January 2012 - Current Affairs for UPSC, IAS, APPSC, IBPS & Bank PO Competitive Exams

INTERNATIONAL

Obama signs bill to suspend $ 1.1 bn aid to Pak

US President Barack Obama  has signed into law a massive $1.1 billion defense spending bill that also seeks to suspend a big cut of $1.1 billion military aid to Pakistan, despite his ” serious reservations “about provisions regulating custody and prosecution of suspected terrorists.

Pakistan wins temporary UN Council Seat

Pakistan has won a seat as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) for a two-year term.
Securing 129 out of 193 votes in the United Nations General Assembly – exactly the two-thirds majority required to win the seat, Pakistan will now be a non-permanent member, replacing Lebanon, of the United Nations Security Council in a term that begins on January 2012 and will end in December 2013.

Pakistan Court issues Contempt Notice against Prime Minister Gilani

Pakistan top court began contempt proceedings on 16 January 2012 against Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani for failing to carry out its order to re-open a corruption case against the President, ramping up pressure on the beleaguered civilian government and pushing the country deeper into political crisis.

Wikipedia shut for 24 hours to protest US anti-piracy act

Wikipedia, the popular community-edited online encyclopaedia from 18 Jan. 2012 evening blacked out its English Language site for 24 hours to seek support against proposed US anti-piracy legislation that Wikipedia founder, Mr Jimmy Wales, said threatens the future of the Internet.

White House locked down after smoke bomb attack

The White House, Washington was locked down on 18 Jan. 2012 for more than an hour after a “”smoke bomb”" landed inside the compound of the United States president’s residence, breaching the high security alert around the building.

Once Again Bird Flu Deaths In China

Once again bird flu deaths  brings 2nd death in 30 days in china , over  28 number of people in china  who have died from the diseases since 2003 .

Younest Sailor To  Complete Solo Circumnavigation of The World 

Dutch Leeager Laura Dekkar 16 yrs old , on 21 st Jan 2012 became the youngest sailor to complete a solo circumnavigation of the world .

25 EU Nations Sign Up For German

All European Union Countries agreed to sign a new treaty called fiscal compact on 30 th Jan 2012 .When 25 out of 27 EU states agreed to sign only  Britan and Czech republic refused to sign a fiscal compact, that will impose quasi automatic santions on countries that breach European union budget deficit rules in national law .and crippling debts crises and to stimulate growth and development in economy .

Romney wins first round battle for GOP’s ( Grand Old Party), ( US Republican Plitical Party )  US President nominations

Front-runner Mitt Romney stood in course of a narrow win ( by just 8 votes ) from a 120, 000 party flock in a state New Hampshire that is considered the heartland of America.

Maldives lifts ban on spas

The Maldives president on 4 January 2012 said he has lifted a ban on spas in the upmarket tourist destination after establishing they were not being used for prostitution as alleged by Islamist protesters.The Maldives on 31 December 2011 has ordered hundreds of luxury hotels to close their spas after protsts by an Islamist party which claimed they were a front for prostitution.

Karzai gives go – ahead to US – Taliban peace talks

The government of Afghanistan gave its blessing to talks between Taliban insurgents and the United States, and also to the opening of an office for the Islamists in Qatar on 4 January 2012 .

Obama unveils New Defence Policy, shifts U S focus to the East

U S President Barack Obama unveiled a defence strategy on 5 Jan. 2012 that calls for a greater U S military presence in Asia and envisions cutting troops in Europe as the Pentagon seeks to reduce spending by nearly half a trillion dollars after a decade of war.

Myanmar Govt. approves Suu Kyi’s party on 5 January 2012, allows to contest by- elections in April

Turkey’s ex – general arrested on coup allegations

Turkey’s former Army chief Ilker Basbug on 6 January 2012 was detained over an alleged bid to topple the Islamist – rooted government in the latest confrontation likely to inflame tensions with the powerful military.

Chinese media slams US ‘look east’ policy Warns Washington against ‘ War Mongering ‘, says move may fuel military tension
China’s state – run news media warned Washington on 6 January 2012 not to “recklessly practice” or engage in “war mongering,” a day after the Obama administration outlined a new military strategy with an increased focus on China.

Nea Zealand oil slick ship breaks up in storm

A cargo ship, Reena, stranded on a New Zealand reef for the past three months has split into two in a severe storm on 8 January 2012, creating fears of a fresh oil spill.  The two pieces of the Reena have been forced 20-30 metres apart after waves up to 6 metres hit the vessel according to Maritime New Zealand spokesman, Ross Henderson.

Iran begins N – activity underground

Iran has begun uranium enrichment at a new underground site well protected from possible air strikes on 8 January 2012.

Germany, France warn Greece it won’t get more funds until it agrees on Bond Swap

Germany and France warned Greece on January  9, 2012 it will get no more bailout funds until it agrees with creditor banks on a bond swap and pressed for an early deal to avert a potential default in the euro zone’s most debt-stricken nation.

Pak PM dismisses Defence Secretary

 Pakistan’s Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani dismissed Defence Secretary Lt Gen Khalid Naeem Lodhi, a retired general and a close aide of the Army Chief with immediate effect for “gross misconduct and illegal action” according to a statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office.

---

INDIA & WORLD

India, Pak exchange list of Nuclear Installations

India and Pakistan on 1 Jan. 2012 exchanged lists of their nuclear installations and facilities under a two – decade – old pact prohibiting attacks on atomic assets, days after senior officials of the two sides held talks in Islamabad on nuclear  and conventional CBMs. “The Governments of the two countries are required to exchange lists of their nuclear installations and facilities on January 1 every year under the terms of the “ Agreement on Prohibition of Attacks against Nuclear Installations and facilities “ that was signed in December 1988.

India, Pak set to start trade in power, petro goods

Plan is to transfer 500MW via Punjab, surplus Diesel from Bhatinda Refinery”
India and Pakistan are strengthening business links in 2012, with the stage set for start of trading in electricity and petroleum products.  Officials from the two countries have decided to trade in electricity through a specially – built high voltage direct current link between Amritsar and Lahore.  The plan is to transfer 500MW through the Punjab border with the tariff linked to the market rate.

China denies visa to IAF officer, Indian defence team cancels the visit

India on 6 Jan. 2012 cancelled the visit by a military delegation to China after one of its members hailing from Arunachal Pradesh, was denied Visa by China.

12 Indian diamond traders return after detention in China

Twelve diamond traders returned to India from China on Jan. 6, 2012 after being released from a detention centre in Shenzhen, where they had been kept for nearly two years.

India to give MFN status to Bangladesh

India on Jan. 6, 2012 said that it was keen to give Bangladesh ‘ most preferred nation ‘ status for trade across the border and would try to ensure capital flows to that country for business.

India to seek new waivers from US on new sanctions on Iran

As new US sanctions of Iran’s oil sector take effect, India, which expects to be hit, will ask the US for waivers to minimise the effect of the curbs that may be given to Washington’s key allies like Japan, Turkey and South Korea, who, like New Delhi, are all importers of Iranian oil.

India decides to send small tri – service delegation to China

In an overnight U-turn India has decided on 7 January 2012 to go ahead with sending a military delegation to China next week but reduced it to 15 members to the original 30 after Beijing refused to issue a visa to an IAF officer from Arunchal Pradesh.”

India for labour treatises with Europe, Oz

The government is negotiating human resource mobility partnership agreements with the Netherlands, France, Australia and the European Union in a move aimed at greater inroads for Indian professionals into such markets.

India, South Africa for early conclusion of Customs union pact

India and South Africa on Jan. 9,  2012  agreed to ensure an early conclusion of the India – SACU ( Southern African Customs Union ) Preferential Trade Agreement and the Bilaterial Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement.

India, Singapore in talks for changes in trade agreement

The India – Singapore Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement ( CECA ) would require some amendments, particularly in the area of mutual recognition of professional qualification in order to make it relevant to the present business relations between the two countries..

Mali signs $100-m line of credit with Exim Bank of India

The West African nation of Mali on January 11, 2012 signed a $100 million line of credit with the Exim Bank of India.  This line of credit will be used for transmission of power from Cote d’Ivoire, Mali’s neighbour, to the capital city of Bamak.

India’s push for UN veto to stall reforms: Berlin

As the issue of expansion of UNSC permanent membership gathering momentum, Germany for the first time on 16 January 2012 has openly warned India that its insistence on veto rights for new permanent members will not just delay the reform process but also not help turning the UNSC into a more decisive body.

India, China agree on a border peace mechanism

India and China on 17 Jan.2012 agreed to set up a working mechanism on border management to deal with important affairs related to maintaining to peace and tranquility in the border areas.

Mahindra Rajapaksa committed to settling Tamils issue

Sri Lankan President Mahindra Rajpaksa on 17 Jan. 2012 repeated his commitment to follow the “”13th Amendment plus approach”" to achieve a political solution to the Tamils issue even as the External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna urged Sri Lanka to move towards an expeditious political settlement.

China’s Rail Network To Touch India’s Border

China has announced it will aceelerate plans to expand a railway network in Tibet to reach the two towns near the border i,e from Lasha to Xigaze and the town of Nyingchi which lies in a prefecture bodering of Arunachal pradesh , under five years plans 2011 -2015.

Indian Factories Fail To Move Up

India’s  states as a competitive industrial production economy remained unchanged  .India ranked 42nd in 2009 on a competitive industrial production index lower than much smaller economies like Thailand , Mexico ,accordingly to the latest report of  (U N I D O ) .

Safeguard Passwords From Phishing

Satistics says India is among the top three countries targeted for phishing  attacks  .It is estimated that there are three crore victims of identity theft annually with losses of nearly Rs 10,00,000 crore to the companies . phishing  is among the more popular security attacks on  banks and personal information , the others being screen logger and key logger .

India ‘s Anti Subsidy Plan To Hit China

The Indian government is ready with a plan to act against countries that provide subsidy to local producers and make exports more competitive , Although anti – subsidy action is a trade defence measure,permitted by the World Trade Organisation (WHO) the move is expected to hit China . The government is setting up a Directorate General of Trade Remedies , which will deal with anti- subsidy ,anti dumping and countervailing actions .

India – Pakisthan Deal

India  has offered to export petroleum products, including petrol , to Pakisthan .by road , rail and sea assumes significance in the backdrop of the forthcoming Pakisthan visit of the Indian Trade Minister .The praposal will be worked out in next few weeks .

India & Thailand Likely To Sign Free Trade

India and Thailand are likely to sign the free trade agreement by the middle of the year, The Pm of Thailand Ms YingluckShina Watra addressing a bussiness conference pitched for opening trade in services and investment between India and Thailand .

India ‘s Ranks 131 In Press Freedom

India’s ranking in a global press freedom index fallen singnificantly in the past years . India fell to 131 out of 179 on the press freedom indes compiled by reporters without borders .

India Has The Most Toxic Air

India has the World’s most toxic air which infact , the entire South Asian regions fare badly in the analysis .India  holds the very last rank among 132 nations in terms of air quality with regards to its effects on human health . India scored a miniscule 3.73  out of a possible 100 points .

N T P C New Project In Bangladesh

Bangladesh ‘s state owned power development board had signed  a $ 1.5 billion , 50 : 50 joint venture deal with public sector  N T P C to build a 1,320 mw coal fired power plant in Bangladesh .

India To Grant $1.5 Million To Chicago

India will provide a grant of $ 1.5 million to the University of Chicago to establish a Vivekananda chair for Indian studies , as part of the initatives to mark the 150 th birth anniverssary of the 19 th century Swami Vivekananda and polymath Rabindranath Tagore .

Indian Deal For France ,126 Fighters

India on 31 st Jan selected the French fighter Rafale over the Eurofighter  Typhoon in a multibillion dollor contract for the supply of 126 Medium Multi Role Combat Aircraft ( M M R C A ) the country ‘s largest defence deal . The defence ministry said that the product was picked upon the basis of it being the lowest bidder , after complex calculations ,including the life cycle costs .The total deal is estimited to be worth of $ 10.2 billion ( 54,000 crore ).wich was the mojor supplier from French defence , Dassault Aviation who plyed a major role Kargil conflit in 1999 .

Bangladesh To Buy 11 Broad Guage Locos From India

The Bangladesh Railway on 31 st linked a major deal with India to Acquire 10 braod guage diesel electric locomotives ,allowing  the expansion of train services in the country .

---

NATIONAL

Anna ‘ suporters ‘ show PM black flags

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was shown black flags by supporters of anti – graft crusader Anna hazare at the Golden Temple in Amritser on 1 January 2012, leading the congress to condemn the protests that it said should be directed against the BJP for blocking the Lokpal Bill.

No evidence against Tata Group in 2G scam, says  Ratan Tata

Ratan Tata, the Chairman of the Tata Group, has expressed happiness that the Group has come out  safely in the “ 2G “ Scam on 2 January 2012 which has involved politicians, bureaucrats and executives of various companies.

Home Min rejects Mundra Port’s bid to develop Vizhinjam Seaport

Adani – promoted co wanted to develop port which could become deepest one in India.The Union home ministry on 3 January 2012 has rejected Mundra Port and Special Economic Zone’s ( SEZ ) bids to develop Kerala’s Vizhinjam International Seaport ( VISL ) and a few other projects raising doubts about the company’s expansion plans.

Retire on May 31 : MoD to General Singh

Ministry of Defence on 3 January 2012 said to  Army Chief General V K Singh to retire by May 31 due to a controversy over his Date of Birth recorded differently in the Adjutant General ( AG ) branch, the keeper of official records, and the Military Secretary ( MS ) branch, which handles postings and promotions.  It is ‘ May 10, 1950 ‘ in AG branch, and ‘ May 10, 1951 ‘ in MS branch.

PM asks ministers to fill 50k quota backlogs

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on 4 January 2012 instructed key ministers to seriously take up the task of filling backlog vacancies of the SCs, the STs and the OBCs after he was told that the pending seats stand  at around 50, 000.

NREGS : 9,000 personnel punished

As many as 9, 000 personnel involved in implementation of National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme  ( NREGS ) for the past six years, have been punished on 6 January 2012 in connection with various irregularities, including simphoning of funds.

NRIs can vote in Indian polls, says PM Notification on Registration of Overseas Voters

Reminding non – resident Indians ( NRIs ) of the constitutional provision that allows them to vote in Indian elections, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Jan. 8, 2012 told a gathering of the diasphora from 60 countries that the government has issued notificaton for registration of overseas voters.  In other words, NRIs can vote in the upcoming elections in five states.

70% milk in country adulterated Goa, Puducherry safest places to buy milk; AP too fares well

In the 33-state study, milk was found adulterated with detergent, fat and even urea, besides siluting it with water.  Across the country, 68.4% of the samples were found contaminated.Only in Goa and Puducherry did 100% of the samples tested conformed to required standards.  At the other end were West Bengal, Bihar, Chattisgarh, Jharkhand, Orissa and Mizoram, where not a single sample tested met the prescribed norms.

Muslim quota : EC show-cause to Khursheed

The Election Commission on January10, 2012 night issued a show-cause notice to Union Law Minister Salman Khursheed, asking him to explain why action should not be initiated against him for his statement 9% sub-quota for backward muslims in the course of an election rally in UP.

2G note isssued with PMO’s approval

FM officials tell JPC Word ‘Perusal” replaced ‘Approval’ after Pranab’s scrutiny”
The controversial 2G note that suggested P Chidambaram as finance minister could have seized the telecom scam, was issued with the approval of the Prime Minister’s Office ( PMO ), top ministry officials told the Joint Parliamentry Committee ( JPC ) on 11 Januray 2012.  ”    The committee was also told that the word “perusal” had replaced “approval” in the context of finance minister Pranab Mukherjee’s scrutiny of the note in an internal noting just two days before the “backgrounder” was readied.

Govt. nod for anti – terror entity

Government on Jan. 12, 2012 finally gave its approval to set up a ‘specialized’ anti – terror body, National Counter Terrorism Centre ( NCTC ), which will work as a single-window entity to pool together and collate terror related intellegence input, draw plans to nuetralize terror modules and coordinate action among different terror agencies to defuse threats.

India asks BBC to apologize for Clarkson’s ‘cheap’ show

India on 12 January 2012 has demanded an apology from BBC over its presenter Jeremy Clarkson mocking Indian culture during a Christmas special while driving around the country, calling it a “”breach”" of agreement.

No polio in a year, India steps up Line of Control checks

Success in controling spread of the virus hikes global demand for Indian Docs.India has not recorded a single case of polio in 12 months — the longest ever.  India has increased survelliance against polio along the Line of Control ( LoC ) bordering Pakistan.

BPL health scheme to be extended to more unorganised workers

The Government on Jan. 11, 2012 reviewed the implementation of Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana ( RSBY ), the scheme launched five years ago to ensure health insurance for families living below the poverty line, saying that it will be extended to several segments of unorganised workers.

Infosys, HDFC Bank among HBR’s elite 10 growth outliers

Two Indian companies, Infosys and HDFC Bank, along with the US-based company of Indian origin Cognizant, figure in an elite group of 10 companies identified by Harcard Business Review as the companies that have consistently performed better than others around the world over a ten year period.  This elite group of 10 companies is called “”Growth Outlier”".

Court warns Facebook, Google

The Delhi High Court on 12 January 2012 warned Facebook and Google that their websites could be “”blocked”" as was done in China if they failed to devise a mechanism to remove objectionable materrials.

Govt. nod to prosecute Facebook, Google, Yahoo

The government on 13 January 2012 granted sanction to prosecute social networking websites, including Google, Facebook and Yahoo and 18 others, for allegedly promoting enmity between classes and causing prejudice to national integration, a trial court in New Delhi was informed.

Govt. supports subsidising Rural Mobile Bills

The Planning Commission has proposed that the government pay 20% of all mobile bills that are less than Rs 300 a month for customers in rural India by dipping into the funds set aside for providing subsided rural telephony.  The Planning Commission had sent the proposal to the Prime Minister’s Office, which in turn has asked the telecom department to study the feasibility of the proposal on 13 January 2012.

Army Chief takes Govt to Court over Age row

Army Chief General V K Singh on 16 January 2012 moved the Supreme Court against the government’s rejection of his claim on his date of birth.  In a writ petition, he is believed to have questioned the government’s decision to treat his date of birth as May 10,1950, instead of May 10,1951,as claimed by him on the basis of his matriculation certificate and other documents.  This is the first time that any Service Chief has dragged the government to the court of law.

NTRO Scam: SC asks CAG report

The Supreme on 16 January 2012 asked for a copy of the Comptroller and Auditor General’s (CAG) report pointing out alleged irregularities in the purchase of intelligence equipment by National Technical Research Organisation (NRTO).

NAC draws up plan for shelters for over 3L urban homeless

The National Advisory Council (NAC) on 16 January 2012 has recommended a Rs. 4,250 crore programme to provide shelters and other amenities to homeless in Class 1 cities in the country.The council has suggested the National Programme for Shelters and other services for Urban homeless to set up 6,800 permanent shelters for around 3 lakh homeless.The Scheme to be run on a 75-25% cost sharing basis between the Centre and the states with the Union government bearing the entire capital costs.

Centre files a caution against Army Chief

The Centre on 17 Jan. 2012 filed a caveat (caution) in the Supreme Court to prevent Army Chief V.K. Singh from getting any ex parte order in the writ petition filed by him challenging the defence ministry’s order fixing his date of birth on May 10, 1950, instead of treating it as May 10, 1951.

NTPC To Set Up 5MV Solar Farms in Andaman

NTCP is taking decisive steps towords renewable energy projects . it is setting up a 5 mv photovoltaic power generation unit close to port blair airport in Andaman and Nicobar Islands .

India is On 6th Nation To Have a Nuclear Sub

India ‘s long hunt for nuclear submarine  is finally over . it will take another  10 – 12 months to get an operational nuclear weapon – triad the capabillity  to fire nukes from land , air and water .

Renaming Of  Mana Airport

The Union cabinet of India on 24 th Jan 2012 approved  renaming of Mana airport at Raipur in Chattisgarh as the Swami Viveka nanda  airport.

New Advisor To P M

Senior Television Journalist Pankaj Pachuri was appointed as communication advisor in Prime Minister’s office  on 19 th Jan 2012 .and Mr .Harish Khare resingned as Media advisor to prime minister Manmohan singh .The Union cabinet of India on 24 th Jan 2012 approved  renaming of Mana airport at Raipur in Chattisgarh as the Swami Viveka nanda  airport.

India First  Life To Sell Life  Cover Through Auto Dealers

India ‘s first life insurance plans to sell life insurance policies through automobiles . Indian life insurer had tied up with Varun motors to sell the insurance cover including all vehicles .

Eliminating  N T D By 2020

Around 17 Neglected Tropical Diseases ( N T D ) many of which affect millions of Indian’s are all set to get the much needed attention  .A phrama company Ceo’s , Billgates along with the W H O will loosen their purse string to annouce  a range of measures to achieve a common goal . N T D  elimination by 2020,over $ 2 billion is needed to prevent and treat all people at risk of contracting a common NTD  by 2015, According to a document released on Jan 26 th by WHO .The programme aims to improve the lives of over 1.4 billion people world wide and help them to achieve self sufficiency .WHO identified 17 NTD in149 countries , and found that one -third of 2.7 billion people living in less than $ 2 a day were effected .

Pushing Up Of Inland Waterways

The Government has moved the process to fasttrack the development and use of inland waterways transport involving the private and state run companies . The move is expected to push the high potential of inland waterways in transporting bulk cargo ,such as coal , food grains , fertilizers , project cargo , fly ash over dimensional cargo and container at competive cost for both public and private sectors . It is also expected to ease the burden on rail and road infrastructure .An agreement has been signed between the National Thermal Power Corporation and The Inland Waterways Authority of India and a private developers for the Farakka power project .

Farmer Army Vice Chief Booked

The farmer vice chief of the  army , Lt.Gen ,Nobel Thamburaj ,and two other were booked by the C B I on the charges of criminal conspiracy , cheating and misconduct in settlement of land dispute .

---

STATES

Madhu Koda has wealth worth about Rs. 3,300 crore

Madhu Koda has amassed property worth about Rs. 3,300 crore during his tenure as the chief minister of the Jharkhand State by misusing his office, the income tax department has said on 1 January 2012.

Jagan aide Vijay Sai arrested by CBI Sai is second accused in Jagan Assets Case

Effecting the first arrest in the alleged illegal assets case pertaining to YSR Congress president in AP, Jaganmohan Reddy, the  CBI on 2 January 2012 took into custody Vijay Sai Reddy, the financial advisor of Jagathi Publications and other companies owned by the son of YS Rajasekhara Reddy, the former CM of AP.

HIgh Court cancels Srilakshmi’s bail

Justice NRL Nageswara Rao of the AP High Court on 2 Jan 2012 cancelled the bail granted to senior IAS Oficer Y Srilakshmi in the illegal mining case and directed her to surrender before the CBI court before Jan 6.President

Pratibha Devi Singh Patil visited SHAAR Space Centre in Nellore District, AP on 2 January 2012.  She dedicated PSLV Mark – 3 Mission Control Centre to the Nation.

Milk sold in AP safe, pure : Survey

According to a survey conducted on adulteration of milk in various parts of the country, the milk sold in Andhra Pradesh has been found to be ‘ mostly safe ‘ but that is not the case with many parts of the country.  According to National Survey on Milk Adulteration 2011 report, out of the 1791 samples tested in states, 1226 samples were found to be adulterated and not conforming to Food Safety and Standards Authority specifications.  The results were made public on January  2, 2012.The result for Andhhra Pradesh may be happy to feel about.  Its not that there is no adulteration at all but out of the 75 samples tested, 70 samples conformed to the standards.  Only 6.7 per cent did not conform to the standards.

Kerala ready for joint control of New Dam

Kerala is ready for a joint control of the Mullaperiyar Dam with Tamil Nadu and the Centre, if a new dam gets constructed, replacing the 116 – year old existing structure, state Chief Minister Oommen Chandi said on 4 January 2012.

Lokayukta rejects complaint against Maya

The Lokayukta on 5 January 2012 has rejected a complaint against Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati and her trusted minister Naseemuddin Siddiqui alleging a scam of Rs 2.32 lakh crore in the excise department on the grounds of insufficient evidence.

Poll process kicks off in Manipur

The notification for the January 28 assembly polls was issued on Jan. 4, 2012 in New Delhi, setting up in motion the poll process in the five – poll bound states including Uttar Pradesh.  The elections in Uttar Pradesh will be held in 7 phases while in Punjab, Uttarakhand, Goa and Manipur, it will be held in a single phase.  Counting of votes in all the states will be held on March 4.

EC says all Mayawati statues to be covered

Chief Election Commissioner S Y Quraishi on 7 Jan. 2012 said all statues of chief minister Mayawati and Elephants, election symbol for Bahujan Samaj Party, will be covered ahead of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly Polls.

UP polls to begin on Feb.8

The Election Commission on Jan.8, 2012 announced a change in the election date in Uttar Pradesh : instead of beginning on February 4 as previously announced, the polls will start on February 8.

Karnataka for Gita in school syllabus

Karnataka chief minister D V Sadananda Gowda on Jan. 8, 2012 announced that the government was considering introducing the Bhagvad Gita in primary and secondary schools after seeking public opinion.

Mahindra Solar Rajasthan unit on stream

Mahindra Solar One, a solar power developer, commissioned its first 5 MW solar power plant.  A part of Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission ( JNNSM ) policy, the project is located near Jodhpur in Rajastan and was first to achieve non recourse financing in the industry.

Karnataka cuts VAT on cotton to 2%

Karnataka government on 10 January 2012 has decided to reduce tax rate to two per cent from five per cent for value added tax ( VAT ) on purchase and sale of cotton.

Suzion to set up 3,000-mw Wind Power Capicity in AP

Suzion Energy has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Andhra Pradesh government to develop a wind power capacity in the state totalling 3,000mw between 2012 and 2016, creating potential investments of up to Rs 18,000 crore on 16 January 2012.

Setback to Modi: Appointment of Liokayukta is supported

In a major set back to Chief Minister Narendra Modi, the Gujarat High Court on 18 Jan. 2012, by a majority verdict, supported the appointment of Justice R.A. Mehta, a retired judge of the High Court, as Lokayukta.  The Modi government’s petition challenging Governor Kamala Beniwal appointing the Lokayukta bypassing the government was dismissed.

US To Set Up LNG Terminal In AP

IL & FS Maritime Infrastructure has teamed up with  the US based VGS group to up a floating liquefied natural gas terminal at the Kakinada Anchorage port in Andhrapradesh in a bid to cater to the growing needs of independent power producers ( I P P s ) .This terminal will become the first such ( L N G ) import terminal on Indai’s east coast .

Government Takes ECS Route To Check Black Money

The Andhra pradesh government  has decided to make all  payments contractors and other through (ECS) Electronic Clearance Service .Introduction of ECS  payments the money will directly deposited in their bank A/C and the tax on the same cannot be evaded as the entire process is recorded by the bank and the Finance department.

NTPC  Another Mega Project In South

NTPC Ltd the country’s largest power company is planning to take up mega project in kudgi project in karnataka with 4000- mw .

Revive Sakri Solar Project In Maharashtra

The Maharashtra  government is trying to revive the , Rs 2,000 crore sakri solar power project in Dhule, near Northern Maharashtra with 150 – mw .

Bullet Train Between Ahmadabad & Mumbai

Terming the bullet train as a ‘dream project ‘ of the C M  Mr Narendra Modi demanded for new railway project and infrastructure for the financial year 2012-2013 . this project  will be annouced in the railway budget for 2012-2013 .

Maruthi’s New Diesel Plant At Gurgoan

A new diesel engine plant is expected to entail an investment of Rs 1,000 crore  for a capacity of 1 lakh engines  under the Maruthi Suzuki banner  .It will be the first own diesel engine plant at Manesar in Gurgoan .

Longest Flag Unveiled In AP

The Famous temple town of Bhadrachalam in AndhraPradesh , as students of Dr .Paul Raj Engineering College created a history by unveilling a 3.2km long natinal flag  .On the occasion of 63 rd republic day on Jan 26 th 2012 . The flag weighed about 800 kg  .The organisers claiming that they had suceessfully unveiled the Worlds longest Indain flag  .Vedeo recording of this entire programe was sent to the authorities of Guinnes Book of Record .

L N G Plans Terminal In A P

Petronet  L N G will set up its third terminal at Gannavaram in Andhra pradesh  . The decision has taken by companeis  board meeting with estimated cost of Rs 4,500 crore .

500 MW Wind Energy Farms In A P

Welspun Energy Ltd (W E L ) part of the diversified $ 3 billion Welspun group had made agreement with New and Renewable Energy Development Corporation of Andhra Pradesh to install 500 mw of wind energy capacity in the state .

Polling In Punjab & Uttarakhand

Assembly Elections has been held in the states Punjab & Uttarakhand  on 30 th Jan 2012  .Elections for 117 contituencies in Punjab & 70 contituiencies in Uttarakhand . All major parties candiadates are participating in this elections .highest of 77 %  voting poll has been polled Punjab and in Uttarakhand  70 % voting poll.

U P Lokayukta Recommends C B I To Probe Against Kushwaha

The former minister for family& welfare & mining  Babu Singh Kushwaha , prima facie guilty of illegally awarding mining contracts and laudering  money through his several registered socities , Uttarpradesh lokayukta  N .V . Mehrotra  sent a report to cheif minister  Mayavathi on 30 th Jan 2012  registration of a case against Kushwaha  with C B I and enforcement directors .

---

CONFERENCES

99th Science Congress Conferences were inaugarated by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in Bhuvaneswar, Odisha on 3 January 2012.  PM announced the decade 2010-20 as “Decade of Innovation”, he also said that the government would allot 2% of GDP for scientific & Technological researches in the 12 th Five – Year Plan.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh inaugurated 15th Global Sanskrit Meetings in New Delhi on 4 January 2012.

Confederation of Indian Industry ( CII ) Global Partnership Summit 2012 has been inaugurated by Union minister of industry and commerce and textiles Anand Sharma in Hyderabad, AP.  AP gets 233 investment proposals worth around Rs.5.57 lakh crore with employment generation potential of 4.7 lakh on day one of the event.

10th Pravasi Bharathiya Divas in Jaipur

The 10th Pravasi Bharathiya Divas was commenced on 7 Jan, 2012 in Jaipur, the pink city.The chief guest, Indian-origin Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago Kamla Persad Bissessar, arrived in Jaipur for the 10th Pravasi Bharathiya Divas.  The conference took place from 7 Jan – 9 Jan. 2012.

---

AWARDS & HONOURS

Flair play Award For Dhoni

Indian Cricket Captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni was awarded with International Sports Press Association’s ‘ Fair Play Award ‘ on 30 December 2011 for showing sport-spirit by calling back Ian Bell even after the umpire declares him out during the Team’s visit to England.  This is the first time that this award is given to a cricketer.

Gates Vaccine Innovation Award for Nitish Kumar

The Bill Gates and Melinda Foundation has accepted the proposal for conferring the Gates Innovation Award to Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar for the first Gates Vaccine Innovation Award for  effectively strengthening the immunization programme.The Bihar Chief Minister will thus be the first recipient of the Vaccine Innovation Award, introduced globally by the Foundation having carried a cash of U.S. $ 250,000.

Grand Master Honour

International Chess Player Musunuri Lalith Babu received the honour of  ’ Grand Master ‘ on 2 January 2012.  He is the 26th Chess Player from India to receive the Honour.

S.K.Singh award for nuclear trouble – shooter Venkatesh Varma

Senior Indian diplomat D. Bala Venkatesh Varma — a key member of the negotiating team that saw the Indo – U.S. nuclear deal through from the first agreement of July 2005 down to Additional Protocol in 2010 was given the first S.K. Singh award  ”" for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen India’s position in the Global nuclear order “” by  UPA Chair person Sonia Gandhi at a high – profile function in New Delhi on 6 January 2012.

Bagged By AP Team

Union Home Ministry Award  ’ Jeevan Raksha ‘ has been bagged by AP Team.  The Union Home Ministry released Sarvotttam Jeevan Raksha, Uttam Jeevan Raksha and Jeevan Raksha Awards for the Year 2011. Rs. 30,000 will be given for ‘ Jeevan Raksha Award ‘ .

British honour for culture secy

In a rare honour, the British Museum, the oldest in the world, has decided to give its maiden British medal to culture secretary Jawhar Sircar on 7 January 2012.  The medal is being given as a “”tribute and recognition of the extraordinary contribution made by Sircar in piloting museum reforms in India”".

Award for Saluri Vasu Rao

Noted cine music director, Saluri Vasu Rao, was conferred with the title, ‘ Sangeetha Siromani, ‘ by the Guntur District Music Artistes Association at the first anniversary celebrations held recently in Guntur, AP.

Manjubhargavi presented Lifetime Achievement award

Kuchipudi dancer Manjubhargavi was honoured with Lifetime Achievement award at the inauguaral session of the three – day Bharat Nrityotsav of Nataraja Music and Dance Academi at Kalabharati Auditorium in Visakhapatnam, AP on 8 Jan. 2012.

Gollapudi Maruthirao feted

Renowned film actor and writer Gollapudi Maruhtirao was conferred Lifetime Achievement Award by Appa Josyula Vishnubathala Kandalam Foundation and Srikakulam Rangasthala Kalakarula Samakhya on 8 Jan. 2012 in Srikakulam, AP.

“Ballon d’ Or”" for Lionel Messi and Homare Sawa”

Lionel Messi was on Jan.10, 2012 awarded the 2011 FIFA “”Ballon d’Or”" at a star-studded ceremony in Zurich, the third consecutive year that he has won the prestigious award for the world’s outstanding footballer.Japanese midfielder Homare Sawa claimed the women’s equivalant.

Clooney, Streep conquer Golden Globes

The 69th Golden Globe Awards this year have been bagged by Clooney, the Best Actor in a Motion Picture – “”The Descendants”" and Meryl Streep for the Best Performance by an Actress for her role as Margaret Thatcher in “”The Iron Lady”" on 16 January 2012 in Los Angles.

Cash award for Bindra

Union Sports Minister Ajay Maken on 18 Jan. 2012 presented a cheque for Rs. 4.33 lakh to Olympic champion Abhinav Bindra for winning the Gold in air rifle in the ongoing Asian shooting championship in Doha.

South Asia Literature Award For The Novel  China man

Srilankan author Shehan Karunatilaka  was awarded the DSC  Pril for south asia literature  2012 at the Jaipur literature festival in Rajsthan for the novel china man .

Dr . C. Narayana Reddy ‘ s Award. Dr . C. Narayana Reddy sahitya puraskaram is been awarded to kanad poet Maskandapuram Srinivas .

Ricky Ponting Was Honoured

Senior Australian batsman Ricky Ponting  was honoured with Australia’s highest civil honour along with a host of sports person of international repute .he was aslo appointed as  officer in the general division of distinguished service to the sports criket.

A P State Gets 3 Padma

Andhra Pradesh  got a raw deal in the prestigious Padma Bhushan . G Maniratnam -Founder  member of Trirupathi -based N G O  Rashtriya seva samithi (RASS) .Ace Badminton coach Syed Mohamad Arif were honoured with Padma Shri .Dr , P. Chandrasekhar Rao  -a judge at international tribund  for the law of sea , Germany were honoured  with Padma Bhushan.

Padma Bhushan Awards

Cine artist – Dharmendra , cine artist Shabana Azmi , Director  Mira Nair, An Painter Jatin Das , London based sculptor Anish Kapoor , carnatic musicians T. V .Gopalkrishnan , B. Muthuramam -mM D of Tta steel,eminent cardiologist -Dev Prasad Shetty ,Cancer Specialist -Suresh H.Advani ,N. Vital -head of Central Vigilance Comission, M V. Subbaiah – murugappa group .

Padma Shri Awards

Women Criketer – Jhulan Goswami , Hockey Olympic Gold Medalist -Zafar Iqbal ,Skiing -Ajeet Bajaj ,Athletics -paralympics -Devendra Jhajriya , Archery -Limba Ram  were awarded with Padma Shri  .

Assam Policman  Creates World Record

Assam police constable who is 22 years old Abhjeet Buruah created world record by running barefoot more than 150 km  in 24 hours in Jorhat .and entered into Guinness Book Of World  Record on 31 st Jan 2012. The Indian observer for the guinness world record B.K.Chandrasekar Tiwari opproach to the Tarjan bypass on the western outskirts of Jorhat town .

Asha Bhosle , in  Limca Book Of Records

The luminaries from Indian Music including Asha Bhosle , Gulzar and Yesudas have been awarded “” people of the year “” at the unveiling of the 23 rd Limca Book Of Rcords on 31 st  Jan 2012.

---

SPORTS & GAMES

Bartoli crushes Gajdosova

Marion Bartoli of Italy left Australian Jarmila Gajdosova in tears after defeating her 6-0, 6-0 as France eased to a 3-0 Hopman Cup victory on 3 Jan. 2012. in Perth.

Michael Clarke, Australian Batsman hits a grand Triple Century  ( 329 ) in the 2nd Cricket Test match between India & Australia in Sydney on 5 Jan. 2012.

Grand Master Honour

AP Chess Player, M R Lalith Babu won Bronze Medal in the Hastings Masters International Chess Tournament where as China’s Yuvang stood as winner on 6 Jan. 2012.

SA wins the Test series against Sri Lanka

South Africa wins the Test series against Sri Lanka 2-1 at Capetown.  Kalis was declared ‘ Man of the Match ‘ for his Double Century. Australia wins the second Test match against India in Sydney and lead the four – match series 2-0.

Czech Republic wins Hopman Cup by defeating France

Thomas Berdych & Wimbledon Champion Petro kvitova defeated France and won the Hopman Tennis Cup in the final in Perth on 7 Jan. 2012.

Kanepi wins Brisbane International

Estonia’s Kaya Kanepi defeated Slovakia’s Daniela Hantuchova ans won Brisbane International Tennis Tourney in Brisbane on 7 Jan. 2012.

Tsonga wins Qatar Open

Jo-Wilfred Tsonga defeated French compatriot Gael Monfils 7-5, 6-3 on 7 Jan. 2012 and won the 20th edition of Qatar Open Tennis in Doha on 7 Jan. 2012.

Canadian Tennis Player Raonic defeats Tipsarevic ( Serbia ) in the Aircel Chennai Open singles final and clinches the Chennai Open in Chennai on 8 Jan. 2012.

Leander Paes ( India ) and Tipsarevic ( Serbia ) won the Aircel Chennai Open Tennis doubles final in Chennai on 8 Jan. 2012.

Zheng wins crown

China’s Zheng Jie won the Auckland Classic Tennis Tournament on 8 Jan. 2012 in Auckland.  This is Zheng’s fourth WTA title.

Lee, Wang triumphant

World No.1 Lee Chong Wei stormed back to defeat arch – rival and holder Lin ‘ Super Dan ‘ in the final of the Korea Open Badminton  in the Men’s Final on Jan. 8, 2012 in Seoul. In the Women’s Final, world No.3 Wang Shixian from China easily beat her compatiot Jiang Yanjiao, who had defeated world No.1 Wang Yihan in the semifinals.  Shixian ran out a comfortable 21-12, 21-17 winner.

South Africa beats Sri Lanka in the first One-day International at Boland Park in Paarl ( South Africa ) on 11 Jan. 2012.  South Africa’s Hashim Amla hits century ( 112 ).

Kerala beat Uttarakhand and won the 60th senior National Volleyball championship at the Balbir Juneja Indoor Stadium in Raipur on 11 Jan. 2012..

China’s Yu Ruiyuan won the Chennai Open international Grandmaster Chess tournament in Chennai on 12 January 2012.

Dhoni hints at Test retirement by 2013

Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni on 12 January 2012 made a surprise revelation that he may retire from Test cricket if he is to play in the 2015 World Cup.

Bindra shoots Gold in Asian Championship

Abhinav Bindra won the gold medal in 10-meter air rifle event of the Asian Shooting Championship in Doha on 13 January 2012.

Azarenka triumphs

Victoria Azarenka ended Li Na’s unbeaten two-year run at the Sydney Tennis International with a fighting three set victory in the final on 13 January 2012 in Sydney.

Wagner wins Sony Open

American Johnson Wagner recorded his third victory on the USPGA Tour Sunday by shooting a final round three-under 67 for a two-stroke win at the $5.5 million Sony Open in Honolulu, Hawaii on 15 January 2012.

South Africa clinched series victory

South Africa clinched a series victory in the third one-day International against World cup finalist Sri Lanka at Chevrolet Park in Bloemfontein on 17 Jan. 2012.  South Africa lead the five match series 3-0.

Beijing World Cup cancelled

Shooters preparing for Olympics will have only three World Cups as the Beijing World Cup scheduled to be held from June 16 to 25 has been cancelled.

India wins Hockey Second Test

India recorded a 2-1 win over South Africa in the closely fought second hockey Test at the National Stadium in New Delhi on 17 Jan. 2012.

Srilanka Wins Fifth odi

One day International series which was between Srilanka and SouthAfrica at Jonnesburg was won by Srilanka by 3-2.

Rajasthan Holds On Ranji Trophy

Rajasthan’s hard work and commitment retained the 78 th Ranji Trophy with them and win the trophy against Tamilnadu at M A .Chidambram stadium .

Robertson Wins Masters

Australia’s 2010 world champion Neil Robertson won the master tittle on 21 st Jan 2012 with 10-6 against England s Shaun Murphy at Alexandra palace .

1 st Women To Icy Adventure

British adventure Felicity Aston completed her crossing of Antarctica on 22 nd Jan 2012 , becoming the first women to ski across the icy continent alone . she did it in 50 days  pulling two sledges for 1,744 km from her starting point on the leverett glacier  .she has set another record ,the first human  to ski solo across Antarctica using only her own muscle power .

Sixth National Tittle For Advani

Pankaj Advani has won the sixth national billards tittle which was held at Pune .

India Wins Mens ‘s Doubles

Indian players Leander Paes and Radek Stepanek pair , has won their first mens doubles  A ustralian Open Grand Slam on 28 th Jan 2012 against Czech which was held in Melbourne  park .

First Balarusian To Win Grandslam

Victoria Azarenka became the first Balarusian to win the grand slam single tittle in Australian Open Tittle ,crusing Russia ‘s Maria  Sharapova . She is only 22 yrs old to become the new world no . 1 according to W T A ranking .

Australia won By 4 – 0

Australia won the forth test series by  4 – 0 and wins the Border Gavaskar Trophy against India at Adelaide Oval  . The captian of Australia Micheal Clarke has been given the man of the series ,who scored the highest 626 runs in the series .Peter Siddle the man of match  for this series

Sania Ranked No – 7 In Double

India’s Sania Mirza craked the top – 10 of the individual doubles ranking , climbing ahead to no – 7 rank in the world  .According to the new  W T A ranking and Sania slipped five places to 116 to 111 in singles .

Rocks Wins Abu Dhabi Championships

The world’s 117 th ranked golf player Robert Rock has won the Abu Dhabi Golf Championships on 29 th Jan 2012 against his strongest opposition player Tiger Woods ,which held in dubai .

Nadal Looses Grand Slam

Novak Djokovic wins the Australian  Open 2012 men’s Singles Champion ship .It was final in grand slam history which six hours to finish the match between  Nadal and Djokovic  held on 29 th Jan 2012 at Melbourne .Djokovic beeing ranked worlds no – 1 after winning this grand slam .

---

ECONOMY

U S Economy Grows 2.8 %in Q Y

The U S economy grew at its fastest pace in one – and -a -half years in the fourth quarter , rebuilding of stocks by businesses and week spending on capital goods hinted  for the shole of 2012,the economy grew 1.7 % after expanding 3 % the prior year .

$ 5 – Billion Loss : Goods Made in India, Faked in China

Chinese manufacturers are increasingly “ faking “ popular Indian products of consumer goods giants such as Dabur and ITC, undermining the legitimacy of brands and causing losses worth as much as $ 5 billion annually, officials said.

Govt readies Rs. 50k cr infra fund plan

LIC, IIFCL, IDBI Bank, ADB & HSBC likely Parteners for New Finance Firm. The government has finalized the outlines of a $10 billion crore  ( over Rs. 50, 000 crore ) infracture debt fund ( IDF ) with 50% participation from a foreign bank and a multilateral agency, while the rest of the corpus will be contributed by state owned financial institutions on 2 January 2012.Government officials and bankers said India Infracture Finance Company ( IIFC ), Life Insurance Corporation and IDBI Bank along with Asian Development Bank and HSBC are joining hands to set up a non banking finance company ( NBFC ).

RBI governor hints at soft monetary policy

Concerned over the declining growth Reserve Bank Governor D Subba Rao has indicated on 2 January 2012 that the central bank could reverse the tight monetary stance adopted by it since March 2010 to control inflation.  The central bank is scheduled to announce the monetary policy review on Jan 24.  RBI has hiked key interest rate 13 times since March 2010 in its bid to check rising inflation, but it took a pause in its December monetary policy .

ONGC to invest $2.9 bn in Krishna Godavari gas find

State – owned Oil and Natural Gas Corporation ( ONGC ) plans to invest $2.894 billion ( about Rs. 15, 340 crore ) in developing its ultra deepsea UD – 1 gas discovery in the KGi basin by 2016 – 17.

Andhra Bank hikes NRE deposit rates

The state – run Andhra Bank has hiked its interest rates on NRE term deposits to 9.40% per annum for one year, 9.25% pa from one to two years and 9% pa for 2 to 3 years with effect from December 30, 201.

SBI achieves 100% Financial Inclusion in AP

State Bank of India has achieved 100% coverage of its alloted unbanked villages in Andhra Pradesh under the Financial Inclusion Programme ( FIP ) of the Reserve Bank of India.

PFC’s Rs. 5,000 – Cr Tax – Free Bonds

Power Finance Corporation ( PFC ) on 2 Jan. 2012 has come out with a Rs. 5,000 crore tax – free bond issue.  PFC is a Navratna Government of India undertaking with the government holding 73.72% stake in it. Government approves RIL’s $1.529 B Investment Plan for Satellite Fields in KG-D6 Block.
The Union government approved Reliance Industries’ (RIL) $1.529 billion investment plan for developing four satellite fields in the declining KG-D6 block on 3 January 2012. RIL’s investment plan will boost falling output in the Krishna-Godavari Basin KG-D6 block . Growth in Direct Tax collection down by 8.3%”.
Annual growth in net direct tax collection slowed to 8.3% during the first nine months of the fiscal year amounting to Rs. 3,23,955 crore, raising concerns about the centre’s ability to meet its revenue targets.

ONGC declares 125% Interim Dividend

State – run Oil Natural Gas Corp ( ONGC ) declared a 125% interim dividend.  The Board has approved an interim dividend of Rs.6.25 per equity share  ( of Rs. 5 each ) for 2011 – 12 on 4 Jan. 2012.

Sebi allows UTIMF to launch new schemes

Reversing its  earlier stand, market regulator Sebi on 4 Jan. 2012 has allowed UTI Mutual Fund ( UTIMF ) to launch new funds again even though the fund house continues to function without its top executive officer nearly a year now.

SBI Loan to Kingfisher Airlines turns NPA

State Bank of India, the country’s largest lender says its exposure to ailing private carrier Kingfisher Airlines has turned a bad loan or a non-performing asset ( NPA ) on 5 Jan. 2012.

SIDBI inks pact with IOB

Small Industries Development Bank of India ( SIDBI ) has entered into a memorandum of understanding with Indian Overseas Bank ( IOB ) to extend assistance to micro, small and medium enterprises ( MSME ) to the customers of IOB on 6 January 2012.

State FMs agree in principle on GST ( Goods and Services Tax ) list

The empowered committee of state finance ministers on GST on Jan. 9, 2012 agreed in principle on the concept of “negative list” and suggested the Centre could prepare such a list which would help widen tax base. The panel has agreed in principle to the concept of negative list and the Union Government should prepare it and can also implement it from April, 2012. The Committee suggested that all those items mentioned in the Constitution’s Schedule – II should be included in the negative list so that Union Government can not impose tax on them.

Air India told to pay service tax dues

The Central Board of Excise and Customs ( CBEC ) on 10 Jan. 2012 has warned the national carrier Air India to pay up a “reasonable” part of its service tax dues as early as possible or face having its accounts frozen.

Govt. notifies 100% FDI in single-brand retail Retains rider of 30% sourcing from Indian small industries

The Government, which has been facing flak for ‘policy paralysis,’ on 10 Jan. 2012 notified 100 per cent Foreign Direct Investment in single-brand retail trading, moving a step forward in opening up of the retail sector.  The current FDI limit is 51 per cent.  Investments will be through the Government approval route.

IRDA plans to take up complaints on its own

Customers may except better services from their insurers soon.  The Insurance Regulatory Development Authority is planning to take insurance complaints on its own to ensure fair play by the insurers.

Govt investing $20 b in creating information highway, says Pitroda

The Government is investing $20 billion in projects related to creating information highway, according to Mr Sam Pitroda, Advisor to the Prime Minister on Public Infrastructure, Information and Innovations.

SEBI asks bankers to disclose due diligence records

Stock market regulator SEBI ( Securities and Exchange Board of India ) on 10 Jan. 2012 has asked merchant bankers to disclose their track record of due diligence done during the last three financial years from the date of listing for each public issue managed by them.

Rs. 1,935 crore worth FDI cleared

The Government on 10 Jan. 2012 has approved 20 proposols of Foreign Direct Investment worth Rs. 1,935.24 crore according to an official statement. One among them include Rs. 1,150 crore by Sterlite Grid, to act as an investment company.

RBI says no to CRR cut

The Reserve Bank of India has ruled out the possibility of a cut in the cash reserve ratio or CRR, in its monetary policy review on January 24, according to bankers who took part in the customary pre-policy meeting held by the central bank on Jan.10, 2012.

Rice procurement up 17.3%

The Government has so far procured 18.11 million tonnes rice from farmers across the country in the current marketing year that started October , the food ministry said on 10 Jan. 2012.

Malaysia palm oil exports fall

Malaysia’s palm oil exports fell 19 per cent in the first 10 days of January compared with the previous month.

Indirect tax collections up 16.1 per cent

Indirect tax collections went up by 16.1 per cent to Rs. 2.86 lakh crore in April-December this fiscal as compared to Rs. 2.46 lakh crore garnered during the same period of 2010-11.

Moody’s upgrades India’s Short – Term Foreign Currency Bank Deposits Rating
It will help Indian banks, other entities raise overseas deposits at finer rates.Global rating agency Moody’s on Jan. 10, 2012 has upgraded the country’s rating of short term foreign currency bank deposits from ‘speculative’ to ‘investment’ grade.  Since December 20 last year, this is the fourth upgrade by Moody’s Investor Service, which is expected to help Indian banks and other entities in raising overseas deposits at finer rates.

SBI cuts processing fee by half for bigger share of Home Loan Mkt

The State Bank of India on 11 January 2012 cut processing fees on home loans by half, a move aimed at acquiring a larger business in the home loan market and giving competition to private banks and housing finance companies.

SBI opens exclusive branch for women customers

The branch, Vasundhara Jubilee Senortia Banking centre is opened by SBI in Hyderabad on Jan. 11, 2012.  It is only the second of its kind in the country.  It is aimed at tech-savvy, educated women customers including entreprenuers.  ”"with play room for kid and other facilities women customers can handle their banking transactions in a safe and family atmosphere”".

Andhra Bank lauches ‘ Abhaya Wealth Pack ‘

Andhra Bank on 12 January 2012 launched ‘ Abhaya First Wealth Pack ‘ for the common man.  The bank termed it as ‘one wealth management for all financial needs’.  It will have a savings bank account, a recurring group deposit account, a group term insurance and a unit linked insurance plan.

India to be Reckitt Benckiser’s New Regional Head Quarters

Benckiser, one of the world’s largest consumer goods companies , has upgraded India to its regional head quarters for Sooutheast Asia, covering 12 nations representing a market of 1.8 billion people.

S&P may strip France of AAA rating for first time

Standard & Poor’s is stripping France of its AAA rating for the first time according to Agence France-Press report.

SEBI wants Fund Houses to Launch Pension Products

Asset Management Companies ( AMCs ) need to launch pension products that will channel retirement savings into stock market, Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) Chairman UK Sinha said on 13 January 2012.

Indian Exports up 6.7% in December, may touch $300-b target

India’s exports rose for the first time in five months, encouraging the government to reaffirm that it would achieve its $300-billion target for the year.  Exports in December grew 6.7% to $25 billion over the previous month according to the data released on 16 January 2012.

At 7.47%, December Inflation takes major load off Govt

Inflation rose at its slowest pace in two years in December 2011.  Headline Inflation as measured by the Wholesale Price Index (WPI), dropped to 7.47% in December on lower food prices, as compared with 9.11% in November, government data released on 16 January 2012.

S&P downgrades the Brussels’ bailout fund EFSF

The Standard and Poor’s, the US credit ratings agency on January 16 downgraded the Brussel’s main bailout fund, European Financial Stability Facility (EFSF) by one notch to AA+ but said it would restore the top AAA ranking if the fund obtains additional guarantees.The decision was the result of downgrades to France’s and Austria’s ratings from AAA since they served as top-level guarantors of the European Financial Stability Facility, S&P said in a statement.

Govt. set to allow FDI in domestic airlines

In a major relief to financially distressed Indian airlines, the government on 17 Jan. 2012 said foreign airlines would soon be allowed to acquire up to 49% stake in them.

Chinese Banks lend $1.18 bn to Reliance Communications

Chinese state banks lend debt-laden Reliance Communications (Rcom) $1.18 billion to repay foreign currency convertible bonds worth Rs 6,125 crore ($1.18 billion) on 17 Jan. 2012.

India ranked behind Pakistan, Bangladesh

India has been ranked as 132 behind Pakistan and Bangladesh in 2012 in the World Bank’s latest ‘Ease of Doing Business’ rankings.  India has moved up seven points to 132 this year, from 139 last year.

Rupee undervalued 61% : Big Mac Index

The Indian rupee is the most undervalued currency, trading at around 61% below its actual price against the dollar according to The Economist’s Latest Big Max Index.  The Index measures the effective purchasing power of different currencies by looking at how much Mc Donald’s popular burger costs in various countries.

Iran explores buying more goods from India

Iran is considering stepping up its purchases from India to obtain a more balanced trade and reduce the payments problem faced by the two countries in setting payments for crude import by India in the wake of fresh sanctions from the US.

Centre plans to boost up textiles sector

The government is planning to give incentives to the textiles sector with retrospective effect as it seeks to revive India’s second largest manufacturing sector burdened with sickness, debt and declining demand.

World Bank cuts Global GDP forecasts

The World Bank on 18 Jan. 2012 warned the developing countries of the upcoming recession danger.  It cut its forecast for growth in developing economies to 5.4% for 2012 from its previous forecast of 6.2% saying expansion in Brazil and India and to a lesser extent Russia, South Africa and Turkey had slowed already.

States want to hike professional tax

In a Budget wish list presented to finance minister Pranab Mukherjee, finance ministers of states on 18 Jan. 2012 demanded that the government should allow them to tax top professionals more and   lift the ceiling from the current 2,500 a year.

Centre urged to give funds directly to States

Majority of States have favoured the Rangarajan Committee’s recommendations on doing away with the current system of classification of expenditure into Plan and Non-Plan categories on 18 Jan. 2012.  They have also agreed that the BK Chaturvedi Group report on Centrally sponsored schemes should be implemented. Mr. Sushil Kumar Modi, Chairman of the empowered Committee of States’ Finance Ministers, asked the Centre to give funds to the states directly for various social sector schemes.

Small And Medium Units Urged

SMEs (small and medium enterprises ) in the country used to work more closely with special economic zones  to gain from the facilities extended .

Banks  Want Tax Compliance Norms

Banks have moved the finance ministry to ease the procedure relating to the compliance being faced by depositors  to the senior citizen and economically weaker categories . saying that pan in forms 15G/15H should not be mandatary .

Center Mulls Textiles Sops With Retrospective Effect

The Government is planning to give incentives  to the textiles sectors which are burdened with  debts.No ,subsidy scheme was given for these campanies in 2010 – 11 .Companies which were deprived for benifit last year will be covered under the changed rule .

LIC Crosses One Million Mark

The Life Insurance Corporation of Indai has crossed the one million mark in cumulative lives under its health Insurance segment.

LIC Launching Jeevan Ankur

Life Insurance Corparation of India  is launching  a new plan  . Lic ‘s Jeevan ankur on 23 ‘rd Jan  2012 to meet the educational  and other needs of the child .

China To Rescue UK Economy

China’s fastest growing economic presence in Britan to rescue the UK economy the china investment corporation (CIC)  has bought a 8,6% stake in Thames water,which is Britans’s largest water and sewerege  company .

The production target for worlds largest coal produce coal India ( C I L)  is likely to be fixed at 46.4 million tones mt for the 2012-2013 financial year.

4 Pharma FDI Plans Okayed

For money inflow intact, the government has cleared forms foreign direct investment proposals in pharmaceutical space , dispelling fears that the recent change in rules will effectively kill foreign investments in the sector.The foreign investment promotion board ( F I P B ) examines proposals that are in approval route on merit .

Tata Power In Talks To Buy 15 % Stake in MEC Coal

The Tata group already owns 30 % in mines promoted by the Bakrie group one of the Indonesia’s biggest house.Tata company  plans to secure coal supplies from Indonesia to reduce power generation costs .If the deal goes on it will be the second time buying a stake in Indonesia coal mines .

R B I Cuts C R R Rates

The Reserve Bank of India on 24 th Jan 2012 cut the cash ratio by 50 basis points from 6% to 5.5 % with effect from 28 th Jan 2012 , which would release Rs 32,000 crore  in the financial system . keeping all other unchanged repo rate at 8.50 % . GDP growth from 7.6% to 7 % now .With the RBI holding back on cutting interest rates due to increased inflation risk from global crude , oil prices, the lingering impact of rupee depreciation  .CRR cuts would bring liquidity and help in sensex up .

India – Srilanka Bilateral Trade Surges by 70 %

Trade between India and Srilanka surged by more than 70 % in 2011over the past years  touching all time high of $ 5 billion .

Solar Powered A T M ‘s In Rural Areas

Innovation which makes a difference to people’s lives in the Indain context is very different  .The company Vortex placed in Chennai helping the banks by solar powered A T M’s installed in rural places .Where as conventional  ATM’s requires 50 watts of power everyday while Vortex’s machines require just 70 watts power to work .

India Signs International Tax Treaty

The government had made another move to get information about black money stashed away from the country .India had signed the multilateral convection on mutual administrative assistance regarding tax matters , that promotes international cooperation .India and other countries joined to ensure that individuals and multinational enterpries pay right amount of tax ,at the right place .Which is based on international standards of transparency and exchange of information .

Samsung India To Exit From Window AC Market

India’s largest consumer durable firm Samsung India Electronics had decided to exit from window air conditioners segment from the year 2012 .And completely focusing on fast growing split air conditioners market ,due to the window AC market is shrinking significantly .

TCS Opens New Facililty In Silicon Valley

The I T major ( T C S ) Tata Consultancy Services has opened a new facility in U S , It will serve as the world wide headquaters of the company’s mobility solution units .And which aims to bring the benifits of emerging technologies such as big data , analyties and mobility to enterprises across all industries .

C A G To Audit In States

The Comptroller and Auditor General of India  ( C A G ) has decided to audit the spending of all states under the National Rural Health Mission (N H R M ) Scheme  .After hearing  a Rs 5,754 , crore  NRHM scam in Uttarpradesh . The  CAG will conduct independent audits of the scheme in 17  other states to ascertain losses to exchequer  . The ministry has written letters to states, asking them to cooperate with their accounts generals.

Excise Duty ,Service Tax May Be Hiked In The Upcoming Budget

To revive Indian economy ,impacted by the global slowdown , the government had provided three fiscal stimulus packages starting from Dec 7,2008 the government had brought down excise duty from 14 % to 10 % to miligate the impact of the global financial crises .The duty was further cut to 8 % on Feb 24, 2009 . On Feb 26 2010 rolled back the cut partially . The excise duty and service tax may be hiked by 2% in the up coming budget . Government is thinking that entire cut be rolled back  . When industry is down and demand is depressed , raising duties may further hurt growth .There will be fiscal deficit  likely to be 5.6  % to 5.1 % .in 2011-2012 .

Economic Growth Revised Down By 8.5% To 8.4 %

The central Statistics office on 31 st Jan 2012 lowered  its estimate for the country’s gross domestic product  (GDP) growth in 2010-2011 to 8’4 % from 8.5 % earlier , The gross national income grew 7.9 % in 2010-2011 .GDP growth in Agriculture sector is 7% .GDP growth in service sector  grew up by  9.3 % . GDP growth in financial savings reduced from 12.9% to 10 % .GDP growth in private cooperate sector down by 8.2 % to 7.9 % .GDP growth in saving of public sectors increased from 0.2 % to 1.7 % .The gross demostic capital formatiom at current prices increases from Rs. 23.64 lakh crore to 26.92 lakh crore in 2010-2011.The rate of capital formation stood at 35.1 % in 2010-2011 low down than earlier against 36.6 % in 2009-2010 . These are the latest revisions ,part of quick estimates of of nationalincome ,cunsumtion expenditure ,saving and capital information released by central statistics office  .

RBI lowers Export Figures by $ 6 B, surprises Economists

The Reserve Bank of India ( RBI ) has revised its export numbers downwards by $6 billion in its balance of payments statement for the first quarter ( April – June ) of the fiscal indicating massive over statement in the country’s export numbers.

---

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

Challenging Iran begins ‘ 12 with N – fuel rod feat, missile test

Iranian scientists have produced the nation’s first nuclear fuel rod, a feat of engineering the West has doubted Tehran capable of, the country’s nuclear agency said on 1 January 2012.

Nasa probe on track, reaches Moon orbit

Grail, 110th Mission to Earth’s Satellite, will help understand Lunar enigma better .As planet Earth rang in the new year, a different counter sown was happening at the moon.  After a 3 1/2 month journey, a Nasa spacecraft flew over the Moon’s South pole, fired its engine and dropped into orbit on 1 January 2012 in the first of two back – to – back arrivals over the new year weekend.

A massive star called VFTS 102 is the fastest star that rotates at the rate of million milles per hour — 100 times faster than our Sun was found to date.

Iran tested successfully two missiles that can chase 200 kms target in the Strait of Hormutz on 2 January 2012.

RE60, Bajaj’s 4-wheeled vehicle, launched

India’s Bajaj Auto Ltd launched its first-ever four-wheeled vehicle RE60 on 3 January 2012 saying the RE60 would target commercial users and three-wheeled vehicle owners in India..

Below Antarctic sea, a lost world of unknown species

British Scientists have discovered what they claim is a ” lost world ” of unknown species nearly 8, 000 feet deep on sea floor off the coast of Antarctica —- kept alive by undersea volcanoes.

The stem cells that can produce different cells in an eye were identified by Nural stemcells Institute of Regenerative Research Foundation Scientist Sally Temple on 5 January 2012.

AIDS vaccine for monkeys raises hopes for humans

Scientists in Washington have developed a new vaccine that partially protects monkeys from an infection much similar to HIV, a breakthrough which they say could be a new weapon in the battle against AIDS. Hydrogen – driven three – wheelers.

 The world got its first fleet of hydrogen – fuelled three – wheelers on 9 Jan. 2012 when seven vehicles were unvieled at the ongoing Auto Expo 2012 in New Delhi.  Called ‘ HyAlfa ‘, the three – wheeler is almost zero-emission vehicle while its fuel consumption is substantially lower as compared to 1kg of hydrogen giving 80 km mileage.The three-wheelers have been developed under a project DelHy 3W, of the United Nations Industrial Development organisation ( UNIDO’s ) Internal Centre for Hydrogen Energy Technologies ( UNIDO-ICHET ) in association with Mahindra & Mahindra and IIT Delh, besides being supported by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy ( MNRE ).

Acer unveils world’s thinnest laptop. The Taiwan-based computer titan Acer unveiled the world’s thinnest laptop in Las Vegas on 9 January 2012.

New earthworm species discovered in Port Blair

Pointing to the rich biodiversity of the Andaman and Nicobar islands , a team of researchers from Thiruvanthapuram has identified a new species of earthworm on 10 January 2012.  The species has been named “”Moniligaster ivaniosi”" .

Two more planets orbiting binary stars discovered

Kepler-34 b, Kepler-35 b binary star systems have low-density gas plannets orbiting them..More than 700 planets orbiting a star ( extrasolar planets ) have been discovered till date.  But a planet orbiting two stars was more in the realms of fiction recently. Scientists on 11 January 2012 discovered two circumbinary planets Kepler – 34 b and Kepler – 35 b orbiting binary stars.

Morocco Rocks Come From Mars

Scientists have cliamed that chunks of a meteorit which fell in Moracco last Jully 2011 were from Mars .which happened once in every fifty years .

World Smallest 3D Map Created . Scientists have created a miniature world map which has now been accepted by the Guinness World Record as the worlds smallest 3D map  .A map which can only seen through a microscope .

11 Solar Systems . NASA ‘s kepler telescope has discovered 26 new planets spread among 11 solar systems.

---

PERSONS IN NEWS

A) Appointments

A P K Reddy has been appointed as the new president of the AP Smallscale Industrial Societies Federation on 3 January 2012.

Yahoo appoints Paypal’s Scott Thompson as new CEO 4 months after firing Carol Bartz on 4 January 2012.

Muralidharan takes charge as Coast Guard Chief. Vice – Admiral M P Muralidharan has taken charge as the 19th Director General of the Indian Coast Guard on 6 January 2012.

Farida Group Chairman, Raffiq Ahmed was appointed as the new President of Federation of Indian Exports Organisation ( FIEO ) on 7 January 2012

T.G. Venkatesh elected chief of APBA
Minister for Minor and Lift Irrigation T.G. Venkatesh has been elected the new president of Andhhra Pradesh Badminton Association ( APBA ) on 8 January 2012.

B D Park is Samsung India’s new MD. Consumer Electronics and mobile phone major Samsung India Electronics on 9 Jan. 2012 announced the appointment of BD Park as its new managing director and the president and CEO of its South-West Asia operations.

NGRI gets new Director

Prof. Mrinal K. Sen has been appointed as the new Director of the National Geophysical Research Institute ( NGRI ), a part of the Council of the Scientific and Industrial Research ( CSIR ) on 10 January 2012.

UTIMF gets an interim chief

Imtaiyazur Rahman has been appointed as the interim chief executive officer of UTI Mutual Fund, the fifth largest fund house in India by assets under management ( AUM ).

B) Resigns

VS Achuthanandan offers to resign as Opposition Leader

Stung by the allegations of corruption and a vigilance FIR registered against him, former Kerala CM and CPM leader VS Achuthanandan has offered to quit the post of Opposition leader in the State Assembly on 13 January 2012.

Pawar To Make Retirement . National Congress Party ( N C P ) Cheif and Maratha strongman  Sharad Pawar has annouced that , he will not contest the next Loksabha election and make way for younger leadership . he will be copleting his 45 yrs in politics .

C) Deaths

Dancer who brought Bharatnatyam to Mao’s China dies

Chinese dancer Zhang Jun, who brought Bharatnatyam and Kathak to Mao’s China in the 1950s and inspired thousands to follow her passion for classical Indian culture over a celebrated five decade-long teaching career , passed away in Beijing on 10 January 2012 after a long battle with cancer.  She was 79.

India’s 1st  woman photo journalist passes away . Homai Vyarawalla, the country’s first woman photojournalist died in Vadodara on 15 January 2012.

Indai’s Water man Passes Away

Dr .C.H.Krishnamurthy Rao, chairman 7 managing director of Chemfab Alkalies Ltd  passes away on 20 th Jan 2012 .he was known as water man.

Deputy Cheif Minister Passes Away. Former Deputy cheif minister c.Jaganatharao passes away on 23 rd Jan 2012 .

Intellectual Writer Died. Sukumar Azhikode , award winning writer , scholar and probaly the most influential gandhian died on 24th Jan 2012 .

M . O . H Farook Passes Away . kerala Governor and three times Puducherry Cheif Minister and M P  M. O .H Farook died in chennai on 26 th Jan2012.

First Music Arranger Died . India ‘s first music arranger Anthony Prabhu Gonsalves deid on 18 th Jan 2012 .

D) Visitors

Pak army Chief leaves for China

pakistan Army Chief Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kayani went to China on a five – day official visit to China at the invitation of the Chinese leadership on 4 January 2012.

Saudi Arabia  Minister of Commerce, Taffic Bin Fazhan Al – Rabia, who is on a visit to India met Union Minister of Commerce & In dustry, Anand Sharma.  Trade between both the countries exceeded Rs. 2,500 crore dollars in the year 2010 – 11.

Trinidad PM visit to India

Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar visited India on 6 January 2012.  Both the countries agreed for 5 Pacts.

Bangladesh PM in Tripura

Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheik Hasina visited Tripura on Jan 11, 2012.  She met Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar.  She has been invited to receive an honourary doctorate from Tripura Univesity.  This is the first visit by a Bangladesh Prime Minister to Tripura, which played an important role in Bangladesh’s War of Liberation in 1971.  She also addressed India-Bangladesh Business Meet, organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry ( CII ) and the Federation of Bangladesh chambers of Commerce ( FBCCI ) in association with government of Tripura.

Nepal Deputy PM on a 4-day visit to India

Nepal Deputy Prime Minister, Mr Bijaya Kumar Gachhadar has been on a 4-day visit to India to hold talks on security issues.  During his stay in New Delhi, Mr Gachhadar, who is also the country’s Home Minister, will meet his Indian Counterpart Mr P Chidambaram, and Defence Minister, Mr A K Antony, among others.

Visit Of InBer CEO CarlorBrito To India

The worlds largest brewer AB InBER , Carlos Brito has been visited  to India in the last weak of  Jan  2012 .Brito now heads the joint exiting  making him one of  the top 30 global CEO’s in the world .

Thailand P M Visits India

Thailand  Prime Minister Yingluck Shina Watra has visited India  25 th Jan 2012 . she will be our cheif guest for 63 rd Republic Day celebrations at red fort.

1.5 Lakh Indains Visited Srilanka In 2011

In the period from Jan to Nov in 2011, 1.5 lakh Indian people has been visited Srilanka out of the total of about 6.5 lakh tourists ,and the numbers from India are expected to reach an all time high due to the International Criket committie ‘s Twenty-20 World Cup being held in Srilanka this year .

E) Miscellaneous

$376 m Stock Award for Cook. The one-time stock award worth for Apple’s CEO is the largest given by a company in a decade.

Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook received a one-time stock award worth nearly $400 million , the largest given by a company in a decade on 10 January 2012.

Gilani not an honest man, says Pak SC. Pakistan’s Supreme Court on 10 Jan 2012 said PM Yousaf Raza Gilani was”not an honest man” and slammed hid government for “wilful disobedience” while warning him that he could be removed from office if he does not take action on corruption cases against president Zardari.

Zardari flies to Dubai

Pakistan president Asif Ali Zardari flew out on a surprise trip to Dubai on 12 January 2012.  Although it was described as a one-day private visit, his sudden disappearance at a time of government military stand off triggered by memogate fuel speculation that he may not return.

British royal faces 22-yr jail in Turkey over TV documentary

The Duchess of York, Sarah Ferguson is reportedly facing more than 20 years in jail, after Turkey authorities charged for breaching “”privacy”" of orphans in the country by secretly filming them for a TV documentary.

Suu Kyi launches  bid for Parliament. Myanmar opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi launched her historic bid for a seat in Parliament on 18 Jan. 2012.  The Nobel Peace Prize winner is standing in April 1 by-elections.

---

PLACES IN NEWS

7.0 Magnitude Earthquake hits Japan

A strong earthquake with a strong magnitude of 7.0 struck heavily eastern and northern Japan on 1 January 2012, but there were dno immediate reports of injuries or damages or no tsunami warning issued  .

---

ABBREVIATIONS IN NEWS

AFSPA – Armed Forces Special Powers Act

AMC – Asset Management Company.

CII – Confederation of Indian Industry.

CRR – Cash Reserve Ratio.

FIU – Financial Intelligence Unit. . FDI – Foreign Direct Investment.

FIR – First information Report.

NCM – National Commission for Minorities.

NCTC – National Counter Terrorism Centre .

NEET – National Eligibility cum Entrance Test.

NIA – National Investigation Agency .

NPA – Non Performing Asset.

NREGS – National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme.

NTPC – National Thermal Power Corporation.

NASA – National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

SEBI – Securities and Exchange Board of India.

SAIL – Steel Authority of India Limited.

FCCB – Foreign Currency Convertible Bonds.

WPI – Wholesale Price Index.

IPICOL – Industrial Promotion and Investment Corporation of Odisha Ltd .

UIDAI – Unique Identification Authority of India .

IAMAI -Internet And Mobile Association of India .

FCCB – Foreign Reliant Iregated Area Development .Currency Convertible Deberture .

A P R P R P – Andhra Pradesh Rural Powerty Reduction Project.

T R I AD  - Tank Reliant Iregated Area Development .

I W A I – Inland Waterways Authority Of India

O E C D -Organisation For Economic – Cooperation and Development .

A I B E A – All India Bank Employees Association .

N  R E D C A P – New and Renewable Enenrgy Development Corporation of Andhra Pradesh .

J N N S M  - Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission .

T R R A I N – Trust For Retailers and Retail Associates of India .

F I E O – The F ederation Of Indian Export Organisation .

M M R C A  - Meduim Multi Role Combat Aircraft .

P H C G – Publicis Healthcare Communications Group .

---

BOOKS IN NEWS

Visually challenged boy pens Novel

Inspired by author J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter and series , a visually challenged 18 year-old Viswanath Venkat Dasari from a former’s family in Gokavaram of East Godavari District, has spent seven years of his life and wrote a book ‘Pharaoh and the King’, a story based on Indian and Egyptian mythology.  The book was published by Author House, UK. Priced at $19.95, the book was released in the United States and the United Kingdom.

---

COMMITTEES IN NEWS

The Supreme Court – appointed empowered committee heard the submission made by Kerala and Tamil Nadu on the Mullaperiyar Dam issue on 2 Jan 2012.  Kerala complained to the empowered committee headed by former Chief Justice of India, Justice A S Anand that a survey done by the expert panel last month was biased and the panel had supported Tamil Nadu during its inspection of the dam site.

A two – member export panel comprising C D Thatte and D K Mehta had visited the dam site after Kerala expressed fears in the wake of recent tremours in the area.

---

DAYS &DATES

March  02 – Common Wealth Day .

March 08 – International Womens Day , International Literacy Day.

March 13 – World Kidney Day .

March 15 – Worlds Disabled Day , World Consumers Day.

March 08 – Ordnance Foctories Day.

March 21 – World Sleep Day ,World Forestry Day , International Day For The Elimination of Racial Discrimination.

March 22 – World Day For Water.

March 23 – World Meterological Day .

March 24 – World TB Day , Internation Day For Achievers .

March 25 – International Day Of Remembrance .

March 26 – Bangladesh Day .

March 27 – World Drama Day.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Full credit to currentaffairs.freejobalert; the article is shared here for easy of reference to aspirants. 

(courtesy @ currentaffairs.freejobalert)