CURRENT EVENTS JAN 2012 TO JAN 2013

Former Prime Minister of India and the head of unsteady coalition government in 1990s who died at the age of 92 following brief illness on 30 November 2012 - Inder Kumar Gujral Chairperson of the National League of Democracy of Myanmar who visited India from 13 November 2012 to 18 November 2012 - Aung San Suu Kyi The US special envoy to Af-Pak (Afghanistan-Pakistan) who on 27 November 2012 announced his resignation- Marc Grossman The person who was sworn-in as Brazil's Supreme Court's first non-White President on 23 November 2012 - Joaquim Barbosa The former President of the Federative Republic of Brazil, was awarded with Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace on 22 November 2012- Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva The Bihar Cadre Senior IPS Officer of 1974 batch was appointed as next director of Central Bureau of Investigation on 22 November 2012 for two years- Ranjit Sinha Royal Opera House chief executive who on 22 November 2012 was appointed as director general of the BBC - Tony Hall The Former Captain and legendary opener of Indian Cricket Team on 21 November 2012 was conferred with BCCIs prestigious Col. CK Nayudu Lifetime Achievement Award -Sunil Gavaskar The Pakistani National and the lone surviving terrorist of 26/11 Mumbai Terror Attacks who was hanged on 21 Novembe r 2012 at Punes Yerwada Jail - Mohammed Ajmal Amir Kasab The person who was appointed as the head coach of the mens National Basketball Team in the third week of November 2012 by th e Basketball Federation of India (BFI)- Scott Flemming The former Chief Justice of Rajasthan High Court on 19 November 2012 was appointed as the new Chairperson of the Election Commission of The Indian Olympic Association (IOA)- Anil Dev Singh The 23rd official James Bond movie which became the highest-grossing installment in the 50-year-old franchise- Skyfall The Chairman of Assam Tribune Group of Newspapers died on 17 November 2012 at his residence in Rajgarh - Tulsi Govinda Baruah The Shiv Sena Supremo who died on 17 November 2012 at the age of 86 - Balasaheb Keshav Thackeray The California-based, Indian-American who became the only 3rd of the community to win Congressional Election, making it to US House of Representatives - Ami Bera The ex-Defence Minister of India and former Planning Commission Deputy Chairman who died on 15 November 2012- K.C. Pant The Person who was elected new General Secretary of the Partys seven-member Politburo standing committee by the Communist Party of China (CPC) on 15 November 2012 - Xi Jinping The UK Word of the Year 2012 , chosen by the Oxford English Dictionary - Omnishambles Renowned literary critic and educator who on 10 November 2012 was awarded the prestigious Kyoto Prize in Kyoto- Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak The great-grandson of Mahatma Gandhi who was elected to a State Assembly in the United States during the general elections held on 6 November 2012- Shanti Gandhi BBC Director General who on 10 November 2012 resigned from the job over covering sexual abuse- George Entwistle The Iron Lady from Manipur who on 5 November 2012 completed 12 years of her fast demanding cancellation of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act, 1958 (AFSPA)- Irom Sharmila Chinese-British writer and physician who was known by her pen name Han Suyin, died at the age of 95 on 2 November 2012- Elizabeth Comber Veteran BJP leader, former governor of Gujarat and Rajasthan and former finance minister of Bihar who passed away in State of Bihar on 3 November 2012- Kailashpati Mishra Indian American astronaut who along with a fellow astronaut moved out of the International Space Station on 1 November 2012- Sunita Williams The Bollywood actress who on 1 November 2012 was conferred with the Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters (Chevalier dans lOrdre des Arts et des Lettres) by the French Ambassador to India Franois Richier- Aishwarya Rai Bachchan

Lyricist and well known poet who on 31 October 2012 awarded with Indira Gandhi National Integration Award by congress President Sonia Gandhi- Gulzar India's leading strategic thinker and analyst, who on 25 October 2012 won the 2012 Asia Society Bernard Schwartz Book Award for his recently published book" Water: Asia's New Battleground"- Brahma Chellaney Veteran Indian actress who on 25 October 2012 was Awarded with an Honorary Doctorate of Arts for her outstanding contribution to Indian cinema by the Edinburgh Napier University- Sharmila Tagore Actor and Satirist who died in a road accident on 25 October 2012 near Punjab's Nakodar town 40 km from Jalandhar- Jaspal Bhatti Famous Indian Scientist who was honoured with the Order of Canada Award in December 2012-Venkatesh Mannar Career diplomat who on 30 December 2012 had been appointed as Australias next High Commissioner to India - Patrick Suckling The former captain of England cricket team and renowned commentator who died in Sydney on 29 December 2012 following lung cancer- Tony Greig The former member of SEBI (Securities and Exchange Board of India) on 27 December 2012 had been appointed secretary of the Institute of Company Secretaries- MS Sahoo Renowned Oriya novelist who on 27 December 2012 selected for the prestigious Jnanpith award for the year 2011 for her contribution to the field of Indian literature- Pratibha Ray The Emirati poet and translator who became the first Emirati and Arab to win the Tagore Peace Prize- Shihab Ghanem The conservative leader of Japan who was elected as the prime minister of the country by lower house of the Parliament on 26 December 2012Shinzo Abe Former Union Minister of India and Veteran Congress leader who on 25 December 2012 was sworn-in as Chief Minister of Himachal for a record sixth term in Shimla- Virbhadra Singh The Justice who in the fourth week of December 2012 took over as the Chairperson of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) - the apex body constituted under The National Green Tribunal Act 2010- Justice Swatanter Kumar The most-watched video ever on Youtube which booked a place in popular culture with becoming Collins dictionarys word for November 2012- Gangnam Style The Italian Prime Minister who on 21 December 2012 resigned after 13 months in office with handing over his resignation to President Giorgio Napolitano after parliament gave final approval to the 2013 budget law- Mario Mont The air-to-air interceptor missile which on 21 December 2012 was test launched from interim test range (ITR) at Chandipur in Odisha- Astra The legendary hockey player who is also Indias triple Olympic Gold Medallist died after a prolonged illness on 20 December 2 012- Leslie Claudius The person who on 20 December 2012 awarded with the Best Administrator in India Award instituted by K. Karunakaran Foundation- P. Chidambaram The person who on 18 December 2012 appointed as the new chief of Border Security Force (BSF)- Subhash Joshi Bollywood Actor who on 13 December 2012 awarded with the prestigious BrandLaureate Legendary Award in Malaysia- Shah Rukh Khan The Indian banker and business executive who on 15 December 2012 took over as President of FICCI, becoming the first woman to head the leading industry body- Naina Lal Kidwai The Justice who on 14 December 2012-took over as the new Chief Justice of Calcutta High Court - Arun Kumar Mishra The inventor of bar code, which revolutionalised retail in 70s, died at 91 on 8 December 2012 at New Jersey- Norman Woodland Famous Bollywood actress and Bharatanatyam exponent who had been selected for the prestigious Bharat Muni Samman of year 2012 for her outstanding contribution to the field of art and culture- Hema Malini The first chief minister of Uttarakhand, and the BJP Party leader who passed away on 12 December 2012- Nityanand Swami Renowned Indian sitarist who passed away in San Diego city of California on 11 December 2012- Pandit Ravi Shankar The organization to which, the Nobel Peace Prize 2012 was awarded on 10 December 2012 at Oslo, Norway- European Union The city at which the 2nd meeting of the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on India-China Border Affairs was held on 2930 November, 2012- New Delhi

The film which was given two National Tourism Awards by the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India on 8 December 2012 recognizing the impact it has had in promoting India as a tourism destination- Life of Pi The strongest ever tropical cyclone which hit Philippines in the first week of December 2012- Typhoon Bopha The tax expert who was appointed by the Union government of India, as the adviser to finance minister P Chidambaram- Parthasarathi Shome The rank at which India Stands out of 176 countries in Transparency Internationals 2012 Corruption Perception Index (CPI) released on 5 December 2012- 94th IPS officer of 1974-batch Bihar cadre on 3 December 2012 acquired the office as new CBI director-Ranjit Sinha The former NBC Universal chief who was named president of CNN Worldwide on 29 November 2012- Jeff Zucker The person who on 25 January 2013 became Czech Republics first directly elected President as per the Czech Republic Presidential election results-Milos Zeman The Bollywood superstar who topped the inaugural Forbes India Celebrity 100 list-Shahrukh Khan The renowned playback singer, who on 26 January 2013 refused to accept the prestigious Padma Bhushan-Sreeramamurthy Janaki The ballistic missile successfully test fired by India with a strike range of around 700 kilometres, from an underwater platform in Bay of BengalK15 The Kannada author who was shortlisted among other ten authors for prestigious International Man Booker Prize for Fiction 2013-UR Ananthamurthy The major of Rashtriya Rifles who was selected for Kirti Chakra for his extraordinary bravery efforts in counter- terrorist operations in J&KMajor Abup J Manjali The mastermind of 26/11 terror attack who was sentenced to 35 years of imprisonment by the U.S. Federal District Court Judge Harry Leinenweber-David Coleman Headley The Islamic school of India which on 23 January 2013 demanded that the controversial writers should be banned from 6th edition of Jaipur Literature Festival (JLF)- Darul Uloom Deoband The two Scientists awarded with the prestigious Aryabhatta Award instituted by the Astronautical Society of India (ASI)- Dr. A.E. Muthunayagam and Dr. V.K. Saraswat The Chennai-born Scientist of Indian Origin and President of Micronutrient Initiative, Canada who was awarded with Canadas Highest Civil ian Award the Order of Canada-Venkatesh Mannar The former Reserve Bank of India (RBI) governor who constituted the 14th Finance Commission under Union Government in January 2013Yaga Venugopal Reddy The place at which the foundation stone of the state-of-the-art National Data Centre of Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) was laid-Manesar, Gurgaon in Haryana The first fast patrol vessel (FPV), launched by Cochin Shipyard Ltd (CSL) on 8 January 2013 which was built for the Indian Coast Guard Aadesh The Special Bench of Justices of A.K. Patnaik and Gyan Sudha Misra to hear cases of crime against women was constituted by-Chief Justice of India Altamas Kabir Keeping under consideration the sharp increase in the cost of materials, the Union Cabinet in January 2013 approved the Ministry of Rural Developments proposal to increase the unit cost under-Indira Awaas Yojana (IAY) The person elected by Shiv Sena as the President of the Party on 23 January 2013 at Sena Headquarters at Dadar, Central Mumbai- Uddhav Thackeray The BJP President who on 22 January 2013 resigned from his post as after his resignation, Rajnath Singh was elected as the party chief-Nitin Gadkari The Female sports personalities and the Olympic Bronze Medalists who on 22 Jan. 2013 nominated by Election Commission of India as National Icons- Mary Kom and Saina Nehwal The largest shore patrol vessel which was commissioned in the eastern coast for maritime surveillance around Andaman and Nicobar IslandsNS Saryu Former Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh who merged his Jan Kranti Party with Bhartiya Janta Party, during the Atal Shankhnaad Rally of BJP at Lucknow- Kalyan Singh

The third oldest elephant of the world, which celebrated its 66th birthday at the Inokashira Park Zoo of Japan- Hanako The congress MP who on 19 January 2013 declared the new vice-president of Indian National Congress after the decision made by the Congress Working Committee-Rahul Gandhi The actor and the actress who bagged the best actor and actress award in the 58th Idea Filmfare Awards given away on 20 January 2013-Ranbir Kapoor and Vidya Balan The Dutch Coach who in the month of January was appointed as the High Performance Director for Indian Hockey Team- Roelant Oltmans The Indian researcher who was selected to be felicitated with the Young Investigator Scholarship Award for his work on Alzheimer's drugMahaveer Golechha The Union Minister for Urban Development and Parliamentary Affairs, who was elected as a leader of Indian delegation for World Economic Forum 2013- Kamal Nath Indian-origin women who became the first woman and the 9th Speaker of the Singapore Parliament on 14 January 2013 by replacing Michael Palmer- Halimah Yacob The place at where ITU summoned the World Conference on International Telecommunications held from 3-14 Dec 2012- Dubai The former all-rounder of India from Surat who died on 13 January 2013 in Mumbai at the age of 76 years- Rusi Framroze Surti The place at which Indian and Pakistani armies held Brigade Commander-level flag meeting- Chakan-Da-Bagh in Poonch district in Jammu and Kashmir The 16th Non-Aligned Movement Summit Was Held In Tehran Child Mortality Estimates Report 2012 released: India at top 51 percent FDI in multi-brand retail and 49 percent in Aviation Verghese Kurien, the Milkman of India died Russia declassified the existence richest diamond field India and Tajikistan signed six agreements Sixth Mekong Ganga cooperation meeting held in New Delhi Gaurav Shumsher Rana became Nepals Army Chief Worldwide protests against the film Innocence of Muslims US Diplomat to Libya killed in Benghazi Attack Hassan Sheikh Mohamud is the new president of Somalia Hassan Sheikh Somalian president survived assassination Defence Minister, A.K. Antony opened an Army Hospital in Male India Offered Telecom Support to Turkmenistan US & Japan agreed to deploy advanced missile defense system Pakistan test fired cruise missile, Babur Majeed became Chief Minister of Eastern Province, Sri Lanka Salman Rushdie released his Book Joseph Anton India Malaysia to achieve a target trade of USD 15 Million US, India and Afghanistan held its First Trilateral Discussion GAAR Report submitted by the Shome Committee Cabinet gave a nod to two subsidiaries of Air India. Now the two units Air India Engineering Services Limited (AIESL) and Air India Transport Services Ltd. (AITSL) will be operational as two completely owned subsidiaries and treated as separate profit centers. SC asked Essar Oil to pay the sales tax dues in phases Green Tax introduced on vehicles entering Shimla

Cash Reserve Ratio slashed from 4.75 per cent to 4.5 per cent inject Rs 17000 crore Indigo Airlines emerged to be the top ranked carrier Foreign Investment cap hiked to 74 percent on Broadcasting CVC instructed CBI to expand the scope of investigation on Coal Block Allocation to private firms in between 1993 to 2004. SC directed Sahara to refund 17400 Crore to its Investors ICICI to extend its net banking services through Facebook Infosys acquired Switzerland based firm Lodestone Bank of India opened its first branch in South Africa Supreme Court directed Essar Oil to pay the sales tax dues L&T restructured its Engineering and InfoTech services DMRC started training program to train new recruits Tech Mahindra acquired 51% stake in Comviva Technologies ITC launched Grand Chola a luxury five Star hotel in Chennai HDFC Bank Commissioned its 10001st ATM at Kovalam HDFC Bank announced the Launch of Credit Card for Teachers Tata Steel won a high-speed Rail Contract in France Ex-COO and MD of Reebok India held for Rs 870 Crore Fraud Naveen Jindal, placed at the top in Executives Pay Chart SC: directed government to re-fix pay scale of army officers Rashtriya Aarogya Nidhi Scheme launched New measures announced for welfare of overseas Indians SC: Land belonging to SC/ST cannot be bought by Non-Dalits DA hiked for Union Government Employees Indian Sovereign Rating is Stable-Moody Election Commission prohibited use of animals in Campaigns Nirmal Verma appointed as Indian envoy to Canada Jaideep Sarkar appointed as the new envoy to Israel Altamas Kabir sworn-in as 39th Chief Justice of India TCS to monitor MGNREGA Fund in West Bengal SC: Notice to Tamil Nadu on petition challenging 69% quota Delhi Government imposed a Blanket Ban on Plastic Bags Punjab Government amended Canal and Drainage Act UP launched the Samajwadi Swasthya Seva in the State Chhattisgarh HC annulled the Land acquired by Government Haryana instituted Four Awards to Felicitate Women. Three of the awards include Indira Gandhi Mahila Shakti Award, Kalpna Chawla Shaurya Award and Bahin Shano Devi Panchayti Raj award. The fourth award comprises of two awards, Life time Achievers Award and Women Outstanding Achievers Award.

Andhra Pradesh to set up 15 Marine Police Stations India beat Cameroon to win Nehru Cup Football Tournament Serena Williams won Women's Singles US Open 2012 Railways won the National Open Athletics Championships M.S. Dhoni named as the captain for IIC ODI team of the year Indian Women won SAF Football Championship 2012 Liberty Medal awarded to Muhammad Ali Virat Kohli became the ICC ODI Cricketer of the Year Golfer Gaganjeet Bhullar grabbed third Asian tour title Saina Nehwal signed up a 40-crore deal Sandeep Patil appointed as BCCI Selection Committee chief Aishwarya Rai Bachan appointed as International Goodwill Ambassador Bill Gates still the richest person in America The Union Government issued an Ultimatum to Social Networking Site Twitter India eased External Overseas Borrowing Rules to enable Easier Access to Cheap Dollar Funds Arvind Saxena appointed the Managing Director of Volkswagen India Supreme Court extended the ban on Tourism Activities in Tiger Reserves Union Finance Ministry approved 49 Percent FDI in Insurance and Pension Sector Six Top Sporting Coaches to receive Dronacharya Award for 2012: Wrestling coach Yashvir Singh, Boxing Coach BI Fernandez, Athletics Coach Virender Poonia, Kabaddi Coach Sunil Davas, Parathletics Coach Dr. Satyapaul and Hockey Coach Harinder Singh are the six coaches who have been selected for the coveted award, given to the coach of different sports, for their excellent contribution to the sports. Philippe Divry appointed as the Managing Director of Volvo India Russia formally became a Member of the World Trade Organisation The Government extended the Ban on Import of Milk and Milk Products from China The Union Government issued an Ultimatum to Social Networking Site Twitter Supreme Court of India ordered Better Healthcare for Bhopal Gas Tragedy Victims BCCC asked TV Channels to be Extra-cautious while Showing Violence against Women Lakhdar Brahimi appointed New Joint Special Representative of UN and Arab League for Syria Myanmar abolished Censorship of the Country's Media India to cut Import Duties on 234 Items from Pakistan Russia formally became a Member of the World Trade Organisation India eased External Overseas Borrowing Rules to enable Easier Access to Cheap Dollar Funds India's Marine Exports to Grow by over 28% to USD 4.5 billion in 2012-13 Fiscal Union Finance Ministry approved 49 Percent FDI in Insurance and Pension Sector RBI stipulated the Norms for Securitisation of Loans by NBFCs Parliamentary Panel on Agriculture recommended to ban GM Food Crops

Supreme Court extended the ban on Tourism Activities in Tiger Reserves Indian Project won the World Environment Day Challenge Ministry of Environment and Forest issued Advisory to reduce the Impact of Communication Towers Vijay Kumar and Yogeshwar Dutt chosen for Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award 2012 South Africa replaced England as the Worlds Number One Cricket Team Roger Federer and Li Na won Cincinnati Masters Mahesh Bhupati and Rohan Bopanna finished Runners-up in the Cincinnati Masters A Web-based System developed for advising Farmers on Fertilizers Ring-Planet Saturn and Red Planet Mars paired in the Sky Scientists Unveiled the Origin of the Singing Mice NASAs New Robot Rover Curiosity touched the Surface of Mars Mary Kom won Bronze Medal in women Boxing Union Cabinet approved three new extension lines in Delhi Metro. Hamid Ansari elected as Vice-president of India Syed Nasim Ahmed Zaidi appointed New Election Commissioner Naresh Chandra Committee submitted its Report on National Security Andhra Pradesh Government decided to put a Cap on the Tuition Fee Reimbursement. US imposed Fresh Sanctions on Belligerent Iran Gunman killed 6 at Sikh Temple in Oak Creek in Wisconsin Fitch Ratings revised the Indian Retail Sector Outlook for the second half 2012-13 to Negative Siemens India Bagged 290 Million Euro NMDC Deal RBI permitted Banks to lend to Telecom Companies for the Upcoming Auction for Spectrum The Union Cabinet on 3 August 2012 gave its consent to the launch of satellite to the Mars proposed in 2013 Bimal Gurung sworn in as the Head of Gorkhaland Territorial Administration Union Government approved Relaxation in Policies Related to Transfer of Government Land Special Tribunal approved MHA Move to declare SIMI as an Unlawful Organisation Union Government approved 492 Crore Rupees to set up Central Academy for Police Training in Bhopal Russias Soyuz -FG Carrier rocket set Five Satellites into Orbit Russian Soyuz Spacecraft blasted-off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan NASAs New Robot Rover Curiosity touched the Surface of Mars Scientists identified First Radio Waves from Middleweight Black Hole HLX-1 Union Cabinet sets Base Price for Auction of 2G Spectrum at 14000 Crore Rupees Empowered Group of Ministers decided to invest Rs. 425 crore for Gujarat Drought Relief Union Cabinet approved the Launch of Satellite to study Mars German logistics Deutsche Bahn tied up with Moser Baer for Clean Energy Project RBI directed NBFCs to maintain Net-owned Funds (NOF) at Rs 3 crore by 31 March 2013

German car manufacture Audi launched A8L Sedan at 1.07 crore rupees Union Government approved 492 Crore Rupees to set up Central Academy for Police Training in Bhopal Geojit BNP launched Android OS Flip Me; first mobile trading solution on NSE & BSE Saina Nehwal gets Bronze in London Olympics Women's Singles Badminton Indian shooter Vijay Kumar wins silver medal in London Olympics in 25m Rapid Fire Pistol. Team Anna ends fast, declares to form a political party. India on 1 August 2012 signed an agreement with Belgium to modernise the Indian Railways and make some of the country's railway stations world class International Current Affairs 2012. India and Israel signed a MoU on 2 August 2012 for starting a collaborative academic research programme Study found that tumors contain their own pool of stem cells that can multiply and keep fueling the cancer, seeding regrowth An environment project made by Hand in Hand India was named the winner of World Environment Day Challenge 2012 A special tribunal in its decision pronounced on 1 August 2012 approved the MHA move to declare SIMI as an unlawful association The Union Government of India on 2 August 2012 approved relaxation in policies relating to transfer of government land Gilead Sciences signed with 3 Indian companies for low-cost HIV drugs on 2 August 2012 SBI reduced the interest rate on the deposits of more than 5 years on 2 August 2012 Hero MotoCorp invested 20 million dollar in US based Erik Buell for R&D on 2 August 2012 The US Senate on 27 July 2012 unanimously passed a resolution to label the dreaded Haqqani network as a foreign terrorist organisation The Kerala High Court on 2 August 2012 refused to stay the state government's ban on manufacture, storage and sale of gutka, pan masala and their variants Former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan on 2 August 2012 announced to quit as the UN special envoy to Syria India signed Tax Information Exchange Agreement (TIEA) with Monaco on 31 July 2012 in New Delhi. It will allow the two countries to check tax evasion Indias leading bank State Bank of India (SBI) on 1 August 2012 reduced its interest rate on home and car loans by up to 0.5 percent United States announced fresh sanctions against foreign banks that helps Iran sell its oil on 1 August 2012 Karnataka Bank with NABCONS signed MoU for Bank customers consultancy services on 1 August 2012 RBI in July 2012 signed MoU with financial regulators of 9 countries to promote greater co-operation and sharing of supervisory information between the regulators Toshiba launched its new Thinking LED range RZ1 of TV sets on 1 August 2012 EGoM on drought on 31 July 2012 approved Rs. 1900 cr drought package for the farmers to help them save the standing kharif crop through irrigation in the face of drought like conditions During April-June 2012-13, the cumulative growth rate of the core industries was 3.6 % as against their growth at 5.2% during the corresponding period in 2011-12 Star Health launched Star Comprehensive and Star Family Delite Insurance Policy on 1 August 2012 Indian government on 1 August 2012 decided to allow investment from Pakistan with the objective of boosting bilateral economic relations Uttar Pradesh government on 1 August 2012 inaugurated State Service Delivery Gateway, in Lucknow The Election Commission of India and South Korean Election Commission on 1 August 2012 signed an MoU (Memorandum of Understanding) to strengthen democracy After a week long negotiations, Pakistan and US on 31 July 2012 finally signed an agreement on transporting supplies for NATO troops The union government announced a financial assistance of 1900 crore under various schemes for the rain deficient states India's natio nal news broadcasting channel NDTV sued the countrys only television audience measurement company TAM India

India witnessed its biggest ever power blackout on 31 July2012. Power Tripped in Northern, Eastern and Northern Eastern Grids. Over 60 million people affected. Kaushik Basu ended his tenure as Indias Chief Economic Advisor on 31 July 2012. US swimmer Michel Phelps became the most successful athlete in the history of Olympic games. Gagan Narang won Bronze in the men's 10 meter air rifle event at London Olympics India banned US-sanctioned Iranian ships from entering its water Assams Kokrajhar, Udalguri District Hit by Violence: Bodos and Muslims Clashed Supreme Court quashed the Acquisition of Land of Two Industrial Units in Dehradun Anil Kumar was appointed as the new Director General for ESIC Kuchipudi Dance Guru Vempati Chinna Satyam passed away Indias public debt rose by 4.9 per cent during the First Quarter of Fiscal Year 2012 -13 India and Bangladesh decided to Fast Track the Implementation of Various Agreements First Quarter Review of Monetary Policy 2012-13 (Announced on 31st Jul 2012) SLR reduced from 24.0 per cent to 23 per cent of NDTL w.e.f. Aug 11, 2012 The Supreme Court of India in its ruling quashed the acquisition of land of two industrial units in Dehradun by the Uttar Pradesh Government in 1986 Government of India Launched Anti-Ragging Website: The Government of India launched an anti-ragging website. Kapil Sibal, the Union Human Resource Minister inaugurated the Anti- Ragging Web Portal on 26 July 2012 Ministry of Women and Child Development drafted the National Policy for Children 2012 Supreme Court of India Modified Order on Rehabilitation of Sex Workers The Supreme Court of India on 23 July 2012 allowed Tamil Nadu government to carry out repair and maintenance works on the Mullaperiyar dam Supreme Court reduced the VIP quota for Haj pilgrimage from 5050 seats to 300 Pranab Mukherjee won the Presidential Election 2012: Pranab Mukherjee on 22 July 2012 recorded a landslide victory to be elected as the 13th President of India The Union cabinet on 19 July 2012 approved a proposal to make rape a gender-neutral offence. Now, the word rape will be replaced with sexual assault Delhi High Court on 13 July 2012 scrapped the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) guideline to put a cap on daily SMS limit In a policy aimed at benefitting countrys 120 crore population, the Union Government of India on 4 July 2012 unveiled the 5. 4 billion dollar free drug policy The Supreme Court of India on 3 July 2012 declared the area within a five-kilometre radius around the Jarawa Tribal Reserve Vice Admiral DK Joshi named the New Chief of the Indian Navy India allowed Foreign Direct Investment from Pakistan Veeravalli Sundaram Sampath appointed New Chief Election Commissioner of India Sania Mirza and Mahesh Bhupathi won Mixed Doubles Title of the French Open Samsung Electronics named Kwon Oh-hyun as its New Chief Executive Officer Shanghai Cooperation Organization Summit 2012 concluded in Beijing US Defence Secretary Leon Panetta visited India, vowed to strengthen Tie with India Walt Disney banned Junk Food Advertisements on Kids Programmes

According to the new set of guidelines approved by University Grants Commission (UGC) on 2 June 2012, only global top 500 universities will be allowed to start their operation in India. Chief of Army Staff General VK Singh on 21 May 2012 ratified a court martials decision to dismiss former military secretary Lt. Gen. Avadesh Prakash from service. The Andhra Pradesh High Court on 28 May 2012 invalidated the 4.5 per cent sub-quota for minorities carved out of the 27 per cent. The state-owned oil marketing companies increased the price of Petrol by 7.54 rupees a litre to 73.18 rupees with effect from midnight 23 May 2012. The Loksabha, the lower house of the parliament, passed the Copyright (Amendment) Bill 2010 on 22 May 2012. The Union Cabinet approved the 7.6 billion dollar TAPI gas pipeline project on 17 May 2012. The Union government of India approved the changes in the Marriage Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2010. Union government cleared a Rs 8500-crore project under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) to connect 6000 habitations in 78 naxalite-affected districts. The Supreme Court of India on 8 May 2012 directed the Union Government to eliminate the Haj subsidy completely by reducing it gradually. The Supreme Court of India on 27 April 2012 held that Farmers whose land is acquired for a public purpose are entitled to the highest market value as compensation. The Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) in its much-awaited tariff order issued on 30 April 2012. The information and broadcasting (I&B) ministry of India on 28 April 2012 notified the much awaited Cable Television Networks Rules, 2012. The Rajya Sabha on 27 April 2012 passed amendments to the Central Educational Institutions (Reservation in Admissions) Act, 2006. The Rajaya Sabha, the upper house of Indian parliament, on 24 April 2012, passed the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (Amendment) Bill 2010. Supreme Court of India upheld Election commissions poll symbol rules, which entitled a political party the status of state p arty and common symbol for its candidates. The Union Cabinet on 12 April 2012 gave its approval to the introduction of a Bill seeking an amendment in the Registration of Births and Deaths Act, 1969. Union Cabinet on 12 April 2012 gave its nod to the Public Procurement Bill. The bill is aimed at bringing transparency in the bidding process for public procurement. The Supreme Court of India on 12 April 2012 upheld the constitutional validity of the Right to Education Act, 2009, which mandates 25 per cent free seats to the poor in government and private unaided schools. The Supreme Court of India on 11 April 2012 directed seven states to furnish within 48 hours, details of mercy petitions filed by death row convicts. The Lucknow Bench of the Allahabad High Court directed the Union government of India and the Uttar Pradesh government to ensure that there is no reporting on movement of troops by the print or electronic media. The Supreme Court of India on 3 April 2012 directed the Union government to provide records of all 18 mercy pleas. The Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) on 29 March 2012, reconstituted the advisory board on bank, commercial and financial frauds. The Supreme Court of India on 30 March 2012 refused to pass any order on a mercy petition in the death sentence to Balwant Singh Rajoana. The Union Cabinet of India on 23 March 2012 approved the redrafted Marriage laws (Amendment) Bill, 2010. The bill seeks to give a woman share in her husbands property. The Union Government of India on 3 February 2012 notified the setting up of the anti-terror body called National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC). The Supreme Court of India ruled that one cannot acquire title to a property only because he or she had been allowed to stay in the premises for long. Draft report titled Performance Audit Of Coal Block Allocations by CAG stated that the government lost Rs 10.67 lakh crore by not auctioning coal blocks between 2004 and 2009. The Union government of India on 1 March 2012 sanctioned a special package of 130 crore Rupees for Arunachal Pradesh for the modernisation of the police forces in troubled Tirap and Changlang districts of the state.

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The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) on 4 March 2012 released guidelines to eliminate physical punishment and to discipline schools. The NCPCR survey disclosed that the use of physical punishments is common in Indian schools. UP, Punjab, Uttarakhand and Goa recorded the highest ever voting percentage in their history in the recently concluded Assembly elections. The Supreme Court of India on 2 March 2012 appointed its former judge, Justice H S Bedi as the chairman of the monitoring authority. He will investigate the case of 22 alleged fake encounter killings in Gujarat between 2002 and 2006. The Union cabinet of India approved the proposed changes in the Motor Vehicle Act 1988, which includes longer jail terms and higher fines for repeat traffic violations. Human Resource Development (HRD) ministry on 28 February 2012 launched a web portal for implementation of the National Scheme of Incentive to Girls for Secondary Education (NSIGSE) in New Delhi. The Supreme Court of India directed the union government of India to implement the ambitious interlinking of rivers project in a time-bound manner. More than 25 agriculture and allied activities were included in the new version of Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act. The Supreme Court of India on 15 February 2012 directed closure of all unauthorised sandalwood oil factories in the country and asked the Centre to formulate a suitable policy for conservation of sandalwood. InterIn New Delhi, the biggest coordinated mock drills were carried out on 15 February 2012, to check the alertness and preparedness of various public agencies. The Union Cabinet of India approved Defence Ministry guidelines for its public sector units (PSUs) to establish joint ventures with private firms to increase opportunities to obtain advanced technologies from foreign sources. Union cabinet of India on 9 February 2012 approved the National Data Sharing and Accessibility Policy (NDSAP-2012) to facilitate access to central government owned shareable data and information. The government of India on 9 February 2012 approved setting up of a national centre for cold chain development and allocated a one-time grant of 25 crore rupees for its corpus fund. Union government decided to operationalise the ambitious National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC) from 1 March 2012. As per the latest Sample Registration System (SRS) bulletin, it is noted that Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) dropped further by 3 points from 50 to 47 infants deaths per 1000 live births during 2010. The Union Government of India on 1 February 2012 gave the approval for setting up a National Council for Senior Citizens. It will be headed by the Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment. The Supreme Court on 31 January 2012 set aside the Delhi High Court order refusing to pass any direction to the Prime Minister for taking a decision on sanction of prosecution in 2G case. The Supreme Court of India on 24 January 2012 criticized the Union government for total inaction in dealing with the prolonged imprisonment of several foreign nationals in Indian jails. The Election Commission of India banned exit polls during the entire period when elections to the five state assemblies would be held. The Supreme Court of India on 20 January 2012 dismissed a PIL seeking a direction to the government to restore the Army Chief Gen V K Singh's date of birth as 10 May 1951. The Law Commission of India on 18 January 2012 recommended the dilution of Anti-Dowry law to make it less stringent. Union Ministry for Human Resource Development announced that there would be a Grievance Redressal mechanisms in higher educational institutions. The Union government of India on 14 January 2012 directed all the states to tighten norms in granting licences to open new medical institutes. The Union Cabinet of India on 12 January 2012 approved the Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) policy. The Cabinet Committee on Security approved the setting up of a National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC) to counter terrorism effectively. National Commission for Protection of Child Right (NCPCR) on 9 January 2012 directed the state governments to propose a system called Shiksha Samvad. The Central Information Commission(CIS) held that all information in possession of the office of the Chief Justice of India is not completely exempt from disclosure under the Right to Information( RTI) act. The Supreme Court of India ruled that a person cannot be detained under the preventive detention law like National Security Act (NSA) without justifiable reasons.

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India became free from bird flu, H5N1. The government made a declaration to this effect. India on 4 January 2012 approved 6600 crore rupees acquisition of 490 French advanced missile systems to arm the Mirage-2000 fighter jets. Rajya Sabha approved the Export-Import Bank of India Amendment Bill, 2011, on 27 December 2011. The Lok Sabha on 27 December 2011, approved the Lokpal and Lokayukta Bill, 2011 with the government making it clear that setting up of Lokayuktas by the states would not be mandatory. Rajya Sabha approved the Regulation of Factor (Assignments Receivable Bill, 2011) on 27 December 2011 to help micro, small and medium enterprises. The Lokpal and Lokayuktas Bill was introduced in Lok Sabha on 22 December 2011. The bill was aimed at setting up the body of Lokpal at the Centre and Lokayuktas at the level of the States. Rajya Sabha of Indian Parliament on 22 December 2011 passed the bill the Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order (Amendment) Bill, 2011. The Union cabinet of India on 22 December 2011 approved 4.5 percent share for minorities within the 27% OBC quota in jobs and university seats. The Supreme Court of India on 20 December 2011 ruled that courts can interfere in the case of contractual job if the decision taken by the management is arbitrary. The Union Cabinet of India on 18 December 2011 approved a draft National Food Security Bill that seeks to give legal entitlement of cheaper food-grains to 62.5 per cent of the country's population. A bench of the Supreme Court including Justices BS Chauhan and TS Thakur ruled that even animals entitled to accident compensation. The Union Ministry of Home Affairs agreed to fill 10% of the Group B posts in Central Paramilitary Forces from among Ex -Servicemen. The Lok Sabha on 13 December 2011 unanimously passed a Bill to further amend the Cable Television Networks Regulation Act, 1995. The Supreme Court of India directed Tamil Nadu to ensure that the water level in the Mullaperiyar dam does not exceed 136 feet but declined to entertain Keralas plea for reducing the level to 120 feet. The Lok Sabha on 12 December 2011 passed the amendments to the Petroleum and Minerals Pipelines (Acquisition of Right of User in Land) Act, 1962. The Supreme Court directed state governments to build adequate number of night shelter to ensure that no homeless person has to sleep under sky this winter. The Lok Sabha on 12 December 2011 unanimously passed the National Capital Territory of Delhi Laws (Special Provisions) Bill of 2011. The Government decided to set up a village water and sanitation committee in each Gram Panchayat, village and ward to ensure safe drinking water supply. The Parliamentary panel on law and justice, headed by Abhishek Singhvi stated that the Constitution should be amended to set up a National Judicial Commission with powers to initiate criminal prosecution and sacking of corrupt judges. Supreme Court of India on 8 December 2011 directed all states to ensure vehicles carry tamper-free high security number plates within four weeks. Empowered Committee in its meeting on 5 December 2011 decided to send two technical members to inspect the Mullaperiyar dam. The Supreme Court of India on 1 December 2011 stated that section 497 of the Indian penal Code is biased against men. The United Naga Council (UNC) on 29 November 2011 decided to lift the economic blockade from Manipur following assurance from Union home affairs minister P Chidambaram. The Supreme Court ruled on 28 November 2011 that awards passed by the Lok Adalat either in criminal or civil matters are bound to be implemented through a court decree. The movie Dam 999 directed by Sohan Roy believed to be based on disputed Mullaperiyar Dam between Tamilnadu & Kerala faced ban. Indian government inked tripartite peace agreement with Assam's insurgent group, United Peoples Democratic Solidarity on 25 November 2011. The U.N. General Assembly's human rights committee on 22 November 2011 voted to strongly condemn Syria's crackdown on dissent. The Supreme Court of India ruled that the government cannot indefinitely delay its decision on the representations made by detenus.

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Supreme Court of India ruled that serious offences like attempt to murder cannot be settled through compromise deals and the accused must suffer conviction and imprisonment. The Supreme Court of India ruled that a Hindu Woman cannot be evicted from the matrimonial home after divorce. The Union Cabinet approved the official amendment to the Prohibition of Unfair Practices in Technical Educational Institutions, Medical Educational Institutions and Universities Bill, 2010.

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