same or not having supporting documents, some households paid Rs. 800, the study quotes.

SC suspend 19 mining leases in Bellary

The Supreme Court, acting on a report of the Central Empowered Committee (CEC), on April 29, 2011 directed suspension of the 19 mining leases in Karnataka in the Bellary region and restrained these mines from carrying on operations until further orders. The order was passed after taking into account the interim reports of the CEC appointed by the court to look into violations of mining laws by the companies. The reports said massive illegal mining was conducted in the forest area in connivance with officials and public representatives. Karnataka has iron ore reserves of 8,277.5 million tonnes, 16.5 per cent of the countrys reserves. The huge resource base of magnetite ore is in the Western Ghats, where mining is banned. Most iron ore mining happens in Bellary, Chitradurga and Tumkur districts. The state has granted 166 mining leases. It produces around 40 million tonnes, which is about one-fifth of Indias production. Karnataka exports about 30 million tonnes, one-third of the national

The estimation of bribe amount paid by the rural households brings out an amount of Rs. 471.8 crore...The percentage of rural households that paid bribe during the last year was relatively higher in PDS (11.5 per cent), followed by hospitals (9 per cent), schools (5.8 per cent), water (4.3 per cent), the study said. The study claims that the socio-economically weaker sections were most affected by corrupt practices in public services. Four to six per cent of rural households were deprived of these public services as they could not afford to pay bribe. The study puts Rs. 156.8 crore as bribe that could have been paid in PDS while for water supply services, rural households could have paid Rs. 83.3 crore.

16 second place, the other Asian economies continue to make progress in the ranking, with Taiwan and Korea improving five places to 6th and 10th, respectively, and Hong Kong at 12th. The NRI uses a combination of data from publicly available sources, as well as the results of the Executive Opinion Survey, a comprehensive annual survey conducted by the World Economic Forum with its network of partner institutes (leading research institutes and business organisations) in the countries included in the report.

Indias electricity generation at 811 BU in 2010-11:

India saw an electricity generation of 811 billion units in the last fiscal, marginally lower than the set target, primarily on account of shortage of coal and water. The country had targeted an electricity generation of 830.8 billion units (BU) in 2010-11. Latest figures from the Central Electricity Authority (CEA) show that power generation stood at 811.1 BU in 2010-11. The figure represents a growth of over five per cent as against 768.4 BU achieved in 2009-10 financial year. The statistics exclude generation from plants having capacity of 25 MW capacity. In the last fiscal, the electricity generation from thermal power sources stood at 664.9 BU compared to the target of 690.9 BU. Develop. fee at Mumbai, Delhi airports quashed: The Supreme Court on April 26, 2011 quashed the levying of Airport Development Fee (ADF) by private airport developers in Delhi and Mumbai on international and domestic passengers. A bench of Justices Cyriac Joseph and A K Patnaik set aside the policy of airport developers by which passengers departing from Delhi airport had to pay a fee of Rs 200 for domestic flights and Rs 1,300 for international flights while fliers departing from Mumbai were charged Rs 100 for domestic and Rs 600 for international flights. The bench set aside the Delhi High Courts order which had upheld levying of ADF. The court passed the order on a petition filed by the NGO, Consumer Online Foundation, contending that the fee was illegal, as it was not approved by Airports Economic Regulatory Authority of India (AERA).

India ranks 48th on Networked Readiness Index

India has slipped by five places on the INSEAD and World Economic Forums Annual Global Information Technology th Report unveiled on April 29, 2011. India has moved to 48 rank on the Networked Readiness Index (NRI) featured in rd the report, down from 43 position last year. With coverage of 138 economies worldwide, the Report is a comprehensive international assessment of the impact of ICT (information and communication technology) on the development process and the competitiveness of nations. NRI examines how prepared countries are to use ICT effectively on three dimensions: the general business, regulatory and infrastructure environment for ICT; the readiness of individuals, businesses and governments to use and benefit from ICT; and, third, their actual usage of available ICT. While India was better on the readiness component, ranking at 33, it ranked 67 on the usage component. On the environment component, India ranked 58. Sweden and Singapore led the rankings by placing first and second in the NRI, respectively. Finland (3) rose in the rankings, followed by Switzerland (4) and the US (5). The th Nordic countries led in leveraging ICT. With Denmark in 7 th and Norway in 9 place, all are in the top 10, except for Iceland, ranked in 16th position. Led by Singapore in

Cuddalore PCPIR proposal goes before CCEA: The government has given its approval for the fifth Petroleum, Chemicals and Petrochemical Investment Region (PCPIR) in the country which will come in Tamil Nadu. According to the Tamil Nadu government on April 30, 2011, the project has got an in-principle approval from the Cabinet Secretary and would go to the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs for approval. The proposed PCPIR is coming up on 250 sq km on the coastline of Cuddalore, around 200 km south of Chennai. So far four PCPIRs have been notified by the government, including Dahej in Gujarat, Haldia in West Bengal, Paradip in Orissa and Vishakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh. Each notified zone is expected to bring in an investment, both domestic and international, to the tune of Rs 2 - 3 lakh crore. PCPIR is aimed at promoting large investments in the chemicals sector in the country.

17

Rajendra Pawar is new NASSCOM Chairman: US gets DRDO tech for Explosive Detection Kit: A
USA based firm Crowe & Company, LLC on April 25, 2011 entered into a licensing agreement with DRDO to acquire the technology of Explosive Detection Kit developed by the High Energy Material Research Lab (HEMRL), Pune, one of the constituent laboratories of DRDO. HEMRL has developed the kit for quick detection and identification of explosives that can detect and identify explosives based on any combination of nitro esters, nitramines, trinitrotoluene (TNT), dynamite or black powder. The explosive detection kit comes packed in a box the size of a vanity case and in miniature vials that can be kept in shirt pockets. NIIT Ltd co-founder and chairman Rajendra S Pawar was on April 27, 2011 appointed as the next Chairman of IT industry body National Association of Software and Services Companies (NASSCOM) for the year 2011-12. He will replace Accentures Harsh Manglik. Pawar (60) has pioneered computer education market in India, when he cofounded NIIT in 1981. The NIIT Group now encompasses two businesses NIIT Technologies Ltd, the software and services arm, and NIIT Ltd, the leading Global Talent Development Corporation. Besides NIIT, Pawar is a member of Prime Ministers National Council on Skill Development, a council chaired by prime minister. He is a member of the Planning Commissions Task Force on Skill Development. He did his schooling from the Scindia School, Gwalior and graduated from IIT, Delhi in 1972 where he pursued B Tech programme in electrical engineering. He worked at HCL Technologies before starting NIIT in 1981. K V Kamath appointed Infosys Chairman: Indias second largest software firm Infosys on April 30, 2011 named K V Kamath as the new chairman to succeed founder N R Narayana Murthy, who retires in August. Kamath, 63, is the non-Executive Chairman of ICICI Bank, the countrys largest private sector bank. He is also an independent director on the board of Infosys. The company also appointed current CEO S. Gopalakrishnan as the Executive Co-Chairman and promoted COO S D Shibulal as CEO and MD. Murthy, who turns 65 in August, would become Chairman Emeritus. These appointments will be effective August 21, 2011.

HCL to develop system for CCI M&A cases: The

Competition Commission of India (CCI) on April 28, 2011 selected HCL Technologies to develop an electronic system ensuring confidentiality of sensitive documents given by companies for merger and acquisition (M&A) scrutiny. HCL would develop security firewalls to protect the electronic data filed by industry. Confidentiality of data has been a major concern of the industry after the government notified provisions under the Competition Act, 2002, for CCI to handle M&A scrutiny from June 1. While M&As officially announced until June 1 would be excluded from this scrutiny, all new ones where the acquirer has a minimum turnover of Rs 4,500 crore or more will have to be vetted by CCI.

Section E: SPORTS
Duncan Fletcher appointed India coach:
The former England coach, Duncan Fletcher, was on April 27, 2011 appointed coach of the Indian cricket team for a period of two years by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). He takes over from the highly successful Gary Kirsten. Eric Simons role as the bowling coach was also extended. The 62-year-old Fletcher was a path-breaking coach for England from 1999 to 2007. During his tenure, England registered its first Ashes triumph in 18 years and recorded significant away Test series victories in Sri Lanka, Pakistan, the West Indies and South Africa. As a player, he was a lefthanded batsman and bowled tight right-arm medium pace for Zimbabwe. The highlight of his career was when he skippered Zimbabwe to a stunning win over Australia in a group match of the 1983 World Cup in England. He led from the front too, scoring 69 not out and claiming four wickets for 42. announced for the Indian Cricket team for World Cup triumph from Rs one crore to Rs two crore each. "The cash incentive to the members of the World Cup winning Indian team has been increased from Rs 1 crore per player to Rs 2 crore per player," BCCI secretary and president-elect N Srinivasan said in a media release.

BCCI increases cash prize for World Cup win: The

BCCI on April 27, 2011 increased the prize money

IFA launches Premier League Soccer: The Indian Football Association in April 2011 announced the launch of Premier League Soccer (PLS), an innovative venture that looks to bring together professional players from across the world in a franchise-based system like cricket. The tournament, which will be played in the January-March period in 2012, will initially have six franchises chosen through competitive bidding. The PLS will have six franchises to be chosen through competitive bidding for 10 years with successful bidders paying a yearly franchise fee. Only limited companies with a minimum net worth of Rs 10 crores could bid for a franchisee license. The tournament, which will be conducted in association with Celebrity Management Group, will have franchises from the six major cities in the state Kolkata, Howrah, Barasat, Asansol, Midnapore and Siliguri.

The PLS will look to bring together franchises and stadium authorities in the different venues in a bid to upgrade the infrastructure and provide the spectators all modern amenities. Each team will have one icon player, three overseas players, a minimum of five catchment-players, and six players in the under-21 age-group. Each team will be headed by an overseas coach having FIFA or UEFA A license. The franchises are also required to have their own youth development programme.

18 and led Mohun Bagan to their maiden Rovers Cup victory in 1955, passed away at the age of 85 in Kolkata on April 25, 2011. Sattar also played in the 1952 Helsinki Olympics.

Former footballer Abdus Sattar passes away:

Former Olympian football star Mohammad Abdus Sattar, who was part of the 1951 Asian Games gold winning team

India win 2 golds at Belgrade boxing tournament: 17-year-old boxer Shiva Thapa won the gold in bantam weight (56kg) category at the Winners Invitational Tournament in Belgrade, Serbia. India won two golds and a bronze medal. Commonwealth Games gold-medallist and Asian Games bronze-winner Paramjeet Samota (+91kg) got a gold, while Asian silver-medallist Manpreet Singh (91kg) settled for a bronze. Shiva beat Bulgarias Detelin Dalakliev, the world champion from the 2009 Milan edition, despite trailing by a couple of points in the first two rounds.

Weekly Current Affairs update

For the Week: May 1 to 7, 2011

Major news of the week

Section A: INDIA
Arunachal CM Khandu dies in air mishap Gamlin appointed new Arunachal CM Tagore souvenirs released on birth anniversary PMs committee suggests per person PDS allocation MPLAD funds for physically challenged persons allowed Let IIMs award degrees Menon committee Pact with United Peoples Democratic Solidarity extended SC sets up team to survey Karnataka iron ore mines AIIMS book on Organ Donation released Howrah-Delhi Rajdhani to soon have Wi-Fi facility HRD Min. to unveil framework to boost vocational education Indian Navy saves Chinese ship from pirates Army to set up jungle warfare training in Chhattisgarh Audit soon of 17-lakh acres of Defence land holdings India fast-tracking road projects on China border Marine commando force launched by Goa police Benefit Scheme for Gramin Dak Sevaks launched Lighthouses to show new direction to costal tourism India first cluster bus service launched in Delhi S.C. Chetal takes over as new IGCAR Director BJP renominates M. M. Joshi as PAC chairman Sunil Lanba is new Eastern Naval Command Chief K D Tripathi appointed as new CVC secretary Maharashtra CM resigns as Rajya Sabha member Journalist K. Kasturi Rangan passes away Kanimozhi denies knowledge of money transfer in 2G scam Lakshmi Mittal stays on top of UK rich list for 7th yr

Section C: AWARDS
President gives away Certificate of Honour to scholars Tagore National Fellowship for Cultural Research announced Hazare rejects IIPM Tagore Peace Prize Lalit Kala Akademi chairman rejects UP govt.s award Jailed Iranian journalist wins UNESCO prize Cannes to honour jailed Iranian directors Marco Bellocchio wins Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement Indian nanny honoured by Raoul Wallenberg Foundation Columbia journalism award for Al Jazeera English

Section D: ECONOMY & CORPORATE

Monetary policy statement for 2011-12 unveiled Indias foreign trade data unveiled Plan Com for quota boost to domestic hardware production Foreign Contribution Regulation Act 2010 comes into effect Loans to NBFCs lose priority sector tag RBI increases m-wallet limit Inter-ministerial group discusses high inflation with RBI India on US priority watch list on IPRs FICCI proposes to set up National Knowledge Functional Hub ISRO stakes claim to India's fastest supercomputer Mumbai Airport calls AERA on restoring Development Fees India, China to grow the most in APAC UN Agency Business confidence falls 8% in October-March R.K. Upadhyay appointed BSNL CMD G. C. Chaturvedi appointed Petroleum Secretary Rakesh Singh is interim LIC Chairman Shekhar Shah appointed NCAER director-general Balachandran is Pharmaceuticals Authority Chairman Nirmal Chandra Jha is new Coal India Chairman

Section B: WORLD
Harper wins Parliamentary elections in Canada Fatah, Hamas sign reconciliation agreement in Palestine World Population Prospects unveiled Asian Development Bank AGM organised in Hanoi President Patil visits Mauritius Britain says no to Alternative Vote People's Action Party wins Singapore election WEF meet on Africa organised May Day observed World Press Freedom Day observed World Asthma Day observed Portugal agrees to Euro 78 bn bailout N. Korea, worst-rated in press freedom Freedom House EU wins super-observer status at United Nations S Korean parliament approves FTA with EU Osama's death 3rd biggest news of 21st century WHO for mental disorders as non-communicable disease Tagore bust presented to Singapore institute World Red Cross Day celebrated Osama bin Laden killed in Abbottabad Ouattara takes oath as Ivory Coast President

Section E: SPORTS
Sri Lankas T20 league to start in July-August BCCI recommends Zaheer Khan for Arjuna award Alastair Cook named England's new ODI skipper Cricket South Africa reinstates Nyoka as President Lee wins India Open badminton championship Saina ends runner-up in Malaysian Open Grand Prix Potro wins Estoril Open Djokovic beats Nadal to win Madrid Open Djokovic wins Serbia Open AC Milan claim 18th Serie A title Gurmeet sets new national record in men's 20km walk Vettal wins Turkish Grand Prix Suwannawat wins Asian Snooker Championship Former world No. 1 golfer Ballesteros passes away Lee Westwood retains No. 1 ranking in Golf

Section A: INDIA News round up

Arunachal CM Khandu dies in air mishap

Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Dorjee Khandu was found dead in the remote and inaccessible Luguthang village, about 30 km from Tawang near the India-China border, on May 8, 2011. The news of his demise came after five days of intense search operations since the Pawan Hans A350-B3 helicopter carrying Khandu and four others went missing near the Sela Pass at 10.05 AM on April 30 while flying from Tawang to Itanagar. Military career A military intelligence man who participated in the 1971 Bangladesh war, Khandu had worked his way up as a local politician helping set up schools and organising drinking water supplies in far-flung areas of the mountainous State. Khandu, 56, who became the Chief Minister twice, was with the Army's intelligence wing for seven years and received a gold medal for rendering meritorious services during the India-Pakistan war that led to the creation of Bangladesh. Khandu also led a cultural troupe to the 1982 Asiad in Delhi from Tawang and it won a silver medal. Political career Born on March 3, 1955 at Gyangkhar village in Tawang district, Khandu belonged to the Monpa tribe and was a Buddhist with little formal education. His political innings started in 1983 when he was elected uncontested as the district vice- president of the West Kameng district zilla parishad and worked in that capacity till 1987. On September 21, 1996, he was elevated to Cabinet rank and given Animal Husbandry & Veterinary, Dairy Development Department In 1999, he was elected to the third Legislative Assembly and served as Power Minister from 1998 to 2006. He also served as the Minister for Mines and held the portfolio of Minister for Relief and Rehabilitation and Disaster Management. Khandu revolted against Apang in 2007. When the Congress high command first refused to accept him as a replacement for Apang as Chief Minister, Khandu went to New Delhi with most party legislators and stayed put for 10 days till the AICC leaders relented. Gamlin appointed new Arunachal CM Governor, J.J. Singh, on May 9, 2011 administered the oath of offices to newly elected leader of Congress legislative party, Jarbom Gamlin, as new the Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh. Gamlin, who was the power minister in the late Khandu th government, was also the member of 13 Lok Sabha and also considered his close confidante. Committee of Inquiry set up The Union government on May 10, 2011 appointed a Committee of Inquiry headed by the former Western Air Command chief, Air Marshal (Retd.) P.S. Ahluwalia, to inquire into the circumstances of accident. The Committee of Inquiry, which includes other retired officials of the Indian Air Force and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), will submit its report within three months.

Tagore souvenirs released on birth anniversary

A National Committee (NC), has been constituted under the chairmanship of the Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh for the th 150 Anniversary Commemorations of Rabindranath Tagore. A National Implementation Committee (NIC) under the chairmanship of the Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee has also been set up to follow up the policy guidelines laid down by the National Committee. The inaugural function was organised on May 7, 2011 at Vigyan Bhavan, New Delhi. The Chief Guest was the Planning Minister of Bangladesh, Air Vice Marshal (Retd.), A. K. Khandker. This function also marked the formal launch of the IndoBangla Joint Commemorations that had been announced in the Joint Communique of January 2010 after the visit of Ms. Sheikh Hasina, the Bangladesh Prime Minister, to India. Several commemorative souvenirs on Rabindranath Tagore, including a compilation of the digital prints of his paintings, a th DVD pack of his restored movies and stamps, were released in New Delhi on May 7, 2011 on the occasion of the 150 birth anniversary celebrations of the Nobel laureate. The first of the four commemorative volumes of Tagores paintings titled Rabindra Chitravali and a set of commemorative stamps on Tagore, the second one after those released in 1961, were released. The paintings have been sourced from National Gallery of Modern Art and Visva Bharati University, set up by Tagore at Santiniketan in West Bengal. The stamps show Tagore writing, with the Upasana Ghar in Santiniketan as the backdrop, him performing in his play Valmiki Pratibha and also one of his paintings. Tagore Stories on Film, a DVD of five popular movies based on Tagore`s stories, restored by the National Film Development Corporation (NFDC) was also released on the occasion. The movies are Kshudito Pashan (The Hungry Stones), Teen Kanya (The Three Daughters), Char Adhyaye (Four Chapters), Notir Puja (The Dancer`s Prayer), with which Tagore was personally involved, and Ghare Baire (Home and the World). The movies have English subtitles. The Union government will facilitate setting up of new cultural complexes in different parts of the country as part of the commemoration of Tagore's 150th birth anniversary. The government has revamped the Multipurpose Cultural Complexes (MPCCs) scheme and renamed it as Tagore Cultural Complexes Scheme. Meanwhile, the Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Wajed thanked the Indian government for accepting her suggestion to name the train that will run between Kolkata and Dhaka Sonar Tori' (Golden Boat) after a collection of poems written by Tagore. External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna released a special issue of India Perspective the ministrys publication, while Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) president Karan Singh released a special issue of the councils publication Indian Horizons. The special issues of both magazines are devoted to Tagore. National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA), National School of Drama (NSD), Sangeet Natak Akademi (SNA), Sahitya Akademi (SA), Lalit Kala Akademi (LKA) and IGNCA organized exclusive functions to celebrate Tagore between 7-9 May 2011 at their premises and select locations in Delhi.

PMs committee suggests per person PDS allocation: The Prime Minister-appointed committee on Food and Public
Distribution System (F&PDS) headed by Deputy Chairman Planning Commission Montek Singh Ahluwalia on May 2, 2011 suggested that the current system of distributing PDS foodgrain per household should be replaced with per capita allocation. According to National Sample Survey (NSS) data, lower income households have more members per family than higher income households. The grain entitlement may be converted from a per-household to a per-individual monthly entitlement, said the committee in its draft report. The committee, which had the chief ministers of Chhattisgarh and Assam as its members along with the Prime Ministers Economic Advisory Council chairman C Rangarajan, said that the 6.52-crore ration card cap fixed by the government on the basis of 1993-94 poverty estimates resulted into lower per family foodgrain availability. Consequently, it has asked the government to notify the revised BPL figures based on latest poverty estimates of the Planning Commission at the earliest.

MPLAD funds for aid to physically challenged persons allowed: The Ministry of Statistics & Programme
Implementation on May 6, 2011 allowed MPs to spend a maximum of Rs. 10.00 lakhs per year, from their MPLAD funds, for giving assistance to the physically challenged. Such assistance can be given only for the purchase of tri-cycles and artificial

4 limbs, for differently abled persons. All applications for such assistance will be examined and approved, by the Chief Medical Officer (CMO) of the district, to ensure proper eligibility. This change will come into effect from 1st of June, 2011.

Let IIMs award degrees Menon committee: A six-member committee, headed by professor N R Madhava Menon,
on May 1, 2011 recommended bringing in an overarching legislation governing all IIMs, allowing them to award degrees. Unlike central universities and IITs, the IIMs currently award only diplomas. IIMs have not been set up through an Act of Parliament, but through the charitable societies route. The suggestions comes months after the HRD ministry rejected IIMBs proposal to amend its Memorandum of Association its primary rulebook allowing it to confer degrees. The committee, appointed to evolve a policy of autonomy for higher education institutions, also proposed a peer-based academic review of departments/areas every five years and complete autonomy to boards to appoint IIM directors solely via a search and selection committee. It has further recommended flow of liberal grants to IIMs to enhance their level of academic activities to global standards, and funding of doctoral students.

SoO agreement with United Peoples Democratic Solidarity extended: The Ministry of Home Affairs and the
United Peoples Democratic Solidarity (active in North Cachar Hills and Karbi Anglong districts of Assam) on May 2, 2011 mutually agreed to extend the Suspension of Operations (SoO) Agreement for a further period of six months up to 31.10.2011. Tripartite talks on the demands of UPDS are continuing.

SC sets up team to survey Karnataka iron ore mines: The Supreme Court on May 6, 2011 set up a team to survey
and demarcate the ninety-nine iron ore mines in Bellary-Hospet region of Karnataka to identify sites of alleged illegal mining. A Bench led by CJI S H Kapadia ordered forming of a team of representatives of the states Forest and Mines departments, the Lokayukta and the court-appointed Central Empowered Committee (CEC). The team would conduct survey and demarcation of the leased mines in the presence of representatives of the mining firms and if any encroachment was found, the mining in the entire leased area would stop. The apex court directed the joint team to visit the site of all 99 mines to carry out demarcation.

AIIMS book on Organ Donation released: The Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare, Ghulam Nabi Azad has
called for stepping up the drive to generate awareness about organ and tissue donation in the society. The Minister noted that there is a huge gap between demand and availability of human organs and tissues. Azad on May 3, 2011 released a book published by the Organ Retrieval Banking Organization (ORBO) of All India Institute of Medical Sciences, titled A Tribute to Life. The book features the donors and their families who have taken the crucial decision of donating organs and tissues of their near and dear ones and rendered yeomen service to society by saving lives of many other people in need. The ORBO at AIIMS is striving to meet the needs of terminally ill patients by educating and motivating people to come forward to donate organs and tissues after death.

Howrah-Delhi Rajdhani to soon have Wi-Fi facility: The Howrah-Delhi Rajdhani is set to become the first train in India to have Wi-Fi connectivity that would enable passengers to access internet during their rail journey. Railways have awarded a contract of Rs 5.3 crore for making equipping three rakes of the Delhi-Howrah-Delhi Rajdhani with the facility. While the satellite link-up cost is more than Rs 1 crore, it would cost about Rs 4 crore for the equipment to facilitate internet access, the Railway Ministry said on May 2, 2011. HRD Ministry to unveil framework to boost vocational education: A national framework to promote vocational
education will be unveiled to meet the requirement of skilled hands for driving industrial growth, HRD Minister Kapil Sibal said on May 6, 2011. The National Vocational Education Qualifications Framework will address the needs and demands of various sectors like automobile, telecom and entertainment industry to meet manpower requirements. The Ministry had in February this year set up a GoM of education of various states to prepare a roadmap for implementation of the framework. At the completion of the programme students will be awarded a CBSE vocational degree similar to the CBSE academic degree they get today.

Indian Navy saves Chinese ship from pirates: A Navy patrol plane foiled a pirate attack on a Chinese merchant
vessel, MV Full City, off Karwar coast in the Arabian sea on May 5, 2011. It flew warning sorties and coordinated with the NATO Task Force to complete the mission successfully. Receiving an SOS that the vessel was under attack, the Navy directed a TU124 aircraft which was on anti-piracy patrol and a Coast Guard ship to the spot, some 450 nautical miles (850 km) west of Karwar.

Army to set up jungle warfare training in Chhattisgarh: The Army is awaiting clearance from the Ministry of Defence (MoD) to conduct training in jungle warfare to a brigade size force in Chhattisgarh. The land for setting up the training area,

5 also called the manoeuvre range, has been identified at Narainpur in Chhattisgarh and approval accorded in principle. General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Central Command Lt. Gen. V.K. Ahluwalia said this at a press conference at the Command's headquarters in Lucknow on May 6, 2011. Lt. Gen. Ahluwalia said the objective of setting up the training range was only to impart training and not anti-Naxal operations. The area under the Central Command, which encompasses Chhattisgarh, Orissa, Jharkhand, Bihar, and parts of Madhya Pradesh, were affected by left wing extremism, but presently the Army was not mandated to operate against such elements. Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand were the other two States in the Command. The Army's role in this context was advisory and providing assistance in capacity building to the Union th government. The Command is celebrating its 48 Raising Day anniversary celebrations. It was the Chinese aggression in 1962 that led to the creation of the Central Command. It came into being on May 1, 1963. In fact, prior to May 1, 1963,

Audit soon of 17-lakh acres of Defence land holdings: More than 17-lakh acres held by 62 cantonments and the
Defence estates will soon be audited. Land records will also be digitised and indexed. Announcing this at the first Performance Appraisal Conference of the Chief Executive Officers of the Cantonment Boards in New Delhi on April 4, 2011, the Defence Minister, A. K. Antony, said issuance of no objection certificates (NoCs) for Defence land would be done strictly according to the laid down policy. The minister added that all vacant pieces of Defence land would be constantly monitored to avert encroachment.

India fast-tracking road projects on China border: With China making strides in building of infrastructure along the
border, India is fast-tracking the construction of strategic roads in the North East and Ladakh, completing much of the work and aiming to finish bulk of projects in two years. Border Roads Organization (BRO) Director General Lt Gen S Ravi Shankar on May 7, 2011 said high priority was being accorded to these projects which are closely monitored at the highest level. About 63 per cent of work on 27 roads in Arunachal Pradesh and 12 in Ladakh is complete.

Marine commando force launched by Goa police: The Goa police on May 7, 2011 launched a Marine Commando
Force, an elite team of trained policemen armed with sophisticated weapons like AK-47 rifles and bullet proof vessels to tackle terrorist attacks. The force would be known as 'Sheshnag' and commandos would be sent for further training with Indian Navy's academy, INS Mandovi.

Benefit Scheme for Gramin Dak Sevaks launched: The Service Discharge Benefit Scheme (SDBS) for Gramin Dak
Sevaks (GDS) was launched in New Delhi on May 3, 2011. The social security scheme, launched by Department of Posts, seeks to provide post-retirement financial security to over 2.73 lakh GDS by depositing Rs. 200 per GDS per month in their accounts. Permanent Retirement Account Number (PRAN) cards to some GDSs on the occasion. The monthly deposits by the government would constantly grow through investments in different schemes/securities by the pension fund managers (PFM) appointed by the PFRDA.

Lighthouses to show new direction to costal tourism: The government has identified about 13 lighthouses across
the Indian coastline that will serve as tourist spots and add a new experience in tourism. The proposal is to develop the coastal land in and around these lighthouses with tourist facilities, including resorts and water sports under the public private partnership mode. The initiative has been undertaken by the directorate general of lighthouses and lightships (DGLL) under the ministry of shipping, which has awarded the work of compiling a detailed project report for each of the sites to Infrastructure Leasing and Financial Services Ltd (IL&FS).

Cluster bus service launched in Delhi: Chief minister Sheila Dikshit launched the cluster bus service in the city on May 5, 2011. This is the first of its kind service in the country and will be run by corporate entities on the lines of those in London and Paris. All the low -floor orange-coloured buses under cluster service will have an onboard passenger information system similar to that of Delhi Metro, global positioning system, temperature reader, clock, electronic display board, CCTV cameras and electronic ticketing machines (ETMs). The first cluster will be run by Star Bus Pvt Ltd on 32 routes in south Delhi. It will have a total of 231 buses, including around 20 air-conditioned ones. The remaining buses will be added to the current fleet of 50 within three months. All the buses are Euro-IV compliant. S.C. Chetal takes over as new IGCAR Director: S.C. Chetal took over as Director of the Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research (IGCAR) at Kalpakkam, Chennai on April 30, 2011. He succeeds Baldev Raj. The IGCAR is the architect of Fast Breeder Reactor programme and it has designed and developed the 500 MWe Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR) under construction at Kalpakkam. Before taking over as IGCAR Director, Chetal was its Director, Reactor Engineering Group. He graduated in Mechanical Engineering from New Delhi in 1970 and joined the prestigious Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) Training School at Trombay that year. After completing the one-year course at the BARC Training School, he joined the IGCAR in 1971 and had been engaging himself in Fast Reactor engineering. He contributed to the design and

6 development of the Fast Breeder Test Reactor at Kalpakkam. Chetal played an important role in the research and development, design, engineering, materials and manufacturing technology of the PFBR.

BJP renominates M. M. Joshi as PAC chairman: Lok Sabha member and senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader Murli
Manohar Joshi was on May 2, 2011 nominated by his party for a second term as chairman of the Public Accounts Committee of Parliament (the first one ended on May 1, 2011). By convention, the PAC is chaired by a member of the opposition. The BJP is the largest opposition party.

Sunil Lanba is new Eastern Naval Command Chief: Vice Admiral Sunil Lanba, a veteran warship commander, on May 2, 2011 took over as the first three-star Chief of Staff of the Vishakhapatanam-based Eastern Naval Command. Lanba is replacing Rear Admiral Karambir Singh, who will proceed to Port Blair on transfer as the Chief of Staff at the tri-services Andaman Nicobar Command. The post, which till now was being held by a Rear Admiral-rank officer, has been upgraded in view of Navy's increasing capabilities on the eastern sea board. The Navy has been strengthening its capabilities on the eastern front as important assets such as the amphibious warfare vessel INS Jalashwa, nuclear submarine Arihant and an important conventional submarine base, are based there. It is also planning to deploy its recently acquired Long Range Maritime Reconnaissance and anti-submarine warfare aircraft P-8I there. K D Tripathi appointed as new CVC secretary: Kapil Dev Tripathi, a 1980 batch IAS officer of Assam-Manipur cadre,
on May 8, 2011 took over as secretary in the Central Vigilance Commission. The CVC is an independent body, which advises the Government on vigilance-related matters and check corruption in various departments, among others. It is also probing several scams, including cases relating to Commonwealth Games.

Maharashtra CM resigns as Rajya Sabha member: Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan on May 6, 2011
resigned as a member of the Rajya Sabha. Chavan was appointed as Chief Minister of Maharashtra in November last year after the then incumbent Ashok Chavan resigned in the wake of allegations against him in the Adarsh Housing Society scam. Prithviraj Chavan was elected unopposed to Maharashtra Legislative Council on April 27, fulfilling the constitutional requirement of getting elected to the state legislature within six months of being sworn-in as Chief Minister. The Chief Minister was never a member of the state legislature until now. An engineer by training, Chavan started his political career in 1991, winning the Lok Sabha election in family bastion of Karad.

Journalist K. Kasturi Rangan passes away: Veteran journalist K. Kasturi Rangan passed away at the age of 78 on May 4, 2011 in Chennai. Kasturi Rangan began his career as the New Delhi correspondent of The New York Times in 1963. During his nearly-two decade tenure with the paper, he covered key issues, including the Nellie massacre in Assam and the liberation of Bangladesh. While in New Delhi, he founded the Tamil literary magazine Kanaiyazhi, collaborating with eminent writers such as T. Janakiraman, Asokamitran, Indira Parthasarathy and Sujatha (Rangarajan). The magazine was highly regarded in serious literary circles and was an incubator for several creative attempts in Tamil literature, besides providing a launch pad for promising young writers. He moved to Chennai in the early eighties and joined Dinamani as Associate Editor. He later became the Editor of the publication. A Gandhian, Kasturi Rangan also ran Swachid, a journal that sought to espouse Gandhian philosophy and values. Kanimozhi denies knowledge of money transfer in 2G scam case: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi's daughter Kanimozhi on May 6, 2011 pleaded ignorance of the Rs.200-crore transfer from Dynamix Realty to Kalaignar TV. Her lawyer, senior advocate Ram Jethmalani, blamed the channel's managing director Sharad Kumar and the former Telecom Minister, A. Raja, co-accused in the 2G spectrum scam case, for the money transfer. Kanimozhi, Rajya Sabha member, holds a 20 per cent stake in the channel.

Section B: WORLD News round up

Harper wins Parliamentary elections in Canada

Prime Minister Stephen Harpers Conservative Party re-emerged as the largest party in Parliament in the 308-seat House of Commons following general elections organised on May 2, 2011. The Conservative Party remained in power, moving from a minority to a majority government by winning 167 of the 308 seats. The New Democratic Party won the largest number of seats in their history and will form the Official Opposition for the first time. The Liberal Party won the fewest seats in their history and party leader Michael Ignatieff was defeated in his own constituency. The Bloc Qubcois, which had always won at least a majority of seats in Quebec in every election of their existence, lost nearly all their seats, and thus also their official party status. Green Party leader Elizabeth May became the first Member of Parliament to represent the party. Harper had advised the Governor General to dissolve parliament after the House of Commons passed a motion of nonconfidence against the government. The motion, introduced by the opposition leader Michael Ignatieff, approvingly cited and affirmed the charge of contempt of parliament by the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs. Harper, who took office in 2006, has won two elections but until now had never held a majority of Parliament's 308 seats, forcing him to rely on the opposition to pass legislation. While his hold on the 308-member Parliament has been tenuous during his five-year tenure, he has managed to nudge an instinctively centre-left country to the right. He has gradually lowered sales and corporate taxes, avoided climate change legislation, promoted Arctic sovereignty, upped military spending and extended Canada's military mission in Afghanistan.

Canadian federal election, 2011: Results

308 seats in the House of Commons of Canada: 155 seats needed for a majority Turnout: 61.4%
Party Leader Seats in 2011/vote share Seats in 2006/vote share Seat change Conservative Party Stephen Harper 167, 39.62% 143, 37.65% +24 New Democratic Party Jack Layton 102, 30.63% 37, 18.18% +66 Liberal Party Michael Ignatieff 34, 18.91% 77, 26.26% -43 Bloc Qubcois Gilles Duceppe 4, 6.04% 49, 9.98% -43 Green Party Elizabeth May 1, 3.91% 0, 6.78% +1

Fatah, Hamas sign reconciliation agreement

The leaders of two main Palestinian-factions, Fatah and Hamas have signed a reconciliation agreement paving the way for the formation of transitional national unity government followed by elections. The accord signed on May 11, 2011 in Cairo, ends a four year feud between Fatah and Hamas and will be followed by preparations for the formation of an interim government. The two factions will also form a committee that will recommend internal reforms within the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) the umbrella group of the Palestinian factions. The reconciliation deal is designed to unify the dueling governments that emerged after Hamas violently wrested control of Gaza from security forces loyal to Abbas in June 2007 and left his Fatah controlling only the West Bank. While Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal said that the accord reflected a newly-discovered spirit of Palestinian assertion, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas observed that the agreement did not oblige Hamas to recognise Israel. Israel has rejected the pact and warned Abbas that he must choose between Israel or peace with Hamas, who aspires to destroy Israel. Like the US and the EU, Israel considers Hamas a terrorist organisation and says it will not negotiate with a future Palestinian government that includes the Iran-Syria backed militant group.

World Population Prospects unveiled

8 World population projections: The latest numbers come from the UNs 2010 revision of the World Population Prospects. The last revision was in 2008. The medium variant for 2010 the population projections based on national trends, which is neither the best nor worst-case scenario produces a world population in 2050 of 9.31 billion, which is 156 million larger than the 2008 revision. At the turn of the century, the world will have 10.1 billion people. On October 31 this year, the world will have its seven billionth person. Indias population growth: Indias population is projected to peak at 1.718 billion in 2060, after which it will decline. At its peak, India will be the most populous country there has ever been or probably ever will be. According to population projections released by the United Nations on May 3, 2011, Indias share in the worlds population will peak in 2030 after which it will decline, and the growth in the worlds population from then on will be fuelled by Africa. India Vs China: China at its peak in 2025 will have 1.395 billion people. In fact, when China peaks, India will have already surpassed it in population. Indias population will begin to decline only in 2060, a full 35 years after China. By the turn of the century, Indias population, though declining, will be almost double that of China. Impact on India: Indias growing population is regarded by many as a time bomb, by others as a blessing. Both these approaches miss the point. A huge population is in itself neither a boon nor a curse. It all depends on how productive it can be made. Educating a billion-plus people and ensuring they are healthy would create a world-beating nation. A nation of the same size with a huge population of the poor, malnourished and illiterate would be a disaster. The way to go should be clear: invest heavily in developing human capital and the world will be at our feet.

Asian Development Bank AGM organised in Hanoi

ADB on May 6, 2011 concluded the 44 Annual Meeting of its Board of Governors in Hanoi, Vietnam and announced that the 2012 meeting would take place in Manila, Philippines. The meeting started on May 3 and gathered a record number of around 4,000 delegates including finance ministers and other key policymakers, business leaders, academics and civil society representatives. Key issues at this years meeting included soaring food and fuel prices, infrastructure and connectivity, and climate change as well as how Asia and the Pacific can ensure a prosperous future in coming decades. Record high commodity prices are already pushing millions back below the $1.25 a day poverty line. Meanwhile, rising energy usage in Asia and the Pacific is deepening the regions carbon footprint. These, along with economic and demographic issues, need to be tackled if developing Asias 3.3 billion people are to improve their livelihoods in the immediate and the longer term. Initial findings of ADBs upcoming study, Asia 2050Realizing the Asian Century, unveiled at the AGM on May 4, said Asia and the Pacific could account for half of the world economy by 2050, up from around quarter now, if it deals with these issues head on. Participants included ADB President Haruhiko Kuroda with French Finance Minister Christine Lagarde; Indian Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee; Japanese Finance Minister Yoshihiko Noda; and Deputy Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Naoyuki Shinohara. The Board of Governors is ADBs highest policy-making body and the annual meetings are statutory occasions at which Governors can provide guidance on ADBs administrative, financial, and operational priorities. Meanwhile, the finance ministers of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean), China, Japan and Korea, together known as ASEAN + 3, decided to initiate a study on the design of a possible crisis prevention function for the Chiang Mai Initiative Multilateralisation (CMIM), a multilateral currency swap agreement.
th

President Patil visits Mauritius

President Pratibha Patil went on a five-day state visit to Mauritius from April 23-27, 2011, during which she addressed the countrys parliament and received a doctorate degree. Patil held meetings with her counterpart, Mauritius President Anerood Jugnauth, and also with the island nations Prime Minister Navinchandra Ramgoolam during the visit. The President addressed the 70-member National Assembly of Mauritius and was conferred a degree of Doctor of Civil Law Honoris Causa by the University of Mauritius. Her other engagements included unveiling a bust of former Indian prime minister Indira Gandhi at the Indira Gandhi Centre for Indian Culture and address a business meet. A high-level group of 57 Indian business people also accompanied the President during the state visit. Mauritius is the single largest source for foreign direct investment to India, accounting for 40 percent of FDI flows in the last ten years. According to Reserve Bank of India, the amount of FDI flows from Mauritius to India was $49.11 billion from April 2000 to December 2009. Last year alone, the FDI from Mauritius stood at $10.37 billion. There had been a sharp increase in the use of Mauritius as a base for offshore entities targeting India, especially after the signing of Bilateral Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement in 1998. The bilateral trade volume currently stands at $460-470 million. Reaffirming historical ties India shares historical ties with Mauritius. President Patil revisited the milestones of history during her visit. These include, the aapravasi ghat where the ship, Atlas, carrying the first batch of Indian indentured labourers reached on November 2, 1834, setting in motion a process by which about half a million Indians were estimated to have been brought into Mauritius over the next century or so, of whom about two-thirds settled permanently on the island. The People of Indian Origin form over 66% of the population in Mauritius today. She then visited the Ganga Talao, the small lake imagined and revered as the Ganga by those who carried its memory from their old home to the new. And finally, the Mahatma Gandhi Institute, commemorating Gandhis brief stopover in Mauritius en route to India from South Africa, October 29 to November 15, 1901, while awaiting the departure of his ship SS Nowshera. Mauritius celebrates its National Day on March 12, the date on which the Dandi march took off in 1930.

Britain says no to Alternative Vote: British voters have overwhelmingly rejected a proposal to abandon the first-pastthe-post system in favour of Alternative Vote (AV), in which people rank candidates in order of preference. Up to 70 per cent of those who voted in the referendum organised on May 5, 2011 said no to AV. The sheer scale of the defeat shocked the yes camp led by the Liberal Democrats and Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg, junior partners of the PM David Cameron's Conservative Party in the coalition government. The referendum was called at the insistence of Lib Dems as part of their demand for broader electoral reforms and a condition for joining the coalition. The Conservative Party campaigned on a no platform, arguing that AV practised only in Australia, Fiji and Papua New Guinea was complicated, more expensive and less fair than the first-past-the-post system. The Opposition Labour party was divided on the issue with its leader Ed Miliband backing a change, while nearly half the party, including some senior figures, in the opposite bloc.

People's Action Party wins Singapore election: Singapore's ruling People's Action Party (PAP) has returned to power
with an absolute majority winning 81 of the 87 seats in the general election results announced on May 8, 2011. Opposition Workers' Party (WP) took the other six seats. PAP's overall vote share was reduced to 60.4 per cent from about 67 per cent in the 2006 general elections. The PAP had faced issues related to influx of foreign workers, higher cost of housing caused by high net worth expatriates, housing affordability, rising cost of living for the locals, the slower progress on transportation, and the high salaries for the ministers in the prosperous city state.

WEF meet on Africa organised: Anand Sharma, Union Minister of Commerce and Industry, lead a high-level business
delegation to the 21 Meeting of the World Economic Forum on Africa under the theme From Vision to Action, Africas Next Chapter held in Cape Town, South Africa from 4-6 May 2011. More than 900 participants from 60 countries, including several African Heads of state and government, Cabinet Ministers, Heads of International Organizations and Captains of Industry attended this high profile event which provided a platform for interaction among key stakeholders on how to advance
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10 Africas socio-economic development. The underlying theme for the meeting focused on how African countries, communities and companies could move the continent forward in view of the unfolding global transformation.

May Day observed: International Workers' Day (also known as May Day) is a celebration of the international labour
movement and left-wing movements on May 1. It commonly sees organized street demonstrations and marches by working people and their labour unions throughout most of the world. International Workers' Day is the commemoration of the 1886 Haymarket Massacre in Chicago, when, after an unknown person threw a dynamite bomb at police as they dispersed a public meeting, Chicago police fired on workers during a general strike for the eight hour workday, killing several demonstrators. In 1889 an international federation of socialist groups and trade unions declared the date of May 1 as Worker's Day to commemorate the Haymarket Massacre of 1886.

World Press Freedom Day observed: World Press Freedom Day was observed on May 3, 2011. Every year, May 3rd is
a date which celebrates the fundamental principles of press freedom; to evaluate press freedom around the world, to defend the media from attacks on their independence and to pay tribute to journalists who have lost their lives in the exercise of their profession. 3 May was proclaimed World Press Freedom Day the UN General Assembly in 1993 following a Recommendation adopted at the twenty-sixth session of UNESCO's General Conference in 1991. The 2011 World Press st Freedom Day was hosted by the US. The theme of this year's event is 21 Century Media: New Frontiers, New Barriers. The event affirmed fundamental principles of media freedom in the digital agethe ability of citizens to voice their opinions and access diverse, independent information sources20 years after the original declaration was made in Windhoek, Namibia.

World Asthma Day observed: World Asthma Day is an annual event organized by the Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) to improve asthma awareness and care around the world. World Asthma Day takes place on the first Tuesday of May. The theme of this year's event observed on May 3, 2011 was "You Can Control Your Asthma". Portugal agrees to Euro 78 bn bailout: Portugal on May 5 2011 reached a deal with the European Union and the IMF
on a 78 billion euro 3-year bailout, the third euro zone member to do so after Greece and Ireland. According to the agreement reached between Portugals caretaker Prime Minister Jose Socrates and the EU & IMF the deadline for Lisbons meeting budget deficit goals will be extended.

N. Korea, worst-rated country in press freedom Freedom House: North Korea remained the worst-rated country in press freedom in 2010, Freedom House, a Washington-based non-governmental organization advocating democracy, freedom and human rights said on May 2, 2011. In its Press Freedom in 2010 Report, Freedom House also lowered South Korea's range to Partly Free from last year's Free, citing increased censorship and the government's attempts to influence th media outlets. North Korea's ranking was 196 , the lowest of the countries surveyed. Out of the 196 countries and territories assessed during 2010, 68 were rated Free, 65 Partly Free and 63 Not Free. EU wins super-observer status at United Nations: The European Union on May 3, 2011 secured super-observer
status at the United Nations after overcoming objections from small states that they could see their influence eroded. A vote was passed by the 192-nation UN General Assembly after high-powered lobbying by EU foreign affairs representative Catherine Ashton and ambassadors from the 27-nation bloc. Other regional groups such as the Arab League, African Union and the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) may now seek a similar extra observer rights at the global body. The EU made one attempt to get the extra powers at the General Assembly last year, but suffered an embarrassing defeat when small states opposed a vote and sought extra time for negotiations.

S Korean parliament approves FTA with EU: South Korea's parliament on May 4, 2011 ratified a sweeping free trade
agreement (FTA) with the European Union, giving European firms a head start over the United States in Asia's fourth-largest economy. The deal signed last October is due to take effect on July 1. Europe's parliament approved it in February. The ruling Grand National Party, which holds a majority in the 299-seat parliament, passed the FTA bill in the absence of opposition legislators. The pact was ratified in a vote of 163 against one. The main opposition Democratic Party had insisted it would not approve the legislation until there had been a full study of the impact on the economy.

Osama's death 3rd biggest news of 21st century: The killing of al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden by US special forces
in Pakistan surpassed Britain's much publicised Royal Wedding to be ranked as the third biggest news of the 21 century, according to a study whose findings were unveiled on May 6, 2011. The survey conducted by the Austin-based Global Language Monitor said Osama's death news was placed at the third place behind the rise of China to first-tier nation status st nd and the election of Barack Obama as the US President which are placed at 1 and 2 spot respectively. It said the Royal
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11 Wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton on April 29 was ranked 5th, just ahead of the media blitz surrounding the 2009 sudden death of Michael Jackson. The Wikileaks revelations was ranked 4th whereas, Japan's last month quaketsunami disasters was at 8th and Arab revolutions at 9th place respectively. There was no India-centric news among top 20.

WHO includes mental disorders as non-communicable disease: Mental disorders were included in the noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) list at the first Ministerial Conference on Healthy Lifestyles and Non-communicable Disease Control organised by the World Health Organisation in Moscow on April 28-29, 2010 in Moscow. Mental health as a NCD was adopted in the Moscow Declaration on April 29 which reads: Other NCDs such as mental disorders also significantly contribute to the global disease burden. The principal non-communicable diseases are cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, cancers and chronic respiratory diseases, which are the leading causes of preventable morbidity and disability, and currently cause over 60 per cent of global deaths, 80 per cent of which occur in developing countries. By 2030, the NCDs are estimated to contribute to 75 per cent of global deaths. Tagore bust presented to Singapore institute: A made-in-India bust of poet-laureate Rabindranath Tagore was presented to the Singapore-based Institute of Southeast Asian Studies (ISEAS) by External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna on May 5, 2011. The sculpture will be housed in Singapore's Indian Heritage Centre. Tagore's voyage to several East Asian countries in the 1920s was aimed at renewing India's millennial cultural ties with this region. World Red Cross Day celebrated: The World Reed Cross Day was celebrated on May 8, 2011. Red Cross Day was
celebrated for the first time throughout the world on 8 May 1948, the anniversary of the birth of Henry Dunant, the founder of the Red Cross. It subsequently changed names several times and in 1984 became World Red Cross and Red Crescent Day. In 1901 Dunant, received the first Nobel Peace Prize together with Frederic Passy. The International Federation of the st Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) in March 2011 announced that the 31 International Conference slated for November 28-30 will take place in Geneva under the theme, Our World. Your Move. Meanwhile, marking the World Red Cross Day, Union Health and Family Welfare Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad said tax exemption will be allowed on donations to and income of Indian Red Cross Society from June this year.

Osama bin Laden killed in Abbottabad: Osama bin Laden, leader of terror outfit al-Qaeda and alleged mastermind of the 9/11 attacks in New York City, was killed in Pakistan in a Special Forces operation code-named Operation Geronimo on May 1, 2011. Meanwhile native American leaders in the United States expressed outrage on May 4 that the name of legendary Apache warrior Geronimo was used as a military codename during the commando raid that killed al-Qaeda head Osama bin Laden. Geronimo, an Apache chief who lived from 1829 to 1909, was a famed warrior who fought in what is now the U.S. State of New Mexico, battling U.S. and Mexican authorities as the American West was being settled. The elite U.S. Navy SEAL team that stormed bin Laden's compound uttered the words Geronimo-EKIA' Geronimo Enemy Killed in Action.' Meanwhile United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (UNHCR) Navi Pillay on May 5, 2011 called for a full disclosure of the accurate facts to determine the legality of the killing of Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden. Pillay's declarations come a day after US Attorney General Eric Holder told a Senate hearing the raid during which bin Laden was killed was lawful and consistent with our values.
Ouattara takes oath as Ivory Coast President: Alassane Ouattara was sworn in as President of strife torn African nation Ivory Coast on May 6, 2011. His appointment comes five months after the election and the post-result violence that left hundreds dead when the loser incumbent Gbagbo refused to concede defeat. Ouattara spent much of that time barricaded inside a hotel, surrounded by troops loyal to Laurent Gbagbo, who used the army to terrorise the population. Gbagbo was removed militarily last month and is now under house arrest in a remote town 700 kilometers north of capital Abidjan. Lakshmi Mittal stays on top of UK rich list for 7 yr: Indian-origin steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal, with an estimated wealth of 17.51 billion pounds, has retained his position as the richest person in the UK for the 7th year in a row in 2011, though his wealth declined by 4.93 billion pounds during the last one year. The Sunday Times Rich List 2011 unveiled on May 8, 2011 shows that Mittal continues to top Britain's wealthiest with a personal fortune of 17.5 billion pounds.
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SECTION C: AWARDS
INDIA President gives away Certificate of Honour to scholars

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The President of India on May 6, 2011 gave away Certificate of Honour and Maharshi Badrayan Vyas Samman for the years 2008 and 2009 to the Scholars of Sanskrit, Arabic, Persian, Pali/Prakrit to 51 recipients for the years 2008 and 2009 (announced on the eve of the Independence Day, 2008 and 2009) and also 17 Presidential Awards for Classical Tamil for the years 2005-06 to 2007-08. Certificate of Honour Presidential Award of Certificate of Honour is announced on the eve of Independence Day every year in recognition of the outstanding contribution by various scholars of eminence over 60 years of age, in the field of Sanskrit, Arabic, Persian or Pali/Prakrit in recognition of their teaching experience, published work and their efforts in keeping the tradition of these languages alive. Further from the year 2008 it has also been decided to institute one international award for Sanskrit to nonresident Indians or persons of non-Indian origin on the same lines of as of award to an Indian. The total number of awards from the year 2008 onwards would be 15 awards for Sanskrit, one international Award for Sanskrit, consisting of one time monetary grant of Rs. 5 lakh to each awards, 3 awards each for Arabic and Persian and one award for Pali/Prakrit, each carrying a monetary grant of Rs.50,000/- per annum for lifetime. A Sanad and a shawl is also presented to each of the awardees by the President of India. Maharshi Badrayan Vyas Samman Young scholars of (Sanskrit, Pali/Prakit, Arabic and Persian) in the age group of 30 to 40 years, who have made a breakthrough in the interdisciplinary studies involving contribution of these languages or the ancient Indian wisdom, to the process of synergy between modernity and tradition are granted Maharshi Badrayan Vyas Samman on this occasion every year. This Award carries a one-time cash award of Rs.1.00 lakh along with a Sanad and a shawl, which is presented by the President of India. A maximum number of 5 young scholars of Sanskrit and one each in Pali/Prakrit, Arabic and Persian are conferred with the award every year. Presidential Awards for scholars in classical Tamil were instituted from 2005-2006 with provision of eight (8) awards each year as under:(i) Three (3) awards, one for person of India national (Tholkappiyar Award) and two international awards, one each fro person of India origin and another for Non Indian origin (Kural Peedam Award), for eminent scholars of Tamil as lifetime achievement awards. The award consists of a one time monetary grant of Rs.5.00 lakh each, along with a Sanad and a Shawl. (ii) Five (5) for scholars of Tamil in the age group of 30-40 years (Young scholar Award) with a one time financial grant of Rs.1.00 lakh each, apart from a Sanad and a shawl. A total of 17 scholars have been selected for these awards for the year 2005-2006, 2006-2007 and 2007-2008.

List of Awardees for the year 2008 Certificate of Honour

The following scholars (or their representatives) of Sanskrit, Pali/Prakrit, Arabic and Persian received Certificate of Honour for the year 2008: Sanskrit Prof. K. Hayavadana, Puranik, Dr. Vishnubhatla Subrahamanya Sastry, Dr. Uma Ramana Jha, Prof. (Dr.) Smt. Aruna Goel, Nar Deo Shastri, Dr. M.E. Rangachar, Dr. Keshavrao Musalgaonkar, Saroja Bhate, Pandit Baikuntha Bihari Nanda, Pandit Satya Narayan Shastri, Ananthakrishnan Sivarnamakrishna Sastry, Janardan Pandey, Pandit Purushottama Tripathi, Bhabani Prasad Bhattacharya, Dr. Sitanath Acharya Pali/Prakrit

13 Prof. Gokul Chandra Jain, Arabic Dr. Zohurul Bari Azmi, Muhammad Burhanuddin Sambhali, Dr. Taqi UD Din Nadwi Persian Dr. Idris Ahmad, Dr. Syeda Bilqis Fatima Husaini, Prof. Marghoob Banihali

Maharshi Badrayan Vyas Samman

In addition, the President also gave away the Maharshi Badrayan Vyas Samman to the following scholar of Sanskrit: Prof. K. Ramasubramanian

The List of Awardees for the year 2009 Certificate of Honour

Sanskrit Prof. Kompella Ramasuryanarayana, Prof. (Dr.) Vachaspati Sharma Tripathi, Dr. Ramakant Shukla, Prof. Vishwa Murti Shastri, Dr. N.S. Anatha Rangachar, Dr. N. Gopala Panicker, Dr. Sudyumna Acharya, Prof. Keshao Ramrao Joshi, Dr. Bhagaban Panda, Dr. (Smt.) Kamal Anand, Pt. Badari Prasad Shastri, Pt. Annadur Rajagopala Chariar, Prof. Ram Chandra Pandey, Prof. Ashok Kumar Kalia, Dr. Samiran Chandra Chakrabarti, Sanskrit International Prof Sheldon Pollock Pali/Prakrit Dr. Dharma Chandra Jain Arabic Prof. Shabbir Ahmad Nadvi, Prof. (Dr.) Shah Abdus Salam, Abullais Ansari Persian Prof. (Smt.) Rehana Khatoon, Dr. Mohd. Yaseen Quddusi, Prof. Syed Mohammad Tariq Hasan,

Maharshi Badrayan Vyas Samman

In addition, the President also gave away the Maharshi Badrayan Vyas Samman to the following scholars: Sanskrit Dr. Malhar Arvind Kulkarni, Dr. Sachchidanand Mishra, Dr. Narayan Dash, Dr. Sashibhusan Mishra Persian Dr. Asad Ali Khurshid

The Presidential Awards for Classical Tamil

The following scholars of Classical Tamil have been given The Presidential Awards for Classical Tamil for the years 200506, 2006-07 and 2007-08:1. Tholkappiar Award (2005-06): Prof. Adigalasiriyar 2. Kural Peedam Award (2006-07): Dr. George L. Hart, USA 3. Young Scholar Award: (a) For the year 2005-06: Dr. R. Aravendan (Thamotharan), Dr. Y. Manikandan, Dr.S. Kalaimagal, Dr. Va. Mu. Se. Muthuramalinga Aandavar, Dr. K. Pajanivelou

14 (b) For the year 2006-07: Dr. S. Chandra, Dr. Aranga Pari, Dr. Mu. Elangovan, Dr. M. Bhavani, Dr. R. Kalaivani (c) For the year 2007-08: Dr. A. Selvarasu, Dr. P. Velmurugan, Dr. A. Manavalagan, S. Chandrasekaran, Dr. S. Simon John

Tagore National Fellowship for Cultural Research announced

The Ministry of Culture introduced in November, 2009, a new scheme by the name of Visiting Fellows in Art, Culture & th Heritage. Later, to mark the Commemoration of the 150 Birth Anniversary of Rabindranath Tagore, the scheme was renamed as Tagore National Fellowship for Cultural Research. Under the scheme, scholars of iconic stature were to be invited to devote 2 years of their time to pursue research in one or more of the 17 cultural institutions covered by the scheme, so as to produce a valuable work based on the resources available in the institutions, to make those known to the wider public. A 3-part National Selection Committee (NSC), comprising eminent scholars in different cultural fields, was set up to select the Fellows and the research projects to be taken up by them. In all, 13 scholars were selected as Tagore National Fellows, in the first cycle of selections. Details of selected Fellows are attached.

Name of the Institution National Museum, New Delhi

Name of Tagore National Fellow Dr. Chhaya Bhattacharya- Haesner

Archaeological Survey of India, New Delhi Khuda Baksh Oriental Public Library (KBOPL), Patna National Library, Kolkata Raja Rammohan Roy Library Foundation, Kolkata National Museum, New Delhi Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalay, Mumbai Indian Museum, Kolkata

Dr. M.L.K. Murty Prof. Som Prakash Verma

Prof. Gautam Bhadra Prof. P.B. Mangla Prof. Sadashiv V Gorakshkar Prof. M.K.Dhavalikar Dr. Asok Kumar Das

Title of the Project Preparation of a comprehensive and comparative catalogue on the Painted Temple Banners from Dunhuang (Central Asia) in the Stein Collection of the National Museum, New Delhi. Palaeolithic and Mesolithic in India: Ecology and Cultural Systems. Descriptive Catalogue of Illustrated Manuscripts preserved at Khuda Baksh Oriental Public Library, Patna. A Social History of Bengali Almanacs (18181940s). Public Library Service in Delhi: An Overview A Comprehensive Survey of Indian Metal st th Sculptures from the 1 cent AD to 12 cent AD Heritage of a Metropolis : Art and Archaeology of Mumbai (upto 1200 C.E) A Comprehensive Study of the Collection of Drawings and Paintings in the Art Section, Indian Museum, Kolkata A Catalogue of late Eighteenth and Early Nineteenth Century Visual Materials in the Victoria Memorial Hall, with a Introductory Historical Reinterpretation of the Era in the Bay of Bengal Hinterlands Annotated Catalogue of NGMA Collection Beginning of Agriculture in Trans-Ghaghara Region: Middle Ganga Plain Processes and the Product : Anthropology, Museology and Community Stone Age Cultures for the North-Central India

Victoria Memorial Hall, Kolkata

Prof. Barun De

National Gallery of Modern Art, New Delhi Archaeological Survey of India, New Delhi Indira Gandhi Rastriya Manav Sangrahalaya, Bhopal Archaeological Survey of India, New Delhi

Ella Datta Dr. K.S. Saraswat

Prof. Ravindra Kumar Jain Prof. V.D. Mishra

Hazare rejects IIPM Tagore Peace Prize: Social activist Anna Hazare, whose fast for a stronger anti-corruption Lok Pal Bill last month made global headlines, on May 6 2011 spurned the Rs one crore 2011 Rabindranath Tagore Peace Prize announced by the Indian Institute of Planning and Management (IIPM). The award carries a cash reward of one crore rupees, a gold medal and a citation. While announcing the award, IIPM Dean, Professor Arindam Chaudhuri, had said the anticorruption crusader was selected for the award to show strong solidarity to his determined and non-violent protest against corruption.

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Lalit Kala Akademi chairman rejects UP govt.s award: Hindi poet and Lalit Kala Akademi chairperson Ashok
Vajpeyi on May 6, 2011 refused an award by an Uttar Pradesh government body, accusing it of showing disrespect to some other writers by scrapping their awards retrospectively. Vajpeyi has been chosen for the Rs 2.5-lakh Bharat Bharati award for Hindi writing, one of 102 literary prizes that the Uttar Pradesh Hindi Sansthan used to hand out every year. But this year, the Sansthan has scrapped 99 of the prizes retaining only the top three: Bharat Bharati, Hindi Gaurav and Mahatma Gandhi Sahitya Samman. Vajpeyi says these awards were cancelled though the jury had nominated the winners more than a year ago. A letter Vajpeyi has written to the Uttar Pradesh principal secretary (language) hints at a second reason for his refusal of the award, to be given out with the other two prizes by state urban development minister on May 19. Vajpayee has also objected to the award being given by a minister instead of the Chief Minister or the Governor.

WORLD
Jailed Iranian journalist wins UNESCO prize: Imprisoned Iranian journalist Ahmad Zeidabadi is the laureate of this
years UNESCO Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize. A former editor-in-chief of the Azad newspaper and contributor to the Tehran-based daily Hamshahari, the BBC Persian service, and the Persian/English news site Rooz, Ahmad Zeidabadi is also a member of the Association of Iranian Journalists, and the elected president of one of Iran's largest student organizations, the Iranian Alumni Association. He is also a professor of political science, and has lectured at numerous academic institutions. Ahmad Zeidabadi is currently serving a six-year jail sentence following Irans disputed presidential election in 2009.

Cannes to honour jailed Iranian directors: Jailed Iranian film directors Jafar Panahi and Mohammad Rasoulof are to
be honoured at the Cannes Film Festival. Rasoulof's film Goodbye and Pahani's This Is Not a Film will be shown at the festival, the organisers announced on May 9, 2011. Panahi will also be awarded the Carrosse d'Or - the Golden Coach prize - by the French Film Director's Society (SRF) at the event. The film-makers were convicted in December for making a film without permission and inciting opposition protests after the disputed 2009 presidential election that led to months of political turmoil. Panahi has been a vocal critic of Iran's strict Islamic law and government system, while his films are known for their social commentary. He is a winner of many international awards, most recently for his film Offside, which won the 2006 Berlin Film Festival's Silver Bear award. The Cannes festival runs from May 111 to 22, 2011. Meanwhile, organisers of the Venice Film Festival have announced plans to honour Italian director Marco Bellocchio at this year's event. The 71year-old will receive the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement in September for his tireless work exploring the shifting boundaries between himself, cinema and history.

Indian nanny honoured by Raoul Wallenberg Foundation: Sandra Samuel, the Indian nanny who became famous
for showing exemplary courage in saving the life of a toddler risking her own during the 26/11 terror attacks on Nariman House in Mumbai, was honoured by the International Raoul Wallenberg Foundation in Jerusalem. The public recognition of Samuel's act was made at the Ceremony of Remembrance of the Day of the Holocaust and Heroism on May 1, 2011. The Indian nanny captured worldwide attention as she barged into the Chabad house, amid shooting by terrorists all around her, and rescued two-year-old Moshe Holtzberg from the clutches of death. She has been living with Moshe and his grandparents in Israel since then, and was conferred an honourary citizenship by Israel last year.

Columbia journalism award for Al Jazeera English: The Middle-East based Qatari English news channel Al Jazeera
was on May 5, 2011 named as the winner of a prestigious journalism award from the New York-based Columbia University. Columbia University's Graduate School of Journalism said Al Jazeera English was being honored with the Columbia Journalism Award which recognises an individual or organisation for singular journalism in the public interest.

Section D: ECONOMY & CORPORATE News round up

Monetary policy statement for 2011-12 unveiled
Key Rates Short-term lending rate (Repo) hiked by 50 basis points (bps) to 7.2% Repo Rate to be only effective policy rate to better signal monetary policy stance from now on Reverse Repo to be fixed 100 Bps lower than the Repo Rate. Short-term borrowing rate (Reverse Repo) up by 50 bps to 6.25% Cash Reserve Ratio and Bank Rate left unchanged Macro View Economic growth projected lower at 8% for 2011-12 WPI inflation projection lowered to 6% To contain inflation by curbing demand-side pressures Favours aligning of fuel prices with international crude prices to avert widening of fiscal deficit Banks Interest rates on savings bank deposits hiked to 4% from 3.5% Banks to get a new overnight borrowing window under Marginal Standing Facility at 8.25% Likelihood of oil prices moderating significantly is low Microfinance Malegam Committee recommendations on MFI sector broadly accepted Bank loan to MFIs on or after April 1, 2011 will be treated as priority sector loans The RBI unveiled its monetary policy statement for 2011-12 on May 3, 2011. Following are the highlights:

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Savings rate The RBI hiked the deposit rate on savings accounts from 3.5 per cent to four per cent. Savings deposit rates have remained unchanged since 2003, while all other rates had gone up. The spread between savings deposits and term deposit rates has widened significantly. Savings accounts constitute around 2.3 per cent of the total deposits in the banking system. Policy Rates The RBI raised the repo rate by half a per cent to 7.25 per cent from 6.75 per cent. Similarly the reverse repo rate has been raised by half a per cent from 5.75% to 5.25%. The bank rate and the cash reserve ratio rates remain unchanged at six per cent each, respectively. Growth forecasts The RBI governor, Dr Subbarao revised downwards the GDP growth rate to 8 per cent from 8.67 per cent and raised the inflation rate for March 2012 to six per cent with an upward bias. Repo to be reference rate The RBI has decided to anchor monetary policy through a single short term lending rate known as repo rate. Unlike in the past, the rate at which the RBI borrows from banks (reverse-repo) will be the benchmarked 100 basis points below the repo rates. RBI Governor D Subbarao said that this transition to a single independently varying policy rate is expected to more accurately signal the monetary policy stance. Micro finance institutions The Reserve Bank has capped interest rates charged by micro finance institutions from small borrowers at 26 per cent, but opened for MFIs the bank credit line which was curtailed following the crisis faced by the sector in October, 2010. The loan by the banks to MFIs for on-lending to small borrowers will fall under 'priority sector' category if the RBI guidelines are met. Broadly accepting the recommendations of the Malegam Committee, the RBI has fixed the loan amount for an individual borrower at Rs 35,000 from an MFI. The expert panel had suggested the limit of Rs 25,000 with an interest rate cap of 24 per cent. Debt-oriented mutual funds

17 The Reserve Bank has decided to limit bank investment in liquid schemes of debt-oriented mutual funds (DoMF) at 10 per cent of their net worth. The RBI said that same money was circularly moving between the banks and the DoMFs, which could potentially lead to systemic risk. It said the liquid schemes continue to rely heavily on institutional investors such as commercial banks for investment. In turn, DoMFs invest heavily in certificates of deposit (CDs) of banks.

Indias foreign trade data unveiled Indias Foreign Trade

EXPORTS & IMPORTS : (US $ Million) (PROVISIONAL) EXPORTS 2009-10 2010-11 %Growth: 2010-11/ 2009-2010 IMPORTS 2009-10 2010-11 %Growth: 2010-11/ 2009-2010 TRADE BALANCE 2009-2010 2010-11 -109621.46 -104826.68 APRIL-MARCH 288372.87 350694.97 21.61 178751.41 245868.29 37.55 APRIL-MARCH

EXPORTS & IMPORTS: (Rs. Crore) (PROVISIONAL)

EXPORTS 2009-10 2010-11 %Growth: 2010-11/ 2009-2010 IMPORTS 2009-10 2010-11 %Growth: 2010-11/ 2009-2010 TRADE BALANCE 2009-2010 2010-11 -518201.93 -478046.52 1363735.55 1596869.37 17.10 845533.62 1118822.85 32.32

Union Commerce Ministry unveiled Indias foreign trade data on May 3, 2011. While exports grew 37.5% to $245.86 billion imports went up by 21.6% to $350.69 billion in 2010-11. The Commerce Ministry also unveiled salient points of strategy for doubling exports in next three years from US $ 246 billion in 2010-11 to US$ 500 billion in 2013-14. EXPORTS

18 Indias exports for the period April-March 2010 -11 was US $ 245868.29 million (Rs 1118822.85 crore) as against US $ 178751.41 million (Rs. 845533.62 crore) registering a growth of 37.5 per cent in Dollar terms and 32.3 per cent in Rupee terms over the same period last year. IMPORTS Indias imports for the period April-March, 2010-11 was US $ 350694.97 million (Rs. 1596869.37 crore) as against US $ 288372.87 million (Rs. 1363735.55 crore) registering a growth of 21.6 per cent in Dollar terms and 17.1 per cent in Rupee terms over the same period last year. CRUDE OIL AND NON-OIL IMPORTS: Oil imports during April-March, 2010-11 were valued at US$ 101689.2 million which was 16.7 per cent higher than the oil imports of US $ 87135.9 million in the corresponding period last year. Non-oil imports during April - March, 2010-11 were valued at US$ 249005.7 million which was 23.7 per cent higher than the level of such imports valued at US$ 201236.9 million in April - March, 2009-10. TRADE BALANCE The trade deficit for April - March, 2010-11 was estimated at US $ 104826.68 million which was lower than the deficit of US $ 109621.46 million during April -March, 2009-10.

Salient Points of Strategy for Doubling Exports in next Three Years (2011-12 to 2013-14)
THE TARGET The target is to double the countrys merchandise exports in dollar terms over the next three years (2011-12 to 2013-14) from US $ 246 billion in 2010-11 to US$ 500 billion in 2013-14. To realize this, exports have to grow at a compound average growth of 26.7 % per annum. The overall strategy to realize this goal is Product Strategy 1. Build on our strength in sectors with great growth potential engineering goods basic chemical industries and organic and inorganic chemical industries pharmaceutical industry (including biotech) electronics 2. Promote light manufacturing exports with high value addition leather products and textiles 3. Encourage high employment generating sectors gems and jewellery agricultural products Market Strategy Focus on markets in Asia (including ASEAN), Africa and Latin America. Open up new vistas, both in terms of markets and new products in these new markets Retain presence and market share in our old developed country markets; Move up the value chain in providing products in these old developed country markets Technologies and R&D Areas that hold out promise for high technology exports Pharmaceuticals Electronics

19 Automobiles Computer and software based smart engineering Environmental products; green technology and high-value engineering products High end areas in electronics, aerospace, and engineering products Building a Brand Image thrust for quality upgradation expanded certification of export products encouraged, where needed Brand India promotion campaign for key export products Essential Support Essential policy support needed to realize the ambitious export targets for 2013-14 and beyond is: Stable policy environment: Continuation of existing incentive schemes Preferential access to new markets: putting in place conducive trading arrangements Reduction in transaction costs: Implementation of recommendations of Task Force Substantial step up in overall Plan support Strengthening of trade related infrastructure, 2011 16:40 IST

Plan Com suggests quota to boost domestic electronic hardware production

The Planning Commission on May 2, 2011 recommended that 30 per cent of the governments procurement of electronic hardware be reserved for domestic companies. The objective is to encourage domestic manufacture of electronic hardware. The commission says the countrys manufacturing capacities for electronic hardware are woefully behind the demand and would not expand unless a big push is given. According to the commission's estimates, the countrys capacity of electronic manufactured goods stood at about $20 billion in 2009, whereas the demand was at $45 billion. If the countrys capacity of manufacturing electronic hardware continues at the current rate and the demand also grows at the present pace, the demand would expand to $400 billion and the capacity to $106 billion by 2030. The Commission fears that by 2030, the import bill for electronic equipment could outpace the petroleum, oil and lubricants segment. During 2010-11, India's import bill of this segment stood at $101.7 billion, while that of electronic equipment was at $36.8 billion. The Commission has also suggested to the Cabinet to set up two plants to manufacture semiconductor wafers with a total investment of Rs 7,500 crore to boost the countrys electronic hardware production.

Foreign Contribution Regulation Act 2010 comes into effect: The Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) 2010, which bans organisations of political nature from receiving foreign contribution, came into effect from May 1, 2011. Till now, such organisations had to get prior clearances from the government. The Act has also done away with the system of granting permanent registration to any organisation. The legislation will ensure that every five years the organisations renew their registration so that the dormant ones can be weeded out. The fresh rules are stringent and disallow organisations of political nature from receiving foreign contribution. Further, to deal with bona fide mistakes of NGOs, provision has been made for compounding of offences. The Act, which was passed by both Houses of Parliament, is aimed at consolidating the law to regulate the acceptance and utilisation of foreign contribution or foreign hospitality by certain individuals or associations or companies. The new Act was necessitated in the wake of security concerns. Loans to NBFCs lose priority sector tag: The Reserve Bank of India on May 5, 2011 clarified that bank loans to nonbanking finance companies (NBFCs), excluding microfinance institutions which are categorised as NBFC, would not be classified as priority sector loans. This means that the NBFCs will have to pay a higher rate of interest on loans taken from banks and their cost of funds will go up. NBFCs depend on banks for 80 per cent of their credit requirement. About 10-12 per cent of the total bank loans are classified as priority sector loans. There would also be some reduction of credit flow to the sector because some of these transactions were happening only because of priority sector classification. The objective behind the RBI move is to bring parity between MFIs and NBFCs (other than MFIs such as housing loan, vehicle loan companies). Bank loans to microfinance institutions come with stringent conditions attached. For a bank loan to be classified as priority sector loan, banks are required to ensure a margin cap of 12 per cent and an interest rate cap of 26 per cent by the MFI. No such conditions are there for all other NBFCs. In such a scenario, banks would prefer giving loans to NBFCs rather than MFIs.

20

RBI increases m-wallet limit: Relaxing the norms for making payments using the mobile phones, known as m-wallet,
the Reserve Bank of India on May 4, 2011 decided to increase the limit of money loading to Rs. 50,000 from the existing limit of Rs. 5,000. Leading mobile operators such as Bharti Airtel and Vodafone had tied up with State Bank of India and ICICI Bank respectively to offer such facilities to their subscribers. The apex bank in its notification has also said that it would treat semi-closed mobile wallet at par with the other semi-closed prepaid instruments. In the semi-closed mobile wallet, money can be loaded on to a cell phone from a licenced company, which can be used to make payments. But it cannot be used to withdraw money from the mobile.

Inter-ministerial group discusses high inflation with RBI: An inter-ministerial group (IMG) chaired by Chief
Economic Adviser Kaushik Basu on May 6, 2011 discussed ways to tackle high inflation with Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor D Subbarao. Secretaries from finance, commerce and agriculture ministries who are part of the IMG also attended the meeting. Recently, the RBI had hiked the key policy rates by 50 basis points to contain inflation, which is seen as an aggressive stand which may slow down economic growth. With a view to check rising prices, the RBI has hiked key policy rates nine times since March 2010. Although food inflation came down to 8.53% in April from the 20% level seen in February last year, actual prices of food items continue to remain high. This is the third meeting of the IMG since its formation in February to suggest measures to control spiralling prices, particularly that of essential items.

India on US priority watch list on intellectual property rights: United States on May 3, 2011 placed India,
Pakistan, China and nine other countries on the top priority watch list with regard to violations of intellectual property rights (IPR). Countries on the Priority Watch List present the most significant concerns for the US regarding insufficient IPR protection or enforcement, or otherwise limited market access for persons relying on intellectual property protection. Twelve countries India, Pakistan, China, Russia, Algeria, Argentina, Canada, Chile, Indonesia, Israel, Thailand and Venezuela are on the Priority Watch List. These countries will be the subject of particularly intense bilateral engagement during the coming year, the US Trade Representative (USTR) said as it released its annual Special 301 Report on the adequacy and effectiveness of US trading partners' protection of IPR.

FICCI proposes to set up National Knowledge Functional Hub: Industry body FICCI on May 3, 2011 proposed the
setting up of National Knowledge Functional Hub (NKFH) to engage higher educational institutions with the industry to produce quality engineering graduates and meet increasing requirement of skilled hands in the market. FICCI Capital Goods Committee Chairman K Venkataramanan said that the NKFH would facilitate industry-academia connect in tier-II and tier-III institutions which are the source of bulk engineering graduates for the capital goods industry. Venkataramanan recommended that each capital goods company can adopt two to three institutions in its vicinity for sustained interaction and collaboration under the proposed initiative.

ISRO stakes claim to India's fastest supercomputer: The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has announced that it had built Indias fastest supercomputer in terms of theoretical peak performance of 220 Trillion Floating Point Operations Per Second (TeraFLOPS). The supercomputer christened SAGA-220, built by the Satish Dhawan Supercomputing Facility located at Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC), Thiruvananthapuram, for about Rs 14 crore, was inaugurated by ISRO Chairman K Radhakrishnan on May 2, 2011. The new Graphic Processing Unit (GPU) based supercomputer, SAGA-220 (Supercomputer for Aerospace with GPU Architecture-220 TeraFLOPS) is being used by space scientists for solving complex aerospace problems. SAGA-220 is designed and built by the VSSC using commerciallyavailable hardware, open source software components and in-house developments. The system uses 400 NVIDIA Tesla 2070 GPUs and 400 Intel Quad Core Xeon CPUs supplied by Wipro with high speed interconnect. The present GPU system offers significant advantage over the conventional CPU-based system in terms of cost, power and space requirements. The system is environmentally friendly and consumes only 150 Kw of power. This system can easily be scaled up to many PetaFLOPS (1,000 TeraFLOPS). Mumbai Airport approaches AERA on restoring Development Fees: The GVK-led Mumbai International Airport (MIAL) on May 5, 2011 approached sectoral regulator Airports Economic Regulatory Authority (AERA) seeking permission to charge Airport Development Fees (ADF) from passengers. The move follows the Supreme Court order, which ruled recently that only the AERA has the power to allow privately developed Delhi and Mumbai airports to collect the fee. AERA Chairman Yashwant Bhawe informed that GVK had applied for the permission. India, China to grow the most in APAC UN Agency: India and China will remain the fastest growing economies in
Asia-Pacific by expanding at respective rates of 8.7% and 9.5% in 2011, much above the average of the region, UN agency ESCAP said on May 9, 2011. The UNESCAP report outlook for the Indian economy is healthy even as Reserve Bank and Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee have lowered the growth estimates for the economy for 2011-12. Both the RBI and

21 Mukherjee have pegged the Indian growth in this fiscal at 8% from the earlier estimates of 9%. ESCAP's projection for India is higher than that for developing economies in the Asia-Pacific region, where growth is pegged at around 7.3% in 2011.

Business confidence falls 8% in October-March: A latest business expectation survey, carried out in March 2011
shortly after the Union Budget, shows a further dip of 8 per cent in the NCAER-MasterCard Index of Business Confidence (BCI). In the previous survey, the BCI declined by 2 per cent compared to October 2010, so this is the second consecutive decline since October 2010. According to the findings of the survey revealed on May 3, 2011, the public mood was affected by scams and legal proceedings on corruption cases.The survey results provide strong indications of sluggish industrial growth. As indicators of the short-term outlook, the findings point to the need for addressing uncertainties affecting the business environment.

R.K. Upadhyay appointed BSNL CMD: The Government on May 2, 2011 appointed R.K. Upadhyay as the Chairman
and Managing Director of Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd. Upadhyay is a 1975 batch officer of Indian Telecom Services and currently heads Telecom Consultants India Ltd. The Government had appointed a search-cum-selection panel under National Knowledge Commission head, Sam Pitroda, with the objective of attracting the best talent for turning around the loss-making telecom PSU. Over the past two months, the panel got in touch with as many as 20 candidates from the private sector but no one showed interest for the post citing political and labour related issues.

G. C. Chaturvedi appointed Petroleum Secretary: G. C. Chaturvedi, special director general in the Organising
Committee of the Commonwealth Games 2010 took charge as petroleum secretary on May 4, 2011 from S. Sundareshan who has taken over as new Secretary, Department of Heavy Industries. Sundareshan succeeds B.S. Meena, who demitted office on superannuation on 30 April, 2011. Chaturvedis appointment comes at a time when Vedanta Resources Plcs proposed acquisition of a majority stake in Cairn India Ltd for $9.6 billion is stuck. A group of ministers (GoM) has been asked by Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs to give its assent for government approval. State-owned Oil and Natural Gas Corp. Ltd (ONGC) has made the resolution of a royalty payment dispute a precondition for the deals approval. ONGC is Cairn Indias partner in a joint venture that runs the latters main oil asset in the countryblock RJ-ON-90/1 in Rajasthan. ONGC wants to be compensated for royalty payments to the government that it has been making on the Rajasthan oil

Rakesh Singh is interim LIC Chairman: Rakesh Singh, an Additional Secretary in the Finance Ministry, has been
appointed as the acting Chairman of LIC. T.S. Vijayan, erstwhile LIC Chairman, has failed to get an extension as Chairman although he still has two more years to reach superannuation. Vijayan is now being relegated to Managing Director, a post he held before getting elevated as Chairman in 2006. His five-year term as LIC Chairman came to an end on May 2, 2011.

Shekhar Shah appointed NCAER director-general: Economic think-tank National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER) on May 6, 2011 announced appointment of Shekhar Shah as its new director-general. Shah was the World Banks Regional Economic Advisor for South Asia until recently. He will succeed Suman Bery. Shashanka Bhide, senior research counsellor at NCAER has been officiating as Director-General since Berys exit. Unique Identification Authority Chairman Nandan Nilekani is the President of NCAERs governing body. Balachandran appointed Pharmaceuticals Authority Chairman: The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) on May 5, 2011 approved the appointment of G. Balachandran, presently Adviser, Inter State Council Secretariat, as Chairman, National Pharmaceuticals Pricing Authority under the Department of Pharmaceuticals, Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers, in the rank and pay of Additional Secretary in the vacancy of S.M.Jharwal, IES. Nirmal Chandra Jha is new Coal India Chairman: Nirmal Chandra Jha was on May 4, 2011 appointed as Chairman of
worlds largest coal mining company, Coal India Ltd (CIL). Jha, who was appointed interim Chairman in March, succeeded Partha S. Bhattacharyya, who retired on February 28.

22

Section E: SPORTS

23

Sri Lankas T20 league to start in July-August: Some of the best players from India, Australia, Pakistan, West
Indies and South Africa are set to participate in a Twenty20 league that will be held in July-August this year. Five domestic teams from Sri Lanka, captained by the likes of Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara, among others, will feature in the tournament. Somerset Entertainment, a company that bought rights to Sri Lanka Cricket last year, will run the league, it was announced on May 5, 2011.

BCCI recommends Zaheer Khan for Arjuna award: The BCCI on May 3, 2011 recommended pace spearhead Zaheer Khan for the prestigious Arjuna award for his excellent showing in the cricket World Cup. The bowler, who took 21 wickets to finish the tournament as the joint-highest wicket-taker with Shahid Afridi of Pakistan, has been in good form over the past one year. If Zaheer wins the award, he will join the likes of Salim Durani, Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi Vijay Manjrekar and team-mates Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Harbhajan Singh, Sachin Tendulkar amongst others. Gambhir was the last male cricketer to have won the award, in 2009, while women's team bowler Jhulan Goswamy received the honour last year. Alastair Cook named England's new ODI skipper: Opening batsman Alastair Cook was on May 5, 2011 named
England's new ODI skipper and young paceman Stuart Broad was appointed Twenty20 captain. Cook took over from Andrew Strauss, who has retired from ODI cricket while Broad replaced Paul Collingwood, who had led the national side to World Twenty20 title last year. England is the only team to have different captains for all three formats of the game.

Cricket South Africa reinstates Nyoka as President: Cricket South Africa (CSA) on May 5, 2011 reinstated ousted president Mtutuzeli Nyoka and is to order an independent investigation into its finances after a public spat over bonuses. Nyoka was fired following a feud with the organisation's chief executive, Gerald Majola, over the payment of a 1.7-millionrand ($248,000) bonus to Majola after the staging of the IPL in South Africa in 2009. Nyoka took CSA to court after the federation passed a vote of no confidence in him at a special meeting in February. Lee wins India Open badminton championship: Malaysias Lee Chong Wei on May 1, 2011 beat Denmarks Peter
Gade to win the Mens Singles title at the $200,000 India Open Super Series badminton championship in New Delhi. The 21-12, 12-21, 21-15 victory in 62 minutes was worth $15,000 for Lee. The Womens Singles title went to unseeded Thailands Porntip Buranaprasertsuk, who scored a 21-13, 21-16 triumph over third seed Korean Bae Youn Joo. The Mens Doubles title was won by Hirokatsu Hashimoto and Noriyasu Hirata of Japan who defeated Angga Pratama and Ryan Agung Saputra of Indonesia 21-17, 21-9. Womens Doubles title was won by the Japanese team of Miyuki Maeka and Satoko Suetsuna who beat their compatriots Mizuki Fujii and Reika Kakiiwa. Mixed Doubles title was won by the Indonesian team of Tantowi Ahmad and Lilyana Natsir who beat Fran Kurniawan and Pia Zebadiah Bernadeth also from Indonesia 21-18, 23-21 in the final.

Saina ends runner-up in Malaysian Open Grand Prix: Xin Wang of China beat Indias Saina Nehwal 13-21, 21-8, 2114 to win the womens singles title at the Malaysian Open Grand Prix Gold Badminton tournament at Kuala Lumpur on May 8, 2011. Men's Singles title was won by Chong Wei Lee of Malaysia who defeated Chinas Chunlai Bao 21-9, 21-19 in the final.

Potro wins Estoril Open: Juan del Potro defeated Spain's Fernando Verdasco 6-2, 6-2 at the Estoril Open for his first title on clay in three years at Estoril, Portugal on May 1, 2011. Del Potro's title was his second of the season after winning on hard court in Delray Beach, Florida, in February. The Argentine missed much of 2010 after a wrist surgery. Meanwhile Annabel Medina Garrigues cruised past Kristina Barrois 6-1, 6-2 to win the women's singles title at the Estoril Open on April 30. Djokovic beats Nadal to win Madrid Open: Novak Djokovic beat Rafael Nadal 7-5 6-4 to win the Madrid Open final in
straight sets on May 8, 2011. His win also ended Nadal's run of 37 straight wins on clay, stretching back to the 2009 French Open.

Djokovic wins Serbia Open: Serbias Novak Djokovic defeated Spains Feliciano Lopez 7-6(4), 6-2 to win the Serbia th Open at Belgrade on April 30, 2011. This was Djokovic's 27 straight victory and fifth title this season. Meanwhile in Munich, Nikolay Davydenko of Russia defeated Germanys Florian Mayer 6-3, 3-6, 6-1 in the final to win the BMW Open on April 30. AC Milan claim 18th Serie A title: AC Milan on May 8, 2011 claimed an 18th Serie A title following a 0-0 draw at Roma
that gave them an unassailable lead at the top of the table. Serie A is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. The 0-0 draw ensured that with two rounds remaining Milan's nearest rival Internazionale (also known as Inter Milan) could only draw level on points, and Milan holds the tiebreaker based on their better head-to-head record. The trophy will be presented at Milan's

24 next home game on 14 May. It was Milan's first Serie A title since 2004 and it ended a run of five successive Serie A titles by their rival Internazionale. It was also the first league title for manager Massimiliano Allegri, winning in his first year with AC Milan.

Gurmeet sets new national record in men's 20km walk: Gurmeet Singh of Jharkhand on May 3, 2011 set a new
national record in men's 20km walk by improving upon the earlier mark by nearly three minutes to hog the limelight in the season-opening Indian Grand Prix at Patiala. Gurmeet clocked 1:20:35 to eclipse the earlier national record of 1:23:06 set in 2009 by Babubhai Panocha.

Vettal wins Turkish Grand Prix: World champion Sebastian Vettal, who started from the pole, led a Red Bull one-two with Mark Webber finishing second at the Turkish Grand Prix in Istanbul on May 8, 2011. Fernando Alonso claimed Ferrari's th first podium finish of the season by securing the third position. Force Indias Adrian Sutil finished 13 while his team-mate st Paul Di Resta was unable to finish the race. India's Narain Karthikeyan, racing for Hispania, finished 21 , ahead of his teammate Vitantonio Liuzzi. Suwannawat wins Asian Snooker Championship: Thailands Passakorn Suwannawat beat Indias Aditya Mehta to
win the title in the Asian snooker championship at the Yeshwant Club, Indore on April 30, 2011. Suwannawat displayed a focused and skillful performance to outsmart 2008 runner-up Mehta 60 (33)-41, 0-77 (57), 76 (40)-20, 59-58, 69 (69)-66 (66), 24-87, 83 (70)-13, 72-61 in the best of 11-frame summit clash. This was the maiden continental title for the 25-year-old Thai, who bagged the winner's purse of $3,500. Mehta got $1,750 as the runner-up. The losing semifinalists, Pankaj Advani and Mohammad Rais Senzahi, took home $500 each.

Former world No. 1 golfer Ballesteros passes away: Former World No. 1 golfer Severiano Ballesteros of Spain passed away at the age of 54 on May 7, 2011. One of the sport's leading figures from the mid-1970s to the mid-1990s, Ballesteros won five major championships between 1979 and 1988, the Open Championship three times, and the Masters Tournament twice. He was also successful in the Ryder Cup, helping the European team to five wins both as a player and captain against the US, and won the World Match Play Championship a record-tying five times. Lee Westwood retains No. 1 ranking in Golf: Britains Lee Westwood on May 1, 2011 clinched the Ballantines Championship by a stroke at Seoul and consolidated his world number one ranking. Miguel Angel Jimenez of Spain came second while Park Sang-hyun of South Korea finished.
REECENT BOOKS: The Great Golden Sacrifice Of The Mahabharata by Maggi Lidchi-Grassi Indira Gandhi: The Final Chapter by Suraj Eskay Sriram Niyogi Towards The True Kinship: How The World's Religions Can Come Together by The Dalai Lama Curry: The Story Of Britain's Favourite Dish by Stirabant Basu Niche: Why the Market No Longer Favours The Mainstream by James Harkin Tress Incredible: Ufe Sustaining Lives by Madan Mohan Pant Lost Years Of The RSS By Sanjeev Kelkar City Of The Lion By Carl Muller Colonial Justice in British India: White Violence and the Rule of Law by Elizabeth Kolsky Insurgent Sepoys: Europe views the Revolt of 1857 edited by Shaswati Mazumdar An Odyssey in War and Peace by Lieutenant General J F R Jacob Federalism And Fiscal Transfers In India by C. Rangarajan, D. K. Srivastava Lata - Voice of the Golden Era by Mandar V Bichu Biodiversity Conservation An Antidote to Climate Change by C.H. Basappanavar.

Weekly Current Affairs update

For the Week: May 8 to 14, 2011

Major news of the week

Section A: INDIA
Assembly election results announced Y S Jaganmohan Reddy wins by-election in AP SC stays Allahabad High Court verdict on Ayodhya SC quashes Karnataka MLAs disqualification India ratifies UN Conventions against crime & corruption IT Ministry clarifies liability of intermediaries in IT Act, 2000 Vaccine Policy for govt. run Immunisation Programme UN Decade of Action for road safety launched RTI to have precedence over apex courts internal rules CIC India signs Nagoya Protocol on Genetic Resources Special issue of Think India Quarterly on Faiz released Indias first hydropower engg institute in Uttarakhand Army, Air Force joint exercise conducted Govt. to assess impact of GDP growth on ecology UN report praises NREGA Gold plating of Tirupati temple shelved CCEA approves GSI proposal for new research vessel India signs DTAA with Colombia India releases list of 50 most wanted fugitives Jamia Millia issues new reservation norms India, Pakistan resume talks on Tulbul project New Tiger Reserves to come up in Karnataka Bombay to replace Gujarat in nomenclature Gujarat to place LED screens in villages Parekh elected SCBA president Bevan is new British High Commissioner to India Talwar to head reconstituted MCI Board Binayak Sen in Plan Comm health committee P. Sridevan assumes office as IPAB Chairman

Section C: AWARDS
Technology Day awards presented Samsung India Tagore Awards announced Merkel chosen for Jawaharlal Nehru Award Women bag top 2 positions in civil services exam Govt. announces award named after Tagore Orissa NGO wins Equator Prize Julian Assange awarded Sydney Peace Prize Whitley Award for IISER professor Mouttappa wins Chevalier award Kerala Tourism ad film wins honour at NY festival

Section D: ECONOMY & CORPORATE

CCI releases regulation for M&As in corporate sector Govt. to conduct 6th economic census as a central scheme SC imposes two-month ban on endosulfan Guidelines on clinical trials introduced Parikh committee recommends higher tax on diesel vehicles Electronic Service Delivery Bill, 2011 introduced India, Australia to launch FTA talks in June FDI in Limited Liability Partnership cos. allowed Poscos Orissa project gets clearance for land acquisition RBI sets up committee on forex facilities to individuals Exports from SEZs up 43% in 2010-11 Credit cards transaction up over 22% in 2010-11 Home loan priority tag revised India to invite bids for exploration of shale gas reserves RIL stops gas supply to non-priority sector PNGRB can now process CNG, city gas & PNG licences ISMA lowers sugar output estimate to 24.2 mt CSIR registers pvt co. to reap profits on patents Karnataka launches e-payment for commercial tax payers New Socio Economic Classification introduced World Spice Organisation formed Indo-US Chamber of Commerce to open its 1st office in NY

Section B: WORLD
US Defence Budget at $690 bn in 2012 2nd Pak nuclear plant at Chashma inaugurated World Nursing Day observed Indian PM pledges $500m to Afghanistan during PMs visit Official UK inquiry into Iraq war to be revealed after Oct 2011 Nepal to see 1-year extension for Constituent Assembly UN Conference on the Least Developed Countries organised Centre for Rising Powers launched at Cambridge Syria withdraws bid for UN Human Right Council Chile approves Patagonia hydro project Grameen Bank founder Muhammad Yunus quits as MD Obama seeks extension for FBI Director Mueller Museveni sworn in as President of Uganda Queen Elizabeth II reign 2nd longest in UK history

Section E: SPORTS
Gopi Chand, Saina part ways Mary Kom clinches gold in Asian Cup Pinki Jangra wins gold at Arafura Games FIH to launch Project Chak De Harikrishna & Harika win Asian Chess Manchester United win EPL title Barcelona secure La Liga Spanish title hat-trick Tendulkar wins Polly Umrigar Award

Section A: INDIA
NEWS ROUND UP
Assembly election results announced
A convincing victory for the Trinamool Congress in West Bengal and the Congress in Assam gave new confidence and authority to the ruling United Progressive Alliance (UPA). These are among the five assemblies for which election results were announced on May 13, 2011. Although the victory in Kerala was narrow, it marked another point in the ruling coalitions winning run. However, the alliance lost badly in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry. These elections were about bold, unequivocal verdicts. Kerala was the exception. While the provisional polling percentage for the 30-member Puducherry Assembly was recorded as 83.62 per cent, it was 75.21 per cent for the election to the 234-member Assembly in Tamil Nadu, and 74.4 per cent in Kerala, which has the Legislative Assembly strength of 140 members. In the 126-member Assam Assembly election overall percentage of voting registered at 76.3. West Bengal saw a poll percentage of over 75%. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), second largest party in the Parliament, got just five seats in the 828 seats that went to the polls. Equations within UPA generally favoured the Congress. Although one of its allies (K Karunanidhis DMK) went out of power and the other ally (Mamata Banerjees Trinamool Congress) routed the 34-year Left rule, the Congress finds itself in a position from which it can dictate terms to DMK and use its power at the Centre to keep Banerjee in check. The biggest victory came from West Bengal, where the Trinamool alone crossed the half-way mark the longest serving communist government. The Congress almost tripled its tally from the 2006 elections. V S Achuthanandan led a brave fight in Kerala. VS, as he is popularly called, was initially denied ticket by the lobby led by Karat and Kerala CPI(M) Secretary Pinarayi Vijayan. The Congress, too, will have to do a tightrope walk in Kerala, as it has a margin of just two seats. Already, the partners have raised the price for support and started demanding plum portfolios. In policy terms, the Congress-led UPA will now have to battle a newly empowered victorious ally, the Trinamool, on land acquisition. Trinamool leader Banerjee is strongly opposed to giving agricultural land to industry. But the leverage the Congress has is Banerjees and West Bengals dependence on the Centre for funds and cooperation. West Bengal and Kerala are two of the biggest debt-ridden states and Banerjees efforts at good governance cant succeed without pro-active support from the Centre. As of now, the Congress will continue its alliance with DMK at the Centre. In Assam, the party is in a comfortable position. Following is an account of election results in each state. WEST BENGAL The West Bengal state assembly election, 2011 was held in six phases between 18 April and 10 May, 2011 for all the 294 seats of the Vidhan Sabha in the state of West Bengal in India. The Trinamool Congress won an absolute majority of seats. The election also marked the defeat for the longest serving democratically elected Communist government in the world after the 34-year rule of the Left Front government West Bengal :294 2006 Parties/Alliances Left Front+ CPI (M) AIFB RSP CPI DSP (P) Trinamool+ Trinamool Congress SUCI Others+ Independents GJM SP 9.98 4.22 0.5 15 6 3 41.61 26.64 14.71 52 30 21 49 39 10 % Votes 48.41 37.13 5.66 3.71 1.91 Seats 227 176 23 20 8 2011 % Votes 41 Seats 61 40 11 7 2 1 227 184 42 1 6 2 3 1

With the grand alliance of the Trinamool and the Congress sweeping the elections, the Left Front faced its worst-ever electoral debacle. In an Assembly of 294, with the TMCCongress-SUCI alliance securing 226 seats (Trinamool 183,

Congress 42, SUCI one), the Left managed to get 63 seats (CPM getting 40). The Congress benefited from the alliance, with its tally jumping from 17 seats in 2006 jumping to 42 in 2011. The Chief Minister, Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee was defeated in Jadavpur constituency by the Trinamools Manish Gupta, a former state chief secretary contesting his first election. Gupta had been considered a close confidant of the CM in his role as the states top bureaucrat. This is the first time the CPM has been defeated in Jadavpur since the constituency was formed in 1967. Left front ministers who were trounced included the industry minister, Nirupam Sen, the finance minister, Asim Dasgupta , the sports minister, Kanti Ganguly, the urban development minister, Ashok Bhattacharya, the housing minister, Gautam Deb, the higher education minister. Sudershan Roychowdhury, and the PWD minister, Kshiti Goswami. A total of 23 ministers failed to get re-elected, including 14 at the Cabinet level. TAMIL NADU Tamil Nadu :234 2006 Parties/Alliances DMK+ DMK Congress PMK AIADMK+ AIADMK DMDK [2] CPI(M)[3] CPI AIFB [3] MAMK PT Others+ 12.68 7 6 0.31 0 % Votes 41.78 26.46 8.38 5.65 45.54 32.64 8.33 2.65 Seats 150 96 34 18 77 61 1 9 53 % Votes 40 2011 Seats 31 23 5 3 203 150 29 10 9 1 2 2 0

3 It was a grand win for J. Jayalalithaa and her AIADMK in a contest that saw a huge amount of cash and promised freebies. Chief Minister, M. Karunanidhi, won his Tiruvarur seat with a big lead of over 50,000 votes but his son, M.K. Stalin, managed to scrape through with a margin of about 2,400 votes. Almost all the DMK heavyweights lost and that list includes the general secretary, K. Anbazhagan, in Villivakkam in north Chennai.

KERALA
Kerala :140 2006 Parties/Alliances LDF+ CPI (M) CPI RSP JDS Independents NCP UDF+ Congress Muslim League KC (M) KC (B) KC (J) SJD RSP (B) Others+ 19.05 10 0 36.78 24.09 7.30 3.26 0.62 40 24 7 7 1 46 % Votes 44.17 30.45 8.09 1.44 2.44 6.03 Seats 90 61 17 3 5 5 2011 % Votes 45 Seats 68 45 13 2 4 2 2 72 38 20 9 1 1 2 1 0

The fourteenth legislative assembly election was held on April 13, 2011 to elect members from 234 constituencies in Tamil Nadu. Results were released on May 13, 2011. Two major parties Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) faced the election as coalitions of multiple parties with the DMK front consisting of 8 parties and the AIADMK of 11 parties. Actor Vijayakanths Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK) which had contested the previous elections independently allied with AIADMK coalition

The thirteenth legislative assembly election was held on April 13, 2011 to elect members of the 140 constituencies in Kerala. Election results were released on May 13, 2011. The results proved to be one of the closest elections in Keralas history, with the UDF beating the LDF by a margin of 4 seats. The Congress-led UDF wrested power by winning 72 of the 140 seats in the Kerala Assembly, but buoyed by a spirited campaign by chief minister V S Achuthanandan the ruling the CPM-led LDF averted a rout in the state lashed until recently by an anti-incumbency wave. The LDF won 68 seats, drastically improving its position from the defeat it had suffered in the Lok Sabha elections in 2009 and local polls. BJPs attempts to open account, however, came to a naught again.

The UDFs narrow victory raised fears of political uncertainty, even in the Congress because it has won just one seat above the number of 71 required to form the government. The coalition comprises of several parties representing strong interest groups as well as some tiny parties with just one or two MLAs. What compounds worries for Congress is the success of its allies. The Muslim League which contested 25 seats won 20 while the Kerala Congress (M) led by K M Mani returned in 10 of its 15 seats. The Congress could secure only 38 of the 82 seats where it had fielded candidates. UDF schemes to wrest a clean sweep by roping in leaders of certain communal groups seem to have failed to yield much dividends. On the other side, the strong campaigns of VS against corruption, attack on women, against plundering of the environment and a host of related issues appear to have struck a chord among large sections of the people, especially women.

4 winning 18 seats, the AIUDF emerged as the largest opposition party. Its 2006 tally was only 10. The party, which champions the cause of Muslims, proved wrong the predictions of all exit polls. The main opposition, AGP, which went all out against Gogoi, accusing his government of being neck-deep in corruption, faced a humiliating defeat and managed only 10 seats.

PUDUCHERRY
Puducherry :30 2006 Parties/Alliances Cong+ Congress DMK AIADMK+ AIADMK NR Congress Others+ Independents 37.66 13.92 8 3 % Votes 46.3 29.91 12.59 16.04 16.04 Seats 19 10 7 3 3 2011 % Votes Seats 9 7 2 20 5 15 1 1

ASSAM
The 17 Assam legislative assembly election was held in two phases on 4 and 11 April, 2011 to elect members from 126 constituencies in Assam, India. The result was announced on May 13, 2011. The election resulted in a landslide victory for the Indian National Congress and its incumbent Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi, who will be sworn in for the third straight term. Assam :126 2006 Parties/Alliances Congress AGP BJP AIUDF Independents Others BPF % Votes 31.08 20.39 11.98 9.03 16.62 8.47 Seats 53 24 10 10 22 4 2011 % Votes 40 Seats 78 10 5 18 2 1 12
th

The All India NR Congress (AINRC)-All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) alliance won 20 of the 30 constituencies in Puducherry, setting stage for the alliance to forge a government. The 30 constituencies in the Union Territory, comprising 23 constituencies in Puducherry, five in Karaikal and one each in Yanam and Mahe, AINRC alone won 15 seats, while the AIADMK won five. The alliance has crossed the halfway mark of 16 seats to form the next government. The Indian National Congress (INC)-Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) alliance, ruling till now, won a total of nine constituencies. INC has won in seven seats and DMK candidates were elected in two seats. N Rangasamy, former chief minister for the Union Territory and chief of AINRC, won in Indira Nagar against V Aroumougam of INC for a margin of 16,677 votes. He also marked a victory in Kadirgamam constituency against V Pethaperumal of INC for a margin of 9757 votes. Chief Minister V Vaithilingam won in Kamaraj Nagar, defeating Nara Kalainathan of Communist Party of India. Rangasamy formed AINRC after he was replaced by Vaithilingam as Chief Minister of the Congress-led government in Puducherry in 2008.

The Congress won an absolute majority in the 126-member state assembly, winning in 78 seats. The majority mark in the Assam assembly is 64. Gogoi proved he is the Congresss best mascot in Assam by leading the party to victory from panchayat to Parliament in all the elections, barring one, since 2001. He also showed, once again, that the people of Assam have no alternative to him at this juncture, when the state is seriously trying to buy peace with rebel outfit ULFA. The biggest surprise in this election was the All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF), led by Badaruddin Ajmal. By

Puducherry recorded a turnout of 85.57 per cent of 805,000 votes during the polling held on April 13.

Y S Jaganmohan Reddy wins by-election in AP: Y S

Jaganmohan Reddy, founder of the YSR Congress and son of former chief minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy (YSR), on May 14, 2011 created a record in the electoral history of Andhra Pradesh. He retained the Lok Sabha seat of Kadapa, which he had won in 2009 on a Congress ticket, by defeating the rival Congress and Telugu Desam Party (TDP) candidates with a margin of 543,053 votes in a byelection. The victory margin surpasses the earlier record win by 500,000 votes of former Prime Minister Narasimha Rao, when he got elected from Nandyal in a by-election in 1991. Jagans mother, Vijayamma, also retained the Pulivendula assembly segment defeating her nearest Congress rival, her own brother-in-law, Y S Vivekananda Reddy, the states agriculture minister, by 85,191 votes. Both elections were necessitated by mother and son quitting the party and their seats last November, later forming their breakaway party. After YSRs death in a helicopter crash in September 2009, Vijayamma was elected unopposed to the Assembly from Pulivendula, the seat he had held. However, both mother and son differed with Congress president Sonia Gandhi and quit the party and also resigned from Parliament and Assembly.

5 Schedule to the Acquisition of Certain Area at Ayodhya Act, 1993, which is vested in the Central government, no religious activity of any kind by anyone be permitted or allowed to take place. The Bench, while directing the status quo to continue, made it clear that the existing pujas in the make-shift Ram Lala temple at the disputed site would go on as usual.

SC quashes Karnataka MLAs disqualification

In a major setback to the BJP government in Karnataka, the Supreme Court on May 13, 2011 set aside the Assembly Speaker, K.G. Bopaiahs decision disqualifying 11 rebel party MLAs and five Independents before the trust vote by the Chief Minister, B.S. Yeddyurappa, in 2010 declaring his order as unconstitutional and against the principles of natural justice. The speaker had disqualified the rebel legislators on an October 8, 2010 petition of the ruling party after they gave a letter to Governor H R Bhardwaj on October 6, withdrawing support to the BJP government and for expressing their lack of confidence in the leadership of Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa. Along with the 11 legislators, five Independents were also disqualified on the same grounds. Regarding the position of five Independents, the Supreme Court explained that there was nothing on record to show that five Independent MLAs had expressed anything, which indicated that while joining the Council of Ministers, they actually had intended to join the BJP, which would make them liable to the provisions of the anti-defection law.

Supreme Court stays Allahabad High Court verdict on Ayodhya

The Supreme Court on May 9, 2011 stayed the Allahabad High Court verdict that directed division of 2.77 acres of land of the disputed Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid site in Ayodhya into three parts among Hindus, Muslims and the Nirmohi Akhara. A Bench of Justices Aftab Alam and R.M. Lodha, admitting a batch of appeals from both Hindu and Muslim organisations, stayed the September 30, 2010 judgment of the Lucknow Bench of the High Court and directed the parties to maintain the status quo at the site. Those who filed the appeals included the Sunni Central Wakf Board, U.P.; the Nirmohi Akhara; the All-India Hindu Mahasabha and Bhagwan Shri Ram Virajman. The petitioners unanimously urged the apex court to stay the High Court verdict and restore the status quo order passed by the Supreme Court in 1994 and March 2002 in respect of the activities on the 67.703 acres of government land acquired in January 1993. The Bench said the status quo at the disputed site would remain as directed by the 1994 Constitution Bench and the order passed on March 13-14, 2002. The Bench, taking note of the 2002 order, directed that on the 67.703 acres located in various plots detailed in the

India ratifies UN Conventions organised crime and corruption

against

India on May 12, 2011 ratified the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organised Crime and its three protocols and the United Nations Convention against Corruption. Organised crime The United Nations Convention against Transnational Organised Crime is the main international instrument in the fight against transnational organized crime. It recognizes the need to foster and enhance close international cooperation in order to tackle those problems. The convention is further supplemented by three Protocols, which target specific areas and manifestations of organized crime namely Protocols to combat (1) trafficking in persons (2) migrant smuggling and (3) illicit trafficking in firearms. Corruption The United Nations Convention against Corruption complements the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organised Crime. The Convention introduces a comprehensive set of standards, measures and rules that

all countries can apply in order to strengthen their legal and regulatory regimes to fight corruption. The Convention enumerates in detail the measures to prevent corruption, including the application of prevention policies and practices, the establishment of bodies for that purpose, the application of codes of conduct for public servants, and public procurement. It recommends promoting transparency and accountability in the management of public finances and in the private sector, with tougher accounting and auditing standards. Measures to prevent money-laundering are also provided for, together with measures to secure the independence of the judiciary, public reporting and participation of society are encouraged as preventive measures. The Convention recommends the State Parties to adopt such legislative and other measures as may be necessary to establish a whole series of criminal offences. These are: Corruption of national or foreign public officials and officials of public international organizations; embezzlement, misappropriation or other diversion by a public official of any public or private property; trading in influence; abuse of functions and illicit enrichment In the private sector, the Convention calls for the creation of offences of embezzlement and corruption. There are other offences relating to laundering the proceeds of crime, handling stolen property, obstructing the administration of justice, and participating in and attempting embezzlement or corruption.

6 In case any issue arises concerning the interpretation of the terms used by the Intermediary, which is not agreed to by the user or affected person, the same can only be adjudicated by a Court of Law. The Government or any of its agencies have no power to intervene or even interpret. DIT has also reiterated that there is no intention of the Government to acquire regulatory jurisdiction over content under these Rules. It has categorically said that these rules do not provide for any regulation or control of content by the Government. According to the DIT, the government adopted a very transparent process for formulation of the Rules under the Information Technology Act. The draft Rules were published on the Department of Information Technology website for comments and were widely covered by the media. None of the Industry Associations and other stakeholders objected to the formulation which is now being cited in some section of media. The Government has been forward looking to create a conducive environment for the Internet medium to catapult itself onto a different plane with the evolution of the Internet. The Government remains fully committed to freedom of speech and expression and the citizens rights in this regard. Under the Information Technology Amendment Act, the definition of Intermediary includes telecom services providers, network providers, internet service providers, web-hosting service providers in the definition of intermediaries. Furthermore, search engines, online payment sites, online-auction sites, online market places and cyber cafs are also included in the definition of the intermediary.

IT Ministry clarifies on liability intermediaries under the IT Act, 2000

of

The government on May 11, 2011 responded to news items in a section of media on certain aspects of the Rules notified under Section 79 pertaining to liability of intermediaries under the Information Technology Act, 2000. These news items have raised two broad issues. One is that words used in Rules for objectionable content are broad and could be interpreted subjectively. Secondly, there is an apprehension that the Rules enable the Government to regulate content in a highly subjective and possibly arbitrary manner. The Department of Information Technology (DIT), Ministry of Communications & IT has clarified that the Intermediaries Guidelines Rules, 2011 prescribe that due diligence need to be observed by the Intermediaries to enjoy exemption from liability for hosting any third party information under Section 79 of the Information Technology Act, 2000. These due diligence practices are the best practices followed internationally by well-known mega corporations operating on the Internet.

Vaccine Policy calls for govt. to take over Immunisation Programme

The draft National Vaccine Policy has recommended that the government take ownership of the countrys Universal Immunisation Programme (UIP) for ensuring vaccine security and equity by creating fiscal and legislative provisions with appropriate support from external donors. The draft policy unveiled on May 8, 2011 says that as such funding depends heavily upon donor countries it is important that India creates and strengthens its own mechanisms and systems for long-term sustenance of programmes for vaccine-preventable diseases. The draft policy also recommends creation of a National Immunisation Authority that could be supported by several cells responsible for different functions, and a similar set up right up to the district level. The draft policy was commissioned in September last to address issues such as strengthening of the institutional framework, processes, evidence base and framework

required for decision-making for new vaccine introduction, vaccine security, and regulatory guidelines. The ninemember team was chaired by the former Director-General of the Indian Council of Medical Research, N.K. Ganguly. The UIP targets 2.7 crore infants and 3 crore pregnant women annually and is one of the largest programmes in the world. The country also has a vaccine industry that caters to 43 per cent of the Expanded Programme for Immunisation vaccines as well as some of the new vaccines purchased by Global alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation. Thirty-five per cent of the countrys population buys the vaccines through the private market.

7 Shailesh Gandhi passed this order in a case, in which information on certain judicial records was sought from the Supreme Court under the RTI Act. The First Appellate Authority (FFA) in the court held that any information on judicial records could be accessed only under Order XII of the Supreme Court rules. The CIC held that the Supreme Court could not cite internal rules to deny information if it had been sought under the RTI Act. Further that information could be denied only if the information sought was prohibited under the RTI Act itself.

India signs Nagoya Protocol on Genetic Resources: India, along with 10 other countries, on May
12, 2011 signed the Nagoya Protocol on Genetic Resources, with an aim to promote sustainable use of biological diversity, at the United Nations headquarters in New York. The objective of the Protocol is to share the benefits arising from the utilisation of genetic resources in a fair and equitable way, which would promote sustainable use of biological diversity but not exploit it or those who claim a right over its components.

UN Decade of Action for road safety launched

The Decade of Action for Road Safety plan promoted by United Nations (UN) to stabilize and then reduce the road traffic fatalities worldwide by year 2020 was launched in India along with 100 more countries on May 11, 2011. Developed with the support of the World Health Organization,(WHO) the plan for the Decade enjoins all concerned agencies, organizations, and groups, including all road users, to work together to strengthen preventive programs, improve trauma care, and monitor progress achieved. Road accidents and related tragedies have alarmingly increased in the past decades. In India the UN decade of Action for road Safety was launched jointly by the International Road Federation (IRF) Institute of Road Traffic Education, (IRTE), AIIMS Apex Trauma Centre, Department of Road Transport & Highways, Government of India in New Delhi. As per the WHOs global status report on road safety, India tops the global list of deaths in road accidents with 125,000 fatalities and at least 2.2 million serious injuries each year. India accounts for 10 per cent of global road accident deaths. The national campaign has been launched with the target of reducing road accident deaths by 50 per cent by the year 2012. A scheme with the joint input of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways for up-gradation of trauma care facilities on National Highways has been drawn up. Trauma care facilities in 140 State Government Hospitals along the Golden Quadrilateral, North-South and East West Corridors of National Highways will be upgraded. Fully equipped ambulances will be provided at an interval of 50km on completed sections of National Highways under the control of N.H.A.I.

Special issue of Think India Quarterly on Faiz released: A special issue of Think India quarterly on Faiz
Ahmad Faiz published by NGO VicharNyas was released by the Vice President of India M. Hamid Ansari on May 10, 2011. Think India quarterly is a journal devoted to ideas in many disciplines and areas of human intellectual and creative endeavour with accent on contemporary issues facing India. Faiz (19111984) was a renowned Pakistani poet and a member of the Anjuman Tarraqi Pasand Mussanafin-e-Hind (All India Progressive Writers Movement) and an avowed Marxist. In 1962, he was awarded the Lenin Peace Prize by the Soviet Union.

Uttarakhand varsity signs MoU for Indias first hydropower engg institute: THDC India Ltd and
Uttarakhand Technical University (UTU) on May 12, 2011 signed MoU to run Indias first hydropower engineering institute which is coming up in Tehri district of the hill state. The objective behind setting up of the THDC Institute of Hydropower Engineering & Technology is to create a pool of continuously upgraded skilled set of knowledge with special thrust on construction and operation of Hydro Power stations in Uttarakhand where there is an estimated hydropower potential of 20,000-25,000 MW.

Six-day Army, Air Force joint exercise conducted:

Vijayee Bhava, a six-day long joint exercise of the Army and the Air Force was conducted in the deserts of Bikaner and Suratgarh near Pakistan border in Rajasthan from May 9 to 14, 2011. The exercise envisaged sustained massed mechanised manoeuvres in a simulated environment by composite combat entities, ably supported by air and complemented by a wide array of weapon systems and enabling combat logistics. According to the Army, it has conducted 10 major exercises near the Pakistan border in

RTI Act to have precedence over apex courts internal rules CIC: The Central Information
Commission (CIC) has ruled that in a conflict between the Right to Information Act and the internal rules of a Public Authority, the RTI Act must prevail. It would prevail even if the internal rules pertain to the Supreme Court. CIC

the last six years and this exercise will boost synergy between the Indian defence forces.

Govt. to assess impact of GDP growth on ecology:

The government has decided to conduct an assessment of the impact of GDP growth on ecology using Green Accounting System and the process will be completed by 2015. The government will soon set up of an expert group headed by environmental economist Partha Dasgupta to provide a road map for Green National Accounting (GNA) system to evaluate impact of economic growth on environment by 2015. Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh on May 9, 2011 said that the expert group would be set up jointly by the Planning Commission and Enviroment Ministry. The GNA would help government bringing out gross domestic product (GDP) growth data co-relating it with impact on the environment.

8 of Mines for sanction of Rs 549.50 crore for the research vessel which will replace RV Samudra Manthan. This new multi-disciplinary research vessel fitted with state-of-the-art equipment is meant for undertaking geological, geophysical and geo-chemical mapping of the seabed. The data generated, will be useful for creating and updating the national database which will be useful for undertaking research in the fields of earth science, oceanography and offshore mineral resources and exploitation of mineral resources embedded under the sea.

UN report praises NREGA: The Government of India

was on May 10, 2011 complimented by the United nations for its National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA). The UNs Global Assessment Report (GAR) praises NREGA and asked other nations to emulate the programme that has helped empower millions of marginalized. The UN report gave credit to the success of the NREGA programme to the impetus provided by strong political will and a committed high-level bureaucracy. The second edition of the GAR, which was released after two years, is a vital resource document used for understanding and analyzing global disaster risk and how communities worldwide can be strengthened to cope with natural calamities such as earthquakes, floods, drought and cyclones.

India signs DTAA with Colombia: India on May 13, 2011 signed a Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement (DTAA) with the Republic of Colombia for the avoidance of double taxation and for the prevention of fiscal evasion with respect to taxes on income. The Agreement further incorporates provisions for effective exchange of information and assistance in collection of taxes between tax authorities of the two countries in line with internationally accepted standards. India releases list of 50 most wanted fugitives:
India on May 11, 2011 came out with a list of 50 most wanted fugitives hiding in Pakistan. They include underworld don Dawood Ibrahim, 26/11 mastermind and Lashkar-e-Taiba founder Hafiz Saeed and dreaded terrorist Zaki ur Rehman Lakhvi. The list, which was given to Pakistan at the Home Secretary-level talks in March, has Hafiz Saeed on top, followed by Major Iqbal, a suspected serving Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) officer, who also figures in the FBI indictment in a Chicago court in connection with the 2008 Mumbai attack.

Gold plating of Tirupati temple shelved: Tirumala

Tirupati Devesthanam (TTD) on May 10, 2011 told the Supreme Court that it has shelved the controversial decision on gold plating of the sanctum sanctorum of the shrine of Lord Venkateswara at Tirupati, the worlds richest temple. The decision to reconsider the move was taken in deference to the sentiments expressed by a large number of devotees and the Andhra Pradesh High Courts judgement quashing the earlier resolution passed by the TTD for the gold plating exercise, the board told the apex court. The TTD said it had no powers to carry out the exercise of drilling thousands of holes in the inner recess adorning the deities in view of the restrictions imposed by Section 2(a) of the Ancient Monuments and Archeolgoical Sites and Remains Act, 1958.

Jamia Millia issues new reservation norms: Jamia Millia Islamia on May 11, 2011 issued fresh reservation norms, allowing 50 per cent seats to be kept aside for Muslim applicants. The new rules will be applicable from the 2011-12 academic session. This follows an amendment in Statute 39 of the Jamia Millia Islamia Act, 1988, in pursuance of the February 22 order of the National Commission for Minority Educational Institutions. As per the new rules, 30 per cent of the total seats in each course will be earmarked for Muslim applicants, 10 per cent for Muslim women applicants, 10 per cent for Muslim Other Backward Classes and Scheduled Tribes, as notified under the Central government list. India, Pakistan resume talks on Tulbul project: After
a gap of four years, India and Pakistan on May 12, 2011 resume talks in Islamabad on the Tulbul navigation project, also known as the Wular Lake project, in Jammu and Kashmir. Work was suspended in October 2007 after Islamabad imposed it as a pre-condition for talks at the government-level. Before that, the matter was being handled at the level of the Permanent Indus Commission. India has sought an early resolution so that it can resume work on the project, which is located on the Jhelum river in Jammu and Kashmirs Baramullah district.

CCEA approves GSI proposal for new research vessel: India may soon get a new floating research
laboratory that would help scientists map and explore the vast mineral resources embedded under the sea. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, at a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, on May 11, 2011 gave its approval to the Geological Survey of India to acquire a new research vessel for seabed survey and exploration for non-living resources. The CCEA has approved the revised cost estimate proposal of the Ministry

New Tiger Reserves to come up in Karnataka:

Minister for Environment and Forests Jairam Ramesh on May 8, 2011 said that the Union government had approved two more tiger reserves in Karnataka. B.R. Hills in Chamarajanagar district and Kudremukh in Chikmagalur th st district would become the 40 and 41 tiger reserves in the country. The total number of tiger reserves in Karnataka would go up to six. The state also has the most number of tigers in the country.

Bevan is new British High Commissioner to India:

James Bevan has been appointed British High Commissioner to India. He will take up his appointment in November. He succeeds Richard Stagg and, like his predecessor, has not served in the subcontinent.

Bombay to replace Gujarat in nomenclature:

Bombay will now be replaced by Gujarat in the nomenclature of all the acts and rules in force in Gujarat, the Chief Minister, Narendra Modi, announced in Gandhinagar on May 1, 2011. Even after Gujarat was carved out as a separate state on May 1, 1960, no step was taken in the last 50 years to identify the acts and laws with Gujarat. Some other acts which came into force only after the formation of the State, however, carry the nomenclature Gujarat act in the short title.

Talwar to head reconstituted MCI Board: The Union government on May 13, 2011 reconstituted the Board of Governors of the Medical Council of India (MCI). The term of the existing Board ended on May 14. The new Board will be chaired by K.K. Talwar, former Director of the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh. The reconstitution follows the promulgation of an ordinance extending the term of the board, since the supersession of the MCI, by another year. Binayak Sen in Plan Comm health committee: Months after being arrested on charges of sedition, Binayak Sen has been included in the Planning Commissions steering committee on health chaired by member Syeda Hameed. Sen was recently released on bail by the Supreme Court which found insufficient evidence against him to slap charges of sedition. He will represent the Bilaspur-based Jan Swasthya Sahayog, a NGO working in the field of health. The committee will review the national health policy of 2002 and recommend governance reforms in primary, tertiary and secondary health care. P. Sridevan assumes office as IPAB Chairman: Justice Prabha Sridevan, a retired Judge of the Madras High Court, on May 9, 2011 assumed charge as Chairman of the Intellectual Property Appellate Board (IPAB.) The IPAB has been constituted to hear appeals against the decisions of the Registrar under the Trade Marks Act, 1999, Patents Act, 2003 and the Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act, 1999. IPAB has its Headquarters at Chennai and conducts its circuit bench sittings at Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Ahmedabad.

Gujarat to place LED screens in villages: In a bid to

make rural community abreast with the climatic changes, commodity prices and keep them well-informed about the government schemes for their respective villages, the Gujarat government will place LED screens in the villages. As a pilot project, the state chief minister Narendra Modi launched Gujarat Swarnim Gram E-Broadcast Project in Amreli district on May 6, 2011.

Parekh elected SCBA president: Senior advocate P.H.

Parekh has been elected president of the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) for 2011-2012. In the elections held on May 11, 2011,. Parekh won by a margin of two votes over his nearest rival, Adish Aggarwala. While Parekh got 757 votes, Aggarwala secured 755 votes. The present president, senior advocate Ram Jethmalani, got 735 votes.

Section B: WORLD
NEWS ROUND UP
US Defence Budget at $690 bn in 2012: A bill that
would provide $690 billion for the U.S. military complex in fiscal 2012, including operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, was approved by the U.S. House of Representatives Armed Services Committee on May 12, 2011. The legislation would authorize $553 billion for the Defense Departments base budget, the same amount sought by President Barack Obama in the request he sent to Congress in February. The bill also includes $119 billion for overseas contingency operations such as Iraq and Afghanistan plus $18 billion for the Energy Departments military-related nuclear activities. The Senate Armed Services Committee is expected to take up its version of the National Defense Authorization Act next month. The two versions must be passed by the full House and Senate and any differences must be ironed out before being sent to Obama for his signature into law. Congress provided $668.6 billion for the U.S. military complex in fiscal 2011, which ends on Sept. 30, down from the $709 billion requested by Obama.

2nd Pak nuclear plant at Chashma inaugurated:

Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani inaugurated the second nuclear power plant at Chashma in Punjab on May 12, 2011, with an appeal to the international community to stop discriminating between nations and allow Pakistan

access to nuclear technology for power generation. The second unit of Chashma Nuclear Power Plant has been built in collaboration with China and is expected to produce 330 MW of electricity and bring some relief from the power shortages being faced across the country. This is the third nuclear power plant in Pakistan, the first being in Karachi which began commercial operations in 1972. Gilani said that Pakistan would comply with the requirements of nuclear safeguard agreements mandated by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)

10 deadlock among the political parties. The Communist-led coalition government registered a constitution amendment bill in parliament proposing a one-year extension for the 601-member Assembly, whose term was extended last year in a bid to prevent a constitutional crisis after it failed to promulgate a constitution for the new republic. Prime Minister Jhalanath Khanal held a key meeting of his cabinet which decided to amend the constitution so that the term of the parliament could be extended beyond May 28, the deadline for the promulgation of a new constitution

World Nursing Day observed: May 12, 2011 was

observed as the World Nursing Day worldwide. In January 1974, the decision was made to celebrate the day on 12 May as it is the anniversary of the birth of Florence Nightingale, who is widely considered the founder of modern nursing.

UN Conference on the Least Developed Countries organised: The Fourth United Nations Conference on the
Least Developed Countries was organised in Istanbul, Turkey from May 9 to 13, 2011. World leaders discussed ways to fulfil long-term commitments to reduce poverty, hunger and disease in the worlds 48 Least Developed Countries (LDC). The LDCs include 33 in Africa, 14 in Asia & Oceania, and one (Haiti) in the Western hemisphere. Nepal currently holds the presidency of the LDCs. Climate change, in particular, poses a severe challenge to the LDCs. While LDCs produce the least greenhouse gas emissions compared with any other country grouping, their agriculture-oriented economies are the most threatened by the effects of a changing climate. Many are prone to desertification, or are at risk from sea-level rise and tropical storms. Others, like Nepal, depend on run-off from mountain glaciers that appear to be receding.

Indian PM pledges $500m to Afghanistan during PMs visit: Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh
pledged a further $500m to Afghanistan over the next six years following his talks with President Hamid Karzai during his official visit to Kabul on May 12, 2011. This is in addition to $1.5bn already promised. The funds will be spent on agriculture, schools and roads. India is already building the new parliament in Kabul - at a cost of $19m. The two leaders held discussions on May 12 about regional stability, counter-terrorism and the India-Afghanistan strategic partnership, built on a shared mistrust of Pakistan. The Indian prime minister also said he strongly backs the Afghan governments efforts to reconcile with the Taliban. India worries that any rapid reduction of the US presence in Afghanistan could result in a country dominated by a Taliban-influenced government friendly towards Pakistan. Analysts say that India may now accept that the Taliban has to be part of any political resolution to the war in Afghanistan. But it also does not want Pakistan leading any reconciliation process. The growing closeness between the two countries has infuriated Islamabad, which also wants to increase its influence in Afghanistan. Singh addressed a joint session of Afghan parliament on May 13, 2011.

Centre for Rising Powers launched at Cambridge:

A new research hub dedicated to the study of India and other emerging powers and how different nations evolve to become leading political forces on the world stage was launched at the University of Cambridge in London on May 12, 2011. The Centre for Rising Powers will bring together academics from different subject areas whose research touches on one of the most important questions in international relations: How different powers rise to the top of global politics, and how to predict the impact they will have when they do so? The centres director is Amrita Narlikar, an alumnus of St Stephens College, New Delhi, and Jawaharlal Nehru University. The centres formal launch was followed by an inaugural lecture by Joseph Nye, Professor at Harvard University and one of the most influential researchers in the field of foreign policy and international relations.

Official UK inquiry into Iraq war to be revealed after Oct 2011: The official British inquiry into the Iraq war
will publish its conclusions by the end of the year but not before October, Chairman John Chilcot said in London on May 12, 2011. Chilcot had previously refused to say when the five-member panel would publish its report on Britains role in the 2003 US-led invasion. The inquiry was set up to learn lessons from the conflict, in which 179 British troops died. More than 100,000 Iraqi civilians died in the conflict, according to the NGO Iraq Body Count.

Nepal govt. proposes 1-year extension for Constituent Assembly: The Nepal government on May
12, 2011 proposed a second one-year extension for Nepals Constituent Assembly, amid the failure of the interim parliament to draft a new constitution in the face of a

Syria withdraws bid for UN Human Right Council: Syria on May 11, 2011 gave up its bid for a seat on UN Human Right Council after it failed to get sufficient support from member states of the Asia Group because of its poor human rights record in recent times. Susan Rice, US envoy to the UN, Rice said Syria is in the process of killing its own people on the streets, arresting thousands, and terrorising a population that is seeking to express itself through largely peaceful means. Syria officially gave up its seat to Kuwait. The Asian bloc had been under pressure from Western nations to withdraw Syrias nomination.

Chile approves Patagonia hydro project: Chilean

authorities on May 10, 2011 approved a 1.8-billion plan to dam two rivers in Patagonia for hydroelectricity. The HidroAysen project envisages five dams to tap the Baker and Pascua rivers, an isolated area of fjords and valleys, and generate 2.75 Giga Watts of power for Chile. The government has championed the dams as vital to poverty alleviation and growth, but public opinion has split, with many saying the project is unnecessary and will devastate an ecological haven. Grameen Bank founder Muhammad Yunus quits as MD: The founder of the pioneering Bangladeshi micro-lending Grameen Bank on May 13, 2011 decided to resign as its Managing Director after a long-running row with the government. Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus said he was relinquishing his post to prevent undue disruption of the banks work. Earlier in May the Bangladeshi Supreme Court dismissed a final appeal by Yunus to overturn his sacking. Authorities said he was over the legal retirement age, but supporters say his dismissal was politically motivated. Prof Yunus, 71, launched the Grameen Bank in the late 1970s to offer microcredit to the poor. The Bangladesh central bank removed Prof Yunus from his post in March 2011, saying his continuing role at Grameen Bank violated laws that state public servants must retire at the age of 60.

11 Mueller for two years. Muellers 10-year term is to end on 4 September, but Obama said continuity and stability at the FBI is critical at this time. Mueller was appointed by President George Bush in 2001 and took office a week before the 9/11 terror attacks. No previous FBI director had been given an extension.

Museveni sworn in as President of Uganda:

Ugandan President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni of National Resistance Movement Party was on May 11, 2011 sworn in for the fifth time as the Head of State, at a ceremony in Kampala, amid post-election tensions with the opposition. He has been President of Uganda since 26 January 1986. As Museveni was being sworn in, his key rival, the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) leader, Dr Kizza Besigye, returned home following treatment in Kenya for injuries suffered in a brutal attack by plainclothes police in a Kampala street.

Queen Elizabeth II reign 2nd longest in UK history:

The reign of Queen Elizabeth II has become became the second longest in British history, overtaking that of George III. She was coronated on the death of her father, George VI on February 6, 1952. Since then, she has reigned for a total of 59 years and 110 days. She now ranks second only to Queen Victoria, who died in 1901 after 63 years and seven months on the throne, the Daily Telegraph reported on May 12, 2011. Among living heads of state in world, only King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand, who has occupied the countrys throne since 1946, has served for longer.

Obama seeks extension for FBI Director Mueller:

US President Barack Obama on May 12, 2011 asked Congress to extend the tenure of FBI director Robert

Section C: AWARDS
Technology Day awards presented
Former President of India, Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam, on May 11, 2011 gave away national awards on technology to industrial/individual concern for developing indigenous technology. Technology Day is celebrated as a symbol of quest for scientific inquiry and technological creativity and the translation of that quest in the integration of science, society and industry from 1998. The awards are instituted by Department of Science and Technology (DST) and Department of Bio-Technology (DBT) to the successful commercialization of indigenous technology by an industrial/individual concern. The national awards of Rs. 10.00 lakhs for the year 2011 was awarded to Reliance Industries Limited, Hazira manufacturing Unit, Surat, Gujrat for indigenous development and commercialization of advanced donor RELD1000 technology for high performance raffia grade polypropylene production.

TDB Award
In addition to the National Award, the Technology Development Board (TDB) has introduced cash Award of Rs. 5.00 lakhs to be given to maximum three SSI units, which have successfully commercialized a technologybased product. Award to SSI units 2011 of Rs. 5.00 lakhs each was awarded to two companies, Top Gear Transmission, Addl. MIDC, Satara, Maharashtra and NUMAC, MIDC, Hingna, Nagpur, Maharashtra for developing and commercialization of product.

National Award
The national awards have two components: (i) to the industrial concern, which has successfully commercialized indigenous technology and (ii) to the developer / provider of such technology. Each component carries a cash award of Rs. 10.00 lakhs along with the trophy.

DST, DSIR and DBT awards

Apart from these awards DST, DSIR and DBT awards were also presented. The winning companies are: Kritikal Secure Scan, Noida; Neurosynaptic Communication, Bangalore; Aurora Integrated Systems, Bangalore and Veejay Lakshmi Engineering Works, Coimbatore The award for the best technology business Incubator was given to Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, IIM, Ahmedabad. Dr. Kalam also launched products of these companies. They are: (i) (a) Company Profile - Kritikal Secure Scan Pvt. Ltd., Noida (U.P.) Kritikal Secure Scan a technology product development company which provides high security and surveillance based product in critical areas like Airport, VIP Zone, and Hotels through computer vision and image processing. (b) Product Profile Zen Scan hold the distinction of being completely developed in-house and is an under vehicle scanner system that incorporate the latest security and scanning technology complemented by the largest installation base in India. (ii) (a) Company Profile - Neurosynaptic Communication Pvt. Ltd., Bangalore - The company got Technology Pioneer 2008 Award in the healthcare area for ReMeDi by the World Economic Forum. It is the only Indian company to receive this recognition in 2008 at World Economic Forum. (b) Product Profile The company has a indigenously developed a tele-medicine solution called ReMeDi, in collaboration with T-Net Group of IIT, Madras and has developed medical equipment that can record physical and clinical parameter for the diagnosis of a patient remotely by a Doctor. This helps a rural population gain access to quality health care. (iii) (a) Company Profile - Aurora Integrated Systems Private Limited, Bangalore, incorporated in 2006, is promoted by a team of young entrepreneurs graduated from IIT with an objective to develop and manufacture small Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) primarily for civil and defence markets. The team has expertise in embedded systems, computer vision solutions, aircraft design, network solutions and guidance & control systems. (b) Product Profile Unmanned Arial Vehicle (UAV) is designed for over-the-hill reconnaissance to provide image intelligence in real time. It is hand launched with very long capability that is ideal for providing increased situational awareness. UAV is equipped with payloads, including front and side locked electric optic camera(s) with zoom and forward looking infrared. The UAV weigh upto 2 kg with

12 endurance of 1 hour, flying range of 10 km and cruise speed of 55 kmphr. The product is ready for commercialization. (iv) (a) Company Profile M/s Veejay Lakshmi Engineering Works Limited, Coimbatore, incorporated in 1974, is in the business of manufacturing textile machineries. The main products being manufactured, with significant market stake, are Two-for-One (TFO) twisting machine and Automatic Cone Winding machine (ACW). The company is presently the only manufacturer of the ACW machine in the country. (b) Product Profile The company has indigenously developed a new generation Automatic Cone Winding Machine incorporating latest technology in mechatronics and information technology. The Automatic Cone Winder is used in Textile Spinning Mills for post spinning operation for winding yarn from bobbins to cones and the yarn faults are also identified and eliminated by both Electronic Yarn Clearer and Splicer. All the new Electronic Yarn Clearers can be integrated with the new machine.

Samsung India Tagore Awards announced

Samsung India and the Sahitya Akademi instituted the Tagore Awards to recognise and felicitate the best literary contributions of writers who have given their all to nurture regional language writing in India. The second edition of the awards organised in Mumbai in May 2011, honoured writers in Assamese, Dogri, Marathi, Oriya, Rajasthani, Santali, Tamil and Urdu for their works across different genres including essays, poetry, biography or autobiography. List Of Samsung Tagore Award winners: Language: Assamese Genre: Short Stories Debabrata Das for Nirbachita Galpa Year of Publication: 2007 Language: Dogri Genre: Poetry Santosh Khajuria for Badlondian Bahaaraan Year of Publication: 2006 Language: Marathi Genre: Criticism Prof RG Jadhav for Nivadak Samiksha Year of Publication: 2006 Language: Oriya Genre: Poetry Brajnath Rath for Samanya Asamanya Year of Publication: 2007 Language: Rajasthani Genre: Short Stories Vijay Dan Detha for Bataan Ri Fulwari Vol.14 Year of Publication: 2008 Language: Santhali Genre: Novel Somai Kisku for Namalia Year of Publication: 2008 Language: Tamil Genre: Novel S Ramakrishnan for Yaamam Year of Publication: 2007 Language: Urdu Genre: Poetry Chander Bhan Khayal for Subah-e-Mashriq Year of Publication: 2008

Merkel chosen for Jawaharlal Nehru Award: New

Delhi: German Chancellor Angela Merkel was on May 9, 2011 chosen for the 2009 Jawaharlal Nehru Award for International Understanding for her enormous efforts toward sustainable and equitable development. The award carries

prize money of Rs.1 crore besides a trophy and citation. Martin Luther King, Jr., Khan Abdul Gaffar Khan, Mother Teresa, Kenneth Kaunda, Aung San Suu Kyi, Hosni Mubarak, Josip Broz Tito and Nelson Mandela are some of past recipients of the award.

Women bag top 2 positions in civil services exam:

The top two positions in the Civil Services Examination 2010, the results of which were announced by the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions on May 11, 2011, have been bagged by women candidates. A total of 920 candidates 717 men and 203 women have been recommended for appointment to the Indian Administrative Service, the Indian Foreign Service, the Indian Police Service and other Central Services. Chennai-based law student S. Divyadharshini stood first in the examination. Sweta Mohanty, who studied B. Tech in Hyderabad, took the second rank. R.V. Varun Kumar, who has studied dentistry in Chennai, is in third place. Among the top 25 candidates, five are women, 15 have an engineering background, five are from the medical sciences and five belong to Commerce, Management, Humanities, Science and Social Sciences.

13 exceptional courage in pursuit of human rights. Assange, an Australian former computer hacker who is fighting extradition from Britain to Sweden over alleged sex crimes, was praised and rewarded with the Sydney Peace Prizes Gold Medal. Though the Peace Prize is awarded annually by the foundation, only three other people in its 14year history have been awarded the gold award for courage in pursuit of human rights the Dalai Lama, Nelson Mandela and Japanese Buddhist leader Daisaku Ikeda. The foundation paid tribute to Assanges determination to seek greater transparency and accountability from governments around the world, having challenged centuries old practices of government secrecy. Assange is the founder of the WikiLeaks whistleblowing website that has published thousands of cables in which U.S. diplomats give their often candid views on world leaders, to Washingtons acute embarrassment. It has also leaked countless secret documents about the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Whitley Award for IISER professor: Ramana Athreya,

associate professor Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Pune, has been honoured with Whitley Award, one of the worlds top prizes for grassroots nature conservation, at the Royal Geographic Society in London on May 12, 2011. The prize includes a project grant of 30,000, donated by the Friends of the Whitley Fund for Nature (WFN). It recognises Athreyas work with EcoSystems India to unite Arunachal Pradeshs culturally diverse communities, forestry staff and government officials to work together to safeguard the states scenic beauty and wildlife. The top honour the 60,000 Whitley Gold Award went to marine biologist Rachel Graham of Belize, for her work to protect sharks and coastal biodiversity and safeguard livelihood and food security of Belizes fishing communities and its economically-important tourism industry.

Govt. announces award named after Tagore: The

Indian government has decided to institute a Rs. 1 crore award in the name of Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore on the occasion of the 150th anniversary of his birth. The government of India has decided to institute a prestigious international award in the name of Rabindranath Tagore to recognise very distinguished contributions towards the promotion of international brotherhood and fraternity, said Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, inaugurating the year-long celebrations on May 7, 2011. The first award is likely to be presented next summer. Each year, a jury headed by the Prime Minister will select a person of outstanding public eminence whose life and work epitomises the high universal ideals that Rabindranath Tagore stood for.

Mouttappa wins Chevalier award: The Consul General

of France in Puducherry, Pierre Fournier, conferred the Chevalier dans lordre des arts et des letters (Knights of the order of Arts and Letters) on musicologist J. Gaspar Arokiaraj Mouttappa at the French Consulate at Puducherry on May 12, 2011. Commonly known as the Chevalier award, the honour has been presented to Mouttappa for his contribution and commitment in serving the culture of both France and India.

Orissa NGO wins Equator Prize: Orissa Chief Minister

Naveen Patnaik on May 13, 2011 felicitated B. Chittiama and Mangaraj Panda, the members of Samudram Womens Federation (SWF) that received the prestigious Equator Prize for the 2010. As many as 25 groups from across the world have been selected for The Equator Prize which is awarded to recognise and celebrate outstanding community efforts to reduce poverty through the conservation of biodiversity. Winners of the Equator Prize 2010 received Rs. 2.24 lakh each. SWF is the only organisation from India to receive the prize. The SWF, comprising 1500 members across the State, is working on twin objectives empowering women and protecting threatened nesting sites of Olive Ridley Turtle. The organisation has taken up conservation campaigns against ecologically destructive pollution and fishing practices.

Kerala Tourism ad film wins honour at NY festival:

Your Moment is Waiting, a three-minute advertisement film of Kerala Tourism has won the bronze medal for cinematography and three certificates for Travel TV and cinema advertising, film direction and music score at the New York Indian film festival on May 12, 2011. The film, conceptualised and created by Stark Communications, was the only ad film from India to win an award this year at the festival. The film has already won several awards at the global level including three gold medals at the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) international awards and a bronze at the Berlin Golden Gate awards. V Venu,

Julian Assange awarded Sydney Peace Prize:

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange was on May 11, 2011 awarded the Sydney Peace Foundations top honour for

14 Secretary, Kerala Tourism, said the departments aim was to break through the clutter in the area of tourism and depict our destination in a different, true-to-life manner.

Section D: ECONOMY & CORPORATE

NEWS ROUND UP
CCI releases regulation for M&As in corporate sector
The regulations pertaining to mergers and amalgamations (M&A) were issued by the Competition Commission of India (CCI) Chairman Dhanendra Kumar on May 12, 2011. The regulations operationalise the sections 5 and 6 relating to mergers and combinations of the Competition Act, 2002. The CCI agreed to almost all demands by Corporate India and significantly diluted the regulations when compared with the revised draft put in public domain in February. Besides sparing a bulk of routine transactions from knocking at its doors for approval, the CCI took care of the concerns of Indian multinationals by exempting M&As with no positive impact on the domestic market. Exempted The regulations exempt companies from notifying M&A deals to the CCI talks for which were initiated before June 1. Deals in which the target companys assets and turnover are less than Rs 250 crore and Rs 750 crore respectively are exempted. The CCI has also exempted certain routine M&A deals like acquisition of shares or voting rights solely as an investment or in the ordinary course of business; acquisition of stock-intrade, raw materials, stores and spares in the ordinary course of business; acquisition of shares after a bonus issue or stock splits or acquisition of shares by underwriter among other transactions. Time for decision Scrutiny of all M&A deals will be completed by the CCI within 180 calendar days. Pre-condition for notifications Under the Act, if the combined asset and turnover of the merging entities exceeds Rs 1,500 crore and Rs 4,500 crore respectively, the companies will have to seek approval of the CCI. Only when the target companys assets and turnover will exceed Rs 250 crore and Rs 750 crore respectively, the deal would have to be notified to the CCI. Notice fees Regulatory compliance has also been made much more cheaper by drastically reducing the fee for filing the notice. Companies will have to pay Rs 50,000 to fill form I (which requires just preliminary information about the deal) compared with Rs 40 lakh proposed in the February draft.

Govt. to conduct 6th economic census as a central sector plan scheme

The Union Government on May 13, 2011 unveiled plans to conduct the Sixth Economic Census as a Central Sector Plan Scheme during 2012. The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation plans to carry out the fieldwork of this Census during January to June 2012, in collaboration with all State and Union Territory Governments. Dr. M. S. Gill, Union Minister of Statistics and Programme Implementation has reviewed the plan of action for the conduct of the Sixth Economic Census. The census would involve collection of data from entrepreneurial units in the country. Data on sectoral activity of the unit, number of workers, social group of the owner, female owned enterprise among others would be collected for micro level planning and policy formulations with respect to various economic activities. The unorganized sector has assumed greater importance due to its significant contribution towards the Gross Domestic Product and also in generation of employment. The database would enable policy makers and analysts to assess the impact of the economic liberalization process on entrepreneurial activities, especially in the unorganized sector. The data at lower geographical levels like tehsil/village in case of rural areas, and wards in the case of urban areas, would also be a valuable input for local level planning rd th required under 73 and 74 Constitutional Amendments. Further, the information on number and distribution of entrepreneurial units would provide the framework for undertaking follow-up statistical sample surveys to assess the individual contribution of various industrial sectors, in the countrys GDP.

SC imposes two-month ban on endosulfan

The Supreme Court on May 14, 2011 imposed a two-month immediate country-wide ban on the production, sale and use of controversial pesticide endosulfan, awaiting the report of an expert committee to study side effects of the chemical. The court said its order was an interim measure in view of the threat perception to human life. Meanwhile the

15 government is gearing up to find a cost-effective and sustainable alternative for farmers, following the ban. While ordering the ban on endosulfan, a Supreme Court bench headed by Chief Justice S.H. Kapadia also ordered two separate detailed studies on the adverse effects of the pesticide on human life and environment by two committees headed by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) Director General and the Agricultural Commissioner and sought their reports within eight weeks. They will study the impact of endosulfan on farming, its benefits and drawbacks and also the kind of alternatives available. The sense of urgency is also due to the upcoming kharif season, which starts in June. India is the biggest producer and consumer of endosulfan and the pesticide has large usages in pulses, mustard, sunflower, fruits and vegetables crops. The country annually produces around 12 million litres of endosulfan, of which 5-6 million litres is used during the kharif season. The alternative to endosulfan is priced 510 times more than the pesticide. The court passed its order on a petition filed by the Communist Party of India (Marxist)s youth wing, the Democratic Youth Federation of India, seeking a countrywide ban on the sale and production of endosulfan in its present form or any other derivatives in the market. investigator and the medical monitor of the companies or research organisations. The primary objective of the guidelines is to make sure consent is voluntarily taken and compensation is given. According to Health Ministry data, 670 deaths took place in 2010 during clinical trials; 132 deaths were reported in 2007, 288 deaths in 2008 and 637 deaths in 2009. From January 2010 till now, permission has been granted for about 117 global clinical trials (by international companies) and 134 local (Indian) trials. In 2009, 258 global and 195 local trials took place in India. In 2008, approximately 246 global and 275 local trials took place.

Parikh committee recommends higher tax on diesel vehicles

An expert group constituted to plan a low-carbon growth for the country has concluded that India can comfortably reach its target of 20-25 per cent reductions in its emission intensity by the year 2020 compared to 2005 levels, even while pursuing a growth rate of 9 per cent. This expert group, led by former Planning Commission member Kirit Parikh, was constituted in the wake of the 2009 climate change conference in Copenhagen, to suggest policies and initiatives for a low-carbon roadmap for India. This group submitted its interim report on May 9, 2011. The interim report says that just a proper implementation of the existing policies by the government would enable India to reduce its emission intensity the amount of greenhouse gas emissions released per unit of GDP by about 25 per cent by the year 2020 as compared to 2005 levels. With a little extra effort, through new policy interventions and vigilant implementation, India can bring down its emissions intensity by 32-35 per cent. The report projects two scenarios one with existing policies and another with new interventions, and lists possibilities for growth both at 8 per cent and 9 per cent. The group has based its findings on the study of five sectors power, transport, industry, buildings and forestry. The report says that diesel cars and SUVs owners should pay higher tax when purchasing these vehicles. While diesel is cheaper in India, diesel cars will cost more as the committee suggest an up-front tax on vehicles to compensate for differential fuel pricing. The group also recommended mandatory vehicle rating system and minimum efficiency standards for all vehicles. The committee views that the measures will lead to a 10%

Guidelines on clinical trials introduced, firms to pay for deaths, injuries

Companies conducting clinical trials in India will not be able to get away in case any untoward incident occurs during the tests. As per the new draft guidelines released on May 11, 2011, for the first time, it has been made mandatory for companies to take the written consent of the volunteer, stating his/her socio-economic status. Also, companies will have to compensate if any untoward incident happens during the trials. The guidelines gain significance following the controversy over the deaths of girls in Andhra Pradesh, allegedly during the trials of the HPV vaccine for cervical cancer. Questions regarding their socio-economic background and proper consent not being taken have been raised. Currently, pharmaceutical industries and contract research organisations use multiple formats for reporting serious adverse effects (SAE) during trials. The Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) has made it clear that the companies would have to provide details of serious adverse effects as per a uniform format to the DCGI and the Director General Health Services. As per the new regulations, all cases of serious adverse effects will have to be reported to DCGI within 14 days. The new draft guidelines also make it mandatory for companies to submit a causality assessment by an

reduction in fuel consumption along with improvement in air quality, road safety, mobility and energy security. Green building norms find prominence in the report. It says that if 10% of the new buildings adopt the star rating system, it would save 50% of emission, if 10% new structures are energy conservation building code compliant, it would save 30% of emission. The government has announced to set up another highlevel expert group to evaluate impact of economic growth on environment and suggest ways to introduce institutional reforms and policy changes. This new panel to be headed by environmental economist Partha Dasgupta will provide roadmap for Green National Accounting (GNA), which will analyze the impact on GDP growth on environment by 2015.

16 Setting a target of doubling bilateral trade in five years, India and Australia on May 12, 2011 agreed to start talks on a comprehensive free trade agreement (FTA) in June. This was announced by Union Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma in a joint press conference with Australian Trade Minister Craig Emerson at Canberra, Australia. A free trade agreement will open up markets in goods and services and facilitate investments in both countries. Services is one area where India is seen benefiting the most, as an FTA would offer more opportunities to Indian professionals to work in Australia. India also expects to make gains from greater market access for goods such as pharmaceuticals. Bilateral trade between the two economies was about $20 billion in 2009-10, tilted in favour of Australia because of Indias need for natural resources. Australias main exports to India include coal, gold, copper, fertilisers, manganese, wool and aluminium. India is also a big contributor to Australias lucrative foreign student market. India mainly exports machinery & equipment, clothing, diamonds, iron and steel products and medicines to Australia. In the nine months to March, India had a trade deficit of A$9.6 billion with Australia. Indias share is likely to go up once the FTA was in place.

Electronic introduced

Service

Delivery

Bill,

2011

The Electronic Service Delivery Bill, 2011, which aims at delivering all public services to citizens in the electronic mode, seeks to eliminate paperwork on a large scale and cut red tape & corruption that plague governance in the country. The draft Bill published by the Ministry of Information Technology at its website in May 2011 incorporates a complaints mechanism and prescribes penalties for failure to comply with the provisions. It sets a five-year deadline for all public services to make the online transition, with a further concession of three years in some cases. The Bill envisages electronic submission of forms and applications, issue or grant of any licence, permit, certificate, sanction or approval, and receipt or payment of money. The introduction of the Bill is timely given Indias poor record of delivery of citizen services. The draft provisions make it incumbent on the central and State governments to publish a list within six months of the date of enactment, and they would do well to pick the worstperforming departments for inclusion first. India needs a major initiative on electronic service delivery and e-governance. That it has done little to use Information and Communications Technology to help citizens is evident th from its 119 rank among 192 countries in the United Nations E-Government Development Index 2010. Although there is no standardised measure of e-governance, the indicators used by the U.N. online service availability, telecom infrastructure, and human capital suggest that India is below the world average for the composite index.

FDI in Limited Liability Partnership cos. allowed

The government on May 11, 2011 allowed foreign direct investment (FDI) in Limited Liability Partnership companies but only in sectors like mining, power, roads and highways, manufacturing activities, drugs and pharmaceuticals. These are the sectors where 100 per cent FDI is allowed for companies through automatic route. But LLPs engaged in agricultural and plantation activities, print media or real estate business are not allowed to have FDI, according to the decision taken by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs. LLP is a new business structure that has hybrid features of a partnership firm and a corporate body a companys limited liability and the flexibility of a partnership firm. The LLP structure was introduced from April 2009. As on May 2 this year, as many as 4,679 LLPs were registered with the Ministry of Corporate Affairs. The Cabinet further decided that foreign institutional investors and foreign venture capital investors would not be permitted to invest in LLPs. LLPs will also not be permitted to avail of external commercial borrowings. Besides, LLPs with FDI will not be eligible to make any downstream investments. Also, the Cabinet decided to allow claimants to seek assets of a deceased up to Rs 10 lakh against the present ceiling of Rs 2 lakh.

India, Australia to launch FTA talks in June

Poscos Orissa project gets clearance for land acquisition: The environment ministry on May 2, 2011
gave the Orissa government the go-ahead for using 1,253 hectares forest land for the project. The final approval has come six years after Poscos agreement with the state government. This will be the biggest foreign direct investment into the country to date. Posco had got the environmental clearance in January, but with 60 riders. The project was held up on the issue of use of forest land. The final nod has also come with riders. One is that Posco cannot export iron ore. Posco would also have to pay for regeneration of an equivalent degraded forest land in a district determined by the state government. The Orissa government and Posco had signed an agreement on June 22, 2005, for setting up an integrated steel plant with a capacity of 12 million tonnes per annum (with four million tonnes in the first phase) at Paradip in Jagatsinghpur district. The project requires about 1,621 hectares land, of which about 1,253 hectares is forest land.

17 31, 2011, from 1.83 crore in the same period of the previous fiscal. Meanwhile, debit card transactions jumped by 46.46 per cent in the last fiscal to Rs 38,691.88 crore as against Rs 26,418.11 crore in 2009-10. There were 22.78 crore debit cards in use in the country as on March 31, 2011, up over 25 per cent over the figure of 18.19 crore in the year-ago period.

Home loan priority tag revised: The Reserve Bank of

India on May 9, 2011 raised housing loan limit to up to Rs. 25 lakh against the existing Rs. 20 lakh to be eligible for classification as priority sector lending. This was announced by the finance minister, Pranab Mukherjee, in the Budget 2011-12. This change in categorisation is applicable to housing loans sanctioned on or after April 1, 2011.

India to invite bids for exploration of shale gas reserves: India will soon launch its first- ever bid round for
exploration of shale gas, oil regulator DGH Director General th S K Srivastava said at the 14 Energy Summit organised by Assocham in New delhi on May 10, 2011. As per the available data and studies undertaken, India has huge shale gas potential. Six basins, namely Cambay, Assam-Arakan, Gondawana, KG onshore, Cauvery onshore and Indo Gangatic basins, have been identified. India has so far only explored and produced conventional oil and gas as well as unconventional sources like coal bed methane (CBM). Shale gas, the gas trapped in sedimentary rocks below the earths surface, is the new focus area in the US, Canada and China as an alternative to conventional oil and gas for meeting growing energy needs.

RBI sets up committee on forex facilities to individuals: The Reserve Bank on May 10, 2011 set up a
committee for streamlining foreign exchange transactions and also invited comments from public and other stakeholders for improving facilities pertaining to investments and repatriation of funds. The Reserve Bank, while referring to the Monetary Policy Statement for 201112, said in a statement that the Committee chaired by former RBI Deputy Governor K J Udeshi has been set up to streamline and simplify the procedures for facilitating genuine foreign exchange transactions by individuals. The individuals are categorised into residents, non-resident Indians (NRIs), Persons of Indian Origin (PIOs) and expatriates employed in India under the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA), 1999.

RIL stops gas supply to non-priority sector:

Reliance Industries (RIL) on May 10, 2011 cut natural gas supplies to non-core users like refineries and steel plants following orders from the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas. With gas production from RILs block in the Krishna Godavari (KG) basin seeing a decline to 50 million standard cubic metres a day (mscmd) from 62 mscmd in March 2010, the government has asked RIL to give priority to users in fertiliser, LPG, power and city gas distribution sectors. This meant cutting supply to users in the steel, petrochemical and refining sectors.

Exports from SEZs up 43% in 2010-11: Exports from

special economic zones (SEZs) grew 43.11 per cent to Rs 3.15 lakh crore in 2010-11, according to the data of the Export Promotion Council for EOUs on May 10, 2011. During 2009-10, exports from SEZs stood at Rs 2.20 lakh crore. The total investments in Special Economic Zones (SEZs) as on March, 2011 are about Rs 2 lakh crore. The sector has provided employment to 6 lakh people as on March 31, this year. The council said that of the 584 formally approved SEZs, 377 have been notified and 133 are in operation. At present, these units in these zones enjoy 100 per cent tax exemption on their income for the first five years and 50 per cent in the next five years.

PNGRB can now process CNG, city gas & PNG licences: The Supreme Court on May 12, 2011 allowed oil
regulator PNGRB to process all pending applications for the grant of licences to provide retail CNG to automobiles and piped cooking gas to households in cities. The Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board (PNGRB) had not been able to issue a single city gas distribution (CGD) license during its four-year existence as the government had not notified a crucial section of the PNGRB Act that gave the multimember board powers to issue such authorisations. Section 16 of the PNGRB Act was notified last year and on May 12, a three-judge bench headed by Justice Dalveer Bhandari allowed applications for CGD licences to be processed by the multi-member board.

Credit cards transaction up over 22% in 2010-11:

Transaction through credit cards in the country went up by 22.15 per cent during 2010-11, touching Rs 75,515.68 crore in value terms. Credit card transactions during the previous fiscal had amounted to Rs 61,824.15 core, according to latest data of the Reserve Bank unveiled on May 11, 2011. The number of credit cards in circulation have, however, declined by around 1.5 per cent to 1.80 crore as on March

ISMA lowers sugar output estimate to 24.2 mt:

Indias sugar production in the 2010-11 crop marketing season was estimated to be 24.2 million tonnes (mt), down from the earlier estimates of 25 mt, the Indian Sugar Mills Association (Isma), the countrys premier association of sugar industry, said on May 14, 2011. However, the marginal drop in output is not expected to have any significant impact on prices as supplies are still expected to be more than the annual demand of 22 mt.

CSIR registers pvt co. to reap profits on patents:

Aiming to monetise its numerous patents, the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) has launched a private company to commercialise various technologies. The company CSIR-Tech was registered in Pune on May 2, 2011 with economist Vijay Kelkar as Chairman. CSIR, countrys largest network of state-funded research laboratories, holds nearly 4,000 patents, including those registered in the country and abroad. CSIR Director General Samir Brahmachari said that CSIR-Tech has been set up to enhance the innovation capacity of CSIR and to explore newer models of bringing processes, products and services to the markets.

18 Research Society of India (MRSI) have together introduced a new Socio Economic Classification (SEC) system in May 2011. The changes in SEC, brought about after 25 years, will mean that urban and rural consumers will now come under one roof and households will be classified on the basis of educational qualifications of the chief earner in the household and the number of consumer durables owned by the family. Occupation was considered as a subjective indicator of socio-economic indicator and hence removed. Experts point out that the earlier system needed to be modified as the purchasing power among Indian consumers has gone up significantly in the last two decades.

World Spice Organisation formed: In an effort at connecting end-users to farmers and address food safety and security laws at the farm level, stakeholders in the spice industry have come together to form the World Spice Organisation. The Kochi-based organisation is a common platform for all stakeholders farmers, processors and end users to come together and work for sustainable development of the spice industry, WSO Chairman Philip Kuruvilla said on May 10, 2011 in Kochi. Indo-American Chamber of Commerce to open its 1st office in NY: Indo-American Chamber of Commerce
(IACC) will soon open its first office in New York, aimed at facilitating cooperation between the US and Indian small and medium enterprises. The chamber would also organise the US-India Trade and Economics (UITE) 2011, wherein members would deliberate on issues like infrastructure, real estate, agriculture and finance. IACC would take a 50member business delegation to the US to participate in the two-day summit starting May 25. IACC President Gautam Mahajan on May 10, 2011 said that the chambers initiative is aimed at encouraging investments and building a healthy relationship with both the countries.

Karnataka launches e-payment for commercial tax payers: Karnataka on May 12, 2011 became the first state
in the country to launch an e-payment system for commercial tax payers. Reserve Bank of India Deputy Governor Shyamala Gopinath said that such a system would be adopted by other states. The system enables dealers to remit their commercial taxes anytime, anywhere, without physically approaching an office of the Commercial Taxes Department (CTD). Right now, e-remittances can be made from six banks SBI, SBM, SBH, Syndicate Bank, Canara Bank and Union Bank of India. The system would also help curb tax evasion. Gopinath also launched the reconciliation portal of the CTD on the occasion.

New Socio Economic Classification introduced:

The Media Research Users Council (MRUC) and Market

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Section E: SPORTS
Gopi Chand, Saina part ways: Indias ace woman
shuttler and World No. 4 Saina Nehwal will not be trained by Pullela Gopi Chand anymore. Gopi Chand, who is also the national coach, will be succeeded by Bhaskar Babu (SAI coach). Under Bhaskars guidance, Saina won the bronze medal in the Commonwealth Games in 2006, the Philippines Open her first international title and the Asian Satellite Badminton Tournament in 2006. In 2007, she went on to win the senior nationals and the Chinese Taipei Open Grand Prix. In 2010, two of Nehwals three successive titles Indonesia and Singapore came with Bhaskar Babu court-side, as did Hong Kong later. Nehwals first major final loss at Malaysia Open in May 2011 was Babus latest assignment. assist Hockey India and support to schools and academies. FIH President Leandro Negre and Chief Executive Kelly Fairweather on May 11, 2011 agreed to commit a few more events to India apart from those already allotted following the success of the World Cup and Commonwealth Games 2010.

Harikrishna & Harika win Asian Chess: Grandmaster P. Harikrishna and double GM norm holder D. Harika made it a grand Indian double in the Asian Individual Chess Championships at Mashhad, Iran as they clinched the gold in the open and womens sections respectively in May 2011. There were more cheers for India in the womens section, as apart from Harika, Eesha Karavade also won the bronze medal. Manchester United win EPL title: Manchester United
were crowned English Premier League champions after a Wayne Rooney penalty earned them the point they needed in a 1-1 draw away to Blackburn Rovers at Ewood Park, Blackburn on May 14, 2011. The result meant Sir Alex th Fergusons side clinched a record 19 EPL title, going one in front of arch-rivals Liverpool.

Mary Kom clinches gold in Asian Cup: Five-time

World champion M C Mary Kom (48kg) clinched her first gold medal of the year by finishing on top in the Asian Cup Womens Boxing tournament in Haikou, China in May 2011. Kom claimed the gold after beating Asian champion Kim Myong Sim of North Korea 4-3 in the final. This was her first tournament since her bronze medal at the 2010 Guangzhou Asian Games. The other Indian in the fray, Pavitra (57kg) had to face defeat in the final as she lost 6-11 to Tossamalee Thonalan of Thailand. Earlier in the tournament Neetu (60kg), Kavita Goyat (75kg), Laxmi Padiya (81kg) and Kavita Chahal (+81kg) earned bronze medals for their performances.

Pinki Jangra wins gold at Arafura Games: Pinki

Jangra (51kg) on May 13, 2011 was the lone Indian pugilist to strike gold at the Arafura Games while two of her compatriots settled for silver medals after losing in the finals of the event in Darwin, Australia. The 21-year-old Jangra, who beat Siona Fernandes of New Zealand 18-13, also won the Best Boxer title. Among men, Vijender Singh (81kg) and Akhil Kumar (56kg) settled for bronze medals after losing in the semifinals.

Barcelona secure La Liga Spanish title hat-trick: Barcelona clinched their third Spanish La Liga title in a row with a 1-1 draw at Levante on May 11, 2011. Their rivals Real Madrid will finish as runners-up for the third season in a row. Real are 19 points ahead of third-place Valencia. Much of Barcelonas success has been built on the phenomenal abilities of reigning world player of the year Lionel Messi, who has weighed in with 31 league goals, on his way to becoming the first player to score 50 goals in a Spanish season. Tendulkar wins Polly Umrigar Award: Batsman Sachin Tendulkar is all set to add another trophy to his already crowded cupboard with the BCCI on May 14, 2011 deciding to bestow the Polly Umrigar Award for Indias best cricketer of 2009-10 on him. Tendulkar would be presented the award during the fourth annual BCCI awards ceremony on May 31. The other highlight of the ceremony will be the felicitation of the Indian team that won the coveted cricket World Cup after 28 years recently. Another highlight will be the presentation of the C.K. Nayudu Lifetime Achievement Award. The recipient of the same will be announced on 27 May 2011. The winner will receive a trophy and cheque for Rs. 15 lakhs.

FIH to launch Project Chak De: The International

Hockey Federation (FIH) on May 11, 2011 announced its intention to make India a hub of hockey activities. Unveiling its plan of reviving its erstwhile Project India, now called FIH Project Chak De, the FIH has charted out the major features of the initiative. Under the project, the FIH promised five important tournaments to be held in India in the next three years, creation of a professional Indian league, administrative and international coaching support to

Weekly Current Affairs update

For the Week: May 22 to 28, 2011

Major news of the week

Section A: INDIA
Africa-India Forum Summit organised in Addis Ababa UPA-II government completes 2 years in office GSAT-8 launched successfully by Arianespace NAC unveils recommendations on Land Acquisition Act India to host Convention on Biological Diversity on Oct 2012 Environment Ministry launches Haathi Mere Saathi UPA govt. rejects Karnataka Governors report ITBP sends Rs.11-crore bill for Kasab security India-US Homeland Security Dialogue concludes Indian cautions France over military sales to Pak Rs 251 crore allocated for Tripura-Bangladesh railway line OFB developing Kawach rockets for Navy submarines Astra test-fired successfully for 2nd day in a row NPCIL launches comics to dispel nuclear fears at Jaitapur CRPF men in naxal areas will be eligible for service medals CBDT to retain phone-tapping authority World Bank praises rural job guarantee scheme MGNREGA Railways increase concessions for senior citizens 1st phase of demarcation of Bellary mines over Bagha Jatins biography released India and Afghanistan sign MoU for cultural cooperation First cable-stayed bridge in J&K launched Health Min to expand NPCDCS across the country CBI files chargesheet against CWG accused Accident at Strategic Petroleum Reserve kills 3 Accident Investigation Committee to probe aviation mishaps Jindal Law School signs MoU to train IAS officers IIT Kanpur is No. 1 among Indian institutes in QS Asian 2011 Ajit K. Seth is new Cabinet Secretary D Jayakumar appointed TN Assembly Speaker Naresh Tikait is new President of Bhartiya Kisan Union Mamata retains 9 portfolios in Bengal Cabinet President rejects mercy petitions of Bhullar, Das Film critic Chidananda Dasgupta passes away Social activist Dr Rajnikant Arole passes away Harmonium player Mehmood Dholpuri passes away

Ecuador referendum gives Correa victory Rouzier named Haitis new prime minister Obama nominates Panetta as secretary of defence British boy is youngest seven-summit climber War-crimes accused Mladic arrested in Serbia Abkhazia President Bagapsh passes away

Section C: AWARDS
Subhasis Chaudhuri wins G. D. Birla Award Aditya Sudarshan wins MetroPlus Award Doordarshan Annual Awards presented Mukherjee, Jaitley conferred doctorates in UK Aminatta Forna wins Commonwealth Writers Prize Santiago Roncagliolo wins Foreign Fiction Prize Terrence Malick wins Palme dOr at Cannes

Section D: ECONOMY & CORPORATE

RBI for holding company structure for banking groups Bankers Committee on Rural Housing submits report Group of Ministers refers Cairn deal back to CCEA Trade unions oppose relaxation in labour laws for NMIZs DoT supports 30% quota for Made-in-India in telecom IMG on inflation favours FDI in multi-brand retail India 32nd in World Competitiveness Rankings India ranked 35th in the Global Talent Index RBI disallows banks from giving loans against IDRs Indias real GDP growth at 8.8% in 2011-12 CMIE RBI eases overseas investment norms RBI to release coin on 1,000 yrs of Brihadeeswara Indias forex reserves at $308.534 bn on May 20 RBI limits NBFC stake in insurance JVs to 50% RBI calls for 25% new branches in unbanked areas RBI eases credit default swaps norms Indian Bank records highest RoA among PSU banks RBI asks banks to address ATM complaints within 7 days Indias first rural bank ATM card launched in Varanasi Incomes below Rs. 5 lakh exempted from filing IT returns 5.77 lakh villages have Village Public Telephones Himachal is 1st state to sign MoU with World Bank on CDM More foreigners than Indians receive patents in India in 10-11 Annual Conference of IT Commissioners organised Gas prices should be market-driven Chawla Committee Competition Commission of India penalises Multiplex owners Duty-free apparel import quota from Bangladesh increased Sanovi wins recovery management contract for UID OECD projects global GDP growth for 2011 at 4.2% Global accounting body calls for full IFRS adoption in India McKinsey unveils Internet matters M.D. Mallya elected Chairman of IBA K Mehrotra appointed LICs interim chairman Rajiv Kumar is new FICCI Secretary General

Section B: WORLD
NSG to consider Indias request for membership 16th NAM Ministerial Conference organised in Bali Pak naval base at Mehran attacked Grimsvotn erupts in Iceland Astronauts in final shuttle space-walk at ISS Arab League backs Palestinian membership at UN Egypt eases blockade at Gazas Rafah crossing North Sudan takes over border town Abeyi G-8 to fund democracy in Middle-East India elected to UN Human Rights Council Russia tests ICBM missile Sineva International Day of UN Peacekeepers observed China sets up special cyber warfare unit DISY wins Cyprus elections Ivory Coasts President Ouattara inaugurated

Section E: SPORTS
FIFA suspends Presidential candidate Bin Hammam Bengal enter Santosh Trophy final Salim Durani conferred Col. C K Nayudu Award

2
BPCL wins Aga Khan Hockey Shooter Vijay Kumar wins silver and Olympic quota

Section A: INDIA
Africa-India Forum Summit organised
Highlights $5 billion line of credit for 3 years Additional $700 mn for institutions, training programmes $300 million for Ethio-Djibouti rail line India-Africa virtual university with 10,000 new scholarships India-Africa business council $2 million for African Union mission in Somalia Increased access of African airlines to India India-Africa food processing and textiles clusters More than 22,000 scholarships to African students An India-Africa centre for weather forecasting India and Africa on May 25, 2011 underscored the need for urgent and comprehensive reform of the UN system and backed each others aspirations to become permanent members of the Security Council with full rights. The two-day Africa-India Forum Summit, co-chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Equatorial Guinea President Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, was organised in Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa on May 24-25, 2011. The eight-page Addis Ababa Declaration adopted at the end of Summit said the African members of the UN Security Council and India affirm their commitment to coordinate closely during Indias tenure as non-permanent member of the Council. Following is a description of the happenings at the summit: India pledges $5 bn credit: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh unveiled a slew of initiatives to help African nations build local capabilities, continuing the Indian strategy of treading softly on a continent where there is a scramble for natural resources. India pledged a $5 billion line of credit for development initiatives and an additional $700 million for education and skill development in Africa. The $5 billion line of credit will be for three years. A substantial chunk of the credit line, $300 million, will be to support the development of a new Ethio-Djibouti railway line linking Addis Ababa and the port of Djibouti. India-Africa Business Council: PM Singh announced the setting up of a formal arrangement for better interaction between businesses in India and Africa. I propose that we jointly establish an India-Africa Business Council which will bring together CEOs of major corporation from both sides, he said. Among the major business groups with operations in Africa are mobile phone service provider Airtel, the Tata group, the Essar group, Reliance Industries, BHEL and software training company NIIT. Food & textile clusters: To boost engagement in the agriculture and allied sectors, the prime minister announced the formation of an India-Africa food processing cluster. This would contribute to value addition and the creation of regional and export markets. Furthermore, an India-Africa Integrated Textile Cluster will support the cotton industry and the processing of the raw material into high-value products. Environment: India and Africa asked the developed counties to take ambitious actions to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions and also provide finance and technology to the developing counties so that they could effectively address the impact of climate change. Strongly pitching to preserve the integrity of the international climate change regime, Africa-India Forum Summit 2011 reaffirmed the importance of reaching an agreement on a second commitment period under the Kyoto Protocol. Libya: India today sought cessation of all hostilities in Libya and supported the African Unions (AU) efforts to find a peaceful solution to the civil war. The Addis Ababa Declaration talked about the Libyan crisis. We take note of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1970, 1973 on Libya and stress that efforts to implement them should be within the spirit and the letter of the resolutions, the joint declaration read. NATO forces have already undertaken military action in Libya, where a civil war-like situation prevails, with Libyan strongman Muammar Gaddafi facing a revolt in his country. India has called for an end to the conflict in Libya and has spoken against the international military action. At the UN Security Council, India abstained from voting when the Libya resolution was put to vote. Terrorism, piracy: India and Africa unequivocally condemned terrorism and piracy in all its forms and manifestation and called for active prosecution of authors of such crimes. Both sides also supported each others claims for permanent membership of the United Nations Security Council. The Addis Ababa Declaration called on all countries to ensure that acts of cross-border terrorism do not occur and that their territories are not made a base for terrorists. Agriculture: India has decided to send teams of farm experts to African countries to explore ways of helping the dark continent to improve its agricultural practises. Indian Council of Agriculture Research (ICAR) teams would visit

3 Ethiopia, South Africa, Zambia and other countries of the African continent. The objective is to study agriculture there and explore role for India to help train manpower in the farm sector there. A report would be submitted to the government after the trip to chalk out how best India could help African nations improve there agriculture. Education: The Indian PM announced establishment of an India-Africa Virtual University with 10,000 new scholarships, a total of 22,000 scholarships to Africa students, institutes for English language training, information technology, entrepreneurship development and vocational training, among other things. economic growth story. His announcement of a $5 billion credit line over the next three years was the eye-catcher of the summit, but clearly, African nations are interested in enhancing their own skills and capabilities. India, with its substantial technology knowledge pool, is well placed to contribute to such capacity-building. This will also help in better utilisation of Indian financial assistance of the committed credit line, unused funds from a previous financial package comprise $3.4 billion. Following the first summit in 2008, India initiated several such efforts, including the Pan-African e-Network Project across 43 countries, which drew appreciation from the beneficiary countries. That new proposals for capacitybuilding discussed at this summit cover fields as diverse as information technology, textiles, food processing, and weather forecasting underscores the needs of a continent seeking to stabilise itself economically and politically. As important, it highlights Africas recognition of rising Indias capabilities to assist other developing countries. Reducing Indias ties with Africa to a rivalry with China is to take a narrow view of history. Given the realities, it is also meaningless Chinas $126 billion trade with Africa is way ahead of Indias $ 46 billion. It is best for New Delhi to use the present momentum to build its relationship with Africa in ways that will be of optimal benefit to both sides.

Bilateral deals signed during the Summit

With Ethiopia on taxation & business cooperation: India and Ethiopia on May 25, 2011 signed two agreements in the area of taxation and medium scale enterprises to bring benefits to business communities to both sides. After wideranging discussions between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his Ethiopian counterpart Meles Zenawi, the two accords were signed which are expected to help further deepen economic exchanges between the two countries. Addressing a joint press conference with Singh, Zenawi rejected charges of land grab by Indian companies and the country being used as a dumping ground. He said that it was unutilised land that was being offered to Indian companies which were using them for investment purposes. Joint Business Council with Kenya: Kenya and India are set to establish a Joint Business Council as a forum to expand trade and investments between the two countries following an agreement reached in talks at Addis Ababa between Kenyas President Mwai Kibaki and Indian Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh. The council will be the structured avenue for joint projects to be undertaken between the two countries and will also facilitate private investors. Ethiopia-Djibouti rail route: The Indian PM announced a $300 million line of credit to help revive the Ethiopia-Djibouti rail route. With Ethiopia in a state of no war, no peace, with Eritrea, Djibouti remains the only viable outlet to the sea for this landlocked nation of 85 million people. Analysis The second India-Africa summit at Addis Ababa has set the stage for a comprehensive re-engagement between the worlds largest democracy and an emerging continent. The Declaration adopted at the summit envisage economic and political cooperation, and also cooperation in a host of other areas including science and technology, social and infrastructure development, tourism, culture, and sports. As a leading player in the global economy, it is natural for India to seek participation in a resource-rich continent that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has described as the new

India, Africa to boost bilateral trade

India and Africa on May 21, 2011 vowed to strengthen trade-related capacity by concluding cooperation agreements between India and African Regional Economic Communities (RECs). This was decided at a meeting between Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma and the trade ministers of all African countries at Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on May 22, 2011. It was decided that trade ministers would meet prior to every India-Africa forum summit and the India-Africa trade ministers dialogue would be an annual event. India Africa investments reached $90 billion while bilateral trade topped $46 billion in 2010. Both sides on Saturday agreed to increase trade to $70 billion by 2015 with greater focus on infrastructure, energy and capacity building. India is particularly focused on Nigeria and Sudan for greater cooperation on energy. India is heavily dependent on these two countries for securing oil. India also offered duty free tariff preference scheme for 33 least developed countries in Africa, which covers 94 per cent of Indias total tariff lines. India and Africa is also jointly setting up Africa-India Institute of Foreign Trade in Kampala, Uganda.

UPA-II government completes 2 years in office

The UPA government headed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh stepped into the third year of its second term on May 22, 2011. For 79-year old Singh, who got to the Prime Ministers seat after Sonia Gandhi refused to assume the office in 2004, it has been hopping from one problem to another in the last over eight months. The only relief that came for the party heading the ruling coalition at the Centre was the recent results of the Assembly elections. The party retained its government in Assam convincingly, managed to wrest one in Kerala and was in a happy position in West Bengal where the ally knocked the Left front out of power after 34 years. The economy registered a growth of 8.6% in 2010-11. This was composed of 5.4% growth in agriculture, 8.1% in industry and 9.6% in services. Following are the highlights of the second year of UPA-II.

crore were sanctioned under Mission Clean Ganga and the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission started its work. INTERNAL SECURITY: The internal security situation has shown improvement in the last couple of years. During 2010-11, we set up the National Intelligence Grid (NATGRID) and fully operationalised the National Investigation Agency The situation in the North-East witnessed a marked improvement. Jammu and Kashmir is slowly and steadily moving towards peace and harmony. Left-wing extremism, however, remains a major problem. The government has made efforts to address the development deficit in the areas affected by left wing extremism. An Integrated Action Plan for accelerated development of 60 selected Tribal and Backward Districts was launched in 2010-11. DEFENCE: The focus on modernization of the armed forces and indigenous production of advanced weapon systems continued. During 2010-11, the indigenously developed light combat aircraft Tejas was cleared for operations by the Air Force and the first indigenously designed and built stealth frigate - INS Shivalik was commissioned. Two regiments of the indigenous main battle tank, Arjun, were operationalised by the Army.

I. GOVERNANCE & SOCIAL WELFARE

EDUCATION: There has been a significant reduction in the number of out of school children at the elementary level. More than 11 crore children are now provided hot cooked meals under the Mid Day Meal Programme. The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009 came st into effect on 1 April 2010. Elementary education has now become a fundamental right for all children in the 6-14 age group. In higher education, all the sixteen new Central universities, except that in Jammu have now commenced academic activities. In 2010-11, three new Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs), at Rohtak, Ranchi and Raipur commenced their academic sessions. All the 10 new National Institutes of Technology also started functioning from July 2010. HEALTH: The National Rural Health Mission has helped strengthen healthcare delivery systems in the country. All disease control programmes have also shown sustained improvement. Progress in AIDS control and care is also encouraging, with the annual new HIV infections in India having declined by more than 50% in the last decade. Construction of six new AIIMS-like institutions is in full swing. AADHAR: The unique identification project AADHAAR was launched in September 2010. By April 2011, more than 50 lakh AADHAAR numbers have already been generated. The AADHAAR project is expected to go a long way in helping targeted delivery of benefits to the people. It will also enable improvements in delivery of services across sectors and greater financial inclusion. It will help our objective of removing inequities in the society. ENVIRONMENT: Environmental issues have acquired a new urgency in recent years. During 2010-11 the National Green Tribunal was established, projects worth Rs.2,500

II. ECONOMY
AGRICULTURE: Farmers produced more than 235 million tonnes of food grains in 2010-11, the highest since independence. The National Food Security Mission has led to substantial increases in the production of wheat, rice and pulses. Under the Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana, substantial investments have been made in agricultural infrastructure and several high growth and locally suitable projects have been taken up in many states. The National Horticulture Mission has resulted in increases in the production of fruits, vegetables and spices. During 2010-11, a nutrient based subsidy policy for P&K fertilizers was introduced, which is expected to result in a more balanced use of fertilizers. OIL & GAS: The natural gas output in 2010-11 was up 10 per cent to 52.22 billion cubic metre from the previous fiscal. The crude oil output rose 11.9 per cent to 37.71 mt from the earlier fiscal. NUCLEAR ENERGY: With the commissioning of the 4 unit at the Kaiga station in January 2011, India now has 20 operating nuclear reactors with a total capacity of 4780 MWe. Significant progress has also been made in nuclear fuel security, with the identification of additional uranium resources in Andhra Pradesh and Meghalaya. The process of strengthening the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board and making it an autonomous and independent regulatory authority has commenced. The year 2010-11 also saw the highest ever capacity addition from renewable energy sources in any one year, at 3157 MW.
th

5 2012 rollout, but only after diluting some proposals. The Goods and Services Tax, however, has already missed two deadlines. The government fell short, by Rs 18,000 crore, of the Rs 40,000-crore disinvestment target last year. AVIATION: A new integrated terminal in public private partnership mode became operational at the Indira Gandhi International Airport at New Delhi, creating new benchmarks for airport infrastructure being developed in the country. A similar airport is under construction in Mumbai. The modernization and development of Chennai and Kolkata airports is also in progress. Air Indias performance worsened, with the airline facing three strikes. RETAIL: Despite years of consultation and multiple surveys, theres been no headway yet on foreign direct investment (FDI) in multi-brand retail. There are indications that foreign investment may be permitted, but with riders.

POWER: On the power front, capacity addition has been faster. There has been an increase of about 32 per cent in installed generation capacity till April 2011, over 132,329 MW at the beginning of Eleventh Plan period in 2007. A record 15,795 MW was added in 2010-11. Nonetheless, unlike the Tenth Plan period when there was a 50 per cent shortfall in capacity addition target of 41,110 MW, the challenge in the sector this time is of actual generation, considering that coal availability has become a big issue. There are not only environmental challenges in enhancing production but the demand itself has shot up considerably. TELECOM & 3G: While auction of spectrum for 3G telecom services and broadband wireless access (BWA) was seen as a success story for UPA II for fetching big bucks (over Rs 1 lakh crore), the process was actually a spillover from UPA I. The 3G and BWA auction was planned for early 2008, but executed only in 2010. Mobile number portability, which allowed subscribers to switch from one operators platform to another in the same service area, was rolled out early this year and is seen as a big plus for the telecom sector. However, state-owned Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) posted a loss for the first time, attributed to red-tapism and mis-governance. ROADS: The pace of national highways and border roads construction had slowed from a high of almost 90 per cent growth in 2007-08 to about 13 per cent in 2009-10. According to the figures of the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, 1,825 km were constructed in 2010-11, down from 2,738 km built in 2009-10. This may be due to the lag effect of the economic slowdown, since road construction takes three years and project award had suffered during 2008-09. RAILWAYS: The story in railways is not much different. Not only did former railway minister Mamata Banerjee undo the private investment initiatives taken under the first UPA regime, the railways under her failed to meet its freight loading targets for 2009-10 and 2010-11. The railways carried 887 million tonne (MT) cargo in 2009-10, down from a revised estimate of 890 MT; and 922 MT in 2010-11, down from a revised estimate of 924 MT. Besides, the ratio of railways spending to its earnings, an indicator of its efficiency, has risen from 90.5 per cent to 95.3 per cent in 2009-10, though the revised estimates show it could improve to 92 per cent in 2010-11. Banerjee took a plea that this was primarily due to arrears of the Sixth Pay Commission and an unprecedented 97 per cent increase in staff and pension bills. FINANCE: After much inaction, the government tabled the Banking Laws (Amendment) Bill, Pension Reforms Bill and Factoring Services Bill. It also set up the Financial Sector Legislative Reforms Commission to clean up financial sector laws. The Direct Taxes Code timeline is on track for April

III. SETBACKS
CAG ON TELECOM: The Comptroller and Auditor General said the faulty method of selling 2G spectrum licences by former telecom minister A Raja had cost the exchequer Rs 1.76-lakh crore. Following the tabling of the report in November 16, 2010, the Opposition didnt allow Parliament to function for the complete winter session, demanding a joint parliamentary committee. SUPREME COURT ON 2G: Sending a strong signal, the Supreme Court on December 16, 2010, decided to monitor the Central Bureau of Investigation in the 2G spectrum scam. This was the third instance when the apex court took the task of monitoring an investigation in its own hands. The court also appointed a special court to hear the proceedings on a daily basis. RADIA TAPES: The publishing of the recorded conversations of corporate lobbyist Niira Radia with journalists and politicians in November 2010 revealed behind-the-scenes negotiations that went on before the selection of Cabinet ministers for UPA-II in 2009. These conversations raised questions over how the UPA-II Cabinet was decided. TELANGANA PROTESTS: Early January 2010 witnessed violent protests in Hyderabad for the demand of a separate state of Telangana. Following the violence, Justice Srikrishna was asked to examine and recommend on the issue. The subsequent Srikrishna report in January 2011 suggested six options, none yet acted on. LOK PAL AGITATION: The government was pushed on the back foot after social activist Anna Hazare sat on a fastunto-death in demand for a joint committee on the Lok Pal Bill at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi on April 6, 2011. Hazare, whose movement attracted massive support, broke his fast

6 after four days, with the government agreeing to all his demands. CVC APPOINTMENT: The appointment of P J Thomas as the Chief Vigilance Officer was struck down by the Supreme Court calling it illegal on March 3, 2011. Thomas was appointed by a high-powered committee headed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Home Minister P Chidambaram and Leader of Opposition Sushma Swaraj. Swaraj had disagreed with the appointment of Thomas. CWG CORRUPTION: In October 2010, media reports of widespread corruption in the allotment of tenders during the preparation for the Delhi Commonwealth Games forced the PM to order a probe by ex-CAG V K Shunglu. It confirmed widespread corruption. the country. Aircraft will also be able to fly more direct routes to their destination, saving time and fuel. Such space-based augmentation systems have begun functioning in the U.S., Europe, and Japan. Ground stations for the Indian system, known as GAGAN (GPS Aided GEO Augmented Navigation), a joint effort by ISRO and the Airports Authority of India, have been put in place.

NAC unveils recommendations Acquisition Act

on

Land

The UPA chairperson, Sonia Gandhi-led National Advisory Council (NAC) on May 25, 2011 finalised its recommendations on the proposed amendments to the land acquisition Act. Following are the recommendations made by the NAC: The landowners should get six times the registered value of their land as compensation in lieu of land acquired for public purposes. The twin issues of land acquisition and rehabilitation and resettlement should be combined under a single Bill named National Development, Acquisition, Displacement and Rehabilitation Bill. Persons working on the land should be included in the category of project affected persons, which would make them eligible for receiving compensation. The farmers should be given the right to annuity for a certain number of years over and above the compensation for the land acquired from him. The payouts should be monthly instead of present system of annual payouts. Consent of farmers should be compulsory for land acquisition for projects by the private sector. 75 per cent of the farmers and gram sabhass consent in writing should be made must for acquiring land for development projects. A commission should be set up to hear complaints related to the land acquisition process.

GSAT-8 launched successfully

Communication satellite GSAT-8, which will give a boost to direct-to-home services in the country, was successfully launched by Arianespaces Ariane 5 rocket from Kourou in French Guiana in equatorial South America on May 21, 2011. Weighing 3,100 kg at lift-off, GSAT-8 is one of the heaviest and high-powered satellites built by the Bangalore-headquartered Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). Communications and th broadcasting: GSAT-8 is the 20 satellite designed and built indigenously by ISRO to meet this countrys requirements for space capacity in communications and broadcasting. The 3,100-kg spacecrafts 24 transponders will relay signals in radio frequencies known as the Kuband. These transponders will be used for Direct-To-Home television broadcasts as well as to support communications using small satellite dishes known as Very Small Aperture Terminals (VSATs). Other Indian communication satellites that are currently operational have about 150 transponders working in various frequency bands. That capacity needs to be augmented, given that two satellites, GSAT-4 and GSAT-5P, were lost in consecutive failures of the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) last year. Navigation: The GSAT-8 is also carrying a payload that will broadcast data to increase the accuracy and ensure the integrity of navigation based on signals from orbiting satellites of the U.S. Global Positioning System (GPS) and the Russian Global Navigation Satellite System (GLONASS). The resulting improvement in accuracy and reliability will allow aircraft, equipped with suitable receivers, to make precision approaches for landing at all runways in

India to Diversity

host

Convention

on

Biological

India is hosting the eleventh Conference of the Parties (CoP-11) to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), and the sixth Conference of the Parties serving as Meeting of the Parties (CoP/MoP-6) to the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety to be held on 1-19 October, 2012.

7 The UN Decade on Biodiversity (UNDB) for Asia and Pacific in New Delhi on May 23, 2011. The period 2011-2020 has been proclaimed by the UN General Assembly as the UN Decade on Biodiversity (UNDB) to raise awareness about the importance of and threats to biodiversity. The Decade coincides with the duration of the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020 adopted by CoP-10 to the CBD held in Nagoya, Japan in October, 2010. It contains 20 targets to help achieve the three objectives of the CBD and the Millennium Development Goals. The year 2012 would also be the year of 40th anniversary of Stockholm Conference, 20th anniversary of Rio Earth Summit (Rio + 20) and 10th anniversary of Johannesburg Summit. During the formal launch of the UNDB for Asia and Pacific, the Minister for Environment and Forests, Jairam Ramesh unveiled the logo and slogan for CoP-11, which has been developed by National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad. Illegal Mining, complaints by the Lok Ayukta and reports of discrimination against and oppression of minorities. The Governors report had followed a Supreme Court order, reversing the Karnataka High Courts decision of disqualifying 11 BJP rebel legislators and five independents, ahead of a trust vote in the Assembly.

ITBP sends Rs.11-crore bill for Kasab security: The Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) force, which has been guarding 26/11 convict Ajmal Kasab over 18 months, has slapped a bill of Rs.10.87 crore on the Maharashtra government for guarding him at Arthur Road jail, Mumbai. Medha Gadgil, principal secretary, Home, on May 24, 2011 said that state government received a request for reimbursement of Rs 10.87 crore from the Director-General, ITBP, New Delhi, R K Bhatia for expenses incurred between March 28, 2009 and September 30, 2010. India-US Homeland Security Dialogue concludes:
The India - USA Homeland Security Dialogue was held in New Delhi on May 27, 2011. The Indian delegation was led by the Union Home Minister, P. Chidambaram and the US one by Secretary, Homeland Security Department Janet Napolitano. The two sides affirmed the importance of cooperation for the security of the two countries and their people; the threat of terrorism and other challenges, including cyber security, counterfeit currency, illicit financing and transnational crimes; and, the deepening technological and economic partnership between India and the United States. The leaders expressed satisfaction with the growth in counter-terrorism and related security cooperation between the two countries. They noted the contribution of existing mechanisms such as the Joint Working Group on Counter-terrorism, established in 2000, the Defense Policy Group, the Joint Working Group on Information and Communications Technology and the Aviation Security Working Group and the Counter-terrorism Cooperation Initiative of July 2010 in advancing India-U.S. cooperation.

Environment Ministry launches Haathi Mere Saathi campaign: Reaching out to the people, to
improve conservation and welfare prospects of the elephant - Indias National Heritage Animal, the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) in partnership with the Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) on May 24, 2011 launched the nationwide Haathi Mere Saathi campaign at the Elephant-8 Ministerial Meeting in New Delhi. The Minister of State for Environment and Forests (I/C), Jairam Ramesh unveiled the Campaign mascot, logo and website (www.haathimeresaathi.org) on the occasion. The increasing pressure on elephant habitats is a serious concern. The Ministry will try and address this concern by involving people in elephant conservation and welfare through this campaign. Representing regions with all three species of elephants, the participants at the E-8 Meet were from India, Botswana, Republic of Congo, Indonesia, Kenya, Sri Lanka, Tanzania and Thailand.

Indian cautions France over military sales to Pak:

India has underscored its concern over the sale of military hardware by France to Pakistan in the name of fighting terror. Defence Minister A.K. Antony conveyed New Delhis disquiet over the development when French Defence Minister Gerard Longuet called on him in New Delhi on May 26, 2011. France had earlier supplied Agosta submarines to Pakistan. India and France would soon undertake a joint exercise named Shakti, similar to the bilateral Garuda between the two air forces and Varuna between the navies. Longuets visit came at a time when the French Dassault Rafale is competing with the four-nation European consortium Eurofighter for the 126 Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) tender of the Indian Air Force. As for the delays in construction of six French Scorpene submarines in Mazagon Docks, the French Minister said the programme was on course and initial late run occurred

UPA government rejects Bhardwaj report: The

United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government decided on May 22, 2011 to reject Karnataka Governor H.R. Bhardwajs report recommending the dismissal of the Yeddyurappa-led Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in that State. The decision was taken by the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs (CCPA). However, the CCPA has asked the Union Home Ministry to send an advisory to the Karnataka government, bringing to its notice the issues that had been mentioned by the Governor of Karnataka. These included repeated instances of corruption, resignations of Ministers following allegations of corruption, instances of illegal mining, the report of the Central Empowered Committee on

8 since the dockyard had to be modernised to build the submarines. The project is three years behind schedule, with the first submarine expected in 2015. In addition to the MMRCA, the French are eagerly awaiting a decision by the Indian government to clear the upgrade programme for the Mirage2000 fighter aircraft. The Minister said the decision was in the final phase. On his part, the French Ambassador Jerome Bonnafont said negotiations over the price were over.

CRPF men in naxal areas eligible for medals: The

government on May 22, 2011 decided to include areas hit by Left-wing extremism for granting special duty medals to the personnel of central para-military forces deployed there. This follows a letter written by Director General of CRPF K Vijay Kumar to Cabinet Secretary K M Chandrasekhar in which he had asked for a special Left-wing extremism medal as the situation in the Naxal affected areas was far more challenging than in Jammu and Kashmir and Northeast.

Rs 251 cr for Tripura-Bangladesh track: The Railway

Ministry on May 21, 2011 approved an outlay of Rs 251 crore for laying a 14 km railway track to connect Agartala with Akhaura (via Gangasagar) in Bangladesh. Northeastern Frontier Railway (NFR) is likely to undertake work for laying tracks by October next year. While the Department of North Eastern region (DoNER) ministry would pay Rs 105 crore for construction of the rail link on the Indian side, the Ministry of External Affairs will provide Rs 146 crore to carry out the project on the Bangladesh side.

CBDT to retain phone-tapping authority: The Central

Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) will continue to enjoy the power of telephone tapping despite a strong recommendation by a Committee of Secretaries against it following a controversy in the wake of the Niira Radia episode. However, it is not immediately clear the conditions the CBDT will have to fulfil before tapping telephones of any individual. The move comes after a Committee of Secretaries, headed by Cabinet Secretary K M Chandrasekhar, had recommended that the CBDT be taken off the list of agencies which can file phone-tapping requests as tax evasion cases neither have criminal liability nor any national security issue as these were only civil matters.

OFB developing Kawach rockets: State of the art

Kawach rockets being developed by Ordnance Factories Board (OFB) is likely to be inducted into Indian Navy sometime in 2013. The first trial has been conducted successfully while the second trial will be conducted later in 2011, informed OFB Director General and Chairman D M Gupta on May 21, 2011. Kawach, to be launched from Navy submarines, will have a range of 40 km.

World Bank praises MGNREGA: The governments

flagship rural job guarantee scheme is innovative and has achieved quite high coverage but faces challenges like uneven implementation across states and some evidence of leakage of funds, a new World Bank report says. The study Social Protection for a Changing India unveiled on May 22, 2011 also says ensuring higher degree of awareness among people about the process of applying for work under the scheme and a strong monitoring and evaluation system will help in more successful implementation of the programme. The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme has significantly higher coverage compared to previous public works programmes and impressive inclusion of scheduled castes (31 per cent), scheduled tribes (25 per cent) and women (50 per cent), it said, adding that MGNREGA serves as a model for future reforms in other safety net programmes.

Astra test-flight successful: For the second day in a

row, DRDO conducted a successful ballistic flight test of indigenously developed Astra - Beyond-Visual-Range Air-toAir Missile - from the Integrated Test Range at Chandipur in Balasore district of Orissa on May 21, 2011. The missile is envisaged to intercept and destroy enemy aircraft at supersonic speeds in the head-on mode at a range of 80 km and in tail-chase mode at 20 km. Astra, which uses solid propellant, can carry a conventional warhead of 15 kg.

NPCIL launches comics to dispel nuclear fears:

Nuclear Power Corporation of India (NPCIL) has turned to comic strips to dispel safety fears of villagers about atomic energy. The move by the Government-run nuclear plant operator came in a bid to address the opposition by locals and activists to the planned nuclear power project in Jaitapur in Maharashtra. The colourful pictorial comic dwells on the benefits of atomic power and dispels misconceptions. Titled `Ek Tha Budhiya: Kahani Ek Khushal Gaon Ki (The story of a prosperous village), the comic narrates the story of Jagdishpur, a village that had been underdeveloped due to ignorance and superstition, but gets transformed for good, all thanks to a nuclear power plant. The conversations are written in simple Hindi.

Railways increase concessions for senior citizens:

Women aged 58 years will be eligible to avail 50 per cent concession as senior citizens while men in the category will get a 40 per cent cut in their train fares from June one. As announced in the Railways Budget speech for 2011-12, it has been decided to reduce the minimum age for availing concession from 60 years to 58 years in case of women senior citizens. However, the element of concession will continue to remain at 50 per cent, the Ministry of Railways said in a release on May 25, 2011. It has also been decided to increase the element of concession in case of senior

9 citizens among men from 30 per cent to 40 per cent. The minimum age will, however, continue to be 60 years in case of men. basis of backwardness, healthcare facilities. inaccessibility and lack of

1st phase of demarcation of Bellary mines over: The

Supreme Court-appointed joint survey teams on May 25, 2011 completed the first phase of the survey of 63 of 99 iron ore mines in Bellary-Hospet region to identify sites of alleged illegal mining in Karnataka. The five teams, headed by Central Empowered Committee Chairman P V Jayakrishnan, members Mahendra Vyas and M K Mattoo completed demarcation of these mines. They have to complete the demarcation process by June, on the basis of which CEC will submit its report to the apex court on July 4. The Supreme Court appointed the joint survey teams on May 6.

CBI files chargesheet against CWG accused: The

CBI, in a 36-page charge sheet filed in a New delhi Court on May 24, 2011, implicated the former chairman of the Commonwealth Games Organising Committee, Suresh Kalmadi, Lalit Bhanot and V.K. Verma, besides seven others, for making a wrongful pecuniary gain of nearly Rs. 20 crore in the award of the Timing, Scoring and Results (TSR) system contract to Swiss Timing. Charging the accused with awarding the contract to Swiss Timing, which cost the government a total outgo of Rs.157.62 crore when another bid was offered from MSL Spain that would have cost the Organising Committee only Rs. 62.01 crore, the charge sheet pegged the wrongful loss at Rs. 95.6 crore.

Bagha Jatins biography released: Bagha Jatin Life

and Times of Jatindranath Mukherjee, a biography of freedom fighter Jatindranath Mukherjee, written by Parisbased scholar Prithwindra Mukherjee was released in New Delhi on May 27, 2011. The book has been published by the National Book Trust, which is also coming out with biographies of Bengal revolutionaries Surjya Sen and Kalpana Dutta soon.

Accident at Strategic Petroleum Reserves kills 3: A

team of senior officials from Indian Strategic Petroleum Reserves Ltd (ISPRL) visited the blast site near Mangalore on May 27, 2011 where three people, including a Korean, were killed and three others injured on May 26. The deceased were trying to defuse misfired detonators near the project site in Mangalore. Strategic crude oil reserve is being set up to provide for emergency response mechanism against short-term supply disruptions under various scenarios. The underground rock caverns in the facility will store 14-day supply of crude oil for the country in case of supply disruptions. The government had approved building of strategic crude oil reserve of 5 million tonnes at three locations Mangalore (1.5 MT), Visakhapatnam (1 MMT) and Padur in Udupi district (2.5 MT) in January 2005. A joint venture of South Korea Engineering and Construction and Karam Chand Thapar had bagged the Mangalore cavern works for Rs 403 crore.

Delhi, Kabul sign MoU for cultural cooperation:

India would provide capacity development support in various areas to Afghanistan and cooperate with it in promotion of art and culture, development of archaeological institutions under a new MoU signed between the two countries on May 27, 2011 in New Delhi. The MoU was signed by Culture Minister Kumari Selja and Afghan Minister for Information and Culture Dr Sayed Makhdoom Raheen.

First cable-stayed bridge in J&K launched: UPA

Chairperson Sonia Gandhi on May 23, 2011 laid the foundation stone for the first cable stayed bridge in Jammu and Kashmir over river Ravi at Basohli in Kathua district of the state. The 592 meters long bridge will be constructed by IRCON and is expected to be completed by end 2014. The Basohli Bridge will be a cable stayed bridge similar to the second Hooghly Bridge at Kolkata, Naini Bridge at Allahabad and the Rajiv Gandhi Sea Link at Mumbai.

Accident Investigation Committee to probe aviation mishaps: Separating the role of a regulator and
an investigator, the Union government on May 26, 2011 set up an independent panel to probe major aviation accidents. Till now, the Directorate-General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) was performing both the roles. Aiming at creating an independent investigation system in the country to match the growth in aviation and the corresponding increase in the number of incidents or accidents, an Accident Investigation Committee (AIC) has been established to work under the supervision of the Civil Aviation Ministry. The move came a day after a small plane crashed in Faridabad, on the outskirts of the national capital, claiming 10 lives. The committee, to be headed by the Director of Air Safety, would have all its five members from the DGCA. It would identify the causes of accident and assist the formal probe panels such as courts or committees of enquiry.

Health Min to expand NPCDCS across the country:

The government intends to expand its ambitious integrated National Programme for Prevention and Control of Cancer, Diabetes, Cardiovascular Diseases and Stroke (NPCDCS) th across the country in the 12 Five Year Plan. This is being done keeping in mind the increasing incidence of noncommunicable diseases in India said Union Health and Family Welfare Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad in New Delhi on May 27, 2011. The Union government launched the NPCDCS in July last year in 100 districts on an experimental basis in 21 states. These were selected on the

Jindal Law School signs MoU to train IAS officers: O. P. Jindal Global University (JGU) on May 25, 2011

10 signed a memorandum of understanding with the National Institute of Administrative Research of the Lal Bahadur National Academy of Administration, Mussoorie, which is the premier national-level training institution for IAS officers. The MoU provides for exchange of faculty, research scholars, hosting of visiting academic delegations, teaching and training of IAS officers and organisation of conferences. The JGU has already built a relationship with the National Police Academy in Hyderabad and has collaborative arrangements with the Foreign Service Training Academy, the CBI Academy and other similar national institutions.

Naresh Tikait is new President of Bhartiya Kisan Union: BKU will not hesitate to launch an agitation on the
land acquisition issue for the welfare of the farmers, newlyelected national President of Bhartiya Kisan Union Naresh Tikait said in Muzaffarnagar on May 23, 2011. Naresh was made the new national President of BKU on May 22 after the death of his father and BKU head Mahendra Singh Tikait who passed away on May 15. Naresh, the eldest son of Mahendra, said that the party will remain a non political organisation and its movement for the interest of the farmers will also continue.

IIT Kanpur is No. 1 among Indian institutes in QS Asian 2011: Despite the language barrier, China is taking
over from India, in terms of their ranking among top Asian Universities. According to the latest QS Asian University Rankings 2011 unveiled on May 26, 2011, six Chinese universities have made it to the top 30. Indias position starts from 36 with IIT Kanpur. The low rankings, according to QS, are because Indian universities have far too few staff to teach their students by world standards, with no-so-good faculty/student ratios. Indian institutes in top 50 include IIT Kanpur (36), IIT Delhi (37), IIT Bombay (38), IIT Madras and IIT Kharagpur. Japan was the best-represented nation, with five of the top 10 and 57 of the top 200 universities, ahead of China (40) and South Korea (35), Taiwan (16), India (11), Thailand (9), Indonesia (8), Malaysia (7) and Hong Kong (7). The Hong Kong University of Science & Technology (HKUST) climbed up from second place last year to top the rankings in 2011.

Mamata retains 9 portfolios in Bengal Cabinet: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on May 20, 2011 allocated portfolios to her newly sworn-in Ministers, keeping for herself nine departments, including Home, Health, and Land Reforms. The Ministers were sworn in by Governor M.K. Narayanan at the Raj Bhavan. As many as 33 Ministers were given Cabinet rank portfolios and four others were made Ministers of State with independent charge. The departments held by Ms. Banerjee include Agriculture, Power, Hill Affairs, Information and Cultural Affairs, Minority Affairs and Madrasa Education and Personnel and Administrative Reforms. President rejects mercy petitions of Bhullar, Das:
President Pratibha Patil on May 26, 2011 rejected the mercy petitions of Devinder Pal Singh Bhullar of Punjab and Mahendra Nath Das of Assam following the recommendations from the Union Home Ministry. Bhullar was sentenced to death by a trial court on August 25, 2001, for plotting terror attacks on Punjab SSP Sumedh Singh Saini in 1991 and the then Youth Congress president M S Bitta in 1993 leading to several deaths in Delhi.

Ajit K. Seth is new Cabinet Secretary: The

Appointments Committee of the Cabinet on May 24, 2011 approved the appointment of Ajit Kumar Seth, IAS (UP: 74) Secretary (Coordination & Public Grievances), Cabinet Secretariat, as the next Cabinet Secretary with effect from 14.06.2011 for a period of two years or till further orders, whichever is earlier; and also his appointment as OSD in the Cabinet Secretariat with effect from the date of his th assumption of charge to 13 June, 2011, in the rank and pay of Secretary. Seth did his B.Sc (Hons.) and M.Sc. in Chemistry from St. Stephens College, New Delhi and also M. Phil in Life Sciences from the Jawaharlal Nehru University. He subsequently also obtained a Masters Degree in Development Finance from the University of Birmingham.

Film critic Chidananda Dasgupta passes away:

Renowned film critic, historian and a pioneer of the film society movement in India, Chidananda Dasgupta, passed away in Kolkata on May 22, 2011. The father of actress and filmmaker Aparna Sen, Chidananda Dasgupta was born in Shillong in 1921. A close association with legendary filmmaker Satyajit Ray led to the formation of the Calcutta Film Society in 1947 with Sergei Eisensteins classic Battleship Potemkin as its first screening. More than a decade later, the Federation of Film Societies of India was set up on his initiative. Dasgupta was given the lifetime achievement award at the Osians Cinefan Film Festival in 2004 in recognition for his writings on films, which include books such as Talking about Films, The Cinema of Satyajit Ray and Unpopular Cinema.

D Jayakumar appointed TN Assembly Speaker:

AIADMK legislators D Jayakumar and P Dhanapal were on May 27, 2011 unanimously elected as Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the 14th Tamil Nadu Assembly. Jayakumar was led to the Speakers chair by Leader of the House, Finance Minister O Panneerselavam and Opposition Leader Vijayakanth, keeping to the custom. Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa and DMK floor leader M K Stalin were among those present on the occasion.

Social activist Dr Rajnikant Arole passes away:

Social activist and Magsaysay award winner Dr Rajnikant Arole passed away at the age of 78 on May 26 at Ahmednagar. Arole was the founder president of Maharashtra Social Forum, a popular NGO network in Maharashtra.

11

Harmonium player Dholpuri passes away: The

countrys most acclaimed harmonium player Mehmood Dholpuri passed away at the age of 58 in New Delhi on May 25, 2011. Ustad Dholpuri trained with the masters of Dilli Gharana, including Ustad Nasir Ahmad Khan. Harmonium players are generally ignored but Ustad Dholpuri became a

favourite with Pandit Bhimsen Joshi, Begum Parveen Sultana, Pandit Jasraj, Girija Devi, Shubha Mudgal and even Kishori Amonkar. He was also the first harmonium artiste to be awarded Padma Shri a few years ago.

12

Section B: WORLD
Nuclear Suppliers Group to consider Indias request for membership
The Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), the worlds premier non-proliferation body, has decided to include Indias request for membership as a special agenda item when it holds its annual meeting in the third week of June. This has been agreed upon during a meeting in May 2011 between the Indian delegation led by Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao and the NSG troika currently consisting of the Netherlands, New Zealand and Hungary at The Hague, Netherlands. However, the fact that the NSG plenary will consider Indias case does not mean membership will be granted automatically. A long road of persuading all the members lies ahead because decisions at NSG are taken unanimously. Yet India has already received public assurances of support from the Presidents of U.S., France and Russia. India is not a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), an important precursor to NSG membership. India wants to join all four international export control regimes NSG, the Missile Technology Control Regime, the Australia Group and the Wassenaar Group. India must gain membership as early as possible because the NSG is said to be planning to tighten procedures for export of ENR (enrichment and reprocessing) technology which India desperately needs. The NSG troika took note of Indias commitment to non-proliferation and its attempt to meet international standards in this regard. The NSG, a U.S. initiative, was triggered by the first Indian peaceful nuclear explosion in 1974. Since then, it has found more adherents and only five among them are permitted to maintain nuclear arsenals. India has found this discriminatory and, along with Pakistan and Israel, refused to sign the NPT. enhanced international cooperation to address challenges that defy national solution alone, he added. The meeting also affirmed the admission of Azerbaijan and Fiji into the th NAM family. The 16 NAM summit would be held next year in Teheran. Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono suggested the need to reshuffle the membership position in the Council so that it reflects the reality of the world today in his opening speech of the Conference on May 25.

Pak naval base at Mehran attacked: Pakistan has lost

almost half of its sophisticated long-range maritime snooping and strike capabilities in the well-targeted jihadi attack by the Taliban on naval base PNS Mehran in Karachi that ended on May 23, 2011 after a 15-hour gun-battle, leaving ten security personnel and four attackers dead. At least two of the five P-3C Orion long-range patrol aircraft, supplied to Pakistan Navy by the US, were destroyed in the attack. Pakistan got the P-3C Orions, packed with radars and weapons like the E-2C Hawkeye 2000 airborne earlywarning suites and antiship Harpoon missiles, from the US as part of the around $15 billion military aid. India had protested that the Orions were clearly meant for conventional warfare, not counter-terrorism.

Grimsvotn erupts in Iceland: Ash spewing from an Icelandic volcano is causing disruption and days of uncertainty to more parts of Europe. Hundreds of flights were cancelled on May 24, 2011 as winds blew the cloud of ash from the Grimsvotn volcano over Scotland and other parts of Europe. Experts say that particles in the ash could stall jet engines and sandblast planes windows. Astronauts in final shuttle space-walk at ISS: The
last space-walk in the 30-year history of the US shuttle programme was completed by astronauts Mike Fincke and Greg Chamitoff at the International Space Station (ISS) on May 28, 2011. They also completed NASA part in constructing the ISS. The astronauts will return to Earth in a few days on space shuttle Endeavours last voyage. One final shuttle is scheduled for July to bring supplies to the ISS. The ISS is now of the size that can house six full-time residents who spend their time conducting scientific experiments and research conditions for possible longer missions, such as travelling to Mars. After return to earth, Endeavour will be prepared for public display at the California Science Center in Los Angeles. Russia still plans to carry out space-walks at the ISS, adding at least one more chamber to the structure of ISS.

16th NAM Ministerial Conference organised: The 16th

Ministerial Conference and Commemorative Meeting of the th 50 Anniversary of Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) came to an end in Bali, Indonesia on May 27, 2011. Marty Natalegawa, Indonesian Foreign Minister, said that the deliberations yielded an 127-page Final Document that reflected the shared vision and common position of the Movement, which sent strong message on the need to step up NAM s efforts on the reform of the United Nations and the global economic and financial system. The final document as well as the Bali Commemorative Declaration issued on May 24, 2011 prescribed measures to address emerging challenges in the world of 21st century, called for

Arab League backs Palestinian membership at UN:

The Arab League on May 28, 2011 said it will seek full UN membership for a Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as

13 its capital. The decision was made at a meeting in Doha attended by Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas who reiterated his determination to seek UN recognition in September unless Israel began negotiations on a substantial basis. US-led peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians have been stalled for months. A statement issued by the Arab League monitoring committee said it supports the appeal to the UN asking that Palestine, within the 1967 borders, becomes a full-fledged state of the international organisation. Earlier, in a keynote policy speech on May 19, US President Barack Obama had issued a clear call for Israel and the Palestinians to use the borders existing before the 1967 Six Day War, with land swaps, as the basis for talks. UN General Assembly President Joseph Deiss said that a Palestinian state would need the support of all five veto-wielding permanent members of the Security Council to be recognised. Egypt and Tunisia, where uprisings this year overthrew dictators but also scared away tourists and investors. India elected to UN Human Rights Council: India and 14 other countries have been elected to the 47-nation UN Human Rights Council based in Geneva on May 21, 2011. India was not in competition for the seat since there were four countries and four seats for the Asia block. With 189 countries voting, Indonesia received 184 votes, Philippines 183, India 181 and Kuwait 166. Other countries to be elected to the Council included Burkina Faso, Botswana, Congo, Benin, Czech Republic, Romania, Chile, Costa Rica, Peru, Italy and Austria. These countries will begin their term on June 19 for a three year term. In the wake of international condemnation of its crackdown on protesters, Syria gave up its seat to Kuwait. UN Watch, a Genevabased group that monitors the UN, said that Burkina Faso, India, Philippines and Indonesia had questionable qualifications to be on the human rights body.

Egypt eases blockade at Gazas Rafah crossing:

Egypts official news agency MENA has said that the Rafah border crossing with Gaza will be permanently opened for Palestinians from May 28, 2011, a move that will significantly ease a blockade of the impoverished territory. The move - strongly opposed by Israel - comes some three months after Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak lost power. Egypt and Israel closed borders with Gaza when Hamas seized power in 2007. Israel retains concerns that weapons will be imported into Gaza through the Egyptian frontier, but Egypt insists it will conduct thorough searches of all those crossing. People leaving Gaza will also need to be carrying Palestinian ID cards, which are issued by Israel.

Russia tests ICBM missile Sineva: Russia on May 20,

2011 conducted its second intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) test in less than a month as it stepped up its campaign against a US-backed interceptor system for Europe. The Sineva missile was launched from a Russian submarine in the Barents Sea and later successfully hit its target on the opposite side of the country on the Kamchatka Peninsula. The Sineva submarine-launched missile is one of the most recent additions to Russias nuclear arsenal and was only fully tested for the first time in 2008. Each missile carries up to 10 warheads and has a range of more than 11,000 kilometres. It was the second submerged missile launch conducted by Russia since April 26.

North Sudan takes over Abeyi: The president of

Southern Sudan Salva Kiir on May 26, 2011 said that his nascent nation will not return to war with the Khartoumbased north despite the recent invasion of the contested region of Abyei. The north-south border zone region of Abyei was taken over by northern Sudanese troops, causing civilians to flee southward. Southern Sudan has seceded from the north and will formally be declared as an independent nation on July 9. But north and south regions claim Abyei, a fertile land that has oil. The latest skirmish began after southern troops attacked northern and UN forces. Kiir said that attack was a misunderstanding.

International Day of UN Peacekeepers observed:

The International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers, observed on May 29, 2011. According to the UN, it is a day to pay tribute to all the men and women who have served and continue to serve in United Nations peacekeeping operations for their high level of professionalism, dedication, and courage and to honor the memory of those who have lost their lives in the cause of peace.

China sets up special cyber warfare unit: The

Peoples Liberation Army, of China has formed a special cyber warfare unit, called Blue Team, to safeguard the Internet security of the military. It is important for the military to strengthen its defence capabilities against the Internet attacks, Defence Ministry spokesman Geng Yansheng has been quoted as saying in the official media on May 27, 2011 in Beijing.

G-8 to fund democracy in Middle-East: Leaders of the

Group of Eight rich nations on May 27, 2011 said that international development banks could give more than $ 20 billion to Egypt and Tunisia to support countries that overthrew dictators this year and are trying to establish free democracies. President Barack Obama and other G-8 leaders meeting in Deauville, France said in a final statement that their countries will also mobilize substantial bilateral support to scale up this effort. The leaders encouraged other countries, including rich Arab world nations, to contribute as well to shoring up economies in

DISY wins Cyprus elections: Rightist opposition party

DISY has narrowly won Cyprus tightly contested parliamentary elections, handing defeat to the governing AKEL party, final results showed on May 23, 2011. But the results indicate that voter support for leftist President Dimitris Christofias handling of long-running talks with

14 breakaway Turkish Cypriots to reunify the divided island remains steady. Cyprus is governed under a presidential system, meaning that parliamentary elections dont result in a change of government. But they reflect public sentiment on a governments performance and are used to measure party strength in alliance building for presidential elections next due in 2013. of Defence and David Petraeus, who commands the international force in Afghanistan, as Panettas successor at the CIA.

Ivory Coasts President Ouattara inaugurated:

Alassane Ouattara was on May 21, 2011 inaugurated as the president of Ivory Coast in the capital, Yamoussoukro, after months of violence and political turmoil. The ceremony was attended by many African heads of state, as well as French President Nicolas Sarkozy and the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon. Ouattara won the November presidential election but was prevented from taking office after incumbent Laurent Gbagbo refused to give up power. Gbagbo was arrested in April after a military raid on the presidential compound where he had based himself.

British boy is youngest seven-summit climber: George Atkinson, a 16-year-old British schoolboy became the youngest person ever to climb the highest mountains of all the seven continents when he ascended Mount Everest, the tallest of them, on May 26, 2011. Atkinson climbed the 8,850-metre Everest summit from the Tibetan side of the mountain, which abuts Nepal and China, beating the feat of the previous record-holder, American Johnny Collinsons, of ascending all seven summits when he was 17. War-crimes accused Mladic arrested in Serbia: General Ratko Mladic, who commanded Bosnian Serb troops during the 1991-1995 Balkan wars that tore apart the former Yugoslavia, was arrested in Serbia on May 26, 2011, President Boris Tadic confirmed in Belgrade. General Mladic, also known as the Butcher of Srebrenica, was wanted for war crimes and crimes against humanity by the United Nations special tribunal on the former Yugoslavia. Abkhazia President Bagapsh passes away: Sergei Bagapsh, president of Georgias breakaway region of Abkhazia, died aged 62, on May 29, 2011. Abkhazia declared independence from Georgia in 1992, but is only recognised by Moscow and a handful of other countries. Since its brief war with Georgia in 2008 over another disputed territory, South Ossetia, Russia has provided security for Abkhazia. Thousands of ethnic Georgians fled the regions during the conflict and many remain internally displaced in Georgia. In 2008, Western countries condemned Russia for penetrating deep into Georgia, beyond the conflict zones.

Ecuador referendum gives Correa victory: Final

results in Ecuadors May 7 referendum on political reforms, announced on May 20, 2011 have handed victory to President Rafael Correa. The presidents plans include greater control over the media and judiciary, but his win still needs final confirmation from the national electoral council

Rouzier named Haitis new prime minister: Haitian

President Michel Martelly on May 21, 2011 chose USeducated businessman Daniel-Gerard Rouzier as prime minister. It is President Martellys first major appointment to his new administration.

Obama nominates Panetta as secretary of defence:

US President Barack Obama on May 26, 2011 formally nominated CIA Director Leon Panetta as his new Secretary

15

Section C: AWARDS
Subhasis Chaudhuri wins G. D. Birla Award:
Professor Subhasis Chaudhuri of Indian Institute of Technology-Mumbai was on May 26, 2011 selected for the prestigious G. D. Birla Award for Scientific Research. Prof. Chaudhuri, 48, who works in the Department of Electrical Engineering, is getting the award for his important contributions in the area of electronic communications. The award, constituted by the K. K. Birla Foundation, carries a cash prize of Rs.1.50 lakh and is given to scientists below the age of 50. Prof. Chaudhury joined IIT-Mumbai in 1990 and is currently serving as an Institute Chair Professor and Dean of International Relations. He works in the area of computer vision and image processing.

Mukherjee, Jaitley conferred doctorates in UK:

Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee and senior BJP leader Arun Jaitley will be conferred honorary doctorates by Britains University of Wolverhampton on May 26, 2011 in New Delhi. Mukherjee and Jaitley will receive the Honorary Degree of Doctors of Letters. NRI Lord Swraj Paul is Chancellor of Wolverhampton University. Mukherjee has been selected for the honour for his outstanding service to Indian society and contribution to international affairs. Jaitley is being conferred the doctorate for his contribution to Indian politics and service to the people of India. N Ram, the Editor-in-Chief of The Hindu, will be conferred honorary degree of Doctor of Social Sciences at a function in Chennai on May 30.

Aditya Sudarshan wins MetroPlus Award: Aditya

Sudarshan was on May 27, 2011 declared winner of the MetroPlus Playwright Award 2011 for his entry The Green Room. Instituted by The Hindu, the Award carries a prize of Rs.1 lakh for the best original unpublished and unperformed playscript in English. The 26-year-old, Mumbai-based Sudarshan has published two novels, A Nice Quiet Holiday and Show Me A Hero, and contributed several short stories to anthologies and magazines. The MetroPlus Playwright Award 2011 is the fourth since it was launched in 2008. The other three winners were Abhishek Majumdar for Harlesden High Street, Prashant Prakash and Kalki Koechlin for Skeleton Woman, and Neel Chaudhuri for Taramandal.

A. Forna wins Commonwealth Writers Prize: Sierra

Leones Aminatta Forna was on May 21, 2011 awarded the prestigious Commonwealth Writers Prize 2011 for best book for her novel The Memory of Love at Sydney. The Commonwealth Writers Prize for best first book was awarded to New Zealander Craig Cliff for his collection of short stories A Man Melting. The Commonwealth Writers Prize is open to writers from across 54 countries. Former winners include Louis De Bernieres, Ian McEwan and Zadie Smith.

Doordarshan

Annual Awards presented: The Doordarshan Annual Awards were presented to the winners on May 26, 2011 in New Delhi. The programmes which bagged the awards included Turnaround of DD Archives under the category of DGs Special/DD Archive, Bhagan Walian under the category of Animation/Graphics/Promo/Spot category, Republic Day Parade under the category of Live/Sports event, Ras Baras Agle Baras under the category of Art Direction/Set Designing/Costume, Eti Shaponave Pam Khedi under the category of Women, Pachim Taal under the category of Dance/Dance-Drama/Ballet, Farmers Pride under the category of Agriculture, Emergency Action under the category of Cinematography and Meri baat under the category of Reality/TV Show. Doordarshan Kendra, Hyderabad was awarded for the Best Doordarshan Kendra. The award for the Best News Producer was given to DD News. The Thiruvananthapuram Kendra was awarded for the Best Regional News Unit. The award under the category Children was given to the programme Udaan.

Santiago Roncagliolo wins Foreign Fiction Prize: Peruvian author Santiago Roncagliolo on May 27, 2011 won the Independent Foreign Fiction Prize for his third novel, Red April. The writer beat competition from the likes of Nobel Prize-winning Turkish author Orhan Pamuk to become the youngest person to win the prize at 36. He shares his 10,000 award with the translator of his novel, American Edith Grossman. The prize is given to a living author whose book has been translated into English and published in the UK. Roncagliolos political thriller, translated from Spanish, tells of a Peruvian prosecutor in charge of a murder investigation. Terrence Malick wins Palme dOr at Cannes: U.S. director Terrence Malick won the Palme dOr for the Best th Film for The Tree of Life at the 64 Cannes Film Festival on May 22, 2011. Kirsten Dunst won the Best Actress award for her role in Melancholia by Danish director Lars von Trier. Denmarks Nicolas Winding Refn won Best Director award for his film Drive. Frances Jean Dujardin won the Best Actor award for his role in Michel Hazanaviciuss The Artist.

16

Section D: ECONOMY & CORPORATE

RBI recommends holding company structure for banking groups
Conglomerates like ICICI Bank, SBI and HDFC will find it easier to raise capital for new financial activities with the Reserve Bank of India favouring a holding company structure for both banking and nonbanking financial groups. The central bank in its proposed norms for holding companies has said that financial groups can list both the holding company as well as the subsidiaries. The proposed structure is similar to that prevailing in Western countries where holding companies like Citigroup are listed and serve as a vehicle for raising capital. The holding company in turn has subsidiaries in banking, asset management, insurance, investment ban king and non-banking finance. A panel headed by RBI deputy governor Shyamala Gopinath, which submitted its report on May 23, 2011, suggested that the holding company norm should be pursued as a preferred model for the financial sector in India. Experts have long said that a holding company structure was ideal as it would allow investors to participate in all the groups business which include housing finance, banking, asset management, and life and non-life insurance. However other experts say that such a structure was not feasible because of multiplicity of regulators and different foreign direct investment guidelines for different businesses. Also, this option may not be immediately available as RBI has said that recasting conglomerates under the financial holding company structure can be done only after an enabling legislation is passed and the government gives a dispensation that provides a one-time tax exemption on such a recast. Along with the introduction of a new legislation, RBI has said that amendments need to be simultaneously made to other acts governing state-owned banks, the Companies Act and other legislations wherever required. years as the loan is given for housing and the EMI may be limited to Rs. 300-350 as then it would be within the repayment capacity of the borrower. These are some of the recommendations made by the expert group The Bankers committee Report was submitted to the Union Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh by the Chairman of the Committee, Sri R. Sridhar, Chairman and Managing Director, Central Bank Of India on May 25, 2011. The committee included Suman Beri of NCAER, Dr. K.G. Karmakar, MD of NABARD, Renu Sood Karnad, MD of HDFC, V.K. Sharma, ED of RBI, R.V.Verma, ED of NHB, Dr. D. Bhandari a Chartered Accountant and Joint Secretary Rural Housing under the Ministry Of Rural Development as its members. The Committee has proposed the following Schemes for BPL & APL households: I. Bankable Scheme for Below Poverty Line (BPL) Households The allocation of grant for construction of rural housing units for below poverty line (BPL) households should be increased from Rs 45,000 to Rs 75,000 a dwelling unit. BPL households should be entitled to a loan of Rs 50,000 at 4 per cent a year under the governments differential rate of interest scheme. Repayment period for the loan could be up to 15 years and the equated monthly instalment (EMI) limited to Rs 300-350 so that it is within the repayment capacity of the borrowers II. Bankable Scheme for Above Poverty Line (APL) Households Without any subsidy In the case of bankable scheme for above poverty line (APL) households, the loan amount (without any subsidy) should not exceed Rs 4 lakh with the interest range of 7-10 per cent. Subsidy based The maximum loan amount may not exceed Rs. 2 lakh for construction of new house and Rs. 1 lakh for addition/upgradation/repair of old houses. (Option I with 5% interest subsidy) Or the maximum loan amount may not exceed Rs. 3 lakh for construction of new house and Rs. 1.5 lakh for addition/upgradation/repair of old houses. (Option II with 4% interest subsidy)

Bankers Committee submits report

on

Rural

Housing

A high level committee of bankers has recommended a hike in allocation of grants for construction of rural housing units for Below the Poverty Line Households (BPL) from Rs. 45,000 to Rs. 75,000 per dwelling unit. It has also suggested a loan of Rs. 50,000 in the form of affordable credit at 4% under Differential Rate of Interest (DRI) Scheme of the Government of India. One of its recommendations is to extend the repayment period to 15

17 III. Bankable Scheme of Productive Housing for BPL/APL Households Loan Amount Under the Scheme, the loan amount will be extended to the rural households for two purposes: (a) Loan for housing, and (b) Loan for income generating activities with an interest subsidy of 5%. (i) The loan amount under the Scheme will be decided by the Lending Institution based on the credit worthiness of the borrower. (ii) However, the maximum loan amount may not exceed
Nature Houses of Housing BPL Income Generating Activities Rs. 10,000 Rs. 10,000 Housing APL Income Generating Activities Rs. 30,000 Rs. 30,000

facilitating housing to Productive Housing in Rural Areas (PHIRA). Further, expanding SHG-Bank Linkage model may result in enhancing the availability of micro credit to the rural households. Also, such model coupled with savings will help to expand the micro-credit operations for housing targeted at women.

Guidelines for developing banking products for rural housing

In view of the observations made by various agencies, the Committee outlined that the appropriate banking product applicable to BPL and non-BPL households/groups for rural housing can be developed based on the following points/observations: While developing the product, low cost technology based on locally available materials have to be considered along with factors like natural calamities. As there are problems of land ownership in rural areas, appropriate solution may be found out in consultation with the State Governments such as Panchayati Raj etc. Recovery could be a major challenge in rural lending. To overcome this, the scheme can be implemented through SHG (Self-help groups) and JLG (Joint liability groups) modes. Flexible repayment schedule should be prescribed depending upon the periodicity of the cash flow of the borrower having regard to his/her source of income. Development of appropriate risk mitigants and infusing the concept of guarantee into the system could act as catalyser for the overall development of the industry Since the cost of servicing of the PLIs in lending towards the rural housing is high, the cluster approach for housing may be considered as an alternative. Need for Policy Changes with regard to linking of repayment of rural housing loans to crop cycle and permitting defaults of two crop season installments in respect of housing loans of upto Rs. 2 lakhs.

New Construction Upgradation

Rs. 90,000 Rs. 25,000

Rs. 2,70,000 Rs. 50,000

Other issues
Group-based lending should be promoted: A group based lending approach for rural housing has been recommended for giving better results The committee has suggested that a multi dimensional strategy with necessary risk safeguards is required to be adopted which will focus on effective collaboration and partnership with Financial Institutions like NHB, NABARD, SIDBI, Banks and other successful channels including NGOs/MFIs, select corporate etc. as well as evolving risk mitigating measures with appropriate safeguards and evolving projects as community-managed and driven. Rural Habitat Development Fund: The Committee has proposed setting up a dedicated Rural Habitat Development Fund for the planned development of the rural housing and housing finance landscape. The so called Fund will be available to support Interest Subvention Schemes, awareness building programs, training and capacity building, technology and building material, research and development etc. The contribution to such a Fund maybe derived from the profits of various Development Financial Institutions (DFIs), Reserve Bank of India, Banks etc besides budgetary support. Rural Risk Fund: The Expert group has recommended setting up of a Rural Risk Fund with contributions from all stake holders including beneficiaries and to encourage Insurance Linked Products with housing so as to reduce the cost of housing finance to the various stake holders. Productive Housing in Rural Areas: The Committee has underlined that there is a need for shift in focus from

GoM refers Cairn deal back to CCEA

The Group of Ministers (GoM) on Cairn Indias sale to Vedanta on May 24, 2011 upheld the conditions set by former oil minister Murli Deora for clearing Scottish explorer Cairn Energys nearly-$10 billion deal to sell control in its Indian arm-Cairn India to London-listed Vedanta Resources of NRI businessman Anil Agarwal. These pertain to royalty on crude oil produced and right of refusal enjoyed by the joint venture partner (ONGC).

18

Royalty: The GoM is said to be of the view that the two firms (Cairn Energy and Vedanta) would have to agree to pay cess on crude produced from the Barmer oil-fields (owned jointly by Cairn India and ONGC) and treat royalty as part of cost of running the oilfields. The royalty and cess issues have been a hurdle to the deal since it was announced in August 2010. State-run ONGC is Cairns 30% partner in Barmer fields, but pays 100% royalty due to a policy decision in 1990s. Right of refusal: The GoM, chaired by FM Pranab Mukherjee, also upheld ONGCs claim of first right of refusal. Now, Cairn would have to seek clearance from the state-run firm that is a partner in eight of the companys 10 acreages in India. The ONGC board had passed a resolution, requesting the ministry to withhold permission until Cairn agrees to royalty and cess issues. Meanwhile, in a setback to the Cairn-Vedanta deal, Solicitor General Gopal Subramanium on May 25, 2011 reaffairmed that the government can impose preconditions like equitable sharing of royalty for clearing Vedanta Resources takeover of Cairn India. His opinion was sought by Finance Minister and head of a ministerial panel vetting the USD 9.6 billion deal Pranab Mukherjee. A final call on the GoMs view would be taken by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA).

All labour laws, it has said, must apply to the proposed NMIZs. Labour Secretary Prabhat Chaturvedi on May 22, 2011 said that the DIPP paper was only a discussion paper seeking comments. The Ministry is of the opinion that labour laws must be applicable in the special zones (NMIZs) proposed. The Ministry has also opposed the proposal to allow companies to create their own conciliation and compensation mechanisms for dealing with labour issues. It says it is against outsourcing of sovereign functions of the government. At the same time it has supported the move for simplification of labour laws and reduction in procedural delays.

DoT supports 30% quota for Made-in-India equipment in telecom

The Department of Telecom (DoT) on May 27, 2011 supported a proposal to reserve 30 per cent of all electronic equipment procurement to those items that are manufactured in the country. This will include telecom equipment and IT peripherals. Though the proposal is for restricting the quota system only on purchases by Government owned companies, the DoT has said that the quota system in the telecom sector should be equally imposed on both private operators and public sector units. The proposal to give preferential treatment to Made in India products has been made by a committee formed by the National Manufacturing Competitiveness Council (NMCC) and the Advisor to Prime Minister on Public Information, Infrastructure and Innovation. The main objective of the proposed policy is to promote manufacturers of electronic equipment with emphasis on development of Indian Intellectual Property. Under this policy, preferential treatment will be given for a period of 10 years and shall come into effect one year from the date of notification. For a product to qualify as manufactured in India it has to have local value addition to the extent of 25 per cent in the first year of production and 45 per cent by the fifth year. If the product has Indian IPR then the company will get additional weightage and also income tax benefits available to investments for R&D. Private companies and foreign equipment vendors have, however, opposed this move on grounds that such a reservation is against WTO norms. The proposed policy has been approved by the Committee of Secretaries and will now be taken to the Cabinet for final ratification

Trade unions oppose relaxation in labour laws for NMIZs

The commerce ministrys position on the proposed National Manufacturing and Investment Zones (NMIZs) has been strongly objected by the labour ministry and trade unions. The NMIZs were proposed early last year, as part of a policy to raise the share of manufacturing in gross domestic product from the present 15-odd per cent to about 22 per cent. They are envisaged on the lines of Special Economic Zones (SEZs). Industry and chambers of commerce welcomed the idea and are also cheered by the position paper of the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) on the issue. The paper echoes the feeling of the industry that restrictions on hiring and dismissals are a big bottleneck to expansion of the manufacturing sector. The NMIZs are proposed to be exempted from the Factories Act, the Industrial Disputes Act, the Trade Union Act, the Gratuity Act, the Provident Fund Act and the Employees State Insurance Act. The special purpose vehicle to set up an NMIZ would be the guardian of workers and companies would be free to create their own conciliation and compensation mechanisms.

IMG on inflation favours FDI in multi-brand retail

19 infrastructure availability marginally improved, India slipped on business efficiency, which pulled down its overall ranking. On government efficiency, which includes fiscal management and business legislation, India went up to 29th rank in 2011 from 30th rank in 2010. In economic performance, a macroeconomic evaluation of the domestic economy and related to areas like trade, investments, employment and prices, the position of India improved by two ranks to 18th place. In the case of infrastructure availability to meet basic, technological, scientific and human resources needs of business, the country improved its position to 50th rank in 2011, from the 54th position last year. This indicates the considerable infrastructure investment of recent years have started showing results, the statement said. However, on the business efficiency parameter, relating to productivity and management practices, India slipped from 17th rank in 2010 to 22nd rank in 2011. Apart from Hong Kong and Singapore, two other Asian nations, Taiwan and Qatar, came in the top 10 list. Venezuela was the least competitive.

The Inter-Ministerial Group (IMG) on inflation on May 28, 2011 suggested opening up of multi-brand retail to foreign direct investment (FDI) as a measure to tame inflation. The group, chaired by Chief Economic Advisor Kaushik Basu, also recommended amendments to the Agriculture Produce Marketing Committee (APMC) Act. The IMG says these two steps will help in reducing the margin between the price that farmers got and the price that consumers paid. IMG said FDI in multi-product retail should be considered at the earliest, as reforms in this sector could be an effective inflation-busting measure. It, however, cautioned that the entry of foreign investors should be properly regulated and that India must guard against the risk of these new corporations becoming monopolistic and charging high prices. The share of organised retail in the total retail trade is just over 4 per cent in India, compared to 66 per cent in Japan, 20 per cent in China, 55 per cent in Malaysia and 30 per cent in Indonesia. On the APMC Act, IMG said it ought to be amended to enable farmers to bring their products to retail outlets and also allow retailers to directly purchase from farmers, without facing blockades by incumbent traders. It said the law had contributed to helping cartelisation and collusion among incumbent traders, and, therefore, there was a need to re-visit it. IMG was constituted in February 2011 and was given the task of studying and proposing policies pertaining to food article inflation and macro-economic demand management. The groups mandate is to look at the whole range of inflation policy issues, from distribution of foodgrains and vegetables to macro policies connected to fiscal and monetary matters.

India ranked 35th in the Global Talent Index

India stands 35 in the Global Talent Index Report: The Outlook to 2015, which ranked 60 countries according to their capacity to develop, attract and retain talent in 2011. The reportby the Economist Intelligence Unit and Heidrick & Strugglesplaces India in the same position for the year 2015 (projection). Indias rapid rise in job opportunities is offset by poor standard of mainstream education, says the report unveiled in May 2011. In contrast, the strengths of the USranked No. 1 in 2011 as well as 2015are the excellence of its universities, high quality of its workforce and a meritocratic environment. Denmark, Finland and Norway figure in top five in both 2011 and 2015, and Sweden joins them in 2015all thanks in part to their consistent and substantial investment in education right from the primary level. China seems to edge ahead of India by 2015, registering the largest score improvement, boosted by its increasing willingness to embrace foreign workers, a change in approach triggered in part by the impending decline of young indigenous workers entering the labour market.
th

India 32nd Rankings

in

World

Competitiveness

India slipped one rank, to 32nd position in overall competitiveness among 59 nations, according to the World Competitiveness Rankings, announced on May 18, 2011 by the International Institute for Management Development, Lausanne (Switzerland). The recovery of financial markets pushed the US and Hong Kong to first place, followed by last years topper, Singapore, which fell to third spot. In 2010, the US and Hong Kong ranked second and third, respectively. Sweden jumped to fourth, from sixth in 2010, and Germany came sixth, helped by buoyant exports. Indias neighbouring competitor, China, also slipped one th th rank, to 19 and Japan went up one rank to 26 slot. Sharply different trends were observed in Indias ranking in four major parameters. While the ranking relating to economic performance, government efficiency and

RBI disallows banks from giving loans against IDRs: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Mumbai May
26, 2011 asked banks not to extend loans against Indian

20 depository receipts (IDRs) issued by foreign companies. IDRs are rupee-dominated depository receipts issued by foreign companies to raise funds in India. These receipts are then listed on Indian stock exchanges. They are similar to American depository receipts (ADRs), through which Indian companies raise resources abroad. Foreign-based companies were allowed to issue IDRs through a domestic depository, after an amendment in the norms in 2006. So far, UK-based Standard Chartered is the only company to issue IDRs. According to the norms, the proceeds of the issue are to be deployed outside India by the companies issuing such instruments. will bear the image of Brihadeeswara Temple and the statue of King Raja Rajan 1 (with folded hands) of the Chola Dynasty, according to a release.

Indias forex reserves at $308.534 bn: The countrys foreign exchange reserves were $308.534 billion on May 20, 2011. Foreign currency assets were $277.202 billion, gold reserves were $23.790 bn, SDRs were $4.585 billion while the reserve position in the IMF was at $2.957 billion. RBI limits NBFC stake in insurance JVs to 50%:
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on May 28, 2011 clarified that a non-banking finance company (NBFC) together with its subsidiaries and group companies cannot hold more than 50 per cent stake in an insurance company. Earlier, the banking regulator had capped NBFCs stake in an insurance company at 50 per cent.

Indias real GDP growth at 8.8% in 2011-12 CMIE: Indias real GDP growth is expected to grow by 8.8%
in 2011-12 after having grown at 9% in 2010-11, the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE) said on May 22, 2011. The agricultural and allied sector is projected to grow by 3.3% in 2011-12, on top of the 5.4% growth estimated in 2010-11, said tha Mumbai based think-tank said in its monthly review. Growth and inflation would remain high in 2011-12. The industrial sector, including construction, is projected to grow by 9.4% during 2011-12, as compared to 8.5% estimated in 2010-11. The growth in industrial production will be driven by a rise consumption and investment demand. The growth in the services sector and its segments is projected to marginally moderate. The sector is projected to expand by 9.9% as compared to an estimated 10.2% in 2010-11. Private final consumption expenditure is projected to grow by a healthy 7.5% and gross fixed capital formation by 14.6% in 2011-12 in real terms.

New RBI guidelines call for 25% new branches in unbanked areas: The Reserve Bank on May 26, 2011
said it will soon release guidelines for implementing its proposal to locate at least a quarter of the new bank branches in the unbanked areas, which generally fall in the rural areas. In its annual monetary policy announcement on May 3, RBI had asked banks to open 25 per cent of their new branches in Tier-V and VI centres.

RBI eases CDS norms, gives banks 5 months to comply: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on May 24, 2011
relaxed the eligibility norms for using credit default swaps (CDS) on corporate bonds. CDS acts as an insurance for lenders in case a borrower defaults on a loan. The buyer of the cover against the loan makes regular premium payments to a counterparty, which assumes the risk in case of a default. The move is aimed at ensuring wider participation from banks. The capital adequacy requirement for banks has been reduced from 12 per cent to 11 per cent and the requirement of core capital has been brought down from 8 per cent to 7 per cent.

RBI eases overseas investment norms: In a move

that will give Indian companies more flexibility in managing international joint ventures (JVs) and wholly-owned subsidiaries, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on May 28, 2011 announced a change in its overseas direct investment guidelines. Indian companies will now be allowed to restructure balance sheets of their overseas JVs and wholly-owned subsidiaries. Listed companies will be allowed to write off 25 per cent capital, loans and other receivables such as royalty and management fee of their JVs and wholly-owned subsidiaries through the automatic route. Unlisted companies have also been allowed this write-off, but will have to seek permission. In case of JVs, the Indian promoters should own at least 51 per cent. Existing regulations allow restructuring of balance sheets only for winding-up of JVs and wholly-owned subsidiaries abroad.

Indian Bank records highest RoA among PSU banks: State-owned Indian Bank has fared better among
the PSU banks by recording highest returns on assets for the financial year ended March, 2011, according to an analysis of the annual results. The Chennai based lender clocked an Return on Assets (RoA) of 1.53 per cent for 2010-11, highest among 21 public sector banks. The lowest RoA was generated by Bank of Maharashtra at 0.47 per cent. RoA is an indicator of how profitable a company is relative to its total assets. It gives an idea of the efficiency of the management in using its assets to generate earnings.

RBI to release coin on 1,000 yrs of Brihadeeswara:

The Reserve Bank of India will shortly release into circulation Rs.5 coin on the theme 1000 years of Brihadeeswara Temple. The face of the coin will have the Ashoka Pillar Lion symbol in the centre with the legend Satyameva Jayate (in Hindi) inscribed below. The reverse

RBI asks banks to address ATM complaints within 7 days: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on May 24, 2011
asked banks to reimburse customers for amounts wrongfully debited from their accounts in failed automated teller

21 machine (ATM) transactions within seven days (from the earlier granted 12 days) of an account holders complaint, or pay a Rs. 100 per day compensation. An RBI notification said all customers are entitled to receive such compensation for delays only if a claim is lodged with the issuing bank within 30 days of the date of transaction. The directive comes into effect on July 1. Indias first rural bank ATM card launched: The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) is making fast progress with the rollout of the uniform national payment card and launched the first such card with a regional rural bank on May 23, 2011 in Varanasi. Indias first gramin bank ATM card was launched by NPCI for the Kashi Gomti Samyut Gramin Bank in association with Union Bank of India. The card, called RuPay Gramin Card, can be used by the Kashi Gramin Bank customers across any of the 87,000-odd ATM networks in the country. NPCI Managing Director and Chief Executive A P Hota claimed that this is the first gramin bank ATM card in India. Being sponsored by the Union Bank (as RRBs dont have permission from the RBI to make real time settlements), the RuPay Gramin Card will have the logos of the NPCI, Kashi Gramin Bank and the Union Bank. On May 14, NPCI had launched the first RuPay Card with the Maharashtra-based urban cooperative bank, Gopinath Patil Partik Janata Sahkari Bank.

Himachal is 1st state to sign agreement with World Bank under CDM: Himachal Pradesh on May 22, 2011
became the first state in the country to sign an agreement with the World Bank for securing carbon credits for its Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) project in 11 watershed divisions under Mid Himalayan Watershed Development Project. The project named Reforestation Project-Improving Livelihood and Watersheds being implemented in 177 panchayats in 11 watershed divisions was aimed at reforestation in watershed areas, improving livelihood, falling in these watershed, and generating carbon revenue for the community. The Emission reduction Purchase Agreement (EROA) for purchase of Certified Emission was signed by reductions (CER) by World Bank was signed by Hubert Nove Josserand, Deputy Country Director of World bank on behalf of International bank of Reconstruction and development and Sudripto Roy, additional Chief Secretary on behalf of Himachal government in the presence of Chief minister P K Dhumal.

More foreigners than Indians receive patents in the country: There are more foreigners than Indians receiving
patents in India, prompting the government to say much needs to be done to encourage more domestic innovations. The number of patents granted to Indian applicants has steadily decreased from a high of 41 per cent in 2002-03 to a low of 17 per cent in 2009-10, according to an Industry Ministry document released on May 22, 2011. The proportion of patents granted to Indians vis-a-vis foreigners showed a drastic drop from 28 per cent in 2009-10 to 17 per cent in 2010-11. In 2010-11, of the total 7,486 patents granted, Indians could claim only 1,272. On the other hand, foreigners walked away with 6,214 patents. Worldwide, Japan gave a maximum number of 1,93,449 patents in 2009 followed by the US (1,35,193), China (1,28,489). India granted only 6,168 patents during the year.

Employees with income below Rs. 5 lakh exempted from filing IT returns: Salaried taxpayers
with income below Rs.5 lakh a year and without any other source of income will be exempted from filing tax returns, Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee said on May 24, 2011. The new rule would apply for the 2011-12 assessment year for the income earned in 2010-11, and a notification would be issued soon. To provide salaried taxpayers with better services, the Income Tax Department introduced SAHAJ, a simple and user friendly form, this year. It also came out with SUGAM for small taxpayers who avail themselves of the presumptive tax scheme. 5.77 lakh villages have Village Public Telephones: The government on May 22, 2011 said that it has provided village public telephones in most of the villages in the country. Under Bharat Nirman, villages not having access to public telephones were to be provided with Village Public Telephones (VPTs). 5,77,671 villages, out of a total of 5,93,601 villages in the country, have been provided with VPTs, the UPA government said in its annual report card for the year 2010-11. The government also said that it has provided broadband connections to more than 97,500 villages under its target of connecting 2.5 lakh village panchayats by 2012. To enhance broadband connectivity in villages, the government said the Universal Service Obligation Fund proposes to launch a Wireless Broadband Scheme, wherein broadband coverage will be provided to about five lakh villages across the country.

Annual Conference of IT Commissioners organised: Finance Minister inaugurates the 27th Annual
Conference of Chief Commissioners and Directors General of Income Tax on May 24, 2011. Mukherjee said that for the Financial Year 2011-12, the Income-tax Department has been given a tax collections target of about Rs.5.33 lakh crores, which is at 20 per cent growth over the actual collections of the preceding year i.e. 2010-11. He said that th the 13 Finance Commission (2010-15) has projected direct tax revenue collection at Rs.8.3 lakh crore by 2014-15 and direct tax GDP ratio at 7.62 per cent. The Direct tax GDP ratio as of now is 5.66 per cent.

Gas prices should be market-driven Chawla Committee: The oil ministrys plan to make users of
domestic natural gas pay more so that costlier imported LNG finds buyers has been opposed by a high-level committee, headed by former finance secretary, Ashok

22 Chawla, saying prices should be market-determined. The high-level committee on allocation of natural resources, in its draft report unveiled on May 23, 2011, said that prices should be determined by a market-driven mechanism, with gas being eventually allocated to its most optimal use, based on the specific circumstance of each sector. The oil ministry is pushing for pooling or averaging out the price of domestic natural gas and imported LNG so that the high cost imported fuel contracted by Petronet LNG finds users. CCI penalises Multiplex owners: The Competition Commission of India (CCI) on May 25, 2011 imposed a penalty of Rs one lakh each on 27 film producers on charges of colluding through a cartel to exploit theatre owners. The CCI imposed the fine on filmmakers after having found them guilty of entering into anti-competitive agreement. The issue pertains to the strike in 2009 by film producers who decided not to screen their movies in multiplexes over payment matters. They have been found having violated section 3 and 4 of the Competition Act 2002, which pertains to anti-competitive agreement and abuse of dominant position. In 2009, the Multiplex Owners Association had filed a complaint against the United Producers and Distributors Forum, the Association of Motion Pictures, the TV Programme Producers and Film and TV Producers Guild of India, among others.

Global accounting body calls for full IFRS adoption in India: The International Accounting
Standards Board (IASB) has requested the government to adopt the global accounting standards IFRS (International Financial Reporting Standards) in toto or at least allow companies to voluntarily do so and not go ahead with the convergence approach. The IFRS also wants India to get more actively involved in the global standard-setting process (on accounting).

McKinsey unveils Internet matters: Internet matters: The Nets sweeping impact on growth, jobs, and prosperity, a report produced by the McKinsey Global Institute (MGI) and McKinseys Technology, Media and Telecommunications practice states that internets contribution to Indias GDP in 2009 at 3.2 per cent is higher than China. Internets contribution to the GDP of China in 2009 was 2.6 per cent, says the study unveiled on May 26, 2011. Considering usage of the internet has a direct link to growth, the study recommends policy makers and businesses to consider pushing for increased internet usage, strengthening supply ecosystems, and opening public-private dialogue. M.D. Mallya elected Chairman of IBA: The Managing
Committee of the Indian Banks Association has elected M. D. Mallya, Chairman and Managing Director, Bank of Baroda, as the Chairman, IBA, for the 2011-12 term on May 21, 2011. The committee also elected Aditya Puri, MD, HDFC Bank, K. R. Kamath, CMD, Punjab National Bank and Rana Kapoor, MD and CEO, Yes Bank, as Deputy Chairmen. Pratip Chaudhuri, Chairman, State Bank of India, has been elected as the Honorary Secretary of the Association.

Duty-free apparel import quota from Bangladesh increased: The government on May 27, 2011 increased
the duty-free import quota for garments from Bangladesh by two million pieces to 10 million. India provides duty exemption on apparels imported into the country from Bangladesh under South Asian Free Trade Area (SAFTA) agreement.

Sanovi wins recovery management contract for UID: Bangalore-based Disaster Recovery management
(DRM) software provider Sanovi Technologies Pvt Ltd, on May 25, 2011 announced that it has won the recovery management contract for Indias Unique Identification (UID) project Aadhaar. Sanovi would provide DRM software that combines monitoring, reporting, testing and drill automation capabilities for this data-intensive UID project.

OECD projects global GDP growth for 2011 at 4.2%: The global economy is projected to expand by 4.2
per cent this year, but rising oil and commodity prices and European debt crisis could hurt the overall recovery, according to Paris-based think-tank OECD. The expected growth of the world economy is much lower than the 4.9 per cent rate achieved in 2010. In its semi-annual economic outlook released in London on May 25, 2011, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) said the global recovery is becoming self-sustained and more broad-based. OECD is a grouping of 34 developed and developing nations that account for over 60 per cent of global economic output.

K Mehrotra appointed LICs interim chairman: Uncertainty continued to loom over the appointment of the chairman of Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) of India, the countrys largest life insurance company. Dinesh Kumar Mehrotra, one of LICs managing directors was on May 27, 2011 appointed interim chairman for a period of three months or till further orders, whichever is earlier. The uncertainty over LICs top job arose when former chairman TS Vijayan was denied an extension after his term came to an end on May 2. He was then appointed a managing director, a post he held before being elevated to the post of chairman in 2006. In 2010-11, LIC accounted for Rs 86,445 crore of the of Rs 125,826 crore collected by the industry, by selling new policies. LIC is also the largest institutional investor in the country, managing assets worth more than Rs 12 lakh crore. Rajiv Kumar is new FICCI Secretary General: Rajiv Kumar, a well-known economist, was on May 23, 2011 appointed as the FICCI Secretary General, a post vacated

23 by Amit Mitra who has joined the Mamata Banerjee government in West Bengal as Finance Minister. Kumar, 59, has been the Director General of the 84-year old countrys leading chamber since October, 2010 and prior to that he was Director and Chief Executive of an economic think-tank, the Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations (ICRIER). Harsh Mariwala is President of FICCI.

24

Section E: SPORTS
body FIFA has provisionally suspended executive committee members Mohamed Bin Hammam and FIFA vice-president Jack Warner after a meeting of its ethics committee on May 29, 2011. FIFA will now open a full investigation into allegations that financial incentives were offered to members of the Caribbean Football Union (CFU). The payments were allegedly made to secure votes for Bin Hammam in his campaign for the presidency. Bin Hammam was the only candidate due to oppose Blatter in the forthcoming election for the FIFA presidency but withdrew from the contest after his suspension was announced.

FIFA suspends Presidential Hammam: Footballs governing

candidate

Bin

62 was conferred with the BCCIs Col. C K Nayudu Lifetime Achievement Award on May 31, 2011. The 76-yearold cricketer played for India in the 1960s and 70s. The honour comprises a trophy and a cheque for Rs 15 lakh. Born in 1934 in Kabul, Afghanistan, Durani was an aggressive left-handed batsman, and an outstanding leftarm spinner. He was part of Indias first Test series triumph over England, in 1961-62. India won the last two Tests of the five-match series, after the first three were drawn. Durani had match figures of 8-113 in the fourth Test at Kolkata, and 10-177 in the fifth at Chennai.

Bengal enter Santosh Trophy final: Defending

champions Bengal on May 27, 2011 beat Railways by a solitary goal to set up a summit clash against Manipur in the th 65 Senior National Football Championship for the Santosh Trophy at Guwahati. In the second semi-final played under floodlights at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Bengal striker th Budhiram Tudu struck in the 39 minute to ensure his teams entry into the final. Bengal, who have won the Santosh Trophy 30 times earlier, will take on Manipur which beat Services 1-0 from a late penalty in the extra-time in the first semi-final on May 26. L. Thoiba Singh scored the goal th for Manipur in the 117 minute.

BPCL wins Aga Khan Hockey: Bangalore-based Bharat Petroleum Corporation lifted the revived Aga Khan Hockey Championship when they drubbed Oil and Natural Gas Corporation, Delhi 4-1 in a lop-sided final at the Bombay Gymkhana turf on May 21, 2011. Shooter Vijay Kumar wins silver and Olympic quota: Vijay Kumar clinched the silver medal and the
Olympic quota place in the 25-metre rapid fire pistol event in the shooting World Cup in Fort Benning, US, on May 21, 2011. The 25-year-old Himachal lad, a Subedar with the army, lost the final shoot-off 1-4 in a dramatic anti-climax to Christian Reitz of Germany, after having caught up with him with a perfect round in the last series. Vijay became the seventh Indian shooter, after Gagan Narang, Hariom Singh, Sanjeev Rajput, Ronjan Sodhi, Annuraj Singh and Rahi Sarnobat to clinch an Olympic quota for the London 2012 Games

Salim Durani conferred Col. C K Nayudu Award:

Former all-rounder Salim Durani considered the architect of Indias maiden Test series triumph over England in 1961-

RECENT BOOKS Beyond Mechanical Markets: Asset Price Swings, Risk and the Role of the State by Roman Frydman and Michael Goldberg The Constitution Of Liberty: The Definitive Edition (The Collected Works of F A Hayek, Volume XVII) edited by Ronald Hamowy MUSIC: R. D. Burman: The Man, The Music by Anuradha Bhattacharjee & Balaji Vittal Anna Hazare: The Face of Indias Fight Against Corruption by Pradeep Thakur and Pooja Rana Mafia Queens Of Mumbai: Stories Of Women From The Ganglands by S Hussain Zaidi with Jane Borges Towards the True Kinship of Faiths by Dalai Lama Urban Issues and Environmental Challenges by Hafiza Golandaz Religion Caste and Politics in India by Christophe Jaffrelot My Days in Sri Lanka by Lakhan Mehrotra Internal Conflicts in Myanmar - Transnational Consequences by (edited) VR Raghavan She - A Woman from India by Sangeeta Goel Nehrus Kashmir by Sati Sahni Humanitarian Intervention: A History by Brendan Simms and D.J.B. Trim Law & Sports in India Development Issues and Challenges by Mukul Mudgal Indias White Revolution Operation Flood, Food Aid and Development by Bruce A. Scholten Religion, Tradition and Ideology - Pre-colonial South India by R Champakalakshmi Journeys to Foreign Selves - Asians and Asian Americans in a Global Era by Alan Ronald Hinduism and Law: An Introduction by Trimothy Lubin, Donald R Davis Jr

Weekly Current Affairs update

For the Week: May 29 to June 4, 2011

Major news of the week

Section A: INDIA
NAC calls for single land acquisition, rehabilitation legislation German Chancellor Angela Merkel visits India India, Pakistan agree to continue talks on Siachen National Rural Livelihood Mission launched Janani-Shishu Suraksha Karyakram (JSSK) launched Phase-I of Rajiv Awas Yojana approved BPL families to get Rs 1,000 more for toilet facilities Civil society demands inclusion of PM under Lokpal Council of National Security Research and Studies to be set up Home Ministry lays down norms for phone tapping World Bank approves $1 bn loan for Ganga Project NIC, CSIR to set up Cluster Innovation Centres CM Yeddyurappa wins trust vote in Karnataka Coast Guard Academy to come up at Kannur Central Command to set up training centre in Chhattisgarh IAF inducts indigenous radar Arudhra New Talwar class frigate launched New batch of MiG-29Ks inducted into IAF North East Biodiversity Gallery inaugurated North East Cultural Centre to come up in Delhi Govt. sets up committee to check food wastage Govt approves scheme to fast-track Solar Mission Chenab rail-bridge to be worlds highest Maharashtra increases minimum age for liquor consumption New building of Tibetan cabinet in-exile inaugurated India, Afghanistan sign MoU on statistics National Animal Disease Reporting System launched New warnings on tobacco packs from December 1 World Anti-Tobacco Day observed Court stays release of book on Radia Oxfam launches GROW campaign in India Tenure of NATGRID CEO extended Biman Bandopadhyay elected Bengal Speaker G Karthikeyan elected Speaker of Kerala Assembly N. Ram conferred honorary degree by UK University Premlata is oldest Indian woman to scale Mt. Everest Lt. General HL Kakria takes over as DGAFMS Rajat Moona is C-DAC Director General Atul Khare is Asst. Sec-Gen at UN Peacekeeping Operations Afghanistan Defence Minister visits India Ex- Haryana CM Bhajan Lal passes away BJP expels J&K leader Chaman Lal Gupta Space shuttle Endeavour returns Iranian books added to UNESCOs World Register WHO says mobile radiation is cancerous Gen Dempsey to take over as next US military chief Obama appoints Bryson as new Commerce Secretary South African President Zuma meets Qadhafi Dalai Lama formally relinquishes political role Indian student wins US Spelling Bee contest Pak journalist Shahzad found dead

Section C: AWARDS
Defence Minister confers DRDO Awards 14th Mahaveer awards conferred Tendulkar wins Polly Umrigar award at BCCI awards

Section D: ECONOMY & CORPORATE

Revised estimates of national income for 2010-11 released CBDTs Directorate of Income Tax to investigate offences CBDT committee set up to curb black money NCEAR, NIPFP & NIFM to quantify black money PMEAC asks govt. to reconsider ethanol blending plan DoT unveils new security rules for foreign telecom equipment Fiscal deficit at 4.68% of GDP in 2010-11 PMO to handle Railway projects above Rs 100 crore NPS equity investment cap to remain at 50% PFRDA Nano-Manufacturing Tech Centre to come up at Bengaluru National Legal E-Library to be launched on Aug 15 FDI in services at USD 3.4 bn in 2010-11 Agriculture & allied sectors grow 6.6% in 2010-11 India Inc confidence down in April-June CII India Economic Summit to be shifted to Mumbai Duty-free access to Afghan exports allowed SEBI launches SCORES India has 190,000 millionaire households BCG IDFC, Khazanah JV to develop road projects Bosch Group to set up research centre at IISc Prakash Bakshi appointed NABARD Chairman Prakash Chandra takes over as Chairman of CBDT Sunil Mitra appointed Finanace Secretary

Section E: SPORTS
Chennai Super Kings win IPL 2011 Blatter re-elected FIFA President China retains Sudirman Cup Barcelona wins Champions League Salgaocar crowned I-League champion Bengal retains Santosh Trophy Vettel wins Monaco Grand Prix Gelfand wins right to challenge Anand Nadal enters French Open final

Section B: WORLD
Parties extend Constituent Assembly term in Nepal Germany to shut nuclear reactors by 2022 NATO extends Libya mission by 90 days UN condemns Sudans takeover of disputed Abyei Asia Security Summit organised Rainforest basin countries to jointly tackle deforestation Iraq is worst in the world on CPJ Impunity Index

Section A: INDIA
NAC calls for single legislation for land acquisition & rehabilitation
The National Advisory Council (NAC) on May 25, 2011 suggested that no private sector company should be allowed to buy land directly if more than 400 families are going to be displaced by its project. It also favoured a single legislation for both land acquisition and rehabilitation of the displaced. A Bill drafted in 2007 envisaged 30 per cent land for industrial projects if contiguity was a stumbling block being acquired by the state government. KEY PROPOSALS Single law for acquisition and rehabilitation Private sector companies should not be allowed to buy directly if more than 400 families are going to be displaced The compensation should be six times the registered sale deed value When govt. should be involved: The NAC says its recommendations would make the process of acquiring land more transparent. Where the acquisition affects less than 400 households, industry has a choice. Either it can buy directly from farmers or it can request the state government. If it requests the state government, it must pay the entire package. But for large projects affecting more than 400 households, industry should come to the government, said NAC. Industry will have to bear the entire cost of not only the land acquisition but also rehabilitation and resettlement. Single Law for both acquisition and rehabilitation: The UPA government has envisaged two legislations - the Land Acquisition (Amendment) Bill 2009 and the Resettlement and Rehabilitation Bill, 2009. These are likely to be placed before Parliament in the monsoon session. However, NAC has proposed modifications. The new Bill will be called the National Development, Land Acquisition, Resettlement and Rehabilitation Act. It will have several important features. Compensation: NAC also recommended that farmers must get six times the registered value of the land as compensation. If the land is resold, the farmer will get 25 per cent of the difference. This will apply to government land as well. The oustees will have the choice of getting compensation either in lump sum or annuities, according to the Bill. At least one person from each ousted family will be entitled to a job in the enterprise that comes up on their land. Purpose: NAC also said that acquisition should be permitted only for public purposes. This will be defined as acquisition necessary for strategic and infrastructural purposes, and for social services like education and health care. This means that the purpose for which land may be acquired has been narrowed. The 2007 version said land could be acquired for any purpose useful to the general public if 70 per cent of the land has been purchased from willing sellers through the free market. National Commission for Land Acquisition: The compensation policy has been made more stringent. If the land belongs to those whose livelihood depends on it tribals, tendu leaf collectors, fisherfolk, etc they will be entitled to a grant amounting to 10 days of minimum wages per month for 33 years. NAC said a National Commission for Land Acquisition, Resettlement and Rehabilitation (NCLRR) should be set up. It should have powers to supervise and exercise oversight over land acquisition, resettlement and rehabilitation. Urban land for street vendors: NAC also suggested that two per cent urban land be reserved for street vendors. It also recommended a body to guard the rights of street vendors.

DISSECTING THE LAND ACQUISITION ACTS

A. PUBLIC PURPOSE Land Acquisition Act, 1894: The word public purpose, as defined in the Act, refers to the acquisition of land for putting up of educational institutions or schemes such as housing, health or slum clearance, apart from the projects for rural planning or formation of sites. Land Acquisition (Amendment) Bill, 2007: The Bill redefines public purpose as land acquired for defence purposes, infrastructure projects or for any project useful to the general public where 70 per cent of the land has already been purchased. NACs recommendations: NAC defines public purpose as acquisition necessary for strategic and infrastructural purposes and for social services such as education and health care. B. LIMIT ON ACQUISITION Land Acquisition Act, 1894: There is no limit on the amount of acquisition under this law. Private land can be acquired on behalf of a company for public purpose project. Land Acquisition (Amendment) Bill, 2007: At least 70 per cent of the land should be purchased from willing sellers through free market. The Bill bars acquisition for companies except under the 70 per cent condition. NACs recommendations: No decision has been taken on acquisition of land for private purposes. For public purpose,

3 industry can procure land directly from farmers if less than 400 families stand to lose their land. C. COMPENSATION Land Acquisition Act, 1894: Compensation to be determined on the basis of the market value of the land as on the date of preliminary notification. If there is a delay in payment of compensation beyond one year from the date on which possession is taken, interest at the rate of 15 per cent per annum shall be payable. Land Acquisition (Amendment) Bill, 2007: While determining compensation, the intended use of land and value of such land in the current market is to be considered. When acquired land is resold, the original acquirer is to distribute 80 per cent of the capital gains to the original owners or their heirs. Companies have to offer part of compensation as shares or debentures. Acquisition costs will include payment for loss or damages to land, and costs related to resettlement of displaced residents. NACs recommendations: Compensation for those who lose land will be six times the registered sale deed value, including solatium. The assignees of government land will also be entitled to the same compensation. Not only those who lose land but also those who lose livelihoods should be compensated. These include agricultural workers, artisans, fisher-folk and forest-gatherers. They would be entitled to a grant amounting to 10 days of minimum wages per month for 33 years. At least one person from affected family will be given first preference in available employment in commercial projects, in conformity with their skills. D. REDRESSAL Land Acquisition Act, 1894: Objections to the acquisition are invited within 30 days from the date of acquisition. The collector after hearing the objections will submit his report to the government who will finally declare the land for acquisition under the Section 6 of the Act. Any person interested to whom the award is not satisfactory can submit a written application to the court. This application should be made within six weeks from the date of declaration of the award. Land Acquisition (Amendment) Bill, 2007: The Bill establishes the Land Acquisition Compensation Disputes Settlement Authority at the state and central levels to adjudicate disputes resulting from land acquisition proceedings. The Bill bars the jurisdiction of civil courts on all matters related to land acquisition. NACs recommendations: Recommends establishing a National Commission for Land Acquisition, Resettlement and Rehabilitation (NCLRR), with powers to supervise, and exercise oversight over land acquisition, resettlement and rehabilitation. Penal fines are to be imposed by NCLRR based on responsibility fixed by state government by issuing job-charts E. URGENCY CLAUSE Land Acquisition Act, 1894: Section 17 of the Act gives powers to the Collector to take over land for public purpose in case of urgency. Sub-section 5 gives power to do so without hearing objections of land owners. The Act doesnt define urgency in unequivocal terms. Land Acquisition (Amendment) Bill, 2007: The Bill makes special provisions for compensation if land is acquired under urgency. The term urgency is not defined. NACs recommendations: Recommends that the urgency clause shall not be used, unless it for national security and defence purposes

UP announces new land acquisition policy: Uttar

Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati on June 2, 2011 announced a new land acquisition policy under which the government will play the role of a facilitator. Private companies needing land for projects will have to acquire it directly from farmers through mutual agreement. The agreement for land acquisition can be finalized only after the consent of 70% of farmers of the village or area in question. The CM, however, clarified that the policy wont be implemented in areas where land has already been acquired and compensation distributed to farmers. So, Bhatta-Parsaul and Tappal will be out of its ambit. The state government would compensate farmers for damages to their property in the recent clashes in Bhatta and Parsaul villages in Greater Noida. As for compensation, farmers will have the option either to take it one go from the developer or take 16% of the total land from them in developed form along with Rs 23,000 annual annuity per acre for 33 years. Farmers who wish to forgo annuity will be entitled to a rehabilitation grant at the rate of Rs.2.76 lakh per acre.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel visits India

German Chancellor Angela Merkel came on a one-day visit to New Delhi on May 31, 2011 and held wide-ranging talks on bilateral, regional and international issues of mutual interest with the Indian leadership. The German Chancellor initiated the first inter-governmental dialogue with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. These were the first intergovernmental consultations between India and Germany at th the cabinet level. The visit also marked the 60 anniversary of establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries and the launch of the Year of Germany in India. Four agreements for cooperation in vocational education, medical research and science and technology were signed during the visit.

4 UNSC membership & Libya: A divergence of views between the two sides was evident on political issues, especially on the pace of expansion of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) and the bombing of Libya. Both Germany and India, part of the G-4 grouping along with Japan and Brazil, are pushing for their inclusion in an expanded UNSC, but their divergent views came to the fore. Germany is inclined to opt for an interim solution in which some of the countries are accommodated without veto rights. A final resolution could take place a decade later. On the other hand, India, along with Brazil, wants to settle the issue once and for all. It has already received endorsements from 80 developing countries and is aiming to add 20 more by the time the U.N. General Assembly convenes in September. On Libya, while India wants an immediate ceasefire, Germany wants a regime change. M-MRCA & investment policy: India assured Germany a transparent selection process for a multi-billion dollar tender for the Medium Weight-Multi Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) aircraft and a stable investment policy. This was in response to the German pitch for the Eurofighter Typhoon and higher foreign investment limit in sectors such as insurance. India also promised to look into intellectual property issues of concern to German companies. Defence Minister A K Antony also held talks with his German counterpart Thomas de Maizere and explored ways to enhance defence cooperation. Science & Technology India and Germany signed agreements in vocational training, science and technology and research to encourage greater exchanges in areas such as biotechnology, nanotechnology and material sciences. Kolkata-based Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics (SINP) signed an agreement with Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron (DESY) that will allow researchers in India access to PETRA III, the worlds best high energy synchrotron light source, and also help institute authorities in the setting up of a similar facility in India . PETRA III in Hamburg, Germany is one of only four third-generation synchrotrons in the world. Other MoUs were signed between University of Hyderabad and Westfalesche Wilhelms University of Germany and IIT, Mandi and the University of Stuttgart in the presence of Union HRD Minister Kapil Sibal and the German Federal Minister of Education & Research, Dr. Annette Schavan. The Union Labour Minister Mallikarjun Kharge and German Minister Annette Schavan signed an MoU on Cooperation in the Field of Vocational Education and Training. Award: Merkel was conferred with the Jawaharlal Nehru Award for International Understanding for the year 2009 at the Rashtrapati Bhavan by President Pratibha Patil. India and Pakistan on May 31, 2011 agreed to continue discussions to demilitarise Siachen glacier, where ceasefire has held good for the last eight years. Both sides presented their respective points of view and suggestions to resolve the outstanding issue. Describing the 12th round of talks on the issue as having been held in a frank and cordial atmosphere, a joint statement at the end of the two-day parleys in New Delhi said that it contributed to an enhanced understanding of each others position on Siachen. They also acknowledged that the ceasefire was holding since November 2003. Both sides presented their positions and suggestions towards the resolution of Siachen. Defence Secretary Pradeep Kumar led the Indian delegation while his Pakistan counterpart Lt. Gen. (Retd.) Syed Athar Ali headed the delegation from the other side. The Pakistan side presented a non-paper (unofficial paper) on Siachen. While the Pakistan side sought to push for demilitarising the glacier, described as the highest battleground in the world, India had conveyed that Islamabad needed to dismantle the terror camps operating on its soil. Among the issues that remained to be sorted out, the sources said, were modalities to authenticate the 110-km Actual Ground Position Line (AGPL) in the Saltro-RidgeSiachen region. The Indian Army holds a dominant position on the ridge. The modalities for the AGPL authentication remains the main bone of contention. After the 1999 Kargil incursion experience and in the backdrop of Chinese presence in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, India does not want to vacate the heights because if Pakistani troops occupy them, it will be next to impossible to dislodge them.

National Rural Livelihood Mission launched

National Rural Livelihoods Mission (NRLM), one of the major new initiatives under the Ministry of Rural Development to bring the poorest of the poor above the poverty line by ensuring viable livelihood opportunities to them was launched by the UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi at a function in Banswara, Rajasthan on June 3, 2011. The Mission aims to ensure that at least one member from each identified rural poor household, preferably a woman, is brought under the Self Help Group (SHG) network in a time bound manner. NRLM would reach out, mobilize and support 7 Crore BPL households across 600 districts, 6000 blocks, 2.5 lakh Gram Panchayats, in 6 lakh villages across the country into their self-managed Self Help Groups (SHGs) and their federal institutions and livelihoods collectives. It would support them financially and institutionally in their efforts to get them out of poverty. The poor would be helped to achieve increased access to their rights, entitlements and public services, diversified risk and better social indicators of empowerment

India, Pakistan agree to continue talks on Siachen

5 NRLM has been mandated to ensure adequate coverage of vulnerable sections of the society such that 50% of the beneficiaries are SC/STs, 15% are minorities and 3% are persons with disability, while keeping in view the ultimate target of 100% coverage of BPL families. A unique feature of the new initiative is that it would be led by the poor themselves. NRLM would utilize the services of Community Resource Persons (CRPs) women who have themselves come out of poverty through being a part of the Self Help Group. They will spread the concept of NRLM from one village to another and from one district to another making NRLM a peoples movement. NRLM is based on large scale successes in states such as Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Bihar and Madhya Pradesh where social mobilization and building strong institutions of the poor have led to significant reduction in poverty and empowerment of the poor. It will be a demand driven approach and the states will have the flexibility to develop their own action plans based on their local requirements and availability of resources. The role of Banks will be of prime importance under NRLM as a source of credit for the poor at reasonable rates. NRLM will focus on getting banks to lend to the poor by making them bankable clients through smart use of subsidy. NRLM will focus on women for reaching out to the whole family. There will be a special focus on vulnerable sections: scheduled tribes, scheduled castes, minorities, women headed families, etc. The second focus of NRLM would be rural youth of the country who are unemployed. They will be supported through placement linked skill development projects through which their skills will be upgraded through short term training courses in sectors which have high demand for services. JSSK supplements the cash assistance given to a pregnant woman under Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY) and is aimed at mitigating the burden of out of pocket expenses incurred by pregnant women and sick newborns. Besides it would be a major factor in enhancing access to public health institutions and help bring down the Maternal Mortality and Infant mortality rates. Presently it is noted that, out of pocket expenses and user charges for transport, admission, diagnostic tests, medicines and consumables, caesarean operation are being incurred by pregnant women and their families even in the case of institutional deliveries. The Free Entitlements under JSSK would include: free and cashless delivery, free C-section, free treatment of sicknew-born up to 30 days, exemption from user charges, free drugs and consumables, free diagnostics, free diet during stay in the health institutions (3 days in case of normal delivery and 7 days in case of caesarean section), free provision of blood, free transport from home to health institutions, free transport between facilities in case of referral as also drop back from institutions to home after 48hours stay. Union Health and Family Welfare Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad stated that the number of institutional deliveries, a key determinant of maternal mortality, has increased from seven lakhs (2005-06) to more than a crore (2010-11).

Phase-I of Rajiv Awas Yojana approved

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs on June 2, 2011 approved the launch of the Phase-I of Rajiv Awas Yojana (RAY) to provide financial assistance to States that are willing to assign property rights to slum dwellers for provision of shelter and basic civic and social services for slum redevelopment, and for creation of affordable housing. The scheme is expected to cover about 250 cities, mostly with population of more than one lakh, across the entire th country by the end of 12 Plan (2017). The scheme will progress at the pace set by the States. The Central Government will bear 50% of the costs of slum redevelopment. Existing schemes such as Affordable Housing in Partnership and Interest Subsidy Scheme for Housing the Urban Poor have been dovetailed into RAY. To encourage private sector participation in slum redevelopment, Central government assistance can be used by the states and cities towards viability gap funding. Credit enablement of the urban poor and the flow of institutional finance for affordable housing is an important component of the scheme. The Government has agreed to establish a Mortgage Risk Guarantee Fund to facilitate lending to the urban poor for housing purposes with an initial corpus of Rs.1000 crore.

Janani-Shishu Suraksha Karyakram (JSSK) launched

The UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi on June 1, 2011 launched Janani-Shishu Suraksha Karyakram (JSSK), a national initiative of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare for providing better facilities for women and child health services at Mandi Khera, District Mewat in Haryana. The new initiative of JSSK would provide completely free and cashless services to pregnant women including normal deliveries and caesarean operations and sick new born (up to 30 days after birth) in Government health institutions in both rural and urban areas. The new JSSK initiative is estimated to benefit more than one crore pregnant women & newborns who access public health institutions every year in both urban & rural areas.

6 This scheme has been designed on the basis of experience of the Jawaharlal National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) sub-mission of Basic Services to the Urban Poor (BSUP) and the Integrated Housing and Urban Development Programme (IHSDP). Under these schemes, Government had sought to take action for inclusive urban growth by enabling the redevelopment of slums with basic amenities and decent housing with security of tenure. The foundation laid by the JNNURM is now being built upon by aiming at creation of a Slum-Free India through assignment of Property Rights to slum dwellers with greater inflow of additional Central assistance for slum redevelopment and creation of new affordable housing stock. The government and the Anna Hazare-led civil society team on the Lokpal Bill joint drafting committee are on a collision course over inclusion of the Prime Minister and the higher judiciary, and the actions of MPs inside Parliament within the purview of the proposed legislation. With the government rejecting the demand to bring the Prime Minister and higher judiciary within the purview of the Lokpal Bill, and have the actions of MPs inside Parliament subject to the Lokpals scrutiny, civil society representatives are now virtually threatening to hit the streets once again. The Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs, meanwhile, met on May 30, 2011 to review the governments strategy in view of the proposed fast-unto death by yoga guru Baba Ramdev on corruption and black money-related issues starting June 4. The civil society members later issued a two-page note listing the demands which had been raised and the governments rejection of them. The note accused the government of being hostile and showing an immensely negative attitude to the suggestions, the note said, quoting Justice Santosh Hegde, one of the civil society members.

BPL families to get Rs 1,000 more for toilet facilities

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs on June 2, 2011 approved the upward revision in the incentive amount to a Below Poverty Line (BPL) household for construction of one unit of Individual Household Latrine (IHHL) from existing Rs.2200 (Rs 2700 for difficult and hilly areas) to Rs 3200 (Rs 3700 for difficult and hilly areas). The central share out of this shall be Rs 2200 (Rs 2700 in case of hilly and difficult areas) and State Government share shall be Rs 1000. Minimum beneficiary share shall be Rs. 300. The date of implementation for the revised rates of the incentives would be with effect from 01.06.2011. The increase in incentive amount is expected to have an additional financial implication to the tune of Rs 1348.26 crore approximately on the Central Government. The State Governments together shall also have to bear an additional financial expenditure of Rs 577 crore approximately. The revision in the incentive amount being provided to individual households below poverty line is expected to accelerate the pace of construction of these toilets thereby resulting in better sanitation coverage in rural areas of the country. It is expected that all rural households shall have access to sanitation facilities by March 2015. Background: Improved sanitation and safe drinking water are the most important elements for improvement in the health conditions of the rural population their development and welfare. Under the centrally sponsored Total Sanitation Campaign (TSC) launched by the Government of India, the main focus has been given on enabling each and every rural household in getting access to improved sanitation through individual household latrines. The Government has so far motivated 7.14 crore rural households to create sanitation facilities which includes incentives to 3.85 crore BPL households.

Defence experts suggest establishment of Council of National Security Research and Studies
A committee of defence experts has suggested setting up a Council of National Security Research and Studies on the lines of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) to promote and coordinate defence and strategic studies in the country in its report submitted in May 2011. The expert committee, set up by Union HRD Minister Kapil Sibal, to make suggestions on developing scholarship in the field of studies relating to national security interests, has recommended setting up autonomous Centres of National Security Studies on the pattern of the Defence Ministryfunded Institute of Defence Studies and Analysis (IDSA). These would be funded directly by the HRD Ministry and will aim to attract young, bright scholars to undertake policy related future-oriented research through award of fellowships. Appointment of National Research Professors in the field of national security and related social science fields has also been recommended. The committee, which was also asked to review programmes for Defence and Strategic studies in the university system, was headed by Air Commodore (Retd.) Jasjit Singh, Director of the Centre for Air Power Studies and former Director, IDSA; Dr. Sanjay Baru, Editor-in-Chief, Business Standard; Prof. Satish Kumar, Editor, National Security Annual Review; Prof. Gopal Malviya, Head, Department of Defence and Strategic Studies, Madras University; Prof. M.N. Verma, Head, Department of Defence

Civil society demands inclusion of PM under Lokpal Bill ambit

7 and Strategic Studies, Allahabad University; as Members and Prof. Ved Prakash, Vice-Chairman, University Grants Commission, as Member Convener. Knowledge Centre to act as a repository of knowledge relevant for the conservation of the Ganga. The project will also help strengthen the Central and State Pollution Control Boards for monitoring the pollution in the Ganga better by modernising their information systems and providing staff training. The project will also finance the upgradation of the Ganga water quality monitoring system, as well as carry out an inventory of all the sources of pollution that affect water quality in the Ganga. While NGRBA will fund investments (in sewage treatment plants, sewer networks and the like) that are critical for reducing pollution in the Ganga, it is the cities and municipalities that will have to be responsible for managing and maintaining them in the long run. The project will help build the capacity of city-level service providers responsible for running these assets and also modernise their systems for doing so. One of the reasons why earlier efforts to clean the Ganga did not take root was the lack of public participation. The project will help the NGRBA devise and implement communications programmes to encourage people to participate in the clean-up programme.

Govt. lays down norms for phone tapping

The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has asked all state governments to make available lists of authorised phone taps by them every month. It also directed the states to destroy call records within 48 hours if permission is not given by the competent authority within three days. At a meeting of state chief secretaries and DGPs in New Delhi on May 31, 2011, the MHA also shared its revised list of standard operating procedures (SOPs) for wire tapping with the states. Many DGPs and heads of state intelligence wings opposed the suggestion, saying that in many cases, there was a need to preserve interception records or keep a phone on surveillance even when the required clearances do not reach them within the stipulated period or at times are not given by the competent authority. The MHA had recently agreed to allow the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) to seek tapping of phones of suspects. A committee of secretaries headed by Cabinet Secretary K M Chandrasekhar had sometime back suggested that the CBDT should not have the power to tap telephones. As per the new SOPs, while the power to authorise phone tapping would continue to rest with the state home secretaries, the list of authorised telephone interceptions sent by the states would be tallied with the records given by the telecom service providers to the Department of Telecom in order to detect misuse of tapping or illegal tapping. So far, the states are not bound to make any disclosure about tapping being done by state-level agencies.

National Innovation Council, CSIR to set up Cluster Innovation Centres

The National Innovation Council (NInC) and the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) on June 1, 2011 announced a partnership to jointly promote Cluster Innovation Centres as part of NInCs Industry and University Innovation Clusters initiative by joining forces with the CSIR-800 initiative of CSIR and Technopreneur Promotion Program (TePP) of DSIR (Department of Scientific and Industrial Research). The partnership was jointly signed by the NInC Chairman and Adviser to the Prime Minister on Public Information Infrastructure and Innovations, Sam Pitroda and Prof. Samir Brahmachari, Chairman CSIR, who is also the Secretary to the Government of India, DSIR. A cluster is a geographic grouping of institutions/firms in one industry which galvanises and strengthens the competitive advantage of that industry. The innovation activities in the clusters identified by NInC would be focussed around Cluster Innovation Centres (CICs). The President of India had declared 2010-2020 as the Decade of Innovation. NInC has been set up to prepare a Roadmap for Innovations 2010-2020 with a focus on inclusive growth. One of the key initiatives of NInC is to facilitate, promote, stimulate and strengthen innovation ecosystems across the country by creation of local Industry and University Innovation Clusters.

WB approves $1 bn loan for Ganga Project

The World Bank has approved $1 billion as credit and loan to support Indias efforts to clean up the Ganga River. The sprawling river basin accounts for a fourth of the countrys water resources and is home to more than 400 million people. The $1.556 billion National Ganga River Basin Project with $1 billion in financing from the World Bank group, including $199 million interest-free credit and $801 million low-interest loan, was approved by the Banks board of executive directors in May 2011 and will be implemented over eight years. The project will support the National Ganga River Basin Authority (NGRBA) in building institutions for managing the long term Ganga clean-up and conservation programme. Apart from dedicated operationallevel institutions at the Central and State levels, the Project will help the NGRBA to set up a state-of-the-art Ganga

8 CSIR with its 37 laboratories, 3 units, 39 extension centres and its over 4500 scientists will provide human capital and know-how input to CICs. CSIRs involvement will also involve sharing their knowledge base and programs to boost the CICs, while CSIR will get new opportunities for enhanced MSME interaction to develop new research and innovations and fulfil the CSIR-800 mission.

New Talwar class frigate launched: A new Talwar

class stealth frigate built by Russia for the Indian Navy was launched at the Yantar Shipyard in Russias Baltic exclave of Kaliningrad on May 26, 2011. The stealth frigate Trikand is the third of the three stealth frigates along with Teg (Sabre) and Trakash (Quiver) in the Navys tradition of naming the same class of warships beginning with common letter. Trikand, means a mythological arrow with three heads.

CM wins trust vote in Karnataka: The Bharatiya

Janata Party government in Karnataka, headed by Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa, on June 2, 2011 asserted its majority in the Legislative Assembly, registering a 119-0 victory in a confidence motion. Opposition parties including Congress and Janata Dal (Secular) boycotted the proceedings. This is the fourth time Yeddyurappa won the trust vote the first was in June 2008 when the nascent government had to prove its majority. There were two trust votes in quick succession in October 2010. The Congress, with 71 members, and the JD(S), with 26 members in the 225-member Assembly (in which the ruling party has a strength of 122 members), have been demanding the resignation of the Chief Minister and the Speaker in view of the Supreme Court verdict in the case relating to the disqualification of 16 MLAs. The Opposition maintains that the Supreme Court has passed strictures against Yeddyurappa and Speaker K.G. Bopaiah and demanded their resignation.

New batch of MiG-29Ks inducted into IAF: Indian

naval aviation has acquired new teeth with induction of nine MiG-29K carrier-borne fighter jets from Russia with an extended range of 3,000 kms and capable of firing air-to-air and air-to-sea missiles. The Russian MiG Aircraft Corporation on May 31, 2011 delivered the second batch of five MiG-29K fighter jets to the navy, to add to its four, for which it has raised the new Black Panthers squadron. The MiG-29Ks will be deployed on the INS Vikramaditya (former Gorshkov) aircraft carrier. Under the Gorshkov aircraft deal inked between the two countries in 2004, Russia is to supply 12 single-seater MiG-29K fighters and four twoseater MiG-29KUB trainer-cum-combat jets.

Coast Guard Academy to come up at Kannur:

Defence Minister A.K. Antony on May 28, 2011 laid the foundation stone for the Indian Coast Guard Academy (ICGA) being built on 66.36 hectares on the banks of the Valapattanam estuary at Irinavu, Kannur in Kerala. ICG Director General Vice Admiral Anil Chopra said that with the setting up of the ICGA, the country was joining the select group of nations with their own Coast Guard Academies.

Central Command to set up training centre in Chhattisgarh: The army has decided to set up a centre for
training commandos in the jungle warfare at Abujhmad in Chhattisgarh. Around 500 jawans and officials of the Indian army, on May 31, 2011, reached Raipur from the central command headquarters of Lucknow. The Chhattisgarh government has provided 750 square kilometre of land in Abujhmad, Narayanpur district for the camp.

North East Biodiversity Gallery inaugurated: A North East Biodiversity Gallery showcasing mega biodiversity of the region was opened at the Regional Museum of Natural History (RMNH), Bhubaneswar, on June 1, 2011. The gallery, inaugurated by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and Union Environment and Forest Minister Jairam Ramesh, has exhibits depicting different eco-regions of the North East such as the course of mighty river Brahamaputra, Kaziranga - the habitat of one horned Indian rhinoceros, the endemic and endangered avifauna, rich diversity of non human primates, orchids and rhododendron of North East. A unique Fragrance Park, which consists of 57 species having divergent aromatic properties, was also inaugurated on the occasion. The park developed on half an acre of land on the premises of Eastern Regional Office of the Ministry of Environment and Forest has aromatic plants collected from Orissa, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Manipur and a few parts of other north eastern States. North East Cultural Centre to come up in Delhi: The
government has decided to set up North East Cultural Centre (NECC) in New Delhi. Union Minister of Development of North East Region (DoNER), B.K. Handique on June 2, 2011 said that the NECC will be established within the complex of already existing Centre for Cultural Resources & Training (CCRT) at Dwarka, New Delhi. The NECC will be a permanent platform in the national capital for cultural exchange not only among the people of the North East living in Delhi but also with those from other parts of the country.

IAF inducts indigenous radar Arudhra: The Indian

Air Force on June 3, 2011 inducted the indigenous mediumpower radar at Naliya air base in Gujarat. Developed by DRDO, the radar was commissioned by IAF Chief Air Chief Marshal (ACM) P V Naik on the sidelines of three day-long Commanders Conference of South Western Air Command (SWAC). This state-of-the-art radar is being inducted to strengthen air defence capabilities in the Surashtara-Kutch region. The Gujarat coastline has several economically important installations and the new radar will help in extending their security.

Govt. sets up committee to check food wastage:

Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution on June 2, 2011 constituted a fifteen member committee to deliberate upon and suggest possible ways and means to check food wastage. It has been estimated that about 15 to 20% of food is just wasted in our country at social gatherings like marriages/parties/meetings. The Committee will suggest suitable awareness programme/public campaign to curb the food wastage. It will also explore various options for introducing legislative and administrative measures in due course. The Committee will be chaired by Rajiv Aggarwal, Secretary, Consumer Affairs. Its list of members includes Pushpa Girimaji (consumer columnist), Rajan Gandhi (consumer activist) and Suresh Mishra, Prof. Centre for Consumer Studies, IIPA. G.N. Singh, Deputy Secretary, Department of Consumer Affairs will be the convener of the Committee.

New building of Tibetan cabinet in-exile inaugurated: Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama on June
4, 2011 inaugurated the new building of the Central Tibetan Administration in-exile (Kashag) at Gangchen Kyishong, near Dharamshala. Kalon Tripa (Prime Minister) Samdhong Rinpoche and Kalon Tripa (Prime Minister elect) Lobsang Sangay were present at the event.

Govt approves scheme to fast-track Solar Mission:

The Government on June 2, 2011 approved a scheme which will help in availability of funds for carrying out projects under the National Solar Mission. The Union Cabinet cleared the Payment Security Scheme to enable financial closure of projects under the mission by extending Gross Budgetary Support (GBS) amounting to Rs 486 crore to the New and Renewable Energy Ministry (MNRE). The scheme will help MNRE in the event of defaults in payment by the state utilities to NTPC Vidyut Vyapar Nigam (NVVN), the Central Agency which will purchase solar power from the developers and sell it to the utilities.

India, Afghanistan sign MoU on statistics: India on May 30, 2011 signed an agreement with Afghanistan for cooperation in the field of official statistics. Under this, New Delhi would provide assistance including setting up of institutes and training of staff to the Islamic Republic. The memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed here by Minister of Statistics and Programme Implementation M S Gill, and Central Statistics Organisation, Afghanistan, President General Abdul Rahman Ghafoori. This comes as a follow-up to an umbrella agreement signed by India with Afghanistan and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in March 2010 to strengthen the working of Afghan ministries and agencies through the National Institution Building Project. National Animal Disease Reporting System launched: A new system is being worked out for linking
block, district and state for animal diseases with a nodal central agency for better monitoring and control of transboundary diseases. The National Animal Disease Reporting System (NADRS) will link each block, district and state headquarters through computer with a central disease reporting and monitoring centre in New Delhi. NADRS is being implemented by the Department of Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries (DADF) during 2010-11 through the National Informatics Centre (NIC). (May 2011)

Chenab rail-bridge to be worlds highest: The worlds

highest railway bridge will come up over the Chenab river on the under construction rail link to the Kashmir Valley. The bridge will rise 359 metres over the Chenab on the 73-km Katra-Dharam section of the ambitious Udhampur-SrinagarBaramulla Rail Link Project. Konkan Railway Corporation will execute this particular section. The worlds tallest rail bridge is on Frances Tarn River and its tallest pillar rises 340 metres while the actual height at which trains run on the bridge is 300 metres.

Maharashtra increases minimum age for liquor consumption: The Maharashtra Cabinet on June 1, 2011
announced an increase in the minimum age for consumption of hard liquor from 21 to 25 years. The minimum age for beer consumption continues to be 21. Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan said that the decision is part of the governments de-addiction policy that seeks to tighten the implementation of laws on alcohol abuse and illicit sale of liquor. There is no age stipulation on consumption of wine.

New warnings on tobacco packs from December 1: The Union government has notified the new pictorial warnings for being printed on packages of smoking and chewable tobacco products. The notification, which was issued on May 27, 2011 and which will take effect from December 1 this year, provides for strong pictorial warnings for smoking (cigarettes, bidis, and cigars) and smokeless or chewable forms of tobacco products, including gutka. A set of four gory pictures, depicting lung and mouth cancer, will be rotated every two years. For cigarettes and bidis, the pictures show blackened lungs and cancer-affected bloodied mouth, while for smokeless tobacco, pictures of bloodied mouth and gums have been selected. World Anti-Tobacco Day observed: May 31, 2011 was
observed as the World Anti-Tobacco Day around the world. It is meant to encourage a 24-hour period of abstinence from all forms of tobacco consumption across the globe. The member states of the World Health Organization (WHO) created World No Tobacco Day in 1987. Of over six million deaths caused due to tobacco consumption world over, one million occur in India alone. According to the latest

10 report of the Indian Council of Medical Research, smoking and chewing tobacco is the cause of 50 per cent of all cancer in men and 25 per cent in women. Almost 40 per cent of tuberculosis deaths in India are caused due to consumption of tobacco. The Tobacco Intervention Initiative of the Indian Dental Association announced a partnership with tobacco cessation products manufacturer Nicorette. enforcement agencies to combat terror threat at home and abroad.

Court stays release of book on Radia: The Delhi High

Court on May 25, 2011 stayed the release and circulation of Close Encounter with Niira Radia, the book on the corporate lobbyist. Justice V.K. Jain granted the stay on a petition by Radia submitting that its circulation would damage her reputation and violate her fundamental right to life, liberty and privacy. Written by advocate R.K. Anand and edited by the former executive editor of India Today magazine, Inderjit Badhwar, the book is based on Radias tapped telephonic conversations with businessmen, politicians and journalists.

Biman Bandopadhyay elected Bengal Speaker: First-time Trinamool Congress MLA, Biman Bandopadhyay was appointed the new Speaker of the West Bengal Assembly on May 30, 2011. Leader of the House Partha Chatterjee proposed his name which was supported by the Chief Whip of Trinamool Congress Legislature Party Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay. The motion to elect the 63year-old Bandopadhyay was adopted by voice vote. G Karthikeyan elected Speaker of Kerala Assembly: Legislators of the Kerala Assembly on June 3,
2011 elected Congress leader G Karthikeyan as the Speaker of the House. Karthikeyan received 73 votes while his opponent A K Balan (CPI-M) could secure 68 votes. All th 141 members of the 13 Assembly took part in the election process and no cross voting or invalid votes were reported.

South Asia Media Commission opposes Telangana committee suggestions: The South Asia Media
Commission India has expressed deep concern over the suggestion of a government-appointed committee to use official advertisements to manage the media. The suggestion is contained in the report of the Srikrishna Committee, formed by the Union government to study the Telangana issue. Part of a secret note, it comes to light in a judgment of the Andhra Pradesh High Court on a petition on issues arising out of the committees report. The Media Commission commends the High Court for firmly opposing the suggestion, making known its disapproval of the mechanism to arm-twist the media, said K.K. Katyal, president of the South Asia Media Commission on May 29, 2011.

N. Ram conferred honorary degree by UK Univ.:

UK-based NRI industrialist and Chancellor of the University of Wolverhampton, Lord Swraj Paul conferred the honorary degree of Doctor of Social Sciences on N. Ram, Editor-inChief of The Hindu, in Chennai on May 30, 2011. Lord Paul said it was in recognition of Rams distinguished achievements, both as an outstanding public intellectual and an eminent journalist.

Premlata is oldest Indian woman to scale Mt. Everest: 45-year old Premlata Agarwal became the oldest
Indian woman to scale Mount Everest along with her 22 member team on May 20, 2011. Bachendri Pal is the first Indian woman to climb Mount Everest.

Oxfam launches GROW campaign in India:

International charity organisation Oxfam launched its global GROW campaign for a hunger-free world at Guwahati along with Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Lucknow and Patna on June 1, 2011. India, home to a quarter of the worlds hungry people with nearly 40 per cent of the population malnourished, is facing an unprecedented food crisis, said Oxfam. The four-year long campaign seeks to address the problem of spiralling food prices and rise in the number of hungry people. It will make efforts to lead the transformation to a fair and sustainable system by investing in agriculture, valuing the worlds natural resources, managing the food system better and delivering equality to women who produce much of the worlds food.

Lt. General HL Kakria takes over as DGAFMS: Lt. General H. L. Kakria has taken over as the Director General, Armed Forces Medical Services (DGAFMS) on June 1, 2011. He was working as the Director General, Medical Services (Army). Lt. General Kakria has attained global recognition for his pioneering work in joint replacement and spinal surgery. Rajat Moona is C-DAC Director General: The Punebased Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (CDAC) on June 2, 2011 announced the appointment of Rajat Moona of the Department of Computer Science and Engineering (CSE), IIT Kanpur, as its new Director General. Prof Moona has played a key role in defining standards for the operating systems for smart cards for the Government of India, which are in use in applications such as driving licences, vehicle registration systems, Indian national ID and electronic passports. Atul Khare is Asst. Sec-Gen at UN Peacekeeping Operations: United Nations Secretary-General Ban Kimoon on June 1, 2011 appointed Indian diplomat Atul Khare

Tenure of NATGRID CEO extended: The government

has decided to extend the service of Chief Executive Officer of the proposed National Intelligence Grid (NATGRID) Raghu Raman for six months beginning June 1. The NATGRID the Home Ministrys ambitious project will facilitate sharing of information by security agencies and law

11 as Assistant Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations. Khare was earlier appointed by the previous Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, as his Special Representative for Timor-Leste and Head of the U.N. Integrated Mission in Timor-Leste. Parliament from Hisar. Bhajan Lal became chief minister of the state for the first time in 1980 when he left the Janata Party along with 37 MLAs to join the Congress. His second term began in 1991 and he ruled until 1996. He was also Union agriculture and environment and forest minister in the Rajiv Gandhi government. Bhajan dominated Haryana politics, representing the non-Jats. With Congress sidelining him for Bhupinder Singh Hooda as chief minister in the last election, Bhajan floated HJC in 2007.

Afghanistan Defence Minister visits India: The

Minister of National Defence of Afghanistan, General Abdul Rahim Wardak visited India for delegation level talks with Defence Minister, A. K. Antony, in New Delhi on June 01, 2011.

BJP expels J&K leader Chaman Lal Gupta: The

BJP on May 31, 201 expelled its seniormost leader in J&K and former Union minister Chaman Lal Gupta from the party for indulging in anti-party activities. Gupta, along with six other party MLAs, was suspended from the party in April 2011 after they cross-voted in MLC elections. The decision to expel Gupta was taken by the BJP Parliamentary Board. All the seven MLAs had been served a showcause notice by the party. The BJP has 11 MLAs in the Assembly.

Ex- Haryana CM Bhajan Lal passes away: Hisar: Bhajan Lal, one of Haryanas
leading political personalities who twice served as Chief Minister for full five-year terms passed away at the age of 80 on June 3, 2011. A Congressman for a large part of his career, he fell out with the high command in 2007 and floated the Haryana Janhit Congress (HJC), and was its patron and Member of

12

Section B: WORLD
Parties extend Constituent Assembly term in Nepal: Nepals major political parties amended the interim
constitution and extended the term of the Constituent Assembly by three months early on May 29, 2011. A fivepoint agreement among the Unified Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist), the Nepali Congress (NC), and the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist Leninist) was the basis for the consensus. The Assemblys term ended at midnight on May 28. The deal includes a commitment to complete the fundamentals of the peace process, and prepare a first draft of the new Constitution within three months. It states that Prime Minister Jhalanath Khanal will resign to make way for a national unity government. The parties will also attempt to arrive at a common view on the details of integration and rehabilitation of the Maoist combatants. norths occupation of Abyei was a serious violation of a peace accord with South Sudan. Sudanese troops moved into Abyei on 21 May and seized the regions capital, Abyei town. Under the 2005 peace deal, which ended the 22-year civil war, Abyei was granted special status and a joint administration was set up in 2008 to run the area until a referendum decided its fate.

Germany to shut nuclear reactors by 2022:

Germany wants to shut all nuclear reactors by 2022, Chancellor Angela Merkels ruling coalition declared on May 30, 2011, in a policy reversal drawn up in a rush after the Fukushima disaster in Japan. Minister of Ecology Norbert Roettgen of the Christian Democratic Union party made the announcement after negotiations with coalition partner, the Liberal Party, which had been opposed to setting a date for decommissioning the nuclear facilities. To accompany the nuclear exit, Germany plans to cut electricity usage by 10 per cent by 2020 and double the share of renewable energy sources to 35 per cent over the same period. Most voters in Germany oppose atomic energy, which provided 23 per cent of overall power before the seven oldest stations were shut down in March.

Asia Security Summit organised: th The 10 Asia Security Summit, the Shangri-La Dialogue, was organised in Singapore by the London-based International Institute for Strategic Studies from 3-5 June, 2011. Chinese Defence Minister General Liang Guanglie said that there is a huge space to improve military to military relations with India, but disputes or sensitive issues needed to be handled properly during a bilateral meeting with the Minister of State for Defence, M.M. Pallam Raju, on the sidelines of the Summit. Gen Guanglie complained that some artificial obstacles were being raised by Indias senior officials and media which were impeding the good momentum in defence cooperation between the two nations. Rainforest basin countries to cooperate in tackling deforestation: The 32 countries sharing the worlds three
largest rainforest basins have agreed to cooperate in tackling deforestation and called on industrialised nations to help finance their efforts at the meeting in the Congolese capital Brazzaville on June 3, 2011. Experts from the Congo Basin in Central Africa, South Americas Amazon Basin and the Borneo-Mekong Basin in South-East Asia participated in the meeting. The three basins represent 80 per cent of the worlds rainforests and two-thirds of its biodiversity. Participating nations agreed in a declaration to put forward their common interest in the framework of different multilateral forums and to adopt concrete measures to promote dialogue and cooperation between countries. They acknowledged the links between deforestation and forest degradation as well as socio-economic issues such as sustainability and poverty reduction.

NATO extends Libya mission by 90 days: Member

countries of NATO have given a unanimous extension to its mission in Libya by another 90 days beyond the initial deadline of June 27. This means the air-strikes, which began in March following Resolution 1973 of the United Nations Security Council, will continue. The resolution authorised all necessary measures to protect civilians in Libya from a crackdown by Muammar Qadhafis regime on an anti-government uprising. The Libyan regime claims that 718 civilians have so far been killed and over 4,000 injured in the bombings that began on March 18. Meanwhile, the Obama administration has invited the Libyan rebel National Transitional Council to set up a representative office in Washington.

UN condemns Sudans takeover of disputed Abyei:

The UN Security Council on June 3, 2011 condemned Sudans takeover of the disputed border region of Abyei and demanded it withdraw its troops. The region is also claimed by South Sudan, which is due to become independent from North Sudan in July. A Security Council statement said the

Iraq is worst in the world on CPJ Impunity Index: Unsolved violence against media in Mexico rose sharply in 2010 but Iraq remained worst in the world when it comes to punishing murders of reporters, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) said on June 1, 2011. Iraq topped the list, published by the New York-based press watchdog to spotlight countries where media killings often go unpunished, for the fourth year running. The CPJ, whose Impunity Index calculates the number of unsolved murders of reporters in each country per one million residents, noted

13 grimly that the countries at the top of the index Iraq, Somalia and the Philippines showed either no improvement or even worsening records. Central Command overseeing military operations in the Middle East, Persian Gulf and Central Asia. Obama also announced that Admiral James A. Sandy Winnefeld Jr. would be Vice-Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and Gen. Ray Odierno the new Army chief of staff.

Space shuttle Endeavour returns: NASAs space

shuttle Endeavour landed for the final time on June 1, 2011 at Kennedy Space Center, Cape Canaveral, Florida, wrapping up a 16-day mission to the International Space th Station (ISS). Endeavour was launched on its 25 and final mission on May 16 to deliver a $2 billion astrophysics experiment, called the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer, and extra supplies to the International Space Station. The particle physics detector will measure high-energy cosmic rays, and search for signs of antimatter and mysterious dark matter in the universe. The landing marked the end of th NASAs 134 shuttle mission since flights began in 1981. Endeavour was piloted by a six-member crew led by Commander Mark Kelly. NASA has one final shuttle mission planned before its 30-year space shuttle program is retired. The STS-135 flight of Atlantis is scheduled to launch on a supply mission to the International Space Station in July.

Obama appoints Bryson as new Commerce Secretary: US President Barack Obama on June 1, 2011
nominated John Bryson as his new Commerce Secretary. Bryson will replace Gary Locke, who has been nominated as the new US ambassador to China.

SA President Zuma meets Qadhafi: South African

President Jacob Zuma met Libyan leader Moammar Qadhafi at Tripoli on May 30, 2011 in an African Union initiative for a cease-fire between the government and the rebels. Qadhafi said he was ready for a truce to stop the fighting in his country but listed conditions that have scuttled previous cease-fire efforts.

Iranian books added to UNESCOs Memory of the World Register: Two Iranian books were added to
UNESCOs Memory of the World Register list during a meeting of the International Advisory Committee of the Memory of the World Program in Manchester, UK from May 22 to 25, 2011. At-Tafhim written by Abu Rayhan Biruni (973-1048 CE) and Khamseh composed by Nezami Ganjavi (1141-1209 CE) along with 43 documents and documentary collections from all over the world were registered on the list at the meeting. By helping safeguard and share such a varied documentary heritage, UNESCOs Memory of the World Program reinforces the basis for scholarship and enjoyment of the creative wealth and diversity of human cultures and societies, said UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova.

Dalai Lama formally relinquishes political role: Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama has formally relinquished his political and administrative role by signing amendments to the Constitution of the Tibetan governmentin-exile. The amendments, mostly pertaining to political and administrative powers vested with 75-year-old Dalai Lama were debated during the special three day session of the Tibetan Parliament and presented to the Dalai Lama, who accepted them on May 29, 2011. Dalai Lama would only remain the spiritual head. Indian student wins US Spelling Bee contest: Indian-origin students have made it four times in a row with teenager Sukanya Roy on June 3, 2011 being crowned the new Spelling Bee champion of the US after she correctly spelled cymotrichous, which means wavy hair. The Class 8 student of Pennsylvanias Abington Heights Middle School was declared winner following the finals between 13 candidates in Washington.
Pak journalist Shahzad found dead: Syed Saleem Shahzad, a Pakistani journalist reported on links between the al-Qaeda and the Pakistan Navy recently, was found dead in Sarai Alamgir near the town of Jhelum, about 200 km from Islamabad on June 1, 2011. Shahzad, 40, was the Pakistan bureau chief of the Hong Kong-based Asia Times Online, and a correspondent for Italian news agency Adnkronos International. In an article titled Al-Qaeda had warned of Pakistan strike, published by Asia Times Online on May 27, Shahzad reported that the terrorist attack on the PNS Mehran naval base on May 22 was carried out by alQaeda after their talks with the Pakistan navy over the release of naval officials arrested for links with the terrorist organisation failed.

WHO says mobile radiation is cancerous: The World

Health Organisation (WHO) has warned that radiation from cell phones is possibly cancerous. The study conducted by the WHOs International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) placed cell phones on a par with the carcinogenic hazards category as lead, engine exhaust and chloroform. The findings of the study will be published in the British medical journal The Lancet Oncology in its July edition.

Gen Dempsey is next US military chief: US President

Barack Obama on May 31, 2011 nominated General Martin Dempsey, an Iraq war veteran, as next Chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff to succeed Admiral Mike Mullen. Currently the Army Chief, 59-year-old Dempsey needs to be confirmed by the Senate before taking over the new position. Dempsey served as acting commander of the US

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Section C: AWARDS
Defence Minister confers DRDO Awards
DRDO awards for the year 2010 for outstanding contribution in various areas of technology were given away by the Defence Minister AK Antony on June 3, 2011. There are eleven categories of DRDO awards presented each year to DRDO Scientists/Teams for their outstanding contributions. The transformation of technologies developed by DRDO into products/systems/processes for Armed Forces requires absorption of technologies by the production agencies. Defence technology absorption awards are given to production agencies associated with productionization of DRDO technologies for their excellent support. Silicon trophy: Silicon trophy for the year 2010 for the Best Systems Laboratory of DRDO has been awarded to the Research Centre Imarat (Programme AD), Hyderabad in recognition of the outstanding achievements of the laboratory in developing a Ballistic Missile Defence System. Titanium trophy: Titanium trophy for the year 2010 for the Best Science Laboratory of DRDO has been awarded to DL, Jodhpur in recognition of its contribution in the area of camouflage and low observable technologies for the Armed Forces and critical defence equipment. Life Time Achievement award Life Time Achievement award for the year 2010 has been conferred on Air Cmde R Gopalaswami (Retd), Defence Research & Development Laboratory (DRDL) Hyderabad for the development of liquid rocket engines for missiles and multi-fold array of technology and management initiatives. Technology Leadership awards In recognition of their outstanding contributions and leadership qualities, the Technology Leadership awards for the year 2010 have been awarded to following Scientists: 1. Dr. V Bhujanga Rao, Distinguished Scientist & Director, Naval Science and Technology Laboratory (NSTL), Vishakhapatnam for outstanding contributions in the design, development and induction of Indigenous Underwater Weapons, Naval Stealth products, Underwater Mines, Fire Control Systems and Autonomous Underwater vehicles. 2. S Sundaresh, Distinguished Scientist and Chief Controller Research & Development. S Sundaresh pioneered the development of complex, multi-disciplinary, technology intensive Integrated Fire Control System (IFCS) for the MBT Arjun through successful system integration, weapon system trials and user acceptance. 3. Dr. G Malakondaiah, Distinguished Scientist and Director, Defence Metallurgical Research Laboratory (DMRL), Hyderabad. Dr. G Malakondaiah has made valuable contributions in the development of speciality low-alloy steel DMR-1700 as a cost-effective replacement of maraging steels. AB class naval steels were indigenized under the leadership of Dr G Malakondaiah and are being used in the construction of the very first indigenously built aircraft carrier at the Cochin Shipyard. Agni awards for excellence in self-reliance Agni awards for excellence in self-reliance for the year 2010 have been conferred to the following Scientists along with their teams for their excellent contributions towards building self-reliance in defence technologies. Dr Jagannath Nayak, Sc F, Research Centre Imarat (RCI), Hyderabad G. Raghavaiah, Sc G, Defence Electronics Research Laboratory (DLRL), Hyderabad RC Agarwal, Outstanding Scientist and Director, Defence Electronics Applications Laboratory (DEAL), Dehradun Dr AK Singh, Sc G, Electronics & Radar Development Establishment (LRDE), Bengaluru MZ Siddique, Sc G, Gas Turbine Research Establishment (GTRE), Bengaluru Performance excellence awards Out of the two performance excellence awards 2010 for excellent performance and contributions, one has been awarded to PS Krishnan, Distinguished Scientist and Director, Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE), Bangaluru and his team. The other award is shared equally among Dr Satish Kumar, Outstanding Scientist and Director, Terminal Ballistics Research Laboratory (TBRL), Chandigarh and SK Shenoy, Sc G, Naval Physical and Oceanographic Laboratory (NPOL), Kochi and their team members from TBRL, NPOL, Armament Research and Development (ARDE), Pune, Research Center Imarat (RCI), Hyderabad, SPIC, and ADE, Bengaluru.

Scientist of the Year awards

DRDO Scientist of the Year awards for the year 2010 have been conferred to 20 Scientists. They are as follows: Dr Ramprasad R Panyam, Outstanding Scientist, Defence Research & Development Laboratory (DRDL) Hyderabad J Chattopadhyay, Sc G, Advance Systems Laboratory (ASL), Hyderabad Dr Chitra Rajagopal, Sc G, Centre for Fire, Explosive & Environment Safety (CFEES), Delhi Dr Manoj Gupta, Sc G, High Energy Materials Research Laboratory (HEMRL), Pune

15 Dr Dipti Deodhare, Sc F, Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics (CAIR), Bengaluru Dr AK Singh, Sc E, Defence Institute of Advance Technology (DIAT), Pune Dr K Maheswara Reddy, Sc G, Defence Avionics Research Establishment (DARE), Bengaluru Padmavathi, Sc F, Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA), Bengaluru Dr Kadiyam Venkateswara Rao, Sc G, Naval Science & Technology Laboratory (NSTL), Visakhapatnam P Sivakumar, Sc G and Director, Combat Vehicles Research and Development Establishment (CVRDE), Chennai Dr DK Dubey, Sc F, Defence R & D Establishment (DRDE), Gwalior Gopal Bhushan, Sc G and Director, Dte of International Cooperation, DRDO HQrs Shyam Govind Vaijapurkar, Sc F, Defence Laboratory (DL), Jodhpur Dr Dev Raj Saroha, Sc G, Terminal Ballistic Research Laboratory (TBRL), Chandigarh Dr Bikash Chandra Chakraborty, Sc G, Naval Materials Research Laboratory (NMRL), Ambarnath Dr KS Premavalli, Sc F, Defence Food Research Laboratory (DFRL), Mysore Gokula Ranjan Panda, Sc F, Integrated Test Range (ITR), Chandipur Dr S Guruprasad, Sc G and Director, Research & Development Establishment (Engrs), Pune G Satheesh Reddy, Sc G, Research Centre Imarat (RCI), Hyderabad MS Easwaran, Sc G, Centre for Airborne Systems (CABS), Bengaluru Best Innovation/Futuristic Development award for the year 2010 for valuable contribution. R Raveendran, Sc D, Combat Vehicles Research & Development Establishment (CVRDE), Avadi and his team coordinated with 24 laboratories all over India in the 98th Indian Science Congress and successfully organized the DRDO exhibits where more than 122 models from various laboratories were kept in the DRDO pavilion. And the DRDO pavilion was given the Best Exhibitor Award. In recognition of their contribution the Best Popular Science Communication award for the year 2010 is conferred on R Raveendran, CVRDE, Avadi & his team members. The award will be equally shared with Dr JP Singh, Sc F, Directorate of Planning and Coordination, DRDO HQ for disseminating information pertaining to DRDOs contributions to the Parliament and its committees. M/s Tratec Engineers Pvt Ltd, Gurgaon and M/s VEM Technologies, Hyderabad have been awarded Defence Technology Absorption awards for the year 2010 for excellent support associated with design and development of critical DRDO technologies.

Other awards
Defence Food Research Laboratory (DFRL), Mysore has been awarded the Defence Technology Spin-off award for the year 2010 for developing physiologically active foods, Aloe Vera juice, Aloe Vera based fruit spread, seabuckthorn based herbal tea and baked foods, Rhodiola based coffee for combating diabetes, hypercholesterolemia, colon cancer and other stress related disorders & diseases. The Special Award for Strategic Contribution for the year 2010 is conferred on Ajay Singh, Chief Executive, Dte of Civil Works & Estates, DRDO HQrs and his team for outstanding contributions in highly specialized nature of Civil works at some of the most difficult and hazardous area within the stipulated time frame. Dr V Ramanujachari, Sc G, Defence Research & Development Laboratory (DRDL), Hyderabad and his team have successfully designed, developed and static tested the scramjet combustor for HSTDV project and hence awarded

14 Mahaveer awards conferred: Voluntary Health th Services, Chennai, has been chosen for the 14 Mahaveer awards, which are given by Bhagwan Mahaveer Foundation, in the category of excellence in medicine on May 29, 2011. Others chosen for the award are: The Indian Planetary Society, Mumbai, for excellence in education; Snehalaya Social Charitable Trust, Maharashtra, for social service; and Dayananda Swami based in Bangalore for his contribution towards non-violence and vegetarianism. The recipients would receive a cash prize of Rs.10 lakh each.

th

Tendulkar wins Polly Umrigar award at BCCI awards: Sachin Tendulkar picked up the Polly Umrigar
award for outstanding Indian cricketer for the second time at the BCCI awards ceremony for 2009-2010 on May 31, 2011. Award winners (2009-2010): Salim Durrani C.K. Nayudu Lifetime Achievement award; Sachin Tendulkar Polly Umrigar award; Manish Pandey (KSCA) - Madhavrao Scindia award for highest Ranji scorer; Abhimanyu Mithun (KSCA) - Madhavrao Scindia award for highest Ranji wicket-taker. B. Aparajith (TNCA) - M.A. Chidambaram Trophy for best under-16 player; Bhargav Merai (GCA) M.A. Chidambaram Trophy for best under-19 player; Nataraj Behera (OCA) - M.A. Chidambaram Trophy for best under-22 player. M.D. Thirushkamini (TNCA) - M.A. Chidambaram Trophy for best woman player; Reva Arora (PCA) - M.A. Chidambaram Trophy for best junior woman player; K. Hariharan - Best umpire in domestic cricket.

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Section D: ECONOMY & CORPORATE

Revised estimates of national income for 2010-11 released
The Central Statistics Office (CSO), Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, on May 31, 2011 released the revised estimates of national income for the financial year 2010-11 both at constant (2004-05) and current prices. The CSO has also released the corresponding annual estimates of Expenditure components of the GDP in current and constant (2004-05) prices, namely the private final consumption expenditure, government final consumption expenditure, gross fixed capital formation, change in stocks, valuables, and net exports. The advance estimates of national income for the year 2010-11 were released on 7 February, 2011. These estimates have now been revised incorporating latest estimates of agricultural production, index of industrial production and performance of key sectors like, railways, transport other than railways, communication, banking and insurance and government expenditure. The salient features of these estimates are detailed below: (a) Estimates at constant (2004-05) prices Gross Domestic Product: GDP at factor cost at constant (2004-05) prices in the year 2010-11 is now estimated at Rs. 48,77,842 crore (as against Rs. 48,79,232 crore estimated earlier on 7th February, 2011). The downward revision in the GDP growth rate is mainly on account of lower performance in mining and quarrying, manufacturing and trade, hotels, transport, and communication and financing, insurance, real estate & business services than anticipated. Gross National Income: The Gross National Income (GNI) at factor cost at 2004-05 prices is now estimated at Rs. th 48,34,759 crore (as compared to Rs. 48,44,971 crore estimated on 7 February 2011), during 2010-11, as against the previous years Quick Estimate of Rs. 44,64,854 crore. In terms of growth rates, the gross national income is estimated to have risen by 8.3 per cent during 2010-11, in comparison to the growth rate of 7.9 per cent in 2009-10. Per Capita Net National Income: The per capita net national income in real terms (at 2004-05 prices) during 2010-11 is estimated to have attained a level of Rs. 35,917 (as against Rs. 36,003 estimated on 7th February, 2011), as compared to the Quick Estimates for the year 2009-10 of Rs. 33,731. The growth rate in per capita income is estimated at 6.5 per cent during 2010-11 as against 6.1 per cent during 2009-10. (b) Estimates at current prices Gross Domestic Product: GDP at factor cost at current prices in the year 2010-11 is estimated at Rs. 73,06,990 crore, showing a growth rate of 19.1 per cent over the Quick Estimates of GDP for the year 2009-10 of Rs. 61,33,230 crore, st released on 31 January 2011. Gross National Income: The GNI at factor cost at current prices is now estimated at Rs. 72,41,026 crore during 2010-11, as compared to Rs. 60,95,230 crore during 2009-10, showing a rise of 18.8 per cent. Per Capita Net National Income: The per capita income at current prices during 2010-11 is estimated to have attained a level of Rs. 54,835 as compared to the Quick Estimates for the year 2009-10 of Rs. 46,492, showing a rise of 17.9 per cent. (c) Annual Estimates Of Expenditures on GDP in 2010-11 Alongwith the Revised Estimates of GDP by economic activity, the CSO is also releasing the estimates of expenditures of the GDP at current and constant (2004-05) prices. These estimates have been compiled using the data on indicators available from the same sources as those used for compiling GDP estimates by economic activity, detailed data available on merchandise trade in respect of imports and exports, balance of payments, and monthly accounts of central government.
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IMPORTANT DEFINITIONS:

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Gross National Income (GNI) is a measure of a countrys economic performance. It is calculated by adding to GDP the income earned by residents from investments abroad, less the corresponding income sent home by foreigners who are living in the country. Net National Income (NNI) can be defined as the net national product (NNP) minus indirect taxes. Net national income encompasses the income of households, businesses, and the government. It can be expressed as: NNI = C + I + G + (NX) + net foreign factor income - indirect taxes depreciation. C = Consumption, I = Investments, G = Government spending, NX = net exports (exports minus imports) Gross Domestic product (GDP) is a measure of economic activity in a country. It is calculated by adding the total value of a countrys annual output of goods and services. GDP = private consumption + investment + public spending + the change in inventories + (exports - imports). It is usually valued at market prices; by subtracting indirect tax and adding any government subsidy, however, GDP can be calculated at factor cost. This measure more accurately reveals the income paid to factors of production Net Domestic Product (NDP) is a measure of the economic output of a nation that is adjusted to account for depreciation, calculated by subtracting depreciation from the gross domestic product (GDP). NDP accounts for capital that has been consumed over the year in the form of housing, vehicle, or machinery deterioration. The depreciation accounted for is often referred to as capital consumption allowance and represents the amount needed in order to replace those depreciated assets. Difference between Factor Cost & Market Prices: The term Factor Cost is used to refer to the prices of products as received by producers. On the other hand Market Prices are the prices as paid by consumers. Thus, factor cost are equal to market prices minus taxes on products plus subsidies on products.

CBDT to set up Directorate of Income Tax to investigate criminal offences

The government on May 30, 2011 announced setting up of a special wing Directorate of Income Tax (Criminal Investigation) to investigate criminal offences under direct tax laws. The DCI, to be set up with immediate effect, would collect information about persons and transactions connected with criminal activities and initiate prosecution proceedings against them. The DCI, to be a part of the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT), will seek and collect information about persons and transactions suspected to be connected with criminal activities having cross-border, inter-state or international ramifications that pose a threat to national security and are punishable under the direct tax laws including, the Income Tax Act 1961 and the Wealth Tax Act 1957. The DCI, in discharge of its responsibilities under the direct tax laws, will be required to perform the following functions: (a) To seek and collect information about persons and transactions suspected to be involved in criminal activities having cross-border, inter-state or international ramifications, that pose a threat to national security and are punishable under the direct tax laws; (b) To investigate the source and use of funds involved in such criminal activities; (c) To cause issuance of a show cause notice for offences committed under any direct tax law;

(d) To file prosecution complaint in the competent court under any direct tax law relating to a criminal activity; (e) To hire the services of special prosecutors and other experts for pursuing a prosecution complaint filed in any court of competent jurisdiction; (f) To execute appropriate witness protection programmes for effective prosecution of criminal offences under the direct tax laws, i.e. to protect and rehabilitate witnesses who support the state in prosecution of such offences so as to insulate them from any harm to their person; (g) To coordinate with and extend necessary expert, technical and logistical support to any other intelligence or law enforcement agency in India investigating crimes having cross-border, inter-state or international ramifications that pose a threat to national security; (h) To enter into agreements for sharing of information and other cooperation with any central or state agency in India; (i) To enter into agreements for sharing of information and other cooperation with such agencies of foreign states as may be permissible under any international agreement or treaty. The DCI will be headed by a Director General of Income Tax (Criminal Investigation), who will be an officer of the rank of Chief Commissioner of Income Tax, and will be located in New Delhi. The DCI will function under administrative control of the Member (Investigation) in the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) and will be a subordinate office of CBDT. The DCI shall have eight Directors of Income Tax (Criminal Investigation) located at Delhi, Chandigarh, Jaipur,

21 Ahmedabad, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata and Lucknow. These Directorates will be headed by officers of the rank of Commissioner of Income Tax who will perform such functions as are notified or assigned to them by the CBDT. The CBDT shall have all powers to amend the functions assigned to the DCI. It may be recalled that the Government has adopted fivefold strategy to tackle the menace of illicit funds. This consists of: i) Joining global crusade against black money; ii) Creating an appropriate legislative framework; iii) Setting up institutions for dealing with Illicit Funds; iv) Developing systems for implementation; and v) Imparting skills to the manpower for effective action. Taking further the strategy of setting up institutions for dealing with illicit funds, Government has approved the setting up of the aforesaid Directorate. ramifications on the national security. The institutions involved in the study are National Council for Applied Economic Research (NCEAR), National Institute of Public Finance and Policy (NIPFP) and National Institute of Financial Management (NIFM). The issue of black money has attracted a lot of public and media attention in the recent past. The finance ministry has said that so far there are no reliable estimates of black money generated and held within and outside the country. The different estimates on the quantum of black money range from $500 billion to $1,400 billion. A recent study by Global Financial Integrity has estimated the illicit money outflow to be around $462 billion. These estimates are based on various unverifiable assumptions and approximations. The government has commissioned these institutions to get an estimation and sense of the quantum of illicit funds generated and held within and outside the country, the finance ministry said. The study will identify important sectors of the economy in which unaccounted money is generated and examine causes and conditions that result in generation of unaccounted money. It will examine the methods employed in generation of unaccounted money and conversion of the same into accounted money. It will also suggest methods to be employed for bringing into tax net the unaccounted money kept outside India. The first study on unaccounted money was conducted by NIPFP way back in 1985. The study has been commissioned at a time when the government is finding itself cornered on the issue of black money.

CBDT committee set up to curb black money

The Government on May 28, 2011 constituted a Committee under the Chairmanship of Sudhir Chandra, Chairman, Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT), to examine ways to strengthen laws to curb the generation of black money in the country, its illegal transfer abroad and its recovery. The Committee includes Director, Enforcement Directorate (ED) and Director General, Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) among its Members. The CBDTs commissioner of I-T (investigation) would be the committees member secretary The Committee will examine the existing legal and administrative framework to deal with the menace of generation of black money through illegal means including, inter alia, (a) Declaring wealth generated illegally as national asset; (b) Enacting/amending laws to confiscate and recover such assets; and (c) Providing for exemplary punishment against its perpetrators. The Committee will also consult all the stakeholders and submit its report within a period of six months.

PMEAC asks govt. to reconsider ethanol blending plan

The Prime Ministers Economic Advisory Council (PMEAC) has questioned the rationale behind mandatory doping of 5% ethanol in petrol under the ethanol blending programme (EBP). The council, chaired by former RBI Governor C. Rangarajan, has asked the government to reconsider the programme or at least not make it binding for now. The PMEAC has suggested that the government should make ethanol available for blending only after meeting needs of other key sectors, such as chemicals and potable alcohol. The National Policy on Biofuel envisaged blending of biofuels with petrol and diesel to a level of 20 per cent by 2017. The oil marketing companies have failed to achieve even 5 per cent blending countrywide. Mixing of ethanol in petrol was seen as an environment-friendly initiative, which would save the country foreign exchange, provide energy security and benefit the sugar industry. Experts, however,

NCEAR, NIPFP & NIFM to quantify black money

The finance ministry on May 30, 2011 said that it has commissioned an indepth study to quantify unaccounted income and wealth stashed within and outside the country in the last 16 months. The government has engaged three national level institutions to conduct this study, which will bring out the nature of activities that encourage money laundering and its

22 said the proposal would work only if there was adequate supply of ethanol, opinion on which is divided. The chemicals and alcohol industry says there is not enough ethanol for everyone and it would be forced to import if ethanol was diverted for blending. A government constituted committee, headed by Planning Commission member Saumitra Chaudhuri, has also questioned ethanol availability. Chaudhuri is also a member of the PMEAC. The council has also opposed direct ethanol manufacture from sugarcane on account of food security concerns. Ethanol is currently produced as a byproduct of sugar manufacturing. Tamil Nadu has already banned supply to the ethanol blending programme and Bihar is understood to have unofficially discouraged it. Andhra Pradesh, which earns substantial revenue from the alcohol industry, has also raised concern over the blending programme. to be Indians. The names of these individuals will have to be cleared by the telecom and home ministries prior to their appointment. The changed policy also mandates that mobile phone companies must only appoint Indians as chief technical officer, chief information security officer or as nodal executives for handling monitoring and interception functions across mobile networks. Audit: The new policy also mandates mobile phone companies to get their networks audited once a year by reputed international agencies for bugs and other security breaches.

Fiscal deficit at 4.68% of GDP in 2010-11

The governments fiscal deficit was at 4.68 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP) during 2010-11, much lower than the projected 5.1 per cent, due to higher tax receipts and a larger cut in plan expenditure than pegged in the revised estimates, according to figures released on June 1, 2011. Fiscal deficit is an excess of government expenditure over its revenues. Fiscal deficit as percentage of GDP: Revised estimates were based on GDP figures of Rs 78.78 lakh crore, whereas actual GDP came out to be Rs 78.76 lakh crore. The actual deficit figure stood at Rs 3.69 lakh crore, 92 per cent of over Rs 4 lakh crore as estimated. The slight downward revision did not alter the figures of fiscal deficit much as percentage of GDP. The government has pegged the fiscal deficit for 2011-12 at 4.6 per cent of GDP. Revenue deficit: The government also cut its revenue deficit, an excess of the current expenditure over the current receipts, to 3.11 per cent of GDP against the projected 3.4 per cent. It is lower than even 3.2 per cent, according to the th road map given by the 13 Finance Commission.

DoT unveils new security rules for foreign telecom equipment

The telecom department (DoT) unveiled a new security framework on May 31, 2011 that does away with many controversial clauses in the July 2010 policy. Same rules for all vendors: The Prime Ministers Office (PMO) had asked the communication and home ministries to review the strict security standards unveiled in the July 2010 policy after they were being labeled too tough by foreign telecom equipment companies. While Chinese vendors such as Huawei and ZTE had agreed to follow the stringent guidelines, Western companies such as Ericsson, Nokia Siemens and Alcatel-Lucent had refused. Imports of telecom equipment from China resumed after its companies agreed to adhere to the stringent rules. The new security norms will bring all these vendors under a common security framework. Software disclosure: Under the July 2010 policy, foreign equipment companies were required to put their software in the equivalent of a sealed envelope and submit it to the government. This requirement has been removed. Penalties for security breach: Another controversial clause that stipulates penalties of 100% of the contract value on vendors if any spyware or malware is found in the imported equipment has also been dropped. Instead, any security breach will invite a maximum penalty of Rs. 50 crore in addition to criminal proceedings against the mobile phone company. Personnel: The new policy also dilutes the earlier rule that mandated vendors to employ only Indian engineers to maintain the networks of local mobile phone companies. The fresh norms say only top personnel with vendors need

PMO to handle Railway projects above Rs 100 crore

Railway Board on May 30, 2011 issued a circular that the Prime Ministers Office (PMO) would handle all projects worth Rs 100 crore and above. The circular also said higher administrative grade appointments would be handled by the PMO. This means large projects, including the Rs 77,000crore Dedicated Freight Corridor project, will come under the prime minister. Other projects in this category are the high-speed rail link to Bangalore airport (Rs 6,900 crore), the Indo-Bangladesh rail link (Rs 251 crore) and the Madhepura locomotive factory (Rs 1,290 crore). Prime Minister Manmohan Singh holds temporary charge of the Railways Ministry after Mamata Banerjees exit following the West Bengal assembly elections. Mukul Roy, the Trinamool Congress MP and minister of state who was shifted from the shipping ministry, has been

23 given undertakings such as IRCTC, RITES, IRCON and CRIS. But, the PMO has decided to keep Container Corporation of India (Concor). Concor, incorporated in March 1988, started operations in November 1989. It has taken over the seven inland container depots of the railways. Apart from Roy, the ministry has two more ministers of state K H Muniappa and Bharatsinh Solanki. Both belong to the Congress. Colleges across India. The scope of this program is creation and management of the National Legal e-library for 933 schools in India, Bar Associations, Government Legal departments etc. and meet the needs of academic librarians, students, faculty and young practitioners. It aims to provide a practitioners view and a comprehensive understanding of core subject areas of law.

NPS equity investment cap to remain at 50% PFRDA

The Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) on June 3, 2011 said it favoured retaining the cap on investment in equities by the New Pension Scheme at 50 per cent, irrespective of the recommendations of the Bajpai committee. The NPS comprises three investment categories - G (ultra safe), C (safe) and E (medium). Of these, the E category investments are invested in equity-related products, the cap for which is 50 per cent. A committee headed by former SEBI Chairman G N Bajpai is working on NPS fee structure and would suggest changes to the scheme. NPS was initially launched for central government employees, but later extended to all citizens from May 1, 2009. Currently, seven pension fund managers account for assets of about Rs 9,000 crore. Of this, about Rs 100 crore is contributed by pension schemes for people other than government employees. These fund managers include LIC Pension Fund Ltd, SBI Pension Funds Ltd, UTI Retirement Solutions, IDFC Pension Fund Management, ICICI Prudential Pension Funds Management, Kotak Mahindra Pension Fund and Reliance Capital Pension Fund.

FDI in services at USD 3.4 bn in 2010-11: Foreign direct investment (FDI) in Indias services sector, which contribute over 50 per cent in the countrys economic growth, declined by 22.5 per cent to USD 3.4 billion in 201011, according to the industry ministrys latest data unveiled on May 29, 2011. The services sector (financial and nonfinancial services) had attracted FDI worth USD 4.39 billion during 2009-10. Mauritius, Singapore, the US, UK, Netherlands, Japan, Germany and the UAE, among other countries, are the major investors in India. Agriculture & allied sectors grow 6.6% in 2010-11: Agriculture and allied sectors showed a marked improvement by registering 6.6 per cent growth in 2010-11 against 0.4 per cent in the previous fiscal helped by a record foodgrain production of 235.88 million tonnes. The third advance estimates of crop production released by Agriculture Ministry on May 31, 2011 showed an upward revision as compared to their second advance estimates in the production of wheat, pulses, oilseeds and sugarcane during 2010-11. The government had earlier projected 5.4 per cent growth in 2010-11 for agriculture sector. India Inc confidence down in April-June CII: Rising inflation and expectations of yet another hike in policy rates by the Reserve Bank has dampened the business confidence of Indian corporates for the April-June quarter, a survey released on May 29, 2011 said. According to CIIs quarterly Business Outlook Survey, the Business Confidence Index (BCI) for April-June, 2011 declined to 62.5 from 66.7 in the previous quarter (January-March). It said the top three business concerns are high raw material cost, infrastructural shortages and high interest rates. The headline inflation in the country stood at 8.66 per cent in April. Inflation has been above the 8 per cent mark since January 2010, much above the governments comfort zone of around 5 per cent. India Economic Summit to be shifted to Mumbai: The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and the World Economic Forum (WEF) will host their annual India Economic Summit 2011 in Mumbai instead of New Delhi on November 20-21, 2011. Under the theme, Linking Leadership and Livelihood, this years summit will focus on the critical governance reforms and innovative public private partnerships needed for Indias rapid and inclusive growth. Duty-free access to Afghan exports allowed: India on June 3, 2011 extended duty-free market access to

Nano-Manufacturing Technology Centre to be set up at Bengaluru: The Union Commerce & Industry
Minister, Anand Sharma on June 3, 2011 laid the foundation stone of Nano-Manufacturing Technology Centre (NMTC) and Academy of Excellence for Advanced Manufacturing Technology (AEAMT) at Central Manufacturing Technology Institute (CMTI) in Bengaluru. CMTI, established in 1963, is a premier institute and the only of its kind in the country carrying out applied R&D and Pre-competitive R&D in Manufacturing Technology. It is an autonomous body under the Administrative control of the Department of Industrial Policy & Promotion (DIPP), Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India.

National Legal E-Library to be launched on Aug 15:

The National Legal E-Library project of the government is to be dedicated o the nation on August 15, 2011. Dr. M Veerappa Moily, the Minister of Law & Justice had proposed the need for the formulation of a National Legal e-library for students and practitioners of Law in 2009, during his meeting with the vice chancellors of Law University and

24 Afghanistan as part of its economic package for least developed countries (LDCs). Under the scheme, the import of most products from the neighbouring country will be allowed at zero duty. Indias Duty-Free Tariff Preference (DFTP) scheme, launched by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in 2008, provides preferential duty access on products comprising 92.5 per cent of global LDC exports. government, will form a joint venture company to develop road projects in India. Khazanah will hold 80.1 per cent stake in the proposed JV and IDFC the balance. Both would also invest in convertible instruments issued by the JV, the IDFC said on June 3, 2011.

Govt. loses $ 866 mn in 2009 due to software piracy: In a significant finding, a study has claimed that the
government suffered revenue losses of USD 866 million (about Rs 3,900 crore) in 2009 on account of the high rate of software piracy in the country. Businesses, who are otherwise legitimate, use software on a large scale but they evade paying tax when they are not buying licensed software, says an International Data Corporation (IDC) whitepaper, Software Piracy in India, released in Pune on June 4, 2011.

Bosch Group to set up research centre at IISc: Bosch Group will set up an independent research centre at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bangalore with an investment of Rs 140 crore. The decision to set up a Robert Bosch IISc Centre for Research in Cyber Physical Systems was announced by Bernd Bohr, chairman of Bosch th Automotive Group, on the occasion of 125 global anniversary year on June 3, 2011. Prakash Bakshi appointed NABARD Chairman: State-run National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) appointed Prakash Bakshi as its new Chairman on June 3, 2011. Prior to this new role, Bakshi was handling the responsibilities as Executive Director of NABARD and has been in-charge of various departments such as cooperative revival and reforms, institutional development, farm sector, non-farm sector, microcredit innovations and financial inclusion initiatives. Bakshi was member of the team that designed and replicated the Self Help Groups (SHGs)-Bank Linkage Programme and was also associated with the committee on cooperative credit structuring set up by the government under Prof Vaidyanathan. Prakash Chandra takes over as Chairman of CBDT:
Prakash Chandra, an IRS (IT) Officer of the 1973 batch, took over as Chairman of Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) on May 31, 2011. He will also continue to look after the work relating to Personnel and Vigilance matters. Chandra was Director General of Income Tax (Investigation) in Rajasthan and later Director General of Income Tax (International Taxation) in Delhi before joining the CBDT as Member. Sunil Mitra appointed Finanace Secretary: Sunil Mitra was on June 1, 2011 appointed as the Finanace Secretary replacing Sushama Nath, who superannuated on May 31, 2011. Mitra, a 1975-batch IAS officer from the West Bengal cadre, retains the charge of Revenue Secretary as well. Meanwhile Sumit Bose took charge as the new Expenditure Secretary. Bose, a 1976-batch IAS from the Madhya Pradesh cadre, has been given dual charge, as he would continue to be Disinvestment Secretary till his replacement in the key department is firmed up.

SEBI launches SCORES: SEBI has introduced a

centralised Web-based complaints redress system for investors of listed companies. The system called SCORES (SEBI Complaints Redress System) will be a centralised database of complaints pertaining to companies which will be sent electronically through SCORES at http://scores.gov.in/admin. The companies then have to view the complaints and submit action taken reports (ATRs) along with the supporting documents electronically to the system. Failure on part of the company to address the system will be considered as non-redressal of investor complaints by the company. (May 2011)

India has 190,000 millionaire households BCG:

A new report by Boston Consulting Group (BCG), a global management consulting firm, unveiled on June 1, 2011, has revealed that India, along with China, has shown the highest increase in private wealth in 2010. Private wealth relates to holdings of individuals or households in various asset classes including equities, commodities, real estates, etc. According to the report titled Shaping a New Tomorrow: How to Capitalize on the Momentum of Change, private wealth in India has jumped 21.6 per cent in 2010 compared with the overall 8 per cent or $ 9 trillion increase in global wealth. The report states that the number of millionaire households in India increased by over a third or 37 per cent to 190,000 compared with 139,000 in 2009. China has the highest number of millionaire households in the world. In 2010, the number of millionaire households in China was 11.1 lakh, and the country ranked third behind United States and Japan.

IDFC, Khazanah JV to develop road projects:

Infrastructure Development Finance Company (IDFC) and Khazanah, investment holding arm of the Malaysian

25

Section E: SPORTS
Chennai Super Kings win IPL 2011
Chennai Super Kings (CSK) successfully defended their Indian Premier League (IPL) title beating Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) by 58 runs in the final at MA Chidambaram stadium in Chennai on May 28, 2011. Brief Scores: Chennai Super Kings: 205 for five in 20 overs. (Murali Vijay 95, Michael Hussey 63; Chris Gayle 2/34, Sreenath Aravind 2/39). Royal Challengers Bangalore: 147 for eight in 20 overs (Saurabh Tiwary 42 not out, Virat Kohli 35; Ravichandran Ashwin 3/16). The winning teams Murali Vijay was named Man of the Match. IPL 2011 was the fourth season of the Indian Premier League, a professional league for Twenty20 cricket competition conceived by Lalit Modi in 2007. The season ran from 8 April to 28 May 2011. This season the number of teams in the league went from eight to ten with the additions of the Pune Warriors India and the Kochi Tuskers Kerala. CSK became the first team to win the title twice. Rajasthan Royals had won the inaugural edition in 2008, while Deccan Chargers won when the tournament was staged in South Africa in 2009. For RCB, it was their second loss in the title round. Chris Gayle of RCB was named as the Golden Player of the Tournament. He scored 608 runs in twelve innings the most in the tournament and picked up eight wickets. Mumbai Indians had to settle for third place in the tournament, having lost to RCB in the second qualifier. Chennai, Bangalore and Mumbai will all represent India in the Champions League tournament in September. The Fly Kingfisher Fair Play Award was again won by the Chennai Super Kings for topping the fair-play table. Kings XI Punjab batsman Paul Valthaty won the Best Individual Performance award while bowler Iqbal Abdulla of Kolkata Knight Riders won the 2011 Citibank Rising Star Award for the best under-23 player. Chris Gayle won the Orange Cap for maximum runs in the tournament (608 from 12 matches) while Lasith Malinga who plays for the Mumbai Indians got the Purple Cap for most wickets (28 from 16 matches). Kieron Pollard was awarded for taking most catches in the tournament.

Most runs
Player Chris Gayle Virat Kohli Shaun Marsh Michael Hussey Runs Innings Matches Balls Strike Rate Average HS 100s 50s 4s 6s Royal Challengers Bangalore 608 12 12 332 183.13 67.55 107 2 3 56 44 Royal Challengers Bangalore 557 553 504 492 Kings XI Punjab Chennai Super Kings 16 16 13 14 16 16 14 14 460 488 344 414 121.08 113.31 146.51 118.84 46.41 42.53 42.00 41.00 71 95 0 0 4 2 4 4 55 16 67 5 52 20 53 6 100* 1 83* 0 Team

Sachin Tendulkar Mumbai Indians

Most wickets
Player Lasith Malinga Munaf Patel Sreenath Aravind Ravichandran Ashwin Amit Mishra Team Wickets Overs Matches 63.0 54.2 46.0 63.0 53.2 16 15 13 16 14 28 Mumbai Indians 22 Mumbai Indians Royal Challengers Bangalore 21 Chennai Super Kings Deccan Chargers 20 19 Economy Rate 5.95 6.58 8.00 6.15 6.71 Average 13.39 16.27 17.52 19.40 18.84 Strike Rate 13.5 14.8 13.1 18.9 16.8 Best Bowling 5/13 5/21 4/14 3/16 4/9

26

Blatter re-elected FIFA President

Sepp Blatter was re-elected as President of world footballs governing body FIFA on June 1, 2011 by a landslide of 186 votes out of 203. Blatter, 75, did not face any opposition for another four-year term following the withdrawal on May 29 of Qatars Mohamed bin Hammam (President of the Asian Football Confederation). Both bin Hammam and FIFA vicepresident Jack Warner were suspended by the organisations ethics committee on allegations of having offered bribes for votes in their favour. Blatter, who took over FIFA in 1998, has faced widespread calls for reform following allegations of bribes surrounding the bidding for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, awarded to Russia and Qatar. Meanwhile, FIFA announced changes to the rules for choosing World Cup hosts, giving a vote to each of the organisations 208 members. Previous World Cup hosts were chosen by a vote of the 24-member FIFA executive committee. The law change was passed by a margin of 176 votes to four.

the score going into half-time. Both teams entered the competition having won it three times previously, Manchester United in 1968, 1999 and 2008; Barcelona in 1992, 2006 and 2009. Sir Alex Ferguson was the coach of Manchester United while Barcelona was coached by Pep Guardiola.

Salgaocar crowned I-League champion: Salgaocar Sports Club (SSC) clinched its maiden I-League football title after a 2-0 victory over JCT in their last round match on May 30, 2011. The Goan team finished at the top of the table with 56 points from 26 matches. Salgaocar struck twice through Francis Fernandes (13th minute) and Yusif Yakubu (85th) to become the third Goan side to win the champion in four years of I-League. Dempo had won the inaugural edition in 2007-08 as well as in 2009-10. Bengal retains Santosh Trophy: Branco Vincent Cardozo and Budhiram Tudu produced a goal in each session to help Bengal retain the Santosh Trophy after beating Manipur 2-1 in the final at Guwahati on May 31, st 2011. This was Bengals 31 title and second successive triumph in three consecutive final appearances. The final of th the 65 Senior National football championship saw the holder dominate for a greater part of the action before its challenger mounted a late resistance to reduce the margin. Manipurs goal came from L. Nabachandra Singh. Vettel wins Monaco Grand Prix: Germanys Sebastian Vettel won the Monaco GP, beating Fernando Alonso and Jenson Button in an incident-packed race that several drivers failed to finish on May 29, 2011 at Monaco. Adrian Sutil produced Force Indias best result of the current season by finishing seventh while his team mate Paul di Resta finished 12th. Gelfand wins right to challenge Anand: Boris Gelfand of Israel has earned the right to challenge world champion Viswanathan Anand after winning a series of intense battles between eight grandmasters including Levon Aronian, Vladimir Kramnik and Vaselin Topalov in Kazan, Russia in May 2011. Nadal enters French Open final: Spains Rafael Nadal
entered the final of the French Open at Roland Garros with a 6-4, 7-5, 6-4 semifinal win over Britains Andy Murray on May 27, 2011. Womens doubles title was won by Czech pair of Andrea Hlavackova and Lucie Hradecka who defeated Indias Sania Mirza and her partner Elena Vesnina of Russia 6-4, 6-3 in the final. Mixed doubles title was won by Casey Dellacqua (Australia) & Scott Lipsky (USA) who beat Katarina Srebotnik (Slovenia) & Nenad Zimonjic (Serbia) 7-6(6), 4-6, 10-7 in the final.

China retains Sudirman Cup

Hosts China beat Denmark 3-0 in the final to win its fourth successive Sudirman Cup at Qingdao on May 29, 2011. The results: China bt Denmark 3-0 (Xu Chen & Ma Jin bt Joachim Fischer Nielsen & Christinna Pedersen 21-14, 2114; Lin Dan bt Peter Gade 21-16, 21-11; Cai Yun & Fu Haifeng bt Carsten Mogensen & Jonas Rasmussen 21-17, 21-13). Sudirman Cup is the world mixed team badminton championship which takes place every two years. There are five matches in every round: men and womens singles, men and womens doubles and mixed doubles. The first Sudirman Cup tournament was held in Jakarta, Indonesia in 1989. There is no prize money in Sudirman Cup; players play for their respective countries and to earn BWF world ranking points and national prestige

Barcelona wins Champions League: Spanish club

Barcelona beat Englands Manchester United 3-1 in the 2011 UEFA Champions League final at the Wembley Stadium in London to lift the European Champion Clubs Cup (the European Cup) for the fourth time, on May 28, 2011. Barcelona dominated the match, winning 31 with goals from Pedro Rodrguez, Lionel Messi and David Villa while Wayne Rooney scored for Manchester United to level

Weekly Current Affairs update

For the Week: June 5 to 11, 2011

Major news of the week

Section A: INDIA
NAC unveils draft of National Food Security Act Age limit under National Old Age Pension Scheme lowered Rural Development Ministry conducts review of flagship programmes Parliamentary committee unveils report on Whistleblowers Bill Prithvi-II flight-tested successfully Hyderabad to host Convention on Biological Diversity 2012 World Environment Day observed CABE agrees for free education up to Class X India 9th in R&D in 2010 as per Scopus M.F. Husain passes away N. Manohar appointed AP Assembly Speaker Raja Narasimha appointed Andhra deputy CM S. Chandrasekharan is Parliamentary Secretary Ali Javed elected PWA general secretary Former MP CM Uma Bharti re-inducted into BJP Sushil Modi declines to head state Finance Ministers committee on GST Baba Ramdev declares assets IMF managing director aspirants seek Indian support Artist Devi Prasad passes away Kuchipudi legend Nataraja Ramakrishna passes away Home Ministry issues statement on Ramdevs eviction HRD Ministry launches Faculty Recharge Programme portal India to acquire Globemaster from the U.S NHRC retains A status at NHRI, Geneva NFCH launches Volunteers for Peace & Harmony Programme International Level Crossing Awareness Day observed Environment Ministry orders action against Lavasa Sandesh blames DMK for election defeat INS Kabra commissioned at Southern Naval Command Elections Commissioners disclose wealth voluntarily Rate of new HIV infections in India down by 50% Bengal govt. not to notify Singur ordinance Haryana govt. declares strike at Marutis plant illegal Bengal govt., Gorkha Janamukti Morcha sign agreement Punjab Cabinet approves Right to Service ordinance 2011 TN Assembly passes resolution to abolish Legislative Council TN passes resolution on atrocities on Tamils in LTTE-SL war Delhi edition of Dinamani launched

Section B: WORLD
New IPv6 internet address system launched FAO forecasts continuation of high food prices India calls for action against trade, IPR barriers in pharma Scientists at CERN devise way to trap antimatter atoms ILO report A New Era of Social Justice unveiled European Commission approves inclusion of Croatia into EU Child Labour Eradication Day observed IGC lowers global wheat production forecast for 2011-12 Swiss Parliament approves phasing out nuclear power Pak to replace US made border security watch system Indo-Nepal MoU on election management signed

2
UNEP calls for spending $40 bn more to halve deforestation rate UN, US launch campaign to eliminate inherited HIV E coli outbreak claims 25 lives in Europe Russia and Norway agree deal over oil-rich Barents Sea IEA sees prominent role for natural gas in global energy mix Japan to host annual IMF-World Bank Meet in 2012 Mini Pravasi Bharatiya Divas Canada 2011 organised IATA puts India on `wall of shame for high taxes IUCN Red List for Birds unveiled Two new elements included in period table Ban Ki-moon seeks 2nd term as UN secretary general Humala wins Presidential election in Peru President Saleh wounded, leaves Yemen for Saudi Arabia Tahawwur Rana acquitted of role in 26/11 White House economist Goolsbee to step down

Section C: AWARDS
KC Kulish International Award conferred Dasgupta, Ninan win ISRO performance excellence award Times of India launches Social Impact Awards Tea Obreht wins Orange Prize for Fiction FE-EVI Green Business Leadership Awards given Bengaluru wins Emerging Markets Airports Awards Tata Steel wins CSR award at Procurement Leaders Forum

Section D: ECONOMY & CORPORATE

Committee on National Small Savings Fund submits report PM approves Draft Manufacturing Policy CBDT sets-up committee to trace tax evaders Cabinet Committee on Security approves NATGRID Committee to monitor National Optic Fibre Network set up CCEA approves MSPs for Kharif Crops New IIP series with 2004-05 base unveiled Expert group suggests stricter radiation norms for mobiles Medicinal plants to get quality certification IIM-A launches ecolabel certification The Green Signal Govt. to provide 5 mn tonnes more for APL families under PDS World Bank forecasts lower GDP growth for India in 201-12 Beedi workers to be covered under RSBY Chawla committee calls for creation of National Market for Coal Govt. relaxes curbs on organic farming exports Home Ministry asks DoT to store call records for 5 years Home Ministry for lowering reliance on imported telecom equipment PSUs to make info on CSR public Intel to launch UHD for financial inclusion program Indias first cruise vessel, AMET Majesty launched Environment Ministry notifies e-waste management rules Corporate Affairs Ministry declines to probe Speak Asia Maran forced me to sell Aircel C Sivasankaran Y K Modi elected to ILO governing body

Section E: SPORTS
Sports Ministry launches Opex 2012 for London Olympics Li Na wins French Open womens singles Rafael Nadal claims sixth French Open title Anand wins Leon Masters Chess

3
Gary Kirsten appointed South Africa coach Tendulkar, Kallis joint first on ICC Test batsmen rankings

Section A: INDIA
NAC unveils draft of National Food Security Act
The Sonia Gandhi-led National Advisory Council unveiled its draft of the National Food Security Act, 2011 in June 2011. The draft gives legal backing to the PDS system, thereby excluding innovative options like cash transfers, which may have included variants like food stamps and UID-linked smart cards. Universal legal entitlement Despite the PMs panel objecting to universal legal entitlement, the draft says that not less than 90% of all rural households and not less than 50% of all urban households will be legally entitled to subsidized foodgrains. Strengthening PDS The draft Bill calls for legalising the PDS with an elaborate chapter detailing aspects like procurement, storage and distribution through Fair Price Shops as the only approach for implementing the provisions of food security. The draft Bill makes it mandatory for the government to maintain financial viability of Fair Price Shops (FPS) by ensuring (that) reasonable commissions, salaries for the manager are provided in a time-bound manner. It makes it obligatory on the state to set up FPS for delivery of subsidized food grains within 3 km of a habitation. The draft advises state governments to give preference to community institutions or public bodies while issuing licences for these shops. It has also suggested daily management of Fair Price Shops shall be done by women or womens collectives. The draft Bill recommends tagging each unit of foodgrain with a unique number. Purpose: to track its movement from the stage of procurement to delivery to the ultimate beneficiary with a view to ensure receipt. Women will be head of family for distribution of ration cards The draft has proposed to term the eldest female member of a family, above 18 years, as the head. The objective is to ensure that women get adequate say in the monthly procurement of grains under the proposed Act. Till now, the living male members of the family were considered the heads for distribution of ration cards. The draft also talks about direct cash transfer in case food is not available in sufficient quantity with states. In such a scenario, the women will have a say in choosing food grains from the open market. National Food Commission The draft bill envisages setting up of a seven-member National Food Commission, to be headed by a sitting or a former Supreme Court judge and similar State Commissions to be presided by a High Court judge. Required to inquire into all complaints, the Commission shall have all the powers of a civil court trying a suit under the Code of Civil Procedure. While suggesting appointments to the National Food Commission to be made by a collegium, comprising the Prime Minister as the chair, an SC judge, the Leader of Opposition in both House of Parliament along with the Speaker, the NAC has also called for the inclusion of chairpersons of various national-level statutory bodies. These include the chiefs of the National Human Rights Commission, the National Minorities Commission, the National Commission for Women and the National Commission for SC/STs. The draft bill wants the National Food Commission is empowered to suo motu inquire into any complaint and has powers to impose penalty upto Rs 5,000 in the first instance and Rs 100 for every day thereafter until relief is granted on any public servant if it is of the opinion that hes been guilty of dereliction of his duties Private sector involvement

4 The draft Bill has ruled out the role of the private sector in any kind of operations pertaining to sourcing the food grain. No private contractors shall be used for the delivery of any entitlements or procurement, storage and distribution for foodgrains, specifies Section 105 of the proposed Act.

Age limit under National Old Age Pension Scheme lowered

The Union Cabinet on June 9, 2011 approved lowering the age limit for the Indira Gandhi National Old Age Pension Scheme (IGNOAPS) from 65 years to 60 years and increasing the rate of pension from Rs. 200 to Rs. 500 to persons of 80 years and above. The revised norms would be applicable with effect from April 1, 2011. It is estimated that lowering of the age limit would benefit about an additional 72.32 lakh persons in the age group of 60-64 years and living below the poverty line. It is estimated that 26.49 lakh persons above the age of 80 years and living below the poverty line, would become eligible to receive enhanced central assistance @ Rs. 500 per month. At present 169 lakh persons above the age of 65 years and living below poverty line are receiving central assistance under IGNOAPS. The additional funds required will be Rs. 1,736 crore for providing old age pension @ Rs. 200 per month per beneficiary in the age group of 60-64 years and Rs. 953 crore for providing enhanced pension @ Rs. 500 per month per beneficiary of age 80 years and above. Thus the total additional requirement will be Rs. 2,770 crore including 3% administrative expenses. As a result of change in the eligibility criteria for receiving old age pension, eligibility criteria for widow pension under IGNWPS and disability pension under IGNDPS will get revised from 40-64 years to 40-59 years and from 18-64 years to 1859 years respectively.

Rural Development Ministry conducts review of flagship programmes

The first meeting of the Performance Review Committee of the Ministry Of Rural Development for the financial year 2011-12 was organised on June 6-7, 2011 in New Delhi. The meeting took stock of the progress under the various schemes of the ministry. The performances under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), preparations for BPL Census along with the progress under National Social Assistance Program were reviewed. Indira Awas Yojana (IAY), Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) and Swarna Jayanti Gram Swarozgar Yojana (SGSY)/National Rural Livelihood Mission were also reviewed. The progress of training programs of the ministry and the status of Vigilance and Monitoring Committees is on the agenda as well. Data on MGNREGA was released on the occasion. During the financial year 2010-11, 5.45 crore households have been provided employment under Mahatma Gandhi NREGA. Uttar Pradesh leads the pack with 64.2 lakh households being provided jobs while Rajasthan follows next with 62 lakh households being provided employment under the act. Ministry Of Rural Development has so far spent Rs. 36848.49 crores till March 2011 which amounts to around 70% of the expenditure as against the total available funds. MGNREGA has generated 253.68 crore person days of employment during this period. Average number of days of employment provided per household has been around 47 days in 2010-11 while the average wages paid per day has gone up from Rs. 65 in 2005-06 to Rs.100 in 2010-11. The participation of Scheduled castes, Scheduled tribes has been around 30% and 22% respectively while the womens contribution has been around 48%. Punjab has appointed Ombudsman in all 20 rural districts while in Andhra Pradesh has appointed Ombudsman in 21 out of 22 districts.

Parliamentary committee unveils report on Whistleblowers Bill

A Parliamentary standing committee on June 10, 2011 submitted its report on the proposed Public Interest Disclosure and Protection to Persons Making the Disclosures Bill, 2010, which is meant to establish a mechanism to receive complaints of corruption by any public servant, conduct enquiry on the allegations and safeguard the person making the complaint. The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Personnel, Public Grievances, Law and Justice headed by MP Jayanthi Natarajan, in th its 46 report, presented before the Rajya Sabha chairman strongly favoured that no organ of governance or the higher judiciary should be spared from the proposed law.

Scope and coverage: It has recommended that the higher judiciary, ministers and armed forces be brought within the ambit of the Whistleblowers Bill. It has allowed exceptions in the case of the forces located in operational and non-operational areas. The committee recommended necessary amendments in the current Bill to bring the Members of Council of Ministers, the judiciary, including the higher judiciary, regulatory authorities, etc within its ambit. Time period for reporting incidents: The committee is not in favour of barring complaints on incidents which took place over five years ago, as proposed by the Bill. It says that a person should be free to file a complaint under the whistleblowers law no matter when the alleged incident of corruption happened. Protecting whistleblowers identity: The committee has also stressed on a foolproof mechanism to ensure that the identity of the complainant is not compromised with, at any cost and at any level. It has sought a specific definition to the term victimization under the proposed statute. It wants the law to provide support and help to not only the whistleblower but also the witnesses/persons who support him. Acceptance/rejection of complaints: The committee has recommended that the competent authority should ensure that a complainant be given a full hearing before his complaint is dismissed, the committee said that the quantum of punishment prescribed in the Bill for frivolous/malafide disclosure is too high and should be substantially reduced. Ideally, frivolous complainants should be dealt with only a penalty, and there should be a provision for appealing against this in the high court.

Prithvi-II flight-tested successfully

Nuclear weapons-capable, surface-to-surface Prithvi-II missile was successfully flight-tested for its full range of 350 km by the Strategic Forces Command (SFC) personnel at the Interim Test Range (ITR), Chandipur in Balasore District of Orissa on June 9, 2011. The nine-metre tall Prithvi-II, the first indigenously built surface-to-surface strategic missile, was fired from a mobile launcher from Launch Complex-III at the Integrated Test Range at Chandipur in Orissa. It achieved a high degree of accuracy and zeroed-in on the pre-designated target in the Bay of Bengal with a CEP (Circular Error Probability) of less than 10 metres. The flight test met all the mission objectives and was like a text-book launch. A battery of radars, electro-optical telemetry stations and a naval ship located near the impact point tracked and monitored the entire event, including the missiles trajectory and final splashdown. The missile was picked up randomly from the production lot and the launch operations were carried out by SFC personnel and monitored by scientists of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). Capability: The single-stage, liquid-fuelled Prithvi-II that is capable of carrying payloads ranging from 500-1,000 kg had been inducted into the armed forces. It is equipped with a high accuracy inertial navigation system with sophisticated on-board control and guidance. It could be launched from anywhere with its mobile launcher having user-driven features. Dr. V.K. Saraswat, Scientific Adviser to the Defence Minister and Secretary Defence R & D, VLN Rao, Programme Director AD and SK Ray, Director RCI were among those present during the Mission.

Hyderabad to host Convention on Biological Diversity

Hyderabad was on June 6, 2011 chosen for hosting the 11 Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) in October 2012. The conference will be attended by representatives from 194 countries, including some Prime Ministers. This conference along with the 6th meeting of the Conference of the parties serving as the meeting of the parties to Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety would be held from October 1 to 19, 2012 at the Hyderabad International Convention Centre (HICC). Union Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh announced that his Ministry was contemplating to take up
th

6 an Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) on its own for projects involving multiple sectors and those falling in eco-sensitive zones, instead of leaving it to project proponents. Referring to the project on satellite-based imagery of the coastal erosion, the Minister said it had been completed for Gujarat, Orissa and Pondicherry and Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Karnataka and Goa would be covered by August this year. About CBD: The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) - Opened for signature at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in 1992, and entering into force in December 1993, the Convention on Biological Diversity is an international treaty for the conservation of biodiversity, the sustainable use of the components of biodiversity and the equitable sharing of the benefits derived from the use of genetic resources. With 194 Parties, the Convention has near universal participation among countries. The Convention seeks to address all threats to biodiversity and ecosystem services, including threats from climate change, through scientific assessments, the development of tools, incentives and processes, the transfer of technologies and good practices and the active involvement of relevant stakeholders including indigenous and local communities, youth, NGOs, women and the business community. About Cartagena Protocol: The Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety is a subsidiary agreement to the CBD. It seeks to protect biological diversity from the potential risks posed by living modified organisms resulting from modern biotechnology. To date, 159 countries plus the European Union have ratified the Cartagena Protocol.

World Environment Day observed

June 5, 2011 was observed as World Environment Day. The Day marks the beginning of United Nations conference on human environment in the year 1972. The first World Environment Day was on 1973. World Environment Day is celebrated every year with a different theme. The theme for this year is Forests-Nature at Your Service. Forests cover one third of the earths land mass. As many as 1.6 billion people depend on forests for their livelihoods. They play a key role in mitigating the effects of climate change, releasing oxygen into the atmosphere while storing carbon dioxide. The week long events across the country to celebrate the World Environment Day-2011 (WED-2011), with India being global host for the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), WED-2011 for first time culminated on June 5. UNEP report on Green Economy and the Forest was released on the occasion. The Ministry of Environment & Forests announced the launch of Gaura Devi Award to recognize the initiatives of Gaura Devi in forest conservation during Chipko movement. The award will carry a citation and cash prize of Rs 2 lakhs. The North East Museum Gallery at Regional Museum of Natural History, Bhubaneshwar was inaugurated by the Environment & Forests Minister on June 1, 2011.

CABE agrees for free education up to Class X

The provision of free and compulsory education will soon be extended up to Class X. A proposal to this effect was approved at a meeting of the Central Advisory Board of Education (CABE) the highest decision-making body on education in the country organised in New Delhi on June 7, 2011. The CABE announced initiatives on several other issues including checking malpractices in school education, vocational education and university reforms. Free and mandatory education upto X: The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act (RTE), 2009, provides for free and mandatory education only up to primary level from Class I to VIII. The CABE committee on extension of RTE will look into finance, infrastructure and legal requirement. The Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan, promising free education at the secondary level, is already in place and could become the vehicle for extending RTE till the secondary level. Bringing Class IX and X under the provision of the RTE will either require amending the existing Act or enacting a new law. Legislation on checking malpractices in school education: The CABE, represented by the States and civil society members, also approved the drafting of new legislation to check malpractices in school education. While the Union Human Resource Development Ministry has already introduced a Bill in Parliament to prohibit unfair practices in the higher education sector, it was agreed at the meeting to initiate a similar legislative proposal for the school education sector also.

7 National framework on vocational education: The CABE also endorsed the need for a National Vocational Education Qualifications Framework (NVEQF) providing for a nationally recognised framework with mobility between general and vocational education. The group of State Education Ministers already constituted, will develop a road map for implementing and incorporating the requirements and concerns of the States. The State governments will identify regional and local skills and develop curriculum content to feed into the NVEQF. University reforms: The CABE also decided to set up another committee on university reforms. It will look into the recommendations of the March Vice Chancellors conference that had called for major reforms in the university systems including financial independence and more autonomy like doing away with the convention of President being the Visitor of all Central Universities. It had also recommended allowing more colleges and institutions to grant degrees by doing away with the affiliation system, as far as possible.

India 9th in R&D in 2010 as per Scopus

Indias position globally in the field of scientific research and development, as measured by the number of research papers th th th th published, has improved from 13 position in 1996 to 12 position in 2001 and 10 position in 2006 and further to 9 position in 2010 as per the Scopus International database. This information was released by Ministry of Science & Technology on June 9, 2011. The number of applications submitted to patent new inventions made by scientists from India and other developed and developing countries received at Indian Patent Office during the last five years is as follows:Applications Indian Foreign Total 2005-06 4521 19984 24505 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 5314 6040 6161 7262 23626 29178 30651 27025 28940 35218 36812 34287 Source: Office of the Controller General Patents, Designs and Trademarks.

The Government has taken various measures for the promotion and growth of scientific research in the country. These measures include, successive increase in plan allocations for Scientific Departments, setting up of new institutions for science education and research, creation of centres of excellence and facilities in emerging and frontline areas in academic and national institutes, induction of new and attractive fellowships such as Innovation in Science Pursuit for Inspired Research (INSPIRE), strengthening infrastructure for Research and Development (R&D) in universities, encouraging public-private R&D partnerships, national awards for outstanding R&D for firms etc.

M.F. Husain passes away

M.F. Husain, Indias foremost modern painter and an internationally recognised artist, passed away in London on June 9, 2011 at the age of 97. Husain lived in Dubai, London and Qatar after being forced to leave India in 2006. A number of legal cases based on the charge of hurting religious sentiments were slapped on him. In 2007, he was offered citizenship by the monarchy of Qatar which he accepted. Born in Pandharpur in Maharashtra, Husain lost his mother when he was one and a half. His father remarried and moved to Indore, where he went to school. In 1935, he moved to Bombay and joined the J.J. School of Art. As a young, struggling artist he painted cinema hoardings. He later came to the limelight in the 1940s. He quickly made his mark as one of the pioneering spirits behind Indias fledgling avante garde movement and joined the Progressive Artists Group, largely an initiative of two other giants of contemporary Indian art, Francis Newton Souza and S.H. Raza. Husain made his international debut in 1952 with a solo exhibition at Zurich and soon established a worldwide reputation. He soon became one of Indias highest-paid painters. Owning a work of his became a mark of social status. The first state recognition came in 1955 when he was awarded the Padma Shri. In 1973, he was awarded the Padma Bhushan, and in 1991 the Padma Vibhushan. He was nominated to the Rajya Sabha in 1986.

8 Known for his free and creative spirit and sense of adventure, Husain experimented with cinema. He made his first film, a documentary titled Through the Eyes of a Painter, in 1967: it won a Golden Bear at the Berlin Film Festival. He made two Hindi films, Gaja Gamini and Meenaxi: A Tale of Three Cities. He also did a series of paintings inspired by the Bollywood actor, signing off as Fida, an Urdu word for devoted.

N. Manohar appointed AP Assembly Speaker: The N Kiran Kumar Reddy-led government in Andhra Pradesh on June
4, 2011 indirectly proved its majority in the House when Congress nominee Nandendla Manohar was elected the Speaker. In a division of votes, sought by the main opposition Telugu Desam Party, Manohar got 158 votes in a House of 294 while TDP nominee K E Krishnamurthy got only 90 votes. There was anxiety in the Congress party that the supporters of YSR Congress president YS Jaganmohan Reddy among the Congress legislators might play spoilsport in the numbers game. But while some of them abstained from voting, others extended their support to Manohar. As many as 25 Congress MLAs abstained from voting; 17 members of Praja Rajyam Party and seven members of the Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen voted in support of Manohar.

Raja Narasimha is deputy CM in AP: C Damodar Raja Narasimha, minister for higher education and agriculture (in
charge), has been appointed as deputy chief minister of Andhra Pradesh. Governor ESL Narasimhan issued orders on June 11, 2011 appointing him to the post following the Congress high commands decision to nominate a person from Telangana as deputy chief minister owing to the ongoing political unrest in the region.

S. Chandrasekharan is Parliamentary Secretary: The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) on June 9,
2011 approved the appointment of S. Chandrasekharan, IRAS (75), presently Additional Member (Finance), Railway Board, as Secretary, Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs in the vacancy of Usha Mathur, IRAS (74) (Retired). The ACC has also approved the appointment of Atul Chaturvedi, IAS (UP:74 (Retired), as Member, Public Enterprises Selection Board for a tenure of three years or until the age of 65 years or until further orders, whichever is earlier.

Ali Javed elected PWA general secretary: Ali Javed, an Urdu writer and professor at Delhi University was on June 8, 2011 elected general secretary of the Progressive Writers Association (PWA). The position was vacant since February this year following the death of Professor Kamala Prasad. The executive committee of the PWA, which took the decision, also named Dr. Arjumand Ara as general secretary of PWA (Urdu) till its conference is held in Kolkata in December. The meeting was attended by writers and poets from a number of states. PWA president Namvar Singh spoke about the challenges faced by writers. Uma Bharti re-inducted into BJP: Former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Uma Bharti was on June 7, 2011 re-inducted
into the BJP. She was appointed CM after leading her party to a three fourths majority in the 2003 Assembly polls but had to resign from the post in August 2004, when an arrest warrant was issued against her regarding the 1994 Hubli riot case in Karnataka. 52-year-old Bharti was expelled for indiscipline and defying the BJPs central leadership in December 2005 after she had objected to L K Advanis praise of Muhammad Ali Jinnah. Bharti had then formed her own outfit Bhartiya Janshakti Party.

Sushil Modi declines to head state Finance Ministers committee on GST: The Union government faces the
prospect of missing the April 2012 deadline to roll out goods and service tax (GST) with Bihar deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi on June 7, 2011 formally turning down the offer to head the empowered committee of state finance ministers. Modi is learnt to have cited his preoccupation with governance in Bihar to decline the offer. Although Amit Mitra, the newlyappointed West Bengal finance minister, is emerging as a compromise candidate, without the support of BJP the biggest tax reform move cannot be implemented. BJP is in power in seven states and it is an ally in Bihar and Punjab.

Baba Ramdev declares assets: Yoga guru Baba Ramdev and his aide Acharya Balakrishna, on June 9, 2011 declared
the assets of their business empire at a press conference in Haridwar. Balakrishna said all the institutions run by him were being run according to government norms and the audited balance sheets of its various arms had been put up on their Web site, www.divyayoga.com. The capital involving the four Trusts run by Baba Ramdev totalled Rs 426.19 crore. The Divya Yoga Mandir Trust had a capital of Rs 249.63 crore, Patanjali Yoga Peeth Trust Rs 164.80 crore, Bharat Swabhiman Trust Rs 9.97 crore and Acharyakul Shiksha Sansthan Rs 1.79 crore.

IMF managing director aspirants seek Indian support: The Governor, Central Bank of Mexico, Dr. Agustin Carstens
visited New Delhi on June 10, 2011 to gather support for his candidature for the International Monetary Funds next Managing Director. He called on Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and sought their support for his candidature amid Indias non-committal stand on support for any prospective candidates. Carstens visit came against the backdrop of India refraining from committing support for the front-runner French Finance Minister Christine Lagarde, who visited New Delhi on June 7, 2011. Traditionally, the multilateral lending agencys chief has always been a European.

Artist Devi Prasad passes away: Prominent artist Devi Prasad, who was taught painting by masters including Nandalal Bose, passed away on June 1, 2011 in New Delhi at the age of 89. Born in Dehra Dun in 1921, Devi Prasad joined Mahatma Gandhis Sevagram after his graduation from Santiniketan. He stayed in Sevagram till 1962 where he developed an art school and edited a journal. He was awarded the Lalit Kala Ratna award by Lalit Kala Akademi in 2007. He has published over 200 books and several articles on peace studies, child art and education and Tagore and Gandhi. Kuchipudi legend Nataraja Ramakrishna passes away: Nataraja Ramakrishna (88), the Kuchipudi legend known for his Andhra Natyam and Perini Shivatandavam, passed away on June 7, 2011 in Hyderabad. Among the awards bestowed upon him were the Padma Shri in 1992, a doctorate from the Andhra University and a Bharata Kala Prapoorna, apart from the NTR State Award. He is most known for reviving the 700-year-old dance form Perini Shivatandavam. He served as Chairman of the Andhra Pradesh Sangeet Natak Akademi Home Ministry issues statement on Ramdevs protest: The Union Home Minister, P. Chidambaram on June 8, 2011
briefed media regarding the events since the first of this month concerning the protests organised by Baba Ramdev. The Bharat Swabhiman Trust was given permission to organise a Yoga Training Session at Ramlila ground from June 1 to 20, 2011 for 4,0005,000 persons. When violations of the conditions attached to the permission were noticed and brought to the attention of the BST, they affirmed that there will be no program at all except residential yoga camp. However, Baba Ramdev, in the run up to June 1, at several meetings, announced that he will undertake a fast-unto-death beginning June 4 as part of his anti-corruption crusade. The government cautioned the Yoga guru that he would not be allowed to organise any protest or undertake any fast-unto-death at Ramlila ground. When he refused, Delhi Police removed Ramdev from Ramlila ground on June 5, 2011. Taking suo motu cognisance of the incident, the Supreme Court on June 6 directed Union Home Secretary G.K. Pillai, Delhi Police Commissioner B.K. Gupta and Delhi Chief Secretary P.K. Tripathi to explain the circumstances under which the people at the Ramlila grounds had to be forcibly dispersed in the early hours of June 5.

HRD Ministry launches Faculty Recharge Programme portal: An Empowered Committee had been constituted by
MHRD/UGC under the Chairmanship of Prof. M.M. Sharma, Former Director, ICT, Mumbai, to motivate students to take up science education and doctoral research. One of the recommendations of the Committee has been recruitment of faculty in science, engineering and technology through the scheme of Operation - Faculty Recharge. The objective is to strengthen high quality research and teaching in the universities through induction of fresh talent through a nationally conducted competitive process. Through this programme, universities would be able to upgrade faculty resources in their science related departments. To make this programme operational, the UGC has set up a dynamic interactive web portal which can be used by scholars to submit their applications on line. The web portal created exclusively for the Faculty Recharge Programme was inaugurated by Kapil Sibal, Union Minister for Human Resource Development on June 9, 2011.

India to acquire Globemaster transport aircraft from the U.S: India on June 6, 2011 decided to purchase 10 C-17 Globemaster III heavy-lift transport aircraft from the U.S. for the Indian Air Force. The deal under the Foreign Military Sales (Government-to-Government) is estimated to cost Rs. 18,000 crore (approximately $4.1 billion). The decision was taken at a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. The contract includes an offset obligation of around Rs. 4,500 crore ($ 1 billion). Under the clause, U.S. company Boeing would have to source 30 per cent value of the order from India. Work on the deal began last April during U.S. President Barack Obamas visit to India when it was announced that New Delhi had agreed to buy these aircraft. The IAF plans to base these heavy lift aircraft at Agra. These can carry 73,616 kg of payload and can be operated by a crew of three-two in the cockpit and one loadmaster. At present the Russian IL-76 Gajraj and AN-32 are the IAF aircrafts for transporting men and material. Earlier this year, the IAF inducted tactical lift C130J Super Hercules aircraft from the Lockheed Martin stable.

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NHRC retains A status: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has retained its A status in its accreditation with the International Coordinating Committee (ICC) of the National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs), Geneva. The Accreditation Sub-Committee of the ICC-NHRIs has recommended that the NHRC be reaccredited with A status. The decision, taken at the session of the ICC Sub-Committee on accreditation in Geneva from May 23 to 27 was communicated to the NHRC on June 10, 2011. The NHRC continues to hold A status with the ICC since 1999. This status is given to the NHRIs, which are fully compliant with the Paris Principles towards the promotion and protection of human rights. There was some apprehension that the ICC might review and withdraw the status granted to the NHRC, headed by Justice K.G. Balakrishnan. However, the ICC meeting in Geneva decided to continue the status in recognition of NHRCs outstanding performance in protecting human rights. NFCH launches Volunteers for Peace & Harmony Programme: The National Foundation for Communal Harmony
(NFCH) on June 10, 2011 launched the Volunteers for Peace & Harmony (V for Peace-n-Harmony) programme to create a th network of volunteers. The launch of V for Peace-n-Harmony in 2011 coincides with the 10 anniversary of international year of volunteers (IYV) being celebrated by the United Nations. The objectives of the Programme are: to create a network of volunteers to act as facilitators / change agents for promoting social harmony, when peace and social cohesion between communities is disturbed as well as during peaceful times for inclusive development; to spread awareness on peace and harmony in their respective communities and neighbourhoods; to strengthen the sense of unity in diversity amongst citizens th th of the country and to take active participation in the Communal Harmony Campaign Week from 19 25 of November observed by NFCH every year in the country. NFCH was set up in 1992 as an autonomous body with the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India. The Foundation undertakes various extension activities for promoting peace & harmony and provides financial assistance to children affected by communal, caste, ethnic or terrorist violence.

International Level Crossing Awareness Day observed: Every year, International Union of Railways (UIC) observes
one day as the International Level Crossing Awareness Day (ILCAD). This year, June 9, 2011 was observed as ILCAD. Indian Railways participated in this global campaign to sensitize road users to increase safety at unmanned level crossings. The number of unmanned level crossing accidents occurring on Indian Railways is a cause of concern. At present, there are total 32694 numbers of level crossings over Indian Railways out of which 14853 are unmanned where the accidents occur primarily due to inadequate precautions by the road users failing to observe mandatory sign boards, signals and basic traffic safety rules. Over the last five years, the train accidents at unmanned level crossings remained at low level.

Environment Ministry orders action against Lavasa: Union Environment Ministry has directed the Maharashtra
government to take necessary action against the Lavasas hill city project near Pune for violations under the Environment Protection Act. In a letter to the State government on June 10, 2011y, the Ministry said Lavasa had started development and construction work on 681 hectares of land without obtaining the necessary prior environmental clearance. As the letter mentions, these violations were pointed out in a show-cause notice issued on November 25 last year and the final directions issued on January 17. While the Act allows for action to the extent of the demolition of the violating constructions as, for instance, was ordered against the Adarsh Housing Society building the Ministry, in its January order, had only chosen to impose a fine on Lavasa and told the company to set up an Environmental Restoration Fund.

Congress magazine blames DMK for election defeat: Sandesh, a Congress magazine, holds the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) responsible for the joint defeat of the two parties in the recent Assembly elections in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry. There is need for a relook at the strategy in the southern State as the Congress must not lose its vote bank due to the mistakes of its coalition partners, the magazine suggests in its current issue released in June 2011. Meanwhile, the DMK reviewed its relationship with the Congress and decided to maintain status quo, even though it was critical of the latter for not helping the partys high-profile members in the 2G scam. INS Kabra commissioned at Southern Naval Command: Water jet-propelled Fast Attack Craft (FAC) INS Kabra,
eighth in a series of 10 Car Nicobar-class FACs designed and built by the Kolkata-based Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE) for the Navy, was commissioned by Vice-Admiral K.N. Sushil, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Southern Naval Command, at the Kochi naval base on June 8, 2011. Vice-Admiral Sushil said smaller ships like FACs were important in tackling peacetime challenges to maritime security such as piracy and low-intensity conflicts. INS Kalpeni, the FAC commissioned in October 2010, has extensively participated in anti-piracy operations.

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Elections Commissioners disclose wealth voluntarily: Chief Election Commissioner S.Y. Quraishi and Election
Commissioners V.S. Sampath and H.S. Brahma declared their assets voluntarily in June 2011. The details have been updated in the Election Commission website. This is the first time in the country that the Election Commissioners have declared their assets; there is no law that requires them to furnish the information for public consumption.

Rate of new HIV infections in India down by 50%: The rate of new HIV infections fell by more than 50 per cent in
India between 2001 and 2009, double the average decline in the world, according to a report released by UNAIDS on June 3, 2011. In India, the rate of new HIV infections fell by more than 50 per cent and in South Africa by more than 35 per cent; both countries have the largest number of people living with HIV on their continents, according to the study entitled AIDS at 30: Nations at the Crossroads. The report said the global rate of new infections declined by nearly 25 per cent between 2001 and 2009.

Bengal govt. not to notify Singur ordinance: Mamata Banerjee-led West Bengal government, which had issued an
ordinance to take back the entire land lying with Tata Motors and its vendors at Singur on June 10, 2011, has decided not to notify it. The state government will now amend the Land Acquisition Act, 1894, and introduce a Singur Bill in the Assembly. The disputed 400 acres will be returned to farmers, while Tata Motors is welcome to set up its project on the remaining 600 acres, Banerjee had said on June 10 while announcing the ordinance.

Haryana govt. declares strike at Marutis Manesar plant illegal: The Haryana government on June 10, 2011
declared the strike by workers of Maruti Suzukis Manesar plant illegal. The 2,500 workers who had struck work on June 4 have been demanding recognition of a new union Maruti Suzuki Employees Union (MSEU) independent of the existing one which is dominated by workers of the Gurgaon plant. They have also demanded that the management take back the order for termination of eleven employees who allegedly instigated the workers. The third demand is to scrap the order of no work no pay imposed by the management. Under the state laws, a company after declaring a no work no pay policy can impose a penalty of eight days of a workers salary for every day that he is on illegal strike.

Bengal govt., Gorkha Janamukti Morcha sign agreement: The West Bengal government Banerjee and the Gorkha
Janamukti Morcha (GJM) on June 7, 2011 signed an official-level agreement, paving the way for the setting up of a new elected body in the Darjeeling hill areas. The agreement was signed between GJM general secretary, Roshan Giri and the state home secretary, G.D. Gautama. The GJM reiterated that the new set-up would be formed without diluting its main agenda for a Gorkhaland state, though the demand had been set aside for now. The GJM said that the new setup will replace the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council (DGHC) without diluting its main agenda for a separate State. It would have full administrative, financial and executive powers and would be given more autonomy than the DGHC. Meanwhile, a ninemember high-level committee comprising representatives of the Centre, the State government and the GJM is looking into the question of bringing the Gorkha-dominated areas in the Dooars and the Terai under its jurisdiction.

Punjab Cabinet approves Right to Service ordinance 2011: The Punjab Cabinet on June 8, 2011 approved the Right to Service ordinance 2011 to ensure the delivery of citizen centric services like driving licence, arms licence, revenue record and copy of FIR etc to people with in the stipulated time limit. The ordinance was aimed at empowering the citizens with the right to get services from the government within a deadline on one hand and to ensure 100 per cent accountability of the officers of implementing agencies on the other. A provision of penalty clause has been introduced in the Ordinance to charge a lump sum penalty of at least Rs 500 up to Rs 5,000 from the authorised designated officers who failed to provide the services to the persons in a time bound manner without any sufficient and reasonable cause. TN Assembly passes resolution to abolish Legislative Council: The Tamil Nadu Assembly on June 7, 2011
adopted a resolution against attempts to revive the Legislative Council, which was abolished in 1986 and sought to be resurrected thrice in 1989, 1996 and 2010. Chief Minister Jayalalithaa moved the resolution seeking to rescind an earlier decision of the Assembly to create a Legislative Council. The DMK regime had passed a resolution in the Assembly on April 12, 2010 for the revival of the Council. As required in the Constitution, both Houses of Parliament passed the necessary legislation to create the Council in May 2010. A 78-member second chamber was created and the Election Commission took steps to hold elections. However, the delimitation of constituencies was challenged before the Supreme Court, effectively stalling the conduct of the election.

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TN passes resolution on atrocities on Tamils in LTTE-SL war: The Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly on June 8,
2011 passed a special resolution demanding that the Centre take action to get all those responsible for large-scale civilian deaths, during the Sri Lankan civil war, declared as war criminals by the United Nations. The resolution, passed unanimously, also demanded economic sanctions against the island nation to pressure the country into giving equal status and dignity to Tamils.

Delhi edition of Dinamani launched: Chief Election Commissioner S.Y. Quraishi launched the Delhi edition of the Tamil
daily Dinamani, from The New Indian Express group, Chennai, on June 10, 2011.

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Section B: WORLD
New IPv6 internet address system launched
The biggest ever test of the internets new address system is taking place. Google, Yahoo, Microsoft Bing and Facebook are among the companies switching-on IPv6 versions of their websites for the one day trial on June 7, 2011. The technology is gradually being introduced because the world is running out of older IPv4 addresses as more devices come online. Companies and home users may need new networking equipment. However the transition is likely to take years. World IPv6 day, on June 8, is partly a technical exercise by internet companies to see how the technology works, and partly an awareness-raising initiative. For users with an ordinary domestic internet connection, the changeover may involve upgrading their hardware. In India, R Chandrashekhar, Secretary (Telecom) released the first India IPv6 (Internet Protocol IPv6 )Task Force Newsletter and technical compendium on IPv6 activities at Sanchar Bhawan in New Delhi on the occasion of World IPv6 day on June 8, 2011. The IPv6 newsletter will showcase the efforts and progress made by India and technical compendium compiled by TEC will be useful and handy for IPv6 implementation in the country. World IPv6 day is globally celebrated by the Internet Society. The goal of this event is to motivate organizations across the industry, Internet service providers, hardware manufacturers, operating system vendors and web companies to prepare themselves for a successful transition to IPv6 as IPv4 address space runs out. In India about 18.5 million IPv4 addresses are available for more than 180 million data users and we need to have at least one IP address for each data user, keeping this in view, Government of India has released IPv6 policy in July, 2010, according to which All major Service providers will offer IPv6 services by December, 2011 and All Central and State government ministries and departments, including its PSUs, shall start using IPv6 services by March-2012. Facts & figures IPv4 was conceived in the early 1980s as a way of identifying individual connections to a computer network. It is typically made up of 32 bits, written as 12 digits, e.g. 112.233.189.123. That gives a maximum of around 4.3bn addresses. However, the rapid growth in PCs, smartphones and other internet connected devices means those addresses are close to being used up, with an estimated 80 million still to be allocated. IPv6 is a 128bit system, written in hexadecimal (base 16 counting using numbers and letters), e.g. 21DA:00D3:0000:2F3B:02AA:00FF:FE28:9C5A. The system gives a maximum of 340 undecillion possible addresses (1 undecillion = 10 followed by 35 zeros in the British numbering system).

FAO forecasts continuation of high food prices

Global food prices will remain high and volatile throughout this year and into next despite record food production. The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) twice yearly Food Outlook analysis on June 7, 2011 said rising demand will absorb most of the higher output. The FAO says higher food prices could mean poor countries will see food import costs rise by up to 30%. That would mean them spending 18% of their total import bills on food this year, compared with the world average of 7%. The organisation says the next few months will be critical in determining how major crops will fare this year. The FAOs May index which measures price changes in a range of essential foodstuffs, including cereals, oilseeds, dairy, meat and sugar was 37% higher than a year ago. The FAO says although prospects are encouraging in some countries, such as Russia and Ukraine, weather conditions either too much or too little rain - could hamper wheat and maize production in Europe and North America. In 2010, drought led Russia to ban exports of cereals and Ukraine to limit overseas sales.

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The big increase in the oil price has also had an impact. Soaring oil prices push food prices higher as they increase the cost of food production and transportation. The role of commodities traders is increasingly coming under the spotlight with some blaming the speculative element of their activities for pushing prices artificially high.

India calls for action against Trade, IPR Barriers in pharma

India has called for proactive and collective action from the international community to dismantle trade and intellectual property right barriers and improve the availability of accessible, affordable and quality drugs for the needy and impoverished. Speaking at the High Level Meeting of the General Assembly on HIV and AIDS in New York on June 9, 2011, Minister of Health and Family Welfare, Ghulam Nabi Azad underscored Indias efforts on prevention, treatment, care and support of HIV and AIDS. He noted that India has been able to contain the epidemic with a prevalence of just 0.31%. Indias focus has been on high risk groups, expanding services and improving access to Anti Retroviral Therapy. The Minister called on the international community to vigorously scale up actions to provide resources in the global effort to combat HIV and AIDS. Azad highlighted the active role of pharmaceutical companies from India in providing high quality affordable generic drugs all over the world and noted that these drugs are not cheap in quality. Azad urged the international community to dismantle barriers that obstruct universal access to treatment of HIV/AIDS. These include the high cost of Anti Retro Viral medicines because of Intellectual Property Rights owned by MNC pharmaceutical companies. He called for using flexibilities in TRIPS to overcome IPRE barriers and ensure better availability of affordable medicines.

Scientists at CERN devise way to trap antimatter atoms

Nuclear scientists at CERN, Geneva announced on June 5, 2011 that they have found a way to trap for more than 15 minutes elusive antimatter atoms that used to disappear after a fraction of a second. That will give scientists at the European Organisation for Nuclear Research (CERN) time to study the atoms properly, in the hope of understanding what happened during the first moments of the universe. The achievement is a significant improvement on earlier attempts to trap antihydrogen, which like all antimatter has a tendency to disappear before scientists have time to examine it. The ALPHA research team working at the worlds biggest particle physics lab, known by its French acronym CERN, on the Swiss-French border, managed to increase the time for preserving anti-matter from two-tenths of a second to 1,000 seconds. The team improved the efficiency of the antimatter trap by cooling antihydrogen atoms down to less than 0.5 degrees above absolute zero. Their research was published online in the journal Nature Physics. The ALPHA team has already trapped about 300 antihydrogen atoms. The more they trap, the easier it is to conduct experiments on antihydrogen. Understanding antihydrogen will help solve one of the biggest riddles of physics. Theorists say both matter and antimatter must have been created in equal amounts in the Big Bang, but antimatter has since disappeared from the natural universe while matter abounds in the stars, planets and galaxies.

ILO report A New Era of Social Justice unveiled

The world urgently needs a new growth model to prevent further social unrest, says a new ILO report released on June 8, th 2011. The report titled A New Era of Social Justice was released by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) at the 100 International Labour Conference in Geneva. Govts should spend more on workers welfare: The report cautions governments against pursuing policies that give precedence to economic goals over social and environmental ones as it could aggravate unrest, as being witnessed in the Arab world. Countries are being ranked on the basis of their growth record, irrespective of the sustainability of that growth, who benefited from it, or the possible damaging effects on other countries, warns the report. The report calls upon governments to invest in social protection of the working millions, saying that it will not cost them much. It cites the example

15 of India, Indias Commission on Enterprises in the Unorganised Sector found that a basic package of social protection could be offered to over 300 million Indians in the informal economy at a cost not exceeding 0.5 per cent of GDP. Wage growth has lagged productivity growth: Globally, the relationship between labour productivity and wages has weakened in the past decade. Labour productivity grew twice as fast as wages in the developed countries, by 10.3 per cent, says the report. A similar pattern was seen in 16 of a sample of 21 emerging and developing countries. Overall, 17 out of 24 countries with data going back to the early 1980s registered a falling wage share, although with cross-country variation. Warning governments against adopting a business as usual approach, the report says joblessness and low-quality job traps are an obstacle to future growth.

European Commission approves inclusion of Croatia into EU: Croatia has been given the go-ahead to become a member of the European Union, and is likely to join in 2013, the European Commission has said. Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso on June 10, 2011 said he would recommend EU nations wrap up talks and prepare to greet Croatia as the th 28 member state. Croatia started membership talks around six years ago, and would become the second former Yugoslav nation to join following Slovenia. The EU kept Croatias membership application pending for years until it improved its cooperation with the U.N. war crimes tribunal. Croatian Prime Minister Jadranka Kosor said the countrys goal is to complete its EU accession talks this year when it marks the 20th anniversary of independence from the former Yugoslavia. Child Labour Eradication Day observed: World Day Against Child Labour was observed worldwide on June 12, 2011.
The ILOs most recent global estimate is that 115 million children are involved in hazardous work. This is work that by its nature or the circumstances in which it is carried out, is likely to harm childrens health, safety or morals. Children working in many different industries and occupations can be exposed to such risks and the problem is global, affecting industrialised as well as developing countries. Hazardous work is among the worst forms of child labour which the international community has targeted for elimination by 2016.

IGC lowers global wheat production forecast for 2011-12: The International Grains Council (IGC) on June 10, 2011
lowered its global wheat production forecast for 2011-12 to 667 million tonnes as crop prospects in countries like the US are not bright due to unfavourable weather. Earlier, in April, the London-based organisation had pegged global wheat output at 672 million tonnes this year. The wheat production forecast for the current year is still higher than the 649 million tonnes output last year. Global wheat demand is expected to touch a new record of 669 million tonnes this year.

Swiss Parliament approves phasing out nuclear power: Swiss lawmakers have approved a government-backed
proposal to phase out the use of nuclear power. A majority of parliamentarians in Switzerlands lower house voted in favour of the plan to shut down the countrys five nuclear power reactors in the medium term. The ballot passed the National Council on June 8, 2011 with 101 votes in favour, 54 against and 30 abstentions. It had the support of all except the pro-business Liberal Democrats and the nationalist Swiss Peoples Party.

Pak to replace US made border security watch system: Pakistan on June 8, 2011 rejected the US offer to upgrade a
border security watch system supplied by it and instead decided to replace it with locally-developed software so that the integrity of data will be secured. The US provided Pakistan and 16 other countries including Afghanistan, Iraq and Yemen the Personal Identification, Secure Comparison and Evaluation System (PISCES) in 2002 as part of its Terrorist Interdiction Programme to enable immigration and border control officials to document and identify people exiting and entering the country. Pakistans Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) is currently phasing out PISCES and replacing it with the Integrated Border Management System (IBMS), which is budgeted at Rs 421 million.

Indo-Nepal election management MoU signed: A Memorandum of Understanding for mutual cooperation in election management between India and Nepal was signed by Chief Election Commissioner of India S.Y. Quraishi and his Nepal counterpart Neel Kantha Uprety in Kathmandu on June 7, 2011. The agreement covers exchange of knowledge/experience in the electoral process, exchange of material and expertise, training of personnel, production and dissemination of materials, voting technology and conducting voters education and awareness programmes. The Election Commission of India (ECI) is already providing technical assistance to Nepal and the Indian election officers, including technical experts on the Electronic Voting Machine (EVM), have been visiting Nepal for providing assistance and demonstration since 2006. The ECI had earlier gifted 700 EVM to Nepal.

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UNEP calls for spending $40 bn more to halve deforestation rate: Investing an additional $40 billion annually in the forestry sector can halve the deforestation rates by 2030, increase the rate of tree planting by about 140 per cent by 2050, and catalyse the creation of millions of new jobs, according to a report by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). Such an investment could also remove an extra 28 per cent of carbon from the atmosphere, thus playing a key role in combating climate change, says the report, Forests in a Green Economy: A Synthesis. The report unveiled in June 2011 says that natural capital such as forests can represent up to 90 per cent of the GDP of the rural poor. India is among a dozen countries that take the global findings of the Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity study into national assessment and enable the translation of the value of nature and its services into national accounts. Carefully planned investments would also contribute to increased employment from the current 25 million to 30 million by 2050 UN, US launch campaign to eliminate inherited HIV: The UN and the US government on June 10, 2011, launched an
initiative to eliminate HIV among babies by 2015. The UN says a baby is born with HIV nearly every minute, almost all of them in sub-Saharan Africa. The new campaign will aim to treat HIV-positive pregnant women, cutting infection among their babies to less than 5%. It will cost an estimated $2.5bn to care for 15 million women, double those currently being treated. The plan, called Countdown to Zero, was developed by a team led by UNAids and the US Presidents Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief. A key element of the campaign is to ensure that all women, especially pregnant ones, have access to quality lifesaving HIV prevention and treatment services for themselves and their children. In 2009, an estimated 370,000 children were infected at birth with HIV, almost all in low- and middle-income countries, and chiefly in sub-Saharan Africa.

E coli outbreak claims 25 lives in Europe: Germany on June 8, 2011 said the deadly E coli outbreak appeared to be
waning. Health minister Daniel Bahr admitted failures by the authorities and said there have been too much speculations which caused confusion among the public. The government has been criticised for its handling of the crisis by an increasingly nervous public and by its partners in the European Union. So far, the outbreak of the infection has claimed 25 lives and infected 1,959 people, 700 of them with the lethal haemolytic uramic syndrome (HUS), according to the Robert Koch Institute, Germanys disease control and prevention centre.

Russia and Norway agree deal over oil-rich Barents Sea: Russia and Norway have agreed a deal to divide up their
shares of the Barents Sea. The deal follows decades of negotiations between the two sides over how to divide the region. The accord will allow companies to explore for oil and gas in the 68,000 square mile area. The agreement has been approved by the two countries parliaments and will be implemented on 7 July this year. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and his Norwegian counterpart Jona Gahr Stoere ratified the deal in Oslo on June 7, 2011. It splits the disputed part of the Barents Sea into two equally sized areas. The region has become more accessible recently as global warming has caused the ice to melt. The melting ice could open up new, shorter, shipping routes between Russia and Norway and Asia. The US Geological Survey estimated in 2008 that the Arctic was likely to hold 30% of the worlds recoverable, but yet to be discovered, gas and 13% of its oil.

IEA sees prominent role for natural gas in global energy mix: As supply and demand factors increasingly point to a future in which natural gas plays a greater role in the global energy mix, the International Energy Agency (IEA) on June 6, 2011 released a special report exploring the potential for a golden age of gas. The new report, part of the World Energy Outlook (WEO) 2011 series, examines the key factors that could result in a more prominent role for natural gas in the global energy mix, and the implications for other fuels, energy security and climate change. The report, titled, Are We Entering a Golden Age of Gas? presents a scenario in which global use of gas rises by more than 50% from 2010 levels and accounts for more than a quarter of global energy demand by 2035. However, the report also strikes a cautious note on the climate benefits of such an expansion, noting that an increased share of gas in the global energy mix is far from enough on its own to put the world on a carbon emissions path consistent with a global temperature rise of no more than 2 degrees Celsius. Japan to host annual IMF-World Bank meet in 2012: In view of the recent developments in Egypt, the annual meeting of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank in 2012 has now been moved to Japan, an official announcement said on June 7, 2011. Egypt has witnessed major developments over the past six months, with a 30-year-old regime being overthrown by a mass uprising and a transition to democracy in progress. The Annual Meetings serve to discuss international economic and financial developments, and policies to strengthen inclusive economic growth and help countries overcome poverty.

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Mini Pravasi Bharatiya Divas Canada 2011 organised: Canada on June 10, 2011 announced a new visa regime that
will allow Indians a 10-year multiple entry visa to the country. The announcement was made by Canadian Minister of International Trade Edward Fast at the two-day mini Pravasi Bharatiya Divas Canada 2011 convention organised on June 1011, 2011 in Toronto. Minister of State for External Affairs Preneet Kaur who led the Indian delegation said both countries were committed to strengthen their bilateral trade relations.

IATA puts India on `wall of shame for high taxes: India on June 6, 2011 was put on the Wall of Shame by the IATA
for imposing high service tax on air tickets. The Indian government was put on the Wall of Shame at the Annual General Meeting of the International Air Transport Association (IATA), along with the European Union Parliament and the governments of the UK, Germany and Austria, for imposing high taxes on air travel. Asserting that aviation fuelled global trade stimulated economies and restored government budgets, IATAs director general and CEO, Giovanni Bisignani said dont kill the goose that lays golden eggs.

IUCN Red List for Birds unveiled: The Great Indian Bustard, one of the heaviest flying birds in the world, is in danger of
going extinct according to the latest edition of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List for Birds unveiled on June 7, 2011. The total number of threatened bird species has risen to 1253. In the space of a year another 13 bird species have moved into the threatened categories. In all, 189 species are now considered to be Critically Endangered.

Two new elements included in period table: Two new chemical elements, numbers 114 and 116, have been officially
recognised by an international committee of chemists and physicists in New York on June 8, 2011. The elements last for less than a second and join such familiar neighbours as carbon, gold, tin and zinc. The new ones dont have approved names yet. That brings the total of known elements to just 114 because elements 113 and 115 havent been officially accepted yet. Paul Karol of US-based Carnegie Mellon University chaired the committee that recognised the new elements, based on experiments done in 2004 and 2006 by a collaboration of scientists from Russia and the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California.

Ban Ki-moon seeks 2nd term as UN secretary general: Ban Ki-moon on June 7, 2011 formally announced his
candidacy for a second five-year term as UN Secretary General. From the beginning Ban has presented himself as a man of quiet diplomacy, which set him apart from his outspoken predecessor Kofi Annan. Ban says his accomplishments included overseeing swift responses to a series of humanitarian crises, and pushing to make climate change a top concern of world governments. European Union Foreign Policy Commissioner Catherine Ashton on June 8, 2011 said that the EU welcomed Bans candidature. The United States, Britain, China and France have also announced their backing for Ban. Russia is the only permanent UNSC member yet to declare its position.

Humala wins Presidential election in Peru: Former army officer Ollanta Humala of Peruvian Nationalist Party on June 7, 2011 won the Presidential election in Peru defeating right-wing candidate Keiko Fujimori (the daughter of jailed expresident Alberto Fujimori) of Force 2011 in the run-off organised on June 5, 2011. The run-off vote was organised after the first round on April 10 saw neither Humala nor Fujimori getting the 50% of votes needed to win outright. Humala will succeed Alan Garcia, who could not stand for a second term. President Saleh wounded, leaves Yemen: Yemens President Ali Abdullah Saleh on June 7, 2011 left for Saudi Arabia
for medical treatment, leaving behind a political vacuum and a glimmer of hope for the pro-democracy movement to achieve its objectives. Most analysts are of the view that his departure from Yemen is permanent marking the end of a turbulent 33-year rule.

Tahawwur Rana acquitted of role in 26/11: In a verdict that was received with disappointment by India, a US court in
Chicago on June 10, 2011 acquitted Pakistani-Canadian businessman Tahawwur Rana on charges of plotting the 2008 Mumbai attacks but held him guilty of supporting Pakistan-based terror group LeT and planning a strike in Denmark that will get him a maximum of 30 years in jail. A 12-member jury here reached a split verdict after two days of deliberations and ruled that 50-year-old Pakistani- Canadian was not guilty of conspiracy to provide material support to the Mumbai attacks which killed 166 people, including six Americans on November 26, 2008. If he was convicted on this count, he could have received a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.

White House economist Goolsbee to step down: Economist Austan Goolsbee has decided to step down from his position as Chairman of the White House Council of Economic Advisers in the Obama administration on June 7, 2011.

18 Goolsbee plans to return to his teaching job at the University of Chicago. His departure leaves Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner as the sole remaining senior member of Obamas original economic team, as the president is under pressure to persuade Americans that he has a plan to boost growth.

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Section C: AWARDS
INDIA KC Kulish International Award conferred: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh gave away the Karpoor Chandra Kulish International (KCKI) Award for Excellence in Print Journalism 2009 on June 6, 2011 in New Delhi to The New Crusading Guide, a newspaper from Ghana, West Africa, for their stories on Undercover inside Ghanas Madhouse, and Undercover inside the Chinese Sex Mafia. The winning team Anas Areneyaw Anas, Mary Fianko Akuffo and Selease Kove-Seyram received a cash prize of US$11,000, along with certificates, medals and a trophy. Apart from this, seven outstanding stories received a special merit award. The stories considered for the award are assessed on team work, ground investigation and impact. K.S. Dasgupta, K.N. Ninan win ISRO performance excellence award: K.S. Dasgupta, Director, Indian Institute of
Space Science and Technology, and K.N. Ninan, Emeritus Professor, have been selected for the performance excellence award 2009 of ISRO. The names of the awardees were declared by K. Radhakrishnan, Chairman, ISRO, at Bangalore on June 8, 2011.

Times of India launches Social Impact Awards: The Times of India announced the launch of its first ever Social Impact Awards in partnership with JP Morgan in June 2011. The awards will be given in five key sectors: education, health, environment, livelihoods and advocacy/ empowerment. There will be three awards in each sector one each for a nongovernmental organization, a corporate-backed organization and a government body at the district or state level. These apart, there will be an award for Lifetime Achievement and another for Global Impact. WORLD Tea Obreht wins Orange Prize for Fiction: Serbian-American author Tea Obreht was on June 8, 2011 awarded the
2011 Orange Prize for Fiction for her debut novel The Tigers Wife. The 25-year-old, who is the youngest author to scoop the honour, was praised by the judges as a truly exciting new talent for her exceptional book. Set in the Balkans, The Tigers Wife tells the story of a young doctor who traces the life of her grandfather. The 30,000 annual prize recognises the work of fiction written in the English language by women. Born in the former Yugoslavia in 1985 and raised in Belgrade, Obreht emigrated to the US in 1997. The other nominees were Kathleen Winter for Annabel, Grace Williams Says It Loud by Emma Henderson, Emma Donoghues Room, Aminatta Fornas The Memory of Love and Great House by Nicole Krauss. US author Barbara Kingsolver won the prize last year for her sixth novel, The Lacuna. Previous winners of the prize, which has been running since 1996, include Helen Dunmore, Zadie Smith and Rose Tremain.

ECONOMY & CORPORATE FE-EVI Green Business Leadership Awards given: The FE-EVI Green Business Leadership Awards were conferred on their winners by Former President APJ Abdul Kalam on June 5, 2011. The FE-EVI Green Business Leadership Awards for 2010-11 were presented to Binani Cement, Mahindra & Mahindra and Larsen & Toubro in the category of high-energy intensive sectors and Tata Coffee, LOreal India and Hindustan Unilever in the category of low-energy intensive sectors. The awards are jointly given by The Financial Express and Emergent Ventures India, an integrated climate change and clean energy firm. Bengaluru Airport wins Emerging Markets Airports Awards: Bengaluru International Airport (BIA) has been
acknowledged as the Best Emerging Airport, India Subcontinent for the second consecutive time by the Emerging Markets Airports Awards (EMAA) at the awards ceremony held in Dubai on June 1, 2011.

Tata Steel wins CSR award at Procurement Leaders Forum: Tata Steel has been adjudged the winner in Corporate
Social Responsibility at the Procurement Leaders Forum. Ranjan Sinha, Chief Procurement, Tata Steel received the award on May 23, 2011 at London. The award recognised outstanding social, ethical, environmental, sustainable and communitycentred initiatives. This is the second international recognition for Tata Steel in CSR in May 2011. Earlier, the company was declared the best in corporate social responsibility by Finance Asia

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Section D: ECONOMY & CORPORATE

Committee on National Small Savings Fund submits report
The Committee set up for comprehensive review of National Small Savings Fund (NSSF) headed by Shyamala Gopinath, Deputy Governor, Reserve Bank of India submitted its report to Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee on June 7, 2011. Major recommendations Discontinuation of Kisan Vikas Patra and Continuation of other Schemes with Suitable Modification(s) Reduction in the Maturity Period of Monthly Income Schemes and NSC Upward Revision of the Ceiling on Annual Subscription in PPF from Rs.70000 to Rs. 1 Lakh Revision in Rate of Interest in Post Office Savings Account from 3.5% To 4% The Committee was set up by the Government after accepting the recommendations of the 13 Finance Commission in principle regarding examination of all aspects of the design and administration of NSSF with the aim of bringing transparency, market linked rates and other, much needed reforms to the schemes. Other members of the Committee are R. Sridharan, MD, State Bank of India, Shaktikanta Das, Additional Secretary (Budget), Ministry of Finance, Dr Rajiv Kumar, formerly Director & Chief Executive, Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations and currently Secretary General, FICCI and Anil Bisen, Economic Advisor, Ministry of Finance. TERMS OF REFERENCE: Review of the existing parameters for the small savings schemes in operation and recommending mechanisms to make them more flexible and market linked Review of the existing terms of loans extended from the NSSF to the Centre and States Recommending the changes required in the arrangement of lending the net collection of small savings to Centre and States Review of the other possible investment opportunities for the net collections from the small savings and the repayment proceeds of NSSF loans extended to State and Centre Review of the administrative arrangement including the cost of operation; and review of the incentives offered on the small savings investments by the States.
th

RECOMMENDATIONS
A. Small saving schemes The Committee has examined all the small savings schemes, interest rates payable on them, their maturity period and other aspects. The Committee has recommended discontinuation of Kisan Vikas Patra (KVP) and continuation of all other schemes with suitable modification(s) in some of them. The Committee has recommended for reducing the maturity period of monthly income scheme and National Saving Certificate (NSC) from six to five years. Recognizing the need for a long term investment opportunity after discontinuation of KVP, the Committee has also recommended introduction of 10 years NSC scheme. The Committee has also recommended an upward revision of the ceiling on annual subscriptions in Public Provident Fund (PPF) from Rs. 70,000 to Rs. 1 lakh. The Committee has recommended revision of the rate of interest in Post Office Saving Account from 3.5% to 4% The Committee has recommended benchmarking of interest rates on other small savings schemes to rates of G-Sec of similar maturity with positive spread of 25 basis points with two exceptions. First exception is 100 basis points spread for Senior Citizens Schemes keeping in view its social objective and second exception is 50 basis points spread for newly

21 recommended 10 years NSC keeping in view of its higher illiquidity. The Committee has recommended that these rates may be notified by the Government afresh at the beginning of every financial year based on the average yields on Government Securities in the previous calendar year. B. Loans to States from NSSF The Committee has recommended that the mandatory component of investment of net small savings collections in State Government Securities be reduced from 80 per cent to 50 per cent. The balance amount could either be invested in Central Government Securities or could be on-lent to other States on basis of requirement or could be lent for financing infrastructure projects requiring long term finance. The Committee recommended that the tenure of these loans may be reduced from the current 25 years including moratorium of 5 years to 10 years. The Committee has recommended that these loans may be extended at 70 basis points higher than the average interest payment on small savings to the subscribers on the total outstanding stock in previous financial years. C. Cost of operation of small savings schemes The Committee has recommended for abolition of payment of commission to agents on PPF and Senior Citizens Savings Scheme and reduction of commission paid on Standardized Agency System to 0.5% from current level of 1%. The Committee has also recommend reduction in Commission payable under Mahila Pradhan Kshetriya Bachat Yojana on Recurring Deposits from current level of 4% to 1% in a phased manner over a period of three years. The Committee has recommended that the total cost of operation of NSSF should be contained within 0.7 % of the outstanding small savings.

PM approves Draft Manufacturing Policy

The draft National Manufacturing Policy was on June 10, 2011 given in-principle approval at a meeting of the High Level Committee on Manufacturing, held under the Chairmanship of the Prime Minister and attended by the Finance Minister, Commerce and Industries Minister, Deputy Chairman, Planning Commission, Ministers for Environment and Forests, Corporate Affairs, and the Chairman of the Economic Advisory Council. Commerce and Industries Minister presented the draft Manufacturing Policy prepared by the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP), in consultation with the National Manufacturing Competitiveness Council (NMCC) and the Planning Commission. This draft Policy has been finalized after stakeholder consultations with concerned Ministries, State governments and industry associations. The PM, however asked a committee of secretaries to fine-tune the policy following objections from the environment and labour ministries. The Prime Minister observed that the policy measures proposed would reduce the compliance burden on industry. At the same time, these measures have to be formulated while adequately taking care of the environmental and labour welfare concerns, said an official press release. Primary objective: The primary objective of the policy is to increase the share of manufacturing to 25 per cent of the gross domestic product (GDP), from the existing 16 per cent. The government feels the sector has the potential to mitigate Indias huge unemployment problem. Employment, FDI potential: The new policy is expected to attract huge foreign investments and encourage large-scale industrial activity. Foreign investment inflows have seen a decline in 2010-2011 compared to 2009-10. Besides, this would result in job creation, which remains a primary concern for the government. The Policy has, as its objectives, the increase in the sectoral share of manufacturing in GDP from the present 16% to at least 25% by 2025 and increase in the rate of job creation in manufacturing to create 100 million additional jobs by 2025. Focus areas: The draft policy had also stated that special focus would be given to machine tools, heavy electrical equipment, heavy transport, earth moving and mining equipment. Time-bound programmes would also be initiated for building strong capacities with R&D facilities and also to encourage growth and development of such capacities in the private sector while

22 strategically strengthening the public sector to complement private initiatives. The growth of small and medium enterprises (SME) would also be encouraged and incentivised. MIPB: The draft policy has proposed the setting up of a Manufacturing Industry Promotion Board (MIPB) chaired by the Commerce and Industry Minister and a careful evaluation of free trade agreements for their impact on domestic industry. Concerns: The approval comes one year after the DIPP released a discussion paper on the issue. Several rounds of discussions and consultations were held before the Prime Minister intervened. The policy measures proposed would reduce the compliance burden on industry. The main issue was the suggestion to create massive National Manufacturing and Investment Zones (NMIZ). The NMIZs, which were expected to be far bigger than Special Economic Zones (SEZs), would come up across India, said the DIPP. The NIMZ would be patterned after the SEZ and would qualify for tax exemptions and other incentives associated with export-manufacturing. The suggestion that the labour laws and environment rules in the NMIZs should be relaxed was opposed by environment and labour ministries.

CBDT sets-up committee to trace tax evaders

The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) on June 8, 2011 set up a committee to examine and suggest ways to recover income tax in cases where the assessees are not traceable or the assets available for recovery are far too short. The committee will look into Income Tax demand classified under the categories Assessees not Traceable and No Assets/Inadequate Assets for Recovery. The committee will have Anita Kapur, Director General of Income Tax (administration) as its Chairperson. DIT (Recovery) Sheba Bhattacharya, DIT(Systems) Harish Kumar, Director (ITCC) Deepak Garg and a nominee of FIU-IND (Financial Intelligence UnitIndia) will be members. Addl. DIT (Recovery) H. A. Siddiqui will be Member Secretary. The decision was taken as the Income-Tax Department found that a huge outstanding demand was not recoverable. The committee has been asked to examine the possibilities of engaging outside agencies to locate the whereabouts of nontraceable assessees or their assets and also unknown/undisclosed assets owned by the assessees, with inadequate assets against their outstanding demand. It will also examine the feasibility and methodology of putting the names of chronic tax defaulters in public domain. Tax facts India currently has a taxpayer base of 35 million, which is about 3 per cent of the total population Recovery of taxes from non-traceable assesses may help the department increase its revenue base I-T department has been given a tax collection target of Rs 5.32 lakh crore this year, 20% higher than last year 13th Finance Commission has projected direct tax revenue collection at Rs 8.3 lakh crore by 2014-15

Cabinet Committee on Security approves NATGRID

The National Intelligence Grid (NATGRID), Union Home Minister P. Chidambarams ambitious project, was given in-principle approval by the Union government on June 6, 2011. A meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security, chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, cleared the project that will facilitate robust information-sharing among law enforcement agencies to combat terror threats at home and abroad. The NATGRID will pool information from 21 categories of database such as railway and air travel, income tax, bank account details, credit card transactions and visa and immigration records. It has been envisaged as a tool or technical solution that will provide uninterrupted access of data to nominated officials of 11 intelligence and investigative agencies. These include the Research and Analysis Wing, the Intelligence Bureau, the Enforcement Directorate, the National Investigation Agency, the Central Bureau of Investigation, the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence and the Narcotics Control Bureau. The idea to set up a mechanism for pooling data was floated after the Mumbai terror attacks of November 26, 2008. in May 2011, the government extended the services of NATGRID Chief Executive Officer Raghu Raman for six months from June 1.

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Committee to monitor National Optic Fibre Network set up

The Government on June 7, 2011 set up a high level committee, including Sam Pitroda and Nandan Nilekani, to monitor the implementation of the National Optic Fibre Network (NOFN) project. Under the project, the Government is looking to lay optic fibre cable network across the country to boost broadband uptake. A core team comprising executives from public sector units with optic fibre already in the ground including BSNL, RailTel and PowerGrid has been constituted. It will work out the details of implementing the project including revenue generation and technology issues. A special purpose vehicle will be set up to execute the project. The Government is working on a National Broadband Plan aimed at rolling at broadband infrastructure to every village with more than 500 people. The focal point of this plan is to create an optic fibre cable network across the country. According to the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India, additional 25 lakh route kilometres of cable would be required at an estimated cost of Rs 60,000 crore to meet future bandwidth demands. The project will be partly financed by the Universal Services Obligation fund.

CCEA approves MSPs for Kharif Crops

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs on June 9, 2011 approved the Minimum Support Prices (MSPs) for Kharif Crops of 2011-12 Season. The MSPs were fixed after receiving recommendations from Commission for Agricultural Costs & Prices (CACP). The MSP of Paddy (Common) has been fixed at Rs.1080 per quintal and of Paddy (Grade A) at Rs. 1110 per quintal, which represents an increase of Rs.80 per quintal over the last years MSPs. The MSPs of Jowar (Hybrid), Bajra and Maize each have been raised by Rs.100 per quintal and fixed at Rs.980 per quintal each. The MSP of Jowar (Maldandi) has also been raised by Rs. 100 per quintal over the last years MSP and fixed at Rs. 1000 per quintal. The MSP of Ragi has been fixed at Rs. 1050 per quintal, raising it by Rs. 85 per quintal over the last years MSP. The MSP of Arhar (Tur) has been fixed at Rs. 3200 per quintal, of Moong at Rs. 3500 per quintal and of Urad at Rs. 3300 per quintal marking an increase of Rs. 200 per quintal, Rs.330 per quintal and Rs. 400 per quintal, respectively over the last years MSPs. In addition, similar to last year an additional incentive at the rate of Rs. 500 per quintal for tur, urad and moong sold to the Government procurement agencies during the harvest/arrival period of two months shall also be given. The MSPs of Groundnut-in-shell, Sunflowerseed, Sesamum and Nigerseed have been increased by Rs. 400 per quintal, Rs. 450 per quintal, Rs.500 per quintal and Rs.450 per quintal over the last years MSPs and have been fixed at Rs. 2700 per quintal, Rs. 2800 per quintal, Rs. 3400 per quintal and Rs. 2900 per quintal, respectively. The MSPs of Soyabean (Black), Soyabean (Yellow) have been increased by Rs. 250 per quintal each over the last years MSPs and fixed at Rs.1650 per quintal and Rs. 1690 per quintal, respectively. MSP of Cotton has been raised by Rs. 300 per quintal and fixed at Rs. 2800 per quintal for Staple length (mm) of 24.5 - 25.5 and Micronaire value of 4.3 - 5.1 and at Rs. 3300 per quintal for Staple length (mm) of 29.5 - 30.5 and Micronaire value of 3.5 - 4.3.

New IIP series to include modern items

New base: The new industrial output data will reflect modern realities in the countrys economic journey. The Chief Statistician of India & Secretary, Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, Prof. T.C.A. Anant released the new series of all India Index of Industrial Production (Base: 2004-05=100), in New Delhi on June 10, 2011. The new series is more representative and is meant to capture the widest range of industrial activity.

24 Inclusions/exclusions: Tape recorders, typewriters, sewing machines, television receivers and pencils will no longer form part of the basket to calculate the Index of Industrial Production (IIP). Instead, computer UPSs, inverters, computer stationery, shampoo, colour television sets, instant food mixes, skimmed and pasteurised milk, cattle and poultry feed, woollen carpets, apparel, writing and printing paper, newspapers, glass sheets, lenses and molasseswill now form part of the basket. Figures: The number of item groups in the manufacturing sector has gone up from 473 to 620, while that in mining has come down from 64 to 61. The weight of manufacturing is down to 75.53 per cent, from 79.36 per cent in the earlier 1993-94 base. The weight of mining has gone up to 14.15 per cent from 10.47 per cent. The weight of electricity has gone up from 10.17 to 10.32 per cent.

Expert group suggests stricter radiation norms for mobiles

An expert group set up by the Department of Telecom (DoT) on June 5, 2011 suggested stricter radiation norms for mobile handsets and towers in order to mitigate any possible health related effects due to emissions from these devices. The proposed radiation norms are 10 times stricter than the existing ones. The current rules governing mobile radiation are based on the guidelines set by the International Commission on NonIonizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP). The ICNIRP has stipulated that manufacturers must ensure that the Specific Absorption Rates (SAR) level of a cell phone does not exceed 2 watts per kg averaged over 10 grams tissue. SAR is the amount of radio waves absorbed by the body while using a mobile phone. The expert group has suggested that this limit should be brought to 1.6 watts per kg averaged over 1 gram tissue. For mobile towers the committee has suggested revising from 200 watts per square meter to 2,000 watts per square meter. The group had experts from Ministry of Health, Department of Biotechnology, Ministry of Environment and Forests and Indian Council of Medical Research. The WHO had recently said that use of mobile phones could cause cancer. The health body advised consumers to switch to text messaging and use of the hands-free option to reduce exposure.

Medicinal plants to get quality certification

Medicinal plants cultivated in the country will now come with a special good quality tag with the government putting in place a voluntary certification scheme for medicinal plant produce based on good agricultural and field collection practices. The objective is to enhance confidence in the quality of Indias medicinal plant produce and make available good quality raw material to the ayurvedic and herbal drugs industry. The step comes after Europe had placed a ban on all ayurvedic and other herbal medicines from May 1 onwards. Under the scheme, launched jointly by the National Medicinal Plants Board (NMPB) and the Quality Council of India (QCI), any producer/collector or group of producers/collectors can obtain certification from a designated certification body (CB) and will be under regular surveillance of the certification body. India has 15 agro-climatic zones and 18,000 species of plants, of which 7,000 are estimated to have medicinal usage in folk and documented systems of medicine, like Ayurveda, Siddha, Unani and homoeopathy. According to the QCI, the objective is to provide medicinal plants producers a means of differentiating themselves based on quality and sustainability and obtaining international acceptance for the scheme in the long run

IIM-A launches ecolabel certification: The Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad (IIM-A) on June 9, 2011
launched Indias first Eco-label The Green Signal which certifies environmental preferences adopted during the manufacturing of a product or a service. The broader parameters for assessing a product or service will be energy consumption, carbon footprints, water consumption, waste generation and management, and CSR commitments of the entity. Eco-labelling, a concept largely prevalent in developed countries, is a voluntary environment performance certification. It labels products, on the lines to BEEs energy star rating and certain organic food certifications. The label is being launched under the aegis of Centre for Innovation, Incubation and Entrepreneurship (CIIE), IIM-A; in collaboration with CII.

Govt. to provide 5 mn tonnes more for APL families under PDS: The government plans to provide an additional 5 million tonnes of wheat and rice to above poverty line (APL) families at subsidised rates through ration shops, Food Minister

25 K V Thomas said on June 8, 2011. The additional allocation, which would be over-and-above the normal quota under the Public Distribution System (PDS), would provide relief to the common man and also help the government in clearing godowns for storage of new crops. The government is currently providing at least 15 kg each of grain to 11.5 crore APL families. Wheat is being sold at Rs 6.10 per kg and rice at Rs 8.30 per kg to APL families.

World Bank forecasts lower GDP growth for India in 201-12: Rising inflation and slowing demand would moderate
Indias economic growth to 8 per cent during 2011-12 from 8.8 per cent in the previous fiscal, said the World Bank in its June edition of Global Economic Prospects unveiled on June 8, 2011. The bank says Indian economy is likely to see a moderation in domestic demand, as elevated inflationary pressures have cut into disposable incomes and household spending. The report further said the growth in the developing countries will slow down to 6.3 per cent during 2011 and 2013 from 7.3 per cent in 2010.

Beedi workers to be covered under RSBY: The Union Cabinet on June 9, 2011 approved extension of medical facilities to beedi workers under the Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (RSBY). The beedi worker and his family (unit of five) will be covered and the total sum insured would be Rs 30,000. The other benefits and procedures under the scheme will be the same as under RSBY. The estimated expenditure to be borne by the Central Government is approximately Rs 311.25 crore (this includes 75 per cent of the premium and the cost of the smart cards). The annual premium is estimated at Rs 750 a year per annum of which 75 per cent would be as Central share and the State Governments share would be 25 per cent. The State Government will identify and register beedi workers. Chawla committee calls for creation of National Market for Coal: A committee on natural resources allocation has
called for the creation of a national coal market to ensure greater transparency in the allocation of the dry fuel and reduce the demand-supply mismatch. Pointing out the pitfalls of the existing allocation mechanism for the dry fuel, the committee headed by former Finance Secretary Ashok Chawla in June 2011 recommended establishing a national coal market by creating a platform for commercial trading of coal by suppliers and buyers. Meanwhile, Industry body Assocham on June 6, 2011 suggested the government should have a uniform coal price for captive and independent power plants in the country. The Coal Ministry is set to review the New Coal Distribution Policy of October 2007. Coal India (CIL) recently increased the coal price by 40% for captive power plants. Many steel and ferro alloy plants have set up captive plants for stable operations and to reduce costs, as it is not feasible to buy power at grid rates.

Govt. relaxes curbs on organic farming exports: The government on June 5, 2011 partially relaxed restrictions on
exports of sugar, pulses and edible oils, produced without using chemical fertiliser and pesticides. The Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) has allowed exports of organic cooking oil, sugar and pulses upto 10,000 tonnes each per annum. Also the requirement of obtaining Release Order (RO) from the Chief Director (Sugar) would not apply to export of 10,000 tonnes of organic sugar per annum. The DGFT added that the exemption on export of 10,000 tonnes of pulses and lentils would be given every year

Home Ministry asks DoT to store call records for 5 years: The Ministry of Home Affairs on June 5, 2011 asked the
Department of Telecommunication (DoT) to direct service providers to store call records of customers for at least five years and make them available to law enforcement agencies whenever required. Citing security concerns, the MHA has conveyed to the DoT that the existing system of keeping call records by the telecom companies for six months has not been able to satisfy the security agencies and hence storing of call details for a longer period was necessary. However, the DoT has not taken a final decision on the issue as the telecom companies have objected to the move citing operational costs.

Home Ministry calls for lowering countrys reliance on imported telecom equipment: The Ministry of Home
Affairs on June 5, 2011 sought information from the DoT on the timeline for implementing a new policy to promote domestic manufacturers of telecom equipment and cut down the countrys reliance on imports. Most of the equipment used in Indian telecom networks at present is imported. The government has expressed apprehensions that imported telecom equipment may contain malware or bugs that will leak sensitive communications data to third parties, which could pose a threat to the nations security. To ensure the long-term security of Indias telecom network, the MHA has expressed its desire to increase local production of critical components both hardware and software in the country. The DoT has indicated that the forthcoming National Telecom Policy 2011 will give preferential treatment to local manufacturers.

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Action against NSE to harm consumers dissenting CCI members: In the long-running tussle between the
National Stock Exchange and its younger rival MCX-SX, two members of the competition watchdog CCI on June 5, 2011 said the former did not violate any rules by offering zero-fee services. The two members -- Anurag Goel and Geeta Gouri -- have expressed their opinion in a dissent note issued against a majority CCI order, dated May 25, where NSE was found guilty of abusing its market dominance and following unfair trade practices in the currency derivatives market. In their 65-page dissent note, the two have also said that any CCI (Competition Commission of India) action against NSE for providing zero-fee services would harm the consumers. PSUs to make info on CSR public: The Ministry of Public Enterprises on June 7, 2011 designated Tata Institute of Social Sciences as the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) hub besides creating a database of all the CSR projects undertaken by central public enterprises. The department has taken these initiatives after making mandatory for the PSUs to spend a prescribed portion of their net profit on CSR projects from April, 2010. Bhaskar Chatterjee, Secretary, Department of Public Enterprises, said CSR initiatives would be in the form of specific projects while services of TISS would be utilised in determining such project ideas apart from evaluating the implementation and results of those projects.

Intel to launch UHD for financial inclusion program: Global chip maker Intel is set to launch its Universal Handheld
Device (UHD) for use in RBIs financial inclusion program by the end of this year. UHD is a compact instrument with seven inch screen and a biometric finger print readers along with a thermal printer, which can be used by business correspondents hired by banks to take banking to rural and remote areas of the country.

Entrepreneurship Development Institute to set up centres In African countries: The Union Ministry of External
Affairs (MEA), has asked Entrepreneurship Development Institute (EDI) to set up five centres for entrepreneurship promotion in a select African countries, EDI Director, Dinesh N Awasthi said in Ahmedabad on June 8, 2011. The move follows announcements made by the PM during the second Africa-India Forum Summit at Adis Ababa. The five countries shall shortly be identified by EDI in consultation with the MEA, and the Association of African Countries.

Indias first cruise vessel, AMET Majesty launched: Indias first cruise vessel, AMET Majesty, belonging to the
Chennai-based AMET Shipping was launched by the Union Minister for Shipping, G.K. Vasan, in Chennai on June 8, 2011. AMET Shipping Pvt Ltd of the AMET Group, which is in to maritime training, has invested Rs 100 crore in procuring the 35year-old cruise vessel Arberia from a Greek owner.

Environment Ministry notifies e-waste management rules: The Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoEF) on June
9, 2011 notified e-waste management rules that put the onus of re-cycling of electronic wastes (e-waste) on the producers. The e-waste (management and handling) Rules, 2011 would recognise the producers liability for recycling and reducing ewaste in the country. The rules will come into effect from May 1, 2012. Personal Computer manufacturers, mobile handset makers and white goods makers will be required to come up with e-waste collection centres or introduce take back systems. India, at present, generates about 400,000 tonnes of e-wastes annually of which only 19,000 tonnes are getting recycled according to the recent data by hardware manufacturers association, MAIT. E-wastes are considered dangerous as they contain substances such as lead, cadmium and other toxic metals.

Corporate Affairs Ministry declines to probe Speak Asia: The Ministry of Corporate Affairs on June 9, 2011 said it
cannot investigate alleged irregularities in multi-level marketing company Speak Asia as the company is not registered with it. Speak Asia is not registered in India so we cannot do any investigation against it. MCA does not have any database of the company, said Corporate Affairs Secretary D K Mittal. Singapore-based Speak Asia, promoted by Hariender Kaur, was incorporated last year. Currently, the company makes members by asking them to fill a form of subscribing to Singaporebased survey magazine Ezine which costs a subscriber Rs 11,000. The company gives two forms to its subscribers every week. It pays them Rs. 500 for every form submitted.

Maran forced me to sell Aircel C Sivasankaran: C Sivasankaran, the original promoter of cellular service provider
Aircel, on June 6, 2011 reiterated that Union textiles minister Dayanidhi Maran had coerced him into selling out to Malaysian telecom company Maxis Communication. In a detailed statement to the CBI, Sivasankaran said that DoT under Maran sat on his applications for 14 licences and spectrum, leaving him with no option but to sell out to Maxis. He said all pending applications of Aircel for licences and spectrum were cleared after the change of ownership. The Justice Shivaraj Patil Committee, which looked into procedures followed for allocation of licences and spectrum between 2001 and 2009, has

27 pointed out that in 2004, the then Telecom Minister Marans office delayed licences to Dishnet Wireless (now Aircel) by raising queries that were vague and irrelevant.

Y K Modi elected to ILO governing body: Chairman of Great Eastern Energy Corporation, Y K Modi was on June 9,
2011 elected to the governing body of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) for three years. He will represent South Asia as a voting member. With Modi, 62, having been elected to the position, India will have three votes on the 56-member governing body. Labour union INTUC and the government each have a seat on it. The ILO governing body has 14 members each from the employers and 28 from different governments.

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Section E: SPORTS
Sports Ministry launches Opex 2012 for London Olympics: Union Sports Ministry on June 9, 2011 earmarked Rs
258.39 crore for preparation of athletes under Project Opex 2012 for London Olympics. Ajay Maken , Minister of State ( I/C) for Youth Affairs & Sports, stated that based on the approved funding norms, which are at par with CWG-2010 scales, with further up scaling in certain areas such as lodging, nutrition & scientific support, daily allowance etc, the budget has been estimated for about Rs. 258.39 crore for the period April, 2011 to August, 2012. The London Olympics 2012 will be held from th th 27 July, 2012 till 13 August, 2012 at London with 26 sports disciplines. Keeping in view the performance of Indian teams/individuals in Commonwealth Games, Asian Games and other international tournaments 16 disciplines, namely, Archery, Athletics, Badminton, Boxing, Gymnastics, Hockey, Judo, Rowing, Sailing, Shooting, Table Tennis, Taekwondo, Tennis, Weightlifting and Wrestling have been identified for systematic and scientific training.

Li Na wins French Open: Li Na made sporting history at the French Open on June 4, 2011 when she became the first
player from China to win a Grand Slam singles title. The 29-year-old Na defeated defending champion 30-year-old Francesca Schiavone of Italy 6-4, 7-6(0). Meanwhile, Daniel Nestor of Canada and Max Mirnyi of Belarus won their first Grand Slam title together by defeating Eduardo Schwank of Argentina and Juan Sebastian Cabal of Colombia 7-6(3), 3-6, 6-4 in the Mens doubles final.

Nadal claims sixth French Open: Rafael Nadal won a 10th Grand Slam title, and equalled Bjorn Borgs record of six
French Open titles, when he defeated Roger Federer 7-5, 7-6(7), 5-7, 6-1 on June 5, 2011. Top seed Nadal, who was also champion in 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2010, took his overall Paris record to 45 wins against just one defeat. It was the 25th year-old Spaniards 17 win over Federer in 25 meetings and fourth in a Roland Garros final. This was also Nadals sixth win in eight Grand Slam final meetings with Federer.

Anand wins Leon Masters: World champion Viswanathan Anand completed a comprehensive 4.5-1.5 victory over Alexei
Shirov of Latvia to claim the Leon Masters rapid chess title for the eighth time at Leon, on June 5, 2011. In the six games, spread over three days, Anand won a game and drew the other on each day to stamp his superiority. Each player had 45 minutes per game plus 30 seconds increment for each move made. This was Anands record eighth triumph at this annual rapid chess destination. Anands previous triumphs came in 1996, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2005, 2006 and 2007.

Gary Kirsten appointed South Africa coach: Gary Kirsten, who guided India to the ICC World Cup title, was named
coach of his native South Africa on June 6, 2011. The 43-year-old former opening batsman will have the official title of head coach and team director and be assisted by ex-South Africa fast bowler Allan Donald. Kirsten succeeds Corrie van Zyl. Cricket South Africa also announced that batsman-cum-wicketkeeper A.B. de Villiers will become one-day and Twenty20 skipper while opening batsman Graeme Smith continues as Test captain. As a player, Kirsten appeared in 101 Tests between 1993 and 2004 scoring 7,289 runs, 21 centuries and a highest score of 275 against England in Durban.

Tendulkar, Kallis joint first on ICC Test batsmen rankings: Indias Sachin Tendulkar and South Africas Jacques
Kallis remained jointly on top Reliance ICC Player Rankings for Test batsmen. Both Tendulkar and Kallis have garnered 883 points each. Kallis also maintained his top spot in the list of leading all-rounders in Test cricket in the current list released by the ICC on June 8, 2011. In the list of bowlers, Dale Steyn is on top with 899 points with England off-spinner Graeme Swann being a distant second.

India win 1st ODI in WI: Rohit Sharma scored an unbeaten 68 as India notched up an easy four-wicket win over the West
Indies in the first One-Day International of the five-match series at the Queens Park Oval in Port of Spain, Trinidad on June 6, 2011. Chasing a modest 215-run target, Rohit anchored the Indian innings and together with captain Suresh Raina (43) raised 80 runs for the fifth wicket to guide India home in 44.5 overs.

India win a silver & 5 bronzes at Cuban boxing tournament: India won one silver and five bronze medals at the
Giraldo Cordova Cardin Memorial Boxing tournament that concluded in Havana, Cuba on June 7, 2011. Manpreet Singh (91kg) won the lone silver medal for India, while Nanao Singh (49kg), Suranjoy Singh (52kg), Santosh Harijan (52kg), Kuldeep Singh (75kg) and Paramjeet Samota (91kg) had to be content with a bronze medal each.

Weekly Current Affairs update

For the Week: June 12 to 18, 2011

Major news of the week

Section A: INDIA
Civil society, govt. differences over Lok Pal continue Ramdev ends fast, to continue fight India signs agreements with World Bank on Ganga, biodiversity Bengal Assembly passes Singur Bill International Institute of Democracy and Election Management (IIDEM) launched Lawyers can now practice anywhere in the country High Court declines to intervene in TN govts decision to shift State Secretariat CRPF to set up CoBRA hub in Bengal Lok Sabha Speaker returns PAC report on 2G Tuticorin-Colombo ferry service launched CIC directs Presidents Secretariat to make emergency papers public Institute for urban studies coming up in Bangalore Golden Jubilee of Indias 1st fighter plane observed Switzerland sets up science research base in Bangalore Gujarat invites tenders for worlds tallest statue PM of Slovenia visits India Mohta is Indias new ambassador to Poland Mid-Day editor Jyotendra Dey shot dead in Mumbai India ranked 7th in list of unsolved journalists murders Ustad Asad Ali Khan passes away

Section B: WORLD
SM Krishna dismisses reports of Brahmaputra diversion by China India seeks SCO membership at Astana summit UN General Assembly High Level Meeting on AIDS organised Swiss Parliament clears amendments to tax treaties with countries Global labour norms for domestic workers adopted at ILO Conference FAO launches Save and Grow to boost food production India resumes defence exchanges with China India, Russia express intent for CECA Czech Republic pulls out of US missile shield plan China says it would not use force in South China Sea PM Erdogan wins a third term in Turkey Social Democrat party wins polls in Portugal UN Security Council backs second term for Ban Ki-moon UN splits Taliban and al-Qaeda on sanctions blacklist Nepal to provide security for Upper Karnali Project Brazil signs agreement to digitalise Amazonian biodiversity King Mohammed unveils reforms in Morocco Filipino named worlds shortest man

Section C: AWARDS
Daffern conferred Anuvrat Ahimsa peace award Imprisoned Iranian medics win Jonathan Mann Prize

Section D: ECONOMY & CORPORATE

RBI unveils mid-quarter Monetary Policy review RBI unveils Financial Stability Report Govt extends DEPB scheme validity

2
OECD, Finance Ministry tax conference organised OECD prescribes remedy for tackling corruption in India Handbook on disinvestment unveiled Rupay debit cards launched for no frills account holders India lost $462b to graft post-1947 Global Financial Integrity RIL got huge, undue benefit at KG basin gas fields CAG India to be 3rd largest domestic banking sector by 2050 PwC Farm credit flow at Rs. 4.26 lakh crore during 2010-11 RBI bars NBFCs from opening branches abroad Govt. approves 54% rise in cost strategic crude oil storage NTPC forms JV to set up power exchange India initiates efforts to widen Exclusive Economic Zone Planning Commission sets up working group on boosting exports, FDI Domestic majors keen on passenger plane project Strike at Maruti Suzukis Manesar plant ends Lagarde, Carstens shortlisted to lead the IMF Teledensity at 72.08% TRAI CIL and Sun Pharma enter BSE Sensex India earmarks $100 million each for SAFTA countries for infrastructure Bihar is Best Performing State RBI Study Child labour generates Rs 1.2 lakh crore of black money every year BBA India is 5th in Ernst & Young European Attractiveness Survey India has 62,000 ultra high net worth households Kotak Wealth, CRISIL Research Bill Gammell to step down as Cairn Energy CEO

Section E: SPORTS
Rafael Nadal, Li Na win French Open Singles Philipp Kohlschreiber wins Halle Open Murray wins Aegon Tennis title Jenson Button wins Montreal GP India win ODI series in West Indies 3-2 Kerala wins Inter-State Athletics Meet

Section A: INDIA
Civil society, govt. differences over Lok Pal continue
Failing to arrive at a consensus on contentious provisions in the proposed Lokpal Bill, the two sides in the joint drafting committee five government ministers and five civil society members led by Anna Hazare on June 15, 2011 agreed to meet again on June 20 and 21 to bridge the strong differences. However, if they fail again in the two proposed meetings, it was decided to send two separate versions of the Bill to the Union Cabinet by June 30, the deadline fixed for the panel to come up with a robust draft anti-corruption law. The issue of inclusion of the Prime Minister and the higher judiciary are still under discussion. The Anna Hazare-led civil society members suggested that the Lokpal be empowered to probe corruption cases against officials, doing away with the existing practice of conducting departmental probes along with a CBI inquiry. The government members rejected this. One of the issues discussed at the meeting of the joint Lokpal Bill drafting committee was the structure of the Lokpal institution. The Hazare team suggested a 11-member independent anti-corruption watchdog body, with subordinates having powers, while the government side differed, arguing that only the 11 members be empowered to take decisions. CENTRE VS CIVIL SOCIETY 11-member Lokpal without any of investigative machinery. 11-member Lokpal with investigative machinery under it. Appointment should not be delinked from government Appointment should be delinked from government control. control. PM, higher judiciary should not be brought under ambit of PM, higher judiciary should be brought under ambit of Lokpal. Lokpal. Only officials at joint secretary and above should come Public servants at all levels should be covered under Lokpal. under Lokpal. Unwilling to bring acts of MPs in Parliament under Lokpal. Wants to bring acts of MPs in Parliament under the Lokpal.

Ramdev ends fast, to continue fight: Yoga guru Ramdev broke his fast on June 12, 2011 in Dehra Dun. Ramdev was
admitted to the hospital after he developed complications at the fasting venue at Patanjali Yogpeeth in Haridwar. His aide Balkrishna, who also broke his fast, read out a statement by Ramdev that said the crusade against corruption and black money would continue as long as the yoga guru lived. Ramdev also demanded that black money be declared a national asset under the Constitution.

India signs agreements with World Bank on Ganga, biodiversity

The Government of India and the World Bank on June 14, 2011 signed three agreements to for cleaning Ganga River and to Strengthen Rural Livelihoods and Biodiversity Conservation in India. The River cleaning project is to the tune of US $ 1 billion (approximately Rs 4,600 crore) loan and credit that will form part of the Banks long-term support for cleaning the Ganga River. Two Biodiversity Conservation agreements are for a credit of US$15.6 million and US$8.14 million grant.

National Ganga River Basin Project

An empowered and collaborative body of the Central and state governments, National Ganga River Basin Authority (NGRBA), will implement the National Ganga River Basin Project with the assistance of the World Bank. The Project will focus on building and strengthening the NGRBAs related institutions at the Central and state level; establishing a world-class Ganga Knowledge Centre; enhancing river basin management; and financing select priority investments to reduce pointsource pollution in a sustainable manner. The Authority has resolved under its Mission Clean Ganga that by year 2020 no untreated municipal sewage or industrial effluents will be discharged into the river. Today, only about one-third of the sewage generated by the towns and cities on the mainstream of the river is treated; and a significant volume of untreated or inadequately treated industrial effluents is also discharged into the Ganga.

4 The Project, with an estimated cost of Rs 7,000 crore (approx US$ 1.5 billion), has been approved by the Government of India and the World Bank. The share of the Government of India will be Rs 5,100 crore (approx US$ 1.1 billion) and that of the five state governments (Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal) will be Rs 1,900 crore (approx US$ 0.4 billion). The World Bank will support the Government of India by providing technical assistance and financing of US $ 1 billion. The investments will be made in four key sectors: wastewater collection and treatment, industrial pollution control, solid waste management, and riverfront management to reduce pollution in a sustainable manner under finance priority investments

Biodiversity Conservation and Rural Livelihood Improvement Project (BCRLIP)

India is home to 8% of the worlds biodiversity. The challenge is to maintain this rich biodiversity under pressure from increased population and demand on resources. BCRLIP will be implemented at two biodiversity rich landscapes, namely, (1) Little Rann of Kachchh, Gujarat and (2) Askot landscape, Uttarakhand. The project will conserve biodiversity, while improving rural livelihoods by applying culturally appropriate and tested participatory approaches to support opportunities for improving rural livelihoods. The project will last six years with core activities undertaken by communities themselves. Total outlay of the project is US$30.52million (Rs 137.34 crores) and will be funded by GEF (Global Environment Facility) grant and IDA (International Development Assistance) credit.

Bengal Assembly passes Singur Bill

The historic Singur Land Rehabilitation and Development Bill, 2011 was passed in the West Bengal Assembly on June 14, 2011. The Bill proposes to return land to the unwilling farmers of Singur in equivalent quantum of land as the land by virtue of this Act will stand transferred to and vest in the state government, free of any lease or allotment. The Bill mentions noncommissioning and abandoning of the project by Tata Motors and goes on to state that no employment generation and socio-economic development has taken place and people in and around the area have not benefited in any manner The small car Nano project that was slated to come up at Singur, 45 kms from Kolkata was withdrawn by Tata Motors on the back of persistent agitation by unwilling farmers demanding the return of 400 acres, backed by the Banerjee and her party, the Trinamool Congress.

The Singur Story

Allegations made by West Bengal govt No small car unit commissioned even after four years Tatas abandoned the site; reiterated in their letters Firm shifted the plant from the said land to another state No job creation or socio-economic development Tata Motors clarifications Operations for setting up of the plant were conducted under very difficult conditions An appeal was made on August 22, 2008, which was rebuffed with an escalation of hostilities Tata Motors had to reluctantly close operations on October 3, 2008, and eventually move out Tata Motors invested Rs. 1,800 crore in establishing the plant 767 individuals were trained, 102 health clinics were run till the activity was forcibly stopped The plant would have initially directly employed 2,000 persons, and later created employment in excess of 10,000 jobs

International Institute of Democracy and Election Management (IIDEM) launched: The Election Commission of
India on June 17, 2011 launched the India International Institute of Democracy and Election Management- an advanced resource centre of learning, research, training and extension for participatory democracy and election management in New Delhi. IIDEM has four components. These are Training and Capacity Development, Voter Education and Civic Participation, Research, Innovation and Documentation and International Projects and Technical Collaboration. The Institute will be a national and international hub for exchange of good practices in election management. The Institute is being developed in collaboration with the Government of India, United Nations, the Commonwealth and inter-governmental organisations like Sweden based International Institute of Democracy and Electoral Assistance (IDEA). The 54 member Commonwealth group

5 has proposed to set up a resource centre for its member nations at IIDEM. IIDEM will work for promoting democratic values and practices, enhancing voter education and awareness and developing human resource and capacities for efficient conduct of free and fair elections in India and for developing mutually beneficial partnership as well as collaborations with other countries.

Lawyers can now practice anywhere in the country: Now, lawyers can practise, as a matter of right, in all courts and
forums, including tribunals or any quasi-judicial authority. Fifty years after the Advocates Act, 1961, came into force, the Centre has notified Section 30 of the Act with effect from June 15, 2011 to enable advocates to practise anywhere fulfilling a long-pending demand of lawyers. This provision was not notified when the Act was added to the statute book. As a result, in certain courts and tribunals, lawyers could appear only if they were permitted by the presiding officer. The government issued the Gazette Notification on June 9. It said: The Central government hereby appoints June 15, 2011 as the date on which Section of the Advocates Act shall come into force.

High Court declines to intervene in TN govts decision to shift State Secretariat: The Madras High Court on
June 15, 2011 said it is for the government to decide as to which building would be comfortable for establishing the State Secretariat. The First Bench consisting of Chief Justice M.Y. Eqbal and Justice T.S. Sivagnanam made the observation while dismissing a writ petition seeking to forbear the authorities from re-shifting the Secretariat and the Tamil Nadu Assembly from the new Rs.1100-crore Secretariat building at the Government Estate to Fort St. George. The new Secretariat complex was opened on March 13 last year. On June 2, the Legislative Assembly Hall at the old Secretariat was allotted for use of a library. The AIADMK government decided to shift the Secretariat from the Government Estate on Anna Salai to its original place (Fort St. George).

CRPF to set up CoBRA hub in Bengal: A hub of the Central Reserve Police Forces CoBRA (Commando Battalion for Resolute Action) and a training centre are being set up at Salboni in Paschim Medinipur district of West Bengal. The area falls within the Maoist-affected Jangal Mahal region that spans parts of three districts in southwest West Bengal. The hub will be spread over 143 acres, Alok Raj, Inspector-General (Operations), CRPF, said in Kolkata on June 14, 2011. Lok Sabha Speaker returns PAC report on 2G: Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar on June 14, 2011 returned the Public Account Committees report on the 2G spectrum allocation issue back to its chairman Murli Manohar Joshi, indicating that it cannot be tabled in Parliament as it has not been adopted by the committee members. The voluminous report which created a furore after 11 of the 12 PAC members rejected it and which Dr. Joshi nevertheless submitted to the Speaker had been lying with the Speaker since April 30. The PAC Chairman had on May 1 said he expected the Speaker to allow the report to be tabled in Parliament, though other members belonging to the United Progressive Alliance said the report had no sanctity or validity as it was rejected by the majority of the PAC members. Tuticorin-Colombo ferry service launched: Union Minister of Shipping G. K. Vasan on June 13, 2011 launched the
passenger ferry service between Tuticorin and Colombo from the V.O. Chidambaranar Port in Tuticorin. Freedom fighter V. O. Chidambaram Pillai had launched the maiden service in June 1907 but it was stopped abruptly by the British. As many as 201 passengers boarded Scotia Prince, a ship on lease promoted by Flemingo Duty Free Shops. The government is also working on resuming the Rameshwaram-Talaimanar ferry service which was discontinued in the 1980s.

CIC directs Presidents Secretariat to make emergency papers public: Terming the imposition of Emergency in
1975 as a challenge to Indias commitment to democracy, the Central Information Commission on June 15, 2011 directed the Presidents Secretariat to make public all documents on the Emergency by then President Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed, including communications from the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. Information Commissioner Shailesh Gandhi, however, exempted any advice by Gandhi to Ahmed on the imposition of Emergency as it would be a privileged document under Article 74 of the Constitution which cant be made public.

Institute for urban studies coming up in Bangalore: Touted as the countrys first university, dedicated exclusively to
Urban Studies, the Indian Institute of Human Settlements (IIHS) is setting up its 58-acre campus in south-west Bangalore. Currently offering week-long courses, the IIHS hopes to be formalised under the proposed Innovation Universities Bill. The IIHS on June 13, 2011 said it had started recruiting faculty for its Masters in Urban Practice (MUP) programme. It is slated to commence in July 2012. Leading entrepreneurs and professionals, including Nandan Nilekani, Shirish Patel, Rakesh Mohan,

6 Deepak Parekh, Vijay Kelkar and Jamshyd Godrej and Xerxes Desai will be working with the institute. So far, the IIHS has conducted a seven-day course on Re-imagining the world-class city. The institute proposes to offer a four-year bachelors and two-year masters degree in Urban Practice, doctoral and applied research programmes.

Golden Jubilee of Indias 1st fighter plane observed: On June 17, 2011, Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd celebrated the
golden jubilee of the fighter plane it built 50 years ago. The Marut or the `spirit of tempest, first took to air on June 17, 1961 and served the nation for two decades until it was taken off in the 1990s. It was used in the 1971 war with Pakistan to liberate what is today Bangladesh. It was taken off service in the 1990s mainly for want of a powerful engine. The fighter spawned squadrons that had daring names such as Lions, Desert Tigers and Daggers and made its last sortie in October 1984. Designed by German aircraft designer Dr Kurt Tank, the indigenous fighter project was taken up by HAL (then Hindustan Aircraft Ltd) in 1957.

Switzerland sets up science research base in Bangalore: Bangalore has been chosen as the fifth global location for
Switzerlands science and technology initiative Swissnex on June 17, 2011. Swissnex is an initiative of science education and research of Swiss Ministry of Home Affairs and the Swiss Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Switzerland has set up similar institutions Boston, San Francisco in the United States, Shanghai in China, and Singapore. The objective is to explore the potential of co-operation between Switzerland and the respective host countries in the fields of higher education, research, technology, innovation and culture and to promote Switzerland as one of the leading countries in those domains.

Gujarat invites tenders for worlds tallest statue: Gujarat on June 17, 2011 invited bidders from around the world to
build the worlds tallest statue. The latest issue of the Economist magazine has a full-page advertisement inviting tenders for the project. At 182m statue would be a memorial to Indias first Home Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and twice as high as New Yorks Statue of Liberty. The tallest statue in the world is Chinas Spring Temple Buddha at 128m. Sardar Patel, generally called the Iron Man of India, played a major role in the countrys fight for independence from British rule.

PM of Slovenia visits India: Several agreements on bilateral cooperation were signed during the India visit of the Prime
Minister of the Republic of Slovenia, Borut Pahor in New Delhi on June 14, 2011. Air India signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Slovenias Adria Airways and Aerodrome Ljubljana in a bid to get access to the East European market.

Mohta is Indias new ambassador to Poland: Monika Kapil Mohta was on June 16, 2011 appointed Indias new ambassador to Poland. Mohta was the Director of the Nehru Centre and Minister, Culture in the Indian High Commission at London for the last four and a half years. Mid-Day editor Jyotendra Dey shot dead in Mumbai: Jyotendra Dey, Editor, Special Investigations, MiD Day, was
shot dead in a Mumbai suburb on June 11, 2011. Dey, 50, was a well-known name in the citys media, police and political circles. He reported extensively on crime, notably on Mumbais underworld. In his long career, Dey worked with many publications, and had a brief stint in the television media. He authored Khallaas - an A to Z Guide to the Underworld and Zero Dial - The Dangerous World of Informers. He began his career as a freelance photographer. Between 1996 and 2005, he worked with The Indian Express, then for three years with Hindustan Times, and later joined MiD Day. He has done many reports on underworld dons Dawood Ibrahim and Chhota Rajan.

India ranked 7th in list of unsolved journalists murders: India on June 12, 2011 earned the dubious distinction of
being listed in the 2011 Impunity Index prepared by an international media watchdog on the basis of unsolved murders of scribes - an issue that has again come to the fore after the killing of a senior reporter in Mumbai. Only 13 countries -- with five or more unsolved cases of murder of journalists from January 1, 2001 to December 31, 2010 -- have been included on the index. India is at the 13th spot with seven such instances, or 0.006 unsolved journalist murders per one million inhabitants, according to the report of Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ). The index calculated the number of unsolved journalist murders as a percentage of each countrys population

Ustad Asad Ali Khan passes away: Rudra Veena exponent Ustad Asad Ali Khan, one of the last existing advocate of
the Khandarbani dhrupad school, passed away on June 14, 2011 at the age of 74. The classical musician represents the 12 generation of Jaipurs Beenkar Gharana.

Section B: WORLD
SM Krishna dismisses reports of Brahmaputra diversion
The Minister of External Affairs S.M. Krishna on June 16, 2011 said that the dam at Zangmu being built by China in the middle reaches of the Yarlung Tsangpo (as the Brahmaputra is called in Tibet) is a run-of-the-river hydro-electric project, which does not store water and will not adversely impact the downstream areas in India. He was responding to speculation about China diverting the Brahmaputra waters away from India. The minister explained that the media reports about Chinese plans to construct a dam on the Brahmaputra and possibly divert the river waters to northern China were not new but based on previously known facts. Experts have warned that the Brahmaputra River, which is the lifeline for the vast majority of people living in Arunachal Pradesh and Assam, could go dry if China went ahead with its plans of building a dam on this river before it enters these states. The people in these states depend on the river to meet their irrigation, fishing and for transportation of goods. There is no pact between India and China on the sharing of river waters, unlike the Indo-Pak Indus Waters Treaty of 1960. Media reports suggest that China is planning to build 55 reservoirs on rivers flowing from the Tibetan plateau. Meanwhile the Chinese government on June 14 indicated it would not divert the waters of the Brahmaputra river, saying it would take into full consideration the interests of downstream countries in taking forward any development projects on the river. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hong Lei said in response to a question on Indias concerns about a diversion plan that China adopted a responsible attitude towards the development of cross border water resources.

India seeks SCO membership at Astana summit

India on June 15, 2011 sought a larger and deeper role in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), saying it would like to bring to the table its technical expertise, markets and financial commitment. Ten years since its founding, the SCO faces a historic moment. Like other successful multilateral organisations, it must choose the path of its evolution, External th Affairs Minister S M Krishna said at the 11 Summit of the SCO at Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan. He said India would strive to play a larger and deeper role in the SCO when the rules and criteria for full membership are clear. The SCO is a security bloc grouping Russia, China and four ex-Soviet Central Asian states. Apart from regional heavyweights China and Russia, the SCO also includes the mostly Muslim ex-Soviet Central Asian states of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Iran, Pakistan, India and Mongolia have observer status. Meanwhile, Russia won the backing of China and other members of SCO in criticising US plans for a missile shield, saying it could undermine global security. The United States says its planned shield is meant to reduce the threat of a missile attack by Iran. Moscow says it fears the true aim is to neutralise Russias own nuclear arsenal. US officials say the proposed shield could not neutralise Russias vast arsenal, so Moscow has nothing to fear.

UN General Assembly High Level Meeting on AIDS organised

The UN General Assembly High Level Meeting on AIDS was organised at the UN in New York from June 8-10, 2011. The Meeting took stock of the progress and challenges of the last 30 years and shape the future AIDS response. The Political Declaration on HIV/AIDS: Intensifying our Efforts to eliminate HIV/AIDS was adopted by the General Assembly on June 10. New targets set by world leaders at the Meeting include: To make efforts towards reducing sexual transmission of HIV and halving by 2015 HIV infection among people who inject drugs

9 To eliminate new HIV infections among children in the next five years To increase the number of people on life-saving treatment to 15 million To reduce tuberculosis-related deaths in people living with HIV by half in the same time period. To increase AIDS-related spending by 2015 to reach between $ 22 billion and $ 24 billion in low-and middle-income countries The declaration notes that the HIV prevention strategies inadequately focus on populations at higher risk specifically men who have sex with men, sex workers and people who inject drugs, and calls on countries to focus their response based on epidemiological and national contexts.

Swiss Parliament clears amendments to tax treaties with countries

The Swiss Parliament on June 17, 2011 gave its approval for amendments to tax treaties with countries, including India, making it easier for them to access information about illegal funds held by their nationals in private banks in this country. The Upper House endorsed amendments to double-taxation avoidance agreements (DTAAs) in line with internationally applicable standards. Governments which have signed the DTAAs can now secure easy legal assistance and information as well as identify an account-holder from their territories by providing an IBAN number or social security number. The Swiss Parliament approval comes at a time when the Indian government is facing intense pressure from the Opposition, the Supreme Court and civil society to bring back black money stashed away in tax havens. In January this year, a Swiss Parliamentary panel gave the go-ahead for the revised tax treaty with India. As per the revised treaty, India can get information on secret bank accounts from Swiss authorities for cases dating from January 2011. Meanwhile, Swiss Ambassador to India Philippe Welti said New Delhi could get banking details of Indian citizens in tax frauds and evasion cases once the Swiss Parliament ratified the revised DTAA between the two nations. Coming under intense pressure from the Paris-based Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development and G-20 leaders, the Swiss authorities have begun a process of simplifying their tax laws. Switzerland was initially included in the OECDs blacklist for following banking secrecy and client-confidentiality rules.

Global labour norms for domestic workers adopted at ILO Conference

Countries around the world, including India, have adopted a set of international standards aimed at improving the working conditions of millions of domestic workers worldwide. The decision was taken by the Government, worker and employer th delegates at the 100 annual Conference of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) in Geneva on June 17, 2011. The conference adopted the Convention on Domestic Workers (2011) by a vote of 396 to 16, with 63 abstentions and the accompanying recommendation by a vote of 434 to 8, with 42 abstentions. Around 83 per cent of these workers are women or girls and many are migrant workers. We are moving the standards system into the informal economy for the first time, and this is a breakthrough, said Juan Somavia, ILO Director-General, in a release. The ILO is the only tripartite UN organisation, and each of its 183-member States is represented by two Government delegates, one employer and one worker delegate, with an independent vote. According to the new standards, domestic workers who care for families and households, must have the same basic labour rights as those available to other workers reasonable hours of work, weekly rest of at least 24 consecutive hours, a limit on in-kind payment, clear information on terms and conditions of employment, as well as respect for fundamental principles and rights at work including among others freedom of association and the right to collective bargaining.

FAO launches Save and Grow to boost food production

Nearly half a century after the 1960s Green Revolution, the United Nations body FAO on June 13, 2011 launched a major initiative to produce more food for surging world population in an environmentally sustainable way. To feed a world population projected at 9.2 billion in 2050, which involves meeting double the demand for food in developing countries, there is no option but to further intensify crop production, said the Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO). It added that food production

10 needs to increase by 70 per cent in the world and 100 per cent in developing countries to eradicate hunger and meet demand by 2050. The FAOs call for sustainable crop production intensification, is contained in a new book, Save and Grow published by FAOs Plant Production and Protection Division. The new approach calls for targeting mainly smallholder farmers in developing countries. Helping low-income farm families in developing countries on reducing the cost of production and building healthy agro ecosystems will enable them to maximise yields and invest the savings on their health and education, the world body said. The save and grow approach draws partly on the conservation agriculture techniques which do away with or minimise ploughing and tilling, thus preserving soil structure and health. Other techniques developed by FAO include precision irrigation, which delivers more crop for the drop, and precision placement of fertilisers, which can double the amount of nutrients absorbed by plants.

India resumes defence exchanges with China: India and China are all set to resume defence exchanges after about a
year, and a major general serving in J&K is leading a group of delegates to China from June 20. Major General Gurmeet Singh, the commander of the Delta Force, a part of the specialized anti-insurgency Rashtriya Rifles deployed in J&K, is leading an eight-member delegation to China from June 20-24. India had put bilateral defence exchanges with China on hold since last July after Beijing refused a proper stamped visa to the then northern army commander Lt Gen BS Jaswal.

India, Russia express intent for CECA: India and Russia on June 16, 2011 expressed the political intent to move
towards a Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CCEA) during the bilateral meeting between the Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Anand Sharma and the Minister of Economic Development of the Russian Federation Elvira Nebullina at St Petersburg. The target is to achieve USD 20 billion in trade by 2015. NMDC, Indias largest iron ore producer and Russian steel maker OJSC Severstal will invest a total of Rs 9,000 crore in setting up a two million tonnes a year steel plant near Bellary in Karnataka. Furthermore, it was agreed to form six working groups under India Russia Working Group on Trade and Economic Cooperation (IRWGTEC) with Government and private participation on IT, Pharma, Banking and finance modernization, precision engineering and nano technology.

Czech Republic pulls out of US missile shield plan: Czech Republic on June 15, 2011 said it will no longer take part in US missile defence plans. The Bush administration first proposed stationing 10 interceptor missiles in Poland and an advanced radar in the Czech Republic. But Russia objected and warned that it would station its own missiles close to Poland if the plan went through. In September 2009, the Obama administration shelved that plan and offered a new, reconfigured phased program with a smaller role for the Czechs, who were offered an early warning centre that would gather and analyse information from satellites to detect missiles aimed at NATO territory. China says it would not use force in South China Sea: China on June 14, 2011 said it would not resort to the use of force in the tense South China Sea, after its neighbours expressed concern about its more assertive maritime posture. Vietnam on June 13 staged live-fire exercises following recent confrontations at sea with China which reignited a longstanding dispute over the sovereignty of two potentially oil-rich archipelagos, the Paracels and Spratlys. China insisted Vietnam was to blame for the recent flare-up, sparked by a confrontation between Chinese surveillance vessels and a Vietnamese oil survey ship. PM Erdogan wins a third term in Turkey: The Justice and Development Party (AKP) of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip
Erdogan has won a third term after winning 50% of the vote and 326 seats in the 550-member Grand National Assembly in the general election held on June 12, 2011. The AKPs majority is 41 seats short of the two-thirds majority needed to amend the countrys constitution unilaterally. From the time it first came to power in 2002, the conservative AKP, with a vision rooted in political Islam, made clear it did not embrace the strict secularism bequeathed by Turkeys founder Attaturk Mustapha Kemal. The secular Republican Peoples Party (CHP) had 26% of vote (135 seats) and the far-right Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) 13% (53 seats). Choosing to field independent candidates, the pro-Kurdish Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) managed to win a respectable 35 seats an achievement that is likely to put pressure on the AKP-led government to address Kurdish demands. Despite failing to secure a large-enough majority, the AKP leadership has not given up on a new Constitution, based on a national consensus.

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Social Democrat party wins polls in Portugal: Portugals new Prime Minister Pedro Passos Coelho on June 18, 2011
unveiled a slimmed-down cabinet and appointed seasoned bank policymaker Vitor Gaspar finance minister to tackle the debt crisis. The 11-member cabinet includes four members of centre-right Social Democrat party (PSD), the winner of June 5 polls, three from junior coalition partner CDS-PP and four independents, the presidency announced. The new cabinet was sworn in by President Anibal Cavaco Silva. UN Security Council backs second term for Ban Ki-moon: The UN Security Council on June 17, 2011 unanimously recommended Secretary General Ban Ki-moon for a second five-year term. With no rival for the post, the former South Korean foreign minister is almost certain to be re-elected. The 67 year old has been criticised for being too deferential to major powers and for being too timid to confront human rights abusers. But he has won praise for his commitment to climate change, nuclear disarmament and womens issues, and for his encouragement of the pro-democracy protests which have swept the Middle East and North Africa.

UN splits Taliban and al-Qaeda on sanctions blacklist: The United Nations on June 18, 2011 split a sanctions
blacklist for the Taliban and al-Qaeda to encourage the Taliban to join reconciliation efforts in Afghanistan. Until now, both organisations have been handled by the same UN sanctions committee. The UN Security Council says it is sending a signal to the Taliban that now is the time to join the political process. Diplomats say the move recognises that the two groups have different goals. Al-Qaeda is seeking worldwide jihad (holy war) while the Taliban are involved in an insurgency focused in Afghanistan. The council unanimously passed two resolutions - one to set up a new blacklist of individuals and groups accused of links to al-Qaeda and a second for those linked to the Taliban militia. The US Ambassador to the UN, Susan Rice, said in a statement that the move sent a clear message to the Taliban that there is a future for those who separate from alQaeda, renounce violence and abide by the Afghan constitution

Nepal to provide security for Upper Karnali Project: Nepal on June 16, 2011 decided to deploy Army personnel for
the security of 900 MW Upper Karnali Hydropower Project, which is being developed by Indias energy consortium GMR. The decision comes in the wake of frequent attacks and threat issued by the cadres of UCPN-Maoist on the project site citing that the project does not fulfill Nepals national interest. During his visit to Nepal recently, Indias External Affairs Minister S M Krishna had raised concern for the security of Indian joint ventures operating in Nepal.

Brazil signs agreement to digitalise Amazonian biodiversity: The Brazilian government signed a partnership
agreement with IBM on June 15, 2011 to digitalise information on Amazonian biodiversity with the help of the U.S. Company. The project, called Wikiflora, aims to allow the research community such as scientists and teachers to share knowledge and findings on biological diversity by the model of citizen science, similar to Wikipedia.

King Mohammed unveils reforms in Morocco: Moroccos monarch King Mohammed unveiled major reforms aimed at
quelling dissent on June 17, 2011. The king said the measures would entrench democratic institutions and protect rights, though he confirmed that he will retain some key powers. The reforms would give the prime minister and parliament more executive authority and make Berber an official language in Morocco, alongside Arabic. The proposals will be put to a referendum on 1 July. The king promised in March to introduce comprehensive constitutional reform after anti-government protests inspired by those elsewhere in the region. Moroccos 400-year-old monarchy has a long history of enacting superficial reforms. Morocco has been facing severe economic challenges with high unemployment and rising levels of poverty. King Mohammed, 47, acceded to the throne in 1999 following the death of his father, Hassan II, and now heads the Arab worlds longest-serving dynasty.

Filipino named worlds shortest man: Junrey Balawing of Sindangan, Philippines was named worlds shortest man on
his 18 birthday on June 12, 2011. Balawing measures 23.6 inches tall. The previous record-holder, Nepals Khagendra Thapar Magar, is 26.3 inches tall and held the title for about eight months. Although the shortest living man, Balawing missed the title of shortest man in history, which is held by Gul Mohammed of India, who was 22.5 inches tall and died in 1997.
th

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Section C: AWARDS
Daffern conferred Anuvrat Ahimsa peace award: Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot gave away the Anuvrat
Ahimsa international peace award to noted Gandhian philosophy exponent Thomas Clough Daffern at Anuvibha Kendra, Jaipur on June 14, 2011. Dr. Daffern, Director of London-based International Institute of Peace Studies and Global Philosophy, received a memento, a cheque for Rs.1 lakh and a certificate of merit. The institute works across several academic fields for study and application of peace and philosophy to various spheres of life.

Imprisoned Iran medics win Jonathan Mann Prize: Two Iranian doctors imprisoned for allegedly plotting to overthrow
the government have been awarded the Global Health Councils Jonathan Mann Award for Global Health and Human Rights on June 17, 2011. Kamiar and Arash Alaei were arrested in June 2008 and accused of communicating with the US to unseat the regime of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. The brothers began treating patients with HIV in the late 1990s, and developed a three-pronged program that integrated prevention, care and social support.

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Section D: ECONOMY & CORPORATE

RBI unveils mid-quarter Monetary Policy review
HIGHLIGHTS Repo rate hiked by 50 basis points to 7.5 percent Reverse repo automatically revised upwards to 6.5 percent Marginal standing facility rate increased to 8.5 percent No change in other statutory rates Deceleration in some interest-sensitive sectors such as automobiles, no evidence of any sharp or broad-based slowdown Baseline projection for GDP growth for 2011-12 maintained at around 8 percent Domestic inflation remains high and much above the comfort zone of the Reserve Bank Non-food manufactured products inflation is a matter of particular concern, suggesting generalised inflationary pressures Impact of the recent monetary policy actions is still unfolding RBI says rate hike will contain inflation by reining in demand side pressures and anchor inflation expectations RBI says actions expected to mitigate the risk to growth from potentially adverse global developments RBI will persist with its anti-inflationary stance of monetary policy Although global commodity prices have moderate they still pose a risk to both domestic growth and inflation The RBI raised the repo rate (at which banks borrow from it) by a quarter per cent to 7.5 per cent in its mid-quarter monetary policy review on June 16, 2011. The reverse repo rate (the interest RBI pays banks for parking their surplus funds) will go upto 6.5 per cent. GDP growth decelerated to 7.8 per cent in Q4 of 2010-11 from 8.3 per cent in the previous quarter and 9.4 per cent in the corresponding quarter a year ago. For the year as a whole, GDP growth in 2010-11 was 8.5 per cent. While private consumption was robust, investment activity moderated in Q4 of 2010-11. Going forward, notwithstanding both signs of moderation in commodity prices and some deceleration in growth, domestic inflation risks remain high. Against this backdrop, the monetary policy stance remains firmly anti-inflationary; recognising that, in the current circumstances, some short-run deceleration in growth may be unavoidable in bringing inflation under control. Domestic inflation remains high and much above the comfort zone of the Reserve Bank. Particularly, non-food manufactured products inflation rose in May 2011 after showing some moderation in April 2011. Domestic fuel prices do not yet reflect the current trends of global prices. Although global commodity prices moderated in recent weeks, it is too early to downgrade this as a risk factor. The headline WPI inflation rate was 9.7 per cent in March 2011. In April 2011, it was 8.7 per cent and rose to 9.1 per cent in May 2011. Thus, the headline WPI inflation rate remains elevated, consistent with the projections made in the Annual Policy Statement of May 3. The main drivers of WPI inflation in April-May 2011 were non-food primary articles, fuel group and nonfood manufactured products. The consumer price inflation for industrial workers (CPI - IW) rose from 8.8 per cent in March 2011 to 9.4 per cent in April 2011. Non-food manufactured products inflation was 8.5 per cent in March 2011. Provisional data indicate that it increased from 6.3 per cent in April to 7.3 per cent in May 2011, numbers much above its medium-term trend of 4.0 per cent. The challenge of containing inflation and anchoring inflation expectations persists. Thus, while the Reserve Bank needs to continue with its anti-inflationary stance, the extent of policy action needs to balance the adverse movements in inflation with recent global developments and their likely impact on the domestic growth trajectory.

RBI unveils Financial Stability Report

The rebound in credit growth in 2010-11 was a necessity for a developing economy like India for sustaining high GDP growth. But underwriting standards would need to be tightened to ensure that the quality of credit does not deteriorate. This was one of the observations made by the Reserve Bank of India in its Financial Stability Report released on June 14, 2011. The credit portfolio of commercial banks was well diversified across industries, geographies and sectors. However, during the last

14 few years, incremental credit growth was observed to be mainly propelled by few sectors, namely, retail, commercial real estate, and infrastructure. In March 2011, these sectors accounted for 19 per cent, 4 per cent and 13 per cent, respectively, of the gross advances of commercial banks.

Real estate: The incremental share of real estate in both credit and impaired assets remained large. Real estate loans constituted 17.7 per cent of gross advances in March 2011. Credit to the sector grew by 24.6 per cent, that is, faster than the overall credit growth of 22.6 per cent. The rate of growth of NPAs (non-performing assets) in this segment at 19.8 per cent was also higher than the overall NPA growth rate of 14.8 per cent. The real estate sector posed some concerns given the large and growing share of these loans in the credit portfolios of banks, its NPAs witnessing higher than system level NPAs growth and potential of greater slippages into NPAs, the RBI said. Retail credit: Retail loans grew by 19 per cent and credit to this sector accounted for 18.5 per cent of gross advances as at end-March 2011. The bulk of the increase was attributable to the personal loans segment, which primarily comprised riskier, unsecured loans. As on March 31, 2011, 31 per cent of retail loans were unsecured. The unsecured retail loans grew by 24.9 per cent during the year. The robust rebound in retail loans witnessed during recent quarters warrants close monitoring as the asset quality of such loans could come under pressure given the increasing interest rate environment, the RBI said. Infrastructure sector: Advances to infrastructure grew by more than 40 per cent and the share of infrastructure in total advances increased to 12.9 per cent in the last fiscal. There was an increase of 42.5 per cent in impaired infrastructure loans. However, the gross NPA ratio for such loans continued to be low at around 0.5 per cent. But the increased exposure to this segment could heighten asset-liability management risks for banks, especially given the probability of projects getting delayed. All this underscores the urgent need for evolving a long term funding market for infrastructure projects, the RBI said. Priority sector: Another area of concern is the priority sector. Credit to this sector grew by 21 per cent, as against which its impaired assets increased by 28 per cent. This asset quality of exposures to the priority sector, especially agriculture, continued to compare unfavourably with the overall NPA ratio of the banking sector, the RBI said. Stability assessment
The incremental share of real estate in both credit and impaired assets remained large. The bulk of the increase in retail credit attributable to personal loans segment, which primarily comprised riskier, unsecured loans Urgent need for evolving a long term funding market for infrastructure projects

Govt extends DEPB scheme validity

3 month extension: The government has decided to extend the validity of the Duty Entitlement Pass Book (DEPB) scheme
for three months till September 30. The DEPB is a reimbursement of basic and special Customs duty paid by an exporter on an imported input used in the export product. The benefit is given by way of a grant of duty credit against the export product at specified rates. The government had lost revenue of around Rs 8,000 crore under the DEPB scheme, said finance and revenue secretary Sunil Mitra on June 14, 2011. The scheme is also considered to be against the World Trade Organisation rules, as it is a direct subsidy.

To be replaced with duty drawback scheme: The government is planning to replace DEPB with the duty drawback
scheme. The main difference between DEPB and the duty drawback schemes is that DEPB is disbursed in the form of DEPB scrip, while the drawback is taken as cash. Further, DEPB is administered by the commerce and industry ministry, while the drawback is administered by the revenue department under the finance ministry. The 14-year DEPB scheme is popular among exporters, covering nearly 52 per cent of exports. The duty drawback, which reimburses the customs duty component, covers 15-20 per cent of exports. Some major beneficiaries are engineering products, chemicals, plastics, leather, sports goods, food products, handicrafts, electronics and textiles.

OECD, Finance Ministry tax conference organised

15 A two-day high level international seminar on Adopting Tax System and International Tax Rules to the New Global Environment: a Shared Challenge for India and the OECD was organised on June 13-14, 2011 in New Delhi. Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee called for strong measures to reverse the ongoing trend of illicit outflows from developing countries and exploitation of their natural resources through abusive transfer pricing schemes in his inaugural address at the conference. He said that these challenges of new global environment will have to be addressed through bilateral and multi-lateral cooperation. India has also decided to strengthen ongoing cooperation on tax related issues with OECD through a three year partnership programme. The emphasis of cooperation would be on professional and skill up-gradation both in tax administration and in industry. OECD Secretary-General, Angel Gurria, said India was impacted by some of its citizens using other countries to park their money to avoid paying taxes in the country.

Sharing of data not retrospective

India has made a strong pitch to end banking secrecy and sought more teeth in multilateral measures to deal with abusive transfer pricing. Some countries had agreed to end banking secrecy only from a prospective date and were unwilling to share information on past bank transactions. The Finance Minister said that this raises questions about the efficacy of existing legal provisions for exchange of banking information. India is currently negotiating banking information exchange agreements with no-tax or low-tax countries to help it check tax crimes. The Finance Minister stressed on the need to revisit the existing legal framework developed by the OECD in this regard.

Tackling bribery in private sector

On bribery in the private sector, the minister said a law to tackle it would be introduced in the monsoon session of Parliament. India must introduce such a law as it has ratified the UN convention against corruption. The Prevention of Bribery of Foreign Public Officials and Officials of Public International Organisations Bill, 2011 prohibits accepting and giving ratification to or by foreign public officials.

Transfer Pricing
Transfer pricing continues to be an important tax issue due to high increase in cross border trade taking place within multinational enterprises located in developed, developing and undeveloped countries. The Finance Minister sought stiff measures to check illicit outflows from developing countries and exploitation of their natural resources through transfer pricing schemes. Transfer pricing refers to the pricing of assets, tangible and intangible, services, and funds transferred within an organisation in a cross-border transaction. Misuse of this system by companies often leads to loss of revenue from natural resources for developing nations. He said India had already overhauled its transfer pricing administration and tightened the procedures provisions to check misuse to shift profit to another country. India has also decided to strengthen ongoing cooperation on tax related issues with OECD through three year partnership programme. The emphasis of cooperation would be on professional and skill up-gradation both in tax administration and in industry. The fight against illicit flows: Illicit Flows on the rise: A report by Global Financial Integrity pegs total illicit flows at $462 billion It found high net-worth individuals and private companies to be the primary drivers of illicit flows out of the country, especially. to tax havens with banking secrecy The share of OFC (offshore financial centres) deposits increased from 36.4% in 1995 to 54.2% in 2009 The govt has formulated a five-pronged strategy to tackle the menace: It has constituted a study to estimate black money Set up a panel to suggest ways to tackle black money Amended tax treaties and signed tax information exchange agreements with tax havens

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But, India wants changes in tax treaty framework: Some countries are not willing to share past information hence there is need for new framework India has finalised tax agreements with 14 countries and completed double taxation talks with 36 countries

OECD prescribes remedy for tackling corruption in India: The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and
Development (OECD) wants India to have transparency in involving the private sector in areas where government licensing and regulation are required. In all areas of the economy, and especially those that depend on government licensing and regulation, it is crucial that private sector involvement takes place transparently and on a level playing field in order to avoid high-level corruption, OECD said in its Economic Survey of India, 2011 unveiled on June 15, 2011. The survey said India needed to strengthen its anti-corruption agency through an independent appointment mechanism for its head. It said public sector governance should be made more transparent and accountable by separating operational and regulatory functions in the provisions of public services. India is not a part of OECD, a grouping of mostly developed nations and members of the bloc account for over 60 per cent of the global economy.

Handbook on disinvestment unveiled

A handbook that can act as a ready guide for future divestments in CPSEs through the public offering route was released by the Finance Minister, Pranab Mukherjee on June 17, 2011. The Handbook on Disinvestment through Public Offerings is a step-by-step guide to the entire disinvestment process starting from seeking Government approval to the final listing on stock exchanges. It compiles together in one place the processes and procedures required for a public offering. This should be useful to all parties involved in a Government divestment like the officials of the Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs), administrative ministries and the Department of Disinvestment. In the last two financial years (2009-10 and 2010-11), the Department of Disinvestment had overseen 11 public offerings, including that of Coal India, which is the largest in the history of the Indian capital market. The experience gained by the Department of Disinvestment from these 11 public offerings finds reflection in the Handbook. The Centre has since November 2009 adopted a policy of disinvestment through minority share sale. The Disinvestment Department also intends to regularly update the online version of the Handbook.

Rupay debit cards launched for no frills account holders

Rupay, dubbed as Indias answer to MasterCard and Visa, was unveiled on June 19, 2011 when Bank of India gave the first batch of automated teller machines (ATM)-cum-debit cards to Unique Identification (UID) number holders in Pagdha village of Maharashtras Thane district. The card, which will be given to no frills account holders, can be used to withdraw cash from ATMs as well as from microATMs, the hand-held devices with the banks business correspondents. However, for swapping the card in point-of-sale terminals at merchant establishments, customers will have to wait till the year-end. RuPay card will have two identification features. The cardholder will have to provide the UID number for biometric identification for using micro-ATMs, while the PIN will be required for transactions via ATMs. To start with, banks are targeting semi-urban areas for RuPay card. To make these cards functional, one needs data connectivity which is not available in rural areas, so banks are starting out with semi-urban areas for now, said A P Hota, managing director and chief executive officer, National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI). Backed by NPCI, RuPay card is a payment gateway and an alternative to the global real-time payment processing firms like Visa and MasterCard. Since these cards are being issued to no frills account holders for now, the limits for withdrawal and transactions will be in line with terms and conditions laid down by the banks on their respective no frills accounts.

17

India lost $462b to graft post-1947 Global Financial Integrity

India lost a staggering $462 billion in illicit financial flows due to tax evasion, crime and corruption post-Independence, according to a report released by Washington-based Global Financial Integrity released recently. The document on the Survey on Bribery and Corruption was released at the first annual fraud conference on June 17, 2011. The report indicated that deregulation and trade liberalisation actually contributed to or accelerated the transfer of illicit money abroad. Reports about wealth stashed in offshore destinations and tax havens indicate the extent of the problem. India has been facing governance challenges from within at various levels for a long time. Rigid bureaucracy, complex laws and long-drawn judicial process deter people from considering legal recourse in corruption cases. India has around 35 million court cases pending. Besides lack of manpower and poor infrastructure, other factors hindering the anticorruption drive include lack of teeth in the legal framework, the study said. A large number of organizations pay bribes to win and retain businesses, overlooking the implications of encouraging these practices and focusing only on short term benefits. They fail to realize that what has worked in their favour could also lead to adverse consequences for them later, the report said. The study noted that another key area where business is impacted is mergers and acquisitions. Corruption could impact the valuation of a company thereby denying shareholders of a fair price. Moreover, it could also make it difficult for them to find a suitable business partner, thereby seriously impacting the growth prospects of the business, the study said.

RIL got huge, undue benefit at KG basin gas fields CAG

RIL paid less royalty to the government by showing artificially higher expenses in developing Krishna Godavari basin gas fields RIL was allowed to retain potential oilfields even though it was unable to develop them within the stipulated time The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) on June 13, 2011 indicted the Petroleum and Natural Gas Ministry for allowing irregularities and bending rules to oblige Reliance Industries Ltd. (RIL) in the Krishna Godavari basin gas fields, leading to a massive and as yet unquantifiable loss to the national exchequer. The CAG has charged RIL with inflating project cost to show higher expenses leading to a large revenue loss for the government. The also says the government allowed RIL to retain offshore acreage it had not developed in the stipulated time. In its 193-page Draft Report on production sharing contracts (PSCs) in the oil and gas field, the CAG exposes the close nexus between RIL and the bureaucrats working in the Petroleum Ministry as well as its Directorate General of Hydrocarbons (DGH). This allowed Reliance to retain its entire offshore acreage, rather than surrendering those areas where it had not found oil or gas so that the government could invite fresh bids from other companies. Also, RIL was uncritically allowed to hike the capital expenditure for developing Dhirubhai-1 and 3, the largest of 18 gas finds in the KG Basin, popularly known as the KG-D6 block, by a whopping 117 per cent though this meant a revenue loss for the exchequer. This unvalidated cost inflation allows RIL to get away with paying less royalty to the government, the CAG notes. The increase in cost from $2.39 billion in the Initial Development Plan to $5.196 billion in the Addendum to the Initial Development Plan is likely to have a significant impact on the Government of Indias financial take. However, at this stage, based on the information provided, we are unable to comment on the reasonableness, or otherwise, of the increase in cost, both overall and in respect of individual line items, the CAG stated in its report that has been sent to the Petroleum Ministry for comments.

India to be 3rd largest domestic banking sector by 2050 PwC

18 According to a PriceWaterhouseCoopers report titled Banking In 2050, India could become the third largest banking sector by 2050 after China and US, leaving Japan, UK and Germany behind. Indian banking sector in general and the Reserve Bank of India were applauded post financial crisis for fiscal prudence. The report unveiled in June 2011 says that post downturn, Indian banks have become more efficient due to tighter credit assessment and disbursals and improvements in their cost to income ratio. Indias largest private sector bank, ICICI Bank improved its cost to income ratio from 53 per cent in 2007 to 38 per cent in 2010, owing to shift in strategy from aggressive growth to cost rationalisation. The report includes 22 countries segregating them into G7 (US, Japan, Germany, UK, France, Italy and Canada), E7 (China, India, Brazil, Russia, Mexico, Indonesia and Turkey), other developed economies (Australia, S Korea, and Spain), newly emerging economies (Argentina, Vietnam, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia and South Africa). According to the report, the financial crisis has brought about an acceleration in the shift of economic power from the developed to the emerging economies. China could overtake US in 2023 and India could overtake Japan in 2033. Indias domestic banking assets are expected to grow to $38,484 in 2050 from $945.

Farm credit flow at Rs. 4.26 lakh crore during 2010-11: Farm credit flow has registered a quantum jump during 201011. Credit institutions disbursed Rs. 4,26,531 crore during the year against the target of Rs. 3,75,000 crore. Agency-wise, Commercial Banks with disbursal of Rs. 3.14 lakh crore are on the top followed by Cooperative Banks with Rs. 69 thousand crore and Regional Rural Banks with Rs. 43 thousand crore. The credit flow target for the current financial year (2011-12) has been fixed at Rs. 4.75 lakh crore. In the current financial year (2011-12), the government is providing interest subvention by 3%, thus bringing down the effective rate of interest to 4% per annum. This interest subvention is provided to those farmers who repay their short term crop loans on time.
2009-10 Target 45,000 2,50,000 30,000 3,25,000 2010-11 Target 55,000 2,80,000 40,000 3,75,000

Name of agency Coop Banks Commercial Banks RRBs Total

Achievement 63,497 2,85,000 35, 217 3,84,514

Achievement 69,076 3,14,182 43,273 4,26,531

RBI bars NBFCs from opening branches abroad: Non-bank financial companies (NBFCs) will not be permitted to open branches abroad, the Reserve Bank of India said on June 15, 2011. However, NBFCs which already have branches abroad, will be allowed to continue those operations, subject to their compliance with the revised guidelines. Govt. approves 54% rise in cost strategic crude oil storage: The government on June 16, 2011 approved over 54
per cent increase in cost of the nations first strategic crude oil storage being built as insurance against supply disruptions. India, which is 75 per cent import dependent to meet its crude oil needs, is building under-ground storages at Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh and at Mangalore and Padur in Karnataka to store about 5.33 million tons of crude oil. This is enough to meet nations oil requirement of 13-14 days. India Strategic Petroleum Reserves Ltd (ISPRL) is building the Visakhapatnam storage. The cost of storage at Visakhapatnam has been revised to Rs 1,038 crore from Rs 671.83 crore primarily due to increase in cavern capacity from 1 million tons to 1.33 million tons, an official statement issued after a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), which approved the revised cost estimates, said.

NTPC forms JV to set up power exchange: NTPC on June 15, 2011 formed a joint venture company, National Power
Exchange Ltd (NPEX), to set up a power exchange. It will be a third exchange after Power Exchange India Ltd (PXIL) and India Energy Exchange and is expected to be operational within a year. The joint venture with NHPC, Power Finance Corporation (PFC) and Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), has already received in-principle approval from the Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC) to begin. The exchange will have to compete in a market where there are already two players and the total power purchase from the exchanges account for four per cent of the total consumption. The long-

19 term objective of exchanges is to drive the Indian power sector towards true competition-based pricing, as against scarcitybased pricing.

India initiates efforts to widen Exclusive Economic Zone: Union Minister of State for Earth Sciences Ashwani
Kumar on June 11, 2011 expressed confidence that the United Nations Commission on the Law of the Sea would soon accept its claim of almost doubling its Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), which could give it access to a larger wealth of oil, natural gas and other off-shore resources. India last year submitted to the Commission its claim to extend its coastal EEZ from 200 nautical miles to 350 nautical miles. The Minister was interacting with the media on the sidelines of an event at the National Centre for Antarctic and Ocean Research (NCAOR) in Goa. Under a provision of U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea, a coastal country can seek an extension of its EEZ beyond the approved 200 nautical miles if it can demonstrate that the continental shelf of the country extends beyond that distance. The approval can be given up to a maximum of 350 nautical miles. India produced data spanning over 6,000 pages, which were collected over almost a decade.

Planning Commission sets up working group on boosting exports, FDI: The Planning Commission on June 14,
2011 constituted a working group to suggest government policies to enable the private sector to meet the targeted increase in exports. The group, headed by Commission member Saumitra Chaudhuri, will also identify policy measures to attract more foreign direct investment (FDI), particularly into manufacturing and infrastructure. It would also assess existing schemes for export promotion, to explore what to do to further boost private players. The group will take a view on the experience with Special Economic Zones and other special trade facilitating measures.

Domestic majors keen on passenger plane project: Prominent domestic players have shown interest in taking
part in the national civil aircraft development programme. Formal expressions of interest will be sought in the coming months for a joint venture partner, according to the Chairman of the High Powered Committee (HPC) for the project, G. Madhavan Nair on June 11, 2011. The HPC includes Kinetic Engineerings Dr Arun Firodia, and former UTI chief, Mr M. Damodaran. The feasibility report submitted for Government approval has put the cost of developing the countrys own passenger plane at Rs 7,555 crore. Of this, the committee has sought a funding for the design and development cost of Rs 4,300 crore or about 58 per cent of the project from the Government. The remaining of around Rs 3,200 crore would be raised as equity from the industry partner who would manufacture the planes, and as debt. National Aerospace Labs (NAL) is the nodal agency for the project. NAL is partnering Mahindra & Mahindra on the latters five-seater aircraft.

Strike at Maruti Suzukis Manesar plant ends: Maruti Suzuki India (MSI) announced the end of 13-day long strike by
workers at its Manesar plant on June 17, 2011. As part of the agreement signed between the management and the representatives of the striking workers, MSI will reinstate all the sacked 11 employees and take a lenient approach on enforcing no-work-no-pay rule of eight days salary cut for every single day of the stir. The agreement, which was brokered by the Haryana government, however, did not make a mention on the main demand of formation of a union, thereby leading to the workers and the management making counter claims. Unlike Marutis Gurgaon plant where most of the workers are permanent and have a legally recognised trade union, the Manesar plant runs on contract labour. So workers at two different plants doing the same work are treated differently. The Manesar workers see this as unfair and launched an agitation. The striking workers had been demanding recognition of a new union Maruti Suzuki Employees Union (MSEU) independent of the existing one that is dominated by workers of the Gurgaon plant.

Lagarde, Carstens shortlisted to lead the IMF: Frances Christine Lagarde and Mexicos Agustin Carstens were on
June 14, 2011 shortlisted to lead the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The new managing director would be announced by June 30, the IMF said in a statement. While Lagarde, a French national, is Minister of Economy, Industry and Employment of France; Carstens is Governor of the Bank of Mexico.

Teledensity at 72.08% TRAI: Telecom operators in the country added 15.34 million mobile subscribers in April this year
2011, taking the total number of telephone users to 861.48 million, sectoral regulator TRAI said on June 14, 2011. With this, the overall teledensity (telephones per 100 people) in India reached 72.08 per cent. However, the number of active mobile subscribers, according to the visitor location register (VLR) data, during April was only 583.22 million. VLR numbers provide details on active customers at any given point of time, excluding switched-off and out-of-the- coverage area customers.

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CIL and Sun Pharma enter BSE Sensex: The Index Committee of the Bombay Stock Exchange on June 17, 2011
removed the Anil Ambani group stocks Reliance Communication and Reliance Infra for the first time from the prestigious BSE Sensex 30 scrips. Coal India and Sun Pharma have been included in the place of ADAG stocks. The market capitalisation of Reliance Communications (RCom) has come down from a high of over Rs 1 lakh crore to Rs 20,000 crore, while Reliance Infra has a market cap of just Rs 15,000 crore.

India earmarks $100 million each for SAFTA countries for infrastructure: The Minister of Commerce & Industry,
Government of India Anand Sharma urged the member states of SAARC to bring down protectionist trade barriers to achieve regional economies of scale at a much greater pace at the fifth meeting of SAFTA Ministerial Council in Male on June 13, 2011. He also announced that India has earmarked US$100 million each for its neighboring countries to undertake developmental work in basic infrastructure projects. The Ministerial was attended by Trade & Commerce ministers of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives and Sri Lanka.

Bihar is Best Performing State RBI Study: A Reserve Bank sponsored study on June 17, 2011 said Bihar (including Jharkhand) was the best performing state during 1980-2004, while Tamil Nadu lagged behind in terms of TFPG, a parameter that measures productivity of the organised manufacturing sector. Although Bihar did well in terms of TFPG (total factor productivity growth), it faltered on employment generation, the study on Productivity, Efficiency and Competitiveness of the Indian Manufacturing Sector, conducted by the Development Research Group (DRG), a research wing of the RBI said. The inter-state performance of TFPG of organised manufacturing sector indicates that Bihar (including Jharkhand) is the best performing state while Tamil Nadu is the worst performing state, it said. Jharkhand was carved out of Bihar in November 2000. Child labour generates Rs 1.2 lakh crore of black money every year BBA: A child rights outfit on June 12,
2011 claimed that child labour generates Rs 1.2 lakh crore of black money every year in India. According to a report Capital Corruption: Child Labour in India prepared by Bachpan Bachao Andolan (BBA), the figure was arrived at by calculating the number of child labourers, the income earned by them and the illicit profits being generated by employers by not appointing adult workers.

India is 5th in Ernst & Young European Attractiveness Survey: Despite regulatory hurdles, India continues to be
among the preferred destinations for FDI due to the countrys high economic growth, with both Mumbai and Delhi being touted as among the cities likely to produce the next Microsoft or Google, according to the 9th Annual European Attractiveness Survey by Ernst & Young unveiled on June 6, 2011. The Survey says India will rank fifth among the most attractive destinations for European firms within the next three years, mainly on account of Indias perceived specialisation as a hub for low cost outsourcing business.

India has 62,000 ultra high net worth households Kotak Wealth, CRISIL Research: India has 62,000 ultra high
net worth households, with an average net worth of Rs 75 crore. In five years, the number of such households would more than treble to 219,000, each with a net worth of about Rs 100 crore. According to a study by Kotak Wealth and Crisil Research released on June 7, 2011, the number of ultra wealthy households remains a mere 0.03 per cent of the total households in the country. The report titled Top of the Pyramid, defined ultra high net worth households as those with a minimum net worth of Rs 25 crore. The study identifies three distinct profiles of ultra high net worth individuals (UHNIs) in India the inheritor, the self-made and the professional. While real estate has been the most preferred investment avenue, alternate asset classes are also likely to gain popularity.

Bill Gammell to step down as Cairn Energy CEO: A major overhaul of top management at Edinburgh-based Cairn
Energy got under way on June 16, 2011 as Simon Thomson, the current legal and commercial director of the firm, was named as the companys new Chief Executive. As of July, he will replace Sir Bill Gammell, the companys founder, who in turn will become Chairman of both the group and remain as Chairman of Cairn India, with responsibilities for the Vedanta transaction.

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Section E: SPORTS
Rafael Nadal, Li Na win French Open Singles
Chinas Li Na made sporting history at the French Open when she became the first Asian to win a Grand Slam singles title on June 4, 2011. The 29-year-old Na defeated defending champion 30-year-old Francesca Schiavone of Italy 6-4, 7-6(0). Rafael Nadal won a 10 Grand Slam title, and equalled Bjorn Borgs record of six French Open titles, when he defeated Roger Federer 7-5, 7-6(7), 5-7, 6-1 in the final on June 5. Top seed Nadal, who was also champion in 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2010, took his overall Paris record to 45 wins against just one defeat. It was the 25-year-old Spaniards 17th win over Federer in 25 meetings and fourth in a Roland Garros final. This was also Nadals sixth win in eight Grand Slam final meetings with Federer. Meanwhile, Daniel Nestor of Canada and Max Mirnyi of Belarus won their first Grand Slam title together by defeating Eduardo Schwank of Argentina and Juan Sebastian Cabal of Colombia 7-6(3), 3-6, 6-4 in the Mens doubles final on June 4. Womens Doubles was won by Andrea Hlavackova and Lucie Hradecka of Czech Republic who defeated Indias Sania Mirza and Elena Vesnina of Russia in straight sets, 64, 63 on June 3. Casey Dellacqua (Australia) and Scott Lipsky (USA) defeated the reigning champions Katarina Srebotnik (Slovenia) and Nenad Zimonjic (Serbia) 76, 46 in the final on June 2 to take the 2011 French Open mixed doubles title. Winners of both Singles titles received 1,200,000 while winners of Mens and Singles doubles got 330,000. Mixed doubles winner received 100,000. Runners-ups got half in all categories.
th

Philipp Kohlschreiber wins Halle Open: Germanys Philipp Kohlschreiber won the Gerry Weber Open grasscourt
tournament in Halle, Germany on June 12, 2011 after compatriot Philipp Petzschner was forced to retire hurt with a back injury while trailing 7-6(5), 2-0. Indias Rohan Bopanna and Pakistans Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi won the doubles title beating Dutch-Canadian team of Milos Raonic and Robin Haase 7-6(8), 3-6, 11-9 in the final. Meanwhile, in Copenhagen, Denmarks Caroline Wozniacki won the Copenhagen Open with a 6-1, 6-4 victory over Lucie Safarova of Czech Republic in the final on June 12.

Murray wins Aegon Tennis title: Andy Murray clinched the Aegon Tennis title with a 3-6, 7-6(2), 6-4 victory over JoWilfried Tsonga in the final at Queens Club, London on June 13, 2011. Doubles title was won by Mike Bryan & Bob Bryan who beat the Indian pair of Leander Paes & Mahesh Bhupathi 7-6(2), 6-7(4), 6-10. In Aegon Womens Classic in Sabine Lisicki beat Daniela Hantuchova 6-3, 6-2 to win the title.

Jenson Button wins Montreal GP: McLaren driver Jenson Button beat Red Bulls Formula One World champion
Sebastian Vettel to win the Canadian Grand Prix at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, Montreal on June 12, 2011. Mark Webber of Red Bull finished third.

India win ODI series in West Indies 3-2: The West Indies defeated India by seven wickets with eight deliveries
remaining at the Sabina Park, Kingston, Jamaica on June 16, 2011 and reduced the visitors series victory margin to 3-2. Batting first, India was all out for 251 in 47.3 overs. Virat Kohli (run out) 94 (104b, 10x4) and Rohit Sharma 57 (72b, 2x4, 1x6) were top scorers for India. Andre Russell (8.3-0-35-4 wickets) was the best bowler for West Indies. In reply, WI reached the target in 48.4 overs. Ramnaresh Sarwan (retd. hurt) 75 ( 94b, 5x4, 1x6) and Darren Bravo 86 ( 99b, 3x4, 6x6) were the top scorers for WI. Rohit Sharma was adjudged Player of the Series. Andre Russell was named Man of the Match.

Kerala wins Inter-State Athletics Meet: Kerala annexed the mens, womens and the overall team honours and
extended its domination to the individual best athlete with Sajeesh Joseph (800 metres gold) and Mayookha Johny (long jump gold with a New Meet record) winning the best men and womens awards, respectively at the Inter-State Athletics Meet

22 that concluded at the at the Sree Kanteerava stadium in Bangalore on June 14, 2011. Kerala with 13 golds (four men and nine women) finished ahead of Punjab with six gold medals (three men, three women).

Weekly Current Affairs update

For the Week: June 19 to 25, 2011

Major news of the week

Section A: INDIA
National Mission for Justice Delivery and Legal Reforms approved Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana extended to domestic workers NRHM to involve ASHAs in family planning initiatives Rules governing release of MPLADS funds relaxed NAC approves draft National Food Security Bill, 2011 NAC revises draft Communal Violence Bill Group of Experts recommends university status for Pune Film Institute Indo-Pak foreign secretary-level talks held IMD scales down forecast for southwest monsoon Day of the Seafarer inaugurated IGNOU launches Sagardeep for Navy personnel PNS Babur resorts to aggressive manoeuvres against INS Godavari IAF launches So That Others May Live Pilatus to sign trainer aircraft deal with IAF DAE signs MoU with Rosatom for R&D International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking observed Goa becomes first state to have diabetes registry Mumbai has most area under lakes, wetlands UNESCO removes danger tag imposed on Manas Aadhaar can be ID proof for LPG connections Rajiv Gandhi Adhivakta Prashikshan Yojna launched First Central academy for police training to come up in Bhopal IPS officers to get training from Scotland Yard ICFJ to start journalism programmes in India America Inc calls for bilateral investment treaty with India Global conference on mango organised Retd. HC Judge to probe construction of new secretariat complex in Tamil Nadu External Affairs Minister Krishna visits Myanmar Mohammed Haleem Khan appointed new Disinvestment Secretary Raj Kumar Singh appointed Home Secretary S. Chandrasekharan appointed Parliamentary Secretary Nirupama to be Indias next ambassador to the US Telangana ideologue Jayashankar passes away Sahitya Akademi Award winning Assamese writer Saurav Kumar Chaliha passes away

Section B: WORLD
New NSG guidelines bar nuclear exports to countries outside NPT Pak, SL, Bhutan, Bangladesh in Foreign Policy magazines Failed States list G-20 Agriculture Ministers Meeting organised Partners in Population Development Meeting organised Asia surpasses Europe in number of high networth individuals Kimberley Process ends ban on Zimbabwean diamonds Global Zero Summit organised in London World Refugee Day observed International Widows Day observed World Blood Donors day organised World Music Day celebrated

2
Armenia, Azerbaijan hold talks on Nagorny Karabakh Croatia joins EU as 28th member U.S. President announces troop withdrawal from Afghanistan Communist Party of China is worlds largest political party Japan quake caused $210 billion in property damage China releases dissident artist Ai Weiwei Qatar diplomat named next UN assembly president Abdiweli Mohamed Ali appoints new PM of Somalia

Section C: AWARDS
da Silva, Kufuor win World Food Prize Four Indians among Forbes Asia Heroes of Philanthropy Indian animated childrens film wins PETA award Hindi Academy awards conferred Vijay Darda wins International Jurists Award

Section D: ECONOMY & CORPORATE

Key indicators of Employment and Unemployment in India unveiled Diesel, PDS kerosene & domestic LPG prices increased Structure of proposed Infrastructure Debt Funds (IDFs) unveiled DBRS upgrades Indias credit ratings Fitch affirms Indias credit ratings Booz & Co roped in for national electric mobility mission Guarantees to overseas JVs, subsidiaries rise in 2010-11 CCI penalises NSE for anti-competitive behaviour in currency derivatives Government begins talks to revise DTAA with Mauritius Economist Suresh Tendulkar passes away Salaried taxpayers income up to Rs. 5 lakh exempted from filing IT return TaxSpanner enables filing of Income Tax from mobile India, Singapore ink DTAA to exchange tax information XBRL to bring in more transparency in reporting financial results CAG issues new accounting norms for government departments IRDA to have final say on insurance companies IPOs RBI upgrades SBIs CAMELS rating RBI Deputy Governor S. Gopinath retires Employment Guarantee Council rejects NCSD proposal to include skill development in NREGS India-US Bilateral Investment Agreement on the cards World rice output in 2011 estimated at 476 mn tonnes FAO IEA to release oil reserves to check crude prices Endosulfan listed under Rotterdam Convention Indian women rise in business but not in power Centre for Social Research

Section E: SPORTS
India wins 1st Test of West Indies series Chennai Spikers win Indian Volleyball League China wins both singles titles at Singapore Open Badminton Chetan Anand won the Mauritius Open badminton Marion Bartoli wins Eastbourne tennis McIlroy wins US Open Golf

Section A: INDIA
National Mission for Justice Delivery and Legal Reforms approved
The Union Cabinet on June 23, 2011 approved an ambitious programme that would usher in radical legal reforms aimed at, among other goals, disposal of pending cases in three years, from the current average of 15 years, and establishment of an All India Judicial Service. Known as the National Mission for Justice Delivery and Legal Reforms, it seeks to operationalise a number of plans to ensure expeditious and quality justice. The Mission has been conceived on the basis of a Vision Document adopted at the conference of Chief Ministers and Chief Justices in October 2009. The broad areas under it are: policy and legislative changes, re-engineering of procedures, human resource development, leveraging information technology and improvement of physical infrastructure of subordinate courts. The Mission would comprise an Advisory Council, a Governing Council, a National Mission Leader and a Mission Directorate. The Advisory Council will advise on the goals, objectives and strategies and an action plan. The Governing Council will facilitate implementation, give policy directions and oversee the work of the Mission. The Mission Directorate will monitor the Missions various initiatives. A tentative action plan worked out by the Ministry of Law and Justice focuses on initiatives such as an All India Judicial Service, a Litigation Policy, Judicial Impact Assessment, Amendments to the Negotiable Instruments Act and the Arbitration & Conciliation Act and Legal Education Reforms. It seeks re-engineering of the procedures and alternative methods of dispute resolution such as identification of bottlenecks, procedural changes in court processes, statutory changes to reduce and disincentivise delays, fast tracking of procedures, appointment of court managers and Alternative Dispute Resolution.

Objectives of the National Mission

The National Mission will focus on improvement in administration of justice and justice delivery and legal reforms in the entire country and it has to address diverse needs of all sections of stakeholders in a Mission Mode approach. The Mission spanning 5 years from 2011-2016 would focus on two major goals as envisaged in the vision document, namely (i) increasing access by reducing delays and arrears in the system, and (ii) enhancing accountability through structural changes and by setting performance standards and capacities.

The salient features of the National Mission are:(1) The National Mission would comprise of Advisory Council, Governing Council, National Mission Leader and the Mission Directorate. (2) The Advisory Council will advise on the goals, objectives and strategies of the National Mission and the Action Plan and its implementation and performance of the Mission in meeting its objectives and would be chaired by the Minister for Law and Justice and would have membership from Parliament, State Governments, Jurists & senior officers of Government of India. (3) The Governing Council would facilitate implementation, give policy directions and oversee the work of the Mission and would be headed by the Minister for Law and Justice. (4) The Secretary, Department of Justice would be the National Mission Leader. (5) A Mission Directorate would be constituted to implement and monitor the various initiative / programme of the National Mission. It would be headed by an officer of the rank of the Joint Secretary who would act as the Mission Director. (6) An Action Plan has been drawn up which would of course be subjected to change once the Governing Council meets to set out the agenda. The tentative Action Plan for five strategic initiatives are:(i) Policy and Legislative changes such as All India Judicial Service, Litigation Policy, Judicial Impact Assessment, Amendment in N.I. Act and Arbitration & Conciliation Act, Legal Education Reforms etc.

4 (ii) Re-engineering procedures and alternate methods of Dispute Resolution such as identification of bottlenecks, procedural changes in court processes, statutory amendments to reduce and disincentivise delays, Fast tracking of procedures, appointment of court managers and Alternate Dispute Resolution. (iii) Focus on Human Resource Development such as filling up of vacancy positions in all courts of judges and court staff, strengthening State Judicial Academies, Training of Public Prosecutors and ICT enablement of public prosecutors offices, strengthening National Judicial Academy and Training of mediators. (iv) Leveraging ICT for better justice delivery such as implementation of E-courts project, integration of ICT in the judiciary and use in criminal justice delivery and creation of National Arrears Grid. (v) Improving Infrastructure such as improving physical infrastructure of the District and subordinate courts and creation of special / additional courts like Morning / Evening Courts, Family Courts and Gram Nyayalayas. There are certain initiatives listed above which are ongoing would be further strengthened and new initiatives would be undertaken as indicated in the action plan which may be revised / enhanced by the Governing Council. (7) Infrastructure development for the subordinate judiciary is the major thrust area of the National Mission. Inadequacy of infrastructure facilities in District and Subordinate courts has remained a major bottleneck in the judicial system largely contributing to the accumulation of arrears. In order to augment the resources of the State Governments for development of infrastructure facilities for the judiciary a Centrally Sponsored Scheme (CSS) has remained in operation since 1993-94 at 50:50 basis. A preliminary assessment of requirement of infrastructure for subordinate courts from the States revealed that around Rs. 7000 crore would be needed over five years for construction/maintenance etc. The Central Government outflow would be around Rs. 5500 crore over five years. (8) The funding of infrastructure development of subordinate courts in the ratio of Central/State assistance will be 75:25 instead of the present 50:50. In case of North-Eastern State, the ratio will be 90:10 as already agreed to in the CSS Scheme by the Planning Commission. This modified scheme will be implemented under the National Mission

Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana extended to domestic workers

The Union Cabinet on June 23, 2011 approved the extension of the Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (RSBY) to all the registered domestic workers in the country. The scheme is expected to cover approximately 47.50 lakh domestic workers in the country. The Scheme envisages smart card based cashless health insurance cover up to Rs. 30,000/- in any empanelled hospital anywhere in the country. The insurance coverage would be extended to all registered domestic workers in the age group of 18-59 years. The beneficiaries would have to get identification certificates from any two of the four institutions the employer, residents welfare associations, registered trade unions or the police. A maximum of five members per family would be covered. The funds will be allocated from the National Social Security Fund for Unorganised Workers. The premium will be shared by the Central and State Governments in the ratio of 75:25. In case of States in NE Regional and J&K the ratio is 90:10. The estimated expenditure to be borne by the Central Government is: 2011-12 Rs. 29.70 crore; 2012-13 Rs. 74.25 crore; 2013-14 Rs. 148.50 crore; 2014-15 Rs. 297.00 crore. Background Domestic work forms one of the largest sectors of female employment in the urban areas. Domestic workers are unorganized and the sector remains unregulated and unprotected by labour laws. These workers come from vulnerable communities and backward areas. Most of these are poor, vulnerable, illiterate, unskilled and do not understand the urban labour market. About RSBY The RSBY provides for smart card based cashless health insurance cover of Rs. 30,000/- per annum to BPL workers (a unit of five) in unorganised sector is presently being implemented in 25 States / UTs. More than 2.34 crore smart cards have been issued as on 31.5.2011. The scheme has since been extended to building and other construction workers registered with Welfare Boards constituted under the Building and Other Construction Workers (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) Act, 1996, street vendors, beedi workers and such MNREGA workers who have worked for more than 15 days during the preceding year

NRHM to involve ASHAs in family planning initiatives

Family planning: The mission steering group (MSG) of the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) on June 21, 2011 decided to utilise Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs) for delivery of contraceptives at the homes of beneficiaries. For this, ASHAs can charge Re. 1 for a pack of 3 condoms, Re. 1 for an Oral Contraceptive Pill (OCP) cycle and Rs. 2 for an Emergency Contraceptive Pill (ECP) from the beneficiaries. Maternal & infant care: The MSG the highest decision-making body of the NRHM has also decided to provide a performance-linked incentive of Rs. 250 to ASHAs for reducing the infant mortality rate. The proposed schedule of home visit for institutional delivery is 6 home visits on days 3, 7, 14, 21, 28, and 42 to assess the newborn as well as to ensure postpartum care of mother. In the case of home delivery, a total of 7 home visits will be required as ASHA should be present at the birth or visit the mother and baby as soon as possible within the first 24 hours and on subsequent specified days. Promoting menstrual hygiene: It was decided to further improve and streamline the scheme to promote menstrual hygiene amongst the adolescent girls in rural areas. For this, the MSG has decided to revise the existing scheme. It will be taken up in 152 districts instead of 150. Six sanitary napkins (Rs. 7.50 per pack) will be procured for which assistance will be provided by the Centre.

Rules governing release of MPLADS funds relaxed

The amount to be released in the first instalment for works proposed under the Member of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme (MPLADS) has been increased. The MPLADS allows MPs to suggest works to the Head of District to be taken up in their constituency. Projects implemented by government agencies would now be provided 75 per cent of the project cost as the first instalment, while those implemented by non-governmental agencies would be provided 60 per cent, according to Union Minister for Statistics and Programme Implementation M.S. Gill in June 2011. At present, only 50 per cent of the estimated cost is released as the first instalment, irrespective of the nature of the project, which led to complaints of delays in completion. Conditions had been further relaxed for smaller projects costing less than Rs. 2 lakh. For them, the entire amount would be released at one go. Besides, in a bid to ensure that funds were not spread too thinly, no project costing less than Rs.1 lakh would be sanctioned. Exceptions, however, would be made in the case of essential projects, such as installation of hand pumps, and purchase of computers and their accessories. MPs would also be allowed to spend up to Rs.10 lakh a year on projects in any State or Union Territory other than the one from where they were elected. The aim is to promote national unity and fraternity among the people at the grassroots level. In an important departure from the past, a limit of Rs.50 lakh per annum has been imposed on contributions to trusts and societies so that more money was available for community-related works.

NAC approves draft National Food Security Bill, 2011

Sonia Gandhi-led National Advisory Council (NAC) on June 23, 2011 approved the draft National Food Security Bill, 2011 which aims to make provision of food support to people facing hunger a duty of the state. The bill guarantees subsidised foodgrains to at least 90 per cent of rural households, and 50 percent of urban households. The draft bill will now be placed before the Union Cabinet for approval. The Bill draft categorises two types of households as eligible for discounted grain priority households which are below the poverty line (BPL); and general households which consist of Lower Middle Class families. 46 per cent of the rural and 28 per cent of urban households are categorised as priority households. 49 per cent of the rural and 22 per cent of urban households categorised as general group. According to the Bill, priority households are entitled to 35 kilos (7 kg per head) per month of foodgrain at the rate of Rs 3 per kg of rice, Rs 2 per kg of wheat, and Re 1 per kg of millets. General households would have the right to 20 kg (4 kg per head) at a price not exceeding 50 per cent of the Minimum Support Price paid to farmers for the respective foodgrain.

6 The Bill has also stood by the legal backing given to the PDS system, with extensively dealing with aspects like procurement, storage and distribution through Fair Price Shops as the only approach for implementing the provisions of food security. It also envisaged setting up of a seven-member National Food Commission, to be headed by a sitting or a former Supreme Court judge and similar State Commissions to be presided by a High Court judge. While legalising PDS, the proposed legislation has made it mandatory for the government to maintain financial viability of Fair Price Shops by ensuring FPS are financially viable by ensuring that reasonable commissions, salaries for the manager are provided in a time bound manner. With NAC finalising the draft bill, the ball is now in the governments court which would have a difficult task of choosing from this and the one prepared by the Food Ministry.

Economist Jean Dreze quits NAC: Economist Jean Dreze has resigned from the National Advisory Council. He had
expressed a wish to be relieved so that he could spend more time on other commitments, including his work on the NREGA and a book project. The Government had rejected his demand to link NREGS wages to the Minimum Wages Act. On the draft Food Security Bill that was sent to the Government by the NAC on June 23 Dreze also expressed several reservations against the NAC version itself calling it a compromise.

NAC revises Communal Violence Bill

The Sonia Gandhi-led National Advisory Council (NAC) on June 22, 2011 decided to effect a number of amendments 49 in total to the draft of the Prevention of Communal and Targeted Violence (Access to Justice and Reparations) Bill, 2011. This follows concerns over some of the clauses in the original draft. The revised draft bill will now be placed before the Union Cabinet for approval. Among the controversial provisions that the NAC will delete from its draft is the one that gives power to the Centre to take steps to check communal violence anywhere in the country. According to clause 20, Chapter III of the draft bill, The occurrence of organised communal and targeted violence shall constitute internal disturbance within the meaning of Article 355 of the Constitution of India and the Central Government may take such steps in accordance with the duties mentioned thereunder, as the nature and circumstances of the case so requires. The opposition BJP had questioned the proposal to allow the Centre to unilaterally intervene in situations in states, saying that it would intrude into the domain of the state and damage the federal polity since law and order is a state subject in the Constitution. It was also decided that the provision defining communal and targeted violence will be re-worked. Clauses dealing with power and functions of the National Authority for Communal Harmony, Justice and Reparation will also be removed. There were some concerns about excessive powers to the National Authority and some clauses were deleted.

GoE recommends university status for Pune Film Institute

A Group of Experts (GoE), appointed by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has recommended grant of independent university status to Pune-based Film and Television Institute of India (FTII). The recommendation for university status was one of the major demands put forth in the GoE report, which was submitted to the FTII governing council and the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting on June 28, 2011. P.K. Nair, film producer and founder-director of the National Film Archives of India (NFAI) is the Chairman of GoE. The report, which took more than six months to be completed, chalks out the future course of action for the premier institute. If the recommendation is accepted, the premier institute will be able to award Bachelors and Masters degrees, along with the existing post graduate diploma degrees. Other proposals include setting up of a welfare fund for the institute, to which the alumni will be persuaded to contribute. The GoE has also suggested introduction of new courses such as cinema studies, production management and marketing.

7 The GoE was appointed in November 2010, after the earlier project report prepared by the private firm Hewitt Associates was rejected by the institute, following protests by students. The GoE includes National Award-winning cinematographer Shaji N. Karun; Director, Comet Media Foundation, Mumbai, Chandita Mukherjee; film director Kundan Shah; Film Editor Jabeen Merchant; National Award-winning short-filmmaker Hansa Thapliyal and film director Nachiket Patwardhan.

Indo-Pak foreign secretary-level talks held: India made it clear to Pakistan on June 24, 2011 that resolution of the Kashmir issue cannot take place under the shadow of the gun as the two countries concluded satisfactory talks in Islamabad. The meeting resulted in agreement on various confidence-building measures. Two days of talks between foreign secretary, Nirupama Rao, and her Pakistani counterpart, Salman Bashir paved the way for discussions between the foreign ministers of the two countries in New Delhi next month. India pressed for satisfactory closure of the trial in Pakistan of the Mumbai terror attack accused, saying it would help in normalisation of relations. Pakistan wanted the terrorism issue to be addressed in a collaborative manner. IMD scales down forecast for southwest monsoon: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on June 21, 2011
said that rainfall in the four-month season would be only 95 per cent of the long period average (LPA) subject to a model error of plus or minus 4 per cent. In the April 19 forecast, the IMD predicted a rainfall of 98 per cent of the LPA, subject to a model error of plus or minus 5 per cent. The IMD also announced that the rainfall in July and August could be well below normal this year. Asked about rains in July, which is crucial for the agricultural sector, IMD Director-General Ajit Tyagi said the system was likely to be weak during the first half of the month and would pick up later.

Day of the Seafarer inaugurated: G.K. Vasan, Union Minister of Shipping inaugurated the Day of the Seafarer in Mumbai on June 25, 2011. As much as 90 per cent of world trade is carried by sea by close to 1.5 million seafarers across the world. The celebrations were attended by the Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Nirmal Verma and a number of distinguished personalities from the maritime sector. All 22 crew members including six Indian seafarers from M.V. Suez were released by Somali pirates in June. India is one of the major manpower suppliers to the world shipping industry, contributing about 6 to st 8% of the total manpower. On the occasion of the 1 International Day of Seafarers, the Union Minister of Shipping announced a set of welfare initiatives which will be implemented before the next Day of Seafarers, i.e. before 25.06.2012. These include launch of a Contributory Annuity Scheme for Seafarers by the SPFO, so that seafarers are assured of a monthly income through this scheme. IGNOU launches Sagardeep for Navy personnel: The Indian Navy on June 24, 2011 signed a MoU with Indira
Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU), launching Sagardeep a project registering existing sailors training institutes as Community Colleges. This will enable them to obtain a Bachelors degree whilst in service thus addressing professional certification needs of higher learning and in service training of sailors. Under the arrangements, various in service training will enable sailors to earn credit points that would be transferred to IGNOU for completing their certificates, diplomas and associate degrees in various fields such as Arts, Science, Commerce, Business Administration, Hotel Management, Hospitality services, Medical services, Para Medical Sciences etc. Subsequently, the sailor can enroll for a one-year distance learning programme with IGNOU leading to award of Bachelors Degree. The launch of the project will benefit over fifty thousand Indian Navy personnel who will, on completion of the syllabus receive a Degree from the National University that has the potential to transform their post-retirement life besides helping them prepare for competitive jobs.

PNS Babur resorts to aggressive manoeuvres against INS Godavari: Pakistani naval ship PNS Babur on June 23,
2011 resorted to aggressive manoeuvres and rubbed against INS Godavari operations in international waters. Babur was accompanying MV Suez, a cargo vessel which along with a 22member crew, including six Indians and four Pakistanis had been released by Somali pirates. When Godavari approached to offer Suez further cover, the crew of the Pakistani naval ship resorted to aggressive manoeuvres risking Godavari. The Indian ship had to take evasive measures to avert a collision.

Task force set up to review Kargil committee recommendations: The government on June 23, 2011 set up a new
task force to review measures for reforming management of the defence forces that were suggested by the Kargil Review Committee. The task force, being headed by former bureaucrat Naresh Chandra, comes almost a decade after Atal Behari Vajpayee government appointed the Kargil Review Committee headed by strategic affairs analyst, the late K Subrahmanyam. Several suggestions of the Kargil committee have not yet been implemented. These include the setting up of a Chief of Defence Staff. The task force headed by Chandra, who had been the Indian ambassador to the US and defence secretary, has several experts from various fields including the military, intelligence, nuclear and media.

IAF launches So That Others May Live: The Indian Air Force (IAF) on June 23, 2011 launched a coffee-table book
titled So That Others May Live to showcase its role in counter-terrorism operations and humanitarian efforts. The book, released by IAF chief Air Chief Marshal P V Naik is a compilation of photographs and notes on various humanitarian operations conducted by the force over the last six decades since Independence. The book has photographs and description of the activities other than the offensive roles performed by IAF since 1947. The book contains photos of IAF helicopters dropping National Security Guards (NSG) commandos on the roof of Taj Mahal Hotel during 26/11 Mumbai attacks. It also showcases the IAFs air-maintenance operations in North-East and Siachen glacier.

Pilatus to sign trainer aircraft deal with IAF: Switzerlands Pilatus Aircraft is about to sign a record deal to supply 75 of
its successful PC7 trainers to the Indian Air Force for 850 million francs ($ 1 billion), a press report said on June 18, 2011. The daily, Le Temps, which described the contract as the biggest in the companys history, said it could eventually be extended to as many as 200 of the singleengined turboprop.

DAE signs MoU with Rosatom for R&D: The Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) has signed a memorandum of understanding with Rosatom Nuclear Energy State Corporation, of Russia, for cooperation in the activities to be pursued at the Global Centre for Nuclear Energy Partnership (GCNEP) being set up by the DAE in Haryana. DAE Secretary and Atomic Energy Commission chairman Srikumar Banerjee, and Rosatom Director-General SV. Kirienko, signed the MoU in Vienna on June 21, 2011. The GCNEP would consist of four schools studying advanced nuclear energy systems, nuclear security, radiological safety, and applications of radio-isotopes and radiation technologies. International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking observed: June 26, 2011 was observed as
International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking. The Indian government recognises Drug abuse as a psychosocio-medical problem, which can be best handled by adoption of a family/community-based approach by active involvement of NGOs/Community Based Organisations (CBOs) and has been taking several initiatives to help say no to drugs

Goa becomes first state to have diabetes registry: Goa on June 24, 2011 became the first state to have a diabetes
registry, which was launched in Panaji in association with Denmarks Novo Nordisk Education Foundation (NNEF).

Mumbai has most area under lakes, wetlands: Coastal wetlands like salt pans and inland water bodies like lakes take
up as much as 35% of Mumbai, the most in any major Indian city, says the recently-released atlas of wetlands by the Union ministry of environment. Kolkata isn second with over 11% of its area covered by water bodies, Bangalore ranks third with 7% as lakes and Chennai fourth with 5% under water. Capital Delhi comes in last with just 0.72% of its area (20 hectares) covered by water. The Ahmedabad-based Space Application Centre (SAC) prepared the detailed national inventory of wetlands on the basis of satellite imagery provided by ISRO, highlighting areas of critical ecological significance and those facing threat due to developmental activities. Wetlands are productive ecosystems that play a crucial role in hydrological cycle like helping in storm and flood control, water supply, providing food, fibre and raw materials. They also support lakhs of migratory birds coming from colder regions of the world in summers, apart from diverse local flora and fauna.

UNESCO removes danger tag imposed on Manas: Acknowledging great revival story, UNESCO has removed the
famous Manas Wildlife Sanctuary of Assam from the World Heritage List in Danger following significant improvement in th wildlife conservation. The decision to remove the danger tag was announced during the 35 session of UNESCOs World Heritage Committee in Paris on June 22, 2011. Situated on the foothills of the Himalayas, the Manas sanctuary, home to a great variety of wildlife, including many endangered species, such as tiger, pygmy hog, one-horn rhinoceros and elephant, was inscribed in the List of Danger in 1992, seven years after it had entered UNESCOs World Heritage List. It had decided to include this site in the danger when the park became a safe haven for militants and there was rampant poaching inside it.

Aadhaar can be ID proof for LPG connections: People seeking new LPG connections from Indian Oil Corporation,
Bharat Petroleum and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation can now submit their Letter of allotment of Aadhaar - unique identification authority number -- as a proof of identity. These oil marketing companies had advised their distributors to accept Aadhaar issued by the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) as proof of identity and address, a statement from IOC on June 22, 2011. The Aadhaar (Letter issued by UIDAI) would be included in the list of documents sufficient for issue of new domestic LPG connections.

Rajiv Gandhi Adhivakta Prashikshan Yojna launched: The Rajiv Gandhi Adhivakta Prashikshan Yojna (Rajiv Gandhi
Advocates Training Scheme), which envisages selection of 10 young practicing Advocates from each state every year for being imparted professional training, was launched on June 27, 2011. The Scheme targets young lawyers who are practicing in Magistrate and Munsif Courts, by providing proper professional training for a period of two months so that they may serve the need of law professionals at grass root level. Advocates in actual practice in Magistrate or Munsif courts, not above 30 years of age, are eligible for the selection by the Selection Committee for this training. He/she should be willing to make services available for legal aid programme.

First Central academy for police training to come up in Bhopal: Aimed at bringing uniformity in police training in
the country, the first Central Academy will shortly come up at Bhopal in Madhya Pradesh. The funds for setting up the academy are being provided by the Union Home Ministry and 400 acres of land has already been identified for the purpose in st Bhopal, Director-General of Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPR&D) Vikram Srivastva informed at the 41 AllIndia Police Science Congress (AIPSC) organised in Dehradun, Uttarakhand in June 21, 2011. The academy would especially benefit those states which lack infrastructure for police training. All the police officers recruited as direct gazetted officers or at the level of Deputy Superintendent of Police level, would be trained in the academy. The Centre has also sanctioned two new Central Detective Schools, one at Ghaziabad in Uttar Pradesh and another at Gandhinagar in Gujarat and the process has already been started for their early establishment. With this, the total number of such schools will rise to five. Others are already being run in Hyderabad, Kolkata and Chandigarh.

IPS officers to get training from Scotland Yard: As many as 115 IPS officers will receive training at the famed
Scotland Yard of UK to enhance their crime investigation techniques in a two-week-long training programme starting from June 27, said O P Jindal Global University, the organiser of the training programme, on June 24, 2011. Senior IPS officers of the rank of DIG and Inspector General of Police completed their 6-week-long course in strategic management taught by Cambridge University in collaboration with Jindal University at the National Police Academy in Hyderabad recently.

ICFJ to start journalism programmes in India: Non-profit group International Center for Journalists (ICFJ) on June 22,
2011 said it will start a 10-month long journalism programme in India from August 16. The ICFJ has tied up with leading education provider Greycells Education for offering these certificate programmes for print and broadcast journalism. USbased ICFJ, a non-profit professional entity, is into promoting quality journalism. It has presence in 60 countries including China

America Inc calls for bilateral investment treaty with India: Corporate America on June 24, 2011 urged US
policymakers to enter into a bilateral investment treaty with India, which they argued is the next key step after the civil nuclear deal to strengthen and deepen trade and business ties between the two largest democracies of the world. The priority is to deliver on a US-India Bilateral Investment Treaty (BIT) that incentivises greater two-way foreign direct investment, said Ron Somers, the president of US India Business Council (USIBC) in his address to the 36th anniversary leadership summit of the organisation, which is the apex body of the Indian and American corporate world in the United States. Harold Terry McGraw III, chairman, president and CEO of The McGraw-Hill Companies is the USIBC Chairman.

Global conference on mango organised: Lucknow hosted a global conference on mango and the challenges facing the
crop and its growers in backdrop of changing climatic conditions. India, being the worlds second largest producer of fruits, is endowed with rich genetic diversity of over 1,000 mango varieties. The international event Augmenting Production and Utilization of Mango: Biotic and Abiotic Stresses was organised from June 21 to 24, 2011 by Lucknow-based Central Institute for Subtropical Horticulture (CISH), a constituent of Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR). India topped the list in mango production and acreage at 15.02 million tonnes and 2.51 million hectares respectively. However, Indias productivity at about 6.80 tonnes per hectare was much behind countries, such as, Brazil (16.8), Indonesia (10.9), Pakistan (10.6), Mexico (10.5), Bangladesh (9.5) and China (8.8).

Retd. HC Judge to probe new TN secretariat complex: The Tamil Nadu government on June 24, 2011 appointed
retired Madras High Court Judge S Thangaraj to probe the construction of the new Assembly-cum-secretariat complex built by the previous DMK government. The complex involved an investment of over Rs 1,100 crore and was inaugurated by the Prime Minister. The Commission of Inquiry will inquire into the causes and circumstances leading to the alleged irregularities like excess expenditure, irregularities causing loss to the exchequer, whether all statutory approvals and clearances were obtained, inordinate delay and efficiency in standards of construction of the new secretariat complex in Omandurar Government Estate, Chennai. The commission will submit its report to the government within three months. AIADMK leader

10 and chief minister J Jayalalithaa, the day she took charge on May 16, directly went to the old secretariat at Fort St George and signed seven files. She defended her decision saying it was purely on grounds of administrative convenience.

External Affairs Minister Krishna visits Myanmar: Myanmar gave firm assurances to India on June 20, 2011 that its
territory would not be used for anti-India activities, even as their Foreign Ministers held a series of positive and constructive meetings with focus on cooperation in security, energy and agriculture at capital Nay Pyi Taw. External Affairs Minister S. M. Krishna went on a three-day visit to the country in June 2011. India has handed over 10 modern and disaster-proof rice silos built at a cost of $2 million to preserve grains during natural calamities. Krishna inaugurated the silos, having a combined storage capacity of 5,000 tonnes. India has already agreed to provide a grant of $10 million for procurement of agricultural tools, besides providing 100 computers to the Central Land Records, as requested by Myanmar. India has agreed to send a team from the Archaeological Survey of India to render its services in the restoration of 11th century Ananda temple in Bagan in Mandalay region.

Mohammed Haleem Khan appointed new Disinvestment Secretary: The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet
(ACC) on June 24, 2011 approved the appointment of Mohammed Haleem Khan, IAS (UP: 77), presently Director General, Council for Advancement of Peoples Action and Rural Technology (CAPART) under the Department of Rural Development, Ministry of Rural Development as Secretary, Department of Disinvestment, Ministry of Finance in the vacancy of Sumit Bose, IAS (MP: 76).

Raj Kumar Singh appointed Home Secretary: Raj Kumar Singh on June 24, 2011 took over as Officer on Special Duty (OSD) in the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). He will succeed Gopal Krishna Pillai as Union Home Secretary for a period of two years. Pillai demitted office on June 30. Raj Kumar Singh is an IAS officer of the 1975 Batch and belongs to the Bihar Cadre. Before joining MHA as OSD, he was Secretary, Department of Defence Production, Ministry of Defence. He has served in his Cadre and at the Centre in various capacities including as Home Secretary of Bihar and Joint Secretary in MHA S. Chandrasekharan appointed Parliamentary Secretary: S. Chandrasekharan, a 1975 Batch officer of the Indian
Railway Account Service on June 21, 2011 assumed charge as the new Secretary for Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs. In his career spanning over 36 years, Chandrasekharan has served as Additional Member(Finance) Railway Board; AS&FA(Acquisition), Ministry of Finance; Financial Adviser and CAO, South Central Railway and Divisional Railway Manager, Mysore among other portfolios.

Nirupama to be next envoy to US: The foreign secretary, Nirupama Rao, will be Indias next ambassador to the United States after she retires in July 2011. She will succeed Meera Shankar in Washington. Rao, 60, had been due to retire in December last year, but got an extension till July 31. During her term the government changed the rules stipulating that a foreign secretary would henceforth serve for a fixed period of two years. The appointments committee of the Cabinet is likely to approve the name of Raos successor soon. Among the foreign secretary probables are the ambassador to France, Ranjan Mathai, and the UN permanent representative, Hardeep Puri. Telangana ideologue Jayashankar passes away: Kothapalli Jayashankar (77), who emerged as an ideologue for the
separate movement and was former Vice-Chancellor of Kakatiya University, passed away in Warangal on June 21, 2011. His death is a big setback to the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) since he had been the guiding force for the party in channelising the aspirations of its cadres, particularly the youth, for creation of a separate State of Telangana. He played a key role in the TRS negotiations with the Centre on December 9, 2009 that led to the announcement by Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram that the Government of India would begin the process of creating a separate State. Prof. Jayashankar was actively associated with the separate Telangana movement for the best part of his active life spanning five decades.

Saurav Kumar Chaliha passes away: Sahitya Akademi Award winner and noted Assamese writer Saurav Kumar
Chaliha passed away on June 25, 2011 at the age of 81. The reclusive publicity-shy writer wrote under his pen-name Saurav Kumar Chaliha and his real name was Surendra Nath Medhi. His innovative style and cosmopolitan outlook ushered in modernity in Assamese short story writing with his Ashanta Electron in 1962. He was conferred the Sahitya Akademi Award in 1974 for his collection of short story `Golam

11

Section B: WORLD
New NSG guidelines bar nuclear exports to countries outside NPT
The Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) on June 24, 2011 adopted new guidelines on the transfer of sensitive nuclear technology that could effectively nullify the clean waiver India received from the cartel in 2008 as far as the import of enrichment and reprocessing equipment and technology (ENR) is concerned. The decision was announced from Noordwijk, the Netherlands, where the 46-nation grouping held its 2011 plenary meeting. The NSG draft text makes it clear that the group will exclude countries which are not signatories to the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty (India, Israel, Pakistan and North Korea) and which do not have a full-scope safeguards agreement allowing international inspections of all their nuclear facilities. Prior to this, the NSG had the requirement of full-scope safeguards for the supply of any nuclear equipment or material. The only additional requirement for ENR exports was that the suppliers were asked to exercise restraint and to ensure that any supplied equipment or technology not be used to enrich uranium beyond 20 per cent. The NSGs September 6, 2008 Statement on Civil Nuclear Cooperation with India had waived the full-scope safeguards requirement and expressly allowed ENR exports, subject to restrictions regarding enrichment of uranium.

Pak, SL, Bhutan, Bangladesh in Foreign Policy magazines Failed States list
Indias neighbours Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka are featured in the list of the most failed states, the Foreign Policy magazine said in its latest annual ranking on June 21, 2011. Pakistan is at number 12, Burma is at 18, Bangladesh (25); Nepal (27), Sri Lanka (29) and Bhutan is at 50 in a list of 60 countries in which African countries dominate. Other countries in the top 10 are Chad, Sudan, Democratic Republic of Congo, Haiti, Zimbabwe, Afghanistan Central African Republic and Iraq. On Pakistan, the report said, Pakistan has long been dubbed the worlds most dangerous country in Washington policy circles and yet Pakistan isnt just dangerous for the West -its often a danger to its own people. On Bangladesh, the report said, two of five Bangladeshis live under the poverty line. Any improvements will also be fighting the environmental clock. If sea levels rise just by 1 metre, scientists warn, 17 per cent of the country could be submerged. Nepal is the poorest country in South Asia, according to the UN, and thats unlikely to change until the peace process is implemented and security restored. There are signs that the Maoists may be losing patience and thinking about going back to the trenches to fight for more, the report said. On Sri Lanka, it said, The governments final push against the rebels relied on the shelling of civilians and other atrocities, according to a report by the International Crisis Group. The most recent statistics from last year indicate that some 327,000 are still displaced from the conflict.

G-20 Agriculture Ministers Meeting organised

India has sought global action to achieve higher agriculture production to meet global food grain requirement. In the meeting of G-20 Agriculture Ministers held on 22-23, 2011 at Paris, Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar stressed the need for concerted global action to achieve higher agriculture production in order to meet the growing demand of food grains. The meeting was convened by the French Presidency, the current chair of G-20 countries in response to the growing concern about the food price volatility, particularly in the context of very high food prices in recent times and an assessment that the prices were likely to remain high. India has endorsed the Action Plan on Food Price Volatility and Agriculture prepared by French Agriculture Ministry in consultation with G-20 member-countries. Pawar said that adequate supply response to the growing demand of food grains was the most important measure to stabilize the food prices.

12 Other initiatives taken by G20 include: Agriculture Market Information System to be set up: A new initiative on Agriculture Market Information System is to be housed in FAO headquarters for developing early warning system. G-20 members agreed to share information on production, consumption, price, trade and stocks to build the information system. Rapid Response Forum to be set up: It was also agreed by G-20 Agriculture Ministers to create a Rapid Response Forum linked to the Committee on Food Security in FAO. This forum would take note of the analytical reports produced by the Information System for needed follow up action. International Research Initiative for Wheat Development to be set up: An International Research Initiative for Wheat Development has been agreed. This initiative would be a coordination mechanism that would work closely with the National Research Bodies, CGIAR and private sector to give more focus to research for development of wheat crop in terms of collaboration among agencies for avoidance of duplication of efforts and supplementing the ongoing research work. Global Agricultural Geo-Monitoring Initiative to be launched: G-20 Ministers agreed to launch The Global Agricultural Geo-Monitoring Initiative through an inter-governmental organization GEO (Group on Earth Observations) for better assessment of the crops. These measures have been suggested to be implemented from September this year. Apart from these initiatives, a number of other measures have also been suggested in the Action Plan which would be submitted for consideration of the leaders in the summit scheduled at Cannes in November this year.

Partners in Population Development Meeting organised

The Union Minister of Health & Family Welfare, Ghulam Nabi Azad chaired the 18 Executive Committee Meeting of the Partners in Population Development (PPD), held in Dalian, China on June 23-24, 2011. India has been the chair of the PPD Board for the last 3 years. China is vice-chair. PPD is an inter-governmental initiative which was launched in 1994 for the purpose of expanding and improving South-to-South Collaboration in the fields of reproductive health, population and development following the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD). Besides reviewing the progress made in different spheres of population development, the Executive Committee finalized the broad areas and framework of the Strategic Business Plan for the period 2012-2014. The Executive Committee also finalized the modalities and schedule for construction of its Secretariat building at Dhaka, Bangladesh, for which land was offered by the Government of the Peoples Republic of Bangladesh. The Executive Committee also discussed and adopted the agenda for the international conference being held at Pretoria, South Africa from 31st October to 4th November, 2011 on the subject of Population Dynamics, Climate Change and Sustainable Development. Over the years PPDs membership has increased from 10 to 25 developing countries covering more than 57% of total world population. The PPD member countries now are: India, China, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Pakistan, Thailand, Vietnam, Colombia, Mexico, Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia, Yemen, Jordan, Ethiopia, The Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, Mali, Uganda, Benin, Senegal, Zimbabwe, South Africa and Nigeria
th

Asia surpasses Europe in number of HNIs: The number of high networth individuals (HNIs) in Asia has surpassed
Europe for the first time in 2010 and is expected to overtake the United States, according to the latest annual Merrill LynchCapgemini World Wealth Report released on June 23, 2011. The report considers people with at least $1 million of investable assets, excluding their primary residence, as HNIs. The Asia-Pacific regions HNIs numbers rose 10 per cent to 3.3 million, second only to the 3.4 million residing in North America and inching ahead of Europe, which had 3.1 million. Indias HNI population grew at 20.8 per cent to 153,000 compared with 126,700 in 2009. According to the report the HNIs continued to benefit from a robust economy and strength in other key wealth drivers such as equity-market performance. Asias combined wealth, up 12 per cent to $10.8 trillion last year, surpassed Europe but is behind the United States and Canada, where wealth rose 9 per cent to $11.6 trillion. Assets held by HNIs worldwide rose by 9.7 per cent to a record $42.7 trillion. The number of HNIs rose 8.3 per cent to 10.9 million.

13

Kimberley Process ends ban on Zimbabwean diamonds: The Kimberley Process has decided to lift a freeze on the
sale of diamonds from Zimbabwes disputed Marange fields, the head of the global blood diamonds monitor said on June 24, 2011. We have decided to lift the measure which prevented Zimbabwe from exporting its diamonds in the Mbada and Kanadai mines in the Marange region, in eastern Zimbabwe, said Mathieu Yamba, chairman of the Kimberley Process. The Marange fields, touted as Africas richest diamond find of the decade, have been at the centre of a years-long controversy over abuses by Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabes military. Human rights groups say about 200 people were killed, and Kimberley Process investigators later documented unacceptable and horrific violence against civilians by authorities, prompting a ban on exports of the gems. The suspension of sales from Marange has done little to stem the flow of smuggled diamonds across the nearby border with Mozambique and then to overseas markets

Global Zero Summit organised in London: The Global Zero Summit that seeks to bring all nuclear weapons countries
to the table to negotiate multilateral nuclear arms reductions was organised in London on June 22-23, 2011. Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh in his message to the participants of the Summit reiterated Indias steadfast support for global, nondiscriminatory, verifiable nuclear disarmament.

World Refugee Day observed: A mammoth burden of the worlds refugee population is being currently borne by poorer
countries, a UN report has found, putting Pakistan with 1.9 million refugees at the top of the table. The report released by UNHCR on World Refugee Day on June 20, 2011 said that poor countries host 80 per cent of the worlds refugees now living in developing countries. With 1.9 million people, Pakistan has the largest refugee population followed by Iran and Syria with 1.07 million and 1.005 million respectively. Fears about supposed floods of refugees in industrialised countries are being vastly overblown or mistakenly conflated with issues of migration, said Antonio Guterres, UN High Commissioner for Refugees, noting that there are worrying misperceptions about refugee movements. Meanwhile, its poorer countries that are left having to pick up the burden, he added. World Refugee Day, observed June 20 each year, is dedicated to raising awareness of the situation of refugees throughout the world.

International Widows Day observed: UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has called on the world community to
respect widows rights on the occasion of the first-ever International Widows Day on June 24, 2011. The International Widows Day was created by the UN General Assembly in 2010 to highlight the plight of widows worldwide.

World Blood Donors day organised: World Blood Donors day was observed on June 14, 2011. The day was initiated in 2004 by World Health Organization in collaboration with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, International Federation of Blood Donor Organizations and the International Society of Blood Transfusion to thank all the Voluntary Blood Donors, who are the lifeline of a community. The theme for World Blood Donors Day 2011 was, More blood, More life. This year the Indian Red Cross Society commemorated the day by a week long programme from June 14 to 21, 2011 at its states/district branches across the country. The IRCS is running 140 blood banks across 40 states. It supplies blood free of charge to the patients admitted in the Government hospitals. According to Union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad, Indias population of 1.2 billion requires 12 million units of blood annually. Ideally, if only 1% of the total eligible population donates blood every year there would be no shortage of blood. At present, there is an annual shortage of about 2 million units. World Music Day celebrated: June 21, 2011 was celebrated as the World Music Day. Origins of the day, celebrated on
June 21 every year, lie in France when, in 1976, American musician Joel Cohen, proposed an all-night music celebration to mark the beginning of the summer solstice and since then, it has become a worldwide phenomenon with over 32 countries worldwide having their own celebrations in their own way, regardless of the season.

Armenia, Azerbaijan hold talks on Nagorny Karabakh: Armenia and Azerbaijan reported progress on June 24, 2011
at a summit hosted by Russia but fell short of a breakthrough in a territorial row that world powers fear could erupt into armed conflict. The two sides have faced international pressure to sign up to a basic principles agreement on the Nagorno Karabakh a disputed ethnic Armenian enclave in western Azerbaijan.

Croatia joins EU as 28th member: Croatia became the 28th country to join the European Union on June 24, 2011 at
Brussels. After six years of tough talks, the EU leaders called for all necessary decisions for the conclusion of the accession negotiations with Croatia by the end of June 2011 a de facto authorisation for Zagreb to join the worlds biggest market. This is a milestone for Croatia and the western Balkans as a whole, said EU president Herman Van Rompuy. Croatia will join the EU on July 01, 2013, as proposed by the European Commission. Prime Minister Jadranka Kosor observed that the

14 endorsement comes as Croatia celebrates 20 years of independence from Yugoslavia and 16 years since the end of the bloody inter-ethnic war that ensued. Croatia will be only the second former Yugoslav republic to join the EU after Slovenia in 2004, but the first that suffered the full force of the brutal wars that ravaged the Balkans in the 1990s.

U.S. President announces troops withdrawal from Afghanistan: U.S. President Barack Obama declared on June
22, 2011 that the United States had largely achieved its goals in Afghanistan, setting in motion a substantial withdrawal of U.S. troops from the country. Asserting that the country that served as a base for the September 11, 2001 attacks no longer represented a terrorist threat to the US, Obama declared the tide of war is receding and announced plans to withdraw 10,000 troops from Afghanistan by the end of this year. The drawdown would continue at a steady pace, until the US handed over security to the Afghan authorities in 2014. He acknowledged huge challenges remained before an end to the conflict that has cost hundreds of billions of dollars and 1,500 American lives.

CPC emerges as largest political party in the world: Flourishing well in one-party system, the Communist Party of
Chinas (CPC) membership exceeded 80 million, making it the largest political party in the world. The CPC had 80.269 million members by the end of 2010, the Organisation Department of the CPC Central Committee said on June 24, 2011 at an event th organised to mark the 90 anniversary of the party. CPC was founded by Mao Zedong with just 50 members and became 4.5 million when it took over power in 1949 defeating the Kuomintang forces led by Chiang Kai Shek.

Japan quake caused $210 billion in property damage: Japans March 11 quake and tsunami disaster destroyed
buildings and infrastructure worth about USD 210 billion, excluding costs caused by the Fukushima nuclear accident, the government said on June 24, 2011.

China releases dissident artist Ai Weiwei: China on June 22, 2011 released high-profile
artist Ai Weiwei from detention on bail. Chinas state Xinhua news agency reported that the artiste was released after he confessed to tax evasion and because he suffers from a chronic disease. The outspoken dissident was taken into custody in April 2011 during the governments biggest crackdown on activists in years. Ai had angered authorities with his involvement in a number of sensitive activist campaigns and his criticism of the ruling Communist Party. He investigated school collapses in the 2008 quake in the southwestern province of Sichuan, and launched a citizens probe into a Shanghai fire that killed 58 people in November last year. Ai joined Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, British actor Colin Firth and Myanmars democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi this year in Time magazines annual list of the worlds 100 most influential people

Qatar diplomat named next UN assembly president: The 192-nation UN General Assembly elected veteran Qatari
diplomat Nassir Abdulaziz al-Nasser as its next president on June 22, 2011. Nasser, who has been Qatars ambassador to the United Nations since 1998, will replace Joseph Deiss of Switzerland in mid-September. Nasser said he would act as a bridge among developed, developing and least-developed nations. He added he would focus on building consensus on major global challenges facing the world today. The post of president of the General Assembly has little real power but a high profile in chairing the annual September gathering of world leaders in New York. The president also represents the assembly on foreign tours. The General Assembly job rotates among geographic areas. This year, it is the turn of the Asia Group, which includes countries in Asia and the Middle East

Abdiweli Mohamed Ali appoints new PM of Somalia: : Somali President Sharif Sheikh Ahmed on June 23, 2011
appointed Abdiweli Mohamed Ali, a Harvard tax law graduate, as his new prime minister in capital Mogadishu, handing him the daunting task of trying to govern Africas most lawless nation. Ali replaces Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed who resigned under a reconciliation accord recently. Ali taught at Niagara University in Buffalo, New York, before joining the Somali transitional government (TFG), where he has already served as deputy prime minister and former planning minister. He will take the helm of a country where many fail even to get even a primary education. He faces an uphill task in a capital plagued by urban warfare on a daily basis. Shebab Islamist rebels, facing increasing pressure from an expanding African Union AMISOM force, are stepping up their suicide bombing campaign in Mogadishu. His academic credentials include a masters degree in public administration, also from Harvard, and a doctorate in economics

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Section C: AWARDS
da Silva, Kufuor win World Food Prize
The World Food Prize (WFP) Foundation, which includes Professor M.S. Swaminathan (winner of the first WFP award), on June 21, 2011 chose the former President of Ghana, John Agyekum Kufuor, and the former President of Brazil, Luiz Incio Lula da Silva as winners of the WFP for 2011. The World Food Prize was created in 1987 by Nobel Peace Prize winner and Green Revolution pioneer Norman Borlaug Dr. Norman Borlaug, to recognize individuals who have contributed landmark achievements in increasing the quality, quantity or availability of food in the world. Kufuor will share the $250,000 prize with Silva. Under Kufuors leadership, Ghana became the first sub-Saharan African country to cut in half the proportion of its people who suffer from hunger, and the proportion of people living on less than a dollar per day. Ghana saw a reduction in its poverty rate from 51.7 percent in 1991 to 26.5 percent in 2008, and hunger was reduced from 34 percent in 1990 down to 9 percent in 2004. A guiding principle for President Kufuor during the entirety of his two terms as president of the Republic of Ghana (2001-2009) was to improve food security and reduce poverty through public- and private-sector initiatives. President Lula da Silva, who took office as president of Brazil in 2003, made fighting hunger and poverty a top priority of his government. More than 10 government ministries were focused on the expansive Zero Hunger programs, which provided greater access to food, strengthened family farms and rural incomes, increased enrollment of primary school children, and empowered the poor. Zero Hunger very quickly became one of the most successful food and nutritional security policies in the world through its broad network of programs, including: the Bolsa Familia Program; the Food Purchase Program; and the School Feeding Program.

Four Indians among Asian Heroes of Philanthropy: Singapore-based Forbes Asia on June 24, 2011 announced its Heroes of Philanthropy list for the fourth year running, with four Indians among the top 48 philanthropists. The list includes HCL Technologies Chairman Shiv Nadar, Wipro Group Chairman Azim Premji, GMR Group founder Grandhi Mallikarjuna Rao, and actor Vivek Oberoi. Nadar takes the brightest children from the poorest villages of rural India and sends them to boarding school, noted Forbes. Indias biggest philanthropist Premji, transferred nearly USD 2 billion of his wealth in December 2010 to an irrevocable trust that focuses on education and childrens health and nutrition. Infrastructure-based GMR Group founder Rao, 61, pledged USD 340 million in March, his 12.5 percent personal stake in the business and oneeighth of his familys share, through an irrevocable endowment to the GMR Varalakshmi Foundation. It works primarily to educate and train poor youths in 20 locations in India and two in Nepal. 34-year old Bollywood actor Vivek Oberoi has donated USD 3 million to date and helped raise USD 25 million to support education, health and disaster relief. Animated childrens film wins PETA award: Animated childrens film The Green Chic Finding Dad on June 23, 2011 won the Proggy Award given by animal rights group PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals), India. The award recognises animal-friendly achievements in the fields of commerce and culture, a PETA release said here. The film has been produced by Koffee Break Pictures Ltd, who also made the popular childrens movie My Friend Ganesha. Hindi Academy awards conferred: Hindi litterateur Arvind Kumar and seven other authors were on June 24, 2011
conferred awards by Hindi Academy, New Delhi. Kumar was conferred Shalaka Samman which carries a cash amount of Rs 2 Lakh and a citation. Parmanand Srivastava, Ramanika Gupta, Devendra Raj Ankur, Krishan Shalabh, B M Baxi, Alok Puranik and Giridhar Rathi were presented awards which carry an amount of Rs 50 thousand and a citation each.

Vijay Darda wins International Jurists Award: Rajya Sabha MP, Mr Vijay Darda, who is a Congress member from Maharashtra, was awarded the International Jurists Award along with seven other eminent personalities at a ceremony in London on June 21, 2011. The other awardees included Bangladesh Chief Justice Muzammel Hussain, Bhutanese Chief Justice Lyonpo Sonam Tobgye and Rohtak Range Inspector General V. Kamaraja. Darda was honoured by the council for his contribution to the field of legal education in rural areas in India. Kamaraja, a Haryana cadre IPS officer, was honoured for his exemplary contribution to the society by maintaining law and order and enhancing the confidence of the under privileged people in the affairs of the state.

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Section D: ECONOMY & CORPORATE

Key indicators of Employment and Unemployment in India unveiled
The National Sample Survey Office (NSSO), Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation on June 24, 2011 released th the key indicators of Employment and Unemployment in India, generated from the data collected in its 66 round survey during July 2009 - June 2010. The survey results are used as inputs in planning, policy formulation and decision support by the government. The indicators are based on the Central Sample of 1,00,957 households (59,129 in rural areas and 41,828 in urban areas) surveyed from 7,402 sample villages in rural areas and 5,252 urban blocks spread over all States and Union Territories.

Classification of workers into categories

In defining the lead indicators of Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR i.e. ratio of labour force to population), Workers Population Ratio (WPR), Proportion Unemployed (PU i.e. percentage of unemployed in population) and Unemployment Rate (UR i.e. the ratio of unemployed to labour force) in NSS surveys, persons are classified into various activity categories on the basis of activities pursued by them during certain specified reference periods.

Reference periods
Three reference periods used in NSS surveys are (i) one year, (ii) one week and (iii) each day of the reference week. Based on these three periods, three different measures of activity status are arrived at. The activity status determined on the basis of the reference period of one year is known as the Usual Status (US) of a person, that determined on the basis of a reference period of one week is known as the Current Weekly Status (CWS) of the person and the activity status determined on the basis of the engagement on each day during the reference week is known as the Current Daily Status (CDS) of the person. In US approach, there are two indicators viz. one based on principal activity called Usual Principal Status (PS) and other based on both principal and subsidiary activities taken together called US (PS+SS). The unit of measurements in case of US and CWS is persons and in case on CDS, it is person days.

17 The key indicators are summarized in the table given on the previous page. Besides these indicators, the other important statistics relating to distribution of workers according to employment status and industry and also on wage rates of regular wage/salaried employees and casual labourers as emanating from the survey are summarized as below:

1. Based on employment status

Distribution of Usual Status (PS+SS) workers according to employment status At the national level, among all the workers, about 51.0 per cent were self-employed, about 33.5 per cent were casual labour and 15.6 percent were regular wage/salaried employee. Among the workers in the rural areas, about 54.2 per cent were self-employed, about 38.6 per cent were casual labour and 7.3 percent were regular wage/salaried employee. Among the workers in the urban areas, about 41.1 per cent were self-employed, about 17.5 per cent were casual labour and 41.4 percent were regular wage/salaried employee.

2. Based on Industry-wise distribution

Industry-wise distribution of workers according to usual status (PS+SS) In rural areas, nearly 63 per cent of the male workers were engaged in the agricultural sector while in the secondary and tertiary sectors nearly 19 per cent and 18 per cent of the male workers were engaged. There was a higher dependence of female workers on agricultural sector: nearly 79 per cent of them were engaged in agricultural sector while secondary and tertiary sectors shared 13 per cent and 8 per cent of the female workers, respectively. The industry-wise distribution of workers in the urban areas was distinctly different from that of rural areas. In urban areas the share of the tertiary sector was dominant followed by that of secondary sector while agricultural sector engaged only a small proportion of total workers for both male and females. In urban areas, nearly 59 per cent of male workers and 53 per cent of the female workers were engaged in the tertiary sector. The secondary sector employed nearly 35 per cent of the male and 33 per cent of the female workers. The share of urban workforce in agriculture was nearly 6 per cent of male and 14 per cent for female workers.

3. Based on Wage Rates

Wage Rates of Regular Wage/Salaried Employees and Casual Labourers In urban areas, the average wage/salary was Rs. 365 per day and for the rural areas it was Rs. 232. In the rural areas, average wage/salary earnings per day received by male regular wage/salaried employees was Rs. 249 and for females it was Rs. 156, indicating the female-male wage ratio as 0.63. In urban areas, male wage rate was Rs. 377 against the female wage rate of Rs. 309, indicating female-male wage ratio as 0.82. Wage rates (per day) for casual labour in works other than public works in rural areas was Rs. 93 and in urban areas it was Rs. 122. In the rural areas, average wage/salary earnings per day received by male casual labours engaged in works other than public works was Rs. 102 and for females it was Rs. 69 while in urban areas, the wage rates for casual labours in work other than public works was Rs. 132 for males and Rs. 77 for females. In rural areas, wage rates (per day) for casual labour in public works other than MGNREG public works was Rs. 98 for males and Rs. 86 for females. For casual labour in MGNREG public works, wage rate (per day) in rural areas was Rs. 91 for males and Rs. 87 for females.

Diesel, PDS kerosene & domestic LPG prices increased

Prices of diesel, PDS kerosene and domestic LPG have been increased. The Empowered Group of Ministers (EGoM) on under-recoveries met on June 24, 2011 under the chairmanship of the Finance Minister to consider the situation arising out projected massive under-recoveries of the Oil Marketing Companies of Rs.1,71,140 crore for the year 2011-12 in the wake of high international crude oil prices. It took the following decisions to meet the situation:

18 (a) Elimination of 5% customs duty on crude oil (and on all petro-products also by 5 percentage points). This will entail a loss of about Rs.26,000 crore to the Government for the full year. (b) Reduction in excise duty on diesel (HSD) from Rs.4.60/litre to Rs.2/litre. This will entail a revenue loss of about Rs. 23,000 crore to the Government or the full year. It could not be reduced any further as the balance excise duty is on account of additional excise duty which is earmarked for Central Road Fund and Education Cess. (c) Increase in product prices to reduce the under recoveries of the Oil Marketing Companies. The price of Diesel will be increased by Rs.3/litre, PDS Kerosene by Rs.2 per litre and of Domestic LPG by only Rs.50 per cylinder excluding state levies such as VAT. These price revisions will reduce the under-recoveries of OMCs to the extent of approximately Rs. 21,000 crore. Thus the government has entirely eliminated the customs duty on crude oil, reduced the customs duty on products to the corresponding extent and drastically reduced the excise duty on diesel. It hopes that the State Governments would also reduce the state levies to a corresponding extent

Structure of proposed Infrastructure Debt Funds (IDFs) unveiled

The Union Finance Ministry on June 24, 2011 finalised the structure of the infrastructure debt funds (IDFs) proposed in the Budget. The IDF may be set up either as a trust or as a company. A trust based IDF would normally be a mutual fund (MF) that would issue units while a company-based IDF would be a form of NBFC that would issue bonds. The trust based IDF (MF) would be regulated by Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) and an IDF set up as a company (NBFC) would be regulated by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). IDF AS A TRUST Would be regulated by SEBI. Any domestic entity could be the sponsor. Would raise resources through Rupee denominated units of minimum 5 year maturity. Units would be listed in a recognized stock exchange and tradable among equivalent (domestic vs. foreign) investors. Would have to invest minimum 90% of its assets in the debt securities of infrastructure companies or SPVs. Returns on assets will pass to the investors directly, less the management fee. Credit risks will be borne by the investors and not by the IDF. Can be launched either as close-ended scheme maturing more than five years or an Interval scheme with lock-in period of five years. Would have minimum 5 investors, each holding not more than 50% of net assets of the scheme. Minimum investment would be one crore rupees with Rs. 10 lakh as minimum size of the unit. IDF AS A COMPANY Would be regulated by RBI. Could be set up by one or more sponsors, including NBFCs, IFCs or banks. Would be allowed liberal prescription of risk-weightage (50% instead of 100%). Net owned funds (minimum Tier I equity of Rs. 150 crore) and exposure norms (not as a %age of net-owned funds). Would raise resources through either rupee or dollar denominated bonds of minimum 5 year maturity. Bonds would be tradable among equivalent (domestic vs. foreign) investors. Would invest in debt securities of only PPP projects which have a buy out guarantee and have completed at least one year of commercial operation. Refinance by IDF would be upto 85% of the total debt covered by the concession agreement. Credit risks associated will be borne by the IDF. Potential investors would include off-shore institutional investors, off-shore High Net-worth Individuals (HNIs), NRIs and domestic institutional investors. Both RBI and SEBI would come out with the regulations on setting up of the IDFs falling in their respective domains. The investors in the IDFs would primarily be domestic and off-shore institutional investors, especially insurance and pension funds with long-term resources. Banks and FIs would only be allowed to invest as sponsors of an IDF. In case of an IDF that issues bonds, credit enhancement inherent in Public Private Partnership (PPP) projects would be available. Such IDFs would refinance PPP projects after their construction is completed and successfully operated for at least

19 one year. Such projects would involve a lower level of risk and consequently a higher credit rating. This structure would enable flow of insurance and pensions funds at competitive costs in order to channelise low-cost long-term debt in PPP projects in infrastructure sectors such as roads, ports, airports, railways and metro rail. In case of IDFs that would issue units, greater credit risk would be borne by the investors who would be free to seek correspondingly higher returns. MFs would be especially useful for non-PPP projects. SEBI has formulated a draft chapter that would be inserted in the existing mutual fund regulations for permitting setting up of IDFs on this route by registered MFs as a scheme. Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, in his Budget speech for 2011-12, had announced setting up of infrastructure debt funds (IDFs) to accelerate and enhance the flow of long-term debt in infrastructure projects. To attract off-shore funds into IDFs, the finance minister had also announced that withholding tax on interest payments on the borrowings by the IDFs would be reduced from 20 per cent to 5 per cent. Income of the IDFs has also been exempt from income tax.

DBRS upgrades Indias credit ratings

International sovereign credit rating agency DBRS on June 24, 2011 upgraded the trend of Indias Long Term foreign and local currency debt ratings from BBB (low) Negative to stable outlook. DBRS has been rating Indias debt since June 2007. Elaborating on the upgrade in the credit rating trend for India, DBRS has appreciated the efforts of the Government of India stating that there is evidence of a stronger commitment to fiscal deficit reduction [in the] 2011-12 Budget. The rating agency notes that Government is addressing the countrys infrastructure deficit by spending USD 514 billion, or 9% of GDP, on infrastructure between 2007-2012, and an additional USD 1 trillion from 2013-2017, approximately one-half of which may come from the private sector and public-private partnerships. It has also highlighted the possibility of the new direct tax code (DTC) contributing to improved tax efficiency and the national identification card increasing labour market formality, raising tax compliance and streamlining subsidies and social security expenditures. DBRS has pointed out that Indias fiscal and monetary policy response to the global credit crisis helped restore the economy to a path of higher growth. The economy has weathered the global credit crisis relatively well, and a strong private sector-led recovery has returned Indias growth rates to pre-crisis levels. It has recognised that India has adopted a more responsible medium-term fiscal policy and commitment to debt reduction which bodes well for the ratings.

Fitch affirms Indias credit ratings

DBRSs ratings trend upgrade follows the release of ratings by Fitch Ratings. Fitch, in June 2011, affirmed the credit ratings issued in June 2010 : Long Term Foreign and Local Currency issuer default ratings at BBB- with Stable outlook, and Short Term Foreign Currency IDR at F3 and the country ceiling at BBB-. It has appreciated the management of the economy by Indian authorities. Fitch notes that since early 2010, Indias authorities have shown renewed commitment for reducing both its fiscal deficit and debt... It believes that Indias medium-term economic growth prospects remain strong, as potential GDP growth remains greater than 8%, well above the BBB-range median. It notes that Indias rating is supported by solid external finances, as highlighted by a modest external debt service ratio and a robust external liquidity ratio. Further, the countrys foreign exchange reserves are large, standing at USD 313.5 billion at end-May 2011. Fitch also considers that the widening in Indias current account deficit, to an estimated 2.6% of GDP in FY 2010-11, is not a significant risk in light of Indias current stage of economic development. Indias sovereign debt is rated by six international sovereign credit rating agencies (SCRAs) namely Standard and Poors (S&P), Moodys Investor Services, DBRS, Fitch Ratings, Japanese Credit Rating Agency (JCRA) and Rating and Investment Information (R&I). These agencies normally visit Ministry of Finance and Reserve Bank of India before making their assessment. The Government on its part has begun a structured interaction process with SCRAs

Booz & Co roped in for national electric mobility mission

20 Global consultancy firm Booz & Company was on June 22, 2011 roped in to chart out a roadmap for promoting electric vehicles in India as part of a joint initiative by the Department of Heavy Industry and industry body Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) under the national mission for electric mobility. The firm will submit a report based on a study conducted across India that will seek opinions from various stakeholders, including companies and consumers by September. The idea behind the study is to find the issues that need to be tackled in order to promote electric vehicles in the country. In the Budget presentation this year, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee proposed setting up a National Mission for hybrid and electric vehicles to encourage manufacturing and selling of alternative fuel-based vehicles in India. Subsequently, a National Council for Electric Mobility -- headed by Heavy Industries & Public Enterprises Minister Praful Patel -- was set up. Besides, a National Board for Electric Mobility has also been formed at the secretary level. In order to promote alternative fuel vehicles, the Budget for 2011-12 reduced excise duty on the development and manufacturing of hybrid vehicle kits to 5% from the existing 10%, besides full exemption of customs and countervailing duty (CVD) on the import of special hybrid parts. Earlier in 2010, the government announced incentives of up to 20% on the exfactory prices of electric vehicles, which was as high as Rs 1 lakh for an electric car sold in India during the remaining part of the 11th Plan -- 2010-11 and 2011-12.

Guarantees to overseas JVs, subsidiaries rise in 2010-11

Guarantees for overseas joint ventures and subsidiaries by Indian companies saw a three-fold rise at $ 27.23 billion in 201011, compared with $7.6 billion in the previous financial year. This follows a sharp rise in foreign business expansion, including mergers and acquisitions. According to Reserve Bank of India (RBI) data unveiled on June 23, 2011, total outbound foreign direct investment, which includes equity, loans and guarantees, stood at $43.29 billion in 2010-11.

ON A HIGH
Outward FDI from India Period ended March 31 2008-2009 2009-2010 2010-2011 Apr-May 2011 Equity 10,732.26 6,763.27 9,351.77 731.41 Loan 3,329.00 3,620.19 7,346.89 3,193.24 Guarantee 3,104.88 7,603.79 27,230.52 1,166.23 Total 17,166.14 17,987.25 43,929.18 5,090.88

Source: RBI

Figures in$ million

RBI said overseas investments boosted growth in Indias exports, transfer of technology and skill, sharing of results in research and development and provided more access to the global market. They also promote Indias brand image, generate employment and aid in utilising raw materials available in India and in the host country. Indian overseas investment policies abroad have been progressively liberalised. Corporate entities and registered partnerships can now invest in businesses abroad a sum of up to 400 per cent of their net worth, under the automatic route.

CCI penalises NSE for anti-competitive behaviour in currency derivatives

The Competition Commission of India (CCI) has imposed a penalty of Rs 55.5 crore on the National Stock Exchange (NSE) for abusing its dominant position in the currency derivative (CD) market. It has also asked the exchange to stop unfair pricing practices immediately and modify its zero discount policy within 60 days. MCX-SX had lodged a complaint before CCI that NSE was cross-subsidising its CD segment from other business segments where it enjoys a dominant position. NSE entered currency derivatives in August 2008, followed by MCX-SX in October 2008 and later by USE in September 2010. In an order passed on June 24, 2011 with a 4-2 majority, NSE has been asked to maintain separate accounts for each segment of its operation with effect from April 1, 2012. Two members of the Commission Geeta Gouri and Anurag Goel dissented with the majority order. NSE is directed to cease and desist from unfair pricing, exclusionary conduct and unfairly using its dominant position in other market/s to protect the relevant CD market with immediate effect, said CCIs 170-page order.

21

The commission has levied a 5 per cent (of the turnover) fine on NSE. The Rs 55.5 crore penalty is five percent of the average turnover of NSE (Rs 1109.66 crore) during the last three years. The CCI report also noted that the intention of NSE was to acquire a dominant position in the CD segment by cross subsidising this segment of business from the other segments where it enjoyed virtual monopoly. It also camouflaged its intentions by not maintaining separate accounts for the CD segments.

Govt begins talks to revise DTAA with Mauritius

The government on June 21, 2011 said that it has finally resumed talks with Mauritius to review the 30 year old Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement, which is widely popular with investors to save on paying capital gains tax in India. As far as DTAA with Mauritius is concerned, it is nothing new. It is an old one. For some time talks were suspended. Now it is resumed, finance minister Pranab Mukherjee said on the sidelines of a CAG seminar in New Delhi. Background Indias Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement with Mauritius allows investors to pay tax on capital gains in the country of residence, instead of the country where the shares have been sold. A company resident in Mauritius selling shares of an Indian company will not pay tax in India. Since there are no capital gains tax in Mauritius, the gain will escape tax altogether. A large number of foreign institutional investors and some Indian companies who trade on the Indian stock markets operate from Mauritius to avail of this tax exemption. Most of the foreign direct investment and inflows in the stock market in India are round-tripped through Mauritius. India had started renegotiating the tax treaty with the island nation in 2006, but it got stalled in 2008. Of the total $129.7 billion FDI since April 2000, Mauritius accounted for about 42 per cent.

Economist Suresh Tendulkar passes away

Renowned economist Suresh Tendulkar, 72, passed away on June 22, 2011 in Pune. A Ph.D. in economics from Harvard University and Professor of Economics at the Delhi School of Economics (University of Delhi) from 1978 to 2004, Prof. Tendulkar was a member of the Prime Ministers Economic Advisory Council (PMEAC) from 2004 to 2008 and its Chairman from 2008 to 2009. Prof. Tendulkars pioneering contribution was his extensive work on poverty and estimation of people below poverty line (BPL). In his report submitted in November 2009 as Chairman of an expert group on the methodology for estimation of poverty constituted by the Planning Commission, Tendulkar came out with a new method to calculate poverty. According to this method, the number of the poor in the country in 2004-05 went up from 27.5 per cent of the total population to 37.2 per cent. Earlier, the Centre used to estimate poverty by measuring calorie intake by individuals. But the Tendulkar committee moved to a wider definition, including spending on food as well as education, health and clothing. Prof. Tendulkar also did extensive work on credit and privatisation policies and Indian development issues and policies, including liberalisation and globalisation. He was also a part-time member of the National Statistical Commission (2000-01), the first Disinvestment Commission (1996-99), and the Fifth Central Pay Commission (1994-97). Tendulkar authored several books like Reintegrating India with the World Economy and Understanding Reforms.

Salaried taxpayers income up to Rs.5 lakh exempted from filing IT return: Salaried taxpayers with total Income up to Rs.5 lakh have been exempted from filing Income Tax return for assessment Year 2011-12 which will be due on July 31, 2011. According to the scheme notified by the Central Board of Direct Taxes on June 23, 2011, individuals having total income up to Rs.5,00,000 for 2010-11, after allowable deductions, consisting of salary from a single employer and interest

22 income from deposits in a saving bank account up to Rs.10,000 are not required to file their income tax return. Such individuals must report their Permanent Account Number (PAN) and the entire income from bank interest to their employer, pay the entire tax by way of deduction of tax at source, and obtain a certificate of tax deduction in Form No.16. Persons receiving salary from more than one employer, having income from sources other than salary and interest income from a savings bank account, or having refund claims shall not be covered under the scheme

TaxSpanner enables filing of Income Tax from mobile: Online income tax return filing company TaxSpanner on
June 24, 2011 announced launch of mobile version of its solution that will enable users to file income tax returns from their handset. This new solution from the company will offer taxpayers service to file income tax returns (ITR) through their mobile phones from the first week of July, 2011. To access the service, a mobile user will have to visit TaxSpanner site on his handset from the browser present on the device. After this he will be automatically directed to eFile by eMail application page of the site. The user is not required to be registered for this. Only he will need to fill up a form with some personal details and upload Form 16 on the same page. Thereafter, the ITR will be filled and generated automatically.

India, Singapore ink DTAA to exchange tax information: India on June 25, 2011 amended a Double Taxation
Avoidance Agreement (DTAA) with Singapore to allow for exchange of information in tax matters. Banking information would also come under the ambit of the new agreement. This would help India track assets illegally stashed away in Singapore. Recently, while investigating into the tax evasion case of Pune-based businessman Hasan Ali, the Income Tax Department had sought some information from the Singapore branch of an Indian public sector bank. The information, however, was denied citing banking secrecy as per the law of Singapore. The amended treaty would help get information in such cases. The negotiations for entering into an amending protocol were completed at Singapore. The protocol is based on internationally agreed standards for exchange of information in tax matters. It includes the principles incorporated in the new paragraphs four and five of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) model. The Article on Exchange of Information in OECD Convention requires exchange of information on request in all tax matters for the administration and enforcement of domestic tax law without regard to a domestic tax interest requirement or bank secrecy for tax purposes.

XBRL to bring in more transparency in reporting financial results: The implementation of XBRL (eXtensible
Business Reporting Language) has been made mandatory from April 1, 2011, is expected to bring in more transparency in how companies declare their financials. According to the new norms, companies with a capital of Rs 5 crore or more or turnover of Rs 100 crore or more need to follow the XBRL reporting format from the present financial year. XBRL, an open source free language, converts financial statements of any format or reporting system into a machine-readable format that facilitates comparison and analysis quick and easy. XBRL in India is technically made by ICAI and all the regulators concerned are its members. There has been a shift from proprietary systems to standards-based intelligent data driven systems. Common standards reduce the complexities in financial reporting system. XBRL is a kind of business barcode for reporting world. Regulators, bankers, internal and external analysts of companies will benefit by the new reporting system.

CAG issues new accounting norms for government departments: The Comptroller and Auditor General of India
release new guidelines on June 21, 2011 for managing financial assets and liabilities in governments. The guidelines suggest shifting from the present cash-based accounting system to an accrual basis of accounting. The guidelines are aimed at improving transparency and fixing the accountability of departments for managing state-owned assets. CAG The objective is to improve transparency in bureaucratic functioning. The guidelines are in line with the recommendations of the 12th and 13th Finance Commissions and the second Administrative Reforms Commission.

IRDA to have final say on insurance companies IPOs: The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority
(IRDA) on June 22, 2011 said companies planning to raise share capital through public issues and firms reducing promoters share have to first secure the approval of the authority. The regulator also issued draft guidelinesIrda (Issues of Capital and Disclosure Requirements for Life Insurance Companies) Regulations, 2011prescribing the norms for initial public offerings or dilution of promoters stake for life insurers. To secure such an approval, an insurer would have to complete 10 years in the insurance business, have a satisfactory regulatory record, maintain the prescribed regulatory solvency margin at the end of the preceding six quarters and comply with the disclosures requirements and IRDAs corporate governance guidelines. Apart from meeting these conditions, the company should also have an embedded value of at least twice the paid-up equity capital. The regulator has sought opinions and suggestions on the guidelines by June 30.

RBI upgrades SBIs CAMELS rating: After an evaluation of key portfolios and the books of the countrys largest lender,
State Bank of India (SBI), the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) in June 2011 raised its CAMELS rating by one notch. The rating is

23 generally assessed by the banking regulator on six key areas of bank and its portfolios capital, asset quality, management, earnings, liquidity and systems & controls (CAMELS).

RBI Deputy Governor Gopinath retires: After serving the Reserve Bank of India for 39 years, Shyamala Gopinath relinquished the office of Deputy Governor of the RBI on June 21, 2011. Gopinath was appointed Deputy Governor of the RBI on September 21, 2004 for a period of five years. On completion of her term, she was re-appointed for a further period up to June 20, 2011. Gopinath was handling departments of internal debt management, foreign exchange, government and bank accounts, non-banking supervision, external investments and operations, financial markets, communication and legal before her retirement. Joining the RBI as a direct recruit officer on probation in April 1972, Gopinath was the senior most Executive Director in the RBI (appointed in June 2003) prior to her elevation as the Deputy Governor. The portfolios handled by the RBI were redistributed among the other three Deputy Governors. A search committee to select a new deputy governor, headed by RBI Governor D Subbarao, has shortlisted two candidates for the Deputy Governors post after interviewing seven RBI Executive Directors recently. Employment Guarantee Council rejects NCSD proposal to include skill development in NREGS: The Central
Employment Guarantee Council (CEGC) the apex monitoring agency for the implementation of National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS) on June 23, 2011 rejected the suggestion of the Prime Ministers National Council on Skill Developments (NCSD) to include providing skill development to unskilled wage seekers under the scheme. The CEGC said the Rural Development Ministry should undertake skill development of unskilled workers under its other programmes instead of overburdening NREGS with new tasks. The NCSD had recently suggested the Rural Development Ministry to consider amending the preamble and Schedule 1 of the NREG Act to provide skill development training to workers having completed stipulated number of days of unskilled manual labour in the list of works allowed under the scheme. It had also suggested that the said change should primarily focus upon skill development in the artisan sector, such as handlooms and handicrafts.

India-US Bilateral Investment Agreement on the cards: Anand Sharma, Union Minister Commerce and Industry,
went on a four day visit to the United States in June 21-24, 2011. During his visit he held discussions with Ambassador Ron Kirk, the United States Trade Representative on June 22. Sharma and Ambassador Kirk agreed to re-invigorate the Trade Policy Forum (TPF) and make it more robust and effective in resolving bilateral commercial issues, while maintaining the political leadership of the process. The two sides also agreed to fast-track the technical negotiations for an early conclusion of the India-US Bilateral Investment Agreement.

World rice output in 2011 estimated at 476 mn tonnes FAO: Global rice production is expected to touch 476 million tonnes in 2011, on the back of improved weather conditions, as the influence of La Nina is expected to neutralise by June, United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation said on June 24, 2011. The world rice production reached a new record in 2010, at 464 million tonnes (696 million tonnes paddy), up 1.8 per cent from the previous season, said FAO. World paddy production in 2011 is forecast to expand by 2.5 per cent to 713 million tonnes (about 476 million tonnes, milled basis). According to the third advance estimate of the Agriculture Ministry, rice production in India in the 2010-11, season is pegged at 94.11 million tonnes. IEA to release oil reserves to check crude prices: The United States will lead an international effort to release 60 million barrels of petroleum reserves to world markets, replacing some of the oil production lost because of the conflict in Libya, the International Energy Agency announced in Paris on June 23, 2011. Of the total amount of oil to be released, about half would come from reserves in the US, with the rest to be provided by other nations among the international agencys 28 member states. The war in Libya since mid-March has been largely responsible for keeping about 140 million barrels of oil from international markets. The 727-million-barrel Strategic Petroleum Reserve was established after the 1973-1974 Arab oil embargo to provide presidents with an emergency response to similar disruptions in commercial supplies that threaten the economy security. Endosulfan listed under Rotterdam Convention: The Conference of the Parties to the Rotterdam Convention,
meeting in Geneva, decided to list endosulfan under annex III to the Convention on June 17, 2011. This makes prior informed consent of importing countries necessary for export of the pesticide. India, an exporter, did not object to listing of the pesticide. India exports half of its annual production of around 9000 tonnes of endosulfan. However, production was stopped temporarily recently on orders from the Supreme Court on a petition filed by the Democratic Youth Federation of India, citing harmful health effects of the pesticide. The Rotterdam Convention on the Prior Informed Consent Procedure for Certain

24 Hazardous Chemicals and Pesticides in International Trade is aimed at helping poor countries in managing potentially hazardous chemicals imported by them.

Indian women rise in business but not in power Centre for Social Research: More Indian businesswomen
are gaining managerial positions as the countrys economic growth surges ahead, yet few are able to break the glass ceiling and secure jobs with real power, due to stereotypical views of them as fragile and ineffective, said a study released on June 20, 2011. According to a report by New Delhi-based Centre for Social Research (CSR), professional women in India not only face attitudinal challenges, but also problems within their organisations, like lack of gender policies, to accommodate the domestic pressures on them. The study focused on the situation of women managers working in the health, media, hospitality and banking & finance sectors, and surveyed 240 female managers and 24 human resource managers across three cities New Delhi, Kolkata and Bangalore.

Section E: SPORTS
India wins 1st Test of West Indies series: India defeated the West Indies by 63 runs on the fourth day of the first Digicel
Test at Sabina Park, Kingston, Jamaica on June 23, 2011. Pursuing a target of 326, the hosts were bowled out for 262. Rahul nd Dravid was declared Man-of-the-Match for his 112, his 32 test hundred, in Indias second innings. SCOREBOARD: India 1st innings: 246; West Indies 1st innings: 173; India 2nd innings: 252; West Indies 2nd innings: 262.

Chennai Spikers win Indian Volleyball League: Chennai Spikers on June 24, 2011 won the inaugural edition of the
Indian Volleyball League by registering a comprehensive four-set victory against Hyderabad Chargers 25-19, 21-25, 25-20, 25-17 at the Kotla Vijayabhaskar Reddy stadium in Hyderabad. The losing teams Gurvinder Singh was named as the Most Valuable Player of the tournament. Overall standings: 1. Chennai Spikers (35) 2. Hyderabad Chargers (33) 3. Yanam Tigers (31) 4. Karnataka Bulls (29) 5. Maratha Warriors (27) and 6. Kerala Killers (25).

China wins both singles titles at Singapore Open Badminton: Chinas Chen Jin won the Mens Singles at the
Singapore Open Super Series Badminton tournament on June 20, 2011 when his compatriot Lin Dan withdrew from the final because of sickness. Womens Singles title was won by Chinas Wang Xin who beat Tine Baun of Denmark 21-19, 21-17 in the final. Indonesias Tantowi Ahmad and Liliyana Natsir overcame Chen Hung-ling and Cheng Wen-hsing of Taiwan 21-14, 27-25 to take the mixed doubles crown.

Chetan Anand won the Mauritius Open badminton: Indias Chetan Anand won the Mauritius Open badminton
championship defeating Chiang Jiann of Malaysia 21-11, 21-14 in the mens final on June 20, 2011.

Marion Bartoli wins Eastbourne tennis: Marion Bartoli of France beat Petra Kvitova of Czech Republic to win the
Eastbourne Grass Court tournament 6-1, 4-6, 7-5 on June 18, 2011.

McIlroy wins US Open Golf: Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland won the US Open golf tournament at Bethesda, Maryland,
USA on June 19, 2011, confirming his rich promise as a potential golfing great by becoming the championships youngest winner since 1923. Australias Jason Day finished second ahead of South Koreas Yang Yong-eun, Britains Lee Westwood and Americans Kevin Chappell and Robert Garrigus. McIlroy, long regarded as a future world number one, eclipsed the US Open scoring record of 12-under set by Tiger Woods at the 2000 US Open. .

Weekly Current Affairs update

For the Week: June 26 to July 2, 2011

Major news of the week

Section A: INDIA
Socio-Economic and Caste Census 2011 begins Prime Minister Manmohan Singh interacts with group of editors New Zealand PM John Key visits India UNESCO World Heritage site nomination for Western Ghats postponed Military delegations visit to China concludes NAI, C-DAC to undertake digital preservation of govt records Right to Privacy Bill proposes stringent punishment, data authority Parliamentary committee supports direct cash transfers of subsidies Committee proposes new law for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Honoraria for Anganwadi Workers and Helpers enhanced Statistics Day 2011 celebrated Doctors Day observed International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking observed Chartered Accountants Day observed Pradeep Kumar appointed new CVC Vinay Mittal appointed Railway Board Chairman Ranjan Mathai appointed new Foreign Secretary Vice Admiral Shekhar Sinha is new Chief of integrated Defence Staff Raj Kumar Singh takes over as new Home Secretary R. S. Gujral appointed Revenue Secretary A.K. Upadhyay appointed Transport Secretary Peter Burleigh appointed U.S. Charg dAffaires Amartya Sen will be adviser to Presidency Mentor Group Communist leader Chaturanan Mishra passes away Poet Anwar Farrukhabadi passes away Danish court rejects extradition of Purulia arms drop case accused Kim Davy Govt keeps NIA, Natgrid out of RTI ambit Nationwide programme to reduce pending court cases launched One crore Aadhaar numbers issued Training courses at Election Commissions Institute launched Rajiv Gandhi Advocates Training Scheme inaugurated Number of MBBS seats in the country rises to 39,785 Indian Institute for Human Settlements (IIHS) receives Rs 50 crore grant from Nandan Nilekani Indian Forest Service exam eligibility expanded Mozambique, India to work together on maritime security Navy inducts three fast interceptor craft Navy to add U.S. anti-submarine torpedoes to P-8I maritime patrol aircraft Maoists supporters should be left alone Bureau of Police Research and Development study New regional Coast Guard HQ to come up at Kolkata High-speed trains to connect small towns to national capital Wildlife Crime Control Bureau launches Friends of the wild Bengal begins land distribution process; Tatas move apex court on Singur Bengal Assembly passes resolution to set up Legislative Council AP asks Sathya Sai Trust to furnish financials Treasure unearthed at Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple 1400-year-old Kerala mosque to be restored to its original form

Section B: WORLD
NSG decides to strengthen guidelines on transfer of enrichment and reprocessing technologies (ENR) Gandhis Salt Satyagraha in Times top 10 protests Communist Party of China celebrates 90th anniversary Google receives 67 content removal requests from India

For the Week: June 26 to July 2, 2011

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India rejects Organisation of the Islamic Conference comments on J&K Greek Parliament passes austerity vote German Parliament approves end to nuclear power by 2022 Caretaker govt. system for polls scrapped in Bangladesh Bolivias exits UN anti-drug convention over coca leafs classification as narcotic Asian African Legal Consultative Organisation organised Worlds longest natural gas pipeline operationalised Worlds longest sea-bridge opens in China US Supreme Court clears tax exemption for Indian mission in New York Male Declaration on Control and Prevention of Air Pollution organised Frances Lagarde appointed IMF Managing Director EU appoints Italys Mario Draghi as next ECB president Jose Graziano elected FAO Director-General Matthew Olsen is new US counterterrorism chief International court issues arrest warrant for Gaddafi Indias Kalyan Banerjee appointed Rotary International President

Section C: AWARDS
Krishi Karman Awards announced Dabangg, My Name is Khan win IIFA awards Anjali Joseph wins two literary awards for Saraswati Park India honours doyen of modern Sinhala music Japanese honour for IIT professor Ravi Shankar wins Crans Montana award Indian ad agencies win 4 golds at Cannes Lions Microsoft wins Randstad award for Most Attractive Employer in India Meghdoot Awards presented to Postal Employees 8 Indians among 40 young global telecom leaders

Section D: ECONOMY & CORPORATE

FDI declines 62% to $7b in 2010-11 RBI 10th Quarterly Report on Effect of Economic Slowdown on Employment in India unveiled Cairn-Vedanta deal gets conditional approval from CCEA Qualified Foreign Investors allowed to invest in mutual funds Hydro, inter-state transmission projects exempted from tariff-based bidding Committee on indigenous regional aircraft submits report US-India Economic and Financial Partnership meeting organised India-Malaysia CECA comes into effect India ranked 62nd in Global Innovation Index rankings HP, IBM lead 2011 India Supercomputers list India Philanthropy Report 2011 unveiled RBI allows Indian cos. To issue equity to fund capital goods imports Dealer commission on petrol, diesel increased Govt. plans 15 mn tonne extra storage capacity for foodgrains PAN must for high value jewellery buy, debit cards RBI to introduce Rs. 5 coin to honour Mother Teresa SCOPE to evaluate PSUs TRIFED, NSTFDC sign MoU for economic upliftment of Tribal Artisans India in Figures 2011 unveiled Advanced Centre for Energetic Materials inaugurated India is worlds 4th largest steel producer in 2010 Essar to exit Vodafone JV for $5.46 billion Worlds first e-book on spices launched CBI registers FIR against former DGH V.K. Sibal S. Goenka appointed ICC President Tanksale is new CMD of Central Bank

For the Week: June 26 to July 2, 2011

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Section E: SPORTS
India agrees to modified version of Umpire Decision Review System ICC bans politicians from national boards VVS Laxman touches 8000 runs in Tests Sanath Jayasuriya retires from international cricket Saina Nehwal ends runner-up at Indonesian Open Prerna Bhambri wins ITF womens tennis Sebastian Vettel wins European GP Michael Nobbs appointed Indias Chief Hockey Coach Japan wins FIH womens Champions Challenge

For the Week: June 26 to July 2, 2011

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Section A: INDIA
Socio-Economic and Caste Census 2011 begins
The 1 ever post independence Socio-Economic and Caste Census 2011 began on June 29, 2011 from the Sankhola village of Hazemara block in West Tripura District. It is a door-to-door census in the entire country. This massive exercise will pave the way to identify the households living below the poverty line in rural and urban areas of the country. The entire process will be completed by end of 2011-12. The th results relating to the identification of poor households would be utilized in the 12 Five Year Plan (2012-13 to 2016-17). C. Chandramouli is the Registrar General of India and Chief Commissioner of Census. The BPL Census will be conducted by State Governments/Union Territory Administrations with the technical and financial support of the Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD). The Census would be based on a self-declaration model of the respondents. The information would be verified and approved by the Gram Sabha. Procedure for filing claims and objections and its disposal will be prescribed separately. Low cost handheld device will be used for collection of data in Socio Economic Census 2011. It would reduce the time required in processing the data after collection in the field. Bharat Electronic Ltd. (BEL) is involved in the production of this device on large scale. National Informatics Centre (NIC) will develop the Management of Information System (MIS) for the management of the database of Socio Economic Census 2011 and to facilitate its subsequent use by the MoRD, other ministries and State Governments for their own requirements. It may be noted that for the Identification of BPL (below poverty line) Households in Rural Areas the suggestions of the Expert Group chaired by Dr NC Saxena and a pilot study carried out in 29 States/Union Territories have been the basis of the methodology to conduct the Census in the rural areas. It has been decided to include (a) households without shelter, (b) destitutes/living on alms, (c) manual scavengers, (d) Primitive Tribal Groups, and (e) legally released bonded labourers, in the BPL list. These households will have the highest priority for inclusion in the BPL list. The remaining households will be identified as poor from the angle of deprivation to which they are subjected to. The deprivation of the households is assessed from the following deprivation indicators: Households with only one room with kucha walls and kucha roof; Households with no adult member between age 16 to 59; Female headed households with no adult male member between age 16 to 59; Households with any disabled member and no able bodied adult member; SC/ST households; Households with no literate adult above 25 years; Landless households deriving the major part of their income from manual casual labour; For the households eligible for ranking under deprivation indicators as per paragraph, a deprivation score would be derived for each household by adding up the number of deprivations satisfied by the household. This score will vary from a minimum 0 to maximum 7. The order of priority for inclusion of households in the BPL list would be from largest number of deprivations to smallest number of deprivations. For the purpose of coverage of income re-distributive anti-poverty programmes and welfare schemes of the Government, households eligible for compulsory inclusion will have highest priority, followed by households with higher deprivation scores.
st

For the Week: June 26 to July 2, 2011

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5 Several households would be automatically excluded from the BPL list. These are: Households owning Motorized Two/Three/Four Wheelers/Fishing boats (which require registration); Households owning mechanized Three/Four wheeler agricultural equipments such as tractors, harvesters etc; Households having Kisan Credit Card with the credit limit of Rs.50,000 and above; Households with any member as Government Employee: gazetted and non-gazetted employees of Centre government, State government, Public Sector Undertakings, Government-aided autonomous bodies and local bodies. This will exclude incentive and other honorarium based workers like ASHA, Anganwadi workers etc; Households with Enterprises registered with the Government for any purpose: any non agricultural enterprise registered with the Central or State Governments; Households with any member in the family earning more than Rs. 10,000 per month; Households paying income tax or professional tax; Households with three or more rooms with pucca walls and pucca roof; Households owning Refrigerator; Households owning landline phones; Households owning 2.5 acres or more irrigated land with at least one irrigation equipment such as diesel/ electric operated borewell/ tubewell; Households owning 5 acres or more land irrigated for two or more crop seasons; Households owning 7.5 acres or more land with at least one irrigation equipment such as diesel/ electric operated borewell/ tubewell.

PM interacts with group of editors

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on June 29, 2011 interacted with a small group of editors in New Delhi. Following are the highlights of his response to several issues raised by the editors. On issue of authority: Dismissed talks of being a lame duck Prime Minister as Opposition propaganda. On succession: Said he had no objection to Rahul Gandhi succeeding him, but no such discussions were currently taking place in the Congress party. On Lokpal: Pointed out that he is personally not opposed to inclusion of PM under the ambit of Lokpal. On Baba Ramdev: Owned up the decision of sending ministers to meet Baba Ramdev at Delhi airport; said police action at Ramlila grounds was unfortunate but there as no alternative On the role of media: Made a critical remark saying the media has become accuser, prosecutor and judge On Cabinet reshuffle: Said that work was in progress but did not disclose when it will take place On bugging in Finance Ministry: Confirmed a complaint by FM of suspected bugging, but said it was a closed chapter following an IB probe On Sonia Gandhi: Praised her for extending maximum cooperation and doing a superb job as Congress president

New Zealand PM John Key visits India

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his New Zealand counterpart, John Key, resolved to diversify its ties with New Zealand in non-traditional areas such as defence during bilateral talks at Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi on June 28, 2011. Defence: The two Prime Ministers agreed to strengthen bilateral defence cooperation. Key announced that his country would appoint a Defence Adviser to India to facilitate defence linkages better. India has defence agreements, among others, with Japan, South Korea, Vietnam and Malaysia. It has conducted joint exercises with most countries in the region. Both sides noted need to ensure the safety and security of sea lanes and agreed that regional and global cooperation should continue to ensure maritime security. Trade: Both sides also expressed themselves in favour of a free trade agreement (FTA) and signed protocols in film production, higher education and research to strengthen people-to-people interaction. India already has a FTA in goods with the ASEAN and Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreements (CCEPA) with Japan and South Korea. For the Week: June 26 to July 2, 2011 , Bank PO

6 India and New Zealand trade has more than trebled between 2004-05 and 2010-11. In 2010-11, Indian exports to New Zealand were US $ 191.39 million and Indian imports from New Zealand were US $ 621.55 million. Total bilateral trade was thus about US $ 812.94 million and grew 7.83% over the previous year. Major items of Indias exports to NZ include parts of engineering goods, mineral fuels, pharmaceutical products, natural or cultured pearls, precious & semi precious stones, items of jewellery set in gold and diamonds, textiles, inorganic chemicals and electrical machinery and equipment. These top ten items account for 68.17% of Indias total exports to NZ. Major items of Indias imports are mineral fuels and mineral oils and products of their distillation, wood and articles of wood, dairy products, papers and paperboard, wool, engineering goods, raw hides and skins and leather, iron and steel, electrical machinery and edible fruit and nuts. These top 10 items explain 94.09% of Indias total imports from New Zealand. Education The Prime Ministers also announced a jointly funded education cooperation initiative to promote partnerships in higher education and research, and skills and vocational education.

UNESCO World Heritage site nomination for Western Ghats postponed

Indias campaign to get the Western Ghats declared as a UNESCO World Heritage site received a setback, with the United Nations committee postponing the decision to 2012, and asking the government to furnish more information. This came even as Karnataka one of the five States (Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Goa, Karnataka) where the Ghats are located ran its own last-minute campaign against the World Heritage tag, arguing that it could protect its own forests and claiming that the tag would prevent development work to help forest dwellers. The other four states have not expressed any dissent on the proposed UNESCO tag. The World Heritage Committee (WHC) met in Paris to debate the merits of 42 nominations to its list of 900 cultural and natural treasures from across the world in June 2011. India had nominated 39 sites in the Western Ghats, a unique hotspot of biodiversity. However, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) on June 28, 2011 recommended that the WHC defer Indias proposal. That would mean starting the whole process anew, with more information, another visit from the IUCN team and the submission of a revised nomination dossier. Most of the additional information required is about governance and coordination mechanisms to synergise the management of the 39 sites as well as a buffer zone and connectivity issues. The WHC will now consider the nomination at its next meeting in Thailand in June 2012.

Military delegation visit to China concludes

India and China on June 25, 2011 concluded week-long defence talks, the first in almost a year, with officials on both sides welcoming resumption in contact as the two countries look to tackle persisting strategic mistrust. Indian officials described the visit of the eight-member delegation, led by Major-General Gurmeet Singh, as successful and productive but gave little information on the content and outcomes of meetings the delegation had with the Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) leadership. The delegation visited Beijing; Urumqi, the capital city of Chinas far western Muslim-majority Xinjiang autonomous region; and Shanghai, from where they returned to India on June 25. Defence exchanges between the two countries were suspended last July, when China refused to issue a visa to the then head of the Northern Command, Lieutenant-General B.S. Jaswal, saying the sensitive region of Kashmir was under his charge. China had linked its decision to the policy of issuing stapled visas to Indian citizens from Jammu and Kashmir. The Chinese have, however, publicly maintained that their visa policy remained unchanged. India, for its part, appeared to make a concession to the Chinese position by sending an officer of Major-General rank, rather than the head of the northern command, to China. Chinese analysts welcomed the resumption of defence ties as a sign that the two countries had put problems such as the visa issue behind them but cautioned against high expectations amid persisting mistrust on a range of issues. This visit, they said, was more about symbolism, taking forward confidence-building measures and addressing ground concerns rather than a platform to resolve larger pending issues. For the Week: June 26 to July 2, 2011 , Bank PO

NAI, C-DAC to undertake digital preservation of govt records

In a project, aimed at preserving electronic public records generated through e-governance initiatives of the Central government, Pune-based Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC), on July 2, 2011 signed a MoU with the National Archives of India (NAI), New Delhi, for development of software for the purpose. This MoU has been signed as part of the project of Centre of Excellence for Digital Preservation (CEDP) sanctioned by the Department of Information Technology, MCIT, Government of India. This project will be handled by Human-Centred Design and Computing (HCDC) Group of C-DAC, which specialises in digital preservation and archival. The implementation of the MoU will enable the NAI to develop the technical capabilities for digital preservation and acceptance of records. The CEDP will create a machinery to archive the electronic public records of the government. This project, after completion of its first three year phase, is expected to benefit the common people with an enhanced accessibility and retrieval of public records, and also help those who seek information under the RTI act.

Right to Privacy Bill proposes stringent punishment, data authority

Government is drafting a new law that provides for stringent punishment, including revocation of licences of telecom service providers, for illegally intercepting telephone calls and making their content public. The Right to Privacy Bill, which is likely to be tabled in the next session of Parliament, also proposes to set up a Data Protection Authority of India (DPAI) to monitor and enforce compliance of all provisions and receive and investigate complaints about alleged violations of data protection rules. The Bill has provisions for tough punishment for the head of any department which indulges in circulating the intercepted data in public. While illegal snooping or interception can land a person in jail for a period of five years and a fine up to Rs one lakh, people involved in circulation of an intercepted communication or any other personal information shall be punished with a prison term of three years and with a fine up to Rs 50,000. In case of violation of condition of licence of the service providers pertaining to maintenance of secrecy and confidentiality of information and unauthorised interception of communication, the service provider [besides the penalty] shall be liable for suspension or revocation of their licences.

Parliamentary committee supports direct cash transfers

A parliamentary committee has recommended direct cash transfer of subsidies to bank accounts of beneficiaries of various social sector schemes of the government. It (transfer of cash) would also facilitate the process of financial inclusion being attempted by the banking sector and if it is integrated with the Aadhar numbers, go a long way in plugging rampant leakages in dissemination of benefits to the poor, said a report by Parliaments Standing Committee on Finance (SCF) unveiled on June 27, 2011. The panel, chaired by BJP leader Yashwant Sinha, questioned how crores of rupees spent on anti-poverty programmes had not yielded the desired results. It recommended the government also study successful cash transfer schemes in operation elsewhere, such as the Bolsa Famila Programme (BFP) in Brazil and a similar model in Indonesia. Under the BFP, cash is transferred to poor Brazilian families through banks but with a condition that their children attend school and are vaccinated. A World Bank study showed the BFP helped lift 20 million Brazilians out of poverty between 2003 and 2009. Incomes of the poor grew seven time faster than the rich and three times faster than the national average during the period. Ensuring that every rupee reaches the person it is meant for, as Brazils popular BFP shows, can strengthen Indias fight against poverty, says the report.

Committee proposes new law for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
The Committee appointed by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Government of India, to draft a New Legislation replacing the existing Persons with Disabilities (Equal Opportunities, Protection of Rights and Full Participation) Act, 1995, presented the final draft of the new law, The Rights of Persons with Disabilities Bill, 2011, to Mukul Wasnik, Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment on July 1, 2011. For the Week: June 26 to July 2, 2011 , Bank PO

8 The proposed law seeks to repeal the Persons with Disabilities Act of 1995 and to replace it with a comprehensive rights based law in accordance with the provisions of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD). A Committee under the Chairpersonship of Dr. Sudha Kaul, Vice Chairperson, Indian Institute for Cerebral Palsy, Kolkata, and consisting of experts and representatives of stakeholders including Central Ministries, State Governments, Civil Society Organisations and experts, including persons with disabilities, was therefore, set up by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment on 30.4.2010 to consider various suggestions and views and to draft a comprehensive law.

Honoraria for Anganwadi Workers and Helpers enhanced

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs on June 30, 2011 approved the enhancement of Honoraria for Anganwadi Workers (AWWs) to Rs.3000/- from Rs.1500/- per month and for Anganwadi Helpers (AWHs) and Workers of Mini-AWCs (Mini-Anganwadi Centres) to Rs.1500/- from Rs.750/- per month under the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) Scheme. The estimated additional requirement comes to Rs.3479.83 crore per annum. The Government of India liability which is to the extent of 90% will be an estimated Rs.3131.85 crore. The enhancement of honoraria will be made effective from 1.4.2011 through a letter to all the States/UTs as soon as the Cabinet accords its approval. A total of 11.71 lakh AWWs including Workers of Mini-AWCs and 10.97 lakh AWHs (as on 31.12.2010) will benefit from this enhancement in honorarium w.e.f. 1.4.2011. This would also go a long way in motivating the honorary work force for delivering services in a committed way. ICDS Scheme has been universalized to cover each and every habitation in the country. All Workers /Helpers in all States/Districts will be covered.

Background
Anganwadi Workers (AWW) and Anganwadi Helpers (AWH) are the front-line functionaries at the AWC who render services as honorary workers. Over time, AWWs have emerged as the central figure for child care and development under the ICDS Scheme. AWC has come to be acknowledged as the first out-post of health, nutrition and early learning at habitation level. Therefore, AWWs besides shouldering the responsibility of providing nutritional support to children and mothers, assist the PHC staff in immunization, health check-up, ante and post natal checkups, counsel the care-givers and organize non-formal pre-school activities. Their honoraria has been fixed and enhanced from time to time. The Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) is a nation-wide programme for Early Childhood Care and Development. It is one of the flagship programmes of the Government. The Scheme provides a package of six services comprising (i) supplementary nutrition (SNP) (ii) immunization, (iii) health check-up, (iv) referral services, (v) pre-school non-formal education and (vi) nutrition and health education. The beneficiaries are children below six years of age, pregnant women & lactating mothers. Immunization, health check up & referral services are all provided in coordination with the public health infrastructure and system. ICDS Scheme is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme being implemented through the States/UTs en a cost sharing basis in the ratio of 50:50 for SNP and 90:10 for other components except in case of North Eastern States where the Central and State/UT Government share for SNP, is also in the ratio of 90:10. The focal point of delivery of services is the Anganwadi Centre (AWC). Anganwadi Workers (AWW) and Anganwadi Helpers (AWH) are the front-line functionaries at the AWC who render services as honorary workers. There has been significant progress in the implementation of ICDS Scheme during XI Plan both, in terms of increase in number of operational projects and Anganwadi Centres (AWCs). The no. of operational projects and AWCs as on 31.12.2010 was 6719 and 12.41 lakh respectively as against 5829 Projects and 8.44 lakh AWCs operational as on 31.3.2007. The total number of beneficiaries has also increased from 705.43 lakh as on 31.3.2007 to 918.65 lakh as on 31.12.2010. Alongside gradual expansion of the Scheme, there has also been a significant increase in the Budgetary allocation for ICDS Scheme from Rs. 10391.75 crore in 10th Five Year Plan to Rs.44,400 crore in the XI Plan Period. Honorarium of AWWs /AWHs is a component of the budget for ICDS Scheme. This has been revised from time to time. Last revision was in 2008 when the honorarium was enhanced by Rs.500/- p.m. over the last honorarium drawn by AWW and Rs.250/- p.m. over the last honorarium drawn by AWHs of AWCs and Workers of Mini-AWCs. For the Week: June 26 to July 2, 2011 , Bank PO

Statistics Day 2011 celebrated

The Fifth Statistics Day was celebrated all over India on June 29, 2011 by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, State Governments, Offices of National Sample Survey Organizations spread throughout the country, University Departments, etc by organizing Seminars, Conferences, Debates, Quiz Programmes, Lecture Series, Essay Competitions, etc. National Award in Statistics, constituted in the Honour of Prof. C. R. Rao was also conferred on the occasion. It was given to Dr. Rajender Parsad, Head, Division of Design of Experiments at Indian Agricultural Statistics Research Institute, New Delhi. The dignitaries also released some important publications on the occasion. The highlight of Statistics Day 2011 was taking up the theme Gender Statistics and making concerted efforts throughout the year to bring improvements in the quality of data in this particular field, for objective planning and policy making. The Government of India designated 29 June every year as the Statistics Day, in the category of Special Day to be celebrated at the national level, in recognition of the notable contributions made by (Late) Professor Prasanta Chandra Mahalanobis in the fields of economic planning and statistical development. The Day coincides with his birth anniversary. Born on June 29, 1893, in Calcutta, P. C. Mahalanobis was a statistician and physicist, instrumental in formulating Indias strategy for industrialization. The Second Five-Year Plan (1956-61) adopted by the Government of India was based on the Mahalanobis model. He established the Indian Statistical Institute in Calcutta in 1931. Mahalanobis introduced innovative techniques for conducting large-scale sample surveys and calculated the acreage and crop yields by using the method of random sampling. He devised a statistical method called fractal graphical analysis, which could be used to compare the socio-economic conditions of different groups of people. He also applied statistics to economic planning for flood control. Mahalanobis established the National Sample Survey in 1950 and also set up the Central Statistical Organization, to coordinate the statistical activities in India. He was also a member of the Planning Commission of India from 1953 to 1967. For his pioneering work he was awarded the Padma Vibhushan by the Government of India in 1968.
th

Doctors Day observed: July 1, 2011 was observed as Doctors Day. In India the Doctors Day is being celebrated on July
1, to mark the birth anniversary (as well as death anniversary) of famous physician, freedom fighter and Chief Minister of West Bengal for 14 years, Dr. B.C. Roy. He was born on July 1, 1882 and passed away on July 1, 1962. The idea of thanking doctors for their service to the society first originated in the US in 1933. Eudora Brown Almond, wife of a doctor Charles B. Almond of the Winder (Georgia) sent greetings to her husbands colleagues appreciating the services being provided by them. She sent the greetings on March 30, 1933. March 30 is the day in 1841 when Dr. Crawford W. Long performed a surgery with the help of anaesthesia for the first time. Doctors Day is being observed in India on July 1 every year since 1991.

International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking observed: International Day Against Drug Abuse
and Illicit Trafficking was observed on June 26, 2011. In India, Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) of the Ministry of Home Affairs organized various activities all over the country to raise public awareness against the menace of drugs and mobilize support for drug control. The theme/campaign of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) for 2011 is Think Health not drugs.

Chartered Accountants Day observed: The Chartered Accountants Day function was observed in New Delhi on July
1, 2011. July 1 is remembered as the Foundation Day of the accountancy profession in India and celebrated as Chartered Accountants Day (CA Day). G. P. Kapadia was the first and founder President of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI). G. Ramaswamy is the current President of ICAI.

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Pradeep Kumar appointed new CVC

Defence Secretary Pradeep Kumar was on June 25, 2011 unanimously chosen the next Chief Vigilance Commissioner four months after the Supreme Court had quashed the appointment of P J Thomas to the post. Kumar, who retires as Defence Secretary on July 31, was chosen by consensus by a panel comprising Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Home Minister P Chidambaram and Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj. Kumar, who will be 60 this month, is a Haryana cadre IAS officer of the 1972 batch. He was Secretary, Defence Production, before becoming the Defence Secretary. He will have a five year term as he will have to demit office on attaining age of 65 under the CVC Act. Swaraj, who had opposed in writing the appointment of Thomas as CVC, had no objection to Kumars candidature. Thomas selection in September 2010 had created a major controversy with reports coming out about his facing a charge sheet in the palmolein import scam in Kerala. A war of words erupted between the government and the opposition after Swaraj had recorded her dissent to the selection of Thomas, a Kerala cadre officer. The Supreme Court had on March 3 set aside the appointment of Thomas as Central Vigilance Commissioner. The apex court had termed as illegal the September 3, 2010 recommendation for appointment of Thomas as CVC since the high-powered committee did not consider the pending charge sheet against Thomas in the palmolein import scam

Vinay Mittal appointed Railway Board Chairman: Vinay Mittal has taken over as the new Chairman, Railway Board
and ex-officio Principal Secretary to the Government of India, Ministry of Railways, on June 30, 2011. He replaces Vivek Sahai who superannuated from this post on June 30. Prior to this, Mittal was serving as General Manager, South Eastern Railway since January 12, 2011. An officer of Indian Railway Traffic Service (1975 batch), Vinay Mittal is credited with huge improvements in freight loading and punctuality performance in Central Railway and North Western Railway.

Ranjan Mathai appointed new Foreign Secretary: Ranjan Mathai, presently Ambassador in Paris, was on June 27, 2011 selected to take over as the new Foreign Secretary for a term of two years following the retirement of Nirupama Rao on July 31, 2011. Mathai, who did his MA in Political science from Pune University, has served in Indian missions in Vienna, Colombo, Washington, Tehran and Brussels. As Joint Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs in New Delhi between Jan 1995 and Feb 1998, he headed the division dealing with Indias relations with Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Myanmar and Maldives. He also served as Indian Ambassador to Israel from February 1998 to June 2001 and Qatar from August 2001 to July 2005. He was Deputy High Commissioner in Indias mission in the UK from August 2005 to January 2007. Vice Admiral Shekhar Sinha is new Chief of integrated Defence Staff: Vice-Admiral Shekhar Sinha on July 4,
2011 took over as the Chief of Integrated Defence Staff to Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee at the Headquarters, Integrated Defence Staff of the Ministry of Defence in New Delhi. Vice Admiral Sinha who was commissioned on 1 June, 1974 into the Naval Aviation Fighter Stream, is an alumnus of the Defence Services Staff College, College of Naval Warfare and National Defence College. With over 2,700 hours of flying 18 different aircraft, mostly from aircraft carrier Vikrant and Viraat on the Sea Harrier, he has commanded two Sea Harrier Squadrons and the Air Station at Goa. Vice-Admiral Sinha is recipient of the Ati Vishisht Sewa Medal and two Gallantry awards Nau Sena Medal and Bar Earlier, Vice-Admiral Sinha served as the Deputy Chief of Integrated Defence Staff Operation and Policy Planning and Force Deployment and Control Personnel Services at MoD (Navy).

Raj Kumar Singh takes over as new Home Secretary: Raj Kumar Singh on June 30, 2011 took over as Union Home
Secretary. He succeeds Gopal Krishna Pillai who retired on June 30. Singh is an IAS officer of the 1975 Batch and belongs to the Bihar Cadre. Before joining MHA, he was Secretary, Department of Defence Production, Ministry of Defence. He has served in his Cadre and at the Centre in various capacities including as Home Secretary of Bihar and Joint Secretary in MHA. The new Home Secretary said that ongoing initiatives taken by the Ministry of Home Affairs to meet the challenges facing the nation will be further strengthened. He said that the country has the resilience to meet these challenges.

R. S. Gujral appointed Revenue Secretary: Raminder Singh Gujral, presently Secretary, Ministry of Road Transport
and Highways was appointed Secretary, Department of Revenue, Ministry of Finance, replacing Sunil Mitra who retired on June 30, 2011. A 1976-batch IAS from the Haryana cadre, Gujral will have the responsibility of meeting the revenue collection target, which, according to Mitra, looks difficult this year. In the current financial year, the target for indirect tax For the Week: June 26 to July 2, 2011 , Bank PO

11 collections has been fixed at Rs 3.92 lakh crore and for direct taxes at Rs 5.32 lakh crore. Gujral will also be involved in the rollout of Goods and Services Tax and Direct Taxes Code. Though slated to be rolled out from next year, implementation of GST from April 1, 2012, looks difficult.

A.K. Upadhyay appointed Transport Secretary: A.K. Upadhyay, presently Secretary, Department of Youth Affairs,
Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, was appointed as Secretary, Ministry of Road Transport and Highways in place of R. S. Gujral on his relinquishing the charge of the post.

Burleigh appointed U.S. Charg dAffaires: Peter Burleigh on July 2, 2011 assumed charge as the Charg dAffaires
of the U.S. Embassy after the resignation of Ambassador Timothy Roemer. Burleighs interim appointment reflects the U.S. governments emphasis on assuring highest-level representation and continuity in U.S.-India relations, says a release from the embassy. He had served as Charg dAffaires from April to July 2009. A retired diplomat, Burleigh is fluent in Hindi, Bengali and Sinhala. He has also lectured on topics such as Asian religions (Hinduism and Buddhism) and humanitarian intervention in world crises

Amartya Sen will be adviser to Presidency Mentor Group: Nobel laureate economist Amartya Sen will be the
adviser to the Mentor Group which has been set up by the West Bengal government to help Presidency University regain its th excellence. The aim is to turn the university into a world class research and teaching institution by its 200 anniversary in 2017-18. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said on June 29 that Professor Sen has agreed to the proposal and would advise the 10-member committee, which is chaired by Sugata Bose, Gardiner professor of Oceanic History and Affairs, Harvard University, and a grand-nephew of Subhash Chandra Bose.

Communist leader Chaturanan Mishra passes away: Veteran Communist Party of India (CPI) leader from Bihar and
former union Agriculture Minister Chaturanan Mishra passed away at the age of 86 on June 25, 2011. Mishra joined the freedom struggle in his student days in Madhubani and was arrested twice for his participation in the struggle. He joined CPI in early 1940s. After independence, he emerged as one of the top leaders of the trade union and communist movement in Bihar. He was twice the Leader of the Opposition in Bihar. After two terms in Rajya Sabha, he was elected to Lok Sabha from Madhubani in 1996. When in 1997 the CPI joined the United Front government headed by H D Deve Gowda, Mishra became Agriculture Minister.

Poet Anwar Farrukhabadi passes away: Noted poet Anwar Farrukhabadi, who penned the popular film song Hamein
to loot liya mil ke husn walon ne passed away at the age of 83 on June 29, 2011. Anwar wrote around 2,000 songs for Bollywood films and private albums. His songs have been immortalised in the voices of Mohammad Rafi, Manna Dey, Pankaj Uddhas, Shankar Shambhu and Sabri brothers, among others. Born in 1928 in Farrukhabad, the poet left for Mumbai in 1945 in search of a better future and spent about 40 years there. Some of the films for which he wrote lyrics are Al Hilal, Mere Piya and Pardesi Sajan.

Danish court rejects extradition of Purulia case accused

Indias chances of getting Purulia arms drop case mastermind Kim Davy extradited from Denmark for his alleged involvement in the sensational dropping of arms in 1995 suffered a setback with the High Court in Denmark on June 30, 2011 rejecting a plea by the government there. The plea by the Danish government to allow 49-year-old Davy, who is also known as Niels Holck, to be extradited in the Purulia case was dismissed on the grounds he would risk torture or other inhuman treatment in India. Davy is wanted by CBI in connection with the arms drop case when an AN-26 aircraft dropped arms and ammunition in Purulia district of West Bengal on December 17, 1995. The consignment had hundreds of AK-47 rifles, pistols, anti-tank grenades, rocket launchers and over 25,000 rounds of ammunition. Davys associates in crime, five Latvians and a Briton, Peter Bleach, were also arrested. Bleach spent eight years in jail but Davy had escaped. Preliminary investigations had hinted that Davy was a member of the Ananda Marga and the arms were meant for the socio-religious sect. However, Davy alleged the RAW and other Indian intelligence agencies had given him the arms to destabilise the Left Front government in West Bengal. He also alleged that Indian covert agencies had helped him escape. India had assured the Danish court that Davy will not be sentenced to death, the court decided to reject the Indian Governments plea. The CBI said it will request the Danish Ministry of Justice through diplomatic channels to appeal against the verdict in the Supreme Court of Denmark. For the Week: June 26 to July 2, 2011 , Bank PO

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Govt keeps NIA, Natgrid out of RTI ambit: After keeping the CBI out of the ambit of RTI Act, the government has now
made the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and the National Intelligence Grid (Natgrid) inaccessible under the transparency law. The Right to Information Act, 2005 has been amended to include NIA, Natgrid and CBI in its second schedule which exempts intelligence and security organisation established by the central government out of the purview of the Act, according to a notification issued on June 9, 2011 by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT). Now, 25 organisations have been listed under the second schedule of the RTI Act which includes Intelligence Bureau (IB), Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), Central Economic Intelligence Bureau, Aviation Research Centre and National Security Guards among others not to provide information except the ones relating to allegations of corruption and human right violations.

Nationwide programme to reduce pending court cases launched: Union Minister for Law and Justice M. Veerappa
Moily on July 1, 2011 launched a nationwide programme for reducing the number of pending cases in courts. The launch of th the Mission Mode Programme for Reduction of Pendency of Arrears in courts coincided with the celebrations of the 150 Anniversary of the Calcutta High Court. The programme aims to dispose of 40 per cent of the cases, pending in subordinate courts across the country, in the coming six months. Rs. 21,000 crore has already been set aside for the subordinate courts to implement the programme.

One crore Aadhaar numbers issued: In just nine months since the launch of the Aadhaar project in Maharashtra, UIDAI
has issued one crore Aadhaar numbers. 52 year old, N. K. Chheda from Maharashtra has the distinction of being the resident whose Aadhaar number was generated on reaching this milestone on June 30, 2011. The first resident to get the Aadhaar number, Ranjana Sonawane, is also a resident of Maharashtra. She received her number on 29th September, 2010 in Tembhli village of Nandurbar district. This is yet another milestone, en-route to our goal of issuing 60 crore Aadhaar numbers by 2014 Nandan Nilekani, Chairman of the Unique Identification Authority of India said. Enrolments are in progress in more than 25 states and Union Territories by more than 30 registrars through 11,000+ operators. Currently, the Aadhaar ecosystem is enrolling more than 4,00,000 residents a day said RS Sharma, Director General & Mission Director of UIDAI.

Training courses at Election Commissions Institute launched: Courses for the first batch international participants
at the India International Institute of Democracy and Election Management (IIDEM) set up by the Election Commission of India started on June 27, 2011. The first short course is being held for a 5 member delegation from Interim Independent Electoral Commission (IIEC) of Kenya. IIDEM is envisaged as an advanced resource centre of learning, research, training and extension for participatory democracy and election management. The Institute is being developed in collaboration with the Government of India, United Nations, the Commonwealth and inter-governmental organisations like Sweden based International Institute of Democracy and Electoral Assistance (IDEA). The 54 member Commonwealth group has proposed to set up a resource centre for its member nations at IIDEM. IIDEM has four components. These are, Training and Capacity Development, Voter Education and Civic Participation, Research, Innovation and Documentation and International Projects and Technical Collaboration. The Institute will be a national and international hub for exchange of good practices in election management.

Rajiv Gandhi Advocates Training Scheme inaugurated: The Rajiv Gandhi Advocates Training Scheme was
launched at the National Law University Delhi with the objective of providing continuing and well-organised legal education to young practising advocates on June 27, 2011. The scheme envisages selection of 10 advocates from each state of India, every year for being imparted professional training. This training programme will cover issues such as: Alternative dispute resolution (ADR) Mechanism for settlement of Disputes; Plea bargaining and its importance; How to use Information Technology and Communication in court proceedings? Advantages of these tools in court proceedings; Art of cross examination; etc.

Number of MBBS seats in the country rises to 39,785: 21 new medical colleges were approved by the newly
constituted Medical Council of India (MCI) on July 1, 2011. The new board of the MCI, governed by Dr K. K. Talwar, gave its approval to these institutions based on the report of the earlier board, headed by Dr S K Sarin. On June 30, the MCI increased about 1,800 undergraduate seats. The total number of MBBS seats in the country now stands at 39,785. Of the 21 new medical colleges, five are government institutions one each in Andhra Pradesh, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh and two in West Bengal. It also approved three private medical colleges in Gujarat, one each in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh. Two other private medical colleges have been approved in Punjab, three in Tamil Nadu and three in Uttar Pradesh

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IIHS receives Rs 50 crore gift from Nilekani: Infosys co-founder Nandan Nilekani along with his wife Rohini Nilekani
on June 28, 2011 announced a gift of Rs 50 crore ($11 million) to the Indian Institute for Human Settlements (IIHS) to fund its School of Environment and Sustainability. This is a major step in a Rs 300 crore ($67 million) IIHS resource mobilisation campaign to fund five interdisciplinary schools, one of South Asias largest reference and digital libraries and other facilities for its Bangalore campus. An additional Rs 100 crore ($22 million) will be raised for chair professorships. The IIHS is nurtured and led by a group of eminent Indians who include: Xerxes Desai, Jamshyd Godrej, Cyrus Guzder, Renana Jhabvala, Vijay Kelkar, Keshub Mahindra, Kishore Mariwala, Rahul Mehrotra, Bansi Mehta, Rakesh Mohan, Nandan Nilekani, Nasser Munjee, Deepak Parekh, Shirish Patel and Deepak Satwalekar.

Indian Forest Service exam eligibility expanded: The government plans to expand the eligibility criteria for the Indian
Forest Service examination, to include Indian Institute of Forestry Management graduates and other science and technology graduates. This decision was taken at a recent meeting chaired by Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh in June 2011, considering the recommendations of the J.C. Kala Committee to improve IFS recruitment over the next 20 years. It was also decided that the examination, now conducted only in English, will soon be held in all other national languages too. In a further reform, specialisations in remote sensing and GIS will be introduced for IFS probationers, similar to the current wildlife specialisation.

Mozambique, India to work together on maritime security: India and Mozambique have agreed to work together on
maritime security to make the Indian Ocean a safe region for trade. An agreement to this effect was reached during delegation-level talks between the visiting Mozambique Minister of National Defence, Filipe Jacinto Nyussi, and Defence Minister A.K Antony in New Delhi on June 28, 2011. Nyussi thanked India for the help rendered by the Indian Navy in the rescue of a Mozambican shipping vessel from pirates off the Mozambican coast last year. The issue of piracy off the East Coast of Africa prominently figured during talks between the two leaders. Both sides also discussed various bilateral defence cooperation issues while identifying some new areas for cooperation to strengthen the existing relations between the two countries.

Navy inducts three fast interceptor craft: The Navy on July 1, 2011 inducted its first batch of three Fast Interceptor
Crafts adding strength to its nascent Sagar Prahari Bal (sea protection force) tasked to protect naval assets and bases on both the East and West coasts and island territories of the country. As part of the plan, orders for 15 FIC were placed with a French company at a cost of Rs. 60 crore. The first lot was deployed in Mumbai recently. The French firm is expected to fulfil the order by next year. Solas Marine, Sri Lanka is all set to be given the orders for another 80 FIC, worth Rs. 300 crore, after a global tender. The Cost Negotiation Committee of the Navy has completed its task and the formal contract is to be signed. After formal orders, it will take up to 36 months for the Sri Lankan firm to deliver the boats. These boats are normally between 80 and 100 metres in length, can travel at a high speed of 40 to 50 knots with a crew of up to 7 personnel and can carry a light machine gun.

Navy to add U.S. anti-submarine torpedoes to P-8I maritime patrol aircraft: The Navy will procure anti-submarine
torpedoes to be mounted on the P-8I long range maritime patrol aircraft that is currently under assembly in the United States. The U.S. Congress was officially notified by the Defence Security Cooperation Agency of the potential sale of 32 Mk-54 torpedoes and associated equipment, parts, training and logistical support to the Indian Navy at an estimated cost of $86 million. The P-8I is based on the Boeing Next-Generation 737 commercial airplane and is a variant of the P-8A the company is developing for the U.S. Navy. Last year, Congress was informed of the possible sale of 21 Harpoon missiles to the Indian Navy at an estimated cost of $200 million to be mounted on the P-8I.

Maoists supporters should be left alone, says study: A study sponsored by the Union home ministry has
recommended that Naxal sympathisers should be left alone to the confinement of seminar halls rather than persecuting them. Distinction needs to be made between Naxal activists and the cheerleaders, between incitement and advocacy and between criminal conspiracies and ideological sympathises. While the state can go all out against the Naxal over-ground activists, alleged persecution of the cheerleaders would provide no operational benefit, the study said. It would only endorse the Naxal description of the state as an intolerant oppressor, the study conducted under the aegis of the Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPRD) said in its action plan for the Left-wing extremism hit areas. The BPRD does studies on policing subjects under the command of the home ministry and the study was titled Social, Economic and Political Dynamics in Extremist Affected Areas. The findings of the study, conducted in Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Andhra Pradesh, have been submitted to top security establishment in the country including the home ministry and the National Security Advisor in For the Week: June 26 to July 2, 2011 , Bank PO

14 June 2011. In recent times, Naxalites have been described to benefit from support they have managed to generate from key intellectuals in the society.

New regional Coast Guard HQ to come up at Kolkata: A new Indian Coast Guard region with Kolkata as its
headquarters would become operational before the end of this year. The new Coast Guard North East Region, being set up in Kolkata, will become operational by the end of 2011, said IG S. P. Sharma, Regional Commander, Coast Guard East Region on June 27, 2011. Presently, the Indian Coast Guard has four regions - North West, West, East and Andaman and Nicobar headquartered in Gandhinagar, Mumbai, Chennai and Port Blair, respectively.

High-speed trains to connect small towns to national capital: The Railways plan to high-speed trains connecting
small towns of Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan to the national capital New Delhi under the proposed Regional Rapid Transport System (RRTS) to reduce travel time to just about an hour. The air-conditioned trains will run on dedicated tracks with a combination of elevated, at-grade and underground lines at a maximum speed of 160 km per hour. Initially three corridors have been prioritised, connecting Delhi-Gurgaon-Rewari-Alwar, Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut and Delhi-SonipatPanipat. According to a memorandum of understanding signed in New Delhi on June 29, 2011, the project will be implemented through a joint venture between the Centre and the States involved, the cost of which will be shared equally.

Wildlife Crime Control Bureau launches Friends of the wild: Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB), India on
June 28, 2011 launched its Friends of the Wild Initiative calling for enrolment of volunteers from all walks of life above the age of 21. The objective of the initiative is to conserve the countrys rich flora & fauna.

Bengal begins land distribution process, Tatas move apex court on Singur: The West Bengal government on
June 29, 2011 initiated the process of identifying land at the abandoned Tata Motors factory in Singur as part of its land distribution initiative for the unwilling farmers. The Tatas, meanwhile, moved the Supreme Court seeking a stay on the state governments move. A team of 50 surveyors began measuring the land at the project site to mark the 400 acres to be returned to the farmers who had not collected their compensation cheques.

Bengal Assembly passes resolution to set up Legislative Council: A 15-member House Committee comprising
members of the ruling coalition as well as the Opposition was constituted on June 29, 2011 to discuss the proposed Legislative Council for West Bengal on which a resolution was moved by the State Government in the Assembly on June 28. The proposal to revive the West Bengal Legislative Council after 42 years was referred to the Committee for further discussions following reservations expressed by the Opposition. The Committee would be headed by Partha Chatterjee and would comprise 10 members of the Assembly including Leader of the Opposition Surjya Kanta Mishra.

AP asks Sathya Sai Trust to furnish financials: The Andhra Pradesh government on June 29, 2011 asked the Sri
Sathya Sai Central Trust to furnish details of all the financial transactions, returns filed with the income tax department along with the assets, and activities of the trust and organisations associated with it within ten days. The move comes in the wake of a series of controversies regarding the alleged siphoning of cash and other valuables from Prasanthi Nilayam, where Sai Baba used to live. Allegations over shifting of cash clandestinely by people associated with the trust grew bigger after a vehicle carrying Rs 35 lakh from Prasanthi Nilayam was seized by the state police some ten days ago.

Treasure unearthed at Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple: Hundreds of kilos of coins issued by the government of
erstwhile Travancore and those from the time of Napoleon and the British East India Company were among the articles that were counted and weighed on the second day of inventorying of the contents of vault A of Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple in Thiruvananthapuram on June 29, 2011. The inventorying is being done by a seven-member panel appointed by the Supreme Court in presence of experts from the Department of Archaeology. The articles found inside the vaults are being counted and weighed. The inventorying of vaults A to F began on June 27; on the first day C was opened. D and F were opened on June 28. Vaults A and B were opened on June 29. Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy said on July 1, 2011 said the government would prepare a comprehensive security plan for the temple.

1400-year-old Kerala mosque to be restored to its original form: The Cheraman Juma Masjid in Kodungallur,
Kerala, believed to be the countrys first and oldest mosque, will soon be restored to its original form. Its management committee was giving final touches to a renovation project that would start in September, Masjid president P.A. Mohammed Sayed said in June 2011. The 1400-year-old mosque was reconstructed many times to accommodate the increasing number of believers. The mosque is believed to have been constructed in 629 AD by Malik Bin Dinar, a contemporary of Cheraman Perumal. For the Week: June 26 to July 2, 2011 , Bank PO

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Section B: WORLD
NSG decides to strengthen guidelines on ENR transfer
In a decision that could have a bearing on India, the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) has decided to strengthen its guidelines on the transfer of sensitive enrichment and reprocessing technologies (ENR) at its two-day meeting in Noordwijk, the Netherlands, which ended on June 24, 2011. The 46-nation NSG also considered all aspects of the implementation of the 2008 Statement on Civil Nuclear Cooperation with India. India had got a clean waiver from NSG in September 2008. Under the terms of the waiver, NSG members are allowed to make ENR transfers to India. The public statement of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) on June 24, 2011 stated that The NSG agreed to strengthen its guidelines on the transfer of sensitive enrichment and reprocessing technologies; without elaborating the changes to the guidelines. However, it is commonly understood that one of the major substantive changes, of concern to India, was the condition that suppliers should not authorise the transfer of enrichment and reprocessing facilities, and equipment and technology, if the recipient is not a party to the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and is in full compliance with its obligations under the treaty. The changes to the NSG guidelines have caused some concern in India since India is not a member of the NPT and hence under the new NSG guidelines not eligible for ENR (enrichment and reprocessing) transfers from the NSG members. The US has sought to play down any concerns, saying the NSG decision would bring India closer to international commerce in the nuclear sector. France has sought to reassure India that its recent endorsement of tighter rules for the export of ENR at the NSG in no way undermines the parameters of our bilateral cooperation in the nuclear field. France is committed to the full implementation of its cooperation agreement on the development of peaceful uses of nuclear energy signed on September 30, 2008, Ambassador of France to India Jerome Bonnafont said in a statement on July 1, 2011. However, the Ambassadors silence about the new condition of NPT membership for ENR transfers has worried India. Anil Kakodkar, who was head of Indias Atomic Energy Commission when that deal was reached, has termed the NSGs latest decision a betrayal.

Indias membership of NSG

Meanwhile, the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) began consideration of an American proposal to enrol India as a member. The NSG admits new members by consensus on the basis of a procedural arrangement, which stipulates that the proposed candidate must be a party to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) or a regional nuclear weapons free zone, place all its nuclear facilities under IAEA safeguards if it is a non-nuclear weapon state, be in a position to supply items on the NSG control lists, and adhere to the groups guidelines and non-proliferation efforts. Indias membership of the NSG is going to be difficult because this will be the first time the group will consider the case of a country, which has not signed the NPT. Israel and Pakistan are the two other countries, besides India, that have not signed the NPT, while North Korea, which signed, has since walked out. The U.S. backing for Indian membership of the NSG and other multilateral arms control bodies follows the public commitment made by U.S. President Barack Obama. Countries opposed to the move argue that allowing India to join the NSG could trigger similar demands from Pakistan and Israel. In its paper, the U.S. has said that it believes the NSG will be justified in assessing India to be a like minded partner based on the steps it has taken and will take to separate its military and civil nuclear programme.

For the Week: June 26 to July 2, 2011

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Gandhis Salt Satyagraha in Times top 10 protests

Mahatma Gandhi-led Salt Satyagraha during Indias independence movement has been named among the 10 most influential protests in the world by Americas prestigious Time magazine on June 28, 2011. In March 1930, Gandhi embarked on a 24-day march from Sabarmati Ashram near Ahmedabad to the small seaside town of Dandi, attracting followers along the way. The assembled throngs watched as he and dozens of others dipped into the sea to produce salt. The campaign was a non-violent protest against the British salt monopoly in colonial India, and triggered the wider Civil Disobedience Movement. Known as the salt Satyagraha - a Sanskrit term loosely meaning truth-force - it carried the emotional and moral weight to break the British Empire, the Time said. According to the magazine, Britains centuries-long rule over India was, in many ways, first and foremost a regime of monopolies over commodities like tea, textiles and even salt. Under colonial law, Indians were forbidden to extract and sale their own salt, and instead were forced to pay the far costlier price of salt manufactured and imported from the UK. That act - for which more than 80,000 Indians would get arrested in the coming months - sparked years of mass civil disobedience that came to define both the Indian independence struggle as well as Gandhi himself, the Time said Others in the list include: Boston Tea Party, 1773; Civil Rights March on Washington, 1963; Stonewall, 1969 (USA); Moratorium Against the Vietnam War, November 15, 1969; Muharram Protests in Iran, 1978; People Power, 1986 (Philippines); Tiananmen Square, 1989; Purple Rain Protest in Cape Town, 1989 and Egypt, Jan. 25, 2011.

Communist Party of China celebrates 90th anniversary

The Communist Party of China (CPC), which celebrated its 90 anniversary on July 1, 2011, was founded on July 1, 1921. In the turmoil of 1920s China, CCP members such as Mao Zedong, Liu Shaoqi, and Li Lisan began organizing labour unions in the cities. The CCP joined with the Nationalist Party in 1924, and the alliance proved enormously successful at first. But after liberating Shanghai, the Nationalists under Chiang Kai-shek turned violently on the CCP and drove it underground in 1927. Many of the CCP cadres, such as Mao, then abandoned their revolutionary activities among Chinas urban proletariat and went to the countryside where they were successful in winning peasant support. But this was destroyed by the military campaigns of the Nationalists, and Mao and the remnants of his forces escaped in the Long March (193435) to northern China. It was during this march that Mao achieved the leadership position in the CCP that he held until his death in 1976. Other important leaders who supported him in this period were Zhou Enlai and Zhu De. In 1936, Chiang Kai-shek was forced to call off his military campaigns against the CCP and instead enter a United Front with it against the Japanese invaders. While Chiang Kai-sheks Nationalist forces basically sat out the war in Chongqing, the CCP tremendously expanded its strength by fighting the Japanese invaders of China. By the end of the war it controlled base areas of some 100,000,000 people and had an experienced army and a workable political program of alliance between peasants, workers, the middle class, and small capitalists. When the civil war between the CCP and Chiang Kai-sheks Nationalists recommenced in 1946, the CCPs land-reform program increased its peasant support while Nationalist ineptitude and demoralization cost it what little support it had. Decisively defeated, remnants of the Nationalists fled to Taiwan while the CCP and its allies founded the Peoples Republic of China in 1949. Now 80 million strong, the CCP has transformed itself from an ideology-driven party of peasants and workers to a vast organisation that has shed much of its politics, now counting among its members Chinas most successful and wealthiest businessmen and women as well as the nations best and brightest. For the Week: June 26 to July 2, 2011 , Bank PO
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Google receives 67 content removal requests from India

Search engine Google on June 29, 2011 unveiled its Transparency Report, which is a complete list of elements that governments across the world have requested it to remove. The report in itself is an interesting window into how different governments treat the issue of free speech, readily available information and content. Content removal requests: Google received 67 requests from the Indian government for removal of content from its services in July-December 2010. 22% of these requests were fully or partially complied with. Web Search had 50 items requested to be removed followed by while Google Images had 1, Google Profiles had 2 and YouTube had 199. These were sought on grounds of Defamation, Impersonation, Privacy and Security, Government Criticism, Pornography, Hate Speech and National Security. These included requests from different law enforcement agencies to remove a blog and YouTube videos that were critical of Chief Ministers and senior officials of different states. It did not comply with these requests. Requests on user data: The search engine 1,699 received requests for disclosure of user data from Google accounts or services of which 79% was complied with.

India rejects OICs comments on J&K: India on July 1, 2011 rejected comments by the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC) on Jammu and Kashmir, asserting that the grouping has no locus standi on matters related to its internal th affairs. The 38 Session of the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers held in Astana, Kazakhstan from June 28-30, 2011 said it extended total support for the Kashmiri people and their legitimate struggle for legitimate right to self-determination. Greek Parliament passes austerity vote: The Greek Parliament passed a second austerity Bill by a comfortable margin of 155 votes to 138 on July 1, 2011, opening the way for the European Union (EU) and International Monetary Fund (IMF) to release a euro 12 billion ($17 billion) loan installment which Athens urgently needs to stave off bankruptcy. The vote on detailed measures to implement euro 28 billion in spending cuts, tax increases and privatisations passed without any of the violent street protests which marred the June 30 vote on an initial austerity Bill. With Greece perilously close to a default that would cause chaos in financial markets, the EU and IMF had demanded that both Bills be passed before it releases the next batch of a bailout package agreed last year. The Socialist government of Prime Minister George Papandreou, whose Pasok party trails the conservative opposition in opinion polls, is likely to face major problems turning the deeply unpopular austerity measures into action. The endemic problem of tax evasion and the need for swift action to begin a sell-off of state assets will be among the top priorities, bringing the risk of more confrontation with powerful public sector unions which oppose privatisation. German Parliament approves end to nuclear power by 2022: Germanys lower house of Parliament on June 30,
2011 overwhelmingly approved plans to shut the countrys nuclear plants by 2022, putting Europes biggest economy on the road to an ambitious build-up of renewable energy. The lower house of parliament voted 513-79 for the shutdown plan drawn up by Chancellor Angela Merkels government after Japans post-earthquake nuclear disaster. Germanys remaining nine reactors will be shut down in stages by the end of 2022. By 2020, Germany wants to double the share of energy stemming from water, wind, sun or biogas to at least 35 percent. Until this year, nuclear energy accounted for close to 25 per cent of Germanys power supply. The June 30 vote completed a spectacular about-face on nuclear energy by Merkels centre-right coalition. Only last year, it had amended a previous centre-left governments plan to abandon nuclear power by the early 2020s and extended the life span of Germanys 17 reactors by an average 12 years

Caretaker govt. system for polls scrapped in Bangladesh: The Bangladesh Parliament on July 1, 2011
Constitutional amendments in has passed a crucial amendment to the Constitution, scrapping the caretaker government system for holding polls and restoring secularism but retaining Islam as the state religion. Under the caretaker system, th introduced in 1996, general elections are overseen by non-partisan caretaker governments. The Constitution (15 Amendment) Bill, 2011 also brings in some other fundamental changes in the context of the liberation war against Pakistan, bringing back some principles which were deleted during military-rule. The Constitution now also acknowledges the countrys Independence War hero Sheikh Mujibur Rahman as the Father of The Nation. The Bill was passed by division vote with a majority of 291-1 for Prime Minister Sheikh Hasinas ruling alliance.

Bolivias exits UN anti-drug convention over coca leaf classification as narcotic: Bolivias government has
informed the United Nations it is renouncing the world bodys anti-drug convention because it classifies coca leaf as an illegal For the Week: June 26 to July 2, 2011 , Bank PO

18 drug, the Foreign Ministry said on June 30, 2011. Bolivias decision comes after a proposal by President Evo Morales to remove language obliging countries that have signed the convention to ban the chewing of coca leaves was rejected by the convention following US objections. Bolivia argues that coca leaf in its natural form is not a narcotic and forms an age-old part of Andean culture. Morales is a former coca growers union leader who has campaigned for the leafs traditional uses. Coca is a mild stimulant with high religious and social value in the Andean region. While it fights hunger and alleviates altitude sickness, it is also the raw material of cocaine. US officials have said they are concerned that Bolivias proposal would weaken the integrity of the UN Convention on Narcotic Drugs.

Asian African Legal Consultative Organisation organised: The 50the annual session of the Asian African Legal Consultative Organisation (AALCO) was held at Colombo from June 26 to will open here on June 26 to July 1, 2011 against the backdrop of increasing incidents of piracy in the region, and at a time when some nations are pushing for higher cooperation in legal matters. Eminent jurists, lawmakers from 47 member countries, and the President of the International Court of Justice, Hisashi Owada, attended the six-day deliberation, which did not list mutual legal assistance in criminal matters as part of the agenda as some member countries had reservations in acceding to the Treaty on Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters. Worlds longest natural gas pipeline operationalised: Chinas 8,700-kilometre-long natural gas pipeline, which is the worlds longest, was operationalised on June 30, 2011. The pipeline, which linked Turkmenistan with southern China, will boost supplies to the countrys booming industrial zones in Shanghai, Guangzhou and Hong Kong. The annual natural gas transportation capacity of the pipeline is expected to be 30 billion cubic meters. It is designed to provide stable gas supply for at least 30 years. It is expected to help ease strained natural gas supply in the Pearl River Delta and the Yangtze River Delta. Worlds longest sea-bridge opens in China: The worlds longest sea bridge, spanning 36.48 km across the mouth of
the Jiaozhou Bay in eastern Shandong Province, opened to traffic on June 30, 2011, four years after construction started. The 14.8-billion-yuan ($2.3-billion) bridge connects urban Qingdao with the citys less-developed district of Huangdao. Authorities expect the project to boost the development of an industrial zone in Huangdao and to facilitate the rise of foreign trade by increasing the ports handling capacity. The bridge would shorten the route between Huangdao and urban Qingdao by 30 km, cutting the travel time down from over 40 minutes to around 20 minutes. Before the projects completion, the Hangzhou Bay Bridge across the bay of Hangzhou, in eastern Zhejiang Province, was considered the worlds longest sea bridge. Qingdao officials also announced the completion of a 9.47-km-long undersea tunnel that runs parallel to the bridge.

US Supreme Court clears tax exemption for Indian mission in New York: The U.S. Supreme Court on June 28,
2011 upheld a decision by a Federal Appeals Court that had exempted the Indian and Mongolian missions from paying taxes nd of nearly $50 million on property in New York. In 2010, 2 US Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan upheld the State Department intervention in 2009, which exempts taxes on property owned by foreign governments and U.N. missions that housed diplomatic staff. Aaron Stiefel, India missions lawyer, underlined that the rule of reciprocity applied to the case since U.S. diplomatic buildings in India were not taxed.

Male Declaration on Control and Prevention of Air Pollution organised: The Male Declaration on Control and
Prevention of Air Pollution and its likely trans-boundary effects for South Asia was started by the Secretary, Ministry of Environment and Forests, T. Chatterjee in New Delhi on June 28, 2011.

Frances Lagarde appointed IMF Managing Director: French Finance Minister Christine
Lagarde was on June 28, 2011 elected Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund, maintaining Europes grasp on the top job at the global lender. Lagarde, 55, is the first woman to lead the IMF, succeeding Dominique Strauss-Kahn, who resigned in May to defend himself against charges of sexual assault against a hotel maid in New York. Her victory over Mexicos Central Bank Governor Agustin Carstens was assured after the United States made its support clear and emerging market economies China, Brazil and Russia did the same. She will have to immediately deal with an IMF-European Union effort to keep debt-stricken Greece afloat.

EU appoints Draghi as next ECB president: EU leaders on June 24, 2011 appointed Italys Mario Draghi as the next
president of the European Central Bank from November 1, 2011 to October 31, 2019. The 63-year-old economist and banker will replace Frances Jean-Claude Trichet, who steps down at the end of October after eight years in the euro zones top monetary policy post. For the Week: June 26 to July 2, 2011 , Bank PO

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Jose Graziano elected FAO Director-General: Jose Graziano da Silva, a former food security minister of Brazil, has
been elected Director-General of the Rome-headquartered Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), the U.N. agency tasked with reducing world hunger at a time of record high food prices. Graziano, currently FAOs regional representative for Latin America and the Caribbean, won on the second ballot with 92 of the 180 votes of FAO member states on June 26, 2011 in Rome. He beat out Miguel Angel Moratinos of Spain and four other candidates to replace Jacques Diouf of Senegal, whose 18-year tenure prompted a change in the agencys rules to set term limits. The Rome-based FAO is the largest U.N. agency with an annual budget of about $1 billion. It has faced longstanding calls from top donors like the United States for reform and budget cuts. World food prices hit a record high earlier this year, triggered mainly by bad weather, reviving memories of soaring prices in 2007-2008 that sparked riots in countries such as Egypt, Haiti and Cameroon. Current food security crisis that has left almost one billion people hungry could turn into a permanent disaster, endangering millions of lives as well as international cooperation, said former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, who chairs the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa, warned on June 27, 2011 in Rome.

Matthew Olsen is new US counterterrorism chief: President Barack Obamas choice for his next counterterrorism
chief is Matthew Olsen, a former prosecutor with extensive experience in intelligence matters for the federal government, the White House announced on July 1, 2011. Olsen, if confirmed by the Senate, would take over as the Director at the National Counterterrorism Center, an agency launched in the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001 terror attacks on America. The Center is charged with analyzing and integrating information gathered across the intelligence community and then providing assessments to the president and other senior policymakers.

International court issues arrest warrant for Gaddafi: The International Criminal Court (ICC) based at The Hague,
Netherlands on June 27, 2011 issued an arrest warrant for Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, his son Saif al-Islam and Libyan intelligence chief Abdullah al-Senussi on charges of crimes against humanity. ICC prosecutors allege they were involved in the killing of civilian protesters who rose up in February against Gaddafis 41-year rule. To prevent them covering up ongoing crimes and committing new crimes, they should be arrested. This is the only way to protect civilians in Libya, said ICC prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo, who had sought the arrest warrants.

Indias Kalyan Banerjee appointed Rotary International President: For only the third time in its
history, Rotary Club has installed an Indian as its President. Starting June 30, 2011, 69-year-old United Phosphorous Limited director Kalyan Banerjee will preside over Rotary International. Although Rotary is 106year-old, it came to India only in 1920, its first foray into Asia. Banerjee will oversee Rotarys campaigns for health, literacy and safe drinking water, while advocating his Presidential message: Reach Within to Embrace Humanity. The worlds first service club, the Rotary Club of Chicago, was formed on 23 February 1905 by Paul P. Harris, an attorney who wished to capture in a professional club the same friendly spirit he had felt in the small towns of his youth. The Rotary name derived from the early practice of rotating meetings among members offices. By 1921, Rotary clubs had been formed on six continents. The organization adopted the Rotary International name a year later. The organizations motto: Service Above Self.

For the Week: June 26 to July 2, 2011

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Section C: AWARDS
INDIA & WORLD Krishi Karman Awards announced
Ten States have been selected by the Ministry of Agriculture on July 2, 2011 for the newly instituted Krishi Karman awards for their performance in raising production of food grains. Three awards are being given for total food grain production and four awards for production of rice, wheat, coarse cereals and pulses the crops that constitute the food grain basket. Krishi Karman awards are the first-ever awards being given to States for their effort and contribution towards raising the countrys food grain production. Punjab and Uttar Pradesh are the joint winners of the Krishi Karman award in the category of States with overall food grain production of more than 10 million tonnes recorded in the last five years. Assam and Orissa get the award in the category of States with overall food grain production of between one and 10 million tonnes. Tripura is the sole winner in the category of States with overall food grain production of less than one million tonnes. In the second set of four awards, being given for individual crops and crop groups, the award for rice goes to Chhattisgarh, wheat to Haryana, pulses to Maharashtra and Rajasthan, and coarse cereals to Karnataka. Each award winning State gets a trophy, a citation and cash award. The cash award (for each State) is Rs. 2 crore for total food grain production and Rs. 1 crore for each of the four crops included in food grains. The awards will be given away by the Prime Minister later in July 2011.

Dabangg, My Name is Khan win IIFA awards: Shah Rukh Khan received the Best Leading Male Role award for
My Name is Khan while veteran actress Sharmila Tagore was conferred with the Outstanding Achievement award at the th 12 International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) awards in Toronto, Canada, on June 25, 2011. Karan Johar was the Best Director for My Name is Khan. Dabangg was adjudged the Best Film of 2010. Anushka Sharma won the Best Leading Female Role award for Band Baja Baraat. Sonakshi Sinha won the Best Debut Female award for her performance in Dabangg. Sajid-Wajid, alongwith Lalit Pandit, bagged the Best Music Direction award for their chartbusting numbers in the film, while Abhinav Kashyap and Dilip Shukla bagged the Best Screenplay award. The Best Playback Singer (Male) award went to Rahat Fateh Ali Khan for Tere mast mast do nain, while the item number Munni Badnam Hui got Mamta Sharma the Best Playback Singer (Female) award, both for Dabangg. Asha Bhosle was honoured with the Lifetime Achievement award, while Dharmendra was honoured for his contribution to the film industry. The Best Story award went to Shivani Makhija for My Name Is Khan, while Vishal Bhardwaj won the Best Dialogue award for Ishqiya. The Best Lyrics award was bagged by Niranjan Iyengar for My Name Is Khan.

Anjali Joseph wins two literary awards for Saraswati Park: Mumbai-born writer Anjali Joseph on June 26, 2011 bagged two top literary awards for her critically-acclaimed debut novel Saraswati Park the Betty Trask Award and the Desmond Elliot Prize. Both the awards carry a cash prize of 10,000 pounds. The Betty Trask Award is given to a debut novel by authors below the age of 35 who reside in a current or former Commonwealth nation. Desmond Elliot Prize is also awarded annually to the best first novel. India honours doyen of modern Sinhala music: The Indian High Commission in Sri Lanka honoured Sinhala musician and Magsaysay award winner Pandit Amaradeva at India House in Colombo on June 29, 2011 to celebrate his six decades of excellence in music and to underline the deep cultural and civilisational links the two countries share. Pandit Amaradeva (earlier known as Albert Perera) was awarded the Padma Shri in 2002. He composed the melody for the Maldivian national anthem along with Ananda Samarakoon (author of the Sri Lankan national anthem) and composermusician Sunil Santha. They are regarded as the founding fathers of the modern Sinhala music. Japanese honour for IIT professor: An honorary professor at IIT Kanpur, Dr. Shoji Shiba, was June 27, 2011 honoured
with the Order of the Sacred Treasure, Gold Rays with Neck Ribbon by the Emperor of Japan for his contribution toward fostering academic exchanges between Japan and India. The honour is a decoration bestowed in recognition of an For the Week: June 26 to July 2, 2011 , Bank PO

21 individuals (both Japanese and foreign) notable long-term public service. Dr. Shiba is the chief advisor to the Visionary Leaders for Manufacturing Programme in India, which seeks to create visionary leaders to lead Indias manufacturing sector into future growth. He is also a Professor Emeritus, University of Tsukuba, Japan.

Ravi Shankar wins Crans Montana award: Art of Living founder Sri Sri Ravi Shankar has become the first Indian to
receive the Crans Montana Forum Award. The honour was conferred upon him at a ceremony in Brussels on June 24, 2011. Along with Ravi Shankar, other recipients for 2011 were Alassane Ouattara (President of Cote dIvoire), Adrian Nastase (Former Romanian Prime Minister), Philippe Maystadt (President of European Investment Bank), Tahar Benjelloun (Psychologist and Writer), Mohamed Ibn Chambas (Secretary General of the African, Caribbean and Pacific, Group of States) and Richard Holbrooke (U.S. Ambassador) who was awarded posthumously.

ECONOMY & CORPORATE Indian ad agencies win 4 golds at Cannes Lions

Indian advertising agencies won 24 medals, including four Gold Lions and 10 Silver Lions at the Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival organised in Cannes, France from June 19 to 25, 2011. Advertiser of the Year award went to Swedish furniture company IKEA while Media Person of The Year award was conferred on Eric Schmidt, Executive Chairman of Google. The Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival is the largest gathering of worldwide advertising professionals, designers, digital innovators and marketers. Mudra Communications scored the maximum points for India and topped the table with three Silver Lions and five Bronze Lions and nine shortlisted entries. BBDO India came second with 20 points for its two Silver, one Bronze metals and seven shortlists. Ogilvy & Mather India with 13 points finished their trip at the third position. Gold Lion winners: Ogilvy & Mather, Lodestar UM and Out of the Box were the only Indian agencies to return home with a Gold Lion, while BBDO India won a Creative Effectiveness Lion. BBDO Indias entry W.A.L.S Women Against Lazy Stubble for Gillette won the agency a Creative Effectiveness Lion. The category was introduced at Cannes Lions this year, and doesnt have a Gold or Silver or Bronze distinction. Ogilvy & Mather won a Gold Lion in the Film Craft category for their entry titled Train for Indian Railways under the Best Use of Music sub-category. Lodestar UMs work for Garnier The worlds first newspaper on 100% newsprint for Garnier earned the media agency a Gold in the Media Lions category. Delhi-based design boutique Out of the Box won the agency a Gold Lion for their entry Love Blossoms Here for Mothers Pride in the Design Lions category.

Microsoft wins Randstad award for most attractive employer: Microsoft on June 30, 2011 won the first Randstad Award 2011 for being the Most Attractive Employer in India, closely followed by Larsen & Toubro. The Randstad Award, to encourage best practices and build the Employer Brand, has been launched in India by HR services company Ma Foi Randstad. Winners from different industry sectors were Volkswagen (auto and auto component), Ernst & Young (consulting), ONGC (energy), SAIL (manufacturing) and Taj Group (travel and hospitality). Meghdoot Awards presented to Postal Employees: Kapil Sibal, Minster of Communications & Information
Technology and HRD on June 27, 2011 conferred the Meghdoot Awards here today to the postal employees. This scheme of National awards known as Meghdoot Awards was instituted in the year 1984 to provide encouragement to the postal employees by recognizing performance of high standard. Meghdoot awardees in individual category were given a medal, a scroll and cash award of Rs. 11000 (Rupees eleven thousand). In Group Category, the Best Post Office Award for 2009 and 2010 was won by Chandragiri Head Office, Andhra Pradesh

8 Indians among 40 young global telecom leaders: As many as eight Indian-origin persons, including those working
with Tatas and Bharti group, were named among 40 young leaders of the global telecom industry on June 26, 2011. Indians featured in the 40 under 40 list by Global Telecoms Business (GTB), a telecommunications magazine, include Srinivasa Addepalli of Tata Communications, Pankaj Agrawal (Aircel), Ajay Chitkara (Bharti Airtel), Gauri Raizada (Tata Teleservices) and Rene Meza (Airtel Kenya), Mukesh Bavisi (Exponential-e), Udit Mehrotra (Shyam Networks) and Upendra Poranki (Nokia Siemens Networks). For the study, respondents were asked who they thought are the global telecom industrys young leaders of today and the leaders of tomorrow. To prepare the list, only those born on or after July 1, 1971, were considered. For the Week: June 26 to July 2, 2011 , Bank PO

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Section D: ECONOMY & CORPORATE

FDI declines 62% to $7b in 2010-11 RBI
Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) into the country in 2010-11 declined by 62 per cent in 2010-11 to $7.1 billion from $18.8 billion the previous year, according to the RBI data released on June 30, 2011.

Major Highlights:
During the year as a whole i.e. April-March 2010-11, despite improvement in net invisibles surplus, higher trade deficit led to increase in absolute size of current account deficit. However, as a proportion of GDP, CAD (Current Account Deficit) was marginally lower than the preceding year. Trade Balance (trade deficit) widened to US$ 130.5 billion (7.5 per cent of GDP) during 2010-11 from US$ 118.4 billion (8.6 per cent of GDP) a year ago. Net invisibles surplus (Invisibles Receipts minus Invisibles Payments) increased to US$ 86.2 billion during 2010-11 (US$ 80.0 billion last year). The increase in invisibles receipts was mainly driven by services exports, which recorded a growth of 37.8 per cent during 2010-11 (as against a decline of 9.6 during the preceding year) The Current Account Deficit (Trade Balance + Net Invisibles) at US$ 44.3 billion works out to 2.6 per cent of GDP during 2010-11 as compared to US$ 38.4 billion (2.8 per cent of GDP) a year ago. Net capital inflows increased to US$ 59.7 billion mainly driven by external assistance, short-term trade credits, ECBs and banking capital. Although net capital inflows were higher, accretion to foreign exchange reserves during 2010-11 was marginally lower as a larger share of increased flows was absorbed by the widened current account deficit.

Major Items of Indias Balance of Payments (US $ billion)

Item 1 1. Exports 2. Imports 3. Trade Balance (1-2) 4. Invisibles, net (Invisibles Receipts minus Invisibles Payments) 5. Current Account Balance (3+4) 6. Capital Account Balance 7. Change in Reserves (-Indicates increase;+ indicates decrease) R: Revised. P: Preliminary. PR: Partially Revised. 2008-09 (R) 2 189.0 308.5 -119.5 91.6 -27.9 7.8 20.1 April-March 2009-10 (PR) 3 182.2 300.6 -118.4 80.0 -38.4 51.8 -13.4 2010-11(P) 4 250.5 380.91 -130.5 86.2 -44.3 57.3 -13.1

Net Capital Flows (US$ billion)

Item 1 1. Foreign Direct Investment Inward FDI Outward FDI 2. Portfolio Investment Of which: FIIs ADR/GDRs 3. External Assistance 4. External Commercial Borrowings 5. NRI Deposits For the Week: June 26 to July 2, 2011 April-March 2009-10 (PR) 2010-11 (P) 2 3 18.8 7.1 33.1 23.4 -14.4 -16.2 32.4 30.3 29.0 3.3 2.9 2.8 2.9 , Bank PO 29.4 2.0 4.9 11.9 3.2

23 6. Banking Capital excluding NRI Deposits 7. Short-term Trade Credits 8. Rupee Debt Service 9. Other Capital Total (1 to 9) P: Preliminary. PR: Partially Revised. -0.8 7.6 -0.1 -13.0 53.4 1.7 11.0 -0.1 -10.4 59.7

Invisibles Gross Receipts and Payments (US$ billion)

Invisibles Receipts (April-March) 2009-10 (PR) 2010-11 (P) 2 3 95.8 132.0 11.9 15.3 11.2 14.3 1.6 1.9 0.4 0.5 70.7 99.9 49.7 21.0 54.6 53.9 0.7 13.0 12.1 0.9 163.4 59.0 40.9 56.5 55.9 0.6 9.1 8.0 1.1 197.6 Invisibles Payments (April-March) 2009-10 (PR) 2010-11 (P) 6 7 60.0 84.3 9.3 11.2 11.9 13.9 1.3 1.4 0.5 0.8 36.9 57.0 1.5 35.4 2.3 1.8 0.5 21.1 19.4 1.7 83.4 2.2 54.8 3.1 2.5 0.6 24.0 21.9 2.1 111.4

1 A. Services (1 to 5) 1.Travel 2.Transportation 3.Insurance 4.GNIE 5.Miscellaneous Of Which: Software Non-Software B. Transfers Private Official C. Income Investment Income Compensation of Employees Invisibles (A+B+C)

10th Quarterly Report on Effect of Economic Slowdown on Employment in India unveiled

The Tenth Quarterly Survey Report on Effect of Economic Slowdown on Employment in India covering the period January to March 2011 brought out by Labour Bureau was unveiled on June 29, 2011. The survey is an assessment of the impact of economic slowdown on employment in India in the period January to March 2011. The sample establishments covered in the previous survey have been revisited to assess the changes in employment. The results about effect on employment in the eight selected sectors i.e. textiles including apparels, leather, metals, automobiles, gems & jewellery, transport, IT/BPO and handloom / power loom are briefly summarized as below:Overall employment has increased: It may be observed from the enclosed statement that the upward trend in employment has been continuously observed since July 2009. During the quarter January to March 2011, the employment has increased in respect of these sectors except Textiles including apparels, Leather, Gems & Jewellery and Handloom/Powerloom and the overall employment has increased by 1.74 lakh during the quarter. Increase maximum in IT/BPO: At the sectoral level, the maximum increase of 2.87 lakh in employment during the period March, 2011 over December, 2011 is in IT/BPO sector, followed by increase of 0.16 lakh in Metals, 0.13 lakh in automobile industry and 0.06 lakh in Transport industry. Direct Vs contract workers: The maximum increase in overall employment by 1.80 lakh is seen in the direct category of workers as compared to (-) 0.06 lakh in the contract category of workers at overall level during the period January, 2011 over December, 2010. For the Week: June 26 to July 2, 2011 , Bank PO

24 Exporting & non-exporting units: In the export oriented units, the employment at the overall level has increased by 1.99 lakh whereas in the non-exporting units, it has decreased by (-) 0.25 lakh during the period January, 2011 over December 2010. Annual results: While comparing the results of the last four quarterly surveys conducted during 2010-11 i.e. March 2011 over March 2010, the overall employment has increased by 9.79 lakh, with highest increase in IT/BPO (6.65 lakh) followed by 1.11 lakh in automobiles, 1.01 lakh in textiles including apparels , 0.88 lakh in metals and 0.33 in leather during the period Sector-wise Changes in Estimated Employment based on Tenth Quarterly Surveys conducted by Labour Bureau

Changes in Employment during the Quarter (in lakh)

Industry Group / Oct To Dec 1. Mining 2. Textiles including apparels 3. Leather 4. Metals 5. Gems Jewellery 6. Automobiles 7. Transport 8. IT/BPO 9. Handloom / Powerloom Overall All the above Sectors * Not Covered &
(-) 0.11 (-) 1.72

2008 09 Jan to March

* 2.08

2009 10 April to June

* (-) 1.54

2010 11 Jan to March

* (-) 1.19

July to Sept
* 3.18

Oct To Dec
* 0.16

April to June
* (-) 0.63

July to Sept
* 2.45

Oct To Dec
* 0.4

Jan To March
* (-)1.21

* (-) 1.06 (-) 0.99 (-) 0.83 (-) 0.96 0.76 *

(-) 0.33 (-) 0.29 0.33 0.02 (-) 0.04 0.92 0.07

0.07 (-) 0.01 (-) 0.20 0.23 (-) 0.01 (-) 0.34 0.49

(-) 0.08 0.65 0.58 0.24 0 0.26 0.15

0.09 0.23 0.07 0.06 (-) 0.02 5.7 0.09

0 0.04 0.24 0.29 (-) 0.02 1.29 (-) 0.05

0.21 0.45 0.04 0.51 (-) 0.21 1.29 (-) 0.04

0.04 0.27 0.04 0.29 0.13 1.08 0.06

0.16 0 (-) 0.10 0.18 (-) 0.01 1.41 0.03

(-)0.08 0.16 (-)0.02 0.13 0.06 2.87 (-)0.18

(-) 4.91

2.76

(-) 1.31

4.97

6.38

0.61

1.62

4.35

2.07

1.74

Cairn-Vedanta deal gets conditional approval

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) on June 30, 2011 gave its conditional approval to Vedanta Resources to buy UK-based Cairn Energys Indian business. The CCEA has given approval to the proposal subject to Vedanta and Cairn agreeing to bear the cost of royalty for the countrys most prolific onshore field in Barmer, Rajasthan. Cairn will also have to withdraw the arbitration case challenging the paying of cess. Union Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister S. Jaipal Reddy said that Cairn and Vedanta will have to agree in principle to all these conditions. He also made it clear that the companies couldnt raise these issues again in the future. Cairn may have been expecting such a decision as on June 27 it had sweetened the deal for Vedanta by dropping the noncompete fee of Rs. 50 per share. Due to this, the value of the deal had dropped by more than $600 million. For the Week: June 26 to July 2, 2011 , Bank PO

25 Cairn India may have to fork out Rs. 12,600 crore as royalty over the lifetime of the Barmer oilfield, if it agrees to the conditions. The deal has been hanging fire since August 2010 when Cairn decided to sell its stake in Cairn India to Vedanta due to lack of regulatory approval. Cairn India holds 70 per cent stake in the Barmer oil field and the rest is owned by ONGC. However, the PSU pays entire royalty on the crude oil produced from the Rajasthan oil fields. Timeline 2002: Cairn steps in when Shell left the exploration work at Rajasthans Barmer. Public sector ONGC continued to be a partner in the block and decided to carry on the work along with Cairn, in what is known in government books as RJ-ON90/1 block. Aug 24, 2009: Cairn finds crude oil at RJ-ON-90/1, potential estimated at about 20 per cent to Indias production. Aug 16, 2010: Anil Agarwal-controlled Vedanta Resources agreed to buy a controlling stake in Cairn India from Edinburghbased Cairn Energy. Sept. 23: Government owned-ONGC, Cairn Indias joint venture (JV) partner in Rajasthans prolific Barmer oilfields, decides against placing a counter-bid. Oct. 3: ONGC, which currently pays 100 per cent royalty even though it owns 30% share in the JV wants Cairn Indias new buyer Vedanta to share royalty burden for government approval of the acquisition. Do not clear the deal till you get the royalty burden off our shoulder, was ONGCs message to the petroleum ministry. Feb. 2, 2011: The oil ministry says it will approve the deal only after royalty issue is settled. Cairn disagrees as it would reduce the price it would get from Vedanta. Claims that change in royalty or any other issues would violate terms & conditions of contract it signed in 2002. May 19: Cairn Energy extends deadline for Vedanta deal indefinitely. June 28: Cairn Energy Plc drops non-compete fee of 750 per share. It proposes an initial sale of a 10 per cent stake and a subsequent sale of a 30 per cent stake, after approvals.

New class of investors Qualified Foreign Investors created

In a significant move that could lead to higher and stable foreign inflows, the government has allowed a new class of foreign investors that would include individuals and bodies such as pension funds to invest up to $10 billion in domestic mutual funds from August 1. Currently, only foreign institutional investors (FIIs) and sub-accounts registered with the market regulator SEBI and nonresident Indians are allowed to invest in mutual fund schemes in the country. Under the norms, released by the Finance Ministry on June 27, 2011, a special class of investors Qualified Foreign Investors that would include individuals and bodies such as pension funds and are separate from FIIs has been created. All investments from the two routes would be under the purview of market regulator SEBI. The proposed move would not only help in attracting more foreign funds but is also expected to bring in more depth in the fast-growing domestic mutual funds industry. It was aimed at broad-basing the flow of foreign investment in the Indian stock market, so that dependence on FII funds, considered as hot money, is reduced.

Hydro, inter-state transmission projects exempted from tariff-based bidding

The Union government on June 30, 2011 amended the Tariff Policy to exempt all hydro power projects and inter-State transmission projects from the mandatory tariff based competitive bidding. Hydro power majors such as state-owned NHPC Ltd and Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam (SJVNL), along with transmission utility Power Grid Corporation of India Ltd are among those likely to benefit from the move. Under the tariff-based competitive bidding norms, developers quoting the lowest average electricity tariffs from a proposed project get to set it up, as against the erstwhile cost-plus model, where projects were set up through pacts with distribution utilities and were entitled to assured returns. For the Week: June 26 to July 2, 2011 , Bank PO

26

The deferment for hydro sector projects is based on recommendation of a Power Ministry taskforce, which cited high risks and uncertainties inherent to these projects as among the reasons why it is difficult for hydro projects to compete with thermal generation on long-term basis. Apart from an exemption to the all hydro electric projects from the mandatory competitive bidding till December 31, 2015, it cleared an exemption to the intra-state transmission sector from the mandatory competitive bidding for two years up to January 5, 2013

Solar power developers exempted from environment clearance: Solar thermal power developers such as Lanco
Infratech, Reliance Powers Rajasthan Sun Technique, and Godavari Power and Ispat can now go ahead with their projects without concerns regarding environmental delays. The Ministry of Environment & Forests on July 1, 2011 exempted entities implementing projects under the National Solar Mission from environment clearance requirement.

Committee on indigenous regional aircraft submits report

India could join by 2020, if not earlier, the select group of countries that manufacture aircraft. A committee, comprising top bureaucrats, aerospace scientists and industry leaders, on July 2, 2011 submitted a report to the Prime Ministers Office, which says the country has the technical capability to make a project to design and develop a regional aircraft with a seating capacity of 70 to 90 that would be stretchable to 80-100 seats. The committee chaired by former ISRO Chairman, G. Madhavan Nair, and Director-General of CSIR Samir Brahmachari has estimated that the project could cost about Rs. 7,700 crore Rs. 4,500 crore for the design and development activities and Rs. 3,200 crore for the production unit. The committee has suggested that the government bear the entire cost of design and development and set up a joint venture with the participation of the private sector for establishing a production facility. Discussions in this regard included interactions with the Israeli Aerospace Agency and a Swedish company, recommended that it could be a narrow-body turbo fan aircraft. The aim was to have an aircraft that would require a shorter runway for take-off and landing and at the same time be able to fly non-stop for about 2,500 km. The idea was to ensure direct connectivity among as many centres as possible in the country. The CSIRs Bangalore-based National Aerospace Laboratories (NAL) would take care of the design and development activities. It had recruited 85 engineers over the past one year for the project and 300 more would be brought in as the project progressed.

US-India Economic and Financial Partnership meeting organised

India and the US have agreed to work together in key areas of macro-economic coordination, financial sector reforms and infrastructure finance. The decision comes following bilateral talks between Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee and US Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner on June 28, 2011. The two sides agreed to a robust roadmap for the coming year that included deeper engagement in areas such as macroeconomic challenges, including growth, unemployment, inflation, global liquidity, commodity prices, international capital flows and fiscal consolidation, as per a joint statement released after the second ministerial level meeting of the US-India Economic and Financial Partnership in Washington DC. The first meeting of the US-India Economic and Financial Partnership was held last year in April, 2010 in Delhi. The joint statement said that the United States is committed to making the investments in technology, skills and infrastructure necessary to maintain and enhance U.S. competitiveness in the global economy. It said that India intends to take steps to marshal private and public saving to meet the infrastructure needs of a rapidly growing Indian economy. According to the joint statement, the two sides agreed to a robust roadmap for the coming year that included deeper engagement in the following areas within each pillar of the Partnership: For the Week: June 26 to July 2, 2011 , Bank PO

27 Macroeconomic challenges, including growth, unemployment, inflation, global liquidity, commodity prices, international capital flows and fiscal consolidation. Financial sector reforms, including deepening of capital markets, financial inclusion, and ensuring the stability, transparency, and integrity of the financial system. Infrastructure finance, including innovative strategies to mobilize capital for infrastructure development, and sharing best practices and building capacity for design and successful execution of Public Private Partnerships (PPPs).

India-Malaysia CECA comes into effect

The India-Malaysia Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA) came into effect from July 1, 2011. This is Indias fourth bilateral CECA, after Singapore, South Korea and Japan. The CECA envisages liberalisation of trade in goods, trade in services, investments and other areas of economic cooperation. Trade between India and Malaysia has reached US$ 10 billion in 2010-11, an increase of 26% from the previous year. It is expected that the implementation of this agreement will boost bilateral trade to US$15 billion by 2015. Goods trade: The trade in goods package under India-Malaysia CECA takes the tariff liberalization beyond the India-ASEAN FTA commitments, which were implemented by both countries on 1 January 2010. Under India-Malaysia CECA, the items on which India has obtained market access from Malaysia include basmati rice, mangoes, eggs, trucks, motorcycles and cotton garments, which are all items of considerable export interest to India. At the same time, adequate protection has been provided by the Indian side for sensitive sectors such as agriculture, fisheries, textiles, chemicals, auto, etc. Trade in Services: Under the services agreement of the CECA, India and Malaysia have provided commercially meaningful commitments in sectors and modes of interest to each other which should result in enhanced services trade. The CECA also facilitates the temporary movement of business people including contractual service suppliers, and independent professionals in commercially meaningful sectors including accounting and auditing, architecture, urban planning, engineering services, medical and dental, nursing and pharmacy, Computer and Related Services (CRS), and Management Consulting Services. Investments: The India-Malaysia CECA also facilitates cross-border investments between the two countries. It aims to promote investments and create a liberal, facilitative, transparent and competitive investment regime. The CECA creates an attractive operating environment for the business communities of both countries to increase bilateral trade and investment

India 62nd in Global Innovation Index rankings

India was ranked 62 in the 2011 edition of the Global Innovation Index rankings from being 56 in 2010 and 41 in 2009 issued on July 1, 2011 by the leading international business school INSEAD and its knowledge partners, Alcatel-Lucent, Booz & Company, CII and the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO). Switzerland topped this years list. The others in the top 5 are Sweden, Singapore, Hong Kong and Finland. The other major countries are; US (7), China (29), Brazil (47) and Russia (56). The Global Innovation Index is computed as an average of the scores across inputs pillars (describing the enabling environment for innovation) and output pillars (measuring actual achievements in innovation). The Innovation Input SubIndex comprises five pillars: Institutions, Human capital and research, Infrastructure, Market sophistication and Business sophistication. The Innovation Output Sub-Index is composed of two pillars: Scientific outputs and Creative outputs. The Innovation Efficiency Index, calculated as the ratio of the two Sub-Indices, examines how economies leverage their enabling environments to stimulate innovation results.
nd th st

HP, IBM lead 2011 India Supercomputers list

Indias fastest: The supercomputer at Computational Research Laboratories (CRL), jointly built with HP and armed with 172.60 teraflops (one trillion floating point operations in a single second), has topped the 2011 Supercomputers in India list unveiled on June 28, 2011. The Centre for Development of Advanced Computing ranked second with its Param cluster supercomputer. IBM, with its Blue Gene solution jointly developed with the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR), Mumbai, came third. IBM, however, had six of its high-performance computing (HPC) installations across India in the list that comprised 16 supercomputers. HP followed with five and SGI with three systems. Applications: Supercomputers are typically used for highly calculation-intensive tasks such as problems involving quantum physics, weather forecasting, climate research, molecular modeling such as computing the structures and properties of For the Week: June 26 to July 2, 2011 , Bank PO

28 chemical compounds, biological macromolecules, polymers, and crystals, and physical simulations such as simulation of airplanes in wind tunnels, simulation of the detonation of nuclear weapons, and research into nuclear fusion. They were introduced in the 1960s and were designed primarily by Seymour Cray at Control Data Corporation until Cray left to form his own company, Cray Research. Today, supercomputers are built by traditional companies such as Cray, IBM and HewlettPackard. Worlds fastest: Globally, Japans K computer is the fastest in the world. Named after the Japanese word kei, stands for 10 quadrillion, the K supercomputer is being produced by Fujitsu and located at the RIKEN Advanced Institute for Computational Science campus in Kobe, Japan. K computer is still under construction and is scheduled to enter service in th th November 2012. The K Computer retained its position in the 37 TOP500 list announced at the 26 International Supercomputing Conference (ISC 2011) held in Hamburg, Germany.

India Philanthropy Report 2011 unveiled

According to the India Philanthropy Report 2011, a report that tracks individual and corporate spending towards philanthropic activities, donations made by wealthy Indians stood at $5-6 billion in 2010. The figure has risen by at least 50 per cent since 2006. The report brought out by Bain & company, a global business consulting company, included a survey of over 300 wealthy individuals, including 100 high networth (HNI) individuals with assets of more than $ 1 million, focused on private giving within the country. The report unveiled on June 30, 2011 found that the wealthy were now giving away 1.5-3 per cent of their annual household income education, food, housing & shelter being the most popular causes for distribution of private wealth. Interestingly, about 40 per cent of them planned to increase their philanthropic donations over the next five years. Indias private charitable donations had stood at 0.3-0.4 per cent of GDP in 2010 up from the 0.2 per cent in 2006. Some of the biggest constraints holding back private donors in India are lack of accountability and transparency in charitable organisations and tax laws that deter giving.

Indian cos. can issue equity to fund capital goods imports: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on June 30, 2011
liberalised foreign direct investment norms allowing corporates to pay for import of capital goods, machineries and equipments by issuing equity to their suppliers. At present, corporates can issue equity shares or preference shares to foreigners who provide technology under the automatic route as also against royalty or lump sum fees. Equity issues of such nature are allowed subject to other conditions like entry route, sectoral cap, pricing guidelines and compliance with the applicable tax laws. This is subject to the import being in accordance with the Exim policy and the regulations issued under the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA), 1999 relating to imports issued by RBI. This move provides some operational flexibility to issue shares but does not open up new sectors for FDI.

Dealer commission on petrol, diesel increased: The government on June 30, 2011 raised the commission paid to
petrol pump dealers. The dealers commission on petrol has been raised from Rs 1,218 per kilolitre (kl) to Rs 1,499 per kl, resulting in Rs 0.27 per litre increase in retail price. The commission on diesel has been raised from Rs 757 per kl to Rs 912 per kl, resulting in Rs 0.15 a litre increase in retail prices.

Govt. plans 15 mn tonne extra storage capacity for foodgrains: The Union government is planning to create an
additional warehousing capacity of 15.2 million tonnes at an estimated investment of Rs 7,000 crore by end of 2012. The proposed capacity addition would be done under a public-private partnership (PPP) model, K V Thomas, Union minister of state for consumer affairs, food and public distribution, said on June 28, 2011. Presently, the gap in warehousing is estimated at 32 million tonnes. The present capacity is of the order of 6.2 million tonnes. Last year, the Warehouse Development and Regulatory Authority was set up to promote scientific warehousing in the country, regulate and enforce accreditation of warehouses, build a system of quality certification and grading of commodities and usher in a system of negotiable warehouse receipts in the country. The government of India has also extended the duration of the seven-year guarantee scheme for construction of warehouses to 10 years to attract more private players in storage and warehousing.

PAN must for high value jewellery buy, debit cards: Any purchase of bullion or jewellery worth Rs. 5 lakh or more
will require mandatory quoting of PAN from July 1, 2011. High-value purchase of jewellery, among valuables, have often been feared to be a much favoured route for circulation of black money and quoting of PAN would help the tax authorities in tracking such transactions. Recently, RBI had also asked the banks to consider the jewellers and bullion dealers as high-risk customers and to keep an enhanced vigil on their transactions. The transactions that already require PAN include sale or For the Week: June 26 to July 2, 2011 , Bank PO

29 purchase of any immovable property valued at Rs. 5 lakh or more, sale or purchase of motor vehicles other than twowheelers and bank deposits exceeding Rs. 50,000. These also include opening of bank accounts, hotel bills of over Rs. 25,000 and mutual fund investments of Rs. 50,000 and above.

RBI to introduce Rs. 5 coin to honour Mother Teresa: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) will shortly introduce a new
Rs. 5 coin with the theme Birth Centenary of Mother Teresa, a press release from AGM, RBI, Hyderabad, Ajit Prasad said on June 28, 2011. The face of the coin bears the lion capitol of Ashoka Pillar with the legend Satyameva Jayathe in Hindi inscribed below. The reverse of the coin will bear the portrait of Mother Teresa with the word Birth Centenary. Below the portrait of Mother Teresa, the year 1910-2010 will be inscribed in International numeral.

SCOPE to evaluate PSUs: The Standing Conference of Public Enterprises (SCOPE), an apex organisation of public
sector enterprises, is in the process of laying down a system of accreditation and evaluating them on the basis of performance. SCOPE Director-General U.D. Choubey on June 28 said once the evaluation criteria are finalised, SCOPE to will start rating the 249 public sector undertakings (PSU) after receiving governments approval. The ratings will help investors to measure the degree of professionalism in the board of the PSUs and their functioning.

TRIFED, NSTFDC sign MoU for economic upliftment of Tribal Artisans: An MoU was signed between Tribal
Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India (TRIFED) and National Scheduled Tribes Finance and Development Corporation (NSTFDC) for collaboration on Economic Upliftment of Tribal Artisans, in New Delhi on June 30, 2011. Kantilal Bhuria is the Union Minister for Tribal Affairs while Mahadev S. Khandela is the Minister of State for Tribal Affairs.

India in Figures 2011 unveiled: The Deputy Chairman, Planning Commission, Montek Singh Ahluwalia and the Union
Minister for Statistics and Programme Implementation, Dr. M.S. Gill released the Statistical Publications Infrastructure Statistics and India in Figures 2011 at the inauguration of the Statistics Day 2011, in New Delhi on June 29, 2011.

Advanced Centre for Energetic Materials inaugurated: DRDOs state-of-the-art composite propellant processing
facility ACEM (Advanced Centre For Energetic Materials) was inaugurated by Defence Minister, A. K. Antony at Nasik, Maharashtra on June 29, 2011.

India is worlds 4th largest steel producer: Despite a 7 per cent hike in its output, India slipped by a step to be the
fourth largest steel producer in the world in 2010, according to World Steel Association on June 30, 2011. India produced 68.3 million tonnes of steel in 2010 as against 63.5 million tonnes in 2009. The US, which produced 80.5 million tonnes as against 58.2 million tonnes in the previous year, overtook India and Russia to emerge as the third largest producer in 2010. China with an output of 626.7 million tonnes (573.6 mt in 2009) and Japan with an output of 109 million tonnes (87.5 mt) remained the top two producers of steel in 2010. Total global steel output stood at 1,413.5 mt, up from 1230.9 mt in 2009.

Essar to exit Vodafone JV for $5.46 billion: The Essar Group on July 1, 2011 decided to sell its entire 33 per cent
stake in the countrys second-largest GSM mobile operator Vodafone-Essar to the Vodafone Group for $5.46 billion. Essar will also pay a withholding tax of $880 million to the government. The deal will be completed by February 15, 2012. The amount is higher than the $5 billion that Essar was entitled to get by selling its entire stake to Vodafone before May 2011 as per their agreement in 2007.

Worlds first e-book on spices launched: Worlds first electronic book on spices, The agronomy and economy of black
pepper and cardamom the king and queen of spices was launched in London and other world capitals by Elsevier International on June 30. Prof K. Prabhakaran Nair has compiled the book in electronic form. Prof Nair traces the origin, history, global spread, development, agronomy, nutrition, economy, world trade, pharmacopoeia, end products etc., of black pepper and cardamom in 30 chapters.

CBI registers FIR against former DGH V.K. Sibal: The Central Bureau of Investigation on July 2, 2011 registered a
case against certain officials of the Directorate-General of Hydrocarbons, including its former chief, V.K. Sibal, and some private persons under the Indian Penal Code and the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988. It was alleged that the then officials of the DGH, technical arm of the Petroleum Ministry supervising the grant of licences and permission to private operators, had given undue favours to a private firm in a speculative seismic survey in lieu of personal favours obtained from its representatives. In 2005, a contract was awarded to the company for conducting a speculative seismic survey on a nomination basis at an exorbitant cost, and this allegedly caused the government a huge financial loss. A First Information Report was registered under Sections 120-B (conspiracy) and 420 (cheating) of the IPC and Section 13(2) read with 13(1)(d) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988.

For the Week: June 26 to July 2, 2011

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30

S. Goenka appointed ICC President: Shrivardhan Goenka, Director, Duncan Goenka Group, was on July 1, 2011
elected as the President of the Kolkata-based Indian Chamber of Commerce (ICC) for the year 2011-12. Rajiv Mundhra, Director, Simplex Infrastructures Ltd, and Sumit Majumder, Vice-Chairman and Managing Director of TIL Ltd, are elected as Senior Vice-President and Vice-President of the chamber, respectively, for the year.

Tanksale is new CMD of Central Bank: The government on June 29, 2011 appointed M. V. Tanksale, Executive
Director, Punjab National Bank, as Chairman and Managing Director of Central Bank of India for a period up to July 31, 2013. Established in 1911, Central Bank of India was the first Indian commercial bank which was wholly owned and managed by Indians. The Bank was founded by Sir Sorabji Pochkhanawala and Sir Pherozesha Mehta was its first Chairman. It was nationalised in the 1969. The Bank, headquartered in Mumbai, has a network of 3656 branches in 27 States & 3 UTs.

For the Week: June 26 to July 2, 2011

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Section E: SPORTS
India agrees to modified version of Umpire Decision Review System
India said on June 27, 2011 that it had agreed to a modified version of the controversial Umpire Decision Review System (UDRS). The International Cricket Councils chief executives committee unanimously agreed at its Hong Kong conference to make UDRS mandatory in all international Tests and one-day matches. This was disclosed by N. Srinivasan, the president-elect of the Board of Control for Cricket in India, in a statement posted on the BCCI website. The BCCI had questioned the accuracy of the technology involved in the DRS and the recent agreement marks a significant concession from BCCI which has been opposed almost from the moment of the systems inception in 2009. The ground-breaking deal means that India will, for the first time, agree to use the UDRS in a Test series when it tours England from July. Hot Spot to be used for catches: The BCCIs opposition to the current Hawkeye ball-tracking technology, on which the UDRS system is based, was accepted by the ICC. Hot Spot, the thermal imaging technology now available and made mandatory in the UDRS, will mostly be used for close catches and edges. The committee decided that the use of Hawkeye would continue to depend on agreement between both teams in any match. Lbw decisions: Lbw decisions will continue to be governed by the on-field umpires. Under the agreement, teams will be allowed to make one incorrect challenge to an on-field umpires decision before all their referrals for that innings are used up. A two-challenge system, broadly accepted by most of crickets leading nations, was in use at the recent World Cup in the subcontinent. Non-Test playing nations participation in world cup: The ICC also opened the door for non-Test playing nations to compete in the next World Cup, reversing its earlier decision to limit the 2015 World Cup, in Australia and New Zealand, to the 10 full-member teams excluding countries such as Ireland, the Netherlands, Canada and Kenya. The ICC said in a statement its chief executives committee had recommended a qualifying process for the 2015 tournament, without specifying how many teams it wanted to see taking part.

ICC bans politicians from boards: The International Cricket Council (ICC) crickets governing body on June 30,
2011 banned countries from appointing politicians to national boards, vowing to free the sport from undue government influence. The ICC took the decision to uphold the important principle of free elections and the independence of the sport at a meeting organised in Hong Kong. It was agreed that all member boards must implement the provisions before the annual conference in June 2012 and a further 12 months to June 2013 would be allowed before any sanctions are considered, the ICC said in a statement. The reform, which allows the ICC to suspend a member country in the event of government interference in the running of a national cricket board, will be hugely controversial in Pakistan where the President is the boards patron. Sri Lanka and Bangladesh will also be hit by the change. ICC chief executive Haroon Lorgat said the reform was needed to bring cricket in line with standards practised in other global sports.

Laxman touches 8000 runs in Tests: V.V.S. Laxman reached the 8000 run milestone in Test Cricket in his 85 run
knock in Indias first innings of the second test of the three-match series against hosts West Indies at the Kensington Oval in Bridgetown, Barbados on June 28, 2011. The test which began on June 28 and ended on July 2, 2011 ended in a draw. India scored 201 runs in their first innings after West Indies won the toss and elected to field. West Indies were bowled out for 190 runs in their first innings with Marlon Samuels scoring the highest (78 not out). India scored 269 runs in their second innings setting a target of 281 for the hosts. Laxman again top scored with 87 runs. West Indies were 202 for 7 wickets when play ended on the final day on July 2. Darren Bravo was the highest scorer with 73. Ishant Sharma who took six wickets in the first and four in the second innings was declared Man of the Match. Laxman who scored his fifty-first half-century in the second innings has also scored 16 centuries in 122 Tests. Only Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and Sunil Gavaskar have scored more runs for India. India had won the first test (June 20 to 23, 2011) at Sabina Park, Kingston, Jamaica by 63 runs; scores: India 246 and 252; West Indies 173 and 262. The third and final test of the series will be played at Windsor Park, Roseau, Dominica from July 6 to 11, 2011. For the Week: June 26 to July 2, 2011 , Bank PO

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Sanath Jayasuriya retires from international cricket: Sri Lankan allrounder Sanath Jayasuriya retired from
international cricket after playing the final match of his career a one-dayer against England at The Oval in Southwest London on June 29, 2011. The cricketer-turned-politician scored only 2 runs before he was caught by Eoin Morgan off Tim Bresnan. A member of the Sri Lankan cricket team since 1989 and Wisden Cricketer of the Year 1997, Jayasuriya is the only player to score more than 13,000 runs and capture more than 300 wickets in One Day International cricket. Batting: He scored 6973 runs in 110 Tests at an average of 40.07 with 14 centuries and 31 half-centuries and a highest score of 340. Member of Sri Lankas world cup winning team of 1996, Jayasuriya scored 13430 runs in 445 ODIs at an average of 32.36 at a strike rate of 91.21. He scored 28 centuries and 68 half-centuries with a highest score of 189. Bowling: 98 wickets in 110 tests at an average of with best figures of 5/34 (innings) and 9/74 (match). In 445 ODIs, he took 323 wickets at an average of 36.75 at an economy rate of 4.78 runs per over with best bowling figures of 6/29. Fielding: He took 78 catches in Tests and 123 catches in ODIs.

Saina Nehwal ends runner-up at Indonesian Open: Defending champion Saina Nehwal failed to complete a hat-trick
of titles at the Indonesia Open Super Series losing to Chinas Yihan Wang in the final in Jakarta on June 26, 2011. Saina, who won the title in 2009 and 2010, lost 21-12, 21-23, 14-21. World No. 1 Lee Chong Wei of Malaysia beat Denmarks Peter Gade 21-11, 21-7 to win the Indonesian Open for a third time. Saina had won three titles Indian Open Grand Prix Gold, Singapore Super Series and Indonesian Super Series in June 2010, before winning the Commonwealth Games gold medal and the Hong Kong Super Series. But in 2011, she has just one title Swiss Open Grand Prix Gold to her name.

Prerna Bhambri wins ITF womens tennis: Prerna Bhambri outplayed the top-seeded Keren Shlomo of Israel 6-2, 6-3
in the final to win the $10,000 ITF womens tennis tournament at the DLTA Complex in New Delhi on June 25, 2011.

Sebastian Vettel wins European GP: Force India driver Adrian Sutil finished ninth in the European Grand Prix while
Paul di Resta finished in the 14 position on June 27, 2011. Red Bulls Sebastian Vettel won the race and was followed by th Ferraris Fernando Alonso and Mark Webber. Indias Narain Karthikeyan, who drives for Hispania, was last in the 24 position.
th

Michael Nobbs appointed Indias Chief Hockey Coach: Michael Nobbs was appointed as Indias new Chief Hockey
Coach on June 29, 2011. His credentials were found superior to the other two candidates, both Dutch, Roelant Oltmans and Jacques Brinkman. The 57-year-old Australians name was finalised after a series of interactions with officials from Hockey India (HI) and the Sports Authority of India (SAI). A formal approval from the Union Sports Ministry is awaited. Nobbs has been offered a five-year contract.

Japan wins FIH womens Champions Challenge: Japan won the FIH womens Champions Challenge I beating United
States by three goals to two in the final at Dublin on June 25, 2011. Scotland won the bronze. India finished seventh while Azerbaijan finished last.

For the Week: June 26 to July 2, 2011

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Weekly Current Affairs update

For the Week: July 3 to 9, 2011

Major news of the week

Section A: INDIA
Supreme Court declares Salwa Judum as unconstitutional Supreme Court sets up special investigating team (SIT) to probe unaccounted wealth Textiles Minister Dayanidhi Maran resigns from Union Cabinet Annual allocation under MPLAD Scheme increased Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) declines to 212 per 1,00,000 live births in 2007-09 Government finalizes rules of Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage law New NSG guidelines may affect India in the long run - DAE India, Bangladesh sign agreement on MFN status NAC sends draft food bill to government Bengal, GJM agree to set up Gorkhaland Territorial Administration 78 MLAs resign over Telangana statehood demand Inter-State Migrant Workmen Act made gender neutral National Council for Teacher Education superseded AMU approves five new study centres AICTE lowers cut-off for engineering courses to 45% Government to rate schools for sanitation in new program Government approves special training package for J&K youth Central Vigilance Commission presents its annual report to President India gets Dutch support for UNSC seat Conference of Association of SAARC Speakers and Parliamentarians organised World Bank to provide $200 million loan to strengthen local government system in Kerala North East Craft Museum inaugurated at Guwahati Swiss company Pilatus to supply trainer aircrafts to IAF Cho-Lhamu declared Indias highest lake Shashikant Sharma appointed new defence secretary Aamir Khan named brand ambassador of the WCD Ministry Former Union Minister Daulat Ram Saran passes away Jamia Chancellor Khorakiwala passes away Film Director Mani Kaul passes away

Section B: WORLD
South Sudan becomes independent Yingluck Shinawatra forms coalition government in Thailand Australia to impose carbon tax on worst polluters Potato genome sequenced Indian Biomedical Research centre launched in Kyrgyzstan India to train Kyrghyz armed forces in UN Peace Keeping Operations Chinas Pak reactors receive NSG approval Arabi replaces Moussa as Arab League secretary general Cassini captures massive Saturn storm in unprecedented detail 11th century Angkor temple restored in Cambodia News of the World to close after hacking row Iran to develop search engine Ya Haq Jolie & Jessica Parker are Hollywoods top paid actresses - Forbes Monacos Prince Albert marries South African

Section C: AWARDS
Nagar Ratna awards for municipal bodies conferred Prime Minister Shram awards for 2010 announced

For the Week: July 3 to 9, 2011

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M.S. Gopalakrishnan selected for Nada Vidya Bharati honour Amartya Sen conferred Doctorate by NUEPA Delhi wins UN award for Mission Convergence U.K. honour for Indian cardiologist K. Srinath Reddy Raj Shah receives Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award Indrajit Banerjee is Best CFO of the Year

Section D: ECONOMY & CORPORATE

Draft Microfinance Bill makes RBI sole regulator of MFIs Report on Direct Transfer of Subsidies on LPG, Petroleum and Kerosene submitted Profit-sharing plan for miners dropped by GoM Exports grow 45.7% in first quarter Net Profits of PSBs at Rs. 45,000 crore in 2010-11 Guidelines for expansion of FM Radio broadcasting services unveiled NSSO unveils household consumer expenditure survey for 2009-10 Committee on Central Economic Intelligence Bureau submits report Govt. to make high resolution remote sensing data accessible to private users V S Hegde appointed full-time CMD of Antrix Planning Commission seeks land banks for industry Committee on New Pension System (NPS) submits report Number of telephone users in India at 874.68 million TRAI Mineral production increases by 11.83 per cent during 2010-2011 Electricity generation jumps 8% to 70 billion units in June Area under organic farming rises to 4.4mn hectare Govt notifies lifting of price controls on MRP of P&K fertilisers Coins with new Re symbol to be in circulation soon Net Direct Tax Collections less by 17% in Q1 2011-12 FDI from Mauritius declines in 2010-11 Farm products get cover under India-Malaysia FTA States permission compulsory for field trials of GM crops GEAC NALCO to infuse Rs. 1,700 crore as equity in Kakrapar N-plant Railways launch own e-ticketing service Mumbai, New Delhi among 5 cheapest cities in world MCA releases new CSR guidelines CII releases Code on Business Ethics Scotch Whisky gets GI status in India SC lifts ban on Lafarges mining in Meghalaya SC orders return of land to Greater Noida villagers SC begins hearing Sahara plea against SEBI order Delhi HC disallows Idea-Spice merger Post offices to offer core banking solution H R Khan appointed RBI deputy governor

Section E: SPORTS
Djokovic, Kvitova wins Singles titles at Wimbledon Novak Djokovic is new Mens World No 1, Caroline Wozniacki retains Womens No 1 ranking Harbhajan joins 400-wicket club in Test cricket Santhosh Kumar wins Indias only gold at Presidents Cup boxing Caruana wins AAI International Grandmasters chess Pyeongchang to host 2018 Winter Olympics Athletics coach Ogorodnik sacked for doping fiasco Das Gupta appointed Badminton Association of India President Kamat elected President of the Swimming Federation of India

For the Week: July 3 to 9, 2011

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Section A: INDIA
SC declares Salwa Judum as unconstitutional
Unconstitutional The Supreme Court on July 5, 2011 declared the appointment of Salwa Judum and special police officials (SPOs) from among locals to counter Maoists in difficult terrain as unconstitutional. It ordered that the practice be stopped and such SPOs and units disarmed and disbanded. Salwa Judum involved the deployment of tribal youth to take on Maoists in Chhattisgarh. Under this project, ongoing since 2005, some 6,000 young tribals have been made special police officers, or Koya Commandos, and given weapons to fight the Maoists. Currently, the SPOs are being provided arms training and being used to help the state police and paramilitary forces in entering the Naxal stronghold regions like dense jungles of Bastar. They were also being paid monthly emoluments of Rs. 2,000 by the state government. Cease and desist The apex court ordered the state of Chhattisgarh, immediately desist from using SPOs in any manner or form in any activities, directly or indirectly, aimed at controlling, countering, mitigating or otherwise eliminating Maoist/Naxalite activities in the state, a bench comprising Justices B. Sudershan Reddy and S.S. Nijjar said in an order passed on a PIL by academics Nandani Sundar and Ramchandra Guha and some social activists. It is also equally clear to us that in this policy, of using local youth, jointly devised by the Union and the states facing Maoist insurgency, as implemented in the state of Chhattisgarh, the young tribals have literally become cannon fodder in the killing fields of Dantewada and other districts of Chhattisgarh, the bench said. The judges cited Article 14 of the Constitution (equality before the law and equal protection of the law) as well as Article 21 (no one can be deprived of his life or personal liberty except according to procedures established by law). Since the Centre had approved the engagement of SPOs in anti-Moist operations by the Raman Singh government to help the security forces in difficult forest terrain, and was providing financial aid to the state, the court asked the Union government not to extend any Central assistance for employment of SPOs. The Union of India cease forthwith from using any of its funds in supporting, directly or indirectly, the recruitment of SPOs for the purposes of engaging in any form of counter-insurgency activities against Maoist groups, the order said. Governments response Meanwhile, the Centre on July 7 hinted it will move the Supreme Court to seek a review of its judgement ordering disbanding of tribals as special police officers in anti-Naxal operations and terming it as unconstitutional. The Union home ministry has sought the opinion of the Solicitor General (SG) Gopal Subramaniam on the issue. The SG is said to have backed the government on its stand of involving the local community in policing in areas affected by militancy and insurgency. The home ministry is likely to hold a meeting of the Chief Ministers of various states facing the menace of Naxalism, militancy and insurgency by the month end to discuss the apex court judgement and chalk out future course of action. Ethics The setting up a vigilante force of citizens runs contrary to the understanding that the state alone in democratic societies must be empowered to use violence in the manner sanctioned by the duly constituted authority and within the bounds of law. If this were not so, armed gangs of one or another persuasion would roam the land, in some cases enjoy official patronage, and justify their goals and motives in terms of righteousness, morality, culture, nationalism and revolutionary impulses of one or For the Week: July 3 to 9, 2011 Bank PO

4 another kind. What Salwa Judum does is to arm one set of citizens against another in a calculated and programmed manner in the belief that a national cause is being served, and criminals are being paid back in their own coin. It should be noted that the Salwa Judum idea differs in principle and in spirit from that of village defence units (comprising mostly retired Armymen) in Jammu and Kashmir some years ago to meet the onslaught by terrorists launched into Indian territory by Pakistan. The key difference is that VDUs, unlike Salwa Judum, were set up to challenge foreign mercenaries. It is to be hoped that after being disbanded, the Salwa Judum personnel would be removed to safety (as otherwise they would be sitting ducks for the Maoists), and given a start in another kind of life with the help of the Centre.

SC sets up SIT to probe unaccounted wealth

Recording its serious worries about the slow pace of action on bringing back black money stashed in foreign banks by Indians, and the pace of the probe against Indias biggest alleged tax evader, Hasan Ali Khan, the Supreme Court on July 4, 2011 set up a 13-member special investigating team to probe into the dimensions of unaccounted wealth. It also directed the government to disclose the names of those whose secret account details with Liechtensteins LGT Bank were supplied by Germany. The Court ridiculed the government for its action so far against Hasan Ali, particularly with regard to attachment of his assets. The Bench directed the Union of India to issue an appropriate notification and publish the same forthwith. The government was directed to extend full cooperation to the SIT to ensure smooth investigation in all aspects of the black money issue and remove any artificial obstacles in its way. The SIT will function under the control of two former judges of the Supreme Court, Justice B.P. Jeevan Reddy (chairman) and Justice M.B. Shah (vice-chairman), a bench comprising Justices B. Sudershan Reddy and S.S. Nijjar said, while including the RAW director in the SIT. MDB converted into STI The other members of the SIT would be the same as mentioned by the government in a multi-disciplinary body (MDB) established earlier. The members of the SC-appointed SIT on black money include the secretary of the department of revenue, the RBI deputy governor, the directors of the IB, ED and the CBI director, the chairman of the CBDT, the revenue intelligence director-general, the director of the financial intelligence unit and the joint secretary of foreign trade in the CBDT. In fact, the Supreme Court converted the Centres MDB into an SIT with the addition of the RAW chief, brought it under the control of the two judges and made it directly accountable to the apex court instead of the government.

Impeachment of Dinakaran allowed by SC: The Supreme Court on July 5, 2011 upheld the framing of charges of
alleged corruption and misconduct against Sikkim High Court Chief Justice P.D. Dinakaran by a three-member inquiry committee in the impeachment proceedings but allowed his plea for removal of the senior advocate, P.P. Rao, from the probe panel after the allegation of bias. Since the question of bias was raised, a bench of Justices G.S. Singhvi and C.K. Prasad thought it proper to allow the recusal of Rao from the probe panel, to ensure that the inquiry was completed as early as possible. To ensure early completion of the inquiry, the SC requested the Rajya Sabha chairman, Hamid Ansari, to appoint another jurist in place of Rao as early as possible.

Dayanidhi Maran resigns from Union Cabinet

The 2G spectrum scam has claimed another minister. Textiles Minister Dayanidhi Maran on July 7, 2011 resigned from the Union Cabinet, following allegations by businessman C Sivasankaran that he misused his position as telecom minister from 2004 to 2007 and sought favours for granting a telecom licence. Sivasankaran told the CBI that Maran forced him to sell his telecom business. For the Week: July 3 to 9, 2011 Bank PO

5 Maran is already facing a CBI inquiry into the allocation of spectrum licences during his tenure as communications minister. The CBI on July 6 informed the Supreme Court that Maran had coerced the Aircel founder, C. Sivasankaran, to sell his shares in the company to Malaysia-based firm Maxis in a quid pro quo for investing nearly Rs. 600 crore in his brother, Kalanidhi Marans company, Sun TV Direct. The CBI, in a status report submitted on the probe for the period between 2001 and 2007 on the allocation of spectrum during the tenure of three communications ministers Pramod Mahajan, Arun Shourie and Maran said the DMK leader had withheld his decision on the applications of Sivasankaran for spectrum licences for his company for a full two years in a bid to force him to sell his stake to Maxis, which is owned by T. Ananda Krishnan. Sivasankaran had alleged that Maxis had invested Rs. 599.01 crore in Sun TV Direct as a quid pro quo to help the company acquire Aircel. No action was taken on his (Sivasankarans) applications till the transfer (of shares) took place in the name of the Malaysian company. This man faced coercive action to sell the shares, the CBIs special counsel, Mr K.K. Venugopal, read out from the agencys report, filed in a sealed cover before a bench of Justices G.S. Singhvi and A.K. Ganguly. With this, he has become the second DMK minister at the Centre to fall victim to the 2G spectrum scam. Former communications minister A. Raja is already behind bars over the scam. Rajya Sabha MP Kanimozhi, daughter of the DMK chief, M. Karunanidhi, is also in jail for her alleged involvement in the scam. Kanimozhi was named by the CBI as a coconspirator along with A. Raja. THE RISE AND FALL OF DAYANIDHI MARAN MAY 13, 2004: Elected to the 14th Lok Sabha from Chennai (Central) constituency MAY 26, 2004: Joins Cabinet as minister for communications and information technology MAY 15, 2007: Resigns from the Cabinet due to differences with the DMK chief MAY 27, 2009: Re-elected to the Lok Sabha MAY 28, 2009: Re-enters the Cabinet as textiles minister JULY 7, 2011: Resigns again due to alleged irregularities during his tenure as telecom minister

Annual allocation under MPLAD Scheme increased

The Union Cabinet on July 7, 2011 approved the proposal to increase the annual allocation under MPLAD Scheme from Rs. 2 crore to Rs. 5 crore to each Member of Parliament with effect from the Financial Year 2011-12. The enhanced annual allocation involves a total annual expenditure of Rs.3950 crore i.e. an enhancement of Rs. 2370 crore per annum from the earlier Rs. 1580 crore per annum. The augmentation in the annual allocation of MPLAD Scheme will result in better fulfilment of the needs of the people and create more durable community assets based on locally felt needs. The Cabinet also approved the following: Annual administrative expenses of 2% of the annual outlay under MPLAD Scheme to be given to the Districts/States for proper implementation and monitoring of the Scheme. This would be met within the outlay of Rs.5 crore per MP per annum. An additional annual allocation of Rs. 5 crore to the Ministry of Statistics & Programme Implementation towards monitoring through independent agency(ies) and for capacity building/training to State/District officials to be imparted by the Ministry. Background The MPLAD Scheme was launched in 1993-94. The Scheme enables the Members of Parliament to recommend works for creation of durable community assets based on locally felt needs to be taken up in their constituencies in the area of national priorities namely drinking water, education, public health, sanitation, roads etc. The Scheme is governed by a set of guidelines, which have been last revised in November, 2005. As on 31.03.2011, 13.87 lakh works have been recommended by the Members of Parliament, and 12.30 lakh works sanctioned by the District authorities and 11.24 lakhs works have been completed since the inception of the Scheme. As on For the Week: July 3 to 9, 2011 Bank PO

6 31.03.2011, Rs. 22490.57 crore have been released since inception of the scheme and as reported from the districts, an expenditure of Rs. 20,454.56 crore has been incurred. The percentage cumulative utilization over cumulative release is 90.95%

Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) declines to 212 per 1,00,000 live births in 2007-09
India has impressively brought down its maternal and infant mortality rates, an indication that it is close to achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) set by the United Nations though the total fertility rate (TFR) has remained static after showing a decline during the past few years. The maternal mortality ratio (MMR) number of women dying due to maternal causes per 1,00,000 live-births came down to 212 (2007-09) from 254 in 2004-06. The MDG target for India is to bring down maternal deaths to 109 by 2015. Similarly, the infant mortality rate (IMR) the number of infant deaths per 1,000 live-births has registered a 3 point decline at 50 from 53 in 2008, though every sixth death in the country is of an infant. The mortality rate of girls is higher than boys, indicating a worrisome trend. The under 5 mortality rate (U5MR), denoting the number of children aged 0-4 years declined by 5 points over 2008 to touch 64 in 2009 as against 69 in 2008. However, the average number of children born to a woman during her entire reproductive period or the total fertility rate (TFR) remained unchanged at 2.6 during 2008-2009. The Total Fertility Rate (TFR) measures the average number of children that would be born to a woman over her lifetime at the current age-specific fertility rates. Releasing the latest statistics of the Sample Registration System (SRS), Registrar-General of India and Census Commissioner C. Chandramouli on July 7, 2011 said the progress of India on this front was vital for the overall reduction in the world as every fifth woman dying of reproductive causes was an Indian. Regional variations in MMR: The 17 per cent decline in the MMR was most significant in Empowered Action Group States and Assam from 375 to 308, indicating a fall of 18 per cent. In the south, the decline was from 149 to 127 (15 per cent) and in the other States from 174 to 149 (14 per cent). It is worth noting that the number of States that achieved the MDG target in 2007-09 has gone up to three as against one in 2004-06. Kerala, with a figure at 81, was the sole State earlier and it has now been joined by Tamil Nadu at 97 and Maharashtra at 104. Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, Gujarat and Haryana are in closer proximity to achieving the target. Regional variations in IMR: The maximum infant mortality rate has been reported from Madhya Pradesh (67) as against the national average of 50, while Kerala, again, is among the earliest to achieve the MDG target of 28, well ahead of the set date. Keralas IMR is 12, with Tamil Nadu just at 28. While Delhi is at 33, Maharashtra at 31 and West Bengal at 33 are within the reaching distance. Regional variations in TFR: The TFR for the country remained constant at 2.6 during 2008-09 with Bihar reporting the highest rate at 3.9, while Kerala and Tamil Nadu continued their outstanding performance with the lowest rate at 1.7. A TFR level of 2.1 has been attained by nine States and Union Territories, with Andhra Pradesh at 1.9, Karnataka (2.0), Kerala (1.7), Maharashtra (1.9), Punjab (1.9), Tamil Nadu (1.7) and West Bengal (1.9). At present, on average, a rural woman, (having a TFR of 2.9) at the national level, would have about one child more than an urban woman (having a TFR of 2.0). Regional variations in U5MR: A uniform decline of about 5 points is seen in the male and female under 5 mortality rate, with the maximum reported from Madhya Pradesh (89) and the minimum in Kerala (14). As of now Kerala, Tamil Nadu (33), Maharashtra (36), Delhi (37) and West Bengal (40) have achieved the MDG target of 42 set for 2015. Steps taken to bring down MMR and IMR: The Ministry of Health & Family Welfare has initiated several programmes to reduce the Infant Mortality Rate and Maternal Mortality Ratio. Two such schemes have been launched recently which are expected to further bring down MMR and IMR significantly during the coming period. Janani Shishu Surksha Karyakaram (JSSK) is a new approach to health care, placing for the first time utmost emphasis on entitlements and elimination of out of pocket expenses for both pregnant women and sick infants. The initiative entitles all For the Week: July 3 to 9, 2011 Bank PO

7 pregnant women, delivering in public health institutions, to absolutely free and no expense delivery including caesarean section. A pregnant woman would be entitled to free transport from home to the government health facility, between the facilities, in case she is referred on account of complications and also drop back home after delivery. The entitlements include free drugs and consumables, free diagnostics, free blood wherever required and free diet during the womans stay in the facility. Entitlements have also been put in place for all sick newborns accessing public health institutions for health care till 30 days after birth. This new initiative is estimated to benefit more than one crore pregnant women and newborns every year in both urban and rural areas. Another new initiative of home-based newborn care scheme is being launched to improve community newborn care practices and to improve early detection of neo-natal illness. Additional initiatives would be given to ASHAs for home visits at regular intervals for the care of the newborns

Govt finalizes rules of nuclear liability law

The Government has finalized the much-awaited rules of implementation of the nuclear liability law, a move that could pave way for expansion of the atomic power sector by procuring equipment from foreign suppliers. A PMO committee has approved the rules of implementation of the civil nuclear liability law. We will notify the rules within month, V Narayanasamy, Minister of State in the PMO said on July 7, 2011. The Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage law, passed by Parliament last year, allows the operator of a nuclear plant to seek damages from the supplier in case the nuclear incident occurs due to supply of equipment with latent and patent defects or sub-standard services. The suppliers liability aspect is built into the Indian law through the operators right of recourse incorporated in Article 17 (a, b and c), which has not been favourably accepted by a section of equipment suppliers and analysts. Once the rules are notified, foreign suppliers like Areva can go ahead and sign the commercial contract with NPCIL for the Jaitapur project. Areva, together with Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL), is building two 1650 MW nuclear power reactors at Jaitapur in Maharashtra. The French company had signed the early works contract with NPCIL last year for the Jaitapur project and was awaiting the notification of rules of implementation of the liability law.

New NSG guidelines may affect India in the long run

Any move to curb transfer of enrichment and reprocessing (ENR) technologies to India by NSG countries will have no impact in the near future but may create hurdles in the long run for the domestic nuclear sector. According to the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) on July 7, 2011, India has developed reprocessing technologies on its own using indigenous equipment. An enrichment facility, though of a small capacity has been operational for over a year. The need for access to ENR technologies from international sources would arise when India decides to set up a fuel reprocessing plant under IAEA safeguards. It is at this time that the supply of ENR technologies from international sources would become crucial. India may need them to reduce the capital costs of building the reprocessing plant. Indian scientists and engineers were capable of building reprocessing and fuel enrichment plants using indigenous equipment but it may prove expensive. India set up its first nuclear fuel reprocessing plant at Trombay in 1965. Subsequently two plants were built at Tarapur and Kalpakkam. The new guidelines bar ENR equipment and technology exports to states that have not signed or are not in compliance with the nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty (NPT), do not allow comprehensive IAEA safeguards, and do not allow more extensive monitoring under the terms of an additional protocol, among other criteria.

India, Bangladesh sign agreement on MFN status

India and Bangladesh on July 7, 2011 signed an agreement on investment protection and promotion according each other the Most Favoured Nation status in investments and resolved to jointly combat terrorism in all its forms. This follows talks between External Affairs Minister SM Krishna and Bangladesh Premier Sheikh Hasina and his counterpart Dipu Moni in Dhaka. The two countries inked a Bilateral Agreement on Promotion and Protection of Investments (BIPPA) under which investments of either country would not be nationalised or expropriated except for public purpose and that too against fair and For the Week: July 3 to 9, 2011 Bank PO

8 equitable compensation. The 10-year agreement also provides for repatriation of capital investments, non-operating profits, loan repayments, royalty payments and service fees on a non-discriminatory basis. The agreement also envisages that national treatment and Most Favoured Nation treatment to be accorded by either country to investments from each other. The two countries also signed an agreement under which India would allow transit of trucks carrying goods from Bhutan to Bangladesh, nine months after a similar deal was inked to enable Nepal and Bangladesh to trade through Indian territory.

NAC sends draft food bill to government

The Sonia Gandhi-led National Advisory Council has sent to the Government the draft Food Security Bill which seeks legal food entitlements to 90 per cent rural and 50 per cent urban households. The draft Bill was sent on July 7, 2011 to the government which is expected to take a view and present it to Parliament. The Bill seeks to create priority and general categories in rural and urban areas and issue to them appropriate ration cards to enable them to receive food grains at the rates applicable to them. The Bill proposes that at least 46 per cent of rural and 28 per cent of urban households become priority beneficiaries, who should get rice at Rs 3, wheat at Rs 2 and millets at Rs 1 a kg. It urges the government not to increase these rates for a minimum period of ten years from the date of notification of the Act. The rest of the beneficiaries would get a minimum of four kg of foodgrains per person per month at half the minimum support price for the year offered to farmers while buying their produce. The Bill proposes creation of a National Food Commission and State Food Commissions to oversee the implementation of the Act. These Commissions would have powers of a civil court to hold enquiries. It also states that fair price shops for the delivery of subsidised food grains should be set up within 3 km of a habitation.

Bengal, GJM agree to set up Gorkhaland Territorial Administration: The West Bengal government and the
Gorkha Janamukti Morcha (GJM) on July 8, 2011 signed a draft of Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) that will be forwarded to New Delhi for tripartite talks been the state government, GJM and the Union government. According to the agreement, signed by Home Secretary G D Gautama and GJM general secretary Roshan Giri, the new administrative body will be known as the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA). Earlier it was called Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council. The GJM dropped the word state from its original suggestion Gorkhaland State Autonomous Administration following objections from the government. According to the state Chief Secretary, the GJA will not have the power to legislate laws or collect taxes but will be authorised to collect levy from the tea gardens. It will have the authority to recruit junior-level government staff with the approval of the state government. However, the sensitive territory issue of the GJM has been referred to a nine-member joint verification committee. The committee will be formed to submit a report on the inclusion several parts of Terai and Dooars to the territory of Gorkhaland.

78 MLAs resign over Telangana statehood demand: The Telangana spectre returned to haunt the Centre with 78
MLAs from across the political spectrum and 10 Congress MPs quitting to demand the formation of a separate state while a 48-hour bandh from July 5, 2011 paralysed normal life in the region. Meanwhile, the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs on July 4 recommended repeal of a law to provide preferential employment in police for Telangana residents in Hyderabad zone. The move is being seen as a sop to pacify the agitationists. The clause (f) of paragraph 14 of the presidential order makes Hyderabad a free zone for employment in police and its repeal will ensure residents get preference. As many as 39 Congress MLAs and 34 TDP MLAs resigned from the Andhra Pradesh assembly, delivering a hard blow to the Kiran Reddy government. 11 MLAs of Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) and the partys Lok Sabha members TRS President K Chandrasekhar Rao and Vijay Shanthi also announced their resignations in support of the demand for a separate state.

Inter-State Migrant Workmen Act made gender neutral: The Government on July 7, 2011 took a step forward in the
path of promoting gender equality at workplace by deciding to amend the title of a law by replacing the word workmen by worker in it. The Union Cabinet at its meeting approved a proposal to amend the title of the Inter-State Migrant Workmen For the Week: July 3 to 9, 2011 Bank PO

9 (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) Act of 1979 to Inter-State Migrant Workers (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) Act, 1979. A bill to give effect to this amendment is likely to be introduced in the ensuing session of Parliament. A Task Force, constituted for amendment of labour laws concerning women and children, had recommended the change in the title to make it gender neutral.

National Council for Teacher Education superseded: The Union government on July 7, 2011 superseded the
National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) for six months and its functions have been taken over by the Human Resource Development Ministry. The NCTE is a statutory body set up to regulate development of the teacher education system. The supersession follows a June 2 show-cause issued to the NCTE following several complaints expressing dissatisfaction over its functioning. The show-cause expressed grave concern over the working the NCTE as well as its regional committees. The Centre took note of a review committee report, which pointed out major infirmities and defects in the decision-making process of the Northern Regional Council (NRC) and lack of monitoring and supervision of the functioning of the NRC and the NCTE. A writ petition filed by SASTRA University, Thanjavur, in the Madras High Court for a direction to the Centre to supersede the NCTE and allow universities to conduct teacher education programmes of their own without seeking NCTE approval is pending adjudication

AMU approves five new study centres: Aligarh Muslim University on July 7, 2011 sanctioned the establishment of five
study centres of distance education in different parts of the country. The approval has been granted for establishing these centres at different educational establishments at Saharsa, Bhagalpur and Muzaffarpur in Bihar. The remaining two centres will be established at Badaun and Moradabad in Uttar Pradesh. According to Director, Distance Education Centre, AMU, Mohd Rizwan Khan, the university does not have any financial commitment in the establishment of these centres which would fall under the ambit of the Centre for Distance Education. These centres will offer courses for graduates and undergraduates

AICTE lowers cut-off for engg courses to 45%: The All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) on July 6, 2011
lowered the eligibility criteria for engineering courses from 50 per cent in Class 12 (in physics, chemistry and math or PCM) to 45 per cent for general category candidates and 40 per cent for reserved category candidates. Candidates should have passed the Std XII examination...and secured minimum 45% marks, that is, not less than 135 marks out of 300 marks (and minimum 40% marks, that is, not less than 120 marks out of 300 marks in case of candidates of backward class categories) in physics, chemistry and mathematics added together, said the notification.

Govt to rate schools for sanitation in new program: Aimed at promoting clean hygiene practices in educational
institutes, the Government on July 7, 2011 launched a programme which will rate schools on the basis of their contribution towards effective sanitation. The purpose of the ratings is to recognize those schools which are taking significant steps towards effective sanitation and improvement in service delivery leading to the desired behavioural and attitudinal changes towards hygiene sanitation, HRD Minister Kapil Sibal said while launching the national school sanitation ratings programme .

Government approves special training package for J&K youth: The Union government on July 7, 2011 approved a
Rs 1,000 crore special package for imparting training to 8,000 youth annually in Jammu and Kashmir with the help of the corporate sector. As many 40,000 graduates, post-graduates and professional degree holders from all districts of the state will be covered in the next five years. "The estimated expenditure on the special industry initiative (SII) scheme is Rs 2.5 lakh per trainee," an official statement said after a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), which cleared the proposal. To be funded entirely by the Centre, it will be implemented in partnership with the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) and other institutions identified for the purpose.

CVC presents its annual report to President: The Central Vigilance Commission, investigating the multi-crore
Commonwealth Games scam, submitted its annual report to President Pratibha Patil. The report carried details of probe undertaken by the anti-corruption watchdog between January and December 2010. The report was given to the President on June 30 by its two Vigilance Commissioners R Srikumar and J. M. Garg. Newly selected Central Vigilance Commissioner Pradeep Kumar has not yet joined the office. According to the CVC Act 2003, It shall be the duty of the Commission to present annually to the President a report as to the work done by the Commission within six months of the close of the year under report. On receipt of such report, the President shall cause the same to be laid before each House of Parliament, the Act said. CVC acts as countrys top body to advise Government of India on anti-corruption and takes necessary action to check graft.

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India gets Dutch support for UNSC seat: The Netherlands, the worlds 16th largest economy, on July 5, 2011 backed
Indias permanent membership in an expanded UN Security Council and pitched for expanding economic ties to new heights. External Affairs Minister S M Krishna held talks with his Dutch counterpart Uri Rosenthal, who came on a three-day visit to India from July 4 to 6, 2011, on a wide range of issues, including the intensification of economic ties, UN reforms and the global financial architecture.

Conference of Association of SAARC Speakers and Parliamentarians organised: Prime Minister, Dr.
Manmohan Singh inaugurated the 5 Conference of Association of SAARC Speakers and Parliamentarians in New Delhi on July 9, 2011. The first Conference was held in 1995. At the SAARC Summit in Thimphu in April last year, SAARC Leaders had agreed that a Conclave of SAARC Parliamentarians be established in order to benefit from the democratic and participatory tradition represented by the Parliamentarians of South Asia.
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World Bank to provide $200 million loan to strengthen local government system in Kerala: The Government
of India and World Bank on July 5, 2011 signed a US$200 million agreement to strengthen the capacity of gram panchayats and municipalities in Kerala in Thiruvananthapuram. The Kerala Local Government and Service Delivery Project will fund improvements in local infrastructure to help Kerala usher in greater decentralization at the local level. This Project will provide gram panchayats and municipalities with additional discretionary funds as performance grant for the creation and maintenance of its capital assets; provide inputs to strengthen the capacity of these local bodies; strengthen the system that monitors their performance; and provide overall support to the Project Management Unit within the local body. The credit is from the International Development Association (IDA) the World Banks concessionary lending arm which provides interest-free loans with 35 years to maturity and a 10-year grace period. There is no interest charge but a service charge payable by the recipient on the withdrawn credit balance shall be 0.75% per annum. In 1994 India adopted the 73rd and 74th Constitutional Amendments, which has mandated the creation of local governments in both urban and rural areas.

North East Craft Museum inaugurated at Guwahati: The Union Minister of Development of North Eastern Region,
B.K. Handique on July 4, 2011 inaugurated the North East Craft Museum at Guwahati. This is the only Handicrafts Museum in the North East which has artifacts from all the North Eastern States. Under the initiative of North East Handloom & Handicrafts Development Corporation (NEHHDC), the Museum has been financed by the Office of the Development Commissioner (Handicrafts) and set up in a 10000 Sq.ft. shed.

Swiss company Pilatus to supply trainer aircrafts to IAF: Moving ahead with the procurement of 75 basic trainer
aircraft for the Indian Air Force (IAF), Defence Ministry on July 6, 2011 completed negotiations with Swiss company Pilatus, which emerged as the lowest bidder in the USD 1 billion deal. Under the Defence Procurement Policy (DPP) norms, the Contract Negotiations Committee (CNC) report is progressing for approval by the competent financial authority. Besides Pilatus, US firm Hawker-Beechcraft and Korean Aerospace Industries (KAI) from South Korea had pitched for the deal. The bid will fulfill IAFs need for a basic jet trainer after the fleet of HPT-32 basic trainers were grounded in 2009, following an air crash which raised concerns over its safety features. Presently the cadets are trained on Kiran trainer aircraft, which are actually meant for second level of flight training

Cho-Lhamu Indias highest lake: Cho-Lhamu Lake, located over 18,000 feet above sea level in Sikkim, has been
declared the highest lake in the country after a survey conducted by the Central Government. The Wetland Atlas prepared by the Union Ministry of Environment & Forests has stated that Cho-Lhamu is the highest lake in the country and the sixth highest in the world, State Tourism Minister Bhim Dhungel said in Gangtok on July 7, 2011.

Shashikant Sharma appointed new defence secretary: Shashikant Sharma, currently a secretary in department of
financial services, was on July 7, 2011 appointed as defence secretary for a two-year term succeeding Pradeep Kumar, who has been chosen the next central vigilance commissioner. Sharma, A 1976 batch Bihar cadre IAS officer, has earlier served as the DG (Acquisition) in the defence ministry and will take up his new assignment on July 31. Holding an MSc degree in Administration Science, Sharma has had a stint of total six years in the defence ministry in various important capacities. In another appointment, Shekhar Agarwal, presently special secretary in the department of ex-servicemen welfare, has been appointed as secretary, department of defence production, replacing Rajkumar Singh, who is now the home secretary.

Aamir Khan named brand ambassador of the WCD Ministry: Actor-producer Aamir Khan was on July 4, 201 named
the brand ambassador of the Women and Child Development Ministry for spreading the message of curbing malnutrition among children. Khan held a meeting with WCD Minister Krishna Tirath along with his creative team led by Prasoon Joshi, For the Week: July 3 to 9, 2011 Bank PO

11 making a presentation on his concept how he plans to spearhead the campaign on arousing consciousness among people about ill effects of malnutrition and prevent children from trap of malnutrition.

Daulat Ram Saran passes away: Former Union Minister and farmers leader Daulat Ram Saran passed away in Jaipur on July 2, 2011 at the age of 87. Saran was Minister for Urban Development and Housing during the Chandra Shekhar Government at the Centre. He was jailed for 19 months during the Emergency. Starting his public life early as a member of Bikaner State Praja Parishad in 1945, Saran represented Dungargarh constituency in Churu in the Rajasthan Assembly thrice. He was a Deputy Minister in the Mohanlal Sukhadia Ministry from 1957 to 1966 when he quit both the Government and the Congress party. Saran was elected to the Lok Sabha from Churu on Janata Party ticket in 1977 and then in 1980. When the Janata Party split, he first remained with the Janata Party(S) and then joined the Lok Dal led by Ajit Singh. In 1989 he fought on Janata Dal ticket to win from Churu again. Jamia Chancellor Khorakiwala passes away: Jamia Millia Islamia Chancellor since 2002, Fakhruddin Taherbhai Khorakiwala passed away in Mumbai at the age of 93 on July 5, 2011. He was the president of various institutes and organisations such as Indian Merchants Chamber, Indo-Swiss Society and Council for Fair Business Practices. He also founded the Indo-Arab Society and was awarded the Padma Shri for his contributions. Khorakiwala, who founded the countrys first departmental store Akbarallys in 1956, was also the former sheriff of Mumbai. Film Director Mani Kaul passes away: Mani Kaul, renowned film director and one of the leading lights of new Indian cinema, passed away on July 6, 2011. Kaul was one of the pioneers of the new wave in Indian cinema who explored new language and expression in his films. A graduate of Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), Kaul through his innovative imagery, vocabulary and experimentation started a new movement in Indian cinema. After passing out from FTII in 1966, Mani Kaul directed various films such as Uski Roti, Ashadh Ka Ek Din, Duvidha, Satah se Uthata Aadmi etc. His film Siddheshwari won the National Film Award for best documentary in 1989. .

Coastal Hazard Line Mapping

The Stereo Digital Aerial Photography (SDAP) has been started as the first step towards Coastal Hazard Line Mapping to help in management of countrys coastal zone. For the purpose of SDAP, the mainland coastline has been divided into eight blocks. They are, from the Indo-Pakistan Border to Somnath in Gujarat; Somnath to Ulhas River in Maharashtra; Ulhas River to Sharawati River in Karnataka; Sharawati River to Cape Comorine in Tamil Nadu; Ponniyur River to Krishna River in Andhra Pradesh; Krishna River to Chhattapur in Orissa; and Chhattapur to Indo-Bangla Desh border in West Bengal. Based on this, the maps will be prepared in 1: 10,000 scale and pillars will be erected demarcating the hazard line. The data of these areas will be collected and presented, flood lines over last 40 years will be identified, and sea level rise impacts of the same period will be identified. After collecting these data, a prediction of erosions to take place over next100 years will be assessed. This will be undertaken under the World Bank assisted Integrated C0astal Zone Management Project. The estimated cost of this survey is Rs 125 crore. The Ministry also released the Shoreline Change Atlas of Orissa earlier in 2011. The Atlas contains precise interpretation of shoreline change of the State. The Institute of Ocean Management, Anna University, Chennai had prepared the map. The information will be useful in providing an overview of areas that are likely to be more vulnerable to coastal erosion, identifying areas for development, conservation of coastal and marine resources and to safeguard coastal population from highly eroding and hazard areas.

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Section B: WORLD
South Sudan becomes independent
South Sudan gained independence from Sudan on July 9, 2011 as the outcome of a 2005 peace deal that ended Africa's longest-running civil war. An overwhelming majority of South Sudanese voted in a January 2011 referendum to secede and become Africa's first new country since Eritrea split from Ethiopia in 1993. The new nation stands to benefit from inheriting the bulk of Sudan's oil wealth, but continuing disputes with Khartoum and a lack of economic development cloud its immediate future.

Geography Formed from the 10 southern-most states of Sudan, South Sudan is a land of expansive grassland, swamps and tropical rain forest straddling both banks of the White Nile. It is highly diverse ethnically and linguistically. Among the largest ethnic groups are the Dinka, Nuer and Shilluk. Unlike the predominantly Muslim population of Sudan, the South Sudanese follow traditional religions, while a minority are Christians. History As Sudan prepared to gain independence from joint British and Egyptian rule in 1956, southern leaders accused the new authorities in Khartoum of backing out of promises to create a federal system, and of trying to impose an Islamic and Arabic identity. In 1955, southern army officers mutinied, sparking off a civil war between the south, led by the Anya Nya guerrilla movement, and the Sudanese government. The conflict only ended when the Addis Ababa peace agreement of 1972 accorded the south a measure of autonomy. But, in 1983, the south, led by the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) and its armed wing, the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA), again rose in rebellion when the Sudanese government cancelled the autonomy arrangements. At least 1.5 million people are thought to have lost their lives and more than four million were displaced in the ensuing 22 years of guerrilla warfare. Large numbers of South Sudanese fled the fighting, either to the north or to neighbouring countries, where many remain. The conflict finally ended with the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement, under which the south was granted regional autonomy along with guaranteed representation in a national power-sharing government. The agreement also provided for a referendum in the south on independence in 2011, in which 99% of southern Sudanese voted to split from Sudan. Economy Long based on subsistence agriculture, South Sudan's economy is now highly oil-dependent. While an estimated 75% of all the former Sudan's oil reserves are in South Sudan, the refineries and the pipeline to the Red Sea are in Sudan.

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13 Under the 2005 accord, South Sudan received 50% of Sudan's oil proceeds, which provide the vast bulk of the country's budget. But that arrangement was set to expire with independence. Despite the oil wealth, South Sudan is one of Africa's least developed countries. However, the years since the 2005 peace accord ushered in an economic revival and investment in utilities and other infrastructure.

India recognises South Sudan

India has become one of the first nations to accord diplomatic recognition to South Sudan. The recognition was accorded through a letter by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to South Sudans new President General Salva Kiir Mayardit, shortly after he assumed power at the Independence Day function in capital Juba on July 9, 2011. The letter was handed over to General Mayardit by Indias ambassador to Sudan AK Pandey. Vice President Hamid Ansari attended South Sudans independence day function. India would soon be appointing its Ambassador in Juba. At present, India has a Consul General. The ceremony, which marked the historic occasion the birth of a new nation, was attended among others by Sudanese President Omar Al-Bashir and UN chief Ban Ki-moon. South rd th Sudan would hence be the 193 country to be recognised by the UN and the 54 member state from Africa. Earlier on July 8, Sudan extended official recognition to South Sudan, calling it an independent state.

Yingluck Shinawatra forms coalition government in Thailand

Yingluck Shinawatra, the sister of ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, on June 4, 2011 announced an accord to form a five-party coalition government after her Pheu Thai Party won a landslide victory in Thailands Parliamentary Elections. Yingluck, whose party already won a majority of 265 seats in the 500-seat lower house of Parliament under preliminary results of June 3 polling, announced an agreement that would boost her coalition to 299 seats. The Democrat Party, which has led a coalition government for more than three years, will be in opposition. Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva has announced his resignation as leader of the Democrats, which won 160 seats. Yingluck is Thailands first female Prime Minister. To his supporters, Thaksin is a champion of the disadvantaged who was unconstitutionally forced from power by powerful elites, backed by the military. To his critics, the deposed PM was a corrupt and authoritarian leader who manipulated gullible voters. Thailand has been plagued by internal division since Thaksin was ousted by a military coup in 2006. Critics of Yingluck say she is too inexperienced and is simply a proxy for her brother. Timeline Sept 2006: Army overthrows government of Thaksin Shinawatra, rewrites constitution Dec 2007: Pro-Thaksin People Power Party wins most votes in election Aug 2008: Mr Thaksin flees into exile before end of corruption to trial Dec 2008: Mass yellow-shirt protests paralyse Bangkok; Constitutional Court bans People Power Party; Abhisit Vejjajiva comes to power Mar-May 2010: Thousands of pro-Thaksin red shirts occupy parts of Bangkok; eventually cleared by army; dozens killed 4 July 2011: The surprise runaway winner of Thailands election, the Pheu Thai party, says it has agreed to form a coalition with four smaller parties. The party - led by Yingluck Shinawatra, sister of ousted PM Thaksin Shinawatra - won a clear majority with an estimated 265 seats.

Australia to impose carbon tax on worst polluters: The Australian government on July 10, 2011 unveiled plans to
impose a tax on carbon emissions for the worst polluters. Prime Minister Julia Gillard said carbon dioxide emissions would be taxed at A$23 ($25) per tonne from July 2012. Australia is one of the worlds worst emitters of greenhouse gases per head of population. The country relies on coal for 80% of its electricity generation, and is a major coal exporter. The government plans to include any company that produces at least 25,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide per year. However, agriculture, forestry and land will be excluded from the levy. Motorists are also to be exempt, except for heavy lorries. For the Week: July 3 to 9, 2011 Bank PO

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Potato genome sequenced: An international team of researchers at James Hutton Institute in Dundee, Scotland on July
10, 2011 announced they had uncovered the full DNA sequence of the potato for the first time. The breakthrough holds out the promise of boosting harvests of one of the worlds most important staple crops. It could soon be possible to develop improved varieties of potato much more quickly. The genome of an organism is a map of how all of its genes are put together. Each gene controls different aspects of how the organism grows and develops. Slight changes in these instructions give rise to different varieties. By locating the genes that control traits like yield, colour, starchiness and flavour, the research should make it possible to develop better spuds much more quickly. Potatoes provide the worlds fourth-largest crop, with an annual, global yield of 330m tonnes

Indian Biomedical Research centre launched in Kyrgyzstan: The Defence Minister, A. K. Antony and the Kyrgyz
President, Roza Otunbayeva inaugurated the Kyrgyz-Indian Mountain Biomedical Research Centre, in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan on July 5, 2011. The Centre will carry out research on the mechanism of short term and long term high altitude adaptation. It will also mobilize and synchronise the expertise of the two countries in the area of high altitude research. The scientists will focus on molecular biology approaches to identify markers for screening of people for high altitude resistance and susceptibility to high altitude sickness and development of mountain maladies. The benefits of these studies will apply to a large population across the globe, as more and more people travel to the mountains every year. Indias contribution to the project is Rs 6 Crores.

India to train Kyrghyz armed forces in UN Peace Keeping Operations: India has offered its assistance to
Kyrghyzstan in a wide range of areas to strengthen its defence and security capabilities. The Defence Minister AK Antony made this offer at the extensive talks he held with his Kyrghyz counterpart Major General Abibilla Kudayberdiev in the Kyrghyz capital Bishkek on July 4, 2011. Antony lead a high level defence delegation including the DRDO Chief Dr VK Saraswat, Special Secretary RK Mathur, Secretary and Defence Finance Vijay Lakshmi Gupta and Chief Controller of Research and Development Dr William Selvamurthy. The Indian Ambassador to Bishkek, P. Stobdan also joined the deliberations.

Chinas Pak reactors receive NSG approval: Chinas supply of two new nuclear reactors for Pakistan has received
approval of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) at the June 23-24 plenary meeting of the 46-nation nuclear cartel in Noordwik, Netherlands. When NSG questioned China about the two new reactors, Chashma 3 and 4, Beijing insisted the deal was finalised before it joined NSG in 2004. The US had in March challenged China on the new reactors. On March 18, Robert Blake, assistant secretary in the US State Department, had earlier said that the construction of new nuclear reactors such as the Chashma 3 and 4 would be inconsistent with Chinas commitments as NSG member. China also got a thumbs-up from Germany. Days before the NSG meet, Germany, in an answer to the Bundestag, reportedly said, China can export nuclear goods for construction of reactor as Chasma 3 and 4 without violating NSG guidelines.

Arabi replaces Moussa as Arab League secretary general: Egypts Nabil al-Arabi on July 3, 2011 formally replaced
his compatriot Amr Moussa as secretary general of the Arab League. On May 15, Foreign Minister Arabi was selected to replace Moussa, whose 10-year tenure was due to expire and who harbours ambitions to run for the Egyptian presidency. The 22-member Arab League, based in Cairo, is being tested as the Arab Spring overturns the regions political apple cart. Arabi, 75, was a former ambassador to the United Nations and is an expert in international law, working at the International Court of Justice from 2001 until 2006. As a young diplomat, he was part of the Egyptian negotiating team that concluded the peace deal with Israel in 1978-1979. On March 06, he was appointed foreign minister in Prime Minister Essam Sharafs cabinet, in which capacity he reopened the Rafah border crossing with Gaza and brokered the reconciliation of Palestinian factions Hamas and Fatah. Moussa, also 75, was foreign minister from 1991 to 2001 under former president Hosni Mubarak before being appointed to the Arab League post.

Cassini captures massive Saturn storm in unprecedented detail: For the first time, scientists have captured in
unprecedented detail a massive storm raging on Saturn which is producing lightning bolts 10,000 times stronger than those on Earth. The storm has caused a "Great White Spot" on the planet which is visible from Earth, the Daily Telegraph reported on July 7, 2011. Observations from the Cassini spacecraft combined with images from ground-based telescopes, showed that the electric spectacle is producing a tempest so intense the flashes are occurring at the rate of up to ten times a second, according to the researchers who reported their findings in two papers in the journal Nature.

11th century Angkor temple restored in Cambodia: An ancient Angkor temple in north-western Cambodia was
reopened to the public on July 3, 2011 following the completion of a decades-long renovation project described as the worlds For the Week: July 3 to 9, 2011 Bank PO

15 largest puzzle. The restoration of the 11 -century Baphuon monument, one of the countrys largest after Angkor Wat, was celebrated with a high-profile ceremony attended by Cambodian King Norodom Sihamoni and French Prime Minister Francois Fillon. The finished project is the result of half a century of painstaking efforts by restorers to take apart the crumbling towers 300,000 sandstone blocks and then piece them back together.
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News of the World to close after hacking row: Rupert Murdochs News Corporation closed its tabloid News of the
World (NoW) as a result of an escalating phone hacking scandal with July 10, 2011 being the last edition of the 168-year old newspaper. James Murdoch, chairman of News International which publishes NoW, The Times and The Sun admitted its behaviour had sullied the reputation of the organisation. Recent revelations showed that a detective hired by the paper hacked the phones of families of the victims of the London 2005 bombings and of British soldiers killed in Afghanistan and Iraq

Iran to develop search engine Ya Haq: Iran is all set to launch the first phase of its national internet in August, Press
TV reported on July 5, 2011. Also called the Clean Web, the national Internet project seeks protection against the loose commitment to ethics and morality across the World Wide Web. Tehran has also undertaken a project to develop a national search engine called Ya Haq by early 2012

Jolie, Jessica Parker are Hollywoods top paid actresses: Angelina Jolie and Sarah Jessica Parker have topped the
list of Hollywoods highest paid actresses, earning an estimated $30 million this year, according to Forbes magazine. Forbes said Jolies success stemmed from her ability to handle action, drama and directing. Jolies earnings were boosted by movies such as Salt and The Tourist. On the other hand, Parkers big fortune was tied to the success of television and film series Sex and the City. Ranking third behind Jolie and Parker are Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon, who each brought in $28 million.

Monacos Prince Albert marries South African: Prince Albert II of Monaco and his South African bride, Princess
Charlene, married in a religious ceremony on July 2, 2011.

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Section C: AWARDS
Nagar Ratna awards for municipal bodies conferred:
President Pratibha Patil on July 8, 2011 conferred the Nagar Ratna Awards upon 12 Municipal Corporations and Municipal Councils in Mumbai. The Nagar Ratna Awards have been instituted by the All-India Institute of Local Self-Government () to recognise the best performing municipal bodies under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission. A selection committee, headed by the former Supreme Court Justice Arijit Pasayat, evaluated the performance of various cities on nine parameters, while adjudging the winners. There were two categories of awards. Three awards were given for the best overall performance. Nine awards were declared for good performance in different segments such as public health, roads and streets. Overall Performance awards: The Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation, which was adjudged the best overall performer, was given Rs.5 lakh and a trophy. The Mysore City Corporation received the second prize and the Pune Municipal Corporation was declared the third winner. Segment awards: Under the segment awards, the best public services award went to the Nashik Municipal Corporation. The Kalyan Dombivili Municipal Corporation won the award for improvement of roads and streets. The Vadodara Municipal Corporation won the award for providing basic amenities to urban poor. Bengaluru was awarded for financial management, Vishakhapatnam for use of Information Technology in governance and service delivery, Faridabad for recreational facilities, Rajkot for complaints redress system, Surat for innovation and Agartala for transparency and accountability

Prime Minister Shram awards for 2010 announced

The Government of India on July 5, 2011 announced the Prime Ministers Shram Awards for the year 2010 to be awarded to 76 workers employed in the Departmental Undertakings & Public Sector Undertakings of the Central and State Governments and Private Sector Units employing 500 or more workers in recognition of their distinguished performances, innovative abilities, outstanding contribution in the field of productivity and exhibition of exceptional courage and presence of mind. Prime Ministers Shram Awards recognize the outstanding contributions made by workmen as defined in the Industrial Dispute Act, 1947 in organizations both in public and private sector and who have distinguished record of performance, devotion to duty of a high order, specific contribution in the field of productivity, proven innovative abilities, presence of mind and exceptional courage and also to the workmen who have made supreme sacrifice of laying down their lives in the conscientious discharge of their duties This year, no nomination was found suitable for the presitigious Shram Ratna Award which is common for both the Public & Private Sectors. It carries a cash award of Rs. 2,00,000 & a Sanad and is given to a worker who has really outstanding calibre and has made exceptional all round contribution. Twelve nominations for the Shram Bhushan Award, Thirty eight nominations for Shram Vir/Shram Veerangana and twenty six nominations for Shram Shree/Shram Devi Awards have been selected. Even though, the total number of Shram Awards is 33, the number of workers receiving the Awards is 76 (including one women), as some of the Awards have been shared by workers and/or teams of workers consisting of more than one worker. These include 57 workers from the public sector and 19 workers from the private sector. SHRAM BHUSHAN: Total number of Shram Bhushan Awardees is twelve. It carries a cash award of Rs. 1,00,000/- and a Sanad. Nine nominations were found suitable for the Shram Bhushan Award for the year 2010 in respect of Public Sector Undertakings. The Shram Bhushan Awards in respect of Public Sector undertakings are given to S. Karuppiah, R. Jagadeesan, A. Veerappan, S. Raja ( jointly) all from Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd Tiruchirapalli and Mukund Mohan, Narayan Rao, Toran Lal Sahu, Girivar Prasad Sharma, G.B.S Choudhary (jointly) all from Bhilai Steel Plant and in respect of Private Sector to Sachikanta Mahato and Rajesh Kumar Dwivedi (Jointly) both from Tata Steel Ltd., Jamshedpur and Shri Swapan Bera from Tata Steel Ltd., Jamshedpur. SHRAM VIR/VEERANGANA: Total number of Shram Vir/Shram Veerangana Awardees is thirty eight. It carries a cash award of Rs. 60,000/- and a Sanad. No female worker from Public Sector and Private Sector was found suitable for Shram Veerangana Award. For the Week: July 3 to 9, 2011 Bank PO

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SHRAM SHREE/DEVI: Total number of Shram Shree/Shram Devi Awardees is twenty six. It carries a cash award of Rs. 40,000/- and a Sanad. One female workers from Public sector have been selected for Shram Devi Awards for this year.

M.S. Gopalakrishnan selected for Nada Vidya Bharati honour: The title of Nada Vidya Bharati will be conferred
upon violinist Sangeeta Kalanidhi M.S. Gopalakrishnan of Chennai by the Visakha Music and Dance Academy here at Kalabharati auditorium on August 13, the first day of weeklong national-level festival of music, dance and drama. Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting Ambika Soni will award the title, which carries a Swarnakamalam (gold lotus), new clothes and Rs.1 lakh in cash. The previous recipients of the title here were Mridangam player Umayalpuram K. Sivaraman, flautist Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia and Kuchipudi exponent Nataraja Ramakrishna during the past three years. (July 7, 2011)

Amartya Sen conferred Doctorate by NUEPA: The Union Minister for Human Resource Development and
Communications and Information Technology, Kapil Sibal conferred the Degree of Doctor of Literature (Honoris Causa) on the Nobel Laureate, Prof. Amartya Sen, at a Special Convocation of National University of Educational Planning and Administration (NUEPA), in New Delhi on July 4, 2011. Sen is the Thomas W. Lamont University Professor and Professor of Economics and Philosophy, Harvard University, and the winner of the 1998 Nobel Prize in Economic Science.

Delhi wins UN award for Mission Convergence: Delhi government on July 7, 2011 won the United Nations Public
Service Award for its Mission Convergence programme in the field of improving the delivery of public services. The programme, initiated in 2008 and implemented by Samajik Suvidha Sangam, seeks to address urban poverty. Meanwhile Swanchetan, an NGO, has been conferred the United Nations Public Service Award for gender category in 2011, making it the first civil society organisation from India to be chosen for the prestigious award.

U.K. honour for Indian cardiologist K. Srinath Reddy: K. Srinath Reddy Leading cardiologist K. Srinath Reddy was on July 8, 2011 awarded an honorary degree of Doctor of Science by Scotlands Aberdeen University for his pioneering work in the field of public health. Currently president of the Public Health Foundation of India and a former head of the Department of Cardiology at the All-India Institute of Medical Sciences in New Delhi, Dr. Reddy is regarded as a global leader in preventative cardiology and in the field of public health and has made a significant impact in the prevention of noncommunicable diseases in developing countries. Raj Shah receives Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award: USAID Administrator Raj Shah, who is the highest ranking
Indian-American official in the Obama Administration, received the prestigious Pravasi Bharatiya Samman award 2011 from Indian Ambassador to the US Meera Shankar in Washington on July 7, 2011.

Indrajit Banerjee is Best CFO of the Year: Indrajit Banerjee, Chief Financial Officer of Cairn India Ltd has been
adjudged the best CFO of the year in the Best Treasurer category. Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee conferred the Business Today CFO of the Year (Best Treasurer Category) on Banerjee on July 5, 2011 at New Delhi. This year the awards picked the best CFOs in the country the ones who best succeeded in finding the balance between company growth and meeting shareholder expectations, while keeping input costs down during the difficult financial year of 2009/10. The winner of the CFO award was chosen from analysis of 500 companies, ranked by market capitalisation. The list was sorted into three: large companies, or those with revenues of more than Rs 2,000 crore, mid-sized companies, whose revenues were lower, and public sector units or PSUs.

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Section D: ECONOMY & CORPORATE

Draft Microfinance Bill makes RBI sole regulator of MFIs
The government has proposed a regulatory framework for the microfinance industry that provides protection to the consumer, makes the Reserve Bank of India the sole regulator and puts industry under a strict watch. The draft Micro Finance Institutions (Development and Regulation) Bill 2011 gives sweeping power to the RBI by bringing all aspect of microfinance under its oversight. The finance ministry on July 6, 2011 put out the draft bill for comments. The government has now sought comments from all stakeholders before finalising the bill. Registration of MFIs mandatory: The bill has proposed that any entity, except banks, which provides microfinance services would be treated as a micro finance institution (MFI) and come under the RBIs regulatory oversight. Every MFI, including the existing ones, will have to register with the RBI within three months of the commencement of the Act. MFIs with net owned funds of less than Rs 5 lakh wouldnt be allowed to register. The larger MFIs, termed as systemically important micro finance institutions, will have to register themselves under the Companies Act. Such MFIs will further need to comply with possibly more stringent RBI directives. MFIs disclosures to borrowers: MFIs will have to convey to every borrower the annual percentage rate, comprising the annual interest rate, processing fees or any other charges or fees levied by them. RBIs purview The bill has not put any cap on the interest rates charged by the MFIs, but gives the RBI sweeping powers to regulate lending rates and margins apart from fixing prudential norms. The Bill proposes to empower RBI to issue directions to MFIs on margin caps, tenure of loans, periodicity of repayment schedules, levy of processing fees, interest and life insurance premium, among others. It will also be allowed to specify the maximum annual percentage rate that can be charged by an MFI on the financial assistance granted to any client. The Malegam committee of RBI had recommended an average margin cap of 10 per cent for MFIs having a loan portfolio of Rs 100 crore, of 12 per cent for smaller MFIs and a cap of 24 per cent for interest on individual loans. Currently, most MFIs are charging an interest rate over 24 per cent. Depending on the size of their operations and other relevant parameters, MFIs will be required to maintain the percentage of margin as may be specified by RBI from time to time. The Bill says every micro lender must create reserve funds for loans and refinance to other micro-finance companies. RBI, with the previous approval of the central government, will be allowed to delegate any of its powers conferred under this Act to the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development in respect of any micro finance institution or a class of micro finance institutions. Micro Finance Development Council: While the RBI will be the sole regulator, the draft Bill also provides for setting up of a Micro Finance Development Council to advise the Central government, on formulation of policies, schemes and other measures required in the interest of orderly growth and development of the sector. For looking into the complainants of the consumers, the RBI in consultation with the Micro Finance Development Council and the State Advisory Councils can appoint micro finance ombudsmen to redress the grievances. The AP impasse: The MFI segment has been in turmoil since October last year when Andhra Pradesh (AP), the biggest state for microfinance activities, decided to regulate the sector following reports of borrower suicides because of coercive recovery by lenders. The tough stand had hit MFI business in the state, which accounts for a third of MFI outstandings in the country. In Andhra, the loan recovery rate has fallen to about 10% from over 95% in early 2010, landing many MFIs in a soup. The situation got exacerbated when banks began to deny fresh loans to them. The Centre and the RBI subsequently decided to prepare a national framework for regulation. The RBI set up a committee under its board member YH Malegam to For the Week: July 3 to 9, 2011 Bank PO

19 suggest a framework. The draft bill draws heavily from the recommendations of the committee. The Central bill would overrule the provisions of the Andhra Pradesh Microfinance Institutions (Regulation of Money-lending) Act, 2010. The state law was widely criticised by micro lenders for prescribing cumbersome processes that could hamper fresh lending to their customers.

Report on Direct Transfer of Subsidies on LPG, Petroleum and Kerosene submitted

The Interim Report of the Task Force on Direct Transfer of Subsidies by the Chairman of the Task Force and Chairman, Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), Nandan Nilekani was submitted to the Finance Minister on July 5, 2011. The interim report recommends an implementable solution, in a phased manner, for direct transfer of subsidies on LPG, Fertiliser and Kerosene. The direct transfer of subsidies is expected to help in curbing pilferage and leakages. The Interim Report has been submitted as per schedule. Pilots would be implemented in the next 6 months. The learnings from the Pilots during its implementation in the coming months will form the basis of the Final report. The Task Force would oversee and supervise the implementation of the pilots to come out with an implementable solution for direct transfer of subsidies in its Final Report by December 2011. The phased implementation is detailed as follows:

LPG
Regarding LPG, the Task Force discussed three phases. In Phase I, a cap on consumption of subsidized LPG cylinders for all customers has been suggested. The government presently provides a subsidy of over Rs 291 on each cylinder of cooking gas. Though this is a policy decision of the Government and not a specific recommendation, the Task Force recommended that the cap be introduced with a robust authentication framework. In Phase II, which does not depend upon Phase I, direct transfer of subsidy to customers bank account was recommended. In Phase III, the Task Force recommends segmentation and targeting of customers and direct transfer to these customers. A Transparency Portal of all customers of LPG of the three OMCs with details of their consumption was also strongly recommended.

Fertiliser
Regarding Fertiliser, the Task Force in Phase I recommended complete information visibility of the supply chain upto the retailer level. This would enhance transparency across the supply chain. In Phase II, direct transfer of subsidy is recommended to the retailers bank account. In Phase III, direct transfer of subsidies is recommended to the farmers account. A transparency portal was also recommended for Fertilizer movement and stocks.

Kerosene
Regarding Kerosene, the Task Force recognizes that wider consultation with State Governments is required. Direct transfer of subsidy for kerosene will depend to a large extent on PDS reforms which are being implemented by the States. The Task Force recommends direct transfer of subsidy through State Governments/UT Administrations in Phase I and direct transfer to the beneficiarys account in Phase II.

Common direct subsidy framework for all welfare schemes

The Task Force was also mandated to suggest a common framework to adopt the above solution of direct subsidies in cash or otherwise for other Government welfare schemes. It has suggested a generic subsidy framework that can be applicable across subsidy programmes in Government. It prescribes the desired elements (Empowerment and choice for beneficiaries, Transparency in subsidy administration and information visibility, One price for subsidized goods, Efficiency in production, Convenient and effective grievance redressal, Support all types of direct subsidy transfer models, Fully electronic service For the Week: July 3 to 9, 2011 Bank PO

20 delivery, Incentive-compatible solution for all stakeholders and Effective MIS Reporting) that a proposed subsidy platform must consist of. The Task Force recommends a Core Subsidy Management Platform (CSMS) as part of the proposed solution architecture that automates all business processes related to direct subsidy transfer. The CSMS would maintain book-keeping information on entitlements and subsidies for all beneficiaries. The CSMS will also provide increased transparency in the movement of goods, levels of stocks, prediction and aggregation of demand, and identification of beneficiaries. It will be able to use analytics to detect fraud and diversion. It can also integrate with a contact centre for grievance handling. Beneficiaries can report malpractices to the Government directly making it possible for the Government to react in a timely manner. Achieving full financial inclusion is crucial for implementation of direct transfer of subsidies, since the subsidies will be transferred to the bank accounts of beneficiaries. The Task Force has recommended providing choice of banks to beneficiaries, along with an interoperable network of Business Correspondents for convenient access to subsidy funds. The roll-out of the Governments financial inclusion plan across India, along with the roll-out of Aadhaar, will provide a foundation for the implementation of direct transfer of subsidies. Earlier, the Finance Minister Mukherjee in his Budget Speech of 2011-12 had referred to a Task Force constituted to work out the modalities for the proposed system of direct transfer of subsidy for Kerosene, LPG and Fertilizers. This Task Force was constituted by the Ministry of Finance in February 2011 under the Chairmanship of Nandan Nilekani, Chairman, UIDAI. The Task Force was mandated to submit its Interim Report by June 2011

Exports grow 45.7% in the first quarter

Indias exports have registered a growth of 45.7% to US $ 79 billion during the period April-June 2011 while the imports were US $ 110.6 billion with a growth of 36% and a trade deficit of negative US $ 31.6 billion, during the same period. During April-June 2011, exports the following sectors have done well viz., engineering, 94% (US $ 23 billion); Gems & Jewellery, 19% (9.25 billion US $); petroleum & oil products, 60% (US $ 14 billion); manmade yarn & made-ups, 30% (US $ 1.2 billion); electronics, 69% (US $ 2.8 billion); Marine products, 27% (0.6 billion); and leather registered the growth of 26% (1.1 billion US $.) Interacting with the media persons, Shri Khullar stated that exports of iron ore, Fruits & vegetables and tobacco are on the negative growth because of ban on exports on these sectors. As regards imports during April-June 2011, the growth estimates on the following sectors are: POL, 18% (US $ 30.5 billion); pearls & precious stones, 10% (US $ 7.5 billion); gold & silver, 200% (US $ 17.7 billion); Iron & steel, -10% (US $ 2.7 billion) and machinery, 49% (US $ 9 billion) .

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Profit-sharing plan for miners dropped by GoM

A Group of Ministers (GoM), headed by finance minister Pranab Mukherjee, on July 7, 2011 has decided to rework some clauses in the draft amendment to the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act. The GoM has watered down the proposed amendments and decided to prescribe a 26% profit sharing mechanism only for the coal business. In case of other mines, only the royalty is proposed to be doubled. Earlier the government had hinted at putting in place a compensation regime under which miners were required to pay 26 per cent of their profits for the benefit of project-affected families. Apart from the miners, industry lobbies such as FICCI had sought a dilution in the proposal, which was also endorsed by a committee headed by former finance secretary Ashok Chawla. The panel has suggested auction of most natural resources. This effectively means that instead of paying Rs 300 a tonne royalty on iron ore, a miner will now have to pay Rs 600 though he would continue to sell the ore anywhere between Rs 4,500 and Rs 8,000 a tonne. The 26% profit sharing clause stands for the coal sector. For all other sectors, 100% of the royalty will go to the District Mineral Development Fund which will be used for the development of the mining area, said environment and forests minister Jairam Ramesh, who is also a member of the group of ministers. The dilution in the provisions of the draft Mines and Minerals (Development & Regulation) Bill, 2010, was, however, sought to be portrayed as a major empowerment story. This would mean that each of the top 50 mining districts of the country will get Rs 200 crore for development purposes, Ramesh said. He estimated that the proposed royalty would generate an additional Rs 10,000 crore a year for the development of the mining areas which are widely recognized to be among the most underdeveloped regions in the country.

Net Profits of PSBs at Rs. 45,000 crore in 2010-11

The Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee on July 8, 2011 urged all Public Sector Banks/Financial Institutions to exert themselves in containing the downward trend of Asset Quality by devising suitable strategies for containing and rolling back NPAs at the review meeting of the Chief Executives officers (CEOs) of Public Sector Banks/Financial Institutions in New Delhi. Credit growth & Profits: Public Sector Banks (PSBs) registered significant credit growth of 22.44% in 2010-11. Net Profits of PSBs have gone up from approximately Rs. 39,000 crore to approximately Rs. 45,000 crore in the year 2010-11. Capitalisation of banks: The core CRAR ratio of Scheduled Commercial Banks on March 31, 2010 stood at 10.1 per cent under the Basel II framework which was much above the RBIs stipulation of 6 per cent and underlined the core capital strength of the Indian banking system. Credit for MSEs: Banks achieved 35% growth in credit to Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSE) sector against the target of 20%. There was however a decrease in the number of micro enterprises accounts. The Finance Minister urged the banks to proactively extend credit to this sector and also utilize the Credit Guarantee Trust Fund for Micro and Small Enterprises (CGTMSE) Scheme. Interest subvention for housing loans: He also said that the performance under 1% Interest Subvention Scheme for Housing Loans and Interest Subsidy for Housing Urban Poor (ISHUP) is not upto the desired level and asked banks need to give greater thrust to the housing sector and increase credit disbursement. Agricultural credit: Moving to the Agriculture Sector, against the target of flow of Rs. 3,75,000 crore as agricultural credit in 2010-11, the achievement has been over Rs. 4,46,000 crore. The increase in the number of active Kisaan Credit Cards has been around 16%. Most of the banks have reported increase of over 20% in the advances. The number of agricultural loan accounts has increased by 80 lakh to reach 566 lakh. However, the wide gap between the number of farm loan accounts and the Kisan Credit Cards (KCCs) issued suggests that there are still a large number of inactive cards. The Finance Minister asked banks to put in place a system for renewal of these cards on an on-going basis and ensure disbursement of credit through these cards. For the Week: July 3 to 9, 2011 Bank PO

22 Interest subvention for crop loans: The Government has introduced additional interest subvention for timely repayment of short term crop loans which is being raised to 3% this year as a result of which farmers will get short term crop loans at an effective rate of 4% only. He urged banks to put in place an effective system to improve coverage. Financial inclusion: In his Budget Speech of 2010-11, the Finance Minister had asked banks to cover 20,000 habitations with population of 2000 and above under the Financial Inclusion campaign by 31.03.2011. The banks have extended banking facilities to over 29,500 such villages last year. He asked the CEOs to prepare a detailed road map for covering the remaining villages. Banks role in enabling direct subsidy system: The Finance Minister said that the Task Force under the Chairmanship of Nandan Nilekani in its interim report has recommended a general, unified, platform called Core Subsidy Management System for direct subsidy and entitlement transfer. The UIDAI has empanelled 64 banks for opening Aadhaar enabled bank accounts along with Aadhaar enrollment. On the occasion, Chairman, Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) of India, Nilekani made a presentation on Financial Inclusion and e-Payment highlighting the role of banking network in direct transfer of cash subsidy in case of fertilizer, kerosene and LPG in real time and other payments due to beneficiaries in case of other rural development and social welfare programmes.

Guidelines for expansion of FM Radio broadcasting services unveiled

The Union Cabinet on July 7, 2011 approved the proposal of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting to approve of the Policy Guidelines on Expansion of FM radio broadcasting services through private agencies (Phase-Ill). The Cabinet also cleared the proposal of the Ministry for conducting ascending e-auction, as followed by DoT for the auction of 3G and BWA spectrum, for award of license of FM Channels. FM Phase-Ill Policy extends FM radio services to about 227 new cities, in addition to the present 86 cities, with a total of 839 new FM radio Channels in 294 cities. Phase -III policy will result in coverage of all cities with a population of one lakh and above with private FM radio channels. To improve the viability further as against a maximum of 4 channels in D category cities permitted in FM Phase-II, FM PhaseIll proposes only 3 FM channels in D category cities so that there are lesser operators to share the advertisement pie. Salient features of the approved Policy for Phase-Ill as against Phase-II are as under;CONTENT Radio operators have been permitted carriage of news bulletins of All India Radio. Broadcast pertaining to the certain categories like information pertaining to sporting events, traffic and weather, coverage of cultural events, festivals, coverage of topics pertaining to examinations, results, admissions, career counselling, availability of employment opportunities, public announcements pertaining to civic amenities like electricity, water supply, natural calamities, health alerts etc. as provided by the local administration will be treated as non-news and current affairs broadcast and will therefore be permissible. OWNERSHIP & OPERATIONS The limit on the ownership of Channels, at the national level, allocated to an entity has been retained at 15%. Private operators have been allowed to own more than one channel but not more than 40% of the total channels in a city subject to a minimum of three different operators in the city. FDI+FII limit in a private FM radio broadcasting company has been increased from 20% to 26%; Networking of channels will be permissible within a private FM broadcasters own network across the country. Currently this is allowed in C and D category cities only. The reduction in the lock-in period of shareholding of promoters/majority shareholders from the present 5 years to 3 years will give them greater freedom to change the Share Holding Pattern. For the Week: July 3 to 9, 2011 Bank PO

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Impact Content diversification because of news content provided by All India Radio, because of categories being specifically permitted and because of multiple ownership of channels in a city (except D category cities), will allow operators to distinguish themselves from others to be able to cater to niche audiences. This will also increase the overall listenership base and the listening time. The reduction in the lock-in period of shareholding of promoters/majority shareholders will give them greater freedom to change the Share Holding Pattern.

NSSO unveils household consumer expenditure survey for 2009-10

Share of Food in Total Consumer Expenditure (%)
Year 1987-88 1993-94 1999-2000 2004-05 2009-10 Rural 64.0 63.2 59.4 55.0 53.6 Urban 56.4 54.7 48.1 42.5 40.7 Monthly per capita expenditure (MCPE) in 2009-10: Rs 1,053.64 in rural areas; Rs 1,984.46 in urban. Share of food items in MCPE: Rural households53.6%; urban40.7%. MCPE of Top 10%: Rs 5863 in urban; Rs 2517 in rural MCPE of Bottom 10%: Rs 599 in urban; Rs 453 in rural

Rural Indian households are spending more on consumer goods like durables, beverages and services than five years ago, shows the household consumer expenditure survey for 2009-10, released by the National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) on July 8, 2011. The rising real spending in rural areas, even though it is almost half of urban Indias, suggests increasing incomes. The NSSO's 66 round of the National Sample Survey, covering the period from July 2009 to June 2010, shows an average rural Indian household to have allocated 53.6 per cent of its total monthly per capita consumption expenditure (MPCE) on food items while the corresponding share for urban household was at 40.7 per cent. The Survey showed that monthly per capita expenditure (MPCE) stood at Rs 1,053.64 in rural areas and Rs 1,984.46 in urban India in 2009-10. According to the survey, cereals still make up the largest chunk of an average Indian household's consumption budget: 15.6 per cent in rural and 9.1 per cent in urban areas. This is followed by fuel and light (9.5 per cent in rural and 8 per cent in urban), milk and milk products (8.6 per cent and 7.8 per cent), vegetables (6.2 per cent and 4.3 per cent) and clothing (4.9 per cent and 4.7 per cent). Rich-poor divide The disparities between the richest and the poorest have worsened since 2004-05, both in rural and urban India. There is a huge gap between the income level of the top and bottom segments in the country. The survey found that the poorest 10 per cent of India's rural population had an average MPCE of Rs 453, while for the poorest 10 per cent of the urban population, the average MPCE stood at Rs 599. The top 10 per cent of the rural population had an average MPCE of Rs 2,517, which is about 5.6 times that of the bottom 10 per cent. Meanwhile, the top 10 per cent of the urban population had an average MPCE of Rs 5,863, or about 9.8 times that of the bottom 10 per cent. Top & bottom states The survey has estimated the all-India average monthly per capita expenditure at Rs 1,053.64 in rural and Rs 1,984.46. The States among the top in spending are Kerala (Rs 1,835.22 in rural and Rs 2,412.58 in urban areas), Punjab (Rs 1,648.92 and Rs 2,108.79), Haryana (Rs 1,509.91 and Rs 2,321.49) and Maharashtra (Rs 1,152.79 and Rs 2,436.75). The States at the bottom of the consumption chart are Bihar (Rs 780.15 and Rs 1,237.54), Chhattisgarh (Rs 783.57 and Rs 1,647.32), Orissa (Rs 818.47 and Rs 1,548.36) and Jharkhand (Rs 825.15 and Rs 1,583.75). For the Week: July 3 to 9, 2011 Bank PO
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Committee on Central Economic Intelligence Bureau submits report

A committee constituted to review role, functioning and structure of the Central Economic Intelligence Bureau (CEIB) has recommended the setting up of a collaborative hub and spoke structure of partnership between CEIB and enforcement/regulatory Agencies. The committee submitted its report to Finance Minister on July 4, 2011. The Union Government had appointed a Committee in March 2011 to review the role, functioning and structure of the Central Economic Intelligence Bureau (CEIB) and to recommend steps to streamline and strengthen financial intelligence gathering and its dissemination for effective coordination amongst the Intelligence Organisations of the Government. It was also asked to identify relevant commercial databases for business intelligence analysis by CEIB, suggest structural linkages between CEIB and Financial Intelligence Unit-India and to prepare a roadmap for CEIB to work in line with the best global practices. The Report recommends that in view of the growing complexity and sophistication of economic offences collaboration across the spectrum of the agencies engaged in enforcement of economic laws ought to be the central tenet of Governments strategy for combating serious economic offences and organised tax evasion. It has recommended setting-up a collaborative hub and spoke structure of partnerships between the CEIB and enforcement/regulatory agencies at Central/State levels with the CEIB as the nodal agency at its centre maintaining comprehensive national database of specified types of economic offences investigated by the agencies. The agencies will share information with the CEIB, which, in turn, will be able to provide back-end support, linkages and insights harnessing the power of databases and data analytics to the agencies, and a holistic view of these activities to the Government. The Committee has also recommended a series of steps to empower and modernize the CEIB and equip it with IT enabled tools to effectively perform its role in the changing economic scenario. The Committee was chaired by S. S. Khan, Retired Member, Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT). Its other members include Vijay Lakshmi Sharma, Retired Member, Central Board of Excise and Customs (CBEC) and Dr. Kewal Ram, Retired Senior Economic Advisor. Arun Sahu, Deputy Director General (CEIB) is the Member Secretary to the Committee. About CEIB: The CEIB was setup in 1985. It is the nodal agency for economic intelligence mandated to ensure effective interaction and coordination among all the concerned agencies in the area of economic offences. It also functions as the clearing house of all economic intelligence and provides a platform for such exchange between various agencies within the department of revenue and other intelligence and enforcement agencies including IB, RAW and CBI among others.

Govt. to make high resolution remote sensing data accessible to private users
Easing restrictions on the use and circulation of high-resolution satellite imagery, the Union government and ISRO on July 5, 2011 announced an upgraded remote sensing data-sharing policy. This makes it easier for users to access images of resolution up to 1 metre. Previously, only images up to 5.8 metre resolution were available freely. The Indian Remote Sensing (IRS) Satellite system was commissioned with the launch of IRS-IA in 1988. With 10 satellites in operation, IRS is currently the largest civilian remote sensing satellite constellation in the world. Government users, like ministries, research organisations, educational institutions or PSUs, would have access to even higher resolution data those with resolutions greater than one metre without going through any clearance mechanism. Private user agencies would be given access to these higher resolution imagery on the recommendation of at least one government ministry or department but only if they intend to use it for developmental projects or activities. An existing High Resolution Image Clearance Committee would screen and clear requests for imagery with resolutions greater than one metre from private user agencies. The new Remote Sensing Data Policy is aimed at catering to a huge demand for high-resolution maps and images from a wide variety of user agencies both in the public and private sectors. Such data is required not only for urban development and infrastructure projects but also for laying down pipelines or telephone lines, for monitoring crop production and ensuring compliance of laws such as Coastal Regulation Zone guidelines.

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25 With the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) controlling the use and distribution of such data, these user agencies were forced to obtain such imagery from foreign and commercial remote sensing satellites. Experts accorded the move to the government facing stiff competition from commercial websites. In recent years, ISRO has had remote sensing satellites capable of sending images with resolutions as high as 0.8 metre. Much of this imagery had been lying unused because of earlier restrictions.

ISRO names full-time CMD for Antrix: Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on July 9, 2011 named Dr V S
Hegde, a veteran remote sensing applications scientist, as the Chairman-cum-Managing Director for its marketing arm Antrix Corporation Limited. Hegde has served Bangalore-headquartered ISRO as its Scientific Secretary since January 2010, and previously played a key role for several years in its earth observation satellite (EOS) programmes. His appointment, announced by ISRO Chairman K Radhakrishnan, is part of plans to restructure Antrix in changing times so that it can aggressively exploit commercial opportunities emanating out of the space agency's programmes. Interface between ISRO and Antrix would now be strengthened with the constitution of a coordination management committee comprising a few senior directors of ISRO and CMD of Antrix. Antrix, established in 1992, is engaged in promotion and commercial exploitation of space products, technical consultancy services and transfer of technologies developed by the space agency. A 'Miniratna', it provides space products and services to customers worldwide.

Planning Commission seeks land banks for industry

The working group on land and water resources preparing the 12 Five Year Plan, in its recommendations to the Planning Commission, has put up a proposal to set up land corporations in states to help in acquiring land for industries. The CII president and Tata Steel vice chairman, B. Muthuraman, who is also the President of the Planning Commission working group, said: Such land corporations can be either a government or a public-private or a private body that works on business objectives of buying and developing land for industries. There is no issue about availability of land for industries but what is lacking is digitisation of land records, local mapping and zoning of lands, he said. Saying that industries occupy only three per cent of land in India, he added that there is a need for large areas of land to be developed together as industrial clusters. In the wake of the draft Land Acquisition Bill being vetted by the Union law ministry, the CII president said, it is not practical for industries to acquire large acres of land. The working group is also working on formulating a draft for introducing an incentivised pricing mechanism for water usage by industries.
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Committee on New Pension System (NPS) submits report

The committee set up to revive the New Pension System (NPS) has suggested sweeping changes in its architecture. It has proposed bringing in the postal department, telecom companies, pension fund managers, fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) companies and third-party corporate agents for selling the product. The committee, chaired by former SEBI Chairman G N Bajpai, said the existing NPS architecture did not have a push factor and the absolute value of incentives was flawed. It said there was a need to broadbase the network of points-of presence or PoPs, which act as contact centres for potential subscribers across the country. The report was submitted to Union finance minister Pranab Mukherjee on July 5, 2011. Incentives for distributors: The committee is against raising absolute incentives for distributors, as it would hurt the smallticket subscriber. Many players and analysts believe the low incentives are a major hindrance in NPS growth. It has, instead, recommended replacing fixed commission with an ad valorem one at 0.5 per cent of the NPS subscription, subject to a minimum of Rs 20 and a ceiling of Rs 50,000. NPS currently charges a flat Rs 436 per year, plus 0.0084 per cent per annum. Other similar schemes are available on an ad valorem basis in the range of 2.3-2.8 per cent of the amount invested during a year. Minimum annual subscription: The committee said the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) should consider bringing down the minimum annual subscription of Rs 6,000 for the NPS to Rs 1,000 per year to expand its reach and coverage. It suggests PFRDA look at revising the annual maintenance charge of Rs 280 and commission fresh research into calculating the costs of NPS delivery. For the Week: July 3 to 9, 2011 Bank PO

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Number of distributors: The committee said there should not be an upper limit or qualitative restriction on any category of distributor. This is in contrast to PFRDAs existing stand on not roping in agents to push NPS. Popularising NPS is a national priority and, as long as the basic criterion of fit and proper is met, PFRDA can look at appointing all categories of distribution agents to distribute NPS. Identifying new categories of distributors: With an extensive distribution network already in place, telecom companies are well placed to reach out to the target audience. For, they have many advantages, including popularising the scheme through SMS alerts and fulfilling Know-Your-Customer requirements before enrolling a new subscriber. It suggested pension fund managers be allowed to sell NPS, but not directly. In addition, it is possible to also appoint some of the well-known FMCG companies, as well as some third-party corporate agents, which have extensive reach into rural India, to add NPS to their existing pipeline of products delivered into the hinterland. Autonomy for PFRDA: The committee also said PFRDA should be given financial autonomy to help it discharge its duties as an independent regulator and to nurture a pension sector free from controversy or regulatory capture. At present, PFRDA is an interim regulator and functions under the finance ministry.

India adds 13.35 mn new mobile users in May: Telecom operators added 13.35 million mobile subscribers in May
2011, taking the total number of telephone users in the country to 874.68 million, sectoral regulator TRAI said on July 8, 2011. According to the data released by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), mobile subscriber base increased to 840.28 million at the end of May from 826.93 million in the preceding month, registering a growth of 1.61 per cent. The top three mobile service providers are: Bharti Airtel 167.06 million; Reliance Communications 141.16 million; Vodafone 139.42 million. Wireline category continued to lose customers, with the subscriber base declining to 34.40 million at the end of May from 34.55 million in April. Broadband subscription reached 12.12 million in the reported month from 12.01 million in April, growing 0.92 per cent. With this, the overall teledensity (telephones per 100 people) in India reached 70.23 per cent.

Mineral production increases by 11.83 per cent during 2010-2011: The total value of mineral production (excluding
atomic minerals during 2010-11 has been estimated at about Rs. 2 lakh crore which shows an increase of about 11.83% over that of the previous year. This information was given by Dr. Dinsha Patel, Minister of Mines on July 6, 2011. The Minister informed Parliament that India produces as many as 87 minerals, which include 4 fuels, 10 metallic, 47 non-metallic, 3 atomic and 23 minor minerals (including building and other materials). The Geological Survey of India (GSI) was established in the year 1851 to locate coal deposits in India by East India Company.

Electricity generation jumps 8% to 70 billion units in June: Power generation in the country rose more than 8.6 per
cent to 70.4 billion units (bu) in June as compared to the same period a year ago (64.8 bu in June 2010), according to a report from brokerage firm Motilal Oswal on July 8, 2011. The increase was due to rise in installed capacity by 10 Gw (10,000 Mw) over the past 12 months and higher plant load factors (PLFs) of nuclear and hydro plants. Out of total production last month, 55.9 bu came from thermal plants that run on coal, lignite and gas. Hydro projects generated 11.9 bu of electricity during the same period. Private sector generation grew 21 per cent, the state sector by 11 per cent and the central sector by 3 per cent. Overall, PLF, an indicator of a power projects efficiency inched up to 61.8 per cent last month as against 61 per th cent in the year-ago period. India is expected to see a capacity addition of about 51,000 Mw in the 11 Five-Year Plan (200712).

Area under organic farming rises to 4.4mn hectare: Area under organic farming has grown many-fold in six years to
2009-10 in India on the back of thrust given to the chemical-free mode of cultivation. From 42,000 hectares under organic certification in 2003-04, more than 4.4 million hectares area was under organic certification in the country as on March 2010, an official statement said on July 5, 2011 in New Delhi. For quality assurance, India has internationally acclaimed certification process in place for export, import and domestic markets. During 2008-09, India produced about 18.78 lakh tonnes of certified organic products. Of this, nearly 54,000 tonne food items worth Rs 591 crore were exported. With more than 77,000 tonnes of organic cotton link production, India became the largest organic cotton grower in the world a year ago. Indian organic exports include cereals, pulses, honey, tea, spices, oil seeds, fruits, vegetables, cotton fibre, cosmetics and body care products.

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Govt notifies freeing of MRP of P&K fertilisers: The government on July 8, 2011 notified the Cabinet decision to allow
fertiliser firms to fix the retail price of phosphatic (P) and potassic (K) nutrients, such as DAP. In April, the Cabinet had allowed fertiliser companies to increase di-ammonium phosphate (DAP) price by up to Rs. 600 per tonne over and above the maximum retail price (MRP) of Rs. 10,750 a tonnes prevailing then. The market price of subsidised P and K fertilizers, including DAP, will be open and will be fixed by the fertiliser companies. Under the nutrient-based subsidy (NBS) regime introduced from April 1, 2010, the retail prices of 22 varieties of P & K fertilisers have been freed from government control. For the 2011-12 fiscal, government raised NBS (nutrient-based subsidy) of P&K fertiliser to insulate companies from high global prices, but restricted them from hiking the MRP beyond Rs. 600/tonne.

Coins with new Re symbol to be in circulation soon: The government on July 8, 2011 released new series coins of
Rs. 1, 2, 5 and 10, bearing the rupee symbol, which will be in circulation soon. A new series coin of 50 paise was also released. New coins will not only reduce the cost of moving materials but also are of user-friendly size and weight, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee said after releasing the new series. The Finance Ministry said the security edging of new series of coins would be good for better recognition by visually challenged persons and will have improved counterfeit resistance.

Net Direct Tax Collections less by 17% in Q1 2011-12: Gross direct tax receipts rose 23.91 per cent in April-June
2011 quarter from a year ago. Gross direct tax collections rose to Rs.1,04,136 crore as against Rs. 84,041 crore during the same period last year. Corporate tax collections were up 23.49 per cent to Rs. 68,223 crore against Rs.55,244 crore in the same period last year while personal income tax collections rose 24.63 per cent to Rs.35,859 crore as against Rs.28,772 crore during the same period last year. Net tax collections, however, stood at Rs.57,268 crore, down from Rs.68,675 crore in the same period in last fiscal. This was on account of an increase of 205.01 percent in tax refunds, which stood at Rs.46,868 crore as against Rs.15,366 crore in the same period during the last fiscal

FDI from Mauritius declines in 2010-11: Indias foreign direct investment (FDI) from Mauritius and Cyprus, dropped
significantly in 2010-11. While the FDI inflows from all sources declined by 25 per cent in 2010-11, the drop was steeper at about 33 per cent to $6.98 billion from Mauritius. Likewise, the inflows from Cyprus were down by 44 per cent to $913 million, according to the official figures. In 2009-10, FDI from Mauritius stood at $10.37 billion again a decline from $11.22 billion in 2008-09. FDI inflows from Cyprus stood at $1.62 billion. Mauritius still accounted for 42 per cent of the countrys total FDI of $19.42 billion in the previous fiscal. In 2009-10, India attracted FDI worth $25.83 billion. It has a 30-year DTAA with Mauritius, which has been used by the third country investors to avoid taxes.

Farm products get cover under India-Malaysia FTA: Import of sensitive farm-products like palm oil, coffee, black tea
and pepper from Malaysia will remain subject to high duty despite India operationalising free trade agreement (FTA) with the South East nation. The plantation items, mostly grown in South India, have been kept in the Special Product category under which import duties have been cut by a small margin and will remain high enough to protect domestic producers. The bilateral Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement covering trade in goods, services and investment has come into force from July 1. The sensitive agri-products will now attract duties ranging between 66 and 94% from 80-100%.

States permission compulsory for field trials of GM crops: The Genetic Engineering Approval Committee (GEAC)
has directed companies conducting field trials of genetically modified (GM) crops to first produce a no-objection certificate from the concerned state government. The apex regulator that gives approval to field trials of GM crops has also asked the company conducting the trial to provide the latitude and longitude of the field to ensure they are not close to any ecologically fragile zone. (July 2011)

NALCO to infuse Rs. 1,700 cr equity in Kakrapar N-plant: Aluminium PSU major NALCO would infuse Rs. 1,700
crore as equity in the Kakrapar nuclear power plant in Gujarat to pick up 49% stake. NALCO will pick up 49% equity at a price of . 1,700 crore in the Kakrapar nuclear power plant, CMD of Nalco B L Bagra said on July 8, 2011. The size of the Kakrapar plant would be 2X700 MW in phase II. Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) is also a partner in the project. The plant would be commissioned by 2015.

Railways launch own e-ticketing service: Indian Railways is all set to roll out its own e-ticketing service, which will
have no room for travel agents and will be reserved for individual users. Unlike the e-ticketing service of IRCTC, the new service by Indian Railway will have no role of travel agents and commercial organisations. Only individual users will be allowed to book on the portal. Travel agents in the IRCTC service have been accused of blocking tickets to sell them at a premium. Under the new railway e-ticketing service, individual customers would need to register themselves for the first time For the Week: July 3 to 9, 2011 Bank PO

28 for availing the services. The number of transactions per user ID will be limited to 8 per month. On offer is also a service for booking tickets on the mobile platform. (July 5, 2011)

Mumbai, New Delhi among 5 cheapest cities in world: Mumbai and New Delhi are amongst the five cheapest places
to live in the world, according to the Worldwide Cost of Living Survey unveiled on July 9, 2011. Indias financial capital Mumbai has been ranked third cheapest place to live, while national capital New Delhi is fifth. Karachi in Pakistan is the cheapest of the 134 places surveyed. The annual survey, conducted by international research firm Economist Intelligence Unit ranks cities across the world on the basis of costs of various items ranging from food to transport to toiletries. In this st th years ranking of costliest cities of the world, Mumbai has been placed at 131 position while New Delhi is at 129 . Japans Tokyo has been ranked as the costliest place in the world, followed by Oslo (Norway), Japans Osaka Kobe, Paris (France) and Zurich (Switzerland) in the top five.

MCA releases new CSR guidelines: The Ministry of Corporate Affairs on July 9, 2011 released a National Voluntary
Guideline on Social, Environmental and Economic Responsibilities of Business. While the guideline remains voluntary, all registered companies are expected to abide by it and disclose their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) activities through mandatory filings. It is an updated version of the ministrys CSR guidelines issued two years ago and prescribed three different frameworks for business responsibility reporting. The current guidelines are designed to be used by all businesses irrespective of size, sector or location and therefore touch on the fundamental aspects of an enterprise. Multinational corporations present in India will also have to follow the guidelines.

CII releases Code on Business Ethics: In a move to check corruption and ensure transparency among business
communities, the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) on July 5, 2011 released a Code on Business Ethics for its member companies. The Code is intended to strengthen the institutional framework that would help drive ethical practices in the organisation. CII President-Designate Adi Godrej told reporters after releasing the Code at the CII-National Council Meeting in Chennai. CII would distribute the Code to its 8,000 member companies and though it was not mandatory to follow it, they were expected to follow it as a guide. Godrej claimed CII was the first industry body to devise such a code of ethics and said the organisation would distribute a separate Code on Human Values to schools and colleges.

Scotch Whisky gets GI status in India: India has granted GI status to Scotch Whisky, a legal protection that will help
prevent the sale of counterfeit products in the Indian market as well as reinforce the authenticity of the product for the consumer. The move follows the Geographical Indications Registry in Chennai granting geographical indication (GI) status to the famous Scotch Whisky of Scotland. The recognition was announced in Edinburgh Scotch Whisky Association (SWA) Chief Gavin Hewitt on July 1, 2011. The status now means that only spirits produced in Scotland can use Scotch Whisky in their labels. The SWA said in a statement that consumers in India will now receive better protection from fake Scotch Whisky following the decision formally to recognise Scotch Whisky as a product that can only be made in Scotland. As per the th registry, Scotch Whiskey is the 148 item in a list of 151 products that have been given GI status. The status denotes that a product belongs to a particular area, where a given quality, reputation or other characteristic of the product is essentially attributable to its geographical origin.

SC lifts ban on Lafarges mining in Meghalaya: The Supreme Court on July 7, 2011 lifted its earlier bar on French
cement company Lafarge mining limestone in the East Khasi hills of Meghalaya, bordering Bangladesh. The court said it was satisfied with the revised environment clearances given to Lafarge by the Ministry of environment and forests (MoEF). The forest bench headed by Chief Justice S H Kapadia had passed an order on February 2 last year, prohibiting the company from mining in the forest since several local bodies had apprehended environmental damage. The Attorney-General said there was an agreement between the Indian and Bangladeshs governments under which the Indian government had an obligation to provide the land for mining. The limestone is mined in Meghalaya and conveyed by a 17-km belt to Bangladesh. The $255-million Lafarge Surma Cement project at Chhatak, in Bangladesh, is wholly dependent on limestone extracted from the East Khasi Hills.

SC orders return of land to Greater Noida villagers: The Supreme Court on July 7, 2011 dismissed the appeal of the
Greater Noida Industrial Development Authority (GNIDA) against an Allahabad High Court order quashing acquisition of 156 hectares (390 acres) land in Greater Noidas Sahberi village. The court asked GNIDA to return the land to the farmers and imposed a cost of Rs 10 lakh. The Supreme Court Bench, comprising Justice G S Singhvi and Justice A K Ganguly, said the land was acquired under an urgency clause, which denied farmers an opportunity to file their objections. While the Supreme Court asked GNIDA to return the land, the farmers are keen to sell but want a much higher compensation. In Noida and For the Week: July 3 to 9, 2011 Bank PO

29 Greater Noida, developers cannot acquire land directly. Now, they will have to buy at a higher price. To resolve the impasse, GNIDA will have to negotiate with the farmers and buy afresh. In Sahberi, the land was acquired at Rs 850 a square yard, but farmers are seeking Rs 3,000-4,000 a square yard. Though the judgment affects only 392 acres, there is a perception that the whole of Noida Extension (2,500 acres) will be hit by low consumer sentiment.

SC begins hearing Sahara plea against SEBI order: The Supreme Court on July 8, 2011 began hearing Sahara
group firm's plea against the SEBI order to return the money, along with 15% interest, collected from investors through its Optionally Fully Convertible Debentures (OFCD) scheme. The Security and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) had on June 23 directed the two Sahara group firms -- Sahara India Real Estate Corporation and Sahara Housing Investment Corporation -to refund the money, along with 15% interest, raised through OFCD scheme for violating regulatory norms. Besides, the regulator has also restrained the entities from accessing the securities market for raising funds, till the time payments are made to the satisfaction of the SEBI. During the last hearing on May 12, the apex court had asked Sebi to proceed with its probe into Sahara group's OFCD scheme by observing that investors may not have any knowledge about these products and might feel cheated like in the Harshad Mehta scam.

Delhi HC disallows Idea-Spice merger: In a big setback to Aditya Birla group firm Idea Cellular, the Delhi High Court on
July 4, 2011 said the six licences of Spice Communications would not be transferred to Idea, which acquired it in 2008, as the company did comply with the licence and merger guidelines. The court also slapped a fine of Rs 1 crore for not giving the correct information to the court. Passing the judgement on the merger application of Idea and Spice, the high court said Idea had not put the rejection letters by DoT on merger of licence and did not place on record the relevant documents.

Post offices to offer core banking solution: The Department of Posts (DoP) plans to introduce core banking solution
besides setting up India Post ATMs and debit cards for its customers. The DoP is tying up with banks so that customers can use their India Post debit card at any ATM machine pan-India. With a network reach of over 0.14 million post offices, DoP hopes to transform itself into a post bank.

H R Khan appointed RBI deputy governor: The government on July 5, 2011 appointed Harun Rashid Khan a deputy
governor of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). Khan, who gets a three-year term, will monitor the foreign exchange department, payment and settlement systems and external investments and operations, among others. A deputy governors position at the central bank became vacant after Shyamala Gopinath retired on June 20. RBI has four deputy governors. They serve for five years or till the age of 62, whichever is earlier. Khan was an executive director (ED) at RBI since October 2007. He is credited with evolving the information communication technology-based business correspondent model for financial inclusion. He chaired the RBI internal committee on rural credit and microfinance. Based on the recommendations, RBI had issued guidelines to expand banking outreach through business correspondents. As an ED, Khan was in charge of the department of external investments and operations, the foreign exchange department and internal debt management, among others. He joined RBI in 1978, after a Masters in political science from Utkal University, Bhubaneswar, and an M.Phil from the School of International Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi.

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Section E: SPORTS
Djokovic, Kvitova wins Singles titles at Wimbledon
Serbias Novak Djokovic and Petra Kvitova of the Czech Republic won the 2011 Wimbledon Championships organised at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in Wimbledon, London, England, from June 20 to July 3, 2011. It was the 125 edition of the championships, and the third Grand Slam tournament of the year. It was played on grass courts and was organised by the All England Lawn Tennis Club and the International Tennis Federation. There were two new singles champions for the first time since 2002: Novak Djokovic and Petra Kvitova. By reaching the final Djokovic also claimed the world number one in the ATP rankings from Rafael Nadal. In the doubles the Bryan brothers claimed the men's title for a second time, and equalled the overall Grand Slam tournament record of 11 set by the Woodies, Mark Woodforde and Todd Woodbridge. In the women's doubles the team of Katarina Srebotnik and Kveta Peschke won their first grand slam title. Mens Singles: Serbias Novak Djokovic defeated defending champion Rafael Nadal of Spain 6-4, 6-1, 1-6, 6-3 in the final to win his first Wimbledon title on July 3, 2011 in London. It was the 24-year-old Serbs third Grand Slam title, to add to his 2008 and 2011 Australian Open victories. Djokovic, who also succeeded Nadal as World No.1 on July 4, also denied the Spaniard, th the champion here in 2008 and 2010, an 11 Grand Slam title. Djokovics win ends Nadals 56-week reign as world No. 1 since he took over from Roger Federer on June 7, 2010. Womens Singles: Petra Kvitova stunned favourite Maria Sharapova to win her first Grand Slam title with a 6-3, 6-4 victory in the womens singles final at The Championships in Wimbledon on July 2, 2011. The 21-year-old became only the third Czech woman to triumph at Wimbledon after nine-time champion Martina Navratilova and Jana Novotna. Denmarks Caroline Wozniacki remains on top of the womens singles rankings, in spite of her failure once again to land a Grand Slam title. Prize money: Mens and womens singles title winners got 1,100,000 while runners-up got 550,000. Doubles winners got 250,000 while the runners-up got 125,000. In mixed doubles, winners got 92,000 while the runners-up had 46,000. Complete results: Mens singles: Novak Djokovic (Serbia) beat Rafael Nadal (Spain) 6-4, 6-1, 1-6, 6-3. Womens singles: Petra Kvitova (Czech Republic) beat Maria Sharapova (Russia) 6-3, 6-4. Mens doubles: Bob Bryan & Mike Bryan (USA) beat Horia Tecau (Romania) & Robert Lindstedt (Sweden) 6-3, 6-4, 7-6(2). Womens Doubles: Kveta Peschke (Czech Republic) & Katarina Srebotnik (Slovenia) beat Sabine Lisicki (Germany) & Samantha Stosur (Australia) 6-3, 6-1 Mixed Doubles: Jurgen Melzer (Austria) & Iveta Benesova (Czech Republic) beat Mahesh Bhupathi (India) & Elena Vesnina (Russia) 63, 62. Boys' Singles: Luke Saville (Australia) beat Liam Broady (UK) 26, 64, 62. Girls' Singles: Ashleigh Barty (Australia) beat Irina Khromacheva (Russia) 75, 76(73).
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Latest Rankings (as on July 4, 2011)

ATP Tour Top 10: 1. Novak Djokovic 13285; 2. Rafael Nadal 11270; 3. Roger Federer 9230; 4. Andy Murray 6855; 5. Robin Soderling 4325; 6. David Ferrer 4150; 7. Gael Monfils 2780; 8. Mardy Fish 2335; 9. Tomas Berdych 2470; 10. Andy Roddick 2110. WTA Tour Top 10: 1. Caroline Wozniacki 9915 pts; 2. Kim Clijsters 7625; 3. Vera Zvonareva 6695; 4. Victoria Azarenka 6465; 5. Maria Sharapova 6141; 6. Li Na 5855; 7. Petra Kvitova 5437; 8. Francesca Schiavone 4860; 9. Marion Bartoli 4230; 10. Samantha Stosur 3405.

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Harbhajan joins 400-wicket club in Test cricket: Off-spinner Harbhajan Singh on July 7, 2011 became the third Indian
bowler and 11 overall to take 400 wickets in Test cricket. Anil Kumble (619) and Kapil Dev (434) are the other two Indian th bowlers to have recorded the feats. Playing in his 96 match, Harbhajan achieved the feat when he bowled Carlton Baugh on the second day of the third and final cricket Test against the West Indies at Roseau, Dominica. Harbhajan, who made his Test debut against Australia in 1998, has 25 five-wicket and five ten-wicket hauls in this form of the game. Former Sri Lankan off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan, with 800 wickets, leads the list.
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Santhosh Kumar wins Indias only gold at Presidents Cup boxing: Asian Games silver-medallist V Santhosh
Kumar rallied to beat Russias Alexander Malinin and fetched India its lone gold after three others settled for bronze medals st at the 21 Presidents Cup boxing in Jakarta, Indonesia on July 8, 2011. The 20-year-old Santhosh won the light welterweight 64kg final 10-8 to clinch his maiden senior international gold medal. Jasveer Ahlawat (81kg), Lakhbir Singh (69kg), Gaurav Bidhuri (49kg) won bronze medals after losing in the semi-finals.

Caruana wins AAI International Grandmasters chess: Italys Fabiano Caruana on July 2, 2011won the AAI
International Grandmasters chess tournament organised in New Delhi. Final standings (with points and prize-money):1. Fabiano Caruana of Italy (7 points, $8,000), 2. K. Sasikiran of India (6, $6000), 3. Viktor Laznicka of Czech Republic (5.5, $4,000), 4. Wesley So of Philippines (5, $3,000) and 5. Parimarjan Negi of India (3.5, $2,000)

Pyeongchang to host 2018 Winter Olympics: Pyeongchang was on July 6, 2011 chosen to host the 2018 Winter
Olympics. The South Korean city was selected by the International Olympic Committee in the first round of voting ahead of Munich in Germany and Annecy in France. Pyeongchang received 63 of the Committees 95 votes, well ahead of Munichs 25 and Annecys seven. It is a case of third time lucky for Pyeongchang, which lost to Vancouver and Sochi respectively for the right to host the 2010 and 2014 Winter Games. Pyeongchang, which has a population of 47,000 and is situated near South Koreas east coast, says it can spread the Olympics to a lucrative new market in Asia and become a hub for winter sports in the region. The Winter Games have twice before been held in Asia, both times in Japan - Sapporo in 1972 and Nagano in 1998.

Indias Ukrainian coach Ogorodnik sacked for doping fiasco: The Union Sports Ministry on July 4, 2011 decided to
sack Yuriy Ogorodnik, the Ukrainian coach in-charge of training the tainted Indian athletes. Sports Minister Ajay Maken recommended the dismissal of the Ukrainian coach and also advised removal of any other coaches suspected of encouraging the use of performance-enhancing substances. Ogorodnik had coached six of the eight athletes who tested positive and all of these athletes happened to be womens 400m runners. The list included Asian Games double-gold medallist Ashwini Akkunji and her relay teammates Mandeep Kaur and Sini Jose, who won the 4x400m gold at the Commonwealth Games in Delhi and the Guangzhou Asian Games last year. Meanwhile the Sports Ministry has appointed Justice Mukul Mudgal, retired Chief Justice of the High Court of Punjab and Haryana as a one member Committee to enquire into all the aspects of the issues relating to prevalence of doping.

Das Gupta appointed Badminton Association of India President: Akhilesh Das Gupta was elected as the
president and Ashok Bajaj the treasurer in the Badminton Association of India (BAI) elections, organised on July 2, 2011. Das Gupta takes over following the exit of former BAI President V.K. Verma in connection with the Commonwealth Games scam.

Kamat elected President of the Swimming Federation: Digambar V Kamat was on July 9, 2011 elected as President
and Kamlesh Nanavati as general secretary of the Swimming Federation of India for a four-year term. The elections for the SFI office bearers were conducted on March 26 but the results were withheld due to a court order. There are four vice Presidents: Ramanuj Mukhopadhyay (Bengal), Balraj Sharma (Punjab), T D Vijayraghavan (Karnataka) and Rajkumar (Delhi). Kerala's S Rajiv has been elected as the treasurer of SFI.

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Weekly Current Affairs update

For the Week: July 3 to 9, 2011

Major news of the week

Section A: INDIA
Supreme Court declares Salwa Judum as unconstitutional Supreme Court sets up special investigating team (SIT) to probe unaccounted wealth Textiles Minister Dayanidhi Maran resigns from Union Cabinet Annual allocation under MPLAD Scheme increased Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) declines to 212 per 1,00,000 live births in 2007-09 Government finalizes rules of Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage law New NSG guidelines may affect India in the long run - DAE India, Bangladesh sign agreement on MFN status NAC sends draft food bill to government Bengal, GJM agree to set up Gorkhaland Territorial Administration 78 MLAs resign over Telangana statehood demand Inter-State Migrant Workmen Act made gender neutral National Council for Teacher Education superseded AMU approves five new study centres AICTE lowers cut-off for engineering courses to 45% Government to rate schools for sanitation in new program Government approves special training package for J&K youth Central Vigilance Commission presents its annual report to President India gets Dutch support for UNSC seat Conference of Association of SAARC Speakers and Parliamentarians organised World Bank to provide $200 million loan to strengthen local government system in Kerala North East Craft Museum inaugurated at Guwahati Swiss company Pilatus to supply trainer aircrafts to IAF Cho-Lhamu declared Indias highest lake Shashikant Sharma appointed new defence secretary Aamir Khan named brand ambassador of the WCD Ministry Former Union Minister Daulat Ram Saran passes away Jamia Chancellor Khorakiwala passes away Film Director Mani Kaul passes away

Section B: WORLD
South Sudan becomes independent Yingluck Shinawatra forms coalition government in Thailand Australia to impose carbon tax on worst polluters Potato genome sequenced Indian Biomedical Research centre launched in Kyrgyzstan India to train Kyrghyz armed forces in UN Peace Keeping Operations Chinas Pak reactors receive NSG approval Arabi replaces Moussa as Arab League secretary general Cassini captures massive Saturn storm in unprecedented detail 11th century Angkor temple restored in Cambodia News of the World to close after hacking row Iran to develop search engine Ya Haq Jolie & Jessica Parker are Hollywoods top paid actresses - Forbes Monacos Prince Albert marries South African

Section C: AWARDS
Nagar Ratna awards for municipal bodies conferred Prime Minister Shram awards for 2010 announced

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M.S. Gopalakrishnan selected for Nada Vidya Bharati honour Amartya Sen conferred Doctorate by NUEPA Delhi wins UN award for Mission Convergence U.K. honour for Indian cardiologist K. Srinath Reddy Raj Shah receives Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award Indrajit Banerjee is Best CFO of the Year

Section D: ECONOMY & CORPORATE

Draft Microfinance Bill makes RBI sole regulator of MFIs Report on Direct Transfer of Subsidies on LPG, Petroleum and Kerosene submitted Profit-sharing plan for miners dropped by GoM Exports grow 45.7% in first quarter Net Profits of PSBs at Rs. 45,000 crore in 2010-11 Guidelines for expansion of FM Radio broadcasting services unveiled NSSO unveils household consumer expenditure survey for 2009-10 Committee on Central Economic Intelligence Bureau submits report Govt. to make high resolution remote sensing data accessible to private users V S Hegde appointed full-time CMD of Antrix Planning Commission seeks land banks for industry Committee on New Pension System (NPS) submits report Number of telephone users in India at 874.68 million TRAI Mineral production increases by 11.83 per cent during 2010-2011 Electricity generation jumps 8% to 70 billion units in June Area under organic farming rises to 4.4mn hectare Govt notifies lifting of price controls on MRP of P&K fertilisers Coins with new Re symbol to be in circulation soon Net Direct Tax Collections less by 17% in Q1 2011-12 FDI from Mauritius declines in 2010-11 Farm products get cover under India-Malaysia FTA States permission compulsory for field trials of GM crops GEAC NALCO to infuse Rs. 1,700 crore as equity in Kakrapar N-plant Railways launch own e-ticketing service Mumbai, New Delhi among 5 cheapest cities in world MCA releases new CSR guidelines CII releases Code on Business Ethics Scotch Whisky gets GI status in India SC lifts ban on Lafarges mining in Meghalaya SC orders return of land to Greater Noida villagers SC begins hearing Sahara plea against SEBI order Delhi HC disallows Idea-Spice merger Post offices to offer core banking solution H R Khan appointed RBI deputy governor

Section E: SPORTS
Djokovic, Kvitova wins Singles titles at Wimbledon Novak Djokovic is new Mens World No 1, Caroline Wozniacki retains Womens No 1 ranking Harbhajan joins 400-wicket club in Test cricket Santhosh Kumar wins Indias only gold at Presidents Cup boxing Caruana wins AAI International Grandmasters chess Pyeongchang to host 2018 Winter Olympics Athletics coach Ogorodnik sacked for doping fiasco Das Gupta appointed Badminton Association of India President Kamat elected President of the Swimming Federation of India

For the Week: July 3 to 9, 2011

Bank PO

Section A: INDIA
SC declares Salwa Judum as unconstitutional
Unconstitutional The Supreme Court on July 5, 2011 declared the appointment of Salwa Judum and special police officials (SPOs) from among locals to counter Maoists in difficult terrain as unconstitutional. It ordered that the practice be stopped and such SPOs and units disarmed and disbanded. Salwa Judum involved the deployment of tribal youth to take on Maoists in Chhattisgarh. Under this project, ongoing since 2005, some 6,000 young tribals have been made special police officers, or Koya Commandos, and given weapons to fight the Maoists. Currently, the SPOs are being provided arms training and being used to help the state police and paramilitary forces in entering the Naxal stronghold regions like dense jungles of Bastar. They were also being paid monthly emoluments of Rs. 2,000 by the state government. Cease and desist The apex court ordered the state of Chhattisgarh, immediately desist from using SPOs in any manner or form in any activities, directly or indirectly, aimed at controlling, countering, mitigating or otherwise eliminating Maoist/Naxalite activities in the state, a bench comprising Justices B. Sudershan Reddy and S.S. Nijjar said in an order passed on a PIL by academics Nandani Sundar and Ramchandra Guha and some social activists. It is also equally clear to us that in this policy, of using local youth, jointly devised by the Union and the states facing Maoist insurgency, as implemented in the state of Chhattisgarh, the young tribals have literally become cannon fodder in the killing fields of Dantewada and other districts of Chhattisgarh, the bench said. The judges cited Article 14 of the Constitution (equality before the law and equal protection of the law) as well as Article 21 (no one can be deprived of his life or personal liberty except according to procedures established by law). Since the Centre had approved the engagement of SPOs in anti-Moist operations by the Raman Singh government to help the security forces in difficult forest terrain, and was providing financial aid to the state, the court asked the Union government not to extend any Central assistance for employment of SPOs. The Union of India cease forthwith from using any of its funds in supporting, directly or indirectly, the recruitment of SPOs for the purposes of engaging in any form of counter-insurgency activities against Maoist groups, the order said. Governments response Meanwhile, the Centre on July 7 hinted it will move the Supreme Court to seek a review of its judgement ordering disbanding of tribals as special police officers in anti-Naxal operations and terming it as unconstitutional. The Union home ministry has sought the opinion of the Solicitor General (SG) Gopal Subramaniam on the issue. The SG is said to have backed the government on its stand of involving the local community in policing in areas affected by militancy and insurgency. The home ministry is likely to hold a meeting of the Chief Ministers of various states facing the menace of Naxalism, militancy and insurgency by the month end to discuss the apex court judgement and chalk out future course of action. Ethics The setting up a vigilante force of citizens runs contrary to the understanding that the state alone in democratic societies must be empowered to use violence in the manner sanctioned by the duly constituted authority and within the bounds of law. If this were not so, armed gangs of one or another persuasion would roam the land, in some cases enjoy official patronage, and justify their goals and motives in terms of righteousness, morality, culture, nationalism and revolutionary impulses of one or For the Week: July 3 to 9, 2011 Bank PO

4 another kind. What Salwa Judum does is to arm one set of citizens against another in a calculated and programmed manner in the belief that a national cause is being served, and criminals are being paid back in their own coin. It should be noted that the Salwa Judum idea differs in principle and in spirit from that of village defence units (comprising mostly retired Armymen) in Jammu and Kashmir some years ago to meet the onslaught by terrorists launched into Indian territory by Pakistan. The key difference is that VDUs, unlike Salwa Judum, were set up to challenge foreign mercenaries. It is to be hoped that after being disbanded, the Salwa Judum personnel would be removed to safety (as otherwise they would be sitting ducks for the Maoists), and given a start in another kind of life with the help of the Centre.

SC sets up SIT to probe unaccounted wealth

Recording its serious worries about the slow pace of action on bringing back black money stashed in foreign banks by Indians, and the pace of the probe against Indias biggest alleged tax evader, Hasan Ali Khan, the Supreme Court on July 4, 2011 set up a 13-member special investigating team to probe into the dimensions of unaccounted wealth. It also directed the government to disclose the names of those whose secret account details with Liechtensteins LGT Bank were supplied by Germany. The Court ridiculed the government for its action so far against Hasan Ali, particularly with regard to attachment of his assets. The Bench directed the Union of India to issue an appropriate notification and publish the same forthwith. The government was directed to extend full cooperation to the SIT to ensure smooth investigation in all aspects of the black money issue and remove any artificial obstacles in its way. The SIT will function under the control of two former judges of the Supreme Court, Justice B.P. Jeevan Reddy (chairman) and Justice M.B. Shah (vice-chairman), a bench comprising Justices B. Sudershan Reddy and S.S. Nijjar said, while including the RAW director in the SIT. MDB converted into STI The other members of the SIT would be the same as mentioned by the government in a multi-disciplinary body (MDB) established earlier. The members of the SC-appointed SIT on black money include the secretary of the department of revenue, the RBI deputy governor, the directors of the IB, ED and the CBI director, the chairman of the CBDT, the revenue intelligence director-general, the director of the financial intelligence unit and the joint secretary of foreign trade in the CBDT. In fact, the Supreme Court converted the Centres MDB into an SIT with the addition of the RAW chief, brought it under the control of the two judges and made it directly accountable to the apex court instead of the government.

Impeachment of Dinakaran allowed by SC: The Supreme Court on July 5, 2011 upheld the framing of charges of
alleged corruption and misconduct against Sikkim High Court Chief Justice P.D. Dinakaran by a three-member inquiry committee in the impeachment proceedings but allowed his plea for removal of the senior advocate, P.P. Rao, from the probe panel after the allegation of bias. Since the question of bias was raised, a bench of Justices G.S. Singhvi and C.K. Prasad thought it proper to allow the recusal of Rao from the probe panel, to ensure that the inquiry was completed as early as possible. To ensure early completion of the inquiry, the SC requested the Rajya Sabha chairman, Hamid Ansari, to appoint another jurist in place of Rao as early as possible.

Dayanidhi Maran resigns from Union Cabinet

The 2G spectrum scam has claimed another minister. Textiles Minister Dayanidhi Maran on July 7, 2011 resigned from the Union Cabinet, following allegations by businessman C Sivasankaran that he misused his position as telecom minister from 2004 to 2007 and sought favours for granting a telecom licence. Sivasankaran told the CBI that Maran forced him to sell his telecom business. For the Week: July 3 to 9, 2011 Bank PO

5 Maran is already facing a CBI inquiry into the allocation of spectrum licences during his tenure as communications minister. The CBI on July 6 informed the Supreme Court that Maran had coerced the Aircel founder, C. Sivasankaran, to sell his shares in the company to Malaysia-based firm Maxis in a quid pro quo for investing nearly Rs. 600 crore in his brother, Kalanidhi Marans company, Sun TV Direct. The CBI, in a status report submitted on the probe for the period between 2001 and 2007 on the allocation of spectrum during the tenure of three communications ministers Pramod Mahajan, Arun Shourie and Maran said the DMK leader had withheld his decision on the applications of Sivasankaran for spectrum licences for his company for a full two years in a bid to force him to sell his stake to Maxis, which is owned by T. Ananda Krishnan. Sivasankaran had alleged that Maxis had invested Rs. 599.01 crore in Sun TV Direct as a quid pro quo to help the company acquire Aircel. No action was taken on his (Sivasankarans) applications till the transfer (of shares) took place in the name of the Malaysian company. This man faced coercive action to sell the shares, the CBIs special counsel, Mr K.K. Venugopal, read out from the agencys report, filed in a sealed cover before a bench of Justices G.S. Singhvi and A.K. Ganguly. With this, he has become the second DMK minister at the Centre to fall victim to the 2G spectrum scam. Former communications minister A. Raja is already behind bars over the scam. Rajya Sabha MP Kanimozhi, daughter of the DMK chief, M. Karunanidhi, is also in jail for her alleged involvement in the scam. Kanimozhi was named by the CBI as a coconspirator along with A. Raja. THE RISE AND FALL OF DAYANIDHI MARAN MAY 13, 2004: Elected to the 14th Lok Sabha from Chennai (Central) constituency MAY 26, 2004: Joins Cabinet as minister for communications and information technology MAY 15, 2007: Resigns from the Cabinet due to differences with the DMK chief MAY 27, 2009: Re-elected to the Lok Sabha MAY 28, 2009: Re-enters the Cabinet as textiles minister JULY 7, 2011: Resigns again due to alleged irregularities during his tenure as telecom minister

Annual allocation under MPLAD Scheme increased

The Union Cabinet on July 7, 2011 approved the proposal to increase the annual allocation under MPLAD Scheme from Rs. 2 crore to Rs. 5 crore to each Member of Parliament with effect from the Financial Year 2011-12. The enhanced annual allocation involves a total annual expenditure of Rs.3950 crore i.e. an enhancement of Rs. 2370 crore per annum from the earlier Rs. 1580 crore per annum. The augmentation in the annual allocation of MPLAD Scheme will result in better fulfilment of the needs of the people and create more durable community assets based on locally felt needs. The Cabinet also approved the following: Annual administrative expenses of 2% of the annual outlay under MPLAD Scheme to be given to the Districts/States for proper implementation and monitoring of the Scheme. This would be met within the outlay of Rs.5 crore per MP per annum. An additional annual allocation of Rs. 5 crore to the Ministry of Statistics & Programme Implementation towards monitoring through independent agency(ies) and for capacity building/training to State/District officials to be imparted by the Ministry. Background The MPLAD Scheme was launched in 1993-94. The Scheme enables the Members of Parliament to recommend works for creation of durable community assets based on locally felt needs to be taken up in their constituencies in the area of national priorities namely drinking water, education, public health, sanitation, roads etc. The Scheme is governed by a set of guidelines, which have been last revised in November, 2005. As on 31.03.2011, 13.87 lakh works have been recommended by the Members of Parliament, and 12.30 lakh works sanctioned by the District authorities and 11.24 lakhs works have been completed since the inception of the Scheme. As on For the Week: July 3 to 9, 2011 Bank PO

6 31.03.2011, Rs. 22490.57 crore have been released since inception of the scheme and as reported from the districts, an expenditure of Rs. 20,454.56 crore has been incurred. The percentage cumulative utilization over cumulative release is 90.95%

Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) declines to 212 per 1,00,000 live births in 2007-09
India has impressively brought down its maternal and infant mortality rates, an indication that it is close to achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) set by the United Nations though the total fertility rate (TFR) has remained static after showing a decline during the past few years. The maternal mortality ratio (MMR) number of women dying due to maternal causes per 1,00,000 live-births came down to 212 (2007-09) from 254 in 2004-06. The MDG target for India is to bring down maternal deaths to 109 by 2015. Similarly, the infant mortality rate (IMR) the number of infant deaths per 1,000 live-births has registered a 3 point decline at 50 from 53 in 2008, though every sixth death in the country is of an infant. The mortality rate of girls is higher than boys, indicating a worrisome trend. The under 5 mortality rate (U5MR), denoting the number of children aged 0-4 years declined by 5 points over 2008 to touch 64 in 2009 as against 69 in 2008. However, the average number of children born to a woman during her entire reproductive period or the total fertility rate (TFR) remained unchanged at 2.6 during 2008-2009. The Total Fertility Rate (TFR) measures the average number of children that would be born to a woman over her lifetime at the current age-specific fertility rates. Releasing the latest statistics of the Sample Registration System (SRS), Registrar-General of India and Census Commissioner C. Chandramouli on July 7, 2011 said the progress of India on this front was vital for the overall reduction in the world as every fifth woman dying of reproductive causes was an Indian. Regional variations in MMR: The 17 per cent decline in the MMR was most significant in Empowered Action Group States and Assam from 375 to 308, indicating a fall of 18 per cent. In the south, the decline was from 149 to 127 (15 per cent) and in the other States from 174 to 149 (14 per cent). It is worth noting that the number of States that achieved the MDG target in 2007-09 has gone up to three as against one in 2004-06. Kerala, with a figure at 81, was the sole State earlier and it has now been joined by Tamil Nadu at 97 and Maharashtra at 104. Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, Gujarat and Haryana are in closer proximity to achieving the target. Regional variations in IMR: The maximum infant mortality rate has been reported from Madhya Pradesh (67) as against the national average of 50, while Kerala, again, is among the earliest to achieve the MDG target of 28, well ahead of the set date. Keralas IMR is 12, with Tamil Nadu just at 28. While Delhi is at 33, Maharashtra at 31 and West Bengal at 33 are within the reaching distance. Regional variations in TFR: The TFR for the country remained constant at 2.6 during 2008-09 with Bihar reporting the highest rate at 3.9, while Kerala and Tamil Nadu continued their outstanding performance with the lowest rate at 1.7. A TFR level of 2.1 has been attained by nine States and Union Territories, with Andhra Pradesh at 1.9, Karnataka (2.0), Kerala (1.7), Maharashtra (1.9), Punjab (1.9), Tamil Nadu (1.7) and West Bengal (1.9). At present, on average, a rural woman, (having a TFR of 2.9) at the national level, would have about one child more than an urban woman (having a TFR of 2.0). Regional variations in U5MR: A uniform decline of about 5 points is seen in the male and female under 5 mortality rate, with the maximum reported from Madhya Pradesh (89) and the minimum in Kerala (14). As of now Kerala, Tamil Nadu (33), Maharashtra (36), Delhi (37) and West Bengal (40) have achieved the MDG target of 42 set for 2015. Steps taken to bring down MMR and IMR: The Ministry of Health & Family Welfare has initiated several programmes to reduce the Infant Mortality Rate and Maternal Mortality Ratio. Two such schemes have been launched recently which are expected to further bring down MMR and IMR significantly during the coming period. Janani Shishu Surksha Karyakaram (JSSK) is a new approach to health care, placing for the first time utmost emphasis on entitlements and elimination of out of pocket expenses for both pregnant women and sick infants. The initiative entitles all For the Week: July 3 to 9, 2011 Bank PO

7 pregnant women, delivering in public health institutions, to absolutely free and no expense delivery including caesarean section. A pregnant woman would be entitled to free transport from home to the government health facility, between the facilities, in case she is referred on account of complications and also drop back home after delivery. The entitlements include free drugs and consumables, free diagnostics, free blood wherever required and free diet during the womans stay in the facility. Entitlements have also been put in place for all sick newborns accessing public health institutions for health care till 30 days after birth. This new initiative is estimated to benefit more than one crore pregnant women and newborns every year in both urban and rural areas. Another new initiative of home-based newborn care scheme is being launched to improve community newborn care practices and to improve early detection of neo-natal illness. Additional initiatives would be given to ASHAs for home visits at regular intervals for the care of the newborns

Govt finalizes rules of nuclear liability law

The Government has finalized the much-awaited rules of implementation of the nuclear liability law, a move that could pave way for expansion of the atomic power sector by procuring equipment from foreign suppliers. A PMO committee has approved the rules of implementation of the civil nuclear liability law. We will notify the rules within month, V Narayanasamy, Minister of State in the PMO said on July 7, 2011. The Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage law, passed by Parliament last year, allows the operator of a nuclear plant to seek damages from the supplier in case the nuclear incident occurs due to supply of equipment with latent and patent defects or sub-standard services. The suppliers liability aspect is built into the Indian law through the operators right of recourse incorporated in Article 17 (a, b and c), which has not been favourably accepted by a section of equipment suppliers and analysts. Once the rules are notified, foreign suppliers like Areva can go ahead and sign the commercial contract with NPCIL for the Jaitapur project. Areva, together with Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL), is building two 1650 MW nuclear power reactors at Jaitapur in Maharashtra. The French company had signed the early works contract with NPCIL last year for the Jaitapur project and was awaiting the notification of rules of implementation of the liability law.

New NSG guidelines may affect India in the long run

Any move to curb transfer of enrichment and reprocessing (ENR) technologies to India by NSG countries will have no impact in the near future but may create hurdles in the long run for the domestic nuclear sector. According to the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) on July 7, 2011, India has developed reprocessing technologies on its own using indigenous equipment. An enrichment facility, though of a small capacity has been operational for over a year. The need for access to ENR technologies from international sources would arise when India decides to set up a fuel reprocessing plant under IAEA safeguards. It is at this time that the supply of ENR technologies from international sources would become crucial. India may need them to reduce the capital costs of building the reprocessing plant. Indian scientists and engineers were capable of building reprocessing and fuel enrichment plants using indigenous equipment but it may prove expensive. India set up its first nuclear fuel reprocessing plant at Trombay in 1965. Subsequently two plants were built at Tarapur and Kalpakkam. The new guidelines bar ENR equipment and technology exports to states that have not signed or are not in compliance with the nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty (NPT), do not allow comprehensive IAEA safeguards, and do not allow more extensive monitoring under the terms of an additional protocol, among other criteria.

India, Bangladesh sign agreement on MFN status

India and Bangladesh on July 7, 2011 signed an agreement on investment protection and promotion according each other the Most Favoured Nation status in investments and resolved to jointly combat terrorism in all its forms. This follows talks between External Affairs Minister SM Krishna and Bangladesh Premier Sheikh Hasina and his counterpart Dipu Moni in Dhaka. The two countries inked a Bilateral Agreement on Promotion and Protection of Investments (BIPPA) under which investments of either country would not be nationalised or expropriated except for public purpose and that too against fair and For the Week: July 3 to 9, 2011 Bank PO

8 equitable compensation. The 10-year agreement also provides for repatriation of capital investments, non-operating profits, loan repayments, royalty payments and service fees on a non-discriminatory basis. The agreement also envisages that national treatment and Most Favoured Nation treatment to be accorded by either country to investments from each other. The two countries also signed an agreement under which India would allow transit of trucks carrying goods from Bhutan to Bangladesh, nine months after a similar deal was inked to enable Nepal and Bangladesh to trade through Indian territory.

NAC sends draft food bill to government

The Sonia Gandhi-led National Advisory Council has sent to the Government the draft Food Security Bill which seeks legal food entitlements to 90 per cent rural and 50 per cent urban households. The draft Bill was sent on July 7, 2011 to the government which is expected to take a view and present it to Parliament. The Bill seeks to create priority and general categories in rural and urban areas and issue to them appropriate ration cards to enable them to receive food grains at the rates applicable to them. The Bill proposes that at least 46 per cent of rural and 28 per cent of urban households become priority beneficiaries, who should get rice at Rs 3, wheat at Rs 2 and millets at Rs 1 a kg. It urges the government not to increase these rates for a minimum period of ten years from the date of notification of the Act. The rest of the beneficiaries would get a minimum of four kg of foodgrains per person per month at half the minimum support price for the year offered to farmers while buying their produce. The Bill proposes creation of a National Food Commission and State Food Commissions to oversee the implementation of the Act. These Commissions would have powers of a civil court to hold enquiries. It also states that fair price shops for the delivery of subsidised food grains should be set up within 3 km of a habitation.

Bengal, GJM agree to set up Gorkhaland Territorial Administration: The West Bengal government and the
Gorkha Janamukti Morcha (GJM) on July 8, 2011 signed a draft of Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) that will be forwarded to New Delhi for tripartite talks been the state government, GJM and the Union government. According to the agreement, signed by Home Secretary G D Gautama and GJM general secretary Roshan Giri, the new administrative body will be known as the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA). Earlier it was called Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council. The GJM dropped the word state from its original suggestion Gorkhaland State Autonomous Administration following objections from the government. According to the state Chief Secretary, the GJA will not have the power to legislate laws or collect taxes but will be authorised to collect levy from the tea gardens. It will have the authority to recruit junior-level government staff with the approval of the state government. However, the sensitive territory issue of the GJM has been referred to a nine-member joint verification committee. The committee will be formed to submit a report on the inclusion several parts of Terai and Dooars to the territory of Gorkhaland.

78 MLAs resign over Telangana statehood demand: The Telangana spectre returned to haunt the Centre with 78
MLAs from across the political spectrum and 10 Congress MPs quitting to demand the formation of a separate state while a 48-hour bandh from July 5, 2011 paralysed normal life in the region. Meanwhile, the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs on July 4 recommended repeal of a law to provide preferential employment in police for Telangana residents in Hyderabad zone. The move is being seen as a sop to pacify the agitationists. The clause (f) of paragraph 14 of the presidential order makes Hyderabad a free zone for employment in police and its repeal will ensure residents get preference. As many as 39 Congress MLAs and 34 TDP MLAs resigned from the Andhra Pradesh assembly, delivering a hard blow to the Kiran Reddy government. 11 MLAs of Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) and the partys Lok Sabha members TRS President K Chandrasekhar Rao and Vijay Shanthi also announced their resignations in support of the demand for a separate state.

Inter-State Migrant Workmen Act made gender neutral: The Government on July 7, 2011 took a step forward in the
path of promoting gender equality at workplace by deciding to amend the title of a law by replacing the word workmen by worker in it. The Union Cabinet at its meeting approved a proposal to amend the title of the Inter-State Migrant Workmen For the Week: July 3 to 9, 2011 Bank PO

9 (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) Act of 1979 to Inter-State Migrant Workers (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) Act, 1979. A bill to give effect to this amendment is likely to be introduced in the ensuing session of Parliament. A Task Force, constituted for amendment of labour laws concerning women and children, had recommended the change in the title to make it gender neutral.

National Council for Teacher Education superseded: The Union government on July 7, 2011 superseded the
National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) for six months and its functions have been taken over by the Human Resource Development Ministry. The NCTE is a statutory body set up to regulate development of the teacher education system. The supersession follows a June 2 show-cause issued to the NCTE following several complaints expressing dissatisfaction over its functioning. The show-cause expressed grave concern over the working the NCTE as well as its regional committees. The Centre took note of a review committee report, which pointed out major infirmities and defects in the decision-making process of the Northern Regional Council (NRC) and lack of monitoring and supervision of the functioning of the NRC and the NCTE. A writ petition filed by SASTRA University, Thanjavur, in the Madras High Court for a direction to the Centre to supersede the NCTE and allow universities to conduct teacher education programmes of their own without seeking NCTE approval is pending adjudication

AMU approves five new study centres: Aligarh Muslim University on July 7, 2011 sanctioned the establishment of five
study centres of distance education in different parts of the country. The approval has been granted for establishing these centres at different educational establishments at Saharsa, Bhagalpur and Muzaffarpur in Bihar. The remaining two centres will be established at Badaun and Moradabad in Uttar Pradesh. According to Director, Distance Education Centre, AMU, Mohd Rizwan Khan, the university does not have any financial commitment in the establishment of these centres which would fall under the ambit of the Centre for Distance Education. These centres will offer courses for graduates and undergraduates

AICTE lowers cut-off for engg courses to 45%: The All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) on July 6, 2011
lowered the eligibility criteria for engineering courses from 50 per cent in Class 12 (in physics, chemistry and math or PCM) to 45 per cent for general category candidates and 40 per cent for reserved category candidates. Candidates should have passed the Std XII examination...and secured minimum 45% marks, that is, not less than 135 marks out of 300 marks (and minimum 40% marks, that is, not less than 120 marks out of 300 marks in case of candidates of backward class categories) in physics, chemistry and mathematics added together, said the notification.

Govt to rate schools for sanitation in new program: Aimed at promoting clean hygiene practices in educational
institutes, the Government on July 7, 2011 launched a programme which will rate schools on the basis of their contribution towards effective sanitation. The purpose of the ratings is to recognize those schools which are taking significant steps towards effective sanitation and improvement in service delivery leading to the desired behavioural and attitudinal changes towards hygiene sanitation, HRD Minister Kapil Sibal said while launching the national school sanitation ratings programme .

Government approves special training package for J&K youth: The Union government on July 7, 2011 approved a
Rs 1,000 crore special package for imparting training to 8,000 youth annually in Jammu and Kashmir with the help of the corporate sector. As many 40,000 graduates, post-graduates and professional degree holders from all districts of the state will be covered in the next five years. "The estimated expenditure on the special industry initiative (SII) scheme is Rs 2.5 lakh per trainee," an official statement said after a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), which cleared the proposal. To be funded entirely by the Centre, it will be implemented in partnership with the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) and other institutions identified for the purpose.

CVC presents its annual report to President: The Central Vigilance Commission, investigating the multi-crore
Commonwealth Games scam, submitted its annual report to President Pratibha Patil. The report carried details of probe undertaken by the anti-corruption watchdog between January and December 2010. The report was given to the President on June 30 by its two Vigilance Commissioners R Srikumar and J. M. Garg. Newly selected Central Vigilance Commissioner Pradeep Kumar has not yet joined the office. According to the CVC Act 2003, It shall be the duty of the Commission to present annually to the President a report as to the work done by the Commission within six months of the close of the year under report. On receipt of such report, the President shall cause the same to be laid before each House of Parliament, the Act said. CVC acts as countrys top body to advise Government of India on anti-corruption and takes necessary action to check graft.

For the Week: July 3 to 9, 2011

Bank PO

10

India gets Dutch support for UNSC seat: The Netherlands, the worlds 16th largest economy, on July 5, 2011 backed
Indias permanent membership in an expanded UN Security Council and pitched for expanding economic ties to new heights. External Affairs Minister S M Krishna held talks with his Dutch counterpart Uri Rosenthal, who came on a three-day visit to India from July 4 to 6, 2011, on a wide range of issues, including the intensification of economic ties, UN reforms and the global financial architecture.

Conference of Association of SAARC Speakers and Parliamentarians organised: Prime Minister, Dr.
Manmohan Singh inaugurated the 5 Conference of Association of SAARC Speakers and Parliamentarians in New Delhi on July 9, 2011. The first Conference was held in 1995. At the SAARC Summit in Thimphu in April last year, SAARC Leaders had agreed that a Conclave of SAARC Parliamentarians be established in order to benefit from the democratic and participatory tradition represented by the Parliamentarians of South Asia.
th

World Bank to provide $200 million loan to strengthen local government system in Kerala: The Government
of India and World Bank on July 5, 2011 signed a US$200 million agreement to strengthen the capacity of gram panchayats and municipalities in Kerala in Thiruvananthapuram. The Kerala Local Government and Service Delivery Project will fund improvements in local infrastructure to help Kerala usher in greater decentralization at the local level. This Project will provide gram panchayats and municipalities with additional discretionary funds as performance grant for the creation and maintenance of its capital assets; provide inputs to strengthen the capacity of these local bodies; strengthen the system that monitors their performance; and provide overall support to the Project Management Unit within the local body. The credit is from the International Development Association (IDA) the World Banks concessionary lending arm which provides interest-free loans with 35 years to maturity and a 10-year grace period. There is no interest charge but a service charge payable by the recipient on the withdrawn credit balance shall be 0.75% per annum. In 1994 India adopted the 73rd and 74th Constitutional Amendments, which has mandated the creation of local governments in both urban and rural areas.

North East Craft Museum inaugurated at Guwahati: The Union Minister of Development of North Eastern Region,
B.K. Handique on July 4, 2011 inaugurated the North East Craft Museum at Guwahati. This is the only Handicrafts Museum in the North East which has artifacts from all the North Eastern States. Under the initiative of North East Handloom & Handicrafts Development Corporation (NEHHDC), the Museum has been financed by the Office of the Development Commissioner (Handicrafts) and set up in a 10000 Sq.ft. shed.

Swiss company Pilatus to supply trainer aircrafts to IAF: Moving ahead with the procurement of 75 basic trainer
aircraft for the Indian Air Force (IAF), Defence Ministry on July 6, 2011 completed negotiations with Swiss company Pilatus, which emerged as the lowest bidder in the USD 1 billion deal. Under the Defence Procurement Policy (DPP) norms, the Contract Negotiations Committee (CNC) report is progressing for approval by the competent financial authority. Besides Pilatus, US firm Hawker-Beechcraft and Korean Aerospace Industries (KAI) from South Korea had pitched for the deal. The bid will fulfill IAFs need for a basic jet trainer after the fleet of HPT-32 basic trainers were grounded in 2009, following an air crash which raised concerns over its safety features. Presently the cadets are trained on Kiran trainer aircraft, which are actually meant for second level of flight training

Cho-Lhamu Indias highest lake: Cho-Lhamu Lake, located over 18,000 feet above sea level in Sikkim, has been
declared the highest lake in the country after a survey conducted by the Central Government. The Wetland Atlas prepared by the Union Ministry of Environment & Forests has stated that Cho-Lhamu is the highest lake in the country and the sixth highest in the world, State Tourism Minister Bhim Dhungel said in Gangtok on July 7, 2011.

Shashikant Sharma appointed new defence secretary: Shashikant Sharma, currently a secretary in department of
financial services, was on July 7, 2011 appointed as defence secretary for a two-year term succeeding Pradeep Kumar, who has been chosen the next central vigilance commissioner. Sharma, A 1976 batch Bihar cadre IAS officer, has earlier served as the DG (Acquisition) in the defence ministry and will take up his new assignment on July 31. Holding an MSc degree in Administration Science, Sharma has had a stint of total six years in the defence ministry in various important capacities. In another appointment, Shekhar Agarwal, presently special secretary in the department of ex-servicemen welfare, has been appointed as secretary, department of defence production, replacing Rajkumar Singh, who is now the home secretary.

Aamir Khan named brand ambassador of the WCD Ministry: Actor-producer Aamir Khan was on July 4, 201 named
the brand ambassador of the Women and Child Development Ministry for spreading the message of curbing malnutrition among children. Khan held a meeting with WCD Minister Krishna Tirath along with his creative team led by Prasoon Joshi, For the Week: July 3 to 9, 2011 Bank PO

11 making a presentation on his concept how he plans to spearhead the campaign on arousing consciousness among people about ill effects of malnutrition and prevent children from trap of malnutrition.

Daulat Ram Saran passes away: Former Union Minister and farmers leader Daulat Ram Saran passed away in Jaipur on July 2, 2011 at the age of 87. Saran was Minister for Urban Development and Housing during the Chandra Shekhar Government at the Centre. He was jailed for 19 months during the Emergency. Starting his public life early as a member of Bikaner State Praja Parishad in 1945, Saran represented Dungargarh constituency in Churu in the Rajasthan Assembly thrice. He was a Deputy Minister in the Mohanlal Sukhadia Ministry from 1957 to 1966 when he quit both the Government and the Congress party. Saran was elected to the Lok Sabha from Churu on Janata Party ticket in 1977 and then in 1980. When the Janata Party split, he first remained with the Janata Party(S) and then joined the Lok Dal led by Ajit Singh. In 1989 he fought on Janata Dal ticket to win from Churu again. Jamia Chancellor Khorakiwala passes away: Jamia Millia Islamia Chancellor since 2002, Fakhruddin Taherbhai Khorakiwala passed away in Mumbai at the age of 93 on July 5, 2011. He was the president of various institutes and organisations such as Indian Merchants Chamber, Indo-Swiss Society and Council for Fair Business Practices. He also founded the Indo-Arab Society and was awarded the Padma Shri for his contributions. Khorakiwala, who founded the countrys first departmental store Akbarallys in 1956, was also the former sheriff of Mumbai. Film Director Mani Kaul passes away: Mani Kaul, renowned film director and one of the leading lights of new Indian cinema, passed away on July 6, 2011. Kaul was one of the pioneers of the new wave in Indian cinema who explored new language and expression in his films. A graduate of Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), Kaul through his innovative imagery, vocabulary and experimentation started a new movement in Indian cinema. After passing out from FTII in 1966, Mani Kaul directed various films such as Uski Roti, Ashadh Ka Ek Din, Duvidha, Satah se Uthata Aadmi etc. His film Siddheshwari won the National Film Award for best documentary in 1989. .

Coastal Hazard Line Mapping

The Stereo Digital Aerial Photography (SDAP) has been started as the first step towards Coastal Hazard Line Mapping to help in management of countrys coastal zone. For the purpose of SDAP, the mainland coastline has been divided into eight blocks. They are, from the Indo-Pakistan Border to Somnath in Gujarat; Somnath to Ulhas River in Maharashtra; Ulhas River to Sharawati River in Karnataka; Sharawati River to Cape Comorine in Tamil Nadu; Ponniyur River to Krishna River in Andhra Pradesh; Krishna River to Chhattapur in Orissa; and Chhattapur to Indo-Bangla Desh border in West Bengal. Based on this, the maps will be prepared in 1: 10,000 scale and pillars will be erected demarcating the hazard line. The data of these areas will be collected and presented, flood lines over last 40 years will be identified, and sea level rise impacts of the same period will be identified. After collecting these data, a prediction of erosions to take place over next100 years will be assessed. This will be undertaken under the World Bank assisted Integrated C0astal Zone Management Project. The estimated cost of this survey is Rs 125 crore. The Ministry also released the Shoreline Change Atlas of Orissa earlier in 2011. The Atlas contains precise interpretation of shoreline change of the State. The Institute of Ocean Management, Anna University, Chennai had prepared the map. The information will be useful in providing an overview of areas that are likely to be more vulnerable to coastal erosion, identifying areas for development, conservation of coastal and marine resources and to safeguard coastal population from highly eroding and hazard areas.

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Section B: WORLD
South Sudan becomes independent
South Sudan gained independence from Sudan on July 9, 2011 as the outcome of a 2005 peace deal that ended Africa's longest-running civil war. An overwhelming majority of South Sudanese voted in a January 2011 referendum to secede and become Africa's first new country since Eritrea split from Ethiopia in 1993. The new nation stands to benefit from inheriting the bulk of Sudan's oil wealth, but continuing disputes with Khartoum and a lack of economic development cloud its immediate future.

Geography Formed from the 10 southern-most states of Sudan, South Sudan is a land of expansive grassland, swamps and tropical rain forest straddling both banks of the White Nile. It is highly diverse ethnically and linguistically. Among the largest ethnic groups are the Dinka, Nuer and Shilluk. Unlike the predominantly Muslim population of Sudan, the South Sudanese follow traditional religions, while a minority are Christians. History As Sudan prepared to gain independence from joint British and Egyptian rule in 1956, southern leaders accused the new authorities in Khartoum of backing out of promises to create a federal system, and of trying to impose an Islamic and Arabic identity. In 1955, southern army officers mutinied, sparking off a civil war between the south, led by the Anya Nya guerrilla movement, and the Sudanese government. The conflict only ended when the Addis Ababa peace agreement of 1972 accorded the south a measure of autonomy. But, in 1983, the south, led by the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) and its armed wing, the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA), again rose in rebellion when the Sudanese government cancelled the autonomy arrangements. At least 1.5 million people are thought to have lost their lives and more than four million were displaced in the ensuing 22 years of guerrilla warfare. Large numbers of South Sudanese fled the fighting, either to the north or to neighbouring countries, where many remain. The conflict finally ended with the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement, under which the south was granted regional autonomy along with guaranteed representation in a national power-sharing government. The agreement also provided for a referendum in the south on independence in 2011, in which 99% of southern Sudanese voted to split from Sudan. Economy Long based on subsistence agriculture, South Sudan's economy is now highly oil-dependent. While an estimated 75% of all the former Sudan's oil reserves are in South Sudan, the refineries and the pipeline to the Red Sea are in Sudan.

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13 Under the 2005 accord, South Sudan received 50% of Sudan's oil proceeds, which provide the vast bulk of the country's budget. But that arrangement was set to expire with independence. Despite the oil wealth, South Sudan is one of Africa's least developed countries. However, the years since the 2005 peace accord ushered in an economic revival and investment in utilities and other infrastructure.

India recognises South Sudan

India has become one of the first nations to accord diplomatic recognition to South Sudan. The recognition was accorded through a letter by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to South Sudans new President General Salva Kiir Mayardit, shortly after he assumed power at the Independence Day function in capital Juba on July 9, 2011. The letter was handed over to General Mayardit by Indias ambassador to Sudan AK Pandey. Vice President Hamid Ansari attended South Sudans independence day function. India would soon be appointing its Ambassador in Juba. At present, India has a Consul General. The ceremony, which marked the historic occasion the birth of a new nation, was attended among others by Sudanese President Omar Al-Bashir and UN chief Ban Ki-moon. South rd th Sudan would hence be the 193 country to be recognised by the UN and the 54 member state from Africa. Earlier on July 8, Sudan extended official recognition to South Sudan, calling it an independent state.

Yingluck Shinawatra forms coalition government in Thailand

Yingluck Shinawatra, the sister of ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, on June 4, 2011 announced an accord to form a five-party coalition government after her Pheu Thai Party won a landslide victory in Thailands Parliamentary Elections. Yingluck, whose party already won a majority of 265 seats in the 500-seat lower house of Parliament under preliminary results of June 3 polling, announced an agreement that would boost her coalition to 299 seats. The Democrat Party, which has led a coalition government for more than three years, will be in opposition. Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva has announced his resignation as leader of the Democrats, which won 160 seats. Yingluck is Thailands first female Prime Minister. To his supporters, Thaksin is a champion of the disadvantaged who was unconstitutionally forced from power by powerful elites, backed by the military. To his critics, the deposed PM was a corrupt and authoritarian leader who manipulated gullible voters. Thailand has been plagued by internal division since Thaksin was ousted by a military coup in 2006. Critics of Yingluck say she is too inexperienced and is simply a proxy for her brother. Timeline Sept 2006: Army overthrows government of Thaksin Shinawatra, rewrites constitution Dec 2007: Pro-Thaksin People Power Party wins most votes in election Aug 2008: Mr Thaksin flees into exile before end of corruption to trial Dec 2008: Mass yellow-shirt protests paralyse Bangkok; Constitutional Court bans People Power Party; Abhisit Vejjajiva comes to power Mar-May 2010: Thousands of pro-Thaksin red shirts occupy parts of Bangkok; eventually cleared by army; dozens killed 4 July 2011: The surprise runaway winner of Thailands election, the Pheu Thai party, says it has agreed to form a coalition with four smaller parties. The party - led by Yingluck Shinawatra, sister of ousted PM Thaksin Shinawatra - won a clear majority with an estimated 265 seats.

Australia to impose carbon tax on worst polluters: The Australian government on July 10, 2011 unveiled plans to
impose a tax on carbon emissions for the worst polluters. Prime Minister Julia Gillard said carbon dioxide emissions would be taxed at A$23 ($25) per tonne from July 2012. Australia is one of the worlds worst emitters of greenhouse gases per head of population. The country relies on coal for 80% of its electricity generation, and is a major coal exporter. The government plans to include any company that produces at least 25,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide per year. However, agriculture, forestry and land will be excluded from the levy. Motorists are also to be exempt, except for heavy lorries. For the Week: July 3 to 9, 2011 Bank PO

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Potato genome sequenced: An international team of researchers at James Hutton Institute in Dundee, Scotland on July
10, 2011 announced they had uncovered the full DNA sequence of the potato for the first time. The breakthrough holds out the promise of boosting harvests of one of the worlds most important staple crops. It could soon be possible to develop improved varieties of potato much more quickly. The genome of an organism is a map of how all of its genes are put together. Each gene controls different aspects of how the organism grows and develops. Slight changes in these instructions give rise to different varieties. By locating the genes that control traits like yield, colour, starchiness and flavour, the research should make it possible to develop better spuds much more quickly. Potatoes provide the worlds fourth-largest crop, with an annual, global yield of 330m tonnes

Indian Biomedical Research centre launched in Kyrgyzstan: The Defence Minister, A. K. Antony and the Kyrgyz
President, Roza Otunbayeva inaugurated the Kyrgyz-Indian Mountain Biomedical Research Centre, in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan on July 5, 2011. The Centre will carry out research on the mechanism of short term and long term high altitude adaptation. It will also mobilize and synchronise the expertise of the two countries in the area of high altitude research. The scientists will focus on molecular biology approaches to identify markers for screening of people for high altitude resistance and susceptibility to high altitude sickness and development of mountain maladies. The benefits of these studies will apply to a large population across the globe, as more and more people travel to the mountains every year. Indias contribution to the project is Rs 6 Crores.

India to train Kyrghyz armed forces in UN Peace Keeping Operations: India has offered its assistance to
Kyrghyzstan in a wide range of areas to strengthen its defence and security capabilities. The Defence Minister AK Antony made this offer at the extensive talks he held with his Kyrghyz counterpart Major General Abibilla Kudayberdiev in the Kyrghyz capital Bishkek on July 4, 2011. Antony lead a high level defence delegation including the DRDO Chief Dr VK Saraswat, Special Secretary RK Mathur, Secretary and Defence Finance Vijay Lakshmi Gupta and Chief Controller of Research and Development Dr William Selvamurthy. The Indian Ambassador to Bishkek, P. Stobdan also joined the deliberations.

Chinas Pak reactors receive NSG approval: Chinas supply of two new nuclear reactors for Pakistan has received
approval of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) at the June 23-24 plenary meeting of the 46-nation nuclear cartel in Noordwik, Netherlands. When NSG questioned China about the two new reactors, Chashma 3 and 4, Beijing insisted the deal was finalised before it joined NSG in 2004. The US had in March challenged China on the new reactors. On March 18, Robert Blake, assistant secretary in the US State Department, had earlier said that the construction of new nuclear reactors such as the Chashma 3 and 4 would be inconsistent with Chinas commitments as NSG member. China also got a thumbs-up from Germany. Days before the NSG meet, Germany, in an answer to the Bundestag, reportedly said, China can export nuclear goods for construction of reactor as Chasma 3 and 4 without violating NSG guidelines.

Arabi replaces Moussa as Arab League secretary general: Egypts Nabil al-Arabi on July 3, 2011 formally replaced
his compatriot Amr Moussa as secretary general of the Arab League. On May 15, Foreign Minister Arabi was selected to replace Moussa, whose 10-year tenure was due to expire and who harbours ambitions to run for the Egyptian presidency. The 22-member Arab League, based in Cairo, is being tested as the Arab Spring overturns the regions political apple cart. Arabi, 75, was a former ambassador to the United Nations and is an expert in international law, working at the International Court of Justice from 2001 until 2006. As a young diplomat, he was part of the Egyptian negotiating team that concluded the peace deal with Israel in 1978-1979. On March 06, he was appointed foreign minister in Prime Minister Essam Sharafs cabinet, in which capacity he reopened the Rafah border crossing with Gaza and brokered the reconciliation of Palestinian factions Hamas and Fatah. Moussa, also 75, was foreign minister from 1991 to 2001 under former president Hosni Mubarak before being appointed to the Arab League post.

Cassini captures massive Saturn storm in unprecedented detail: For the first time, scientists have captured in
unprecedented detail a massive storm raging on Saturn which is producing lightning bolts 10,000 times stronger than those on Earth. The storm has caused a "Great White Spot" on the planet which is visible from Earth, the Daily Telegraph reported on July 7, 2011. Observations from the Cassini spacecraft combined with images from ground-based telescopes, showed that the electric spectacle is producing a tempest so intense the flashes are occurring at the rate of up to ten times a second, according to the researchers who reported their findings in two papers in the journal Nature.

11th century Angkor temple restored in Cambodia: An ancient Angkor temple in north-western Cambodia was
reopened to the public on July 3, 2011 following the completion of a decades-long renovation project described as the worlds For the Week: July 3 to 9, 2011 Bank PO

15 largest puzzle. The restoration of the 11 -century Baphuon monument, one of the countrys largest after Angkor Wat, was celebrated with a high-profile ceremony attended by Cambodian King Norodom Sihamoni and French Prime Minister Francois Fillon. The finished project is the result of half a century of painstaking efforts by restorers to take apart the crumbling towers 300,000 sandstone blocks and then piece them back together.
th

News of the World to close after hacking row: Rupert Murdochs News Corporation closed its tabloid News of the
World (NoW) as a result of an escalating phone hacking scandal with July 10, 2011 being the last edition of the 168-year old newspaper. James Murdoch, chairman of News International which publishes NoW, The Times and The Sun admitted its behaviour had sullied the reputation of the organisation. Recent revelations showed that a detective hired by the paper hacked the phones of families of the victims of the London 2005 bombings and of British soldiers killed in Afghanistan and Iraq

Iran to develop search engine Ya Haq: Iran is all set to launch the first phase of its national internet in August, Press
TV reported on July 5, 2011. Also called the Clean Web, the national Internet project seeks protection against the loose commitment to ethics and morality across the World Wide Web. Tehran has also undertaken a project to develop a national search engine called Ya Haq by early 2012

Jolie, Jessica Parker are Hollywoods top paid actresses: Angelina Jolie and Sarah Jessica Parker have topped the
list of Hollywoods highest paid actresses, earning an estimated $30 million this year, according to Forbes magazine. Forbes said Jolies success stemmed from her ability to handle action, drama and directing. Jolies earnings were boosted by movies such as Salt and The Tourist. On the other hand, Parkers big fortune was tied to the success of television and film series Sex and the City. Ranking third behind Jolie and Parker are Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon, who each brought in $28 million.

Monacos Prince Albert marries South African: Prince Albert II of Monaco and his South African bride, Princess
Charlene, married in a religious ceremony on July 2, 2011.

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Section C: AWARDS
Nagar Ratna awards for municipal bodies conferred:
President Pratibha Patil on July 8, 2011 conferred the Nagar Ratna Awards upon 12 Municipal Corporations and Municipal Councils in Mumbai. The Nagar Ratna Awards have been instituted by the All-India Institute of Local Self-Government () to recognise the best performing municipal bodies under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission. A selection committee, headed by the former Supreme Court Justice Arijit Pasayat, evaluated the performance of various cities on nine parameters, while adjudging the winners. There were two categories of awards. Three awards were given for the best overall performance. Nine awards were declared for good performance in different segments such as public health, roads and streets. Overall Performance awards: The Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation, which was adjudged the best overall performer, was given Rs.5 lakh and a trophy. The Mysore City Corporation received the second prize and the Pune Municipal Corporation was declared the third winner. Segment awards: Under the segment awards, the best public services award went to the Nashik Municipal Corporation. The Kalyan Dombivili Municipal Corporation won the award for improvement of roads and streets. The Vadodara Municipal Corporation won the award for providing basic amenities to urban poor. Bengaluru was awarded for financial management, Vishakhapatnam for use of Information Technology in governance and service delivery, Faridabad for recreational facilities, Rajkot for complaints redress system, Surat for innovation and Agartala for transparency and accountability

Prime Minister Shram awards for 2010 announced

The Government of India on July 5, 2011 announced the Prime Ministers Shram Awards for the year 2010 to be awarded to 76 workers employed in the Departmental Undertakings & Public Sector Undertakings of the Central and State Governments and Private Sector Units employing 500 or more workers in recognition of their distinguished performances, innovative abilities, outstanding contribution in the field of productivity and exhibition of exceptional courage and presence of mind. Prime Ministers Shram Awards recognize the outstanding contributions made by workmen as defined in the Industrial Dispute Act, 1947 in organizations both in public and private sector and who have distinguished record of performance, devotion to duty of a high order, specific contribution in the field of productivity, proven innovative abilities, presence of mind and exceptional courage and also to the workmen who have made supreme sacrifice of laying down their lives in the conscientious discharge of their duties This year, no nomination was found suitable for the presitigious Shram Ratna Award which is common for both the Public & Private Sectors. It carries a cash award of Rs. 2,00,000 & a Sanad and is given to a worker who has really outstanding calibre and has made exceptional all round contribution. Twelve nominations for the Shram Bhushan Award, Thirty eight nominations for Shram Vir/Shram Veerangana and twenty six nominations for Shram Shree/Shram Devi Awards have been selected. Even though, the total number of Shram Awards is 33, the number of workers receiving the Awards is 76 (including one women), as some of the Awards have been shared by workers and/or teams of workers consisting of more than one worker. These include 57 workers from the public sector and 19 workers from the private sector. SHRAM BHUSHAN: Total number of Shram Bhushan Awardees is twelve. It carries a cash award of Rs. 1,00,000/- and a Sanad. Nine nominations were found suitable for the Shram Bhushan Award for the year 2010 in respect of Public Sector Undertakings. The Shram Bhushan Awards in respect of Public Sector undertakings are given to S. Karuppiah, R. Jagadeesan, A. Veerappan, S. Raja ( jointly) all from Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd Tiruchirapalli and Mukund Mohan, Narayan Rao, Toran Lal Sahu, Girivar Prasad Sharma, G.B.S Choudhary (jointly) all from Bhilai Steel Plant and in respect of Private Sector to Sachikanta Mahato and Rajesh Kumar Dwivedi (Jointly) both from Tata Steel Ltd., Jamshedpur and Shri Swapan Bera from Tata Steel Ltd., Jamshedpur. SHRAM VIR/VEERANGANA: Total number of Shram Vir/Shram Veerangana Awardees is thirty eight. It carries a cash award of Rs. 60,000/- and a Sanad. No female worker from Public Sector and Private Sector was found suitable for Shram Veerangana Award. For the Week: July 3 to 9, 2011 Bank PO

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SHRAM SHREE/DEVI: Total number of Shram Shree/Shram Devi Awardees is twenty six. It carries a cash award of Rs. 40,000/- and a Sanad. One female workers from Public sector have been selected for Shram Devi Awards for this year.

M.S. Gopalakrishnan selected for Nada Vidya Bharati honour: The title of Nada Vidya Bharati will be conferred
upon violinist Sangeeta Kalanidhi M.S. Gopalakrishnan of Chennai by the Visakha Music and Dance Academy here at Kalabharati auditorium on August 13, the first day of weeklong national-level festival of music, dance and drama. Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting Ambika Soni will award the title, which carries a Swarnakamalam (gold lotus), new clothes and Rs.1 lakh in cash. The previous recipients of the title here were Mridangam player Umayalpuram K. Sivaraman, flautist Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia and Kuchipudi exponent Nataraja Ramakrishna during the past three years. (July 7, 2011)

Amartya Sen conferred Doctorate by NUEPA: The Union Minister for Human Resource Development and
Communications and Information Technology, Kapil Sibal conferred the Degree of Doctor of Literature (Honoris Causa) on the Nobel Laureate, Prof. Amartya Sen, at a Special Convocation of National University of Educational Planning and Administration (NUEPA), in New Delhi on July 4, 2011. Sen is the Thomas W. Lamont University Professor and Professor of Economics and Philosophy, Harvard University, and the winner of the 1998 Nobel Prize in Economic Science.

Delhi wins UN award for Mission Convergence: Delhi government on July 7, 2011 won the United Nations Public
Service Award for its Mission Convergence programme in the field of improving the delivery of public services. The programme, initiated in 2008 and implemented by Samajik Suvidha Sangam, seeks to address urban poverty. Meanwhile Swanchetan, an NGO, has been conferred the United Nations Public Service Award for gender category in 2011, making it the first civil society organisation from India to be chosen for the prestigious award.

U.K. honour for Indian cardiologist K. Srinath Reddy: K. Srinath Reddy Leading cardiologist K. Srinath Reddy was on July 8, 2011 awarded an honorary degree of Doctor of Science by Scotlands Aberdeen University for his pioneering work in the field of public health. Currently president of the Public Health Foundation of India and a former head of the Department of Cardiology at the All-India Institute of Medical Sciences in New Delhi, Dr. Reddy is regarded as a global leader in preventative cardiology and in the field of public health and has made a significant impact in the prevention of noncommunicable diseases in developing countries. Raj Shah receives Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award: USAID Administrator Raj Shah, who is the highest ranking
Indian-American official in the Obama Administration, received the prestigious Pravasi Bharatiya Samman award 2011 from Indian Ambassador to the US Meera Shankar in Washington on July 7, 2011.

Indrajit Banerjee is Best CFO of the Year: Indrajit Banerjee, Chief Financial Officer of Cairn India Ltd has been
adjudged the best CFO of the year in the Best Treasurer category. Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee conferred the Business Today CFO of the Year (Best Treasurer Category) on Banerjee on July 5, 2011 at New Delhi. This year the awards picked the best CFOs in the country the ones who best succeeded in finding the balance between company growth and meeting shareholder expectations, while keeping input costs down during the difficult financial year of 2009/10. The winner of the CFO award was chosen from analysis of 500 companies, ranked by market capitalisation. The list was sorted into three: large companies, or those with revenues of more than Rs 2,000 crore, mid-sized companies, whose revenues were lower, and public sector units or PSUs.

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Section D: ECONOMY & CORPORATE

Draft Microfinance Bill makes RBI sole regulator of MFIs
The government has proposed a regulatory framework for the microfinance industry that provides protection to the consumer, makes the Reserve Bank of India the sole regulator and puts industry under a strict watch. The draft Micro Finance Institutions (Development and Regulation) Bill 2011 gives sweeping power to the RBI by bringing all aspect of microfinance under its oversight. The finance ministry on July 6, 2011 put out the draft bill for comments. The government has now sought comments from all stakeholders before finalising the bill. Registration of MFIs mandatory: The bill has proposed that any entity, except banks, which provides microfinance services would be treated as a micro finance institution (MFI) and come under the RBIs regulatory oversight. Every MFI, including the existing ones, will have to register with the RBI within three months of the commencement of the Act. MFIs with net owned funds of less than Rs 5 lakh wouldnt be allowed to register. The larger MFIs, termed as systemically important micro finance institutions, will have to register themselves under the Companies Act. Such MFIs will further need to comply with possibly more stringent RBI directives. MFIs disclosures to borrowers: MFIs will have to convey to every borrower the annual percentage rate, comprising the annual interest rate, processing fees or any other charges or fees levied by them. RBIs purview The bill has not put any cap on the interest rates charged by the MFIs, but gives the RBI sweeping powers to regulate lending rates and margins apart from fixing prudential norms. The Bill proposes to empower RBI to issue directions to MFIs on margin caps, tenure of loans, periodicity of repayment schedules, levy of processing fees, interest and life insurance premium, among others. It will also be allowed to specify the maximum annual percentage rate that can be charged by an MFI on the financial assistance granted to any client. The Malegam committee of RBI had recommended an average margin cap of 10 per cent for MFIs having a loan portfolio of Rs 100 crore, of 12 per cent for smaller MFIs and a cap of 24 per cent for interest on individual loans. Currently, most MFIs are charging an interest rate over 24 per cent. Depending on the size of their operations and other relevant parameters, MFIs will be required to maintain the percentage of margin as may be specified by RBI from time to time. The Bill says every micro lender must create reserve funds for loans and refinance to other micro-finance companies. RBI, with the previous approval of the central government, will be allowed to delegate any of its powers conferred under this Act to the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development in respect of any micro finance institution or a class of micro finance institutions. Micro Finance Development Council: While the RBI will be the sole regulator, the draft Bill also provides for setting up of a Micro Finance Development Council to advise the Central government, on formulation of policies, schemes and other measures required in the interest of orderly growth and development of the sector. For looking into the complainants of the consumers, the RBI in consultation with the Micro Finance Development Council and the State Advisory Councils can appoint micro finance ombudsmen to redress the grievances. The AP impasse: The MFI segment has been in turmoil since October last year when Andhra Pradesh (AP), the biggest state for microfinance activities, decided to regulate the sector following reports of borrower suicides because of coercive recovery by lenders. The tough stand had hit MFI business in the state, which accounts for a third of MFI outstandings in the country. In Andhra, the loan recovery rate has fallen to about 10% from over 95% in early 2010, landing many MFIs in a soup. The situation got exacerbated when banks began to deny fresh loans to them. The Centre and the RBI subsequently decided to prepare a national framework for regulation. The RBI set up a committee under its board member YH Malegam to For the Week: July 3 to 9, 2011 Bank PO

19 suggest a framework. The draft bill draws heavily from the recommendations of the committee. The Central bill would overrule the provisions of the Andhra Pradesh Microfinance Institutions (Regulation of Money-lending) Act, 2010. The state law was widely criticised by micro lenders for prescribing cumbersome processes that could hamper fresh lending to their customers.

Report on Direct Transfer of Subsidies on LPG, Petroleum and Kerosene submitted

The Interim Report of the Task Force on Direct Transfer of Subsidies by the Chairman of the Task Force and Chairman, Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), Nandan Nilekani was submitted to the Finance Minister on July 5, 2011. The interim report recommends an implementable solution, in a phased manner, for direct transfer of subsidies on LPG, Fertiliser and Kerosene. The direct transfer of subsidies is expected to help in curbing pilferage and leakages. The Interim Report has been submitted as per schedule. Pilots would be implemented in the next 6 months. The learnings from the Pilots during its implementation in the coming months will form the basis of the Final report. The Task Force would oversee and supervise the implementation of the pilots to come out with an implementable solution for direct transfer of subsidies in its Final Report by December 2011. The phased implementation is detailed as follows:

LPG
Regarding LPG, the Task Force discussed three phases. In Phase I, a cap on consumption of subsidized LPG cylinders for all customers has been suggested. The government presently provides a subsidy of over Rs 291 on each cylinder of cooking gas. Though this is a policy decision of the Government and not a specific recommendation, the Task Force recommended that the cap be introduced with a robust authentication framework. In Phase II, which does not depend upon Phase I, direct transfer of subsidy to customers bank account was recommended. In Phase III, the Task Force recommends segmentation and targeting of customers and direct transfer to these customers. A Transparency Portal of all customers of LPG of the three OMCs with details of their consumption was also strongly recommended.

Fertiliser
Regarding Fertiliser, the Task Force in Phase I recommended complete information visibility of the supply chain upto the retailer level. This would enhance transparency across the supply chain. In Phase II, direct transfer of subsidy is recommended to the retailers bank account. In Phase III, direct transfer of subsidies is recommended to the farmers account. A transparency portal was also recommended for Fertilizer movement and stocks.

Kerosene
Regarding Kerosene, the Task Force recognizes that wider consultation with State Governments is required. Direct transfer of subsidy for kerosene will depend to a large extent on PDS reforms which are being implemented by the States. The Task Force recommends direct transfer of subsidy through State Governments/UT Administrations in Phase I and direct transfer to the beneficiarys account in Phase II.

Common direct subsidy framework for all welfare schemes

The Task Force was also mandated to suggest a common framework to adopt the above solution of direct subsidies in cash or otherwise for other Government welfare schemes. It has suggested a generic subsidy framework that can be applicable across subsidy programmes in Government. It prescribes the desired elements (Empowerment and choice for beneficiaries, Transparency in subsidy administration and information visibility, One price for subsidized goods, Efficiency in production, Convenient and effective grievance redressal, Support all types of direct subsidy transfer models, Fully electronic service For the Week: July 3 to 9, 2011 Bank PO

20 delivery, Incentive-compatible solution for all stakeholders and Effective MIS Reporting) that a proposed subsidy platform must consist of. The Task Force recommends a Core Subsidy Management Platform (CSMS) as part of the proposed solution architecture that automates all business processes related to direct subsidy transfer. The CSMS would maintain book-keeping information on entitlements and subsidies for all beneficiaries. The CSMS will also provide increased transparency in the movement of goods, levels of stocks, prediction and aggregation of demand, and identification of beneficiaries. It will be able to use analytics to detect fraud and diversion. It can also integrate with a contact centre for grievance handling. Beneficiaries can report malpractices to the Government directly making it possible for the Government to react in a timely manner. Achieving full financial inclusion is crucial for implementation of direct transfer of subsidies, since the subsidies will be transferred to the bank accounts of beneficiaries. The Task Force has recommended providing choice of banks to beneficiaries, along with an interoperable network of Business Correspondents for convenient access to subsidy funds. The roll-out of the Governments financial inclusion plan across India, along with the roll-out of Aadhaar, will provide a foundation for the implementation of direct transfer of subsidies. Earlier, the Finance Minister Mukherjee in his Budget Speech of 2011-12 had referred to a Task Force constituted to work out the modalities for the proposed system of direct transfer of subsidy for Kerosene, LPG and Fertilizers. This Task Force was constituted by the Ministry of Finance in February 2011 under the Chairmanship of Nandan Nilekani, Chairman, UIDAI. The Task Force was mandated to submit its Interim Report by June 2011

Exports grow 45.7% in the first quarter

Indias exports have registered a growth of 45.7% to US $ 79 billion during the period April-June 2011 while the imports were US $ 110.6 billion with a growth of 36% and a trade deficit of negative US $ 31.6 billion, during the same period. During April-June 2011, exports the following sectors have done well viz., engineering, 94% (US $ 23 billion); Gems & Jewellery, 19% (9.25 billion US $); petroleum & oil products, 60% (US $ 14 billion); manmade yarn & made-ups, 30% (US $ 1.2 billion); electronics, 69% (US $ 2.8 billion); Marine products, 27% (0.6 billion); and leather registered the growth of 26% (1.1 billion US $.) Interacting with the media persons, Shri Khullar stated that exports of iron ore, Fruits & vegetables and tobacco are on the negative growth because of ban on exports on these sectors. As regards imports during April-June 2011, the growth estimates on the following sectors are: POL, 18% (US $ 30.5 billion); pearls & precious stones, 10% (US $ 7.5 billion); gold & silver, 200% (US $ 17.7 billion); Iron & steel, -10% (US $ 2.7 billion) and machinery, 49% (US $ 9 billion) .

For the Week: July 3 to 9, 2011

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Profit-sharing plan for miners dropped by GoM

A Group of Ministers (GoM), headed by finance minister Pranab Mukherjee, on July 7, 2011 has decided to rework some clauses in the draft amendment to the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act. The GoM has watered down the proposed amendments and decided to prescribe a 26% profit sharing mechanism only for the coal business. In case of other mines, only the royalty is proposed to be doubled. Earlier the government had hinted at putting in place a compensation regime under which miners were required to pay 26 per cent of their profits for the benefit of project-affected families. Apart from the miners, industry lobbies such as FICCI had sought a dilution in the proposal, which was also endorsed by a committee headed by former finance secretary Ashok Chawla. The panel has suggested auction of most natural resources. This effectively means that instead of paying Rs 300 a tonne royalty on iron ore, a miner will now have to pay Rs 600 though he would continue to sell the ore anywhere between Rs 4,500 and Rs 8,000 a tonne. The 26% profit sharing clause stands for the coal sector. For all other sectors, 100% of the royalty will go to the District Mineral Development Fund which will be used for the development of the mining area, said environment and forests minister Jairam Ramesh, who is also a member of the group of ministers. The dilution in the provisions of the draft Mines and Minerals (Development & Regulation) Bill, 2010, was, however, sought to be portrayed as a major empowerment story. This would mean that each of the top 50 mining districts of the country will get Rs 200 crore for development purposes, Ramesh said. He estimated that the proposed royalty would generate an additional Rs 10,000 crore a year for the development of the mining areas which are widely recognized to be among the most underdeveloped regions in the country.

Net Profits of PSBs at Rs. 45,000 crore in 2010-11

The Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee on July 8, 2011 urged all Public Sector Banks/Financial Institutions to exert themselves in containing the downward trend of Asset Quality by devising suitable strategies for containing and rolling back NPAs at the review meeting of the Chief Executives officers (CEOs) of Public Sector Banks/Financial Institutions in New Delhi. Credit growth & Profits: Public Sector Banks (PSBs) registered significant credit growth of 22.44% in 2010-11. Net Profits of PSBs have gone up from approximately Rs. 39,000 crore to approximately Rs. 45,000 crore in the year 2010-11. Capitalisation of banks: The core CRAR ratio of Scheduled Commercial Banks on March 31, 2010 stood at 10.1 per cent under the Basel II framework which was much above the RBIs stipulation of 6 per cent and underlined the core capital strength of the Indian banking system. Credit for MSEs: Banks achieved 35% growth in credit to Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSE) sector against the target of 20%. There was however a decrease in the number of micro enterprises accounts. The Finance Minister urged the banks to proactively extend credit to this sector and also utilize the Credit Guarantee Trust Fund for Micro and Small Enterprises (CGTMSE) Scheme. Interest subvention for housing loans: He also said that the performance under 1% Interest Subvention Scheme for Housing Loans and Interest Subsidy for Housing Urban Poor (ISHUP) is not upto the desired level and asked banks need to give greater thrust to the housing sector and increase credit disbursement. Agricultural credit: Moving to the Agriculture Sector, against the target of flow of Rs. 3,75,000 crore as agricultural credit in 2010-11, the achievement has been over Rs. 4,46,000 crore. The increase in the number of active Kisaan Credit Cards has been around 16%. Most of the banks have reported increase of over 20% in the advances. The number of agricultural loan accounts has increased by 80 lakh to reach 566 lakh. However, the wide gap between the number of farm loan accounts and the Kisan Credit Cards (KCCs) issued suggests that there are still a large number of inactive cards. The Finance Minister asked banks to put in place a system for renewal of these cards on an on-going basis and ensure disbursement of credit through these cards. For the Week: July 3 to 9, 2011 Bank PO

22 Interest subvention for crop loans: The Government has introduced additional interest subvention for timely repayment of short term crop loans which is being raised to 3% this year as a result of which farmers will get short term crop loans at an effective rate of 4% only. He urged banks to put in place an effective system to improve coverage. Financial inclusion: In his Budget Speech of 2010-11, the Finance Minister had asked banks to cover 20,000 habitations with population of 2000 and above under the Financial Inclusion campaign by 31.03.2011. The banks have extended banking facilities to over 29,500 such villages last year. He asked the CEOs to prepare a detailed road map for covering the remaining villages. Banks role in enabling direct subsidy system: The Finance Minister said that the Task Force under the Chairmanship of Nandan Nilekani in its interim report has recommended a general, unified, platform called Core Subsidy Management System for direct subsidy and entitlement transfer. The UIDAI has empanelled 64 banks for opening Aadhaar enabled bank accounts along with Aadhaar enrollment. On the occasion, Chairman, Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) of India, Nilekani made a presentation on Financial Inclusion and e-Payment highlighting the role of banking network in direct transfer of cash subsidy in case of fertilizer, kerosene and LPG in real time and other payments due to beneficiaries in case of other rural development and social welfare programmes.

Guidelines for expansion of FM Radio broadcasting services unveiled

The Union Cabinet on July 7, 2011 approved the proposal of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting to approve of the Policy Guidelines on Expansion of FM radio broadcasting services through private agencies (Phase-Ill). The Cabinet also cleared the proposal of the Ministry for conducting ascending e-auction, as followed by DoT for the auction of 3G and BWA spectrum, for award of license of FM Channels. FM Phase-Ill Policy extends FM radio services to about 227 new cities, in addition to the present 86 cities, with a total of 839 new FM radio Channels in 294 cities. Phase -III policy will result in coverage of all cities with a population of one lakh and above with private FM radio channels. To improve the viability further as against a maximum of 4 channels in D category cities permitted in FM Phase-II, FM PhaseIll proposes only 3 FM channels in D category cities so that there are lesser operators to share the advertisement pie. Salient features of the approved Policy for Phase-Ill as against Phase-II are as under;CONTENT Radio operators have been permitted carriage of news bulletins of All India Radio. Broadcast pertaining to the certain categories like information pertaining to sporting events, traffic and weather, coverage of cultural events, festivals, coverage of topics pertaining to examinations, results, admissions, career counselling, availability of employment opportunities, public announcements pertaining to civic amenities like electricity, water supply, natural calamities, health alerts etc. as provided by the local administration will be treated as non-news and current affairs broadcast and will therefore be permissible. OWNERSHIP & OPERATIONS The limit on the ownership of Channels, at the national level, allocated to an entity has been retained at 15%. Private operators have been allowed to own more than one channel but not more than 40% of the total channels in a city subject to a minimum of three different operators in the city. FDI+FII limit in a private FM radio broadcasting company has been increased from 20% to 26%; Networking of channels will be permissible within a private FM broadcasters own network across the country. Currently this is allowed in C and D category cities only. The reduction in the lock-in period of shareholding of promoters/majority shareholders from the present 5 years to 3 years will give them greater freedom to change the Share Holding Pattern. For the Week: July 3 to 9, 2011 Bank PO

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Impact Content diversification because of news content provided by All India Radio, because of categories being specifically permitted and because of multiple ownership of channels in a city (except D category cities), will allow operators to distinguish themselves from others to be able to cater to niche audiences. This will also increase the overall listenership base and the listening time. The reduction in the lock-in period of shareholding of promoters/majority shareholders will give them greater freedom to change the Share Holding Pattern.

NSSO unveils household consumer expenditure survey for 2009-10

Share of Food in Total Consumer Expenditure (%)
Year 1987-88 1993-94 1999-2000 2004-05 2009-10 Rural 64.0 63.2 59.4 55.0 53.6 Urban 56.4 54.7 48.1 42.5 40.7 Monthly per capita expenditure (MCPE) in 2009-10: Rs 1,053.64 in rural areas; Rs 1,984.46 in urban. Share of food items in MCPE: Rural households53.6%; urban40.7%. MCPE of Top 10%: Rs 5863 in urban; Rs 2517 in rural MCPE of Bottom 10%: Rs 599 in urban; Rs 453 in rural

Rural Indian households are spending more on consumer goods like durables, beverages and services than five years ago, shows the household consumer expenditure survey for 2009-10, released by the National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) on July 8, 2011. The rising real spending in rural areas, even though it is almost half of urban Indias, suggests increasing incomes. The NSSO's 66 round of the National Sample Survey, covering the period from July 2009 to June 2010, shows an average rural Indian household to have allocated 53.6 per cent of its total monthly per capita consumption expenditure (MPCE) on food items while the corresponding share for urban household was at 40.7 per cent. The Survey showed that monthly per capita expenditure (MPCE) stood at Rs 1,053.64 in rural areas and Rs 1,984.46 in urban India in 2009-10. According to the survey, cereals still make up the largest chunk of an average Indian household's consumption budget: 15.6 per cent in rural and 9.1 per cent in urban areas. This is followed by fuel and light (9.5 per cent in rural and 8 per cent in urban), milk and milk products (8.6 per cent and 7.8 per cent), vegetables (6.2 per cent and 4.3 per cent) and clothing (4.9 per cent and 4.7 per cent). Rich-poor divide The disparities between the richest and the poorest have worsened since 2004-05, both in rural and urban India. There is a huge gap between the income level of the top and bottom segments in the country. The survey found that the poorest 10 per cent of India's rural population had an average MPCE of Rs 453, while for the poorest 10 per cent of the urban population, the average MPCE stood at Rs 599. The top 10 per cent of the rural population had an average MPCE of Rs 2,517, which is about 5.6 times that of the bottom 10 per cent. Meanwhile, the top 10 per cent of the urban population had an average MPCE of Rs 5,863, or about 9.8 times that of the bottom 10 per cent. Top & bottom states The survey has estimated the all-India average monthly per capita expenditure at Rs 1,053.64 in rural and Rs 1,984.46. The States among the top in spending are Kerala (Rs 1,835.22 in rural and Rs 2,412.58 in urban areas), Punjab (Rs 1,648.92 and Rs 2,108.79), Haryana (Rs 1,509.91 and Rs 2,321.49) and Maharashtra (Rs 1,152.79 and Rs 2,436.75). The States at the bottom of the consumption chart are Bihar (Rs 780.15 and Rs 1,237.54), Chhattisgarh (Rs 783.57 and Rs 1,647.32), Orissa (Rs 818.47 and Rs 1,548.36) and Jharkhand (Rs 825.15 and Rs 1,583.75). For the Week: July 3 to 9, 2011 Bank PO
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Committee on Central Economic Intelligence Bureau submits report

A committee constituted to review role, functioning and structure of the Central Economic Intelligence Bureau (CEIB) has recommended the setting up of a collaborative hub and spoke structure of partnership between CEIB and enforcement/regulatory Agencies. The committee submitted its report to Finance Minister on July 4, 2011. The Union Government had appointed a Committee in March 2011 to review the role, functioning and structure of the Central Economic Intelligence Bureau (CEIB) and to recommend steps to streamline and strengthen financial intelligence gathering and its dissemination for effective coordination amongst the Intelligence Organisations of the Government. It was also asked to identify relevant commercial databases for business intelligence analysis by CEIB, suggest structural linkages between CEIB and Financial Intelligence Unit-India and to prepare a roadmap for CEIB to work in line with the best global practices. The Report recommends that in view of the growing complexity and sophistication of economic offences collaboration across the spectrum of the agencies engaged in enforcement of economic laws ought to be the central tenet of Governments strategy for combating serious economic offences and organised tax evasion. It has recommended setting-up a collaborative hub and spoke structure of partnerships between the CEIB and enforcement/regulatory agencies at Central/State levels with the CEIB as the nodal agency at its centre maintaining comprehensive national database of specified types of economic offences investigated by the agencies. The agencies will share information with the CEIB, which, in turn, will be able to provide back-end support, linkages and insights harnessing the power of databases and data analytics to the agencies, and a holistic view of these activities to the Government. The Committee has also recommended a series of steps to empower and modernize the CEIB and equip it with IT enabled tools to effectively perform its role in the changing economic scenario. The Committee was chaired by S. S. Khan, Retired Member, Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT). Its other members include Vijay Lakshmi Sharma, Retired Member, Central Board of Excise and Customs (CBEC) and Dr. Kewal Ram, Retired Senior Economic Advisor. Arun Sahu, Deputy Director General (CEIB) is the Member Secretary to the Committee. About CEIB: The CEIB was setup in 1985. It is the nodal agency for economic intelligence mandated to ensure effective interaction and coordination among all the concerned agencies in the area of economic offences. It also functions as the clearing house of all economic intelligence and provides a platform for such exchange between various agencies within the department of revenue and other intelligence and enforcement agencies including IB, RAW and CBI among others.

Govt. to make high resolution remote sensing data accessible to private users
Easing restrictions on the use and circulation of high-resolution satellite imagery, the Union government and ISRO on July 5, 2011 announced an upgraded remote sensing data-sharing policy. This makes it easier for users to access images of resolution up to 1 metre. Previously, only images up to 5.8 metre resolution were available freely. The Indian Remote Sensing (IRS) Satellite system was commissioned with the launch of IRS-IA in 1988. With 10 satellites in operation, IRS is currently the largest civilian remote sensing satellite constellation in the world. Government users, like ministries, research organisations, educational institutions or PSUs, would have access to even higher resolution data those with resolutions greater than one metre without going through any clearance mechanism. Private user agencies would be given access to these higher resolution imagery on the recommendation of at least one government ministry or department but only if they intend to use it for developmental projects or activities. An existing High Resolution Image Clearance Committee would screen and clear requests for imagery with resolutions greater than one metre from private user agencies. The new Remote Sensing Data Policy is aimed at catering to a huge demand for high-resolution maps and images from a wide variety of user agencies both in the public and private sectors. Such data is required not only for urban development and infrastructure projects but also for laying down pipelines or telephone lines, for monitoring crop production and ensuring compliance of laws such as Coastal Regulation Zone guidelines.

For the Week: July 3 to 9, 2011

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25 With the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) controlling the use and distribution of such data, these user agencies were forced to obtain such imagery from foreign and commercial remote sensing satellites. Experts accorded the move to the government facing stiff competition from commercial websites. In recent years, ISRO has had remote sensing satellites capable of sending images with resolutions as high as 0.8 metre. Much of this imagery had been lying unused because of earlier restrictions.

ISRO names full-time CMD for Antrix: Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on July 9, 2011 named Dr V S
Hegde, a veteran remote sensing applications scientist, as the Chairman-cum-Managing Director for its marketing arm Antrix Corporation Limited. Hegde has served Bangalore-headquartered ISRO as its Scientific Secretary since January 2010, and previously played a key role for several years in its earth observation satellite (EOS) programmes. His appointment, announced by ISRO Chairman K Radhakrishnan, is part of plans to restructure Antrix in changing times so that it can aggressively exploit commercial opportunities emanating out of the space agency's programmes. Interface between ISRO and Antrix would now be strengthened with the constitution of a coordination management committee comprising a few senior directors of ISRO and CMD of Antrix. Antrix, established in 1992, is engaged in promotion and commercial exploitation of space products, technical consultancy services and transfer of technologies developed by the space agency. A 'Miniratna', it provides space products and services to customers worldwide.

Planning Commission seeks land banks for industry

The working group on land and water resources preparing the 12 Five Year Plan, in its recommendations to the Planning Commission, has put up a proposal to set up land corporations in states to help in acquiring land for industries. The CII president and Tata Steel vice chairman, B. Muthuraman, who is also the President of the Planning Commission working group, said: Such land corporations can be either a government or a public-private or a private body that works on business objectives of buying and developing land for industries. There is no issue about availability of land for industries but what is lacking is digitisation of land records, local mapping and zoning of lands, he said. Saying that industries occupy only three per cent of land in India, he added that there is a need for large areas of land to be developed together as industrial clusters. In the wake of the draft Land Acquisition Bill being vetted by the Union law ministry, the CII president said, it is not practical for industries to acquire large acres of land. The working group is also working on formulating a draft for introducing an incentivised pricing mechanism for water usage by industries.
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Committee on New Pension System (NPS) submits report

The committee set up to revive the New Pension System (NPS) has suggested sweeping changes in its architecture. It has proposed bringing in the postal department, telecom companies, pension fund managers, fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) companies and third-party corporate agents for selling the product. The committee, chaired by former SEBI Chairman G N Bajpai, said the existing NPS architecture did not have a push factor and the absolute value of incentives was flawed. It said there was a need to broadbase the network of points-of presence or PoPs, which act as contact centres for potential subscribers across the country. The report was submitted to Union finance minister Pranab Mukherjee on July 5, 2011. Incentives for distributors: The committee is against raising absolute incentives for distributors, as it would hurt the smallticket subscriber. Many players and analysts believe the low incentives are a major hindrance in NPS growth. It has, instead, recommended replacing fixed commission with an ad valorem one at 0.5 per cent of the NPS subscription, subject to a minimum of Rs 20 and a ceiling of Rs 50,000. NPS currently charges a flat Rs 436 per year, plus 0.0084 per cent per annum. Other similar schemes are available on an ad valorem basis in the range of 2.3-2.8 per cent of the amount invested during a year. Minimum annual subscription: The committee said the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) should consider bringing down the minimum annual subscription of Rs 6,000 for the NPS to Rs 1,000 per year to expand its reach and coverage. It suggests PFRDA look at revising the annual maintenance charge of Rs 280 and commission fresh research into calculating the costs of NPS delivery. For the Week: July 3 to 9, 2011 Bank PO

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Number of distributors: The committee said there should not be an upper limit or qualitative restriction on any category of distributor. This is in contrast to PFRDAs existing stand on not roping in agents to push NPS. Popularising NPS is a national priority and, as long as the basic criterion of fit and proper is met, PFRDA can look at appointing all categories of distribution agents to distribute NPS. Identifying new categories of distributors: With an extensive distribution network already in place, telecom companies are well placed to reach out to the target audience. For, they have many advantages, including popularising the scheme through SMS alerts and fulfilling Know-Your-Customer requirements before enrolling a new subscriber. It suggested pension fund managers be allowed to sell NPS, but not directly. In addition, it is possible to also appoint some of the well-known FMCG companies, as well as some third-party corporate agents, which have extensive reach into rural India, to add NPS to their existing pipeline of products delivered into the hinterland. Autonomy for PFRDA: The committee also said PFRDA should be given financial autonomy to help it discharge its duties as an independent regulator and to nurture a pension sector free from controversy or regulatory capture. At present, PFRDA is an interim regulator and functions under the finance ministry.

India adds 13.35 mn new mobile users in May: Telecom operators added 13.35 million mobile subscribers in May
2011, taking the total number of telephone users in the country to 874.68 million, sectoral regulator TRAI said on July 8, 2011. According to the data released by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), mobile subscriber base increased to 840.28 million at the end of May from 826.93 million in the preceding month, registering a growth of 1.61 per cent. The top three mobile service providers are: Bharti Airtel 167.06 million; Reliance Communications 141.16 million; Vodafone 139.42 million. Wireline category continued to lose customers, with the subscriber base declining to 34.40 million at the end of May from 34.55 million in April. Broadband subscription reached 12.12 million in the reported month from 12.01 million in April, growing 0.92 per cent. With this, the overall teledensity (telephones per 100 people) in India reached 70.23 per cent.

Mineral production increases by 11.83 per cent during 2010-2011: The total value of mineral production (excluding
atomic minerals during 2010-11 has been estimated at about Rs. 2 lakh crore which shows an increase of about 11.83% over that of the previous year. This information was given by Dr. Dinsha Patel, Minister of Mines on July 6, 2011. The Minister informed Parliament that India produces as many as 87 minerals, which include 4 fuels, 10 metallic, 47 non-metallic, 3 atomic and 23 minor minerals (including building and other materials). The Geological Survey of India (GSI) was established in the year 1851 to locate coal deposits in India by East India Company.

Electricity generation jumps 8% to 70 billion units in June: Power generation in the country rose more than 8.6 per
cent to 70.4 billion units (bu) in June as compared to the same period a year ago (64.8 bu in June 2010), according to a report from brokerage firm Motilal Oswal on July 8, 2011. The increase was due to rise in installed capacity by 10 Gw (10,000 Mw) over the past 12 months and higher plant load factors (PLFs) of nuclear and hydro plants. Out of total production last month, 55.9 bu came from thermal plants that run on coal, lignite and gas. Hydro projects generated 11.9 bu of electricity during the same period. Private sector generation grew 21 per cent, the state sector by 11 per cent and the central sector by 3 per cent. Overall, PLF, an indicator of a power projects efficiency inched up to 61.8 per cent last month as against 61 per th cent in the year-ago period. India is expected to see a capacity addition of about 51,000 Mw in the 11 Five-Year Plan (200712).

Area under organic farming rises to 4.4mn hectare: Area under organic farming has grown many-fold in six years to
2009-10 in India on the back of thrust given to the chemical-free mode of cultivation. From 42,000 hectares under organic certification in 2003-04, more than 4.4 million hectares area was under organic certification in the country as on March 2010, an official statement said on July 5, 2011 in New Delhi. For quality assurance, India has internationally acclaimed certification process in place for export, import and domestic markets. During 2008-09, India produced about 18.78 lakh tonnes of certified organic products. Of this, nearly 54,000 tonne food items worth Rs 591 crore were exported. With more than 77,000 tonnes of organic cotton link production, India became the largest organic cotton grower in the world a year ago. Indian organic exports include cereals, pulses, honey, tea, spices, oil seeds, fruits, vegetables, cotton fibre, cosmetics and body care products.

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Govt notifies freeing of MRP of P&K fertilisers: The government on July 8, 2011 notified the Cabinet decision to allow
fertiliser firms to fix the retail price of phosphatic (P) and potassic (K) nutrients, such as DAP. In April, the Cabinet had allowed fertiliser companies to increase di-ammonium phosphate (DAP) price by up to Rs. 600 per tonne over and above the maximum retail price (MRP) of Rs. 10,750 a tonnes prevailing then. The market price of subsidised P and K fertilizers, including DAP, will be open and will be fixed by the fertiliser companies. Under the nutrient-based subsidy (NBS) regime introduced from April 1, 2010, the retail prices of 22 varieties of P & K fertilisers have been freed from government control. For the 2011-12 fiscal, government raised NBS (nutrient-based subsidy) of P&K fertiliser to insulate companies from high global prices, but restricted them from hiking the MRP beyond Rs. 600/tonne.

Coins with new Re symbol to be in circulation soon: The government on July 8, 2011 released new series coins of
Rs. 1, 2, 5 and 10, bearing the rupee symbol, which will be in circulation soon. A new series coin of 50 paise was also released. New coins will not only reduce the cost of moving materials but also are of user-friendly size and weight, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee said after releasing the new series. The Finance Ministry said the security edging of new series of coins would be good for better recognition by visually challenged persons and will have improved counterfeit resistance.

Net Direct Tax Collections less by 17% in Q1 2011-12: Gross direct tax receipts rose 23.91 per cent in April-June
2011 quarter from a year ago. Gross direct tax collections rose to Rs.1,04,136 crore as against Rs. 84,041 crore during the same period last year. Corporate tax collections were up 23.49 per cent to Rs. 68,223 crore against Rs.55,244 crore in the same period last year while personal income tax collections rose 24.63 per cent to Rs.35,859 crore as against Rs.28,772 crore during the same period last year. Net tax collections, however, stood at Rs.57,268 crore, down from Rs.68,675 crore in the same period in last fiscal. This was on account of an increase of 205.01 percent in tax refunds, which stood at Rs.46,868 crore as against Rs.15,366 crore in the same period during the last fiscal

FDI from Mauritius declines in 2010-11: Indias foreign direct investment (FDI) from Mauritius and Cyprus, dropped
significantly in 2010-11. While the FDI inflows from all sources declined by 25 per cent in 2010-11, the drop was steeper at about 33 per cent to $6.98 billion from Mauritius. Likewise, the inflows from Cyprus were down by 44 per cent to $913 million, according to the official figures. In 2009-10, FDI from Mauritius stood at $10.37 billion again a decline from $11.22 billion in 2008-09. FDI inflows from Cyprus stood at $1.62 billion. Mauritius still accounted for 42 per cent of the countrys total FDI of $19.42 billion in the previous fiscal. In 2009-10, India attracted FDI worth $25.83 billion. It has a 30-year DTAA with Mauritius, which has been used by the third country investors to avoid taxes.

Farm products get cover under India-Malaysia FTA: Import of sensitive farm-products like palm oil, coffee, black tea
and pepper from Malaysia will remain subject to high duty despite India operationalising free trade agreement (FTA) with the South East nation. The plantation items, mostly grown in South India, have been kept in the Special Product category under which import duties have been cut by a small margin and will remain high enough to protect domestic producers. The bilateral Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement covering trade in goods, services and investment has come into force from July 1. The sensitive agri-products will now attract duties ranging between 66 and 94% from 80-100%.

States permission compulsory for field trials of GM crops: The Genetic Engineering Approval Committee (GEAC)
has directed companies conducting field trials of genetically modified (GM) crops to first produce a no-objection certificate from the concerned state government. The apex regulator that gives approval to field trials of GM crops has also asked the company conducting the trial to provide the latitude and longitude of the field to ensure they are not close to any ecologically fragile zone. (July 2011)

NALCO to infuse Rs. 1,700 cr equity in Kakrapar N-plant: Aluminium PSU major NALCO would infuse Rs. 1,700
crore as equity in the Kakrapar nuclear power plant in Gujarat to pick up 49% stake. NALCO will pick up 49% equity at a price of . 1,700 crore in the Kakrapar nuclear power plant, CMD of Nalco B L Bagra said on July 8, 2011. The size of the Kakrapar plant would be 2X700 MW in phase II. Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) is also a partner in the project. The plant would be commissioned by 2015.

Railways launch own e-ticketing service: Indian Railways is all set to roll out its own e-ticketing service, which will
have no room for travel agents and will be reserved for individual users. Unlike the e-ticketing service of IRCTC, the new service by Indian Railway will have no role of travel agents and commercial organisations. Only individual users will be allowed to book on the portal. Travel agents in the IRCTC service have been accused of blocking tickets to sell them at a premium. Under the new railway e-ticketing service, individual customers would need to register themselves for the first time For the Week: July 3 to 9, 2011 Bank PO

28 for availing the services. The number of transactions per user ID will be limited to 8 per month. On offer is also a service for booking tickets on the mobile platform. (July 5, 2011)

Mumbai, New Delhi among 5 cheapest cities in world: Mumbai and New Delhi are amongst the five cheapest places
to live in the world, according to the Worldwide Cost of Living Survey unveiled on July 9, 2011. Indias financial capital Mumbai has been ranked third cheapest place to live, while national capital New Delhi is fifth. Karachi in Pakistan is the cheapest of the 134 places surveyed. The annual survey, conducted by international research firm Economist Intelligence Unit ranks cities across the world on the basis of costs of various items ranging from food to transport to toiletries. In this st th years ranking of costliest cities of the world, Mumbai has been placed at 131 position while New Delhi is at 129 . Japans Tokyo has been ranked as the costliest place in the world, followed by Oslo (Norway), Japans Osaka Kobe, Paris (France) and Zurich (Switzerland) in the top five.

MCA releases new CSR guidelines: The Ministry of Corporate Affairs on July 9, 2011 released a National Voluntary
Guideline on Social, Environmental and Economic Responsibilities of Business. While the guideline remains voluntary, all registered companies are expected to abide by it and disclose their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) activities through mandatory filings. It is an updated version of the ministrys CSR guidelines issued two years ago and prescribed three different frameworks for business responsibility reporting. The current guidelines are designed to be used by all businesses irrespective of size, sector or location and therefore touch on the fundamental aspects of an enterprise. Multinational corporations present in India will also have to follow the guidelines.

CII releases Code on Business Ethics: In a move to check corruption and ensure transparency among business
communities, the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) on July 5, 2011 released a Code on Business Ethics for its member companies. The Code is intended to strengthen the institutional framework that would help drive ethical practices in the organisation. CII President-Designate Adi Godrej told reporters after releasing the Code at the CII-National Council Meeting in Chennai. CII would distribute the Code to its 8,000 member companies and though it was not mandatory to follow it, they were expected to follow it as a guide. Godrej claimed CII was the first industry body to devise such a code of ethics and said the organisation would distribute a separate Code on Human Values to schools and colleges.

Scotch Whisky gets GI status in India: India has granted GI status to Scotch Whisky, a legal protection that will help
prevent the sale of counterfeit products in the Indian market as well as reinforce the authenticity of the product for the consumer. The move follows the Geographical Indications Registry in Chennai granting geographical indication (GI) status to the famous Scotch Whisky of Scotland. The recognition was announced in Edinburgh Scotch Whisky Association (SWA) Chief Gavin Hewitt on July 1, 2011. The status now means that only spirits produced in Scotland can use Scotch Whisky in their labels. The SWA said in a statement that consumers in India will now receive better protection from fake Scotch Whisky following the decision formally to recognise Scotch Whisky as a product that can only be made in Scotland. As per the th registry, Scotch Whiskey is the 148 item in a list of 151 products that have been given GI status. The status denotes that a product belongs to a particular area, where a given quality, reputation or other characteristic of the product is essentially attributable to its geographical origin.

SC lifts ban on Lafarges mining in Meghalaya: The Supreme Court on July 7, 2011 lifted its earlier bar on French
cement company Lafarge mining limestone in the East Khasi hills of Meghalaya, bordering Bangladesh. The court said it was satisfied with the revised environment clearances given to Lafarge by the Ministry of environment and forests (MoEF). The forest bench headed by Chief Justice S H Kapadia had passed an order on February 2 last year, prohibiting the company from mining in the forest since several local bodies had apprehended environmental damage. The Attorney-General said there was an agreement between the Indian and Bangladeshs governments under which the Indian government had an obligation to provide the land for mining. The limestone is mined in Meghalaya and conveyed by a 17-km belt to Bangladesh. The $255-million Lafarge Surma Cement project at Chhatak, in Bangladesh, is wholly dependent on limestone extracted from the East Khasi Hills.

SC orders return of land to Greater Noida villagers: The Supreme Court on July 7, 2011 dismissed the appeal of the
Greater Noida Industrial Development Authority (GNIDA) against an Allahabad High Court order quashing acquisition of 156 hectares (390 acres) land in Greater Noidas Sahberi village. The court asked GNIDA to return the land to the farmers and imposed a cost of Rs 10 lakh. The Supreme Court Bench, comprising Justice G S Singhvi and Justice A K Ganguly, said the land was acquired under an urgency clause, which denied farmers an opportunity to file their objections. While the Supreme Court asked GNIDA to return the land, the farmers are keen to sell but want a much higher compensation. In Noida and For the Week: July 3 to 9, 2011 Bank PO

29 Greater Noida, developers cannot acquire land directly. Now, they will have to buy at a higher price. To resolve the impasse, GNIDA will have to negotiate with the farmers and buy afresh. In Sahberi, the land was acquired at Rs 850 a square yard, but farmers are seeking Rs 3,000-4,000 a square yard. Though the judgment affects only 392 acres, there is a perception that the whole of Noida Extension (2,500 acres) will be hit by low consumer sentiment.

SC begins hearing Sahara plea against SEBI order: The Supreme Court on July 8, 2011 began hearing Sahara
group firm's plea against the SEBI order to return the money, along with 15% interest, collected from investors through its Optionally Fully Convertible Debentures (OFCD) scheme. The Security and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) had on June 23 directed the two Sahara group firms -- Sahara India Real Estate Corporation and Sahara Housing Investment Corporation -to refund the money, along with 15% interest, raised through OFCD scheme for violating regulatory norms. Besides, the regulator has also restrained the entities from accessing the securities market for raising funds, till the time payments are made to the satisfaction of the SEBI. During the last hearing on May 12, the apex court had asked Sebi to proceed with its probe into Sahara group's OFCD scheme by observing that investors may not have any knowledge about these products and might feel cheated like in the Harshad Mehta scam.

Delhi HC disallows Idea-Spice merger: In a big setback to Aditya Birla group firm Idea Cellular, the Delhi High Court on
July 4, 2011 said the six licences of Spice Communications would not be transferred to Idea, which acquired it in 2008, as the company did comply with the licence and merger guidelines. The court also slapped a fine of Rs 1 crore for not giving the correct information to the court. Passing the judgement on the merger application of Idea and Spice, the high court said Idea had not put the rejection letters by DoT on merger of licence and did not place on record the relevant documents.

Post offices to offer core banking solution: The Department of Posts (DoP) plans to introduce core banking solution
besides setting up India Post ATMs and debit cards for its customers. The DoP is tying up with banks so that customers can use their India Post debit card at any ATM machine pan-India. With a network reach of over 0.14 million post offices, DoP hopes to transform itself into a post bank.

H R Khan appointed RBI deputy governor: The government on July 5, 2011 appointed Harun Rashid Khan a deputy
governor of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). Khan, who gets a three-year term, will monitor the foreign exchange department, payment and settlement systems and external investments and operations, among others. A deputy governors position at the central bank became vacant after Shyamala Gopinath retired on June 20. RBI has four deputy governors. They serve for five years or till the age of 62, whichever is earlier. Khan was an executive director (ED) at RBI since October 2007. He is credited with evolving the information communication technology-based business correspondent model for financial inclusion. He chaired the RBI internal committee on rural credit and microfinance. Based on the recommendations, RBI had issued guidelines to expand banking outreach through business correspondents. As an ED, Khan was in charge of the department of external investments and operations, the foreign exchange department and internal debt management, among others. He joined RBI in 1978, after a Masters in political science from Utkal University, Bhubaneswar, and an M.Phil from the School of International Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi.

For the Week: July 3 to 9, 2011

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Section E: SPORTS
Djokovic, Kvitova wins Singles titles at Wimbledon
Serbias Novak Djokovic and Petra Kvitova of the Czech Republic won the 2011 Wimbledon Championships organised at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in Wimbledon, London, England, from June 20 to July 3, 2011. It was the 125 edition of the championships, and the third Grand Slam tournament of the year. It was played on grass courts and was organised by the All England Lawn Tennis Club and the International Tennis Federation. There were two new singles champions for the first time since 2002: Novak Djokovic and Petra Kvitova. By reaching the final Djokovic also claimed the world number one in the ATP rankings from Rafael Nadal. In the doubles the Bryan brothers claimed the men's title for a second time, and equalled the overall Grand Slam tournament record of 11 set by the Woodies, Mark Woodforde and Todd Woodbridge. In the women's doubles the team of Katarina Srebotnik and Kveta Peschke won their first grand slam title. Mens Singles: Serbias Novak Djokovic defeated defending champion Rafael Nadal of Spain 6-4, 6-1, 1-6, 6-3 in the final to win his first Wimbledon title on July 3, 2011 in London. It was the 24-year-old Serbs third Grand Slam title, to add to his 2008 and 2011 Australian Open victories. Djokovic, who also succeeded Nadal as World No.1 on July 4, also denied the Spaniard, th the champion here in 2008 and 2010, an 11 Grand Slam title. Djokovics win ends Nadals 56-week reign as world No. 1 since he took over from Roger Federer on June 7, 2010. Womens Singles: Petra Kvitova stunned favourite Maria Sharapova to win her first Grand Slam title with a 6-3, 6-4 victory in the womens singles final at The Championships in Wimbledon on July 2, 2011. The 21-year-old became only the third Czech woman to triumph at Wimbledon after nine-time champion Martina Navratilova and Jana Novotna. Denmarks Caroline Wozniacki remains on top of the womens singles rankings, in spite of her failure once again to land a Grand Slam title. Prize money: Mens and womens singles title winners got 1,100,000 while runners-up got 550,000. Doubles winners got 250,000 while the runners-up got 125,000. In mixed doubles, winners got 92,000 while the runners-up had 46,000. Complete results: Mens singles: Novak Djokovic (Serbia) beat Rafael Nadal (Spain) 6-4, 6-1, 1-6, 6-3. Womens singles: Petra Kvitova (Czech Republic) beat Maria Sharapova (Russia) 6-3, 6-4. Mens doubles: Bob Bryan & Mike Bryan (USA) beat Horia Tecau (Romania) & Robert Lindstedt (Sweden) 6-3, 6-4, 7-6(2). Womens Doubles: Kveta Peschke (Czech Republic) & Katarina Srebotnik (Slovenia) beat Sabine Lisicki (Germany) & Samantha Stosur (Australia) 6-3, 6-1 Mixed Doubles: Jurgen Melzer (Austria) & Iveta Benesova (Czech Republic) beat Mahesh Bhupathi (India) & Elena Vesnina (Russia) 63, 62. Boys' Singles: Luke Saville (Australia) beat Liam Broady (UK) 26, 64, 62. Girls' Singles: Ashleigh Barty (Australia) beat Irina Khromacheva (Russia) 75, 76(73).
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Latest Rankings (as on July 4, 2011)

ATP Tour Top 10: 1. Novak Djokovic 13285; 2. Rafael Nadal 11270; 3. Roger Federer 9230; 4. Andy Murray 6855; 5. Robin Soderling 4325; 6. David Ferrer 4150; 7. Gael Monfils 2780; 8. Mardy Fish 2335; 9. Tomas Berdych 2470; 10. Andy Roddick 2110. WTA Tour Top 10: 1. Caroline Wozniacki 9915 pts; 2. Kim Clijsters 7625; 3. Vera Zvonareva 6695; 4. Victoria Azarenka 6465; 5. Maria Sharapova 6141; 6. Li Na 5855; 7. Petra Kvitova 5437; 8. Francesca Schiavone 4860; 9. Marion Bartoli 4230; 10. Samantha Stosur 3405.

For the Week: July 3 to 9, 2011

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Harbhajan joins 400-wicket club in Test cricket: Off-spinner Harbhajan Singh on July 7, 2011 became the third Indian
bowler and 11 overall to take 400 wickets in Test cricket. Anil Kumble (619) and Kapil Dev (434) are the other two Indian th bowlers to have recorded the feats. Playing in his 96 match, Harbhajan achieved the feat when he bowled Carlton Baugh on the second day of the third and final cricket Test against the West Indies at Roseau, Dominica. Harbhajan, who made his Test debut against Australia in 1998, has 25 five-wicket and five ten-wicket hauls in this form of the game. Former Sri Lankan off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan, with 800 wickets, leads the list.
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Santhosh Kumar wins Indias only gold at Presidents Cup boxing: Asian Games silver-medallist V Santhosh
Kumar rallied to beat Russias Alexander Malinin and fetched India its lone gold after three others settled for bronze medals st at the 21 Presidents Cup boxing in Jakarta, Indonesia on July 8, 2011. The 20-year-old Santhosh won the light welterweight 64kg final 10-8 to clinch his maiden senior international gold medal. Jasveer Ahlawat (81kg), Lakhbir Singh (69kg), Gaurav Bidhuri (49kg) won bronze medals after losing in the semi-finals.

Caruana wins AAI International Grandmasters chess: Italys Fabiano Caruana on July 2, 2011won the AAI
International Grandmasters chess tournament organised in New Delhi. Final standings (with points and prize-money):1. Fabiano Caruana of Italy (7 points, $8,000), 2. K. Sasikiran of India (6, $6000), 3. Viktor Laznicka of Czech Republic (5.5, $4,000), 4. Wesley So of Philippines (5, $3,000) and 5. Parimarjan Negi of India (3.5, $2,000)

Pyeongchang to host 2018 Winter Olympics: Pyeongchang was on July 6, 2011 chosen to host the 2018 Winter
Olympics. The South Korean city was selected by the International Olympic Committee in the first round of voting ahead of Munich in Germany and Annecy in France. Pyeongchang received 63 of the Committees 95 votes, well ahead of Munichs 25 and Annecys seven. It is a case of third time lucky for Pyeongchang, which lost to Vancouver and Sochi respectively for the right to host the 2010 and 2014 Winter Games. Pyeongchang, which has a population of 47,000 and is situated near South Koreas east coast, says it can spread the Olympics to a lucrative new market in Asia and become a hub for winter sports in the region. The Winter Games have twice before been held in Asia, both times in Japan - Sapporo in 1972 and Nagano in 1998.

Indias Ukrainian coach Ogorodnik sacked for doping fiasco: The Union Sports Ministry on July 4, 2011 decided to
sack Yuriy Ogorodnik, the Ukrainian coach in-charge of training the tainted Indian athletes. Sports Minister Ajay Maken recommended the dismissal of the Ukrainian coach and also advised removal of any other coaches suspected of encouraging the use of performance-enhancing substances. Ogorodnik had coached six of the eight athletes who tested positive and all of these athletes happened to be womens 400m runners. The list included Asian Games double-gold medallist Ashwini Akkunji and her relay teammates Mandeep Kaur and Sini Jose, who won the 4x400m gold at the Commonwealth Games in Delhi and the Guangzhou Asian Games last year. Meanwhile the Sports Ministry has appointed Justice Mukul Mudgal, retired Chief Justice of the High Court of Punjab and Haryana as a one member Committee to enquire into all the aspects of the issues relating to prevalence of doping.

Das Gupta appointed Badminton Association of India President: Akhilesh Das Gupta was elected as the
president and Ashok Bajaj the treasurer in the Badminton Association of India (BAI) elections, organised on July 2, 2011. Das Gupta takes over following the exit of former BAI President V.K. Verma in connection with the Commonwealth Games scam.

Kamat elected President of the Swimming Federation: Digambar V Kamat was on July 9, 2011 elected as President
and Kamlesh Nanavati as general secretary of the Swimming Federation of India for a four-year term. The elections for the SFI office bearers were conducted on March 26 but the results were withheld due to a court order. There are four vice Presidents: Ramanuj Mukhopadhyay (Bengal), Balraj Sharma (Punjab), T D Vijayraghavan (Karnataka) and Rajkumar (Delhi). Kerala's S Rajiv has been elected as the treasurer of SFI.

For the Week: July 3 to 9, 2011

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Weekly Current Affairs update

For the Week: July 10 to 16, 2011

Major news of the week

Section A: INDIA
Six new ministers inducted in Cabinet reshuffle Rural Urban Distribution of Population of the Census 2011 unveiled Serial blasts rattle Mumbai once again ULFA declares unilateral, indefinite ceasefire PSLV-C17 puts GSAT-12, into orbit 40% allocation in Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana disbursed July 16 observed as Common Service Centre Diwas Govt. urges Supreme Court to recall its July 4 order on SIT on black money Return money with interest, Court tells Greater Noida builders Government sets up task force to review national security system New ENR norms wont hit waiver to India Russia INS Koswari commissioned Navys oldest ship Sharabh decommissioned Coast Guard patrol vessel Rani Rashmoni launched Report of National Commission for Schedule Tribes presented India Rejuvenation Initiative demands independent probe in cash-for-scam Army court upholds Lt Gen Raths punishment in Sukna scam Solicitor-General Gopal Subramaniam resigns Ahmed Patel, Smriti Irani elected to Rajya Sabha Narayana Murthy to chair Public Health Foundation of India Amartya Sen Research Centre coming up in Kolkata Gangor to premiere at Jerusalem Film Festival

Section B: WORLD
World Population Day observed Fijian ambassador elected seabed authority president Pak Speaker calls for setting up South Asian Parliament Italian PM Berlusconis company fined for bribery Neptune completes first revolution of sun Indians among top Mount Everest conquerors Libyan opposition recognised as the countrys legitimate governing authority by the US Indonesians flee volcano eruption on Sulawesi WHO report on global tobacco epidemic unveiled Australia unveils sweeping carbon plan in climate fight Worlds largest tricolour unfurled at India Festival in US India is third largest investor in Britain Greece gets worlds lowest rating by Fitch Moodys cuts Ireland credit rating to junk

Section C: AWARDS
Saudi Arabia honours Indian envoy Talmiz Ahmad Four Indians conferred French honours Russian Federation honours N. Ram, V.M. Lakshminarayanan Sheila Dikshit conferred Mercy Ravi Award PM honours states achieving high foodgrain output FICCI safety excellence awards conferred

For the Week: July 10 to 16, 2011

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Section D: ECONOMY & CORPORATE

Terms of reference of Task Force on Direct Transfer of Subsidies extended Government unveils voluntary CSR guidelines Ministry of Corporate Affairs renames CSR as Responsible Business (RB) TRAI asks DoT to cancel 74 licences for missing rollout obligations KG-D6 is the cheapest RIL in reply to draft audit report of the CAG RBI asks foreign firms to regularise branch offices Panel favours investment-linked incentives for EOUs GoM approves draft Mines and Mineral Development and Regulation Bill, 2011 Jairam Ramesh for single Bill on land acquisition, rehabilitation, relocation Panel of experts to find new Forward Markets Commission chairman Planning Commission expert group for use of UID to plug PDS holes 37,971 MW power capacity commissioned during 11th Plan till June 2011 Rupee symbol made available for download Direct taxes account for 56% of total revenue collections in 2010-11 Employees Provident Fund Organisation appoints 4 fund managers Crisil launches Gilt Index for government securities CIBIL launches credit information reports for companies Kerala, Karnataka take lead in CFL scheme Government lifts ban on wheat exports PM launches information portal for rice Indian Oil Indias is No. 1 in Fortunes 500 largest companies 3 companies short-listed for poppy cultivation and processing Indias fuel demand to rise 3.8% in 2012 International Energy Agency BRICs acknowledge Indias contribution to affordable drugs availability Piramal Life Sciences and Department of Biotechnology partnership enters new drug-discovery phase India-EU trade negotiations enter final phase Dreamliner lands in Delhi Multi-level marketing firms under Corporate Affairs Ministrys scanner Mobile phones in India to stream $350 billion by 2015 BCG A.K. Upadhyay appointed NHAI Chairman Sanjay Kapoor re-elected COAI Chairperson Tyler appointed new IATA DG-CEO Dabur India Chairman Emeritus passes away

Section E: SPORTS
India beats West Indies 1-0 in three Test series Ishant Sharma Man of the Series in India-WI series Swann replaces Vettori as No 1 ODI bowler Japan tops medals tally at 19th Asian Athletics Championships Mayookha Johny wins Indias only gold at Asian Athletics Championships Ferraris Alonso wins British Grand Prix Deshmukh elected Mumbai Cricket Association president Randhir Singh re-elected OCA Secretary-General World Chess Championship 2012 title match to be held in Chennai

For the Week: July 10 to 16, 2011

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Section A: INDIA
Six new ministers inducted in Cabinet reshuffle
Six new ministers have been inducted in the cabinet in the reshuffle by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on July 12, 2011.

NEW APPOINTEES
CABINET MINISTERS 1. V. Kishore Chandra Deo 2. Beni Prasad Verma 3. Dinesh Trivedi 4. Jairam Ramesh MINISTERS OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) 5. Srikant Jena 6. Jayanthi Natarajan 7. Paban Singh Ghatowar 8. Gurudas Kamat MINISTERS OF STATE 9. Sudip Bandyopadhyay 10. Charan Das Mahant 11. Jitendra Singh 12. Milind Deora 13. Rajeev Shukla : : : : : : : : : : : : : Tribal Affairs and Panchayati Raj Steel Railways Rural Development Statistics and Programme Implementation and Minister of State in the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilisers Environment & Forests Development of NE Region Drinking Water and Sanitation Health and Family Welfare Agriculture and Food Processing Industries Home Affairs Communications and IT Parliamentary Affairs

PORTFOLIOS CHANGED
CABINET MINISTERS 1. Vilasrao Deshmukh 2. M. Veerappa Moily 3. Anand Sharma 4. Pawan Kumar Bansal 5. Salman Khursheed MINISTERS OF STATE 6. E. Ahamed 7. V. Narayanasamy 8. 9. 10. Harish Rawat Mukul Roy Ashwani Kumar : : : : : : : : : : Science and Technology and Earth Science Corporate Affairs Commerce and Industry; and additional charge of Textiles Parliamentary Affairs & additional charge of Water Resources Law and Justice and additional charge of Minority Affairs External Affairs & HRD Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions; and Prime Ministers Office Agriculture & Food Processing Industries; and Parliamentary Affairs Shipping Planning; Science and Technology and Earth Sciences

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on July 14, 2011 accepted the resignation of Gurudas Kamat and forwarded it to the President. Kamat, who was elevated from an MoS to MoS with independent charge of Drinking Water and Sanitation, put in his papers, saying he would prefer to work in the party organisation.

Rural Urban Distribution of Population of the Census 2011 unveiled

The Rural Urban Distribution of Population of the Census 2011 was released by Union Home Secretary R.K. Singh on July 15, 2011. The first figures of Census 2011, released on March 31, 2011, had shown that Indias overall population had increased from 1.02 billion to 1.21 billion, but for the first time, the growth during the past decade had been actually lower than the preceding 10 years. On March 31, the government had also released Census data related to sex ratio and literacy. On July 15, 2011, it gave the rural-urban break-up for these figures. There has been a spurt in growth of population in For the Week: July 10 to 16, 2011 Bank PO

4 urban areas in the country, which could be due to migration, natural increase and inclusion of new areas which are defined as urban, according to a presentation released by the Census Commissioner of India on July 15. The Census 2011 Dashboard was also launched on the occasion. It gives rural-urban break-up of population, its growth rate in rural and urban areas. It will also provide rural-urban sex ratio and child sex ratio. Besides this, literacy rates for ruralurban areas will also be provided. Data on rural-urban distribution of population provides level and trend of urbanisation. This would be useful for framing planning and policies of rural-urban population particularly it would provide basic frame for ensuing Twelfth Plan Period. The Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India, C. Chandramouli presented the data highlights.

Population
For the first time since Independence, the absolute increase in population of the country is more in urban areas than in rural areas, said the registrar-general of India and Census commissioner, C. Chandramouli on July 15, 2011. The total population of India is 121 crore with 83.3 crore living in rural areas and 37.7 crore in urban areas. Significantly, the level of urbanisation increased from 27.81 per cent in the 2001 Census to 31.16 per cent in the 2011 Census, while the proportion of rural population declined from 72.19 per cent to 68.84 per cent. Highest rural-urban populations: Uttar Pradesh has the highest rural population of 15.5 crore (18.62 per cent of the countrys rural population) followed by Bihar and West Bengal while Maharashtra has the highest urban population. Mumbai tops the list having the maximum number of people in urban areas at five crore. Rural-Urban habitations: A total of 2,774 additional habitations were classified as urban units for the 2011 Census while the rise in the number of rural units was 2,279. India now has 6.4 lakh villages as compared to 6.38 lakh earlier. Most urban states: Goa and Mizoram are the first states to be more urban than rural. Most rural states: Himachal Pradesh, 90% rural, is Indias most rural state, followed by Bihar (89%) and Assam (86%). Highest urban population growth: Sikkim more than doubled its urban population, showing a 153 per cent rise, while Kerala showed an increase of 93 per cent. Tripura increased its urban population by 76 per cent. Highest rural population growth: Bihar and Meghalaya showed the biggest growth in rural populations, registering a rise of 24 per cent and 27 per cent respectively. However, the growth of the countrys rural population is steadily declining since 1991, the report said. Four states that recorded a decline in the rural population during 2001-11 are Kerala (by 26 per cent), Goa (19 per cent), Nagaland (15 per cent) and Sikkim (five per cent).

Sex Ratio
Rural areas have maintained their lead over the urban areas. The sex ratio has remained almost constant in rural areas in the past 10 years, changing only from 946 females per 1,000 males to 947. In urban areas, this rose from 900 females per 1,000 males to 926, but it is still behind the rural areas.

Child sex ratio

Fears on the rampant use of pre-natal sex determination technology in rural areas have been confirmed with census data indicating that child sex ratio (CSR) fell far more sharply in villages than in urban areas in the last decade. Rural and urban CSRs: The Census 2011 says that child sex ratio (ratio of girls to boys under the age of six years) in the country is the lowest recorded since the 1961 Census. It stands at 914 in the latest Census report. Though the urban child sex ratio is far worse than in the rural areas, the fall in child sex ratio in rural areas is around four times of that in urban areas. In fact the decline is more gradual in urban areas, says the Census of Indias 2011 Provisional Population Totals of RuralUrban Distribution. Rural India still has a better CSR (ratio of girls to boys under the age of six years) of 919 than urban Indias 902. However, between 2001 and 2011, rural Indias CSR fell by 15 points as opposed to urban Indias four point decline, and the gap between the two has narrowed. For the Week: July 10 to 16, 2011 Bank PO

5 States/UTs with best and worst CSRs: Haryana has both the worst urban and rural CSRs. Nagaland has the best urban CSR, while in rural areas, the Andaman and Nicobar has the best, indicating yet again that tribal communities have a more egalitarian attitude to girls than other communities.

Literacy
There has been an increase of 217.8 million literates since the last Census in 2001. Out of this, 131.1 million were in rural areas and 86.6 million in urban areas. The Census 2011 was carried out in two phases the Houselisting and Housing Census followed by the Population Enumeration. The Houselisting and Housing Census wherein all the structures, houses and households were listed and information on housing stock, household amenities and assets were collected was conducted in different States and Union Territories during April September, 2010. The Population Enumeration was undertaken between February 9 and 28, 2011. The revision round was conducted from March 1 to 5, 2011. The Provisional Population Totals of Census 2011 were released on March 31, 2011.

Serial blasts rattle Mumbai once again

Three bomb explosions in 15 minutes. Eighteen dead and more than a hundred injured. That is how July 13, 2011, will go down in Mumbais history. Terror attacks and Mumbai are slowly becoming inseparable. All three bombs were reported within a 15-minute period, starting at around 1850 local time. The biggest explosion occurred at the Opera House business district in the south of the city, in an area known as a hub for diamond traders. Another blast, described by the authorities as low intensity, hit the Zaveri Bazaar, an area with many jewellery shops, also in the citys south. The third hit the Dadar district in the city centre. None of the bombs had been triggered remotely. Police said they were made with ammonium nitrate, an ingredient for fertiliser. Intelligence agencies had detected no threat of any impending attacks on Mumbai before three blasts shook the city. Home Minister P Chidambaram said those who carried it out had worked in a very clandestine manner. The attacks are the deadliest in the country since November 26, 2008, when gunmen killed 165 people in a three-day raid in Mumbai. No group has said it planted the bombs but suspicion among some officials and analysts has fallen on the Indian Mujahideen, a group which has claimed to have carried out similar attacks in the past. This obviously includes home-grown militant outfits like the Indian Mujahideen (IM), who have been blamed for a number of blasts in the past. Many security analysts already believe the explosions - possibly caused by improvised bombs - carry the fingerprints of such a group.

ULFA declares unilateral, indefinite ceasefire

The United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) on July 12, 2011 declared a unilateral indefinite ceasefire to ensure that the ongoing political negotiation between the insurgent outfit and the Centre can continue in a peaceful atmosphere. In a statement, ULFA chairman Arabinda Rajkhowa said: the ULFA, with a view to exploring a lasting peaceful resolution of the ongoing conflict, has resolved to cease all forms of armed campaign for an indefinite period. Rajkhowa said the decision was taken in accordance with the resolutions adopted at the fifth general council of the outfit on February 22. It is for the first time the ULFA has formally declared ceasefire at the highest level, after 32 years of insurgency since its formation in 1979, to push forward the formal talks with the government. However, a faction of ULFA cadres, led by the outfits self-styled commander-in-chief Paresh Barua, is opposed to the ongoing negotiations. They are continuing with insurgent activities. The faction has been insisting on inclusion of Assams sovereignty in the talk agenda, though the ULFA general council decided to open unconditional dialogue with New Delhi. The peace process between the ULFA and the Centre began after New Delhi appointed former Intelligence Bureau Chief P.C. Haldar as its interlocutor in June 2010 and the Assam government facilitated the release of Mr. Rajkhowa and other top jailed leaders on bail.

For the Week: July 10 to 16, 2011

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PSLV-C17 puts GSAT-12, into orbit

Indias Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle proved its versatility and reliability once again when the PSLV-C17 put the communication satellite GSAT-12 in a perfect orbit on July 15, 2011. The lift-off took place on schedule at 4.48 pm from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, SHAR, Sriharikota, 90 km from Nellore. GSAT-12 weighs 1,310-kg and is the latest communication satellite built by ISRO. PSLV-C17 measuring 44.5 m height, with a lift off weight of 320 tonnes has four stages of solid and liquid propulsion systems alternately. In its XL Version, PSLV-XL uses six extended solid strap-on motors wherein each strap-on carries 12 tonnes of solid propellant. This is a second time such a configuration is being flown, earlier one being the PSLV-C11/Chandrayaan-I mission. It has 12 extended C-band transponders to meet the countrys growing demand for transponders in a short turnaround time. The PSLV used the indigenously designed and developed On-Board computer (OBC) with Vikram 1601 processor for the first time. The OBC performs the functions of Navigation, Guidance and th Control processing for the vehicle. This is the 18 successful flight of the PSLV in a row and this is the third time that it is putting a satellite in a geo-synchronous transfer orbit (GTO). The C-band transponders would be used in tele-medicine, teleeducation, village resource centres and supporting disaster management.

Devas takes Antrix to international arbitration court: Devas Multimedia P Ltd on July 11, 2011 said it had taken the
case of its annulled satellite contract with Antrix Corporation, an ISRO arm, to the International Court for Arbitration. Bangalore-based Devas has demanded that the agreement under which ISRO was to build and launch two communications satellites for it be restored. The government annulled the deal in February 2011 citing irregularities in the agreement, nontransparency and non-adherence to standard procedures. The notional value of the S-band airwaves or spectrum in which Devas planned to launch its services was put by the government audit body CAG at over Rs 2 lakh crore. Post-annulment, Devas reportedly returned a draft sent to it for Rs 53 crore the amount Devas had paid in advance towards Antrixs services. The ICA, a part of the Paris-based International Chamber of Commerce, handles international commercial disputes.

40% allocation in Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana disbursed

40% (Rs. 3119.35 crore) of the total allocation (Rs. 7729.24 crore) has been released to various States under the Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY) during 2011-12 as on July 11, 2011. Total allocation for this year is Rs. 7729.24 crore as against Rs. 6755.00 crore in 2010-11. It includes Rs. 5250.87 crore under normal RKVY and Rs. 2500 crore under 9 sub-schemes. Seven new sub-schemes have been introduced from the current financial year. These are initiative on vegetable clusters, accelerated fodder development programme, rainfed area development programme, promotion of oil palm, nutri-cereals, National Mission for Protein Supplements and Saffron Mission. Two sub-schemes, which were introduced in 2010-11, are for Bringing Green Revolution to Eastern India and Special Initiative for Pulses and Oilseeds in Dryland Areas by organising 60, 000 Oilseeds and Pulses Villages in Rainfed Areas. The RKVY was launched in August, 2007 to achieve 4% annual growth in the agriculture sector by a holistic development of agriculture and allied sectors. The scheme aims at incentivising States to increase public investment in agriculture and allied sectors and enable them to generate additional growth in agriculture and allied sectors through better planning and by undertaking appropriate growth-oriented projects to achieve this goal. The scheme has succeeded in incentivising States to increase their share in agriculture and allied sectors and thereby imparting a definite momentum to agriculture. Rs. 17735.45 crore have been released as on July 11 under the scheme since its inception as against total allocation of Rs. 22955.35 crore. Break up of release and allocations are as follows:

Year
2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 Total

Allocation
1498.70 3165.67 3806.74 6755.00 7729.24 22955.35

Release
1246.89 2886.80 3761.43 6720.98 3119.35 17735.45

For the Week: July 10 to 16, 2011

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July 16 observed as Common Service Centre Diwas

The Ministry of Communications & Information Technology observed July 16, 2011 as the first Common Service Centre Diwas. July 16 will now be observed as Common Service Centre (CSC) Diwas every year. This day has been chosen as CSC Day to mark the incorporation of CSC e-Governance Services India Ltd on this day in 2009. The CSCs are overseen by 22 Service Centre Agencies (SCAs) across the country. CSC e-Governance Services India Ltd is a national level entity incorporated as Special Purposes Vehicle (SPV) to provide on going support to CSCs and to catalyse delivery of services through the CSCs network. This is a unique Public Private Partnership (PPP) model where Department of Information & Technology partners with Village Level Entrepreneurs (VLE) and Special Service Vehicle (SSV) to deliver the selected services to common people through CSCs. The CSCs are delivering various services which include Birth and Death certificate, Income Certificate, Caste and Domicile Certificate etc., MNREGA services, Utility Bill Payments, Employment Exchange services, Electoral services, Revenue Department services, Banking & Insurance services, e-learning/digital literacy and Telemedicine. 50 Village Level Entrepreneurs (VLE) running the Common Service Centre across the country were felicitated on the occasion. They received a Certificate of Appreciation and a Cash reward of Rs. 5,000 each. The VLEs have been selected for felicitation on the basis of their performances in running the CSCs during January-June, 2011.

Govt. urges Supreme Court to recall its July 4 order on SIT on black money: The Union government on July 15,
2011 moved the Supreme Court to recall its July 4 order directing that a Special Investigation Team (SIT) be constituted to probe the black money case. It described the order as judicial overreach. The review petition said the order, which directed that the SIT be headed by a retired Supreme Court judge, amounted to judicial overreach into executive functions and was against the principle of separation of powers. The petition said: The said order is without jurisdiction inasmuch as it impinges upon and goes contrary to the established doctrine of separation of powers. Besides, the interim order is faulty as the economic policies of the government are beyond judicial review. Citing slackness in the investigation, the court had, on July 4, constituted the SIT under the chairmanship of retired Supreme Court Judge B.P. Jeevan Reddy to take all steps for bringing back unaccounted for monies unlawfully kept in banks abroad. The court rejected the Centres contention that since a High Level Committee had already been set up there was no need for a Special Investigation Team.

Return money with interest, Court tells Greater Noida builders: The Supreme Court on July 12, 2011 directed
builders in Greater Noida, who accepted bookings for flats from prospective buyers, to return the money with appropriate interest as the notification for acquisition of land allotted to them has been struck down. A Bench of Justices G.S. Singhvi and A.K. Ganguly upheld the Allahabad High Court judgment quashing the notification to acquire land from farmers in the Greater Noida area. The Bench imposed costs of Rs. 10 lakh on the Greater Noida Development Authority for undertaking allotment of land to the builders in complete violation of the purpose for which it was sought to be acquired and even before approval by the Uttar Pradesh government for change of land use. The Supreme Court was of the view that unauthorised plotting of agricultural land or large-scale illegal constructions could not have been possible without active or tacit connivance of the functionaries and officers of the State and/or its agencies/instrumentalities.

Government sets up task force to review national security system: The Government on July 11, 2011 decided to
set up a Task Force to review the existing processes, procedures and practices in the national security system and suggest measures where necessary for strengthening of the national security apparatus and in non-conventional areas having a bearing on the overall security situation. The Task Force has been set up under the chairmanship of Naresh Chandra, former Cabinet Secretary. The members of the Task Force are: PC Haldar, KC Verma, Admiral Arun Prakash (Retd), Air Chief Marshal S Krishnaswamy (Retd), Lt Gen VR Raghavan (Retd), Brajeshwar Singh, Vinod K Duggal, G Parthasarthy, Dr Anil Kakodkar, RV Raju, D Sivanandan, Suman K Bery and Manoj Joshi.

New ENR norms wont hit waiver to India Russia: Russia has assured India that the new international restrictions
on transfer of sensitive nuclear technologies will not affect the clean waiver it was granted in 2008. Foreign Ministry spokesman Alexander Lukashevich on July 16, 2011 said the new guidelines adopted by the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) last month to ban the sale of enrichment and reprocessing (ENR) technology to non-NPT signatories would not apply to India. It is for the first time Moscow has clearly stated its position on the new NSG guidelines. Immediately after the June 20-24 For the Week: July 10 to 16, 2011 Bank PO

8 NSG meeting in Noordwijk, Holland, Moscow was evasive on whether India was exempted from the new ENR restrictions. Meanwhile, Indias Ambassador to Russia Ajai Malhotra said Moscow had just restated its earlier commitment to full-scale nuclear cooperation with New Delhi. In its new statement, Moscow reiterated its commitment to the March 2010 bilateral accord on unrestricted peaceful nuclear cooperation, which called for a separate agreement on ENR transfer, and the December 2010 joint statement by the leaders of the two countries.

INS Koswari commissioned: The Navys ninth fast attack craft INS Koswari was commissioned at Visakhapatnam in
Eastern Naval Command on July 12, 2011. Conceived, designed and built indigenously at the Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) Ltd. of Kolkata, the ship is named after an island off Tuticorin. INS Koswari is commanded by Lieutenant Commander Anil Kumar, a communications specialist.

Navys oldest ship Sharabh decommissioned: The oldest commissioned ship of the Indian Navy, Sharabh, a
landing ship tanker, was given a fond farewell after 35 years of service at the Andaman and Nicobar Command in Port Blair on July 14, 2011. The tanker had the distinction of participating in numerous amphibious operations, both on the Eastern and Western seaboards, and landed troops and materials on all major and minor landing sites in the Andaman Sea region. INS Sharabh was commissioned in January 1976 at Gdynia, Poland.

Coast Guard patrol vessel Rani Rashmoni launched: Hindustan Shipyard Ltd (HSL) launched a patrol vessel, Rani
Rashmoni, for the Indian Coast Guard at Visakhapatnam on July 15, 2011. Rear-Admiral K.C. Sekhar, Chairman and Managing Director, HSL, said the company had so far launched 118 vessels from its slipways, including Rani Rashmoni, and it had built 164 vessels of various types including 11 well-head platforms. It had achieved turnover of Rs 662 crore and profit after tax of Rs 56 crore. HSL has been taken over by the Ministry of Defence.

Report of National Commission for Schedule Tribes presented: The Chairman, National Commission for Schedule
Tribes, Dr. Rameshwar Oran along with other members presented the Fifth Report of the Commission to the President, Smt. Pratibha Devisingh Patil, at Rashtrapati Bhavan, in New Delhi on July 13, 2011.

India Rejuvenation Initiative demands independent probe in cash-for-scam: A writ petition, filed by the former
Chief Election Commissioner, J.M. Lyngdoh, and 13 others, under the banner of the India Rejuvenation Initiative, on July 16, 2011 sought a direction to set up a Special Investigation Team to probe the scam, as exposed by the WikiLeaks and published in The Hindu earlier this year. The petitioners quoted the interview of Julian Assange of the WikiLeaks, published in The Hindu, in which he said this information could be used as corroborative evidence. They said a First Information Report was registered by the police on January 27, 2009 but no action was taken so far in spite of the fact that a parliamentary committee had given a report against errant politicians.

Army court upholds Lt Gen Raths punishment in Sukna scam: An Army Court on July 16, 2011 upheld the
punishment of loss of seniority and pension cut against Lt Gen PK Rath in the Sukna land scam case but dropped the charge of intent to defraud against the officer, who is the senior most serving military officer to be held guilty by a court martial. The military court, which had convened in Shillong to re-examine the charge of intent to defraud against the officer, adhered to its original findings and did not find him guilty of the charge. However, the officer has been held guilty on three other counts in the Sukna land scandal, and has been sentenced to forfeit 15 years service for pensionary benefits and 18 months of seniority by the military court. The Sukna scandal broke out in 2010 after a senior serving officer Lt Gen Ramesh Halgali complained about a dubious land deal in the Sukna cantonment, leading to an inquiry by senior authorities. While Rath has been awarded punishment, former Military Secretary Lt Gen Avadesh Prakash, who has since retired, is currently facing a court martial in Guwahati.

Solicitor-General Gopal Subramaniam resigns: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on July 14, 2011 accepted the
resignation of Solicitor-General Gopal Subramaniam, who quit office in protest after Communications Minister Kapil Sibal asked senior lawyer Rohinton Nariman to represent him in the Supreme Court in the 2G case against him. Subramaniam, while confirming the acceptance of the resignation, refused to make any comment. He was appointed Solicitor General in 2009 soon after the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) came to power. He is the present Chairman of the Bar Council of India. In the UPA-1, he had served as Additional Solicitor General.

Ahmed Patel, Smriti Irani elected to Rajya Sabha: Congress leader Ahmed Patel was on July 16, 2011 declared
elected unopposed for the fourth time to the Rajya Sabha while BJPs actor-turned politician Smriti Irani also made it to the For the Week: July 10 to 16, 2011 Bank PO

9 upper house of Parliament for the first time, without any contest. BJPs another candidate Dilip Pandya was also declared elected unopposed to the third seat for the upper house from Gujarat. The three leaders were elected unopposed as no other candidate had filled the form to challenge them for the three Rajya Sabha seats.

Narayana Murthy to chair PHFI: Infosys founder, Chairman and Chief Mentor, N.R. Narayana Murthy, has been chosen
to chair the Public Health Foundation of India. The position was left open after former chairperson Rajat Gupta, facing charges of insider training in the United States, resigned in March. Murthy was unanimously elected by the PHFIs governing council on July 11, 2011. He succeeds erstwhile Reserve Bank of India governor Y.V. Reddy, who has been functioning as the interim chairperson. The council also renewed the appointment of K. Srinath Reddy as president for a fresh five-year term and approved proposals for strengthening governance.

Amartya Sen Research Centre coming up in Kolkata: The foundation stone of the Amartya Sen Research Centre, a
research wing of the Pratichi Institute, set up by Nobel Laureate Amartya Sen, was laid in Kolkata on July 14, 2011. The Nobel Laureate was present on the occasion. The Pratichi Institute, which has been conducting empirical research in primary education and health, has been set up by the Pratichi foundation from the Nobel Prize money won by Sen.

Gangor to premiere at Jerusalem Film Festival: Gangor, a film based on a story of Mahashweta Devi, was
premiered at the Jerusalem International Film Festival (JIFF) organised in Jerusalem on July 13, 2011. Produced by Vinod Kumar and directed by Italo Spinelli, the movie is based on a short story, Behind the Bodice, by Devi. The movie seeks to highlight the plight of tribal women. Gangor stars Life Of a Pi actor Adil Hussain, Tillotama Shome, Priyanka Bose, Samrat Chakrabarti and Seema Rahmani.

For the Week: July 10 to 16, 2011

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Section B: WORLD
World Population Day observed
The World Population Day was observed on July 11, 2011. The interest generated by the Day of 5 Billion on 11 July 1987 led to the establishment of World Population Day as an annual event. For more than 20 years, 11 July has been an occasion to mark the significance of population trends and related issues. This year, as the world population is expected to surpass 7 billion, UNFPA and partners are launching a campaign called 7 Billion Actions. It aims to engage people, spur commitment and spark actions related to the opportunities and challenges presented by a world of 7 billion people. This years theme is, Seven billion people counting each other. Seven messages have been developed and these focus on young people, women and girls, poverty reduction, reproductive health, environment, ageing populations and urbanization. The theme is a call for action and an opportunity to engage with people about what it means to live in a world of 7 billion and what they can do to ensure that everyone achieves their present and future potentials. In India, the Jansankhya Sthirta Kosh (JSK-National Population Stabilization Fund) of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and the Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan (NYKS) from Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports on July 11, 2011 organized a national workshop titled Youth for Population Stabilization to mark the celebrations on the World Population Day. The Secretary Ministry of health and family welfare K Chandramouli called for mass mobilization of public opinion to prevent early marriages to aid population stabilization measures. As per the census 2011, Indias population has risen to 1.21 billion people over the last 10 years, an increase by 181 million. It is however pertinent to note that the decadal growth is significantly slower for the first time in nine decades. The growth rate in 2011 is 17.64 per cent in comparison to 21.15 per cent in 2001. The 2001-2011 period is the first decade with exception of 1911-1921 which has actually added lesser population compared to the previous decade but still states i.e. UP, Bihar, MP, Rajasthan, Jharkhand, Chhatisgarh & Odisha are lagging behind in terms of developmental indices. JSK has been particularly established to focus on the stabilization aspects of the Indian population. JSK has launched various schemes of encouraging late marriage & delaying the first and second child within the family & voluntarily adoption of permanent method of contraception, among the segments of Indian population where early marriage & high birth order or multiple children is practiced. Besides, another concern is about how Indias population would grow in the future depends largely on the 189 million-plus people in the 15-24 age group. Meeting their needs for information and guidance regarding sexual and reproductive health behavior, apart from education and employment opportunities, thus constitutes an important aspect of population and development programmes of JSK

Fijian ambassador elected seabed authority president: The International Seabed Authority (ISA) on July 14, 2011
elected Ambassador Peter Thomson, Fijis permanent representative to the United Nations, its president at its annual session in Kingston, Jamaica. The assembly is the supreme body of the organisation, consisting of delegations from 161 member states. The International Seabed Authority was established by the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. Fiji was the first signatory to the Convention on December 10, 1982. The ISA is an autonomous international organisation, to which state parties to the convention are given the responsibility of organising, controlling and administering the resources of the international seabed beyond the limits of national exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

Pak Speaker calls for setting up South Asian Parliament: Pakistans National Assembly Speaker Fehmida Mirza, in
her speech at the Fifth Conference of the Association of SAARC Speakers and Parliamentarians, on July 11, 2011 proposed that the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) should contemplate the creation of a South Asian Parliament on the lines of the European Parliament for sustainable peace and prosperity in the region, and that it would be the largest forum of legislators, commanding the trust of 1.7 billion South Asians.

Berlusconis firm fined: A Milan court has ordered Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconis Fininvest company on July 9,
2011 to pay rival media group 560 million after it bribed a judge to approve a company takeover. The Milan appeals court reduced by a quarter the original 750-million ($1-billion) damages claim that a civil court had ordered the holding company For the Week: July 10 to 16, 2011 Bank PO

11 to pay in October 2009, the ANSA news agency reported. This was compensation for Fininvest wresting control of the leading Mondadori publishing house from Compagnie Industriali Riunite (CIR) in 1990. A judge ruled in 2009 that Berlusconi was coresponsible for the bribery of a judge who decided in favour of Fininvest in the takeover battle.

Neptune completes first revolution of sun: Neptune, the eighth planet of the solar system, completed its first
revolution of the sun since its discovery in 1846 on July 13, 2011. The heavenly body reached approximately the same heliocentric longitude at the time of its discovery. The planet was discovered on September 23, 1846 by Johann Galle and Heinrich dArrest from Berlin Observatory. Neptune has 13 satellites, and a thin ring system that was discovered in 1984. The planets orbit is nearly circular. Its atmosphere is dominantly hydrogen (80 per cent), with helium (19 per cent) and methane (1 per cent), and a very small admixture of other compounds. The average temperature is 235 degrees C. It is 38.87 times bigger and 17.132 times more massive than the Earth.

Indians among top Mount Everest conquerors: Indians have emerged as the third highest conquerors of Mt Everest
among foreign climbers this season with 19 of them successfully climbing the worlds highest peak. While Nepalis retained their dominance on Mt Everest, after them, Americans, British and Indians had the highest number of summiteers on the Everest. Out of 156 people who reached atop the Everest, 39 were from the US, while 27 and 19 were from the UK and India respectively, according to Ang Tshering Sherpa, immediate past president of Nepal Mountaineering Association on July 16, 2011. Mt Everest was first summited by Edmund Hillary of New Zealand and Tenzing Norgey Sherpa, originally from Nepal and later took Indian citizenship, on May 29, 1953. Since then 5585 ascents were made to the Everest by 3448 climbers. Nepals Apa Sherpa set a new world record by climbing the Everest for 21 times this season.

Libyan opposition recognised as the countrys legitimate governing authority by the US: The United States
on July 15, 2011 recognised the Libyan opposition, the Transitional National Council (TNC), as the countrys legitimate governing authority. The move means billions of dollars of Libyan assets frozen in US banks could be released to the rebels. The decision was announced by US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton at a diplomatic meeting in Istanbul. Western and Arab members of the Libya Contact Group are drawing up a plan to end hostilities, which will be presented to Col Muammar Gaddafi. In Istanbul, other foreign ministers said the whole contact group - including more than 30 Western and Arab countries - agreed to recognise the rebels. Many of them have already individually recognised the TNC.

Indonesians flee volcano eruption on Sulawesi: Thousands of people on an Indonesian island have been forced to
flee a fierce volcanic eruption. Mount Lokon, on Sulawesi, started erupting on July 14, 2011. A 3.5-km (two mile) evacuation zone was established. Among the dozens of volcanoes in Indonesia, the 1,580-metre (5,184ft) Mount Lokon is one of the most active. It last erupted in 1991

WHOs report on global tobacco epidemic unveiled: The World Health Organizations latest figures, released on
July 15, 2011, said while 33% adult Indian males and 18.4% adult Indian females use smokeless tobacco, the figure for those taking a puff stands at 24.3% and 2.9%, males and females. Among the youth, 19% males and 8.3% females use some form of tobacco. The WHOs report on the global tobacco epidemic finds that tobacco will kill nearly six million people this year worldwide. WHO says tobacco could kill eight million a year by 2030. Tobacco use is one of the biggest contributors to the non-communicable diseases epidemic, including heart disease, stroke, cancers and respiratory diseases, and accounts for 63% of all deaths. At present, more than half the worlds population, or 3.8 billion, live in countries with at least some form of anti-smoking measures such as health warnings on cigarette packs, cigarette taxes and anti-tobacco mass-media campaigns.

Australia unveils sweeping carbon plan in climate fight: Australia unveiled its most sweeping economic reform in
decades on July 10, 2011 with a plan to tax carbon emissions from the nations worst polluters, reviving hopes of stronger global climate action with the largest emissions trade scheme outside Europe. Prime Minister Julia Gillard said 500 companies including steel and aluminium manufacturers would pay a A$23 ($24.70) per tonne carbon tax from next year, rising by 2.5 per cent a year, moving to a market-based trading scheme in 2015. Australia is the developed worlds worst percapita greenhouse gas emitter because of its heavy reliance on cheap coal for power generation. The scheme aims to cut national emissions by five per cent of 2000 levels by 2020, which would mean a cut of about 160 million tonnes.

Worlds largest tricolour unfurled at India Festival in US: The 153-feet long tricolour, made by a tailor from
Porbandar, Chhotalal S Shingdia, has found place in Limca Book of Records this year. For the Week: July 10 to 16, 2011 Bank PO

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India is third largest investor in Britain: India was the third largest investor in Britain during 2010-11 with 97 new
projects, generating several jobs in a country facing recession and major job losses, according to official figures. Among the high growth markets, India and China are still the two principal sources of inward investment by project numbers, a UK Inward Investment Report 2010-2011 released by the UK Trade and Investment said on July 12, 2011.

Greece gets worlds lowest rating by Fitch: Greeces credit rating was cut three levels to Fitch Ratings lowest grade
for any country in the world as the company followed rivals and said that a default is a real possibility. The move to CCC from B+ reflects the absence of a new, fully funded and credible programme by the International Monetary Fund and the European Union, the ratings company said on July 14, 2011 in a statement in London. It also reflects heightened uncertainty surrounding the role of private creditors in any future funding, as well as Greeces weakening macroeconomic outlook. Fitch is the third ratings company to cut Greece to the bottom tier of its rankings, reflecting concerns that a new aid package being negotiated for the nation will inflict losses on investors. Greece was downgraded to Caa1 by Moodys Investors Service on June 1 and CCC by Standard & Poors on June 13

Moodys cuts Irelands credit rating to junk: Moodys cut Irelands credit rating to junk on July 12, 2011, warning the
debt-laden country would likely need a second bailout just the latest move amid heightening concerns about Europes ability to address its debt crisis and prevent it from spreading. Moodys move comes a week after it slashed Portugal to junk status with a similar warning about the need for a second round of rescue funds. Irelands rating is still one notch above Portugal and six above Greece. The downgrade reflects the credit rating agencys view that any further financial assistance from Brussels will require private investors to share part of the pain, possibly through a debt rollover or swap.

For the Week: July 10 to 16, 2011

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13

Section C: AWARDS
Saudi Arabia honours Indian envoy: Indias Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Talmiz Ahmad has become the first Indian
diplomat to be conferred the King Abdulaziz Medal of First Class for his contribution towards elevating IndoSaudi ties. The honour was bestowed upon him at Jeddah on July 10, 2011 by Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al-Faisal. Ahmad has been honoured because of the key role he has played in raising IndoSaudi level to a strategic level a landmark that was achieved during the visit to Riyadh by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh last year. The Indian diplomat had been quick to grasp that Saudi perception of India was changing fundamentally, following the assassination of the former Pakistani Prime Minister, Benazir Bhutto, the Lal Masjid incident in Islamabad and the Mumbai attacks of November 2008. Consequently, security cooperation became the foundation of a much evolved Saudi-India relationship which was anchored in the Riyadh declaration, signed during the Prime Ministers visit. The award conferred on Ahmad comprises a decorative badge and a certificate signed by the Saudi monarch, King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz.

Four Indians conferred French honours: The French Government on July 16, 2011 conferred prestigious awards on
four eminent Indians from different professional backgrounds in recognition of their contribution to the development of IndoFrench cooperation in their respective fields. It has conferred Chevalier de la Lgion dHonneur (Knight of the Legion of Honour) on political scientist Prof. Balveer Arora and former Jawaharlal Nehru University Professor Shiva Prasad. Author Narendra Jadhav has been honoured with Commandeur des Palmes Acadmiques (Commander of the Academic Palms) while Chevalier des Palmes Acadmiques (Knight of Academic Palms) has been conferred on Leena Srivasatav of The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI). The Order of the Legion of Honour and the Order of the Academic Palms are the highest distinctions that can be conferred by France on an individual, irrespective of nationality, in recognition of distinguished work.

Russian Federation honours N. Ram, V.M. Lakshminarayanan: As part of the 85th Anniversary of Russian Societies
for Friendship and Cultural Relations with Foreign Countries, the Russian Federation in Chennai on July 14, 2011 honoured N. Ram, Editor-in-Chief, The Hindu, and V.M. Lakshminarayanan, Founder, Chairman, Indo-Russian Chamber of Commerce with meritorious certificates. Ram acknowledged the support provided by the Soviet Union to India. He noted that when many countries refused to provide the technology for nuclear power plant for India, (Kudankulam, Tamil Nadu), it was Russia, which volunteered to provide the technology.

Sheila Dikshit conferred Mercy Ravi Award: Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit was presented the first Mercy Ravi
Award in Kottayam on July 16, 2011. The award, instituted by the Mercy Ravi Foundation, is for exemplary contribution to public life by a woman. Union Defence Minister A.K. Antony presented the award, which carries a purse of Rs.1 lakh and a citation.

PM honours states achieving high foodgrain output: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh honoured five states,
including Punjab and Uttar Pradesh, for achieving high foodgrain production in 2010-11 fiscal in New Delhi on July 16, 2011. The other three states which will get Rs 2 crore award are Orissa, Assam and Tripura, according to ICAR (Indian Council for rd Agricultural Research). The Day marked 83 Foundation Day of ICAR. In addition, the PM gave away cash awards of Rs 1 crore to different states in individual crop category. While Chhattisgarh will receive the award for rice, Haryana has been chosen for wheat, Maharashtra and Rajasthan for pulses and Karnataka for coarse cereal production. ICARs first Norman Borlaug Award was presented to Dr. T.K. Adhya, Director, Central Rice Research Institute, Cuttack for the work on methane production in tropical paddy having a bearing on climate change strategies.

FICCI safety excellence awards conferred: The Union Minister for Labour and Employment, Mallikarjun Kharge
presented the FICCI safety excellence award to the winners to five companies in large and small categories in New Delhi on July 14, 2011. The Platinum (First) Prize in the large size category was bagged by Lafarge India (P) Ltd. for its Sonadih Cement Plant and the Gold (Second) Prize by Essar Oil Ltd. for its Jamnagar refinery. The Silver (Third) Price in this category was given to Sudarshan Chemical Industries Ltd. for its Roha Plant. The Platinum (First) Prize in the small size category was bagged by AkzoNbel Chemicals India Ltd. for its specialty chemicals plant at Mahad. The Gold (Second) Prize in this category was won by Raymond Ltd. for its Jalgaon plant.

For the Week: July 10 to 16, 2011

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Section D: ECONOMY & CORPORATE

Terms of reference of Task Force on Direct Transfer of Subsidies extended
The Ministry of Finance on July 13, 2011 decided to extend the terms of reference of the Task force which was constituted under the Chairmanship of Nandan Nilekani, Chairman, Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) to recommend and implement a solution for direct transfer of subsidies on Kerosene, LPG and Fertilizer to the intended beneficiaries. It has been decided to extend the Terms of Reference of the Task Force to the reforms of PDS, so as to also include the following: Identify and suggest required changes in the existing systems, processes and procedures, IT frameworks and supply chain management. Recommend institutional mechanisms to implement the IT strategy for PDS. Examine and suggest an implementable solution for direct transfer of subsidies on food and kerosene to intended beneficiaries with the use of Aadhaar numbers (Unique Identification numbers), Aadhaar enabled transactions and Aadhaar authentication infrastructure. Studies peg leakage in PDS to 30-40 per cent of total foodgrains supplied, which means that substantial quantity of food and other items do not reach the intended beneficiary. Currently, PDS caters to 18 crore households, of which 11.05 crore belongs to above poverty line families and the rest below poverty line. The draft Food Security Bill, cleared by the empowered Group of Ministers recently, proposed legal entitlement for grains to 75 per cent of the rural households and 50 per cent of urban households.

Government unveils voluntary CSR guidelines

Making it mandatory for India Inc to disclose its CSR activities to stakeholders, the Government July 8, 2011 released a set of guidelines for all businesses including MNCs. Observance of these would be voluntary. The Ministry of Corporate Affairs also renamed CSR as Responsible Business (RB). The guidelines named National Voluntary Guidelines on Social, Environmental and Economic Responsibilities of Business comprise nine broad principles. These are well being of employees, human rights, environment consideration, equitable development, safe and sustainable goods and being responsive towards stakeholders, especially disadvantaged, vulnerable and marginalised. The companies will be required to make disclosures on the recyclable raw materials used, total number of contractual employees, percentage of women employees, energy efficient technologies, and total water consumed among other things. A separate chapter on MSMEs has been included. The Guidelines Drafting Committee appointed by Indian Institute of Corporate Affairs and headed by Bharat Wakhlu of Tata Teleservices formulated the new guidelines. vThe Standing Committee on Finance had suggested that two per cent of average net profit for the preceding three years of companies be made mandatory for companies with a net worth of Rs 500 crore or more, or those that have an annual turnover of at least Rs 1,000 crore, or companies with a net profit of Rs 5 crore or more.

TRAI asks DoT to cancel 74 licences

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has stood by its decision to recommend cancellation of 74 licenses due to missing rollout obligations against 12 asserted by department of telecom (DoT). The regulator said it has obtained legal opinion from two eminent jurists (former judges of the Supreme Court) which support this view. TRAIs fresh communication comes in the wake of the DoTs letter to the regulator asking it to reconsider its earlier recommendation in which it had recommended cancellation of 74 licenses issued since December 2006. The DoT is of the view that going by licence terms and conditions, the licensees are liable to pay liquidated damages if services are not rolled out within 52 weeks. According to the conditions, the operators have to cover 10% of the district head quarters within first year of allotment of spectrum. And after expiry of another 52 weeks, after claiming liquidated damages, For the Week: July 10 to 16, 2011 Bank PO

15 the licenses can be cancelled in case the services are not rolled out as per license conditions. TRAI said telecom operators whose licenses should be cancelled never notified their tariffs, submitted their subscriber numbers and did not pay license fee to the government till the time the recommendations were made.

KG-D6 is the cheapest RIL

RIL on July 15, 2011 said its eastern offshore KG-D6 gas field development cost is much less than what Gujarat government company GSPC and stateowned ONGC are spending on projects in the vicinity of its KG basin find. Reliance had in 2004 proposed a $2.4 billion investment for producing 40 million cubic metres per day of gas from 5.32 trillion cubic feet of reserves in the D1/D3 fields of the KG-D6 block. Later, in 2006, it revised the capital expenditure requirement to $5.2 billion in Phase-I for producing a higher 80 mmscmd of gas from 11.3 trillion cubic feet (tcf) of reserves. Replying to a draft audit report of the CAG, Reliance said, It has set a benchmark for the lowest project costs across the world. Its cost estimates for producing gas from the deep-sea KG-D6 block are the lowest even in comparison to shallow water projects. ONGCs block KGD5 in vicinity, with a discovery made in 2001, has 1.9 tcf of gas reserves with an estimated development cost of $7.7 billion, for which a development plan is under preparation, it said. The CAG in its recent draft report had accused oil ministry and Directorate General of Hydrocarbons (DGH) of turning a blind eye to the cost increase which would lower governments profit take from the field.

RBI asks foreign firms to regularise branch offices

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on July 15, 2011 directed all the foreign entities, including non-government organisations (NGOs) and news agencies, operating in the country through branch offices to obtain clearance from it within three months under the FEMA Act. The foreign entities who have established branch offices or liaison office in India and continuing to function without obtaining permission from the RBI should approach it within a period of 90 days from the date of issue of this circular for regularisation of establishment of such offices in India, in terms of the extant FEMA provisions, the central bank said in a statement. The foreign entities who may have established branch offices or liaison office with the permission from the government may also approach the RBI along with a copy of the said approval for allotment of a Unique Identification Number (UIN) by the central bank. The statement said, it had come to the notice of the RBI that certain branch offices or liaison office established by the foreign NGOs, non-profit organisations, news agencies and other foreign entities are continuing to function in the country, without the approval of the bank, after the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA), 1999 came into force from June 1, 2000.

RBI to cap banks investments in non-subsidiary firms: The RBI on July 6, 2011 proposed to cap banks equity
investments in non-subsidiary companies engaged in non-financials services. This is to prevent banks from engaging in activities not permitted under the Banking Regulation Act, such as trading in commodities. A banks equity investments in companies engaged in non-financial services cannot exceed 10 per cent of the investee companys paid-up capital or 10 per cent of the banks paid-up capital and reserves, whichever is lower, according to the draft guidelines issued by the RBI on such investments. Overall, a banks equity investments in subsidiaries and other entities engaged in financial services together with investments in entities engaged in non-financial services should not exceed 20 per cent of its paid-up share capital and reserves, the guidelines said.

Panel favours investment-linked incentives for EOUs

A Government panel has recommended extension of investment-linked income tax benefits and a host of other fiscal sops to export oriented units (EOUs). Many companies have exited the EOU scheme due to discontinuation of income tax benefits from April 1. This, in turn, led to a fall in exports from such zones. The Government then set up a Committee chaired by S.C. Panda, Development Commissioner, Noida Special Economic Zone, for revitalising the EOU Scheme and creating synergy between EOU and SEZ schemes. The panels report, released by the Commerce Secretary, Rahul Khullar, on July 13, 2011, For the Week: July 10 to 16, 2011 Bank PO

16 has suggested fiscal measures, policy initiatives, procedural simplifications and reduction of transaction costs for EOUs. The objective is to reverse the declining trend in setting up of EOUs and their exports. The EOU Scheme was introduced in 1980 with an exceptional feature of locational freedom for setting up such a unit anywhere in India. There were 2,586 EOUs, 8,121 Software Technology Parks and 144 Electronic Hardware Technology Parks all of whom came under the EOU scheme operating in the country by 2009-10. Exports (goods and services) from EOUs in 2009-10 were Rs 84,135 crore, while those from STPs and EHTPs were Rs 2,05,505 crore and Rs 8,028 crore respectively. Thus, the total exports in 2009-10 under the EOU Scheme were Rs 2,97,668 crore. However, the share of EOUs in the countrys total exports declined from 53.9 per cent in 2007-08 to 46.5 per cent in 2008-09 and further to 35.2 per cent in 2009-10 and 25.17 per cent in 2010-11 (upto December, 2010). This was mainly because 354 units had exited the scheme in 2010-11 (up to December, 2010), while 393 units exited in 2009-10 in response to discontinuation of income tax benefits.

GoM approves draft Mines and Mineral Development and Regulation Bill, 2011: The Union Mines Minister, Dinsha Patel, on July 11, 2011 said the landmark new draft Mines and Mineral Development and Regulation Bill, 2011, which provides for profit sharing and royalty provision for affected people, would be sent for approval of the Union Cabinet soon. The Group of Ministers (GoM) headed by Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee had approved the draft bill which provides 26 per cent profit sharing by coal mining companies and 100 per cent royalty sharing by others with project-affected people. The draft Bill was likely to be tabled during the monsoon session of Parliament. Jairam Ramesh for single Bill on land acquisition, rehabilitation, relocation: The new Union Minister for Rural
Development, Jairam Ramesh, on June 13, 2011 set aside the two-bill approach of his predecessor and decided to frame a single integrated Bill on land acquisition, rehabilitation and resettlement. The Ministry will now draft one integrated national Land Acquisition Rehabilitation and Resettlement Bill, 2011, as recommended by the National Advisory Council (NAC) headed by Sonia Gandhi. Ramesh, however, clarified that the integrated Bill would cover relief provisions for smaller projects and there would still be a separate Rehabilitation and Resettlement Bill for purposes such as large industries and calamities.

Panel of experts to find new FMC Chairman: Food and Consumer Affairs Minister KV Thomas on July 12, 2011 said
the successor to commodity markets regulator FMC Chairman BC Khatua will be selected by a panel of experts. There will not be any further extension in his service. Khatua, who retired in 2010 as chairman of the Forward Markets Commission (FMC), will complete a one-year extension of service on July 31, this year. The Consumer Affairs Ministry, which frames policy for the commodity futures market and FMC, has asked the Department of Personnel and Training to constitute a panel to pick the new FMC chairman. The FMC regulates futures trading in agricultural and non-agricultural commodities on five national and 18 regional exchanges, that had a total turnover of Rs. 1,19,48,942 crore in the 2010-11 fiscal.

Planning Commission expert group for use of UID to plug PDS holes: In order to plug the loopholes in the public
distribution system or PDS, a working group on the PDS reforms has advocated the use of unique identification numbers, or UID. Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia who heads the group set up by the Prime Minister in 2010. The panel, which finalised the draft report on July 14, 2011, has also suggested nationwide adoption of a computerised system of tracking transportation and distribution of PDS items. The report further outlines several recommendations like use of IT platform, as suggested by Nandan Nilekani, Chairman of the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), to check leakages and diversion of foodgrains meant for PDS.

37,971 MW power capacity commissioned during 11th Plan till June 2011: The installed capacity in the power
sector in the country recorded a growth of 45% from 1,23,901 MW in January 2006 to 1,77,135 MW in June 2011. This was stated by the Power Minister Sushilkumar Shinde at the Parliamentary Consultative Committee attached to his Ministry in th New Delhi on July 11, 2011. A capacity of 37,971 MW has already been commissioned during the 11 Plan till June 2011. th The total capacity commissioned during the 10 Plan was 21,180 MW.

Rupee symbol made available for download: Like the US dollar and British pound sterling, the new symbol of Indian
rupee will also be available in the computers by merely downloading a software provided free by the government. The rupee symbol can be downloaded from http://tdil-dc.In/ and typed by pressing AltGr together with 4. The software, released by TDIL Datacentre on July 15, 2011, has been developed by Unicode Consortium and ISO within three months of selection the rupee symbol. The initiative comes exactly a year after India joined an elite club of countries to have a distinctive symbol for its currency. The rupee symbol -- a blend of the Devanagri Ra and Roman R -- was selected after a long process of screening. It was designed by Bombay IIT post-graduate D Udaya Kumar and was approved by the government in July last For the Week: July 10 to 16, 2011 Bank PO

17 year. Technology Development for Indian Languages (TDIL) programme is a venture of Ministry of Communications and Information Technology.

Direct taxes account for 56% of total revenue collections in 2010-11: The Union Finance Minister Pranab
Mukherjee on July 15, 2011 said that direct tax collections now account for more than 56 per cent of the total revenue collections of Central Government. Direct tax collections have reached nearly Rupees four lakhs forty six thousand crores (Rs.4,46,000 crore) in 2010-11. Mukherjee was speaking on the occasion of the concluding ceremony of the celebrations on completion of 150 years of the Income Tax Department in New Delhi.

EPFO appoints 4 fund managers: The Employees Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) on July 15, 2011 selected four
new fund managersState Bank of India (SBI), ICICI Securities, Reliance Capital and HSBC Asset Management Companyfor managing its corpus of Rs 3.5 lakh crore. SBI will manage 35 per cent of the funds, ICICI 25 per cent, while the other two would manage 20 per cent each. SBI used to be the sole fund manager for the retirement fund body before multiple fund managers were appointed in 2008. The decision was taken by the Central Board of Trustees (CBT), EPFOs apex decision making body.

Crisil launches Gilt Index: The countrys largest economic research and rating agency Crisil launched an index for
government securities called Crisil Gilt Index, which will provide the market a realistic benchmark to analyse and measure the performance of sovereign investments. The Crisil Gilt Index launched on July 12, 2011 provides an appropriate representation of the movement of yields in government securities. The government securities (G-secs or Gilts) included in the index are the most liquid, and typically represent 80 percent of the total trading volumes and 25 percent of the total amount outstanding. For the construction of the index, Crisil adopted a two- fold approach based on liquidity and amount outstanding. The selection of G-secs is based on liquidity, while allocation of weight is based on the amount outstanding. The base date of the index is January 1, 1997. The index is expected to serve both as a benchmark and as an underlying index for investment products such as exchange-traded funds (ETFs) in Gilts.

CIBIL launches credit information reports for cos: It will soon be possible for companies to see the information that
banks and lenders use to evaluate their loan applications. Credit Information Bureau (India) Ltd (CIBIL) is now making companies credit information reports available to individual corporates. The fee for the Company Credit Information Report (CCIR) is Rs 2,500. A CCIR is a month-on-month record of a companys debt-related exposure and payments. Currently, CCIRs are used by banks and non-banking financial institutions in order to evaluate the ability of companies to bear additional debt. Business entities can now purchase their CCIR and view the information that a lender will review before approving their loan application. This helps a company increase its chances of loan approval by better understanding where it stands in the financial life cycle. It also provides an opportunity to detect and correct any discrepancies that are present in the CCIR. Companies can ask their vendors or partners for their CCIRs. This can help them evaluate their partners better.

Kerala, Karnataka take lead in CFL scheme: Kerala and Karnataka have taken the lead in rolling out the Bachat Lamp
Yojana (BLY), a clean development mechanism (CDM) scheme that is on course to become the worlds largest carbon credit project. In Kerala, 13 million CFLs have already been distributed to households and approximately 1.1 million CFLs have been given out in Karnataka, according to BEE estimates. Several other states are in various stages of rolling out the novel scheme being spearheaded by the Bureau of Energy Efficiency. Bachat Lamp Yojana (BLY) is a clean development mechanism (CDM) scheme under which suppliers would sell CFLs to households at Rs 15 a piece (as against Rs 80-100 a piece otherwise) for replacing 60 and 100 Watt domestic incandescent bulbs. The balance cost of the CFL (compact fluorescent lamp) will be recovered from the sale of carbon credits that accrue from the resultant lower carbon dioxide emissions. The current penetration of CFL in the household sector remains low at under 10 per cent, largely due to the high price of CFLs, which are about 8-10 times costlier than incandescent bulb.

Government lifts ban on wheat exports: The government on July 16, 2011 decided to lift the over four-year-old ban on
wheat exports, even as shipment of the grain is not viable at current global prices. The government had banned wheat exports since early 2007 to boost domestic supply and contain inflation. Recently, finance minister Pranab Mukherjee headed Empowered Group of Ministers (EGoM) on food, in which Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar is also a member, had given inprincipal approval to lift the ban on wheat exports in the wake of overflowing stocks. At present, the government godowns have bulging wheat stock of 37.8 million tonnes (MT) in view of bumper output.

PM launches information portal for rice: The Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, launched a portal exclusive for rice on July 16, 2011. The portal, developed by Directorate of Rice Research (DRR), Hyderabad, will help stakeholders to get information on all aspects of rice. The Rice Knowledge Management Portal (RKMP), funded by National Agricultural Innovation Project, would use various information technology and communication tools to provide information even on mobile
For the Week: July 10 to 16, 2011 Bank PO

18 phones. The portal caters to the location specific information needs of many stakeholders throughout the day and provides information in various Indian languages.

Indian Oil is No. 1 Indian company in Fortunes 500 largest companies: Eight Indian companies have made the
cut in the list of worlds 500 largest companies unveiled by Fortune magazine in July 2011, with Indian Oil finding a place in th th the top 100 and Reliance Industries in 134 spot. Indian Oil has cornered the 98 spot, up from 125th place last year. Other Indian companies in the list are Bharat Petroleum (271), State Bank of India (291), Hindustan Petroleum (335), Tata Motors (358), ONGC (360) and Tata Steel (369). Fortunes global list of worlds 500 largest companies for 2011, compiled on the basis of latest annual revenue figures, is topped by retail giant Wal-Mart Stores. The retailer had annual revenues of $ 421,849 million. Wal-Mart Stores is followed by Royal Dutch Shell (USD 378,152 million) and Exxon Mobil (USD 354,674 million) at second and third positions, respectively. Other companies in the global top ten are BP (4), Sinopec Group (5), China National Petroleum (6), State Grid (7), Toyota Motor (8), Japan Post Holdings (9) and Chevron (10). Indian Oil had annual revenues of $68,837 million while that of Reliance Industries stood at $58,900 million. Bharat Petroleum had revenues of $34,102 million, while State Bank of India netted $32,450 million in revenues. The revenues of Hindustan Petroleums stood at $28,593 million, Tata Motors ($ 27,046 million), ONGC ($26,945 million) and Tata Steel ($26,065 million).

3 companies short-listed for poppy cultivation and processing: The finance ministry in July 2011 shortlisted Sun
Pharma, Alcaliber SA of Spain and Johnson Matthey of the UK to cultivate poppy on 5,000 acres and build a modern processing plant to produce opium concentrate. The final selection of the player would be based on the technical and financial bids. This is the first time the government has invited foreign players for organized contract farming and manufacture of poppy straw concentrate, an activity that is in the state domain, to prevent crop diversion into production of psychotropic substances such as heroin. India is one of the few countries permitted to cultivate opium poppy for export. Farmers are licensed to grow opium, all of which is procured by the Central Bureau of Narcotics and transferred to the two Government Opium and Alkaloid Works, one each in Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, for processing. These factories use part of the opium to extract alkaloids for medical use and export the rest. Opiate raw materials are controlled internationally and only a few companies in the world produce opium alkaloids. India is now seeking to involve the private sector as its two plants are unable to meet demand.

Indias fuel demand to rise 3.8% IEA: Indias fuel demand may rise 3.8 per cent in 2012 led by diesel and gasoline,
the International Energy Agency said on July 13, 2011, adding a recent retail price hike by Asias third largest oil consumer will not dent demand growth in the short term. IEA, an adviser to 28 industrialised countries, in its July report, forecasts Indias fuel demand to rise 132,000 barrels per day (bpd) to 3.6 million bpd in 2012 despite a likely slowdown in economic growth to 7.8 per cent in that fiscal. It said Indias fuel demand may rise 3.7 per cent or 124,000 bpd in 2011 to 3.46 million bpd, unchanged from its June estimates, on expectations of strong economic growth of 8.2 per cent. IEA expects Indias diesel demand, which accounts for about 40 per cent of the fuel demand, to rise 5.8 per cent in 2011 to 1.37 million bpd this year and 5.5 per cent next year to 1.44 million bpd, it said. Gasoline demand would rise 7.6 per cent to 363,000 bpd in 2011 and 6.7 per cent to 388,000 bpd in 2012. Indias oil ministry has forecast oil-product sales to rise 4.6 per cent in the financial year that began April 1.

BRICs acknowledge Indias contribution to affordable drugs availability: International agencies - WHO &
UNAIDS and BRICS Health Ministers have applauded Indias role in making quality, safe and effective drugs more accessible and affordable globally at the meeting held in Beijing on July 11, 2011. In her address, DG, WHO Dr. Margaret Chan singled out Indias effort when she stated that when African countries wanted a meningitis vaccine at a cost of not more than 50 cents, it was the Serum Institute of India which came forward and did the job. ED, UNAIDS Michel Sidibe said that the BRICS countries have more than one third of the total HIV positive cases in the world. Sidibe praised the quality, safety and efficaciousness of Anti-Retro Viral Therapy (ART) drugs being supplied by India at a fraction of the cost at which they were being supplied previously by western pharma companies.

Piramal Life Sciences and Department of Biotechnology partnership enters new drug-discovery phase:
Three years after Piramal Life Sciences Ltd (PLSL) entered into a drug-discovery partnership with the Department of Biotechnology to search for new drugs from bio-diverse habitats, the project has entered its second phase. About 14,000 bioactive cultures were discovered from bio-diverse habitats across the country, in collaboration with nine national institutes, PLSL said on July 15, 2011. The project, jointly funded by DBT and PLSL, had been first announced in early 2008. The team has now moved ahead for the second phase of the programme to identify and characterise the chemical entity, which is responsible for the bioactivity in the extracts. As a result of high-end technology platforms both in biology and chemistry, For the Week: July 10 to 16, 2011 Bank PO

19 rapidity in isolation has been achieved, and 1,000 extracts out of the 14,000 will be evaluated within the next 18 months to obtain lead molecules.

India-EU trade negotiations enter final phase: Anand Sharma Union Minister of commerce & Industry met with the
Polish Minister of Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski in New Delhi on July 11, 2011. Bilateral trade between India and Poland during the last couple of years has grown with consistency. It was US $ 784.57 million in 2008-09, US $ 808.07 million in 2009-10 and US $ 771 million in the first three quarters of 2010-11. Poland is a major supplier of railway equipment, particularly wheels, axles and rails, as well as turbines and diesel engines to India. A number of merchant ships have also been delivered by the Gdansk shipyard. The principal commodities of Indias exports to Poland are Transport equipment, machinery and instruments, Drugs, Pharmaceuticals and Fine Chemicals, Readymade Garments of Cotton (including accessories). Similarly, Indias imports from Poland consist of Coke and coal, Machinery and Equipments, Iron and steel, machine tools, organic chemicals and project goods

Dreamliner lands in Delhi: The worlds first ultra long-haul passenger jet the Boeing 787 Dreamliner touched down
in India for the first time at the IGI Airport, Delhi on July 13, 2011. The state-of-the-art aircraft can fly 250 passengers nonstop up to 16,000 km. Air India has booked 27 Boeing B-787s in 2006. Of these, 50 were for its fleet and 18 for its low-cost subsidiary Air India Express that flies on short-haul international routes. The Indian flag carrier will be the second airline in the world after Singapore Airlines to fly the B-787, considered to be one of the most anticipated and state-of-the-art airplanes in the world. Around 800 aircraft have been ordered worldwide.

Multi-level marketing firms under scanner: The Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) has initiated a probe into the
activities of all multi-level marketing (MLM) companies registered abroad but with business operations in India. A preliminary report on such MLM companies and others was given to the ministry by the Registrar of Companies (RoC), Delhi on July 12, 2011. The list includes Singapore-based SpeakAsia, though the company claimed it was not engaged in MLM activities. The inquiry against MLM firms was triggered after complaints were registered against SpeakAsia over its business practices. SpeakAsia, which charges an annual membership fee of Rs 11,000, pays back its members for conducting online surveys for their clients. The company had refused to disclose the names of the clients to whom it sells the survey results.

Mobile phones in India to stream $350 billion by 2015 BCG: Mobile phones will usher in a new form of payment
in India mobile money, according to a study by Boston Consulting Group unveiled on Jul 14 2011. The study titled The rush to mobile money: Madness or master stroke, estimates that by 2015, $350 billion (Rs 15,75,000 crore) in payments and banking transactions could flow through mobile phones. This would include government payments, points of sale and bill payments, banking transactions, remittances and business payments. About $235 billion (Rs 10,57,500 crore) of annual credit and debit card transactions happen in India today, out of which $215 billion (Rs 9,67,500 crore) accounted for cash withdrawals at ATMs. As of May 2011, there were 1.1 crore mobile payment users in India with the value of the transaction estimated to be Rs 1.6 crore.

A.K. Upadhyay appointed NHAI Chairman: The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) on July 14, 2011
approved the entrustment of additional charge of the post of Chairman, National Highways Authority of India to A.K. Upadhyay currently Secretary, Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, for a period of six months or until further orders, whichever is earlier. The ACC also approved that Nandita Chatterjee, will hold additional charge of the post of Director General, CAPART, for a period of three months or till the appointment of regular incumbent to the post, whichever is earlier.

Sanjay Kapoor re-elected COAI Chairperson: The Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) on July 14, 2011 reelected Sanjay Kapoor, CEO India & South Asia, Bharti Airtel as the Chairperson of the industry association. COAI is the industry body representing GSM operators.

Tyler appointed new IATA DG-CEO: Cathay Pacific Airways CEO Tony Tyler on July 1, 2011 succeeded Giovanni Bisignani as the Director General and Chief Executive Officer of the International Air Transport Association. The new appointment comes at a time as the industry continues to struggle to remain profitable in the face of stubbornly high fuel costs, regulatory obstacles and environmental taxes. Dabur India Chairman Emeritus passes away: One of the leading lights of the Indian industry, Ashok C. Burman,
Chairman Emeritus of FMCG firm Dabur India on July 9, 2011 passed away in London. Born in Kolkata on June 19, 1930, he contributed to the growth of the company and helped it in attaining the status of a major player in the FMCG industry.

For the Week: July 10 to 16, 2011

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20

Section E: SPORTS
India beats West Indies 1-0 in three Test series
India opted not to press for a win with 86 needed from 15 overs with seven wickets in hand as the third and final cricket Test against the West Indies ended in a draw, giving the visitors a 1-0 series victory at Roseau, Dominica on July 11, 2011. Needing 180 for a win from 47 overs, India were 94 for three after 32 overs but they decided to end their run chase just before the start of 15 mandatory overs on the fifth day. Rahul Dravid was batting on 34 while VVS Laxman was on three when India decided to offer a draw that was readily accepted by the hosts. India had won the first test by 63 runs while the second test had ended in a draw. Ishant Sharma who took the highest number of 22 wickets in the series at an average of 16.865 runs per wicket and a strike rate of 1 wicket every 33.7 balls was declared Man of the Series. Among batsman Indias Rahul Dravid was the top scorer with 251 runs at an average of 50.21. Following is the scorecard: First Test: India won the first test played at Sabina Park, Kingston, Jamaica from June 21 to 23 by 63 runs. India won the toss and chose to bat first. Scores: India 246 and 252; West Indies 173 and 262. Rahul Dravid, who scored 40 and 112 in first and second innings respectively for India was declared Man of the Match. Second Test: The second test played at Kensington Oval, Bridgetown, Barbados from June 28 to July 2, 2011 ended in a draw. West Indies won the toss and decided to field. Scores: India 201 and 269/6declared; West Indies 190 and 202/7. Ishant Sharma, who took 6 wickets for 55 runs in first innings and 4 wickets for 53 runs in second innings for India, was declared Man of the Match. Third Test: The third test played at Windsor Park, Roseau, Dominica from July 6 to 10, 2011 ended in a draw. India won the toss and elected to field. Scores: West Indies 204 and 322; India 347 and 94/3. Shivnarine Chanderpaul (West Indies), who scored 23 in first and 116 not out in second innings respectively, was declared Man of the Match Most runs in the series: Top 5 Player Rahul Dravid (India) VVS Laxman (India) Shivnarine Chanderpaul (WI) Suresh Raina (India) Darren Bravo (WI) Most wickets in the series: Top 5 Player Ishant Sharma (India) Fidel Edwards (WI) Praveen Kumar (India) Devendra Bishoo (WI) Harbhajan Singh (India) Mat Overs 3 3 3 3 3 123.5 114.2 110.0 122.5 125.0 Mdns 29 12 30 12 34 Runs 371 380 254 391 279 Wkts 22 19 12 12 11 BBI 6/55 5/76 3/38 4/65 4/75 BBM 10/108 8/132 6/80 7/140 6/101 Ave Econ 16.86 20.00 21.16 32.58 25.36 SR 5 10 2 2 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 Mat 3 3 3 3 3 Inns 6 6 6 6 6 NO 1 1 1 1 0 Runs 251 243 241 232 205 HS 112 87 116* 82 73 Ave 50.20 48.60 48.20 46.40 34.16 BF 633 508 753 424 514 SR 39.65 47.83 32.00 54.71 39.88 100 50 1 0 1 0 0 1 3 0 3 2 0 4s 6s 0 22 1 25 0 13 0 29 0 27 1 0 0 0 0

2.99 33.7 3.32 36.1 2.30 55.0 3.18 61.4 2.23 68.1

SR-Strike Rate, BF-Balls faced, BBI-Best bowling in an innings, BBM- Best bowling in a match Other highlights: India now have recorded their third series victory in the Caribbeans, having achieved the feat in 1971 and 2006 under the captaincy of Ajit Wadekar and Dravid respectively. Mahendra Singh Dhoni side, however, missed out on a chance to beat West Indies 2-0 at the Caribbeans for the first time. The 1971 and 2006 series victories by India were also by 1-0 margins. Harbhajan Singh became only the fourth spinner in Tests to go past 400 Test wickets; the off-spinner achieved the milestone th in his 96 match. For the Week: July 10 to 16, 2011 Bank PO

21 V.V.S. Laxman, crossed the 8,000-run mark in Bridgetown the elegant right-hander has 8,146 runs from 123 Tests at 47.36 and added weight to the Indian middle-order. For the West Indies, Shivnarine Chanderpaul became the most capped player for the West Indies with 133 Tests.

Swann replaces Vettori as No 1 ODI bowler: Graeme Swann became the worlds number one ODI bowler on July 10,
2011 for the first time in his career after the off-spinners eight-wicket haul helped England to a 3-2 series win against Sri Lanka. The 32-year-old dethroned New Zealands left-arm spinner Daniel Vettori, who had held the spot since September 2009 in the ICC Player Rankings for ODI bowlers. Swann is also ranked number two in Test cricket, behind South Africas Dale Steyn. The ICC Player Rankings for ODI batsmen is still topped by the South African duo of Hashim Amla and AB de Villiers with Australias Shane Watson in third. Indias middle-order batsman Virat Kohli and skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni are at the 6th and 8th positions respectively.

Japan tops medals tally at 19th Asian Athletics Championships

Hosts Japan won 11 golds, 10 silver and 11 bronze medals to emerge on top of the medals tally at the 19 Asian Athletics Championships that concluded in Kobe Japan on July 10, 2011. India ended its campaign with 11 medals (1 gold, 2 silver and 8 bronze medals) in the four-day meet, which is similar to its performance in the last edition held at Guangzhou two years ago (1G, 3S, 7B). 22-year old Mayookha Johny won the only gold medal for India on July 7 when she leapt 6.56m in womens long jump to achieve this honour. Chinas Lu Minjia edged Saeko Okayama of Japan 6.52 to 6.51 to grab the silver. Rank 1 2 3 4 4 6 7 8 9 10 19 Asian Athletics Championship 2011- Kobe Medal Tally: Top 10 Country Gold Silver Bronze Japan 11 10 11 China 10 12 5 Bahrain 5 2 2 Kuwait 3 Qatar 3 Kazakhstan 2 3 3 Iran 2 2 2 India 1 2 8 Uzbekistan 1 2 1 Thailand 1 1 1
th

th

Total 32 27 9 3 3 8 6 11 4 3

Ferraris Alonso wins British Grand Prix: Fernando Alonso delivered Ferraris long-awaited first win of the year on July
10, 2011 when he made the most of unpredictable wet-dry conditions to triumph at a thrilling British Grand Prix at Silverstone. The 29-year-old Spaniard finished ahead of Red Bull drivers Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber. Force India drivers Paul di th th Resta and Adrian Sutil finished 15 and 11 respectively. Deshmukh elected Mumbai Cricket Association president: Vilasrao Deshmukh, Union Minister for Science, Technology & Earth Sciences was elected president of the Mumbai Cricket Association at its 77th Annual General Body meeting in Mumbai on July 15, 2011. Deshmukh defeated former India captain Dilip Vengsarkar 182-135. Deshmukh succeeds Sharad Pawar, who was MCA president for ten years from 2001.

Randhir Singh re-elected OCA Sec-Gen: Randhir Singh was re-elected Secretary-General of the Olympic Council of
Asia for the sixth consecutive term at the General Assembly meeting of the OCA held in Tokyo on July 14, 2011. Randhir is also a member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the Secretary-General of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA). The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) has hailed Randhir Singhs election as the Secretary-General of the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA).

World Chess Championship 2012 title match in Chennai: The match for World Chess Championship Title for 2012
between defending champion Viswanathan Anand and Israeli grand master Boris Gelfand is to be held at Chennai during April-May that year. The state government has given its nod for the conduct of the Championship Title, which would cost around Rs 20 crore. The announcement came after a meeting between Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa and Kirsan Illyumzhinov, president, World Chess Federation on July 15, 2011.

For the Week: July 10 to 16, 2011

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