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s ed e rie tn Se n rea tio ag eti g n mp i lli Co ulf & F er are C

August 2011 Volume : 08

Editor

D.V.RAGHURAM
M.A., P.G.D.H.R.M., D.T.E.M e-mail : sreemedia2010@gmail.com

Executive Editor

CONTENTS
AWARDS / PRIZES ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY SUMMITS/ CONFERENCES PERSONS DEFENCE ECONOMY GLOSSARY SPORTS PLACES INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS NATIONAL AFFAIRS CURRENT AFFAIRS QUESTIONS 3 5 8 9 10 11 11 14 15 16 16 18

P. SUBHASHINI
M.Com

NOTE: Printing of this book process through many stages - Writing, Composing, Proof Reading etc. We try our best to make this book error free. if any mistake has inadvertently crept in, we regret it and would be deeply indebted to those who bring it to our notice. We do not take any legal responsibility. The publishers shall be obliged if mistakes are brought to their notice for carrying out correction in the next edition.

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Career Makers

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August 2011, Volume: 08

The six Award recipients in 2011 enlarge the community of Magsaysay laureates to 290 individuals and organizations spread across twenty-two countries of Asia. The award is named after famous Philippine president who died in a plane crash in 1957. This year "five remarkable individuals and one exceptional organization, from Cambodia, India, Indonesia, and the Philippines will receive Asia's highest honor, the 2011 Ramon Magsaysay Award. The Awardees are: Alternative Indigenous Development Foundation, Inc. (AIDFI), from the Philippines. The organization is being recognized for "their collective vision, technological innovations, and partnership practices to make appropriate technologies improve the lives and livelihoods of the rural poor in upland Philippine communities and elsewhere in Asia."

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AWARDS / PRIZES
Ramon Magsaysay Award

The 44-year-old Harish Hande, from India, runs his own solar electric light company that has lit up over 120,000 households, to emerge as India's leading solar technology firm. He is being recognized for "his passionate and pragmatic efforts to put solar power technology in the hands of the poor, through a social enterprise that brings customized, affordable, and sustainable electricity to India's vast rural populace, encouraging the poor to become asset creators." He founded the company SELCO-India with Neville Williams in 1995. A doctorate in energy engineering (solar specialty) from University of Massachusetts (Lowell) and a IIT Kharagpur passout, Hande revolutionised use of solar energy by developing equipment tailormade for the needs of rural Indians. Hasanain Juaini, from Indonesia. He is being recognized for "his holistic, community-based approach to pesantren education in Indonesia, creatively promoting values of gender equality, religious harmony, environmental preservation, individual achievement, and civic engagement among young students and their communities." Koul Panha, from Cambodia. He is being recognized for "his determined and courageous

leadership of the sustained campaign to build an enlightened, organized and vigilant citizenry who will ensure fair and free elections as well as demand accountable governance by their elected officials in Cambodia's nascent democracy." Nileema Mishra, a lender to the poor in Maharashtra, is being recognized for "her purpose-driven zeal to work tirelessly with villagers in Maharashtra, India, organizing them to successfully address both their aspirations and their adversities through collective action and heightened confidence in their potential to improve their own lives." The 29-year-old has worked for empowerment of women in Jalgaon district of Maharashtra and has formed self help groups of over 2,000 women in 15 villages to provide them livelihood avenues. Tri Mumpuni, from Indonesia. She is being recognized for "her determined and collaborative efforts to promote micro hydropower technology, catalyze needed policy changes, and ensure full community participation, in bringing electricity and the fruits of development to the rural areas of Indonesia."

Rajiv Gandhi Manav Seva Award-2010

Rajiv Gandhi Manav Seva Award for the year, 2010 have been announced today. The Selection Committee has chosen the following three individuals for conferment of the prestigious award. The Award carries a cash prize of Rupees One lakh and a citation to each awardee. 1. Smt. Mira Kagti, Assamshe has established Shishu Sarothi in 1987 for providing education, rehabilitation and training services to the children suffering from Cerebral Palsy and persons with disability. At present her Institute caters to around 800 children and their families to cope with and August 2011, Volume: 08

manage their children`s special needs. 2. Dr. S.A. Thasleem Sulthana, Andhara Pradesh-She is doing service to the orphaned and mentally handicapped children, and working for the welfare, rehabilitation of mentally retarted, hearing impaired, visually challenged and physically challenged children. 3. Dr.Mallika Nadda, Himachal Pradesh-She is a leading social activist in Himachal Pradesh. She founded Chetna, at Bilaspur a civil society initiative with a vision to integrate physically and mentally challenged children. She provides voluntary services and , material in kind, equipments, surgery intervention support, clothing etc. to the children. In pursuance of the Government of Indias policy to support and promote voluntary action in the area of Child Development/Welfare, the Ministry of Women and Child Development, Government of India instituted the Rajiv Gandhi Manav Seva Award for Service to Children in 1994 to honour individuals who have made outstanding contribution towards the cause of children. The Award was instituted on 20th August,1994, the 50th Birth Anniversary of the late Prime Minister, Shri Rajiv Gandhi who had deep love and concern for children. Rajiv Gandhi Manav Seva Award is conferred on three individuals who make outstanding contribution in the field of Child Protection, Child Development or Child Welfare for over ten years. The selection for the award is made each year by a National Selection Committee.

About the award:

The World Food Prize was created in 1986 by Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Norman Borlaug with the help of General Foods, and since 1990 has been sponsored by businessman and philanthropist John Ruan. The award recognizes the achievements of individuals who have advanced human development by improving the quality, quantity or availability of food in the world.

in half while serving as President of their nations. It was the first time the award; created 25 years ago by Nobel Peace Prize winner Norman Bourlag, recognized the seminal role of national leaders in fighting hunger (both have been presidents of their respective nations). It should be noted that some 925 million people, roughly one-in-seven worldwide, are chronically hungry. Contribution by Lula da Silva: With his Zero Hunger program, Lula gave top priority to combating hunger and poverty in Brazil, a rising economic power of 203 million people, while president from 2003 to 2010. His programs included cash aid to poor families, food purchases from smallscale farmers and a school meals program. Contribution by John Kufuor: Kufuor, president of Ghana from 2001-09, used public- and privatesector initiatives to improve food security and reduce poverty. They included a program to provide one meal a day to schoolchildren and educating farmers on best farming practices. Ghana, with 25 million citizens, was the first nation in subSaharan Africa, to cut hunger in half.

Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Award

The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports has announced today the Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Award for the year 2010 to recognize the achievements of persons in the fields of Adventure. The following four persons have been selected for the Adventure Awards for the year 2010:1. Ms. Reena Kaushal Dharmshaktu - Land Adventure 2.Ms. Mamta Sodha - Land Adventure 3.Shri Dilip Donde - Water Adventure 4. Late Col. Balwant Singh Sandhu - Life Time Achievement (Posthumously) Ms. Reena Kaushal Dharmshaktu has became the first Indian woment to ski 900 Kms. From coast of Antarctica to the South Pole. She did some High Altitude trekking in the Pindari Valley, Milam Valley and Ralam Valley while working as an instructor. Besides this, she has been climbing extensively from 1996. Ms. Mamta Sodha has scaled Mount Everst in 2010, she has scaled island Peak, 20589 fts., Shri Kanth Peak 20422 fts, Mun Peak 16000 fts, Phawara Rang Peak 21441 fts. She has also climbed Mount Everest- Eco August 2011, Volume: 08

World Food Prize 2011

John Kufuor of Ghana and Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva of Brazil have been awarded this years World Food Prize for cutting hunger Career Makers 4

International Merlin Award

The worlds largest magicians organisation, the International Magicians Society (IMS) of USA, has selected noted illusionist and stunt performer Gopinath Muthukad of Kerala for this years prestigious International Merlin Award. With this Magician Gopinath Muthukad becomes only Career Makers

of the award include Michel Houellebecq, Orhan Pamuk, and Gerbrand Bakker, who won last year for The Twin.

Mercy Ravi Award

The first Mercy Ravi Award for Woman of Substance has been given to Delhi Chief Minister Sheila 5

The Wildlife Institute of India, has short-listed three sites, viz, Shahgarh area in Rajasthan, Kuno Palpur and Neoradehi Sanctuaries in Madhya Pradesh, as possible habitats for reintroduction of cheetah. A consultative meeting on Cheetah reintroduction in India was held in Gajner, Rajas than on the 9th and 10th September 2009 which August 2011, Volume: 08

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Expedition- 29038 fts, Nepal. Commander Dilip Donde has sailed Solo on INSV Mhadei undertaking Solo Circumnavigation of the earth round the Three Great Capes in 273 days which is a significant and rare achievement. He is the first Indian to circumnavigate the earth solo and under sails and 175th person in the world to achieve this feat. Late Col Balwant Singh Sandhu possessed excellent record. A life time devoted to mountaineering, a highly ethical conduct and great leadership qualities. He had actively encouraged young people to the outdoor adventure. He was instrumental in introduction of IMF Annual Alpine Style climbing Camps and continued to oversee there till the last. He had climbed and trekked for over 50 years in most ranges of the Himalayas made the most number of first ascents of difficult peaks including first ascent of Changabang (6870m) in Garhwal Himalaya in 1974, first ascent to Phawara Rang (6570) in Spiti, HP in 1977. The Awards will be presented to the above individuals except late Col. Balwant Singh Sandhu by Her Excellency the President of India during the Awards ceremony to be held on August 29, 2011. Award is being given to late Col. Sandhu, posthumously and will be receive by his wife Ms. Helga Sandhu.

Dixit for her meritorious service to the people. The award has been instituted by Mercy Ravi Foundation, in memory of Congress leader late Mercy Ravi, wife of Union Minister for Civil Aviation and Indian Overseas Affairs Vayalar Ravi.

INSEAD Award
The renowned business school and research institution, INSEAD, has selected Sunil Mittal, the founder and chief of Bharti Enterprises with the Business Leader for the World Award. Beside Mittal, McKinsey and Company Global MD Dominic Barton has also bagged the award for their contribution to business and societal growth. It needs to be mentioned here that, business leaders who have set new standards in building successful, sustainable, global enterprises that span multiple cultures, embrace diversity and contribute to economic and social prosperity, have been honoured with this award. Dipak C. Jain is the Dean of INSEAD.

the 2nd Indian magician to receive the coveted International Merlin Award, the Oscar of Magic. The first Indian to receive this award was P.C. Sorcar Jr.

IMPAC Dublin Literary Award

Irish writer Colum McCanns Let The Great World Spin, a novel set in the shadow of Philippe Petits 1974 tightrope walk between the twin towers of the World Trade Centre, has won the 2011 International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award, one of the worlds most lucrative book prizes. Past winners

ENVIRONMENTAL ENVIRONMENT ONMENTAL

ISSUES

Translocation of the Cheetah in India

was attended by conservation organizations including International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and other International Cheetah experts, apart from Central and State Government officials. sources for the Cheetah relocation, along with the cost of such relocation have not been finalized.

Campaign for Protection and Welfare of Elephants

The Ministry had constituted a Task Force on Project Elephant to recommend measures for a more effective conservation and management regime for elephants in India. The Task Force submitted its report in 2010.One of the recommendations of the Task Force is to reach out to the people to improve conservation and welfare prospects of the elephant. In this direction, the Ministry, in partnership with the Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) has launched the nationwide Haathi Mere Saathi campaign by unveiling the campaign mascot, logo and website of the campaign during the Elephant-8 Ministerial Meeting held in New Delhi on 24th May 2011. Other details of the campaign have not been finalized. No amount has been allocated for this campaign and the Government has not incurred any expenditure so far.

Gujarat set to increase mangrove cover by 120 sq km

Gujarats environment and forests department is aiming to bring an additional area of 120 sq km along the states coastline under mangrove cover by the end of the financial year 2011-12. We aim to carry out plantation of mangroves in 120 sq km area by the end of this year. This will increase the mangrove cover in Gujarat from the present 1,080 sq km to 1,200 sq km, said Additional Career Makers

Chief Secretary, Environment and Forests, Dr S K Nanda. The plantation would stretch along the 1,600 km coastline of Gujarat, he said. At the meeting of the State Wildlife Board (SWD) last month, Chief Minister Narendra Modi had stressed on the need of taking up a mangrove conservation drive in right earnest, sources said. He had asked the forest department officials to focus on two projects: Biodiversity Wildlife Conservation and Integrated Coastal Area Mangrove Protection. Gujarats mangrove cover is the second largest in the country, after West Bengal. The Gujarat Ecology Commission is also actively participating in the plantation drive. It has helped in regeneration of mangrove forests through a community-based approach. According to the Forest Survey of India - 2009, the highest mangrove cover in Gujarat is found in Kutch district (775 sq km), followed by Jamnagar (157 sq km) and Bharuch(42 sq km). The coastal districts of Surat, Valsad and Navasari in south Gujarat have the lowest mangrove cover. Mangroves comprise several salt-tolerant plant species that grow 6

along the inter-tidal zones of rivers and seas, or estuarine habitats and river-deltas. They perform a vital role in nutrient recycling, coastal protection and fish breeding. They also provide firewood, timber, fodder, fruit, medicinal herbs, etc. Mangrove forests are considered to be the most productive and bio-diverse wetlands on the earth, Dr Nanda said. The species can survive in hostile environment and exhibit a variety of adaptations, he said, adding they keep the marine-ecology healthy. But at present, mangrove forests are considered to be among the most threatened habitats in the world.

Environmental Damage
In a recent study carried out by Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi (IITD) under the aegis of Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) to assess the environmental pollution of 88 industrial clusters (indicating combined effect of all industries in the area) in different parts of the country, the internally generated Comprehensive Environmental Pollution Index (CEPI) using the August 2011, Volume: 08

same methodology indicate that the pollution level of the coal mines are much lower compared to the total pollution level of the clusters identified by CPCB. The Minister said that it is pertinent to mention here that the Environment Management Plan (EMP) for each project is prepared taking into account the likely impact on environment, ground water, human beings etc which involves the holding of Public Hearing with the stake holders and the officials of the State Government concerned. The EMP is finalized addressing the issues raised by the Stake holders and placed for approval of Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF). Project proponents have to comply with the conditions laid by MoEF while according environment clearance.

Himachal making green roads with plastic waste

Himachal Pradesh plans to surface 150 km of state roads this fiscal by adding shredded plastic waste to tar. "Molten plastic with liquid tar has proven to be more resistant to water permeation, heat and high pressure than the normal material," Public Works Department (PWD) Minister Gulab Singh said, reports IANS. "All PWD divisions are using plastic for roads. This year the PWD will build 150 km of roads surfaced with plastic waste. Last year 42 km of roads were built using this material," he said. The Minister said the road construction cost per km by using bitumen was around Rs 12 lakh. But by mixing plastic in the bitumen, the cost came down to Rs 11 lakh per km. "The government has so far collected 104 tonnes of plastic this year. Of this, 40 tonnes have been used in construction of roads," Gulab Singh said. The government has been using waste plastic, including carry bags, disposable cups, and laminated plastics like pouches of potato chips, pan masala, aluminium foil and packaging material used for grocery items, in road surfacing since 2010. Himachal Pradesh on October 2, 2009, imposed a ban on the production, storage, use, sale and distribution of all types of polythene bags made of nonbiodegradable materials. After imposing the ban, the government launched a campaign "Polythene Hatao, Paryavaran Bachao" (remove polythene, save environment) across the state in three phases. To maintain regular supply of plastic waste for the PWD's road surfacing projects, the government has developed a buyback 7

mechanism. It has asked village panchayats and urban local bodies to segregate plastic from other waste in their areas. The PWD buys plastic waste at a rate of Rs 4 per kg.

National River Conservation Plan

The Central Government has allocated funds to various States under the National River Conservation Plan (NRCP) for river water cleaning during the past three years. The Centrally sponsored scheme of National River Conservation Plan (NRCP) covers polluted stretches of 39 rivers in 185 towns spread over 20 States. The Central Government supplements the efforts of the State Governments in river conservation by undertaking pollution abatement works on a cost sharing basis under the Plan. An expenditure of Rs.4475 crore has been incurred and sewage treatment capacity of 4417 million litres per day (mld) has been created so far. External assistance from bilateral/ multilateral agencies is availed of from time to time by the Government. For the Yamuna Action Plan (YAP) Phase-I, loan assistance of Yen 17.77 billion was provided by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), Government of Japan and an assistance of Yen 13.33 billion is being availed for YAP Phase-II from the agency. JICA has agreed to provide a loan assistance of Yen 32.571 billion for the next phase of the Programme. For pollution abatement of the river Ganga at Varanasi, an assistance of 11.184 billion Yen is being availed from JICA. A project with World Bank assistance for abatement of pollution of river Ganga at an estimated cost of Rs.7000 crore has been approved in April, 2011. The World Bank will provide financial assistance of US $ 1 billion for the project. August 2011, Volume: 08

New Tiger Reserves

The in-principle approval has been accorded by the National Tiger Conservation Authority for creation of six new tiger reserves, and the sites are: (i) Pilibhit (Uttar Pradesh), (ii) Ratapani (Madhya Pradesh), (iii) Sunabeda (Odisha), (iv) Mukandara Hills (including Darrah, Jawahar Sagar and Chambal Wildlife Sanctuaries) (Rajasthan), (v) Kudremukh (Karnataka) and (vi) Kawal Sanctuary (Andhra Pradesh). Besides, the States have been advised to send proposals for declaring the following areas as Tiger Reserves: (i) Bor (Maharashtra), (ii) Suhelwa (Uttar Pradesh), (iii) Nagzira-Navegaon (Maharashtra) (iv) Satyamangalam (Tamil Nadu), (v) Guru Ghasidas National Park (Chhattisgarh), and (vi) Mhadei Sanctuary (Goa). Under section 38V of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 State governments are authorised to notify an area as a tiger reserve on recommendation of the National Tiger Conservation Authority. Career Makers

SCIENCE &

TECHNOLOGY
NASA to launch moon mission in September

Astronomers Discovered Largest and Farthest Reservoir of Water

Two teams of astronomers discovered the largest and farthest reservoir of water ever detected in the universe.The water in the reservoir is equivalent to 140 trillion times all the water in the worlds ocean. The water surrounds a huge feeding black hole, called a quasar more than 12 billion light years away. A quasar is powered by an enormous black hole that consumes a surrounding disk of gas and dust. Astronomers studied a quasar called APM 08279+5255. This quasar harbors a black hole 20 billion times more massive than the sun and produces as much as energy as a thousand trillion suns. The water vapour was expected to be present in the early distant universe. There is water vapour in the Milky Way but 4000 times less than in the quasar. It is because most of the Milky Ways water is frozen in ice.

NASAs discovery mission programme GRAIL is making final launch preparations for its Sept 8 launch from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, the space agency announced. The Gravity Recovery And Interior Laboratory twin spacecraft are tasked for a ninemonth mission to explore Earths nearest neighbour in unprecedented detail. They will determine the structure of the lunar interior from crust to core and advance our understanding of the thermal evolution of the moon, Xinhua reported. The spacecraft twins, GRAIL A and B, will fly a circuitous route to lunar orbit taking 3.5 months and covering approximately 2.6 million miles (4.2 million km) for GRAIL A, and 2.7 million miles (4.3 million km) for GRAILB. GRAIL will unlock lunar mysteries and help us understand how the moon, Earth and other rocky planets evolved as well, said Maria Zuber, GRAIL principal investigator from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. GRAILs launch period opens Sept 8 and extends through Oct 19.

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Worlds longest periscope developed for Kalpakkam reactor

A 10-meter long periscope, indigenously developed for a nuclear reactor at the Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research (IGCAR) in Kalpakkam and claimed to be the longest in the world, was dedicated to the nation today. The Rs. 3.9-crore periscope, manufactured by city-based Visual Education Aids (P) Ltd (VEA) in collaboration with IGCAR and others, was handed over to Bharatiya Nabhikiya Vidyut Nigam (Bhavini), Kalpakkam, by IGCAR Director S.C. Chetal. The periscope is the longest in the world and would be used in the Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor to view objects inside the reactor during maintenance. 8

VEA Director J Balu said the periscope, to be taken to Kalpakkam soon, can be remotely operated and also has motorised facilities for scanning the area of interest and image zooming and rotation. The Applied Spectroscopy Division, Division of Remote Handling and Robotics and Centre for Design and Manufacture of Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) Mumbai were also involved in the two-year long project, Mr. Balu said.

TrES-2b: Darker than Any Planet or Moon in our Solar System

Astronomers discovered that the planet named TrES-2b was darker than any planet or moon in our solar system. This planet reflects less than one percent of the sunlight falling on it. NASAs Kepler spacecraft was used by the astronomers to make this observation. TrES-2b was discovered in 2006 by the Trans-Atlantic Exoplanet Survey. It orbits its star at a distance of only three million miles. The star heats TrES-2b to a temperature of more than 1800 degrees Fahrenheit. TrES-2b orbits the star GSC03549, which is located about 750 ligh-years away. It can be observed near the constellation Draco. August 2011, Volume: 08

NASA has released a Hubble Space Telescope image of a brightly glowing, giant cosmic necklace of a recently discovered planetary nebula, aptly named Necklace Nebula. The nebula, situated 15,000 lightyears away in the constellation Sagitta, consists of a bright ring, measuring 12 trillion miles across, dotted with dense, bright knots of gas that resemble diamonds in a necklace. The knots glow brightly due to absorption of ultraviolet light from the central stars. A pair of stars orbiting very close together produced the nebula, also called PN G054.203.4. About 10,000 years ago one of the aging stars ballooned to the point where it enveloped its companion star. This caused the larger star to spin so fast that much of its gaseous envelope expanded into space. Due to centrifugal force, most of the gas escaped along the stars equator, producing a dense ring. The embedded bright knots are the densest gas clumps in the ring. The stars are furiously whirling around each other, completing an orbit in a little more than a day.

Career Makers

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NASA releases image of brightly glowing 'Necklace Nebula'

SUMMITS/

CONFERENCES
India-South Africa CEOs forum

Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma and his South African counterpart Rob Davies will interact with leading corporate bigwigs of the two countries at the second India-South Africa CEOs Forum being held in New Delhi on August 29. The forum is headed by Tata Sons Chairman Ratan Tata from the Indian side and African Rainbow Minerals Executive Chairman Patrice Motsepe from South Africa. The first meeting of the forum took place in Johannesburg in August, 2010. In an official statement, Sharma said the two countries occupy similar positions in the global economic order and it was necessary for both of them to strengthen bilateral ties. "Also, the fact that both our governments are faced with similar socio-economic imperatives, it would be most appropriate for our governments and industry to step up bilateral cooperation, intensify knowledge-sharing and jointly address developmental issues," he said. The two ministers will also have bilateral discussions, the statement added. During the first meeting, the business leaders of both countries discussed in detail the opportunities and challenge that bilateral investment and trade offered and the bottlenecks that were hampering India-South Africa business ties. The forum had also agreed to jointly explore business opportunities in Africa in diverse fields such as pharmaceuticals, healthcare, 9

food processing, automobiles, components, biotechnology, information technology, telecommunications, infrastructure, roads and railways. Apart from Ratan Tata, other prominent Indian corporate leaders that are part of the forum are Mahindra & Mahindra Vice Chairman and Managing Director Anand Mahindra and Marico CMD Harsh C Mariwala, among others.

conference on mango
A global conference on mango was held in Lucknow in June 2011. The main topic was the challenges facing the crop and its growers in backdrop of changing climatic conditions.

17-Nation Emergency Euro Zone Summit Held in Brussels

17-nation Euro Zone Summit was held on 21-22 July 2011 in Brussels, capital of Belgium with the objective of finalizing a second rescue package for debt plagued Greece and calm the financial markets of Europe. The participating nations agreed on Marshall Plan for Europe to revive the financial markets of Europe. Besides, the nations agreed on the following measures: The summit agreed to pour another 159 billion euros into Greece to stop debt contagion across Europe. To ease Greece's debt repayments on its loans, the summit agreed to extend them from 7.5 years to between 15 and 30 years in some cases, and at a rate of 3.5 percent, down from 4.5 percent. The Eurozone leaders welcomed the measures undertaken by the Greek government to stabilize public finances and reform the economy as well as the new package of measures including privatization recently adopted by the Greek Parliament. August 2011, Volume: 08

In a feat that can boost the spirit of adventure among Indian women, 33-year-old Sucheta from Pune, has successfully crossed the arduous 1,623 km stretch of the Gobi desert, the largest in Asia and the fifth in the world, in a multinational expedition. Sucheta, who was part of a 13-member team led by Ripley Davenport, accomplished the expedition on 15th July, nine days before the stipulated 60 day deadline, braving rigours and heat of the sands in Mongolia. She became the first Indian woman to cross Gobi desert. Only seven of the 13 stayed and lasted the course, Sucheta Kadethankar being one of the three successful women trekkers along with one each from Australia and Singapore. Six of them opted out of the expedition due to either injuries or of their own volition. The other expedition members were drawn from Australia, England, Scotland, Hong Kong and Singapore. The success of Sucheta, was, however not without minor setbacks she suffered during the journey across the Gobi desert.

Career Makers

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PERSONS

Sadananda Gowda sworn in Karnataka Chief Minister

Lok Sabha member D. V. Sadananda Gowda was on August 04 sworn in as Chief Minister of Karnataka, succeeding B.S. Yeddyurappa, who quit in the wake of the Lokayukta report on illegal mining that indicted him. Governor H. R. Bhardwaj administered the oath of office to 58-year-old Devaragunda Venkappa Sadananda Gowda at the Raj Bhavan. He is the 26th chief minister of the State and the second BJP member after Mr. Yeddyurappa to hold the position. Mr. Gowda will have a term of 22 months. Elections are due in the State in May 2013.

Sucheta becomes first Indian woman to cross Gobi desert

Standing Counsel for the Bangalore Development Authority and Central Silk Board. He was also the Advocate for Bangalore University and Gulbarga University. He was elevated as Judge of Karnataka High Court on 29 March 1990. He was later transferred to Madras High Court. He had also served as Chief Justice of High Court of Rajasthan in 1999. Justice Patil was elevated as Judge of the Supreme Court in 2000 and retired in 2005. Justice Patil has written a book on the life of the great saint Shree Sharanabasaveswara. Former Karnataka High Court Judge Justice R Gururaj was administered oath of secrecy as Upa-Lokayukta by the Governor.

Former Supreme Court Judge Justice Shivraj V Patil sworn in as New Lokayukta of Karnataka
Former Supreme Court Judge Justice Shivraj V Patil was sworn in as the new Lokayukta of Karnataka on 3 August 2011. The oath was administered by Governor H R Bhardwaj at Raj Bhavan. Justice Patil succeeded Justice N Santosh Hegde who vacated office after completing eventful five-year tenure. Justice Patil headed the oneman committee to inquire into the 2G spectrum allocation issue recently. The committee studied the processes and procedures followed by the Department of Telecommu nications in distributing licences and spectrum between 2001-09. Justice Patil had joined the bar at Gulbarga in 1962. He had also served as parttime lecturer in Seth Shankarlal Lahoti Law College, Gulbarga from 1967 to 1975 and as Principal of the same college from 1975 to 1978. Justice Patil moved to Bangalore in 1979 to exclusively practise in the Karnataka High Court. He was 10

N A K Browne takes over as IAF chief

Ace fighter pilot Norman Anil Kumar Browne on Sunday took over as the 23rd chief of the Indian Air Force from Air Chief Marshal P V Naik, who retired after putting in 42 years of service. Soon after taking over, Browne said his priorities as IAF chief would be to "enhance operational capability, continue with the modernisation drive of the force and most importantly to look after our people." "To my mind that is the most important asset that we have," 59year-old Browne, who has 3,100 flying hours to his credit, said. He has taken over as the IAF chief at a time when the force is undergoing massive modernisation and is looking to induct a large number of new weapon platforms, including the 126 combat aircraft, the C-17 strategic heavy-lift aircraft along with a host of different types of choppers. In his first address to air warriors, Browne said, "The IAF is well poised on path of transforming itself into a potent strategic force." August 2011, Volume: 08

DEFENCE

Russia successfully test-launches ballistic missile

Russia on August 27 successfully test launched its Bulava inter-continental ballistic missile to its maximum range of 8,000 km, in a boost to the country's defence capabilities. The missile was fired successfully by the White sea-based Russian nuclear submarine Yuri Dolgoruky, the Defence Ministry said. The successful launch of the Bulava came after a string of setbacks suffered by this programme. Only eight of its previous 15 launches were officially declared successful. "The regular launch of the missile was conducted at 7:20 am Moscow time from a submerged position from the regular carrier in line with the state flight development tests at a maximum flight range of the missile," a defence ministry spokesman was quoted as saying by Russian news agency Ria Novosti. The missile successfully reached its target in the Pacific Ocean in accordance with the necessary shipping security measures, the spokesman said. The successful test of the missile was reported to President Dmitry Medvedev by the defence minister Anatoly Serdyukov. The Bulava, expected to become Russia's main naval strategic missile, is capable of carrying 10 warheads with a range of 8,000 km. The first test launch from the Yuri Dolgoruky was conducted on June 28, 2011. Before that the missiles were fired from the typhoonclass Dmitry Donskoy submarine. The three-stage missile is specifically designed for deployment on Borey class nuclear submarines. Career Makers

DRDO Launches `PRAHAAR - Surface to Surface Tactical Missile

DRDO successfully flight tested its latest surface to surface Missile `PRAHAAR from Launch Complex III, off Chandipur Coast, ITR, Balasore, Orissa July 21. The Missile with a range of 150 kms, comparable to ATACMS Missile of United States of America, fills the vital gap between Multi Barrel Rockets and Medium Range Ballistic Missiles. The Missile capable of carrying different types of warheads, operates as battle field support system to the Indian Army. The Missile with a length of 7.3 meters and diameter of 420 mm weighing 1280 kgs, and a single stage solid propulsion system went to a height of 35 kms before reaching the targets of the range of 150 kms in about 250 seconds. Equipped with state of the art high accuracy navigation, guidance and electro mechanical actuation systems with latest onboard computer, it achieved terminal accuracy of less than 10 meters. The Missile with a pay load of 200 kgs has a fast reaction time, which is essential for the battle field tactical missile. The Missile was launched from a Road Mobile System, which can carry six missiles at a time and can be fired in salvo mode in all directions covering the entire azimuth plane. The Missile system is developed to provide Indian Army a cost effective, quick reaction, all weather, all terrain, high accurate battle field support tactical system. The development of Missile was carried out by the DRDO Scientists in a short span of less than two years. The flight path of the Missile was tracked and monitored by the various Radar systems and Electro Optical systems located along the 11

Financial inclusion is necessary for inclusive growth. To extend the reach of banking to those outside the formal banking system, the Union Finance Minister Shri Pranab Mukherjee in his Budget Speech 2010-11 had stated that the Government has decided to provide appropriate banking facilities to habitations having population in excess of 2000 (as per 2001 census) by March, 2012. Accordingly, 73,000 such habitations across the country have been identified and allocated to Public Sector Banks, Regional Rural August 2011, Volume: 08

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coast of Orissa. An Indian Naval ship located near target point in Bay of Bengal witnessed the final event. The launch operations were witnessed by Dr. V.K. Saraswat, Scientific Adviser to Raksha Mantri and Secretary Defence R & D, Lt Gen Vinod Nayanar, AVSM, Director General of Artillery, IHQ of MoD (Army). A team of scientists headed by Shri Avinash Chander, Chief Controller R&D, DRDO coordinated the entire launching operations. Defence Minister Shri AK Antony has congratulated the Scientists of DRDO for the successful maiden launch of the new Missile.

ECONOMY GLOSSARY

Financial Inclusion Necessary for Inclusive Growth

Banks, Private Sector Banks and Cooperative Banks for extending banking services by using the services of Business Correspondents and other models, with appropriate technology back up by March, 2012. According to Dr. Rangarajan Committee Report on Financial Inclusion (2008), the reach of rural cooperatives in terms of number of clients and accessibility is better but the health of a very large population of rural credit cooperatives has deteriorated significantly. RBI guidelines on KYC (Know Your Customer) are similar to both Commercial Banks and Urban Cooperative Banks. Primary Agriculture Cooperative Societies (PACS) affiliated to District Central Cooperative Banks and State Cooperative Banks were having a deposit base of Rs.26,245 crore as on 31.3.2009 that increased to Rs.35,286 crore as on 31.3.2010 registering an increase of 34.45%. The loans issued by such Primary Societies (PACS) were of the order of Rs.58,787 crore as on 31.3.2009 and Rs.74,938 crore as on 31.3.2010 registering an increase 27.47% over the previous year.

Urban Poor
The Minister for Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation Kumari Selja has said that as per the data released by the Planning Commission, there was an increase of about 44 lakhs urban poor in the country in the year 2004-2005 as compared to the year 1993-1994. Poverty figure for the year 2001 and 2011 are not available. In a written reply in the Lok Sabha today she said, Government of India has launched the combined Rural-Urban Socio-Economic and Caste Census-2011 in June, 2011 for identification of people below poverty line in the country. The Career Makers

Socio-economic and Caste Census would be carried out by the respective State Government with the financial and technical support of the Government of India. She said, the Ministry of Housing & Urban Poverty Alleviation is implementing scheme of Swarna Jayanti Shahari Rozgar Yojana (SJSRY) aimed at to provide gainful employment to the urban unemployed and under-employed poor, through encouraging the setting up of self employment ventures by the urban poor living below the poverty line, skills training and also through providing wage employment by utilizing their labour for construction of socially and economically useful public assets. Also, Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (Basic Services to the Urban Poor and Integrated Housing and Slum Development Programme components), aimed at providing basic amenities and affordable to the urban poor, especially slum dwellers is being implemented since December, 2005. Kumari Selja said, the Government has recently launched a new scheme called Rajiv Awas Yojana (RAY) for the slum dwellers and the urban poor. This scheme aims at providing support to States that are willing to provide property rights to slum dwellers.

Evaluation of PDS
Evaluation studies of Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS) have been done by several agencies including the Planning Commission and World Bank. As per the report of the Programme Evaluation Organisation (PEO) of the Planning Commission on Performance Evaluation of TPDS (2005), the implementation of TPDS is hampered due to targeting errors, prevalence of bogus cards and diversion of foodgrains from the 12

supply chain. The World Bank has prepared a report titled Social Protection for a Changing India (2011), which deals with key safety net, social assistance and social security programmes including the Public Distribution System (PDS). The report indicates that there is a gap between the release of foodgrains by the Food Corporation of India (FCI) and the offtake of foodgrains by the households, which is due to leakages/diversion of allocated foodgrains. This information was given by the Minister of State in the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution, Prof. K.V. Thomas in written reply to a question in Lok Sabha today. He said that TPDS is operated under the joint responsibility of Central Government and State/UT Governments. The Central Government is responsible for procurement, allocation and transportation of foodgrains upto the designated depots of the FCI. The operational responsibilities for lifting and distributing the allocated foodgrains within the States/UTs, identification of eligible BPL families, issuance of ration cards to them and supervision over distribution of allocated foodgrains to eligible card holders through the Fair Price Shops (FPSs) are of the State/UT Governments. Government closely monitors the action taken by State/ UT Governments in respect of irregularities noticed in the implementation of TPDS. Complaints as and when received by Government from individuals and organizations, as well as through press reports are sent to the concerned State/UT Governments for inquiry and action. During the year 2010, 174 complaints relating to implementation of TPDS were received, which have been sent to August 2011, Volume: 08

the States/UTs. Government also regularly issues advisories to State/ UT Governments and reviews their performance during meetings and conferences. Periodic reporting has been prescribed and utilization certificate for the foodgrains allocated are obtained from the State/UT Governments, Shri Thomas added. The Minister said that strengthening and streamlining of TPDS is a continuous process. In consultation with the State/UT Governments, a Nine Point Action Plan was evolved in 2006, which inter-alia includes continuous review of BPL/AAY list and to eliminate bogus/ineligible ration cards along with strict action to be taken against the guilty to ensure leakage free distribution of foodgrains. To improve functioning of TPDS, States/UTs have also been advised to ensure timely availability of foodgrains at FPSs, greater transparency in functioning of TPDS, improved monitoring and vigilance at various levels and introduction of new technologies such as Computerization of TPDS operations at various levels.

of sick banks is decided should be explored. The recommendations were made in 3 broad categories:

Senior Citizens:
There should be prioritised service to senior citizens, physically handicapped persons by effective crowd/people management available at all branches. The panel suggested introduction of provision of the SMS alerts service about balance in the account at periodic intervals and about due dates for submission of important documents. Automatic updation of the customers to the senior citizen category based on the date of birth would be introduced. Pensioner may be allowed to submit the annual life certificate at any of the (linked) branches and not necessarily at the home branch.

Home Loans:
The panel recommended that banks should not impose exorbitant penal rates towards foreclosure of home loans. A policy should be devised to ensure that customers are not denied of opportunity to enhance their economic welfare by making choices such as switching to other banks/financial entities to enjoy the benefits conferred by market competition. Measures to stop practices of discriminating between new and old customers with identical risk profiles on the basis of interest rate offers were to be initiated. Banks should automatically provide annual account statement to home loan customers. All home loan customers should be permitted a switchover between fixed to floating or vice versa at least once during the loan tenure at an appropriate and reasonable fee. The panel recommended that home loans backed by insurance products, in any eventuality, to be automatically settled by the insurance amount with minimum inconvenience to the nominees and heirs. The title deeds should be returned to the customers within 15 days after the loan closure and a suitable compensatory policy to compensate the customers for delayed return of title deeds to be put in place. Banks should ensure through government subsidy or insurance that educational loans are properly priced. The Board Approved Policy for educational loans should indicate the minimum percentage in value or number of such loans which will be disbursed to students from rural areas. 13

Rural Areas:
According to the panel banks should ensure proper currency exchange facilities and also the quality of notes in circulation in rural areas. Branches should be made functioning at a time convenient to the customers (agricultural labourers, workers and artisans).

Other Recommendations:
Exchange facilities for soiled/ torn notes is a right of every citizen using such facilities and the RBI, through its agents is to ensure that no holder of sovereign currency note is turned away at a bank counter when the exchange facility is desired. All banks should implement the citizens' charter on exchange facilities of notes and coins adopted by the Department of Currency Management, RBI. The panel suggested documentation of the bank's approach to develop Client First Attitude by its employees. Instant blocking of lost ATM cards through SMS and immediate restoration of funds in case of nondispensation of cash at an ATM were some of the other recommendations made by the Reserve Bank of India's committee on customer service. August 2011, Volume: 08

Damodaran Panel suggested Solution to All ATM-card Related Problems

The report on Customer Service in Banks by a committee chaired by M. Damodaran, former Chairman of the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) was released on 3 July 2011. The Reserve Bank of India panel recommended an increased deposit insurance cover of Rs.5 lakh so as to encourage individuals to keep all their deposits in banks. The Damodaran panel mentioned that in case of sick banks, a possibility to enable customers to immediately avail themselves of a part of their insured deposits before the final fate Career Makers

For compensation to be paid by the banks for transaction deficiencies there should be in-built into the core banking system (CBS) software. As a measure of risk management, call centres as well as the online systems through Net banking should enable a customer to fix individual transaction limits for debit/credit card use, debar or fix limits for purchase of electronic or jewellery items. The panel is in favour of standardisation of account opening form by the Indian Banks' Association (IBA). Users (utilities, airlines, and railways) of electronic bank platforms for making collections may offer small discounts to their customers to favour electronic payments.

approached by CERPA can also participate in the survey by downloading the survey schedule from RBIs official website. The assessment of business sentiments for the present quarter and expectations for the ensuing quarter are based on qualitative responses to 20 major parameters. The parameters include overall business and financial situations, demand indicators, price and employment expectations, profit margins etc. The survey aimed to provide useful forward looking inputs for policymakers, analysts and businesses. The RBI has been conducting the Industrial Outlook Survey on a quarterly basis since 1998.

his team with a 4-under 68 as teammates Faldo Series Asian champion Abhijeet Chaddha, reigning All-India winner S Chikkarangappa and Angad Cheema shot average scores. The best of three scores were counted every day for the team total. The victory at Fiji came a fortnight after Indian golfers bagged silver at the Asia-Pacific Junior Championships.

World Federation (BWF)

The Badminton World Federation (BWF) is the international governing body for the sport of badminton. It was founded in 1934 and was then known as the International Badminton Federation. Initially it had only nine member nations (Canada, Denmark, England, France, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, New Zealand, Scotland and Wales) but now it comprises of 165 member states. In the year 2006 its name was changed to Badminton World Federation (BWF). The headquarters of BWF is situated in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Its current president is Kang Young Joong.

CERPA
CERPA was established in 1972 and conducts social science research, provides consultancy on developmental issues, helps planners and policymakers and provides charitable services to the disadvantaged and poor sections of the country.
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Reserve Bank of India launched Industrial Outlook Survey for the July-September 2011
The Reserve Bank of India on 3 August 2011 launched its Industrial Outlook Survey for the July-September 2011 period. The Industrial Outlook Survey provides for an insight into the perception of non-financial public and private limited companies that are engaged in manufacturing activities about their performance and future prospects. The responsibility for conducting the research on behalf of the central bank was bestowed on Centre for Research Planning and Action (CERPA). The CERPA is to get in touch with several manufacturing companies during the quarter July-September for seeking their valuable feedback so that it can be included in the survey. The survey is to cover non-financial private and public limited companies with a good size/industry representation. Those manufac turing companies which are not Career Makers

SPORTS

Indian Golf Team won Bronze in a Team Event at 48-year old Nomura Cup in Fiji

15th Copa America

Uruguay won the Copa America for a record 15th time after beating Paraguay 3-0. Two goals from Diego Forlan and another from Luis Suarez helped Uruguay beat Paraguay. The victory gives Uruguay its first Copa America title since 1995. Paraguay had won Copa America titles in 1979 and 1953 and reached the quarterfinals at the 2010 World Cup. It is here mentioned that top teams like Argentina and Brazil were upset again in the quarterfinals of this tournament. Uruguay ousted Argentina on penalties and Paraguay eliminated Brazil, also in a shootout. It is here underscored August 2011, Volume: 08

An amateur Indian golf team won bronze in a team event at the 48-year old Nomura Cup in Fiji on 19 August 2011. The competition witnessed participation by teams from 18 countries. The Indians edged past golf powerhouse and defending champions Korea by five strokes for the third place on the final day. They finished at a four-day total of 865, and 5-under on the final day. Indias Khalin Joshi, who also finished tied third in the individual category, saved the day for 14

that Argentina has won the title 14 times and Brazil eight times. Brazil had won four of the past five titles. About Copa America: The Copa America was earlier known as South American Championship. It is an international football competition for national teams of South America. The competition is organized by CONMEBOL, South Americas football governing body. It is the oldest international continental football competition. This year, the 43rd edition of the tournament was held in Argentina. Uruguay has now won the Copa America 15 times, Argentina 14, Brazil 8 and Paraguay 2 times.

Womens Champions Trophy, 2011

The Netherlands won the womens field hockey Champions Trophy 6-5 on penalties by defeating Argentina. The 2011 Womens Hockey Champions Trophy was the 19th edition of the Hockey Champions Trophy for women, it was held in Amstelveen, Netherlands. The womens Champions trophy will be remembered for the controversy regarding the fight for the spot in the final match. After the preliminaries were over, the final originally was scheduled to be played between the Netherlands and South Korea, but the Argentine side protested against the second round standing in which they were ranked third behind Korea based on goals scored in that round. After a second appeal by the Argentine team, the final day schedule was changed, since the regulations stated that in case of a draw in points in the second round, the total points in the tournament should be the next tie-breaker.
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Games in 1972. The Winter Games have been staged twice in Asia, both times in Japan Sapporo in 1972 and Nagano in 1998.

Padmanabhaswamy Temple
Padmanabhaswamy Temple is one of the most famous Lord Vishnu Temples in Kerala, South India. It is also known as Sree Ananda Padmanabhaswamy Temple. The shrine is currently run by a trust headed by the royal family of Travancore. References to the temple can be found in the Divya Prabandha canon of literature written by Tamil Alwar. Alvars were the Tamil Saint poets who lived between the sixth and ninth centuries AD. References to Sri Padmanabha Temple is also said to have in the Brahma Purana, Padma Purana, Varaha Purana, and Vayu Purana.

FIFA Womens World Cup

Japan has won the final of the Womens World Cup in Frankfurt beating the USA on penalties 3-1 after a hotly disputed match that saw each side score twice. With this win Japan became the first Asian nation to win the Womens World Cup. The Japanese denied the U.S. team the chance to become the first nation to lift the cup three times. Sweden finished third and France ended fourth in the current championship.

Western Ghats
The Karnataka government has said that it is not interested in the UNESCO tag for the Western Ghats. It is believed that the UNESCO tag will mean a nogo area for people, including tribals living in the forests of the Western Ghats. A large population resides in the Western Ghats regions, spread across 10 districts - Shimoga, Dakshin Kannada, Udupi, Chikmagalur, Uttara Kannada, Hassan, Belgaum, Dharwad, Hubli and Uttara Kannada. Of the 176 revenue taluks in the State, the Western Ghats forests are spread across 59 taluks. It is not possible for the Government to force the people out of these regions." Of the 39 forests for nomination from the Western Ghats in Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Goa and Maharashtra, there are 10 forest zones in Karnataka for which the UNESCO tag is being sought. These include the wildlife sanctuaries at Pushpagiri, Brahmagiri, Talacauvery and Someshwara, apart from the Kudremukh national park. August 2011, Volume: 08

PLACES

Pyeongchang city
The International Olympic Committee has chosen Pyeongchang city of South Korea to host the 2018 Olympic Winter Games. The other two bid cities were Munich, Germany, and Annecy, France. Pyeongchang narrowly failed in its bids for 2010 and 2014, losing by three votes to Vancouver, Canada, for last years event and by four votes to Sochi, Russia, for the 2014 event. South Korea has never hosted the Winter Games, though the capital city of Seoul hosted the 1988 Summer Games. Had it won, Munich would have been the first city to host both the summer and Winter Olympics. The city attracted the Summer 15

About FIFA World Cup:

Womens

The FIFA Womens World Cup is an international association football competition organized by FIFA. The championship has been awarded every four years since the inaugural tournament in 1991 held in China. The inaugural championship was won by USA. The world cup 2011 was held in Germany. The next World Cup will be hosted by Canada in 2015. The best performing nations are the USA and Germany; both have won the championship twice. Career Makers

INTERNATIONAL

AFFAIRS

Hurricane Irene drenching U.S. Atlantic coast

Irenes sustained winds are blowing at 80 mph (129 kph) with higher gusts and the storm is moving north-northeast at 16 mph (26 kph). Its expected to pick up speed. Hurricane warnings extend north to Nantucket, Massachusetts. A tropical storm warning extends all the way to the south coast of Nova Scotia, Canada. The National Hurricane Center says Irene will be moving over cooler waters but is still expected to stay a hurricane until landfall again near Long Island, New York. The storm has knocked out power to at least 1.8 million customers from North Carolina to New Jersey.

US credit rating was downgraded to AA+ from AAA

The US credit rating was downgraded to AA+ from AAA by Standard and Poors on 5 August 2011. This can increase the cost of borrowing for the US and setting off more panic selling in stock markets. This is the first time that Standard and Poor issued a negative outlook on the US government since it started rating the credit-worthiness of railroad bonds in 1860. The rating may be cut to AA within two years if spending reductions are lower than agreed to, interest rates increase or new fiscal pressures result in higher government debt.

US Senate approves debt ceiling deal

The U.S. House of Representatives passed the bipartisan bill to avert a massive debt default and reduce trillions in government spending, paving way for the austerity measure to face a Senate vote. The Budget Control Act of 2011 was passed by the House of Representatives by 269-161, a day after leaders of both the Republican and Democratic parties and the White House reached an agreement. The voting in the House was marked by the dramatic appearance of Congresswoman, Gabrielle Giffords, who survived an assassination attempt in January. Giffords voted yes for the bill, receiving a standing ovation from her colleagues in the House. 16

Indian Universities under United Nation Programme

The United Nations Academic Impact is an initiative Career Makers

The impounding silence of the valley was broken by the sounds of drums and trumpets with joyous chats of people as Leh woke up to celebrate the 18th Ladakhi KisanJawan-Vigyan-Mela organized at Leh by Defence Institute of High Altitude Research (DIHAR), earlier known as Field Research Laboratory (FRL) here today. DIHAR, a DRDO lab situated at an altitude of 3,500 meters above MSL (mean sea level), the worlds highest located agro-animal laboratory, famous for its pioneering work in developing and propagating wide range of high altitude agro-animal August 2011, Volume: 08

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open to universities and other institutions of higher education and research worldwide which undertake activities in support of the mission and mandates of the United Nations. The new initiative aims to promote a culture of intellectual cooperation, serving as a point of contact for ideas and proposals relevant to the United Nations mandate, and foster direct engagement by institutions in programmes, projects and initiatives for the realization of the Millennium Goals and other United Nations objective. About 50 Indian institutions have joined UNAI so far. UNAI gives active support to 10 universally accepted principles in the areas of human rights, literacy, sustainability and conflict resolution, which are based on the United Nations Charter, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Millennium Development Goals target.

BangladeshSwadhinata Sammanona
The Bangladesh govern ment recently decided to confer the highest state honour for 1971 foreign friends on Indias assassinated Prime Minister Indira Gandhi for her tremendous contribution to its Liberation War 40 years ago. The Bangladesh cabinet decided to confer Bangladeshs highest honour Bangladesh Swadhinata Sammanona upon former Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. It is here underscored that Indira Gandhi was Indias premier in 1971 when she travelled across the world to mobilise support for Bangladeshs Liberation War against Pakistan while her government provided food and makeshift shelter to an estimated one crore or 10 million people who fled their home to evade atrocities by the Pakistani troops.

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NATIONAL AFFAIRS

18th Ladakhi KisanJawan-Vigyan-Mela

technologies in Ladakh region, holds the event annually. This year the event assumed all the more significance as DIHAR is celebrating its Golden Jubilee year with dedicated service to the Nation. In addition to DIHAR, technologies/ products/services related to high altitudes from other DRDO labs, various units of armed forces/paramilitary forces and industry were on display. The mela, which, true to its name, has become the symbol of unique synergy among the Armed forces, the local Ladakhi people, especially farmers and the DIHAR scientists, was attended by over 15,000 people that included over 2500 personnel of armed forces, farmers, entrepreneurs, students and women and children.

Bhat scheme under which lunch will be given to a poor person at Rupees 5. To execute this scheme, 100 food centres in all the 24 districts were opened. Under the dal bhat scheme a person will get 200 grammes of rice, pulses and chokha. The food centres will be run by NGOs and monitored by the district administration. According to an estimate, half of Jharkhands three crore population falls under the Below Poverty Line.

Establishment and Maintenance of Seed Bank

The Ministry of Agriculture is presently implementing a component on "Establishment and Maintenance of Seed Bank" under the Scheme "Development and Strengthening of Infrastructure Facilities for Production and Distribution of Quality Seeds". The objective of the component is to meet requirement of seeds during natural calamities and unforeseen conditions. The Government also provides assistance under various schemes for seed production, distribution, certification, quality control and related components for ensuring timely availability of certified quality seeds.

Chhattisgarh to have 9 New Districts

Chhattisgarh will have 9 new districts with effect from January 2012, taking the total number of districts in the state to 27. These districts will be Sukma, Kondagaon, Gariabandh, Balodabazar, Balod, Bemetera, Mungeli, Surajpur and Balrampur. This was announced by the Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh on 15 August 2011 while addressing the people on the occasion of the Independence Day at the police parade ground in Raipur. This step will be a mile stone in the administrative history of the state.

Skill Development Centres

The Government of India has initiated a Pilot Project namely Youth Employability Skill (YES) Project with the objective to enhance the employability of youth by running a variety of employable skills based training courses through recognized Vocational Training Providers (VTPs) for nearly 1000 rural youths and 7000 youth club members in the States of North Eastern Region. The skill training would be provided by the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) through its partner agency. A training programme of three months duration in Rural Retail Sales & Marketing with Information Technology and Personality Development has already been started in July, 2011 in Manipur.

Rohinton Nariman
Senior Supreme Court lawyer Rohinton Nariman has been appointed the Solicitor General of India, the second topmost government lawyer. Rohinton Nariman, son of eminent jurist Fali S. Nariman, succeeds Gopal Subramanium who resigned in the wake of a controversy over Communications Minister Kapil Sibal opting for Nariman to represent him in the apex court in a case seeking probe against him for allegedly favouring a telecom operator. Rohinton Nariman was the youngest lawyer to be designated a senior advocate at the age of 37 years, in 1993. One of the recent significant cases that Nariman Jr handled was the gas sharing dispute between Mukesh Ambani-led RIL and Anil Ambani-led ADAG. Gopal Subramanium had served as a government law officer for six years first as an Additional Solicitor General from 2005 to 2009, and was later elevated as Solicitor General in 2009. He has said that he had taken the extreme step to protect the dignity of his post. August 2011, Volume: 08

West Bengal State was Renamed Paschim Banga

The West Bengal government and the opposition parties on 19 August 2011 unanimously decided to rename the state Paschim Banga. A committee proposed the shortlisted new names for West Bengal at an all-party meeting. The committee comprised of Parliamentary Affairs Minister Partha Chatterjee and opposition leader Surjya Kanta Mishra. The name of West Bengal would be Paschim Banga, both in English and Bengali. 17

Jharkhand State Government Launched Dal Bhat Scheme on Independence Day

Jharkhand state government on 15 August 2011 launched the Dal Career Makers

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Career Makers 1. Name the animal rights crusader who was presented the Shining World Compassion Award from Supreme Master Ching Hai International Association. (A). Vandana Shiva (B). Sunita Narain (C). Maneka Gandhi (D). Sunder Lal Bahuguna Ans. (C) 2. Lok Pal Bill is associated with (A). Anti-Corruption (B). Security (C). Bio-diversity (D). Global warming Ans. (A) 3. Miss World 2010 is (A). Adriana Vasini (B). Alexandria Mills (C). Emma Wareus (D). Mansavi Mamgai Ans. (B) 4. The annual India-European Union (EU) Summit was held in Dec 2010 in(A). London (B). Paris (C). Berlin (D). Brussels Ans. (D) 5. Who has been re-appointed as the prime minister of France? (A). Dominique de Villepin (B). Jean-Peirre Raffarin (C). Francois Fillon (D). Lionel Jospin Ans. (C) 6. With which of the following countries has India recently agreed to establish hotline between the two countries commerce and Industries ministries? 11. 10. 9. 8. 7.

CURRENT AFFAIRS PRACTICE QUESTIONS

(A). Poland (B). Germany (C). England (D). Japan Ans. (B) Sanam Singh is related to _______. (A). Tennis (B). Badminton (C). Discus Throw (D). Archery Ans. (A) Which among the following are TOP 3 debtors of World Bank? (A). India, South Africa, Mexico (B). India, Mexico, South Africa (C). India, Mexico, Pakistan (D). Mexico, India, South Africa Ans. (B) Serbia has won the Davis Cup title by defeating (A). France (B). US (C). Switzerland (D). Sweden Ans. (A) The opposition parties had been demanding JPC of the probe in 2G spectrum scam. JPC stands for (A).Joint Parliamentary Commission (B). Joint Parliamentary Committee (C). Joint Parliamentary Controversy (D). Joint Parties Commission Ans. (B) Lal Bahadur Shastri Award 2010 for Excellence in Public Administration Academia and Management has been given to

18 16. 15. 14. 13. 12.

(A). Zia Modi (B). Aruna Roy (C). Kapil Sibal (D). Arvind Kezeriwal Ans. (B) Who among the following has won the Durand Cup held in New Delhi recently? (A). JCT (B). Chirag United (C). East Bengal (D). Mohun Bagan Ans. (B) What is Indias Rank in World Uranium Production as per the latest data of World Nuclear Association? (A). 10th (B). 12th (C). 13th (D). 18th Ans. (C) Which of the following is the firstever pollution-control warship? (A). Sagar Manthan (B). Sagar Rattan (C). Sagar Prahari (D). Samudra Prahan Ans. (D) According to the Chief Election Commissioner SY Quraishi, the National Voters Day will be observed on (A). Jan 5 (B). Jan 15 (C). Jan 20 (D). Jan 25 Ans. (D) Which country stands at the top in 2010 Human Development Index (HDI) rankings of 169 nations in Human Development Report 2010?

August 2011, Volume: 08

17.

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(A). Norway (B). Australia (C). New Zealand (D). United States Ans. (A) Where was recently a referendum held to support constitutional reforms? (A). Iran (B). Iraq (C). Saudi Arabia (D). Turkey Ans. (D) The 43rd Jananpith Award 2007 has been conferred on (A). Akhlaq Shaharyar Khan (B). ONV Kurup (C). Arundhati Roy (D). None of the above Ans. (B) Recently in news Lavasa Corporations township project is situated in ___. (A). Maharashtra (B). Goa (C). Kerala (D). Karnataka Ans. (A) Conversations with Myself is the book written by (A). Nelson Mandela (B). MarioVargas Llosa (C). Prince Charles (D). None of the above Ans. (A) Which of the following has won the Best Film Award at 57th National Film Awards? (A). Kutty Srank (B). Lahore (C). Paa (D). Abohoman Ans. (A) Justice Nissar Ahmed Kakru has been appointed an the New Chief Justice of (A). Andhra Pradesh (B). Jammu & Kashmir (C). Tamil Nadu (D). Kerala . Ans. (B)

23. Who is the author of the book World of All Human Rights! (A). Harish Salve (B). Santosh Hegde (C). Arundhati Roy (D). Soli J Sorabjee Ans. (D) 24. A new scheme for the health improvement of expectant mothers and ensuring proper nutrition for the newborns has been named as (A). Indira Gandhi Matritva Sahyog Yojana (B). Rajiv Gandhi Matritva Sahyog Yojana (C). Mahatma Gandhi Matritva Sahyog Yojana (D). Kasturba Gandhi Matritva Sahyog Yojana Ans. (A) 25. Nallari Kiran Kumar Reddy has been appointed as the Chief Minister of (A). Karnataka (B). Andhra Pradesh (C). Kerala (D). Tamil Nadu Ans. (B) 26. Name the founder of the whistleblower website Wikileaks. (A). Julian Assange (B). Navi Pillay (C). Phillip Adams (D). Ben Laurie Ans. (A) 27. Who is the chairman of Parliaments Public Accounts Committee (PAC)? (A). Jaswant Singh (B). Sandeep Dikshit (C). Murli Manohar Joshi (D). Mulayam Singh Ans. (C) 28. The theme of 17th ASEAN Summit was (A). Towards the ASEAN Community from Vision to Action 19

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(B). Action Oriented Approach of ASEAN Community (C). ASEAN with New Actionable Approach (D). None of the above Ans. (A) Who is the author of the book Yes, We Can? (A). M Karunanidhi (B). Dr. Ramadoss (C). Vaiko (D). MK Azhagiri Ans. (C) Who has been awarded LG ICC Test Player of the year Award for 2010? (A). Gautam Gambhir (B). Virender Sehwag (C). A. B. de Villlers (D). None of the above Ans. (B) Who among the following became the first enlisted Sikh soldier in the US Army in more than two decades to complete basic training after getting a rare religious exemption for his turban and beard because the military requires his language skills? (A). Kamaljeet Singh Kalsi (B). Tejdeep Singh Rattan (C). Bob Singh Dhillon (D). Simran Preet Singh Lamba Ans. (D) The Nobel Prize winner for 2010 in Medicine is (A). Liu Xlaobo (B). Mario Vargas Llosa (C). Robert Edwards (D). Akira Suzuki Ans. (C) Lal Bahadur Shastri Award 2010 for Excellence in Public Administration Academia and Management has been given to (A). Zia Modi (B). Aruna Roy (C). Kapil Sibal (D). Arvind Kezeriwal Ans. (B) August 2011, Volume: 08

Career Makers

34. The best actress award under the 57th National Film Awards for 2009 has been bagged by (A). Rani Mukherjee (B). Vidya Balan (C). Ananya ChatterJee (D). Kareena Kapoor Ans. (C) 35. Which of the following organisation recently celebrated the Silver Jubilee Year of its establishment? (A). SAARC (B). ASEAN (C). APEC (D). G-8 Ans. (A) 36. Jiaolong which made a trip into deep sea recently belongs to (A). U.S.A. (B). China (C). Australia (D). Russia Ans. (B) 37. With which of the following countries did India recently agree to set up a joint venture to co-develop and produce a new Multi role Transport Aircraft (MTA)? (A). Japan (B). Russia (C). U.S.A. (D). Poland Ans. (B) 38. Which Indian state continues to top the list with an adult HIV infection prevalence rate of 40 percent? (A). Mizoram (B). Andhra Pradesh (C). Nagaland (D). Manipur Ans. (D) 39. Name the countrys only government award for an environmental film. (A). Vasudha Award (B). Vasundhara Award (C). Vaishali Award Career Makers

40.

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(D). Vriksha Mitra Award Ans. (A) In World University Ranking which of the following has topped? (A). The University of Cambridge (B). Harvard University (C). Yale University (D). University of Oxford Ans. (A) World leaders from 193 countries signed a new global climate regime on Dec 11 called (A). Cancun Agreement (B). Kyoto Agreement (C). Copenhagen Agreement (D). London Agreement Ans: (A) Who recently clinched Italian Grand Prix and Singapore Grand Prix? (A). Fernando Alonso (B). Sebastian Vettel (C). Casey Stoner (D). None of these Ans: (A) Who is the author of the book A Rainbow in the Night? (A). Jim Corbett (B). George Orwell (C). Rudyard Kipling (D). Dominique Lapierre Ans: (D) Name the person who has been honoured with the prestigious 2010 Intel Environment Award for his efforts to solve global safe drinking water and sanitation crises. (A). Subir Bhomick (B). Rajesh Shah (C). Sundarlal Bahuguna (D). Chandi Prasad Ans: (B) The Union Cabinet has decided that street vendors will now enjoy the benefits of cashlessbased health insurance scheme. They will be covered by 20

46.

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(A). Janshree Bima Yojana (B). Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (C). Aam Aadtni Bima Yojana (D). Sampoom Bima Yojana Ans: (B) Gangan Narang is related to _______. (A). Golf (B). Polo (C). Boxing (D). Shooting Ans: (D) Name the tiny and energy-rich gulf Arab country that has been picked to host the FIFA 2022 World Cup. (A). UAH (B). Oman (C). Saudi Arabia (D). Qatar Ans: (D) The winner of US Open 2010 (Tennis Championship) womens singles title is (A). Kim Clijster (B). Vera Zvonaeva (C). Liezel Huber (D). Kveta Peschke Ans: (A) Which of the following has been raised by the Indian Navy after 26/11 Mumbai terror attack? (A). Sagar Suraksha Bal (B). Sagar Prahari Bal (C). Coast Security Guard (D). Coastal Protection Force Ans: (B) The controversial UDRS system used in cricket is (A). Universal Decision Review System (B). Unified Decision Review System (C). Umpire Decision Review System (D). Unmanned Decision Review System Ans: (C) August 2011, Volume: 08