Income and Poverty ● Accelerate growth rate of GDP from 8% to 10% and then maintain at 10% in the 12th Plan in order to double per capita income by 2016-17.

● Increase agricultural GDP growth rate to 4% per year to ensure a broader spread of benefits.

● Create 70 million new work opportunities.

● Reduce educated unemployment to below 5%.

● Raise real wage rate of unskilled workers by 20 per cent.

● Reduce the headcount ratio of consumption poverty by 10 percentage points.

Education ● Reduce dropout rates of children from elementary school from 52·2% in 2003-04 to 20% by 2011-12.

● Develop minimum standards of educational attainment in elementary school, and by regular testing monitor effectiveness of education to ensure quality.

● Increase literacy rate for persons of age 7 years or more to 85%.

● Lower gender gap in literacy to 10 percentage points.

● Increase the percentage of each cohort going to higher education from the present 10% to 15% by the end of the 11th Plan.

Health ● Reduce infant mortality rate (IMR) to 28 and maternal mortality ratio (MMR) to 1 per 1000 live births.

● Reduce total fertility rate to 2.1.

● Provide clean drinking water for all by 2009 and ensure that there are no slip-backs by the end of the 11th Plan.

● Reduce malnutrition among children of age group 0-3 to half its present level.

● Reduce anemia among women and girls by 50% by the end of the 11th Plan.

Women and Children ● Raise the sex ratio for age group 0-6 to 935 by 2011-12 and to 950 by 2016-17.

● Ensure that at least 33 per cent of the direct and indirect beneficiaries of all government schemes are women and girl children.

● Ensure that all children enjoy a safe childhood, without any compulsion to work.

Infrastructure ● Ensure electricity connection to all villages and BPL households by 2009 and round-the-clock power by the end of the Plan.

● Ensure all weather road connection to all habitation with population 1000 and above (500 in hilly and tribal areas) by 2009, and ensure coverage of all significant habitation by 2015.

● Connect every village by telephone by November, 2007 and provide broadband connectivity to all village by 2012.

● Provide homestead sites to all by 2012 and step up the pace of house construction for rural poor to cover all the poor by 2016-17. Environment ● Increase forest and tree cover by 5 percentage points.

● Attain WHO standards of air quality in all major cities by 2011-12.

● Treat all urban waste water by 2011-12 to clean river waters.

● Increase energy efficiency by 20 percentage points by 2016-17.

Vision of the 11th Plan . GDP growth rate to be increased to 10 per cent by the end of the plan. . Farm sector growth to be increased to 4 per cent. . Double per capita income by 2016-17. . Create 7 crore new jobs. . Reduce educated unemployment rate to below 5%. . Reduce drop out rate of school children to 20% from 52% now. . Literacy rate to be increased to 80%. . Infant mortality rate to be reduced to 28 per 1,000 births. . Maternal mortality rate to be cut to 1 per 1,000 births. . Clean drinking water to all by 2009. . Improve sex ratio to 935 by 2011-12 and 950 by 2016-17. . Electricity connection to all by 2009. . A telephone in every village by November 2007. . Broadband connectivity to all villages by 2011-12. . Roads to all villages with 1,000 population by 2009. . Increase forest cover and tree cover by 5 per cent. . Achieve WHO standard air quality in major cities by 2011-12.

. Treat all urban waste water by 2011-12 to clean rivers.

A AAFI Amateur Athletics Federation of AAPSO Afro-Asian People's Solidarity Organisation AASU All Assam Students Union ABM Anti Ballistic Missile AC Alternate Current / Ashok Chakra / Air Conditioner / Antarctic Club ACC Anxillary Cadet Core AD Ano Domini (After the birth of Jesus) ADB Asian Development Bank . AERE Atomic Energy Research Establishment AGOC Asian Games Organisation Committee AICC All India Congress Committee AICTE All India Council of Technical Education AIDS Acquired Immuno Deficiency Syndrome AIFE All India Football Federation AIIMS All India Institute of Medical Sciences AIL Aeronautics India Limited AIMPLB All India Muslim Personal Law Board AIR (Broadcasting) AITUE All India Trade Union Congress AM Anti Meridian (Before Noon) ANC African National Congress APEC Pacific Economic Cooperation APSC Army Postal Services Core ASEAN Association of South East Asian Nations ASLV Augmented Satellite Launch Vehicle ASI Archaeological Survey of India ASSOCHAM Associated Chamber of Commerce and Industry (India) ASWAC Airborne Surveillance Warning and Control ATS Anti Tetanus Serum B BAMS Bachelor of Ayurvedic Medicine and Surgery BARC Bhabha Atomic Research Centre BBC British Broadcasting Corporation BC Before Christ (Before the birth of Jesus) BCG Bacillus Calmette Guerin (Anti TB Vaccine) BCCI Board of Control for in India BEL Bharat Electronics Limited BENELUX Belgium, Netherlands and Luxemburg BHEL Bharat Heavy Electronics Limited BIFR Board of Industrial Finance and Reconstruction (Formerly Industrial Reconstruction Finance Board) BIMSTEC Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Thailand Economic Cooperation BIS Bureau of Indian Standards B Pharma Bachelor of Pharmacy BSF Border Security Force C CAD Command Area Development CAG Comptroller and Auditor General CARE Cooperative for American Relief Everywhere CASE Commission for Alternative Sources of Energy CAT Central Administrative Tribunal, Computerised Axial Tomography CAZRI Central Arid Zone Research Institute CBI Central Bureau of Investigation CBSE Central. Board of Secondary Education CCEA Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs CCS Cabinet Committee on Security C-DAC Centre For Development of Advance Computing CDMA Code Division Multiple Access CDRI Central Drug Research Institute CDS Compulsory Deposit Scheme CHOGM Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting CID Criminal Investigation Department CIS Commonwealth of Independent States CISF Central Industrial Security Force CITU , Centre of Indian Trade Unions CNG Compressed Natural Gas COD Central Ordnance Depot COFEPOSA Conservation of Foreign Exchange and Prevention of Smuggling Act CPO Central Passport Organisation CPRI Central Power Research Institute CRPF Central Reserve Police Force CRR Cash Reserve Ratio CSIR Council of Scientific and Industrial Research CSO Central Statistical Organisation CTS Computerised Tomography Scanner CVC Central Vigilance Commission D DDT Dichloro Diphenyle Tri-chloroethane DFDR 'Digital Flight Data Recorder (Black box)' DIG Deputy Inspector General D.Lit. Doctor of Literature DM District Magistrate DMK Dravida Munetra Kazhagam DNA Di-oxyribo-Nucleic Acid DPAP 'Drought Prone Area Programme DPC Dabhol Power Company DPSA Deep Penetration Strike Aircraft DRDO Defence Research and Development Organisation DTH Direct to Home DVD Digital Versatile Disk E EAS Employment Assurance Scheme ECD European Central Bank ECG Electro Cardiogram EEC European Economic Community EEG Electro Encephalogram ELISA Enzyme Linked Immuno Sorbent Assay EMF Electromotive Force EPABX Electronic Private Automatic Branch Exchange EPZ Export Processing Zone ERDA Energy Research and Development Administration ESMA Essential Services Maintenance Act EVM Electronic Voting Machine EXIM Bank Export-Import Bank of India F FAO Food and Agriculture Organisation FBI Federal Bureau of Investigation (USA) FBTR Fast Breeder Test Reactor FCI Food Corporation of India / Fertilizer Corporation of India FDR Flight Data Recorder (Black Box) FERA Foreign Exchange Regulation Act FEMA Foreign Exchange Management Act FICCI Federation of India Chambers of Commerce and Industry FIPB Foreign Investment Promotion Board FIR First Information Report FRS Fellow of the Royal Society FTII Films and Television Institute of India FTZ Free Trade Zone G GAIL Gas Authority of India Limited GATT General Agreement on Tariff and Trade GIC General Insurance Corporation GMT Greenwich Mean Time GNLF Gorkha National Liberation Front GNP Gross National Product GPF General Provident Fund GPO General Post Office GPS Global Positioning System GSI Geological Survey of India H HAC Hindustan Aluminium Corporation HAL Hindustan Aeronautics Limited HCF Highest Common Factor HDFC Housing Development Finance Corporation HIV Human Immuno-deficiency Virus HMT Hindustan Machine Tools HUDCO Housing and Urban Development Corporation HYVS High Yield Variety Seeds I IAAI International Airport Authority of India lAC Indian Airlines Corporation IAEA International Atomic Energy Agency IARI Indian Agricultural Research Institute IBRD International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (World Bank) ICAR Indian Council of Agricultural Research ICBM Inter Continental Ballistic Missile ICC International Cricket Council ICFTU International Confederation of Free Trade Unions ICICI Industrial Credit and Investment Corporation of India Limited ICJ International Court of Justice ICMR Indian Council of Medical Research ICSI Indian Company Secretaries Institute IDA International Development Agency IDBI Industrial Development Bank of India IDO International Defence Organisation IDPL Indian Drugs and Pharmaceuticals Limited IFA Indian Football Association IFCI Industrial Finance Corporation of India IFFI International Film Festival of India IFFCO Indian Farmers Fertilizers Cooperative IFTU International Federation of Trade Unions IIPA Indian Institute of Public Administration lIS Indian Institute of Sciences IISCO Indian Iron and Steel Company lIT Indian Institute of Technology ILO International Labour Organisation IMA Indian Military Academy IMF International Monetary Fund INGCA Indira Gandhi Gallery for Culture and Art INS Indian Naval Ship INSAT Indian National Satellite INTELSAT International Telecommunication Satellite INTERPOL International Police Organisation INTUC Indian National Trade Union Congress IOC International Olympic Committee / Indian Oil Corporation IPC Indian Penal Code IPKF Indian Peace Keeping Force IQ Intelligence Quotient IRBM Intermediate Range Ballistic Missile IRC International Red Cross IRDA Insurance Regulatory Development Authority IRDP Integrated Rural Development Programme ISB Indian Standard Bureau ISM Indian School of Mines ISO International Organisation for Standardisation ISP Internet Services Provider ISRO Indian Space Research Organisation IST Indian Standard Time ITBP Indo-Tibet Border Police ITDC Indian Tourism Development Corporation ITPO Indian Trade Promotion Organisation ITO International Trade Organisation ITUC Indian Trade Union Congress J

JMM Mukti Morcha K

KG Kinder Garten L LASER Light Amplification By Stimulated Emission of Radiation LIC Life Insurance Corporation of India LLB Bachelor of Law LLM Master of Law LMG Light Machine Gum LoC Line of Control (Pakistan) LoAC Line of Actual Control (China) LPG Liquefied Petroleum Gas LSD Lysergic acid di-ethylamide LTTE Liberation Tigers of Tamil Elam M MA Master of Arts MASER Microwave Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation MBA Master of Business Administration MBBS Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery MBT Main Battle Tank MCA Monetary Compensatory Allowance / Master of Computer Application MCC Melbourne Cricket Club MD Doctor of Medicine MFN Most Favoured Nation MI Military Intelligence MISA Maintenance of Internal Security Act MIT Mechachusates Institute of Technology (USA) MLA Member of Legislative Assembly MLC Member of Legislative Council MNC Multi National Corporation MRCP Member of Royal College of Physicians MRCS Member of Royal College of Surgeons MRTPC Monopoly and Restrictive Trade Practices Commission MODVAT Modified Value Added Tax N NABARD National Bank for Agricultural and Rural Development NACO National AIDS Control Organisation NAEP National Adult Education Programme NAFED National Agricultural and Marketing Federation NAFTA North American Free Trade Agreement NAPP Narora Atomic Power Plant NASA National Aeronautics and Space Administration (USA) NASDAQ National Association of Security Dealer's Active Quotation NASSCOM National Association of Software & Service Companies NATO North Atlantic Treaty Organisation NCW National Commission for Women NCCR National Council for Civil Right NCERT National Council of Educational Research & Training NDA National Defence Academy NDDB National Dairy Development Board (Anand, Gujarat) NDF National Defence Fund . NEERI National Environment Engineering Research Institute NEFA North-East Frontier Agency NEPA National Environment Protection Authority NFDC National Film Development Corporation NFL National Fertilizer Limited NHRC National Human Rights Commission NICO New Information and Communication Order NIDC National Industrial Development Corporation NIIT National Institute of Information Technology NIMHANS National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro-Sciences NITIE National Institute for Training in Industrial Engineering NMDS National Missile Defence System (US) NMEP National Malaria Eradication Programme NOIDA New Okhla Industrial Development Authority NPC National Productivity Council NPP National Population Policy NPT Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty NRDC National Research and Development Corporation NREP National Rural Employment Programme NRI Non Resident Indian NSC National Security Council NSSO National Sample Survey Organisation NTC National Textile Corporation NTPC National Thermal Power Corporation O OGL Open General Licence OIL Oil India Limited OK All Correct ONGC Oil and Natural Gas Commission OPEC Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries P PCI Press Council of India PCS Provincial Civil Services Ph. D Doctor of 'Philosophy PIN Posial lndex Number PLO Palestine Liberation Organisation PM Post Meridian / Prime Minister POTA Prevention of Terrorism Act PSLV Polar. Satellite Launch Vehicle PTI Press Trust of India PRO Public Relations Officer PTO Please Turn Over PVC Poly Vinyl Chloride / Paramvir Chakra PVSM Param Vishisht Seva Medal PWD Public Work's Department PWG People's War Group Q

QED Quod Erat Demonstrandum (Which was to be proved) QEF Quod Erat Faciendum (Which was to be done) QEI Quod Erat Inveniendum (Which was to be found) QMG Quarter Master General R RADAR Radio Angle Direction and Range RAW Research and Analysis Wing R & D Research and Development RBI Reserve Bank of India RCC Reinforced Cement Concrete RDX Research Developed Explosive RIMC Rashtriya Indian Military College RMS Railway Mail Service RLEGP Rural Landless Employment Guarantee Programme RNA Ribonucleic Acid RPM Revolutions Per Minute RSS Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh RTO Regional Transport Officer S SAARC South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation SAC Space Application Centre SAFTA South Asian Free Trade Agreement SAI Sports Authority of India SAIL Steel Authority of India Limited SAPTA South Asian Preferential Trade Arrangement SARS Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome SC Security Council/Supreme Court SCI Shipping Corporation of India SCOPE Standing Conference of Public Enterprises SCRA Special Class Railway Apprentice SDR Special Drawing Rights SEBI Security Exchange Board of India SGPC Siromani Gurudwara Prabandhak Committee SHAR Shri Harikota Range SIDBI Small Industries Development Bank of India SIS Secret Intelligence Service (U.K) SITA Suppression of .Immoral Traffic in Women and Girls Act SLV Satellite Launch Vehicle SPCA Society for the Prevention of Cruelty of Animals SPICMC Society for the Promotion of Indian Classical music and culture STARS Satellite Tracking and Ranging Station STD Subscribers Trunk Dialing STPI Software Technology Parks of India SWAPO South West African People's Organisation T TA Travelling Aliowance / Territorial Anmy TC Transfer Certificate, Trusteeship Council TELCO Tata Engineering and Locomotive Company TELEX Teleprinter Exchange TISCO Tata Iron and Steel Company Limited TNT Tri-nitro-toluene TOEFL Test of English as a Foreign Language TRAI Telecom Regulatory Authority of India TRIPS Trade Related Intellectual Property Rights TTE Travelling Ticket Examiner TTFI Table Tennis Federation of India TWA Trans World Airlines (USA) U UDC Upper Division Clerk UFO Unidentified Flying Object UGC University Grants Commission UHT Ultra High Temperature ULFA United Liberation Front of Assam UNCTAD United Nations Conference on Trade and Development UNDP United Nations Development Programme UNEF United Nations Emergency Force UNEP United Nations Environment Programme UNESCO United Nations Economic Social and Cultural Organisation UNFPA United Nations for Population Activities UNHCR United Nations High Commission for Refugees UNI United News of India UNICEF United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund UNO United Nations Organisation UPS Uninterrupted Power Supply UPSC Union Public Service Commission USP Unique Selling Proposition, USSR Union of Soviet Socialist Republic UTI Unit Trust of India V VAT Value Added Tax VDIS Voluntary Disclosure of Income Scheme VC Vice-Chancellor / Victoria Cross VIP Very Important Person VPP Value Payable Post VRS Voluntary Retirement Scheme VSNL Videsh Sanchar Nigam Limited VSSC Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre W WEF World Economic Forum WHO World Health Organisation WILL Wireless in Local Loop WMO World Meteorological Organisation WWF World Wild Life Fund WPI Wholesale Price Index WTO World Trade Organisation WWF World Wild Life Fund for Nature WWW World Wide Web X X-tian Christian Y YMCA Young Men's Christians Association YWCA Young Women's Christians Association Z ZBB Zero Based Budgeting ZPG Zero Population Growth ZS Zoological Society ZSI Zoological Survey of India

Hon'ble Mr. Justice K.G. Balakrishnan Chief Justice of India No. Book Author 1. A House For Mr. Biswas V.S. Naipaul 2. Aag Ka Dariya Qurratulain Hyder 3. Adha Gaon Rahi Masoom Reza 4. Adhe Adhure Mohan Rakesh 5. All About H. Hatterr GV Desani 6. Aranyer Din Ratri Sunil Gangopadhyay 7. Charandas Chor Habib Tanvir 8. Chidamabara Sumitranandan Pant 9. Coolie Mulk Raj Anand 10. Dipshikha Mahadevi Verma 11. English August Upamanyu Chatterjee 12. Family Matters Rohinton Mistry 13. Ghasiram Kotwal Vijay Tendulkar 14. God of Small Things Arundhati Roy 15. Golden Gate Vikram Seth 16. Hajar Churashir Ma Mahasweta Devi 17. Indulekha O. Chandu Menon 18. Interpreter of Maladies Jhumpa Lahiri 19. Kanthapura Raja Rao 20. Kayar Thakazhi Sivasankara Pillai 21. Khasakinte Ithihaasam O.V. Vijayan 22. Kitne Pakistan Kamleshwar Kitni Navon Men Kitni 23. Bar Ajneya 24. Krishnakali Shivani 25. Kurukku Faustina Barna 26. Kutiyozhikkal Vailoppilli Sreedhara Menon 27. Madhushala Harivansh Rai Bachchan 28. Marali Mannige Kota Shivaram Karanth 29. Midnight's Children Salman Rushdie 30. Nilkanthi Broja Indira Goswami 31. Paraja Gopinath Molianty 32. Parimal Suryakant Tripathi 'Nirala' 33. Pather Panchali Bibhutibhushan Bandopadhyay 34. Pathummayude Aadu Vaikom Mohammed Basheer 35. Raag Darbari Shrilal Shukla 36. Randamuzham M. T. Vasudevan 37. Rasidi Ticket Amrita Pritam 38. Sabdar Akash Sitakant Mohapatra 39. Samskara U. R. Ananthamurthy 40. Shadow Lines Amitav Ghosh 41. Swami and Friends R. K. Narayan 42. Tamas Bhisham Sahni 43. Terhi Lakeer Ismat Chugtai 44. The Flight of Pigeons Ruskin Bond 45. Train To Pakistan Khushwant Singh 46. Tughlaq Girish Karnad 47. Zindaginama Krishna Sobti

CHIEF JUSTICES OF INDIA

NAME TENURE

Harilal.J.Kania 26 January 1950 - 6 November 1951

M.Patengali Sastri 7 November 1951 - 3 January 1954

Mehar Chand 4 January 1954 - 22 December 1954 Mahajan

B.K.Mukherjee 23 December 1954 31 January 1956

1 February 1956 - 30 September S.R.Das 1959

Bhuvaneshwar 1 October 1959 - 31 January 1964 Prasad Sinha

P.B.Gajendragadkar 1 February 1964 - 15 March 1966

A.K.Sarkar 16 March 1966 - 29 June 1966 K. Subba Roa 30 June 1966 - 11 April 1967

K.N.Wanchoo 12 April 1967 - 24 February 1968

25 February 1968 - 16 December M.Hidayatullah 1970.

17 December 1970 - 21 January J.C.Shah 1971

S.M.Sikri 22 January 1971 - 25 April 1973

A.N.Ray 26 April 1973 - 28 January 1977

M.H.Baig 29 January 1977 - 21 February 1978

Y.N.Chadrachud 22 Februfary 1978 - 11 July 1985.

Prafullachandra 12 July 1985 - 20 December1986 Natvarlal Bhagwati

R.S.Pathak 21 December 1986 - 18 June 1989

E.S.Venkataramiah 19 June 1989 - 17 December 1989

18 December 1989 - 25 September S.Mukharjee 1990

26 September 1990 - 24 November Ranganath Mishra 1991

25 November 1991 - 12 December K.N.Singh 1991

13 December 1991 - 17 November M.H.Kania 1992

18 November 1992 -11 February L.M.Sharma 1993

M.N.Venkatachaliah 12 February 1993 - 24 October 1994

A.M.Ahmadi 25 October 1994 - 24 March 1997

J.S.Verma 25 March 1997 - 17 January 1998

M.M.Punchhi 18 January 1998 - 9 October 1998 A.S.Anand 10 October 1998 - 31 October 2001

S.P.Bharucha 1 November 2001 - 5 May 2002

B.N.Kripal 6 May 2002 - 8 November 2002

8 November 2002 - 19 December G.B.Pattanaik 2002

V.N.Khare 19 December 2002 - 2 May 2004

S.Rajendra Babu 2 May 2004 - 1 June 2004

R.C.Lahoti 1 June 2004 -

International • American Cup : Yacht Racing • U. Thant Cup : Tennis • Ashes : Cricket • Uber Cup : Badminton (Women) • Benson and Hedges : Cricket • Walker Cup : Golf • Canada Cup : Golf • Westchester Cup : Polo • Colombo Cup : Football • Wightman Cup : Lawn Tennis • Corbitton Cup : Table Tennis • World Cup : Cricket (Women) • World Cup : Hockey • Davis Cup : Lawn Tennis • Reliance Cup : Cricket • Derby : Horse Race • Rothman's Trophy : Cricket • Grand National : Horse Streple • William's Cup : Basketball Chase Race • European Champions Cup : Football • Jules Rimet Trophy : World Soccer • Eisenhower Cup : Golf Cup • Essande Champions Cup : Hockey • King's Cup : Air Races • Rene Frank Trophy : Hockey • Merdeka Cup : Football • Grand Prix : Table Tennis • Rydet Cup : Golf • Edgbaston Cup : Lawn Tennis • Swaythling Cup : Table Tennis • Grand Prix : Lawn Tennis (Men)

• World Cup : Weight-lifting • Thomas Cup : Badminton National • Agarwal Cup : Badminton • Kuppuswamy Naidu Trophy : • Agha Khan Cup : Hockey Hockey • All-India Women's Guru Nanak • Lady Rattan Tata Trophy : Hockey Championship : Hockey • MCC Trophy : Hockey • Bandodkar Trophy : Football • Moinuddaula Gold Cup : Cricket • Blues Challenge Cup : • Murugappa Gold Cup : Hockey Basketball • Modi Gold Cup : Hockey • Barna-Bellack Cup : Table Tennis • Narang Cup : Badminton • Beighton Cup : Hockey • Nehru Trophy : Hockey • Bombay Gold Cup : Hockey • Nixan Gold Cup : Football • Burdwan Trophy : Weight-lifting • Obaid Ullah Gold Cup : Hockey • Charminar Trophy : Athletics • Prithi Singh Cup : Polo • Chadha Cup : Badminton • Rani Jhansi Trophy : Cricket • C. K. Naydu Trophy : Cricket • Ranjit Trophy : Cricket • Chakoia Gold Trophy : Football • Rangaswami Cup : Hockey • Divan Cup : Badminton • Ranjit Singh Gold Cup : Hockey • Deodhar Trophy : Cricket • Rajendra Prasad Cup : Tennis • : Cricket • Ramanujan Trophy : Table Tennis • D. C. M. Cup : Football • Rene Frank Trophy : Hockey • : Football • Radha Mohan Cup : Polo • Trophy : Hockey • Raghbir Singh Memorial : Football • Dr. B. C. Roy Trophy : Football • : Cricket (Junior) • Rovers Cup : Football • Ezra Cup : Polo • Sanjay Gold Cup : Football • F. A. Cup : Football • : Football • G. D. Birla Trophy : Cricket • Sir Ashutosh Mukherjee : Football • Ghulam Ahmed Trophy : Cricket • Subroto Cup : Football • Gurmeet Trophy : Hockey • Scindia Gold Cup : Hockey • Gura Nanak Cup : Hockey • Sahni Trophy : Hockey • Gyanuati Devi Trophy : Hockey • Sheesh Mahal Trophy : Cricket • Holkar Trophy : Bridge • Todd Memorial Trophy : Football • lrani Trophy : Cricket • Tommy Eman Gold Cup : Hockey • I. F. A. Shield : Football • Vittal Trophy : Football • lndira Gold Cup : Hockey • Vizzy Trophy : Cricket • Jawaharlal Challenge : Air Racing • Vijay Merchant Trophy : Cricket • Wellington Trophy : Rowing • Jaswant Singh Trophy : Best Services Sportsman • Wills Trophy : Cricket

1. The outlay of Railways annual plan 2008–09 (as Rail Budget 2008–09) has been hiked by 21% which stands at— a. Rs. 35,000 crore b. Rs. 37,500 crore c. Rs. 40,000 crore d. Rs. 42,000 crore

Ans : b

2. Allocation for waiving farmer’s loan in budget 2008–09 stands at— a. Rs. 40,000 crore b. Rs. 45,000 crore c. Rs. 50,000 crore d. Rs. 60,000 crore

Ans : d

3. As budget proposals for 2008–09 the percentage share of direct taxes, in gross tax revenue is— a. 48·80% b. 52·06% c. 53·07% d. 55·01% Ans : c

4. Chelliah Committee recommended to tax the agriculture income of non-farmers having income above— a. Rs. 15000 b. Rs. 20000 c. Rs. 25000 d. Rs. 50000

Ans : c

5. Twelfth Finance Commission under Chairmanship of Dr. C. Rangrajan has submitted its final report on— a. September 30, 2004 b. October 30, 2004 c. November 30, 2004 d. December 7, 2004

Ans : c

6. ‘Open market operation’ is a part of— a. Income Policy b. Fiscal Policy c. Credit Policy d. Labour Policy

Ans : c

7. The city having highest population in the world is— a. New York b. c. Mexico d. Paris

Ans : b

8. Targeted power capacity addition for 11th plan period is— a. 41110 MW b. 66463 MW c. 68963 MW d. 86283 MW

Ans : b

9. The Ex-officio Secretary of NDC is— a. Secretary of Finance Ministry b. General Secretary of Lok Sabha c. Secretary of Planning Commission d. Vice Chairman of Planning Commission Ans : c

10. 15th SAARC Summit is scheduled to be held in July–August 2008. The changed venue of the summit is— a. New b. Sri Lanka c. Maldives d. Bangladesh

Ans : b

11. The Finance Commission is appointed for every... year a. 3 b. 4 c. 5 d. 6

Ans : c

12. 11th National Conference on e-governance was held on 7–8 February, 2008 at— a. Gurgaon (Haryana) b. c. Mohali (Punjab) d. Panchkula (Haryana)

Ans : d

13. Which percentage of Central Taxes have been recommended by the 12th Finance Commission to be transferred to States ? a. 28·5% b. 29·5% c. 30·5% d. 31·5%

Ans: c

14. Which state possesses the maximum percentage of SC population ? a. U.P. b. M.P. c. Kerala d. Punjab

Ans : d

15. Government has decided to cover all districts of the country in National Rural Employment Guarantee Programme (NREGP)— a. Upto January 1, 2008 b. Upto March 31, 2008 c. w.e.f April 1, 2008 d. w.e.f. April 1, 2009

Ans : b 16. What is ‘NIKKEI’ ? a. Share Price Index of Tokyo Share Market b. Name of Japanese Central Bank c. Japanese name of Country’s Planning Commission d. Foreign Exchange Market of Japan

Ans : a

17. NABARD was established on the recommendation of— a. Public Account Committee b. Shivaraman Committee c. Narsimham Committee d. None of these

Ans : b

18. Sampurna Gramin Rojgar Yojana has been launched from— a. 1st April, 2001 b. 25th Sept., 2001 c. 30th Sept., 2001 d. No scheme of such title has yet launched

Ans : b

19. Which company is providing mobile service with name ‘Cell one’ to the consumers ? a. MTNL b. BSNL c. Reliance Infocom d. Bharti Tele

Ans : b

20. VAT is imposed— a. Directly on consumer b. On final stage of production c. On first stage of production d. On all stages between production and final sale

Ans : d

Highlights of Economic Survey 2007-08

The highlights of the Economic Survey 2007-08 presented by Finance Minister P. Chidamabaram in the Lok Sabha on Thursday 28 February 2008:

• FY'08 economic growth at 8.7%, against 9.6% a year ago

• Inflation rate to decline from 5.6% in FY'07 to 4.4% in '08

• Holding 9% growth a challenge, two digit growth even greater

• Inflation and infrastructure biggest growth challenges

• Skill dearth causing attrition, wage hike; pushing inflation

• Farm growth in FY’08 seen at 2.6%, against 3.8% a year ago

• Food grain output seen at 219.3 MT against 217.3 MT in FY'07

• Acceleration in domestic investment, savings drove growth

• Macroeconomic fundamentals continue to inspire confidence

• Investment climate full of optimism

• Industrial growth slower at 9% in first 9 months of FY'08

• Costly rupee, sluggish consumer goods and infra concern

• Rupee rose by 8.9% against USD during current fiscal

• Average credit growth slowed to 26.8% in FY'07, down in FY'08

• Forex reserves up by $91.6 bn to $290.8 bn on Feb 8, 2008

• GDP projected at Rs 46,93,602 crore (mkt price) in 2007-08

• Inflation reined despite higher commodity prices & surge in capital inflows

• Growth deceleration spread across most sectors, barring power, community services and composite category of trade, hotels, transport and communications

• Cumulative increase in non-food credit by Jan 4, 2008 was 11.8% as against 17.5% a year ago

• Capital inflows rise to 7.7% of GDP in first half of FY'08 as against 5.1% in FY'07

• FDI inflows reach $11.2 bn, outward investments surge to $7.3 bn in April-September

• Exports reach $111 bn in first 9 months of FY'08; imports grow 25.9%

• Surge in capital inflows, including FDI, to continue in medium term

• Complete the process of selling 5-10% equity in previously identified profit making non-navratna PSUs

• Phase out control on sugar, fertiliser, drugs

• Sell old oil fields to private sector

• Allow a share for foreign equity in all retail trade

• Raise foreign equity in insurance to 49 per cent

• Allow 100 per cent FDI in greenfield private agri banks

• State electricity regulatory commissions should notify rational, credible, cross subsidy to make open-access viable

• Increase work week to 60 hours from 48 hours and daily limit to 12 hours fDi Personality of the Year 2007

Ceremony recognising achievements of political and business leaders around the world hosted by India for the first time.

GLOBAL WINNER/ ASIA:

Kamal Nath, India’s commerce & Industry minister

AFRICA:

Vincent Gadou Kragbé, free trade zone boss

EUROPE:

Andrus Ansip, prime minister of Estonia

LATIN AMERICA:

Sergio Fajardo Valderrama, mayor of Medellín, Colombia

THE MIDDLE EAST:

Dr Khater Massad, CEO of RAKIA

NORTH AMERICA:

Henry M Paulson, US Treasury secretary

First in India 1. Brit ish Go ver nor Ge ner al of Be nga l 2. Governor General of Independent India Lord Mountbatten 3. Commander-in-chief of Free India General Roy Bucher 4. Cosmonaut Sqn. Ldr. Rakesh Sharma 5. Emperor of Moghul Dynasty in India Babar 6. Field Marshal S. H. F. J. Manekshaw 7. Indian Governor General of Indian Union C. Rajagopalachari 8. Indian I.C.S. Officer Satyendra Nath Tagore 9. Indian Member of Viceroy's Executive Council Sri S.P. Sinha 10. Indian to swim across English Channel Mihir Sen 11. Indian woman to swim across-English Channel Miss Arati Saha 12. Man to climb Mount Everest Tenzing Norgay 13. Man to climb Mount Everest without Oxygen Phu Dorjee 14. Man to climb Mount Everest twice Nwang Gombu 15. Nobel Prize winner Rabindra Nath Tagore 16. President of Indian National Congress W. C. Banerjee 17. President of Indian Republic Dr. Rajendra Prasad 18. Talkie Film Alam Ara (1931) 19. Test Tube Baby (Documented) Indira

20. Viceroy of India Lord Canning 21. Woman Minister of Indian Union Rajkumari Amrit Kaur 22. Woman Chief Minister of State Mrs. Sucheta Kriplani 23. Woman Governor Mrs. Sarojini Naidu 24. Woman President of Indian National Congress Dr. Annie Besant 25. Woman Prime Minister Mrs. Indira Gandhi 26. Woman Speaker of a State Assembly Mrs. Shanno Devi 27. Prime Minister of India Pt. Jawahar Lal Nehru 28. Muslim President of Indian Union Dr. Zakir Hussain 29. Speaker of Lok Sabha G. V. Mavlankar 30. Woman to climb mount Everest Bachhendri Pal 31. Woman Judge in Supreme Court Mrs. Meera Sahib Fatima Biwi 32. Woman Chief Justice of a High Court Smt. Leela Seth 33. Indian Woman to go in space (Now U.S. Citizen) Kalpana Chawla The first Indian weightlifter to win bronze medal in Karnam Malleshwari 34. Olympics (Sydney, in 2000) 35. The First Indian World Chess Champion Vishwanathan Anand The News Today 36. India's first paperless Newspaper (Launched on Jan. 3, 2001) 37. India's First woman Merchant Navy Officer Sonali Banerjee 38. The first Dalit Speaker of the Lok Sabha G. M. C. Balyogi 39. The first Vice-President of India to die in harness Krishna Kant Mithali Raj (August 2002 playing 40. The first Indian woman cricketer to score double century against England) 41. The first woman Air Vice-Marshal P. Bandopadhyaya The first Indian to be appointed as United Nations 42. Ms. Kiran Bedi Civilian Police Advisor The first astronaut of Indian origin to perish aboard U.S. Dr. Kalpana Chawla 43. space shuttle in a tragic accident (Columbia space shuttle, Feb. I, 2003) The first woman to be appointed Deputy Governor of K. J. Udeshi 44. Reserve Bank of India (appointed on June 10, 2003) The first Indian girl to register a win in a Wimbledon 45. Sania Mirza (2003) tournament The first Indian lady to win a medal in World Athletic 46. Anju Bobby George (Aug. 2003) Championship The first woman Chairman and Managing Director of 47. Mrs. Ranjana Kumar NABARD Virendra Sehwag ( 309 runs in the 48. The highest individual test scorer of India first test in Multan against Pakistan) The first Indian cricketer to make double centuries five Rahul Drgvid (playing test against 49. times Pakistan in Pakistan in. April 2004) Smt. Roopa Misra 50. The first Orissa woman to top I.A.S. (Indian Civil Services Exam., 2003) 51. The first Sikh Prime Minister of India Dr. Manmohan Singh Kanchan C. Bhattacharya 52. The first woman Director General of Police of a State (DGP Uttaranchal) The first woman to be appointed as the crime branch MeeriJ Borwankar (took over as crime 53. chief branch chief of Mumbai police) The first woman to reach the rank of Lt. General in the Puneeta Arora (Commandant, Armed Forces 54. Indian army Medical College, Pune) The first Indian to cross seven important seas by 55. Bula Chaudhury swimming The first woman to become 's first 56. Air Marshal Padma Bandhopadhyay woman Air Marshal Dharmendra Yadav 57. The first youngest MP, at the age of 25 years (Mainpuri : Samajwadi Party MP) 58. India's first woman athlete to win WTA open Tennis title Sania Mirza (Feb. 2005, Hyderabad) 59. The first Indian to set a world record of ever having Vijaypath Singhania reached the highest (Nov. 26, 2005. 69852 ft.) of heights yet in a hot balloon The first wonder child of Orissa only about 4 years and a 60. Budhia (May 2006) half of age completes a race of 65 km. The first woman Commissioner of Police of an Indian 61. Letika Saran metro (Chennai Metro Police) 62. The first Indian to Ski to the North Pole Ajeet Bajaj (April 26, 2006) The first sportsman ever to win Gold Medal in Shooting 63. Abhinav Bindra (July 24, 2006) in the World Shooting Championship The first person of Indian origin to win the Miss Great 64. Preeti Desai (2006) Britain title 65. The first woman President of the Republic of India Pratibha Patil

First in the World 1. Chairman of Peoples Republic of China Mao-Tse-Tung 2. President of the Chinese Republic Dr. Sun Yat Sen 3. President of U.S.A George Washington 4. Chinese Traveller to India Fahein 5. Foreign Invader to India Alexander the Great 6. Person to reach South Pole Amundsen 7. Person to reach North Pole Robert Pearey 8. Person in Space Yuri Gagarin 9. Person on Moon Neil Armstrong 10. Lady to climb Mount Everest Junko Taibei 11. European to visit China Marco Polo 12. Place where atom bomb was dropped Hiroshima 13. Man to walk in Space Alexei Leonov 14. Woman cosmonaut in Space Valentina Tereshkova 15. Woman Prime Minister of a country Mrs. Srimavo Bhandarnaike 16. Woman President of a country Maria Estela Peron 17. Woman to Command a Space Mission Colonel Eileen Collins (U.S.A.) Bill Shepherd (USA), 18. The first residents of International Space station Yuri Gidzanko and Sergei Krikalev (Russia) Erik Weihenmayer 19. The first blind man to scale Mt. Everest (USA, May 25, 2001)

The first Muslim woman to become the Secretary General of 20. lrine Zubeida Khan Amnesty International 21. The first space astronaut to go into space seven times till date Jerry Ross (U.S.A.) 22. The first South African to become the second space tourist Mark Shuttleworth 23. The first woman Prime Minister of South Korea Ms. Chang Sang 24. The first youngest grandmaster of the world in chess Sergey Karjakin (Ukraine) The first adventurer flying successfully across the English Channel 25. Felix Baumgartner (July 2003) without aircraft 26. China's first man in space Yang Liwei Shirin Ebadi (Nobel Peace Prize 27. The first Muslim woman to receive Nobel Prize 2003) Kiran Baloch (Pakistani cricketer, The woman with the highest individual Test score making a new scoring 242 runs playing women's 28. world record cricket test against West Indies in Karachi in March, 2004) 29. The first woman of the world to climb Mt. Everest four times Lakpa Sherpa (Nepali) The first woman to cross seven important seas of the world by 30. Bula Chaudhury (India) swimming The first aircraft pilot to round the entire world non-stop by his 2 31. Steve Fossett (March 2005) engine aircraft in 67 hours The first woman to be appointed as a Governor of a province in 32. Habiba Sorabhi Afghanistan Bula Chaudhury (India) (April 33. The first woman of the world to swim across five continents 2005) Ms. Yelena Isinbayeva 34. The first woman athlete to touch 5.0 meter mark in pole vault (Russian, July 2005) Justice Rana Bhagwan Das 35. The first Hindu Chief Justice of Pakistani Supreme Court Took over on Sept. 2, 2005 as Acting Chief Justice Allen Johnson Sirleaf (elected 36. The first duly elected woman President of an African country President of Liberia in Nov. 2005) Shanshad Akhtar 37. The first woman Governor of the State Bank of Pakistan (Appointed in Dec. 2005) Angela Merkel 38. The first woman Chancellor of Germany (Took over in Nov. 2005) 39. The first woman President of Chile Dr. Michelle Bachelet Portia Simpson Miller (Feb. 40. The first woman Prime Minister of Jamaica 2006) 41. The first woman foreign Secretary of England Margaret Backett (May 2006) 42. The first double amputee to scale Mt. Everest Mark Inglis (May 15, 2006)

Time to update your GK folks.

1. Which of the following countries is a land locked country in south America? a. Ecuador b. Peru c. Uruguay d. Bolivia

Ans : d

2. Canary Islands belongs to a. Norway b. Spain c. New Zealand d. Portugal

Ans : b

3. Titan is the largest natural satellite of planet a. Mercury b. Venus c. Saturn d. Neptune

Ans : c

4. Which of the following planets rotates clock wise? a. Pluto b. Jupiter c. Venus d. Mercury

Ans : c

5. A difference of 1 degree in longitude at the Equator is equivalent to nearly a. 101 km b. 111 km c. 121 km d. 125 km

Ans : b

6. The earliest known Indian script is a. Mori b. Devanagari c. Brahmi d. Kharosti

Ans : c

7. How many times the preamble was amended a. once b. twice c. thrice d. four times Ans : a

8. The term socialist was added in the Preamble by the...amendment a. 40th b. 42nd c. 44th d. 49th

Ans : b

9. The state with the lowest population in India is a. Goa b. Tripura c. d. Sikkim

Ans : d

10. Which person or organisation received the Nobel Prize three times so far? a. Medame Curie b. Linus Pauling c. Alexender Flemming d. International Committee of the Redcross

Ans : d

11. The Finance Commission is appointed for every... year a. 3 b. 4 c. 5 d. 6

Ans : c

12. Under which five year plan did agriculture show a negative growth? a. 1st plan b. 2nd plan c. 3rd plan d. 4th plan

Ans : c

13. Who is the founder of the Capital city of Agra? a. Akbar b. Babar c. Sikinder Lodi d. Mubarak Shah Sayyad

Ans: c

14. The first tide generated electricity project was established at a. Vizhinjam, Kerala b. Mangalore, Karnataka c. Paradeep, Orissa d. Vishakapattanam

Ans : a

15. National Institute of Oceanography is located in : a. Calcutta b. Chennai c. Mangalore d. Panaji

Ans : d

16. The 2004 Olympics were held in : a. Bangkok b. Rome c. Athens d. Nagasaki

Ans : c

17. Who headed the committee appointed on Kargil War ? a. Gen. V. P. Malik b. Gen. S. K. Sinha c. K. Subramanyam d. K. C. Panth

Ans : c

18. The C. K. Nayudu Trophy is related to the sport of a. cricket b. Hockey c. Football d. Chess

Ans : a

19. New York is situated on the river a. Hudson b. Thames c. Danube d. Tigris

Ans : a

20. "The Woman of the Millennium" selected by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a. Margaret Thacher b. Hillary Clinton c. Chandrika Kumaratunga d. Indira Gandhi Ans : d

21. The General Assembly of United Nations meets a. Once a year b. twice a year c. thrice a year d. Once in five years

Ans : a

22. The "Common Wealth Games 2002" will be held in a. Toranto b. Manchester c. Tokyo d. Canberra

Ans : b

23. All India Radio commenced operations in a. 1926 b. 1936 c. 1945 d. 1947

Ans : b

24. The "Killer Instinct" is written by a. Sulakshan Mohan b. M.K.Santanam c. O.P.Sabharwal d. Subash Jain

Ans : c

25. The Secretary-General of UN is appointed by the a. Security Council b. Trusteeship Council c. General Assembly d. World Bank

Ans : c

26. Postal Voting is other wise called: a. external voting b. secret voting c. plural voting d. proxy voting

Ans : d

27. The Common Wealth of Independent states (CIS) consists of....republica? a. 10 b. 11 c. 12 d. 13

Ans : c

28. Which of the following harbours is considered as the world's finest natural harbour? a. Sydney harbour b. Toronto harbour c. New Jersy harbour d. Singapore harbour

Ans : a

29. Who invented Radar? a. Henrey Backquerel b. Max Planck c. Robert Watson Watt d. Humphrey Davy

Ans : c

30. Sandal Wood trees are mostly found in... a. Trophical Evergreen Forests b. Tropical most Decidous c. Alpine forests d. Trophical Thorn Forests

Ans : d

31. The first country to legalise medically assisted suicide is a. Switzerland b. New Zealand c. USA d. Netherlands

Ans : d

31. India's newsprint industry is mainly located in a. Indore b. c. Nepanagar d. Nagpur

Ans : c

32. The tomb of Babur is at a. b. Lahore c. Multan d. Larkhana

Ans : a 33. The joint session of the two houses is presided by a. the speaker b. the president c. chairman of Rajyasabha d. none of these

Ans : a

34. The Gandhara school of Art was influenced most by the a. Greeks b. Shakas c. persians d. Kushans

Ans : a

35. The Simon Commission was appointed in a. 1927 b. 1928 c. 1929 d. 1930

Ans : c

36. Sikkim became a full fledged state of the Indian Union, in the year ? a. 1972 b. 1973 c. 1974 d. 1975

Ans : d

37. Who is the founder of Mahabalipuram ? a. Rajaraja Chola b. Mahendra Varman c. Narsimha Varman d. Narsimha Chola

Ans : c

38. The 189th member of United Nations is a. Palau b. Tuvalu c. Soloman Islands d. Nauru

Ans : b

39. When was Burma separated from India a. 1947 b. 1942 c. 1937 c. 1932 Ans : c

40. Which of the following country has more than 55,000 lakes? a. Poland b. Denmark c. Finland d. Norway

Ans : c

World War I (1914-18) World War II (1939-45) Important Days

January 9 NRI Day January 10 World Laughter Day January 12 National Youth Day January 15 Army Day January 26 India's Republic Day, International Customs Day January 30 Martyrs' Day; World Leprosy Eradication Day 2nd Sunday of World Marriage Day February February 24 Central Excise Day February 28 National Science Day Second Monday March Commonwealth Day March 8 International Women's Day; Intl. literacy Day March 15 World Disabled Day; World Consumer Rights Day March 18 Ordnance Factories Day (India) March 21 World Forestry Day; International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination March 22 World Day for Water March 23 World Meteorological Day March 24 World TB Day April 5 International Day for Mine Awareness; National Maritime Day April 7 World Health Day April 17 World Haemophilia Day April 18 World Heritage Day April 21 Secretaries' Day April 22 Earth Day April 23 World Book and Copyright Day May 1 Workers' Day (International Labour Day) May 3 Press Freedom Day; World Asthma Day May 2nd Sunday Mother's Day May 4 Coal Miners' Day May 8 World Red Cross Day May 9 World Thalassaemia Day May 11 National Technology Day May 12 World Hypertension Day; International Nurses Day May 15 International Day of the Family May 17 World Telecommunication Day May 24 Commonwealth Day May 31 Anti-tobacco Day June 4 International Day of Innocent Children Victims of Aggression June 5 World Environment Day June 3rd Sunday Father's Day June 14 World Blood Donor Day June 26 International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking July 1 Doctor's Day July 6 World Zoonoses Day July 11 World Population Day August 3 Internatioal Friendship Day August 6 Hiroshima Day August 8 World Senior Citizen's Day August 9 Quit India Day, Nagasaki Day August 15 Indian Independence Day August 18 IntI. Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples August 19 Photography Day August 29 National Sports Day September 2 Coconut Day September 5 Teachers' Day; Sanskrit Day September 8 World Literacy Day (UNESCO) September 15 Engineers' Day September 16 World Ozone Day September 21 Alzheimer's Day; Day for Peace & Non-violence (UN) September 22 Rose Day (Welfare of cancer patients) September 26 Day of the Deaf September 27 World Tourism Day October 1 International Day for the Elderly October 2 Gandhi Jayanthi October 3 World Habitat Day October 4 World Animal Welfare Day October 8 Indian Air Force Day October 9 World Post Office Day October 10 National Post Day October 2nd Thursday World Sight Day October 13 UN International Day for Natural Disaster Reduction October 14 World Standards Day October 15 World White Cane Day (guiding the blind) October 16 World Food Day October 24 UN Day; World Development Information Day October 30 World Thrift Day November 9 Legal Services Day November 14 Children's Day; Diabetes Day November 17 National Epilepsy Day November 20 Africa Industrialisation Day November 29 International Day of Solidarity with Palestinian People December 1 World AIDS Day December 3 World Day of the Handicapped December 4 Indian Navy Day December 7 Indian Armed Forces Flag Day December 10 Human Rights Day; IntI. Children's Day of Broadcasting December 18 Minorities Rights Day (India) December 23 Kisan Divas (Farmer's Day) (India)

PRESIDENTS OF INDIA

DR.RAJENDRA PRASAD - 1950-1962 DR.SARVEPALLI RADHAKRISHNAN - 1962-1967 DR.ZAKIR HUSSAIN - 1967-1969 V.V.GIRI (Acting) - MAY-JULY 1969 JUSTICE MOHAMMED HIDAYATULLAH (Acting) - JULY-AUG 1969 V.V.GIRI - 1969-1974 FAKRUDDIN ALI AHMED - 1974-1977 B.D.JATTI (Acting) - FEB-JULY 1977 NEELAM SANJIVA REDDY - 1977-1982 GIANI ZAIL SINGH - 1982-1987 R.VENKATARAMAN - 1987-1992 DR.SHANKAR DAYAL SHARMA - 1992-1997 K.R.NARAYANAN - 1997-2002 DR.A.P.J.ABDUL KALAM - 2002-

VICE-PRESIDENTS OF INDIA

DR.SARVEPALLI RADHAKRISHNAN - 1952-1962 DR.ZAKIR HUSSAIN - 1962-1967 V.V.GIRI - 1967-1969 BAL SWAROOP PATHAK - 1969-1974 DR.M.JATTI - 1974-1979 JUSTICE MOHD HIDAYATULLAH - 1979-1984 S.VENKATARAMAN - 1984-1987 DR.SHANKAR DASYAL SHARMA - 1987-1992 K.R.NARAYANAN - 1992-1997 KISHAN KANT - 1997-2002 BHAIRON SINGH SHEKHAWAT - 2002-

PRIME MINISTERS OF INDIA JAWAHAR LAL NEHRU - 1947-1964 GULZARI LAL NANDA (Acting) - MAY-JUNE 1964 LAL BAHADUR SHASTRI - 1964-1966 GULZARI LAL NANDA (Acting) - 11-24,JAN 1966 INDIRA GANDHI - 1966-1977 MORARJI DESAI - 1977-1979 CHARAN SINGH - 1979-1980 INDIRA GANDHI - 1980-1984 RAJIV GANDHI - 1984-1989 V.P.SINGH - 1989-1990 CHANDRASEKHAR - 1990-1991 P.V.NARASIMHA RAO - 1991-1996 ATAL BIHARI VAJPAYEE - 1996 H.D.DEVE GOWDA - 1997 INDER KUMAR GRJRAL - 1997-1998 ATAL BIHARI VAJPAYEE - 1998-1999 ATAL BIHARI VAJPAYEE - 1999-2004 DR.MANMOHAN SINGH - 2004-

SPEAKERS OF LOK SABHA

G.V.MAVALANKAR - 1952-1956 M.A.AYYANGER - 1956-1957 M.A.AYYANGER - 1957-1962 HUKAM SINGH - 1962-1967 N.SANJIVA REDDY - 1967-1969 DR.G.S.DHILLON - 1969-1971 DR.G.S.DHILLON - 1971-1975 BALIRAM BHAGAT - 1976-1977 N.SANJIVA REDDY - 1977-1977 K.D.HEGDE - 1977-1980 DR.BALRAM JAKHAR - 1980-1985 DR.BALRAM JAKHAR - 1985-1989 RABI RAY - 1989-1991 SHIVRAJ PATIL - 1991-1996 P.A.SANGMA - 1996-1998 G.M.C.BALYOGI - 1998-1999 G.M.C.BALYOGI - 1999-2002 MANOHAR JOSHI - 2002-2004

Somanath chatargi 2004-

Nobel Prize 2007 Winners

Physics: Albert Fert (France) and Peter Grünberg (Germany) "for the discovery of Giant Magnetoresistance" Chemistry:

Gerhard Ertl (Germany) "for his studies of chemical processes on solid surfaces" Physiology or Medicine:

Mario R. Capecchi, (USA) Sir Martin J. Evans (UK) and Oliver Smithies (USA) "for their discoveries of principles for introducing specific gene modifications in mice by the use of embryonic stem cells" Literature:

Doris Lessing (UK) "that epicist of the female experience, who with scepticism, fire and visionary power has subjected a divided civilisation to scrutiny" Peace:

Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and Albert Arnold (Al) Gore Jr. (USA) "for their efforts to build up and disseminate greater knowledge about man-made climate change, and to lay the foundations for the measures that are needed to counteract such change" Prize in Economics:

Leonid Hurwicz, (USA) Eric S. Maskin (USA) and Roger B. Myerson (USA) "for having laid the foundations of mechanism design theory"

OLYMPIC GAMES (1896-2012) : AT A GLANCE S. Year Place and Host Country Countries securing first, second and third positions No. 1. 1896 Athens, Greece USA, Greece, Germany 2. 1900 Paris, France France, USA, UK 3. 1904 St. Louis, U.S.A. USA, Cuba, Germany 4. 1908 London, U.K. UK, USA, Sweden 5. 1912 Stockholm, Sweden USA, Sweden, UK 6. 1916 Berlin, Germany Abandoned due to World War-I 7. 1920 Antwerp, Belgium USA, Sweden, UK 8. 1924 Paris, France USA, Finland, France 9. 1928 Amsterdam, Netherland USA, Germany, Finland 10. 1932 Los Angles, USA USA, Italy, France 11. 1936 Berlin, Germany Germany, USA, Hungary 12. 1940 Helsinki, Finland Abandoned due to World War-II 13. 1944 London, U.K. Abandoned due to World War-II 14. 1948 London, U.K. USA, Sweden, France 15. 1952 Helsinki, Finland USA, USSR, Hungary 16. 1956 Melbourne, Australia USSR, USA, Australia 17. 1960 Rome, Italy USSR, USA, Italy 18. 1964 Tokyo, Japan USA, USSR, Japan 19. 1968 Mexico City, Mexico USA, USSR, Japan 20. 1972 Munich, W. Germany USSR, USA, East Germany 21. 1976 Montreal, Canada USSR, East Germany, USA 22. 1980 Moscow, Russia USSR, East Germany, Bulgaria 23. 1984 Los Angles, U.S.A. USA, Rumania, West Germany 24. 1988 Seoul, S. Korea USSR, East Germany, USA 25. 1992 Barcelona, Spain CIS, USA, Germany 26. 1996 Atlanta, U.S.A. USA, Russia, Germany 27. 2000 Sydney, Australia USA, Russia, Germany 28. 2004 Athens, Greece USA, China, Russia 29. 2008 Beijing, China China,usa, 30. 2012 London (UK) Scheduled

Government : At Union Level

The President Vice-President Council of Ministers Parliament / Legislature Representation In Rajya Sabha Representation of States and Union Territories In the Lok Sabha Supreme Court Attorney-General Comptroller and Auditor General Union Public Service Commission (UPSC)

Nath stated that India’s exports have almost doubled from Rs.293367 crore in 2003-04 to Rs.563800 crore during 2006-07. India’s exports grew at an average annual growth rate of about 25 per cent during the past 3 years.

The FDI equity inflows during the year 2003-04 stood at Rs.10237 crore and have risen to Rs.70630 crore during the year 2006-07, amounting to a cumulative growth of 700 per cent.

The publication said by choosing “FDI personality of the Year” it recognises the political and business leaders around the world who have been the most proactive and innovative in securing foreign investment.

States Andhra Pradesh Jharkhand Punjab Arunachal Pradesh Karnataka Rajasthan Assam Kerala Sikkim Bihar Madhya Pradesh Tamil Nadu Chhattisgarh Maharashtra Tripura Goa Gujarat Meghalaya Uttar Pradesh Haryana Mizoram West Bengal Himachal Pradesh Nagaland Jammu and Kashmir Orissa

Union Territories Andaman and Nicobar Islands Daman and Diu Lakshadweep Chandigarh Delhi Puducherry Dadra and Nagar Haveli

Table of Precedence (Govt. of India)

1. President

2. Vice-President

3. Prime Minister

4. Governors of States (within their respective States)

5. Former Presidents 5a. Deputy Prime Minister

6. Chief Justice of India; Speaker of Lok Sabha

7. Cabinet Ministers of the Union; Chief Ministers of States (within their respective States); Deputy Chairman, Planning Commission; Former Prime Ministers; Leaders of Opposition in Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha 7a. Holders of Bharat Ratna decoration

8. Ambassadors Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary and High Commissioners of Commonwealth countries accredited to India. Chief Ministers of States (outside their respective States); Governors of States (outside their respective States)

9. Judges of Supreme Court 9a. Chief Election Commissioner; Comptroller & Auditor General of India

10. Deputy Chairman, Rajya Sabha; Deputy Chief Ministers of States; Deputy Speaker, Lok Sabha; Members of the Planning Commission; Ministers of State of the Union and any other Minister in the Ministry of Defence for defence matters.

11. Attorney General of India; Cabinet Secretary; Lieutenant Governors (within their respective Union Territories.

12. Chiefs of Staff holding the rank of full General or equivalent rank.

13. Envoys Extraordinary and Ministers Plenipotentiary accredited to India.

14. Chairmen and Speakers of State Legislatures within their respective States; Chief Justices of High Courts within their respective jurisdictions.

15. Cabinet Ministers in States within their respective States; Chief Ministers of Union Territories and Chief Executive Councilor, Delhi, within their respective Union Territories; Deputy Ministers of the Union.

16. Officiating Chiefs of Staff holding the rank of Lieutenant General or equivalent rank.

17. Chairman, Central Administrative Tribunal; Chairman, Minorities Commission; Chairman, Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Commission; Chairman, Union Public Service Commission; Chief Justices of High Courts outside their respective jurisdictions; Puisne Judges of High Courts within their respective jurisdictions.

18. Cabinet Ministers in States outside their respective States; Chairmen and Speakers of State Legislatures outside their respective States; Chairman, Monopolies and Restrictive Trade Practices Commission; Deputy Chairman and Deputy Speakers of State Legislatures within their respective States. Legislatures within their respective States; Ministers of State in States within their respective States. Ministers of Union Territories and Executive Councilors, Delhi, within their respective Union Territories; Speakers of Legislative Assemblies in Union Territories and Chairman of Delhi Metropolitan Council within their respective Union Territories.

19. Chief Commissioners of Union Territories not having Councils of Ministers, within their respective Union Territories; Deputy Ministers in States within their respective States; Deputy Speakers of Legislative Assemblies in Union Territories and Deputy Chairman of metropolitan Council Delhi, within their respective Union Territories.

20. Deputy Chairmen and Deputy Speakers of State Legislatures, outside their respective states; Ministers of State in States outside their respective States; Puisne Judges of High Courts outside their respective jurisdictions.

21. Members of Parliament.

22. Deputy Ministers in State outside their respective States

23. Army Commanders/ Vice-Chief of the Army Staff or equivalent in other services; Chief Secretaries to State Governments within their respective States; Commissioner for Linguistic Minorities; Commissioner for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes; Members, Minorities Commission; Members, Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Commission; Officers of the rank of full General or equivalent rank; Secretaries to the Government of India (including officers holding this office ex-officio); Secretary, Minorities Commission. Secretary, Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Commission. Secretary to the President; Secretary to the Prime Minister; Secretary, Rajya Sabha / Lok Sabha Solicitor General; Vice-Chairman, Central Administrative Tribunal.

24. Officers of the rank of Lieutenant General or equivalent rank.

25. Additional Secretaries to the Government of India; Additional Solicitor General; Advocate Generals of States; Chairman, Tariff Commission; Charged’ Affairs and Acting High Commissioners a pied and ad interim; Chief Ministers of Union Territories and Chief Executive Councillor, Delhi, outside their respective Union Territories; Chief Secretaries of State Governments outside their respective States; Deputy Comptroller and Auditor General; Deputy Speakers of Legislative Assemblies in Union Territories and Deputy Chairman, Delhi Metropolitan Council, outside their respective Union Territories; Director, Central Bureau of Investigation; Director General, Border Security Force; Director General, Central Reserve Police; Director, Intelligence Bureau; Lieutenant Governor outside their respective Union Territories. Members, Central Administrative Tribunal. Members, Monopolies and Restrictive Trade Practices Commission; Members, Union Public Service Commission; Ministers of Union Territories and Executive Councillors, Delhi , outside their respective Union Territories; Principal Staff Officers of the Armed Forces of the rank of major General or equivalent rank; Speakers of Legislative Assemblies in Union Territories and Chairman of Delhi, Metropolitan Council, outside their respective Union Territories.

26. Joint Secretaries to the Government of India and officers of equivalent rank; Officers of the rank of Major-General or equivalent rank.

MAMMALS

Largest and Heaviest Blue Whale Average length 30.5 m Largest ever recorded 33.58 m Pregnant female may weigh 203 tones

Smallest Land Mammal Kitti's hog-nosed Bat (Found in Thailand)2 Wing span 16 cm weight 1.75 to 2 g

Smallest Marine Mammal Probably Heaviside's dolphin (Found in South Atlantic) Length 1.22 m Weight 41 kg

Rarest Mammal Rarest Mammal Aspecies of tenrec from Madagascar is only known from a single specimen.

Fastest Mammal Cheetah (found in Africa, Middle East, W. Asia) can run at 100 kph over short distances. Pronhorn antelope (Found in USA) Can run at 60 kph over long distances.

Slowest Mammal Three-toedsloth (found in South America) covers about 5 m a minute in trees, and only 2 m aminute on the ground.

Highest Mammal Yak (found in Tibet and China) climbs to 6000 m to feed. REPTILES

Largest and Heaviest Estuarine Crocodile (found in Asia, Australia) Average length (male) up to 4.3 m Longest ever recorded 8.23 m

Largest Lizard Komodo dragon (found in Indonesian Island) length up to 3 m largest Turtle Pacific leatherback turtle Average length (male) up to 2.13 m weight up to 363 kg.

Fastest Amphibian (On Land) Six-linedracerunner (found in USA) can run at 29 kph

Fastest Amphibian (In Water) (In Water) Pacific Leatherback turtle can swim at 35 kph

Longest Snake Reticulated Python (found in India and South-east Asia) Average length more than 6 m Longest ever recorded 10 m

Most Poisonous Snake Sea Snake (found in North West Australia)

Most Poisonous Land Snake Fierce Snake(found in Australia) has most toxic venom. AMPHIBIANS

Largest Amphibian Chinese gaintsalamander Average length 1m Longest ever recorded 1.52 m Weight 11 to 13 kg.

Largest Frog Goliath Frog (found in Africa) Length of body 33.5 cm

Largest Toad Probably marinetoad (found in South America) Length 22.9 cm.

Largest Newt Ribbed newt (found in Africa) Length upto 40 cm Weight 450 g

Highest Toad Common toad One found in Himalayas at 8000 m

Most Poisonous Kokoiarrow-poison frog (found in South America) A tiny amount of toxin is enough to kill a man.

Smallest Newt Striped newt (found in USA) length 5.1 cm BIRDS

Largest Bird (Flightless) North African Ostrich Height (male) 2.74 m Weight 156.5 kg eggs up to 20 cm long

Largest Wing Span Wandering albatross (found in Southern Oceans) Average length (male) 3.15 m Largest ever recorded 3.6 m

Smallest Bird Helena's humming bird (found in Cuba) Average length (male) 5.8 cm (head and body 1.5 cm) Weight 2 g Egg 1.14 cm long Rarest Bird Mauritius Kestrel (found in Mauritius) About 5 are thought to remain.

Fastest Bird Spine-tailed swift (found in Russia and Himalayas) flies at 171 kph

Longest Flight Arctic tern May cover 40,000 km a year migrating from Arctic to Antarctic and back.

Fastest Under Water Gentoo Penguin swims at 36 kph

Largest Nest Bald eagles one was 2.9 m wide and 6 m deep. FISHES

Largest Fish (Plankton-eating) Whale Shark Largest ever recorded 18.5 m long.

Largest Fish (Meat Eating) Great white shark (the man-eater) Average length up to 4.57 m.

Heaviest Bony Fish Ocean sunfish is the heaviest largest ever recorded 2.28 tonnes.

Longest Bony Fish Russian sturgeon or Beluga Length up to 8 m

Fastest Fish Probably Sailfish fastest ever recorded 109 kph

Most Poisonous Fish Stonefish (foundin Indian and Pacific Oceans) Poison carried in spines can cause a person's death within a few hours.

Most Electric Electric eel (found in South America) can produce 400 to 500 volts. INSECTS

Largest Insect Goliath beetle (found in Africa) Weight (male) 100g

Longest Insect Tropical stick insect Length up to 33 cm

Largest locust Swarn A Swarn of desert locusts that crossed the Red Sea in 1889. Swarn estimated to contain 250,000,000 insects weighing about 500,000 tonnes and covering 5,000 sq. km

Largest Butterfly Queen Alexandra bird wing (found in Guinea) Wing span 28 cm, weight 5 g

Most Dangerous Ant Black bulldog ant (found in Australia and Tasmaina) One bite can kill a man.

Fastest Wing Beat A tiny midge can beat its wings 1000 times a second.