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Home , Charles Cornelius, Gao Yaojie, Jyotirmoyee Sikdar, Kunjarani Devi, Miss Universe 2003, Shafaat Ahmed Khan

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Round-up of Current General Knowledge ABBREVIATIONS TIN: Tax Information Network. immigrant Australian-Mexican cartoonist ADAMS: Anti-Doping Administration and USO: Universal Service Obligation. with a history of hard core drugs taking, Management. US VISIT: Visitor and debts, gambling and unapologetic theft, has ADC: Access Deficit Charge. Immigrant Status Indicator Technology. been given the award for his novel Vernon AJT: Advanced Jet Trainer. WADA: World Anti-Doping Agency. God Little. DBC, short for “dirty but clean”, is ASIMO: Advanced Step in Innovative WMD: Weapons of Mass Destruction. the pseudonym of Peter Finlay. Mobility. Cannes Film Festival, 2003: Golden AUM: Assents Under Management. AVIATION palm for best picture: Elephant. Best director: BPO: Business Process Outsourcing. First Indian civilian plane: Saras, Van Sant (Elephant). Best actress: Marie-Josee CAS: Conditional Access System. ’s first civilian aircraft, rolled out of the Croze (The Barbarian Invasion). Best actor: CDMA: Code Division Multiple Access. hangar in mid-February, 2003, to take part in Muzaffer Ozdemir and Mehmet Emin Toprak CERT: (Indian) Computer Emergency the Bangalore air show. The 14-seater light shared prize for their role in Turkish film Response Team. multi-role transport aircraft is mainly intend- Distant. CRDi: Common Rail Direct injection. ed for use in far-flung, remote and hilly areas Communal harmony award, FRBM: Fiscal Responsibility and Budget of the country. Saras has been built indige- 2002: Begum Syeda Chishti. The award, Management. nously by the National Aerospace carrying a cash prize of Rs one lakh, was GEAC: Genetic Engineering Approval Laboratories (NAL), Bangalore, in collabora- instituted in 1996 by the National Foundation Committee. tion with Hindustan Aeronautics (HAL) and for Communal Harmony, set up by the gov- GPRS: General Packet Radio Service. several private enterprises. ernment as an autonomous organisation. HHTI: Hand-held Thermal Imager. Dada Saheb Phalke Award, HITS: Headend In The Sky. AWARDS 2001: Noted director-producer Yash IBF: Indian Broadcasting Foundation. Arjuna awards, 2003: Anju B. Chopra. The award is the top honour of film INXFAC: Indian Naval Extra-Fast Attack George (athletics), (cricket), industry of India. The award carries a cash Craft. Gagan Ajit Singh (hockey), Mamta Kharab prize of Rs 2 lakh, a shawl and a Swarna ISAF: International Stabilisation and (hockey), I.M. Vijayan (football), Ravikant Kamal. Assistance Force (in Afghanistan). Reddy (volleyball), T.M. Muthu (weightlifting), Dewang Mehta award for inno- IYFW: International Year of Fresh Water. Nitin Mongia (sailing), Suma Shirur (shoot- vation in IT: The first award, instituted by MAI: Multilateral Agreement on ing), Anwar Sultan (shooting), Alok Kumar the department of information technology, Investment. (billiards & snooker), Md Ali Qamar (boxing), has been given to the Simputer Trust team. NCA: Nuclear Command Authority. K. Sasikiran (chess), Shiv Kapur (golf), Ram The award comprises Rs 5 lakh, a trophy and NHDP: National Highways Development Mehar Singh (kabaddi), Mantu Ghosh (table certificates. Project. tennis), Palawinder Cheema (wrestling), Dr B.C. Roy Award, 2002: Eminent NPSM: National Programme on Smart Sujeet Mann (wrestling), Saraswati Saha (ath- surgeon and head of PGIMER, Chandigarh’s Materials. letics), Inder Pal Singh (rowing), Ramesh general surgery department, Prof J.D. OBU: Offshore Banking Unit. Tikaram (disabled athlete). The winners got Rs 3 Dronacharya Awards, 2003: Renu SARS: Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome. lakh each, statuette and a scroll. Kohli (athletics), Jaswant Singh (athletics), SDCA: Short Distance Calling Area. Ashoka Chakra, 2003: Paratrooper M.K. Kaushik (hockey), E. Prasad Rao SFC : Strategic Forces Command. Sanjog Chhetri of 9 Para (Special Forces) has (Kabaddi) and H.D. Motivala (yachting) have SMART: Small Missions for Advanced been posthumously awarded the country’s won the award. The prize consists of Rs 3 Research and Technology. highest peacetime award, Ashoka Chakra, for lakh each, statuette and a scroll. SMS: Subscriber Management System; Short single-handedly killing three militants dur- Trophy, 2003: Ram Message Service. ing Operation Sarp Vinash in the Surankote Kumar (basketball), Dharma Singh Mann SPIN: Software Process Improvement area of J&K. (hockey), Charles Cornelius (hockey), Om Networks. Bihari Puruskar, 2002: Noted writer Prakash (volleyball), Smita Shirole Yadav (row- SPOT: Smart Personal Objects Technology. Vijaydan Detha for his work Sapanpriya. The ing). SSN: Social Security Number. award is given for a literary work in Hindi Economic Times Awards for STB: Set Top Box. authored by a writer from Rajasthan. It car- Corporate Excellence, 2002-03: ET TDSAT: Telecom Dispute Settlement ries a cash prize of Rs one lakh. Award for Lifetime Achievement: Deepak Appellate Tribunal. Booker Prize, 2003: DBC Pierre, an Parekh of HDFC. At 57, he is the youngest-

583 ! JANUARY 2004 ! THE COMPETITION MASTER SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT ever to receive the award, following the likes stoves got the Award for Food Security money of Rs 1 lakh each. of and . and Moel Moelegan who developed an Kirti Chakra, 2003: India’s second ET’s Business Leader of the Year: Kumar innovative wind farm received the Ashden highest peace-time gallantry award, has been Mangalam Birla, chairman of AV Birla Group. Award for the UK. awarded to Havildar Rudal Prasad (posthu- At 36, he is the youngest-ever to receive this Hero India Sports Awards, 2003: mously) of the Indian Army’s 4 Bihar regi- award. Company of The Year: Ranbaxy, Kabaddi: B.C. Ramesh. Weightlifting: N. ment, alongwith Naik of Mahar India’s pharmaceutical pioneer. Emerging . Shooting: . (30 Rashtriya Rifles) and commando Surjan Company of The Year: I-flex Solutions, whose Golf: Jyoti Randhawa. Hockey: Dhanraj Singh of NSG. banking software product has been tried and Pillay. Football: Baichung Bhutia. Chess: Macgreagor Medal: Group Capt R.K. tech-ted around the globe. Entrepreneur of Vishwanathan Anand. Badminton: P. Makker, Squadron Leader R.T.S. Chhina and the Year: V.G. Siddhartha, for creating a Gopichand. Tennis: . Cue Lt Col N.J. Kargaonkar, for undertaking pio- national brand and lifestyle chain Café Coffee Sports: . Cricket: . neering reconnaissance in Siachen glacier and Day from a commodity business. Athletics: Neelam J. Singh. Other Sports: the icy frontier in Karakoram facing . Businesswoman of The Year: , for Palwinder Cheema (Wrestling). Male young Magsaysay awards, 2003: For creating the mammoth business network that achiever: Shiv Kapur (Golf). Female young government service: Chief Election is SEWA. Global Indian of the Year: Amar achiever: (Chess). Best team: Commissioner of India, J.M. Lyngdoh, for Gopal Bose, the legendary creator of the Women’s hockey team. Sportsman of the “his convincing validation of free and fair world’s greatest sound systems. Corporate year: V. Anand. Sportswoman of the year: elections as the foundation and best hope of Citizen of The Year: The Godrej Group, for its Anjali Bhagwat. Lifetime achievement: Kapil secular democracy in India”. long and proven contribution to the social Dev. For community leadership: Indian social sector. Peace Prize, 2002: worker , for “guiding the peo- G.D. Birla award for scientific Former Commonwealth Secretary-General ple of Andhra Pradesh to end the scourge of research, 2002: Dr P.P. Majumdar, Sir Shridath Ramphal, for the “great services and send all of their children to Professor and Head of Anthropology and rendered for peace, disarmament and devel- school”. Human Genetics at the Indian Statistical, for opment in the last three decades.” For public service: Dr , a his significant contribution to the field of Indira Gandhi award for National reitred Chinese gynaecologist, who received human genetics and evolution. Integration, 2003: Acharya Mahaprajna the public service award for “her fervent per- Gandhi Peace Prize, 2003: Vaclav has been selected for his contribution to the sonal crusade to confront the AIDS crisis in Havel, former President of , cause of non-violence, communal harmony China and to address it humanely”. has been selected for the Prize, for his out- and national integration. For peace and international under- standing contribution towards promoting Jamnalal Bajaj awards, 2003: For standing: Japanese physician Tetsu peace and defending human rights. outstanding contribution in the field of con- Nakamura, a leading volunteer health work- Grammy awards, 45th: Record of structive work: Ravindranath Upadhyay, er in Afghanistan and , for “his pas- the year: Don't know why, Norah Jones. who lives in Kumarikata, Assam. For appli- sionate commitment to ease the pains of war, Album of the year: Come Away with Me, cation of Science and Technology for Rural disease and calamity among refugees and the Norah Jones. Song of the year: Don’t know Development: Vinayak Patil of Satpur, Nasik. mountain poor of the Afganistan-Pak border- why, Norah Jones. New artist: Norah Jones. For Uplift and Welfare of Women and lands”. Pop vocal album: Come Away with Me, Norah Children (instituted in the memory of For emergent leadership: Aniceto Jones. Rock album: The Rising, Bruce Jankidevi Bajaj): Alice Garg of Jaipur. Guterres Lopes, chairman of ’s Springsteen. Rap album: The Eminern Show, International award for promoting Commission for Reception, Truth and Eminern. Country album: Home, Dixie Gandhian values outside India: Mary E. King Reconciliation, for “his courageous stand for Chicks. of USA. justice and the rule of law during East Norah Jones is the daughter of Sitar Each of the awards consists of a citation, a Timor’s turbulent passage to nationhood”. maestro Shankar. Her mother is an Trophy and a cash prize of Rs 5 lakhs. The first For journalism: Filipino journalist American. two awards were constituted in 1978 and the , founder and executive direc- Green Oscars, 2003: , Award for the Upliftment and Welfare of Women tor of Philippine Center for Investigative founder of the Barefoot College, Tilonia in and Children in 1980. The International award Journalism. Rajasthan, who provided lighting using solar was instituted in 1988, in commemoration of the Maulana Abul Kalam Azad panels in over 136 remote and virtually inac- birth centenary of Jamnalal Bajaj. Trophy, 2003: Guru Nanak Dev cessible Himalayan villages bagged the Jnanpith award, 37th: 90-year-old University, Amritsar has once again won the Ashden Award for Community Welfare, Gujarati poet Rajendra Keshavial Shah is the Trophy for being the overall winner in Inter- while S.P. Gon Choudhuri, a leading special- winner. He is the third Gujarati to have won University sports competition. The prize con- ist in renewable energy systems from West the award after Umashanker Joshi (1967) and sists of Rs 2 lakh in cash and a trophy. Bengal was chosen for the Ashden Award for Pannalal Patel (1985). National Film Awards, 50th: Best Enterprise. K.K. Birla Foundation sports feature film: Mondo Meyer Upakhyan Afworki Tesfazion of Eritrea who awards, 2002: Krishnan Sasikiran and (Bengali), directed by Budhadeb Dasgupta. invented smokeless and fuel-efficient clay Gagan Ajit Singh. The awards carry award Best actor (male): Ajay Devgan, for playing

584 ! JANUARY 2004 ! THE COMPETITION MASTER SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT the title role in The Legend of Bhagat Singh. Robert F. Engle of USA and Clive W.J. Pulitzer board. Each prize is worth $7500, Best actress (female): Konkana Sen Sharma, Granger of Britain, for methods analyzing except for public service, in which a paper for her “strong portrayal of a Tamil Brahman economic time series with time-varying receives a gold medal. woman caught between an orthodox mindset volatility and common trends. For peace: Khel Ratna award, and human compassion”, in Mr and Mrs Iyer. Iranian lawyer Shirin Ebadi, a human rights 2003: K.M. Beenamol (athletics) and Anjali Best director: for her movie Mr and democracy activist, for her efforts that Bhagwat (shooting) have been given the and Mrs Iyer. Best supporting actor: include promoting the rights of women and award. Both share the prize money of Rs 5 lakh Chandrasekhar for Nanba Nanba (Tamil). Best children in Iran. She is first Muslim woman and have received a scroll and a medal each. supporting actress: Rakhi for Shubhu to win the award. Rajiv Gandhi National Sadbha- Muhurat. Best Child Artist: Shweta Prasad Oscar awards, 2003: Best film: vana award, 10th: Journalist Teesta for Makadee and Keertana for Kannathil Chicago. Best Director: Roman Polanski (The Setalvad and retired IAS officer and activist Mutthamittal. Best female playback singer: Pianist). Best actor: Adrien Brody (The Harsh Mander, for their “outstanding contri- Shreya Ghosal (Devdas). Best male playback Pianist). Best actress: Nicole Kidman (The bution towards communal harmony and singer: . Best choreographer: Hours). Best supporting actor: Chris Cooper national integration”. The award carries a Saroj Khan (Devdas). Best music director: A.R. (Adaptation). Best supporting actress: Zeta- citation and a cash prize of Rs 2.5 lakh. Rahman, for the song and background music Jones (Chicago). Best foreign film: Nowhere in Republic Day awards, 2003: in Tamil film Kannathil Muthamittal. Best film Africa (). Honorary Oscar: Peter : No one has been conferred for providing wholesome entertainment: O’Toole. with Bharat Ratna for year 2003. Padma Devdas. Dutt award for best film on Pravasi Bharatiya Samman, Vibhushan: Noted danseuse , national integration: Mr and Mrs Iyer. Best 2002: Fatima Meer, the South African former Chief Minister Kazi Lhendup Children's film: Baaja, directed by Aparna Gandhian and civil rights activist, who also Dorji, well-known litterateur Balram Nanda Sen. Best Biographical film: Meeting Manjeet, wrote the most authoritative biography of and ayurvedic doctor Vaid Bhrishaspati Dev a film on painter Manjit Bawa, directed by Nelson Mandela, is among those honoured. Triguna have been honoured with Padma Budhadeb Dasgupta. Best non-feature film: Other winners are: Prime Minister Vibhushan, India’s second highest civilian Narayan Gangaram Surve, directerd by Arun Sir Aneerood Jugnauth, British Liberal award. : Prominent among Khopkar. Best first film: Abhijit Chaudhari Democratic Party Chief Lord Navnit the 34 awardees are: industrialists for Patal Ghar (Bengali) and Subhadro Dholakia, international statesman Sir Sridath Harishankar Singhania and Jamshed Godrej, Chaudhury for Prohor (Bengali). Best feature Ramphal of , Malaysian minister actor , noted Ghazal films in regional languages: Assamese: Deto Seri S. Sami Wellu, business tycoon Singer , noted heart specialist Konikar Ramdhenu (Dir: ). Kanaksi Gokaldas Khimji of Oman, former Purshottam Lal and journalists T.V.R. Shenoy Bengali: Shubho Muhurat (Dir : Rituparno premier of British Columbia Ujjal Dossanjee and . Ghosh). Hindi: The Legend of Bhagat Singh and McKinsey CEO Rajat Gupta. The two foreigners who have been given (Dir: Raj Kumar Santoshi). Malayalam: Prem Bhatia award, 2001-02: Padma Bhushan are Russian Dr Herbert Nizhalkoothu (Dir: ). Resident editor of of India, Alexandrovich Yefromov for science and Marathi: Vastupurushi (Dir: Sumitra Bhave, Ahmedabad, Kingshuk Nag, and assistant engineering and Herbert Fischer from Sunil Sukhtankar). Tamil: Kannathil editor Bharat Desai for their coverage of the Germany for public affairs. Muthamittal (Dir: ). Kannada: communal violence in . Padma Shri: Among the prominent per- Singaravya (Dir: T.S. Nagabharana). Pulitzer Prize, 2003: For public sonalities who have been given Padma Shri Gujarati, Punjabi, Oriya, Telegu: No Awards. service: Boston Globe for its courageous, are famous athlete , for- English: Stumble (Dir: Prakash Belawadi). comprehensive coverage of sexual abuse by mer cricketer turned umpire Srinivas Nobel Prizes, 2003: For literature: priests. For Breaking News Reporting: Staff Venkataraghavan, instrumental musician South African writer J.M. Coetzee, “who in of Eagle Tribune for its detailed, well crafted Ustad Shafaat Ahmed Khan, Carnatic musi- innumerable guises portrays the surprising stories on the accidental drowning of four cian T.M. Soundarajan and prominent moun- involvement of the outsider”. For medicine: boys in the Merrimack river. For taineer from Uttaranchal Kanhaiya Lal Paul Lauterbur, 74 of the US and Peter Investigative Reporting: Clifford J. Levy of Pokhriyal. Francis Dore from is the Mansfield, 70, of Britain, for their discoveries New York Times for his vivid, brilliantly only foreigner to be given the Padma Shri. concerning Magnetic Resonance Imaging written series “Broken Homes”. For National Shankar Puruskar, 2002: Dr (MRI). For physics: Alexie A. Abrikosov of Reporting: Alan Miller and Kevin Sack of Los Biswambhar Pahi, for his work Vaisesiska shares the prize with two Americans, Angeles Times, for their examination of a Padarthavyavastha ke Paddhatimulka Vimarsa. Anthony J. Leggett and Vitaly L. Ginzburg, military aircraft, nicknamed “The Widow The award carries a cash prize of Rs 1.5 lakh for their work concerning two phenomena Maker” that was linked to the death of 45 and is given to honour an outstanding work called superconductivity and superfluidity. pilots. For International Reporting: Kevin published in Hindi, during the last ten years, For chemistry: Biochemists Peter Agre, 54, Sullivan and Mary Jordan of Washington Post, on Indian philosophy, culture and art. and Rodrick Mackinon, 47, of USA, for cell for their exposure of horrific conditions in Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar award, membrane discoveries seen as particularly ’s Criminal Justice System. 2003: Dr Chinmoy Sankar Dey, a professor valuable for illnes affecting kidneys, heart, The prizes are awarded by in the department of biotechnology at the muscles and nervous system. For economics: University on recommendations of the National Institute of Pharmaceutical

585 ! JANUARY 2004 ! THE COMPETITION MASTER SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT

Education and Research (NIPER) has been Emily Bronte. Middlemarch : George Eliot. over 30 years. It expands on the theme of cul- selected for the prestigious award for 2003. Rebecca : Daphne du Maurier. Persuasion : tural dilemmas and dislocations that charac- Dr Dey has been selected for his research on Jane Austen. Frankenstein: Mary Shelley. terised Interpreter of Maladies. developing a model for testing the newly Emma : Jane Austen. Unless : Carol Shields. Two Lives: Booker prize winner, developed anti-diabetic drugs without using To Kill A Mocking Bird : Harper Lee. Indian-born author Vikram Seth has received animals, which would bring down the cost of Boyhood: Scenes from Provincial an estimated 1.3 million pounds advance, the testing. Life: A memoir written by J.M. Coetzee, win- largest paid for a literary, non-fiction title, for STPI National awards: The Software ner of Nobel Prize for Literature, 2003, it tells a memoir he is now writing about his great Technology Parks of India (STPI), an the story of Coetzee’s halting struggle uncle. The memoir, Two Lives, tells the story autonomous society under Department of towards maturity. He has revealed the child- of Seth’s great uncle Shanti, an Indian and Information and Technology, has named hood sources of his fascination with lan- aunt Henny, a German Jew whom Shanti met Infosys, Wipro and Tata Consultancy Services guage. Raised in an English-speaking home in pre-war Germany as Hitler came to power. for the 2000-01 award. in spite of an Afrikaans background, he iden- Living History: Written by Hillary Tenzing Norgay National tifies himself as English, but also speaks flu- Clinton, wife of former US President Bill Adventure awards, 1999-2001: ent Afrikaans. Clinton, the book is her first pubic exposition Industrialist Vijaypat Singhania, who under- Brick Lane: Monica Ali’s first novel, a of the domestic stripe that accompanied the took a solo flight in a microlight aircraft from portrait of a woman’s life in the Bangladeshi- affair of Monica Lewinsky with President to India in 1988, to celebrate India’s dominated East End of London, has been Clinton. 40th Independence Day. Others who received year 2003’s most talked about fictional debut. Vernon God Little: Written by DBC the awards were : (1999) Lov Raj Singh While the first editions of Sherlock Holmes Pierre, an immigrant Australian-Mexican car- Dharmshaktu, Ratnamani Roy, Col H.S. classics by Arthur Conan Doyle have been toonist, it has won the author the prestigious Chauhan, S.D. Sharma. (2000) Kushang rated as Britain’s most valuable modern Booker Prize, 2003. The novel is a black com- Sherpa, Kamal Singh Oberh, Chalti Debarma, books, Brick Lane is the only book among the edy on a globalising modern culture of trash Rattan Singh Chauhan. (2001) Kulwant Singh works of young authors, apart from Zadie food and trash TV. Littered with expletives Dhami, Ramesh Chandra Tripathi, Barkha Smith’s White Teeth (published in 2000), to be and the coarsest of American teen-speak, it Kishore Kedia and Dorjee Ihatoo. listed as having the potential to command a offers a deeply satirical take on America’s Vachaspati Puruskar, 2002: Mohan high price some years from now. hideous outbreak of school shootings, its 24-7 Lal Sharma “Pandeya” has been selected for Elizabeth Costello: Eight Lessons: media culture and self-obsessed soccer the award for his novel Padmini. The award Written by J.M. Coetzee, winner of the Nobel moms. carries a cash prize of Rs one lakh and is prize for literature, 2003, this novel is a mix- given by K.K. Birla Foundation to honour a ture of essay and fiction. Other books written CONFERENCES writer for his work in Sanskrit, published by the author are: Disgrace, Waiting for the Ad Asia 2003: After a gap of 21 years, during the last ten years. Barbarians and In the Heart of the Country. Asia’s largest advertising and marketing Volvo Environment Prize, 2003: Harry Potter and the Order of the event—Ad Asia 2003—touched down on , one of the world’s foremost Phoenix: The fifth book in the Harry Potter Indian shores in Jaipur, between November ecological experts and best known for creat- series, it has become the best selling new 10 to 14, 2003. The purpose behind this con- ing India’s first biosphere in the endangered product ever. ference was to “provoke, distrub and leave Western Ghats, and ’s Ignited Minds: Unleashing the power people uncomfortable with what they were Mohammad Yunus, who through his revolu- within India: Written by Dr A.P.J. Abdul doing”. tionary concept of microcredit empowered Kalam, the book tackles the scientists’ poor millions worldwide, have been con- favourite theme, that of engaging minds of COMMISSIONS; COMMITTEES ferred the prestigious award. The two win- children and building resources for the Competition Commission: The ners will equally share the prize money of 1.5 future. Competition Commission will govern major million Swedish kroner, or about $95,000 Life and Times of Michael K, The: mergers, amalgamations and takeovers, and each. This is the fourth novel to be written by J.M. also decide on competition and market dom- Coetzee, winner of 2003 Nobel prize for liter- inance issues, replacing MRTPC. BOOKS ature. It won him the Booker Prize in 1983. It The Competition Act would become Arundhati Roy 20th in greats list is the story of a young gardener abandoned operational in three stages. In the first year, of novels by women: Arundhati Roy’s after his mother’s death in , the commission would concentrate on com- Booker Prize-winning novel The God of Small whose administration is collapsing after petition advocacy, in the second, it would Things was voted twentieth best in a list of the years of civil strife. start looking into trade practices that are seen best 50 novels by women. Namesake, The: The debut novel of as anti-competition. Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice was Pulitzer prize winner Jhumpa Lahiri, The Mergers and acquisitions that would voted the “best loved novel”. Namesake explores the immigrant experi- have appreciable adverse impact on competi- The 10 best are: ence and the clash of cultures in the US. The tion would be regulated by the commission Pride and Prejudice : Jane Austen. Jane Namesake is about the assimilation of an only from the third year of its existence. Eyre : Charlotte Bronte. Wuthering Heights: Indian family, the Gangulys, into America MRTPC will cease to exist a year from

586 ! JANUARY 2004 ! THE COMPETITION MASTER SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT the notification of the Bill as an Act. rice among growing populations and produc- a 21-year old demand of IAF, aimed at reduc- Mashelkar Committee: The Mashel- tion constraints for the commodity. ing accidents due to pilot inexperience. The kar Committee, set up by the Union Health The Year of Rice was created in a delivery will commence after 35 months of Ministry to chalk out an action plan to tackle response to a proposal made in 2002 by 44 signing of contract and all 66 aircraft are the spurious drugs menace, has recommend- UN member States. They noted a “pending expected to be available to the IAF within six ed death penalty for those who manufacture crisis” in the state of rice production. Of 840 years. and distribute fake drugs. As a minimum million people suffering from chronic hunger, An AJT like the British Hawk is a light- deterrent, the committee has proposed to more than half lived in areas dependent on attack two-seat trainer. It helps in grooming make the offence non-bailable with a mini- rice production for food, income and employ- rookie pilots who dream of becoming fully mum imprisonment for three months. ment. operational fighter pilots. It has also recommended amendments to the The Year of Rice will act as a catalyst for IAF cadets are currently at a big disad- Drugs and Cosmetics Act so that it becomes country-driven programs throughout the vantage. Stage I sees them train on piston- equipped to punish the guilty. world, as per FAO statement. engined HPT-32 Deepaks; Stage-II on HJT-16 Global Girls Football Day: Children turbojet Kirans; Stage-III takes them straight CYBER SPACE around the world celebrated Global Girls to the supersonic MiG-21s. AJTs are needed New speed record: Internet data Football Day on October 11. Taking place one to bridge the gap between the Kirans and transfer will now be faster than ever before. day before the Women’s World Cup champi- MiGs. According to a report in New Scientist, an onship match in Los Angeles, marked INXFAC-82 Extra-fast craft for enhanced transatlantic link and some experi- UNICEF and FIFA’s efforts to open up new Indian Navy: has supplied Indian mental Internet routers have enabled an avenues for girls in the developing world. Navy the Extra-Fast Attack Craft, INXFAC- international research group to more than UNICEF and FIFA teamed up in 2003 to high- 82, the third in the series of XFAC class of ves- double the world speed record for Internet light two crucial areas of child development sels to have been acquired by India from the data transfer. that are often absent or overlooked for girls Israel Aircraft Industries. Researchers at the CERN particle because of poverty and discrimination: the The fastest craft in its class of vessels in physics laboratory in sent the right to play and the right to education. The India’s possession, the INXFAC-82 can travel equivalent of a DVD movie to the California FIFA Women’s World Cup USA 2003 was at a top speed of 40 knots per hour or 75 kms Institute of Technology in just seven seconds. dedicated to Go Girls! per hour. It can move swiftly to the place of The total amount of data sent over the Centenary year of recorded music action, and deliver fast attack. Being a fast 7000 kilometre link was 1.1 terabytes. The in India: November 11, 1902 was the day the craft, it can also be used for ferrying marine average transfer rate was 5.44 gigabits per first song rendered by artist Gauhar Jaan was commandos to the destination. second (Gbps), smashing the previous record recorded in India by the Gramophone The craft is equipped with two 20 mm of 2.38 Gbps, set in February 2003. Typewriter Ltd. The Information and Oerlikon rapid-fire guns, linked to an electro- News search site on Google: Broadcasting Ministry, Doordarshan and All optic detection and tracking system. It is pro- Google, the popular Internet search engine, India Radio have decided to pay a tribute to vided with the latest hull, structural, hydro- has launched a new site for searching news her and other singers by declaring the year dynamic and propulsion features to achieve from 4,000 English language sources, from 2002-03 as the centenary year of recorded excellent shallow water capability, manoeu- to small town newspa- music in India. vrability and top speed. The acquisition of pers. The new service, called Google News, is International Year of Fresh Water this platform would further reinforce Navy’s accessible through a tab on the Google start (IYFW): The declared 2003 as reconnaissance capabilities. page (http://www.google.com/). the international year of fresh water. The aim Astra missile test-fired successful- Worm Slammer gives a tight sock was to raise awareness of the importance of ly: India took the first step towards joining a to Servers Worldwide: On January 25, protecting and managing fresh water. One of select group of nations by successfully test- 2003, the world of Internet was hit hard dur- the main events of the year was the third firing a prototype of the Beyond Visual Range ing the global attack by a fast-spreading com- World Water Forum, held in Kyoto, on (BVR) air-to-air missile Astra from the puter worm, in what experts called the most March 16-23, 2003. Chandipur interim test range on May 9, 2003. damaging attack on the Internet in 18 Non-resident Indian day: The gov- IAF’s frontline fighters like Sukhoi-30 months. The worm, known as “SQL” ernment of India decided to celebrate January MKIs and Mirage-2000s are currently armed (“sequel”) Slammer, targeted a known weak- 9, 2003 as the first Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas with some expensive BVR missiles of French ness in Microsoft Corp’s software to shut (non-resident Indian day). and Russian origin, like the ‘Matra Super 530 down powerful server computers—clogging D’ and ‘AA-12 Adder’. the pipelines of the worldwide network. DEFENCE Armed forces to get new chop- Air Force to get Hawk AJTs: On pers: The armed forces are likely to acquire DAYS; YEARS September 3, 2003, the Cabinet committee on more multi-role Dhruv Advanced Light 2004 Year of Rice: The Food and Security cleared the purchase of 66 British Helicopters (ALHs) soon, with the defence Agriculture Organization (FAO) has declared Hawk 115Y Advanced Jet Trainers (AJT) for ministry having asked Hindustan 2004 the International Year of Rice, in an Indian Air Force, at a cost of Rs 8,000 crore. Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) to speed up the deliv- effort to highlight the increasing demands for With this, the government finally conceded to ery schedule.

587 ! JANUARY 2004 ! THE COMPETITION MASTER SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT

These choppers can be used for heli- in the western part of the country. The new since molecular research on the genetic diver- borne assaults, reconnaissance, air observa- dinosaur species was named Rajasaurus nar- sity among human populations pointed to a tion and close air-support. madensis, or “Regal reptile from the common ancestor in Africa. IL-78, first mid-air refueller Narmada”, after the Narmada River region Fossil of the largest known rodent inducted: As part of the plan to enhance its where the bones were found. found: It would be an exterminator’s worst long-range strategic strike capabilities, the The dinosaurs were between 8-10 nightmare: a 700 kg rodent with a voracious IAF has inducted an Ilyushin-78 flight refu- metres (25-30 feet) long, almost 70 per cent appetite and big teeth. Resembling a guinea elling aircraft into its “first dedicated force- the size of the Tyrannosaurus rex which inhab- pig grown to the size of a buffalo, the animal multiplier unit” based in Agra. ited North America, had a horn above their lived millions of years ago in a South The IL-78 tanker—the first of the six skulls, were relatively heavy and walked on American swamp and is thought to be histo- slated to join the IAF from Uzbekistan in a two legs, scientists said. They preyed on ry’s biggest rodent, researchers say. phased manner by the year-end—will enable long-necked herbivorous dinosaurs on the The fossil was unearthed in a semidesert IAF fighters like the multi-role Mirage-2000s, Indian subcontinent, during the Cretaceous area of , about 400 kilometres west the deep penetration Jaguars and the air- Period at the end of the dinosaur age, 65 mil- of Caracas. superiority Sukhoi-30MKIs to operate with lion years ago. extended ranges and flight times. Rajasaurus narmadensis is the first EXPEDITIONS INS Tarangini goes on friendship Abelisaur, or predator of the southern conti- Celebrating 50 years of Conquest voyage: The latest in India’s naval diplo- nent—comprising South America, Antarctica, of Everest: As part of the celebrations to macy is circumnavigation of the globe in a Africa, , and India—to mark the golden jubilee of Conquest of sail ship, INS Tarangini. The aim is further- be discovered in India. Everest, a seven-member Indo- joint ance of the ‘Bridges of Friendship’ across the The project was funded partly by the team set foot atop the world’s highest peak oceans concept enunciated at the Society. on May 29, 2003, the day International Fleet Review at Mumbai, two Scientists said they hope the discovery and Tenzing Norgay scaled it 50 years ago. years ago. Naval Chief Admiral Madhvendra will help explain the extinction of the Earlier, on May 23, 2003, Pemba Dorjie Singh flagged-off the “historic” 15-month dinosaurs and the shifting of the continents— Sherpa, a 25 year old guide, set a record for voyage from Kochi on January 23, 2003, the how India separated from Africa, the fastest ascent of Mt Everest, by reaching first of its kind to be undertaken by the Navy. Madagascar, Australia and Antarctica and the summit in 12 hours and 45 minutes. A Tarangini is a gentle, masted sail ship collided with Asia. Sherpa girl, Ming Kipa Sherpa, around 15 which is a throwback to a bygone era in sea- Skulls of pre-humans found: In the years old, is believed to have broken the manship. It’s the only one of its kind that the 1,60,000 year old fossilised skulls of two record for the youngest successful climber of Indian Navy has, and is used to expose adults and a child found in Ethiopia, scien- Mt Everest. She reached the top with her 30- young sailors to the natural elements, and tists think they see for the first time the faces year old sister Lakhpa Sherpa and her 24- train them to utilise the forces of nature. of the immediate ancestors of modern year old brother Mingma Gyalu Sherpa, as LCA christened Tejas: India’s Light humans. part of a Romanian expedition. Lakhpa Combat Aircraft (LCA)—the smallest single- Except for a few archaic characteristics, Sherpa became the first woman to conquer engine fighter plane in the world—has been the skulls are readily recognisable. They are everest three times. named. The lightweight, single engine, longer than their Neanderthal contempo- The standing record was held by Temba supersonic multi-role combat aircraft has raries from Eurasia or earlier ancestors. Their Chheri who reached the summit top in 2001. been developed by the Aeronautical midfaces are broad, but the nasal bones are He was 15 years and 18 days at that time. Development Agency (ADA) and is sched- tall and narrow. uled for delivery to the Indian Air Force by The discovery of the oldest near-modern HEALTH end 2007. human remains is considered a major step in The killer SARS infection: Scientists Stealth frigate Shivalik launched: establishing the time and place for the emer- believe that SARS belongs to a family of India’s first indigenous stealth frigate, INS gence of anatomically modern Homo-sapi- viruses that are also responsible for the com- Shivalik, was launched at Mazagon Dock on ens, probably 1,50,000 years ago, in Africa, as mon cold. It has a characteristic “crown like” April 18, 2003. The warship is one of three previous genetic studies suggested. appearance that gives the virus its name. stealth frigates planned under Project 17. The discovery team and other scientists In stage 1 of the infection, the virus The warship will be fitted with the latest said the research appeared to confirm the attaches itself to the host cell’s outer mem- surface-to-surface vertical launch missiles idea that modern humans originated in brane, injects itself into the cell and sheds its and the state-of-the art radar and communi- Africa and then spread into Asia and Europe. external shell, and infuses the host with viral cation equipment. In that case, they said, the Neanderthals, who material. became extinct in Europe 30,000 years ago, In stage 2 the invading virus replicates DISCOVERY could not have been direct forebears of itself by borrowing and rewriting the cellular Dinosaur species discovered in today’s humans. makeup of host. western India: United States and Indian The “out of Africa” hypothesis, forceful- In stage 3 the new virus particles multi- scientists have discovered a new carnivorous ly advocated by Dr Stringer among others, ply in the host cell which bursts open and dinosaur species in India after finding bones had gained wide support in the two decades dies. Viral particles thus released attack other

588 ! JANUARY 2004 ! THE COMPETITION MASTER SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT cells. and the Bay of Bengal. have 100 million barrels of oil. Availability of The first signs of SARS are deceptively Code-named Sagar Samriddhi, the project at least two million tonnes of additional oil common—headache and bodyache. The would entail a daily investment of $2.6m in and gas will reduce the country’s oil import symptoms closely resemble pneumonia. The search of one-third of an estimated 11 billion bill. It is another step towards reducing patient suffers from high fever and a nagging tonnes of oil and oil-equivalent gas reserves dependence on imports. dry cough. The later stages show shortness of lying unexplored in deep waters. ONGC strikes record Indian buy breath and respiratory problems. ONGC wins 15 oil and gas blocks overseas: In the biggest international The infection, however, is less infectious in NELP-IV: Oil and Natural Gas investment by any Indian company, ONGC than the influenza virus. Only 5 per cent of its Corporation (ONGC), in consortium with Videsh (OVL) will buy 25% of the Greater victims die. A cocktail of anti-viral drug rib- Hindustan Petroleum Corporation (HPCL) Nile Petroleum Operating Co., a Sudanese oil avirin and steroids has been used successful- has walked away with bulk of the 21 oil and field operating company, from Canadian oil ly in to treat the patients. gas exploration blocks, including - company Talisman Energy Inc. for $720m Konkan deep-water blocks, in the fourth (roughly Rs 3,600 crore). In volume terms the LEGISLATION round of New Exploration Licensing Policy field, with a production of over roughly 12 Free and Compulsory Education (NELP). ONGC, along with partners, won 15 million tonnes per annum, is the same as for Children Bill, 2003: The Bill is an blocks, while private sector Reliance India’s largest oil field, Bombay High. The attempt to operationalise the 86th Industries Ltd could manage only one. deal will increase India’s oil-equity and will Constitutional Amendment which made free Gasohol the fuel of the future: help secure its energy needs. and compulsory education (for all between 6 Gasohol—a fuel made by blending petrol Reliance steps on big gas in and 14) a fundamental right, but gave the with ethanol—was launched on January 1, Andhra Pradesh: Reliance Industries has authorities neither the teeth nor adequate 2003. The fuel combines petrol with five per stumbled upon one of the largest gas reserves resources to enforce it. As per its provisions: cent ethanol, which is produced from sugar- in the country, in Andhra Pradesh’s Godavari Private schools must keep 20% seats for poor cane molasses. The eco-friendly fuel is being basin. The reserves, struck in the exploration children; Anyone found keeping a child touted as a useful way to save foreign block called KGB-6, -Godavari basin, (including servants) from school will be fined exchange on oil imports. Another advantage 150 kms off the coast of Andhra Pradesh, are Rs 500; if they persist, they will be fined Rs 50 is that engines don’t have to be modified for to the tune of 40-50 million cubic metres per a day; once a child starts school, the teachers the new fuel. day. The entire gas production of ONGC is at will have to ensure attendance. It will be India obtains largest producing present close to 55 million cubic metres per compulsory for parents to send children to field abroad: ONGC Videsh (OVL) has day. This means that the country’s gas pro- school; the government can charge a cess for acquired 25 per cent stake in Greater Nile Oil duction is slated to shortly double. the free education on any transaction or activ- Project (GNOP), Sudan for Rs 3,500 crore. The Reliance finds oil in Yemen: ity for funding the free education. acquisition has added three million tons Reliance has struck oil in an onshore block in Fiscal Responsibility Bill: The (MMT) per year as equity oil. GNOP is locat- Yemen and found fresh gas discoveries at Parliament has approved the long awaited ed in the Muglad Basin, 700 km south-west of home. The new discoveries will take total gas Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Sudan’s capital Khartoum. Equity oil will discoveries at present to 14 trillion cubic feet, Management (FRBM) Bill. The FRBM stipu- also help in cushioning current international equivalent to 2.3 billion barrels or 300 million lates that the revenue deficit would be oil price volatility due to the Gulf War-II. tonne of crude. brought down to zero level, and fiscal deficit Indian Oil sets foot in : On the Yemen oil find, where Reliance to 2 per cent in five years, by 2008, to bring Indian Oil, India’s largest national oil compa- has an equity oil position, it is fiscal consolidation. ny and the only ‘Fortune Global 500’ Indian expected to be equivalent to about half of the Poll funding Bill: In an effort to corporate, has now spread its wings to Sri company’s share of crude oil from the off- address the vexed issue of poll funding, the Lanka through its wholly-owned subsidiary, shore fields in the Bombay high region, off has passed a Bill which seeks to Lanka IOC (LIOC), with an initial investment the coast of Mumbai. bring in greater transparency and accounta- of Rs 200 crore. Lanka IOC plans to commis- Gas pipeline draft policy: With nat- bility into the election process, particularly sion 250 Petrol Stations in Sri Lanka, offering ural gas companies and LNG players getting the donations made to political parties. The world class services and state-of-the-art cus- into the final act of entering the Indian mar- Election and Other Related Laws tomer-friendly facilities at competitive rates. kets, the government has announced the (Amendment) Bill provides for political par- ONGC declares six new oil and draft policy for development of gas pipeline ties to receive contributions from private gas finds: State-owned Oil and Natural Gas network. The policy envisages the establish- companies and individuals. Corporation (ONGC) took a big stride in ment of a cross-country gas network by shoring up the country’s oil security by GAIL. This would facilitate transportation of OIL announcing six new oil and gas finds strad- gas on a common carrier principle. It also rec- Operation Sagar Samriddhi: dling the western and eastern coasts and the ommends the appointment of a regulator for ONGC has announced the launch of a multi- north-east region. Its find in Vasai west, off regulating transmission, distribution and billion dollar deep-sea oil and gas hunt, aim- the Mumbai coast, is estimated to contain 240 supply of natural gas and LNG and to pro- ing to search Rs 644,000 crore worth of hydro- million barrels of oil and oil equivalent gas, mote development of the sector. carbons lying unexplored in the Arabian Sea and Laipling Gaon in Assam is estimated to The regulator will also be responsible

589 ! JANUARY 2004 ! THE COMPETITION MASTER SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT for approving the gas tariff rates for gas 30, 2003, has put her on a pedestal in Indian Lyngdoh, James Michael: Chief transmission in all cases. This regulator will athletics reached by very few. Election Commissioner of India, he has been be appointed under the Petroleum She leaped to 6.70 metres at the Stade de awarded Ramon Magsaysay award for gov- Regulatory Board Bill, 2002, and till such time France that gave her a bronze and India a his- ernment service. that this is done the government will function toric medal. No Indian athlete has ever won a Mr Lyngdoh has been praised for his as the regulator. medal at the World-level. Anju, in fact, is the “convincing validation of free and fair elec- The cross-country gas pipeline principle only second Indian at a world final, the first tions as the foundation and best hope of sec- would not apply to Reliance Industries’ pro- being discus thrower Neelam Singh. ular democracy in strife-torn India”. posed Kakinada-Goa and Jamnagar-Calicut She was declared the Best female athlete For Lyngdoh himself, the second CEC to pipelines, as they have already been cleared. at National Games 2001, 2002. She was hon- get the award after the mercurian T.N. oured with Arjuna Award in 2003. She is the Seshan, these words meant how under his PERSONS first Indian woman athlete to secure leadership, the commission had withstood all Chawla, Kalpana: The first India- Commonwealth medal. She is also the first pressure in the conduct of elections in Gujarat born woman astronaut, she died on February Indian woman to win Asiad gold in long and Jammu and Kashmir. 1, 2003 when the Columbia Space Shuttle of jump and the only Asian woman to reach : Mother Teresa, the NASA crashed minutes before landing. In World Indoors finals. humble nun known as the saint of the gut- November-December 1997 she had gone for Johnny Walker: One of the most ters, has been declared beatified by Pope John her first space mission. endearing comedians of post-independence Paul II. The Pope paid tribute to the tiny Chhetri, Commando Sanjog: A Indian cinema, died in Mumbai on July 29, nun’s unselfishness. After pronouncing paratrooper from the Indian Army’s elite spe- 2003, after a prolonged illness. He was 79 and Mother Teresa beatified, the penultimate step cial forces, who inspired his fellow troops is survived by his wife Noor Jehan, three before sainthood proper, he concelebrated a with a daring assault on a terrorist hideout daughters and three sons. solemn mass. Among those attending the cer- during Operation Sarp Vinash in April, 2003, The son of a mill worker from Indore, he emony was Monica Besra a young Indian he has been posthumously awarded the was born Badruddin Qazi in 1925. He quit woman whose claim to be cured of cancer nation’s highest peacetime gallantry award, acting in the early 80s after doing 300 films in after praying to Mother Teresa was recog- the Ashok Chakra. over 40 years. He was a bus conductor before nised as a miracle by the Vatican, paving the Coetzee, J.M.: The media-shy South his actor film-maker friend Guru Dutt offered way for beatification. The Vatican will have African was in the news for winning the 2003 him a small role in Baazi. Guru Dutt re-chris- to approve a second miracle before the ethnic Nobel prize for literature. tened him after the famous whisky label and Albanian nun can be officially canonised a Coetzee was born in Cape Town on he never looked back after that. saint. February 9, 1940. He studied at Cape Town His popular films include Pyaasa, CID, Pierre, DBC: DBC, short for “Dirty But and later earned a doctorate in literature from Mr and Mrs 55, Chaudhvi ka Chand, Chhoo Clean”, is the pseudonym of Peter Finlay the University of Texas at Austin, but was Mantar, Chori Chori, Madhumati, Naya Daur, who has won the 2003 Booker Prize for his forced to return to South Africa when his Mere Mehboob and Anand. novel Vernon God Little. DBC Pierre is an application for a green card work permit was Jintao, Hu: He has been elected as the immigrant Australian-Mexican cartoonist rejected. President of China. Hu, 59, is the enforcer with a history of hard core drugs taking, He has written at least nine novels, pub- who was the top official in when China debts, gambling and unapologetic theft. But lished several collections of essays and pro- imposed martial law in 1989 to quell unrest. Pierre, who is being celebrated as the 21st duced a memoir, Boyhood: Scenes from He is the nationalist who supported anti- century’s J.D. Salinger, won in an amazing Provincial Life, which tells the story of American protesters after a United States dark-horse gallop towards the finishing line, Coetzee’s halting struggle towards maturity. bomb destroyed the Chinese Embassy in with his black comedy on a globalising mod- Coetzee’s other novels include: Disgrace, Yugoslavia in 1999. ern culture of trash food and trash TV. Master of Petersburg, Age of Iron, Foe, Waiting Yet, he is also the innovator who Reddy, Y.V.: Y. Venugopal Reddy, for the Barbarians and In the Heart of the installed broadband internet access at the India’s executive director on the board of the Country. His latest work is Elizabeth Costello, Communist Party school and encouraged International Monetary Fund (IMF), has been which explores the role of a writer and ques- academic debates about democracy and sep- appointed as governor of the Reserve Bank of tions of belief. aration of powers. India (RBI). Before joining the Reserve Bank Ebadi, Shirin: She has been awarded Khare, Justice V.N.: He is the new of India, he was the secretary in charge of the the 2003 Nobel Peace Prize for her efforts that Chief Justice of India. He succeeded Justice banking division of the finance ministry. Mr include promoting the rights of women and G.B. Pattanaik, who held the office for a short Reddy is known for being a central banker in children in Iran. 56-year-old, she is the first tenure of one and half months. Born on May traditional mode. Mr Reddy will be first RBI Muslim woman to win the award. She was 2, 1939, Justice Khare enrolled as an advocate governor in many years to be appointed for a also Iran’s first woman judge. She is also the at the Allahabad High Court in 1961. He took period of five years. first Iranian to win a Nobel Prize. over as Chief Justice of Calcutta High Court Sen, Siddharth: Siddharth (Shunnu) George, Anju Bobby: Her feat of in February 1996. He was appointed as a Sen, CEO of Quadra Advisory and one of the winning the long jump bronze at the World Judge of the Supreme Court on March 21, strongest advocates of marketing and brand- Athletics Championship in Paris on August 1997. building, died on January 3, 2003, at the age

590 ! JANUARY 2004 ! THE COMPETITION MASTER SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT

Milestones Qomolungma, or “mother goddess”. Round-up of 2003 The 8,848 metre peak was in the news Anand, Nikita: crowned India’s first-ever title holder at when the golden jubilee of its conquest was Universe, 2003. Ami Vashi has been 2003 Miss International pageant. celebrated on May 29, 2003. On May 29, 1953, selected Miss India World and Swetha Nambiar, Lt. Gen. (retd.) Satish: Former the peak was conquered for the first time by Vijay as Miss Indian Earth. force commander of UN Protection Force Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay. Bachchan, Amitabh: Famous Bollywood in Yugoslavia, he is among 16 members actor, he has been appointed as goodwill of a UN panel appointed by Secretary- Goa: In keeping with the global trend ambassador of UNICEF. General Kofi Annan to examine major of having events—especially film festivals— Bedi, Kiran: India’s first lady IPS officer, threats and challenges the world faces. in a particular city, the government has she has been appointed as the civilian Narisetti, Raju: Hyderabad-born, he has decided to keep a permanent venue for the police advisor in the Department of been appointed as the Managing editor of International Film Festival of India in Goa. peace-keeping at the United Nations. the Wall Street Journal, Europe. She is the first woman to hold the post. Nooyi, Indra: The highest-ranking India- Nathu La: Prime Minister A.B. Das, Tarun: Director General of born woman in corporate America, she Vajpayee’s visit to China in June 2003 end has Confederation of Indian Industries (CII), has been honoured with the Woman started the process of revival of the ancient he is the first Indian business representa- Pioneer Award in Corporate Strategy and Silk Route over which the famed Chinese fab- tive to be invited to address a UN panel Development. discussion during a General Assembly Rajan, Raghuram: A distinguished econ- ric was traditionally brought to India, to be session. omist, he has been appointed economic traded for goods from the subcontinent. Desai, Nitin: UN under-secretary for eco- counsellor and director of the research The route had been officially closed in nomic and social affairs, he has been department at IMF, the fifth highest-rank- 1974 after Sikkim became an Indian State. appointed Secretary-General Kofi ing job at the IMF. What used to be a mere mule track has since Annan’s special adviser for the World Sharma, P.C.: Director of Central Bureau Summit on Information Society. of Investigation (CBI), he has been elect- become a winding cement and far road on Gandhi, Haren: A distinguished Indian- ed vice-president of Interpol. He is the both sides of the border. Sikkim itself has American engineer whose contributions second Indian to win the election after come a long way from being a sleepy, snow- towards emission control have returned E.V. Arul won 30 years ago. bound kingdom. the US to the forefront of automative Sorenstam, Annika: Woman golf player technology. from . She became the first The high point of the route, literally Huku, Rajesh: Chairman of I-Flex woman player in 58 years to play in a speaking, is the Nathu La pass, at 4,290 Solutions Pvt. Ltd., he has been named PGA tour. metres, located in the north-eastern corner of by Time magazine as one of the tech Vega, Amelia: Aspiring singer from the Sikkim, adjoining . This is the only leaders who have survived the technolo- , she has been place on the vast Sino-Indian border where gy crash. crowned , 2003. Jones, Sarah: Daughter of Sitar maestro Waugh, Steve: Australian Test cricket one can wave at, if not shake hands with, Pandit , she has won record- captain, he has been named Australia’s Chinese soldiers. equalling eight Grammy awards, 2003. tourism ambassador to India. St. Petersburg: The tricentennial of Khan, Bismillah: Shehnai maestro Rajya Sabha nominations, 2003: Russia’s graceful city, also known as “Venice had virtually heralded Actress , former governor of India into independence when he had RBI Bimal Jalan, ISRO Chairman K. of the North” was celebrated in May 2003. played shehnai from the ramparts of the Kasturirangan, wrestler-turned-actor Earlier known as Leningrad, it is one of the Red Fort in 1947. On August 7, 2003 he Dara Singh, editor of Pioneer Chandan most beautiful cities of Europe and is the performed in the Parliament House Mita, Hindi scholar and journalist Vidya second largest city of Russia. Nagrani, Shonali: Sunsilk Femina Miss Niwas Mishra and social worker from Wanderers, The: The Wanderers in India-International, 2003, she has been Rajasthan, Narayan Singh. Johannesburg, South Africa, was the venue of the 2003 Cricket World Cup. The stadium of 63. the Kargil conflict with Pakistan in 1999. was built in 1956 and the first Test was held Shah, Rajendra K.: Rajendra in the same year against England. Following Keshavlal Shah, 90, is the winner of the 37th PLACES South Africa’s re-admission to international Bharatiya Jnanpith award for 2001. The Cancun: The latest ministerial meeting cricket in 1991, the stadium was overhauled. Jnanpith jury has profiled Rajendra Shah as a of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) took pioneer of the new trend in Gujarati poetry in place in this Mexican city from September 10 PROJECTS the post-Independence period. to 14, 2003. The meeting was of significance Sagar Mala Golden sea chain of Vij, Gen Nirmal Chander: Chief of to India, as was the case with all other WTO transport along the coastline: Ten years Army Staff of Indian Army, Gen Vij is a high- members. The main agenda of the meet was from now, India will boast of a glittering ly decorated officer. He was born in January to chalk out an agreement to liberalise inter- golden sea chain of transport or Sagar Mala 1943 at Jammu. He joined the NDA in 1959 national trade in agriculture. along India’s coastline, to be built through a and was commissioned into the Dogra Everest, Mount: The British named it mix of public and private funding. Regiment in December 1962. He has the dis- after the late Surveyor General of India, Sir The ambitious project covers all facets of tinction of commanding two Corps of the George Everest, in 1865. Before that they maritime transport, including ports, shipping Indian Army—a Strike Corps and another in knew it only as Peak XV. Nepalese call the and inland waterways and even cruise insurgency operations. He was the Director mountain Sagarmatha, which means head of tourism. General Military Operations (DGMO) during the sky. The Chinese use the Tibetan name, The glittering ports would be connected

591 ! JANUARY 2004 ! THE COMPETITION MASTER SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT with inland waterways and the road and rail- 200 acres of clustered-operating infrastruc- ships have to go around Sri Lanka, because of way golden quadrilateral projects through ture for telecommunications companies. shallow water around Palk Straits. high speed expressways. As a first step, the The international sponsors include US- Three Gorges Dam: After a decade of integrated development of Nhava Sheva and based engineering and construction company construction work, on June 1, 2003, the sluice Kochi Ports at a cost of Rs 7,500 crore will Parsons Brinckerhyoff, and ITN In- gates of the giant Three Gorges Dam, built on begin by March 2004. corporation, Hong Kong-based Pacific Yangtze river in China, were closed and for- Huge nuclear reactor sanctioned Century group. The Indian partners are SPA ever altered the landscape of its historic in : The Cabinet Committee on Enterprises, Bangalore-based Ashford heartland. Economic Affairs (CCEA) has approved the Infrastructure Holding, and Data Access The $25 billion dam will create a 600 km proposal for setting up of a 500 MW proto- (India) Ltd. long reservoir, submerge 60,000 hectares, type fast breeder reactor at Kalpakkam in Nathpa-Jhakri power project: The including 1500 factories, 160 towns, 16 Tamil Nadu. The reactor will be set up at an first of the six 250 MW unit of the 1500 MW archaeological sites, and displace 1.13 million estimated cost of Rs 4,492 crore. Nathpa-Jhakri hydro power project was inau- people. The project will generate 2,585 million gurated by Union Power Minister Anant The dam is 2,309 m long and 181 m high. units of energy a year, at a capacity factor of Geete, on October 14, 2003. It is designed to generate 18,200 mw electri- 62.8 per cent. The project is expected to begin Said to be the single largest hydro-elec- city for Shanghai and eight rural Chinese commercial operation in eight years. tric project in the country, it is also a step in provinces. The CCEA has also approved the setting the realization of mission of power for all by up of a uranium ore processing plant at 2012. RESEARCH Banduhurang in Jharkhand at a cost of Rs The project has many features unparal- Indian engineer builds third 342.26 crore. The plant will have the process- leled in the world, which include a 57.50 fastest super-computer in record time: ing capacity of 2,250 tonnes dry ore per day, metre high concrete dam (Phase-I) on Satluj A team of university computer jockeys, led and will be completed in around three years. river at Nathpa, Himachal Pradesh, for flush- by an Indian engineer, have stunned the com- SCL first in India to have MEMS ing of silt, an underground de-silting com- puting industry by jigging up one of the facility: The Semiconductor Complex plex, comprising four chambers, each 525 world’s fastest super-computers in record Limited (SCL) has become the first establish- metre long, 1,631 metre wide and 27.5 metre time, and at record low cost using off the ment in India to have a facility for the pro- deep, which is one of the largest under- shelf components. duction of Micro-Electro Mechanical Systems ground complexes for the generation of It took Srinidhi Varadarajan and his (MEMS). MEMS is the integration of electri- hydro-power in the world, and a 10.15 metre crew at Virginia Tech only a month and $5 cal and mechanical systems on a single diameter and 27.4 km long head race tunnel million to configure a supercomputer from microchip. This is a major milestone in coun- (one of the longest hydro-power tunnels in 1,100 Apple Macintosh machines. try’s technological advancement. the world), terminating in a 21.60 The record, by far, for the fastest The facility has been set up under the metre/10.20 metre diameter and 301 metre machine is held by the Japanese Earth National Programme on Smart Materials deep surge shaft. Simulator, a $250 million behemoth that com- (NPSM), approved and funded by the gov- The project is being executed by NJPC, a putes at around 35 teraflops. ernment of India. joint venture of the Central government and Scientists complete genome map- Sweeping wind energy by 2007: the Himachal Pradesh government, both ping: Scientists have completed the finished The Ministry of Non-conventional Energy sharing cost of the project in the ratio of sequence of the human genome, or genetic Sources (MNES) has formalised a roadmap to 3 : 1, respectively. blueprint of life, which holds the keys to create a total capacity of 5,000 MW of wind Baspa Hydro-electric project: On transforming medicine and understanding energy in the country by 2007. The country May 27, 2003, the first 100 mw unit of the 300 disease. Less than three years after finishing currently has an installed wind energy capac- mw Baspa-II Hydro-electric project in district the draft of the three billion letters that make ity of 1,870 MW, with the highest capacity of Kinnaur in Himachal Pradesh started gener- up human DNA, and two years earlier than 990.3 MW in Rajasthan. ating power. Baspa project is the largest pri- expected, scientists said that the set of Maharashtra, with a wind energy capac- vate hydro-electric project and is being built instructions on how humans develop and ity of 401, follows next. Other States which by the Jaypee group. Jaypee Ventures Limited function is done. also have made a beginning in the wind ener- is the only consultancy company in hydro- The Human Genome Project has already gy sector include Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, power to be associated with four projects in aided scientists in discovering a mutation, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil India, namely : Baspa-II, Chamera-II, that causes a deadly type of skin cancer, and Nadu and . Baglihar and Vishnu Prayag. accelerated the search for genes involved in Global Telecom City: In what could Sethu Samudram: The Centre has diabetes, leukaemia and childhood be the equivalent of Shenzen in China, India cleared the Sethu Samudram project, carving eczema. will soon have a special economic zone of its out a canal near Palk Straits to link east and The completed sequence will help sci- own for the telecom sector, in Bangalore. The west coast. The Sethu canal will provide a entsts to identify the 25,000-30,000 genes in Rs 2,060, crore global telecom city project, direct navigation route from eastern to west- humans, including those involved in com- envisioned by sponsors from both Asia and ern coast and boost the economy by earning plex diseases such as cancer and the United States, will aim at creating about huge foreign exchange. At present, Indian diabetes.

592 ! JANUARY 2004 ! THE COMPETITION MASTER SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT

SPACE RESEARCH Beagle-2 were successfully launched from that would study light produced in the earli- Chinas first man in space: China Kazakhstan on June 2, 2003, by a Russian- est days of the universe. fired its first taikonaut (astronaut) into orbit made Soyuz-Fregat rocket. The space agency selected TRW Inc, of without any visible hitches on October 15, The goal of present mission is not only Redondo Beach, California, to lead a team 2003, becoming only the third nation capable to do basic science but, for the first time in a that will build the observatory, which will be of manned spaceflight. quarter century, to look for concrete signs of called the James Webb Space Telescope, in The launch capped a decade-long effort extraterrestrial life, ancient or modern. honour of a pioneering NASA administrator. by China’s secretive, military-linked space The disklike craft, Beagle-2, built on a Galileo global satellite system: programme that communist leaders hope shoe string by Britain, in partnership with the India is to invest $210 million in the European will boost the nation’s image abroad—and European Space Agency, weighs 73 pounds, Union’s Galileo Global satellite system, back- their standing at home among their own peo- about 5 per cent of Viking’s weight and 8 per ing Europe’s bid to challenge the United ple. cent of Pathfinder’s, two earlier Mars States’ supremacy in space. The Galileo sys- The rocket carrying Lt Col Yang Liwei, a probes. tem comprises a network of 30 orbiting satel- 38 year old fighter pilot turned astronaut, NASA spacecraft off to Mars: The lites. streaked into a clear blue sky at precisely 9 first of two NASA rovers, Spirit, embarked on The Galileo technology, described as the a.m. (0100 GMT) from a Gobi Desert launch a 500-million km voyage to Mars on June 11, “internet” of global navigation, is used for air pad in China’s remote northwest. The 2003, to prospect for geological evidence that traffic control, mobile telephones and even Shenzhou-5 space capsule entered orbit 10 the planet was once warm and wet enough to police surveillance. It inevitably also has a minutes later. Yang hurtled around the plan- support life. Its identical twin, Opportunity, military aspect. et for most of the day, making a planned orbit would follow it into space later. GSLV-D2 Launch successful: On shift in mid-afternoon and stopping work The rovers are designed to act as robotic May 8, 2003, India took a major step to only to rest and eat Chinese food designed field geologists, sampling Martian rocks and becoming global major in satellite launch especially for space travel. He spent approxi- soil for minerals that form in the presence of when the prestigious Geosynchronous mately 21 hours in space before returning water. Such minerals would provide indirect Satellite Launch Vehicle, carrying a commu- safely to earth. evidence that the planet was once hospitable nication satellite GSAT-2 blasted off from European lunar probe: Europe’s to life. Sriharikota with clock-like precision. The first probe to the Moon, SMART-1, was Each rover is targeted to land experimental communication satellite launched on August 29, 2003 on a unique on opposite sides of the planet, in locations GSAT-2 weighed 1800 kg and was success- journey that will take it into orbit around that measurements from other spacecraft fully placed in the geostationary transfer moon, powered only by an ion engine, which suggest were once rich in water. orbit. Europe is testing for the first time as main Columbia shuttle explodes while INSAT-3A: India’s multipurpose satel- spacecraft propulsion. on its return journey: On February 1, lite, INSAT-3A, was successfully launched by Galileo crashes into Jupiter: 2003, the Columbia space shuttle exploded the Ariane-5 launch vehicle from Kourou in NASA’s nuclear-powered Galileo spacecraft just minutes before it was to land, killing all French Guyana on April 10, 2003. The satel- was purposely destroyed on September 24, seven astronauts on board, including India- lite would boost the country's communica- 2003, by crashing it into Jupiter, ending its born Kalpana Chawla. The mission was led tion and meteorological services. scientific career in a blaze of glory. by US Air Force Colonel Rick Husband. INSAT-3A represents an important step Dispatched from the space shuttle in The latest Columbia flight was the first in creating and augmenting infrastructure in 1989, Galileo began its orbiting of Jupiter and dedicated research mission to be flown by the India for space-based broadcasting, commu- its entourage of moons in late 1995. Over the shuttle in almost three years. Columbia car- nication and meteorology. years, the spacecraft relayed an astounding ried in its payload bay, the first SPACELAB INSAT-3E: INSAT-3E was launched set of observations. Research Double Module, which held most of successfully on September 28, 2003, after a The crash was planned to make sure the mission’s more than 80 experiments— month’s delay, by European Ariane 5 rocket, that it doesn’t accidentally contaminate involving more than 70 scientists world- from the spaceport of Kourou in Jupiter’s ice-covered moon Europa with bac- wide—that investigated space, life and French Guyana. The launch will boost teria from earth. physical sciences. India’s telecommunication and television Europa, a planet-sized moon, is widely Earth bids adieu to Pioneer 10: services. believed to have the most promising habitat Earth has bid its final farewell to the Pioneer INSAT-3E, which would replace INSAT- for extraterrestrial life within the solar sys- 10 spacecraft, 31 years after it set off for the 2D, which is at the fag end of its life, carries tem. Were earth bugs to gain a toe-hold on outer regions of the solar system. NASA said 24C band transponders and 12 extended C- Europa, perhaps in pools of water warmed that it had received Pioneer’s last signal in band transponders on board. by radioactive plutonium the spacecraft uses January, 2003, and that it would no longer be Resourcesat-I heaviest to generate electricity, they could compro- tracked. satellite placed in orbit: India added mise future attempts to probe the moon for Gen-X space telescope to peer another feather in its space technology capa- indigenous life. into past: NASA has selected a successor to bility by successfully launching its heaviest Beagle-2 : Mars Lander of Europe: the Hubble Space Telescope. It would launch (1,360 kg) and sophisticated remote sensing Europe’s Mars Express Orbiter and its lander a next-generation space observatory in 2010 satellite, Resourcesat-I, using the indigenous-

593 ! JANUARY 2004 ! THE COMPETITION MASTER SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT ly-built Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle from mobile telephony. Using this technology an The word has found its way into the the Sriharikota space centre, on October 17, operator can handle three times more sub- illustrated edition (produced by Dorling 2003. scribers than GPRS, triple data rate per sub- Kindersley) along with other words like Chandrayan-I Indias mission to scriber and add extra capacity to voice. Alist, Academy Awards and honey traps. moon: India’s Chandrayan-I mission to the Uniform Civil Code: The term civil Other entries include: pilates, rehab, docu- Moon is expected to be undertaken by 2008. code is used to cover the entire body of laws soaps, reiki, G-spot, deep vein thrombosis, search Unlike other missions, the purpose of this pertaining to rights relating to property and engines, gangstas, tree-huggers and peacenik. would be to understand how the Moon ‘orig- otherwise in personal matters like marriage, Ekdam, maha and tamasha, with a whole inated’, by physical and chemical mapping of divorce, maintenance, adoption and inheri- lot of other ‘Indian’ words, are now also a its surface through a satellite. Such research tance. As things stand, there are different part of the latest edition of the Oxford had not been carried out by any previous laws governing these aspects for different English Dictionary. Other desi words which lunar missions. Spectroscopy, high resolution communities in India. The demand for a uni- now find a place in the Queen’s language are remote sensing instruments and high-energy form civil code means unifying all “personal , chacha, naam, langar, chakka, srimati and X-ray to analyse the chemical content of the laws” to have one set of laws dealing with sindoor. moon would be used. these aspects that will apply to all citizens of New BSE bank index: With bank Worlds first asteroid mission: A India, irrespective of which community they scrips getting into the limelight, the BSE has Japanese spacecraft blasted off on May 9, belong to. Though the exact contours of such decided to launch a new index, BANKEX, 2003, on an ambitious four-and-a-half year a uniform code have not been spelt out, it consisting of 12 stocks, including SBI, journey to bring asteroid samples back to should presumably incorporate the most ICICI Bank, HDFC Bank and Bank of Baroda. Earth for the first time. The mid-size solid- modern and progressive aspects of existing The index will be computed on free fuel M-5 rocket, carrying an unmanned personal laws, while discarding the retro- float methodology, with base date as on MUSES-C probe, lifted off from the grade. January 1, 2002. Kagoshima Space Centre in the southern Article-44, which is one of the “directive CSIR gets patent for genome com- Japanese town of Uchinoura. The probe was principles” laid down in the Constitution parison: In what could be a momentous later renamed Hayabusa, or Falcon. says: “The State shall endeavour to secure for gain for India in the area of new drug discov- Close encounters with Mars: At the citizens a uniform civil code throughout ery research, the Council for Scientific and exactly 3.21 hours and 14 seconds IST on the territory of India.” Industrial Research (CSIR) has developed a August 27, 2003, Mars was at its closest point First person to fly across English novel computer based method for genome- to Earth in the past 59,618 years. It was a Channel: A 34-year old Austrian mechanic, wise comparison of organisms, and is mere 55,758,000 km away. Felix Baumgartner, has become the first per- believed to have gained a global patent on it. son ever to fly across the English Channel The invention, useful for identification MISCELLANEOUS without the benefit of an aircraft, gliding of potential drug targets, could also perform Shimla-Kalka line celebrates from England to France wearing only a spe- the function of a drug screen for broad spec- centenary: On November 9, 2003, a British- cially designed suit. trum anti-bacterials, as well as the function of built 1905 steam engine, Northern Railways’ To launch him on his high-speed glide, specific diagnosis of infections. only existing narrow-gauge steam engine, the Baumgartner was taken up from the French declared world book capital KC-520, chugged up to Kathleeghat from port of Calais in a Skyvan aircraft, from for 2003: New Delhi has been declared the Shimla, covering a distance of 23.35 km to which he jumped from high above Dover. world book capital for 2003 by UNESCO and mark the centenary of the Shimla-Kalka rail He started his unusual journey from a International Publishers’ Association, link. point some 9,000 metres (30,000 feet) over the IPA. The year will be marked by activities to The Shimla-Kalka line was set up in English port of Dover at 6:09 am and ended it celebrate this honour. The National Book 1903 at a cost of Rs 1.75 crore and this engine 1,000 metres above Cape Blanc Nez, near Trust will be the nodal agency for the year- was made for it by the North British Calais, where he landed at 6:23 am. long. Locomotive Company for Rs 30,000. Decom- “Louis Bleriot did it with a plane, now I India unveils Param Padma: India missioned in 1971 after the advent of diesel did it with a little wing”, he said referring to has become the fifth country in the world to locos, the KC-520 made a comeback in 2001 the French aviator who, in July 1909, became have a next generation high performance for small trips between Shimla and the first person to fly across the English scalable super-computing cluster Param Kathleeghat. Channel in a heavier-than-air machine. Padma. Param Padma has a peak computing EDGE technology: The acronym Baumgartner’s mission was named power of a teraflop, with several hundred stands for Enhanced Data Rates for Global Icarus 2, after the mythical figure who came gigaflops of sustained power on internation- Evolution (EDGE). It is a 3G radio technology to grief after flying too near the sun, ally-accepted benchmarks, and storage of standardised by the International Telecom which melted the wax holding together his over 10 terabytes. It was dedicated to the Union (ITU) and built on to existing GSM, wings. nation on April 1, 2003. GPRS, networks with minor additions relat- Now, Bollywood finds a place in Besides India, only the US, Japan, Israel ing to the air interface. Oxford lexicon: Another defining moment and China possessed this capability. Param It gives GSM networks the capacity to for the Indian film industry: Bollywood has Padma will find applications in weather pre- handle services for the third generation of entered the Oxford English Dictionary. diction and bioinformatics.

594 ! JANUARY 2004 ! THE COMPETITION MASTER