Civil Services Mentor July 2011

UPSCPORTAL Current Affairs : http://upscportal.com/civilservices/current-affairs

CONTENTS

Articles: 8 Lokpal Bill 8 Libyan Crisis

Cirrent Affairs: 8 National Issues 8 International Issues 8 Economy Issues 8 India & The World 8 Science & Technology 8 Sports 8 Awards & Prizes 8 Persons in News

Special Study Material 8 Bank Solved Paper (S.B.I.) P.O. Held on 18.04.2010

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LOKPAL BILL

The word Lokpal means an ombudsman in India. The word has been derived from the Sanskrit words "loka" (people) and "pala" (protector/ caretaker). So the word Lokpal means 'protector of people'. The concept of Lokpal has been drawn up to root out corruption at all levels in the prevailing Indian polity.

The Lokpal will be a three-member body with a chairperson who is or was a chief justice or Supreme Court judge, and two members who are or have been high courts judges or chief justices.Implementation of the Lokpal bill will hopefully reduce corruption in India. The basic idea of the Lok Pal is borrowed from the office of ombudsman, which has played an effective role in checking corruption and wrong-doing in Scandinavian and other nations. In early 1960s, mounting corruption in public administration set the winds blowing in favour of an Ombudsman in India too.

The Administrative Reforms Commission (ARC) set up in 1966 recommended the constitution of a two-tier machinery - of a Lokpal at the Centre, and Lokayukta(s) in the states.the Lokpal has to complete the inquiry within six months.

Duties of Lokpal are as follows: 1. To judge the cases and make jurisdictions against corruption cases with the Lokpal. 2. To judge whether a case is legal or whether a fake complaint has been made. 3. To potentially impose fines on a fake complaint, or even a short span of jail time, if the case is not proved to be legally true.

In India, the Jan Lokpal Bill (also referred to as the citizens' ombudsman bill) is a proposed anti- corruption law designed to effectively deter corruption, redress grievances and protect whistleblowers. The law would create an ombudsman called the Lokpal; this would be an independent body similar to the Election Commission of India with the power to prosecute politicians and bureaucrats without prior government permission.

A compromise bill, merging the Government's version and that of the civil group's version (Jan Lokpal), is being drafted by a committee of five Cabinet Ministers and five social activists. As of July 2011, the most current version of the bill is version 2.3, according to the government website. For 42 years, the government-drafted bill has failed to pass the Rajya Sabha, the upper house of the Parliament of India.The first Lokpal Bill was passed in the 4th Lok Sabha, the lower house of the Parliament, in 1969 but stalled in the Rajya Sabha. Subsequent Lokpal bills were introduced in 1971, 1977, 1985, 1989, 1996, 1998, 2001, 2005 and 2008 but all failed to pass.

» N. Santosh Hegde, Lokayukta (Karnataka); and Latest Developments » Arvind Kejriwal.

Anna Hazare, a Gandhian rights activist, had Thousands of people from all over India, especially started a fast unto death at Jantar Mantar in New the youth, supported Anna Hazare's cause by candle Delhi demanding the passing of the bill. Hazare light marches and online campaigns through so- called off his hunger strike on the 9th of April, cial media.Recently Yoga guru, Swami Ramdev, 2011 bringing to an end his 98-hour protest after was on a fast for this cause for 9 consecutive days the government issued a gazette notification con- from 4 June - 12 June 2011. He wanted the Gov- stituting a 10-member Joint Committee of govern- ernment of India to accept various demands which ment ministers and civil society activists, includ- mainly included those related to the Lokpall ing him, to draft a bill for the creation of an effec- bill.Anna Hazare on the 8th of June, 2011, declared tive Lokpal. that he will restart his fast unto death on the 16th of August if the Lokpal bill is not passed by the Drafting Committee Parliament of India by 15 August, which is the Inependence Day of India.On the 16th of June, the civil society reported that only 15 points of total The drafting committee was officially formed on 71 that they recommended have been agreed to by 8 April 2011. It consists of ten members, includ- the Joint Committee consisting of five central mining five from the government and five drawn from isters. Following differences with the Civil Soci- society. ety, the team of five central ministers decided to forward two drafts of the Lokpal Bill to the Cabi- Chairmen net, one from each side.

The Government of India accepted that the com- The Jan Lokpal Bill (Citizen's ombudsman Bill) mittee be co-chaired by a politician and an activ- is a draft anti-corruption bill drawn up by promi- ist, non-politician. It is reported that Pranab nent civil society activists seeking the appointment Mukherjee, from the political arena, and Shanti of a Jan Lokpal, an independent body that would Bhushan, from civil society, will fill those roles. investigate corruption cases, complete the investigation within a year and envisages trial in the Government representation (Five Cabinet min- case getting over in the next one year. Drafted by isters )They are: Justice Santosh Hegde (former Supreme Court » Pranab Mukherjee, Finance Minister, Co-Chair- Judge and present Lokayukta of Karnataka), man; Prashant Bhushan (Supreme Court Lawyer) and » P. Chidambaram, Minister of Home Affairs; Arvind Kejriwal (RTI activist), the draft Bill en- » Veerappa Moily, Minister of Law and Justice; visages a system where a corrupt person found » Kapil Sibal, Minister for Communications and guilty would go to jail within two years of the com- Information Technology; and plaint being made and his ill-gotten wealth being confiscated. It also seeks power to the Jan Lokpal » Salman Khursid, Minister of Water Resources. to prosecute politicians and bureaucrats without government permission. Civil society representation (Five leading social activists). They are: Salient features of Jan Lokpal Bill: » Shanti Bhushan, Former Minister of Law and 1. An institution called LOKPAL at the centre and Justice, Co-Chairman; LOKAYUKTA in each state will be set up. » Anna Hazare, Social Activist; » Prashant Bhushan, Lawyer; 2. Like Supreme Court and Election Commission,

they will be completely independent of the governments. No minister or bureaucrat will be able 9. What will happen to existing anti-corruption to influence their investigations. agencies? CVC, departmental vigilance and anti- corruption branch of CBI will be merged into 3. Cases against corrupt people will not linger on Lokpal. Lokpal will have complete powers and for years anymore: Investigations in any case will machinery to independently investigate and pros- have to be completed in one year. Trial should be ecute any officer, judge or politician. completed in next one year so that the corrupt politician, officer or judge is sent to jail within two 10. It will be the duty of the Lokpal to provide years. protection to those who are being victimized for raising their voice against corruption. 4. The loss that a corrupt person caused to the government will be recovered at the time of Some people have opined that the Jan Lokpal Bill conviction. is 'Naïve' in its approach to combating corruption. The Lokpal concept was criticized by the Human 5. How will it help a common citizen: If any work Resource Development (HRD) minister Kapil of any citizen is not done in prescribed time in any Sibal because of concerns that it will lack account- government office, Lokpal will impose financial ability, oppresively, and undemocratically.The penalty on guilty officers, which will be given as claim that the Lokpal will be an extra-constitu- compensation to the complainant. tional body has been derided by Hazare’s closest lieutenant, Arvind Kejriwal. He states the Jan 6. So, you could approach Lokpal if your ration Lokpal Bill drafted by civil society will only in- card or passport or voter card is not being made vestigate corruption offences and submit a charge or if police is not registering your case or any other sheet which would then tried and prosecuted, work is not being done in prescribed time. through trial courts and higher courts. Kejriwal further states that the proposed bill also lists clear Lokpal will have to get it done in a month's time. provisions in which the Supreme Court can abol- You could also report any case of corruption to ish the Lokpal.Although Kejriwal has stated that Lokpal like ration being siphoned off, poor qual- all prosecutions will be carried out through trial ity roads been constructed or panchayat funds be- courts, the exact judicial powers of LokPal is rather ing siphoned off. Lokpal will have to complete its unclear in comparison with its investigative pow- investigations in a year, trial will be over in next ers. one year and the guilty will go to jail within two years. The bill requires "...members of Lokpal and the officers in investigation wing of Lokpal shall be 7. But won't the government appoint corrupt and deemed to be police officers". Although some sup- weak people as Lokpal members? That won't be porters have denied any judicial powers of possible because its members will be selected by Lokpal,the government and some critics have rec- judges, citizens and constitutional authorities and ognized Lokpal to have quasi-judicial powers.The not by politicians, through a completely transpar- bill states that "Lokpal shall have, and exercise the ent and participatory process. same jurisdiction powers and authority in respect of contempt of itself as a High court has and may 8. What if some officer in Lokpal becomes cor- exercise, and, for this purpose, the provisions of rupt? The entire functioning of Lokpal/ Lokayukta the Contempt of ourts Act, 1971 (Central Act 70 will be completely transparent. Any complaint of 1971) shall have the effect subject to the modi- against any officer of Lokpal shall be investigated fication that the ref rences therein to the High Court and the officer dismissed within two months. shall be construed as including a reference to the Lokpal." Review of proceedings and decisions by

Lokpal is prevented in the bill, stating "...no proceedings or decision of the Lokpal shall be liable to be challenged, reviewed, quashed or called in question in any court of ordinary Civil Jurisdiction." With- out judicial review, there is concern that Lokpal could become a extra-constitutional body with investigative and judicial powers whose decisions cannot be reviewed in regular courts.

Whether or not to include the Prime Minister and higher judiciary under the Lokpal remains as one of the major issues of dispute. Although Hazare proposed Justice Verma, the former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, as the Chairman of the Lokpal Bill panel,Justice Verma later expressed his constitutional objections for including the Prime Minister and higher judiciary under Lokpal, stating "this would foul with the basic structure of the constitution".

Difference Between Draft Lokpal Bill 2010 and Jan Lokpal Bill

Jan Lokpal Bill Draft Lokpal Bill (2010) (Citizen's Ombudsman Bill)

» Lokpal will have no power to initiate suo motu » Lokpal will have powers to initiate suo action or receive complaints of corruption from moto action or receive complaints of corrup- the general public. It can only probe. tion from the general public.

» Complaints forwarded by the Speaker of the » Lokpal will have the power to initiate Lok Sabha or the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha. prosecution of anyone found guilty.

» Lokpal will only be an Advisory Body with a » Lokpal will have police powers as well as role limited to forwarding reports to a "Compe- the ability to register FIRs. tent Authority". » Lokpal and the anti corruption wing of the » Lokpal will have no police powers and no abil- CBI will be one independent body. ity to register an First Information Report or pro- ceed with criminal investigations. » Punishments will be a minimum of 5 years and a maximum of up to life imprisonment. » The CBI and Lokpal will be unconnected.

» Punishment for corruption will be a minimum of 6 months and a maximum of up to 7 years.

India is a country where honesty and integrity in public and private life have been glorified andupheld in great epics such as the Vedas, Upanishads and in the books and practices of everyreligion practiced here.Yet, India today is one of the most corrupt countries in the world.Bringing public servants under a scanner which makes them strictly accountable is the start of amovement against corruption in India. And one significant step in attacking the spectre ofcorruption in India will be the implementation of the lok pal bill.

In the regular dispensation of government there are implicit and explicit ways that citizens canvoice their grievances and demand change. But these are often difficult. Within administrative departments, for example, any decision of one official can be appealed to a higher official, all the way up to the head

of a department. However, this mechanism has inherent flaws.But it can be said that Lokpal is the need of the hour and it will have to be implemented first ,then only we can decide whether it is fruitful or not.

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LIBYAN CRISIS

Following a spate of protests in countries around the region, protests broke out in several areas of Libya challenging Col. Muammar Qaddafi’s 42-year rule. In late February, as the government’s response to these protests turned increasingly violent, the UN Security Council responded by passing Resolution 1970 to impose sanctions on Qaddafi and refer the situation in Libya to the International Criminal Court (ICC). In early March, the UN General Assembly suspended Libya’s membership to the Human Rights Council.On March 17th, the UN Security Council passed Resolution 1973 calling for a no-fly zone to deter the bombardment of civilian targets by government forces. Resolution 1973 marks the first time the Security Council passed a resolution to authorize the use of force with an explicit reference to the responsibility to protect.An ad hoc coalition composed of the US, France, and the UK began implementing the no-fly zone immediately after the adoption of Resolution 1973. On March 27th, NATO assumed command of the military operation in Libya. NATO follows Resolution 1973 in banning all flights in Libyan airspace, except those for humanitarian and aid purposes, to make sure that civilians and civilian populated areas cannot be subjected to air attack by Qaddafi forces.NATO should develop a civilian casualty tracking, analysis and response mechanism with personnel in both Naples and in Benghazi. In addition to cataloguing all available known data, the cell would also recognize and investigate all allegations of civilian casualties, in anticipation of future development of an amends system.

France announced its official recognition for the Libyan National Council as the sole representative of the Libyan people and became the first western country to do so. France also handed over the building of the former Libyan Embassy to Paris to the Council. It also announced to send an ambassador to Benghazi (Libya’s second largest city) which is the seat of Libyan National Council.The President of France, Nicholas Sarkozy had presented the global plan on the Crisis in Libya at an emergency summit of European Union heads of government in Brussels on 11 March 2011. European nations took actions to isolate the regime of Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi with France officially recognising the rebel group in Libya. Britain pressed for the imposition of a no- fly zone and Germany freezed assets worth billions. Foreign ministers from the G8 failed to reach any agreement on military intervention in Libya during the two-day summit in Paris. Despite France pushing for a no-fly zone, G8 nations couldn’t reach consensus on the establishment of a no-fly zone against

Qadhafi’s forces in Libya. International conference Operation Odyssey Dawn for Washington is to stop called by UK and held at London urged Muammar the erosion of its influence in the Middle East, Qadhafi to resign as the ruler of Libya. The London while for Europe it is to prevent the definitive loss conference in its resolution called for an immediate of its international role. If they put a quick end to ceasefire and to stop all attacks on civilians and the Gaddafi regime they will have achieved their providing full humanitarian access to needy people. aim, at least for a while. But if the operation drags The London conference made a declaration that on and requires more than air strikes, which looks the NATO-led military operations would continue probable, the effect may be just the reverse: in Libya until the above mentioned requirements Western influence may plummet in the region. Arab were met. regimes that supported the action will also be in a vulnerable position. After the collapse of the Soviet Russian Angle Union, Moscow was at pains for a long time to assume or at least imitate the status of a global The air campaign against Colonel power, participating in all decisions on the Gaddafi’s forces in Libya has had international stage. But towards the end of the last an unexpected consequence far decade, Russia began to see itself not as a likeness from the front lines: it has resulted of the former Soviet Union, but as a major and in the first distinct manifestation of disagreement influential, although regional, power whose vital within Russia’s ruling duo. And the evident interests have definite geographical contours. To difference in position between President Dmitry defend its interests, Moscow is ready to use force, Medvedev and Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has as it did in South Ossetia.Both approaches have revealed a fork in the road for Russia’s foreign the right to exist, but it would be advisable to pick policy. When questions of war and peace are being one of them and stick to it. Simultaneously decided, powers that aspire to a global role should declaring both puts the country in a weak and occupy a clear position – either for, or against. In ambivalent position, indicating that the Russian the case of Libya, Russia abstained from voting leadership has no mutual understanding and no co- on the UN Security Council resolution. Abstention ordinated policy. This is especially dispiriting at a under President Medvedev contradicts Russia’s time when chaos is only increasing around the prior strict adherence to a single foreign policy world. principle: opposition of foreign interventions in internal affairs.These days, the Kremlin remains India’s Interests neutral, although the case of Libya is far more urgent. As for the real goal of the military Along with Russia and China, India campaign, there should be no illusions: the aim is has been critical of the ongoing regime change. Any scenario that leaves Muammar western air strikes launched against Gaddafi in power would be a moral and political Libya on the ground that ordinary defeat for the West and West-friendly regimes in Libyans would be affected and the air attacks the region. would prove counterproductive to the US’ purported humanitarian objective. The External To Moscow, Col Gaddafi is just one of many Affairs Minister, Mr S. M. Krishna, has urged the partners, and for Russia to jeopardise the current western nations, which have imposed a ‘no fly positive dynamic in relations with the US and the zone’ over Libya, to ceasefire and called upon the EU for the sake of Tripoli makes no sense. Gaddafi regime and the rebel forces to abjure Deliberations about lost contracts in Libya are a violence and talk to each other. From an Indian waste of breath: given the situation there now, there national security and foreign policy perspective, would be no more business as usual with the the regime in Tripoli needs to be a friendly one Libyan ruler anyway. The geopolitical purpose of since Libya is an oil rich country and an eternal

shock — western air attacks or civil war — could Today, the western limited liability intervention in affect Indian industrial investments and energy Libya minus boots-on-the-ground aims to provide security interests there. New Delhi’s stand that air the rebels a level-playing field against the more attacks on Libya must cease is, therefore, grounded organised military muscle of Gaddafi’s forces. in rational choice and Waltzian realism: Every big Perhaps, some level of western covert para-military or aspiring power weighs the costs and benefits of support like special forces/commandos may be the use of force and that their position on particular operationally deployed to advice the rebels on matters in world politics is guided by self-interest. tactics to adopt against the regime’s forces. In India’s case, it was protection of its vital interest Otherwise, the only advantage that the regime’s — Libyan oil. forces have would be in terms of some superior weaponry such as shoulder fired rocket propelled India’s national interests in Libya are essentially grenades/missile launchers. economic in nature. Considering an estimated 18,000 Indians who work in that country, it is a Apart from this infantry-support weaponry, the considerable contribution to the remittance qualitative difference would be in terms of economy and adds to our foreign exchange kitty. command and control of the regime’s forces that Otherwise, Indian companies, especially in the in a sense would amount to a force multiplier vis- hydrocarbon, power, construction and IT sector, a-vis the motley groups of rebels who lack such a have several ongoing projects in Libya. Besides, coordinated approach to combat. he ostensible Indian oil majors — Indian Oil, Oil India and logic of the US-led western powers to embark on ONGC Videsh — are increasingly involving this two-dimensional military adventure from the themselves with the Libyan hydrocarbon sector — air and sea was only to prevent a carnage of the both in upstream and downstream. Also, BHEL rebel forces through neutralisation of Gaddaffi’s has successfully completed execution of the airpower, tanks and artillery by aerial and naval prestigious Western Mountain Gas Turbine Power bombardment. The opposition to western air strikes Project. Similarly, i-flex Solutions is implementing is solely on the grounds that collateral damage a project on core banking solutions with the Central would ensue and innocent citizenry would be hurt Bank of Libya and five other banks. Also, over the due to flaws in military target acquisition past three decades, Indian companies have procedures based on inaccurate intelligence inputs. executed several projects there. These included building hospitals, houses, schools, roads, power India abstained from voting in the UNSC and did plants, airports, dams, transmission lines etc. The not go along with the NATO-EU and Arab League presence of Indian companies in Libya has risen countries. Clearly, the US anti-dictator policy over significantly in the last five years. Libya is a contradiction — considering Washington adopted a pro-dictator stance on Bahrain — and This includes major PSUs such as BHEL, OVL, supported the Saudi Arabian force deployment to IOC, Oil India, and private companies such as Punj quell the opposition to the entrenched monarchy Llyod, Unitech Ltd, KEC, Dastur Engineering, there. Similarly, India also was equally inconsistent Shapoorji Pallonji International, SECON Pvt Ltd, by voting with the western industrial democracies Global Steel Ltd (Ispat Group Co.), NIIT, Sun against Iran in 2009 at the UN, but not doing so Pharma, Simplex Projects and Simplex now. But foreign policy and consistency are not Infrastructure Ltd. The bilateral trade figures for always synonymous with each other; instead, 2009-10 were at $844.62 million, showing a foreign policy and national interests have to be in significant upward trend since 2004-05, peaking tune with each other. to $ 1,366.65 million in 2007-08 compared to $29.12 million in 2003-04.

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NATIONAL ISSUES

Expansion of of life and liberty will mean and include measures Central List of OBCs such as social boycott, forcing people to leave their homes in the locality and deprivation of the means The Union Cabinet of India approved inclusion of of livelihood. However, the law commission the names of some castes and communities in the turned down the demand for introducing a clause Central list of other backward classes. The Union in Section 300 of the Indian Penal Code to bring Cabinet gave this approval on the advice of Na- honour killings under its ambit (Section 300).The tional Commission for backward Classes which act drafted by the law commission to curb honur asked for amendment in the list of backward killings was necessary becuase Article 21 of the classes. These caste and communities belong to Constitution of India clearly states that no person 14 states namely Bihar, Goa, Gujarat, Himachal shall be deprived of his life or personal liberty ex- Pradesh, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, cept according to procedure established by law. Maharashtra, Orissa, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, West Khap Panchayats can't impose their dictats on Bengal, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh and Andhra young couples. Pradesh and two union territories- Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Puducherry.The Union Cabi- Remote Sensing net of India also approved a payment security Data Policy scheme to make sure that financial closure of projects under phase-1 of the Jawaharlal Nehru The Union government unveiled a new remote National Solar Mission. sensing data policy called the Remote Sensing Data Policy 2011(RSDP2011) which allows all data of Legislation to Curb resolutions up to 1 metre to be distributed on a Honour Killings non-discriminatory basis. The new policy replaced the 2001 policy.Apart from opening up the remote The Law Commission headed by Justice P. sensing sector, the RSDP 2011 will remove restric- Venkatrama Reddi approved the proposed draft tions to facilitate more users to get high resolution legislation, The Endangerment of Life and Liberty data for developmental activities. Restrictions as (protection, prosecution and other measures) Act, per the earlier 2001 policy, was removed. Now 2011 to prosecute persons or a group involved in there is no bar on publishing of high resolution, honour killings. Law commission member remote sensing data of up to one metre R.Venkatramni drafted the proposed resolution.However, the RSDP stated that all data legislation.The draft legislation prohibits village of better than 1 metre resolution shall be screened elders to interfere with the life and liberty of young and cleared by the appropriate agency before dis- couples who marry as per their choice even if they tribution. According to the RSDP2011, the Na- belong to the same gotra. According to the legisla- tional Remote Sensing Centre will be vested with tion, village elders cannot place these couples in a the authority to acquire and disseminate all satel- hostile environment in the village concerned.As lite remote sensing data in India both from Indian per the draft legislation, the act of endangerment and foreign satellites for the purpose of develop-

ment activities. The RSDP-2011 comes into ef- or the local police.The scheme has since then been fect immediately. extended to building and other construction workers registered with Welfare Boards constituted Criticisism of State Governments under the Building and Other Construction Work- for Misusing Provisions of Land ers (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Acquisition Service) Act, 1996, street vendors, beedi workers and such MNREGA workers who have worked for more than 15 days during the preceding year. |A Supreme Court bench including Justice GS Singhvi and Justice AK Ganguly refused to stay the Allahabad High Court order quashing the no- National Mission for Justice tifications for land acquisition in the area adjoin- Delivery and Legal Reforms ing New Delhi and NCR. The court slammed state governments for misusing provisions of Land Ac- Union Cabinet of India approved of a proposal of quisition Act to divest farmers of their agricultural the law ministry for a National Mission for Justice land and giving it to builders. The court even ques- Delivery and Legal Reforms, providing for fast tioned building of hotels, malls and commercial track courts to clear the backlog in the judicial complexes on land acquired for public purpose.The system.The objective of the Mission is to increase bench made an observation that a sinister campaign access to justice by reducing delays and arrears in has been launched by many state governments to the system and enhance accountability through take advantage of the law against the poor people structural changes and by setting performance stan- for taking away the land and giving it to builders dards. The objectives are to be achieved in a time where multiplexes, malls, posh residential com- bound manner by 2015-16 through a mission mode plexes are developed which are beyond the reach approach. The Mission is planned to have a Mis- of common men. The bench questioned the change sion Directorate, an Advisory Council and a Gov- in land use by Uttar Pradesh government in Greater erning Council for overseeing the implementation Noida. of the Mission.

Extension of Areas covered : Policy and legislative changes, the RSBY Scheme re-engineering of procedures, human resource development, leveraging ICT and improve physical infrastructure of subordinate courts. Infrastructure The Union Cabinet approved extension of the development is a much needed requirement of the Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (RSBY) to all subordinate judiciary. It aimed to increase access the registered domestic workers in India. The to justice by reducing delays and arrears and en- scheme will likely cover approximately 47.50 lakh hanced accountability through structural changes domestic workers in the country. The RSBY will and by setting performance standards. The focus provide for smart card based cashless health in- was on infrastructure development in the courts surance cover of Rs.30000 per annum to BPL through computerisation, improving physical in- workers (a unit of five) in unorganised sector in frastructure and human resource development. any empanelled hospital anywhere in India. More than 2.34 crore smart cards were issued on 31 May The salient features: 2011. The health insurance cover, available to do- The National Mission would comprise of Advi- mestic workers in the 18-59 age bracket, will en- » title the beneficiary to cashless treatment at sory Council, Governing Council, National Mis- empanelled hospitals. The beneficiaries will have sion Leader and the Mission Directorate. to get identification certificates from two of the » The Advisory council is to advise on the goals, four eligible institutions namely- employer, resi- objectives and strategies of the National Mission dents welfare association, registered trade union and the Action Plan and its implementation and

performance of the Mission in meeting its objec- Home Secretary V.K. Duggal, G. Parthasarathy, tives and would be chaired by the Minister for Law former diplomat, and senior journalist Manoj and Justice and would have membership from Par- Joshi.The panel is expected to start its work on 14 liament, State Governments, Jurists & senior of- July and has six months to complete its report.The ficers of Government of India. Naresh Chandra committee will contemporarise » The Governing Council would facilitate imple- the Kargil Review Committee’s (KRC) recommen- mentation, give policy directions and oversee the dations in view of the fact that 10 years have passed work of the Mission and would be headed by the since the report was submitted. It is also expected Minister for Law and Justice. to examine why some of the crucial recommenda- » The Secretary, Department of Justice would be tions relating to border management and restruc- the National Mission Leader. turing the apex command structure in the armed » A Mission Directorate would be constituted to forces have not been implemented. It will look at implement and monitor the various initiative/pro- the reasons why the post of first among equals gram of the National Mission. It would be headed among the three service chiefs in the form of a by an officer of the rank of the Joint Secretary who Chief of Defence Staff was never created.The for- would act as the Mission Director. mation of the task force marked the first compre- » An Action Plan has been drawn up which would hensive attempt at reviewing the entire gamut of defence preparedness and management in a decade. of course be subjected to change once the Gov- erning Council meets to set out the agenda. » Inadequacy of infrastructure facilities in Dis- Salwa Judum is Illegal trict and Subordinate courts has remained a major and Unconstitutional bottleneck in the judicial system largely contrib- uting to the accumulation of arrears. So, a pre- Sudershan Reddy and Justice SS Nijjar declared liminary assessment of requirement of infrastruc- Salwa Judum as illegal and unconstitutional. The ture for subordinate courts from the States was also court ordered the immediate disarming of tribal made. youths who are deployed as Special Police Offic- ers- either as Koya Commandos, Salwa Judum or High-powered Task Force of any other force- in the fight against the Maoist Defence Management insurgency. The court gave the ruling in response to writ petition filed by social anthropologist Nandini Sundar and others. The ruling given by The Union government decided to set up a high- the court indicted the Chhattisgarh state for vio- powered task force to review the unfinished tasks lating Constitutional principles in arming youth and make further suggestions for implementation who had passed only fifth standard and conferring with a view to revamp of defence management in on them the powers of police.The bench held that India. The government arrived at the decision ten the policy of the Chhattisgarh state violated the years after the Kargil Review Committee and a rights under Articles 14 and 21 of the Constitution Group of Ministers attempted the first major of those who were employed as SPOs and used in revamp.The 14-member task force will be headed counter-insurgency measures against Naxalites as by Naresh Chandra, a former bureaucrat who has well as of citizens living in the concerned areas.The held top administrative jobs in the Ministry of bench asked the state of Chhattisgarh to recall all Defence and Prime Minister's Office. Task force firearms issued to any of the SPOs. The word fire- members include Air Chief Marshal (retd.) S. arm means all forms of guns, rifles, launchers etc. Krishnaswamy, Gen. (retd.) V.R. Raghavan, the former Department of Atomic Energy chief Anil Kakodkar, Admiral (retd.) Arun Prakash, the former R&AW head K.C. Verma, the former Union

was the most favoured destination of male and fe- India International Institute of male migrants, followed closely by Saudi Arabia. Democracy and Election Whereas in Bangladesh, Saudi Arabia was the most preferred, followed by UAE and Kuwait. Management India Signed Three Agreements The Election Commission of India launched the India International Institute of Democracy and with the World Bank for Election Management, IIDEM in New Delhi. It is Cleaning the anga River an advanced resource centre of learning, research, training and extension for participatory democracy India signed three agreements with the World Bank and election management. The institute is set to for cleaning the Ganga River on 14 June 2011. be a national and international hub for exchange Besides this, the agreement also held for strength- of good practices in election management. It was ening Rural Livelihoods and Biodiversity Conser- inaugurated by the Chief Election Commissioner vation of India. The World Bank agreed to pro- Dr. S Y Quraishi at Nirvachan Sadan 17 June vide one billion US Dollars (approximately Rs 2011.IIDEM is to work for enhancing voter edu- 4,600 crore) for the Ganga river cleaning project. cation, and developing human resource for effi- It also agreed for a credit worth approximately 24 cient conduct of free and fair elections in India. million dollars for the two projects, i.e. strength- Along with this it is also set to develop mutually ening Rural Livelihoods and Biodiversity Conser- beneficial partnership with other countries. The vation of India. The agreements for the Biodiversity institute has four components. These are – (1) Conservation and Rural Livelihood Improvement Training and Capacity Development, (2) Voter Project were signed by Mr. Venu Rajamony, Joint Education and Civic Participation, (3) Research, Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs, Min- Innovation and Documentation and (4) Interna- istry of Finance, on behalf of the Government of tional Projects and Technical Collaboration. India, and Mr. Roberto Zagha, World Bank Coun- try Director in India in presence of Mr Jairam Centre for Ramesh, Minister Environment and Forests, Gov- Social Research Report ernment of India.The Ganga faces great challenges from expanding population, urbanization and industrial growth. To stop the flow of untreated mu- The Centre for Social Research (CSR) recently nicipal sewage and industrial effluent into the released a report- “Gender dimensions of interna- Ganga river by 2020 is the objective of Ganga tional migration from India and Bangladesh: Im- project. The World Bank has been a major finan- pact on the families left behind” on 5 August 2010. cier of biodiversity projects globally. With the as- The report was based on the study of the socio- sistance of the World Bank, an empowered and economic impact of migration on 1000 families collaborative body of the Central and state gov- from migration pockets of India and Bangladesh ernments, National Ganga River Basin Authority in 2009. In both these countries poverty, better pay (NGRBA) decided to implement the National packets, employer relocation, landlessness, aban- Ganga River Basin Project. The focus of the project donment/divorce, husband's premature death, edu- is on (1) building and strengthening the National cation and children's dowry payment were the rea- Ganga River Basin Authority’s (NGRBA) related sons that compelled people mostly women to mi- institutions at the Central and state level; (2) es- grate. Among the total number of people who mi- tablishing a world-class Ganga Knowledge Cen- grated only a handfull used formal government tre; (3) enhancing river basin management; and (4) migration channels while the majority relied on financing select priority investments to reduce informal channels like ‘dalaals’ and agents. The point-source pollution in a sustainable manner. A study showed that in India, United Arab Emirates complete new model of managing the protected

areas while safeguarding the livelihoods of local There are a number of reasons for letting communities is set to put in place in two protected Navodaya Vidyalayas off the RTE hook: areas, one each in Uttarakhand and Gujarat. » Navodaya Vidyalayas start from class VI and not class I. Pension Age-limit » These schools, located in all districts, have 75% for BPL to 60 seats reserved for rural children. Seats are also reserved for children from SC and ST communities The Union Cabinet of India lowered the age limit in proportion to their population in the district, but for the purpose from 65 to 60 years. The decision not less than the national average. taken by the cabinet will be effective from 1 April » One-third of the seats are for girl students and 2011. It is like to benefit an additional 72.32 lakh 3% of the seats are for disabled children. people in the age-group of 60-64 years. The deci- » Till class IX there is no fee, and from IX to XII, sion would lead to an additional expenditure of Rs 200 is charged per month. 1736 crore rupees.In 2007, the government had launched the Indira Gandhi National Old Age Pen- CCS Gave Nod for sion scheme to provide assistance to senior citi- National Intelligence Grid zens falling in the Below Poverty Line (BPL) category.The Union Cabinet also decided to raise Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) chaired by the rate of pension to persons of 80 years and above Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, gave its nod for from 200 rupees to 500 rupees. National Intelligence Grid (NATGRID). NATGRID would be a repository of information Navodaya Vidyalayas outside ranging from train and air journey to Income Tax the ambit of RTE Act and bank accounts of individuals. NATGRID will facilitate sharing of such kind of information with The Union Law Ministry decided to keep the law enforcement agencies to combat terror Navodaya Vidyalayas in the country outside the threat.The NATGRID will have access to 21 cat- ambit of the Right to Education (RTE) Act. The egories of database like air travel, railway, bank decision was reached by the Law Ministry after account details, income tax, credit card transac- hearing out the logic of Human Resource Devel- tions, visa and immigration records. opment Ministry and consultation with the Attor- ney General (AG). The two key provisions of the Following the Mumbai terror attack on 26 Novem- RTE Act are- no screening and 25% reservation ber 2008, Home ministry had proposed a blue print for economically weaker sections will not be ap- for country’s internal security, which included the plicable to 444 Navodaya Vidyalayas across the formation of NATGRID. country. The RTE Act states that no screening test of either children or their parents can be conducted Janani-Shishu for admission in any school. Every school will have Suraksha Programme to reserve 25 percent seats for the children belonging to economically weaker section. However en- The UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi launched the trance examination is the basis for admission in Janani-Shishu Suraksha Programme at Mewat in Navodaya Vidyalayas, which had refused to admit Haryana. Janani-Shishu Suraksha programme was children under RTE. Following the refusal of the sponsored by the Ministry of Health and Family Navodaya Vidyalayas to abide by the prescribed Welfare. The programme was launched for preg- admission procedures, National Commission for nant women with the objective to effectively ad- Child Protection had issued notice to Navodaya dress the problem of maternal and child Vidyalaya to cancel admission on the basis of en- mortality.Under the Janani-Shishu Suraksha trance test.

programme, pregnant mothers can avail govern- Highlights of revised MPLADS: ment health institutions for free deliveries. Both » Projects implemented by government agencies the mother and her child will get free treatment, would now be provided 75 per cent of the project free drugs and consumables, diagnostics, user cost as the first instalment. charges besides free provision of blood and » Conditions relaxed for smaller projects costing transportation.The free facilities will comprise less than Rs.2 lakh. delivery including C-section, special diet, diagnos- » Projects costing less than Rs 1 lakh will not to tics etc. be sanctioned. » Basket of works that could be taken up under MPLAD Scheme the scheme had been widened to include projects Revised such as the purchase of books for libraries. » MPs would be allowed to spend up to Rs.10 As part of an effort to ensure timely and effective lakh a year on projects in any State or Union Terri- implementation of works proposed under the tory. Member of Parliament Local Area Development » Limit of Rs.50 lakh per annum was imposed on Scheme (MPLADS), the Union Government de- contributions to trusts and societies. cided to raise the amount to be released in the first » Scope & extent of the physical monitoring of instalment. The MPLADS allow MPs to suggest completed projects expanded to cover 400 more works to the Head of District to be taken up in districts. their constituency.Projects implemented by government agencies would now be provided 75 per cent of the project cost as the first instalment, while Security Audit the ones implemented by non-governmental agen- of Nuclear Stations cies would be provided 60 per cent. Currently only 50 per cent of the estimated cost is released as the The Union government of India ordered security first instalment, irrespective of the nature of the audit of all important installations comprising project, which led to complaints of delays in nuclear stations, military bases and oil refineries completion.According to Union Minister for Sta- across the nation. The order was issued after a high- tistics and Programme Implementation M.S. Gill, level meeting held by the Union Home Ministry the government’s decision is likely to improve the following the terrorist attack on a naval base in working of the Scheme as a whole. Conditions Pakistan. A joint-team of local security heads and were further relaxed for smaller projects costing Intelligence Bureau will survey and assess the level less than Rs.2 lakh. For such small projects the of security of the important installations. The se- entire amount would be released at one go.To en- curity audit will cover all nuclear plants, oil refin- sure that funds were not spread too thinly, the gov- eries, Indian Space Research Organisation instal- ernment decided against sanctioning project cost- lations, military camps and airports. ing less than Rs.1 lakh.The Centre aims at ensuring that the MPLADS funds were utilised fruit- 20 More Districts in the fully for the benefit of the grassroots, therefore the Naxal-hit states basket of works that could be taken up under the scheme had been widened to include projects such The Union government of India decided to bring as the purchase of books for libraries, and ambu- 20 more districts in the Naxal-hit states for declar- lances and hearse vans that would be owned and ing more districts as extreme Left Wing controlled by district authorities.The scope and ex- Extremism(LWE) affected districts. If these dis- tent of the physical monitoring of completed tricts included in the list of LWE-hit distrcts, these projects would also be expanded to cover 400 more areas will receive special Central funds for infra- districts. structure and security- related expenses under the

Security Related Expenditure scheme. Under this mechanism to protect the interest of insurance scheme, districts of Chhattisgarh, Bihar, Jharkahnd policyholders.Integrated Grievance Management and Orissa will be benefitted. A proposal regard- System (IGMS) is a comprehensive solution which ing this was sent by the Union Ministry of Home not only provides a centralized and online access Affairs to the Planning Commission. At present, to the policyholder but also completes access and 60 districts receive 25 crore rupees each for the control to Insurance Regulatory Development scheme earmarked by a committee chaired by dis- Authority (IRDA) for monitoring grievance district collector. It has been a long-time demand of posal by insurance companies. The system will be the Naxal-affected states that more districts be able to assign, store and track unique complaint declared LWE. IDs and also enable intimation to various stake holders as needed. Diesel is dearer by Rs 3 a litre & Kerosene by Rs 2 a litre NAC directed the Tribal Affairs Ministry to consult Jarawas The Union government on 24 June 2011 decided to increase the price of diesel by Rs. 3 a litre, kero- The National Advisory Council (NAC) directed sene by Rs. 2 a litre and domestic LPG by Rs.50 a the Tribal Affairs Ministry consult the Jarawas, a cylinder. The government also slashed the Cus- primitive tribal group in the Andaman and Nicobar toms duty on crude oil and all other petroleum Islands who are threatened with extinction, before products by five percentage points. The excise duty drafting a policy on their future. The question on on diesel was reduced from Rs. 4.60 a litre to Rs. their future revolves around whether they should 2 a litre. As a result of the government decisions a continue to live in their pristine habitat, in splen- revenue loss of Rs Rs.49,000 crore was did isolation, or be allowed to mingle with the lo- entailed.The hike in the prices of the three com- cal population.NAC’s concern was raised follow- modities will lead to a revenue gain of Rs. 21000 ing a recommendation made by the Andaman and crore to the oil marketing companies (OMCs), that Nicobar Islands administration that as the Jarawas are currently suffering huge under-recoveries that have already begun mingling with the local popu- are being projected at Rs.170140 crore in 2011- lation, the policy of isolation should end. Earlier 12. The under-recoveries will now come down to in 2011, the NAC itself had sent an official to the Rs.1.20 lakh crore.The Trinamool Congress had island to check whether the Jarawas were being opposed any increase in the prices of petroleum adversely affected by the droves of tourists. There products, especially those of kerosene and have been fears of exploitation, including sexual LPG.However Pranab Mukherjee described the exploitation of the Jarawas.Sonia Gandhi headed increase in fuel prices as modest. Mukherjee ex- NAC wanted a full-fledged discussion on the is- pressed the hope that the State governments would sue regarding the future of Jarawas. Lieutenant reduce their taxes to provide relief to consumers. Governor of the Islands, Lt.Gen. (retd.) Bhopinder Singh, made a presentation on the Jarawa policy Grievance Redressal Portal for adopted by the government in 2004 and the cur- Insurance Policy Holders rent status of the threatened tribal group.

SK Sharma, Secretary, Department of Financial The Survey of India Report Services, Ministry of Finance launched an online Submitted grievance redressal portal for insurance policy holders in New Delhi. The portal would offer in- The Survey of India report was submitted to the tegrated grievance management system (IGMS). submitted to the Supreme Court on 30 April 2010. The government launched this portal with the ob- The report deals with the mining activities of the jective of putting in place a proper regulatory Andhra Pradesh- Karnataka border that involved

the Karnataka Cabinet ministers- the Reddy brothers. The report recommended the Andhra Pradesh government to redraw the leases of all their four mines and continue with the ban on their mining activities until the demarcation is complete. The report became a cause of concern for the Reddy brothers whose Obulapuram Mining Company has three mining leases and their partnership firm Anantapur Mining Corporation has one lease in Andhra Pradesh. The boundary pillars in the Reddy’s mines were reported missing. Reddys’ mines extended into Karnataka and overlapped with the mine of rival miner Bellary Iron Ores Pvt Ltd, belonging to S K Modi.

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INTERNATIONAL ISSUES

Germany to Shut its number. It agreed to adopt its tax code, agreeing Nuclear Plants to share information in cases involving tax which is not a crime under Swiss law.The new amend- Germany announced its decision to phase out its ments to Swiss banking secrecy laws are however all the nuclear plants by 2022. This decision, be challenged by a popular referendum within 100 prompted by Japan’s Fukushima nuclear disaster, days from its announcement. will make Germany the first major industrialized nation to go nuclear-free.People of Germany are French Nationals to Sue Sarkozy strongly opposed to nuclear power and took to over Crimes in Libya streets after Fukushima to urge the government to shut down all reactors as soon as possible.Germany Two French lawyers have said that they are plan- (Europe’s largest economy) is determined to re- ning to sue French President Nicolas Sarkozy place its nuclear power with renewable energy re- against the Humanity crimes over the military cam- sources. Energy from wind, solar and hydroelec- paign in Libya that was led by NATO. Jacques tric power at present produces about 17 percent of Verges and Roland Dumas two of the French law- the country’s electricity.The decision taken by the yers have decided to represent the families of the Germany suggests that there is no such compul- victims during the military campaign. It was said sion on an industrialised society to meet the en- that the military campaign that was initiated as a ergy needs of economic growth and rising living means to protect the civilians was in fact respon- standards. sible for their killings. The two lawyers said the military campaign as an inhuman assault against Amendments to the common man and a sovereign country, and that Swiss Banking Secrecy Laws they have decided to defend the victims of the military campaign. It was said that the two law- Swiss parliament gave approval to Switzerland’s yers have decided to defend the victims of the amendments to tax treaties with other countries, NATO bombings because they themselves saw the including India. This makes easier access for In- aftermath consequences of the bombings when dia, to collect information about the illegal funds they visited Libya. Though the western government held by the Indian nationals in Swiss private banks. has denied any civilian casualties caused during The Swiss parliament endorsed amendments to the NATO bombings, Verges and Dumas have said double-taxation agreements (DTAAs) in line with that they had seen several such casualties at vari- internationally applicable standards. The benefi- ous such hospitals and there are almost 20,000 such ciaries from the new amendments include India, victims. Germany, Canada, Japan, the Netherlands, Greece, Turkey, Uruguay, Kazakhstan, and Poland. These Constitution (15th Amendment) countries are secured with easy legal assistance and Bill, 2011 passed in Bangladesh information. This also allows the countries to identify an account holder from their own territories The Parliament of Bangladesh, the Jatiyo Sangsad, by providing an IBAN number or social security passed the Constitution (15th Amendment) Bill,

2011 on 30 June 2011 to amend its constitution tual trust, carry out mutually beneficial coopera- under which the caretaker government system for tion and address challenges through joint efforts. holding general elections was scrapped. The bill which contained 15 proposals was passed by divi- UN launched Drive sion vote with a majority of 291-1. However, for Sustainable Sanitation amendments moved by ruling alliance opposing Islam as the state religion and religion-based poli- The United Nations launched a drive, Sustainable tics were rejected. Islam has been retained as the sanitation: The Five-Year-Drive to 2015 to accel- state religion alongwith Bismillahi-Ar-Rahman- erate progress towards the goal of halving the Ar-Rahim.The Constitutional amendments incor- proportion of the population without access to ba- porate strict provisions against military takeovers. sic sanitation by 2015. The drive was established It treats military takeovers as treachery and a sub- by the General Assembly in a resolution adopted versive act. Parliament has been given power to in December 2010 that called on Member States hand down maximum penalty to those usurping to redouble efforts to close the sanitation gap, one state power.The caretaker system was introduced of the eight Millennium Development Goals in 1996 under the 13th amendment to the consti- (MDGs) that world leaders have pledged to achieve tution of Bangladesh. Since then, the general elec- by 2015.The UN had recognised access to sanita- tions were overseen by non-partisan caretaker gov- tion as a human right, a basic service required to ernments. live a normal life. However despite the recognition, some 2.6 billion people – or half the popula- 10th SCO Summit tion in the developing world still lack access to improved sanitation.Sanitation is an unpopular The six-nation Shanghai Cooperation Organisation subject though it is an extremely sensitive issue. (SCO) celebrated its 10th anniversary on 15 June The UN resolution of December 2010 had called 2011 in Astana, the capital city of Kazakhstan, by for an end to open defecation, the most dangerous summing up its achievements and outlining its sanitation practice for public health and one prac- future direction. The six-nation SCO member tised by over 1.1 billion people who have no ac- states are China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, cess to facilities Uzbekistan and Tajikistan. India, Pakistan and Iran are with Observer status in the SCO. Indian Ex- Pakistan gets Chinese ternal Affairs Minister, SM Krishna attended the Aid Against the US Raids summit. After the killing of the deadly terrorist Osama Bin SCO’s Joint Declaration: Laden, US have accused Pakistan Government for The joint declaration of the summit included (1) harbouring the deadly terrorist for many years. establishing an inseparable international security Now by doubling its military attacks on Pakistan community to guard information security, (2) the US wants to enter into the sphere that’s influ- fighting the three evil forces of terrorism, separat- enced by the Chinese Government. But in retalia- ism and extremism, and (3) combating drug traf- tion to the Obama Administration the Chinese gov- ficking. aims they desire in the region for Afghani- ernment has again lend a helping hand towards stan i.e. the Afghanistan becomes a geo-strategic Pakistan by providing air arsenal and even warned bridge as well as a terror-free zone. the US government that any sort of attack on Pa- kistan would considered as an inhuman and un- About SCO: friendly attack on the Chinese government too. The SCO was founded on 15 June 2001. » Chinese government has clearly said that any at- » The SCO was born of the need of sharing the tack on Pakistan will be considered as an attack member countries growing desire to enhance mu- against China which will not be tolerated. This is

the 1st such blunt ultimatum for the US govern- President of Yemen ment after the Soviet warning during the crisis in Left Country Berlin in the year 1958-1961. President of Yemen Ali Abdullah Saleh left for Yingluck Shinawatra to Saudi Arabia for medical treatment and thus ended Become the PM of Thailand his 33-year rule over the nation. On 3 June 2011 he was injured in a rocket attack by the rival Yingluck Shinawatra from the Pheu Thai (PT) group.It created a political vacuum and a hope for party, had a stunning victory aginst her opposition the pro-democracy movement to achieve its ob- party, Democrat Party in Thailand’s election . She jective. But at the same time it will fuel violence is all set to become Thailand’s first female Prime in the country because it is divided into armed Minister. Pheu Thai was backed by exiled former tribes and to unify them under one command won’t Premier of Thailand, Thaksin Shinawatra. be an easy task. Yingluck Shinawatra is Thaksin’s youngest sister. Yingluck Shinawatra was a run-of-the-mill busi- IAEA Called for nesswoman by profession.The election commis- Action on Nuclear Safety sion of Thailand announced on 4 July 2011 that Pheu Thai won an outright majority, taking 265 of The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) 500 seats in the Thai parliament. The ruling Demo- in a concluding session of an international minis- crat Party took just 159 seats, down from the 170 terial conference in Vienna on 24 June 2011 ex- which they occupied in the Abhisit Vejjajiva’s pressed urgency to take appropriate action on the rulling assembly of 480 seats. basis of lessons from the civil nuclear accident at the quake-and-tsunami-hit Fukushima Daiichi Arrest Warrant for Muammar plant in Japan.Amid rising global consensus, the Gaddafi authorities in Fukushima prefecture announced plans to distribute dosimeters to schoolchildren to The International Criminal Court issued an arrest continuously monitor their exposure to nuclear warrant for Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, his radiation at the grassroots and take follow-up ac- son Saif al-Islam and Libyan intelligence chief tion. Abdullah al-Senussi on charges of crimes against humanity. The warrant was issued for them for Parents however continued to express concern over orchestrating the killing, injuring, arrest and im- the public health hazard their children were ex- prisonment of hundreds of civilians during the first posed to since the March 11 accident.In the mean 12 days of unrest and for trying to cover up the while a Chinese research ship was detected within alleged crimes. It was felt that Gaddafi and com- the Japanese exclusive economic zone. In this re- pany needed to be arrested so as to prevent them gard, Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano covering up ongoing crimes and committing new mentioned that China should have first contacted crimes.Presiding judge Sanji Mmasenono Japan about any radiation concerns even if the ship Monageng declared that Saif al-Islam Gaddafi was was sent for collecting seawater samples in that accused of conceiving and orchestrating a plan to regard.IAEA promised widespread support for the deter and quell by all means the civilian demon- systematic review of the safety of all nuclear power strations. plants.The Ministers of the IAEA member-states also recognised the need for a global nuclear liability regime for appropriate compensation in the event of a nuclear accident.

US Decided to pull-out dual use items, marking a major development that Troops from Afghanistan is beneficial in the expansion of the nuclear energy sector. Previously India was removed from US President Barack Obama set in motion a sub- the list of countries subject to national export con- stantial withdrawal of American troops in an ac- trol restrictions. knowledgment of the shifting threat in the region and the political and economic challenges in a war- The new norms allow Germany to treat India just weary America. He announced that the United like any other EU countries. India had approached States had largely achieved its goals in Germany in 2010 to relax export control laws to Afghanistan. Obama announced plans to withdraw allow high technology trade with it. And in May 10000 troops from Afghanistan by the end of 2011. 2011 Germany modified its export control legisla- The remaining 20000 troops from the 2009 surge tion vis-à-vis India. Germany repealed their restric- would leave by 2012 summer, amounting to about tions for the export of goods for nuclear power a third of the 100000 troops in the country. The plants in the same announcement. pullout will continue at a steady pace until security is handed over to Afghan authorities in 2014. Approval of the The withdrawals would signal the end of the Constitutional Reforms Moroco military’s counterinsurgency strategy adopted 18 months ago. People of Morocco approved the constitutional reforms which is expected to bring democratic re- Syria's President forms in the country.According to an official esti- Recommended Reforms mate, 98 percent of voters on the day of referendum voted to approve the constitutional reforms, Syria's President Bashar al-Assad proposed hold- with a 72 percent of the 13 million registered voting of a national dialogue that will recommend ers casting their votes.King of Morocco, sweeping reforms aimed at transforming the po- Mohammed VI had announced his proposed re- litical landscape.It was declared that people from forms in June 2011 according to which his power all walks of life would participate in the national would be limited while strengthening the prime dialogue, organised around committees, and rec- minister’s office and the parliament.However, the ommendations would be made within 30 to 60 critics said the new constitution has not limited days.The Syrian President pledged his commitment the power of Mohammed because he can still to fundamental reforms, including the drafting of choose the Prime Minister from the party that won a new Constitution. The changes would cover the the elections and continue to oversee the Morocco’s political arena and would create greater media judiciary, security apparatus and religious matters. freedoms.While speaking on the on-going protests, Assad said the demonstrations comprised three The UN-HABITAT Report core sets of people: those who were peaceful and had legitimate demands, those who were vandals According to the UN-HABITAT report on the State and outlaws and radical and blasphemous intel- of the World Cities 2010/2011: Bridging the Ur- lectuals. ban Divide, Governments across the world worked collectively to lift 227 million people out of slum Germany Announced Easing of conditions, surpassing the Millennium Develop- Export Control Laws for India ment target by 2.2 times. India was applauded for bettering the lot of 59.7 million, therefore the proportion of people living in slum conditions came Germany announced easing of export control laws down from since 2000 from 41.5 per cent in 1990 for India. The new laws$allow India, accessing to 28.1 per cent in 2010 in India.

The World in 2050 Report

According the report, The World in 2050 by PricewaterhouseCoopers, India can be expected to be the fastest growing large economy in the world over the period to 2050. India’s share of global GDP, measured at market exchange will rise to around 13 per cent, from 2 per cent in 2009. India will overtake all G7 countries except the US, to become the world's third largest economy with a projected GDP of $31313 billion. China, currently the world's third largest economy is estimated to move to the No. 1 spot by 2040, with an estimated GDP of $51180 billion by 2050. PwC however warned that India will only achieve this performance if it maintains a prudent fiscal policy as well as continues to open up to foreign trade and investment, and further invest in transport and energy infrastructure, and education.India's growing young population will spur its growth while China's rapidly aging population will lead to its rate of gain. The Chinese economy will be 35 per cent larger than the US by 2050. Russia will also be adversely affected by its shrinking working age population, and will be the slowest of the E7 countries.The World in 2050 report provides a strikingly gloomy picture for the G7 nations of France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK, US and Canada. The combined economies of the so-called E-7 group of countries, comprising India, China, Brazil, Mexico, Russia, Indonesia and Turkey is expected to be 64 per cent larger than the G7 by 2050. Dependence on European and American export markets will pose a problem for the G7 nations.Among the countries likely to see the biggest falls is Australia, which could fall off the top 20 ranking. Also Britain’s ranking will dip from sixth to ninth position (measured by MER) will be accentuated by its over-dependence on the EU and US as trading partners.

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ECONOMY ISSUES

India-Malaysia CECA lar, Danish kroner, Euro, Norwegian kroner, Brit- ish pound sterling, Swiss franc, Swedish kroner The India-Malaysia Comprehensive Economic and Japanese yen.The Sri Lankan Monetary board Cooperation Agreement (CECA) will be effective reasoned that China was a leading player in inter- from 1 July 2011. India-Malaysia CECA is India’s national trade had economic connections with fourth bilateral Comprehensive Economic Coop- many countries. Recently, the Renminbi has eration Agreement, after Singapore, Japan and evolved as a globally acceptable currency. Besides, South Korea. The CECA envisages liberalization Sri Lanka too has an increasing volume of trade of trade in goods, trade in services, investments and investment transactions with China. and other areas of economic cooperation.Under India-Malaysia CECA, the items on which India Christine Lagarde has got market access from Malaysia include is Chief of IMF basmati rice, mangoes, eggs, trucks, motorcycles and cotton garments, which are all items of con- Christine Madeleine Odette Lagarde was the first siderable export interest to India. At the same time, woman ever to become minister of Economic Af- India has provided adequate protection for sensi- fairs of a G8 economy, and is the first woman to tive sectors such as agriculture, fisheries, textiles, ever head the IMF. She is a notable antitrust and chemicals, auto, etc.The India-Malaysia CECA labour lawyer.Lagarde first made history as the first also facilitates cross-border investments between female chair of the international law firm Baker & the two countries. The CECA creates favourable McKenzi. Her personal interest in European af- conditions for the business communities of both fairs led her to open the European Law Centre, an countries to increase bilateral trade and office of Baker & McKenzie in Brussels exclu- investment. Trade between India and Malaysia sively dedicated to the practice of European Union reached 10 billion US dollars in 2010-11, an in- law.On 16 November 2009, The Financial Times crease of 26 percent from the year 2009-10. ranked her the best minister of finance of the Eurozone. In 2009, Lagarde was ranked the 17th Chinese Currency most powerful woman in the world by Forbes Renminbi in Srilanka magazine. Lagarde became president of the global strategic committee in 2004. The Sri Lankan Central Bank Monetary Board on 27 June 2011 announced that Chinese Renminbi Golden Peacock Environment would be included in the list of designated curren- Management Award cies permitted for international transactions for 2011 to SAIL through banks in Sri Lanka. People can now trans- act in Renminbi (for cross-border transactions) Maharatna Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL) with banks authorized for such transactions. The received the prestigious Golden Peacock Environ- other currencies in the designated list are Cana- ment Management Award for the year 2011. The dian dollar, Australian dollar, New Zealand dol- award was presented to SAIL in recognition of it’s lar, US Dollar, Hong Kong Dollar, Singapore dol-

initiatives and achievements in the field of envi- LPG and kerosene prices announced by the Cen- ronment management. In the last four years the tre. Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit announced the company succeeded in reducing particulate emis- marginal reduction in diesel price in Delhi and the sions by 52%, specific water consumption by 11% subsidy on cooking gas for the poorest of the fami- and specific energy consumption by 5%, and in- lies in response to the finance minister’s plea.Delhi creased solid waste utilisation by 18%. SAIL in currently levies 12.5 per cent VAT on diesel in accordance with the National Environment Policy, comparison to neighbouring Haryana's 8.8 per built a management system at its different plants cent.Delhi Government would not levy any VAT and units for further environmental protection, in- on the increased price of diesel. So the price of cluding acquisition of certification under diesel, which stood at Rs.37.75 prior to the hike, ISO:14001. All major units of SAIL, covering both would only increase by Rs.3 to Rs.40.75. The 37 production and service departments, are ISO:14001 paise VAT which the Government had levied tak- accredited. In addition, the townships of Bhilai, ing the selling price to Rs.41.12 was cancelled. Rourkela and Salem Steel Plants have also been Therefore diesel would sell at Rs.40.75 per certified to ISO:14001.SAIL effectively adopted litre.The Chief Minister said the Cabinet has also waste minimisation strategies, including conser- decided to grant a substantial relief to BPL and vation at source, recovery and recycling, to man- AAY families in respect of LPG cylinders. The age the wastes associated with steel making. Ex- earlier price of LPG was Rs.345.35 per cylinder tensive afforestation programmes have been car- and after increase of Rs.50 the price of a LPG cyl- ried out by the company in all its plants and mines inder had gone up to Rs.395.35. The Delhi Gov- to develop sinks for absorbing air and noise ernment has decided to provide a subsidy of Rs.40 pollution.SAIL spent nearly Rs. 90 lakh on a on every 14.2 kg LPG cylinder. This would ben- programme for ecological restoration of degraded efit nearly 4.50 lakh BPL families and about 1 lakh eco-systems over a period of five years up to 2010. AAY families in Delhi. The Golden Peacock Awards, instituted by the In- stitute of Directors, New Delhi, are presented an- India’s Rating for nually under various categories.The winners of the Foreign & Local Currency Debt Golden Peacock Awards for 2011 were finalised Outlook upgraded by a jury headed by Justice P.N. Bhagwati, former Chief Justice of India and Member, UN Human International credit rating agency DBRS in June Rights Commission, and presented on the occa- 2011 upgraded India’s long term foreign and local sion of the 13th World Congress on Environment currency debt outlook from negative to stable. Management. India’s long term foreign and local currency debt outlook was upgraded in view of robust policy Delhi Cabinet Waived framework and ongoing reforms.The upgrade is VAT on Increased Price of Diesel mainly on account of the government’s stronger commitment on reducing fiscal deficit and possi- The Delhi Cabinet on 27 June 2011 decided to bility of a new Direct Tax Code that will contrib- waive VAT on the increased price of diesel to pro- ute in enhanced efficiency in tax.DBRS mentioned vide 37 paise per litre benefit to consumers. The that the Indian government was addressing the government also offered Rs.40 per cylinder sub- country’s infrastructure deficit by spending $514 sidy on cooking gas to 4.50 lakh families under billion, or 9 per cent of GDP, on infrastructure the Below Poverty Line and Antyodaya Anna between 2007-2012, and an additional $1 trillion Yojana (AAY) scheme.Union Finance Minister from 2013-2017, approximately one-half of which Pranab Mukherjee's had requested all the State may come from the private sector and public-pri- Governments to lower Value Added Tax on oil vate partnerships.The rating agency raised the out- products to reduce the impact of the hike in diesel, look for the first time since it started rating the

India in June 2007 though it has cautioned against the high debt ratios. FDI in May 2011 Inflows Jumped 111 per cent at $4.664 Billion RBI extended 10 % Ceiling of Bank Investment According to the Finance Ministry’s data released in Liquid Schemes of Mutual Funds on 4 July 2011, Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in India saw an unprecedented growth in May with The Reserve Bank of India on 5 July 2011 extended the inflows jumping nearly 111 per cent at $4.664 the 10 per cent ceiling of bank investment in liq- billion, the second highest FDI inflow in any month uid schemes of mutual funds to include short-term in the last 11 years. According to a statement re- debt funds. Bank investment in debt schemes of leased by the ministry of commerce, FDI in April- mutual funds with weighted average maturity of May 2010 had stood at $2.213 billion.During the portfolio of not more than one year, would be sub- first two months of the current fiscal 2011-12 the jected to the cap. foreign direct investments in the country stood a whopping increased of around 77 per cent as The RBI in its Monetary Policy Statement for 2011- against the inflow during the corresponding pe- 12 had directed banks to cap their investments in riod in 2010.Recent investments like $7 billion BP- the liquid schemes of mutual funds at 10 per cent Reliance tie-up are indicative of a positive trend. of their net worth.The central bank noted that with Vodafone's purchase of Essar's stake of around $5 a view to ensuring a smooth transition banks which billion is also an indicator of continuing investor have investments in these schemes of mutual funds confidence in India. The recent trend of dip in FDI in excess of the 10% limit, could comply with this inflows thus appears to have been reversed in the requirement at the earliest but not later than six current financial year. months from 5 July 2011.RBI’s decision to extend the ceiling was aimed at ensuring a smooth transi- The last fiscal witnessed a 25 per cent dip in FDI tion. Banks which already have investments in liq- inflows amid uneven global recovery from the re- uid schemes of mutual funds in excess of the 10 cession of 2008. A slew of measures were taken per cent limit, are allowed to comply with this re- by the government to arrest the fall and boost in- quirement at the earliest but not later than six vestor confidence started showing results. Also the months from the date of this circular. approvals given to Posco and to the Cairn-Vedanta acquisition are also likely to further increase FDI RBI pointed out in the money policy statement that in 2011.The ministry clarified foreign investment banks’ investments in liquid schemes of mutual rules in a move to ease the regulatory burden for funds grew manifold and that liquid schemes con- the government while at the same time simplified tinued to rely heavily on institutional investors such the procedures as well. as commercial banks whose redemption requirements are likely to be large and simultaneous. The As per the revised rules, only proposals involving RBI opined that money which was circularly mov- total FDI of more than Rs 1,200 crores would be ing between banks and the debt-oriented mutual required to be placed before Cabinet Committee funds (DoMFs) could potentially lead to systemic on Economic Affairs (CCEA) for approval.The risk. Banks normally put in their surplus funds in increase in FDI inflow in May 2011 represents an liquid schemes of mutual funds, which invest in increase of nearly 111 per cent over the FDI equity short-term debt schemes of duration of less than a inflows of $2.213 billion received in the same year. Such schemes give banks higher returns month in 2010. within a short period.

at its Gurgaon branch.A Citibank employee, Recommendation to Make Shivraj Puri, in December 2010 was accused of CEIB a Nodal Agency luring 40 high net-worth individuals and corporate entities to invest in bogus investment schemes, The committee set up to review the role and struc- promising returns beyond normal securities avail- ture of Central Economic Intelligence Bureau able in the market while diverting funds to wager- (CEIB) recommended that the CEIB maintain a ing in the stock market. Puri also duped the national database of economic offences investi- Munjals-controlled Hero group to invest close to gated by various agencies at the Centre and in 200 crore in the sham investment scheme that states. Maintenance of national database by CIEB promised a high rate of return.The central bank will ensure effective coordination among the vari- had issued a show cause notice to the bank on 21 ous enforcement and regulatory agencies. The four April 2011, with a possible penalty of 50 lakh, in member committee to study the role of CEIB was response to which the bank submitted a written set up in March 2011 by the Finance Ministry and reply dated 6 May 2011.After a personal hearing was headed by S. S. Khan, retired member, Cen- on 7 June 2011 with RBI, it was concluded that tral Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT).The Union violations were substantiated and warranted im- government opined that in the face of growing position of the penalty.The wealth management complexity and sophistication of economic of- business of banks has been under the regulatory fences better collaboration among various agen- scanner. cies is required for combating tax evasion and other serious economic offences.The panel also recom- RBI permitted Re-financing mended a hub and spoke structure between the of Foreign Currency CEIB and enforcement agencies at the central and Convertible Bonds state levels with the CEIB as the nodal agency for better collection and dissemination of financial The Reserve Bank of India on 4 July 2011 allowed intelligence. The agencies will be expected to share refinancing of redemption of foreign currency con- information with the CEIB, which, in turn, will vertible bonds (FCCBs) by allowing firms to raise collate and analyze the data and provide an over- fresh overseas borrowing under the automatic all picture to the government. The sharing of in- route. The measure is aimed at helping Indian com- formation will enable CEIB to provide back-end panies repay loans taken under bonds (FCCBs).The support, linkages and insights harnessing the power RBI permitted Indian companies to raise fresh ex- of databases and data analytics to the agencies. The ternal commercial borrowings (ECB)/FCCB as per committee also recommended a series of steps to the extant ECB guidelines under the automatic empower and modernise the CEIB and equip it route to refinance their outstanding FCCBs. The with IT enabled tools to effectively perform its role amount of fresh ECB/FCCB should not exceed the in the changing economic scenario. outstanding redemption value at maturity of the outstanding FCCBs. The central bank observed 25 Lakh Penalty on Citibank that companies could raise money through ECBs provided the stipulated average maturity period and The Reserve Bank of India on 4 July 2011 imposed applicable all-in-cost was as per the extant ECB a penalty of 25 lakh on Citibank for violation of guidelines. anti money laundering (AML) and know your customer norms. The violation of normsby Citibank ECB Guidelines: The fresh ECB/FCCB shall not had led to 400-crore fraud at one of its branches in be raised six months prior to the maturity date of Gurgaon. According to the central bank, the fail- the outstanding FCCBs. The RBI also mentioned ure in following the KYC/AML guidelines while in its notification that adding that the purpose for opening accounts led to the perpetration of a fraud raising the loans have to clearly mentioned while

obtaining the registration number from the bank. Machendranathan ECB/FCCB beyond $500 million for the purpose Committee Suggestions of redemption of the existing FCCB will be considered under the approval route. ECB/FCCB A high-powered committee of the steel ministry availed of for the purpose of refinancing the exist- headed by additional secretary S Machendranathan ing outstanding FCCB will be considered as part suggested that the state-run mineral giant NMDC of the limit of $500 million available under the should fix its iron ore prices on a quarterly basis automatic route as per the extant norms.The re- for its domestic buyers. NMDC should benchmark structuring of FCCBs that involve a change in the the price at which it exports to Japan and South existing conversion price would not be permissible. Korea.The committee’s suggestion is likely to trig- The central bank has asked banks to monitor the ger resentment among the steel producers, who end-use of funds. have been lately demanding re-alignment of NMDC’s prices either on cost-plus basis or leav- Buyback of Foreign Currency ing it to supply and demand forces.The committee Convertible Bonds Extended however rejected the demand on both counts. It opined that cost-plus methodology (on the basis The RBI decided had on 30 June 2011 extended of production cost along with some profit margins) the buyback of foreign currency convertible bonds used for commodities sold under the administered till March 2012. The earlier deadline was to ex- price mechanism, is not applicable to iron ore since pire on 30 June 2011. The RBI’s move is expected its distribution and pricing is free of government to benefit several companies facing severe fund- control.The committee found no merit in ore prices ing problems for buyback due to lacklustre equity being determined by the forces of supply and de- markets. FCCBs issued by them are trading at big mand. discounts, making buyback an expensive proposi- tion. It reasoned that with production levels touching 30 million tonnes, it could not depend on spot In its Financial Stability Report, the RBI estimated markets as it needs continuous and assured lifting that FCCBs worth Rs 31,500 crore would mature of its produce to sustain the extraction in March 2013 and a major chunk of these may levels.NMDC exported over 12 per cent of its out- not be converted into equity, the current stock put last year and will export fines (little over 62 prices of issuing companies being significantly per cent iron content) at over Rs 8,000 a tonne. It below their conversion prices.According to the had raised prices of iron-ore fines for domestic steel RBI, during the three financial years in 2005-06 companies by 35 per cent to Rs 2500 a tonne.The to 2007-08, Indian firms raised foreign capital high level committee recommended that the prices through FCCBs which were very popular at the settled by NMDC with its Japanese and South time. The conversion price on such bonds was 25- Korean buyers were the most reliable and trans- 150 per cent higher than the prevailing stock price parent benchmark for settling prices with its do- at the time of issuance and they carried zero or mestic consumers. It also suggested that NMDC very low coupons.FCCB proceeds were meant for be allowed to negotiate quarterly prices with its overseas acquisition (19 per cent) and import of domestic customers as it does with its overseas capital goods (16 per cent) as per returns filed by customers. In case of change of periodic prices both firms. groups of customers are to be treated on par. The panel endorsed the decision of NMDC Board on deducting export duty from export prices in order to bring prices in line with those prevailing in domestic markets.Reacting to a suggestion of steel makers, NMDC mentioned that deducting service

charges paid to Minerals and Metals Trading Cor- 2011.All BPL households would be given 7 kg per poration (MMTC), the canalising agency, from the person or 35 kg per family of government-held Freight On Board (FOB) realisation to calculate grains at a subsidised price of R1 a kg for millet, net sales realisation was untenable. wheat for R2 a kg and rice for R3 a kg.Those above the poverty line would get 3 kg of grains per per- Extention for Tax Incentive son, though the NAC had recommended 5 kg per Scheme for Exporters person. These would be available at half the price at which the government buys from farmers, also The government of India extended the tax incen- called minimum support price (MSP).The new bill tive scheme for exporters, Duty Entitlement Pass also provides for cash benefits to meet enhanced Book (DEPB), from 30 June 2011 to 30 Septem- food requirements of pregnant women, who would ber 2011. This was done to benefit the exports sec- get Rs 1000 for first six months of pregnancy, and tor. Under the 14-year-old DEPB scheme, the gov- lactating women, as well as children up to 14 ernment spends annually about 8,500 crore rupees years.The new requirements indicate that the for re-reimbursing exporters on the taxes paid on government’s expenses on distributing cheap import equivalent content of export grains is expected to rise from Rs 83000 crore to products.About 60 per cent of the funds under the Rs 1 lakh crore and it will have to procure 10 mil- DEPB goes to exporters in the chemical and engi- lion more tonnes of foodgrains. neering sectors. During April-May of the fiscal 2011-12, India's exports increased by 45.3 per cent Gopinath Committee to 49.8 billion US dollars in value terms. Suggestions

New Food Security Bill in line Committee on Small Savings headed by RBI with NAC’s Recommendation Deputy Governor Shyamala Gopinath on 7 June 2011 suggested raising interest rates on Post Of- The food ministry prepared a new food security fice savings bank deposits to 4 per cent. The com- bill, reworking an earlier version. In August 2010 mittee recommended linking returns on other small the UPA government had dismissed the previous savings schemes with interest rates on government draft of the Food Bill after it was found wanting securities. It went on to suggest that Kisan Vikas by the Congress leadership.The Sonia Gandhi-led Patra (KVP) be withdrawn and the annual National Advisory Council, which oversees the investme.nt limit for the popular Public Provident government’s welfare agenda, had made number Fund (PPF) be raised to Rs.1 lakh from Rs.70000 of recommendations, including keeping the at present.The committee recommended that in- country’s food distribution system open for all, terest rates for Post Office savings deposits be regardless of poverty status. PM Manmohan Singh raised to 4 per cent from 3.5 per cent at present, in had asked his Economic Advisory Council (EAC), line with the Reserve Bank's decision to hike rates led by C Rangarajan, to find out the financial im- on savings bank deposits.Under the new formula, plications of the NAC’s recommendations.Even suggested by the committee, small savings though the EAC had suggested restricting cheap schemes would provide better returns to investors. grains to priority households only, or those below Interest rate for one-year deposit scheme would the poverty line (BPL), the new bill provides for go up to 6.8 per cent from 6.25 per cent, while legal entitlement for both priority and general cat- returns for the PPF would improve to 8.2 per cent egories, which takes care of a key concern of the from 8 per cent.The committee mentioned with NAC. Under the new bill, entitlements for BPL regard to taxing returns on the small savings households are wholly in line with the NAC’s draft schemes that the issue should be considered by the food bill which was made public on 7 June government while firming up the Direct Taxes Code, which seeks to replace the Income-tax Act,

1961. Given that the small savings schemes are India can be attributed to lack of sufficient inter- agent-driven, the committee suggested that the faces between consumers and producers. commission on them should be gradually reduced from 4 per cent to 1 per cent. While recommend- Guidelines for ing a raise in the interest rate on savings deposits Public Financial Institutions by 50 basis points to 4 per cent, the panel notified that the Centre should introduce the system of cal- The Union government on 3 June 2011 amended culation of interest rate on a daily basis on post guidelines for Public Financial Institutions (PFIs) office schemes as is being done by banks. permitting private companies, primarily engaged in infrastructure funding, to attain the status of a Committee on Natural Resources PFI as well as seek tax and other benefits. Allocation called for Creation of National Coal Market Under the new guidelines for Public Financial In- stitutions notified by the Ministry of Corporate A committee on natural resources allocation on 6 Affairs, any company which has been in existence June 2011 called for the creation of a national coal for more than three years and earns more than 50 market to ensure greater transparency in the allo- per cent income from industrial and infrastructural cation of the dry fuel and reduce the demand-sup- financing can opt to be a PFI. ply mismatch.The committee pointed out the draw- backs of the existing allocation mechanism for the The following are the revised guidelines: dry fuel. The committee headed by former Finance » A company should be established under a spe- Secretary Ashok Chawla recommended establish- cial Act or the Companies Act; ing a national coal market by creating a platform » The company’s main business should be indus- for commercial trading of coal by suppliers and trial/ infrastructural financing; buyers. The committee suggested use of experi- » The company must be in existence for at least 3 ence gained through the e-auction platform to cre- years and their financial statement should show ate a common one for all buyers and suppliers, that their income from the area exceeds 50 per cent including the captive allotees that are permitted to of their income. sell.The committee highlighted that introduction » The companies should have a net-worth of Rs of both captive mining and e-auctions were right 1,000 crore and should be registered as a infra- steps taken in the direction of moving toward mar- structure finance company with the RBI or as a ket-based allocation, the committee.The commit- housing finance company. As per the earlier guide- tee is of the opinion that it should be mandatory lines, companies were needed to fulfil just two for all sales in coal by the permitted entities to be criteria for qualifying as a PFI: The company had registered with the platform and pay a standard to established or constituted by or under any Cen- fee, with details of price and mature of contract tral Act, or if the government held more than 51 and grade of coal transacted.The formation of a per cent of the paid-up share capital of such insti- platform like the national coal market will facili- tution. tate a gradual evolution of established prices and terms of contract. The platform would ensure lower The ministry highlighted while issuing new guide- prices of the fossil fuel, since competition from lines that in case of central public sector undertak- imported coal would always act as an overall ings, the restrictions would not apply with respect check.The operation of the platform, which would to financing specific sector(s) and net-worth.The be owned by Coal India and register all approved PFIs enjoy certain benefits under the Companies users, could be regulated by the proposed coal Act, Recovery of Debts due to Banks and FIs Act, regulator.According to the committee the current and the Income Tax Act, among others. The PFI mismatch between supply and demand of coal in status helps companies to raise funds by issuing

bonds to insurance companies, provident funds, production. Ambuja Cements is one of the major mutual funds and RNBCs. exporters of cement and clinker in India.Ambuja is also in the process of acquiring a further 5 per Google Launched its Mapping cent stake for Rs 1.13 crore. Service Street View in Bangalore Wipro Technologies Won Google launched its popular but controversial A Contract from mapping service Street View in Bangalore, India Chaucer Syndicates on 26 May 2011. The service will allow users to view pedestrian-level photos of streets and houses. Wipro Technologies won a contract from Chaucer Google has already started the process of captur- Syndicates, a specialist insurer at Lloyd's. As per ing images of Indian streets.Bearing a camera the contract, Wipro will deliver a data warehouse mounted on the top, a Google car and a specially and associated extract, transform and load (ETL) made tri cycle called Trike would drive through solution to ensure compliance to meet Lloyd's public places to capture street views for location management reporting requirements within identification. Google has however assured that Chaucer's Solvency Smart Programme for Sol- the service will not be a threat to people’s privacy vency II compliance. Wipro Technologies was en- or security. With the help of a special technology, gaged as a strategic partner for developing a tech- faces of people and number plates of cars will be nology platform to speed up the closure process blurred.Assuring that the service will not be a threat substantially and ensure compliance to Lloyd's 10- to people’s privacy or security, he said faces of day reporting framework. people and number plates of cars will be blurred through a special technology. The service will only HMV Saregama India capture streets and thoroughfares. Any private in- Bought 10% stake in formation accidentally caught by camera will be taken off.Street View would provide additional Timbre Media dimension to student’s learning of museums and other historical places. To prepare the Google Art RPG Group’s music label HMV Saregama India project as well Street View’s technology was used Ltd on 5 July 2011 announced that it bought 10 to provide 360 view of museums and art works. per cent stake in Timbre Media. Timbre Media is a company floated by former Worldspace Radio Ambuja Cements employees. The two firms announced their decision to launch a mobile radio channel. Saregama Acquired 85 per cent stake in had in the past partnered with Timbre Media to Nepal’s Dang Cement launch a variety of genre-based radio channels. Timbre and Saregama will together deliver mo- Ambuja Cements, a Holcim Group company de- bile, Internet and DTH services related to music. clared on 6 June 2011 that it acquired 85 per cent stake in Dang Cement Industries in Nepal for a consideration of Rs 19.13 crore. With this acquisition, Dang Cement became a subsidiary of Ambuja Cements.Besides cement manufacturing facilities, Dang Cement holds limestone mining lease in Nepal. Currently Dang is not carrying out any business activity. Nepal has an annual cement demand of about 3 million tonnes of which 85 per cent is met through imports. Cement manufactur- ers in Nepal import clinker from India for cement

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INDIA & THE WORLD

India and Uzbekistan » They stressed on the need for adoption of the Signed 34 Agreements Comprehensive Convention on International Ter- rorism. India and Uzbekistan signed a total of 34 agreements during the visit of Islam Abduganievich India Extended Duty-free Karimov(President of Uzbekistan) to India. Market Access to Afghanistan The major agreements between India and Uzbekistan are as following: India extended duty-free market access to Afghani- » Memorandum of Understanding between stan as part of its economic package for LDCs ONGC Videsh Limited and Uzbekneftegaz on Co- (Least Developed Countries). Under this scheme, operation in Hydrocarbon Sector. the import of most products from the neighbouring » Memorandum of Understanding for coopera- nation will be allowed at zero duty.India’s duty- tion in Oil and Gas sector between Uzbekneftegaz free tariff preference (DFTP) scheme was launched and ESSAR group. by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in 2008. The » Agreement of establishment of Joint Business scheme provides preferential duty access on prod- Council between the Federation of Indian Cham- ucts including 92.5 percent of global LDC ber of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) and the exports.The DFTP scheme allows duty-free access Chamber of Commerce and Industry of on 85 per cent of India’s total tariff lines. The Uzbekistan. scheme is to be executed over a period of five years. India and Uzbekistan also issued a joint statement It will be done through five equal tariff reductions on strategic partnership during this visit. The im- of 20 percent each on the current applied rates to portant features of the joint statement are as fol- decrease the duty rates to zero.Some of the prod- lowing: ucts of interest for LDCs which are covered in- » The strategic partnership between India and clude cotton, aluminium ore, cashewnut, cane Uzbekistan would include active cooperation in a sugar, readymade garments, fish fillets and non- wide spectrum of areas such as political, economic, industrial diamonds. counter-terrorism, education, health, human resource development, science and technology, tour- India and ADB ism and culture. Signed Agreement » India and Uzbekistan noted the importance of improving the financial infrastructure for promot- The Government of India and Asian Development ing trade and investment. Bank (ADB) signed a $132 million loan agreement » The two sides also welcomed the intialling of for strengthening Bihar’s power sector. The project the Protocol amending the bilateral Double Taxa- is expected to be completed by 31 December 2015. tion Avoidance Agreement . There is a provision for providing/transmitting » India and Uzbekistan agreed to continue their additional 472,579 megawatt-hours (MWh) to con- work in terms of looking for several options for sumers annually by the end of 2015 and reduce surface connectivity between India and Uzbekistan. system losses by 3% by 2016 in seven districts of Bihar.

Areas in which the loan to be used: » The major portion of the ADB loan ($130.3 million) planned to be used to finance infrastructure such as transmission lines. » The remaining ($1.9 million) is planned be used for strengthening the internal capacity of the Bihar State Electricity Board (BSEB). » The loan is also planned to be used to install new transmission lines and to renovate and modernize transmission and distribution facilities to improve the quality and reliability of the state's electricity supply network. » ADB assured to provide a technical assistance grant of $300,000 for training and other capacity development to improve project and financial management in BSEB. » ADB also assured to assist BSEB with project implementation and construction supervision, including training in the maintenance and operation of high-voltage distribution systems (HVDS).

India and Japan Signed Agreement

India and Japan signed an agreement for six development projects. As soft loan, Japan promised to provide 7361 crore rupees under this agreement. The agreement was meant to support India’s quest for energy and its efforts to improve infrastructure necessary for rapid growth in economy.

The six projects for which the loan will be used are: » Rural High Voltage Distribution System » Transmission System Modernisation » Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Energy Saving Project (Phase II) » New and Renewable Energy Development Project » Metro Rail Project in Bangalore » Forestry and Bio-Diversity Project (Phase II) in Rajasthan What is a Soft Loan? Soft Loan is a financing that offers flexible or lenient terms for repayment, usually at lower than market interest rates. Soft loan is provided customarily by government agencies and not by financial institutions. It is also called a concessional funding.

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SCIENCE & TECH

The Universe lished in the journal Science Express on July 7, May Bave Been Born Spinning 2011, shows the influenza subtypes neutralized with the new antibody include H3N2, strains of A new study found an excess of counter-clockwise which killed an estimated one million people in rotating or "left-handed" spiral galaxies like this Asia in the late 1960s."Together this antibody and one, compared to their right-handed counterparts. the one we reported in 2009 have the potential to This provides evidence that the universe does not protect people against most influenza viruses," said have mirror symmetry. Credit: NASA, Ian Wilson, who is the Hansen Professor of Struc- ESAPhysicists and astronomers have long believed tural Biology and a member of the Skaggs Insti- that the universe has mirror symmetry, like a bas- tute for Chemical Biology at Scripps Research, as ketball. But recent findings from the University of well as senior author of the new paper with Michigan suggest that the shape of the Big Bang Crucell's chief scientific officer Jaap Goudsmit. might be more complicated than previously thought, and that the early universe spun on an axis. Spermocomet To test for the assumed mirror symmetry, physics professor Michael Longo and a team of five un- Scientists from Northern Ireland’s Queen’s dergraduates catalogued the rotation direction of Univeristy Belfast developed a new test called tens of thousands of spiral galaxies photographed spermocomet for male infertility which will save in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey.The mirror image time, money and heartache for couples around the of a counter-clockwise rotating galaxy would have world.The Spermocomet provides unique informa- clockwise rotation. More of one type than the other tion that no other test offers. It can predict the suc- would be evidence for a breakdown of symmetry, cess of infertility treatments by measuring dam- or, in physics speak, a parity violation on cosmic aged DNA in individual sperm. This will result scales, Longo said. into reduced waiting times and improved chances of conception.The Sperm Comet test is so called Discovery of Natural Antibody because it appears like a comet in the sky. Brings a Universal Our Milky Way Flu Vaccine a Step Closer in Midst of Life Crisis Annually changing flu vaccines with their hit-and- miss effectiveness may soon give way to a single, Planetary scientist say that our Milky way is in its near-universal flu vaccine, according to a new re- mid life crisis as a result of which it will slow down port from scientists at The Scripps Research Insti- its process of production of stars in the next bil- tute and the Dutch biopharmaceutical company lion years. As per the aeronautics the galaxies are Crucell. They describe an antibody that, in animal classified under two categories namely- energetic tests, can prevent or cure infections with a broad blue galaxies and the lethargic red galaxies. The variety of influenza viruses, including seasonal and blue galaxies produce stars at a massive rate while potentially pandemic strains. The finding, pub- the other one are slowly dying. But a team of scientist from the Swinburne University of Technol-

ogy says that our Milky Way falls into neither of reservoir of millions of rocky bodies between the the two categories. It is in fact a green valley gal- orbits of Mars and Jupiter. Astronomers estimate axy that lays half way between the blue galaxy and that modest-sized asteroids in the main belt smash the red galaxy. This is the first time ever that sci- into each other about once a year. Catching aster- entists have compared both the galaxies with our oids in the act of colliding, however, is difficult Milky Way as the Astrophysical Journal reported. because large impacts are rare while small ones, Though we are in our own galaxy and to deter- such as the one that produced P/2010 A2, are ex- mine its state was a tough job to accomplish was ceedingly faint. The Lincoln Near-Earth Research reported by the Astrophysical Journal. (LINEAR) Program Sky Survey first spotted the object’s comet-like tail in January 2010, and in- Indian communication deed some astronomers thought it might be a Satellite GSAT-8 comet. But only Hubble discerned the X pattern, Successfully launched offering unequivocal evidence that something stranger than a comet outgassing had occurred. India’s communication satellite GSAT-8 was launched successfully. The satellite was launched Drug Shield for Bacteria by Arianespace from Kourou in French Guiana. The satellite was launched to enable powerful ser- A new technique which targets antibiotic-resistant vices direct to our home. The satellite weighs bacteria and shields patients from the toxic parts 3100kg and is one the heaviest and high powered of an antibiotic drug has been developed by Cardiff satellite developed by the Indian Scientist at the University scientists. Dr Elaine Ferguson from Bangalore- headquarters ISRO. Cardiff University's School of Dentistry has utilised a new technique which attaches tiny nano- Hubble Observes sized biodegradable polymers to the antibiotic drug - colistin. Use of the drug colistin to fight infec- Aftermath of Possible tion has been limited as it is known to be toxic to Asteroid Collision the kidneys and nerves despite the fact that it has been found to be effective against new multi-drug Astronomers using NASA's Hubble Space Tele- resistant bacteria, like NDM-1. Cardiff University scope have captured rare images of a suspected scientists believe the new technique will help un- asteroid collision. The snapshots show a bizarre der-used antibiotic drugs like colistin to be used X-shaped object at the head of a comet-like trail to fight against the spread of life-threatening bac- of material. Their findings will be published in the terial infections. Oct. 14th issue of Nature. In January 2010, astronomers began using Hubble to track the object, named "The technology we've developed came as a di- "P/2010 A2," for five months. At first they thought rect response to an urgent medical need for better they had witnessed a fresh asteroid collision, but antibiotics to safely treat patients with life threat- were surprised to learn the collision occurred in ening infections. Very few new antimicrobial drugs early 2009. "We expected the debris field to ex- have emerged despite intensive research, with only pand dramatically, like shrapnel flying from a hand two new classes of antibiotics developed in the grenade," says astronomer David Jewitt of the last 30 years," according to Dr Ferguson who University of California in Los Angeles, who is a worked alongside Cardiff University's Professor leader of the Hubble observations. "But what hap- David Thomas and Professor Timothy Walsh to pened was quite the opposite. We found that the develop the technique. "Our new approach allows object is expanding very, very slowly." This sug- existing effective therapies to be improved to help gested an older collision than the team had antici- patients with severe infections who may otherwise pated. P/2010 A2 is located in the asteroid belt, a suffer significant side effects after treatment. "The

polymer shields the drug molecule making it less tsunami.The K Computer is packed with comput- toxic to the body while, at sites of infection, there ing muscle. It stitches together 68,544 processors, is an enzyme present which removes the polymer- each equipped with eight cores for a total 548,352 specifically activating the drug where it is needed" electronic brains. At full capacity, it aims to have she added. 640000 electronic brains. The machine will be equipped with enough horsepower to slash the time Best-Performing required to run a simulation of a beating human Machine of the World heart reacting to new medicine to two days from two years. A Japanese supercomputer, K Computer built by Fujitsu Co. grabbed the title of world's best-per- There are five U.S. supercomputers in the top 10 forming machine thereby returning Japan to the ranking, including the third-ranked system called top of the computer arms race for the first time in Jaguar at Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Oak seven years. Installed at Japan's Institute of Physi- Ridge, Tenn. The rest of the top 10 include two cal and Chemical Research, K Computer is also machines from China, two from Japan and one known as Riken. Japan last held the top spot in from France.The Top500 list is compiled by re- 2004, with NEC Corp.'s Earth Simulator.The Japa- searchers at the University of Mannheim in Ger- nese government-funded K Computer performs many, the University of Tennessee and the National more than eight quadrillion (8,000 trillion) calcula- Energy Research Scientific Computing Center, tions per second. K Computer is a play on the Japa- which is affiliated with Lawrence Berkeley Na- nese word kei for the number 10 quadrillion, which tional Laboratory in California. will be the number of calculations the machine is targeted to handle once it is completed in 2012.The Anti Mosquito Gas Japanese machine is a major step up from existing supercomputers. It is more powerful than the next US scientists from the University of California on five fastest computer systems combined. Accord- 1 June 2011 developed a gas that can get rid of ing to the Top500, a compilation of the 500 most mosquitoes. The Scientists created three classes powerful computer systems in the world, deter- of odour molecules that swamp the mosquitoes’ mined by a group of academic and government senses and as a result it becomes impossible for researchers, Riken can perform three times as many the mosquitoes to sniff out human blood. The calculations per second as the No. 2 chemicals used by scientists bamboozled the tiny supercomputer, designed by China's National Uni- censors helping the mosquitoes to trace CO2 (Car- versity of Defense Technology. The Japanese gov- bon Di-oxide) in the air.This discovery will help ernment invested more than 100 billion yen ($1.25 in providing protection against mosquito-borne billion) in the K Computer project and aims to disease like dengue, yellow fevers and malaria. position Japan among the leaders for supercomputers, which can be used to tackle com- Cure for Glaucoma plex problems related to climate change and weather patterns. The project also aims to increase French Scientists developed a two-minute cure for the competitiveness of Japan Inc. by providing a glaucoma that uses intensely focused beams of powerful computational tool to develop break- ultrasound. This technique enabled scientists to throughs in drugs, materials and new heat up and kill cells in the tiny gland that pro- technologies.Riken can also be used to bolster the duces an eye liquid called aqueous humour and push for renewable energy by discovering the most stop it secreting so much.The new technique could efficient materials to convert the sun's rays to elec- benefit thousands of people who suffer from the tricity, or protect people from natural disasters by eye disorder. Glaucoma is caused by a build-up of predicting the impact from earthquakes and pressure in the eye which can damage the optic

nerve and result into loss of vision and even blind- thick hair covers the face and upper body. Based ness. Those who suffer from serious glaucoma on this finding, Scientists could use drugs to trig- undergo surgery to unblock thin tubes which drain ger a similar gene mutation in people to cause hair away aqueous humour. grow on bald patches.It should be noted that Werewolf syndrome is very rare, in the past 300 First Ever Drug years only 50 cases were recorded. Thick hair simi- to Treat Celtic Gene lar to wolf grows on upper part of the body and face of a human being under this syndrome. A research team led by Queen's University developed the first ever drug to treat Celtic gene in pa- Hereditary Disease Idiopathic tients suffering from cystic fibrosis (CF). Those Infantile Hypercalcemia patients suffering from cystic fibrosis who took the drug showed significant improvement in the A breakthrough in genetic research uncovered the lung function, quality of life and a reduction in defect behind a rare hereditary children's disease disease flare-ups.The drug (VX-770) is a signifi- that inhibits the body's ability to break down vita- cant breakthrough not only for those with the Celtic min D. This discovery led researchers to develop Gene, known as G551D, but also for all other Cys- the first genetic and biochemical tests that posi- tic Fibrosis sufferers because it indicates that the tively identify the disease. Until the discovery there basic defect in Cystic Fibrosis can be treated. This was no way of confirming the diagnosis.The he- is the first drug aimed at the basic defect in Cystic reditary children's disease, Idiopathic Infantile Fibrosis to show an effect.Though it may or may Hypercalcemia (IIH) is among the top ten most not improve the life expectancy, the improvements common inherited diseases. The body's inability in the breathing tests and the reduction in flare- to break down vitamin D results in an excess of ups suggested the survival will be better.This is calcium in the blood. Children with IIH suffer from the first drug to show that treating the underlying calcifications and tissue hardening throughout the cause of Cystic Fibrosis may have profound ef- body, as well as calcification of the kidneys and fects on the disease, even among people who have renal failure.According to estimates by research- been living with it for decades. The remarkable ers one in every 47000 people around 600 Cana- reductions in sweat chloride observed in this study dians and 6000 Americans may suffer from support the idea that VX-770 improves protein IIH.Developing a positive diagnostic test for IIH function thereby addressing the fundamental de- is being deemed as a first major step in understand- fect that leads to CF.VX-770 will open the defec- ing the disease.This research was conducted in tive channel in the lung cells of people with Cys- collaboration with pediatricians Martin Konrad and tic Fibrosis and allow proper lung clearance of Karl-Peter Schlingmann from the University bacteria. This is a ground breaking treatment be- Children's Hospital in Munster, Germany, and cause it treats the basic defect caused by the gene funded in part by the Canadian Institutes of Health mutation in patients. Research. The findings were published on 15 June in the New England Journal of Medicine. Werewolf Gene Discovered Laser Light Created with Living Biological Material The Scientists on 5 June 2011 discovered a werewolf gene which causes hair to grow all over For the first time laser light was created by scien- the body. The discovery could provide a remedy tists, using living biological material; a single hu- for baldness. According to the Scientists, a genetic man cell and some jellyfish protein. Seok-Hyun fault is behind a rare condition called hyper-tri- Yun, an optical physicist at Harvard Medical chosis also known as werewolf syndrome, where School and Massachusetts General Hospital in

Boston created the living laser with his colleague Scientists Set New Malte Gather. This was the first time that biologi- Data Speed Record cal materials were used to build a laser and generate light from something living. A team of scientists on 23 May 2011 set a new data speed record transmitting 26 terabits equiva- The Criteria for Building a Laser: lent of 700 DVDs- per second using a single laser. Building a laser requires two things; (1) a lasing According to this team, the discovery will help to material that amplifies light from an external fulfill the world’s burgeoning high-capacity band- source (a gain medium) and (2) an arrangement of width needs of cloud computing and 3D-high defi- mirrors (an optical cavity), which concentrates and nition TV. It will also provide an environment aligns the light waves into a tight beam. friendly method of transmitting data over long distances.The scientists used a single laser to gen- Before the creation of living laser, the gain me- erate 325 optical frequencies within a narrow spec- dium has only been made from non-biological sub- tral band of laser wavelengths and transmitted the stances such as doped crystals, semiconductors or data over 50 kilometres of single mode fibre.Earlier gases. But in living laser, the researchers used en- in 2011, Scientists from Japan set a world record hanced green fluorescent protein (GFP). Green sending 109 terabits per second using multiple la- fluorescent protein (GFP) makes jellyfish biolu- sers. However, the date rate of 26 terabits per sec- minescent, which is used extensively in cell biol- ond achieved by the UK, Swiss and German sci- ogy to label cells. entists is the largest line rate ever recorded using a single light source. Seok-Hyun Yun and his team engineered human embryonic kidney cells to produce GFP, then WASP-17b placed a single cell between two mirrors to make an optical cavity just 20 micrometres across. When Moves Opposite they fed the cell pulses of blue light, it emitted a directional laser beam visible with the naked eye A team of astronomers from the Australian Na- and the cell wasn't harmed. tional University (ANU) on 6 June 2011 discovered that a planet named WASP-17b moves in the The width of the laser beam is tiny and fairly weak. opposite direction to the spin of the star around It is brighter than natural jellyfish fluorescence, which it orbits. In fact, planets move around their with a beautiful green colour. stars in the same direction as the star spins.This discovery questions the planetary theories which How the technology can be used: are based on assumptions that any planet orbiting » Biologists could turn cells of interest into lasers a star would be moving in the same direction in which the star spins. This theory is applicable even to study them. to our own solar system. » The light produced has a unique emission spectrum related to both the structure of the cell and the proteins inside it. By analysing the pattern one Cure for Prostrate can get some idea of what is happening inside the Tumours Found cell. » Doctors shine lasers into the body to gather im- International scientists claimed on 24 May 2011 ages or to treat disease by attacking cells. Lasers that they have found evidence that a medicinal could instead be generated or amplified inside the mushroom used in Asia can completely suppress body, where they could penetrate the relevant tis- prostate tumours by targeting cancer stem cells. A sues more deeply. team led by the Queensland University of Tech- nology found that the turkey tail mushroom was

100 per cent effective in suppressing prostate tu- electricity.Within five years the new discovery mour development in laboratory mice during early could be incorporated into roof shingle products, trials. The compound, poly-saccharo-peptide, or be custom-made to power vehicles. which is extracted from the turkey tail mushroom, was found to target prostate cancer stem cells and Juno Mission: Gas Giant suppress tumour formation in mice.The results Spacecraft All Gassed Up could be an important step towards fighting the disease. The findings are quite significant and The Juno spacecraft completed hydrazine fuel there were no side effects during the trial. loading, oxidizer loading and final tank pressur- izations this week, and now the complete propul- Exemestane sion system is ready for the trip to Jupiter. The spacecraft is currently at the Astrotech processing The health-researchers found that a drug named facility in Titusville, Fla.Hydrazine is the fuel of exemestane not only prevents breast cancer but also choice for most spacecraft because of its stored has no side effects. Exemestane is also known by energy. When the fuel is mixed with the oxidizer, the brand name Aromasin belongs to a class of the liquid ignites in the propulsion system's main compounds known as aromatase inhibitors. engine to perform the spacecraft's four large ma- Exemestane is considered better than tamoxifen neuvers. One of these maneuvers includes insert- in preventing recurrence of cancer after a breast ing the spacecraft into orbit around Jupiter in tumour is removed.The health researchers con- 2016.With the fueling completion, the spacecraft cluded these facts after a trial which involved 4560 is 99 percent ready for launch. Once the final ther- postmenopausal women in the Canada, France, mal blanket closeouts and wet spin tests are com- USA and Spain. plete, the spacecraft will be 100 percent ready for installation onto the Atlas 551 launch 17 Lost Pyramids Found vehicle.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasa- dena, Calif., manages the Juno mission for the prin- A new satellite survey of Egypt identified seven- cipal investigator, Scott Bolton, of Southwest Re- teen lost pyramids and more than a thousand search Institute in San Antonio. The Juno mission unexcavated tombs. The research was carried out is part of the New Frontiers Program managed at at a US laboratory sponsored by NASA using high NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Hunts- power infra-red images which can identify differ- ville, Ala. Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Den- ent material underground. Preliminary excavations ver, built the spacecraft. Launch management for have already confirmed some of the findings in- the mission is the responsibility of NASA's Launch cluding the existence of two of the burried pyra- Services Program at the Kennedy Space Center in mids, identified from space. Florida. JPL is a division of the California Insti- tute of Technology in Pasadena. Flexible Solar Sheet Developed Herschel Helps Solve Mystery of Cosmic Dust Origins An engineer from the University of Missouri developed a flexible solar sheet that captures more New observations from the infrared Herschel than 90 percent of available light. Today’s solar Space Observatory reveal that an exploding star planes only collect about 20 percent of available expelled the equivalent of between 160,000 and light. This new device was developed by using a 230,000 Earth masses of fresh dust. This enormous thin mouldable ssheet of small antennas called quantity suggests that exploding stars, called su- nantenna. It could harvest the heat from industrial pernovae, are the answer to the long-standing processes and convert it into usable puzzle of what supplied our early universe with

dust."This discovery illustrates the power of tackling a problem in astronomy with different wavelengths of light," said Paul Goldsmith, the NASA Herschel project scientist at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., who is not a part of the current study. "Herschel's eye for longer-wave- length infrared light has given us new tools for addressing a profound cosmic mystery."Herschel is led by the European Space Agency with important contributions from NASA.Cosmic dust is made of various elements, such as carbon, oxygen, iron and other atoms heavier than hydrogen and helium. It is the stuff of which planets and people are made, and it is essential for star formation.

Stars like our sun churn out flecks of dust as they age, spawning new generations of stars and their orbiting planets.Astronomers have for decades wondered how dust was made in our early universe. Back then, sun-like stars had not been around long enough to produce the enormous amounts of dust observed in distant, early galaxies. Supernovae, on the other hand, are the explosions of massive stars that do not live long.The new Herschel observations are the best evidence yet that supernovae are, in fact, the dust-making machines of the early cosmos.

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SPORTS

Cricket losing to Chinese World No. 3 Wang Yihan in the final on 26 June 2011.Fourth seed Saina, who won Master blaster the leading cricketer of Wisden 2010 the title in 2009 and 2010, faltered and suffered a The master blaster became the 7th recipient of the 21-12, 21-23, 14-21 loss to her equally error-prone Wisden award joining the league of other recipi- rival. The contest lasted a little over an hour as a ent like Ricky Ponting, Shane Warne, Muttiah result of Wang's numerous errors of judgments and Muralitharan, Jacques Kallis, and Andrew W misplaced shots.2011 thus continues to be unim- Flintoff etc. Wisden regarded as the Bible of cricket pressive year for Saina who had won three titles named India’s Master blaster Sachin Tendulkar as — Indian Open Grand Prix Gold, Singapore Su- its seventh recipient. Sachin if the 2nd Indian crick- per Series and Indonesian Super Series in June eter after Virender Sehwag who’s also among the 2010, before winning the Commonwealth Games wisden awardees’ league. In February itself sachin gold medal and the Hong Kong Super Series. Till became the 1st world cricketer to score a double date in the current year 2011, Saina has just one 100 in one dayers and before this he became the title, Swiss Open Grand Prix Gold to her 1st cricketer to score 50 test tons. The 148th wisden name.World No. 1 Lee Chong Wei thrashed Dan- edition was launched on Wednesday and this is ish veteran Peter Gade to win the Indonesian Open the 1st time that master blaster has won this award for a third time in the men’s category. The 28-year- since it began in the year 2004. Also sachin was old Malaysian defeated the fifth-seeded Gade 21- even positioned at number 4 rank in the Wisden’s 11, 21-7. 2009 Test XI. Asia Under-19 Championship IPL-4 (2011) : Chennai Super Kings beat Royal Challengers Bangalore by 58 runs to become DLF China retained the title by defeating Malaysia 3-1 Indian Premiere League champions for the second in the mixed team event final of the Badminton time in a row at the MA Chidambaram stadium in Asia youth under-19 championship at the U.P. Chennai. Bangalore could make only 147 runs in Badminton Academy courts, Gomti Nagar on 5 reply of Chennai's huge total of 205 runs. Earlier a July 2011. Malaysian shuttlers who gave their best record 159-runpartnership between openers Murali to stop the Chinese had to be satisfied with the Vijay (95, 52b, 6 x 6, 4 x 4) and Michael Hussey silver medal. The extraordinary exhibition of (63, 54b, 3 x 6, 3 x 4) powered the Chennai Super power, skill and temperament provided immense Kings to 205 for five in 20 overs against the Royal entertainment for the crowd. China, which made Challengers Bangalore one change in its team by fielding Huang Yuxiang in place of the battle-scarred Kai Guo in boys' Badminton singles surged ahead by winning the first two matches.However, the Malaysian pair of Nelson Indonesian Open super series: Defending cham- Wei Keat Heg and Ee Yi Teo rallied to beat Chen pion Saina Nehwal failed to complete the hat-trick Zhuofu and Pei Tiyani 13-21, 21-12, 30-29 in a of titles at the Indonesian Open Super Series after thrilling boys' doubles clash lasting 62 minutes.Sonia Cheah of India gave a spirited per-

formance in the girls' singles but could not go past 5-2 behind but reeled off five games in a row, in- her Chinese competitor Sun Yu and lost 21-18, 17- cluding saving a set point.Federer, who won the 21, 14-21. Tak Ching Chang (Hkg) defeated last of his 16 Grand Slam titles at the 2010 Austra- Sadredin Sadeghi 21-6, 21-12 in the men’s single lian Open, started with a confident service game event. on a humid day on court Philippe Chatrier.

Tennis Women: China’s long wait for a Grand Slam champion ended June 04, when Li Na beat Wimbledon 2011 Francesca Schiavone 6—4, 7—6 (0) in the French Open final.The Australian Open runner—up fell Men: Serbia's Novak Djokovic won his first flat on her back in the red clay after Schiavone hit Wimbledon title and proved himself the best player a backhand long on match point. in the world with a stunning win over Rafael Nadal.Djokovic came through 6-4 6-1 1-6 6-3 to ATP Rankings: The ATP rankings released on 4 end Nadal's reign as Wimbledon champion, before July 2011 conferred the World No.1 position overtaking the Spaniard as world number one on Novak Djokovic of Serbia who defeated Nadal in Monday.It was his 50th win in 51 matches and his the Wimbledon final. His rise to the World No. 1 fifth win over Nadal this year.He becomes the first position was confirmed after he defeated Jo- Serbian man to win Wimbledon, his third Grand Wilfred Tsonga in the Wimbledon semi-final. His Slam title after two Australian Open victories. rise to the No 1 position ended Nadal's 56-week reign at the World No 1 position since he took over Women: Petra Kvitova won her first Grand Slam from Roger Federer on 7 June 2010.No one other title June 02 by beating Maria Sharapova 6-3, 6-4 than Rafael Nadal or Roger Federer had been in the Wimbledon final.Kvitova was playing in her ranked number one since Andy Roddick in the first major final, but it was three-time Grand Slam week of 26 January 2004. champion Sharapova that showed her nerves. The 21-year-old Kvitova is the first left-handed woman Denmark's Caroline Wozniacki remained on top to win the Wimbledon title since Martina of the women's singles rankings, in spite of her Navratilova in 1990. failure once again to land a Grand Slam title.The semifinal appearance in the women's doubles event Double: American twins Bob and Mike Bryan won at Wimbledon catapulted Sania Mirza and Vesnina a record-tying 11th Grand Slam men’s doubles title to number two slot in women’s doubles category together on July 02, beating Robert Lindstedt of in the WTA Race to the year-end Championships Sweden and Horia Tecau of Romania 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 with 4506 points. (2) in the Wimbledon final.The Bryan brothers won at Wimbledon for the second time and matched ATP Tour Top 5 List is as follows: Novak Mark Woodforde and Todd Woodbridge’s Open Djokovic (13285), Rafael Nadal (11270), Roger era record of 11 major titles. Federer (9230), Andy Murray (6855), Robin Soderling (4325) French Open Men: Rafael Nadal of Spain won a record-equal- WTA Tour Top 5 List is as follows: Caroline ling sixth French Open title when he beat Roger Wozniacki (9915 pts), Kim Clijsters (7625), Vera Federer of Switzerland 7-5, 7-6(3), 5-7, 6-1 at the Zvonareva 6695), Victoria Azarenka (6465), Maria Rolland Garros on Sunday. With this win he Sharapova (6141) equalled Bjorn Borg's record of six wins at the French Open.Reigning champion Nadal was Eastbourne International: Italian Andreas Seppi outplayed for seven games in the first set as he fell won the first ATP title of his career on 18 June

2011 when Serbian opponent Janko Tipsarevic Hockey retired hurt in a rain-interrupted Eastbourne Inter- national final.Seppi won 7-6 3-6 5-3 after two Michael Nobbs appointed chief hockey coach hours 35 minutes when the third seed retired after Mohd. Riaz, Clarence Lobo and Jugraj Singh to injuring his leg following a tumble on the greasy assist himHe loves Indian hockey, its flair and flu- surface. Officials halted play for around 20 min- ency. It is quite close to what he had practised and utes with Seppi leading 4-0 in the final set before later preached in Australian hockey. The result was the match resumed in an almost deserted Michael Nobbs landing up the job of India's chief stadium.Tipsarevic fought back to 4-3 before play hockey coach here on June 29. His credentials were was halted for another 10 minutes when he was found superior to the other two candidates, both strapped up after being wrong-footed by a return Dutch, Roelant Oltmans and Jacques at the baseline, splaying his legs as he fell to the Brinkman.The 57-year-old Australian's name was ground. finalised after a series of interactions with officials from Hockey India (HI) and the Sports Authority Chess of India (SAI). A formal approval from the Union Sports Ministry is awaited. AAI International Grandmasters Chess Tour- nament: Italian top seed Fabiano Caruana defeated Senior National Filipino Wesley to emerge winner of the AAI In- Hockey Championship ternational Grandmasters chess tournament on 2 July 2011. With his seven points bagged from the Haryana annexed Senior National Hockey Cham- tournament, Caruana was richer by $8,000. The pionship title by defeating Karnataka, at the 30-move draw against Wesley raised Caruana's Aishbagh Stadium in Bhopal on 19 June 2011. tally to seven points. Caruana performed at a rat- Haryana defeated Karnataka by 2-1 in the final ing of 2800, way above his starting rating of 2714. match of the Senior National Hockey Champion- ship. Olympian Sandeep Singh and Mandeep Antil For the first time in 10 rounds, all three games scored on either side of the break that finally led ended as draws that, in turn, maintained the over- to the victory.Karnataka defender S.K. Uthappa night positions of the six competing defeated Sandeep to emerge as tournament's top Grandmasters.Sasikiran, following his 49-move scorer with 12 goals. Sandeep finished with 11. draw against Hou Yifan, finished runner-up and was richer by $6000. Laznicka whose performance-level touched 2694 against his own rating F1 European Grand Prix of 2681 was placed third. Parimarjan Negi, who played to his fifth seeding after drawing with Red Bull's Formula One World champion Laznicka in 42 moves of Carokann was placed fifth Sebastian Vettel of Germany on 26 June 2011 won while Wesley stood fourth. the European Grand Prix into a stroll in the Span- ish sunshine on Sunday as he racked up his sixth Asian Junior Title in Chess: Shyam Sundar of victory in eight races this season. He finished 10.8 Chennai retained his Asian junior title, in the Asian seconds ahead of Ferrari's Fernando Alonso.After Chess championship which concluded in Sri Lanka the win Vettel is 77 points clear of McLaren's on 8 June 2011. He scored 7.5 points out of 9 Jenson Button and his own Australian teammate rounds in the championship.IM Srinath won the Mark Webber, who finished a solitary third and silver medal. In the girl’s section R Bharathi and J 27.2 seconds down the road in the Saranya won the silver and bronze medals by scor- championship.The German's 16th career triumph ing 7 points each. put him level with British great Stirling Moss in the all-time winners' list. Vettel can be sure of leading the championship to the end of August even

without scoring another point.Fernando Alonso Annu Singh the Indian (Ferrari), Mark Webber (Red Bull – Renault), Shooter to book Lewis Hamilton (McLaren), Felipe Massa (Ferrari) Berth for London’s Olympic followed him from the second to the fifth position respectively. Annu Raj Singh became the 5th Indian shooter to book her berth for the London’s Olympic to be 111th U.S. Open held next year. She qualified for the Olympic seat Golf Championship after winning a silver medal at the ongoing ISSF World Cup in Fort Benning for the 10m Air Pistol. Northern Ireland prodigy Rory McIlroy captured Singh who never won the world cup earlier quali- his first Major golf title with his victory in the 111th fied for the finals with a maximum of 389 points U.S. Open on 19 June 2011.The 22-year-old fired win. After this Singh is ranked at number 33 in the a two-under par 69 to finish 72 holes at Congres- world. She is the next Indian to join the league for sional Country Club on 16-under par 268, the low- the Olympics after shooters Gagan Narang, Hari est winning total in US Open history. He became Om Singh, Sanjeev Rajput and Ronjan Sodhi. Her the youngest US Open winner in 88 years. This win was tied up with gold medallist Olena victory made him become the youngest Major win- Kostevych of Ukraine. ner since Woods at the 1997 Masters and the youngest US Open winner since Bobby Jones in Mary Kom Strikes 1923.Masters runner-up Jason Day of Australia Gold in Asian Cup was a distant second on 276. South Korean Yang Yong-Eun, England's Lee Westwood and Ameri- India’s five time world champion M C Mary Kom cans Robert Garrigus and Kevin Chappell shared won 1st gold medal of the year by winning in the third on 278. Asian Cup Women’s Boxing tournament in Haikou, china. She won the medal for the 48Kg National Senior category. Kom became the winner after defeating Athletic Meet Asian champion Kim Myong Sim of North Ko- rea. The winning strike was lead by 4-3points in Kerala won the overall trophy in the National Se- the finals. This was her 1st tournament since her nior Athletic Meet that was held at Bangalore’s bronze medal win at the 2010 Guangzhou Asian Sree Kanteerava Stadium. Kerala became the Games after which she made a place for herself in champion in both categories i.e.men and women the weight division category after beating Kate getting past Tamil Nadu and Punjab Appari of Philippines. Though her North Korean respectively.Meet record holder Mayookha Johny counterpart was a stiff challenge for her but it was and Sajeesh Joseph were selected best athletes of her skill and the agility of the champion that she the meet. Mayookha scored 1,123 points while made her way through the finals and won the gold. Sajeesh scored 1,103 points to claim the title.In On the other hand another Indian in the line Pavitra addition to this Kerala athletes swept almost all (57kg) faced defeat in the finals against Tossamalee the major trophies that were on to be won at the Thonalan of Thailand. She lost to her counterpart valedictory ceremony. Kerala improved its medal tally bagging 27 medals overall; out of which 13 were gold.

AWARDS & PRIZES

G. D. Birla Award for Anuvrat Ahimsa Scientific Research International Peace Award

Professor Subhasis Chaudhuri of Indian Institute Rajasthan Chief Minister, Ashok Gehlot gave away of Technology-Mumbai was selected for the pres- the Anuvrat Ahimsa international peace award to tigious G. D. Birla Award for Scientific noted Gandhian philosophy exponent Thomas Research.Prof. Chaudhuri who works in the De- Clough Daffern. The award consisted of a me- partment of Electrical Engineering was chosen for mento, a cheque for Rs.1 lakh and a certificate of the award for his important contributions in the merit.Dr. Daffern is a Director of London-based area of electronic communications. He made origi- International Institute of Peace Studies and Glo- nal and substantive contributions in the specific bal Philosophy. The institute works across several areas of depth recovery from defocused observa- academic fields for study and application of peace tions and generation of super resolution and philosophy to various spheres of life. images.Prof. Chaudhury joined IIT-Mumbai in 1990 and is currently serving as an Institute Chair Crans Montana Forum Award Professor and Dean of International Relations. He also works in the area of computer vision and im- Art of Living founder Sri Sri Ravi Shankar be- age processing.The award, constituted by the K. came the first Indian to receive the Crans Mon- K. Birla Foundation, carries a cash prize of Rs.1.50 tana Forum Award. The Crans Montana Forum lakh and is given to scientists below the age of 50. Award was conferred upon him at a ceremony in Brussels on 24 June 2011.Ravi Shankar usually Dadasaheb Phalke Award known as Sri Sri Ravi Shankar was born asborn Ravi Shankar Ratnam on 13 May 1956. He is a Director K. Balachander was declared the winner spiritual leader and founder of the Art of Living of Dadasaheb Phalke Award for the year 2010 by Foundation (1982) which aims at relieving both the Information and Broadcasting Ministry.K. individual stress and societal problems and vio- Balachander born in July 1930 is one of the influ- lence, and which is an NGO with UNESCO con- ential filmmakers and trendsetters in Indian cin- sultative status. He also established in 1997 a ema. Most of his movies are directed in Tamil Geneva-based charity, International Association for though he has directed movies in other languages Human Values along with the 14th Dalai Lama. like Hindi and Kannada languages as well. He International Association for Human Values is an came to prominence in 1960 as an amateur play- NGO that engages in relief work and rural devel- wright with his dynamic plays like Major opment and aims to foster shared global Chandrakanth, Server Sundaram, Neerkumizhi, values.According to him, science and spirituality Mezhuguvarthi, Naanal and Navagraham. are linked and compatible, both springing from the urge to know.

Winners of the Past: The award has been mainly Mohammad Hamid Ansari, has decided to confer conferred on politicians in the past. The recipients the award for 2009 on Dr. Merkel. in the past include Angela Merkel, Chancellor of Germany, Shimon Peres, President of Israel, Yasser Jawaharlal Nehru Award for International Under- Arafat, former leader of Palestine Liberation standing founded in 1965 is an international award Organisation, Jose Manuel Barroso, President of presented by the Government of India. The award the European Commission and Mikhail Gorbachev, is administered by the Indian Council for Cultural Former President of the Soviet Union. Relations (ICCR) to people for their outstanding contribution to the promotion of international un- Meghdoot Awards derstanding, goodwill and friendship among people of the world. The award carries prize money of Minster of Communications & Information Tech- Rs.1 crore besides a trophy and citation.Olafur nology and Human Resource Development con- Ragnar Grimsson was the winner of Jawaharlal ferred the Meghdoot Awards on postal employees Nehru Award for International Understanding for for 2009 and 2010. Fifteen individuals including 2007.Martin Luther King, Jr., Khan Abdul Gaffar five women bagged the award. The Best Post Of- Khan, Mother Teresa, Kenneth Kaunda, Aung San fice award was given to Chandragiri Head Post Suu Kyi, Hosni Mubarak, Josip Broz Tito and Office, Andhra Pradesh.The scheme of National Nelson Mandela are some of past recipients of the awards known as Meghdoot Awards was instituted award. in the year 1984 to provide encouragement to the postal employees by recognizing performance of Hindi Academy high standard. Shalaka Samman

The awards given for outstanding contribution in Eminent Hindi litterateur Arvind Kumar was pre- the sphere of official work were earlier given in sented the Hindi Academy Shalaka Samman by six individual categories.In order to motivate the well known poet and former bureaucrat Dr. Sita personnel in the field of technology, a new cat- Kant Mahapatra at Delhi Secretariat on 24 June egory namely, For Technology Excellence was in- 2011. The award carried a citation, shawl, memento troduced for the year 2006. For the years 2009 and a cash prize of Rs 2 lakh.Arvind Kumar started and2010 another category, Best Woman Employee his career as a child labour in a publishing house was introduced for the first time. Meghdoot in Delhi in 1945 but with his dedication and work awardees in individual category were given a he become editor of magzines like Madhuri, medal, a scroll and cash award of Rs. 11000 (Ru- Sarvottam. He has also created several dictionar- pees eleven thousand). The awards are given ev- ies and thesaurus in Hindi-English and Hindi- ery year to the officials selected from amongst the Sanskrit.Shalaka Samman is the highest honour nominations received from various postal circles of Delhi state in the field of Hindi literature.

Jawaharlal Nehru Award Novelist Aminatta Forna won 2011 Common- for International wealth Writers' Prize for The Memory of Love Understanding for 2009 British-born Sierra Leonean novelist Aminatta Forna won the 2011 Commonwealth Writers' Prize German Chancellor Angela Merkel was chosen for for her novel, The Memory of Love. Aminatta the prestigious Jawaharlal Nehru Award for Inter- Forna's The Memory of Love was praised by the national Understanding for 2009 for her enormous judges for its powerful portrayal of human resil- efforts toward sustainable and equitable develop- ience. Forna won a prize of £10,000 for the award. ment. The External Affairs Ministry release re- First published in April 2010, Memory of Love vealed that that the jury chaired by Vice-President was shortlisted for The Orange Prize for Fiction

2011.The prize for the Best First Book was given » Best Debut (female): Sonakshi Sinha to Craig Cliff of New Zealand for A Man Melting, » Best Debut (male): Ranveer Sing a collection of short stories. The prize money for the Best First Book is £5,000. Debuting in 2000 in London, the IIFA's have been held on four continents in cities including Dubai, 12th IIFA Awards Bangkok, Colombo, Singapore, Macau and Johannesburg but never in India. 12th International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) awards ceremony was organised in Toronto on 25 Education in Excellence June 2011. Salman Khan starrer Dabangg directed Award-2011 by Abhinav Kashyap bagged seven major awards at the IIFA including the Best Film. Maneesh Super 30 founder Anand Kumar, whose initiative Sharma's Band Baaja Baaraat won three IIFA helped several students from underprivileged fami- awards. My Name is Khan starring Shah Rukh lies make it to the IIT-JEE was chosen for the Edu- Khan and Kajol also won accolades. Shah Rukh cation in Excellence Award-2011 to be awarded Khan won the Best Actor Award for his perfor- on Doha on 13 May 2011. Anand Kumar consis- mance in the film.The hottest pair award went to tently worked to raise a ray of hope in the under- Anushka Sharma and Ranvir Singh. The first ever privileged lot and helping them join India’s pre- Green IIFA Award by Panasonic went to actress miere institutions.On the occasion of Bihar’s 100th Priyanka Chopra.Special honours were conferred year of foundation the award will be given by the on veteran actor Dharmendra and singer Asha Bihar Foundation, Doha chapter and the Indian Bhosle. Veteran actor Dharmendra was presented Association for Bihar and Jharkhand at a function with a lifetime achievement award for his 50 years Ek Shaam Bihar ke Naam.Bihar Foundation is a of acting in Bollywood. Sharmila Tagore, who has Bihar government initiative set up in 2008. It has won several Indian National Film Awards, was also seven chapters across the world. presented an award for outstanding achievement. International Merlin Award The list of winners in the different categories is as follows: India's ace magician Gopinath Muthukad received » Best Film: Dabangg the International Merlin Award also known as the » Best Direction: Karan Johar for My Name is magicians' Oscar for the year 2011 from Tony Khan Hassini, President of the US based International » Best Actor: Shah Rukh Khan for My Name is Magicians Society. Gopinath Muthukad is the sec- Khan ond Indian to be chosen to receive the Merlin » Best Actress: Anushka Sharma for Band Baaja Award after PC Sorkar Jr.Muthukad held that the Baaraat award will definitely add to the popularity of the » Best Supporting Actor: Arjun Rampal for art and attract more young people to pick it up. Rajneeti Muthukad had ventured into the world of magic at » Best Supporting Actress: Prachi Desai for Once the age of 10.Muthukad’s motto is Magic with a upon a time in Mumbai mission. His aim is to use magic as a tool for so- » Outstanding achievement in international cial upliftment. He mentioned that the he conducts cinema: Irrfan khan shows to promote national integration and fight » Best performance in a Negative role: Sonu against social evils like alcoholism, tobacco and sood for Dabangg terrorism. » Best comic role: Riteish Deshmukh for Housefull

INSEAD J.P. Dutta, Non-Feature Films jury was headed by Honoured Sunil Bharti Mittal A.K. Bir and Best Writing on Cinema jury was headed by Ashok Vajpeyi.The movie Adaminte Leading international business school INSEAD Makan Abu directed by Salim Ahamed was ad- honoured Sunil Bharti Mittal, Founder, Chairman judged best Feature Film. Adaminte Makan Abu and Group CEO of Bharti Enterprises, with its shows humanist values freeing matters of faith Business Leader for the World Award. Sunil Bharti from the constrictions of narrow parochialism. Mittal was given the award for his success in having grown Bharti Enterprises from a manufacturer The film bagged four awards. The list of the of push button phones to India's leading business awardess is as follows: conglomerate. He was recognised for his vision of » Best Feature Film: Adaminte Makan Abu di- developing businesses that have a transformational impact on the regions in which Bharti is rected by Salim Ahamed present.The award is given to business leaders who » Best Direction: Vetrimaran for Aadukalam have set new standards in building successful, sustainable, global enterprises that span multiple cul- (Tamil) tures, embrace diversity, and contribute to eco- » Best Actor: Dhanush for Aadukalam (Tamil) & nomic and social prosperity. Salim Kumar for Adaminte makan Abu Man Booker (Malayalam) International Prize » Best Actress: Mitalee Jagtap Varadkar for Baboo Band Baaja (Marathi) & Saranya Ponvannan for Philip Roth was announced as the winner of the fourth Man Booker International Prize at a press Thenmerkku Paruvakkatru (Tamil) conference at the Sydney Opera House. Roth was » Best Supporting Actor: J Thambi Ramaiah for chosen from a list of 13 eminent Mynaa (Tamil) contenders.American novelist Philip Roth is a lit- erary giant and one of the world's most prolific, » Best Supporting Actress: Sukumari for Namma celebrated - and controversial - writers. Born in Gramam (Tamil) March 1933 in New Jersey, Roth is best known Best Cinematography: Madhu Ambat for for his 1969 novel Portnoy's Complaint, and for » his late-1990s trilogy comprising the Pulitzer Prize- Adaminte Makan Abu winning American Pastoral (1997),I Married a » Best Screenplay Original: etrimaran for Communist (1998), and The Human Stain (2000). The Man Booker International Prize, worth Aadukalam £60,000, is awarded for an achievement in fiction » Best Screenplay Adapted: Anant Mahadevan on the world stage. The prize is once every two & Sanjay for Mee Sindhutai Sapkal (Marathi) years to a living author for a body of work published either originally in English or widely avail- » Best Editing: T E Kishore for Aadukalam able in translation in the English language. It has » Best Music direction: Vishal Bhardwaj for previously been awarded to Ismail Kadaré in 2005, Chinua Achebe in 2007 and Alice Munro in 2009. Ishqiya & issak Thomas Kottakapally for Adaminte 58th National Film Awards Makan Abu » Best Lyrics: Vairamuthu for Thenmerkku The Information and Broadcasting Ministry announced the list of awardees for the 58th National Paruvakkatru Film Awards. Feature Films jury was headed by

» Best Male Playback Singer: Suresh Wadkar for Mee Sindhutai Sapkal » Best Playback Singer Female: Rekha Bhardwaj: Ishqiya » Best Special Effects: V. Srinivas & M Mohan for Enthiran (Tamil) » Special Jury Award: Mee Sindhutai Sapkal (Marathi) directed by Anant Narayan Mahadevan

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PERSONS IN NEWS

Smriti Irani Ashok Gehlot

In nominating actor-turned-politician Smriti Irani Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot has been for a Rajya Sabha seat from Gujarat, the BJP cen- drawn into a controversy after a multiple-choice tral leadership overruled party veteran L K question on who the “Gandhi of Marwar” is sug- Advani's nominee Najma Heptullah at the central gested his name as one of the options. The ques- election committee meeting to choose two nomi- tion — “Choose who is the Gandhi of Marwar” nees for the Upper House from the state. — had provided the names of Rahul Gandhi, Tusshar Gandhi, Sachin Pilot and Gehlot as pos- Devendra Pal Singh Bhullar sible options for the title. The correct answer would have been obvious as only Gehlot hails from The Supreme Court has issued fresh notice to Marwar in Rajasthan. Union government on Devender Pal Singh Bhullar's plea on mercy petition. Bhullar had Syed Saleem Shahzad sought a stay on execution during pendency of his petition in the court. Syed Saleem Shahzad, the Pakistani journalist reported missing from Islamabad since Sunday The apex court said there was no need of a stay evening, was found dead 150 km south of the fed- order as it was understood that no such step will eral capital 48 hours after he disappeared. be taken during the pendency of petition. Bhullar Shahzad's disappearance had set off speculation was sentenced to death in 2001 for his role in the of him being picked up by intelligence agencies September 10, 1993 bomb blast in Delhi target- for his article suggesting that the attack on the na- ing AIYC president Maninderjit Singh Bitta, who val airbase, PNS Mehran, was in retaliation to the escaped with serious injuries. Nine security per- Navy's crackdown on al-Qaeda operatives and sonnel were killed in the attack. President Pratibha sympathisers within the service, and its refusal to Patil has rejected his mercy plea. release some of these elements who had been arrested. The first of his two-part article appeared Controversial' Birs on May 27 in Asia Times Online of which he was the Pakistan bureau chief. Shahzad — who cov- The privately published ‘birs’ of Guru Granth ered terrorism-related issues extensively — was Sahib, using goldenriched ink, which have cre- last seen on Sunday at 5 p.m. when he left his home ated a lot of controversy and acrimony between to participate in a television programme.On Mon- SGPC and Delhi Sikh Gurudwara Managing day, 24 hours after he went missing, some Paki- Committee(DSGMC) because of the printing mis- stani takes, were published in Mumbai and a Ludhiana- based printer had managed the job. Each ‘bir’ cost Sushma Swaraj around Rs 2 lakh. Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj dismissed reports about her differences

with senior BJP leader Arun Jaitley as “media cre- News of the World ation'' and said she enjoyed good relations with Mr. Jaitley. Asked about the debate on bringing Britain's best-selling Sunday tabloid the News of the Prime Minister under the purview of the the World signed off with a simple front page mes- Lokpal, Ms. Swaraj said she would comment on sage _ "THANK YOU & GOODBYE" _ leaving the issue after studying the draft. The former Prime the media establishment here reeling from the ex- Minister, Atal Behari Vajpayee, favoured bringing panding phone-hacking scandal that brought down the Prime Minister's office under the Lok Pal's the muckraking newspaper after 168 years. Jour- ambit and “Atalji said this before demitting of- nalists crafted the newspaper's own obituary be- fice.” fore sending the tabloid's final edition to the printing presses on Saturday night, apologizing for let- Gopal Subrahmaniam ting its readers down but stopping short of ac- knowledging recent allegations that staff paid po- Gopal Subrahmaniam is Solicitor General of lice for information. "We praised high standards, India.Subramaniam imaintained silence on the is- we demanded high standards but, as we are now sue but sources close to him said he was firm on only too painfully aware, for a period of a few years the issue of dignity of his office. "He would rather up to 2006 some who worked for us, or in our quit than allow the dignity to be compromised," a name, fell shamefully short of those standards," source said. At the heart of the controversy is the read a message posted on the tabloid's website. legacy of distrust that a group of government lead- "Quite simply, we lost our way. Phones were ers have developed towards Subramaniam. They hacked, and for that this newspaper is truly sorry." fear that he will not be able to protect the government's interests in the case based on the PIL, Mohan Kohali thus giving another opening to the opposition. The backing of some sections of the government has Indians being honoured in countries of their adop- allowed Subramaniam to continue so far despite tion is now scarcely news, especially with the criticism, but this particular matter has become a growth of the white collar diaspora. But Mohan test case for him. Sibal, who has emerged as a Kohli, honoured by Paraguay earlier this month, troubleshooter for the PM and knows his law, is is different.Having worked under the legendry sticking to his stand. Norman Borlaug at a time when agricultural research was yet to slip entirely into the domain of Piyush Guha corporates, Dr. Kohli has got recognition for nearly four decades of unremitting research to step up Observing that mere possession of materials wheat production in a wide swathe of Latin Ameri- eulogising Maoist ideologies could not be consid- can countries, including Brazil, Argentina, Uru- ered sedition, the Supreme Court on Tuesday guay, Paraguay, Bolivia and Chile.Dr. Kohli granted bail to Kolkata-based businessman Piyush walked up the dais at San Carlos University in Guha, co-accused with rights activist Binayak Sen Asuncion to receive an Honorary Doctorate as a in the sedition case, and sentenced to life impris- mark of gratitude from Paraguayans for transform- onment. Mr. Guha was convicted along with Dr. ing their country to a net wheat exporter — pro- Sen and Naxal ideologue Narayan Sanyal. Dr. Sen duction increased from a meagre 30,000 tonnes in was granted bail by the Supreme Court after the 1978 to 1.2 million tonnes today. Thanks to Dr. Chhattisgarh High Court had denied his plea. In Kohli's efforts, Paraguay earned $230 million from his appeal, Mr. Guha pleaded that he be granted wheat exports last year.Dr. Kohli started off his bail, saying that he had already spent four years in career with Nobel laureate Norman Borlaug and jail. worked with him for six years in Mexico. In 1978, he came to South America as a regional wheat

breeder. In all, Dr. Kohli has spent a total of 39 Singh Dhoni, was felicitated by the Board of Con- years in Latin America. Married to a Mexican, he trol for Cricket in India (BCCI) at its annual awards lives in Paraguay and is also working as senior function, here, Tuesday evening.Sachin was be- technical consultant to the Argentine wheat project. stowed with the Polly Umrigar Trophy for India’s Best Cricketer of 2009-10 and received a trophy Khodorkovsky and cheque for Rs five lakh, while Durani was felicitated with the CK Nayudu Lifetime Achieve- Russia's former oil tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky ment Award for which he received a trophy, a and his business partner Platon Lebedev have ap- cheque for Rs 15 lakh and a citation. plied for an early release from prison, where they are serving a 13-year term.The two inmates are Shahid Afridi entitled to ask for parole, having served more than half of their two sentences. Their first sentence for Huge-hitting Shahid Afridi makes such a noise on tax evasion expires later this year, but in Decem- the field that they call him ‘Boom Boom', but the ber 2010 a Moscow court had slapped on them a crowd-pleaser is leaving the game quietly after new prison term for fraud.On Tuesday the Euro- clashing with Pakistan's cricket hierarchy. But pean Court of Human Rights, based in Strasbourg, Afridi, 31, announced his retirement late on Mon- ordered the Russian government to pay $35,000 day after a row with coach Waqar Younis which to Khodorkovsky and Lebedev as compensation saw him stripped of the one-day captaincy, despite for violation of their rights after they were arrested taking scandal-hit Pakistan to the World Cup semi- in 2003 but said there were no sufficient grounds finals in March.“I play for my country and for my for seeing political motives behind their first trial. people,” he said. “I led the team to the semifinal Khodorkovsky continues to insist he is not guilty. of the World Cup but the reward was such that I was not sure about my captaincy.”Although he left Nobel winner Blumberg dies the door open for a possible return — if the Paki- stan Cricket Board (PCB) undergoes wholesale Dr. Baruch Blumberg, a Nobel laureate for his work changes — it seems likely that cricket has lost one discovering the hepatitis B virus and developing a of its most exciting and passionate talents.Afridi vaccine against it, died in April. Known as Barry, cracked the world's fastest one-day century in his Blumberg spent most of his career at Philadelphia’s first ever international innings, and holds the World Fox Chase Cancer Center. He served on Fogarty’s record for ODI sixes — 289. Advisory Board from 1989 to 1993. Baba Ramdev Daulaire new U.S. Rep at WHO The news of Baba Ramdev's eviction was one of Dr. Nils Daulaire, director of the Office of Global the most searched items by Indians today, accord- Health Affairs at HHS since March 2010, was con- ing to data by Google Trends. Google Trends, the firmed by the U.S. Senate to be the representative web facility which ranks the most searched topics of the U.S. on the executive board of the World on the Internet, showed 'Ramdev Arrested' as the Health Organization. He holds the rank of ambas- second most searched item. Police cracked down sador. on Ramdev and his supporters in New Delhi's Ramlila Ground after midnight Saturday and forc- Tendulkar & Durrani ibly removed the yoga guru from the site. He was then evicted from the capital. The incident created Sachin Tendulkar and former all-rounder Salim ripples on social networking sites Twitter and Durani bagged top honours, while the World Cup Facebook with young India fiercely expressing its winning Indian team, led by captain Mahendra views on the action against yoga guru's satyagraha.

Various groups in support of the yoga guru also Advisors. The others named in the FIR include saw active posting of comments and new mem- Citibank's chief financial officer John Gerspach bers joining in to express their views. It was not and chief operating officer Doughlas Peterson that long back that Baba Ramdev, a Yadav from (both based in New York). The case has been reg- Haryana, was just a superior yoga instructor with istered under Sections 409, 477A, 420 and 120B a mass following, a people's Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, of the Indian Penal Code. The fraud, involving whose clientele was at the upper end of the social diversion of depositors' money into the stock mar- spectrum.Today, Baba Ramdev heads a yoga and ket. health empire, worth hundreds of crores, with even an island off the coast of Scotland, gifted to him K.G. Bhaskaran by grateful devotees, to run a yoga ashram and a spa. He swishes around in chartered private planes K.G. Bhaskaran, brother of the former Chief Jus- — and, significantly, has a team of advisers with tice of India, K.G. Balakrishnan, and Special Gov- impressive credentials. ernment Pleader for Scheduled Caste and Sched- uled Tribe cases in the Kerala High Court, went Salman Taseer on medical leave on Tuesday, amid media reports that he had amassed wealth disproportionate to the The outspoken Governor of Pakistan's Punjab known sources of his income.The leave letter was province, Salman Taseer, was gunned down, al- sent to Advocate-General C.P. Sudhakara Prasad legedly by one of his own security guards here on through a special messenger. Mr. Bhaskaran was Tuesday afternoon.The guard, who surrendered to appointed Special Government Pleader in July the police soon after, is said to have been upset 2009. Earlier, he was working as public prosecu- with Taseer for his support to a Christian woman tor in the High Court. In the letter, he said he was charged with blasphemy. Taseer angered the ‘reli- suffering from chronic respiratory problems. gious' right wing after he visited Aasia Bibi — who was sentenced to death by a sessions court in No- Lalit Modi vember last for allegedly committing blasphemy — in the Sheikhupura jail. He also forwarded her Former Indian Premier League chairman Lalit mercy petition to President Asif Ali Zardari and Kumar Modi has refused to accept summons is- stuck to his guns despite threats from hardliners. sued by the Chennai police in connection with a Rs. 468-crore cheating case. The case pertains to Vikram Pandit the complaint lodged by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) against Mr. Modi and oth- Vikram Pandit, Indian-born global CEO of ers. The CCB had registered a case under Sections Citibank, and its chairman William R Rhodes were 409 (criminal breach of trust), 420 (cheating), 468 on Tuesday named in a first information report (forgery for the purpose of cheating), 477 (A) (fal- (FIR) filed with the police accusing the bank of sification of accounts) and 120 B (criminal con- cheating and a criminal breach of trust in connec- spiracy) of IPC. tion with the Rs. 300-crore fraud here.Several high networth individuals have also complained that Maqbool Fida Hussain their securities were encashed without their knowledge in the fraud, allegedly masterminded by the Maqbool Fida Hussain, who rose from a Gurgaon branch relationship officer Shivraj Bollywood billboard artist to India's most cel- Puri.The local police registered a case on the ba- ebrated painter worldwide, died here today, away sis of an FIR, naming Mr. Pandit and 10 other of- from home on a self-imposed exile.India's very ficials, filed by high networth individual (HNI) own 'Picasso', who earned both fame and wrath Sanjeev Aggarwal, Managing Director, Helion for his paintings, died a Qatari citizen at the Royal

Brompton Hospital here where he was admitted Delhi University after being in "indifferent health" for the last one- and-a-half month, family sources told PTI.The leg- Cut-off marks for admission to undergraduate endary Husain, breathed his last at 2.30 am local courses in Delhi University have ballooned, largely time (0700 IST) at the age of 95. The cause of his because of suspected guess work by colleges fol- death was not immediately known.India's biggest lowing a change intended at helping students from grosser as a painter with his works fetching astro- other states.However, teachers are trying to reas- nomical sums in auctions in London and New sure students and parents by telling them that the York, Hussain turned away from his homeland in cut-offs should come down in subsequent lists 2006 following a series of legal cases and death expected next Monday.The matter had become a threats over his depiction of Hindu goddesses in subject of furious debate in the capital following nude. “disclosures” that Sri Ram College of Commerce (SRCC) has pushed up the cut-off marks — stu- Dayanidhi Maran dents scoring below this floor in the school leaving examinations cannot apply for a particular Union Textile Minister Dayanidhi Maran resigned course — to as high as 100 per cent.The lightning from the government after being named by CBI in rod was enough to compel the HRD minister to the 2G scam. He handed over his resignation to take time off graver affairs of state and declare that the prime minister on 7 July, around 1:30 pm. Ear- the government is on parents’ and students’ lier that day he attended his last cabinet meeting side.SRCC has not made the 100 per cent cut-off and was seen leaving early. for all students. Such a high floor was set for students without a commerce background applying Jyotirmoy Dey to a course in the subject — something the college said has been in place for years as part of a screen- Noted Mid Day crime reporter of Mumbai ing process. But the cut-offs have gone up by about Jyotirmoy Dey was shot dead in Mumbai on 11th 3 per cent this year in many colleges, prompting June. Learn more about dead Mumbai crime re- suggestions that something more than “a screen- porter J Dey biography, career as a journalist and ing process” is behind the unusual spike. The cut- more. Yet another onslaught attempted to hush the off ranges between 95 and 99 per cent for popular democratic voice of the journalist as the noted courses like commerce and economics in colleges crime reporter Jyotirmoy Dey was shot dead in like SRCC, Hindu, Lady Sri Ram, Kirori Mal, Mumbai in the Hiranandani Gardens at the Powai Venkateswara, Hansraj and Miranda House. region by four motorbike borne gunmen, so far unidentified, on Saturday afternoon, 11th June, Ranjan Mathai 2011. Mr. Dey was the Head of the Crime Bureau at Mid-Day and in over a prolonged period of 22 Seasoned diplomat Ranjan Mathai, India's ambas- years, this veteran crime reporter has been tirelessly sador to France, will be the next Foreign Secre- unveiling the manifold masks of the Mumbai un- tary, succeeding Nirupama Rao. A 1974-batch IFS derworld and producing investigative crime reports officer, 59-year-old Mathai will assume charge on one after another. So it was quite natural that some August one and will have a two-year term, official individual criminal or gang would have developed spokesperson Vishnu Prakash announced today.He an enmity with him, which resulted in his untimely will occupy the top post at a time when India's death, as the age of Jyotirmoy Dey Mumbai re- relations with Pakistan are gradually getting back porter was only 50 years. on track and its strategic partnership with the US has reached new heights.Mathai, who did his MA in Political science from Pune University, has

served in Indian missions in Vienna, Colombo, Rajan.Those present during the unsealing included, Washington, Tehran and Brussels. apart from Mr. Rajan, former judges of the Kerala High Court, M.N. Krishnan and C.S. Rajan, Addi- Nandan and Rohini Nilekani tional Chief Secretary to the Government of Kerala K. Jayakumar, Executive Officer of the temple IT industry veteran and Chairman of the Unique Harikumar, an official from the Department of Identification Authority of India Nandan Nilekani, Archaeology, and a representative of Uthradom and his wife Rohini Nilekani have donated Rs. 50 Thirunal Marthanda Varma, the head of the royal crore to the Indian Institute for Human Settlements family of erstwhile Travancore.The contents of two (IIHS). A statement released by the institute on vaults, A and B, are the subject of a controversy. Monday quoted the couple as saying the donation These vaults have supposedly not been opened for was made because the “IIHS is at the convergence more than a century and are rumoured to contain of both our interests in education, urbanisation and priceless jewels, precious stones and artefacts. The sustainability.” Thanking the Nilekanis for “one two priests of the temple, the ‘Periya Nambi' and of the largest gifts in India's history for a new school the ‘Thekkedom Nambi', are the custodians of the at a prospective national university,” Aromar Revi, four vaults, C to F, which are opened Director, IIHS, said:“India is returning to a tradi- periodically.The Supreme Court had directed that tion of philanthropy to build independent national “the existing practices, procedures and rituals” of institutions for the common good.”The IIHS said the temple be followed while opening vaults C to the donation marked “a major step” in its endeav- F and using the articles inside. “Vaults A and B our to mobilise Rs. 300 crore in order to fund five shall be opened only for the purposes of making interdisciplinary schools, build one of South Asia's an inventory of the articles and then closed.” largest reference and digital libraries and establish other facilities on its campus near Kengeri. N. Murali The IIHS is also raising Rs. 100 crore for chair professorships at the university. N. Murali, Senior Managing Director of Kasturi and Sons Ltd., has been re-elected president of the Sree Padmanabhaswamy Music Academy, Chennai.Mr. Murali was elected Temple unopposed at the annual general meeting of the Academy held on Sunday. It is for a three-year The seven-member committee, appointed by the term.N. Gopalaswami, Habibulla Badsha, C.V. Supreme Court to take an inventory of the six Karthik Narayanan, R. Seshasayee and R. vaults (kallaras) at the Sree Padmanabhaswamy Srinivasan were elected vice-presidents, and K.V. Temple here, on Monday unsealed one vault.The Krishna Prasad, Dr. Malathi Rangaswami, N. ‘kallara' on the north-western side inside the Ramji and Dr. Pappu Venugopala Rao, secretar- ‘nalambalam' of the temple — vault C — was un- ies. R. Ramakrishnan was elected treasurer.The sealed shortly before 11 a.m. The committee re- vice-presidents, secretaries, treasurer and execu- portedly completed the inventory by 7 p.m. Each tive committee members were also elected unop- article in the vault was counted and weighed on a posed for the second time after 2008. digital balance. Three ‘gold assessors' were also present on the occasion. This vault, which is Bhupen Hazarika opened many times a year, is said to contain uten- sils used for various rituals in the temple. The com- Music maestro Bhupen Hazarika was today admit- mittee is expected to open a second vault on ted to the intensive care unit of the Kokilaben Tuesday.The court directive was in response to a Ambani Hospital after he complained of breath- quo warranto petition filed by the former IPS of- lessness and drowsiness. His condition was de- ficer and Supreme Court lawyer, T.P. Sundara scribed as stable by the doctors. Hospital doctors

said Bhupen was admitted to the hospital about Amartya Sen 1.30am and was kept under observation in the intensive care unit of the hospital, located in Versova Nobel laureate economist Amartya Sen will be the in Mumbai’s western suburbs. adviser to the Mentor Group which has been set up by the West Bengal government to help Presi- The 25 paise coin dency University regain its excellence. The first meeting of the Mentor Group is now scheduled to The 25 paise coin, which has been fading out of be held in July. The aim is to turn the university the pocket change in recent years because of low into a world class research and teaching institu- acceptability, will finally become history from tion by its 200th anniversary in 2017-18.Chief Thursday.The coin, along with those with lower Minister Mamata Banerjee said here on Wednes- denominations, will be demonetised or cease to day that Professor Sen has agreed to the proposal be legal tender.“Coins of the denomination of 25 and would advise the 10-member committee, paise and below will cease to be legal tender from which is chaired by Sugata Bose. The committee June 30, 2011. These will not be accepted for ex- has been constituted by Professor Bose, Gardiner change at bank branches from July 1, 2011 on- professor of Oceanic History and Affairs, Harvard wards,” the Reserve Bank of India said recently.In University, and a grand-nephew of Subhash December 2010, the government had decided to Chandra Bose.Mr. Bose said that while eight per- withdraw the coins of denomination of 25 paise sons have already agreed to be part of the Mentor and below from circulation from June 30.Even Group, approval was awaited from the remaining before price inflation killed the 25 paise coin, the two. He said that the group is charged with the RBI had been receiving complaints that shops, task of making a set of short, medium and long- business establishments, utility services and even term recommendations and monitoring implemen- public sector organisations and government depart- tation of these over the next two years. The first ments were not accepting it.The RBI then had to report was expected in by August 2011 and the issue notice that the coin was in circulation and last by June 2013. continued to be legal tender. Coins of 1 paisa, 2, 3 and 5 paise denominations have already been Akhil Gogoi demonetised.The Frozen Series 1947-50 represented the currency arrangements during the tran- Akhil Gogoi was associated with the CPI(M-L) in sition period up to the establishment of the Indian Assam, but had no links with Maoists, sources here Republic.The Monetary System remained un- said today, while raising questions whether an changed at One Rupee consisting of 192 pice.The Assam police officer was transferred for not trump- Anna Series was introduced on August 15, 1950 ing up charges against the RTI activist. The mys- and represented the first coinage of Republic In- tery of police action and subsequent allegations dia. The King's Portrait was replaced by the Lion by one other than the chief minister of Assam, Capital of the Ashoka Pillar, according to an RBI Tarun Gogoi, against Akhil are seen with suspi- document.In September 1955, the Indian Coinage cion in New Delhi. former home secretary G.K. Act was amended for the country to adopt a met- Pillai had told that there was no evidence to sug- ric system for coinage. The rupee remained un- gest Gogoi was linked to Naxals, even though the changed in value and nomenclature. It, however, Maoists have made inroads into that state. was now divided into 100 ‘paise' instead of 16 annas or 64 pice.The 2.5 gram nickel 25 paise coin was born. The latest 25 paise coin, weighing 2.83 gram, was ferrite stainless steel.Stainless steel coinage of 10, 25 and 50 paise, was introduced in 1988 and of one rupee in 1992.

SBI P.O. Solved Paper Held on: 18-04-10

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SBI P.O. Held on: 18-04-10 Solved Paper

REASONING ABILITY (1)2 (2)4 (3)5 (4)6 (5)None of these 1.In a certain code language ‘how many goals 6.Pratap corrrectly remembers that his mother’s scored’ is written as ‘5 3 9 7’; ‘many more birthday is before twenty third April but after matches’ is written as ‘9 8 2’ and ‘he scored five’ Nineteenth April, whert as his sister correctly is written as ‘1 6 3’. How is ‘goals’ written in remembers that their mother’s birthday is not on that code language ? or after twenty second April. On which day in (1)5 (2)7 (3)5 or 7 April is definitely their mother’s birthday ? (4)Data inadequate (1)Twentieth (2)Twenty-first (5)None of these (3)Twentieth or twenty-first 2.In a certain code TEMPORAL is written as (4)Cannot be determined OLDSMBSP. How is CONSIDER written in that (5)None of these code? 7.Ashok started walking towards South. After (1)RMNBSFEJ (2)BNMRSFEJ walking 50 meters he took a right turn and (3)RMNBJEFS (4)TOPDQDCH walked 30 meters. He then took a right turn and (5)None of these walked 100 meters. He again took a right turn 3.How many meaningful English words can be and walked 30 meters and stopped. How far and made with the letters DLEI using each letter only in which direction was he from the starting point? once in each word ? (1)None (2)One (3)Two (1)50 meters South (2)150 meters North (4)Three (5)More than three (3)180 meters East (4)50 meters North (5)None of these 4.Among A, B, C, D and E each having different ‘ ’ ‘ ’ weight, D is heavier than only A and C is lighter 8.If’–‘ means ‘+’; ‘–’means × ; × means ‘÷’and ‘ than B and E. Who among them is the heaviest ? +’means ‘–’; then 15 – 8 × 6 + 12 + 4 = ? (1)B (2)E (3)C (4)Data inadequate (1)20 (2)28 (3) (5)None of these (4)2 3 (5)None of these 5.Each odd digit in the number 5263187 is 9.Town D is towards East of town F. Town B is substituted by the next higher digit and each even towards North of town D. Town H is towards digit is substituted by the previous lower digit South of town B. Towards which direction is and the digits so obtained are rearranged in town H from town F ? ascending order, which of the following will be (1)East (2)South-East , the third digit from the left end after the (3)North-East (4)Data inadequate rearrangement ? (5)None of these

10.How many such pairs of letters are there in the (1)Only I and III follow word SEARCHES each of which has as many (2)Only I, II and III follow letters between them in the word as in the English (3)Only II, III and IV follow alphabet ? (4)All I, II, III and IV follow (1)None (2)One (3)Two (5)None of these (4)Three (5)More than three 14. Statements: Some benches are walls. All walls Direction: In each of the questions below are given are houses. Some houses are jungles. All jungles four statements followed by four conclusions are roads. numbered I, II, III 8s IV. You have to take the given Conclusions: statements to be true even if they seem to be at given I.Some roads are benches. conclusions logically follows from the given II.Some jungles are walls. statements disregarding commonly known facts. III.Some houses are benches. IV.Some roads are houses. 11. Statements: All cups are bottles. Some bottles (1)Only land II follow are jugs. No jug is plate. Some plates are tables. (2)Only I and III follow Conclusions: (3)Only III and IV follow I.Some tables are bottles. (4)Only II, III and IV follow II.Some plates are cups. (5)None of these III.No table is bottle. 15. Statements: Some sticks are lamps. Some IV.Some jugs are cups. flowers are lamps. Some lamps are dresses. All (1)Only I follows (2)Only II follows dresses are shirts. (3)Only III follows (4)Only IV follows Conclusions: (5)Only either I or III follows I.Some shirts are sticks. 12. Statements: Some chairs are handles. All II.Some shirts are flowers. handles are pots. All pots are mats. Some mats III.Some flowers are sticks. are buses. IV.Some dresses are sticks. Conclusions: (1)None follows (2)Only I follows I.Some buses are handles. (3)Only II follows (4)Only III follows II.Some mats are chairs. (5)Only IV follows III.No bus is handle. IV.Some mats are handles. Direction: Study the following information (1)Only I, II and IV follow carefully and answer the questions given below: (2)Only II, III and IV follow A, B, C, D, E, F, G and H are eight employees (3)Only either I or III and II follow of an organization working in three departments viz. (4)Only either I or III and IV follow Personnel, Administration and Marketing with not (5)Only either I or III and II and IV follow more than three of them in any department. Each of 13. Statements: All birds are horses. All horses are them has a different choice of sports from football, tigers. Some tigers are lions. Some lions are cricket, volleyball, badminton, lawn tennis, basketball, monkeys. hockey and table tennis not necessarily in the same Conclusions: order. I.Some tigers are horses. D works in Administration and does not like II.Some monkeys are birds. either football or cricket. F works in Personnel with III.Some tigers are birds. only A who likes table tennis. Eand H do not work in IV.Some monkeys are horses. the same department as D. C likes hockey and does

not work in marketing. G does not work in them is/are definitely true and give your answer administration and does not like either cricket or accordingly. badminton. One of those who work in administration 21. Statements: H @ T, T # F, F d E, E V likes football. The one who likes volleyball works in personnel. None of those who work in administration Conclusions: I. V $ F II. E @ T likes either badminton or lawn tennis. H does not like III. H @ V IV. T # V cricket. (1)Only I, II and III are true (2)Only I, II and IV are true 16.Which of the following groups of employees (3)Only II, III and IV are true work in Administration department ? (4)Only I, III and IV are true (1)EGH (2)AF (3)BCD (5)All I, II, III and IV are true (4)BGD (5)Data inadequate 17.In which department does E work ? 22. Statements: D#R, R K, K@F, F$J (1)Personnel (2)Marketing Conclusions: I. J # R II. J # K (3)Administration (4)Data inadequate III. R # F IV. K @ D (5)None of these (1)Only I, II and III are true 18.Which of the following combinations of (2)Only II, III and IV are true employee-department-favourite sport is correct? (3)Only I, III and IV are true (1)E – Administration – Cricket (4)All I, II, III and IV are true (2)F – Personnel – Lawn Tennis (5)None of these (3)H – Marketing – Lawn Tennis 23. Statements: N d B, B $ W, W # H, H M (4)B – Administration – Table Tennis Conclusions : I. M @ W II. H @ N (5)None of these III. W S N IV. W# N 19.What is E’s favourite sport ? (1)Only I is true (2)Only III is true (1)Cricket (2)Badminton (3)Only IV is true (3)Basketball (4)Lawn Tennis (4)Only either III or IV is true (5)None of these (5)Only either III or IV and I are true 20.What is G’s favourite sport ? 24. Statements: R D, D $ J, J # M, M @ K (1)Cricket (2)Badminton Conclusions: I. K # J II. D @ M (3)Basketball (4)Lawn Tennis III. R # M (5)None of these IV. D @ K Direction: In the following questions, the symbols (1)None is true (2)Only I is true # and S are used with the following meaning as (3)Only II is true (4)Only III is true illustrated below. (5)Only IV is true P $ Q’ means ‘P is not smaller than Q’. 25. Statements: M $ K, K @ N, N R, R # W P @ Q’ means ‘P is neither smaller than nor equal to ‘Q Conclusions: I. W @ K II. M $ R ‘P # Q’ means ‘P is neither greater than nor equal to Q’. III. K @ W P d Q’ means ‘P is neither greater than nor smaller than IV. M @ N Q’. (1)Only I and II are true (2)Only I, II and III are true ‘P Q’ means ‘P is not greater than Q’. (3)Only III and IV are true Now in each of the following questions (4)Only II, III and IV are true assuming the given statements to be true, find which (5)None of these of the four conclusions I, II, III and IV given below

Direction: Study the following information eight years out of which four years as Manager- carefully and answer the questions given below Credit in a bank after completing her B. A. degree with 60 percent marks. She was born on 12th Following are the conditions for selecting Senior September 1978. Manager-Credit in a bank. The candidate must— 27.Rohan Maskare was born on 8th March 1974. He (i)be a graduate in any discipline with atleast 60 has been working in a bank for the past twelve years percent marks. after completing his B.Com. degree with 70 percent (ii)have post qualification work experience of at marks. He has secured 50 percent marks in both least ten years in the Advances Section of a bank. the Group Discussion and the Interview. (iii)be at least 30 years and not more than 40 years 28.Prakash Gokhale was born on 4th August 1977. as on 1.4.2010. (iv) have secured at least 40 He has secured 65 percent marks in. post percent marks in the group discussion. (v) have graduation and 58 percent marks in graduation. secured at least 50 percent marks in interview. He has been working for the past ten years in In the case of a candidate who satisfies all the the Advances Department of a bank after conditions EXCEPT— completing his post graduation. He has secured (A)at (i) above but has secured at least 50 percent 45 percent marks in the Group Discussion and marks in graduation and at least 60 percent marks 50 percent marks in the Interview. in post graduation in any discipline the case is 29.Sudha Mehrotra has been working in the to be referred to the General Manager Advances. Advances department of a bank for the past (B)at (ii) above but has total post qualification work twelve years after completing her B.Com. degree experience of at least seven years out of which with 60 percent marks. She has secured 50 at least three years as Manager-Credit in a bank, percent marks in the Group Discussion and 40 the case is to be referred to Executive percent marks in the Interview. She was born on Director. 15th February 1972. In each question below details of one candidate 30.Amit Narayan was born on 28th May 1974. He is given. You have to take one of the following has been working in the Advances department of a courses of action based on the information bank for the past eleven years after completing his provided and the conditions and sub-conditions B.Sc. degree with 65 percent marks. He has secured given above and mark the number of that course 55 percent marks in the Group discussion and 50 of action as your answer. You are not to assume percent marks in the interview. anything other than the information provided in each question. All these cases are given to you Direcion: In each question below is given a as on 01.04.2010. statement followed by three courses of action numbered (A), (B) and (C). A course of action is a Give answer step or administrative decision to be taken for. (1)if the case is to be referred to Executive improvement, follow-up or further action in regard Director. to the problem, policy, etc. On the basis of the (2)if the case is to be referred to General information given in the statement, you have to Manager-Advances. assume everything in the statement to be true, then (3)if the data are inadequate to take a decision. decide which of the suggested courses of action (4)if the candidate is not to be selected. logically follow(s) for pursuing. (5)if the candidate is to be selected. 26.Shobha Gupta has secured 50 percent marks in 31. Statement : A heavy unseasonal downpour the Interview and 40 percent marks in the Group during tho last two days has paralysed the, Discussion. She has been working for the past normal life in the state in which five persons were

killed but this has provided a huge relief to the (3)Only (C) (4)Only (A) and (B) problem of acute water crisis in the state. (5)None of these Courses of action: 34. Statement: The school dropout rate in many (A)The state government should set up a districts in the state has increased sharply during committee to review the alarming situation. the last few years as the parents of these children (B)The state government should immediately make them work in the fields owned by others remove all the restrictions, on use of potable to earn enough for them to get at least one meal water in all the major cities in the state. a day. (C)The state government should send relief Courses of action: supplies to all the affected areas in the state. (A)The Govt. should put up a mechanism to (1)None (2)Only (A) provide foodgrains to the poor people in these (3)Only (B) and (C) (4)Only (C) districts through public distribution system (5)All (A), (B), (C) to encourage the parents to send their wards 32. Statement: A large private bank has decided to to school. retrench one-third of its employees in view of (B)The Govt. should close down some of these the huge losses incurred by it during the past schools in the district and deploy the teachers three quarters. of these schools to nearby schools and also Courses of action: ask remaining students to join these schools. (A)The Govt. should issue a notification to (C)Govt. should issue arrest warrants for all the general public to immediately: stop all parents who force their children to work in transactions with the bank. fields instead of attending classes. (B)The Govt. should direct the bank to refrain (1)Only (A) (2)Only (B) from retrenching its employees. (3)Only (C) (4)Only (A) and (B) (C)The Govt. should ask the central bank of the (5)None of these country to initiate an enquiry into the bank’s 35. Statement: One aspirant was killed due to activities and submit its report. stampede while participating in a recruitment (1)None (2)Only (A) drive of police constables. (3)Only (B) (4)Only (C) Courses of action: (5)Only (A) and (C) (A)The officials incharge of the recruitment 33. Statement: Many political activists have process should immediately be suspended. decided to stage demonstrations and block traffic (B)A team of officials should be asked to find movement in the city during peak hours to protest out the circumstances which led to the death against the steep rise in prices of essential of the aspirant and submit its report within a commodities. week. Courses of action: (C)The Govt. should ask the home department (A)The Govt. should immediately ban all forms to stagger the number of aspirants over more of agitations in the country. number of days to avoid such incidents in (B)The police authority of the city should deploy future. additional forces all over the city to help (1)Only (A) (2)Only (B) traffic movement in the city. (3)Only (C) (4)Only (B) and (C) (C)The state administration should carry out (5)None of these preventive arrests of the known criminals 36. Effect: Majority of the employees of the ailing staying in the city. organization opted for voluntary retirement (1)Only (A) (2)Only (B) scheme and left the organization with all their

retirement benefits within a fortnight of 39. Statement : The Govt. has decided to instruct launching the scheme. the banks to open new branches in such a way Which of the following can be a probable cause that there is one branch of any of the banks in of the above effect ? every village of population 1000 and above or a (1)The company has been making huge losses cluster of villages with population less than 1000 for the past five years and is unable to pay to provide banking services to all the citizens. salaryto its employees in time. Which of the following will weaken the step (2)The management of the company made huge taken by the Govt. ? personal gains through unlawful activities. (1)The private sector banks in India have (3)One of the competitors of the company went stepped up their branch expansion activities bankrupt last year. in rural India. (4)The company owns large tracts of land in the (2)Many Govt. owned banks have surplus state which will fetch huge sum to its owners. manpower in its urban branches. (5)None of these (3)All the banks including those in private sector 37. Statement: Most of the companies in IT and will follow the govt. directive. ITES sectors in India have started hiring from (4)Large number of branches of many Govt. engineering college campuses this year and are owned banks in the rural areas are making likely to recruit much more than yearly huge losses every year due to lack of adequate recruitment of the earlier years. business activities. Which of the following substantiates the facts (5)None of these stated in the above statement ? Direction: Study the following information (1)IT and ITES are the only sectors in India carefully and answer the questions given below. which are hiring from engineering college The centre reportedly wants to continue campuses. providing subsidy to consumers for cooking gas and (2)Govt. has stepped up recruitment activities kerosene for five more years. This is not good news after a gap of five years. from the point of view of reining in the fiscal deficit. (3)The IT and ITES companies have now Mounting subventions for subsidies means diversion decided to vi sit the engineering college of savings by the government from investment to campuses for tier II cities in India as well. consumption, raising the cost of capital in the process. (4)Availability of qualified engineers will The government must cut expenditure on subsidies substantially in crease in the near future. to create more fiscal space for investments in both (5)None of these physical and social infrastructure. It should outline a 38. Cause: The Govt. has recently increased its taxes plan for comprehensive reform in major subsidies or, petrol and diesel by about 10 percent. Which including petroleum, food and fertilizers and set goal of the following can be a possible effect of the posts. above cause ? (1)The petroleum companies will reduce the 40.Which of the following is a conclusion which prices of petrol and diesel by about 10 can be drawn from the facts stated in the above percent. paragraph ? (3)The petroleum companies will increase the (1)Subsidy provided by the government under prices of petrol and diesel by about 5 percent. various heads to the citizen increases the cost (4)The petrol pumps will stop selling petrol and of capital. diesel till the taxes are rolled back by the govt. (2)Govt. is unable to withdraw subsidies (5)None of these provided to various items.

(3)Govt. subsidy on kerosene is purely a crucial dynamism. In a study conducted on 13,000 political decision. households which represented the crucial dynamism. (4)Govt. does not have enough resources to In a study conducted on 13,000 households which continue providing subsidy on petroleum represented the entire country in 1993-94 and again products. on 2004-05, it was found that in the ten-year period (5)None of these 18.2% rural population moved out of poverty whereas 41.Which of the following is an inference which another 22.1 % fell into it over this period. This net can be made from the facts stated in the above increase of about four percentage points was seen to paragraph ? have a considerable variation across states and (1)India’s fiscal deficit is negligible in regions. (omparison to other emerging economies in 43.Which of the following is a conclusion which the world. can be drawn from the facts stated in the above (2)Subsidy on food and fertilizers are essential paragraph ? for growth of Indian economy. (1)Accurate estimates of number of people (3)Reform in financial sector will weaken living below poverty line in India is possible India’s position in the international arena. to be made. (4)Gradual withdrawal of subsidy is essential (2)Many expert groups in India are not for effectively managing fiscal deficit in interested to measure poverty objectively. India. (3)Process of poverty measurement needs to (5)None of these take into account various factors to tackle its 42.Which of the following is an assumption which dynamic nature. is implicit in the facts stated in the above (4)People living below poverty line remain in paragraph ? that position for a very long time. (1)People in India may not be able to pay more (5)None of these for petroleum products. 44.Which of the following is an assumption which (2)Many people in India are rich enough to buy is implicit in the facts stated in the above petroleum products at market cost. paragraph ? (3)Govt. may not be able to create more (1)It may not be possible to have an accurate infrastructural facilities if the present level poverty measurement in India. of subsidy continues for a longer time. (2)Level of poverty in India is static over the (4)Govt. of India has sought assistance from years. international financial organizations for its (3)Researchers avoid making conclusions on infrastructural projects poverty measurement data in India. (5)None of these (4)Govt. of India has a mechanism to measure Direcion: Study the following information carefully level of poverty effectively and accurately. and answer the questions given below. (5)None of these 45.Which of the following is an inference which Poverty measurement is an unsettled issue, both can be made from the facts stated in the above conceptually and methodologically. Since poverty is paragraph ? a process as well as an outcome; many come out of it (1)Poverty measurement tools in India are while others may be falling into it. The net effect of outdated. these two parallel processes is a proportion commonly (2)Increase in number of persons falling into identified as the ‘head count ratio’, but these ratios poverty varies considerably across the hide the fundamental dynamism that characterizes country over a period of time. poverty in practice. The most recent poverty (3)Govt. of India has stopped measuring poverty reestimates by an expert group has also missed the related studies.

(4)People living in rural areas are more 48.Problem Figure

susceptible to fall into poverty over the time. A A A T (5)None of these A Z O T T A Direction: In each of the questions given below T T Answer Figure which one of the five answer figures on the right should come after the problem figures on the left, if the sequence were continued ? 46.Problem Figure 1 2 3 4 5 49.Problem Figure A K A K OOOOK OO O Answer Figure A K K A A Answer Figure A A OO K KO O O K A O K O O 1 2 3 4 5 A A K 47.Problem Figure 1 2 3 4 5 50.Problem Figure D D Z Z O Z O

Z D O D Answer Figure O Z O D Answer Figure O O O Z O

Z Z D Z O Z D D 1 2 3 4 5 D D 1 2 3 4 5

DATA ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION

Direction: Study the following table carefully to answer the questions that follow Number (n) of candidates (in lakhs) appearing for an entrance examination From six different states and the percentage (p) of candidates clearing the same over the years STATE A B C D E F YEAR N P N P N P N P N P N P 2004 1.23 42 1.04 51 1.11 32 1.32 24 1.23 36 1.33 31 2005 1.05 43 1.12 62 1.07 47 1.15 49 1.18 55 1.24 24 2006 2.04 38 1.48 32 1.08 28 1.96 35 1.42 49 1.58 26 2007 1.98 41 2.07 43 1.19 30 1.88 46 1.36 47 1.79 29 2008 1.66 53 1.81 50 1.56 42 1.83 60 1.73 57 1.86 34 2009 1.57 39 1.73 36 1.64 52 2.01 56 1.69 55 1.95 37

51.What is the respective ratio of total number of 57.If two marbles are picked at random, what is the candidates clearing the entrance exam from State probability that both are red ? B in the year 2004 to those clearing the entrance 1 1 2 exam from State C in the same year (1) (2) (3) (1)221: 148 (2)218: 143 6 3 15 (3)148: 221 (4)143: 218 2 (4) (5)None of these (5)None of these 5 52.In which year did the highest number of candidates 58.If three marbles are picked at random, what is clear the entrance exam from State D ? the probability that two are blue and one is (1)2008 (2)2006 yellow? (3)2009 (4)2007 (5)None of these 3 1 18 (1) (2) (3) 53.What is the number of candidates not clearing 91 5 455 the entrance exam from State A in the year 2007? 7 (1)186820 (2) .11682 (4) (5)None of these (3)1868200 (4)1.16820 15 (5)None of these 59.If four marbles are picked at random, what is 54.What is the total numberof candidates clearing the probability that one is green, two are blue the entrance exam from States E and F together and one is red ? in the year 2006 ? 24 13 11 (1) (2) (3) (1)16160 (2)110660 455 35 15 (3)1.1066 (4)1106600 (5)None of these 7 (4) (5)None of these 55.What is the average number of candidates 91 appearing for the entrance exam from State D in 60.If two marbles are picked at random, what is the the years 2007, 2008 and 2009 together ? probability that either both are green or both are 2 1 yellow ? (1) 1.907 (2) 18666 3 3 5 1 1 (1) (2) (3) 91 35 3 1 2 (3) 1.866 (4) 190666 3 3 4 (4) (5)None of these (5)None of these 105 Direction: Study the given information carefully Direction: Study the given pie-charts carefully to and answer the questions that follow answer the questions that follow An urn contains 6 red, 4 blue, 2 green and 3 Breakup of number of employees working yellow marbles. in different departments of an organisation, 56.If four marbles are picked at random, what is the, number of males and the number of the probability that at least one is blue ? employees who recently got promoted in each department break-up of employees 4 69 11 (1) (2) (3) working in different departments total 15 91 15 number of employees = 3,600 Employees 22 working in different departments: (4) (5)None of these 91

62. What is the total number of females working in the Production and Marketing departments Accounts 20% together ? Production (1)468 (2)812 (3)582 35% Marketing (4)972 (5)None of these 18% 63.How many females work in the Accounts IT HR department ? 15% 12% (1)618 (2)592 (3)566 (4)624 (5)None of these Break-up of number of males in each 64.The total number of employees who got department promoted from all the departments together was Total number of males in the organisation what percent of the total number of employees = 2,040 working in all the departments together ? (Rounded off to the nearest integer) Break-up of number of males working in (1)56 (2)21 (3)45 each department (4)33 (5)51

% 65.The number of employees who got promoted 5

M .

a s from the HR department was what percent of r t k c

1 e c 5 t the total number of employees working in that % in A g department ? (rounded off to two digits after Production HR 10% 50% decimal) (1)36.18 (2)30.56 (3)47.22 IT 20% (4)28.16 (5)None of these Direction: Study the graph carefully to answer the Break-up of number of employees who questions that follow recently got promoted in each department Percent rise in profit of two companies over the years Total number of employees who got 40 promoted = 1,200 35 t

n 30 Number of employees who recently got e c r

promoted from each department e 25 P

i 20 t f n o

% 15

P o

8 c

c 10 A Marketing Production 5 33% 22% 0 % 1 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 1 R H IT 26% Company L Company M 66.If the profit earned by Company L in the year 61.If half of the number of employees who got 2005 was Rs. 1.84 lakhs, what was the profit promoted from the IT department were males, earned by the company in the year 2006 ? what was the approximate percentage of males (1)Rs. 2.12 lakhs (2)Rs. 2.3 lakhs who got promoted from the IT department ? (3)Rs. 2.04 lakhs (1)61 (2)29 (3)54 (4)Cannot be determined (4)42 (5)38 (5)None of these

67.If the profit earned by Company M in the year classes is two hundred percent of the boys enrolled 2008 was Rs. 3.63 lakhs, what was he amount in the same. One-thirteenth of the boys are enrolled of profit earned by it in the year 2006 ? in all the three classes together. The respective ratio (1)Rs. 2.16 lakhs (2)Rs.1.98 lakhs of boys enrolled in Dancing and Painting classes (3)Rs. 2.42 lakhs together to the girls enrolled in the same is 2 :1 (4)Cannot be determined respectively. Ten percent of the girls are enrolled in (5)None of these only Dancing classes whereas eight percent of the girls 68.What is the average percent rise in profit of are enrolled in both Dancing and Painting classes Company L over all the years together ? together. The remaining girls are enrolled in all the three classes together. The number of boys enrolled 1 1 5 (1) 15 (2) 25 (3) 18 in Singing and Dancing classes together is fifty 3 3 6 percent of the number of girls enrolled in the same. 5 The remaining boys are enrolled in only Painting (4) 21 (5)None of these classes. 6 69.Which of the following statements is TRUE with 71.What is the total number of boys who are respect to the above graph ? enrolled in Dancing ? (1)Company M made the highest profit in the (1)318 (2)364 year 2009 (3)292 (4)434 (2)Company L made least profit in the year 2005 (5)None of these (3)The respective ratio between the profits 72.Total number of girls enrolled in Singing is earned by Company L and M In the year 2006 approximately what percent of the total number was 6:5 of students in the school ? (4)Company L made the highest profit in the (1)37 (2)19 year 2008 (3)32 (4)14 (5)All are true (5)26 70.What is the percentage increase in percent rise 73.What is the total number of students enrolled in in profit of Company M in the year 2009 from all the three classes together ? the previour year ? (1)135 (2)164 (1)25 (2)15 (3)50 (3)187 (4)142 (4)75 (5)None of these (5)None of these 74.Number of girls enrolled in only Dancing classes Direction: Study th a information carefully to is what percent of the boys enrolled in the same? answer the questions that follow. (rounded off to two digits after decimal) A school consisting of a total of 1560 students (1)38.67 (2)35.71 has boys and girls in the ratio of 7:5 respectively. All (3)41.83 (4)28.62 the students are enrolled in different types of hobby (5)None of these classes, viz: Singing, Dancing and Painting. One-fifth 75.What is the respective ratio of the number of of the boys are enrolled in only Dancing classes. girls enrolled in only Painting classes to the Twenty percent of the girls are enrolled in only number of boys enrolled in the same ? Painting classes. Ten percent of the boys are enrolled (1)77 : 26 (2)21 : 73 in only Singing classes. Twenty four percent of the (3)26 : 77 (4)73 : 21 girls are enrolled in both Singing and Dancing classes (5)None of these together. The number of girls enrolled in only Singing

Direction: Study the table carefully to answer the questions that follow. Profit (in rs. ‘000) made by six different shopkeepers over the months Month October November December January February March Shopkeeper 2009 2009 2009 2010 2010 2010 P 5.25 6.04 5.84 6.10 5.95 6.02 Q 4.84 4.28 4.97 4.88 5.04 5.12 R 4.99 5.82 5.48 5.45 5.68 5.36 S 5.06 5.11 5.28 5.38 5.44 5.59 T 5.28 4.96 5.31 5.69 4.93 5.72 U 5.94 6.23 5.87 6.07 6.19 6.23

76.What is the respective ratio between the profit Number of days taken by three carpenters to earned by shopkeeper U in the months finish making one piece each of four different February-2010 and March - 2010 together to that items of furniture earned by shopkeeper Q in the same months ? 16 (1)637: 512 (2)621 : 508 14 (3)512: 637 (4)508: 621 12 (5)None of these 10 77.What is the percent increase in profit of 8 shopkeeper S in the month of December - 2009 6 over the previous month ? (rounded off to two 4 digits after decimal) 2 (1)3.15 (2)2.67 0 (3)2.18 (4)3.33 Chair Table Bed Cupboard (5)None of these 78.Which shopkeeper’s profit kept increasing Company X Company Y Company Z continuously over the given months ? 81.If Carpenter X and Carpenter Y were to make a (1)R (2)Q (3)T chair together how many days would they take? (4)U (5)None of these (1)1 day (2)4 days (3)3 days 79.What is the difference in profit earned by (4)2 days (5)None of these shopkeeper T in January - 2010 from the 82.If Carpenters X, Y and Z were to make a table previous month ? together how many days would they take ? (1)Rs. 640/- (2)Rs. 420/- (1)4 days (2)3 days (3)1 day (3)Rs. 380/- (4)Rs. 760/- (4)2 days (5)None of these (5)None of these 83.What is the total number of days that Carpenter 80.What was the average profit earned by Z will take to make one piece each of all the shopkeeper R in the months of October – 2009 four items together ? and November – 2009 together ? (1)32 days (2)24 days (1)5405 (2)5040 (3)4825 1 1 (4)4950 (5)None of these (3) 1 days (4) 1 days 59 32 Direction: Study the given graph carefully to answer (5)None of these the questions that follow

84.The radius of a circular field is equal to the side 85.In how many different ways can the letters of of a square field whose perimeter is 784 feet. the word ‘STRESS’ be arranged What is the area of the circular field ? (1)360 (2)240 (1)107914 Sq.ft (2)120736 Sq.ft. (3)720 (3)107362 Sq.ft. (4)127306 Sq.ft. (4)120 (5)None of these (5)None of these

Direction: Study the given table carefully to answer the questions that follow Number of people staying in five different localities and the percentage breakup of men, women and children in them LOCALITY TOTAL NO. PERCENTAGE OF PEOPLE MEN WOMEN CHILDREN F 5640 55 35 10 G 4850 34 44 22 H 5200 48 39 13 I 6020 65 25 10 J 4900 42 41 17 86.Total number of people staying in locality J forms amount that Suresh got back at the end of two approximately what percent of the total number years in the form of principal plus interest of people staying in locality F ? earned? (1)81 (2)72 (3)78 (1)Rs. 9,414.4 (2)Rs. 9,914.4 (4)93 (5)87 (3)Rs. 9,014.4 (4)Rs. 8,914.4 87.What is the total number of children staying in (5)None of these localities H and I together ? 92.The respective ratio of the present ages of a (1)1287 (2)1278 (3)1827 mother and daughter is 7 : 1. Four years ago the (4)1728 (5)None of these respective ratio of their ages was 19:1. What will be the mother’s age four years from now ? 88.The number of women staying in which locality (1)42 years (2)38 years is the highest ? (3)46 years (4)36 years (1)H (2)J (3)F (5)None of these (4)G (5)None of these 93.Three friends J, K and Ljog around a circular 89.What is the total number of men and children stadium and complete one round in 12, 18 and staying in locality I together 20 seconds respectively. In how many minutes (1)4115 (2)4551 (3)4515 will all the three meet again at the starting point (4)4155 (5)None of these (1)5 (2)8 (3)12 90.What is the respective ratio of number of men (4)3 (5)None of these staying in locality F to the number of men staying 94.4 men can complete a piece of work in 2 days. 4 in locality H ? women can complete the same piece of work in (1)517: 416 (2)403: 522 4 days whereas 5 children can complete the same (3)416: 517 (4)522: 403 piece of work in 4 days. If, 2 men, 4 women (5)None of these anW 10 children work together, in how many 91.The compound interest earned by Suresh on a days can the work be completed ? certain amount at the end of two years at the rate (1)1 day (2)3 days (3)2 days of 8 p.c.p.a was Rs. 1,414.4. What was the total (4)4 days (5)None of these

95.The speed of a boat when travelling downstream 97.In which of the following years was the number is 32 Kms. / Hr. , whereas when travelling of candidates qualified from Chennai, the upstream it is 28 kms/hr. What is the speed of maximum among the given years ? the boat in still water ? (1)2007 (2)2006 (3)2005 (1)27 Kms./Hr. (2)29 Kms./ Hr. (4)2003 (5)None of these (3)31 Kms./ Hr. 98.Approximately what was the total number of (4)Cannot be determined candidates qualified from Delhi in 2002 and (5)None of these 2006 together ? Direction: Study the following tables carefully and (1)27250 (2)25230 (3)30150 answer the questions given below (4)28150 (5)26250 99.Approximately how many candidates appearing Number of Candidates appeared in a from Kolkata in 2004 qualified in the CompetitiveExamination from five centres over competitive examination ? the years (1)13230 (2)13540 (3)15130 NUMBER (4)15400 (5)19240 CenterMumbai DelhiKolkataHyderaChennai 100.Approximately what was the difference between Year -bad the number of candidates qualified from 2001 3514565139 45192 51124 37346 Hyderabad in 2001 and 2002 ? 2002 1726458248 52314 50248 48932 (1)1680 (2)2440 (3)1450 (4)2060 (5)1860 2003 2480063309 56469 52368 51406 2004 2831670316 71253 54196 52315 GENERAL AWARENESS / 2005 3650369294 69632 58350 55492 2006 2912959216 64178 48230 57365 MARKETING / COMPUTERS 2007 3243861345563041 49178 58492 101.What is the full form of ‘NBFC’ as used in the Approximate-Percentages of candidatesqualified Fir ancial Sector ? to appeared in the-Competitiveexamination from (1)New Banking Finance Company five centres over the years (2)National Banking & Finance Corporation PERCENTAGE (3)New Business Finance & Credit Mumbai DelhiKolkataHyderabadChennai (4)Non Business Fund Company (5)None of these 12 24 18 17 9 10 28 12 21 12 102.100% concession has been given for travelling in the Indian Railways for patients of ... 15 21 23 25 10 (1)AIDS (2)Cancer (3)Swine Flu 11 27 19 24 8 (4)T. B. (5)None of these 13 23 16 23 13 103.Many a times, we read about Special Drawing 14 20 21 19 11 Right (SDR) in newspapers. As per its definition, 16 19 24 20 14 SDR is a monetary unit of the reserve assets of 96.In which of the following years was the which of the following organizations / agencies? difference in number of candidates appeared (1)World Bank from Mumbai over the previous year the (2)International Monetary Fund (IMF) minimum ? (3)Asian Development Bank (1)2004 (2)2006 (3)2007 (4)Reserve Bank of India (4)2002 (5)None of these (5)None of these

104.Which of the following is/are the highlights of 109.How much funds has been allocated to the the Union Budget 2010-11 ? Unique Identification Authority of India? (A)Number of new steps taken to simplify the (1)Rs 1,500 Crore (2)Rs 1,900 Crore Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) regime. (3)Rs 1,600 Crore (4)Rs 1,800 Crore (B)Rs. 16,500 crore provided to ensure that the (5)None of these Public Sector Banks are able to attain a 110.What is the rate of Income Tax for incomesz minimum 8% capital (Tier I) by March 2011. above Rs 1.6 lakh upto Rs 5 lakh? (C)More than Rs. 1,74,000 crore provided for (1)10% (2)12% (3)15% the development of the infrastructure in the (4)20% (5)None of these country. 111.Recently, India took part in “Nuclear New Build (1)Only A (2)Only B 2010 Conference” organized in - (3)Only C (4)All A, B & C (1)New Delhi (2)London (5)None of these (3)Paris (4)Hong Kong 105.In how many Routes special tourist trains called (5)None of these ‘Bharat Tirth’ is to start? 112.What is the reduction in Service Charges on e- (1)19 (2)16 (3)17 tickets? (4)18 (5)None of these (1)Sleeper Class Rs. 20 & AC Class Rs. 10 106.As per the newspaper reports, the Govt. of India (2)Sleeper Class Rs. 10 & AC Class Rs. 20 made an auction of the Third Generation (3)Sleeper Class Rs. 30 & AC Class Rs. 20 Spectrum (3G) recently. Which of the following (4)Sleeper Class Rs. 20 & AC Class Rs. 30 ministries was actively involved in the process a (5)None of these (1)Ministry of Heavy Industries 113.As we know, with the launch of Nano by Tatas, (2)Ministry of Science & Technology India has become favourite Small Car (3)Ministry of Commerce Destination of the world. Other than India, which (4)Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the following countries is also a popular (5)None of these destination of small cars ? 107.As per the recent announcement, the Govt. of (1)Britain (2)France India will provide an amount of Rs.48,000 crore (3)Germany (4)Thailand to develop Rural Infrastructure in the country. (5)None of these This planned development is being undertaken 114.Imports from China in the Year of 2008-09 in under which of the following schemes ? Rs... (1)Bharat Nirman (1)100,000 Crore (2)140,000 Crore (2)Indira Aawas Yojana (3)147,605 Crore (4)151,000 Crore (3)Backward Region Grant Fund (5)None of these (4)Drought Mitigation Fund 115.How many new teams have been added in IPL (5)None of these 2010? 108.Ladies special trains to be renamed with the (1)2 (2)1 (3)4 Name of ... (4)7 (5)None of these (1)Bharat Bhoomi Specials 116.Which countries have recently faced Tsunami (2)Sonia Gandhi Specials Waves? (3)Matri Bhoomi Specials (1)Japan & Chile (2)Sallie & Korea (4)Rajiv Gandhi Specials (3)China & Thailand(4)Japan & China (5)None of these (5)None of these

117.North Korea and USA decided to resume their 122.Which of the following groups of cricket teams peace talks after a gap of several months. Both was declared joint winner of the Col. C K Naidu the countries have a dispute over which of the Trophy for 2009 ? following issues ? (1)Tamil Nadu & Gujarat (1)Bailout package offered by USA (2)Maharashtra & Kerala (2)Membership of ASEAN to North Korea (3)Punjab & Delhi (3)Nuclear programme of North Korea (4)West Bengal & Maharashtra (4)Soaring relations of China with North Korea (5)None of these (5)None of these 123.Kaiane Aldorino who was crowned Miss World 118. Who amongst the following was the Chairperson 2009 is from which of the following countries? of the 13th Finance Commission which (1)Germany (2)Russia submitted its report to the President of India (3)Austria (4)Belgium recently ? (5)Gibraltar (1)Mr. M. V. Kamath(2)Dr. C. Rangarajan 124.Which of the following teams won the Davis Cup (3)Dr. D. Subbarao (4)Dr. Rakesh Mohan Tennis Finals 2009 ? (5)Dr. Vijay Kelkar (1)Germany (2)Spain 119.As per the news published in various (3)Russia (4)France newspapers, the RBI is considering the grant of (5)None of these licence to some new companies, particularly 125.Who amongst the following is the recipient of NBFCs to act as full-fledged banks. Which of the “CNN-IBN Indian of the Year” Award for the following will be considered NBFC ? 2009? (1)NABARD (1)Ratan Tata (2)A.R.Rahman (2)Life Insurance Corporation of India (3)Manmohan Singh(4)Sachin Tendulkar (3)Reliance Capital (5)None of these (4)SEBI 126.The deficit reduction plan of which of the (5)None of these following countries was reviewed recently in the 120.Who has scored the highest individual ODI meeting of the Finance Ministers of the European Score? Union ? (1)Saeed Anwar (Pak) (1)Germany (2)Romania (2)Charls Coventry (Zim) (3)Brazil (4)Hungary (3)Sachin Tendulkar (IND) (5)Greece (5)Ricky Pointing (Aus) 127.The database administrator’s function in an (5)None of these organization is — 121.What is an ‘intranet’ (1)To be responsible for the more technical (1)Internal internet used to transfer information aspects of managing the information internally contained in organizational databases (2)Internal internet used to transfer information (2)To be responsible for the executive level to the outside company aspects of decisions regarding the (3)Internal network designed to serve the information management internal informational needs of a single (3)To show the relationship among entity classes organization in a data warehouse (4)Internal network designed to transfer the (4)To define which data mining tools must be information between two organizations used to extract data (5)None of these (5)None of these

128.Every device on the Internet has a unique______133.A set of interrelated components that collect, address (also called an “Internet address”) that process, store, and distribute information to identifies it in the same way that a street address support decision making and control in an identifies the location of a house. organization best defines - (1)DH (2)DA (3)IP (1)communications technology (4)IA (5)None of these (2)a network 129.To send another station a message, the main thing (3)an information system a user has to know is (4)hardware (1)how the network works (5)None of these (2)the other station’s address 134.Ais a computer connected to two networks. (3)whether the network is packet-switched or (1)link (2)server circuit-switched (3)gateway (4)bridge way (4)whether this is a voice or data network (5)None of these (5)None of these 135.When you save a presentation, 130.In a client/ server model, a client orogram - (1)all slides in a presentation are saved in the (1)asks for information same file (2)provides information and files (2)two files are created; one for graphics and (3)serves software files to other computers one for content (4)distributes data files to other computers (3)a file is created for each slide (5)None of these (4)a file is created for each animation or graphic 131.Control in design of an information system is (5)None of these used to — 136.In a customer database, a customer’s surname (1)inspect the system and check that it is buiit would be keyed into a — as per specifications (1)row (2)text field (2)ensure that the system processes data as it (3)record (4)computed field was designed to and that the results are (5)None of these reliable 137.Who is the new Prime Minister of Hungry ? (3)ensure privacy of data processed by it (1)Victor Orban (2)Gorden Bajnai (4)protect data from accidental or intentional (3)Jeno Fock (4)Ference Gyurcsany loss (5)None of these (5)None of these 138.Storing same data in many places is called 132.Each of the following is a true statement (1)iteration (2)concurrency except— (3)redundancy (4)enumeration (1)on-line systems continually update the master (5)None of these file 139.Which of the following is the first step in the (2)in on-line processing, the user enters ‘transaction processing cycle’, which captures transactions into a device that is directly business data through various modes such as connected to the computer system optical scanning or at an electronic commerce (3)batch processing is still used today in older website ? systems or in some systems with massive (1)Document and report generation volumes of transactions (2)Database maintenance (4)information in batch systems will always be (3)Transaction processing up-to-date” (4)Data Entry (5)None of these (5)None of these

140.CRM (Customer Relationship Management) 147.______servers store and manages files for is— network users. (1)Apre-sales activity (1)Authentication (2)Main (2)A tool for lead generation (3)Web (4)File (3)An ongoing daily activity (5)None of these (4)The task of a DSA 148.One of the following is not included in the 7 P’s (5)All of the above of Marketing. Find the same 141.Who is the new prime minister of Denmark ? (1)Product (2)Price (1)Anders Fogh Rasmussen (3)Production (4)Promotion (2)Lars Looke Rasmussen (5)None of these (3)Poul Nyrup Rasmussen 149.The target group for SME loans is - (4)Poul Hartling (1)All Businessmen (2)All Professionals (5)None of these (3)All SSIs (4)All of the above 142.Who is the Author of the book “My China Diary” (5)None of these (1)Kanwal Sibal (2)Salman Haider 150.Home Loans can be best canvassed among - (3)J.N. Dixit (4)Natwar Singh (1)Builders (2)Flat owners (5)None of these (3)Land developers (4)Agriculturists 143.One of the following is not involved in the (5)Individuals wanting to buy a flat or house Growth Strategies of a Company - (1)Horizontal integration ENGLISH LANGUAGE (2)Vertical integration (3)Diversification Direction: Read the following passage carefully and (4)Intensification (5)None of these answer the questions given below it. Certain words/ 144.A successful “Blue Ocean Strategy” requires - phrases have been printec in bold to help you locate (1)Effective communication them while answering some of the questions. (2)Innovative skills Governments have traditionally equated (3)Motivation economic progress with steel mills and cement (4)All of the above (5)None of these factories. While urban centers thrive and city dwellers 145.Programs from the same developer , sold get rich, hundreds of millions of farmers remain mired bundled together , that provide better integration in poverty. However, fears of food shortages, a and share common features , toolbars and menus rethinking of antipoverty priorities and the crushing are known as .... recession in 2008 are causing a dramatic shift in world (1)software suites economic policy in favour of greater support for (2)integrated software packages agriculture. (3)software processing packages The last time when the world’s farmers felt such (4)personal information managers love was in the 1970s. At that time, as food prices (5)none of these spiked, there was real concern that the world was 146.A data warehouse is which of the following ? facing a crisis in which the planet was simply unable (1)Can be updated by the end users to produce enough grain and meat for an expanding (2)Contains numerous naming conventions and population. Governments across the developing world formats and international aid organisations plowed investment (3)Organized around important subject areas into agriculture in the early 1970s, while technological (4)Contains only current data breakthroughs, like high-yield strains of important (5)None of these

food crops, boosted production. The result was the In India on the other hand, with only 40% of its Green Revolution and food production exploded. farmland irrigated, entire economic boom currently But the Green Revolution became a victim of underway is held hostage by the unpredictable its own success. Food prices plunged by some 60% monsoon. With much of India’s farming areas by the late 1980s from their peak in the mid- 1970s. suffering from drought this year, the government will Policymakers and aid workers turned their attention have a tough time meeting its economic growth to the poor’s other pressing needs, such as health care targets. In a report, Goldman Sachs predicted that if and education. Farming got starved of resources and this year too receives weak rains, it could cause investment. By 2004, aid directed at agriculture sank agriculture to contract by 2% this fiscal year, making to 3.5% and “Agriculture lost its glitter.” Also, as the government’s 7% GDP-growth target look “a bit consumers in high-growth giants such as China and rich”. Another green revolution is the need of the hour India became wealthier, they began eating more meat, and to make it a reality, the global community still so grain once used for human consumption got has much backbreaking farm work to do. diverted to beef up livestock. By early 2008, panicked 151.What is the author’s main objective in writing buying by importing countries and restrictions slapped the passage on grain exports by some big producers helped drive (1)Criticising developed countries for not prices upto heights not seen for three decades. Making bolstering economic growth in poor nations matters worse, land and resources got reallocated to (2)Analysing the disadvantages of the Green produce cash crops such as biofuels and the result was Revolution that voluminous reserves of grain evaporated. Protests (3)Persuading experts that a strong economy broke out across the emerging world and fierce food depends on industrialization and not riots toppled governments. agriculture This spurred global leaders into action. This (4)Making a case for the international society made them aware that food security is one of the to engineer a second Green Revolution fundamental issues in the world that has to be dealt (5)Rationalising the faulty agriculture policies with in order to maintain administrative and political of emerging countries stability. This also spurred the U.S. which traditionally 152.Which of the following is an adverse impact of provisioned food aid from American grain surpluses the Green Revolution ? to help needy nations, to move towards investing in (1)Unchecked crop yields resulted in large tracts farm sectors around the globe to boost productivity. of land becoming barren This move helped countries become more productive (2)Withdrawal of fiscal impetus from agriculture for themselves and be in a better position to feed their to other sectors own people. (3)Farmers began soliciting government Africa, which missed out on the first Green subsidies for their produce Revolution due to poor policy and limited resources, (4)Farmers rioted as food prices fell so low that also witnessed a ‘change’. Swayed by the success of they could not make ends meet East Asia, the primary poverty-fighting method (5)None of these favoured by many policymakers in Africa was to get 153.What is the author trying to convey through the farmers off their farms and into modern jobs in phrase “making the government’s 7% GDP factories and urban centers. But that strategy proved growth target look “a bit rich” ? to be highly insufficient. Income levels in the (1)India is unlikely to achieve the targeted countryside badly trailed those in cities while the FAO growth rate estimated that the number of poor going hungry in (2)Allocation of funds to agriculture has raised 2009 reached an all time high at more than one billion. India’s chances of having a high GDP

(3)Agricultural growth has artificially inflated (4)To establish itself in the market before the India’s GDP and such growth is not real high-growth giants such as India and China (4)India is likely to rave one of the highest GDP could establish themselves growth rates (5)None of these (5)A large portion of India’s GDP is contributed 157.What impact did the economic recession of 2008 by agriculture have on agriculture ? 154.Which of the following factors was/were (1)Governments equated economic stability responsible for the neglect of the farming sector with industrial development and shifted away after the green revolution ? from agriculture (A)Steel and cement sectors generated more (2)Lack of implementation of several innovative revenue for the government as compared to agriculture programmes owing to shortage of agriculture. funds (B)Large scale protests against favouring (3)It prompted increased investment and interest agriculture at the cost of other important in agriculture sectors such as education and healthcare. (4)The GDP as targeted by India was never (C)Attention of policy makers and aid achieved because of losses in agriculture organizations was diverted from agriculture (5)None of these to other sectors. 158.What encouraged African policymakers to focus (1)None (2)Only (C) on urban jobs ? (3)Only (B) & (C) (4)Only (A) 8s (B) (1)Misapprehension that it would alleviate (5)All (A), (B) & (C) poverty as it did in other countries 155.What prompted leaders throughout the world to (2)Rural development outstripped urban take action to boost the agriculture sector in development in many parts of Africa 2008? (3)Breaking out of protests in the country and (1)Coercive tactics by the U.S. which restricted the fear that the government would topple food aid to poor nations (4)Blind imitation of western models of (2)The realization of the link between food development security and political stability (5)None of these (3)Awareness that performance in agriculture is 159.Which of the following had contributed to necessary in order to achieve the targeted exorbitant food prices in 2008 ? GDP (A)Hoarding of food stocks by local wholesalers (4)Reports that high-growth countries like China which inadvertently created a food shortage. and India were boosting their agriculture (B)Export of foodgrains was reduced by large sectors to capture the international markets producers. (5)Their desire to influence developing nations (C)Diverting resources from cultivation of to slow down their industrial development. foodgrains to that of more profitable crops. 156.What motivated the U.S. to focus on investing (1)None (2)Only (C) in agriculture across the globe ? (3)Only (B) (4)All (A), (B) & (C) (1)To make developing countries become more (5)Only (B) & (C) reliant on U.S. aid 160.Which of the following is true about the state of (2)To ensure grain surpluses so that the U.S. had agriculture in India at present ? no need to import food (A)Of all the sectors, agriculture needs the (3)To make those countries more self sufficient highest allocation of funds. to whom it previously provided food (B)Contribution of agriculture to India’s GDP

this year would depend greatly upon the (1)proved that such agitations result in loss of monsoon rains. governmental property (C)As India is one of the high-growth countries, (2)indicated that the formation of small states it has s jrplus food reserves to export to other does not necessarily improve the economy nations. (3)suggested that only large scale agitations have (1)Only (A) and (C) (2)Only (C) been effective in bringing out desired change (3)Only (B) (4)Only (B) and (C) in the past (5)None of these (4)recommended dividing large States into smaller ones to improve governance Direction: Choose the word/group of words which (5)None of these is most similar it meaning to the word printed in bold as used in the passage. 167.Overlooking the fact that water scarcity intensifies during summer, 161.STARVED (1)the government issued guidelines to all (1)Deprived (2)Disadvantaged builders to limit their consumption to (3)Hungry (4)Fasting acceptable limits (5)Emaciated (2)provision for rainwater harvesting has been 162.SLAPPED made to aid irrigation in drought prone areas (1)Beaten (2)Imposed (3)the water table did not improve even after (3)Withdrawn (4)Avoided receiving normal monsoon in the current year (5)Persuaded (4)many residential areas continue to use 163.PLOWED swimming pools, wasting large quantities of (1)Cultivated (2)Bulldozed water (3)Recovered (4)Instilled (5)None of these (5)Withdrew 168.He has lost most of his life’s earning in the stock market but Direction: Choose the word/phrase which is most (1)He still seems to be leading his life opposite in meaning to the word printed in bold as luxuriously and extravagantly used in the passage. (2)he could not save enough to repay his 164.PRESSING enormous debts (1)Unpopular (2)Undemanding (3)stock market is not a safe option to invest (3)Unobtrusive (4)Unsuitable money unless done with caution (5)Unimportant (4)experts have been suggesting to avoid 165. EVAPORATED investments in stock market because of its (1)Absorbed (2)Accelerated unpredictable nature (3)Grew (4)Plunged (5)None of these (5)Mismanaged 169.Achieving equality for women is not only a laudable goal, Direction: Which of the phrases (1), (2),(3) and (4) (1)political reforms are also neglected given below each statement should be placed in the preventing women from entering legislatures blank space provided so as to make a meaningful and positions of power and grammatically correct sentence ? If none of (2)the problem is also deep rooted in the society the sentences is appropriate, mark (5) i.e. ‘None of and supported by it these’ as the answer. (3)their empowerment is purposefully hampered 166.Refuting the rationale behind frequent agitations by people with vested interests in all sections for formation of separate States, a recent report of the society

(4)it is also equally difficult to achieve and (1)resulted, insist maintain for a long term (2)provoked, fear (5)None of these (3)incited, determined 170.______or else they would not keep electing him (4)activated, accept year after year. (5)angered, believe (1)The party leader gave a strong message to 174.______has been taken against some wholesale the mayor for improving his political style drug dealers for dealing in surgical items without (2)Owing to numerous scandals against the a valid license and maintaining a stock of _____ mayor, he was told to resign from the post drugs. immed iately (1)Note, overwhelming (3)The mayor threatened the residents against (2)Step, impressive filing a complaint against him (3)Execution, outdated (4)The residents must really be impressed with (4)Action, expired the political style of their mayor (5)Lawsuit, invalid (5)None of these 175.Even as the _____ else where in the world are struggling to come out of recession, Indian Direction: Each question below has two blanks, consumers are splurging on consumer goods and each blank indicating that something has been to _____ this growth, companies are investing omitted. Choose the set of words for each blank that heavily in various sectors. best fits the meaning of the sentence as a whole. (1)economies, meet 171.Drawing attention to the pitfalls of______solely (2)countries, inhibit on Uranium as a fuel for nuclear reactors, Indian (3)governments, measure scientists warned that Uranium will not last for (4)nations, inflict long and thus research on Thorium as its____ (5)companies, counter must be revived. (1)using, substitute Direction:Rearrange the following sentences (A), (2)believing, replacement (B), (C), (D), (E) and (F) to make a meaningful (3)depending, reserve paragraph and then answer the questions which (4)reckoning, option follow (5)relying, alternative (A)While these disadvantages of bio fuels are 172.In an effort to provide ______for higher serious, they are the only alternate energy source education to all, most of the universities have of the future and the sooner we find solutions to been providing education without adequate these problems the faster we will be able to solve infrastructure, thus churning out ______the problems wo are now facing with gasoline. graduates every year. (B)This fuel can also help to stimulate jobs locally (1)chances, fresh since they are also much safer to handle thaw” (2)platform, capable gasoline and can thus have the potential to (3)opportunities, unemployable turnaround a global economy. (4)prospects, eligible (C)These include dependence on fossil fuels for the (5)policy, incompetent machinery required to produce biofuel which 173.The move to allow dumping of mercury _____ ends up polluting as much as the burning of fossil an outcry from residents of the area who _____ fuels on roads and exorbitant cost of biofuels that high levels of mercury will affect their health which makes it very difficult for the common and destroy ecologically sensitive forest area. man to switch to this option.

(D)This turnaround can potentially help to bring (1)passed a bill that proposed world peace and end the need to depend on (2)passes a bill with purpose foreign countries for energy requirements. (3)pass a bill proposing (E)Biofuels are made from plant sources and since (4)passed a bill which propose these sources are available in abundance and can (5)No correction required be reproduced on a massive scale they form an 182.Denial of wages forced scientists and teachers energy source that is potentially unlimited. at the agriculture universities throughout the (F)However everything is not as green with the country to go on strike, crippling crucial biofuels as it seems as there are numerous research that could help the state of agriculture disadvantages involved which at times in the country. overshadow their positive impact. (1)from going on strike 176.Which of the following sentence should be the (2)which went on strike FIFTH after rearrangement ? (3)on going for a strike (1)A (2)B (3)C (4)for going to strike (4)E (5)F (5)No correction required 177.Which of the following sentence should be the 183.In an attempt to boost their profits many edible THIRD after rearrangement ? oil producing companies have been engaging (1)A (2)B (3)C themselves in propaganda against commonly (4)D (5)E used oils and. promoting exotic and expensive 178.Which of the following sentence should be the varieties of oils as more healthier options. FIRST after rearrangement ? (1)as most healthiest options (1)A (2)B (3)C (2)as less healthy option (4)D (5)E (3)as a healthier option (4)as much healthiest option 179.Which of the following sentence should be the (5)No correction required SIXTH (LAST) after rearrangement ? (1)A (2)C (3)D 184.Thanks to numerous government initiatives, rural (4)E (5)F masses which was earlier unaware of the luxuries of urban ways of living are now 180.Which of the following sentence should be the connected to the same lifestyle. SECOND after rearrangement ? (1)who was earlier unaware (1)A (2)B (3)D (2)which were earlier aware (4)E (5)F (3)who were earlier conversant Direction: Which of the phrases (1), (2), (3) and (4)who were earlier unaware (4) given below each statement should replace the (5)No correction required phrase printed in bold in the sentence to make it 185.Over the last few months, while most industries grammatically correct ? If the sentence is correct are busy in restructuring operations, cutting costs as it is given and ‘No correction is required’, mark and firing, the Indian pharmaceutical and (5) as the answer. healthcare industry was adding manpower and 181.Soon after the Tsunami had killed thousands of giving salary hikes. people along the coasts of southern India, (1)as many industries are parliament psssas a bill that proposed to set up (2)while most industries were an institutional mechanism to respond promptly (3)while many industries is to natural disasters. (4)where many industries were (5)No correction required

Direction: In the following passage there are blanks, 193.(1)aid . (2)jeopardise each of which ]’as been numbered. These numbers (3)promotes (4)endure are printed below the passage and against each, five (5)cater words/phrases are suggested, one of which fits the 194.(1)acute (2)utilising blank appropriately. Find out the appropriate word/ (3)restricting (4)inspiring phrase in each case. (5)increased 195.(1)both (2)besides There is a considerable amount of research about (3)combining (4)participating the factors that make a company innovate. So is it (5)a ;o possible to create an environment (186 ) to innovation? This is a particularly pertinent (187) for Direction: In each of the following questions four India today. Massive problems in health, education words are given of which two words are most nearly etc. (188) be solved using a conventional approach the same or opposite in meaning. Find the two words but (189) creative and innovative solutions that can which are most nearly the same or opposite in ensure radical change and (190). There are several meaning and indicate the number of the correct factors in India’s (191). Few countries have the rich letter combination, by darkening the appropriate diversity that India or its large, young population oval in your answer sheet. (192). While these (193) innovation policy 196.(A) consent (B) nascent interventions certain additional steps are also required. (C) emerging (D) insecure These include (194) investment in research and (1)A–C (2)B–D development by (195) the government and the private (3)B–C (4)A–D sector, easy transfer of technology from the academic (5)A–B world etc. To fulfill its promise of beng prosperous 197.(A) elated (B) eccentric and to be at the forefront, India must be innovative. (C) explicit (D) abnormal 186.(1)stimuli (2)conducive (1)A–B (2)B–D (3)incentive (4)facilitated (3)A–C (4)A–D (5)impetus (5)D–C 187.(1)objective (2)controversy 198.(A) abundance (B) incomparable (3)doubt (4)question (C) projection (D) plethora (5)inference (1)A–C (2)A–B 188.(1)cannot (2)possibly (3)C–D (4)B–D (3)should (4)never (5)A–D (5)must 199.(A) purposefully (B) inaccurately 189.(1)necessary (2)apply (C) inadvertently (D) unchangeably (3)need (4)consider (1)A–C (2)A–B (5)requires (3)B–C (4)B–D 190.(1)quantity (2)advantages (5)A–D (3)increase (4)chaos 200.(A) germane (B) generate (5)growth (C) reliable (D) irrelevant 191.(1)challenges (2)praises (1)B–D (2)B–C (3)favour (4)leverage (3)A–B (4)C–D (5)esteem (5)A–D 192.(1)blessed (2)enjoys (3)endows (4)prevails (5)occurs

A nswers

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