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1. cabinet nod for women’s reservation bill Contents 8. The world lost a language. 10. A.P. quota for sections of muslims quashed Manidha Naeyam 13. World spice congress. Current Affairs Magazine 14. group demands universal, justiciable food entitlements 19. The Indus waters treaty

22-29 International

Issue 8 22. -born businessman has been nominated to the canadian senate February 2010 23. India, new zealand start fta talks

23. Landmark deal in northern ireland

24. Yanukovych wins ukraine run-off Available Online 26. Sri lanka loses eu benefits @ www.saidais.com 29- 42 ECONOMY

29.FAQ – .

31. ‘manufacture in india, sell in india and make money in india’.

32. Oil exploration pact signed with hungary Head Office 34. RBI introduces new category of nbfcs

Manidha Naeyam 35. U.k. investor pulls out of vedanta

IAS & IPS Free 42 – 46 Environment Coaching Centre No.28 First Main 42. Mansagar lake Road C.I.T. Nagar 43. A repository of seeds on cliff top of himalayas Chennai-600035 mntcurrentaffairs@ 45. International conference on biodiversity - chennai gmail.com 43- 49 Science & Technology mntcurrentaffairs@ yahoo.com 50 - 51 Personalities

FEBRUARY 1- 28 2010

NATIONAL

CABINET NOD FOR WOMEN’S RESERVATION BILL

The Union Cabinet approved the Women’s Reservation Bill, 2008, that seeks to reserve 33 per cent seats for women in the Lok Sabha and State Assemblies.

The Parliamentary Standing Committee has approved the 108th Constitutional Amendment Bill in its original form with minor changes.

WOMEN'S RESERVATION BILL - FAQ

The Women's Reservation Bill has been a political raw nerve for nearly a decade now. It has always triggered heated debates in Parliament and outside.Its advocates say the Bill is essential for active political participation of women.Opponents argue that reservation would only help women of elitist groups gain political power, aggravating the plight of the poor and deprived sections.

How did the Women's Reservation Bill originate?

The proposed legislation to reserve 33.3 percent seats in Parliament and state legislatures for women was drafted first by the H D Deve Gowda-led United Front government. The Bill was introduced in the Lok Sabha on September 12, 1996. Though it has been introduced in Parliament several times since then, the Bill could not be passed because of lack of political consensus.

What does the Bill provide?

Reservation for women at each level of legislative decision-making, starting with the Lok Sabha, down to state and local legislatures.

If the Bill is passed, one-third of the total available seats would be reserved for women in national, state, or local governments.

In continuation of the existing provisions already mandating reservations for scheduled caste and scheduled tribes, one-third of such SC and ST candidates must be women.

What is the argument in favour of the Bill?

Its proponents say it would lead to gender equality in Parliament, resulting in the empowerment of women as a whole. Historically, the Bill's supporters say, women are deprived in India. Increased political participation of women will help them fight the abuse, discrimination, and inequality they suffer from.

Does reservation for women exist in panchayat elections?

Manidha Naeyam I.A.S & I.P.S Free Coaching Centre 1 FEBRUARY 1- 28 2010

Yes, 33.3 per cent seats in panchayat elections have been reserved for women already. The experience of women's reservation at the panchayat level has been very encouraging. A million women are being elected to the panchayats in the country every five years. This is the largest mobilisation of women in public life in the world.

Then why is there opposition to the Bill?

Various political parties have staunchly opposed it because they fear many of their male leaders would not get a chance to fight elections if 33.3 percent seats are reserved for women. The Bill has also been opposed by politicians from the socially and economically backward classes. They argue that reservation would only help women of the elitist groups to gain seats, therefore causing further discrimination and under-representation to the poor and backward classes.

Who are the main political opponents of the Bill?

From day one, Lalu Prasad Yadav of the Rashtriya Janata Dal and Mulayam Singh Yadav of the Samajwadi Party have been the main political forces opposed to the Bill.

Why?

The SP and RJD are opposed to the bill in its present form and want a quota within quota for women from backward classes.

Lalu says the Bill 'would deny adequate representation to other sections of society.' He favours 10 to 15 percent reservation for women. 'My party is not opposed to women's reservation, but the case of Dalits, backward classes, Muslims and other religious minorities should not be overlooked,' is his argument.There should be reservation within reservation," said Lalu.

Mulayam favours making it mandatory for political parties to give 10 percent of election tickets to women.

If 33.3 per cent reservation for women is added to the already existing 22.5 percent for scheduled castes and tribes, more than 55 per cent of seats in Parliament would be reserved. This would not be fair to other sections of the population.

Most members opposing say that it is better to create reservation of women in political parties than in Parliament. The provision of rotation of reserved states is also debated. It can reduce the incentive of the elected MPs to spend energy because he or she may not be able to re-seek the mandate from the same constituency.

Manidha Naeyam I.A.S & I.P.S Free Coaching Centre 2 FEBRUARY 1- 28 2010

What is the status of the Bill now?

The Bill had been referred to the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Law and Justice, and Personnel, which gave its report in December 2009.

It recommended passage of the Bill in its present form and suggested that the issue should not be left to the discretion of political parties.

The central government cleared the Bill on February 25, 2010. For such a bill to pass, the Constitution has laid out an elaborate procedure. So, even if the Rajya Sabha passes the bill its real impact will be felt only when it passes through the Lok Sabha.

Political pundits, sociologists, political scientists, feminists and historians and almost everybody has said that if the bill becomes an act then it will be the biggest socio-political news since independence.

4 ‘Chief Ministers’ for Meghalaya

 Meghalaya now has four leaders in the rank of Chief Minister.

 The State government has elevated Pradesh Congress Committee president Lyngdoh from the rank of Deputy Chief Minister — which he was enjoying as political adviser to Chief Minister D.D. Lapang — to Chief Minister.

 The political leaders already enjoying the rank of Chief Minister are Dr. Lapang; the former Chief Minister, J.D. Rymbai, as Chairman of the Meghalaya Economic Development Council; and another former Chief Minister, Donkupar Roy, as Chairman of the State Planning Board.

PTI’S DIAMOND JUBILEE

 Employees of The (PTI) will celebrate the Diamond Jubilee of the newswire for three days from February 2.

 Press Trust of India is the largest news agency in India.

 It is headquartered in Delhi and is a nonprofit cooperative among more than 450 Indian newspapers and has a staff of about 2,000 writers spread across 150 offices nationwide.

 It took over the Indian operations of the Associated Press and Reuters soon after India's independence on August 15, 1947.

 It provides news coverage and information of the region in both English and Hindi.

 Its current chairman is Mr. V.K. Chopra

Manidha Naeyam I.A.S & I.P.S Free Coaching Centre 3 FEBRUARY 1- 28 2010

‘MOZART OF MADRAS’ BAGS TWO GRAMMYS

 Oscar-winner A.R. Rahman continued his winning streak, bagging two Grammy awards for his foot-tapping number ‘Jai Ho’ and outstanding soundtrack for the film Slumdog Millionaire.

 The composer shared the award for ‘Jai Ho’ with lyricist Gulzar and Tanvi Shah, who penned the Spanish words of the international hit.

 Rahman won in the category of Best Compilation Soundtrack Album For Motion Picture, Television Or Other Visual Media for Slumdog Millionaire and Best Song Written For Motion Picture, Television Or Other Visual Media for ‘Jai Ho.’

 The ‘Mozart of Madras’ bagged two Academy awards for his music in Slumdog Millionaire, besides winning a Golden Globe and a BAFTA award.

AMITABH TO BE GUJARAT’S BRAND AMBASSADOR

 Hindi film icon accepted the Gujarat government’s offer to be the new “brand ambassador” for the State .  Mr. Bachchan had volunteered to act as the brand ambassador for the State during his visit to Gandhinagar on January 6 for a special screening of his film “Paa,” for Mr. Modi and other top dignitaries in the State, seeking tax exemption for the film.

KALBELIA DANCE.

 Kalbelia is the one of the most sensuous dance forms of Rajasthan, performed by the kalbelia tribe.  The Kalbelias were known for their frequent movement from one place to another in ancient times. Their main occupation is catching snakes and trading snake venom. Hence, the dance movements and the costumes of their community bear a resemblance to that of the serpents.  They are also known as Sapera, Jogira or Jogi.  They follow Hindu religion. They trace their ancestry from Kanlipar, the 12th disciple of Guru Gorakhnath.  The largest number of the population of Kalbelias is in Pali district, then Ajmer, Chittorgarh and Udaipur district. They live a nomadic life.

Manidha Naeyam I.A.S & I.P.S Free Coaching Centre 4 FEBRUARY 1- 28 2010

SURAJKUND CRAFTS MELA

Haryana Tourism cohosts the yearly Surajkund Crafts Mela (Fair) highlighting some of the finest handloom and handicraft traditions of India. It is held from February 1 to 15 every year, starting from 1987, near Faridabad, very close to Delhi. Each year there is a different "theme state" whose handicrafts are more prominently showcased. Folk theatre and music are also featured.

BRAHMOS INSTALLATION TEST FLIGHT IN BALTIC SEA

 An installation test flight of the supersonic cruise missile is scheduled to take place in the Baltic Sea from a stealth frigate being built for the Indian Navy at Kaliningrad in Russia.

 Sivathanu Pillai, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, BrahMos Aerospace Limited.

 The missile's vertical launcher and fire control system, made in India, was transported to Kaliningrad and fitted into the stealth frigate, a Talwar-class ship.

 The BrahMos missile is a joint product of India and Russia and it has already been inducted into the Indian Navy and Army.

 Mr. Kadakin said the best brains of the two countries coming together made the system highly advanced and reliable.

 Three Talwar-class ships to be built for the Indian Navy by Russia would have Brah- Mos missiles.

 There are four versions of BrahMos now: sea-to-sea; sea-to-land; land-to-sea; and land-to- land. Work on launching the cruise missile from submarines and aircraft was in progress.

 Established in 1998, Brah- Mos Aerospace, produces and markets the BrahMos supersonic missiles. Known as BrahMos Block-2, the missile has a top speed of over Mach 5, making it virtually impossible to intercept, and it can effectively engage even slightly visible ground targets. It has been designed primarily to meet the needs of the Army.

Manidha Naeyam I.A.S & I.P.S Free Coaching Centre 5 FEBRUARY 1- 28 2010

MAHARASHTRA BILL TO CURB ATTACKS ON MEDIA

 After the violent attacks by Shiv Sainiks on the offices of IBN Lokmat and IBN7 i last November, the Maharashtra government is taking its first step towards preventing such incidents.  State Home minister R.R. Patil proposed a Bill making attacks on journalists a non-bailable offence.

INDIAN TO HEAD AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL

Amnesty International has appointed Salil Shetty, an Indian who headed the U.N. Millennium Campaign, as its next secretary general.

JEAN DREZE, ARUNA ROY KEEP OFF SAMMELAN

 Jean Dreze and Aruna Roy, members of the Central Employment Guarantee Council (CEGC) — governing body for the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme —kept away from ‘MNREGS Sammelan 2010’ describing it as a “ceremonial function.”  In their joint letter to Rural Development Minister C.P. Joshi, the social activists, who had played a crucial role in shaping the manual job guaranteeing law, said, “We see little point in attending ceremonial functions as members of the CEGC,” stressing the council’s substantive work was at a virtual standstill.

POOR SAFETY NORMS CAUSED FIRE IN JAIPUR IOC DEPOT: PANEL

 An independent expert committee set up by the Petroleum and Natural Gas Ministry blamed lack of safety procedures and human error for the devastating fire in the Indian Oil Corporation's fuel depot in Jaipur that killed 11 people and injured 45 in October last year.  The committee headed by the former Hindustan Petroleum Corporation chairman, M.B. Lal, which also included seven other members, went into the causes of the October 29 fire.  The blaze raged for 11 days. The total losses suffered by the IOC amounted to nearly Rs.280 crore. The total loss of petroleum products was about 60,000 kilolitres.

Manidha Naeyam I.A.S & I.P.S Free Coaching Centre 6 FEBRUARY 1- 28 2010

MOILY SAYS ‘NO’ TO SUPREME COURT BENCHES

Union Law Minister Veerappa Moily firmly rejected suggestions for setting up Supreme Court Benches in different parts of the country.

“The Law Commission had recommended the setting up of Supreme Court Benches. The matter was referred to Attorney-General G.E. Vahanvati. He has not agreed to it.

SRIKRISHNA HEADS FIVE-MEMBER COMMITTEE ON TELANGANA ISSUE Nearly a month after holding consultations with eight recognised political parties on the Telangana issue, the government constituted a five-member committee “to hold wide-ranging consultations with all sections of the people and all political parties and groups in Andhra Pradesh.” The committee will be headed by the former Supreme Court judge, Justice B.N. Srikrishna.

The Writing on the Wall : India Checkmates America 2017 Padmanabhan, S.

Year: 2004

About the Book :This is a book about how India prepared to meet aggression against her by any developed country including the USA. The propensity of the USA to act unilaterally against other countries in disregard of the United Nations was clearly demonstrated in the Iraq War, 2003. It indicated to India that she too could face military action by the USA, under certain circumstances.

A BOOK ON THE LIFE AND TIMES OF CONGRESS LEADER RELEASED

‘Pranab Mukherjee: The All Season Man’ - It has been edited by Sukhendu Sekhar Ray.

Manidha Naeyam I.A.S & I.P.S Free Coaching Centre 7 FEBRUARY 1- 28 2010

ERROR ON GLACIER DAMAGED IPCC CREDIBILITY’

Rajendra Kumar Pachauri, head of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), admitted that its credibility was damaged by the controversy over its 2007 report, which falsely claimed that the Himalayan glaciers could melt away by 2035.

SHIV SHANKAR MENON TO ATTEND SECURITY MEET AT MUNICH

 The Munich Conference on Security Policy is an annual conference on international security policy that is held Munich, .  The 46th Munich Security Conference will be held from February 5th through February 7th 2010.  Ministers, members of Parliament, high-ranking representatives of the armed forces, scientists, and representatives of the media were invited to the discussion forum, which focused on foreign and security policy challenges in European and American relations.  Each year, some 250 participants from 40 countries discuss in depth their views on the development of transatlantic relations as well as European and global security.  The conference was founded in 1962 by German publisher Ewald-Heinrich von Kleist- Schmenzin under the title Wehrkundetagung.  The former Foreign Secretary, Shiv Shankar Menon, will meet senior representatives of India’s strategic partners on his first outing as National Security Advisor (NSA) to the Munich.

THE WORLD LOST A LANGUAGE.

. Two unique Andamanese languages disappear with death of last speakers . The death of Boro and Boa of Great Andaman, last surviving speakers of Andamanese languages, Khora and Bo, has resulted in the extermination of their unique tribes on the islands. . “There are just 50 Great Andamanese left,” says Anvita Abbi, a professor at University who has undertaken a project to document the languages of these tribes. . “Now we only have Jeru and Sare speakers in the group.”

Manidha Naeyam I.A.S & I.P.S Free Coaching Centre 8 FEBRUARY 1- 28 2010

STRAIT ISLAND

Strait Island is a small island of 2 km2 located in South Andaman, Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Strait is a small, comma-shaped, and forested island, known for its caves of birds' nests and plentiful deer (though they are now rare to find). The settlement for the Great Andamanese, one of the indigenous people of the Andaman Islands, was built and is managed by the Andaman administration.

. Originally, the Great Andamanese were a group of 10 tribes with a total population of 5,000 when the British colonised the Andaman Islands. Over the years, most were killed or died of the diseases brought by settlers.

GOGOI REGRETS CUTTING CAKE WITH COLOURS OF NATIONAL FLAG

Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi expressed regret over cutting a cake with the colours of the national flag on it, at a function at the Raj Bhavan on . Section 2 of the Prevention of Insult to the National Honour Act, 1971 says: “Whoever in any public place or in any other place within public view burns, mutilates, defaces, defiles, disfigures, destroys, tramples upon or otherwise shows disrespect to or brings into contempt (whether by words, either spoken or written, or by acts) the Indian National Flag or the Constitution of India or any part thereof, shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to three years, or with fine, or with both.”

U.R.ANANTHA MOORTHY

Udupi Rajagopalacharya Ananthamurthy is a contemporary writer and critic in the Kannada language and is considered as one of the pioneers of the Navya movement. He is well known among Indian authors.He is the sixth person among seven recipients of the Jnanpith Award for the Kannada language, the highest literary honor conferred in India. In 1998, he received the Padma Bhushan award from the .

VIRDHAWAL KHADE

Virdhawal Khade (Maharashtra, India) , is India's top swimming talent. He competed in the men's 50 m, 100 m and 200 m Freestyle swimming events at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing setting an Indian national record in 100 m Freestyle while winning his heat, but failed to qualify for the semifinals in his events..

Manidha Naeyam I.A.S & I.P.S Free Coaching Centre 9 FEBRUARY 1- 28 2010

A.P. QUOTA FOR SECTIONS OF MUSLIMS QUASHED

 In a significant judgment having national ramifications, the Andhra Pradesh High Court struck down the four per cent reservation provided by the State government to selected sections of Muslims in education and public employment.  Declaring the A.P. Reservation in favour of Socially Educationally Backward Classes of Muslims Act, 2007 unsustainable, the five judges said the Act “is religion-specific and potentially encourages religious conversions.  This is the third time the government is facing an embarrassment over a quota for Muslims. To keep its election promise, the government issued an administrative order in 2004 providing 5 per cent reservation for all Muslims, relying on a report by the A.P. Minorities Finance Corporation. This was struck down by the High Court. The government then constituted a BC commission and, based on its report, brought about the enactment in 2005, which was again rejected by the court.

17 ARMY MEN KILLED IN AVALANCHES

 Seventeen Army men, including an officer, were killed in avalanches near Gulmarg(Jammu).  Out of the 400 men undergoing training at a high altitude warfare camp in Khilanmarg area, 80 were trapped and most of them rescued, The Army launched a massive rescue operation amid bad weather and informed sources said bodies of the 16 soldiers and the officer were recovered.  The Snow Avalanche Study Establishment (SASE) issued avalanche warnings, advising people living in the region not to venture out. The area has been receiving heavy snowfall in the past three days.

337-YEAR-OLD BOOK TO BE REPRINTED

. Collectors of rare books will soon be able to lay their hands on a facsimile copy of 17th century book India and Persia by British cartographer John Ogilvie. It is being reprinted by the authorities of the Asiatic Society here. . Published in 1673, the book, which is a part of the Library of the Asiatic Society, is the only known copy in India, said Nirbed Ray, publication secretary of the Society. . The book has unique artwork and maps from India and Persia. It provided the merchants of the valuable information on India and the Gangetic plains, Mr. Ray said.

QUOTA FOR MUSLIMS IN

. The West Bengal government announced a 10 per cent quota in jobs for the weaker sections among Muslims under the OBC category as per the recommendation of Ranganath Mishra Commission.

Manidha Naeyam I.A.S & I.P.S Free Coaching Centre 10 FEBRUARY 1- 28 2010

. Ranganath Mishra Commission is an enquiry commission assigned by Government of India to study and find solution for the minority status of India. The report was conducted by National Commission for Religious and Linguistic Minorities. The report focused on the issue of The report was submitted to the government on 21 May 2007.

MEMBERS - PLANNING COMMISSION.

1) Sh. B.K. CHATURVEDI, IAS (Rtd.) 2) SAUMITRA CHAUDHURI 3) Dr. (Ms.) SYEDA SAIYIDAIN HAMEED 4) Dr. NARENDRA JADHAV 5) DR.K.KASTURIRANGAN 6) PROF. ABHIJIT SEN 7) Dr. MIHIR SHAH 8) SH. ARUN MAIRA

11TH SOUTH ASIAN GAMES: 2010

 There were total 23 sports in the 11th edition of South Asian Games held in Dhaka.India who leads the medal tally clearly dominated in 13 sports, which are Archery, Athletics, Badminton, Boxing, Cycling, Judo, Shooting, Swimming, , Weightlifting, Wrestling and Wushu. Host dominated in Golf and Karate while and Afghanistan dominated in Squash and Taekwondo respectively. Among the team events, India won men and women Kabadi, women Football and Volleyball. Bangladesh won men Football and T20 Cricket, Pakistan won Hockey and Handball while Afghanistan won Basketball.  Bhandari retains marathon gold.  Madhurika Patkar, won four gold medals in the table tennis event at the South Asian Games.  Under-21 Cricket T20 was introduced for the first time in the SA Games, with Bangladesh emerged victorious beating Sri Lanka in the closely contested final. Pakistan won the bronze by beating Maldives. India, the other test playing nation of the region, did not participate in the event.

Manidha Naeyam I.A.S & I.P.S Free Coaching Centre 11 FEBRUARY 1- 28 2010

TURKEY AGREES TO WORK CLOSELY WITH INDIA ON GLOBAL TERRORISM.

 India and Turkey unveiled a joint declaration on terrorism which considers a breakthrough because in it, Ankara has agreed to “recognise the need” for the conclusion of the India-initiated Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism (CCIT).  Turkey is leading member of OIC, therefore its commitment to the convention is significant  During the ongoing visit of Turkish President Abdullah Gul, both countries also agreed to work towards developing an action plan with timelines and specific measures after taking into account the existing structures of cooperation, such as the Joint Working Group against Terrorism.

INDIA, BRITAIN INK NUCLEAR PACT

. India signed a declaration on civilian nuclear cooperation with the U.K. which officials described as a “general umbrella agreement.” . The two sides are expected to make a public announcement in the coming days. The U.K. becomes the eighth country with which India has signed a civilian nuclear pact since breaking out of restrictions imposed on it. . The agreement was signed here by Atomic Energy Commission Chairman Srikumar Banerjee and British High Commissioner Richard Stagg. The pact will provide a legal framework for British companies that have expertise in supplying components.

India has so far signed civilian nuclear pacts with

1) Russia, 2) , 3) U.S.A, 4) Kazakhstan, 5) Mongolia, 6) Argentina and 7) Namibia.

Manidha Naeyam I.A.S & I.P.S Free Coaching Centre 12 FEBRUARY 1- 28 2010

GUJARAT OPPOSES SHIFTING OF LIONS FROM GIR TO KUNO

. The Gujarat government opposed in the Supreme Court the National Board for Wildlife’s proposal to shift Asiatic lions from the Gir forest to the Kuno Palpur reserve in Madhya Pradesh.

WORLD SPICE CONGRESS.

 The 10th Word Spice Congress which concluded in New Delhi recently expressed concern over the increasing labour shortage, shift in the young generation from agriculture to other sectors and rising costs.  The congress which saw participation from over 50 countries with 165 international delegates discussed steps to promote spice exports.  Presentations were made on food safety and risk management and risk assessment and regulators’ role at the congress by experts from American Spice Trade Association, European Spice Association and from South Africa.

HINDI POET TURNS DOWN PADMA AWARD AGAIN

Eminent Hindi poet Acharya Janaki Ballabh Shastri, who had on Republic Day refused to accept the Padma Shri, has turned down the once again. Angry with the Union government for seeking his bio-data for the award, Mr. Shastri declined to accept the honour evening.

AWARD FOR STEEL PLANT

Prime Minister presents the Prime Minister’s trophy to the best integrated steel plant to Bhilai Steel Plant. Chairman, SAIL, S. K. Roongta , MD, Bhilai Steel Plant, R. Ramaraju.

POULOMI RECLAIMS TITLE; ’S REIGN CONTINUES

. Achanta Sharath Kamal trounced Sourav Chakraborty in a straightforward final to retain the men’s crown for the fourth straight season in the 71st senior National and inter-State table tennis tournament. . This was Sharath Kamal’s fifth National title. . In the women’s final Poulomi Ghatak dethroned holder Shamini Kumaresan in a hard-fought final for her sixth National title.

Manidha Naeyam I.A.S & I.P.S Free Coaching Centre 13 FEBRUARY 1- 28 2010

KOLKATA’S CHINATOWN TO BE ON TOURIST MAP

Chinatown in the eastern part of the city of Kolkata is the only Chinatown in India. The locality was once home to 20,000 ethnic Chinese, now the population has dropped to 2,000 or so. The traditional occupation of the Chinese community here had been working in the nearby tanning industry and the Chinese restaurants. The area is still noted for the Chinese restaurants where many people flock to taste traditional Chinese and Indian Chinese food. Once there were many opium dens in the area. That type of establishment is now illegal in India.

West Bengal tourism department announced a project to promote the city’s Chinatown — the only sizeable settlement of the Chinese diaspora in India — as a tourist destination, residents there are divided on whether the move would benefit the community.

TASLIMA’S VISA EXTENDED BY YEAR

The Government has extended by one year the visa for controversial Bangladeshi writer Taslima Nasrin, who has also moved for permanent residency in India.

The extension of visa came a day before its expiry, relieving the 46-year-old writer of tension about her future stay in India, her adopted home since leaving Bangladesh in 1994 in the face of death threats from fundamentalist groups against her alleged blasphemous writings.

KOLKATA GROUP DEMANDS UNIVERSAL, JUSTICIABLE FOOD ENTITLEMENTS

The Kolkata Group is an independent initiative inspired and chaired by Nobel Prize-winning economist Amartya Sen. Once a year, it brings together participants drawn from various fields to explore the many inter-connections between inequality, deprivation, human development, and democracy. Its special focus has been on examining ways of advancing people’s health and education. The organisations supporting the Kolkata Group are UNICEF India, Professor Sen’s Pratichi Trust, and the Harvard-based Global Equity Initiative. This year’s workshop, the eighth in the annual series, was on “Eliminating Injustice.” It was structured broadly around the themes explored in Professor Sen’s most recent theoretical work, The Idea of Justice (Allen Lane, Penguin Books, 2009) and, like earlier workshops,

Manidha Naeyam I.A.S & I.P.S Free Coaching Centre 14 FEBRUARY 1- 28 2010

drew on insights gained from surveys, other kinds of research, and practical experience. The two-day workshop, structured into five sessions, began with a discussion of the different dimensions of injustice and addressed the challenge of eliminating injustice in the areas of elementary education, food and health, women, work and care, and tribals, Dalits and minorities. The theme this year was “Eliminating Injustice”.

ANOTHER OFFICERS TRAINING ACADEMY IN GAYA

The Cabinet Committee on Security has approved the opening of an Officers Training Academy at Gaya in in addition to the one in Chennai.

STAMP ON BIBLE SOCIETY OF INDIA

The Department of Posts will issue a postage stamp to mark 200 years of the Bible Society of India, an association devoted to publishing translations of the Bible in Indian languages. It has its headquartersin Kolkata.

“The Society, which started out as The Calcutta Auxiliary Bible Society in 1811, is now one of the largest publishing houses in Asia,” said secretary of the Calcutta Auxiliary of the Society Sajal Kumar Sarkar. So far, it has translated the Bible and its excerpts from Greek and Hebrew into 203 Indian languages. Initially translations in the more widely spoken languages, including Bengali, Hindi, Tamil, Marathi and Malayalam, were attempted, but soon translations in tribal languages were published.

NANKANA SAHIB

Nankana Sahib was earlier known as 'Rai-Bhoi-Di-Talwandi' is a city in the Pakistani province of named after the first Guru of the Sikhs Guru Nanak Dev. Located at about 80 kilometers south west of Lahore and about 75 kilometres East from Faisalabad with a population of approx. 60,000 it is also the capital of Nankana Sahib District and Tehsil. Because Nankana Sahib is the birthplace of Guru Nanak Dev, the central figure in Sikhism, it is a city of high historic and religious value and is a popular pilgrimage site for Sikhs from all over the world.

AAMIR BACK ON COPYRIGHT PANEL

Actor-producer Aamir Khan withdrew his resignation from the committee, set up by Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal to bridge the differences between film producers and creative persons over the proposed amendments to the copyright law.

Manidha Naeyam I.A.S & I.P.S Free Coaching Centre 15 FEBRUARY 1- 28 2010

Actor Amitabh Bachchan,

Carnatic musician Balamurali Krishna,

ISRO Chairman K. Radhakrishnan and

Minister of State for External Affairs Shashi Tharoor,

were presented the Pazhassi Raja Charitable Trust Awards 2009

by President Pratibha Patil in New Delhi.

NCW MEMBER QUITS POST

. Neeva Konwar, member of the National Commission for Women (NCW), has resigned from her post. . Chairperson Girija Vyas has forwarded her letter of resignation, to the Ministry of Women and Child Development. . While Ms. Konwar, who was serving her second term, is said to have resigned after her husband ’s appointment as Bihar ,

RAJYA SABHA POLLS IN SEVEN STATES ON MARCH 26

 The Election Commission has announced biennial elections for 13 seats in the Rajya Sabha from six States, which will expire in April this year.  It also announced by-elections to the Upper House from Uttar Pradesh to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Samajwadi Party representative Janeshwar Mishra.  Members whose term will expire include Defence Minister A.K. Antony (Kerala), Commerce Minister Anand Sharma (Himachal Pradesh) and Youth Affairs and Sports Minister M.S. Gill (Punjab).  The poll will be held for five seats in Punjab, three in Kerala, two in Assam, and one each in Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Nagaland and Tripura.

Narinder Nath Vohra

Manidha Naeyam I.A.S & I.P.S Free Coaching Centre 16 FEBRUARY 1- 28 2010

. is the current governor of the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir.[1] He took over from S K Sinha on June 25, 2008. He is the first civilian governor of Jammu and Kashmir in 18 years after . . Vohra was educated at Punjab and Oxford Universities, and served in the IAS between 1959 and 1994. He served as Principal Secretary to Prime Minister I.K. Gujral in 1997-98 and was a member of the National Security Advisory Board from 1998 to 2001 when the NDA government was in power. For his service to the nation, Vohra was also awarded the in 2007. . Since February 2003 until he became the governor, Vohra had been the Indian government's interlocutor in Kashmir. As such he had been holding wide-ranging discussions with both the elected representatives in the state and also the separatists in a bid to forge a common ground for the all-round development of the state.His first major action was to withdraw the controversial Amarnath shrine land transfer order.

THE SILDA CAMP ATTACK

The Silda camp attack occurred on February 15, 2010, when dozens of Maoist insurgents ambushed Indian security forces in Silda (some 30 km from Midnapore) in West Bengal, India. The resulting death of 24 paramilitary personnel of the Eastern Frontier Rifles, and several believed to be abducted, made the attack a hard blow to the government's fight against the rebels.

Inquiry panel set up to probe Silda attack

The West Bengal government announced the setting up of a three-member committee to inquire Silda attack .The committee will be headed by State Ardhendu Sen and will submit its report within two months.

BELOW THE RADAR, A NEW AGRIBUSINESS PACT WITH THE U.S.

The government quietly secured Cabinet approval for a new agreement with the United States that aims, inter alia, at promoting the privatisation of agricultural extension services and facilitating collaborations between American agribusiness and the Indian farm sector. The proposed Memorandum of Understanding with the U.S. on ‘Agriculture Cooperation and Food Security’ was approved and is likely to be signed soon. The present MoU was initiated under the India-U.S. Agriculture Dialogue during Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s visit to Washington last November.

WEARING BURQA NOT AN INTEGRAL PART OF ISLAM: ELECTION COMMISSION

 The Election Commission informed the Supreme Court that wearing a burqa by a Muslim woman was a mere religious custom, and not an integral part of Islam.  In its response to a special leave petition to restrain it from publishing photographs of purdah-clad Muslim women in the electoral rolls, the Commission said: “Article 25 of the

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Constitution does not confer unfettered rights to religious practice, but merely protects the essential or integral practice of any religion.”  The SLP was directed against the September 7, 2006 judgment of the Madras High Court, dismissing a petition filed by M. Ajmal Khan against the use of photographs in the rolls.

MONTBLANC NOT TO SELL GANDHI SERIES PEN

Tushar Gandhi, great grandson of Mahatma Gandhi, displays the Mahatma Gandhi Limited Edition 241 pen in Mumbai in September 2009.

Montblanc International GmbH, Germany, gave an undertaking before a Division Bench of the Kerala High Court that its “Mahatma Gandhi Limited Edition 241” and “Mahatma Gandhi Limited Edition 3000” luxury pens would not be sold in the country until further orders from the court.

STAMP ON P.C. SORCAR ISSUED

. The Department of Posts released a commemorative stamp in honour of P. C. Sorcar (Senior), the man who “took the magic of India to the rest of the world” and captivated audiences worldwide with tricks crafted from India’s folk arts and mystic traditions.

JEAN MAYER AWARD FOR JOURNALIST SANJOY HAZARIKA

. Eminent journalist Sanjoy Hazarika has been awarded the Dr. Jean Mayer Award for Global Citizenship by the U.S.-based Tufts University for his contribution to the north-east of India, initiatives in health and governance, besides advocacy of issues.

. The award is given annually to scholars and practitioners who make significant contributions to improving the lives of people in their areas of work and impacting both research and policy. . The previous awardees include Nobel laureates Amartya Sen and Desmond Tutu

INDIAN RUPEE

The Indian rupee coin goes back a long time, and is thought to have been introduced some time during the reign of Sher Shah Suri (1484-1545). Expectedly, the distinction of being the oldest recognised currency symbol goes to the pound sterling. Its use is said to date back to the 8th century, before the formation of the United Kingdom. The dollar sign, too, was already in use before the constitution of the United States.

Manidha Naeyam I.A.S & I.P.S Free Coaching Centre 18 FEBRUARY 1- 28 2010

THE INDUS WATERS TREATY

The Indus Waters Treaty is a water-sharing treaty between the Republic of India and Islamic Republic Of Pakistan, brokered by the World Bank (then the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development).

The treaty was signed in Karachi on September 19, 1960 by Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and President of Pakistan Mohammad Ayub Khan. The treaty was a result of Pakistani fear that since the source rivers of the Indus basin were in India, it could potentially create droughts and famines in Pakistan, especially at times of war. However, India did not revoke the treaty during any of three later Indo-Pakistani Wars.

Provisions

The Indus System of Rivers comprises three Western Rivers the Indus, the Jhelum and Chenab and three Eastern Rivers - the Sutlej, the Beas and the Ravi; and with minor exceptions, the treaty gives India exclusive use of all of the waters of the Eastern Rivers and their tributaries before the point where the rivers enter Pakistan. Similarly, Pakistan has exclusive use of the Western Rivers. Pakistan also received one-time financial compensation for the loss of water from the Eastern rivers.

The countries agree to exchange data and co-operate in matters related to the treaty. For this purpose, treaty creates the Permanent Indus Commission, with a commissioner appointed by each country.

192 M DOMAIN NAMES REGISTERED IN 2009

 The Internet domain name industry closed the year 2009 with more than 192 million registrations across all top level domain names, a rise of 15 million since the close of 2008  The overall base of ‘.com' and ‘.net' domain names grew to 96.7 million at the end of 2009.

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 New ‘.com' and ‘.net' registrations were added at an average of about 2.4 million a month to a total of 7.3 million in the last quarter of 2009, the release adds.

Ageless Tendulkar breaks the 200-run barrier

Highest score in ODIs

Player Runs Balls 4s 6s Against Ground Date

Sachin Tendulkar 200* 147 25 3 South Africa Gwalior Feb 24, 2010

CK Coventry 194* 156 16 7 Bangladesh Bulawayo Aug 16, 2009

Saeed Anwar 194 146 22 5 India Chennai May 21, 1997

Sir Viv Richards 189* 170 21 5 England Manchester May 31, 1984

Sanath Jayasuriya 189 161 21 4 India Sharjah Oct 29, 2000

Gary Kirsten 188* 159 13 4 UAE Rawalpindi Feb 16, 1996

Sachin Tendulkar 186* 150 20 3 New Zealand Hyderabad Nov 8, 1999

MS Dhoni 183* 145 15 10 Sri Lanka Jaipur Oct 31, 2005

Sourav Ganguly 183 158 17 7 Sri Lanka Tounton May 26, 1999

Mathew Hayden 181* 166 11 10 New Zealand Hamilton Feb 20, 2007

COPTER-BORNE PROBE FOR DEEP-SEATED URANIUM

 In an initiative aimed at locating uranium deposits, the National Geophysical Research Institute (NGRI) hydrabad, is all set to take up a heli-borne survey of around 1.25-lakh line km in different parts of the country. To start with, the Singhbhum shear zone in parts of Jharkhand and West Bengal is to be scouted in the first week of March.  NGRI Director V.P. Dimri.  After Jharkhand and West Bengal, the team will move to other locations. The entire project looks at surveying 4.75 lakh km but, at present, only one-third of the total area is being taken up. Describing it as an important project for nuclear plants.

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DEEMED UNIVERSITY

 Deemed university is a status of autonomy granted to high performing institutes and departments of various universities in India. This status of ‘Deemed-to-be-University’, is granted by Deptt. Of Higher Education, Union Human Resource Development Ministry, on the advice of the University Grants Commission (UGC) of India, under Section 3 of the University Grants Commission (UGC) Act, 1956 .  The UGC began in 1956 after Indian parliament passed the University Grants Commission Act "to make provision for the co-ordination and determination of standards in Universities and for that purpose, to establish a University Grants Commission."

CHINA SAYS IT HAS NO DETAILS ON INDIAN TRADERS

 The Chinese Foreign Ministry it had “no information” on the status of 21 Indian traders who have been kept in detention in Shenzhen for 50 days.  The traders were among 33 foreigners detained in a raid on January 8. They are accused of smuggling diamonds worth $7.3 million (around Rs. 34 crore) from Hong Kong.  Last week, local prosecutors approved the arrest of 24 “smuggling bosses”. It is understood that 21 of them were Indians, while nine, from Hong Kong and , have not been charged..

The Indian traders — most of them hailing from Gujarat —will have been in detention in Shenzhen for 50 days. As yet, there has been no formal announcement on what charges they are being held on, and what sentences they will likely face.

KANDHAMAL: 52 ACQUITTED

Fifty two people accused of being involved in the 2008 riots in Kandhamal(Orissa) were acquitted by two fast track courts due to lack of evidence. There were seven cases, involving house burning and church attacks. Thirty-eight people were killed in these incidents.

Manidha Naeyam I.A.S & I.P.S Free Coaching Centre 21 FEBRUARY 1- 28 2010

INTERNATIONAL

INDIA-BORN BUSINESSMAN HAS BEEN NOMINATED TO THE CANADIAN SENATE

 For the first time, an India-born businessman has been nominated to the Canadian Senate by Prime Minister Stephen Harper.  Vim Kochhar (73) is expected to take the oath of office. He is among five outstanding Canadians who have been nominated to the Senate by Mr. Harper, whose Conservatives party is now closer to taking back control of the Upper House with the new appointments.

Agassi's autobiography, Open (written with assistance from J. R. Moehringer was published in November 2009. In it, Agassi admitted to using and testing positive for methamphetamine in 1997

NIGERIAN GROUP ENDS CEASEFIRE

 Nigeria’s main militant group has called off a three-month ceasefire and warned that oil companies in the Niger Delta should expect an “all-out onslaught” against facilities and personnel.  Attacks by the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) had slashed the West African nation’s oil production by around a quarter and helped drive up global oil prices when MEND responded to a government amnesty and laid down its arms last October.  MEND says it is fighting for a share of oil revenue for Niger Delta residents.

MAHATMA’S TEACHINGS ECHO IN JAPANESE PARLIAMENT

Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama invoked the teachings of Mahatma Gandhi during his policy speech at the 174th session of the Japanese Parliament, Diet, to outline the challenges facing Japanese society and the path to their amelioration.

Manidha Naeyam I.A.S & I.P.S Free Coaching Centre 22 FEBRUARY 1- 28 2010

OBAMA UNVEILS $3.83-TRILLION BUDGET

President Barack Obama sent the U.S. Congress a $3.83-trillion budget that would pour more money into the fight against high unemployment, boost taxes on the wealthy and freeze spending for a wide swath of government programmes.

BEIJING WARNS OBAMA

 China has warned of “serious damage” to its ties with the United States if President Barack Obama met the Dalai Lama.  U.S. officials have said Mr. Obama intends to meet the Dalai Lama.

BIG JUMP IN PAKISTAN AID

. U.S. President Barack Obama has proposed $3.2 billion in assistance to Pakistan in the fiscal 2011, a substantial jump in American aid. . Noting that Pakistan is a key country in the war against extremism,adding that in 2010 it had been $1.88 billion. . Mr. Obama has proposed $1.2 billion for the Pakistan Counterinsurgency Capability Fund as against $700 million in 2009.

INDIA, NEW ZEALAND START FTA TALKS

 With New Zealand emerging as one of the hot destinations for India’s exports during the recent recessionary period, both countries have started negotiations for a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) to expand further their relationship.  New Zealand is one of the main architects of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) and is likely to support India’s case for joining this alliance.  New Zealand, which exports coal, timber, wool and hides to India, exported goods worth $442 million last year, an increase of 16 per cent, despite declining trade overall. Exports are projected to grow at 8 per cent in 2010. India is now New Zealand’s 13th largest export destination. New Zealand had FTAs with Singapore, Thailand China and Malaysia.

LANDMARK DEAL IN NORTHERN IRELAND

. A landmark deal between Northern Ireland’s two major political parties, the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) and Sinn Fein, removed the last hurdle to granting full autonomy to the province envisaged in the 1998 Good Friday agreement that brought decades of sectarian violence to an end. . Sinn Fein, representing the Republican Catholic viewpoint, sees the transfer of powers in these two areas as crucial to the idea of a fully autonomous Northern Ireland. The DUP,

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which favours continued political union with the United Kingdom, is wary of trusting the Republicans with policing and justice.

Good Friday Agreement

The Agreement – also known as the Belfast Agreement or the Good Friday Agreement occasionally as the Stormont Agreement – was a major political development in the Northern Ireland peace process. It was signed in Belfast on 10 April 1998 (Good Friday) by the British and Irish governments and endorsed by most Northern Ireland political parties. On 23 May 1998 the Agreement was endorsed by the voters of Northern Ireland in a referendum. On the same day, voters in the Republic voted separately to change their constitution in line with the Agreement. The Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) was the only large party that opposed the Agreement. The Agreement came into force on 2 December 1999.

JHA TO TAKE OATH TOMORROW

. Nepal’s first Vice-President appointee Paramananda Jha, whose post has been inactive for the last five months over an oath-taking controversy, would be sworn in a second time. . Mr. Jha had earlier taken the oath in Hindi, sparking criticism and leading to the Supreme Court ordering him to retake it in Nepali. Mr. Jha refused to do so in August and his post became inactive. . Mr. Jha would most probably take his oath of office and secrecy in his mother tongue Maithili.

YANUKOVYCH WINS UKRAINE RUN-OFF

. Ukraine’s opposition leader Viktor Yanukovych narrowly beat Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko in the presidential election run-off that is expected to see Ukraine tilt back towards Russia. . The election victory signals a dramatic comeback for Mr. Yanukovych, a 59-year-old former Prime Minister, who was robbed of victory in the previous election in December 2004 after election results were overturned in the pro-Western “orange revolution” against alleged vote rigging.

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DEVOUT HINDU WINS FUNERAL PYRE CASE

. A devout British Hindu won a protracted legal battle over the right to be cremated on a traditional funeral pyre consistent with his religious practices, after he agreed that the cremation site could be surrounded by walls and have a roof with an opening. . Seventy-one-year-old Davendra Ghai, founder of the Anglo-Asian Friendship Society, said the Appeals Court’s verdict had “breathed new life into an old man’s dreams.” . Mr. Ghai, who moved to Britain from Kenya in 1958, launched his legal campaign in 2006 when the Newcastle City Council refused him permission for a cremation site in a remote part of Northumberland, north-east England.

TWO LAKH INDIANS LIVE ILLEGALLY IN U.S.: REPORT

. As many as two lakh Indians are living illegally in the U.S., claimed the latest official report on illegal residents for 2009. This is an increase of 40,000 from the 2008 figure. . The rise in unauthorised Indians living in the U.S. comes at a time when there is a seven per cent decline in the number of total illegal foreign residents.

GENERAL THURA TIN OO.

. General Thura Tin Oo (often referred to as U Tin Oo) is a retired general, former commander in chief of the armed forces of Union of Myanmar, highly decorated soldier, pro-democracy activist and deputy leader of the National League for Democracy (NLD) in Myanmar. . Recently Octogenarian Tin Oo, set free by Myanmar’s military rulers, will lead the opposition National League for Democracy (NLD) as long as Nobel Peace Laureate Aung San Suu Kyi remains under house arrest. She has so far spent over 14 years in detention, either at her own residence in Yangon or in prison, during the past two decades.

INDIA OFFERS $250-MILLION CREDIT AND FOOD GRAIN TO NEPAL

. Following up with its $1 billion package to Bangladesh, India offered a $250-million line of credit to Nepal. It also extended a massive 80,000 tonnes of essentials, mainly food grains, to Nepal. . India had committed Rs. 2,000 crore to Nepal that includes Rs. 805 crore to improve roads in the country’s Terai (plains) area, where the infrastructure is extremely weak. In addition, there are nearly 30 medium and large projects under various stages of implementation. . India is also taking up 335 grass roots-level projects in areas such as health, education and community development. . Dr. Yadav is on a four-day state visit, his first to a foreign country after becoming the President in mid-2008.

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SRI LANKA LOSES EU BENEFITS

. The European Union member states have decided to temporarily withdraw preferential tariff benefits known as GSP+ granted to Sri Lanka from August on the ground that there are “significant shortcomings” in the implementation of three U.N. human rights conventions. . Sri Lanka stands to loose concessions to the tune of $100 million to the textile and apparel industry, directly affecting at least one lakh workers. . The EU said the suspension of GSP+ benefits was temporary, as the overarching EU objective remained to use GSP+ as an incentive to improve the human rights situation, and would only take effect in six months, giving Sri Lanka time to address the problem.

SIKH SET TO BECOME BNP MEMBER

. A retired Sikh schoolteacher is set to become the first non-white member of the far-right British National Party (BNP) after it reluctantly voted to change its whites-only policy following a court order. . Rajinder Singh (78), who has been an unabashed admirer of BNP despite its virulently racist agenda and gave a character reference for its leader Nick Griffin when he was tried for stoking racial hatred,

CHINA CUTS $ HOLDINGS

. Concerned over the United States' growing budget deficit, China has reduced its holdings of U.S. debt by $45 billion in the past five months and is now no longer Washington's biggest creditor. . According to U.S. Treasury data released, Beijing sold as much as $34 billion of its dollar assets, of which it holds $755.4 billion, in December alone. China's shedding of its American assets has now left as the biggest foreign holder of U.S debt. . China became the U.S.'s biggest creditor in September 2008. Beijing has since exerted unprecedented influence over the U.S. economy and has also increasingly voiced concerns over Washington's fiscal policies. . In recent months, economists in China have been pressing the government to reduce its holdings of U.S. treasuries, particularly in light of concerns over the U.S.' rising budget deficit, forecast to reach a record $1.56 trillion this year.

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MADEIRA ISLAND

Madeira is a Portuguese archipelago that lies in the north Atlantic Ocean. It is one of the Autonomous regions of Portugal, with Madeira Island and Porto Santo Island being the only inhabited islands. Madeira is part of the EU as an outermost region of the European Union.

Madeira was discovered by Portuguese sailors some time between 1418 and 1420. The archipelago is considered to be the first discovery of the exploratory period initiated by Henry the Navigator of Portugal. Its harbour – Funchal – is important due to its commercial and passenger traffic and for being a major stopover for cruisers en route from Europe to the Caribbean.

GOOGLE CLAIM ON HACKING GROUNDLESS, SAYS CHINA

. China has denied claims by Google that a spate of hacking attacks that targeted the company originated from two Chinese universities. . In January, the Internet giant said it had faced cyber-attacks targeting the E-mail accounts of several Chinese human rights activists. Google has since announced it would stop censoring its search-engine in China, and possibly close down its China operations. . American investigators have reportedly traced the attacks to two Chinese universities — the well-reputed Shanghai Jiaotong University, known for its computer science programme, and the little-known Lanxiang vocational college. . The Chinese government restricts access to politically-sensitive websites, and foreign companies registered here are required to follow China's censorship policies. . China has the world's biggest and fastest-growing internet market, with more than 380 million Internet users.

Giant George (born 17 November 2005) is a blue Great Dane currently recognised as the world's tallest living dog, and the tallest dog ever by Guinness World Records.

Manidha Naeyam I.A.S & I.P.S Free Coaching Centre 27 FEBRUARY 1- 28 2010

CLASHES AT GREEK PROTESTS.

. Police fired tear gas and clashed with demonstrators in Athens after some 50,000 people finished a peaceful march against cutbacks intended to fix the country's debt crisis. . The walkout comes as Greece is considering tougher austerity measures to ward off a financial crisis that has undermined the euro and raised fears that financial market contagion will spread to other weak economies such as Portugal, Spain and Italy. The European Union has issued a vague promise to support Greece, which has some €53 billion in debt coming due this year, but the government of Prime Minister George Papandreou has pressed for more specific guarantees to shore up market confidence. . The government says it won't need a bailout and will stick to its plans to make sharp cutbacks. . There was disruption elsewhere in Europe by workers unsettled by the threat to their jobs from the slow economy and government plans to cut back. In France, a strike by air traffic controllers disrupted flights. And in Spain, tens of thousands of demonstrators rallied in several cities to protest a government proposal to raise the retirement age by two years to 67.

THE INTERNATIONAL CRISIS GROUP (ICG)

. The International Crisis Group (ICG) is an international, non-profit, non-governmental organization whose mission is to prevent and resolve deadly conflicts around the world through field-based analyses and high-level advocacy. . The International Crisis Group was founded in 1995 by World Bank Vice-President Mark Malloch Brown, former US diplomat Morton Abramowitz and Fred Cuny, an international disaster relief specialist who disappeared in Chechnya in 1995. Their aim was to create an organisation, wholly independent from any government, to assist governments, intergovernmental bodies and the international community at large in preventing deadly conflict. . The Crisis Group's international headquarters are in Brussels, with advocacy offices in Washington DC (where it is based as a legal entity). New York, London

SEWA’S ELA BHATT CHOSEN FOR NIWANO PEACE PRIZE

. Social worker Ela Bhatt has been chosen for the Niwano Peace Prize this year for her contribution to the uplift of poor women in India. . Ms. Bhatt, recognised as one of the pioneers in the development of the most oppressed and poorest women of India for more than three decades, will receive the award here on May 13.

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. The award, which recognises the significant contribution of an individual to inter-religious understanding and cooperation leading to world peace, comes with a certificate, a medal and prize money worth ¥20 million. She set up the Self-Employed Women’s Association (SEWA), a trade union, in 1972. Now, it has over 1.2 million members. In 1974, she established the SEWA cooperative bank, which now reaches out to around three million women.

ECONOMY

FAQ – FINANCE COMMISSION.

Q.1. What is the Finance Commission?

Ans. The Finance Commission is constituted by the President under article 280 of the Constitution, mainly to give its recommendations on distribution of tax revenues between the Union and the States and amongst the States themselves. Two distinctive features of the Commission’s work involve redressing the vertical imbalances between the taxation powers and expenditure responsibilities of the centre and the States respectively and equalization of all public services across the States.

Q.2 What are the functions of the Finance Commission?

Ans. It is the duty of the Commission to make recommendations to the President as to— the distribution between the Union and the States of the net proceeds of taxes which are to be, or may be, divided between them and the allocation between the States of the respective shares of such proceeds; the principles which should govern the grants-in-aid of the revenues of the States out of the Consolidated Fund of India; the measures needed to augment the Consolidated Fund of a State to supplement the resources of the Panchayats in the State on the basis of the recommendations made by the Finance Commission of the State; the measures needed to augment the Consolidated Fund of a State to supplement the resources of the Municipalities in the State on the basis of the recommendations made by the Finance Commission of the State;

Manidha Naeyam I.A.S & I.P.S Free Coaching Centre 29 FEBRUARY 1- 28 2010 any other matter referred to the Commission by the President in the interests of sound finance.

The Commission determines its procedure and have such powers in the performance of their functions as Parliament may by law confer on them.

Q.3. Who appoints the Finance Commission and what are the qualifications for Members?

Ans. The Finance Commission is appointed by the President under Article 280 of the Constitution. As per the provisions contained in the Finance Commission [Miscellaneous Provisions] Act, 1951 and The Finance Commission (Salaries & Allowances) Rules, 1951, the Chairman of the Commission is selected from among persons who have had experience in public affairs, and the four other members are selected from among persons who--

(a) are, or have been, or are qualified to be appointed as Judges of a High Court; or

(b) have special knowledge of the finances and accounts of Government; or

(c) have had wide experience in financial matters and in administration; or

(d) have special knowledge of economics

Q.4. How are the recommendations of Finance Commission implemented?

Ans. The recommendations of the Finance Commission are implemented as under:-

Those to be implemented by an order of the President:

The recommendations relating to distribution of Union Taxes and Duties and Grants-in-aid fall in this category.

Those to be implemented by executive orders:

The recommendations in respect of sharing of Profit Petroleum, Debt Relief, Mode of Central Assistance, etc. are implemented by executive orders.

Q.5. When was the first Commission appointed and how many Commissions have been appointed so far?

Ans. The First Finance Commission was constituted vide Presidential Order dated 22.11.1951 under the chairmanship of Shri K.C. Neogy on 6th April, 1952. Thirteen Finance Commissions have been appointed so far at intervals of every five years.

Q.6. Is the Finance Commission unique to India?

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Ans. Most federal systems resolve the vertical and horizontal imbalances through mechanisms similar to the Finance Commission. For example Australia and Canada.

Q.7. What is the composition of the Thirteenth Finance Commission?

Ans. The Thirteenth Finance Commission has been set up under the Chairmanship of Dr. Vijay L. Kelkar [former Union Finance Secretary and Advisor to the Finance Minister]. Other Members of the Commission are Dr. Indira Rajaraman [Professor Emeritus, National Institute of Public Finance & Policy New Delhi), Prof. Atul Sarma, Former Vice Chancellor, University [erstwhile Arunachal University], Dr. Sanjiv Misra [Former Secretary (Expenditure) Government of India). Shri B.K. Chaturvedi (Member, Planning Commission) is the part-time Member of the Thirteenth Finance Commission. Shri Sumit Bose is the Secretary, Thirteenth Finance Commission.

Q.8. What is the tenure of the Thirteenth Finance Commission?

Ans. The Finance Commission is required to give its report by 31st October, 2009. Its recommendations will cover the five year period commencing from 1st April, 2010.

SBI TO COVER MORE UNBANKED VILLAGES

State Bank of India has achieved its target of covering one lakh un-banked villages ahead of the March 2010 deadline, with the opening of a customer service point at Sannyasidanga village near Jangipur in West Bengal on January 31.

SBI has now decided to cover at least one lakh more villages out of the over five lakh unbanked villages in India.

There are about 6.5 lakh villages, of which the majority do not have access to banking services. In April 2008, SBI Chairman O. P. Bhatt set a challenging task of covering one lakh unbanked villages by March 2010 by providing basic banking facilities to its population.

‘MANUFACTURE IN INDIA, SELL IN INDIA AND MAKE MONEY IN INDIA’.

 Union Textiles Minister Dayanidhi Maran left on a four–day visit to France and Germany as the head of a high-level delegation to attract foreign investments into the sector as part of a mission to integrate the Indian textile industry with the global textiles manufacturing system.  During the visit, Mr. Maran and his team would seek to get large textile and clothing brands in the two European countries to think in terms of setting up manufacturing bases in India for their global markets, apart from tapping the growing domestic market for textiles and apparels in keeping with his mantra of ‘manufacture in India, sell in India and make money

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in India’. This would be the second phase of the Textile Minister’s mission to attract foreign investments. In the first phase, in October, he had visited Switzerland, Italy and Turkey.

ZYLOG ACQUIRES CANADIAN COMPANY

 Chennai-based global technology integrator and business solution provider Zylog announced that it had acquired Canada-based consulting and engineering services company Brainhunter for Canadian $35 million.  Chairman and CEO of Zylog Sudarshan Venkatraman.

RUSSIA SAYS IT IS READY TO BUILD NUCLEAR REACTORS AT HARIPUR

 Russia has expressed its readiness to build nuclear reactors at Haripur in West Bengal.  While Russia is building two reactors at Koodankulam in Tamil Nadu and tying up the loose ends to put up at least four more units of 1,000 MW each at the same site, space limitation has stopped the Central government from allocating land for another nuclear park in West Bengal.  the Trinamool Congress is against the move to acquire land for nuclear reactors powered by Russian technology and has resolved to launch an agitation in case the Centre begins the process.

NHRC PULLS UP FOR NOT REPORTING 111 ENCOUNTERS

The National Human Rights Commission has sought an explanation from the Manipur Chief Secretary as to why reports of 111 cases, which were reported as police encounter cases, were not forwarded to the Commission.

The NHRC, in an order, stated that the Commission had not been receiving any report from the Manipur government.

OIL EXPLORATION PACT SIGNED WITH HUNGARY

 India and Hungary signed an agreement for oil and gas exploration and decided to strengthen cooperation in the information technology (IT) sector. Both countries also agreed to work for increasing the level of trade to $1 billion by 2012.  An agreement to this effect was reached during the current visit of the Union Commerce and Industry Minister, Anand Sharma, to Hungary.  Prime Minister of Hungary Gordon Bajnai.

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 An agreement for oil exploration was signed between MOL, the official Hungarian Oil Company, and Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) in which MOL will be a 35 per cent partner.  It was also agreed that the two countries would strengthen cooperation in the IT sector. The India-Hungary S&T fund of 2 million euro annually for the promotion of joint research projects will soon be made operational and bilateral S&T projects would be selected for funding.

SEBI CHAIRMAN C. B. BHAVE.

DOMINIQUE STRAUSS-KAHN, MANAGING DIRECTOR, INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND.

FICCI PRESIDENT RAJAN BHARTI MITTAL

INDIA AIMS TO DOUBLE TRADE WITH ARAB WORLD

 Union Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma, India intended to double bilateral trade with the Arab world from the present $114 billion by 2014.  Mr. Sharma also sought investments from the Arab countries in sectors such as ship building, infrastructure, pharmaceutical, IT, agro-processing and energy.  The Arab League has 22 members, including Jordan, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman, Palestine, Qatar and Algeria.

Director General of Foreign Trade R. S. Gujral.

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During April-January 2009-10, exports were about $133 billion against $144.2 billion in the year-ago period. In the Foreign Trade Policy 2009-14, the government had set an export target of $200 billion for 2010-11.

OVL CONSORTIUM BAGS 40 PER CENT STAKE IN VENEZUELAN BLOCK

 ONGC Videsh Limited (OVL)-led consortium announced that it had bagged 40 per cent stake in a $19-billion project to develop a major crude oil block in Venezuela.  OVL, Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) and Oil India Limited (OIL) along with Spain’s Repsol YPF SA and Malaysia’s Petroliam Nasional Bdh won rights to develop the Carabobo-1 block in Venezuela’s Orinoco Belt.

BANKS TO LEND AT BASE RATE

 Commercial banks will be made to extend loans at base rates from next fiscal year, which is expected to benefit consumers and borrowers.  According to Reserve Bank of India, the apex bank is keen on ensuring that banks provide loans on a base rate from April onwards and not on the basis of current benchmark prime lending rate (BPLR) as the latter was not considered a transparent system.  Under the BPLR arrangement, banks used their negotiating power for extending loans and based on that the rates for lending were decided which meant that for different consumers banks charged different interest rates.

NEW CHAIRMAN FOR CII’S YOUNG INDIANS

Bhairavi Jani has taken over as National Chairman of CII’s Young Indians (Yi) for 2010-11. Bhairavi Jani, Director, SCA Group of Companies, and Executive Director, TranSmart, is a fourth generation entrepreneur. Shankar Vanavarayar has taken over as National Vice Chairman of Yi,

RBI INTRODUCES NEW CATEGORY OF NBFCS

 The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) issued a notification introducing a new category of Non- Banking Finance Companies (NBFCs) as “Infrastructure Finance Companies (IFCs)”.  The existing categories of NBFCs are Asset Finance Companies (AFCs), Loan Companies (LCs) and Investment Companies (ICs). Further with a view to encouraging larger flow of funds to

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infrastructure, the exposure of a bank to infrastructure finance companies has been enhanced up to 20 per cent of its capital funds.  The IFCs should deploy a minimum of 75 per cent of itstotal assets in infrastructure loans. Net owned funds of Rs. 300 crore or above with a minimum credit rating ‘A’ or equivalent of Crisil, Fitch, CARE, ICRA or equivalent rating by any other accrediting rating agencies could enter infrastructure financing.

KOREAN STEEL MAJOR POSCO CHECKS OUT WEST BENGAL

Korean steel major Posco has begun checking out West Bengal, raising hopes of the State hosting an investment by Korea’s biggest steel company whose plans to set up a 12 million tonne plant in Orissa is in a limbo.

Posco India sees the Indian market as one with huge potential as much for the growing market for steel (mainly for infrastructural projects) as also for the country’s mineral resources. However, its Rs. 52,000-crore project, seen as the single largest dose of foreign direct investment, faced resistance from landlosers making Posco’s plan go haywire.

ANAND MAHINDRA NAMED E&Y ENTREPRENEUR OF THE YEAR 2009

. Anand G. Mahindra, Vice-Chairman and Managing Director of Mahindra Group, has been named Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the year 2009. . The Lifetime Achievement Award has gone to N. Vaghul for his unparalleled contribution to the Indian financial sector. . Mr. Mahindra will represent India at the Ernst & Young World Entrepreneur Of The Year Award in Monte Carlo, Monaco in May this year. . Harsh C. Mariwala, Chairman & Managing Director, Marico, is the winner in the manufacturing category. . The award for the Manager Entrepreneur of the year has gone to O. P. Bhatt, Chairman State Bank of India. . The award for the Start-up Entrepreneur of the year is given to Amit Mittal, Chairman & Managing Director, A2Z Maintenance & Engineering Services Pvt. Ltd. . The Entrepreneur of the year healthcare & life sciences award has gone to Pankaj R. Patel, Chairman & Managing Director, Zydus Cadila Healthcare Ltd.

U.K. INVESTOR PULLS OUT OF VEDANTA

. In a blow to mining firm Vedanta, a fourth European investor has sold its multi-million pound stake in the company, citing “serious concerns about its *Vedanta’s+ approach to human

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rights and the environment.” The company has been slammed for its plan to mine the Niyamgiri Hills of Orissa, home to the Kondh tribals, many of whom have opposed the plan. . Vedanta Alumnium, the Indian subsidiary of U.K.-listed Vedanta Resources. . Vedanta has been criticised by human rights and activist groups, including Survival International and Amnesty International, due to their operations in Niyamgiri Hills in Orissa, India that are said to threaten the lives of the Dongria Kondh that populate this region. The Niyamgiri hills are also claimed to be an important wildlife habitat in Eastern Ghats of India as per a report by the Wildlife Institute of India as well as independent reports/studies carried out by civil society groups.

THE PRIME MINISTER'S ECONOMIC ADVISORY COUNCIL (PMEAC)

The Economic Advisory Council has been set up with a view to provide a sounding board for inculcating awareness in Government on the different point of view on key economic issues. The Economic Advisory Council has been reconstituted time and again with different organisational setup headed by various economists who are of recognised international eminence.

The importance of Economic Advisory Council can be gauged by the fact that Sh. the then Prime Minister, was the chairman of the Economic Advisory Council.

The present Economic Advisory Council is headed by Dr. C. Rangarajan. The Council has the following economists as its members.

. Dr. Saumitra Chaudhuri, Member . Dr. M. Govinda Rao, Member . Dr. V. S. Vyas, Member . Sh. Suman K. Bery, Member

Terms of Reference:

. Analyzing any issue, economic or otherwise, referred to it by the Prime Minister and advising him thereon; . Addressing issues of macroeconomic importance and presenting views thereon to the Prime Minister. This could be either be suo-moto or on a reference from the Prime Minister or anyone else; . Submitting periodic reports to the Prime Minister on macroeconomic developments and issues with implications for economic policy; . Attending to any other task as may be desired by the Prime Minister from time to time

CONCERN OVER DECLINING SPICE PRODUCTIVITY

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. The recently concluded World Spice Congress in New Delhi expressed concern over the declining productivity of major spices in developing countries. . A number of factors have contributed to the decline in production and productivity, experts participating in the congress said. . Pepper productivity in India has declined mainly as the average age of the vines has increased and because of the low fertility of the soil due to continuous cultivation and higher disease incidence. . Another major threat is the emergence of alternatives to traditional crops. For example, in Lampung in Indonesia, farmers have taken to increased planting of oil palm, cocoa and coffee. Productivity had also been affected because of higher cost of production from rising input costs of labour and fertilizers, especially in and Brazil, a participant noted. . Black pepper production declined in Malaysia and Indonesia during the past couple of years. White Pepper production in Bangka (Indonesia) has decreased due to tin-mining as well as decorticated white pepper competition from Vietnam.

The projections for combined pepper production is estimated to be of the order of

1) Vietnam, 1.2 lakh tonnes 2) India 55,000 tonnes 3) Brazil 35,000 tonnes, 4) Indonesia, 25,000 tonnes and 5) Malaysia, 23,500 tonnes are the major players in the field of black and white pepper production.

CHILLIES the major producing countries are India, China, Peru, Bangladesh, Hungary and a few others. Production of major countries is growing at a CAGR of 5.2 percent. World trade in chillies is put at 4 lakh tonnes. The Indian share in global production range from 50-60 percent, China and Peru are growing fast and Hungary shows a de-growth. Peru and China are dominating world paprika trade. However, India is the only one source for hot chillies.

The Indian productivity in Chillies has been showing positive signs, showing a rise from 1,544 kg a hectare in 2005 to 1,550 kg a hectare in 2009. During 2007 and 2008, the productivity recorded was

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1,685 and 1,611 kg a hectare, respectively. The steady increase in productivity was on account of hybrids.

NAFED TO EXTEND ITS CAMPAIGN TO MORE STATES

. After Delhi, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu, the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India (NAFED) has decided to extend its ‘Farm Gate to Home Gate’ campaign (the sale of essential commodities at low prices) to more States to help hold the price line of essential commodities. . The scheme will now be taken to Maharashtra, West Bengal and Madhya Pradesh. . Under the campaign, the NAFED procures essential commodities – 20 kitchen basics, including pulses, edible oil, rice and wheat -- from farmers directly and sells them to people; thereby eliminating intermediaries who make the process expensive. . In view of the clamour from States for replicating the scheme piloted in Delhi, the NAFED has placed orders for pulses from Myanmar and edible oil from Malaysia.

COMPENSATION FOR EDWARDS E WHITACRE, CHIEF OF GENERAL MOTORS.

. Edwards E Whitacre, Jr (Chairman and CEO GM), the chief of auto maker General Motors will receive an an annual compensation of USD 9 million including a significant amount in restricted stocks. . General Motors, one of the worst hit by the financial turmoil, has received billions of dollars worth Federal funds. Whitacre, who is also the car maker's chairman, would receive an annual cash base salary of USD 1.7 million, the company said in a recent regulatory filing to the US Securities and Exchange Commission. . Whitacre assumed the role of CEO in December last year, following the resignation of Frederick A Henderson. . The compensation plan has been approved by President Barack Obama's Special Master for TARP executive compensation Kenneth Feinberg.

NEW FDI WORTH RS. 1,046 CR CLEARED

. The Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) approved 12 new foreign direct investment (FDI) proposals worth over Rs. 1,000 crore, including that of Walt Disney and Zee Entertainment. . Based on the recommendations of FIPB, the government has approved 12 proposals of FDI amounting to Rs. 1,045.61 crore, an official statement said here. The highest FDI of Rs. 529 crore is likely to come from Delhi-based Max India, followed by Hyderabad-based Soma Highways (Toll) Projects' Rs. 360-crore proposal.

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ANTI-DUMPING DUTY ON PENICILLIN IMPORTS FROM CHINA AND MEXICO

. Following the recommendation of the Directorate General of Anti-Dumping and Allied Duties (DGAD), the Commerce Ministry is toying with the idea of imposing an anti-dumping duty on import of two variants of anti-bacterial drug penicillin to protect the domestic industry from cheap Chinese and Mexican imports. . The provisional anti-dumping duty to be imposed on Penicillin-G Potassium and 6-Amino Penicillin Acid would range between $18.54 per billion oxford units (BOU) and $2.10 per BOU. . The imposition of the anti-dumping duty is notified by the Finance Ministry. . Acting on complaints from the Vadodara-based Alembic and Chennai-based Southern Petrochemical Industries Corporation (SPIC), the DGAD had initiated the probe into dumping of the two products from China and Mexico. In its recommendations, it has said that the products have been exported to India below its normal value.

BENZ INTRODUCES COSTLIEST CAR

Luxury carmaker Mercedes-Benz launched its top-of-the-line special protection limousine S-Guard, targeted at politicians, captains of industry, royal families, diplomats and celebrities. The limousine has been built on the platform of S 600 and come with a price tag of over Rs.6-crore, making it the costliest car in the country.

DUMPING DUTY SLAPPED ON STEEL, TYRE IMPORTS

. Concerned over surge in imports, particularly from China, India has slapped anti-dumping duty on several stainless steel products and radial tyres. . The Central Board of Excise and Customs has imposed anti-dumping duty of up to $2,254.69 a tonne on steel products, used mainly for making durables like refrigerators and also in automobile and kitchenware industries. . The tyre makers seemed pleased with the dumping duty of up to $99.05 per a set of bus and truck radial tyres (including tubeless) from China and Thailand.

MARUTI RECALLS ONE LAKH A-STARS

. Biggest recall in the domestic automobile industry . In one of the biggest recalls recorded in the Indian automobile industry, leading car marker Maruti Suzuki India announced that it had recalled nearly one lakh ‘A-Star' cars, the company's flagship export model, to replace a faulty fuel pump gasket. . The replacement will be done at no cost to the customers and will help check possible fuel leak, although no complaints have been received from customers.

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. Last month, Japanese auto major Honda had recalled 8,532 units of its sedan Honda City in India due to defective power window switch as part of a global recall initiative.

SUGAR EXPORT TO EU WITHDRAWN

. Coming under attack for rising food prices and indulging export of sugar at a time when the country was faced with shortage and sky rocketing prices, the UPA II Government has cancelled its export order of 10,000 tonnes of white sugar to the European Union (EU). . The withdrawal of the export order comes close on the heels of the price rise issue rocking Parliament and the Opposition accusing the government of exporting sugar at a time when the country was faced with a severe shortage and the prices had almost doubled since January 2009.

HYUNDAI TO RECALL SEDANS IN U.S. AND S. KOREA

. South Korea's top automaker Hyundai Motor announced that it would recall 47,300 of its latest model Sonata sedans in the U.S. and the domestic market due to a door lock problem. The firm said 1,300 of the cars already sold in the U.S. and another 46,000 in South Korea would be called back from March in response to complaints of faulty front—door locks on some of them.

SBI TO OPEN 1,000 ATMS

. State Bank of India (SBI) is planning to open about 1,000 new ATMs in the current year under its technological initiatives. . The bank at present has 70,000 branches and 20,000 ATMs catering to 286 million customers. Out of 65,000 villages in India, only 30,000 were covered by the commercial bank branches.

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INFRASTRUCTURE SECTOR POSTS ROBUST GROWTH

. The Economic Survey 2009-10 tabled in Parliament made out a strong case for adopting a liberal foreign direct investment (FDI) regime for health insurance, rural banking and higher education, asserting it could boost trade in services. . In the case of the services sector, a more conducive environment can be created by liberalising FDI in services like health insurance, rural banking and higher education as FDI inflows and trade in services have a close relationship. Well thought out policy measures would give a boost to the services sector. . The Survey says that with pick up in export of software and increase in foreign tourist arrivals, the country's services exports are expected to grow in the current fiscal, even as it contracted in April-September 2009-10. Software exports, including those from BPO services, have shown a recovery after a negative growth in the first half of 2009-10. The survey says the agriculture services sector attracted FDI of Rs.6,327 crore in the first eight months of the current fiscal against Rs.16 crore in the year ago period. . FDI in the sea transport sector was up by 918 per cent to Rs.12,983 crore, while in the electrical equipment segment inflows increased by 202 per cent to Rs. 2,724 crore during April-November 2009-10.

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ENVIRONMENT

MANSAGAR LAKE

. Mansagar Lake is a manmade water body, situated between Amber and Jaipur, in Jaipur District. . It was formed due to instituting a dam across river Darbhawati between Khilangarh hills and the hilly ridge on the opposite hill. . Jal Mahal, an architectural monument, is situated in the midst of the lake. Surrounded by hills, it is the home for a variety of migratory and resident birds.

DARJEELING ZOO PLANS TO EXCHANGE RED PANDAS WITH FOREIGN ZOOS

 An exchange of red pandas between the Himalayan Zoological Park at Darjeeling and zoos in Australia and New Zealand is on the cards, to improve the bloodline of the arboreal animals in the Darjeeling zoo’s captive breeding programme.  Started in 1990, the captive breeding programme for red pandas, described as vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), is one of the most successful conservation initiatives of the Darjeeling zoo, which was home to 14 of them,  The only conservation breeding programme  The zoo, along with its subsidiary facility at the Sikkim Himalayan Zoological Park in Gangtok, claims to be the only conservation breeding programme for the animal in its natural distribution zone.  Red pandas are found in dense thickets that include bamboo in the higher altitude forests of Nepal, India, Bhutan and southern China.

CHINA CONSIDERS LEGALISING TIGER TRADE TO CURB POACHING

 Even as China celebrates the start of the propitious Year of the Tiger, conservationists fear the next 12 months could turn out to be rather inauspicious for the Big Cat.  Since the last ‘Tiger Year’ was celebrated in 1998, amid similar renewed pledges to Save the Cat, the tiger population has halved to 3,200. There are less than 50 wild tigers in China today. The South China Tiger has not even been seen in the wild in recent years, and many fear it has joined a growing list of extinct sub-species.  Much of the poaching in China is driven by demand for tiger parts in Traditional Chinese Medicine. In the bustling black markets of southern Guangdong, a tiger paw can still fetch as much as $1,000.

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 The government is now considering legalising trade in tiger parts, a move conservationists say will be the last nail in the coffin for the tiger. It argues that legalising trade and captive breeding are crucial to curbing poaching and illegal trade.

CHANG LA PASS

The Changla Pass or Chang La Pass (el. 5,425 m (17,799 ft)) is a high mountain pass in India.The Changla Pass is on the route to Pangong Lake from Leh. It is named after the nomadic tribes of the region Changpa. La in Changla indicates pass. A temple dedicated to Changla Baba has been created by grateful travellers, invoking the spirit of the pass. The small town of Tangste is the nearest settlement. The Changla Pass is the main gateway for the Changthang Plateau situated in the Himalayas. The nomadic tribes of the region are collectively known as the Changpa or Chang-pa. The Chang La is the third highest motorable vehikel pass in the world.

A REPOSITORY OF SEEDS ON CLIFF TOP OF HIMALAYAS

 Nestled 17, 500m high on a cliff top in the Himalayas, Chang-La has the sub zero temperatures and low humidity necessary to suspend seed life for future generations.  It is a site carefully chosen. It is far from rising seas and tectonic plate movement but at around 75km from Leh aiport, it is close enough to human civilisation today to deposit the country’s agricultural heritage with ease.  Chang-La, opened last December, currently holds 5,000 seeds from the Ministry of Defence, prioritised for qualities such yield or resistance to temperature, pests or humidity. But its total capacity is ten times that and,  The facility in India aims to rival that at Svalbard in Norway, which can hold up to 3 million seed varieties, by opening up its vaults to the international community.  Crop seeds, developed slowly and carefully over thousands of years, are not only the source of sustenance for humankind but the best repository of genetic material scientists can use to help develop food resistant to the vagaries of climate change.

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THE SVALBARD GLOBAL SEED VAULT

The Svalbard Global Seed Vault is a secure seedbank located on the Norwegian island of Spitsbergen near the town of Longyearbyen in the remote Arctic Svalbard archipelago. The facility was established to preserve a wide variety of plant seeds from locations worldwide in an underground cavern. The seed vault holds duplicate samples, or "spare" copies, of seeds held in genebanks worldwide. The seed vault will provide insurance against the loss of seeds in genebanks, as well as a refuge for seeds in the case of large scale regional or global crises. The island of Spitsbergen is about 1,300 kilometres (810 mi) from the North Pole. The seed vault is managed under terms spelled out in a tripartite agreement between the Norwegian government, the Global Crop Diversity Trust (GCDT) and the Nordic Genetic Resource Center (also known as NordGen and previously named the Nordic Gene Bank, a cooperative effort of the Nordic countries under the Nordic Council of Ministers).

Construction of the seed vault, which cost approximately 45 million Norwegian Kroner (9 million USD), was funded entirely by the Government of Norway. Storage of seeds in the seed vault is free of charge. Operational costs will be paid by Norway and the Global Crop Diversity Trust.The primary funding of the Trust came from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, United Kingdom, Norway, Australia, Switzerland, and Sweden, though funding has been received from a wide variety of sources including four developing countries: Brazil, Colombia, Ethiopia, and India.

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INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON BIODIVERSITY - CHENNAI

International conference on “biodiversity in relation to food and human security in a warming planet”: Chennai declaration. The conference held at the M S Swaminathan Research Foundation, Chennai from 15 to 17 February 2010.

Chennai declaration makes a bridge of issues at global, national and local levels between the challenges for conservation and food security

These include:

1) According economic value to the services nature and agriculture rendered and setting up mechanisms for payment for such services; 2) Acknowledging that the custodians of biodiverse resources are farmers and fisherfolk; 3) Finding markets for neglected but nutritious crops; 4) Including rural communities in biodiversity strategies; 5) Refocussing research and development priorities and promoting biodiversity literacy through public education to build an ethic of conservation.

2010 is the International Year of Biodiversity.

BUREAU OF FOREST GENETICS TO COME UP IN DEHRA DUN

A National Bureau of Forest Genetics is to be established in Dehra Dun under the Indian Council for Forest Research and Education to help protect the country’s diminishing forest resources. A sum of Rs.20 crore was sanctioned for the project.

The Parambikulam Wildlife Sanctuary, Kerala, which was declared the country’s 38th tiger reserve.

COURT BANS MINING IN ARAVALLI RANGES

The Supreme Court banned mining in 157 mines in the Aravalli Ranges, in respect of which applications for renewal of lease have been pending with the Rajasthan government.

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Earlier, senior counsel and amicus curiae Harish Salve asked the court to ban all mining activities in the State. He said the Rajasthan government was trying to pull the wool over the eyes of the court by considering only those mountains which were 100 metres or more in height part of the Aravalli Ranges. It did not treat shorter hills as part of the ranges.

Ranthambore and Sariska, Darrah are the three tiger reserves in Rajestan.

TIGER CENSUS BEGINS IN BUXA

The first phase of the tiger population census in West Bengal’s Buxa Tiger Reserve has started. A Wildlife Institute of India estimate suggests that there may be just 10 tigers left in the reserve. The National Tiger Conservation Authority has identified the reserve as one of the seven reserves, where the tiger density is critically low.

PO - ITALY'S LONGEST RIVER

Kolleru Lake is one of the largest freshwater lake in India. It is located in Andhra Pradesh state, India. Kolleru is located between Krishna and Godavari delta. Kolleru spans into two districts - Krishna and West Godavari.

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SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

The lunar maria are large, dark, basaltic plains on Earth's Moon, formed by ancient volcanic eruptions.

Oceanus Procellarum Latin for "Ocean of Storms", is a vast lunar mare on the western edge of the near side of Earth's Moon. Its name derives from the old superstition that its appearance during the second quarter heralded bad weather. Oceanus Procellarum is the largest of the lunar maria, stretching more than 2,500 km (1,600 mi) across its north-south axis and covering roughly 4,000,000 km2 (1,500,000 sq mi) but is, nevertheless, still smaller that the surface area of the Mediterranean Sea on Earth.

World’s fastest computer

Cray Jaguar - 1.759 PFLOPS - DoE-Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Tennessee, USA

AGNI-III

Agni-III is an intermediate-range ballistic missile developed by India as the successor to Agni-II. The ballistic missile has a range of 3,500 km- 5500 km, which means that India is capable of engaging targets deep inside neighbouring countries.The missile’s Circular Error Probable (CEP) is within 40 meters range, which makes it one of the most sophisticated and accurate ballistic missiles of its range class in the world.

DRDO SETS ITS SIGHTS ON 5,000-KM AGNI-V

With three consecutively successful flights of Agni-III, missile technologists of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) have raised the bar: they will now busy themselves with realising Agni-V, which will have a range of 5,000 km.

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TARA OCEAN EXPEDITION

The Tara Expedition is a research expedition through the ice of the Arctic. The polar schooner Tara was to drift in the ice for approximately two years from its departure, late in August 2006. In the community of oceanography it is met with great interest especially in the context of the International Polar Year (2007-2008).

The three-year expedition will study marine life in the context of climate change. It comprises a team of oceanographers, ecologists, biologists, geneticists, and physicists from universities and institutes around the world.

In their 150,000-km voyage, the team will assess how corals are adapting to hotter and more acidic seawater; study diatoms, which play a major role in sequestering carbon dioxide from the atmosphere; hunt “giruses” (giant viruses) that infect fish, shrimps and photosynthetic plankton, but whose genes could prove useful to medicine; and sequence DNA of the unicellular ‘protists’ that make up a fifth compartment of life on earth, but about which very little is known.

Prestigious labs from around the world are participating, including the Marine Biology Laboratory (U.S.), Flinders University (Australia), Centre Scientifique de Monaco (France), the University of Milan (Italy) and University of Warwick (U.K.) and the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (Germany).

SCOPUS AWARD.

. Scopus Awards instituted by the National Academy of Sciences, India, and Elsevier, a leading research publisher of scientific, technical and medical information products and services to encourage young scientists. . Each award carries a plaque, a citation and Rs.50,000 in cash.

SELVAMURTHY TO GET DRDO AWARD

. W. Selvamurthy, Chief Controller (Life Sciences and Human Resource), Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), has been chosen for the DRDO’s Technology Leadership Award for 2008 instituted by the DRDO. . Dr. Selvamurthy will receive this award for his contribution to biomedical sciences, leading to the development of various life-support technologies that culminated in increasing the fighting efficiency of the armed forces at high altitudes such as Siachen. . The award citation says Dr. Selvamurthy’s recent path-breaking research — application of nitric oxide and oxygen for treating high altitude pulmonary oedema, has saved more than 500 soldiers’ lives. He developed a new prophylactic method of using carbozen gas for

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protection against noise-induced loss of hearing among the crew of battleships and battle tanks. . The award carries a cash prize of Rs. 2 lakh and the citation.

What is Pulmonary edema?

Pulmonary edema or oedema is fluid accumulation in the lungs. It leads to impaired gas exchange and may cause respiratory failure. It is due to either failure of the heart to remove fluid from the lung circulation ("cardiogenic pulmonary edema") or a direct injury to the lung parenchyma ("noncardiogenic pulmonary edema").

AMMONIUM NITRATE

The chemical compound ammonium nitrate, the nitrate of ammonia with the chemical formula NH4NO3, is a white crystalline solid at room temperature and standard pressure. It is commonly used in agriculture as a high-nitrogen fertilizer, and it has also been used as an oxidizing agent in explosives, including improvised explosive devices. It is the main component of ANFO, a very popular explosive.

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RUSHDIE TO PEN DAYS OF HIS HIDING AFTER ‘FATWA’

Booker Prize winner Salman Rushdie has said he plans to pen his experiences of a decade he spent hiding after a death ‘fatwa’ was issued against him by the Iranian clergy. Mr. Rushdie, 62, was forced into hiding since 1989 after Iran’s late spiritual leader Ayatollah Khomeini ordered Muslims to kill him for his The Satanic Verses, terming it an insult to Islam. In 1998, the Iranian government said it no longer supported the ‘fatwa,’ but could not rescind it.

MAQBOOL FIDA HUSSAIN

 Maqbool Fida Hussain, popularly known as MF, is an Indian artist.he has been called the "Picasso of India".  After there was some controversy regarding his paintings, he was on a self imposed exile from 2006.In January, 2010 he was offered citizenship of Qatar,which he has since accepted.

SHARMILA TAGORE

Sharmila Tagore is a Indian film actress from Bengal. She has won several National Film Awards and Filmfare Awards for her performances. She has led the Indian Film Censor Board. In December 2005 she was chosen as an UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador.

JHUMPA LAHIRI APPOINTED TO OBAMA ARTS COMMITTEE

Indian-American Pulitzer Prize-winning author Jhumpa Lahiri has been appointed a member of U.S. President Barack Obama’s Committee on the Arts and Humanities, along with five others. Ms. Lahiri’s debut collection of stories, Interpreter of Maladies, received the Pulitzer Prize, the PEN/Hemingway Award, the Addison M. Metcalf Award. Her novel The Namesake was a New York Times ‘Notable Book,’ Ms. Lahiri’s latest collection of stories, Unaccustomed Earth, won the Frank O’Connor International Short Story Award

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K. N. RAJ

 k. n. raj an Indian economist who played an important role in India's planned development, drafting sections of India's first Five Year Plan, specifically the introductory chapter when he was only 26 years old.  He was a veteran economist in the Planning Commission. He worked out a plan to raise India's rate of savings in the post-Second World War period when the country was in need of foreign aid.  He computed India's Balance of Payments for the first time for the Reserve Bank of India. Raj was an advisor to several prime ministers from Jawaharlal Nehru to P.V. Narasimha Rao.

S.C. SINHA NIA CHIEF

S.C. Sinha has been appointed Director-General of the National Investigation Agency. He succeeds the first chief of the agency, Radha Vinod Raju, whose tenure ended last month.

SHYAM SARAN QUITS POST

Veteran diplomat Shyam Saran has resigned as the Prime Minister’s Special Envoy on the India-U.S. nuclear deal and climate change.

Sixty-four-year-old Mr. Saran, like Mr. Menon who belonged to the Foreign Service, declined to give reasons for his decision.

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