FEBUARY 2012

Acclaimed Cartoonist Mario Miranda Dead

The world renowned cartoonist, Mario Miranda died in Goa on 11 December 2011. He was 85. He famously captured vignettes of Goan life on canvas in his trademark style for over two decades. Miranda was the recipient of the Padma Bhushan (2002) and Padma Shri (1988) awards. He started his career as a cartoonist for the Times of India Group in 1953 and later moved into illustration and fine art. His creations such as Miss Nimbupani and Miss Fonseca which appeared on a regular basis in Femina, Economic Times, and The Illustrated Weekly of India brought him fame. In his stint with the Times of India, Miranda worked with the noted cartoonist, R.K. Laxman. He has illustrated numerous books including Inside Goa by Manohar Malgonkar, A family in Goa and The Open Eyes by Dom Moraes. A recipient of many national and international awards, Miranda had held solo exhibitions in over 22 countries, including the United States, Japan, Brazil, Australia, Singapore, France, Yugoslavia, and Portugal. Mirandas own books are Goa with Love, A little World of Humor, Sketch book, Germany in Wintertime, Impression of Paris and Mario de Miranda.

Former Brazil World Cup captain Socrates Died at 57

Brazils former football captain, Socrates who led Brazil in two World Cups died of septic shock on 4 December 2011 in Sao Paulo. He was 57. Socrates was also known as the Golden Hee and the Big Thin One. He was renowned as one of the great playmakers of his generation. Born on 19 February 1954, Socrates was part of a golden Brazilian generation who included midfielder Zico, Junior, Falcao and Eder. Socrates Brasileiro de Souza Viera de Oliveira made his international debut in 1979 and captained Brazil at the 1982 and 1986 World Cups. However Brazil did not manage to win the cup under the captaincy of the former attacking midfielder. Socrates won 60 caps and scored 21 goals in his seven-year Brazil career. He had scored 25 goals in 63 games for Brazil. He was notable for the use of the back heel and the casual manner in which he took penalties. He scored outstanding goals with both feet. Socrates was also a cultural icon and a political activist who used his celebrity to fight for the end of Brazils 1964-1984 military government. Socrates was a physician and had practiced medicine after retiring as a player in 1989.

Peoples Poet Adam Gondvi Passed away in Lucknow

Poet Ram Nath Singh, popularly known as Adam Gondvi, breathed his last in Lucknow on 18 December 2011. Gondvi lived like a villager throughout his life and wrote revolutionary poetry focusing on the pathetic state of dalits and the poor. He himself died in poor financial condition and cultural and social activists had to appeal for donations for his treatment. Adam Gondvi was born on 22 October 1947 in Aataa Paraspur village of Gonda district in Uttar Pradesh. His couplet, Kaaju bhuni plate mein, whisky bhari gilaas mein, utra hai raamraaj vidhayak niwas mein was a great hit among the masses. Gondvi also criticised politicians who sought votes on caste and communal basis in his gazal collections. His collection Dharti ki satah par and Samay se Muthbhed made him an acclaimed gazal writer. He was felicitated with Dushyant Kumar prize in 1998 by Madhya Pradesh government.

Ex-India Goalkeeper Varadaraj No More

KV Varadaraj, one of the few Indian footballers who played in two Olympics in 1948 and 1952, passed away in Bangalore on 20 December 2011. Varadaraj was nicknamed 6-footer by the English. Born on 7 May 1924, Varadaraj came up quickly through the ranks representing Challenge Union Mysore, Mysore Railways and Bangalore Blues. Varadaraj was the goalkeeper of the Indian team led by Mohun Bagan defender Talimeren Ao that took the field in the 1948 London Games. Despite Varadaraj also known as Mysore Wall guarding the goal, India lost to France 1-2 in the first round. KV Varadaraj was also part of the Indian squad led by Sailendra Nath Manna at the Helsinki Olympics in 1952. India went in to the first round match with Berland Anthony at the goal and got thrashed 10-1 by Yugoslavia. Varadaraj won the gold medal at the 1951 inaugural Asian Games in New Delhi as he helped India keep a clean slate in all the matches, beating Iran 1-0 in the final. For a long time he was a permanent fixture in the Mysore state team. Later he also worked as a coach for the HMT. Varadaraj was one among the several Olympians to have emerged from Karnataka, and then known as Mysore.

Veteran Telugu Film Producer M.S. Reddy Dead

Veteran Telugu film producer and noted lyricist M S Reddy, popularly known as Mallemala passed away on 11 December 2011. He was 87. A Gandhian, M S Reddy was born on August 15, 1924 near Nellore. Sahaja Kavi as he is known for his lyrical simplicity in penning poems, Mallemala penned more than 5,000 lyrics and played a vital role in the shifting the Telugu film industry from Chennai to Hyderabad. The veteran produced several films, including a mega production Bala Ramayanam with 3,000 child artistes, which bagged Best Childrens Film Award. He portrayed the role of Chief Minister in one of his films Ankusham. He also produced films like Aagraham and Ammoru. Reddy had served as president of Telugu Film Producers Council, South Indian Film Writers Association, Film Nagar Cooperative Housing Society and chairman of AP Film Development Corporation.

Vasant Ranjane Died at the Age of 74

Vasant Ranjane, a former India medium-pacer, has died in Pune at the age of 74. Born in Pune on 22 July 1937, Ranjane grabbed 19 wickets in Tests at 34.15 per innings and 175 wickets from 64 first class ties. Ranjane thus made a successful first-class debut in 1956-57, when he took 9 for 35 and 4 for 36 for Maharashtra against Saurashtra. Ranjane played seven Tests for India between 1958 and 1964 and represented Maharashtra and Railways in first-class cricket from 1956 to 1971. He made his Test debut against West Indies in 1958-59. Next he was chosen for his second game in1961-62, when England toured India. He played two more Tests in that series and was taken on the 1962 tour of West Indies, where he played one game, the final Test at Kingston. He played two more Tests, against England in Madras in 1963-64 and against Australia at the same venue a year later and finished with 19 Test wickets at an average of 34. Ranjane worked for Indian Railways as a fitter and retired in 1994.

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FEBUARY 2012

Karnataka ex-CM S Bangarappa Died

Former Karnataka Chief Minister S Bangarappa died on 26 December 2011 in Bangalore. Bangarappa was associated with all the major political parties like the Congress, the BJP, the JDS and even the NCP. Born on October 26, 1932, Bangarappa entered politics in 1967 when he was elected to the state assembly and served the late Devaraj Urs ministry in 1972. Baptised into politics as a socialist, he was a known party hopper who had quit Congress several times only to rejoin it, besides floating his own outfits and joining Samajwadi Party and BJP in between. Bangarappa had played a key role in installing the first ever non-Congress government in Karnataka in 1983 when his outfit Karnataka Kranti Ranga supported the then Janata Party government headed by late Ramakrishna Hegde. He was the chief minister between 1990 - 92 and after he was removed from the post, he floated Karnataka Congress Party which contested the 1994 assembly elections and won 10 seats. Bangarappa, who has left his own imprints in state politics, was on the national political stage as a Lok Sabha member for three terms in 1996, 1999 and 2003. He was also with the Samajwadi Party. A highly respected leader among backward classes, Bangarappa had, however, lost the 1998 parliamentary polls to BJPs Ayanur Manjunath. His worst times in political arena came in 2009, when Bangarappa was defeated by BY Raghavendra, son of former chief minister BS Yeddyurappa in Shimoga parliamentary seat and also in the assembly election held in 2008 at the hands of Yeddyurappa in Shikaripura constituency. Bangarappa also spent three years in BJP and won as an MP on its ticket in 1996 and 1999.

Evergreen Actor Dev Anand Died in London

An icon of Indian cinema and evergreen star Dev Anand died at the age of 88 in London on 3 December 2011 (4 December according to IST) after suffering a massive cardiac arrest. Dharam Dev Anand was born on 26 September 1923 in Gurdaspur in Undivided Punjab and is more popularly known as Dev Anand. Dev Anand was an Indian film actor, director and producer known for his work in Hindi cinema. He graduated in English literature from the Government College, Lahore. Dev Anand came to Bombay in the early 1940s and began his career in the military censors office at Churchgate. He joined his older brother, Chetan, as a member of the Indian Peoples Theatre Association (IPTA). FILM CAREER Dev Anand first film as an actor was Hum Ek Hain (1946). Ashok Kumar spotted Devs talent and picked him as the hero for the Bombay Talkies production, Ziddi, costarring Kamini Kaushal (1948). In 1949, Dev turned producer and launched his own company Navketan, which continues to churn out movies. His hit films at that time were Taxi driver, Munimji, CID, Paying Guest and Kala Pani (1958). His first film in colour, Guide with Waheeda Rehman was directed by his younger brother Vijay Anand. Jewel Thief, Johnny Mera Naam (1970), Hare Rama Hare Krishna, Tere Mere Sapne, Des Pardes in 1978 were Devs hit film. Dev Anand directed 19 films and produced 31 films of which 7 directorial ventures and 18 films respectively were commercially successful at the box office. He wrote the story for 13 of his films. Dev Anands films are well known for their hit songs. His career spanned more than 65 years. His last film as an actor and director, Chargesheet was a dud at the box office. In September 2007, Devs own autobiography Romancing with Life was released at a birthday party with the Indian Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh. His 1961 black and white film Hum Dono was digitised and colourised and released in February 2011. POLITICALACTIVITY Dev Anand had been politically active. He led a group of film personalities who stood up against the Internal Emergency imposed by the then Prime Minister of India, Indira Gandhi. He actively campaigned against her with his supporters in Indian parliamentary elections in 1977. He also formed a party called the National Party of India, which he later disbanded. AWARDS Dev Anand received several awards, honours and recognitions, some prominent awards as 1991 - Winner Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award, 1996 - Star Screen Lifetime Achievement Award, 2001 - Padma Bhushan Award (Indias third highest civilian award from the Government of India). 2001 - Special Screen Award for his contribution to Indian cinema. 2001 - Evergreen Star of the Millennium Award at the Zee Gold Bollywood Awards 2002 - Dadasaheb Phalke Award, Indias highest award for cinematic excellence 2003 - Lifetime Achievement Award for Outstanding Achievement in Indian Cinema at IIFA Award 2004 - Legend of Indian Cinema Award at Atlantic City (United States). 2004 - Living Legend Award by the Federation of Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) 2005 - Sony Golden Glory Award 2006 - ANR Award by the Akkineni International Foundation. 2006 - Glory of India Award by IIAF, London. 2007 - Punjab Ratan (Jewel of Punjab) Award by the World Punjabi Organisation (European Division) In July 2000, in New York City, he was honoured by an Award at the hands of the then First Lady of the United States of America - Mrs. Hillary Rodham Clinton - for his Outstanding Contribution to Indian Cinema. In 2000, he was awarded the Indo-American Association Star of the Millennium Award in the Silicon Valley, California. In 2005, he was honored with a Special National Film Award by the Government of Nepal at Nepals first National Film Festival.

North Korean Dictator Kim Jong-Il Died at 69

Kim Jong-Il, North Koreas mercurial and enigmatic longtime leader has died of heart failure on 17th December, 2011. He was 69.The news of his death was announced by the state television from the North Korean capital, Pyongyang on 19 December 2011. An autopsy conducted mentioned that the death was caused by physical and mental over-work. Kim Jong-Il led his nation for 17 years and through a devastating famine while frustrating the United States and other global powers with approach to talks on giving up nuclear arms in return for food and other assistance. His longtime pursuit of nuclear weapons and his militarys repeated threats to South Korea and the United States caused worries that fighting might break out again on the Korean peninsula or that North Korea might provide weapons of mass destruction to terrorist movements. The Korean War ended more than 50 years ago in a ceasefire, but the two sides remain technically in a state of war. Kim took over after his father and founding President Kim Il-sung died in 1994, coming to power with a reputation as a playboy. In the mid- to late-1990s he presided over a famine which killed hundreds of thousands of his people. Severe food shortages still continue and the UN childrens fund estimates one-third of children are stunted by malnutrition. However Kim still found the resources to continue a nuclear weapons programme which culminated in tests in October 2006 and May 2009. The country is believed to have a plutonium stockpile big enough for six to eight weapons.

PK Iyengar Nuclear Scientist Died at 80

Eminent nuclear scientist PK Iyengar, former chairman of Atomic Energy Commission and a key member of the team, which made possible Indias first peaceful nuclear explosion in 1974, passed away on 21 December 2011. He was 80. Iyengar was renowned as a nuclear physicist with keen interest in developing indigenous experimental facilities. He was the AEC chief and secretary, Department of Atomic Energy from 1990-93, his last official position before retirement. Later, he served briefly as scientific advisor to Kerala government in 1998. After graduating in physics from Trivandrum, Iyengar joined the famous Tata Institute of Fundamental Research in 1952 in Mumbai. Three years later, he joined the then Atomic Energy Establishment, Trombay and was assigned to Chalk River Laboratories of the Canadian Atomic Energy Establishment. He was engaged in the design and setting up of the countrys first fast reactor critical facility, Purnima-1, which achieved its first criticality May 18, 1972, paving the way for Indias first peaceful nuclear experiment exactly two years later, on May 18, 1974, at Pokhran. After serving in various capacities at the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) Mumbai, Iyengar took over as its director in 1984. During this time, he provided crucial leadership in resolving many technical challenges encountered in the commissioning of the indigenous research reactor Dhruva and directed the Indian Atomic Energy program during his tenure as AEC chairman. Iyengar was conferred with various awards and honours in India and abroad, including the prestigious Bhatnagar Award in 1971 and the Padma Bhushan in 1975.

About Kim Jong-Il

Kim Jong-Il was born as Yuri Irsenovich Kim on 16 February 1941/2. He was the General Secretary of the Workers Party of Korea, the ruling party since 1948, Chairman of the National Defence Commission of North Korea, and the supreme commander of the Korean Peoples Army, the fourth-largest standing army in the world. In April 2009, North Koreas constitution was amended to refer to him implicitly as the supreme leader. On 24 December 1991, Kim was also named supreme commander of the North Korean armed forces. By the time of the Sixth Party Congress in October 1980, Kim Jong-Ils control of the Party operation was complete. He was given senior posts in the Politburo, the Military Commission and the party Secretariat. When he was made a member of the Seventh Supreme Peoples Assembly in February 1982, international observers deemed him the heir apparent of North Korea. The North Korean government system became even more centralized and autocratic during the 1980s and 1990s under Kim Jong-Il than it had been under his father. The state-controlled economy of North Korea struggled throughout the 1990s, primarily due to mismanagement. According to a 2004 Human Rights Watch report, the North Korean government under Kim was among the worlds most repressive governments, having up to 200000 political prisoners.

SA Indian Politician Rajbansi Died

Charismatic and controversial South African Indian politician Amichand Rajbansi died on 29 December 2011 in Durban, South Africa. He was nicknamed The Bengal Tiger because of his fiery nature. Rajbansi courted political controversy throughout his career but remained popular with a section of the Indian community which repeatedly voted him back into positions through his Minority Front party. A decade after the first democratic elections in 1994 that saw Nelson Mandela become President, Rajbansi who had renamed his party the Minority Front, became a kingmaker giving the ANC a majority after he threw his lot in with them. He was in turn rewarded with the post of Sports Minister in his home province, but lost the same during the last elections. Rajbansi had served as Sport and Recreation MEC in the ANC-led provincial cabinet from 2004-2009 as a result of a coalition agreement between the MF and ANC. 6

Former Indian Footballer Hamilton Bobby Passed Away

Former Indian footballer Hamilton Bobby passed away following a cardiac arrest. Bobby, an assistant manager of Indian Bank who fell unconscious at his place of work could not be saved though he was immediately rushed to the hospital. He had twice captained Tamil Nadu in the Santosh Trophy and also represented the state for seven years from 1993 to 2000. The footballer had also played in the under-16 and under-23 national teams and was a member of the senior India national team at Presidents Cup in Colombo.

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FEBUARY 2012
In 1998, then white minority National Party Prime Minister PW Botha sacked Rajbansi after allegations of irregularities committed by Rajbansi surface. He was then described as arrogant, unscrupulous, ruthless and a mean-minded bully. Rajbansi had received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the India International Friendship Society in New Delhi in January 2009. For him the book business was the business of life. More than a distributor of books, Whitman saw himself as patron of a literary haven and the heir to Sylvia Beach, the founder of the original Shakespeare & Company. Whitman founded his bookstore in 1951 and named it Le Mistral, then later named it after Sylvia Beachs earlier Paris bookstore Shakespeare and Company. Overlooking the Seine and facing the Cathedral of Notre-Dame, the store that look beat-up behind a Dickensian facade and spread over three floors, has been an offbeat mix of open house and literary commune. Whitman provided food and makeshift beds to young aspiring novelists or writing nomads, often letting them spend a night, a week, or even months. He welcomed visitors with large-print messages on the walls. He was a contemporary of such Beat poets as Jack Kerouac and Allen Ginsberg. Born in East Orange, New Jersey, United States he was awarded the Officier des Arts et Lettres medal by the French government for his contribution to the arts over the previous fifty years.

Jamaica Peoples National Party Secures Landslide Poll Win

Jamaica: Jamaica is an island nation. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea. Jamaicas main opposition party has won the countrys parliamentary elections, while the ruling Jamaica Labour Party conceded defeat. A huge election victory has seen Jamaicas first female prime minister swept back into office. Portia Simpson-Miller secured her big election victory after a campaign dominated by the economy. Preliminary results showed that Mrs Simpson-Millers party had won 41 seats out of 63, a huge majority in the Caribbean nations parliament. However Simpson-Millers work is well cut out - she faces a 13 percent unemployment rate and a national debt of 130 percent of GDP. The outgoing Prime Minister Andrew Holness, who was only sworn in a couple of months ago may now have to fight to hold on to his leadership of the JLP following his humbling at the polls. Holness, at 39, was Jamaicas youngest PM.

Xerox PARC Founder Jacob E. Goldman Died

Jacob E. Goldman, a founder of the Palo Alto Research Center (PARC) that developed breakthrough computing innovations died on 20 December 2011. The Palo Alto Research Center developed computing innovations such as the graphical user interface and ethernet networks. Physicist Jacob E. Goldman, as Xeroxs chief scientist founded the companys vaunted Palo Alto Research Center, which invented the modern personal computer. In 1970s, the laboratory created a string of innovations from laser printing to object-oriented programming to the worlds first WYSIWYG (What-You-See-Is-WhatYou-Get) editor. In 1975, PARC unveiled the graphical user interface with pop-up menus and windows and point-and-click controls. The GUI represented crucial ground work later built upon by companies such as Microsoft and Apple and eventually launched personal computing in the 1980s. Goldman played an important role both at the Ford Motor Co., during the 1950s, and later at Xerox in the 1960s and 1970s, in financing basic scientific research in an effort to spark corporate innovation. He became a private investor after retirement, according to the book Dealers of Lightning: Xerox PARC and the Dawn of the Computer Age by Michael Hiltzik.

PLACES IN NEWS
Sibsagar in Assam to have Indias First Cooperative University
Sibsagar in Assam: The countrys first cooperative university will be set up in Sibsagar. Indias first cooperative university will be set up at Sibsagar in Assam. To be known as the Rajiv Gandhi University of Cooperative Management, it will offer courses on cooperative management and train existing manpower in both the government and the private sectors, to manage the cooperative sector.

BONN Conference on Afghanistan

Bonn-The Global Conference on Afghanistans future concluded in Bonn. Bonn is the capital of Germany. The one-day global conference in Bonn on Afghanistans future ended on 5 December 2011. During the summit, Afghanistan pledged to intensify the drive against corruption in exchange for international support after NATO forces withdraw in 2014. About 1000 delegates from 100 countries and international organisations participated in the organisation. Pakistan didnt attend the Bonn summit. First Bonn summit was held in 2001.

Iran Threatened to Close the Strait of Hormouz

Strait of Hormuz: Located between the Gulf of Oman and the Persian Gulf. Iran has threatened to close the Strait if Western nations place an embargo on Iranian oil. Iranian navy is currently holding exercises close to the Strait. The Strait of Hormuz is a narrow, strategically important strait between the Gulf of Oman in the southeast and the Persian Gulf. The strait is the only sea passage to the open ocean for large areas of the Persian Gulf.

Udaipur wins Best Leisure Destination Award

Readers of international travel magazine Cond Nast Traveler voted the lake city of Udaipur in Rajasthan as the best leisure destination in India. Rajasthan State Tourism Minister Bina Kak received the Cond Nast Traveler India Award-2011 from Union Tourism Minister Subodh Kant Sahay in New Delhi on 3-4 December 2011. The award opened up Rajasthans tourism sector to the globetrotters and package tour operators in a big way.

George Whitman of Shakespeare & Company Died at 98

George Whitman, the American-born owner of Shakespeare & Company, a fabled English-language bookstore in Paris and a magnet for writers, poets and tourists for close to 60 years, died in Paris on 14 December 2011 in his apartment above the store. He was 98.

cont....

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FEBUARY 2012
Rajasthan emerged, over the years as a famous tourist destination as well as a State continually endeavoring to create new circuits and new tourism products and upgrade the tourism infrastructure to attract both domestic and foreign travelers. Cond Nast Traveler is one of the worlds most renowned travel magazines. Its readers vote for various categories of destinations, accommodations and transport every year.

Steve Jobs Honored With Posthumous Grammy Award

The Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences on 21 December 2011 chose Apple co-founder Steve Jobs to be posthumously honoured with a Grammy award for his contribution to music technology. Jobs is to be honoured as a creative visionary. He is one of 11 people who will be honoured with special awards. Jobs, who died on 5 October 2011 of pancreatic cancer, will receive a Trustees Award on 13 February 2012 for helping create products that transformed the way music, TV, movies and books are consumed. Apple Computer Inc first received a Technical Grammy Award in 2002 for contributions of outstanding technical significance to the recording field.

Delhi Metro wins Green Award

Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) won a green award for reducing emissions of polluting gases in the national capital by 6.3 lakh tons every year. The best Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) project award was presented at Urban Mobility Conference, 2011 which concluded in New Delhi on 7 December 2011. The best CDM award was given to Delhi Metro for its Modal Shift Project under which it became the first Metro rail and rail-based system in the world to be certified by United Nations for getting carbon credits for reducing green house gas(GHG) emissions. Delhi Metro, which ferries around 18 lakh people daily, helped to reduce pollution levels in the city by 6.3 lakh tones every year, thus helping in reducing global warming. This is the second CDM project from DMRC to be registered with the UN in the last three years. DMRCs first CDM project on regenerative braking had also achieved many international firsts apart from earning valuable foreign exchange for the country.

AWARDS | HONOURS
Bharatendu Harish Chandra Awards Presented to Leading Writers & Journalists
Bharatendu Harishchandra is known as the father of modern Hindi literature as well as Hindi theatre. He is considered one of the greatest Hindi writers of modern India. Leading writers and journalists were presented with the prestigious Bhartendu Harishchandra Awards for the years 2009 and 2010 on 28th December. The Minister of State for Information & Broadcasting, Shri S. Jagathrakshakan gave away the Bhartendu Harishchandra Awards.

Wandering Falcon wins Shakti Bhatt First Book Prize

Jamil Ahmads The Wandering Falcon has won the Shakti Bhatt First Book Prize 2011. Born in Jalandhar in 1933, Jamil Ahmad is a Pakistani national. He completed his manuscript of interconnected stories set on the border of Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iran back in 1974. But it wasnt until 2008 that the work was dusted off and found its way to Penguin UK, where Meru Gokhale - currently Editorial Director of Vintage Books at Random House India - picked it up. The other five books in the shortlist were The Collaborator by Mirza Waheed, The Truth About Me by A Revathi, Chinaman by Shehan Karunatilaka, A Free Man by Aman Sethi and RD Burman: The Man, The Music by Anirudha Bhattacharjee & Balaji Vittal The prize is set up in memory of the talented writer and editor Shakti Bhatt, who died tragically at the age of just 27, has in the past three years been won by Samanth Subramanian for Following Fish; Mridula Koshy for If It Is Sweet; and Mohammed Hanif for A Case of Exploding Mangoes. This year, as is the practice, a shortlist of six books was announced.

Lord Paul Conferred Life Time Achievement Award

Lord Swraj Paul, leading NRI industrialist, has been conferred with the Life Time Achievement award for his outstanding contributions in various fields. The award, instituted by an Indian company Power brands, was presented to Lord Paul on 12 December 2011 by Subrata Roy, chief of the Sahara Group. Lord Paul, Chairman of the Caparo Group, dedicated the award to the ordinary people of India who he fells have little, but never complains. Philanthropist and Labour politician, Lord Paul, 80, is the chancellor of the University of Wolverhampton and the University of Westminster. Paul was awarded the Padma Bhushan by the Government of India in 1983. He was elevated to the British Peerage in 1996. Raghupati Singhania of J K Tyres was earlier given the Powerbrands Hall of Fame Award.

YEAR 2009
Journalism and Mass Communication : Shri Dilip Chandra Mandal for his manuscript Corporate, Loktantra aur Paid News won the first prize. Ms. Kumud Sharmas book Samachar Bazar ki Naitiktawon second prize. Shri Shivananda Kamde for his book Cartoon Patrakarita and Dr. Akela Bhai for his book Radio Sahitya aur Patrakarita jointly won the third prize. Womens Issues : Smt. Lata Kot for her manuscript Adha Asmaan Hamara won the first prize while Dr. Seena Ranis manuscript Nari ki Samasyayen aur Samadhan won the second prize. Childrens Literature : Shri Ghamandi Lal Agrawal for his book Geet Gyan Vigyan Ke won the first prize while Ms. Renu Saini for her manuscript Bachpan ka Safar won the second prize.

Goas Highest Civilian Award to Charles Correa

World renowned architect and Goas son-of-the-soil Charles Correa was on on 18th December bestowed with Goas highest civilian honour, the Gomant Vibhushan, on the eve of the Golden Jubiliee of Goas Liberation. Goa governor K Shankaranarayanan presented 81-year old Correa with the over half-metre high, glass-encased brass replica of Goas state symbol along with a cash award of Rs 5 lakh and a citation in the presence of Goa chief minister Digambar Kamat in one of Correas own architectural creations, the Kala Academy at Panaji. Correa is the second recipient of the Gomant Vibhushan, the first being eminent nuclear scientist Anil Kakodkar, who was awarded the Gomant Vibhushan in 2010. Correa has earlier been conferred with Indias Padma Shri and Padma Vibhushan.

YEAR 2010
Journalism and Mass Communication : Second prize was awarded to Pranjal Dhars manuscript Samkaleen Vaishwik Patrakarita Mei Akhbaar. No one was awarded first prize for 2010 in this category. Womens Issues : Dr. Suman Rais book Gharelu Hinsa mein Mahila Sanrakshan Adhiniyam 2005, 2006 won the first prize while Ms. Pramila KPs book Stree: Yonikta banaam Adhyatmikta was selected for the second prize. Childrens Literature : Sanjeev Jaiswal Sanjays book Dooba Hua Qila and the book Cycle Par Thaa Kavva by Prabhat received the first and second prize respectively in the Childrens Literature category. In the National Integration category for the year 2010 Dr. Shiv Kumar Rais manuscript Meri Jati Bhartiya has been selected for the first prize. BHARATENDU HARISH CHANDRAAWARDS The Bhartendu Harishchandra Awards are given to published or unpublished books in four categoriesJournalism and Mass Communication, Womens Issues, Childrens Literature and National Integration. The awards were instituted in 1983 to encourage original Hindi writings on topics related to journalism and mass communication. Awards for writings on womens issues, childrens literature and national integration were included in from 1992-93. The Awards scheme is coordinated by Publications Division, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India. The Ministry of Information & Broadcasting increased the Bhartendu Harishchandra award money from the year 2009. For journalism and mass communication categories, the first prize now carries an award of Rs 75000, up from Rs 35000 earlier. The amount for the second prize was increased from Rs 25000 to Rs.50000 and the third from Rs.20000 to Rs.40000. For books in category of Womens Issues, Childrens Literature and National Integration, the first prize carries an award of Rs 40000 instead of Rs.15000 and the second prize Rs.20000 instead of Rs.10000.

Medha Chosen for Ktk govts Basava Award

Social activist and Narmada Bachao Andolan leader Medha Patkar has been chosen for the Basava award for the year 2010, instituted by the Karnataka government. The award, given out for excellence in service in the social sector, carries Rs Ten lakh cash and a citation, Minister for Kannada and Culture, Govind Karjol, announced on 1st December 2011. The Amarashilipi Jakanachari award, given out to talented sculptors and craftsmen, has been won by sculptors K C Puttanachar and Venkatachalapthi for the year 2009 and 2010 respectively. The award carries Rs Three lakh cash and a citation. Well known singers T V Raju from Tumkur and B K Sumitra for Bangalore have been selected for the Santa Shishunala Sharif award. The award, named after 19th century saint-poet and philospher Shishunala Sharif, also carries Rs Three lakh cash and a citation. The Karnataka government decided to felicitate noted Kannada writer S L Byrappa on being conferred with the prestigious Saraswathi Sanman award. On the occasion of announcing the names of the awardees, Kannada and Culture Minister Govind Karjol also called for an end to practices like the Devadasi system and made snana, a ritual held at Kukke Subramanya temple by devotees rolling on plantain leaves left after partaking food.

New York Film Critics Circle Awards: 2011

The 2011 New York Film Critics Circle Awards announced its winners on 29 November on its official Twitter feed. Best Picture: The Artist 2011 Special Award: Raoul Ruiz (posthumous) Best Cinematography: Emmanuel Lubezki, Tree of Life Best Screenplay: Steven Zaillian and Aaron Sorkin, Moneyball Best Director: Michel Hazanavicius, The Artist Best Foreign Language Film: A Separation Best Actor: Brad Pitt, Moneyball, Tree of Life Best Supporting Actor: Albert Brooks, Drive Best Actress: Meryl Streep, The Iron Lady Best Supporting Actress: Jessica Chastain, Tree of Life, The Help, Take Shelter Best Nonfiction Film: Cave of Forgotten Dreams Best First Feature: Margin Call About NYFCC The NYFCC, which was founded in 1935, consists of acclaimed New York-based critics who meet annually to vote on the best movies and actors of the year. This was the first time the group announced its winners on Twitter. In 2010 they had picked Facebook film The Social Network as the Best Picture. 8

Jindal gets Justice Bhagwati Award

Former president A.P.J. Abdul Kalam presented the Justice P.N. Bhagwati Award to O.P. Jindal Global University chancellor and managing director of Jindal Steel and Power Ltd, Naveen Jindal on 6 December 2011. The award was conferred upon Jindal for his outstanding contribution to legal education and corporate philanthropy. Naveen Jindal is the Founding Chancellor of the O.P. Jindal Global University. He is also a Member of Parliament, the Chairman and Managing Director of Jindal Steel and Power Ltd (JSPL), and a sports enthusiast. Justice P.N. Bhagwati Award has been instituted by the Capital Foundation.

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Sangita Kalanidhi M.S. Subbulakshmi Award Presented to Trichy Sankaran

S.R. Nathan, former President of the Republic of Singapor represented the Sangita Kalanidhi M.S. Subbulakshmi Award to Sangita Kalanidhi-elect Trichy Sankaran at the inauguration of the 85th annual conference of the Music Academy in Chennai on 15 December 2011. S.R. Nathan also inaugurated the 85th annual conference of the Music Academy. On the occasion the second volume of the Sangita Sampradaya Pradarsini was launched. The Music Academy and the Singapore Indian Fine Arts Society (SIFAS) exchanged a memorandum of understanding on education and training in Carnatic music, drafting of syllabus and training of teachers during the inaugral ceremony. The Music Academy pioneered the Margazhi music festival in Chennai, which had evolved into a wondrous phenomenon that greatly enriched the cultural underpinning of the city over the last eight decades. The festival remains unparalleled for its sheer size, aesthetics, quality and undiluted classicism. Trichy Sankaran is the mridangam maestro and flagbearer of the Pudukottai percussive tradition. Trichy is 2011s designate for the Academys Sangita Kalanidhi. Trichy Sankaran, who is based in Toronto, became the first recipient of the Sangita Kalanidhi title in the Pudukkottai parampara of his guru Palani Subramania Pillai. Sangita Kalanidhi M.S. Subbulakshmi Award has been instituted by The Hindu. The award carries a cash prize of Rs. 1 lakh.

published by the Opus Media Group, luxury publisher of premium large format books. The India edition, priced at a whopping $40000-50000, would be limited to 100 copies and will be exhibited in different cities of the country in March 2012.

Mark Tullys Book Launched

The book Non-Stop India by journalist-author Mark Tully was launched in Chennai by Editor-in-Chief of The Hindu, N Ram on 13 December 2011. The book was published jointly by Penguin Books India and Madras Book Club. Tully, who also authored No Full Stops in India mentioned on the occasion of the launch that he had extensively covered India over the last 20 years. The book talked of the visit of the writer who has travelled across the length and breadth of the country which include visiting Maoists-hit areas, problems faced by Dalits. The book had also mentioned about the growth of Tata Group and its Chairman Ratan Tata. Mark Tully cautioned in his book that excessive secularism was a danger to a country like India and added that both secularism and communalism were used as political weapons.

The Description of the Book

The book has been described as a compendium of finest scholarly writing, and both historical and specially commissioned art and photography. It is believed to faithfully represent the incredible journey of Hajj pilgrimage world-over. The book is a limited edition volume which contains 100000 words both in Arabic and English with the support of 2000 photographs, most of which have been specially commissioned. A striking feature of the book is the two meters long gatefold pictures. The book has also been compiled with a view to make it an educational tool for those who follow and are interested in the Islamic faith. The book includes interviews, profile, photography and features, including contributions from eminent Islamic scholars and Islamic VVIPs across the world.

Ansari Released Books on RS Dy Chairmans Speeches

Vice President and Rajya Sabha Chairman M Hamid Ansari released two books Expression of Thoughts (English) and Izhar-e-Khayal (Urdu) authored by K.Rahman Khan, Deputy Chairman of Rajya Sabha in New Delhi on 19 December 2011. The books in English and Urdu are compilation of his selected speeches on various subjects like Parliament, democracy and governance, economy and business, besides issues of equity, justice and secularism, women empowerment and development. Former Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee wrote the foreword to the English version of the book, while Hazrat Maulana Rabe Hasan Nadwi Sahab has written for the Urdu version. On the occasion, the Vice President highlighted Khans seminal contribution to the field of education and minority uplifting especially matters pertaining to Wakf. The Wakf Committee Report presented under his Chairmanship was a remarkable piece of diligent work.

Ferrari Unveils US $ 250,000 Book in Inida

Italian luxury auto maker Ferrari on 1 December 2011 unveiled a $ 250000 (over Rs 1.25 crore) diamond encrusted book depicting the history of the car maker. The book that weighs 37 kg has a 30-carat diamond studded Ferrari horse with about 1,500 selected stones. The edition Enzo Diamante is strictly limited to one copy per country. Ferrari India and Opus Media Group ... unveiled the most exclusive Ferrari publication ever produced, in official partnership with Ferrari... Priced at US$2, 50,000, the Enzo Diamantes only edition for India is one of the most expensive books in India The special edition, which is presented in a bespoke hand-crafted black carbon-fibre case, features three signature sheets, bearing those of the current Ferrari drivers in addition to former world champions. This official Ferrari Opus contains 200,000 words and over 2,000 pictures across 852 pages. Many of the photographs were specially commissioned or sourced from Ferraris archives and have never been previously published. The Opus also includes two metre long gatefold images and exclusive interviews with the motorsport legends that have been part of Ferraris unique history.

BOOKS | AUTHORS
Unique Book on Hajj Unvield
Spread over 850 pages and weighing 80 kilograms, it is a unique publication celebrating the Holy pilgrimage of Hajj. Titled The Official Journey to Makkah Opus, the book focuses on the rich intellectual and theological tradition in Islam. The Indian edition of the book was unveiled during an impressive pre-launch function by Prince Turki Bin Faisal Al Saud of Saudi Arab, a member of the Saudi royal family, on 14 December 2011. The book is bound by hand in the finest leather and contained in a silk covered clamshell case. The book is being

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FEBUARY 2012

DAY| WEEK | YEAR

2012 Declared as the National Mathematical Year by PM
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on 26 December 2011 declared the birthday of the great mathematician Srinivasa Ramanujan, 22 December as National Mathematics Day. Singh also declared 2012 as the National Mathematical Year as a tribute to the great mathematician Srinivasa Ramanujan. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh inaugurated the yearlong celebrations at the Madras University Auditorium to mark the 125th birth anniversary of Ramanujan. On the occasion, Manmohan Singh also expressed concern over a slide in the number of students pursuing higher studies in mathematics. He also expressed concern over the sharp decline in the number of quality mathematics teachers in schools and colleges. The year-long celebrations of Ramanujan birth anniversary would culminate in an international conference of mathematicians in New Delhi in December 2012. The Ramanujan Mathematical Society (RMS) will hold a series of activities in 2012 (National Mathematical Year) to mark the 125th birth anniversary of mathematician Srinivasa Ramanujan. The biography of Ramanujan by Robert Kanigel in regional languages has been planned. A documentary, tracing the history of mathematics in India, would also be made.

REPORT | SURVEY
Infant Mortality Rate Shows Slight Decline
Indias infant mortality rate (IMR) has shown a 3 point decline, dropping from 50 deaths per 1,000 live births to 47 and moving a step closer to achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) target of 30. While the IMR national average is 47, it stands at 51 in the rural areas and 31 in the urban regions. However, neo-natal deaths continue to be a challenge where 34 babies are still dying for every 1,000 born. According to the latest Sample Registration System (SRS), conducted by the Registrar-General of India, the two worst performing States Madhya Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh have shown an impressive 5 point decline. In the former, the figure dropped from 67 in 2009 to 62 in 2010 and in the latter, it was from 45 to 40. However, IMR increased by one point in Kerala, Mizoram and Dadra and Nagar Haveli. Bihar, Gujarat, Odisha, Punjab, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Meghalaya, Sikkim and Tripura had shown a four-point decline in the IMR. Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Chhattisgarh, Haryana, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Delhi, Nagaland, Uttarakhand and Chandigarh have shown a three-point decline. Similarly, in Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Jammu and Kashmir, Manipur and Andaman and Nicobar Islands, the IMR came down by two points while it remained static in Lakshdweep and Puducherry. A one point decline was reported from Arunachal Pradesh, Goa and Daman and Diu.

Best City in Implementation of BSUP award for Ahmedabad

In an exclusive opinion poll conducted for The Times of India, Ahmedabad emerged as the best among Indias mega-cities, edging out Pune, Mumbai and Delhi. This finding was done by an exclusive opinion poll conducted for The Times of India by leading market research firm, IMRB. The survey was on quality of life in India. Ahmedabad bagged the national award on 13 December 2011, in the category of Best City in the Implementation of Basic Services to Urban Poor (BSUP) under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) scheme.

SUMMIT | CONFERENCE
Government for Collaborating with Social Networking Websites
Communications and IT Minister Kapil Sibal on 15 December 2011 sought help from social networking websites and Internet companies in propagating governments various e-governance initiatives. The objective is to make people more aware of the online environment. Mr. Sibal, who chaired a meeting Citizen engagement and use of social media where functionaries of all leading Internet companies including Google, Facebook and Twitter besides other stakeholders, said that the entire exercise was about how the social media could empower the government, since under the normal processes of the government there was always a limited dialogue with the representatives of society as the means are limited. Asking the Internet companies to give their opinions on how to use social media and e-governance to empower citizens, Mr. Sibal, the government, along with the Internet fraternity, was trying to find ways to improve citizen engagement in policy formulation and implementation of its projects and programmes.

India Commemorates 40th Anniversary of Bangladesh War Victory

The 40th anniversary of Vijay Diwas was celebrated on 16 December 2011 marking the finest hour of the Indian armed forces when they defeated Pakistan, leading to the creation of Bangladesh in 1971. The Pakistani Army had surrendered on this day and Bangladesh was liberated after a 13 day-long battle. 90000 Pakistani troops had surrendered to the Indian Army along with their top commanders in East Pakistan. Dhaka, the then capital of East Pakistan, fell to the Indian forces on 16 December 1971. Lt. Gen. A K Niazi, commanding the Pakistani troops in the eastern sector, surrendered to the Indian Armed Forces led by the then General Officer Commanding-in-Chief Lt. Gen. Jagjit Singh Aurora. Niazi also signed the Instrument of Surrender that resulted in the birth of Bangladesh.

NEWBORN-CARE
Home-based newborn-care through Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs) was initiated by providing an incentive of Rs. 250. The purpose of home-based newborn-care is to improve newborn practices at the community level and early detection and referral of sick newborns. The Janani Shishu Suraksha Karyakram, providing for free transport, food and drugs and diagnostics to all pregnant women and sick newborns has been put in place to further promote institutional delivery and eliminate out-of-pocket expenses, which act as a barrier to seeking institutional care. Facilities such as Special New Born Care Units, New Born Stabilisation Units and New Born Baby Corners at different levels with at least one at the district level are expected to be put in place. The mother and child tracking system also evoked a huge response, with 1.32 crore women and 82.6 lakh children already registered.

No Move to Regulate
Minister of State for Communications and IT Sachin Pilot specified that there was no plan to formulate a mechanism to regulate Internet content. Pilot however, pointed out that the government was committed to protecting privacy and identity of individuals besides addressing security concerns about data, including personal data. On the occasion it was reiterated that there was no question of censoring Internet content.

International Day of People with Disability

International Day of People with Disability (December 3) is an international observance promoted by the United Nations since 1992. It has been celebrated with varying degrees of success around the planet. The observance of the Day aims to promote an understanding of disability issues and mobilize support for the dignity, rights and well-being of persons with disabilities. It also seeks to increase awareness of gains to be derived from the integration of persons with disabilities in every aspect of political, social, economic and cultural life. It was originally called International Day of Disabled Persons . Each year the day focuses on a different issue. In 2011, the theme for the International Day of Persons With Disability was- Together for a better world for all: Including persons with disabilities in development. It is estimated that nearly 610 million people are existing with disabilities across the world. In India alone, nearly 60 million people suffer disabilities. National Centre for Promotion of Employment for Disabled People (NCPEDP) works to promote better life for those who are differently disabled. NCPEDP has been celebrating this day on a national scale for last six years to encourage solidarity among disabled people. It managed to successfully focus on the issue of disability among other social groups. NCPEDP had in 1997 organised the first walkathon Walk to Freedom in Delhi to commemorate the countrys 50 years of independence. Over the years the event became an integral part of WDD celebrations.

Conference on Autism Organised to Understand Applied Behaviour

Non-government organisation Association for Behaviour Analysis (ABA-India) organised the 2nd ABA-India conference Autism: From Early Childhood to Adulthood Successful Data Based Intervention at India Habitat Centre, New Delhi on 17 and 18 December 2011. Association for Behaviour Analysis is working on increasing the limited resource pool of behaviour analysts and educating parents of children with autism. The two-day conference was aimed at providing support for the understanding of Applied Behaviour Analysis through cutting-edge workshops and training to parent groups and organisations based on latest research. The conference is focussed on the child with autism and successful evidence based interventions for these children. Besides the keynote speakers and presentations, papers were also be presented by parents teaching their children using ABA principles. The conference offered a first one of a kind learning opportunity. ABA-India is an affiliate chapter of ABA International, U.S., and is pioneering the introduction of ABA in India. ABA is a subject dealing with the scientific study of human behaviour and its applications in various fields, including mental health, developmental disabilities, child development and education. ABA methods are used to shape behaviour for bringing positive changes in society. India, according to the organisation lacks any study on the subject in the country. All behaviour analysts in India study behaviour analysis abroad at Bachelors and Masters level, making services in the country expensive. 10

India Ranks as Third-Largest Buyer of U.S. Arms

India ranked as the third-largest purchaser of U.S. arms exports in fiscal 2011, with contracts worth $4.5 billion, according to a Pentagon report. U.S. arms sales to India included naval reconnaissance aircraft, transport aircraft, sea-skimming missiles and other weapon systems. U.S. foreign military sales (FMS) overseen by the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) passed the $30 billion mark for the fourth consecutive year, with the total reaching $34.8 billion. Topping the list for the fiscal year ending Sept. 30, 2011 were Afghan Security Forces with contracts valued at $5.4 billion, followed by the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the United States ($4.9 billion). Australia with $3.9 billion occupies the fourth spot, followed by Saudi Arabia [$3.5 billion], Iraq ($2 billion), the United Arab Emirates ($1.5 billion), Israel ($1.4 billion), and Japan and Sweden at $500 million each. The total sales under the government-to-government FMS program were $28.3 billion, while sales executed by non-FMS cases managed under various security cooperation authorities were $6.5 billion, the report says. DSCA forecasts FMS sales will continue to hover around $30 billion for fiscal year 2012, but official projections are still being calculated.

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FEBUARY 2012

GOVT & POLITY COVERAGE

Lokpal and Lokayukta Bill Passed in Lok Sabha but Rajya Sabha Fails to Pass the Bill
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. However, the Constitutional Amendment Bill, designed to confer constitutional status on the anti-corruption watchdog, fell through, as the government failed to get two-thirds support for it. The Lokpal and Lokayukta Bill, 2011 was approved after the government moved a few other key amendments, including keeping the Defence Forces and Coast Guard personnel out of the purview of the anti-graft ombudsman and increasing the exemption time of former MPs from five to seven years. A number of amendments moved by the Opposition, including Corporates, Media and NGOs receiving donations, were defeated. The government rejected the oppositions demand to bring CBI under Lokpal. In an anticlimax, the Rajya Sabha adjourned sine die on 29 December 2011 without passing the Lokpal Bill in the midst of uproar after government sought more time to consider the enormous number of amendments that were moved by both allies and opposition. The government however said the Bill is still alive and will come up in the next session. On a day of high drama, a total of 187 amendments were moved, with UPA ally Trinamool Congress also refusing to withdraw its 37 amendments. Close to midnight when the session was to conclude, the government sought time to formulate views on over 135 amendments.

Rajya Sabha Approved the Regulation of Factor (Assignments Receivable) Bill 2011
Rajya Sabha approved the Regulation of Factor (Assignments Receivable Bill, 2011) on 27 December 2011 to help micro, small and medium enterprises.The bill aims at regulating assignment of receivables by making provision for registration of the rights and obligations of parties to contract. It applies to all types of industry whether it is small, medium or big. It will help mitigate the payment problem of the MSME units. Factors will be regulated by the Reserve Bank of India. The Lok Sabha had already passed the bill. The Regulation of Factor (Assignment of Receivables) Bill, 2011 was introduced in the Lok Sabha on March 24, 2011 by the Minister of Finance Shri Pranab Mukherjee. The Bill seeks to regulate the business of factoring by providing a mechanism for assignment of receivables of an industry to a factor and payment of consideration by the factor to the industrial unit. The Bill provides that no factor may commence or carry on the factoring business without a certificate of registration from the Reserve Bank of India. Applicants for registration must meet the eligibility requirements of a non-banking financial company under the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934. The Bill provides for the regulation of the factoring business by the Reserve Bank of India. It empowers the Reserve Bank of India to issue directions, call for information from the factor, and prohibit financial institutions from undertaking the factoring business if they fail to comply with its directions. If any factor fails to comply with a direction issued by the Reserve Bank of India, the factor and every officer in default may be punished with a fine of up to 5 lakh rupees and an additional fine of Rs 10,000 for each day the default continues. The Bill refers to the factor as the assignee, the industry selling the receivable to the factor as the assignor, and the person liable to the industry as the debtor.

Under the Bill, assignees shall have an absolute right to secure due payment of the receivable from the debtor and may exercise all rights of the assignor for this purpose. Debtors shall have the right of notification of assignment. The assignee will not be entitled to demand payment from the debtor until the notice is given. Where no notice is given by the assignor or assignee, any payment made by the debtor to the assignor shall be held in trust by the assignor for the benefit of the assignee. If the assignor is a micro or small enterprise, the liability of the debtor will be subject to certain provisions of the Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises Development Act, 2006, which regulate payment and recovery of debt. After the assignment of receivables takes place, the payment instruction issued to the debtor may modify whom payment is to be rendered to, but not (a) the amount of debt specified in the original contract, (b) the place where payment is to be made, and (c) the date on which payment is to be made. On a claim made by the assignee against the debtor, the debtor retains all defenses and rights of set-off arising out of the original contract with the assignor. Every factor will be required to file the particulars of every transaction of assignment of receivables within 30 days from the date of assignment with the Central Registry, to be set up under the Securitisation and Reconstruction of Financial Assets and Enforcement of Security Interest Act, 2002. If a factoring company fails to comply, the company and each officer failing to comply may be punished with a fine of up to Rs 5,000 per day. Factors are barred from disclosing personal information obtained from any assignor, its present and future customers, its commercial and business activities, and the terms of sale between the assignor and any debtor.

Rajya Sabha Clears Exim Bank Bill to Raise

Rajya Sabha approved the Export-Import Bank of India Amendment Bill 2011, on 27 December 2011. It aims at promoting international trade by raising the capital funds of overseas trading from two thousand crore rupees to ten thousand crore rupees. The Bill was passed by the Lok Sabha earlier. (check our January Issue: page 14)

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11

FEBUARY 2012

Parliament Passed Bill to Add more Scheduled Tribes to List

Rajya Sabha of Indian Parliament on 22 December 2011 passed the bill the Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order (Amendment) Bill, 2011 to amend the list of Scheduled Tribes and add more tribes from NorthEastern India. The bill includes six more tribes namely Thangal, Zeme, Mate, Inpui, Liangmai, Rongmei from Manipur and substitutes Galo in place of Galong in the list of Scheduled tribes in Arunachal Pradesh. At present, 26 communities exist in the list of Scheduled Tribes in Arunachal Pradesh, which includes Galong as well. The Lok Sabha had passed the Bill on 19 December 2011.

Cabinet Clears Food Security Bill

In a major step towards fulfilling the ruling Congresss poll promise, the Union Cabinet on 18 December 2011 cleared the National Food Security Bill that seeks to provide legal entitlement of foodgrain to 75 per cent of the rural population and up to 50 per cent of the urban population. The Bill seeks to divide the eligible households into two broad categories priority and general wherein the priority group will comprise of at least 46 per cent of the rural population and 28 per cent of the urban population. However, the Bill does not specify the criteria for identifying these groups and puts the onus on the central government to prescribe the guidelines for identification of priority households, general households and exclusion criteria. While the priority group will be eligible for seven kg of foodgrain per person at highly subsidised rates Rs 3, 2, 1 per kg for rice, wheat and coarse grains respectively the general group will be eligible for at least three kg of foodgrain at half the minimum support price. In addition, the Bill also brings under its fold a basket of other ongoing welfare schemes maternity benefit scheme, midday meal scheme, integrated child development services scheme, free/ affordable meals to destitutes, homeless, and persons living in starvation and affected by disaster to make them a legal entitlement.

4.5 Percent Quota for Minorities Approved By The Union Cabinet of India
The Union cabinet of India on 22 December 2011 approved 4.5 percent share for minorities, as defined under section 2 (C) of the National Commission for Minorities Act, 1992, from within the 27% OBC quota in jobs and university seats. The approval will come in force from 1 January, 2012. It suggests that minorities can get 4.5 jobs out of every 100 government jobs and university seats. As per the data released by theNational Commission for Religious and Linguistic Minorities the OBC population was 52 percent of Indias population, of which minorities constitute 8.4 percent. Justice Rajinder Sachar Committee Report-released in November 2006- had found the minority community under-represented in all spheres of professional and public life.

Ten Percent of Group 'B' Posts in Paramilitary for Ex-servicemen

The Union Ministry of Home Affairs agreed to fill 10% of the Group B posts in Central Paramilitary Forces from among Ex-Servicemen. Presently, the scheme caters to 38 lakh beneficiaries including 12 lakhEx-Servicemen and over 26 lakh dependents. This scheme is currently being implemented through 247 polyclinics. Initially, 227 polyclinics had been approved by the Union Cabinet of India. Later, in 2008 another 199 polyclinics were sanctioned, out of which 20 are functional and 179 polyclinics are in various stages of implementation. During the year 2010-11, a total of 89 lakh patients attended the polyclinics. With the commissioning of all the sanctioned polyclinics, the entire fraternity of ExServicemen would be covered comprehensively.

Delhi Laws (Special Provisions) Bill 2011 Passed

The Lok Sabha on 12 December 2011 unanimously passed the National Capital Territory of Delhi Laws (Special Provisions) Bill of 2011, which granted a threeyear term extension to the Master Plan of Delhi (MPD). It is meant to ensure continued implementation of all the ongoing schemes for its betterment. The revised master plan of Delhi will have a long-term vision of 25 years to address the problems specially faced by the weaker sections of the society. The government intends to implement the second phase of the Jawaharlal Nehru Urban Renewal Mission after its current phase is over. The objective of the bill is to prevent sealing and demolition of unauthorised structures in Delhi till 31 December, 2014. It seeks to maintain the status quo regarding unauthorised colonies, which includes storages, warehouses, and godowns for farm produce, village abadis (settlements)and their extensions. Commercial establishments in rural areas and urbanised villages of Delhi are expected to get a reprieve after the proposed bill is enacted.

Cabinet Approved National Electricity Fund

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs( CCEA) on 13 December 2011 approved national electricity fund to provide subsidy of 8466 crore rupees for projects of electricity distribution sector for a period of 14 years. The fund will be operational within a period of six months to one year. The fund is being set up to provide interest subsidy on loans to be disbursed to the distribution companies both in the private and the public sector. The objective is to improve the distribution network for areas not covered by Rajiv Gandhi Gramin Vidyutikaran Yojna (RGGVY) and Restructured Accelerated Power Development and Reforms Programme (R-APDRP) project areas.

Bill to Digitise Cable TV Passed by Lok Sabha

The Lok Sabha on 13 December 2011 unanimously passed a Bill to further amend the Cable Television Networks Regulation Act, 1995. It replaces a Presidential Ordinance of 25 October, 2011. As per the amendments, there will be a check on objectionable contents. Doordarshan will be able to provide more free-on-air channels in the DTH mode to audiences across the country. Cable TV operators violating the provisions of the Bill will face penalty. The legislation will reduce dependence on the television rating points, TRP. By 2014, the entire cable network will be digitized. Those Cable operators who will violate the Cable Television Network Regulation Act,1995 Government will have the right to consider about the continuity of the Licence of those cable operators. Till date, this kind of provision was not in existence in the form of Act.

Rs 3521 cr Loan of Handloom Weavers Waived: Govt

The government waived about Rs 3521 crore loan of handloom weavers in India to help revive the sector. Minister of State for Textiles Panabaka Lakshmi declared that the loan waiver is one of the components of the scheme of Revival, Reform and Restructuring Package for Handloom Sector. The governments initiative is likely to benefit 15000 handloom weavers cooperative societies and approximately 3 lakh individual handloom weavers across India. Kerala topped the list with Rs 557.16 crore loan waivers, followed by Tamil Nadu with Rs 548.35 crore, Andhra Pradesh Rs 506.64 crore and West Bengal Rs 420.66 crore. All viable and potentially viable primary weavers cooperative societies and state level apex societies would benefit under the scheme. The individual handloom weavers, weaver entrepreneurs, self-help groups and joint liability groups, who have taken loans for handloom weaving purposes, would also be covered under the scheme.

Unit to Exchange Info on Black Money in IBSA Nations Set up

The Indian government in December 2011 set up an electronic centre unit in the Finance Ministry to deal with the unaccounted money issue in IBSA countriesIndia, Brazil and South Africa. The new unit is to deal with governments in exchanging information on tax-evaders and black money in IBSA nations. The government received information from 10 countries on the issue. The IBSA electronic centre unit is aimed at tackling the black money menace in the IBSA nations. The information is currently being disseminated by various government agencies. Prosecution has also been launched in 17 cases pertaining to LTG bank in Germany. The unit, in close association with the revenue intelligence agencies of other countries, will identify and share information on tax evaders, abusive tax schemes as well as of the people who are involved in promotion of such activities. Abusive tax schemes are transactions designed to reduce or defer taxation. The revenue authorities of IBSA countries will also study the latest trends in tax evasion, abuse of taxation laws and the trends that have emerged to avoid taxes. They will track black money flow in these countries and get information in a speedy and accurate manner as well as facilitate sharing of expertise, best practices and experiences in tax administration to combat abusive tax schemes. India has Double Taxation Avoidance Agreements (DTAAs) is currently in place with Brazil and South Africa. Representatives of all the countries are to have an exchange of information and hold regular meetings in the three countries by rotation to work out a joint strategy on how to tackle this growing menace of stashing funds abroad and prevent ways of tax evasion.

Parliament Passed Amendment to Oil Pipelines act for Deterrent Punishment.

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 Bill aims to make provisions for sufficient deterrence to criminals from committing the offence of pilferage or sabotage. The existing sub-section (2) of section 15 provides that whoever willfully removes, displaces, damages or destroys any pipeline, shall be punishable with rigorous imprisonment of a term which shall not be less than one year, but which may extend to three years and shall also be liable to fine. Section 16 provides that offence under sub-section 15 shall be deemed to be cognizable under the Cod of Criminal Procedure, 1973. The proposed amendments provide for higher quantum of punishment in terms of imprisonment and provision for death penalty in rare cases where the Act of sabotage is dangerous and is likely to cause death of any other person. The Bill further proposes to amend section 16 of the aforesaid Act to make the offences under sub-section (2), (3) of section 15 of the said Act to be cognizable and non-bailable. The amendment to the act was necessary to prevent pilferage of petroleum by organized gangs and saboteurs.

Independent Body for Evaluation of Flagship Schemes Approved

The Indian government approved the setting up of an Independent Evaluation Office (IEO) to be fully funded by the government of India. The IEO will evaluate the impact of flagship programmes. Also it will be allowed to engage the services of leading institutions working in the field of social science research and other fields for the purpose. IEO will be an independent body with full functional autonomy to discharge its functions. The Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission will be the chair of the governing body of the IEO. The core staff of the IEO would comprise a Director General, four Directors (Domain Experts) at the level of an Additional Secretary/Joint Secretary, one Joint Secretary (Administration/Finance), six Research Coordinators at the Director-level of the Government of India, ten young professionals (subject experts) and seven office staff. 12

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FEBUARY 2012

ECONOMY COVERAGE
Moodys Upgrades Indian Bonds
Global agency Moodys on 21 December 2011 upgraded the credit rating of the Indian governments bonds from the speculative to investment grade. According to a release issued by the Finance Ministry, Moodys unified Indias local and foreign currency bond ratings at Baa3. The ratings agency initially had separate rating for investors who choose to buy bonds in foreign currency and separate rating for those who have a rupee exposure. The ratings agency had a Baa3 foreign currency rating and a Ba1 local currency rating till September 2011. Moodys Investor Service upgraded its local currency rating for Indian government bonds to Baa3 which is investment grade as compared to the earlier Ba1 which is junk or speculative grade. Indias Baa3 rating incorporates credit strengths such as a large, diversified economy, robust medium term growth prospects and a strong domestic savings pool that facilitates the financing and refinancing of the governments relatively high debt burden. Indias foreign currency bond ceiling is unchanged at Baa2, and the foreign currency bank deposit ceiling is Baa3. The local currency bond and bank deposit ceilings are unified at A1. In addition, the governments local currency short-term rating has been changed to P-3 from NP, indicating the governments ability to repay shortterm debts. Moodys expected Indias growth downturn to persist for the next two quarters, but the GDP growth would be above average with respect to the similarly rated peers. Giving the rationale for the upgrade, Moodys mentioned that diverse sources of Indian growth have enhanced its resilience to global shocks. The present slowdown could reverse some time in 2012-13, as inflation cools from the current 9 per cent levels. Moodys upgrade is expected to attract Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) to the Indian bond market and boost the gloomy economic outlook. The last time Moodys upgraded any Indian long-term sovereign debt instrument from the speculative to investment grade was in 2004.

Sugar Industry takes Satellite Route to Map Cane Area

India joined the ranks of major sugar producers such as Brazil and Thailand in leveraging remote sensing technology to estimate the cane area. The first pan-India satellite survey jointly commissioned by Indian Sugar Mills Association (ISMA) and the National Federation of Co-operative Sugar Factories Ltd (NFCSF) pegged the cane area for 2011-12 crop year starting October at 51.82 lakh hectares (lh). For the first time the survey was carried out State-wise and districtwise for the area under sugarcane, through satellite mapping on such a large-scale. Satellite images of the cane area procured from the National Remote Sensing Agency, Hyderabad, were analyzed using the Geographical Information Systems software by South India-based firm. A satellite mapping of sugarcane acreage carried out for the first time across India showed an increase of 3% over the government estimate. The data showed acreage to be the same in Uttar Pradesh and higher by 3% in Maharashtra as compared to the figures projected by the ministry of agriculture for the two states. The satellite-based survey was jointly carried out by Indian Sugar Mills Association and National Federation of Cooperative Sugar Factories to reduce the deficiencies involved in the manual estimation of acreage. The Union government had provisioned satellite crop surveys under its Fasal (forecasting of agriculture outputs through satellite, agrometeorology and land-based observations) programme. According to the satellite data, acreage for 2011-12 has been estimated at 51.82 lakh hectare. The figure is higher than the estimates made manually by the sugar industry at 50.79 lakh hectare, by the ministry of agriculture at 50.93 lakh hectare and the ministry of food and public distribution at 50.25 lakh hectare. The area estimated for the 2011-12 season through satellite mapping is 2.38 lakh hectare higher than the actual area of 49.44 lakh hectare in the previous crop year marking an increase of 4.8%.

NRIs can Hedge Currency Risks with Banks

The Reserve Bank of India has allowed non-residents to hedge their currency risk in respect of external commercial borrowings (ECB) denominated in rupees, with AD Category-I (authorised dealer) banks in India. In its notification on 29 December 2011, the apex bank said the amount and tenor of the hedge should not exceed that of the underlying transaction. Besides, it should be in consonance with the extant regulations regarding tenor of payment or realisation of the proceeds. The NGOs (non-Government organisations) engaged in microfinance activities have been permitted to avail themselves of ECBs designated in Indian rupee under the automatic route from overseas organisations and individuals as per the ECB guidelines. The RBI said that the contracts, once cancelled, cannot be rebooked. The contracts may, however, be rolled over on or before maturity. On cancellation of the contracts, gains may be passed on to the customer.

Roaming Mobile Phone Pacts Illegal

Indias telecom ministry on 22 December 2011 informed mobile phone operators that they must scrap illegal mutual roaming agreements that allow them to provide seamless nationwide 3G services. As per the ministry, the pacts that let the operators offer 3G services outside their licensed zones are in violation of terms and conditions of their licenses. The government complained that telecom operators were using the 3G roaming deals to offer services in areas where they have not paid for the spectrum. Leading mobile operators such as Bharti Airtel, Vodafone and Idea Cellular had struck deals with each other to offer ultra-fast 3G services in areas where they did not acquire spectrum in a costly bandwidth auction in 2010. The firms entered into the deals because none could afford nationwide 3G spectrum in the high-priced sale.

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FEBUARY 2012

RBI asks Banks to Issue Cheque Truncation System 2010 Standard Cheques from 1 April 2012
The Reserve Bank on 27 Decmber 2011 directed all banks to issue cheques conforming to Cheque Truncation System (CTS) 2010 standard with uniform features from April 1, 2012, onwards. The new cheque standard CTS 2010 with set of minimum security features would ensure uniformity across all cheque forms issued by banks in the country and also help presenting banks while scrutinising and recognising cheques of drawee banks in an image-based processing scenario, RBI said in a notification. The homogeneity in security features is expected to act as a deterrent against cheque frauds, while the standardisation of field placements on cheque forms would enable straight-through-processing both under CTS and MICR clearing. It has been decided to prescribe a cut-off date for implement the CTS-2010 standards across the country. All banks providing cheque facility to their customers, are, therefore, advised to issue only CTS-2010 standard cheques not later than April 1, 2012 on priority basis in northern and southern region which will be part of the northern and southern CTS grids respectively and across the country by September 30, 2012 through a time bound action plan. The introduction of new cheque standards CTS 2010 was warranted on account of several developments in the cheque clearing namely growing use of multi-city and payable-at-par cheques at any branch of a bank, increasing popularity of Speed Clearing for local processing of outstation cheques and implementation of grid based Cheque Truncation System (CTS) for image-based cheque processing etc.

RBI asks Banks to Set aside more Capital for Investing in Financial Entities
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) ordered banks to set aside more capital for their investments in financial entities such as insurance with an objective to strengthen the ring fence around banks. However the move can strain capital resources which are increasingly getting scarce. The RBI proposed the raise in risk weight to prevent banks from getting affected because of their holdings in other finance entities. The banks are to set aside 25% more capital following the central bank raise of the risk weight for buying or holding of equity in financial entities. Banks investments in paid-up equity of financial entities, even if they are exempted from the capital market exposure norms, will thus be assigned a 125 percent risk weight. The proposal is expected to lead banks, which at present set aside Rs 9 for every Rs 100 of investment in financial entities, to keep aside about Rs 11. As per the apex bank, inter-linkages between insurance and banking sector are a matter of concern, as many insurance companies being part of financial conglomerates. Any financial stability issue regarding the bank in the conglomerate therefore may have an amplifying effect on the insurer. The contagion between the banking and insurance sector will also depend on the insurance companies overall exposure to banks. RBI opined that consolidation in the banking sector would pave the way for stronger financial institutions with the capacity to meet corporate and infrastructure funding needs, and to rescue distressed lenders. However, it prescribed a non-operative bank holding company structure to avoid creation of complex institutions. Voluntary mergers and transfers help consolidation in the financial sector and pave the way for stronger financial institutions to rescue the weaker ones. These voluntary measures provide business opportunity to the stronger ones to spread their presence in different geographies. The Competition Act, 2002 (as amended by the Competition (Amendment) Act, 2007) could however come in the way of consolidation. One of the provisions of the Act requires an enterprise proposing to enter into a combination via a merger or an amalgamation to notify the Competition Commission.

PSU Banks Credit Panel can now Approve Loans upto 400 Cr
The government has quadrupled (four times) the limits on loans that a banks internal committee can approve, a move that could quicken credit clearance at 26 state-run banks, including the Bank of Baroda and Punjab National Bank. The government directed banks to set up a credit approval committee comprising chairman, executive directors and three chief general managers who is to handle credit, finance and risk management functions. The group can approve credit proposals up to Rs 400 crore. Currently, any loan above Rs 100 crore has to be vetted by the management committee of the board, which meets once a month, or 20 days. Under the old regime, a management committee of the board, which included a Reserve Bank of India nominee and two independent directors appointed by rotation, the banks chairman and managing director and executive directors, took these decisions. The prescribed limit is applicable on Category A banks with a business of Rs 3 lakh crore, while smaller public sector banks can use the same structure to approve loans up to Rs 250 crore. If a loan under consideration is higher than these limits, it would be taking to the management board. However those who oppose the move mentioned that the banking system needs to have a robust credit risk management policy, otherwise it may result into increase in nonperforming assets. The credit approval committee replaced the boards management committee. The two are significantly different. The MCB has outside members as well such as RBI nominee and independent directors, the new committee on the other hand comprises two EDs and chief general managers, who report to the CMD.

Coal Ministry to Bar Captive Miners from Producing beyond Approved Level
The coal ministry decided to bar captive coal miners from raising production beyond the approved level, rejecting industry demands and the proposal from the Planning Commission to allow excess output to ease fuel scarcity. The coal ministry prepared a policy, under the policy, surplus coal should be sold to state-run Coal India Ltd at price lower than production cost. According to the ministry, the Coal Mines Nationalisation Act of 1973 allows coal from captive block to be used exclusively for specified end use project and production of surplus coal should not be allowed to result in any undue advantage to captive block owner. The policy said coal so transferred to Coal India Ltd should disposed by e-auction. The government is believed to be concerned about misuse of diversion of excess coal to other projects. Of 193 coal blocks allotted over 18 years to companies for captive use, only 28 are in production. Against a target of more than 90 million tonnes, only 38 million tonnes is being mined out from these mines. In this context it is worthwhile to mention that the CAG has questioned a special dispensation to Reliance Power to use excess coal from mines attached to Sasan ultra mega project in another private power project. The matter has been referred to Attorney General for opinion. Coal deficit in India is likely to grow to 137 million tonnes by end of fiscal 2011-12. Due to domestic coal shortage, power projects commissioned after March 2009 are operating at sub-optimal capacity.

Board for Reconstruction of Public Sector Enterprises Recommended Rs 257 Cr Package for NEPA
The Board for Reconstruction of Public Sector Enterprises (BRPSE) recommended a financial package of Rs 257 crore to revive the sick newsprint unit NEPA. The initiative was taken after the government shelved its plan to divest majority stake in the company and revive it through a joint venture with the private sector. The government holds 97.75% in NEPA. BRPSE also favoured the waiving off NEPAs interest and statutory dues worth Rs 304 crore. The Board for Reconstruction of Public Sector Enterprises suggestion was made to NEPAs administrative ministry, the Department of Heavy Industry. BRPSE suggested the department to infuse Rs 175 crore in the form of fresh equity to meet part-finance of total expenditure of Rs 318 crore for Revival and Mill Development Plan (RMDP). It also recommended sanction of non-plan loan of Rs 22.48 crore towards cash loss from production for the first year of production. The Madhya Pradesh-based company suffered a loss of Rs 70.40 crore in 2010-11. BRPSE also suggested Rs 60 crore for implementing Voluntary Retirement Scheme (VRS) for 400 employees. NEPA, which pioneered manufacturing of newsprint, commenced production in April 1956 with an installed annual capacity of 30000 tone through sourcing raw materials from captive Salai wood and bamboo. The company employed 1355 regular employees, including executives 178 and non-executives 1177, as on 31 March 2010.

Telecom Panel for Uniform License Fee of 8 %

In a move that would put more financial pressure on telecom operators, Telecom Commission, the decisionmaking body of the Department of Telecommunications, has recommended a uniform licence fee of 8 per cent of adjusted gross revenues (AGR) as against the prevalent rate of 6-8 per cent depending upon the type of service and circle a firm is operating. It is also learnt that the Telecom Commission is likely to impose one-time charges on extra 2G spectrum that operators have been holding beyond the contractual limit of 6.2 MHz. The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) also recommended a charge of 8 per cent of AGR for deciding the license fee. TRAI recommended that each MHz of additional spectrum (beyond 6.2 MHz of contractual radio waves) held by operators should have one-time cost of Rs.4571.87 crore (pan-India). The Telecom Commission further specified that in future additional spectrum would be allotted through the auction route. The Telecom Commission had accepted the TRAI recommendation on merger and acquisition (M&A), which according to the Commission would help consolidation of the mobile sector that currently has around a dozen players, the highest in the world. The Commission accepted the TRAIs recommendations on spectrum sharing as well. The spectrum sharing would be permitted between any two licensees holding spectrum, subject to the condition that the total bandwidth would not cross the permissible limit under mergers. The permission would be for five years, subject to renewal for one more term of five years. As per the new regulation, pre-2008 operators will need to pay one-time additional spectrum charge. The operators are currently paying about 6-10%, depending on the circles they operate in. The new figure of 8% is much more than what the TRAI had earlier suggested at 6%.

Sebi Against Outsourcing of Core Activities

Market regulator SEBI on 15 December 2011 directed intermediaries not to outsource their core business activities and compliance functions. According to SEBI, core business activities may include execution of orders and monitoring of trading activities of clients in case of stock brokers, dematerialisation of securities in case of depositary participants, investmentrelated activities in case of mutual funds and portfolio managers. Intermediaries would be responsible for reporting any suspicious transactions to the Financial Intelligence Unit or other competent authority in respect of activities carried out by the third parties.

AstraZeneca in tie-up with HCL Tech

HCL Technologies (HCL) has been picked by AstraZeneca, a biopharmaceutical company, as a strategic infrastructure outsourcing partner. HCL will be responsible for the provision, management and transformation of AstraZenecas global hosting and collaboration environment. As part of the five-year engagement, HCL will be responsible for managing AstraZenecas entire data centre environment across over 60 locations globally. It will also host and migrate some of the existing large data centres into state-of-the-art facilities. In addition, HCL will manage AstraZenecas global collaboration environment, including e-mail, messaging and collaboration services for users worldwide. It delivers transformational projects, including server virtualisation, storage and back-up transformation and implementation of the hybrid cloud. 14

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FEBUARY 2012

RBI Tightened Prudential Norms for NBFCs

The Reserve Bank on 26 December 2011 tightened the prudential norms for the non-banking financial companies (NBFCs) under which the NBFCs will have to account for risks towards off-balance sheet items while computing capital adequacy requirement. RBI also tightened the capital adequacy norms for all NBFCs. The rule tightening exercise comes in the wake of their stepped-up exposure to off- balance sheet items. The NBFCs can thus participate in the credit default swap market only as users. As users, the NBFCs would be permitted only to hedge their credit risk on corporate bonds they hold. However, they are not permitted to sell protection. They are therefore not permitted to enter into short positions in the credit default contracts. NBFCs are however permitted to exit their bought CDS positions by unwinding them with the original counterparty or by assigning them in favour of buyer of the underlying bond. The RBI revised capital adequacy norms for nonbanking finance companies (NBFCs) with an objective to improve their capacity and help manage off-balance sheet exposure. The regulatory framework was expanded to have greater granularity in the risk weights and credit conversion factors for different types of off-balance sheet items. The RBI prescribed that the total risk weighted offbalance sheet credit exposure be calculated as the sum of the risk weighted amount of the market-related and non-market related off-balance sheet items. The RBI specified that for the off-balance sheet items already contracted by NBFCs, the risk weight shall be applicable with effect from the financial year beginning 1 April 2012. As per the apex bank, off-balance sheet exposures of NBFCs have increased with the increased participation in the designated currency options and futures and interest rate futures as clients for the purpose of hedging their underlying exposures. Asset liability management for NBFCs had become complex and large, requiring strategic management with a greater use of derivatives. In the normal course of their business, NBFCs are exposed to credit and market risks due to asset-liability transformation as the Indian markets are now more integrated with global ones.

Indias Energy Security Under Pressure

Indias energy security has come under an alarming pressure from rising dependence on imported oil, regulatory uncertainty and opaque gas pricing policies, according to a FICCI-Ernst & Young report.

DGH Okays Cairns Bhagyam Plan

The directorate general of hydrocarbons (DGH), the technical arm of the oil ministry approved Cairn Indias proposal to commence production from Bhagyam, the second-largest oil field in the Rajasthan block. The company, which currently operates the block with a 70% stake, waited for a year to obtain approvals to start production. The DGH gave its approvals to commence production from Bhagyam, along with both the management committee and the operations committee. The management committee comprises Cairn India, ONGC and representatives of the DGH and the petroleum minister while the OC is composed of only JV partners Cairn India and ONGC. The representatives of the oil ministry also gave their in-principle nod to commence production. Currently, Mangala, the biggest of the 18 discoveries in the Rajasthan block, is producing 125000 bpd. Bhagyam is targeted to produce a peak output of 40000 bpd by the end of 2011, which would help Cairn achieve the approved peak output of up to 175000 bpd. The approvals were stuck for more than a year as previously, the ministry wanted all prior entitlement issues related to the Vedanta deal to be resolved before giving Cairn a go-ahead to start production from the oil field.

Supply Issue
Small pool of skilled manpower and poorly developed upstream infrastructure and dependence on fossil fuels are other factors impacting energy security. There is a dire need to address the supply issue through a slew of policy reforms, as well as to launch a massive awareness campaign on the demand side management, and the pricing of products, so as to incentivize investments for raising domestic production.

Oil Price Hike

According to the Integrated Energy Policy of the Government, the countrys requirement of primary commercial energy is projected to increase from 551 million tonne of oil equivalent in current financial year to 1,823 mt of oil equivalent in 2031-32. The increase in oil price by $10 a barrel could potentially slow the GDP growth by 0.2 per cent and may inflate the current account deficit by 0.4 per cent, the report quoted Goldman Sachs study.

Gas Demand
The recent depreciation of the rupee has raised the crude oil imports costs, impacting trade deficit and domestic inflation. Notably, the import of crude oil and oil products rose from $50.3 billion in 2005-06 to $115.9 billion in 2010-11. In the current financial year (till October 2011), oil imports touched $75 billion. The report observes that around 32 per cent of demand for gas in the country is unmet. Most of the gas production and liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminals were located in the western part of the country, adversely impacting the availability of gas in the rest of the country. Over the next few years, the availability of gas is likely to increase on the back of incremental supplies from the KG-D6 block, as well as from the new gas fields of ONGC and Gujarat State Petroleum, coal-bed methane (CBM) and new LNG facilities. In spite of the increase in supplies, shortages are likely to persist due to significant latent demand and overall growth in demand for gas in the country.

Blackstone buys Pune IT SEZ for Rs.810 crore

Realty giant DLF and its partner Hubtown in a joint venture, DLF Ackruti Info Parks sold its IT special economic zone (SEZ) in Pune to private equity firm Blackstone for Rs.810 crore. DLF and Hubtown held 67 per cent and 33 per cent stake respectively in the joint venture firm DLF Ackruti Info Parks (Pune). Real estate firm Ackruti City has been rechristened Hubtown Ltd. The transaction is in line with DLFs continuing objective of divesting its non-strategic assets. DLF, the countrys largest realty firm, is currently selling its non-core assets such as hotels and plots in the last few years to cut debt, which stood at Rs.22519 crore as on 30 September 2011. DLF could so far raised Rs.3480 crore from sale of noncore assets and is planning to raise about Rs.7000 crore in the next 2-3 years. It is aiming to bring down its total debt to about Rs.10000 crore by 2013 and as part of this strategy; the firm is closing in on a few deals to sell noncore assets. The company expects to raise about Rs.3000 crore by March 2012 through the sale of non-core assets such as IT Park in Noida and hospitality business Amanresorts.

CIL Board Cleared Stake Acquisition in Unlisted Overseas Firms

The worlds largest coal miner Coal India Ltd (CILs) board on 14 December 2011 approved a proposal to acquire stakes in unlisted firms overseas, provided the offers were valid. The proposal was approved in the wake of Finance Ministrys approval for the public sector firm to proceed with its plan to acquire unlisted firms overseas. CIL plans to take up three offers - in Australia, Indonesia and the US. The PSU put together a war-chest of Rs.6, 000 crore for acquisition of mines. b CIL sought clarifications from the Finance Ministry before entering into discussions with owners, having received proposals offering an IRR between 9 percent and 12 percent. CIL had request for a relaxation in the PSU guidelines stipulating a minimum 12 percent internal rate of return (IRR) on investments. In response to the request, the Finance Ministry mentioned that CIL could proceed with such proposals, if they are of strategic nature, and subject to government clearance. CIL also sought to sidestep the rule that only the mines of listed companies should be acquired, which was permitted by the Finance Ministry.

SEBI Moots New Rules for Investment Advisors

The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) proposed new rules for investment advisors under which the advisors would be required to be registered with a self-regulatory organisation (SRO) before undertaking such a role (role of an advisor). The proposed framework was proposed with an objective to regulate investment advisory services in various forms, including independent financial advisors, banks, distributors and fund managers. While the activity of giving investment advice will be regulated under the proposed framework through an SRO, issues relating to financial products other than securities will come under the jurisdiction of the respective sector regulators. Persons or entities seeking registration as investment advisors shall have to obtain it from the SRO. The SRO formed to regulate investment advisors will be registered under the SEBI (Self Regulatory Organisation) Regulations, 2004. The duties of the SRO will include registering and setting minimum professional standards, including certification of investment advisors, laying down rules and regulations and enforcing those, informing and educating the investing public, setting up and administering a disputes resolution forum for investors and registered entities. Those entities registered with the SRO will provide advice on investments in financial products or products that are traded and settled like financial products. The services will include financial advice, financial planning service and actions which would influence an investment decision.

Government asked Cash Rich PSUs to Issue Bonus Shares

The Union government asked cash rich PSUs to issue bonus shares to bring about a proper balance between paid up capital and accumulated reserves. The move is aimed at improving market image of state run firms. The Department of Public Enterprises (DPE) in an internal note mentioned that there are a number of Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs) which have reserves and surpluses more than three times of their paid up capital. Reserves and surpluses in excess of paid up capital does not reflect equitable capital base of the company. Referring to a 1995 instructions on bonus shares, the DPE directed concerned administrative ministries are requested to direct the CPSEs under their control to examine and approve the bonus share proposals. In 1995 the DPE had issued instructions that such PSUs should immediately consider the scope of issuing bonus shares to Government of India and other existing shareholders. The issue of bonus shares helps in bringing about a proper balance between paid up capital and accumulated reserves. Also issue of bonus shares help elicit good public response to equity issues of the public enterprises and helps in improving market image of the company, as per guidelines of DPE. The DPE note also mentioned that PSUs that large reserve will be allowed to make any public issue only after examining the scope for capitalising a portion of the reserves. 15

SAIL Chief is CEO of the Year 2011

SAIL chairman C.S. Verma was conferred CEO of the Year award under public sector category by Minister of State for Road Transport Tushar Chaudhary in New Delhi on 2 December 2011. The award was presented to Verma in recognition of his contributions in the area of supply chain management. The ceremony was organised as part of Natcom 2011, a convention organised by IIMM with the theme: Achieving Inclusive and Sustainable Growth Role of Supply Chains. CEO of the Year award has been instituted by the Indian Institute of Materials Management.

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FEBUARY 2012

Panel Rejects 49% FDI Cap in Insurance

In yet another setback to the governments reforms initiative, the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Finance has rejected all key proposals, including raising foreign direct investment (FDI) to 49 per cent, in the Insurance Laws Bill (Amendment) 2008. In its report, the panel headed by BJP leader and former finance minister Yashwant Sinha said that alternate route of tapping the market for raising capital required should be pursued as any further hike in FDI may not be in the interest of insurance sector and common man too does not stand to gain through insurance, particularly as a means of social security. Since the finance ministry could not adequately justify the FDI hike to 49 per cent from 26 per cent, the house panel said that growing needs of the industry could be met by formulating rules enabling companies to tap the domestic market. The Amendment Bill, introduced in the Rajya Sabha in December 2008, sought to bring about improvement and revision of laws pertaining to the insurance sector in the changed scenario of private sector participation and was subsequently referred to the standing committee. The report said while opening up the insurance sector to foreign investment in 1999, the house was given an assurance that the statutory prescriptions as also the foreign investment regulations would ensure that the cap of 26 per cent on foreign equity participation in insurance companies would not, in any way, be breached. The panel observed that a number of amendment proposals contained in the Bill are riddled with infirmities, which the finance ministry has sought to rectify at the behest of the Committee so as to enable them to serve the intended purpose. It rejected the proposal to allow unregistered foreign entities to operate in special economic zones on grounds that it will place domestic capital at the risk of being taken out of the country and will be biased against Indian insurers. The panel also rejected the proposal to halve the minimum paid up capital required to start exclusive health insurance business to Rs 50 crore as the amount may be inadequate as an insurance company needs to be fully equipped with modern infrastructure and other facilities.

Financial Tech up 3% after MCX turns 5th Largest Exchange

Indias leading commodity bourse the Multi Commodity Exchange (MCX) on 20 December 2011 became the worlds fifth-largest commodity futures exchange. Financial Tech, a promoter of MCX rallied 2.88% after MCX became the worlds fifth-largest commodity futures exchange. It became the first Indian entity to join the top-five league in terms of the number of contracts. MCX replaced China-based Dalian Commodity Futures Exchange at the fifth position. MCX become the worlds fifth-largest in terms of number of futures contracts traded during January to June 2011, based on the Futures Industry Association (FIA) volume survey and market data. MCX has occupied the sixth slot among global commodity futures exchanges for two years since 2009. It had replaced the UK-based London Metal Exchange at the sixth position. Mumbai-based MCX is a demutualised nation-wide electronic futures exchange and the various commodities traded on its platform include bullion, energy, metals and agricultural commodities. The data for the January-June period showed that the global commodity derivatives market had grown by 10.2 per cent, based on the number of contracts. Precious metals and energy contributed 49.8 per cent and 16 per cent, respectively. The Asia-Pacific region contributed 39.6 per cent of the total volume in terms of the number of contracts traded on the exchange.

Do away with Mutual Fund Expense Ratio Bifurcations: Sebi Panel

A committee on mutual funds, constituted by SEBI in December 2011 recommended to the regulators board to break down the bifurcation within the fee structure known as expense ratio. According to the committee the measure will allow mutual funds to manage their expenses better and possibly improve their profits. In the absence of bifurcations within the expense ratio, fund houses will try to reduce recurring expenses which, in turn, will increase their profitability. Currently mutual funds are allowed to charge up to 2.25% as expense ratio. Of the 2.25% charged as expense ratio, fund houses are allowed to accept only 1.25% as asset management charges. The remaining 1% has to be mandatorily used to meet recurring expenses, which include payment of annual trail fees, auditor & registrar charges and dealing charges to empanelled brokers. Funds with large corpuses currently charge 1.75% as expenses charges. There exists scope for these funds to charge lower expense ratios. The SEBI panel also suggested that mutual funds, with higher assets under management, will have to bring down their expense ratio proportionately. SEBI was suggested to keep overall scheme expenses unchanged at 2.25% for schemes with assets under management not exceeding Rs 400 crore. Panel members also proposed an alternative slab system, which will bring down expense ratio with a proportionate increase in the asset base of the fund. There will be no change in expense ratios of debt funds. The panel suggested SEBI to come out with wider slab limits which bring down expenses on large funds even further. Expense ratio is more than important in debt schemes where the rate of return is not high. In the case of equity funds, the expense ratio becomes critical in times of lack luster markets.

7 Firms get C-DoT knowhow

In a move that would give the much-needed push to broadband penetration in the country, the Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DoT) on 5 December 2011 transferred indigenously-developed Gigabit Passive Optical Network (GPON) technology to seven telecom equipment manufacturers, including private players. The Seven Firms are ITI, Bharat Electronics, VMC Systems, United Telecoms, Sai InfoSystem (India), SM Creative Electronics. Transfer of technology was also signed with Tejas Networks for customised development.

Govt Rejects CILs Demand for Scaling Down Output Target

The Coal Ministry on 6 December 2011 turned down Coal Indias (CIL) plea for scaling down current fiscal 2011-12 s output target to 448 million tonnes (MT) from 452 MT. Fearing that it will not be able to make up the slippage in output that occurred during the first half of 2011-12, the state-run firm which accounts for 81 per cent of domestic production had asked the coal ministry to revise the target. CIL was instructed to surpass the target, which was possible and required given the paucity of coal. The countrys demand-supply gap is expected to reach 142 MT in 2011-12, as against the countrys estimated output of 554 MT. The Planning Commission projected the demand-supply to touch 200 MT in the next five years. CIL had missed its April-September target by about 20 MT, recording an output of 176 MT, as against 196 MT planned. CIL had blamed the inclement weather, including heavy rains in August-September for disruptions. The five CIL trade unions had in October 2011 assured the ministry of their best efforts to meet the production target after their employee bonuses were revised upward to Rs 20000 per worker instead of the earlier announced Rs 17000. CIL had missed its production target in 201011 as well recording an output of 431 MT, as against the revised target of 440 MT.

Flagship Explorer Oil and Natural Gas Corp (ONGC) Announced Two Significant Oil Discoveries
State-owned Oil and Natural Gas Corp (ONGC) on 1 December 2011 announced two significant oil discoveries. ONGC discovered oil in North Kadi area of Gujarats Mehsana district, which is the companys major production centre. The discovery is a new layer, called play in industry parlance, and will add to the companys output. ONGC also made another strike in the Panna area, 40 km from its Mumbai offshore field. This discovery will make incremental addition to the output from a cluster that the company is developing. ONGC is to invest Rs 25000 crore in bringing to production nearly a dozen marginal oil and gas fields by 2014.

GPON Technology
The GPON technology is a pivotal component required for broadband connectivity over optical fibre. C-DOT indigenously designed and developed GPON technology, which can be used to provide triple play (voice, video and data) through fibre-based networks. The present GPON standards specify 2.5 Gbps (Gigabit per second) downstream and 1.25 Gbps upstream data capability to customer premise. Apart from urban areas, the large data carrying capability is important for Indian villages too where prevailing low literacy levels will require better dissemination of information with greater graphic and audio content. Besides, voice telephony, high speed Internet access and IPTV, the C-DOT GPON has provision to carry cable TV signal too. The GPON technology was tested, validated, fieldevaluated and made operational in BSNLs network in Ajmer (Rajasthan). The technology will help fulfill requirements of major national programmes like the National Optical Fibre Network and the State Wide Area Network.

Projects in Pipeline
The 14 projects of ONGC entailed an investment of Rs 27305 crore. The Rs 506.22-crore development of D-1 field, Rs 219.77 crore SB-11 development and Rs 1,688.38 crore investment in development of Vasai East in western offshore have already been completed. Another 11 projects entailing an investment of Rs 24890 crore are under various stages of implementation. The biggest among the projects is B-193 Cluster development at the cost of Rs 5633.44 crore which would yield 5.57 million tonnes of oil and 5.12 billion cubic metres of gas in 15 years. The project is scheduled to be completed by June 2012. Another Rs 3,241.03 crore is being spent on Cluster-7 development by March 2013 to produced 9.73 million tonnes of oil and 4.52 billion cubic metres of gas over a period of 16 years. ONGC is also investing Rs 3,195.16 crore in producing 6.13 million cubic metres of condensate and 15.14 bcm of gas from C-Series field by 2022-23. Rs 2218.01 crore is being investment in integrated development of G-1 and GS-15 fields in for producing 0.982 million tons of oil and 5.92 bcm of gas over 15 years period beginning May 2012. ONGC is to invest Rs 2920.82 crore in producing 2.46 million tonnes of oil and 6.56 bcm of gas from B-22 Cluster, Rs 2,523 crore in WO-15 Cluster development for 2.83 million tonnes of oil and 8.58 bcm of gas and 2,163.65 crore in additional development of D-1 field.

SEBI issued Regulations for Uniform Know Your Client KYC Registration Agency (KRA)
Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) put forth the regulations for uniform Know Your Client KYC Registration Agency (KRA) on 2 December 2011. The move is expected to benefit investors as it would save them the trouble of repeating the KYC process while investing in various financial products. The regulator allowed stock exchanges, depositories or any other Self Regulatory Organisation (SRO) to form wholly-owned subsidiaries that could be registered as a KRA. SEBI will consider applications to grant certificates of initial registration to a wholly owned subsidiary of a recognised stock exchange that have a nation-wide network of trading terminals, a wholly owned subsidiary of a depository or any other intermediary registered with the Board. The certificates of initial registration of KRA granted under sub-regulation would be valid for a period of five years from the date of its issue to the applicant.

Wipro Infra ties up with Kawasaki Heavy for Hydraulic Pumps

The global hydraulics business of Wipro, Wipro Infrastructure Engineering entered into a joint venture with Kawasaki Heavy Industries in India to set up a large manufacturing facility for producing hydraulic pumps for excavators. The joint venture is to be called Wipro Kawasaki Precision Machinery. The investment will be Rs.50 crore and the plant is to be set up in Bangalore. The new manufacturing unit will have an initial capacity of 4000 pumps which would be augmented to 15000 pumps by 2015. The manufacturing facility will produce hydraulic pumps catering to a range of 7 tonne to 20 tonne. Wipro Infrastructure Engineering is one of the worlds largest independent manufacturers of hydraulic cylinders. Wipro will be able to expand its product portfolio in the hydraulic segment with this deal and the localization will offer improved time to market advantage and enhanced customer service. The overall construction equipment market in India is likely to grow to USD 20 billion by 2020-21. 16

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FEBUARY 2012

SOCIAL COVERAGE
Water and Sanitation Committee in every Gram Panchayat
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 committee will be set up as a standing committee in each Gram Panchayat for planning, monitoring, implementation and maintenance of water supply schemes in the area with active participation of the villagers. The membership of the committee will consist of 6 to 12 persons comprising elected Panchayat members and at least 50 percent women with due representation to Scheduled castes and Tribes. The committee will be an integral part of the village Panchayat. This initiative has been taken under the National Rural Drinking Water Programme to decentralize power and responsibilities and to give greater focus on water and sanitation issues.

Declining Sex Ratio Attributed to Misuse of Medical Technology

Demographers and development specialists identified the misuse of advanced medical technology as a major factor responsible for the decline in the sex ratio in Rajasthan and other northern states. They underlined the twin needs for raising social awareness on the issue and strictly implementing the laws against sex determination and female foeticide. Jaipur has emerged as the foremost place in Rajasthan denying the girls the right to be born. Over 250 small sonography centers in Jaipur alone are reportedly indulging in sex determination tests of fetuses and aborting the female unborn children. About 300 female fetuses are aborted every day in Rajasthan after the sex determination test and this abhorrent practice is making a serious impact on the sex ratio in 0-6 years. During April 2010-March 2011, a total of 13, 36,505 children were born in Rajasthan and they included 7, 08,383 males and 6, 28,122 females, revealing the sex ratio of 887. The main cause for the decline in sex ratio was the sex determination tests. Over 1,800 sonography centers are functioning in Rajasthan and of them, 1,000 regularly violate the Pre conception and Pre Natal Diagnostic Techniques (Prohibition of Sex selection) Act (PCPNDT Act).

Russian Court Rejects Petition for Banning Gita

Russian court rejected a petition, described by India as patently absurd, which had sought a ban on a translated version of Bhagavad Gita, bringing cheers to followers as well as those across the world. We have won the case. The judge has rejected the petition, Sadhu Priya Das of (The International Society for Krishna Consciousness) ISKCON, Moscow, who is also Chairman of newly formed Hindu Council of Russia, said. External Affairs Minister S M Krishna welcomed the judgement and thanked the Russian government for its support. Prosecutors in the Siberian city of Tomsk had argued that the Russian translation of Bhagavad Gita As It Is promotes social discord and hatred towards non-believers. The text is a combination of the Bhagavad Gita, one of Hinduisms holiest scriptures, and commentary by A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, founder of the ISKCON that is commonly known as the Hare Krishna movement, ISKCON. The prosecutors had asked the court to include the book on the Russian Federal List of Extremist Materials, which bans more than 1,000 texts including Adolf Hitlers Mein Kampf and books distributed by the Jehovahs Witness and Scientology movements. ISKCON members have alleged that the Russian Orthodox Church was behind the court case as it wanted to limit their activities. The case had created a storm back in India and even the Parliamentary proceedings had been affected by it.

Rehabilitation Council of India (RCI)

Rehabilitation Council of India (RCI), undertakes standardization, regulation and monitoring of the training of professionals in the field of rehabilitation and special education, promotes research, maintains register of rehabilitation professionals, prescribes code of conduct and ethics for these professionals etc. RCI has developed training courses, organize Seminar/ Workshop/Conference to update the knowledge of professionals dealing with the persons with disabilities. RCI has also recognized different courses through distance mode. The details of budget provided and the actual expenditure made is as under: (Rs. in lakh) Year Budget Provided (Grant) Actual Exp 2006-07 317.19 334.07 2007-08 332.30 270.40 2008-09 417.00 352.20 2009-10 410.00 445.82 2010-11 404.00 512.85

Scheme for Manual Scavangers

Government of India have adopted the following fourpronged strategy for eradication of manual scavenging:(i) Enactment of the Employment of Manual Scavengers and Construction of Dry Latrines (Prohibition) Act, 1993 for prohibition of employment of manual scavengers and construction or maintenance of dry latrines; (ii) Conversion of dry latrines into water sealed toilets and construction of new sanitary latrines under the Integrated Low Cost Sanitation Scheme in urban areas and under Total Sanitation Campaign in rural areas; (iii) Rehabilitation of manual scavengers and their dependents in alternative occupations under SRMS; and (iv) Provision of scholarships. Central Sector Self Employment Scheme for Rehabilitation of Manual Scavengers (SRMS), the successor scheme of National Scheme for Liberation and Rehabilitation of Scavengers and their Dependents (NSLRS), was introduced in January, 2007. A Scavenger means one who is partially or wholly engaged in the obnoxious and inhuman occupation of manually removing night soil and filth. The dependent of Scavengers is one who is a member of their family or is dependent on them irrespective of the fact whether they are partially or wholly engaged in the said occupation. Each individual scavenger and his/her children who are of 18 years of age and above, who are not employed (other than scavengers) will be identified and rehabilitated.

Without Legal Reforms Lokpal will Fail: Study

Scholars at the university set up by IT czar Azim Premji seriously doubt the effectiveness of the all-powerful Lokpal, advocated by Anna Hazare and his team, to fight corruption without legal reforms. Without highly contentious legal reforms, an extremely powerful agency, which the Jan Lokpal Bill (advocated by Hazare and his team) promises to establish, can at best marginally improve investigation rates and filing of charge sheet in corruption cases without securing more convictions, they assert. The scholars also fault the Jan Lokpal bill as well as the central governments Lokpal bill that is being debated in the Lok Sabha, for not taking into account the experience of Lokayuktas (state ombudsmen). We conclude that a bill that does not assimilate the experience of existing anti-corruption agencies in states like Karnataka is doomed to fail, Law, Governance and Development Initiative of Bangalore-based Azim Premji University said in their recently released study. The presumption of a criminal conviction model is at the core of the Lokpal bill, which means that it will come up against the same environmental limits the efficacy of the criminal justice system that the Lokayukta in Karnataka confronts. The proposal for the Lokpal at the moment fails to address this core problem and for that reason is bound to fail to achieve its primary purpose: the criminal conviction of corrupt officials, the study said.

Social Security for Labourers in Unorganised Sector

The Government is committed to improving the conditions of workers in the unorganized sector. To provide social security to these workers, the Government has enacted the Unorganised Workers Social Security Act 2008. The Act provides for constitution of National Social Security Board at the Central level and State Social Security Boards at the State level which shall recommend formulation of social security schemes for unorganised workers. The Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (RSBY) was launched to provide smart card based cashless health insurance cover of Rs. 30000 per annum on a family floater basis to BPL families (a unit of five) in the unorganized sector. More than 2.54 crore smart cards have been issued as on 30.11.2011. RSBY has been extended to building and other construction workers, street vendors, beedi workers, MGNREGA beneficiaries who have worked for more than 15 days during the preceding financial year and domestic Workers. The Government has launched the Aam Admi Bima Yojana (AABY) to provide insurance against death and disability. Indira Gandhi National Old Age Pension Scheme has been expanded by revising the criteria of eligibility. All citizens above the age of 65 years and living below poverty line are eligible for benefits under the scheme. To expand the old age protection cover, the Government has now reduced the age for eligibility of pension from 65 years to 60 years and for the persons above the age of 80 years the amount has been raised from Rs. 200 to Rs. 500 per month. The Government has constituted Welfare Funds for some categories of workers like beedi, cine and noncoal mine workers in the unorganised sector. The Welfare Funds are utilized to provide for financing of measures to promote the welfare of workers including women workers engaged in these occupations. The welfare measures include health & medical care, insurance, housing, education, recreation, water supply, maternity benefits, etc.

Belarus to Abolish Death Penalty after US: President

Belarus will abolish the death penalty as soon as the US abolishes it, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has said. Belarus is the only European country still with the death penalty. Sentences are carried out by a shot in the neck. The European Union has called on Belarus to join the rest of Europe in prohibiting capital punishment. When I was accused by the EU, I advise them to look at the other side of the ocean. Let the US abolish the death penalty, well be next, Lukashenko said. Maja Kocijancic, spokeswoman for EU foreign-policy chief Catherine Ashton, said: We believe that the death penalty is a cruel and inhuman punishment that does not allow any reversal, and it fails to provide a deterrence to any criminal behaviour and is an unacceptable denial of human dignity and integrity.

Law for Welfare of Senior Citizens

The Government has enacted the Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act, 2007 in December 2007 which defines senior Citizen as any person being a citizen of India, who has attained the age of sixty years or above. The Act makes maintenance of parents/ senior citizens by children/ relatives obligatory and enforceable through tribunals. It also provides for establishment of old age homes for indigent senior citizens. The Act comes into force in a State on such date as the State Government may appoint. Sor far 23 States and all Union Territories have brought the Act into force. 17

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FEBUARY 2012

ENVIRONMENT COVERAGE
Carbon Trading Market Collapse to Hit India
The carbon trading market may be headed for a crash if negotiations at the climate change conference are any indication, experts say. This is likely to impact China and India the most, as the two make up almost threefourths of the trade on carbon exchanges. India is likely to be most affected if the second round of Kyoto Protocol is not signed. China is already taking steps to tackle the issue; India is not, said Axel Michaelowa, who advises corporates on carbon trading. The carbon markets will crash if Durban fails to send a strong signal that the next round of Kyoto Protocol negotiations are on track, concurred Remi Gruet of the European Wind Energy Association, an industry body. Wind energy projects are major contributors to the carbon trading regime known as the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) under the Kyoto Protocol with wind projects worth $75 billion expected to be set up next year. The protocol, signed and ratified by most developed countries, legally binds them to cut humaninduced carbon dioxide emissions, which are said by the UNs Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) to be responsible for global warming. Under the Protocol, each developed country is given a quota on how much emission it can produce in turn, the countries limit the emissions of each company or project. But such companies can offset their obligation of cutting emissions by buying Certified Emission Reductions or CERs on carbon exchanges. CERs are sold by companies and institutions in third world countries who have taken steps to go green or set up environmental friendly projects. The CERs are awarded to them by the CDMs executive board. This is a way to bring in market mechanism and the incentive system to overall reduce emissions. According to Arun Bharat Ram, Chairman of SRF, one of the leading companies in India benefiting from CERs, as an industry, they have told the government that it should take steps to negotiate the continuation of carbon trading with the European Union, even if the Kyoto Protocol is not extended. The price of CERs in Europe has slipped sharply to Euro 6.18 now, from its peak of Euro 30 in 2008. India has been the second highest beneficiary of the CDM, touching 60.5 million CERs in 2010. China touched 346 million. The leading companies in India dealing in the certificates, apart from SRF, are Torrent Power, Gujarat Fluro Chemicals, Navin Flourine International and Rashtriya Chemicals and Fertiliser. According to a recent report by research firm Crisil, Indian projects are estimated to receive 246 million CERs by December 2012, an almost four-fold increase. But with the Kyoto Protocol doubtful, companies dealing with the certificates, or those who want to get into this, would be looking very nervously at Durban.

Eco-System in NE States
Fragmentation of habitats is known to have adverse impact on biodiversity. Taking note of this in the North Eastern States, the Government has taken up a number of measures. These include the following: (i) Documentation of plant and animal diversity of the north eastern States by the regional centres of the Botanical Survey in India and the Zoological Survey of India, respectively. (ii) Biodiversity characterisation at the landscape level using satellite remote sensing in parts of North-eastern India jointly by the Department of Biotechnology and Department of Space in order to comprehensively map the bioresources, including providing population status of more than 1000 species. (iii) Establishment of the Institute of Bioresources and Sustainable Development in Imphal, Manipur in 2001 by Department of Biotechnology for development and sustainable utilization of bioresources through biotechnological interventions for socioeconomic growth of the North-Eastern region. (iv) Setting up of the North-Eastern RegionBiotechnology Programme Management Cell by Department of Biotechnology to effectively coordinate various programmes implemented in the region. (v) Supporting of a number of research and development projects by the Government towards restoration of degraded habitats in the North Eastern region.

Durban Conference on Environment Related Problems

The seventeenth session of the Conference of Parties under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) was held in Durban from November 28 to December 9, 2011 to discuss and decide upon various issues relating to climate change under the UNFCCC and its Kyoto Protocol. India played a significant role in the success of the Durban Conference. In Durban, India played a key role in establishing the second commitment period under the Kyoto protocol with effect from January 1, 2013, immediately after the expiry of the first commitment period. In Durban, it was also decided to begin a process for developing legal arrangements for enhancing actions of all parties under the Convention. India ensured that the new arrangements, which have to be decided by 2015 and implemented from 2020 are established under the Convention. India highlighted the issues of equity and Common But Differentiated Responsibilities (CBDR) in the climate change negotiations. With support of India, the Green Climate Fund was also established in Durban. The decisions by the Conference of Parties to UNFCCC and its Kyoto Protocol are taken on the basis of consensus.

Green Credit Scheme

European Union(EU) has decided to include the emissions from the aviation sector in its Emissions Trading System(ETS) with effect from 2012 . Under the scheme, all non-EU flights entering EU territory will be required to buy emission allowances based on their share of GHG emissions. Exemptions will be provided to some airlines if the frequency of flights is lower than prescribed or the country concerned implements equivalent measures for emissions reduction in this sector within its own territory. India considers the step as a unilateral measure and in violation of the Chicago Convention and the provisions of United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The measure is also against the spirit of bilateral air services agreement entered into by India with some of the EU countries. The Government of India has expressed concern to the European Union on this unilateral measure both at multilateral and bilateral level. India took the lead in getting a joint declaration issued with the support of like-minded non EU member states of International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) that are opposed to the EUs decision. The joint declaration was submitted to ICAO council for consideration. ICAO Council has adopted the declaration with minor modifications.

Morocco Banned EU Fishing Vessels Operating in its Waters

Morocco ordered foreign fishing boats operating in its waters to leave immediately following the decision of European Parliament, which refused to extend the deal under which the EU paid Morocco for access to its fish stocks. The Parliament termed the deal illegal as it did not benefit the people living in the disputed Western Sahara, off which most of the fishing was done. The European Union had been paying 36m Euros a year to Morocco for fishing rights in its waters. The deal between Morocco and EU expired in February 2011. On 14 December 2011, European parliament voted 326 to 296 to block the renewal; on the basis that there was not enough evidence to show the deal would benefit the Sahrawi population, who live in Western Sahara. Morocco annexed Western Sahara in the year 1976. However, its claims of sovereignty have not been internationally recognised.

India Seeks IAEA help for Safety of N-plants

The government has sought assistance from the Operational Safety Review Team of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) for the safety reviews and audit of its nuclear power plants. According top priority to the issue, the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) reviewed the safety of nuclear power plants in India. The CCS was briefed on the steps taken since the radiation leak incident at Fukushima plant in Japan in March 2011 due to an earthquake and tsunami. The CCS noted a technical review of all safety systems of nuclear power plants, with a focus on their ability to withstand the impact of large natural disasters such as tsunamis and earthquakes, has been carried out. The CCS was further told that mechanisms for responding to nuclear and radiological emergencies are being strengthened in coordination with the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), including the setting up of additional Emergency Response Centers. The NDMA has drawn up various action plans for emergency preparedness. The CCS was also told that action taken on previous safety reviews have been put in the public domain and the Nuclear Safety Regulatory Authority Bill, 2011, which aims to create an independent and autonomous nuclear regulatory body, has been introduced in parliament. The CCS also reviewed the action taken by government following the radiation incident in Mayapuri in West Delhi in April 2010, including raising awareness, registering all radioactive sources, radiation checks on incoming metal scrap, installing radiation detection equipment at the border, enhanced inspections, and strengthening regulatory capabilities.

Entire Western Ghats Ecologically Sensitive

The Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel (WGEEP) has designated the entire hill range as an Ecologically Sensitive Area. The panel, in its report, has classified the 142 taluks in the Western Ghats boundary into Ecologically Sensitive Zones (ESZ) 1, 2 and 3. It recommended that no new dams based on large-scale storage be permitted in Ecologically Sensitive Zone 1. Since both the Athirappilly of Kerala and Gundia of Karnataka hydel project sites fall in Ecologically Sensitive Zone 1, these projects should not be accorded environmental clearance.

Global Carbondioxide Emissions Up 50%

Global carbon dioxide emissions from burning fossil fuels have gone up by 49 per cent over the last two decades to reach a staggering 10 billion tonnes in 2010. Contributions to such emissions growth in 2010 were largest from China, the US, India, the Russian Federation and the European Union. The new analysis by the Global Carbon Project, undertaken by the University of East Anglia and others, shows fossil fuel emissions went up by 5.9 per cent in 2010 and by 49 per cent since 1990 the reference year for the Kyoto protocol. On average, fossil fuel emissions have raised by 3.1 per cent each year between 2000 and 2010 three times the rate of increase during the 1990s. They are projected to continue to increase by 3.1 per cent in 2011. Half of the emissions remained in the air, where CO2 concentration reached 389.6 parts per million. The remaining emissions were taken up by the ocean and land reservoirs, in almost equal proportions. Rebounding from the global financial crisis of 2008-09 when emissions temporarily decreased, last years high growth was caused by both emerging and developed economies. Rich countries continued to outsource part of their emissions to emerging economies through international trade.

Remains of Giant Dinosaur found on Antarctica

Scientists on Antarctica have discovered a fossil of a tail bone belonging to a titanosaur, the family of giant plant-eating dinosaurs. Titanosaurs were sauropods four-legged herbivorous dinosaurs with long necks and tails. Their remains have been found around the world but this is the first evidence they may have roamed Antarctica. The new specimen was discovered on James Ross Island by an Argentinian-led team. They identified it as belonging to a lithostrotian titanosaur from the Late Cretaceous period of around 70 million years ago. The land mass was then rich in plant life. The find consists of section of vertebrae almost 20cm long believed to have come from the middle third of the dinosaurs tail. Titanosaurs included the mighty Argentinosaurus, which may have reached 100ft in length. 18

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FEBUARY 2012

LEGAL COVERAGE
Contractual Job Termination can be Challenged in Court: SC
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. A bench of the apex court, however, said that scope of such judicial review is not all pervasive. It said a writ Court is entitled to judicially review of the action and determine whether there was any illegality, perversity, unreasonableness, unfairness or irrationality that would vitiate the action. The court passed the order on a petition filed by Grid Corporation of Orissa Ltd challenging the Orissa High Courts order. In its order Orissa high court asked the grid corporation to reinstate one of its employees whose contractual job was terminated.

Supreme Court: Animals also Entitled to Accident Compensation

A bench of the Supreme Court including Justices BS Chauhan and TS Thakur on 16 December 2011 ruled that even animals are entitled to accident compensation. The court upheld an award of 13.48 lakh rupees for the death of a temple elephant. The animal was hit by a KSRTC (Kerala State Transport Corporation) bus. The court refused to accept the contention that the Motor Vehicles Act would be applicable to human beings and not to animals. It clarified that the definition of property in the Motor Vehicles Act is very inclusive and wide. Therefore, animal should be included under this act. The court added that the elephant was owned by the temple and it was Gods property.

Last chance for States to Implement Tamper-free Number Plates: SC

Supreme Court of India on 8 December 2011 directed all states to ensure vehicles carry tamper-free high security number plates within four weeks. Giving last opportunity to state governments to implement the scheme, a bench of the apex court ruled that contempt proceedings will be initiated against the state authorities in case of noncompliance of the scheme within the time limit fixed by it. The bench added that no further time will be granted to put in force the scheme and directed the state authorities to file their affidavits on compliance of its order within four weeks. The court passed the order on a PIL seeking its direction to introduce tamper-proof number plates and licenses for vehicles. The Centre had issued notification regarding this in 2001 and the apex court in its various orders has repeatedly asked the authorities to implement the scheme.

Supreme Court:Water Level in Mullaperiyar Dam should not Exceed 136 Feet
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. A five-Judge Constitution Bench, headed by Justice DK Jain gave the order. The Supreme Court asked Tamil Nadu and Kerala to maintain restraint on their statements on the Mullaperiyar dam row. Urging for sanity and sensitivity, the court lamented that they were adding fuel to the fire instead of dousing it. The Bench also asked the Centre to clarify its position on Tamil Nadus plea for deployment of Central Industrial Security Force to protect the dam from possible vandalism.

Parliamentary Panel Recommended Constitutional Amendment to set up NJC

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. The concluded that judiciary cannot be left unpoliced in matters of corruption. The report prepared by the Parliamentary panel recommended setting up of a National Judicial Commission (NJC) to create a broad-based and comprehensive model of judges appointments. If necessary it should include amendments in the Constitution in the process of comprehensive model of judges appointment. The recommendations of the Parliamentary Panel The NJC has to be entrusted with powers of both transfer and criminal prosecution of judges for corruption. It may also be given the power for dismissal or removal of judges by relevant amendments in the constitution. The panel also recommended that the former judges working as chairpersons and members of tribunals should also be brought under the NJC. The panel stated that Judicial Accountability Bill is meant to strengthen the existing in-house procedure of the judiciary to deal with wrong behaviour of judges. The Bar Council of India which is the apex regulator of the legal profession in India welcomed the panels recommendation. The report also explained the reasons for not bringing the judiciary under the Lokpals purview as - if the judiciary was included, it would have resulted in possible and direct prosecution of even a Supreme Court judge before a magistrate. The same would have been applied to high court judges.

Adultery Law Biased against Men: Supreme Court

The Supreme Court of India on 1 December 2011 stated that section497 of the Indian penal Code is biased against men. The section punishes a man alone for adultery for having consensual sex with a married woman. As per the observation of the court, the provision of section 497 reduces a married woman to a property of the husband and it punishes man only despite the fact that the woman with whom he had consensual sex was an equal partner in the alleged crime. The court added that the provision is under criticism from certain sections for showing a strong gender bias. A bench of the Supreme Court including Justices Aftab Alam and R M Lodha made the above observation.

All India Judicial Service

The Government has said that it is seized of the matter of creation of an All India Judicial Service under article 312 of the Constitution which requires a Resolution to be passed by the Rajya Sabha enabling the Parliament to enact necessary laws. This information was given by the Minister of Law & Justice Shri Salman Khurshid.

Section 497 of IPC

Section 497 of IPC states that whoever has sexual intercourse with a person who is and whom he knows or has reason to believe to be the wife of another man, without the consent or connivance of that man, such sexual intercourse not amounting to the offence of rape, is guilty of the offence of adultery, and shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to five years, or with fine, or with both. In such case, the wife shall not be punishable as an abettor.

International Arbitration Hub

In order to encourage alternative dispute resolution and to develop India as a hub of international arbitration, the Government proposes to amend the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996. Shri Salman Khurshid, Minister of Law and Justice, on 15 December 2011 said that the proposed amendments provide for filing of applications for challenging and execution of awards and appeals in the High Courts, arbitrator not to charge fee on the basis of per sitting unless agreed to by the parties, referring of matters relating to commercial disputes of specified value by the Chief Justices of High Courts to the arbitration institute approved by the Central Government, disclosures of information and circumstances with any other parties or counsel in relation to the subject matter of dispute by the proposed arbitrator, deposit of fifty percent of the amount awarded in the Court by the party challenging arbitral award, etc.

Court sets Deadline for Social Networking Sites

A Delhi court set 6 February as a deadline for 22 social networking sites including the Facebook, the Google, the Yahoo and the Microsoft to remove all anti-religious or anti-social content.The court directed the social networking sites to file compliance reports by 6 February 2012. Additional Civil Judge Mukesh Kumar had on 20 December in a ex-parte order issued summons to the social networking websites, granted around one and half month for compliance of his order. The court after going through the several printouts of the objectionable contents, CD and other documents had found them defamatory and derogatory and ordered to take them off from the sites. The social networking sites were issued summons by the court, on grounds of carrying objectionable content. The companies were charged with section 292 (sale of obscene books etc), 293 (sale of obscene objects to young person etc) and 120-B (criminal conspiracy) of the IPC. The courts order came amid a raging controversy over monitoring the content on Internet and of those websites depending on user generated contents. The issue surfaced after Union Telecommunications Minister Kapil Sibal asked the social networking websites to screen contents. Social networking sites in India have been going through a rough phase, after the government began showing dislike for the content portrayed. As per the courts directive, in case the social networking sites fail to clear derogatory content off their websites by 6 February 2012 they would be charged for contempt of court. 19

Misuse of Section 498A

Relating to Section 498A, the Supreme Court of India has observed that complaints are not always bona fide and are at time filed with oblique motive. The Court has requested the Law Commission of India to examine different aspects of Section 498A including that of making it compoundable. Shri Salman Khurshid, Minister of Law & Justice, said that the Law Commission of India has considered the above decisions of the Supreme Court of India. As per the information received by the Commission, more than one lakh cases are pending. The subject relating to Section 498A has been discussed bye the Law Commission of India and in the light of deliberations, the Law Commission will prepare the Report which will detail the need to make the offence under Section 498A IPC compoundable or not. The Report will also deal with other aspects relating to Section 498A such as making it bailable, process of arrest, conciliation etc. What is Section 498A: The payment of a dowry gift, often financial, has a long history in many parts of the world. In India, the payment of a dowry was prohibited in 1961 under Indian civil law and subsequently by Sections 304B and 498A of the Indian Penal Code were enacted to make it easier for the wife to seek redress from potential harassment by the husbands family. Dowry laws have come under criticism as they have been misused by women and their families. In India, there are civil laws, criminal laws and special legislative acts against the tradition of Dowry. Someone accused of taking dowry is therefore subject to a multiplicity of legal processes.

Public Interest Litigations

The Government has said that the data regarding number of Public Interest Litigations (PIL) filed in the Courts is not maintained by the Department of Justice, Ministry of Law and Justice, as the matter falls exclusively within the jurisdiction of the higher judiciary. The matter of entertaining or curbing PILs is within the domain of the Courts in which they are filed. Shri Salman Khurshid, Minister of Law and Justice, said that the Supreme Court of India has, from time to time, provided certain guidelines in their various orders to check the misuse of PILs by unscrupulous elements.

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FEBUARY 2012

SCIENCE & TECH COVERAGE

NASAs Kepler Finds Two EarthSize Planets Around Sunlike Star
NASAs Kepler mission on 20 December 2011 discovered the first Earth-size planets orbiting a sun-like star outside our solar system. The planets, called Kepler-20e and Kepler-20f, are too close to their star to be in the socalled habitable zone where liquid water could exist on a planets surface, but they are the smallest exoplanets ever confirmed around a star like our sun. The discovery marks the next important milestone in the ultimate search for planets like Earth. The new planets are thought to be rocky. Kepler-20e is slightly smaller than Venus, measuring 0.87 times the radius of Earth. Kepler-20f is a bit larger than Earth, measuring 1.03 times its radius. Both planets reside in a five-planet system called Kepler-20, approximately 1000 light-years away in the constellation Lyra. The Kepler space telescope detects planets and planet candidates by measuring dips in the brightness of more than 150000 stars to search for planets crossing in front, or transiting, their stars. The Kepler science team requires at least three transits to verify a signal as a planet. The Kepler science team uses ground-based telescopes and the Spitzer Space Telescope to review observations on planet candidates the spacecraft finds. The star field Kepler observes in the constellations Cygnus and Lyra can be seen only from ground-based observatories in spring through early fall. The data from these other observations help determine which candidates can be validated as planets. To validate Kepler-20e and Kepler-20f, astronomers used a computer program called Blender, which runs simulations to help rule out other astrophysical phenomena masquerading as a planet. Kepler-20e orbits its parent star every 6.1 days and Kepler-20f every 19.6 days. These short orbital periods mean very hot, inhospitable worlds. Kepler-20f, at 800 degrees Fahrenheit, is similar to an average day on the planet Mercury. The surface temperature of Kepler-20e, at more than 1400 degrees Fahrenheit, would melt glass. The Kepler-20 system includes three other planets that are larger than Earth but smaller than Neptune. Kepler20b, the closest planet, Kepler-20c, the third planet, and Kepler-20d, the fifth planet, orbit their star every 3.7, 10.9 and 77.6 days. All five planets have orbits lying roughly within Mercurys orbit in our solar system. The host star belongs to the same G-type class as our sun, although it is slightly smaller and cooler. The system has an unexpected arrangement. In our solar system, small, rocky worlds orbit close to the sun and large, gaseous worlds orbit farther out. In comparison, the planets of Kepler-20 are organized in alternating size: large, small, large, small and large

NASA Developed Space Harpoon to take Samples from Comets

NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) built a prototype capable of launching test harpoon tips across a distance of a mile (1.6km). It would be safer to collect comet material using the space harpoon before landing on the celestial bodies. The samples thus collected will help reveal the origins of the planets and how life was created on Earth. NASAs Stardust mission had recovered particle samples in 2002. These samples included an amino acid, glycine, which is used by living organisms to create proteins. It endorsed the fact that some of lifes ingredients had formed in space and were delivered to Earth by meteorite and comet impacts. A comet is an icy small Solar System body that, when close enough to the Sun, displays a visible coma and sometimes a tail.

Genetic tests Developed by Scientists to Detect Breast Cancer

Scientists recently developed a genetic test to detect breast cancer. It will help those women who are in the early stages of breast cancer. It will save them the trouble of undergoing chemotherapy. Scientists invented the Oncotype DX test, which can help doctors determine the likelihood of breast cancer returning and if further intervention is needed. The test uses a small sample of breast tumour tissue and focuses on groups of genes, which can influence how a cancer is likely to grow and respond to treatment. At present, the test is available in the US and American Society for Clinical Oncology and the National Comprehensive Cancer Network include it in their treatment guidelines for the early stage of breast cancer.

Land Mine Technology to help Detect Breast Cancer in 8 Sec

Scientists claimed that now a simple test could diagnose breast cancer in women in eight seconds. They claim to have developed it from a technology that is used to detect land mines. The new screening tool, called MARIA, is safer and more comfortable than traditional mammogram X-rays. It can be used on women of any age, unlike current technology. Scientists already carried out three successful trials with 300 women at Frenchay and Southmead hospitals. They also claimed that results from the trials showed a diagnostic success rate of 80 per cent. MARIA stands for Multistatic Array processing for Radio wave Image Acquisition, is made from 60 antennas, which create a complete scan of the breast in eight seconds.

Scientists Discovered New Stem Cells in Heart

An international team of scientists led by Prof Richard Harvey of the University of New South Wales and colleagues at Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute discovered a new population of adult stem cells in the heart. The findings were published following recent reports that stem cells harvested from human hearts during surgery show promise for reversing heart attack damage. Scientists claimed in their findings, published in the latest edition of the Cell Stem Cell journal that the adult stem cells can augment the development of new regeneration and repair therapies for people who have suffered cardiac failure. This is the first time this new population of stem cells was formally described, and its origins clearly defined. A mouse was used as a model system. The first part of the study included the discovery and characterisation of a new population of multi-potent, adult stem cells that live in the heart. The stem cells were found to be powerful in dividing, and responding to their native environment to form whatever tissue is needed for repair. The new group of cells is multipotent, and highly specific to the heart. These cells when translated into the human setting are expected to work well at regenerating and repairing a broken heart or a heart that has suffered injury through heart attack or heart failure. The scientists are of the opinion that population of cells are very high up in the stem cell hierarchy, and can generate a number of progenitor cells that would exist in a healthy heart, ready for action.

The Memory Gene Npas4 was found by the Neuroscientists

A team of neuroscientists found a gene that turns on when memories are stored in the brain. This discovery could help trace the exact locations of memories in the brain. It could help in creating and altering memory. The gene is called Npas4, which is very active in the hippocampus. The animal is known to have a brain structure critical in forming long-term memories. During mice studies Scientists found that by taking out Npas4 from test subjects, neuroscientists were able to prevent new memories from forming.

Scientists Discovered the Mechanism Controlling the Fat in Human Body

Scientists made a key discovery about the mechanism controlling the fat in human body. It sheds new light on how proteins regulate appetite control and insulin secretion. This is the first time such a mechanism was described and its unique, showing the importance of this protein to cellular function. CPT1 is the protein responsible for regulating fatty acid oxidation in the liver and is critical for metabolism. Its activity determines whether a person suffers from fatty liver in one case or ketosis in the other. The discovery will help in better understanding of why some people have a speedy metabolism and others struggle to control their appetite. This would be a major breakthrough in tackling the obesity crisis faced by humans.

Scientists Stumble on Immune Cells in Human Spleen

Scientists have stumbled on the presence of neutrophils in the spleen, located on the opposite side of the liver, even without an infection. Neutrophils are the so-called cleaning cells that are the first be present at an infection site after migrating there to destroy invading pathogens. Researchers noticed that the existence of neutrophils in the spleen started when the foetus is developing, even when no infectious process is involved. This was not known in scientific literature. Until now, scientists deemed neutrophils lowly soldiers that simply restricted infection, preparing the ground for other immune cells to permanently eradicate an infection. The research group of IMIM (Hospital del Mar Research Institute), Spain and their counterparts from Mount Sinai in New York, determined that neutrophils have an immunoregulating role regulating the bodys response to infections. This study has revealed that neutrophils are found in the spleen without there being an infection, contributing new knowledge in the field of biology IMIM research group coordinator Andrea Cerutti explained. This finding improves the understanding of the mechanisms with which our immune system protects us against an infection, an essential requirement to better control all pathologies linked to it. 20

British Scientists Developed a Technology to Produce Pocket TV

British scientists recently developed a technology, which could be used to produce pocket TV. Scinetists developed a new form of light-emitting crystals, known as quantum dots. These dots can be used to produce ultra-thin televisions. The tiny crystals are 100000 times smaller than the width of human hair. This can be printed onto flexible plastic sheets (which can be rolled up) to produce a paper-thin display.

China launched a High-Speed Bullet Train in Quingdao Shandong

China on 23 December 2011 launched a high-speed bullet train in Quingdao, Shandong province. Its speed can reach up to 500 kilometre per hour. The train was launched by Chinas largest rail vehicle maker, CSR Corp. Ltd. The six-car train has a maximum tractive power of 22800 kilowatts, compared with 9600 kilowatts for the CRH380 trains. The train is made from plastic materials reinforced with carbon fibre. It is designed to resemble an ancient Chinese sword. CRH 380 trains are currently in service on the BeijingShanghai High-speed Railway. It holds the world speed record of 300 kilometres per hour. China has the largest network of bullet-train track in the world, with 8000 miles of track.

Hydrogel Spurs Skin Regeneration

Scientists developed a hydrogel that regenerated healthy and scar-free tissue on skin damaged by severe burns. The hydrogel helps in formatting of new blood vessels and skin including hair follicles. The injured soldiers, fire victims and people with third degree burns can avail of the gel. Third-degree burns typically destroy the top layers of skin down to the muscle. The treatment involves, dressing up the wound, which includes hydrogel and 3D framework of polymers.

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FEBUARY 2012

DEFENCE COVERAGE
India and Russia Sign Deal for Another 42 Sukhoi Combat Planes
India signed a fresh agreement with Russia for the licensed production of 42 Sukhoi fighters for which the Russians will provide technical and equipment support. The deal was among five pacts signed after delegationlevel talks between visiting Indian Minister Manmohan Singh and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev. India had in the mid-1990s signed an agreement with Russia for buying 50 twin-seater Sukhois off-the-shelf that were delivered beginning 1997. In 2000, the two sides had signed another deal for licensed production of 140 Su-30MKIs by defence public sector undertaking Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL). In 2007, a protocol was envisaged for manufacture of a further 40 Sukhois. The present protocol envisaged manufacture of an additional 42 aircraft by HAL, taking the total Sukhois for the IAF to 272 planes.

Development of Performance Enhancing Durgs by DRDO

Defence Institute of High Altitude Reasearch (DIHAR), Leh, a laboratory of Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), has developed a unique herbal formulation Performax of ten important herbs known to have adaptogenic properties. Animal studies conducted showed nearly 36 percent increased physical performance during exposure to altitude simulating 25,000 ft. Human studies are being planned in collaboration with 153 GH. The salient features of the developed drugs are:* The capsule has a calorific value of 211.8 C and is rich in adaptogens and antioxidants including vitamins. * It is completely herbal with no toxic effect. * It can be used as herbal prophylactic and dietary supplement. Formulation could be used as a prophylactic to improve physical and mental performance of the troops deployed at high altitude and other stressful operational environments. It can improve respiratory, circulatory, nervous and hormonal functions to cope with higher levels of stress.

US wants to Sell Drones to India

The Obama administration has been quietly pushing to sell armed drones to key allies, including India, but it has run into resistance from lawmakers concerned about the proliferation of technology and know-how. The Pentagon wants more North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) members to have such pilotless aircraft to ease the burden on the US in Afghanistan, and in future conflicts like the alliances air campaign in Libya this year. India, which has been purchasing drones from Israel for quite some time now, could also be one of the potential buyers. India has been developing its drone capabilities too, but does not have armed drones like the Predators and Reapers used by US security agencies with devastating effect against Al Qaeda and Taliban targets in Pakistan. Obama administration recently began informal consultations with lawmakers about prospective sales of armed drones and weapons systems to NATO members Italy and Turkey, while several US allies in the Persian Gulf have been pressing Washington to authorise drone sales. The Pentagons proposed sales have set off a behindthe-scenes debate between the administration and some members of Congress over whether the US should speed the spread of a technology that will allow other countries to carry out military strikes by remote control. So far, the US has sold unarmed drones to several countries, including Italy, but has only allowed sales of armed drones to Britain, citing its relationship with the US and large troop presence in Afghanistan. The administration is required by law to notify key congressional committees about prospective arms sales. The Congress generally signs off quickly when deals involve NATO allies, but the proposed transfer of armed drones, also known as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), faces added scrutiny.

Maiden Flight of First Indigenous Indian Airborne Warning and Control System
The first fully modified Aircraft for indigenously developed Indian Airborne Warning and Control System (AEW&C) took to skies on 6 December 2011, as part of its first maiden flight in Embraer facilities at Sao Jose dos Campos in Brazil with about 1000 Mission System Components provided by CABS, DRDO. These include the critical item AESA (Active Electronic Scanning Antenna) Radar Antenna developed by DRDO and certified from ANAC, International FAR Certification Agency. The flight is a major milestone towards realizing the dream of indigenous Airborne Early Warning and Control System, which will put India into a select club of countries. While this Aircraft will now undergo full certification process over next two years, India will receive two aircrafts by middle of next year. The Mission Systems developed by various DRDO labs will be integrated with these aircrafts. Currently, these systems are undergoing ground integration and evaluation at the Centre for Airborne Systems (CABS), Bangalore. Two of these systems will be delivered to IAF after detailed Test and Evaluation by 2013. With the advent of this, India is looking forward to join the league of countries capable of developing and delivering such complex Airborne System of Systems to its user.

Indian Defence Spending Over $ 98.35 Billion in the Past Decade

Indian Defence Minister A.K.Antony said that India has spent over $ 98.35 billion on procurement of defence equipment in the last ten years. Defence Minister stated that this defence expenditure consists of equipment for the Indian Armed Forces from local and foreign firms. This defence expenditure was incurred during 2001-02 till 2010-11. Defence Minister indicated that the upgradation of the Indian Armed Forces has been the key force behind the defence expenditure. Some of the major deals running into billions of US dollars include the acquisition of Hawk Advanced Jet Trainers (AJTs), C-130J Super Hercules and C-17 strategic airlift transport aircraft. Indias defence budget has reached $ 36.3 billion in the 2011 2012 which is four times that of the defence budget in 2001.

India Armed Forces Induct Radars

The Indian Armed Forces are expected to induct radars worth over $ 8.5 billion in the next decade as a host of defence public sector units as well as local and international private sector contribute to its growing demand. According to Director (R&D) of state-run Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), Mr. I.V. Sharma, the current phase is the golden age for radars in India as various indigenous developmental projects for radars and associated equipment as well as international acquisitions are taking place.

India Developed Autonomous Underwater Vehicle And Seeker Technology For Missiles
India has successfully developed two crucial defence capabilities which signals its entry into an exclusive club of nations with such indigenous technology. The first achievement is the development of an indigenous autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) by state-run DRDO which will aid in maritime security and the other is an RF (radio frequency) seeker which was successfully flight-tested in anti-tank Nag missile by the Indian Army in Rajasthan. The latter was also developed by DRDO lab called Research Centre Imarat (RCI) and is a milestone in seeker technology for missiles. With the development of the autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV), DRDO has enabled India to be at par with nations like US and Japan with such indigenous technology. The testing of this remotely operated vehicle has been done by DRDO and the project has achieved objectives. The AUV project involves the Electronic Corporation of India Limited (ECIL), Hyderabad, as the concurrent engineering partner. The cost of the AUV is roughly $ 8.4 million and it will augment underwater surveillance capabilities of the Indian Navy.

Costly Mirage Upgrade to be Completed in a Decade

French Company Thales and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) will take ten years to carry out mid-life upgrade of IAFs 51 Mirage-2000 fighters under a USD 2.1 billion deal meaning that by the time last batch of aircraft is upgraded, they would have passed more than 75 percent of their life span. The Mirage upgrade is the costliest aircraft upgrade venture undertaken by India as the per plane cost of upgrade along with the missile package is coming around to USD 70 million, IAF said.

HAL to Build 16 Sukhois Annually To Meet IAF Induction Plan

To boost the Indian Air Forces (IAF) rate of induction of the Sukhoi front line combat jets, India has asked defence public sector Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) to speed up production of the planes at its Nasik facility to 16 planes annually. This is four planes more than the actual envisaged production capacity of the HAL plant of 12 aircraft a year. The decision to increase the production capacity of the Sukhois is keeping in line with the governments approval of an IAF request to compress the delivery schedule of the planes.

Army Conducts Successful Flight Test of Missile Agni A1-06

The AGNI A1-06 was successfully flight tested from Wheeler Island on 1st December 2011 at 0930 hrs by the Indian Army. The missile was launched from a Road Mobile Launcher System and reached the target point in the Bay of Bengal. The missile was tracked by radar and telemetry stations located along the coastline. Two Naval Ships located near the target point tracked the missile in the terminal phase of the flight. The missile, indigenously developed by DRDO, is already in the arsenal of Indian Armed Forces.

Indian Navy to Grow into 150-Ship & 500-Aircraft Force by 2027

Indias Navy will look like a brand new force by 2027 with a combatants level of 150-odd warships and another 500-odd aircraft fleet, even as it is also preparing to induct 49 new warships and submarines in the next few years that are on order with both Indian and foreign shipyards. This was revealed by Indian Navy chief Admiral Nirmal Verma to coincide with the Navy Day celebrated on December 4.

Auditors Slam Indian Armys Poor Artillery Guns Buying Record

The miserable record of the Indian Army in procuring artillery guns over the last 25 years, when not a single weapon was purchased to replace aging World War-II vintage and 1970s vintage guns for its artillery regiments has come in for a severe criticism at the hands of Indias government auditors. In its report submitted to the Indian Parliaments two houses, auditors have indicated that the ghost of the Bofors guns payoff scandal that rocked the then government in late 1980s is yet to be exorcised. The Comptroller and Auditor Generals report has pointed out that this had led to the artillery guns of modern technology not being made available to the artillery units, resulting in their poor preparedness for any future war. 21

DRDO Delivers Indias First (ROV) Daksh to the Indian Army

Indian Army has received the first batch of indigenously designed and developed Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) Daksh which will enable the handling and clearing of improvised explosives devices (IEDs) and other hazardous objects. The Daksh ROV or robot is At present, the Indian Navy has 132 ships including 14 developed by Research and Development Establishment submarines and 216 aircraft, of which 80 are fixed wing, (Engineers), R&DE (E), part of state-run DRDO. Indian 122 helicopters and 14 unmanned aerial vehicles. Today, Army stated that Daksh ROV is an invaluable asset for Indian Navy is poised for a very good growth path. bomb disposal units of the army as well as for anti- Navy veterans could not have imagined the growth curve that we have today, he said. terrorist operations and battle field exigencies. CHANGE THE ONLY CONSTANT THING : We Bring You More Informative and Detailed Coverage Every Month

FEBUARY 2012

HEALTH COVERAGE
WHO Concerned that new H5N1 influenza research could undermine the 2011 Pandemic Influenza Preparedness Framework
The World Health Organization (WHO) takes note that studies undertaken by several institutions on whether changes in the H5N1 influenza virus can make it more transmissible between humans have raised concern about the possible risks and misuses associated with this research. WHO is also deeply concerned about the potential negative consequences. However, WHO also notes that studies conducted under appropriate conditions must continue to take place so that critical scientific knowledge needed to reduce the risks posed by the H5N1 virus continues to increase. H5N1 influenza viruses are a significant health risk to people for several reasons. Although this type of influenza does not infect humans often, when it does, approximately 60% of those infected die. In addition, because these viruses can cause such severe illness in people, scientists are especially concerned that this type of influenza could one day mutate so it spreads easily between people and causes a very serious influenza pandemic. Research which can improve the understanding of these viruses and can reduce the public health risk is a scientific and public health imperative. In order to enable those public health gains, countries where these viruses occur should share their influenza viruses for public health purposes while countries and organizations receiving these viruses should share benefits resulting from the virus sharing. Both types of sharing are on equal footing and equally important parts of the collective global actions needed to protect public health. While it is clear that conducting research to gain such knowledge must continue, it is also clear that certain research, and especially that which can generate more dangerous forms of the virus than those which already exist, has risks. Therefore such research should be done only after all important public health risks and benefits have been identified and reviewed, and it is certain that the necessary protections to minimize the potential for negative consequences are in place. In May 2011, the new Pandemic Influenza Preparedness (PIP) Framework came into effect. This Framework was adopted by all WHO Member States as a guide to the sharing of influenza viruses with pandemic potential and the resulting benefits. One specific requirement of this Framework, which pertains to influenza viruses of pandemic potential, and is in keeping with best scientific practice, is for laboratories receiving them through WHOs Global Influenza Surveillance and Response System (GISRS) to collaborate with, and appropriately acknowledge, scientists in countries where the virus originated when initiating research. WHO recognizes that the scientists who led the work of the new studies received their virus samples from the WHO Global Influenza Surveillance Network (GISN), which preceded GISRS, and before negotiations on the new PIP Framework began. However, now that the Framework has been adopted by all WHO Member States, WHO considers it critically important that scientists who undertake research with influenza viruses with pandemic potential samples fully abide by the new requirements. Since the PIP Framework represents a major step forward and was agreed upon only after several years of difficult negotiations, WHO stresses that this H5N1 research must not undermine this major public health achievement. WHO will work with Member States and other key parties to ensure scientists understand the new requirements that have been agreed to with the Framework.

India to Launch Special Programme to Curb Anaemia

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare will soon launch a Weekly Iron and Folic Supplementation (WIFS) programme. The programme, to be implemented across the country, will cover nearly 12 crore adolescents. The Ministry has suggested to the States that a fixed day in a week, preferably a Monday, be earmarked as the day when Iron and Folic Acid tablet is provided to adolescents. Funding for implementation of the scheme to the States would be provided under the National Rural Health Mission. The States have been advised to project their fund requirements in the Programme Implementation Plans for the year 2012-13 so that the scheme can be rolled out in the forthcoming financial year. The key features of WIFS include administration of supervised Weekly Iron-folic Acid Supplements of 100mg elemental iron and 500ug Folic acid; screening of target groups for moderate/severe anaemia and referring these cases to an appropriate health facility; Information and counselling for improving dietary intake and for taking actions for prevention of intestinal worm infestation. The WIFS programme will serve as an entry point for counselling adolescents and addressing their health and nutrition needs through programmes and platforms like Ministry of Women and Child Developments SABLA and MOHFWs Adolescent Reproductive and Sexual Health programme and Menstrual Hygiene. This scheme would be a unique example of national level multisectoral, inter-ministerial convergence in terms of joint programme planning, capacity building, monitoring and comprehensive communication component, a government statement said.

India Gearing up to Curb Communicable Diseases

Union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad said Communicable diseases pose a major public health challenge for India. The country is vulnerable to emerging and re-emerging diseases because of the existing environmental, socio-economic and demographic situation. The minister said that while note-worthy success had been registered during the 11th Five Year Plan, the 12th Plan aims to address several public health challenges to control communicable diseases. The 12th Five Year Plan aims to address several public health challenges, such as ensuring primary health care to all including the urban slum population; strengthening of health care infrastructure; increasing public health workforce; strengthening disease surveillance and response systems; formulation and enforcement of appropriate public health laws and increasing public health allocation and spending. Several members expressed serious concerns over the increase in Japanese encephalitis cases. According to Ministry figures, 5,149 acute encephalitis syndrome (AES) cases and 677 deaths were reported across India in 2010. Of these, there were 565 cases and 110 deaths due to Japanese encephalitis in 11 states. The members suggested preventive programmes and a coordinated approach to tackle communicable diseases. Awareness campaigns on Doordarshan and All India Radio were also suggested along with allocation of funds for local health melas. As per Health Ministry figures, the prevalence of tuberculosis (TB) is about 266 cases per lakh people and 23 persons die because of TB. About 1.5 million cases of malaria with 30,000 deaths annually. About 40 million persons infected with filaria, one-third of global cases, live in India and about 129 million are at risk of kala-azar (leishmaniasis) in 52 endemic districts mostly in Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal and eastern Uttar Pradesh. Figures also show nearly 126,800 new cases of leprosy were reported in 2010 which is nearly half of global numbers, and more than 300 million episodes of acute diarrhoea occur every year in India in children below 5 years of age.

Massive Drive to Curb Cancer & Heart Ailments

India will be the only country in the world to screen its entire 125 crore population for prevention of cancer and some other non-communicable diseases in the next five years, Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad said. Azad said that the government has already launched a pilot project across 100 districts in 21 states for prevention and control of cancer, cardio-vascular diseases, stroke, and diabetes. India will be the first country that will screen its entire population for these diseases. The equipment for screening will be provided by the Union Health Ministry besides chemotherapy of 100 patients per district at a cost of Rs 100,000, he said. According to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), India currently has 27 lakh cancer patients while 11 lakh new cancer cases are reported every year.

Law for Biomedical Research on Humans by End of 2012

The law on biomedical research on human subjects, which will keep a tab on unethical medical practices and help those who abide by medical science ethics, will be in place of end of 2012, an official of the union health ministry said. Everybody should do trials by following ethical practices. If a therapy is approved, the doctor is authorised to use it and practice. But if you do anything beyond that, whether it is drugs or cells, then it is an experimental practice which is unethical, said Health Research Secretary Vishwa Mohan Katoch . Earlier, there were guidelines to stop such kind of things. But now these guidelines have been given shape of a bill. By end of 2012, it will be in place. This law will also have the authority so that nobody who is working ethically faces any kind of problem. Every new medical research and experiment on humans will come under this, he said. This bill will also monitor all kinds of foul play in terms of research and experiment. Under this bill, any research on human beings will be covered. If after four trials it is proved that a certain therapy is working, then its ok. But if you are treating somebody without any evidence, then its unethical. Katoch, who is also director general of Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), said stem cell therapy has immense potential. Stem cell therapy has immense potential. But potential is one issue, as some forms of it are proven, some are not. And those which are not proven, there is hope for that also. There is a proper scientific process and there will be guidelines which will be changing with a changing scenario. If there is a new indication, and if it is proved after four trials, then it will come up in the website, he said. Katoch added that the department of health research has plans to make six regional laboratories across the country. The laboratories will come up under ICMR. 22

Gene that Increases Pancreatic Cancer Risk Identified

A gene that increases the risk of pancreatic cancer has been identified. Mutations in the (ataxia telangiectasia mutated) ATM gene may increase the hereditary risk for pancreatic cancer, researchers at the Johns Hopkins University have found. The findings were published in the latest edition of the journal Cancer Discovery. Pancreatic cancer is one of the most morbid cancers, with less than five percent of those diagnosed with the disease surviving to five years. Approximately 10 percent of patients come from families with multiple cases of pancreatic cancer.

Fluoride Acts on Plaque-causing Bugs: Study

Regular use of fluoride toothpaste and mouthwash, known to toughen teeth enamel, also acts on plaquecausing bugs. Conversely, these bugs try to fend off fluoride as a toxic substance, according to a new study led by Ronald Breaker, a researcher at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI). The bacterial response indicates that fluoride itself has antimicrobial properties. The data not only help explain how cells fight the toxicity of fluoride, but it also gives a sense of how it might be able to enhance the antimicrobial properties of fluoride. In the future it might be able to use this knowledge to make fluoride even more toxic to bacteria. Blocking the fluoride channel, for example, makes cells 200 times more sensitive to fluoride, the researchers showed.

Govt to Set up 160 New Trauma Centres along NHs

The government will establish 160 new Trauma Care Centers near National Highways across the country. Minister of Health and Family Welfare Ghulam Nabi Azad said that these Centers would be established during the 12th Plan in government hospitals. He said that 140 government hospitals, medical colleges and hospitals were identified for establishment of Trauma Care facilities on National Highways during 11th Five Year Plan. Of them, 18 are functional. The Minister also said that Centre is providing financial assistance for these Centers to the State governments. These Centers are being established on golden quadrilateral North-South, EastWest corridors and highways connecting major cities.

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FEBUARY 2012

WOMEN & CHILDREN COVERAGE

NHRC Plans to Effectively Curb Child Labour
Taking serious note of the extensive network of child labour in the country, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has planned to make some amendments to the existing laws that prohibit child labour. In this regard the NHRC has formed a core group that will propose the changes to be made. The core committee will include Non Government Oragnisations (NGOs), retired bureaucrats and legal experts. According to the NHRC, despite several assurances, the state governments fail to curb illegal activity of employing children below the age group of 14 years in small-scale industries. More so, the Supreme Court had many times warned to prohibit child labour.

Corporal Punishment
National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) has stressed the need to eliminate all forms of corporal punishment practiced in schools. The NCPCR has issued guidelines on 9th August, 2007 and additional guidelines on 26th May 2009 for banning corporal punishment in schools and making the teachers, teaching staff and school managements aware about the same. Pursuant to the recommendations/guidelines dated 9th August, 2007 made by NCPCR, the then Secretary, School Education and Literacy, Ministry of Human Resources Development had issued letters on 17th December 2007 for prohibiting corporal punishment in all schools under their jurisdiction and to amend the relevant School Education Act or Rules, if necessary. Further, Section 17 (1) of the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009 provides that no child shall be subjected to physical punishment or mental harassment.

Protection of Children
The Government proposes to enact a special law for protection of children from sexual offences; the Minister of Women & Child Development Smt. Krishna Tirath said on 9th Decmber 2011. The Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Bill, 2011 was introduced in the Rajya Sabha on 23rd March, 2011. The Minister stated that for the first time, a special law has been proposed to address the issue of sexual offences against children. The Bill defines offences, namely, penetrative sexual assault, aggravated penetrative sexual assault, sexual assault, aggravated sexual assault, sexual harassment and use of child for pornography. For speedy trial, the State Governments have been mandated to designate a Court of Session in each district, to be a Special Court to try offences under the Bill. It is expected that enactment of this Bill will contribute to the safety and security of children and the stringent punishment proposed under the Bill will act as a deterrent for offenders.

Rehabilitation of Women and Children

The National Foundation for Communal Harmony (NFCH), an autonomous organisation of the Government under the Ministry of Home Affairs, provides financial assistance for the children of families below poverty line rendered orphan or destitute due to communal, caste, ethnic or terrorist violence as per criterion laid down by Planning Commission. Further, the Government, in the Ministry of Women and Child Development, is providing financial assistance since 2009-10, under the Integrated Child Protection Scheme (ICPS), to State Governments/UT Administrations for setting up and maintenance of Homes and Specialised Adoption Agencies (SAAs) set up under the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2000 either by themselves or through voluntary organisations, for rehabilitation and reintegration of children in need of care and protection. The Ministry of Rural Development, is implementing Indira Gandhi National Widow Pension Scheme (IGNWPS) for BPL widows of age group of 40-59 years and Indira Gandhi Old Age Pension Scheme (IGOAPS) for BPL persons of 60 years and above. The Ministry of Women and Child Development, is also implementing Swadhar Greh Scheme for rehabilitation of women in difficult circumstances. The targeted beneficiaries of the above Schemes also includes women and children left behind due to killing of their husbands/ fathers in terrorist or naxalite attacks. It is not feasible to anticipate the number of such women or children who would require support in future under these Schemes.

Malnourished Children
Malnutrition is manifestation of several underlying factors & causes and is complex, multi-dimensional and inter-generational in nature and cannot be tackled by a single sector alone. The causes are varied and include inadequate consumption of food, frequent infections, lack of availability of safe drinking water and proper sanitation, illiteracy specially in women, poor access to health services, low purchasing power, socio-cultural factors such as early marriages of girls, lack of care during pregnancy and infancy, ignorance about nutritional needs of infants and young children etc., As per the National Family Health Survey-3 (NFHS-3), 200506, 42.5% children under 5 years are underweight and 69.5 % are anemic. The Minister of Women & Child Development Smt. Krishna Tirath stated this on 15 December 2011.

Guidelines of the ICDS Scheme

Under the Schematic norms of the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) Scheme, Government of India is responsible for the Programme Planning and State/UT Governments are responsible for the implementation of the Programme. States usually adhere to the guidelines issued by the Ministry of Women of Child Development in Government of India. Some of the issues in which guidelines have not been adhered fully relates to: 1. Operationalization of Anganwadi centres & population norms; 2. Vacancies at different levels; 3. Issues relating to manner of delivery and nonadherence to cost norms, 4. Nutritional norms and not achieving 300 days in providing Supplementary Nutrition Programme (SNP) etc. Besides, many states are not utilizing norm based funds for components such as Pre School Education kits, Medicine kits, flexi fund and other components of programme fully and their progress has been uneven. Additionally, there is a facility for providing foodgrains (Wheat/Rice/Coarse grains) under Wheat Based Nutrition Programme (WBNP) to the States/UTs. Under this, foodgrains are allocated to States/UTs at BPL rates for use in various menus of Supplementary Nutrition under the ICDS Scheme and to cushion the inflation/ market price in foodgrains. During the current year, 27 States/UTs are availing of foodgrains under the WBNP. The States/UTs which are not availing foodgrains under the Programme are Arunachal Pradesh, Delhi, Assam, Bihar, Chandigarh Administration, Lakshadweep, UT Administration of Daman & Diu and Puduchery. Implementation of ICDS Scheme is monitored through prescribed monthly & annual progress reports, reviews, as well as, supervision visits etc. Food samples are also collected by the field unit of Food & Nutrition Board (FNB) for quality assessment. Based on the inputs and feedback received, State Governments/ UT Administrations are addressed through letters and review meetings to address the deficiencies and work towards better implementation of the Scheme. Further, in order to improve the implementation of ICDS Scheme, Government has recently set up a 5-tier monitoring & review mechanism at National, State, District, Block and Anganwadi Levels.

Private Sector Lender HDFC Bank launched Premium Credit Cards Exclusively for Women
Private sector lender HDFC Bank launched premium credit cards exclusively for women. HDFC expects to add 4 million credit card customers in the next two years. The bank has about six million credit card customers. Of this, 1.5 million customers are women. The card Solitaire introduced exclusively for women has a credit limit of up to 2 lakh. The bank also launched a special card, Solitaire Premium, with a credit limit of Rs 5 lakh for women. Solitaire will provide unmatched lifestyle offers, its wellness aspects will help women take holistic care of themselves in the midst of a busy career. Solitaire is expected to fulfill a long-standing need of women who are pursuing a successful career, travelling the world and are at the forefront of the global consumption story. The bank, which is the biggest issuer of credit cards in the country decided to come out with new credit card products including co-branded card every quarter.

Increase in Dowry
The National Crime Record Bureau (NCRB) data on the number of cases registered under the Dowry Prohibition Act, 1961, does not show any definite trend. As per the NCRB data, the conviction rate under the Dowry Prohibition Act, 1961 was 27.3%, 23.1%, 23.9%, 21.5% and 23.3% in the years 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 & 2010 respectively. The conviction rate in the year 2010 has risen over that of 2009. As per Seventh Schedule, Police and Public Order are State subjects under the Constitution. As such, the primary responsibility of prevention, detection, registration, investigation and prosecution of crimes, including crimes against women, lies with the State Governments/ Union Territory Administrations. However, the Central Government attaches importance to the matter of prevention and control of crime against women and has been advising the State Governments from time to time regarding the steps that need to be taken to afford a greater measure of protection to the women and, in particular, to prevent incidence of crimes against them. These advisories emphasize gender sensitization of the police personnel, minimizing delays in investigations of crime against women, improving the quality of investigation and setting up Crime against Women Cells in districts where these do not exist. States/ UT Administrations have also been advised that dowry related cases must be adjudicated expeditiously to avoid further harassment of the women and also to develop a community monitoring system to check cases of violence, abuse and exploitation.

Breasts Feeding Rates in Twelfth Plan

The Government has issued National Guidelines on Infant and Young Child Feeding and appropriate Infant and Young Child Feeding (IYCF) practices are being emphasised. This is sought to be achieved through focus on this component / theme in programmes such as the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) scheme and the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) primarily. Currently no separate targets are fixed nor are any funds separately earmarked for this purpose. IYCF including exclusive breastfeeding will receive focus in the 12th Five Year Plan. Under the proposed strengthened and restructured ICDS scheme, IYCF is identified as one of the services there and there is a proposal to promote it intensively through one to one counselling on optimal breast feeding practices and complementary feeding, regular home visits and Village Health and Nutrition Days (VHNDs), advocacy and Information, education and communication on this subject. IYCF will be one of the outcome indicators to be monitored. Funds are proposed to be provided for this purpose to the States/UTs.

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FEBUARY 2012

EDUCATION COVERAGE
Availability of Secondary Education
To enhance access to secondary education by providing secondary schools within a reasonable distance of every habitation, a new centrally sponsored scheme namely Rashtriya Madhyamic Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA) has been under implementation from 2009-10 with a target to ensure universal access of secondary education by 2017 (GER of 100%) and universal retention by 2020. Since the inception of the scheme, opening of new 9799 secondary schools and strengthening/improvement of existing infrastructure of 35547 of existing secondary schools have been sanctioned. As per the Working Group Report on Secondary Education for the 12th Five Year Plan, there is a requirement of 19946 new secondary schools, with an estimated outlay of Rs. 29919 crore. A total requirement of Rs. 318394 crore for secondary education has been envisaged under this report.

Worlds first sex school opens in Austria

While many people may think its an activity which should be best learned behind closed doors, an enterprising Swedish schoolmistress thinks otherwise. Ylva-Maria Thompson has opened the worlds first international sex school for teaching the art of being better lovers. The Austrian International Sex School in Vienna offers hands on lessons in seduction for 1,400 pounds a term. The headmistress says anyone over the age of 16 can enrol at the worlds first college of applied sexuality. Students of the course are expected to stay in a co-ed dormitory block where theyre expected to practice their homework. By the end of their course, they are awarded a qualification. The school head said: Our core education is not theoretical, but very practical. The emphasis is on how to be a better lover. (We tell about) sexual positions, caressing techniques, anatomical features. And we teach people hands on. The school, however, has already turned controversial in Austria with its raunchy advertisments showing a couple making love having already invited ban by Austrian TV.

Cabinet Approves Draft NCHER Bill

The Union cabinet has okayed the draft Bill to set up National Commission for Higher Education and Research (NCHER). It will take over regulators like University Grants Commission (UGC) and All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE). The Commission will have 70 member body, having representation from states and professional bodies to decide on policy issues. The draft Bill NCHER, proposes to have an 11 member committee to execute the decisions of the council. It will provide mandate to the Commission to bring reforms in higher education for setting up quality institutions across the country. The objective of the Commission is to increase the gross enrollment ratio to 30 per cent by 2020 from 20 per cent in 2010.

RTE is not a Panacea: Experts

The Right to Education (RTE) Act cannot be a panacea to the poor education system in the country, experts said. The historic Right to Education (RTE) Act cannot be the comprehensive solution to the countrys education-related issues. According to experts, the states are facing a slew of obstacles ranging from generating resources to ensuring admission of children in ageappropriate classes. Listing the inefficacy of RTE: RTE is pointless as it squanders public money on untried educational methods. There was a lack of debate on RTE which left some questions unanswered. Ideally, the policy should be socially desirable, economically viable and politically acceptable. Enforced on April 1, 2010, RTE Act makes education free for the children from 6-14 years of age. Former chief secretary of Gujarat, Sudhir Mankad, presented the governments point of view and said that nothing could be perfect, but RTE was a good policy.

Promotion of Yoga
As per National Curriculum Framework-2005, Yoga is an integral part of Health and Physical Education at all level of School Education, which has been made compulsory from Class I to X and optional at XI & XII. Syllabi from Class I to XII have been developed by NCERT. Yoga is one of the core components of health and physical education. The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) have developed syllabi for health and physical education for all stages of school education, while giving adequate space to Yoga. Central Board of Secondary Education has advised the affiliated schools to provide compulsory 30 minutes of Physical Activities or games to the students of Class IVII everyday and the students of classes IX-XII should participate in Physical Activity/Games/Mass P.T./Yoga for at least 2 periods per week (90-120 min/Week).

MoU to Strengthen Cardiac Services

Dr. K M Cherian Heart Foundation signed a MoU with Pushpagiri Institute of Medical Sciences and Research recently. The MoU defines a tie-up wherein the Foundation will provide expert support for the cardiac services of the Pushpagiri Institute of Medical Sciences and Research Center at Thiruvalla, Kerala. As per the MoU, cardiologists, cardiac surgeons from Frontier Lifeline will be working closely with doctors and students of Pushpagiri Institute of Medical Sciences sharing their technical expertise and fostering research and knowledge-sharing. The Pushpagiri hospital has a dedicated wing for cardiac care with a 200-bed facility. Frontier Lifeline experts will assist in training and development of the students of the Pushpagiri Institute of Medical Sciences and Research Center. Students will also actively engage in research at the Frontier Life sciences at Frontier Mediville.

Jamia honours Amartya Sen

The Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI) conferred the degree of Doctor of Letters (D.Lit) on renowned economist and Nobel laureate Amartya Sen. In awarding this degree the university not only records its deep appreciation for his contribution to the field of economics but it honours itself, said Jamia Vice-Chancellor Najeeb. Praising the 91-year-old university, one of the countrys oldest, Sen said that Jamia was a union of education and tradition. I am delighted to receive this honour, added the economist who was awarded the 1998 Nobel Prize in economic sciences and Bharat Ratna the highest civilian award in India the following year.

Common Admission Test for B-Schools Now

In a step that may reduce hassles for management course aspirants, a single common admission test for management courses will be held for the first time in 2012. The test, named Common Management Admission Test (CMAT) will be held by the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) for admission to various management schools. The fate of the Common Admission Test (CAT) that is annually held by the Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) is not clear yet. So far, admission to B-schools has been largely based on the results of CAT and Management Aptitude Test (MAT). A number of other exams are also held by different colleges and universities. This initiative has been taken to address the issue of physical, mental and financial stress being imposed on the students through number of entrance examinations conducted by the institutions for admission to management programs in AICTE-approved institutions based on relevant judgments in the Honble Supreme Court, a statement from Human Resource Development Ministry said. The Common Management Admission Test (CMAT)2012 will be conducted online in 61 cities from February 20 to February 28, 2012, and scores awarded will be used for admission in the post-graduate management programs both at the degree and diploma level, all over India for year 2012-13. The Ministry has also asked the respective Secretaries of the state dealing with technical education and Vice Chancellors of the universities to use the merit list of CMAT-2012 for admission of students in the AICTE approved management institutions for academic year 2012-13.

Reduction in the Cost of Education

It has been stressed in National Policy on Education as well as in several judicial pronouncements that education is a not-for-profit activity and commercialization of education is to be avoided. Education being in the Concurrent List, is the shared responsibility of the Centre as well as State Governments. The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009 has been enacted which envisages significant reforms in the Elementary Education sector specially with reference to admission, attendance and completion of elementary education by all children in schools which conform to specified norms and standards. In order to encourage students of SC/ST communities for pursuing higher education, Government has already introduced scholarship programmes for them to supplement the cost of education. In addition, Government has already introduced a scheme for Interest Subsidy on Education Loans to enable economically weaker section students for pursuing higher professional education.

Promotion of Scientific Attitude

The Central Bboard of Secondary Education (CBSE) has taken the following steps to promote scientific attitude among students and also encourage them to study the science subjects: Students hands on experience Development of support materials based on activities to teach science subject Time to time updating of science syllabi Organization of teacher empowerment programmes Students are also encouraged to participate in science competitions such as National Talent Search Examination, Physics, Chemistry, Biology and Mathematics Olympiads. Programmes run by CBSE to promote scientific attitude among students and encourage them to study science are applicable to all the CBSE affiliated schools.

Pursue a Foreign Degree from Home

Indian students desiring foreign education can fulfill their dreams right from the comfort of their homes, courtesy online courses launched by Laureate International Universities (LIU) a network of higher education institutes. Master and professional level courses in Management; health and human services, public policy and other streams are available from Laureates three flagship varsities Liverpool (Britain), Walden (US) and Glion (Switzerland). The courses being offered are designed specifically for working professionals. Enrolled students would be taught through videos and weekly assignments. After applying online, the aspirant would be able to chat with the advisors who would help an aspirant to choose the right programme. LIU have partnered with the Pearl Academy of Fashion and are also in talks with some corporate.

Concurrent Assessment of SSA

41 independent agencies of National repute have been engaged on a two yearly basis to monitor the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) programme. These Management Infomation System (MIs) submit reports on half yearly basis. These reports are shared with the State Project Directors of SSA of the States/Union Territories for appropriate remedial action. The reports of the MIsare posted on the website www.ssa.nic.in. Besides, the Institute of Public Auditors of India (IPAI), an independent agency has also been engaged for concurrent financial review to cover all the States/UTs. It submits reports to this Ministry annually, which are shared with the concerned States/UTs for taking necessary corrective action. In addition, SSA conducts third party evaluation through independent agencies for the civil works taken up in the State/UTs. 24

Central aid for setting up Polytechnics under PPP

The Centre has approved a scheme for providing financial aid for setting up 300 Polytechnics across the country. They will come up under the Public- Private Partnership (PPP) mode. While the Centre will give Rs 3 crore for each of these Polytechnics, the State governments share will be two crore rupees each. The private partner will have to give Rs 10 crore and also provide the land for these Polytechnics, Union Human Resources Development Minister Kapil Sibal said.

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FEBUARY 2012

STATES COVERAGE
ASSAM DELHI

HIMACHAL PRADESH

HPC (D) Declares Ceasefire

In Assam, the militant outfit Mar Peoples ConventionDemocratic (HPC-D) on 2 December 2011 declared a unilateral ceasefire paving the way for peace talks with the Government. The outfit announced this before their cadres somewhere in a dense forest near the district headquarter of Halflong. The step was taken in response to Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram and Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogois latest appeal to the militant outfits of the North-East to shun violence and to come for negotiations. The outfit announced it would not indulge in any kind of violence any more in the interest of creating a congenial atmosphere for the peace talks. BIHAR

e-PDS System Launched for Greater Transparency

Delhi state government on 7 December 2011 launched the Electronic Public Distribution System (e-PDS). This system will help consumers get online information on the availability of food grains, distribution of important commodities and ration shops. It will reduce complaints of divergence and other corrupt practices. The project was launched on a pilot basis for Krishna Nagar and Gandhi Nagar areas of the city. The government plans to extend the project to the entire city. The e-PDS would improve the Public Distribution System by bringing more transparency in the supply chain management.

The Himachal Pradesh Cabinet Approved Amendment to the State Industrial Policy
The Himachal Pradesh government on 15 December 2011 decided to amend the industrial policy of the state to make it more environment friendly. The amended industrial policy seeks to promote environmentally sustainable development in the state and encourage cleaner production and adoption. Under this policy, disincentive industries will be put on negative list and public disclosure of pollution status at the unit and cluster will be promoted. KARNATAKA

Delhi and NISG ink Deal for Archives Digitisation

Delhi government on 20 December 2011 inked an agreement with the National Institute for Smart Government, NISG, Hyderabad for digitisation of its archival records. It will preserve 10 crore documents including CID records, Gazettes, Maps, Manus, photographs and records of eminent personalities. It will also include transfer of the digital contents on microfilms for long term preservation. The pact was signed by Secretary for arts and Culture of Delhi government and NISG CEO in New Delhi.

Bihar Assembly Passed Lokayukta Bill 2011

The state assembly of Bihar on 7 December 2011 passed the Bihar Lokayukta Bill 2011 to constitute a strong and effective Lokayukta in the state. The bill will have Chief Minister, ministers, former chief Ministers, the Speaker of the Vidhan Sabha and Chairman of the Legislative Council, Legislators and former legislators under its purview. It will cover also public servants, employees of the government and corporations or organizations getting government grants. The bill provides for a three-member Lokayukta, which will have at least two members from the judiciary. Its chairperson and members are required to have special knowledge and professional experience of not less than 25 years in public affairs, academics, law, finance, management, administrative law and policy. Moreover, the term of the chairperson and members would be five years from the date of assuming office. However, the Governor can suspend the chairperson or any other member from office on the ground of misbehaviour after the Supreme Court of India agrees on a reference made by the Governor. There will be a five-member selection committee consisting of Legislative Council Chairman, Assembly Speaker, two judges (nominated by the Chief Justice of the Patna High Court) and a Lokayukta. Out of this selection committee, a search panel will be constituted and it will have a time-limit of three months to draw up a list of probable candidates for Lokayukta. CHHATTTISGARH

Investment for Karnataka Flood Protection Project Approved

The Planning Commission of India approved Investment clearance for the scheme Flood Protection works for River Banks of Ghatprabha River at Gokak Town of Belgaum District of Karnataka.The project envisages strengthening of the right bank of the river Ghatprabha at Gokak town to enable it to carry the full capacity discharge of 7361 cumec for 100 year return period to avoid damages to right flood bank, residential and commercial houses, town, roads etc. The scheme is likely to benefit an area of 146 ha of residential and commercial land and population of about 1400. Estimated to cost 34.07 crore rupees, the project shall be completed by the financial year 2012-13 and Plan accounts would be closed by 31st March 2013. The State Finance Department would restrict the expenditure to the approved cost and no additional expenditure beyond approved cost will be permitted unless the revised estimate is got approved following the prescribed procedure. The proposal envisages construction of earthen embankment and couterfort retaining walls along with sopana (Steps) for river Ghatprabha on right bank near Gokak town for a length of 1685 m and 1165 m (including 20 m length of steps) respectively. MAHARASHTRA

Cabinet Approves draft of Delhi Coop Societies (Amendment) Bill

The Delhi state cabinet on 26 December 2011 approved the draft of the Delhi Cooperative Societies (Amendment) Bill, 2011. It also approved the draft of the Salary and Allowances of the Chief Whip in the Legislative Assembly (Amendment) Bill, 2011. It means that the Chief Whip of the Opposition Party of the Delhi Assembly will get facilities on par with the chief whip of the ruling party. Besides, it also gave its approval for construction of a new building for Deen Dayal Upadhyay College at Dwarka. WEST BENGAL

Govt approves Rs 8750 crore Bengal package

The cabinet committee on economic affairs on 7 December 2011 approved the special package of 8750 crore for West Bengal from the Backward Area Grant Fund. The fund will be used for development of backward region in the state. The package is proposed to be implemented in the states backward areas affected by naxalism, including Jungle Mahal area, which comprises West Midnapore, Purulia and Bankura. The package is expected to cover aspects like rural employment, safe drinking water, watershed and rural road construction. The state has been facing financial crunch as its debt stock, according to the state finances report of the Reserve Bank, was 1.9 lakh crore rupees. West Bengal had the highest fiscal deficit in 2010-11 among non-special category states, at 4.6 per cent of gross state domestic product (GSDP). Punjab at 3.6 per cent was ranked fifth and Kerala at 3.5 per cent was the sixth. TAMILNADU

Free Medicare for 50 lakh Poor Families

Maharashtra state government on 28 December 2011 planned to spend 800 crore rupees on the first phase of a health scheme for the poor. This plan will benefit 50 lakh families from eight districts. The health scheme will be executed under the Rajiv Gandhi Jeevandayee Arogya Yojana. Under this yojana any family earning below 1 lakh rupees per annum will be given free medical treatment worth 1.5 lakh rupees a year.

Chhattisgarh Government Increased Reservation for SCs and STs

The Chhattisgarh government on 7 December 2011 decided to raise the percentage of reservation for the scheduled tribes (STs) and scheduled castes (SCs) in government jobs. The STs will now get 32 per cent whereas the SCs will get 12 per cent reservation. The OBCs will continue to be given 14 per cent reservation as usual.

Chhattisgarh Government Defeats No-confidence Motion

The Chhattisgarh assembly on 20 December 2011 defeated the no-confidence motion against the 3-year old Raman Singh-led government. The motion, which was brought by the main Opposition Congress, was opposed by 48 MLAs of the BJP and supported by 37 MLAs of the Congress in the 91 member strong Assembly. Chhattisgarh Vidhan Sabha now has 49 members from the BJP, 39 from the Congress, 2 from the BSP and one nominated member. Discussion on the motion went on for three days. MANIPUR

Package of Two Thousand Cr for the Distressed farmers

The Maharashtra government announced a package of two thousand crore for the distressed cotton, soya and paddy growers mainly belonging to the Vidarbha, Marathwada and Khandesh regions of the state. The fiscal package would cover all the cotton farmers and only those soya and paddy growers, who suffered crop losses of more than 25 per cent. It would cover a total area of 85 lakh hectares, including 40 lakh hectares of cotton, 30 lakh hectares of soya and 15 lakh hectares of paddy cultivation. The aid would be given on per hectare basis and the particulars of the said amount in respect of each crop would be made known later during the current session.

Tamil Nadu Assembly Passed the Resolution on Mullaperiyar Dam

The special session of Tamil Nadu Assembly on 15 December 2011 passed the resolution, which seeks immediate deployment of the Central Industrial Security Force at the vicinity of the Mullaperiyar dam. It also states that Kerala Government should bring in necessary amendments in the Kerala Irrigation and water protection Act passed in 2006 and accept the Supreme Courts order to increase the water level to 142 ft.

Manipur Legislative Assembly Passed the Manipur Lokayukta Bill 2011

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The Manipur Legislative Assembly on 22 December 2011 unanimously passed the Manipur Lokayukta Bill, 2011. The Bill seeks to establish the institution of Lokayukta in the state to inquire into the allegations of corruption The resolution also stated that it should allow Tamilnadu against certain public functionaries. With the passage to continue the strengthening work at the Dam so that of the Bill, Manipur will be the third state in North-Eastern the water level is raised to 152 ft. The Assembly also India after Assam and Tripura, to have a legislation of resolved to unanimously sustain the rights of Tamilnadu on the issue. Lok Ayukta. CHANGE THE ONLY CONSTANT THING : We Bring You More Informative and Detailed Coverage Every Month

FEBUARY 2012

INDIA & WORLD COVERAGE

India and Russia signed Five Agreements and Issued a Joint Declaration
The Prime Minister of India visited Russia on 15-17 December 2011 to participate in the 12th Indo-Russian annual summit. India and Russia signed five major agreements during this summit, which includes licensed production of an additional 42 Sukhoi combat planes and to manage fly ash residue at thermal plants in Siberia. A MoU was signed on increasing cooperation and exchanges between anti-monopolies agencies and another MoU was signed to oversee the safety and quality issues by the drug standards and safety organisations to increase trade in the pharma sector. India and Russia also signed an educational exchange programme to share experiences in the field of pedagogy and to form a joint working group to monitor the agreements implementation. During this visit, India and Russia also issued a joint declaration. The main features of this joint declaration are as following: India and Russia decided to commemorate the 65th anniversary of establishment of diplomatic relations between India and Russia in 2012 in both the countries in a fitting manner. The sides commended the successful launch, by India, of the jointly built YouthSat for space science studies; and expressed satisfaction on the progress in implementation of the joint lunar exploration project. The nations welcomed the outcome of the eleventh meeting of the India-Russia Inter Governmental Commission on MilitaryTechnical Cooperation in addressing issues of mutual concern. As an important element of their Strategic Partnership, both sides reaffirmed their commitment to work together to strengthen the central coordinating role of the United Nations in international affairs as well as the crucial role of its Security Council in the maintenance of international peace and security. The sides expressed concern over negative trends in the global economy. The nations identified successful completion of the IMF reform under the terms and conditions agreed in the framework of the G-20 as a key element of the general reform of the international financial architecture. In the context of the situation in the Middle East and North Africa, the sides reaffirmed their commitment to the principles of: searching the way to overcome crises in the region in compliance with law, exclusively through peaceful means, avoiding violence and outside intervention, through broad, inclusive national dialogue on democratic reforms, taking into account the legitimate rights and aspirations of the peoples of the region. The sides agreed that the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) had become an important factor for regional security and cooperation. The sides attached importance to strengthening cooperation among BRICS countries. India and the Russian Federation, as responsible states, possessing advanced nuclear technologies, share the objective of preventive proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery, including preventing their possible acquisition by terrorist groups. The sides recalled the bilateral Moscow Declaration between India and the Russian Federation on International Terrorism signed on November 6, 2001 in Moscow. Both sides reaffirmed the need for all states to combine efforts to vanquish terrorism. The sides emphasized the importance of joint bilateral and multilateral efforts in the fight against illicit drug trafficking which poses a growing threat to international peace and stability. India and the Russian Federation expressed concern over the situation emerging around Irans nuclear programme. Both sides support a comprehensive and long-term settlement of the situation through exclusively political and diplomatic means by promoting dialogue.

India and Pakistan Concluded 6th Round of talks in Islamabad

India and Pakistan concluded their Sixth Round of Expert Level Talks on Nuclear Confidence Building Measures in Islamabad on 27 December 2011. In this meeting, both the nations agreed to recommend to their foreign secretaries to extend the validity of the agreement on reducing the risk from accidents relating to nuclear weapons. Pakistan suggested to India that heavy artillery should be removed from the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir. India and Pakistan also reviewed the implementation and strengthening of CBMs in the framework of Lahore MoU. The nations also agreed to explore possibilities for mutually acceptable additional CBMs. India and Pakistan discussed a proposal seeking a cooperative mechanism to deal with a crisis like Fukushima.

4th International Tax Dialogue was held on Tax and Inequality

The 4th International Tax Dialogue (ITD), a global conference on Tax and Inequality was inaugurated by the Finance Ministry of India from 7 December to 9 December 2011. Indian Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee inaugurated the three-day Tax meet. More than 400 senior tax policymakers from almost 90 countries attended it including Deputy Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund Min Zhu, World Bank Vice President Otaviano Canuto, and Deputy Secretary General of the Organization for Economic Cooperation Development Rintaro Tamaki. The ITD is a joint initiative of various organisations working on tax issues the IMF, the OECD, the World Bank, the European Commission, the IADB, and CIAT. This conference provides an opportunity to address how taxation can be seen as a part of the solution to growing inequalities in income and wealth around the world. The use of plenary and parallel sessions, with active country participation, allows a peer dialogue between Ministers of Finance and Heads of Revenue Administration internationally. ISSUED DISCUSSED Design of growth-enhancing and equitable tax systems Administrative challenges, issues and solutions for fair tax system Income taxes, progressivity and inequality across regions Fair tax systems: vital for state-building and an exit from aid dependency Informality, inequality and the role of the tax systems Gender friendly tax systems and inequality Taxation of elites and inequality HIGHLIGHTS More global cooperation is required to tackle black money in India: annual illicit capital outflows from emerging and developing economies has been estimated at $725-810 billion Direct Taxes Code (DTC) has been proposed in India: DTC seeks to replace the archaic Income Tax Act, 1961 and thereby modernize the taxation regime. Its supposed to be implemented from 1 April 2012 Uruguay signed 7 new agreements providing for the exchange of tax information.

India Ranked as the Most Uncharitable Nation in South Asia

As per the Charities Aid Foundations World Giving Index, India ranked as the most uncharitable nation of South Asia in 2011. India is the worst performer in South Asia with a global ranking of 91. India was ranked at 134 in 2010. Pakistan was ranked to 34th position in 2011 while Sri Lanka ranked 8th. Bangladesh was placed at 78th position and Nepal at 84th. Thailand was the most generous nation, with 85 per cent of its people. The United Kingdom was the second most generous nation, with 79 per cent regularly giving to charity.Charities Aid Foundations World Giving Index ranked nations on the strength of monetary donations and charitable acts.

India and Australia Inked Revised DTAA

India and Australia on 16 December 2011 signed an agreement to amend DTAA (Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement) with the objective of ensuring more effective exchange of financial information between the two countries. DTAA was signed between India and Australia in 1991. The revised tax agreement will facilitate the exchange of information on banking related information and taxation policies. The revised agreement also has a provision that India and Australia can assist each other in the collection of revenue claims. The agreement states that nationals of one country will not be discriminated against the nationals of the other country, a feature absent in the earlier agreement. Moreover, there was no threshold limit for determining permanent establishment. In the revised agreement, the threshold limit has been rationlised to avail the exemption for service and exploration to boost cross border movement of capital and services.

Australia Approves Uranium Exports to India

Australias ruling Labour Party on 4 December 2011 in its annual policy conference approved plans to open up uranium sales to India. This cleared the way for talks on a bilateral nuclear agreement between India and Australia. The conference held in Sydney overturned its own ban, which prohibits Australia to sell uranium to nations such as India that have not signed Nuclear Non-Proliferation treaty. The policy change does not need to be approved by Parliament. Australia possesses approximately 40 percent of the worlds known uranium reserves.

India Signed Loan Agreement with ADB

The Government of India and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) on 15 December 2011 signed an agreement for the first tranche (113 million US dollars) under the 350 million US dollars Himachal Pradesh Clean Energy Transmission Investment Programme, which is a multitranche financing facility. The total estimated investment cost of the programme is 437.85 million US dollars which includes financing of 87.85 million US dollars by the state govt. of Himachal Pradesh. The programme is for the up gradation of transmission system to help Himachal Pradesh take greater advantage of its vast hydropower resources. It will help expand the supply of power to industry, commerce and households, within and outside the state, and thereby contribute to job creation and poverty reduction. ADBs loan has a 25-year term including grace period of five years and interest determined in accordance with ADBs LIBOR-based lending facility. HP Power Transmission Corporation Ltd. will implement the programme, which is expected to be completed in December, 2017. Himachal Pradesh, a small mountainous state with five major rivers, has about a quarter of Indias total hydropower generation potential. It wants to scale up generation, but its transmission facilities in certain locations are currently unable to handle large amounts of additional power.

New International Buddhist Organization in India

The first Global Buddhist Congregation which was aimed to provide a joint platform to Buddhist communities across the world and also to impact geopolitics in Asia was concluded in New Delhi. The fourday congregation decided to set up a new international Buddhist organization in India. It was attended by heads and representatives from Buddhist Sanghas, national Buddhist federations, organizations and institutions from 46 different countries of the world. The international Buddhist organization in India is to serve as a common platform for Buddhists worldwide. The congregation in India was organized by the Asoka Mission. The new body was named as the International Buddhist Confederation which was decided to be based in India as Buddhists all over the world recognize India as the home of Buddha. This move could be proved to be an important one for a diplomatic row between India and China. 26

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FEBUARY 2012

INTERNATIONAL COVERAGE
The Senate of Brazil approved Legislation to Preserve Forests
The Senate of Brazil on 7 December 2011 approved the bill that reforms rules on the amount of land farmers must preserve as forest. Brazilian senators voted by 59 to seven to approve the legislation. The Key Features of the Bill The forest alongside rivers and lakes can be counted by farmers on their land as part of their conserved area. It reduces the total amount of land they need to safeguard or reforest. The bill allowed agriculture closer to environmentally fragile areas. The bill suspended fines for land cleared illegally before 2008 if farmers sign up to replant trees over the next 20 years. Although Brazil needs land for food production, environmentalists warn of increased Amazon destruction. Latest data show tree clearance at its lowest since 1988. As per the data released, there had been an 11% drop in the amount of rainforest cleared between August 2010 and July 2011 compared with the year 2010.

US and Saudi Arabia Reach $29.4 bn Agreement

In one of their biggest arms deal, the US and Saudi Arabia on 28 December 2011 inked an agreement worth 29.4 billion US dollars for the sale of 80 new F-15SA combat jets and modernization of another 70. These F15SA aircraft, manufactured by The Boeing Company, are among the most sophisticated and capable aircraft in the world.

OPEC Agrees to 30 Million Barrel Output Limit

OPEC, (The Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries) in its summit held in Vienna, on 14 December 2011 decided to increase its production ceiling to 30 million barrels a day, which is the first change in three years. Earlier, the production output was 24.88 million barrels per day. OPEC agreed to the new limit but it wont set individual quotas for each member country. OPEC is increasing its quota to match up actual production. The last OPEC summit in June failed to reach consensus when six members including Iran and Venezuela opposed the idea to pump more oil by Saudi Arabia and three other Gulf countries, who increased their oil production to make up for Libyan exports which was stopped following the civil war. OPEC will need to produce 30.1 million barrels a day in 2012 to balance world supply and demand of oil. OPEC is an organisation of twelve oil-exporting countries consisting of Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Nigeria, Angola, Venezuela, Libya, Algeria and Ecuador. The organisation has its headquarters in Vienna since 1965, and hosts regular meetings among the oil ministers of its member nations.

China Issued a White Paper on its Space Activities

China on 29 December 2011 issued a white paper entitled Chinas Space Activities in 2011. The white paper is on the development of space industry since 2006 and the major tasks for the next five years. It was the third white paper on Chinas space activities. The white paper was issued by the State Council Information Office. China has made the space industry an important part of the nations overall development strategy with the objective of exploring and utilizing outer space for peaceful purposes. The Major tasks, which were listed in the white paper for the next five years include space transportation system, Earth satellites, human spaceflights and deepspace exploration. The white paper stated that China would work together with the international community to promote world peace and development.

CSTO Tightens Foreign Base Norms

The leaders of the CSTO (Collective Security Treaty Organisation) nations on 21 December 2011 agreed that the deployment of foreign bases in their territory would be done with the approval of all partners of the defence alliance. The CSTO summit was held in Moscow. Besides Belarus and Kazakhstan, CSTO includes Armenia, Russia, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan. Kazakhstan succeeded Belarus as the President of CSTO. However, the CSTO agreement does not apply to existing facilities such as a German air transit facility in Uzbekistan, French military aircraft in Tajikistan and US transit centre in Kyrgyzstan.

Canada Bars Veiled Women from taking Citizenship Oath

The Government of Canada announced on 12 December 2011 that women who aspire for Canadian citizenship cant wear burqa or Islamic hijab when they take oath of citizenship. Belgium, France, Australia and Netherlands have also banned women from covering their face in public. The government received complaints from lawmakers and judges that they found it difficult to know whether women who masked their faces were actually reciting the oath or not.

The USA Government Lifted most of its Sanctions on Libya

The USA government on 16 December 2011 lifted most of its sanctions on Libya, unfreezing some of Libyas assets held in the United States. The USA government freed about 30 billion dollars in assets owned by the Libyan government and 2 Libyan banks that had been blocked since February. But holdings of the late leader Muammar al-Qadhafi and his family, as well as those of his aides, will be kept frozen. The US decision coincided with a similar action by the UN Security Council, which decided to end a freeze on the assets of Libyas financial institutions, including the central bank.

NATO Ended its Training Mission in Iraq

NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organisation) ended its training mission in Iraq on 17 December 2011. The mission was aimed at assisting in the development of Iraqi security forces training structures and institutions. It was comprised of 120 soldiers from 12 countries. All of them will leave by the end of 2012. The move follows a day after US military handed over the last military base in Iraq and officially announced shutdown of its operations in the country. Earlier, the alliance had been asked by Prime Minister Maliki to extend its training mission until the end of 2013 and it had accepted the request in principle. However, Baghdad made it clear that it cant grant immunity to the soldiers on its own as the matter has to be taken to the cabinet and then parliament for approval.

Japan decided to impose a Fresh Round of Financial Sanctions against Iran

Japan announced on 9 December 2011 that it is imposing a fresh round of financial sanctions against Iran. Japan will freeze the assets of 106 organizations, one individual and three Iranian banks. More than 350 Iran-based entities are now subject to Japanese sanctions. However, the move will not restrict imports of Iranian crude oil, a step many Western nations have been urging. Resourcestarved Japan relies on Iranian oil for 10 percent of its energy supply.

The UN Security Council Lifted Sanctions on Libyas Central Bank

The UN Security Council on 16 December 2011 lifted sanctions on Libyas central bank and the countrys foreign investments banks. The move is aimed at easing the current cash crisis in Libya. The United States has also lifted most of the sanctions against Tripoli. The Libyan banks assets abroad were frozen in early 2011 as part of sanctions against former Libyan leader Col. Muammer Gaddafi. The USA rolled back most sanctions on the government of Libya to keep its commitment to the Libyan people.

Turkey Announces New Syria Sanctions

Turkey on 8 December 2011 announced a new set of sanctions against Syria. Turkey would impose 30 percent tax on goods coming from Syria. The move as a response to Damascus imposing 30 percent customs duty on goods imported from Turkey besides suspending the free trade agreement with Ankara. Turkey earlier announced a series of economic sanctions on Syria for its crackdown on anti-regime protests. These include an immediate ban on transactions with the Syrian Government and its central bank and freezing the Syrian government assets in Turkey. Turkey has also been seeking alternative routes to bypass Syria for trade with the Middle East. The Turkish government was considering three alternative routes through Egypts Alexandria, Lebanon and Iraq to bypass Syria.

NATO to withdraw Iraq Mission by the End of 2011

NATO on 11 December 2011 announced that it would withdraw its Iraq training mission by the end of 2011. The decision follows a nearly complete pullout of US troops from Iraq. Meanwhile, the Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Malki left for the United States to hold talks on ties between the two countries after the withdrawal of the American military troops. The NATO had earlier agreed in principle to extend its stay till the end of beyond 2013. At present around 4,000 US troops are left in Iraq on four bases.

The UN and Iraq signed an Agreement to relocate Iranian Exiles

The United Nations (UN) and the Iraqi Government on 24 December 2011 signed an agreement to relocate Iranian exiles living in a camp in northeastern part of Iraq. The Iraqi government has been insisting on closing the camp by the end of this month. Under the agreement, UN High Commission for Refugees will monitor the relocation while Iraqi Government will be responsible for their security. UNHCR would decide the refugee status for the residents of Ashraf here. This will be the first step toward resettlement to the third countries other than the native or the host countries. Camp Ashraf was the base of dissident Iranians led by the Peoples Mujahedeen Organization of Iran. The group moved to Camp Ashraf during the regime of Saddam Hussein and sided with Iraq in the war against Iran in the 1980s. The camp, now home to over 3400 dissident Iranians will be shifted to Camp Liberty, a former U.S. military base near the Baghdad International Airport.

The US Military Officially Ended its Mission in Iraq

The US military officially ended its mission in Iraq on 15 December 2011. As per Pentagon statistics, approximately 4487 US soldiers lost their lives in Iraq war, with another 32226 Americans wounded in action. Despite the official declaration of ending its mission in Iraq, US military still has two bases in Iraq and 4000 troops. While in 2007, there were 505 bases and more than 170000 troops. However, these two military bases will be closed and the final US troops will be withdrawn by 31 December 2011.

Greek Lawmakers Approve Austerity Budget

Greek Parliament on 7 December 2011 approved a budget for 2012 pledging tough fiscal goals demanded by European Union partners in return for fresh loans. The austerity budget projects a modest primary surplus excluding interest payments on debt. A broad majority of the parties backing Lucas Papademos caretaker administration secured the economic blueprints passage by 258 votes to 41, after the vote concluded. Greek has been relying on loans from other eurozone countries and the IMF (International Monetary Fund) since May 2010. In return, Greece cut salaries and pensions and hike taxes to reduce budget deficits. 27

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FEBUARY 2012

MISCELLANEOUS NEWS
Bengal to take over Indira Bhavan
The West Bengal Government on 28 December 2011 declared its decision to take over Indira Bhavan, which was the official residence of former Chief Minister Jyoti Basu at Salt Lake. West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee declared that Indira Bhavan would be turned into a museum and a research centre devoted to Kavi Nazrul Islam, a contemporary of Rabindranath Tagore. After the death of Jyoti Basu in 2010, the previous government (CPIM) had mulled many options including converting it into a government guest house. The decision to convert Indira Bhavan into Nazrul Bhavan was taken in public interest and to promote research work on the great rebel poet. All furniture and other belongings of former Chief Minister Jyoti Basu would be handed over to his family or party. The building will house primarily the poets memorabilia, his books and research on the poets works. The project on Kazi Nazrul was announced earlier. However it was not known then where the research centre and museum on Kazi Nazrul Islam would be housed. The bungalow was named Indira Bhavan during the Congress Session in 1972 when the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi stayed there for the duration of the session. Indira Bhavan was built in 1972 primarily to serve as a guest house for then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi for her visits to the city. The Left Front government later decided to allot Indira.

The Protester - TIMEs People Who Mattered in 2011

The Protester was named Time magazines 2011 Person of the Year on 14 December 2011. Time defines the Person of the Year as someone who, for better or for worse, influent hat individual action can bring collective, colossal change. 2011 witnessed unprecedented rise in both peaceful and sometimes violent unrest and dissent from the Arab Spring to the Occupy Wall Street movement. People across the globe in Tunisia, in Egypt, in Libya dissented and demanded even when they were answered with tear gas or a hail of bullets. The Mideast was the centerpiece of the years protests. US Special Operations Command and overall commander of the secret US mission into Pakistan in May 2011 that killed Osama bin Laden, came in at second place on the Time list. Chinese dissident artist Ai Weiwei came in at No 3. Rep. Paul Ryan, who put forth a plan to tackle Americas burgeoning national debt stoof fourth. Britains Duchess of Cambridge, Kate Middleton, who married Prince William finshed fifth. In 2010, Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg were named the Person of the Year. Time Magazine mentioned that Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan was the Peoples Choice for the Person of the Year. In an online poll, Erdogan received 123000 votes nominating him as the most influential person of the year significantly more than any other nominee.

Dam999 Enters Oscar Race as Hollywood Entry

Controversial film, Dam999 directed by Sohan Roy made it to a shortlist for the Oscars under the Best Picture category. The film, based on a catastrophe caused by a 100-year-old dam in India giving way, is among the 265 films in contention for the Best Picture. Tamil Nadu government imposed a ban citing that it may cause animosity between Kerala and TN people as the film was dealing with the subject of the 116-year-old Mullaperiyar dam on the Kerala-TN border. Directed by Kerala-based naval architect Sohan Roy, Dam999 is an English film that features Indian actors Rajit Kapur, Vimala Raman, Vinai Rai and Ashish Vidhyarthi. It has been dubbed in Telugu, Tamil, Hindi and Malayalam. It has made it to the Oscar shortlist as a Hollywood film. Malayalam film Adaminte Makan Abu is Indias official entry. The film also fulfilled other criteria of being exhibited theatrically on 35 mm, 70 mm or in digital format and having a running time of over 40 minutes. Three of the songs from Dam999, The films songs Dam 999 (Theme song), Dakkanga Dugu Dugu and Mujhe Chodke were among the 39 songs shortlisted under the Best Original Song category. All three songs were written by Roy himself, and set to tune by Ousephachan. National award winner Hariharan lent his voice to the Hindi song Mujhe Chod Ke and vocals for the other two shortlisted songs were by Suchith, Suvi and Shaktisree.

Indians on the Forbes List of under- 30 Achievers

The Forbes 30 under 30 list was prepared by selecting young turks from 12 diverse fields including energy, finance, media, law, entertainment, science, design and technology. Facebooks Mark Zuckerberg, human rights activist Ronan Farrow and pop stars Lady Gaga and Justin Bieber are also included in Forbes magazines list of top-achieving people under age 30. The list released in December 2011 included 10 people of Indian origin. Among the Indian-origin people on the list is 17 year old Param Jaggi, a student and inventor at Austin College. Jaggi created algae-filled device that fits over a cars tailpipe and turns carbon dioxide into oxygen. Vivek Nair, Chief Executive of Damascus Fortune, who is developing a technology that transforms industrial carbon emissions into carbon nano tubes, was also named in the list. Manvir Nijhar, Co-Head of European Equity Derivatives Sales at Citigroup was named as well. Kunal Shah, the youngest Managing Director at Goldman Sachs was also included in the list. Making a mark in the field of science was Raj Krishnan, Chief Executive of Biological Dynamics who is developing blood tests that use electric fields to detect key signals that a patient has cancer from the blood. Sidhant Gupta, a graduate student at the University of Washington who has been listed as well, is developing new sensors and software for the home that conserve electricity, heat and gas.

History
Time picked its first person of the year in 1927 with Charles Lindberg, who put aviation on the map. Person of the Year was then called Man of the Year. Since 1927, Time Magazine has chosen has chosen the good, Mohandas Gandhi in 1930 and the bad, Adolf Hitler in 1938as the Person of the Year. Responding to the Cold War, the magazine praised Hungarian freedom fighters in 1958. For the honour it had also chosen Baby Boomers in 1966 and Middle America in 1969.

Panel Slams Host Countries for Failure to Check Agrochemical MNCs

At the end of three days of depositions by citizens from around the world, a panel of jurors of the Permanent Peoples Tribunal, an international opinion tribunal, presented its findings that indicted parent states of six agrochemical multinational corporations, host countries such as India, and international bodies (such as the United National, Food and Agricultural Organisation and the World Trade Organisation).

NSG City Hub Gets a New 69-acre Facility

Union Home Minister P Chidambaram on 17 December 2011 inaugurated several facilities, including a new administrative block and training facilities exclusively designed for National Security Guards (NSG) Chennai hub. National Security Guards (NSG) Chennai hub was formed in 2009. National Security Guard (NSG) commandos will now be trained in this exclusive, 69-acre facility sandwiched between forests and hillocks at Nerkundram off the Vandalur-Kelambakkam Road, about 30 km from Chennai. The commandos were until now housed in a temporary unit in Ashok Nagar. Steps have been taken to ensure that the 241 commandos trained for anti-terror strikes and anti-hijack operations are ready for deployment within a few minutes of receiving a request. The hub has been designed to immediately mount a counter attack on the occasion of an attack or a hijack. The unit members are to reach the airport or the Tambaram air force station within 20-40 minutes of a terror strike being reported to board a plane. Machine guns, rocket launchers, night vision cameras, ammunition and other equipment had been provided to the commandos who will stay at the hub for five years before returning to their parent force. A fresh team will be brought in every five years. After the November 26, 2008 Mumbai terror strikes, a decision to set up regional NSG hubs at Mumbai, Kolkata, Hyderabad and Chennai was taken on 30 June 2009. Of these, the Kolkata and Hyderabad hubs will be upgraded into bigger facilities to cater to the eastern and southern regions. A regional centre is also to be established at Hyderabad from where commandos can be moved for counter-terror operations in South India. The Hyderabad centre will be on the lines of the NSGs Manesar facility in Delhi.

States also Culpable

The failure of states to regulate, monitor and discipline the activities of these companies makes them also culpable, the jurors said. Witnesses from around the world had testified in the four-day Permanent Peoples Tribunal regarding the health impact, human rights violations and unethical practices by six transnational corporations Bayer, BASF, Dupont, Monsanto, Syngenta and Dow Chemical. Presenting various facets of the findings, juror and German economist Elmar Altvater said that economic liberalisation, deregulation and privatisation of formerly public goods have led to this situation. Transnational companies have grown in size over the years and have accumulated capital, he said. These companies have not been responsible in their pursuit of higher profits, and for this people have had to pay the price, he emphasised.

AMU Malappuram Centre Dedicated to Nation

Union Minister for Human Resource Development Kapil Sibal dedicated the Malappuram (Kerala) off-campus of the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) to the nation at a function held in Perinthalmanna on 24 December 2011. The Aligarh Muslim University special centre in Malappuram is one of the five such centres being set up in the country. Sibal also laid the foundation stone for the new campus of the centre. Union Minister of State for HRD E Ahamed laid the stone for the administrative building of the centre. The new campus will house five hostels for men and three women hostels. The construction also includes an administrative block, two academic blocks and 20-odd staff quarters. The Union government sanctioned Rs 200cr for the AMU campus which is expected to be ready in five years. It will have facilities from pre-school to a full-fledged medical college. The state government will spend Rs 100cr on the development of the campus.

Ex-Foreign Minister of Islamic Republic of Iran Releases Nahjul Balagha at AMU

Irans former Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Wilayati on 21 December 2011 released a 1000-year-old manuscript; Nahjul Balagha believed to be a collection of letters, speeches and aphorisms of the fourth Caliphate of Islam Hazrat Ali at Aligarh Muslim University. The manuscript was released for publication at Aligarh Muslim University. The Urdu, Hindi and English versions of this rare manuscript is to be published by the AMU with financial support of the Iran Government. Bahr-e-Zakhkhar, another book believed to contain a rare collection of Tazkira (a sort of biography mostly in the form of poetry) in Persian was also released. AMUs Maulana Azad Library was also gifted 3000 Persian manuscripts and CDs by the Iran Cultural House. 28

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FEBUARY 2012

SPORTS COVERAGE
BADMINTON CRICKET FOOTBALL

Saina Nehwal first Indian to reach the Final of BWF Super Series
Indian ace badminton player and World No. 4 Saina Nehwal of India was defeated by World No. 1 Wang Yihan 18-21, 21-13, 21-13 in the womens singles final of the $500000 BWF World Super Series badminton championship in China on 18 December 2011. In 2011 Saina won only the Swiss Open Super Series title. Saina Nehwal had created history by becoming the first ever Indian to enter the singles final of the World Super Series. Gutta Jwala and V. Diju were the only other Indians who made it to the final in mixed doubles in the 2009 edition.

India beat West Indies to win the Series 4-1

India beat West Indies by 34 runs to win the fifth and final cricket one-day match and recorded an emphatic 41 series triumph in Chennai on 11 December 2011. Electing to bat, India scored 267 runs with the loss of six wickets in the stipulated overs. Manoj Tiwary 104 and Virat Kohli 80 were the top scorers for India. In reply, West Indies reached as close as 233 in 44.1 overs. K. Pollard 119 and A Russel 53 were top scorers for West Indies. Darren Sammy was the captain of West Indies while Virender Sehwag was the captain of Indian side for this series. Gautam Gambhir was the standin captain for the last onedayer. Indias Manoj Tiwary was declared Man of The Match and Indian batsman Rohit Sharma got Man of the Series Award. Manoj Tiwary and K. Pollard scored their international one day careers first centuries in this match. India and West Indies played this five-one day match series from 29 November 2011 to 11 December 2011.

India Beat Afghanistan 4-0 to Clinch their Sixth SAFF

India won its 6th SAFF Championship title against the newcomer, Afghanistan on 11 December 2011. Indias star striker Sunil Chhetri won all the individual awards in the tournament. India was a five time SAFF champion before it won the 2011 SAFF. The other participating nations in the 2011 South Asian Football Federation Championship (SAFF) were Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Maldives, Nepal and Pakistan. Winner India received a prize purse of USD 50,000 while Afghanistan took home USD 25,000. In addition, All India Football Federation announced a cash award of Rs. 1 lakh for each player for winning the tournament.

Talar becomes First Arunachalee to win National Level Badminton Title

Laa Talar defeated Ansal Yadav of Uttar Pradesh to clinch the title of the 25th national sub-junior badminton championship on 8 December 2011. He is the first from North East India. It was the maiden National singles title for the lad from Itanagar, who had earlier won the under16 boys doubles title in the National championship. The tenth standard student trains at the Prakash Padukone Academy in Bangalore. It was the third title for Laa Talar as he had won two National ranking tournaments recently, including one at the expense of Ansal Yadav, who had stretched him to three games. The under-15 girls title was captured by top-seed Ruthvika Shivani from Andhra Pradesh. She beat G. Vrushali.

Sunil Chhetri Named AIFF Player of the Year

India striker Sunil Chhetri was on 20 December 2011 voted Player of the Year by the All India Football Federation. He was chosen by I-League coaches from a five-player shortlist. He will receive a cash award of Rs 2 lakh and a silver plaque. Chhetri scored 13 goals in 17 internationals in 2011, which was the highest the by an Indian. Chettri has also scored 11 goals in 20 appearances for I-League club Mohun Bagan. He won the man of the championship in the SAFF Championship in New Delhi in 2011. He has also been awarded the prestigious Arjuna Award in the past. I.M.Vijayan was the first recipient of the award in 1992. In 2010 the award was bestowed on Gouramangi Singh. CHESS

Jaffer becomes Highest Run-getter in Ranji Trophy

Mumbai skipper Wasim Jaffer on 22 December 2011 overtook former teammate Amol Muzumdar (8237 runs) as the highest run-getter in Ranji Trophy. He scored a total of 8242 runs a against Muzumdars 8237 runs. Jaffer had his debut season in 1996. The Mumbai captain accomplished the record in 100 matches which is quicker compared to former skipper Muzumdar. In 201 first class matches, Jaffer scored 15125 runs with the help of 44 centuries and 73 fifties at an average of 50.76. His highest first-class score is unbeaten 314 against Saurashtra at Rajkot in November, 1996. He scored 1944 runs with five hundreds and 11 fifties at a rate of 34.10 in 31 Tests. He played in only two ODIs. He had made a triple-century in only his second innings which shot him to fame. He subsequently led Mumbai to their 38th and 39th Ranji titles. He also led West Zone to their 16th Duleep Trophy success in early 2010. Jaffer (8271) overtook Muzumdar, who had overtaken Amarjeet Kaypee (7553) in 2009 while playing for Assam, and reached the milestone during the course of his 187minute stay at the crease at the Wankhede stadium in his 100th match. Pankaj Dharmani of Punjab is third with 7621 runs, ahead of Kaypee on tlist of highest Ranji run getters.

Taufiq Hidayat Tames Sourabh Verma in final

Indonesias experienced shuttler, Taufik Hidayat, won his first Mens Singles title of 2011 at the 2011 $120,000 Syed Modi India Open Grand Prix Gold badminton championship when he defeated Sourabh Verma of India. Taufik is currently World Number 12 in Mens Singles world rankings. Hidayat who ended his title drought of 2011 with a 21-15, 21-18 triumph over Saurabh received $9,000 as the prize money. The womens singles final was won by third seed Inthanon Ratchanok of Thailand. Naoki Kawamae & Shoji Sato (Jpn) emerged winners in Mens doubles while in womens doubles; Shinta Mulia Sari & Lei Yao of Singapore defeated Miyuki Maeda & Satako Suetsuna of Japan to emerge champions. HOCKEY

China Won World Womens Team Chess Championship

The Indian team finished at the fourth position in the World Womens Team Chess Championship at Mardin,Turkey on 27 December 2011. Indias chances of winning a medal were blown away following a loss to Georgia and then China. The losses by Tania Sachdev and Soumya Swaminathan of India paved the way for an easy Georgian victory in the end. China won the gold medal with 16 points while the silver was claimed by the Russians who finished with 13 points in all. Georgia ended with the bronze while India and Ukraine were tied for the fourth spot. Ukraine caused the biggest surprise of the championship with a sensational 2.5-1.5 victory over leaders China. Though China was not much affected, the helped the Ukrainian eves come into reckoning after a rather subdued performance in the first half.

Belgium Sink India 4-3 in Champions Challenge Hockey Final

Belgium defeated India 4-3 in the final of the Champions Challenge hockey tournament in Johannesburg, South Africa on 4 December 2011. The victory enabled Belgium, who is already through to the 2012 London Games, to qualify for the next Champions Trophy in Australia. The Belgium side was coached by Colin Batch. Tom Boon scored the winning goal for Belgium and in the process became the joint top scorer of the tournament along with Justin Reid Ross of South Africa with eight goals. VR Raghunath, Sandeep Singh and Shivender Singh scored for India. Sandeep Singh finished the tournament with seven goals, all through penalty corners, and won the Player of the Tournament award.

Pakistan Wins Series 2-0

Pakistan defeated Bangladesh by seven wickets in the second and final cricket Test in Dhaka on 21 December 2011. Pakistan by defeating Bangladesh in the second test was able to sweep the series 2-0. Pakistan was set 103 to win after bowling Bangladesh out for 234 in its second innings and achieved the target in the final session. Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq secured the victory by hitting a six after Mohammad Hafeez made 47 and Azhar Ali chipped in with 34. Earlier, left-arm spinner Abdur Rehman took 4-51 to restrict Bangladesh. MARATHON RACE

Abhijeet Gupta Wins London Classic's Open Section

Indian Grandmaster Abhijeet Gupta won the London Chess Classics open section, with a hard-earned victory over Grandmaster Keith Arkell of England. Abhijeet, a former world junior champion and reigning national champion, scored eight points in all. The chess tournament was held from 3 December 2011 to 12 December 2011. Another Indian, International Master Sahaj Grover pulled himself to the second spot after defeating English Grandmaster Peter Wells in the final round of the event. Sahaj scored 7.5 points in all. LAWN TENNIES

Kenya's Josphat Ndambiri wins Fukuoka Marathon

Josphat Ndambiri of Kenya won the Fukuoka mens marathon in Japan winning the 42.195km race in 2hrs 7mins and 36secs on 4 December 2011. Mwangi stood second. Both Ndambiri and Mwangi currently reside in Japan. Mwangi crossed the line one minute and two seconds after Ndambiri who had opened up a sizeable lead following the 35km mark. Yuki Kawauchi of Japan finished in third place with a time of two hours, nine minutes and 57 seconds. The Fukuoka marathon, now in its 64th year, is widely regarded as a prestigious title. In 2011 the occasion was treated as valuable preparation for next years Olympics in London.

Indian Women Fetch Bronze in 4 Nation Hockey Tournament

The Indian womens hockey team defeated Ireland 4-1 win to clinch the bronze medal in the four-nation tournament held in Parana, Argentina in December 2011. Both the teams were locked 1-1 at half-time but India came back strongly in the second session to score three goals. Jaspreet Kaur, Anuradha Thokchom, Vandana Katariya and Preety Sunila Kiro 69th scored for India. India thus won bronze medals at both the four-nation tournaments held at Buenos Aires and Parana on the current tour. In the final World champion Argentina defeated South Africa 2-0 to win the tournament.

Rafael Nadal Seals Davis Cup for Spain

Spain won its fifth Davis Cup title after Rafael Nadal defeated Argentinas Juan Martin del Potro 1-6 6-4 6-1 7-6 (0) on 4 December 2011. The victory earned Nadal his first title since winning his sixth French Open in June 2011. Nadal with the victory stretched his record on clay to 16-0. Nadal earned his 20th straight victory since debuting in the competition in 2004. Argentina remained the only nation to play in four Davis Cup finals and never win one. 29

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FEBUARY 2012

EVENTS OF THE MONTH

National & International
The Mexican scientist who has been chosen for UNESCO- Dr Rene Raul Kalinga Prize 2011 for popularising science Drucker The Indian-born molecular biologist who was awarded the Venkatraman Nobel Prize for Chemistry in 2009, has been granted Knighthood Ramakrishnan by UK The cyclone that arose in the Bay of Bengal and hit the coastal Thane parts of Tamilnadu on 30 Dec 2011 was named The venue of National Weightlifting Championships which Berhampur, Odisha commenced on 24 Dec 2011 The first Indian Comic Superhero created by Stan Lee creator Chakra, the of Spiderman, X Men etc is named Invincible The Chinese satellite navigation system which started providing Beidou initial positioning, navigation and timing operational services to China is named The American youngster who became the youngest to climb Jordan Romero Mt. Everest in 2010 (at the age of 13 yrs 10 mths 10 days) has become the youngest the scale the seven summits in Dec 2011 The day which has been declared by the PM Dr. Manmohan Dec 22 Singh to be observed as the National Mathematics Day being the birthday of Ramanujan 2012 has been declared by the Prime Minister as National Mathematical Year The state which has become the first in the country to include the new Pentavalent Vaccine (a vaccine against diptheria, pertussis, tetanus, haemophilus influenza and hepatitis B) in the National Immunisation Schedule by launching it on 15 Dec 2011 The film director who has been chosen for KR Narayanan Puraskaram for the film DAM999 The place in Rajasthan which has been identified for establishing a new nuclear energy power station with 4x700 MW nuclear power plants The company which has topped the list of Indian companies in the Fortune 500 The place in Rajsathan where the Governemnt has given an in principle approval for establishing a Spice Park under Assistance to States for Infrastructure Development of Exports (ASIDE) Scheme with a financial support of Rs.10.00 Crore The venue of CMS Vatavaran Film Festival (Green Film Festival) held in Dec 2011 Mario Miranda, who passed away on 11 Dec 2011 was a renowned The South Asian country which has been appointed a permanent member of the UN Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation(UNSCEAR) by the United Nations General Assembly The cricketer from Maharashtra who scored 451 runs in 466 balls in Group A match against Assam in the Cooch Behar Trophy The veteran film actor who has been awarded the 14th SIES Sri Chandrasekarendra Saraswati National Eminence Award The sportsperson who has won the womens title at the National Squash Championship in Chennai The sportsperson who has won the mens title at the National Squash Championship in Chennai The Indian cricketer who has become the highest individual scorer in One-day Internationals by scoring 219 runs The Comptroller and Auditor General of India who has been elected as the Chairman of the Panel of External Auditors of the United Nations, the Specialized Agencies and the International Atomic Energy Agency As per Telecom Regulatory Authority of India report the teledensity in India at the end of September is The most earthlike extra-solar planet discovered by NASA is named The army exercise being conducted in Barmer district of Rajasthan is named O.P. Jindal Global University chancellor who has been conferred the Justice P.N. Bhagwati Award for his outstanding contribution to legal education and corporate philanthropy Socrates, the great footballer who died on 04 Dec 2011, played for The player who has won IBSF World Snooker Championship held in Bangalore, thus becoming the first Iranian to do so The state in India in which Russia set up a polling station to enable its citizens to cast their votes to elect the State Duma lower house of the Parliament The venue of the 20th World Petroleum Congress (WPC), India being represented by Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas Shri S Jaipal Reddy The Columbian film directed by Alejandro Landes and produced by Franciso Aljure which has bagged the coveted Golden Peacock Award for the Best Film at the 42nd International Film Festival of India 2011 in Goa The state which has passed the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Hindi University Bill-2011 for setting up the first Hindi University in the state Kerala

Sohan Roy Banswada

Indian Oil Corporation Kota

New Delhi Cartoonist Pakistan

Satyadev Dubey, a Padma Bhushan 2011 recipient, who passed Theatre on 25 Dec 2011 was associated with The team which has won the 62nd National Basketball Indian Railways Championship (Women) held at Chennai from 16 to 24 Dec 2011 The team which has won the 62nd National Basketball Punjab Championship (Men) held at Chennai from 16 to 24 Dec 2011 Ritu Guha who passed away on 24 Dec 2011 was an exponent Rabindra Sangeet of The venue of 19th National Childrens Science Congress Jaipur

Vijay Zol

Dilip Kumar Dipika Pallikal Saurav Ghosal Vireder Sehwag Vinod Rai

The Pakistani writer who has been chosen for the Shakti Bhatt Jamil ahmad First Book Prize for his debut novel The Wandering Falcon The new Union Minister for Civil Aviation Ajit Singh

The person who has been named person of the year by People Hema Malini for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) Dhamra Port, jointly developed by Tata Steel and L & T, which Odisha was dedicated to the nation on 18 Dec 2011 is located in The village in Nepal which has become has become Asias first Dhaubadi renewable energy village with the installation of mini windsolar hybrid power system The entity which has been named the TIME Person of the The Protestor Year 2011, by the TIME magazine The six-year old boy from Mumbai who has become the Musheer Khan youngest cricketer to play in officially recognized tournament by BCCI, the Giles Shield The typhoon which hit the Phillipines on 16 Dec 2011, bringing Typhoon Washi flash floods and landslides and killing people is name The person who has been chosen for the CNN-IBN Indian of Anna Hazare the Year 2011 award The Indian Air Force fighter aircraft which have been temporarily Sukhoi 30MKI grounded following a crash near Pune on 13 Dec 2011 The island nation in the Indian Ocean where China is setting Seychelles up its first military base abroad The country which has become the first to quit the Kyoto Canada Protocol on climate change, on grounds that such an accord was an impediment on cutting global carbon emissions with top emitters like the US and China not covered by it. The Committee of Governors constituted by the President, Smt. Shivraj Patil Pratibha Devisingh Patil to study and recommend measures for enhancing productivity, profitability, sustainability and competitiveness of the agriculture sector in India with special reference to rainfed area farming is headed by

75.48 connections per 100 people Kepler 22b Sudarshan Shakti Naveen Jindal

Brazil Hoosein Vafaei Ayouri Goa

Doha

Porfirio

Madhya Pradesh

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30

FEBUARY 2012

GENERAL KNOWLEDGE
WORLD: JAPAN
NATIONAL NAME: Nippon GOVERNMENT Constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary government. GEOGRAPHY An archipelago in the Pacific, Japan is separated from the east coast of Asia by the Sea of Japan. Japans four main islands are Honshu, Hokkaido, Kyushu, and Shikoku. The Ryukyu chain to the southwest was U.S.occupied from 1945 to 1972, when it reverted to Japanese control, and the Kurils to the northeast are Russianoccupied. HISTORICAL BACKGROUND In 1603, a Tokugawa shogunate (military dictatorship) ushered in a long period of isolation from foreign influence in order to secure its power. For 250 years this policy enabled Japan to enjoy stability and a flowering of its indigenous culture. Following the Treaty of Kanagawa with the US in 1854, Japan opened its ports and began to intensively modernize and industrialize. During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Japan became a regional power that was able to defeat the forces of both China and Russia. It occupied Korea, Formosa (Taiwan), and southern Sakhalin Island. In 1931-32 Japan occupied Manchuria, and in 1937 it launched a full-scale invasion of China. Japan attacked US forces in 1941 triggering Americas entry into World War II - and soon occupied much of East and Southeast Asia. After its defeat in World War II, Japan recovered to become an economic power and a staunch ally of the US. While the emperor retains his throne as a symbol of national unity, actual power rests in networks of powerful politicians, bureaucrats, and business executives. The economy experienced a major slowdown starting in the 1990s following three decades of unprecedented growth, but Japan still remains a major economic power, both in Asia and globally. Japan Tokyo Unitary parliamentary democracy and constitutional monarchy Emperor: Akihito Prime Minister: Yoshihiko Noda Language: Japanese Area Total: 377,944 km2 45,925 sq mi Population: 2011 estimate 127,960,000 2010 census: 128,056,026 GDP (PPP): 2010 estimate - Total $4.396 trillion GDP (nominal) : 2011 estimate-Total $5.855 trillion Per Capita: $45,774 Currency: International Symbol Pronounced (Yen) Japanese Symbol (or in Traditional Kanji) Pronounced (En) (JPY) Time zone: JST (UTC+9) - Summer (DST) not observed (UTC+9) Name: Capital: Government:

INDIA : MANIPUR
Governor : Chief Minister: Capital: Legislature: Lok Sabha seats: Judicature: Languages: Population density: No. of districts: Main crops: Rivers: Minerals: Industries: Airport: Gurbachan Jagat Okram Ibobi Singh Imphal Unicameral 1 Guwahati High Court Manipuri 107/sq km 9 Rice, maize Manipur, Barak Asbestos Steel, cement Imphal

IMPORTANT DAYS
Day January 1 January 1 January 5 January 6 January 10 January 24 January 26 January 26 January 27 January 28 January 30 Days Name World Peace Day Global Family Day World Environment Day World Day - War Orphans World Laughter Day National Girl Child Day of India January 24 International Customs day Republic Day of India International Holocaust Remembrance Day Data Protection Day World Leprosy Eradication Day

PHYSICALFEATURES Manipur can be divided into two distinct physical regionsthe outlying area of rugged hills and narrow valleys, and the inner area of flat plains. The Loktak Lake is an important geographic feature of the central plain area. The total area occupied by all the lakes is about 600 sq. km. The highest point of the state is the Iso Peak near Mao (2,994m). HISTORICAL BACKGROUND Manipur has a long and glorious history from beginning of the Christian era. The recorded history of kingship started from 22 AD, which marked the coronation of Pakhangba. After Pakhangba, a series of kings ruled over the kingdom of Manipur. The independence and sovereignty of Manipur remained uninterrupted until the Burmese invaded and occupied it for seven years in the first quarter of the 19th century ( 1819-25). Then came British Paramountcy in 1891. In 1949 Manipur became a Union territory administered by a chief commissioner and an elected territorial council. POLITICAL DEVELOPMENTS 1891 British Paramountcy in 1891 1949 Manipur became a Union territory 19 Dec 1969 Status of Chief Commissioner was raised to the status of the Lt. Governor 21 Jan 1972 attained full-fledged statehood.

THE UNIVERSE
The Universe is the sum total of all that exists in space and time.The study of the Universe is known as cosmology, which has its roots at the beginning of the 20th century with the introduction of Albert Einsteins theories of relativity, which joined space and time into a single continuum. WHAT MAKES UPTHE UNIVERSE A galaxy is a huge aggregate of stars, gas and dust held together by gravitational attraction, usually in the form of a flattened disc, and generally with the matter being contained in spiral arms radiating away from the central nucleus of the disc. The Milky Way is our own galaxy, one of 100 billion to a trillion known galaxies. Stars are globes of gas in which nuclear fusion reactions at the centre create vast quantities of energy which become radiated into space mainly in the form of light, heat and ultraviolet radiation. The Sun is the nearest star, the star at the centre of our solar system. Planets are major-sized bodies directly orbiting a star. In the case of our own solar system there are eight planets. Now, Pluto is no longer considered to be a planet. Smaller bodies orbiting the Sun are given special names such as asteroids. A satellite is any body which orbits an object which is directly orbiting a star, i.e. a planet or smaller body. THE BIG BANG THEORY The stars are moving and they are not fixed, as a result, it is known that the Universe is expanding. One consequence of this discovery was the realization that reversing time led to a contraction of the Universe to a point-like source or singularity. The origin of the Universe was therefore a cataclysmic event known popularly as the Big Bang. Since space and time also began at this point, there is no time before the Big Bang. The original Big Bang theory, explains both the large-scale smoothness of the Universe and the small-scale nonuniformities (that is, the clumping of matter into galaxies). This was done by suggesting that all parts of the Universe were in contact with each other during the critical period before 10-35 seconds, but that after this there was a 1050 expansion, possibly due to the separation of the strong force from the electroweak forces. Events in the Universes early history occurred very rapidly. All the light elements were initially formed within the first 15 minutes. Quarks, and leptons such as electrons and neutrinos, as well as an equal number of anti-particles, were formed after only 10-35 seconds but, by 10-32 seconds. After 100,000 years, when the temperature had fallen to 3700C (6700F), ions and electrons joined together to form atoms of these light elements. Proto-galaxies began to form when the temperature had reached 100C (212F) and the formation of coherent galaxies is calculated to have begun one billion (109) years after the Big Bang. Proof of the Big Bang is considered to be the detection of the cosmic background radiation by Arno Penzias and Robert W. Wilson in 1965. The Universe was filled with a sea of cosmic radiation during its formation, and this has since cooled. The end of the Universe will be dire. Either it will expand for ever or reach an equilibrium size. In both cases all of the hydrogen will be used up and the Universe will die, or gravity will overcome the amount of mass in the Universe and it will collapse back to a point-like source. Unit of ASTRONOMY ASTRONOMICAL UNIT (AU): The mean distance of the Earth from the Sun as defined in 1938. The current value is 149,597,871 km. LIGHT YEAR (LY): the distance travelled by light in vacuum in one tropical year of 365.24219878 mean solar days, that is 9,460,528,405,000 km. PARSEC (PC): The distance at which an angle of one second of arc will represent the distance from the Earth to the Sun, that is 206,264.806 astronomical units or 3.2616 light years or 30,856,776,000,000 km. 31

ABBREVIATIONS 1. C.D.M.A. : Code Division Multiple Access

Code division multiple access (CDMA) is a channel access method used by various radio communication technologies. It should not be confused with the mobile phone standards called cdmaOne, CDMA2000 (the 3G evolution of cdmaOne) and WCDMA (the 3G standard used by GSM carriers), which are often referred to as simply CDMA, and use CDMA as an underlying channel access method.

2. D.O.T.S. : Directly Observed Treatment Short Course

DOTS (directly observed treatment, short-course), is the name given to the World Health Organizationrecommended tuberculosis control strategy that combines five components: Government commitment (including both political will at all levels, and establishing a centralized and prioritized system of TB monitoring, recording and training) Case detection by sputum smear microscopy Standardized treatment regimen directly observed by a healthcare worker or community health worker for at least the first two months A regular drug supply A standardized recording and reporting system that allows assessment of treatment results.

UNION TERRITORIES
Union territories are administrated by the President acting to such extent as he thinks fit, through an Administrator appointed by him. Administrators of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Delhi and Pondicherry are designated as Lieutenant Governors, while Administrator of Chandigarh is designated as Chief Commissioner. However, presently, the Governor of Punjab is concurrently the Administrator of Chandigarh. The Administrator of Dadra and Nagar Haveli is concurrently the Administrator of Daman and Diu. Lakshadweep has a separate Administrator. The National Capital Territory of Delhi and Union Territory of Pondicherry each has a legislative assembly and council of ministers.

3. E.E.C. : Eurasian Economic Community

The Eurasian Economic Community (EAEC or EurAsEC) originated from the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) customs union between Belarus, Russia and Kazakhstan on 29 March 1996. The Treaty on the establishment of the Eurasian Economic Community was THE MILKY WAY GALAXY signed on 10 October 2000, in Kazakhstans capital Astana by Presidents Alexander Lukashenko of Belarus, Our galaxy is considered to be a typical spiral galaxy Nursultan Nazarbayev of Kazakhstan, Askar Akayev of about 75,000 light years in diameter. It is a member of the Kyrgyzstan, Vladimir Putin of Russia, and Emomali so-called Local Group of about 20 galaxies, which is Rakhmonov of Tajikistan. On 7 October 2005 it was deabout 6 million light years in extent and which is cided between the member states that Uzbekistan would join. Freedom of movement is implemented among the dominated at one end by our own galaxy and at the members (no visa requirements). Common Economic other by the much larger Andromeda galaxy. Space was launched on 1 January 2010. CHANGE THE ONLY CONSTANT THING : We Bring You More Informative and Detailed Coverage Every Month

FEBUARY 2012

MCQs OF THE MONTH

1. The Golden Peacock Award for the Best Film was given to which of the following films at the 42nd International Film Festival of India which came to an end at the Kala Academy in Panaji, Goa? a. Russian film Elena b. An Israeli film Restoration c. Columbian Film Porfirio d. Malayalam film Adaminte Makan Abu Answer: (c) 2. Readers of international travel magazine Cond Nast Traveller voted which city in Rajasthan as the best leisure destination in India? a. Jaipur b. Udaipur c. Jaisalmer d. Bikaner Answer: (b) 3. Scientists produced the most detailed map of Antarctica called BEDMAP. Consider the following statements on BEDMAP: i) This is the second generation of the digital BEDMAP. ii) It incorporates 27 million measurement points. Choose the right option: a) Both i and ii are correct. b) Only i is correct. c) Only ii is correct. d) Both i and ii are incorrect. Answer: (a) 4. Which player became the first player to win the Orders of Merit on both sides of the Atlantic when he shot a closing 66 to finish third in the Dubai World Championship? a. Luke Donald b. Alvaro Quiros c. Rory McIlroy d. Paul Lawrie Answer: (a) 5. Credit rating agency Moodys upgraded the credit rating of the Indian governments bonds from the speculative to investment grade. Which of the following facts related to the above statement is/are true? 1. According to a release issued by the Finance Ministry, Moodys unified Indias local and foreign currency bond ratings at Baa3 2. Moodys Investor Service upgraded its local currency rating for Indian government bonds to Baa3 which is speculative grade as compared to the earlier Ba1 which is junk or investment grade. 3. Indias foreign currency bond ceiling is unchanged at Baa2, and the foreign currency bank deposit ceiling is Baa3. The local currency bond and bank deposit ceilings are unified at A1. 4. The governments local currency short-term rating has been changed to P-3 from NP, indicating the governments ability to repay short-term debts. a. Only 2 b. Only 1 c. 1 & 3 d. Only 4 Answer: (a) 6. The Indian womens hockey team defeated Ireland 4-1 win to clinch the bronze medal in the four-nation tournament held in Parana, Argentina. Which team won the gold medal? a. South Africa b. USA c. Argentina d. Pakistan Answer: (c) 7. Who defeated ace badminton player and World No. 4 Saina Nehwal of India in the womens singles final of the $500000 BWF World Super Series badminton championship in China? a. Zhang Ning b. Xie Xingfang c. Xu Huaiwen d. Wang Yihan Answer: (d) 8. Which squash player retained the mens crown in the Senior National Squash Championship in Chennai? a. Saurav Ghosal b. Harinder Pal Sandhu c. Rohit Thanwani d. Cyrus Poncha Answer: (a) 9. A parliamentary committee rejected the proposal to allow what percentage foreign direct investment in the insurance sector? a. 51% b. 49% c. 43% d. 29% Answer: (b) 10. The government waived loan of handloom weavers in India to help revive the sector under the scheme of Revival, Reform and Restructuring Package for Handloom Sector. What amount of loan was waived? a. Rs 548.35 crore b. Rs 420.66 crore c. Rs 506.64 crore d. Rs 3521 crore Answer: (d) 11. OPEC countries in its meeting held in Vienna decided to increase its production ceiling to __ million barrels a day. a) 30 b) 20 c) 25 d) 27 Answer: (a) 12. Which one of the following countries barred veiled women from taking oath of citizenship? a) Canada b) Russia c) UK d) India Answer: (a) 13. The book Non-Stop India by a journalist-author was launched in Chennai by Editor-in-Chief of The Hindu, N Ram. Name the journalist-author who authored the book? a. Mark Tully b. Sophie Raworth c. Jane Hill d. Babita Sharma Answer: (a) 14. Which world renowned architect was bestowed with Goas highest civilian honour, the Gomant Vibhushan, on the eve of the Golden Jubiliee of Goas Liberation? a. Michael Hopkins b. Kengo Kuma c. Charles Correa d. Kevin Kennon Answer: (c) 15. The Union cabinet of India approved __ percent share for minorities within the 27% OBC quota in jobs and university seats. a) 4.5 b) 5.6 c) 3.4 d) 5 Answer: (a) 16. The Manipur Legislative Assembly passed the Manipur Lokayukta Bill, 2011. Manipur will be the __state in NorthEastern India to have alegislation of Lokayukta. a) Second b) Third c) First d) Fourth Answer: (b) 17. Which real eastate major company acquired the additional 26 per cent stake in its joint venture company with Hilton Hotel from Aro Participation Ltd and Splendid Property Company Ltd, affiliates of Hilton International? a. Larsen & Toubro Limited b. DLF c. Punj Lloyd Limited d. Tata Construction & Projects Ltd Answer: (b) 18. Which English batsman received Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) medal from Britains Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace? a. Andrew Strauss b. Andrew Strauss c. Alastair Cook d. Steve Finn Answer: (c) 19. Name the Broadcaster which announced a new five-year contract with Cricket Australia, a deal which for the first time will give them the rights to showcase two of Indian cricket teams visits Down Under? a. Ten Sports b. DD Sports c. Zee Sports d. ESPN STAR Sports Answer: (d) 20. Brazils former football captain, Socrates died of septic shock on 4 December 2011 in Sao Paulo. Which of the following facts mentioned below about Socrates is/are not true? 1. Socrates Brasileiro de Souza Viera de Oliveira made his international debut in 1979 and captained Brazil at the 1982 and 1986 World Cups 2. Brazil won 1986 World Cup under his captaincy 3. Socrates won 60 caps and scored 21 goals in his seven-year Brazil career. He had scored 25 goals in 63 games for Brazil 4. He was notable for the use of the backheel and was also known as the Golden Hee and the Big Thin One. a. 1 & 3 b. Only 2 c. 2 & 3 d. 1 & 4 Answer: (b) 21. The WGEEP (Western Ghats expert Panel) designated ____ as an Ecologically Sensitive Area. a) Western Ghats b) E astern Ghats c) Malabar Coast d) Coromandel Coast Answer: (a) 22. Name the gene found by the neuroscientists, which could help in creating and altering memory. a)Mpas4 b) Npas4 c) Npas3 d) Mpas2 Answer: (b) 23. Oman Investment Fund (OIF), the Sultanate of Omans sovereign wealth fund, filed application with the government to buy a stake in which of the software solutions company, IT People promoted exchange? a. Universal Commodity Exchange b. Agri bourse NCDEX c. Intercontinental Exchange d. National Spot Exchange Limited Answer: (a) 24. Which company mentioned that it would acquire the remaining 51 per cent stake from BP Alternative Energy Holdings in the joint venture that it formed with BP? a. Reliance Power b. Tata Power c. Adani Power Limited d. ABB Ltd Answer: (b) 25. Which Power distribution company announced change of its name to Tata Power Delhi Distribution Limited? a. North Delhi Power Limited (NDPL) b. Adani Power c. Lanco Infratech d. CLP Power Answer: (a) 26. Maharashtra government planned to provide free medicare for poor families. Consider the following statements: i) The plan will benefit 50 lakh families. ii) The plan will cover eight districts in state. Choose the right option: a) Both i and ii are correct. b) Only i is correct. c) Only ii is correct. d) Neither i nor ii is correct. Answer: (a) 27. Lok Sabha passed the Lokpal and Lokayukta bill, 2011. Consider the following statements: i) The setting up of Lokayuktas by the states would not be mandatory. ii) The constitutional amendment bill fell through. Choose the right option: a) Both i and ii are correct. b) Only i is correct. c) Only ii is correct. d) Neither i nor ii is correct. Answer: (a) 28. Name the Mumbai skipper who overtook former teammate as the highest run-getter in Ranji Trophy by scoring a total of 8242 runs. a. Wasim Jaffer b. Amol Muzumdar c. Amarjeet Kaypee d. Pankaj Dharmani Answer: (a) 29. Who won his first Mens Singles title of 2011 at the 2011 $120,000 Syed Modi India Open Grand Prix Gold badminton championship? a. Sourabh Verma b. Taufik Hidayat c. Anup Sridhar d. Hendra Setiawan Answer: (b) 30. Who did the Central Government appoint as Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) of Andhra Bank? a. B. A. Prabhakar b. O. P. Bhatt c. Pratip Chaudhuri d. S. Vishvanathan Answer: (a) 31. The directorate general of hydrocarbons (DGH), the technical arm of the oil ministry approved which companys proposal to commence production from Bhagyam, the secondlargest oil field in the Rajasthan block? a. Essar Oil b. ONGC c. Cairn India d. Indian Oil Answer: (c) 32. Who did Colgate-Palmolive India (CPIL) appoint as Managing Director for five years from 1 February 2012? a. Prabha Parameswaran b. Mukul Deora c. R. A. Shah d. P. K. Ghosh Answer: (a) 33. AstraZeneca, a biopharmaceutical company chose which of the following companies as a strategic infrastructure outsourcing partner? a. Infosys b. HCL Technologies c. Wipro BPO d. Cape Gemini Answer: (b) 34. Name the mobile phone operator in India which decided to renew its contract with Nokia Siemens Networks (NSN) to manage and maintain its networks in eight circles for three years. a. BSNL b. Idea Cellular c. Bharti Airtel d. Uninor Answer: (c) 32

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FEBUARY 2012
35. The Sangita Kalanidhi M.S. Subbulakshmi Award was presented to whom at the inauguration of the 85th annual conference of the Music Academy in Chennai? a. S.R. Nathan b. Trichy Sankaran c. Subramania Pillai d. Subramaniyam Iyer Answer: (b) 36. The 40th anniversary of vijay diwas was celebrated on which day marking the finest hour of the Indian armed forces when they defeated Pakistan, leading to the creation of Bangladesh in 1971? a. 12 December b. 15 December c. 16 December d. 18 December Answer: (c) 37. The Himachal Pradesh Cabinet approved amendment to the state industrial policy. Consider the following statements: i) The amended industrial policy seeks to promote environmentally sustainable development in the state and encourage cleaner production and adoption. ii) Under this policy, disincentive industries will be put on negative list. Choose the right option: a) Both i and ii are correct. b) Only i is correct. c) Only ii is correct. d) Neither i nor ii is correct. Answer: (a) 38. Reserve Bank of India deregulated non-resident external (NRE) deposits allowing banks to offer higher interest rates to dollar-denominated accounts. Which of the following facts related to the above statement is/are not true? 1. Reserve Bank freed the rates on non-resident external accounts, offering interest as high as 9.6% per annum 2. Following RBIs deregulation five Indian banks, including HDFC Bank and Yes Bank on 23 December 2011 raised their interest rates on such deposits in order to lure foreign money 3. Private lender Yes Bank increased the interest rates on fixed deposits held by nonresident Indians (NRIs) to 8.4 per cent from 3.82 per cent 4. The new rates are effective from 24 December for fresh deposits as well as those being renewed on maturity. a. 1 & 2 b. Only4 c. Only 3 d. 1 & 4 Answer: (c) 39. An icon of Indian cinema and evergreen star Dev Anand died at the age of 88 in London on 3 December 2011 (4 December according to IST) after suffering a massive cardiac arrest. Which of the following facts about him is/are not true? 1. Dev Anand started his career with Prabhat Films Hum Ek Hain (1946) soon after he joined IPTA 2. Anand started producing films after the success of Ziddi. He launched his own company Navketan in 1949 which, by 2011, had produced 31 films 3. His first colour film, Johny Mera Naam with Waheeda Rehman was based on the novel of the same name by R. K. Narayan 4. The Government of India honoured him with the Padma Bhushan in 2001 and the Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 2002 a. 1 & 4 b. Only 3 c. 2 & 4 d. 1 & 4 Answer: (b) 40. As per the Charities Aid Foundations World Giving Index which one of the following nations was adjudged as the most generous one in terms of charitable acts and monetary donations? a) India b) Thailand c) China d) Sri Lanka Answer: (b) 41. India and Australia signed an agreement to amend DTAA (Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement). DTAA was signed between India and Australia in__. a) 1990 b) 1991 c) 1992 d) 1995 Answer: b 42. The leaders of the CSTO (Collective Security Treaty Organisation) agreed that the deployment of foreign bases in their territory will be done with the approval of all partners of the defence alliance. Which one of the following nations is not the member of CSTO? a)Armenia b) Russia c) China d) Uzbekistan Answer: (c) 43. NASAs Kepler mission discovered the first Earth-size planets orbiting a sunlike star outside our solar system. These planets are called ___ and____. a) Kepler-20e; Kepler-20f b) Kepler-20a; Kepler-20b c) Kepler-20c; Kepler-20d d) Kepler-20m; Kepler-20n Answer: (a) 44. Scientists at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies report discovered a missing link between the bodys biological clock and sugar metabolism system. Consider the following statements i) Sugar Metabolism is a process by which the body uses sugar for energy. ii) If the human body produces too little insulin, the amount of sugar in the blood increases abnormally, a condition known as hyperglycemia. Choose the right option: a) Both i and ii are correct. b) Neither i nor ii is correct. c) Only i is correct. d) Only ii is correct. Answer: (a) 45. China launched a High-Speed Bullet Train in Quingdao, Shandong. Its speed can reach upto __kilometres. a) 500 b) 300 c) 400 d) 200 Answer: (a) 46. Theatre director, screenplay writer and actor Satyadev Dubey, credited with introducing existential and absurd theatre, passed away on 25 December 2011. Which fact about the concerned person is/are not true? 1. he got attracted to the post-1947 theatre and joined Theatre Unit, the theatre group-cum-school founded by Ebrahim Alkazi 2. Dubey came into prominence with Dharamvir Bharatis radioplay Andha Yug that brought to the fore the pervasive criminal and homicidal tendencies during the times of war. 3. He penned screenplays dialogue of some acclaimed films in the 1970s, including Shyam Benegals Nishant, Ankur, Kalyug and Bhumika 4. He won the Filmfare Award for Best Dialogue in 1980 for the film Ankur a. Only 1 b. Only4 c. 2 & 3 d. Only 2 Answer: (b) 47. Identify the veteran politician and former Chief Minister of Karnataka with the help of the following clues. 1. He was the Chief Minister of Karnataka from 1990-92 and died on 26 December 2011 2. The three time Lok Sabha member represented Bellary constituency 3. He was on the national political stage as a Lok Sabha member for three terms in 1996, 1999 and 2003. 4. He was instrumental in holding the first Indian international film festival in Bengaluru in 1993 a. H. D. Kumaraswamy b. J. H. Patel c. S. M. Krishna d. S.Bangarappa Answer: (d) 48. Indias infant mortality rate (IMR) showed a 3 point decline, dropping to what number per 1,000 live births, as per government data released? a. 43 b. 55 c. 47 d. 50 Answer: (c) 49. Turkey announced a New Set of Sanctions against Syria. Turkey is located to the__ of Syria. a) North b) South c) East d)West Answer: (a) 50. The Labour Party conference in Australia approved Uranium Exports to India. Consider the following statements: i) The Conference was held in Sydney. ii) Australia possesses approximately 40 percent of the worlds known uranium reserves. Choose the right option: a) Both i and ii are correct. b) Only i is correct. c) Only ii is correct. d) Neither i nor ii is correct. Answer: (a) 51. Name the state-run Mumbaiheadquartered bank which surprised the market by cutting its base rate, the minimum lending rate, by 10 basis points, thereby becoming the first banker this year to do so when others are waiting for a signal from the central bank. a. State Bank of India b. Union Bank c. United Bank of India d. Allahabad Bank Answer: (b) 52. With the inauguration of the first state-of-the-art ATDC-SMART (Skill for Manufacturing Apparels through Research and Training) in Egmore, Chennai, and the Ministry of Textiles launched which of the following schemes? a. National Technology Mission for Technical Textiles b. Integrated Skill Development Scheme c. Technology Upgradation Fund Scheme (TUFS) For Textile d. Rural Textiles Technology Development Skill Answer: (b) 53. In 2011, the theme for the International Day of Persons With Disability was- Together for a better world for all: Including persons with disabilities in development. Which day is anually observed as World Disability Day (WDD)? a. 2 December b. 5 December c. 3 December d. 8 December Answer: (c) 54. The one-day Bonn conference on Afghanistans future ended. Bonn is the capital of_. a) Germany b) UK c) Spain d) France Answer: (a) 55. Retail entrepreneur Kishore Biyani exited his financial services through two separate transactions worth over Rs 1000 crore. Which company purchased Pantaloons 26% stake in its insurance Future groups joint venture Future Generali Life for Rs 250-300 crore? a. Deccan Chronicle b. Investment Trust ( IITL) c. RIL d. Tata group Answer: (b) 56. Which bank signed a memorandum of understanding with Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) to use the National Electronic Funds Transfer (NEFT) facility to facilitate electronic funds transfer of policy payments to policyholders? a. IDBI b. Corp Bank c. Indian Overseas Bank d. Dhanlaxmi Bank Answer: (d) 57. The Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DoT) transferred indigenously-developed Gigabit Passive Optical Network (GPON) technology to seven telecom equipment manufacturers. Which of the following facts about the technology is not true? 1. The GPON technology is a pivotal component required for broadband connectivity over optical fibre. 2. C-DOT indigenously designed and developed GPON technology, which can be used to provide triple play (voice, video and data) through fibrebased networks 3. The GPON technology was tested, validated, field-evaluated and made operational in MTNLs/VSNLs network in Ajmer (Rajasthan) 4. The technology will help fulfil requirements of major national programmes like the National Optical Fibre Network and the State Wide Area Network. a. Only 1 b. Only 3 c. 1 & 4 d. Only 4 Answer: (b) 58. The Coal Ministry turned down which coal producing plea for scaling down current fiscal 2011-12 s output target to 448 million tonnes (MT) from 452 MT? a. Neyveli Lignite Corporation b. Western Coalfields Limited c. Mahanadi Coalfields d. Coal India Limited Answer: (d) 59. Which country won its fifth Davis Cup title after Rafael Nadal defeated Argentinas Juan Martin del Potro 1-6 6-4 6-1 7-6 (0)? a. Switzerland b. Spain c. USA d. France Answer: (b) 60. Who won the Fukuoka mens marathon in Japan winning the 42.195km race in 2hrs 7mins and 36secs? a. Josphat Ndambiri b. Mwangi c. Yuki Kawauchi d. Joan Bolt Answer: (a) 61. The $35-billion Aditya Birla group plans to set up a viscose staple fibre (VSF) plant in the Adana Organised Industrial Zone in which of the following countries? a. Tunisia b. Tanzania c. Turkey d. Tibet Answer: (c) 33

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62. Which team won both the mens & womens title in the 10th All-India Invitational volleyball tournament for the Vajpayee Cup? a. Andhra Pradesh b. Punjab c. Kerala d. Southern Railway Answer: (c) 63. Identify the Indian footballer with the help of the following clues. 1. This Indian football team defender announced his retirement from international football on 26 December 2011 2. He captained the Indian team in one match (against Malaysia) in November 2011 3. He had scored one goal against Bhutan in SAFF Cup in 2005 4. He was part of the Indian teams which won SAFF Cup (2005), Nehru Cup (2007 and 2009), AFC Challenge Cup (2008) apart from the recent SAFF championship a. Arnab Mondal b. Gurwinder Singh c. Anas Edathodika d. Mahesh Gawli Answer: (d) 64. The Indian team finished at the fourth position in the World Womens Team Chess Championship at Mardin,Turkey. Which team won gold and emerged at the top in the competition? a. Ukraine b. Russia c. China d. Greece Answer: (c) 65. Name the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) leader who was inducted into the Union Cabinet as civil aviation minister. a. Ajit Singh b. Jayant Chaudhary c. Devendra Nagpal d. Sanjay Singh Chauhan Answer: (a) 66. Popularly known as Adam Gondvi, this Hindi poet who wrote revolutionary poetry focusing on the pathetic state of dalits and the poor breathed his last in Lucknow. Name the poet. a. Bharat Bhusan b. Ram Nath Singh c. Uday Prakash d. Shail Chaturvedi e. Naresh Mehta Answer: (b) 67. The Supreme Court of India directed Tamil Nadu to ensure that the water level in the Mullaperiyar dam does not exceed __but declined to entertain Keralas plea for reducing the level to__. a) 136 feet; 120 feet b) 120 feet; 136 feet c) 140 feet; 112 feet d) 150 feet; 140 feet Answer: (a) 68. Scientists discovered that the protein__ is responsible for regulating fatty acid oxidation in the liver and is critical for metabolism. a) CPT1 b) CTP1 c) CTT1 d) CPT2 Answer: (a) 69. NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) developed Space Harpoon to take Samples from Comets. Where are the headquarters of NASA located? a) Washington DC b) New York c) Florida d) Paris Answer: (a) 70. British Scientists recently developed a technology to produce pocket TV. Consider the following statements: i) Scientists developed a new form of light-emitting crystals, known as quantum dots. ii) These tiny crystals are 100000 times smaller than the width of human hair. Choose the right option: a) Both i and ii are correct. b) Only i is correct. c) Only ii is correct. d) Neither i nor ii is correct. Answer: (a) 71. Pakistan defeated which team by seven wickets in the second and final cricket Test in Dhaka and thus swept the series 2-0? a. New Zealand b. India c. Sri Lanka d. Bangladesh Answer: (d) 72. Former Czech president Vaclav Havel who had been suffering from chronic respiratory problems died on 18 December 2011. Which of the following facts mentioned about him is/are not true? 1. He was the tenth and last president of Czechoslovakia (198992) and the second President of the Czech Republic (19932003) 2. He played a seminal role in the Velvet Revolution that ended four decades of repression by a regime which Havel ridiculed as Absurdistan. 3. He co-authored the human rights manifesto Charter 77, which drew wide attention in the West. 4. As president, he oversaw the countrys transition to democracy and a free-market economy and also the peaceful 1993 breakup into the Czech Republic and Slovakia. a. Only 3 b. Only 1 c. 1 & 4 d. Only 4 Answer: (b) 73. The enigmatic leader of North Korea Kim who led his nation for 17 years through a devastating famine while frustrating the United States and other global powers with approach to talks on giving up nuclear arms in return for food and other assistanceon died on 17 December 2011 after he suffered a massive heart attack. Name the leader a. Kim Jong-il b. Kim Il-sung c. Kim Jong-un d. Kim Jong-chul Answer: (a) 74. Which Controversial film based on the 116-year-old Mullaperiyar dam and directed by Sohan Roy made it to a shortlist for the Oscars under the Best Picture category? a. Rio and The Muppets b. Undefeated c. Project Nim d. Dam 999 Answer: (d) 75. Which digital technology major received an award for its Air conditioners at the National Energy Conservation Awards, 2011? a. Samsung Electronics b. Phillips c. Hitachi d. Videocon Answer: (a) 76. Swedish multinational SKF launched the companys Global Technical Centre in which of the following cities in India? a. Chennai b. Hyderabad c. Bangalore d. New Delhi Answer: (c) 77. Which PSU lender decided to aggressively market its gold loan scheme for farmers to prevent defaults after the agriculture sector witnessed a sharp spike in bad debt in the past one year? a. Union Bank b. United Bank of India c. Industrial Development Bank of India d. State Bank of India Answer: (d) 78. Which one of the following countries made an exit from Kyoto Protocol? a) France b) Canada c) India d) China Answer: (b) 79. Which India striker was voted Player of the Year by the All India Football Federation? a. Sunil Chhetri b. Savio Medeira c. Kyrshan Lyngshing d. Babu Mani Answer: (a) 80. Which of Indias leading commodity bourses became the worlds fifth-largest commodity futures exchange? a. National Multi Commodity Exchange of India b. Bharat Diamond Bourse c. Multi Commodity Exchange d. Bombay Stock Exchange Answer: (d) 81. Ravi Ruia decided to step down as chairman of which of the following London-listed after a trial court admitted a criminal chargesheet filed by the investigating agency, CBI? a. Essar Energy b. Essar Shipping c. Essar Oil d. Eaasr Technologies Answer: (a) 82. Which company won the award for Alternative Thinking and Driving Positive Change in the Fleet Owner category at the Mahindra Navistar Transport Excellence Awards 2011 at Hotel Ashok? a. Tata Motors b. Hero Group c. Edu Comp d. Agarwal Packers & Movers Answer: (d) 83. Which country defeated Spain 1-0 to win for the 4th time hockeys Champions Trophy title? a. Pakistan b. New Zealand c. Australia d. Greece Answer: (c) 84. Name the woman squash player who annexed the elusive womens title while in the Senior National Squash Championship in Chennai. a. Sarah Fitz-Gerald b. Dipika Pallikal c. Anaka Alankamony d. Sushma Pillai Answer: (b) 85. Who defeated David Vofsonof Canada 1-6, 6-1, 10-6 in the final of the under-14 boys section of the 23rd America Cup international tennis championship at the Miccosukee Tennis Club in Miami? a. Evgeny Tyurnev b. Bobby Mahal c. Fernando Gonzalez d. Sumit Nagal Answer: (d) 86. KV Varadaraj, a renowned Indian footballer passed away in Bangalore on 20 December 2011. Which of the facts about the footballer is/are true? 1. He was one of the few Indian footballers who played in two Olympics in 1948 and 1952. 2. Varadaraj was the goalkeeper of the Indian team led by Mohun Bagan defender Talimeren Ao that took the field in the 1948 London Games 3. KV Varadaraj was also part of the Indian squad led by Sailendra Nath Manna at the Helsinki Olympics in 1952 4. Varadaraj won the gold medal at the 1955 inaugural Asian Games in New Delhi as he helped India keep a clean slate in all the matches, beating Iran 1-0 in the final a. Only 1 b. Only 3 c. Only 4 d. 1& 3 Answer: (c) 87. Scientists developed a hydrogel that regenerate healthy and scar-free tissue on skin damaged by severe burns. Consider the following statements: i) The hydrogel helps in formatting of new blood vessels and skin including hair follicles. ii) The injured soldiers, fire victims and people with third degree burns can avail of the gel. Choose the right option: a) Both i and ii are correct. b) Only i is correct. c) Only ii is correct. d) Neither i nor ii is correct. Answer: (a) 88. The state assembly of Bihar passed the Bihar Lokayukta Bill 2011. Consider the following statements on the features of the bill: i) The bill will have Chief Minister, ministers, former chief ministers, the speaker of the vidhan sabha and chairman of the legislative council, legislative council, legislators and former legislators under its purview. ii) The bill provides for a threemember Lokayukta, which will have at least two members from the judiciary. Choose the right option: a) Both i and ii are correct. b) Only i is correct. c) Only ii is correct. d) Neither i nor ii is correct. Answer: (a) 89. The Chhattisgarh government decided to raise the percentage of reservation for the scheduled tribes and schedule castes. The STs will now get __ whereas the SCs will get_ reservation. a) 32; 12 b ) 12; 32 c) 32; 32 d) 12; 12 Answer: (a) 90. NASAs Kepler mission recently discovered a Habitable Earth-like planet__. a) Kepler 22-b b)Kepler-22 b c) Kepler 22-c c) kepler 22-a Answer: (b) 91. Which one of the following countries recently approved the bill that reformed the rules on the amount of land farmers must preserve as forest? a) Brazil b) India c) USA d) China Answer: (a) 92. The Labour Party conference in Australia approved Uranium Exports to India. What is the atomic number of Uranium? a) 92 b) 82 c) 88 d) 86 Answer: (a) 93. A committee on mutual funds, constituted by SEBI recommended to the regulators board to break down the bifurcation within the fee structure known as expense ratio. Which of the following facts are not true with regard to the above statement? 1. Currently mutual funds are allowed to charge up to 2.25% as expense ratio. fund houses are allowed to accept only 1.25% as asset management charges 2. Funds with large corpuses currently charge 1.55% as expenses charges 3. SEBI was suggested to keep overall scheme expenses unchanged at 2.25% for schemes with assets under management not exceeding Rs 400 crore 4. Expense ratio is more than important in debt schemes where the rate of return is not hig. a. 1 & 2 b. 3 & 4 c. 1 & 3 d. Only 2 Answer: (d) 94. Which leading NRI industrialist was conferred with the Life Time Achievement award for his outstanding contributions in various fields? a. Lakshmi Mittal b. G P Hinduja c. Lord Swraj Paul d. Jassi Khangura Answer: (c) 95. The world renowned cartoonist who famously captured vignettes of Goan life on canvas in his trademark style for over two decades died in Goa. Name him. a. Mario Miranda b. Sam Gross c. Ed Subitzky d. Bob Boyle Answer: (a) 34

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SPECIAL COVERAGE

History Of The Indian Space Programme

by PARAMPREET SINGH (Creations IAS Academy)
Rockets were invented in medieval China (1044 AD) but its first practical use for serious purpose other than entertainment took place in 1232 AD by the Chinese against the Mongols. Thereafter from 1750 -1799 AD Haider Ali and Tipu Sultan (Sultan of Mysore, in South India) perfected rockets use for military purposes, very effectively using it in war against British colonial armies. Tipu Sultan had 27 brigades (called Kushoons) and each brigade had a company of rocket men called Jourks. In the Second Anglo-Mysore war, at the Battle of Pollilur (10 September 1780), Haider and Tipu achieved a grand victory, the contributory cause being that one of the British ammunition Building was set on fire by Mysorean rockets. Two of the rockets fired by Indian troops in Anglo-Mysore war are on display at the Royal Artillery Museum in London. After the defeat of Tipu Sultan and other Indian kingdoms, major parts of India either fell to British colonialist or accepted British hegemony. Indian independence was largely compromised and the country was systematically exploited and suppressed by the British colonialism. Lack of political and economic independence stymied Indian science and military technology for 150 years till 1947 when it finally threw away the yoke of foreign occupation, to transition back as an independent sovereign nation state. more affluent countries, and by the end of this decade India may be one of only a half dozen countries/ organizations with a geostationary launch capability. 1977 1979 Satellite Telecommunication Experiments Project (STEP) carried out from mid 1977 to 1979 using Franco- German satellite Symphonie. First Experimental launch of SLV-3 with Rohini Technology Payload on board (August10, 1979), from Sriharikota, Satellite could not be placed in orbit. Second Indian satellite Bhaskara I, an experi mental satellite for earth observations, placed in orbit (June 7, 1979), by Cosmos rocket from Russian Cosmodrome Second Experimental launch of SLV-3, Indias first satellite launch vehicle, from Sriharikota (July 18, 1980), successfully placed Rohini sat ellite (35 kg) in low earth orbit. Bhaskara-II, earth observation satellite was placed in orbit by Cosmos rocket from Russian Cosmodrome at Baikanour, erstwhile Soviet Union (November 20, 1981). APPLE (Ariane Passenger Payload Experi ment), first indigenously built experimental geo-stationary communication satellite suc cessfully launched by Ariane rocket from, Kourou, French Guyana, (June 19, 1981). First developmental launch of SLV-3 from Sriharikota, it placed RS-D1 satellite in orbit (May 31, 1981) INSAT-1A launched (April 10, 1982), by United States Delta rocket. It was deactivated on Sep tember 6, 1982, due to propellant depletion. INSAT -1B, successfully launched by US space shuttle Challenger on (August 30, 1983) Second developmental launch of SLV-3 from Sriharikota, it placed RS-D2 satellite in orbit (April17, 1983) First joint Indo-Soviet manned space mission began on (April 1984). First developmental launch of ASLV-D1 with SROSS-1 satellite on board (March 24, 1987), from Sriharikota Satellite could not be placed in orbit. INSAT -1C launched on (July 21, 1988), by Ariane rocket from Kourou, French Guyana. It was abandoned on November 1989 due to power anomaly. Second developmental launch of ASLV-D2 with SROSS-2 on board (july13, 1988), from Sriharikota Satellite could not be placed in or bit. First operational Indian Remote Sensing Satel lite, IRS 1A, launched (March 17, 1988), by Vostok rocket from Russian Cosmodrome. INSAT-1D launched (June 12, 1990), by Delta rocket, from Florida, USA. Second Operational Remote Sensing Satellite, IRS-1B, launched (August 29, 1991), by Vostok rocket, from Baikanour in Kazakhstan. INSAT-2A the first satellite of the indigenously built Second generation INSAT series, launched successfully (July 10, 1992) It was launched by the Ariane rocket of European Space Agency from Kourou, French Guyana Third developmental launch of ASLV-D3, from Sriharikota, with SROSS-C satellite on board (May 20, 1992), the satellite was successfully placed into low earth orbit. First developmental launch of PSLV with IRS1E on board (September 20, 1993) Satellite could not be placed in orbit. INSAT-2B, the second satellite in the INSAT-2 series, launched successfully (July 23, 1993). It was launched by Ariane rocket from Kourou, French Guyana. Second developmental launch of PSLV- D2, from Sriharikota, with IRS-P2 on board (Octo ber 15, 1994), the satellite was successfully placed in Polar Sun synchronous orbit.

DEVELOPMENT OF INDIAN SPACE PROGRAMME

The Indian Space Programme is directed towards the goal of self-reliant use of space science and technology for national development, its main thrusts being: Satellite telecommunications, TV and radio broadcasting Satellite remote sensing for resource survey and management, environmental monitoring and meteorological services, and Development and operationalisation of indigenous satellites and launch vehicles for providing these services. BRIEF OUTLINE Government of India set up Space Commission and Department of Space (DOS) in June 1972. Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) under DOS executes Space programme through its establishments located in different places in India. Main components of space programme include development of satellites, launch vehicles, Sounding Rockets and associated ground systems. It crossed several major milestones in the past few decades Experimental phase included Satellite Instructional Television Experiment (SITE), Satellite Telecommunication Experiment (STEP), Remote Sensing application projects, satellites like Aryabhatta, Bhaskara, Rohini and APPLE and launch vehicles, SLV-3 and ASLV. Present operational space systems include Indian National Satellite (INSAT) for Telecommunication, Television broadcasting, Meteorology and Disaster warning and Indian Remote Sensing Satellite (IRS) for resources monitoring and management. Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) used for launching IRS Satellites and Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV), intended for launching INSAT class of satellites.

1980

1981

1982 1983 1984 1987

ROCKETRY AND SPACE IN MODERN INDIA

After independence in 1947 India focused all its energy in nation building. It focused primarily on economic and industrial development fully understanding the key role of science and technology. Indian rocketry developed, thanks to technological vision of Prime Minster Jawaharlal Lal Nehru. Prof Vikram Sarabhai took the challenge of realizing this dream. Professor Vikram Sarabhai was an able leader and visionary who gave shape to modern Indian rocketry and space endeavors. Dr. APJ Kalam also supported the cause of development of Space Technology in India. Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam was amongst the initial team of rocket engineer forming the INCOSPAR. In 1962 INCOSPAR took the decision to set up Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station (TERLS) at Thumba ( Trivandrum also known as Thiruvananthapuram). Apart from Indian payload, sounding rockets from many other countries (including USA, Russia, Japan, France, and Germany) were also lunched from Thumba, as part of mutual international collaboration. Recognizing the immense socio-economic benefits of space technology in 1969 a complete go ahead was given for launching satellite launch vehicles and large rockets. Sriharikota situated on the east coast of south India (100 Km north of Chennai) was chosen as Launch Station (SHAR RLS) for launching satellite launch vehicles. The Rohini Sounding Rocket (RSR) program to develop indigenously developed and fabricated sounding rockets launched the first single-stage Rohini (RH-75) rocket (32 Kg rocket with 7 Kg payload to 10 Km altitude) in 1967, followed by a two-stage Rohini rocket (100 kg payload to over 320 Km altitude). On 15 August 1969 INCOSPAR was reconstituted and Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) was created under Department of Atomic Agency (DEA) to conduct space research and application. In 1972 the Indian Government set up the Space Commission and entrusted Department of Space (DOS) with responsibility for conducting the countrys space activities. While ISRO is main developer of launcher and satellite systems, it is complemented by two separate agencies INSAT (Telecommunications) and IRS (Remote Sensing). All of ISROs commercial and marketing activities are handled by Antrix Corp. Ltd, which was created on November 1992 by ISRO. Despite its limited resources, India has and is continuing to develop a broad-based space program with indigenous launch vehicles, satellites, control facilities, and data processing. India has become a true space-faring nation and an example to other Eurasian countries wishing to move into the space age. Today Indian remote sensing, communications, and meteorological satellites are comparable to many similar space systems operated by

PANORAMIC VIEW OF DEVELOPMENTS IN INDIAN SPACE PROGRAMME

1962 1963 1965 1967 1968 1969 1972 1975 Indian National Committee for Space Research (INCOSPAR) formed by the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) Work on establishing Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station (TERLS) started First sounding rocket launched from TERLS (November 21, 1963). Space Science & Technology Centre (SSTC) established in Thumba, Kerala. Satellite Telecommunication Earth Station set up at Ahmedabad. Rohini -75, first Indian rocket developed by SSTC, successfully launched. TERLS dedicated to the United Nations (February 2, 1968). Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) formed under Department of Atomic Energy (August 15, 1969). Space Commission and Department of Space set up (June 1, 1972) ISRO brought under DOS.

1988

1990 1991 1992

1993

First Indian Satellite, Aryabhatta, placed in orbit (April 19, 1975), by Cosmos rocket from Russian Cosmodrome at Baikanour, erstwhile Soviet Union. 1975- 76 First major space application programme, Satellite Instructional Television Experiment (SITE) conducted, using U.S. satellite ATS.

1994

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Fourth developmental launch of ASLV-D4, from Sriharikota, with SROSS-C2 satellite (43kg) on board (May 4, 1994), the satellite was success fully placed in orbit. Launch of third operational Indian Remote Sensing Satellite, IRS-1C (December 28, 1995) It was launched by Russian Molniya rocket from Baikanour Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. INSAT-2C, the third satellite in the INSAT-2 series, launched (December 7, 1995), by Ariane rocket from Kourou. Third developmental launch of PSLV-D3, from Sriharikota, with IRS-P3 on board (March 21, 1996), the satellite was successfully placed in polar sun synchronous orbit. INSAT-2D, fourth satellite in the INSAT series, launched (June 4, 1997), by Ariane rocket from Kourou .It became inoperable on October 4, 1997. First operational launch of PSLV-C1, from Sriharikota, with IRS-1D on board (September 29, 1997), the satellite was successfully placed in orbit. INSAT system capacity augmented with the readiness of INSAT- 2DT acquired from ARABSAT (January 1998). Indian Remote Sensing Satellite, IRS-P4 (OCEANSAT) launched by Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-C2) along with Korean KITSAT-3 and German DLR-TUBSAT, from Sriharikota (May 26, 1999) INSAT-2E, the last satellite in the multipurpose INSAT-2 series, launched by Ariane rocket from Kourou, French Guyana, (April 3, 1999) INSAT 3B, the first satellite in the third generation INSAT-3 series, launched by Ariane rocket from Kourou, French Guyana (March 22, 2000) ISROs polar Satellite Launch Vehicle, PSLVC3, successfully launched three satellites. Technology Experiment Satellite (TES) of ISRO, BIRD of Germany and PROBA of Belgium into their intended orbits (October 22, 2001). The first developmental launch of GSLV-D1 with GSAT-1 on board from Sriharikota (April 18, 2001) ISROs Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle, PSLVC4, successfully launched KALPANA-1 (METSAT) satellite from Sriharikota (September 12, 2002). Successful launch of INSAT-3C by Ariane rocket from Kourou, French Guyana, (January 24, 2002) ISRO Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle, PSLV C5, successfully launched RESOURCESAT-1 (IRSP6) satellite from Sriharikota (October 17, 2003) Successful launch of INSAT-3E by Ariane from Kourou French Guyana, (September 28, 2003) The Second developmental launch of GSLVD2 with GSAT-2 on board from Sriharikota (May 8, 2003) Successful launch of INSAT-3A by Ariane from Kourou French Guyana (April 10, 2003) The first operational flight of GSLV (GSLV-FO1) successfully Launched EDUSAT from SDSC SHAR, Sriharikota (September 20, 2004) Successful launch of INSAT -4A by Ariane from Kourou French Guyana, (December 22, 2005) ISROs Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle, PSLVC6, successfully launched CARTOSAT-1 and HAMSAT satellites from Sriharikota (May 5, 2005). The second operational flight of GSLV (GSLVFO2) in July 2006 failed to launch INSAT-4C. ISROs Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle, PSLVC7, successfully launched CARTOSAT-2, SRE1, LAPAN-TUBSAT and PEHEUNSAT satellites from Sriharikota (10 January 2007). Successful launch of INSAT-4B by Ariane from Kourou French Guyana (March 2007) Successful launch of GSLV-FO4 in September 2007 On April 23, 2007, the PSLV-C8 carried its first commercial satellite, the Agile for the Italian Space Agency as main payload with the Advanced Avionics Module as its secondary payload successfully. 2008 TecSAR, also known as TechSAR and Polaris, an Israeli reconnaissance satellite, equipped with synthetic aperture radar was successfully launched on 21 January 2008, by an Indian PSLV-C10 On April 28, 2008 PSLV C9 was successfully launched. It placed in orbit as many as 10 satellites two from India and eight from other nations. One of the two Indian satellites, Cartosat-2A will be used for mapping purposes On October22, 2008 PSLV- C11 was successfully launched. It carried the Lunar Orbiter Chandrayaan I PSLV- C12 was successfully launched on April 20, 2009 In the late August 2009 the Chandrayaan I moon mission was formally called off, as the ISRO lost radio contact with the craft In September 2009, PSLV C14, successfully placed OceanSat 2 in the desired orbit. The activities of space science research and development of space technology for applications in the areas of communications, remote sensing and meteorology are implemented by ISRO through its various Centres/Units. The overall planning and coordination of the programme is directed from the DOS and ISRO Headquarters situated at Bangalore. NATIONALNATURALRESOURCES MANAGEMENT SYSTEM BANGALORE Recognizing the need and importance of natural resources management in the country, Government of India has set-up the National Natural Resources Management System (NNRMS). NNRMS is an integrated approach for management of natural resources, optimally utilizing the advantages of conventional systems and the information derived through remote sensing. NNRMS functions with DOS as the nodal agency and with the active participation of various State and Central Departments/Agencies. The availability of data from IRS satel-lites on a continuous and assured basis has enabled taking up a number of nation-wide remote sensing application projects relating to natural resource management e.g. Regular monitoring and estimation of crop acreage, yield etc. of various crops, Monitoring of forest resources, Drought warning and assessment, Agro climatic planning, Wasteland management, Water resource management etc. NATIONALREMOTE SENSINGAGENCY HYDERABAD NRSA at Hyderabad is an autonomous institution supported by DOS. The agency is responsible for acquisition, processing and distribution of Satellite and aerial remote sensing data. NRSA has set up the data reception station at Shadnagar, near Hyderabad, for acquiring data from Indian remote sensing satellites as well as other remote sensing satellites. The earth station has facilities to receive data from remote sensing satellites such as LANDSAT of the USA, SPOT of France, The European Unions ERS. The agency is also engaged in executing remote sensing application projects in collaboration with the users. NRSA has acquired the capability to design, develop, deploy and operationalise multi-sensor satellite based ground systems comprising of ground and application segments to meet domestic and international requirements. Indian Institute of Remote Sensing (IIRS), at Dehradun, under National Remote Sensing Agency, is a premier training and educational institute set up for developing trained professional in the field of Remote Sensing. The institute conducts training courses in remote sensing for user agency personnel at different levels. NATIONAL-MESOSPHERE-STRATOSPHERETROPOSPHERE RADAR FACILITY, GADANKI NMRF is a national facility set up at Gadanki near Tirupati. It is an autonomous society supported by DOS. The facility is available for national and international scientists to conduct atmospheric research. PHYSICAL RESEARCH LABORATORY AHMEDABAD PRL at Ahmedabad is a premier centre for research in space and allied sciences. It is an autonomous institution supported, mainly, by DOS. Known as the cradle of Space Sciences in India, the Physical Research Laboratory (PRL) was founded on November 11, 1947 by Dr. Vikram A. Sarabhai. The programmes carried out at PRL are mainly in astronomy and astrophysics, planetary and space sciences, earth sciences, theoretical physics, laser physics and quantum optics. PRL is also instrumental in planetary science and exploration programme (PLANEX). Its 1.2 m reflecting IR telescope installed at Gurushikhar near Mount Abu is the largest of its kind in the country. PRL has also been entrusted with the management of the Udaipur Solar Observatory (USO).

1995

1996

2009

1997

1998 1999

ORGANISATIONAL STRUCTURE OF INDIAN SPACE RESEARCH

The subject of the space research was initially allocated to the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) in August 1961. In 1962, the Indian National Committee for Space Research (INCOSPAR) was formed by DAE, and in 1969, INCOSPAR was reconstituted under the Indian National Science Academy and a new organization, Indian Space Research Organisation was formed under DAE. The Government of India established the Space Commission and the Department of Space (DOS) in 1972 to promote development and application of space science and technology for identified national socioeconomic objectives. The Space Commission lays down the framework of important space activities and advises the Government on major policies related to Indias space programme. DOS functions directly under the Prime Minister of India. The Space Commission, set up in 1972, is the nodal agency for coordinating research and development (R&D) activities in space science and technology. It formulates policies to promote the development and application of space science and technology for the socio-economic benefit. Department of Space, which is an executive wing of the commission implements, the policies, formulated by the commission, through ISRO, Bangalore , its chief operational arm, and other independent bodies, i.e. National Natural Resource Management System (NNRMS) Bangalore, National Remote Sensing Agency (NRSA) Hyderabad, National Mesosphere- StratosphereTroposphere Radar Facility (NMRF) Gadanki and Physical Research Laboratory (PRL) Ahmedabad Beside this the DOS sponsors research projects in several academic institutions. DOS is responsible for carrying out space research and related activities in the country. The Department of Space (DOS) has, over the years, built up a strong research and development and technology base with necessary infrastructure and manpower for implementing the space programme The Secretariat of DOS and the Headquarters of ISRO are located at Antariksh Bhavan in Bangalore. INDIAN SPACE RESEARCH ORGANISATION BANGALORE The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) was established in 1969 , and is currently under the Department of Space. ISRO was brought under DOS in September 1972. As the research and development wing of DOS, ISRO is responsible for the overall implementation, execution and future projections related to the countrys space programme and acts as the sponsoring agency for participation of Indian scientists in collaborative space research programmes with foreign space agencies. The prime objective of ISRO is to develop space technology and its application to various national tasks. ISRO has established two major space systems, INSAT for communication, television broadcasting and meteorological services, and Indian Remote Sensing Satellites (IRS) system for resources monitoring and management. ISROs co-operative arrangements cover several countries and space agencies. ISRO provides training in space field to personnel from other countries. ISROs hardware and services are available commercially through Antrix Corporation.

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FEBUARY 2012 THE IMPORTANT LEAD CENTERS THROUGH WHICH ISRO CARRIES OUT ITS TASK ARE
Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC), Thiruvananthapuram ISRO Satellite Centre (ISAC), Bangalore Space Applications Centre (SAC), Ahmedabad Satish Dhawan Space Centre, SHAR, Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC) with its facilities at Bangalore, Thiruvananthapuram and Mahendragiri Development and Educational Communication Unit (DECU), Ahmedabad ISRO Telemetry, Tracking and Command Network (ISTRAC) with its stations at Bangalore, Lucknow, Sriharikota, Port Blair and Mauritius INSAT Master Control Facility (MCF), Hasan, Karnataka Achievements include development of liquid propellant stages for PSLV, control systems for SLV-3, ASLV, PSLV and GSLV, satellite propulsion systems including those for INSAT and IRS and production of pressure transducers. The Cryogenic Upper Stage for GSLV under development. DEVELOPMENTAND EDUCATIONAL COMMUNICATION UNIT DECU is involved in the conception, definition, planning, implementation and socio-economic evaluation of space applications. Achievements include conduct of several space application demonstrations and video productions for socio-economic development, GRAMSAT programme including pilot projects for the States, Telemedicine, EDUSAT pilot projects and new satellite communication applications. Current projects include Jhabua Development Communication Project, Training and Developmental Communication channel and establishment of developmental communication network under Vidya Vahini mission. ISRO TELEMETRY, TRACKINGAND COMMAND NETWORK ISTRAC provides telemetry, tracking and command (TTC) support for launch vehicles and satellite missions of ISRO. ISTRAC has its headquarters and a multimission Spacecraft Control Centre at Bangalore. A Deep Space Tracking Network station at Bangalore for Indias mission to moon, Chandrayaan-1, has been established by ISTRAC. INSAT MASTER CONTROL FACILITY ISRO Satellite Center (ISAC) in Bangalore is the lead centre for the design, development, assembly, and testing of satellites for scientific, technological and application missions. Achievements include design and development of satellites of various types like scientific, communication and remote sensing, such as Aryabhatta, Bhaskara, Apple, IRS and INSAT series of satellites. SPACE APPLICATION CENTRE SAC at Ahmedabad is primarily engaged in the development of payloads for communication, meteorological and remote sensing satellites as well as equipments required by Earth Station for satellite communication. SAC also conducts space applications research and development in satellite communication and remote sensing. Achievements include development of INSAT communication and meteorological payloads and cameras payloads for IRS satellites. SAC also operates Delhi Earth Station (DES) for satellite communication. SATISH DHAWAN SPACE CENTRE SHAR Centre, located in Sriharikota Island on the east coast of Andhra Pradesh, is the main launch base for satellite launch vehicles and multi stage sounding rockets. It was originally called Sriharikota High Altitude Range (SHAR). The launch centre was named as Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) on September 2002 in the memory of professor Dhawan who was the chairman of ISRO from 1972 to 1984. NOTE: ISRO operates 3 launch stations: Thumba (TERLS - Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station/Vikram Sarabhai Space Center, Kerala). Sriharikota (SRLS - Sriharikota Rocket Launching Station/Satish Dhawan Space Center, Andhra Pradesh). Balasore (BRLS - Balasore Rocket Launching Station, Orissa). The Sriharikota range is used for launch of satellites and multi-stage rockets. The launch station has two launch pads including the newest Universal Launch Pad. The two launch pads allow the station to hold up to 6 launches per year. The other two launch facilities are capable of launching sounding rockets, and other small rockets that dont produce spent stages. LIQUID PROPULSION SYSTEM CENTRE (LPSC) LPSC is the lead centre in the area of liquid and cryogenic propulsion for launch vehicles and satellites. It is primarily engaged in development of liquid and cryogenic propulsion stages for launch vehicles and auxiliary propulsion systems for both launch vehicles and satellites. The activities are spread across three units located at Thiruvananthapuram, Mahendragiri and Bangalore. MCF monitors and controls all the Geo-stationary satellites of ISRO. It is primarily responsible for postlaunch operations of INSAT satellites including orbital maneuvers, station keeping and in-orbit operations. An additional MCF (MCF-B) with advanced facilities to manage the satellite operations has been established at Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh. NORTH EASTERN-SPACEAPPLICATIONS CENTRE NE-SAC, located at Shillong, is a joint initiative of DOS and North Eastern Council to provide developmental support to the North Eastern region using space science and technology. The centre has the mandate to develop high technology infrastructure support to enable NE states to adopt space technology inputs for their development. At present, NE-SAC is providing developmental support by undertaking specific projects, utilizing space technology inputs remote sensing, satellite communication and space science. ANTRIX CORPORATION LIMITED The Antrix Corporation Limited, Bangalore is the apexmarketing agency under DOS with access to resources of DOS as well as Indian space industries. Incorporated in September 1992 ACL primarily functions as the commercial and marketing arm of Department of space. In this context ACL is mainly engaged in the promotion and commercial exploration of products and services from the Indian space programme.

VIKRAM SARABHAI SPACE CENTRE ISROs main Research & Development establishment, named after the late Professor Vikram A. Sarabhai (19191971), founder of the Indian Space Program. It is the largest of the ISRO centres. VSSC is the lead centre for the development of satellite launch vehicles and sounding rockets. The centre is also responsible for the development of several spacecraft subsystems. Achievements include development of Sounding Rockets, and launch vehicles, SLV 3, ASLV and PSLV. GSLV is under development. ISRO SATELLITE CENTRE

TYPES OF SATELLITE
A satellite is an object that orbits around something else. For example, the moon orbits around the earth, and it is a satellite. However, when most people think about satellites, they usually think of the man-made machines that send radio waves down to Earth and are used for communication. The first artificial (man-made satellite) was a Soviet satellite named SPUTNIK. It was launched in 1958. It was a metal ball the size of a basketball that weighed 184 pounds. It doesnt seem so great now, but it was amazing at the time! It was only up in space for nine months. It fell through the atmosphere and burned up. Soon the United States launched its first satellite, Explorer I. Explorer I was called a research satellite. It helped scientists study rays and radiation in space. Like Explorer I, most early satellites were used for science research only. COMMUNICATIONS SATELLITES Communications satellites allow radio, television, and telephone transmissions to be sent live anywhere in the world. Earlier when satellites were not in use, the transmissions were difficult or impossible at long distances. The signals, which travel in straight lines, could not bend around the round Earth to reach a destination far away. The first communications satellite was Echo 1 (U.S.); launched in 1960. It was a large metallic balloon that reflected radio signals striking it. This passive mode of operation quickly gave way to the active or repeater mode, in which complex electronic equipment aboard the satellite receives a signal from the earth, amplifies it, and transmits it to another point on the earth. Moreover as satellites are in orbit, the signals can be sent instantaneously into space and then redirected to another satellite or directly to their destination. Relay 1(U.S.) and Telstar 1 (U.S.), both launched in 1962, were the first active communications satellites. However, satellites in the Relay and Telstar program were not in geosynchronous orbits, which is the secret to continuous communications networks. Syncom 3 (U.S.), launched in 1964, was the first stationary earth satellite. It was used to telecast the 1964 Olympic Games in Tokyo to the United States, the first television program to cross the Pacific Ocean. The first commercial geosynchronous satellite, Intelsat 1 (better known as Early Bird), was launched in 1965. A network of 19 Intelsat satellites in geosynchronous orbit now provides instantaneous communications throughout the world. In addition, numerous communications satellites have been orbited by commercial organizations and individual nations for a variety of telecommunications tasks. REMOTE SENSING SATELLITES Remote sensing is observing and measuring our environment from a distance. So, remote sensing satellites are usually put into space to monitor resources important for humans. For example, remote-sensing satellites might track animal migration, locate mineral deposits, watch agricultural crops for weather damage, or see how fast the forests are being cut down. WEATHER SATELLITES Also known as meteorological satellites, they provide continuous, up-to-date information about large-scale

OTHER IMPORTANT SPACE CENTRES

REGIONAL REMOTE SENSING SERVICE CENTRES (RRSSCs) With a view to have optimum use of space technology for national development it was felt necessary to create facilities for analysing remote sensing data to derive planning related inputs on natural resources of our country. Towards this, DOS has established five Regional Remote Sensing Service Centres (RRSSCs) in the country for speedy operationalisation of remote sensing as an integral component of natural resources inventory, monitoring and management. These centres are located at Jodhpur (Western Region), Dehradun (Northern Region), Kharagpur (Eastern Region), Nagpur (Central Region) and Bangalore (Southern Region) and function under RRSSC, Central Management Office, ISRO Headquarters, Antariksh Bhavan, Bangalore. RRSSCs support the various remote sensing tasks specific to their regions as well as at the national level. RRSSCs enable the use of remote sensing technology at a reasonable cost to derive necessary information on various aspects related to natural resources. RRSSCs had participated actively in areas like disaster management, software development, agro-climatic planning, national drinking water mission, national resources census, large scale mapping, etc, besides taking up projects for various Ministries and Departments. THUMBAEQUATORIALROCKET LAUNCHING STATION (TERLS) TERLS, now a unit of Satish Dhawan Space Centre, SHAR, was established as a UN sponsored Sounding Rocket Range in 1963, and is situated near Thiruvananthapuram city on the coast of Arabian Sea. The location of Thumba offers unique advantages for low latitude upper atmospheric and ionosphere studies, which are of special importance in the region of magnetic equator. The range at present has capabilities of launching meteorological and medium sized sounding rockets for climatologically, geophysical and astronomical studies. Apart from India, scientists from France, Germany, Japan, USA and USSR (Russia) have participated in many scientific experiments using rockets from this range.

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FEBUARY 2012
atmospheric conditions such as cloud cover and temperature profiles. These satellites are primarily used to study the pattern of weather or climate anywhere in the world any time of the day. The first such satellite, Tiros 1, was launched in 1960; it transmitted infrared television pictures of the earths cloud cover and was able to detect the development of hurricanes and to chart their paths. Other weather satellites include the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites (GOES), which send weather data and pictures that cover a section of the United States. China, Japan, India, and the European Space Agency have orbited similar craft. Current weather satellites can transmit visible or infrared photos, focus on a narrow or wide area, and maneuver in space to obtain maximum coverage. NAVIGATION SATELLITES Satellites for navigation were developed in the late 1950s as a direct result of ships needing to know exactly where they were at any given time. They were developed primarily to satisfy the need for a navigation system that nuclear submarines could use to update their inertial navigation system. This led the U.S. navy to establish the Transit program in 1958; the system was declared operational in 1962 after the launch of Transit 5A. Transit satellites provided a constant signal by which aircraft and ships could determine their positions with great accuracy. Navigation satellites have also proved useful for civilians by providing them the facility of 24-hour worldwide positional information. ASTRONOMY SATELLITES An astronomy satellite is basically a big telescope floating in space. Because it is in orbit above the Earth, the gases that make up the Earths atmosphere do not cloud the satellites vision and the heat of the Earth does not confuse its infrared imaging equipment. Astronomy satellites, therefore, can see into space up to ten times better than a telescope of similar strength on Earth. RECONAISSANCE SATELLITES Reconnaissance satellites have far less public uses. They are primarily used to spy on other countries. They provide intelligence information on the military activities of foreign countries. These satellites can even detect missile launches or nuclear explosions in space. Reconnaissance satellites can pick up and record radio and radar transmissions while passing over a country. Finally, they can be used as an orbital weapon by placing warheads on a low orbit satellite to be launched at a ground target. ATMOSPHERIC STUDIES SATELLITES Atmospheric studies satellites are some of the very first satellites launched into space. They generally have pretty low Earth orbits so that they can study the Earths atmosphere. SEARCH AND RESCUE SATELLITES Search and rescue satellites are designed to provide a way for vessels at sea and in the air to communicate from remote areas. These satellites can detect and locate emergency beacons carried by ships, aircrafts, or individuals in remote or dangerous places. BHASKARA-II The satellite was launched on 20 November 1981 from Kapustin Yar by the Soviet Intercosmos rocket. It was an improved version of Bhaskara 1 for remote sensing experiments. It was declared operational after receipt of 300 television images of the Indian sub-continent. It provided vital input for the further remote sensing programmes of India. ROHINI SERIES Four technological / scientific satellites were launched under this series by Indias own launch vehicle, SLV-3: Rohini 1A, Rohini 1B, Rohini-2 and Rohini-3. Unfortunately the launching of the first experimental satellite under this series i.e. Rohini 1A, on 10 August 1979 proved to be a failure ROHINI 1B The satellite was launched on 18 July 1980 from Sriharikota Abroad the SLV-3. It was for the first time that an Indian satellite was successfully launched by an Indian launch vehicle. ROHINI-2 The satellite was launched on May 30, 1981 by an Indian SLV-3 (D-1) rocket. It Carried a Land Mark sensor payload, an imaging system, whose solid-state camera performed to specifications. The satellite re-entered the earths atmosphere nine days after launch on account of the launch vehicles injecting the satellite into a lower than expected altitude. ROHINI 3 The satellite was launched on 17 April 1983 from Sriharikota abroad the SLV-3 (D-2) rocket. The Smart Sensor Camera was the primary payload on board the satellite. It was operated for over five months and sent more than 2500 pictures frames in both visible and infrared bands for identification of landmarks and altitude and orbit refinement. The camera had on-board processing capability to use the data for classifying ground features like water, vegetation, bare land, clouds and snow. After completing all its mission goals, the satellite was closed down on Sept. 24, 1984. STRETCHED ROHINI SATELLITE SERIES The series was developed by ISRO for conducting various scientific experiments as well as for new and novel application oriented mission. The first two satellites in the series did not make it into orbit due to launch vehicle failure. The third, SROSS-C, successfully attained an orbit on 20 May 1992. It re-entered orbit on 14 July 1992. The fourth satellite in the series, 113 kg SROSS-C2 satellite, launched by ASLV-D4 on May 4, 1994 carries two scientific payloads, a Gamma-Ray Burst (GRB) experiment and a Retarding Potential Analyser (RPA). SATELLITE INSTRUCTIONALTELEVISION EXPERIMENT (SITE) It was considered as one of the largest experiment of its kind. The experiment was conducted during 1975-76 using USAs Application Technology Satellite (ATS-6). It demonstrated the potential of satellite technology as an effective means of mass communication through media. SATELLITE TELECOMMUNICATION EXPERIMENT PROJECT (STEP) The experiment was conducted during 1977-79 using Franco-German Symphonie satellite. It provided experience in the operation of a geo-stationary satellite system for domestic telecommunication and in designing and building ground infrastructure for the same. development of an indigenous IRS (Indian Remote Sensing Satellite) program to support the national economy in the areas of agriculture water resources, forestry and ecology, geology, water sheds, marine fisheries and coastal management. Currently ISRO has several remote sensing satellites under development, intended for launch in the near future. The entire fleet will be a mix of niche-role and multi-role satellites, which will join Indias existing constellation of polar orbiters. IRS is an intergrated LEO (Low Earth Orbit) element of Indias NNRMS (National Natural Resources Management System) with the objective to provide a long term space borne operational capability to India for the observation and management of the countrys natural resources (application in agriculture, hydrology, geology, drough and flood monitoring, marine studies, snow studies, and land use). The idea is to create an environment of new perspectives for the Indian research community as a whole, to stimulate the development of new techologies and applications, and to utlize the Earth resources in more meaningful ways. The Indian Remote Sensing satellites are the mainstay of National Natural Resources Management system (NNRMS), for which Department of Space (DOS) is the nodal agency, providing operational remote sensing data services. Data from the IRS satellites is received and disseminated by several countries all over the world. The Spacecraft Control Center at Bangalore oversees all spacecraft operations, but the principal data reception station for the remote sensing payload is located at Shadnagar. Remote sensing applications in the country, under the umbrella of NNRMS, now cover diverse fields such as crop yield estimation, drought warning and assessment, flood control and damage assessment, land use/land cover information, agro-climatic planning, wasteland management, water resources management, underground water exploration, prediction of snow-melt runoff, management of water- sheds and command areas, fisheries development and forest resources survey among others. With the advent of high-resolution satellites new applications in the areas of urban sprawl, infrastructure planning and other large-scale applications for mapping have been initiated. Active involvement of the user ministries/ departments has ensured in an effective harnessing of the potential of space-based remote sensing. An important application of IRS data is in the Integrated Mission for Sustainable Development (IMSD) initiated in 1992. IMSD, under which 174 districts have been identified, aims at generating locale-specific action plans for sustainable development.

CIVIL AND COMMERCIAL IMPLICATIONS OF IRS SATELLITES

Data from IRS satellites are received and processed by the National Remote Sensing Agency, in Hyderabad. Space Imaging EOSAT also receives and markets IRS data worldwide under a commercial contract with Antrix Corporation of the Department of Space. This contract is worth a billion dollar, and is expected to continue to be a long term, mutually beneficial relationship. SIEOSAT has been receiving data from IRS-1B since June 1994. Its ground station at Norman in Oklahoma was the first to receive IRS data outside India. Euromap a subsidiary of the Company for Applied Remote Sensing (GAF) of Munich (Germany) bought from SI-EOSAT the IRS distribution rights for Europe. Remote sensing is recognized as an efficient tool in area of surveying and monitoring of natural resources. With adequate information from satellites crops could be identified and their growth stages could be assessed. In this context data from the sensors of Indian Remote Sensing (IRS) satellites have been used for acreage and production estimation of homogeneous cropping patterns in India. A timely crop forecasting system is essential to strengthen any countrys food security. Periodic within-season estimates of crop acreage and yield and accurate forecasts of the most likely range of growth conditions could greatly help in organizing for the availability of inputs (pesticides, fertilisers, etc.) and for formulating optimal prices and strategies for marketing, procurement, transportation and storage. IRS satellites have improved the accuracy of pre-harvest estimations of crop production in areas having smaller acreages and mixed cropping patterns. The Central Directorate of Economics and Statistics is using satellitebased crop forecasts to suggest efficient action plans for food-grain management. The Directorate and the Department of Science jointly work on Crop Acreage and Production Estimation (CAPE), while the Department of Agriculture and Co-operation is a partner on FASAL (Forecasting Agricultural output using Space, 38

PRELIMINARY SATELLITES LAUNCHED BY INDIA

ARYABHATTA Indias First Experimental Satellite launched into a near earth orbit on April 19, 1975 by Intercosmos rocket of erstwhile USSR. The satellite was named after a 5th century Indian mathematician. Due a transformer failure it was out of service in four days. APPLE Indias first experimental GEO communications satellite, APPLE (Ariane Passenger Payload Experiment), was launched on the third test flight of the Ariane launch vehicle from Kourou, on 19 June 1981. APPLE was used in several communication experiments including relay of TV programmes, and radio networking. It provided valuable experience to Indian space scientists in building and operating geostationary communication satellites. It was de-activated on September 1983. BHASKARA SERIES The series was named after a seventh Century Indian astronomer. Two satellites named Bhaskara 1 and Bhaskara 2 were launched under this series. BHASKARA-I The 444 kg, Earth observation satellite, was launched on 7 June 1979 from Kapustin Yar abroad the Soviet Intercosmos rocket. It was Indias first low orbit experimental Earth Observation Satellite. It performed some important remote sensing experiments in the areas like forestry, hydrology and geology etc.

THE INDIAN REMOTE SENSING SATELLITES

A satellite with remote sensors to observe the earth is called a remote-sensing satellite, or earth observation satellite. The technical term Remote Sensing was first used in the United States in the 1950s. Ms Evelyn Pruitt coined the term remote sensing in the mid 1950s when she, a geographer/oceanographer, was with the U.S. Office of Naval Research (ONR) outside Washington, D.C. Since Landsat-1, the first earth observation satellite launched in 1972, remote sensing has become widely used. With remote sensing we can study dangerous or difficult to reach regions. A hazardous area might be a wildfire site, or a hurricane. Using remote sensing we can better understand water patterns of the whole Amazon region. We can take measurements from Polar Regions and oceans depths. Taking measurements remotely also ensures that we wont disturb the object being studied. Following the successful demonstration flights of Bhaskara 1 and Bhaskara 2, Experimental Earth observation satellites, developed and built by ISRO and launched in 1979 and 1981, respectively, India began

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FEBUARY 2012
Agrometerology and Land-based observations). During four years of its implementation in Orissa, FASAL showed that it is possible to forecast rice production four times during the crop-growing season with an accuracy of 85 to 95 per cent. Space borne soil data is also used to monitor degraded lands. The monitoring of degraded land is very important for assessing the progress of reclamation and conservation programmes. Satellites with improved resolutions have enabled soil scientists/ pedologist to map fairly large areas on a repetitive basis. Such data along with data obtained from on ground techniques mapping can help delineate the areas that need to be prioritised for nutrient application and precision farming. Forest management and mapping is essential to estimate and maintain bio-diversity. Forest Survey of India using remote sensing tools monitors changes in the vegetation cover for the entire country. Satellite-based methodologies have been developed for forest type mapping and for preparing working plans for the characterisation of biodiversity at the landscape level. Illegal encroachments and estimation of damage due to forest fires have been detected by satellite imagery Satellite based sea surface temperature and biological productivity charts are communicated to fishermen of the coastal states. Such information, beamed over television and radio, helped increase the catch substantially. Satellite surveys of coastal areas have also shown suitable sites for aquaculture, an excellent additional source of income for rural populations. Remote sensing tools have been used in a variety of ways to address the problems of urban traffic, transportation, greenery, solid waste disposal, pollution, location of new layout for urban growth, road alignments, etc. MILITARY IMPLICATIONS OF IRS SATELLITES The military role of space satellites has increased continuously over the past three decades. In the early 1960s, the first reconnaissance satellites were launched by the United States, and the Soviet Union followed within a few years. In this context the Remote-imaging, earth observation and surveillance satellites are potentially the most important component of the dual-use space systems. They can be used for defensive purposes, to provide early warning and information regarding attacks, as well as offensively through target location and related information. The military potential of such satellites depends mainly upon its resolution. The satellite imaging capabilities can be divided into three categories, according to resolution: High-resolution systems (four meters or less); Mid-level resolution (ten meters to four meters) Low-resolution (30 meters to ten meters) According to the Indian government, the remote sensing satellites are designed for civilian purposes, such as estimating agricultural yields, mapping water resources and for flood monitoring. However, the military focus of high-resolution imageries provided by these satellites is associated with the surveillance over Chinese and Pakistani military facilities. By using its PSLV, India, for instance, launched the Technology Experiment Satellite, which has a resolution capacity of one meter. The satellite also has a sun-synchronous orbit, which is significant from the military standpoint. Another strategic remote sensing satellite of India in this category is CARTOSAT 2, which is said to be the Indias first sub meter resolution satellite. The intelligence provided by such satellites can be used both as a stabilizing and destabilizing factor. If intelligence strengthens early warning and crisis prevention or resolution, as well as anti-terrorist operations, it has a stabilizing effect. However, if used by an aggressor for target location, damage assessment in the context of attacks, or determination of order of battle, it can be very destabilizing. and receive radar signals that can penetrate darkness and thick clouds. Built by Israeli Aerospace Industries, TecSAR ranks among the worlds most advanced space systems.

INDIAN NATIONAL SATELLITE SYSTEM (INSAT)

The Indian National Satellite System (INSAT), established in 1983, is a joint venture of the Indian Department of Space (DOS), the Department of Telecommunications (DOT), the India Meteorological Department (IMD), All India Radio (AIR), and Doordarshan (DD). DOS is responsible for the establishment and operation of INSAT space segment whereas an INSAT Coordination Committee (ICC) carries out the overall management of the INSAT system. INSAT satellites provide transponders (about 150) in various bands (C, S, Extended C and Ku) to serve the television and communication needs of India. Some of the satellites also have the Very High Resolution Radiometer (VHRR) and CCD cameras for metrological imaging. The satellites also incorporate transponder(s) for receiving distress alert signals for search and rescue missions in the South Asian and Indian Ocean Region, as ISRO is a member of the Cospas-Sarsat programme. The INSAT system provides a comprehensive and integrated range of services. These include domestic long distance communications, meteorological earth observation and data relay, direct broadcast television, national radio networking, television program distribution, standard time and frequency signal dissemination services, satellite news and facsimile dissemination, mobile satellite service, satellite aided search and rescue service, and cyclone warning dissemination service. Not all services are available on all satellites, but these capabilities are all available through the combined system. APPLICATIONS OF INSAT: The INSAT system was conceived to provide four basic and three value added services, which are: BASIC SERVICES Telecommunication Television Broadcasting Radio Broadcasting Weather forecasting VALUEADDED SERVICES Data Relay Disaster warning Distress alert system for search and rescue operations At present several INSAT series satellite continues to perform well in orbit providing these vital services. BROADCASTING INSAT has been a major catalyst for the rapid expansion of Television coverage in India. It has brought about an extensive accessibility of the TV network in our country covering over 65 per cent of the land mass and over 80 per cent of our population. National TV network, regional services and metro channels have already become operational. Satellite News Gathering using INSAT system enables real-time news coverage. Press Trust of India (PTI) is implementing a system to provide its news and information services at higher speed and increased volume and variety directly to a wider range of media and other users by utilising the broadcast facilities of INSAT. Radio Networking through INSAT provides a reliable high fidelity programme channels for national as well as regional networking. TELECOMMUNICATION INSAT system continues to support various communication services in the country. About 500 telecommunication terminals are today operating under the INSAT network providing more than 4,000 two-way telephone channels along about 170 routes. Telegraphy services have been provided in the northeastern region covering most of the inaccessible rural areas. The National Informatics Centre has set up over 600 micro-terminals. Many business houses now use the INSAT system for their corporate communication. WEATHER FORECASTING Besides revolutionizing the telecommunication and TV broadcast scenario in our country Indian National Satellite System (INSAT) has improved the weather forecasting and is providing advance warning on disasters.

REMOTE SENSING SATELLITES OF INDIA

YEAR LAUNCH VEHICLE VOSTOK VOSTOK PSLV-D1 PSLV-D2 MOLNIYA PSLV-D3 PSLV-C1 PSLV-C2 PSLV-C3 PSLV-C4 PSLV-C5 PSLV-C6 PSLV-C7 SATELLITE COUNTRY RESULT STATUS

1988 1991 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1999 2001 2002 2003 2005 January 2007

April 2007 January 2008 April 2008 22 Oct 2008 20 April 2009 23 Sept 2009 12 July 2010 20 April 2011 15 July 2011

PSLV-C8 PSLV-C10 PSLV-C9 PSLV C11 PSLV C 12 PSLV-C14 PSLV C 15 PSLV C 16 PSLV C 17 PSLV-C18

IRS-1A IRS-1B IRS-1E (IRS P1) IRS-P2 IRS-1C IRS-P3 IRS-1D IRS-P4 (OCEANSAT I), KITSAT-3 AND TUBSAT TES, PROBAAND BIRD METSAT (KALPANA-1) IRS-P6 (RESOURCESAT I) CARTOSAT-1 (IRS-P5) AND HAMSAT CARTOSAT-2 (IRS P7), SRE-1, LAPAN-TUBSAT AND PEHEUNSAT-1 AGILE, AAM Techsar 10 Satellites Chandrayaan I RISAT and Anusat OceanSat 2 Cartosat 2B and Studsat Resourcesat-2, Youthsat and X-Sat GSAT-12 Megha-Tropiques, SRMSAT, Jugnu, VesselSat

USSR USSR INDIA INDIA RUSSIA INDIA INDIA INDIA INDIA INDIA INDIA INDIA INDIA

SUCCESSFULL SUCCFESSFUL FAILED SUCCESSFUL SUCCESSFULL SUCCESSFUL SUCCESSFUL SUCCESSFUL SUCCESSFUL SUCCESSFUL SUCCESSFUL SUCCESSFUL SUCCESSFUL

Mission Completed Mission Completed Mission Completed Mission Completed Mission Completed Mission Completed Mission Completed IN SERVICE IN SERVICE IN SERVICE IN SERVICE INSERVICE INSERVICE

ITALY ISRAEL INDIA INDIA INDIA INDIA INDIA INDIA INDIA

SUCCESSFUL SUCCESSFUL SUCCESSFUL SUCCESSFUL SUCCESSFUL SUCCESSFUL SUCCESSFUL SUCCESSFUL SUCCESSFUL SUCCESSFUL

INSERVICE IN SERVICE IN SERVICE IN SERVICE IN SERVICE IN SERVICE IN SERVICE

IN SERVICE IN SERVICE

IRS 1A was launched from Baikanour Cosmodrome (Kazakhstan). Exhausted its fuel and is no longer in service. IRS 1B and 1C was launched from Baikanour Cosmodrome (Kazakhstan) IRS 1A, 1B and 1C though launched from outside but were manufactured by ISAC, Bangalore. On April 23, 2007, the PSLV-C8 carried its first commercial satellite, the Agile for the Italian Space Agency as main payload with the Advanced Avionics Module as its secondary payload successfully. This was ISROs first purely commercial launch. All launches of foreign satellites before this had been of microsatellites or light weight satellites piggybacked on the PSLV, with an Indian satellite being the primary payload. The PSLV-C8 was also launched without its regular 6 strap-on boosters. TecSAR, also known as TechSAR and Polaris, is an Israeli reconnaissance satellite, equipped with synthetic aperture radar. It was successfully launched on 21 January 2008, by an Indian PSLV rocket, from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre. The TecSAR satellite is fitted with a large dish-like antenna to transmit CHANGE THE ONLY CONSTANT THING : We Bring You More Informative and Detailed Coverage Every Month

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INSAT is helping us in improving weather forecasts by providing high resolution radio-metric imageries More than a hundred meteorological data collection platforms relay weather information through INSAT to a central meteorological data processing centre. The meteorological data provided by INSAT is processed and disseminated by the INSAT Meteorological Data Processing System (IMDPS) of India Meteorological Department (IMD). Upper winds, sea surface temperature and precipitation index data are regularly obtained. INSAT-VHRR imageries are used by Doordarshan during news coverage and by newspapers as part of weather reporting. A cooperative agreement has also been signed with the European meteorological satellite, EUMETSAT, for using data from METEOSAT-5 satellite, which is located at 63 degree east longitude in exchange for weather pictures of Indias INSAT. DISASTER WARNING INSAT is also providing disaster warning to the receivers installed along the cyclone-prone east coast of the country. These disaster-warning systems have enabled evacuation of thousands of people well in advance of impending cyclones. About 250 Cyclone Warning Dissemination System (CWDS) receivers have been installed in the cycloneprone coastal areas of Andhra Pradesh, north Tamil Nadu, Orissa, West Bengal and Gujarat, with DWS uplink from Chennai, Mumbai and Kolkata. The receivers are selectively addressable. SEARCH AND RESCUE As a member of the international programme for providing distress alert and position location service through LEOSAR (Low Earth Orbit Search and Rescue) satellite system, India has established two Local User Terminals (LUTs) one at Lucknow and the other at Bangalore. Indian LUTs provide coverage to a large part of Indian Ocean providing distress alert services to Bangladesh, Bhutan, Kenya, Maldives, Nepal, Seychelles, Somalia, Sri Lanka and Tanzania. In addition, INSAT-2B is equipped with 406 MHz Search and Rescue payload, which picks up and relays alert signals originating from the distress beacons of maritime, aviation and land users. MOBILE SATELLITE SERVICE The successful launch of INSAT 2C on December 7, 1995 from Kourou, French Guyana and its commissioning in the orbit has added a new chapter to the services provided by the INSAT series. It will provide mobile satellite services and business communication through newly introduced Ku-band transponders. More powerful C-band transponders for television programme will reach beyond the Indian boundaries. EDUCATION The INSAT network is extensively being used for educational purposes such as countrywide classrooms conducted by the University Grants Commission for two hours every day primarily meant for the university and college students, educational television programmes broadcast in the local languages for the benefit of the rural population and curriculum-based lectures broadcast by the Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU). An exclusive 24 hours Educational TV (Gyandarshan) is being operated by Doordarshan Curriculum-based programmes are produced with active involvement of State educational administrators and teachers and programmes for school children are produced by the State Institutes of Educational Technology (SIET) Marathi at Pune, Gujarati at Ahmedabad, Oriya at Bhubaneshwar and Telugu at Hyderabad which are relayed by all transmitters in the concerned States. Hindi programmes are produced at State Institutes of Educational Technology at Delhi, Lucknow and Patna. It is also used in continuing education for industrial workers, training of bank employees, training of block and village level extension agricultural workers and farmers, etc. TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENTAL COMMUNICATION Training and Developmental Communication Channel (TDCC) using INSAT is operational since 1995. It provides a one-way video and two-way audio system for interactive education. The teaching-end includes a simple studio and up-link terminal for transmitting live or pre-recorded lectures. The classrooms located nationwide receive lectures through simple dish antennas. They are also provided with telephones to interact with lecturers. Several State Governments for distance education, rural development, women and child development, Panchayat Raj and industrial training are using the TDCC system extensively. Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) is one of the major users. Andhra Pradesh has established an integrated satellite network for the purpose of distance education, health care and rural development. The network envisages Internet facilities to villages in Andhra Pradesh. In Gujarat, DOS has set up the up-link and studio with funding by State Government. The system is operational since August 2000. The Training programmes are being conducted regularly. In addition, engineering college network is now used on a daily basis. The Karnataka State Government has decided to fund the total TDCC network for the state. The up-link has been established and the studio installation is in progress. In Orissa, training programmes are being conducted for 5 to 10 days a month. The DRS network includes all 30 districts and 80 blocks in (Koraput- Bolangir- Kalahandi) districts. New technologies are being used in TDCC network for multimedia lecture delivery and interactive distance learning. The network is being converted to digital mode to improve the capacity and quality of the system. It will also enable off-line downloading of lessons from servers at teaching end by the students. JHABUA DEVELOPMENT COMMUNICATIONS PROJECT JDCP, which was started on November 1, 1996, is aimed at setting up an operational satellite-based broadcast and interactive network for developmental communication and training. More than 2000 programmes have been produced and broadcast in JDCP network so far. The impact of JDCP project shows significant gain in knowledge among the viewers. Based on the encouraging results, JDCP has been expanded to more than 1000 villages in Jhabua, Dhar and Barwani. The network is also being converted to digital TV technology. TELEMEDICINE Telemedicine is a recent application of the satellite communications that makes specialised medical facility available to the remote areas of the country. The expert consultancy could be obtained for the patients in remote areas from specialists in specialty hospitals in cities. Five VSAT terminals have been set up for telemedicine in Chamarajanagar, Kenchanahalli, Bangalore, Kolkata and Tripura, which are networked with a hub on shared basis. Port Blair in Andaman and Nicobar islands, and Leh in Jammu & Kashmir and Lakshadweep are also being provided with telemedicine facilities. ISRO has already provided its SPACENET terminals to a private hospital at Chennai and a rural Hospital at Argonda in Andhra Pradesh for telemedicine network. The Hospital at ISROs SHAR Centre, at Sriharikota is also being connected to this spacenet for telemedicine. COSPAS-SARSAT- TWO SYSTEMS: ONE GOAL COSPAS is an acronym for the Russian words Cosmicheskaya Sistyema Poiska Avariynich Sudov which translate to Space System for the Search of Vessels in Distress. SARSAT is an acronym for Search And Rescue SatelliteAided Tracking. In 1979, a memorandum of understanding was signed between Canada, France, the United States and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, creating Cospas-Sarsat. The first satellite in the Cospas-Sarsat system was launched in 1982. By 1984 the Cospas-Sarsat system was considered operational. The co-operation finally culminated on July 1, 1988, when the four countries signed the International Cospas-Sarsat Program Agreement in Paris. Following the Agreement, the International Maritime Organization adopted the Cospas-Sarsat 406 MHz system for its Global Maritime Distress and Safety System. Many other countries also take part in the Cospas-Sarsat Programme. These include Australia, Brazil, Chile, China, Denmark, Germany, Greece, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, Norway, Pakistan, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. Cospas-Sarsat is an outstanding example of how nations can work together to share in the peaceful use of space and space technology.

SATELLITES LAUNCHED UNDER INSAT SERIES

DATE 1982 1983 1988 1990 1992 1993 1995 1997 1999 2000 2002 April2003 Sep. 2003 Dec. 2005 July 2006 March2007 Sep. 2007 SATTELLITE INSAT 1 A INSAT 1 B INSAT 1 C INSAT 1 D INSAT 2 A INSAT 2 B INSAT 2 C INSAT 2 D INSAT 2 E INSAT 3 B INSAT 3 C INSAT 3 A INSAT 3 E INSAT 4 A INSAT 4 C INSAT 4 B INSAT 4CR LAUNCH VEHICLE DELTA CHALLENGER SPACE SHUTTLE DELTA ARINE ROCKET ARINE ROCKET ARINE ROCKET ARINE ROCKET ARINE ROCKET ARINE ROCKET ARINE ROCKET ARINE ROCKET ARINE ROCKET ARINE ROCKET ARINE ROCKET GSLV-F-02 ARIANE-5 GSLV-F-04 COUNTRY U.S.A U.S.A FRENCH GUYANA U.S FRENCH GUYANA FRENCH GUYANA FRENCH GUYANA FRENCH GUYANA FRENCH GUYANA FRENCH GUYANA FRENCH GUYANA FRENCH GUYANA FRENCH GUYANA FRENCH GUYANA INDIA FRENCH GUYANA INDIA RESULT FAILURE SUCCESSFUL FAILURE SUCCESSFUL SUCCESSFUL SUCCESSFUL SUCCESSFUL ABANDONED SUCCESSFUL SUCCESSFUL SUCCESSFUL SUCCESSFUL SUCCESSFUL SUCCESSFUL FAILED SUCCESSFUL SUCCESSFUL STATUS

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On July 7, 2010, ISRO has reported a glitch in the operation of INSAT 4B. Power was not flowing from one of the solar panels to the satellite bus from July 7 night, which led to switching off 50 per cent of the transponders on board the satellite. ISRO engineers said the glitch could have developed because a relay that transferred power from the solar panel to the satellite bus could have misbehaved or the wires connecting the panel to the satellite could have snapped. American cyber warfare expert Jeffrey Carr, who specialises in investigations of cyber attacks against government, mentioned in his interview with The Times of India, that the reason for this power glitch may have been an infection by the sophisticated Stuxnet worm. He attributed the development of Stuxnet worm most likely to Government of China which had the necessary sophistication to develop the bug and would gain the maximum by failure of Indian satellite. He also pointed out that Stuxnet was discovered just a month before the Indian satellite was hit by the power glitch, the reason for which still remains unknown. ISRO uses the same Siemens software that was targeted by Stuxnet. 40

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ARTICLES
1. Durban Climate Talks : What It Means For India?
The Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) recently did an analysis of six of the most energy and emissionintensive sectors of Indian industry. These high-growth sectors power, steel, aluminum, cement, paper and fertilizers add up to 60 percent of Indias carbon dioxide emissions currently. Contrary to general perception, the study finds many of these sectors the companies that comprise them operate at global best levels so far as energy efficiency and greenhouse gas emissions are concerned. Even the much-abused coal-based power generation sector fares well in its emissions record. Indeed, industry has invested in the best technologies because in India energy costs are high. Of course, more can be done to improve performance, CSE deputy director general Chandra Bhushan said. He says that India is not the place the world can look to for easy and cheap emission reduction in the future. The fact is in all high-polluting sectors, technology options to reduce emissions stagnate after 2020. There is no real way India can reduce emissions without impacting growth, once it crosses the current emissionefficiency technology threshold, he added. India with a population of 1.2 billion and over 40 percent of them living under poverty line has to provide affordable power to massive numbers of people. The bottom line: the going is tough for India post Durban. The UN climate change talks in Durban arrived at a fourpronged Durban Package to save the planet by controlling emission of greenhouse gases. The gains and losses for developing countries like India: At the recently concluded UN climate change talk in Durban, the world agreed to a new global climate change regime by 2020 to bring down emissions to save the planet. But cutting carbon emissions will be a tough task for India in the years to come as the country needs to balance its development trajectory with transition to a low carbon economy. Transition to a low carbon economy means huge investment in clean technology, switching from coal and oil to low-carbon fuels for power generation and transport. And the most important part of this low carbon growth will need changes in behaviour and lifestyle of the people. Manufacturers and retailers will also play an important role in selectively editing out products that lead to more carbon footprint while promoting energy efficient and energy conservation products to consumers. India has to look for new ways to cut emissions and pay big-time for these. The transition to green energy calls for investing big-time in solar, biomass or off-shore wind energy but despite that India will still not be able to substantially reduce dependence on coal. The big question emerging out of the Durban outcome is whether India is rich enough to pay for the cost of transition to a low-carbon economy? A section of policy makers say yes, but facts and figures paint a totally different picture.

Gains
Principle of equity: Every person in the world should have an equal carbon space in the atmosphere. Gets nine years of economic growth without any emission cuts. Principle of common but differentiated responsibility: Recognising that developed countries are principally responsible for the current high levels of greenhouse gas emissions in the atmosphere as a result of more than 150 years of industrial activity; hence, there is a heavier burden on developed nations to cut emission.

Losses
Durban package doesnt mention: Technology Transfer: Developing countries like India have been demanding that rich countries provide them technologies that are more energy efficient and help them in reducing emissions. The intellectual property rights issues are a bone of contention as rich countries do not want to do away with the IPRs. Unilateral Trade Measures: India had objected to countries levying taxes like aviation tax by the European Union that will come into effect from 2012 in the name of cutting emissions.

2.

Delhi: A Palimpsest of 100 Glorious Years

dating from the time of Asoka, the famous Mauryan king, tells us that Delhi was on the great northern highway of the Mauryas and linked their capital Patliputta (near modern Patna, Bihar) with Taxila (Takshashila), now in Pakistan. This was apparently the route that Buddhist monks took on their way to Taxila, the intellectual hotbed in those days, and Central Asia. What one can read between the lines is that it was also the route that the Mauryan armies took enroute to quelling the frequent rebellions and foreign insurgencies in Taxila and other such border trouble spots. So, this gave Delhi considerable strategic importance. The story of Delhi unfolds into the multi city existence, which is depicted below:

by Sameer Pushp

Transcending Moments of History- Delhi Completes 100 Glorious Years.

A city brimming with life has many stories wrapped, frozen in time, yet eloquent in their immediacy. There is much more to Delhi than her legendary history, rich cultural heritage, cultural diversity and religious unity. Delhi is a palimpsest, bearing the complexities, the contradictions, the beauty and the dynamism of the city where past coexist with present, many dynasties ruled from here and the cultural elements, absorbed into daily life. One side is monuments, icons of testimony to the grandeur of the past and, to other side is a long suffering Yamuna depicting the follies of the present. Delhi has a multilayer existence and is among the fastest growing cities. Stretching beyond seven cities created around 13th and 17th centuries; Delhi urban sprawl is extensive and still growing. There are skyscrapers, residential colonies and busting commercial malls all testimony to the changing time. Delhi soul is its energy, effervescence, ebullience manifested in the spirit of people. In a quest to build home and hope millions work here with zest, liveliness and fervor. Delhi embodies the subtle fusion of diverse ideas, of variety, of novelty of tradition through many decades. The uniqueness of Delhi is its strength to rejuvenate and withstand the test of time, which can be seen in its life style.Delhi a magnum opus was build and destroyed seven times, tells the saga of the bygone era. Endowed with the power and charisma of creating myth; transcending moments of history- Delhi completes 100 glorious years. As a narrative of extraordinary time, Delhi has recorded amazing kaleidoscopic breadth of events sometimes tragic, often triumphant as the stupendous talent of people. India is a great Nation; Delhi being the capital is a symbol of old and new shares this greatness. Delhi today is multidimensional multicultural and multi-progressive. It is in a constant state of cohesive flux. Delhi without question is home and hopes of millions. After independence Delhi has undergone radical transformation, and poses with a luminous gesture along the developed nations capitals. For a surprisingly long time Delhi was not the seat of power. However, every stone and brick here whispers to our ears a long and glorious history. Between the fading ranges of Aravallis and long flowing Yamuna, Delhi has a labyrinth of history buried under its era. Delhi draws its name from Raja Dhilu. The earliest historical reference to Delhi dates back to first century BC. All through its history, the present capital of India has been an important player. Reasons for this might be found in its geographical location. Delhi has always been a convenient link between Central Asia, the northwest frontiers and the rest of the country. An inscription

Ferozabad 1354 AD
Site: Kotla Feroze Shah. Remains: Only the Asoka Pillar rising from the ruins remains. There is stadium for cricket which is called Feroze Shah Kotla grounds. Built by: Feroze Shah Tughlaq. It remained the capital until Sikander Lodi moved to Agra.

Dilli Sher Shahi (Shergarh) 1534

Site: Opposite the zoo. Around Purana Qila. Remains: High gates,walls,mosque and a great baoli(well). Kabuli and Lal Darwaza gates and the Sher Mandal. Built by: This Delhi was actually started by Humayun, the second Mughal Emperor and was completed by, Sher Shah Suri.

Indraprastha 1450 BC
Site: In Purana Qila Remains: Archeological finds now support the view that this was indeed Delhis earliest city. This has not surprised anyone in Delhi, for popular opinion had never doubted the existence of Indraprashtha. Reasons for its decline are not known.

City: Shajahanabad Mid-17th century

Site: The existing Old Delhi. Remains: The Red Fort, Jama Masjid, main streets of Old Delhi (like Chandini Chowk), long sections of walls and several city gates. Old Delhi might be congested, but it still retains its medieval charm. The people are very warm and welcoming. Shah Jahan, the fifth Mughal Emperor moved his capital from Agra to here. The capital of India is not only known for its rich historical background but also for some exquisite arts and crafts. In fact, the arts and crafts of Delhi have been patronized since the times of the royals. As a cultural center of its time, Delhi attracted the best of painters, musicians and dancers. This is so because there is no specific identity of the city. With time, people from different areas of India came and settled, making Delhi an assortment of sorts. Slowly and gradually, Delhi assumed some of the aspects of the identity of all the types of people living in it, making multiple identities for it. The biggest advantage Delhi has is of diversity, that richness of people coming from different backgrounds characterized by the plurality of people divided in terms of religion, region, language, cast and class; individual with unequal status but, with a shared access to resource and opportunity to seek ones goal and vision. Delhi- always a flashpoint, hub of multi-activities capturing the ebb and flow, high and low of footprints of time. The air of Delhi is full of follies of the present and fragrance of the past, as also the fresh pricing winds, refreshing, paving way for new India. 42

Lal Kot or Qila Rai Pithora 1060 AD

Site: Qutub Minar-Mehrauli complex. Remains: Very little remains of the original Lal Kot. Of the 13 gates of Rai Pithora fort, now only three remain. Built by: Rajput Tomaras. 12th century; captured and enlarged by the Rajput king Prithviraj Chauhan.

Siri 1304 AD
Site: Near Hauz Khas and Gulmohar Park. Remains: Some portions and walls remain. Alauddin Khilji also built other things around Siri. Like, the beautiful Alai Darwaza, the south gate of the Quwwatul-Islam Mosque and reservoir in present-day Hauz Khas. Built by: Alauddin Khilji of the Delhi Sultanate. Alauddin Khilji was well-known for his trade reforms, so its not surprising that Siri was a major trading centre.

Tughlaqabad 1321-23 AD
Site: 8km from the Qutub complex. Remains: Walls and some ruined buildings. Built by: Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq.

Jahanpanah Mid-14th century

Site: Between Siri and Qutub Minar Remains: A few remnants of defensive ramparts. Built by: Mohammad-bin-Tughlaq

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3. Nuclear Power: The New Dimension

Japans Nuclear Power Plant in Fukushima was severely damaged in March this year, caused by the twin effects of a severe earthquake and a tsunami, rekindled public fears across the world about the safety of nuclear power. The damage led to the release of toxic radiation and radioactive contamination over a significant swath of territory. There is no doubt that there is pervasive anxiety in several countries concerning the safety of nuclear power because of this incident though there have been no fatalities from the release of radiation nor any evidence of long-term and adverse health consequences. Indias high-profile nuclear energy programme may have serious consequences because of Fukushima fall-out unless the New Delhi is able to allay the growing fears and sense of vulnerability among communities living close to existing or proposed nuclear power plants. Even during the early months of 2011 there were public protests at one of the proposed sites for new generation nuclear power plants at Jaitapur in Maharashtra. There has been an even more serious public outcry over the activation of the two-unit Kudankulam Nuclear Power plant, which would have added 2000 MW of stable, base-load power, to be shared between Tamil Nadu and the Southern grid. The government has been forced to defer the activation of the plant. The Department of Atomic Energy has shed its culture of silence to engage directly with the local community and share detailed information about the Kudankulam reactors and their state-of-the art safety features. The former President of India, APJ Kalam, a distinguished scientist himself, visited Kudankulam a few weeks ago to personally review safety features at the plants and declared that he was satisfied about their efficacy. However, the protests have continued and it is not clear how the project will be taken forward. This is a serious development since four new reactors of 1000-MW each are to be established at the site in collaboration with the Russians. If they are delayed in execution, there will be cost over-runs. The economic viability of the plants may be put in question. We have seen similar public allergy to nuclear power at the Hirapur site in West Bengal as well, where US made reactors are likely to be sited. What should the governments response be in these circumstances? Unless the matter is properly handled, Indias plans to expand nuclear power from the current level of about 4000 MW to over 60,000 MW by 2030-1 would be rendered chimerical. It would indeed be a pity if having succeeded in opening the international market in nuclear energy to India after it was frozen out by sanctions post1974, the country is now prevented from capitalising on this opening due to post-Fukushima safety concerns. In a democratic country like India, it will not be possible to ignore public sentiment and go ahead with plans to expand nuclear power capacity. It is noteworthy that local political leaders have shown no compunction in aligning themselves with community opinion even though the latter may be based on irrational fear and prejudice. The only credible response is to be as transparent as possible, disseminate information and directly confront the anxieties and concerns of people through reasoned debate and argument. There should be a clear setting out of both the risks involved but also the benefits that accrue to the community. A sustained public education campaign on nuclear power is the only antidote to the sometimes misinformed and prejudiced judgments that people are prey to. It is also necessary for government to recognise that a rapid and significant expansion of nuclear power in the country, will pose challenges for regulatory and safety authorities in country. Regulating and monitoring a 4000 MW industry is a different order of challenge from managing a 60,000 MW nuclear power sector, with a variety of different designs, technologies and specifications. Not only would it be necessary to have a much more fully-empowered and independent regulatory authority, its procedures and methods of work, its capacities for monitoring, surveillance and enforcing accountability would also need to be greatly strengthened. This may require close collaboration with similar bodies in friendly countries which run much larger nuclear power programmes than India. The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission is a leader in the field and is ready to share its expertise with India. One should welcome the decision of the government of India to undertake an independent, authoritative and comprehensive review of the safety procedures of all our existing and proposed nuclear reactors. This is already underway and its results should contribute to an intelligent debate about the safety of Indias nuclear power plants. The decision to set up a truly independent regulatory authority, with members who are highly respected and knowledgeable scientists, will also go a long way in creating confidence in the industry. The industry should welcome regular audits by the IAEA as well as the well-respected World Nuclear Operators Association based in London. Indias nuclear power plants have enjoyed high reputation among these international bodies for the professionalism with which they are run and the very serious attention that is accorded to maintaining the highest standards of safety. After all, the Kudankulam reactors were able to cope with the tsunami in 2004/05 precisely because of their well-planned safety and backup systems. Another important development is the decision by the government to set up a Global Centre for Nuclear Energy Partnership in India. This follows a commitment made by the Prime Minister of India to set up a centre of excellence in the civil nuclear field at the Nuclear Security Summit convened by President Bush in Washington in June last year. Two other countries, China and Japan also announced the setting up of similar centres. These national centres were envisaged as institutions promoting the security of nuclear, fissile and radiological materials in process, storage or in transit. Nuclear security goes beyond the narrower concept of safety and encompasses a much wider scope of activities. Nevertheless, raising the level of confidence in the security of nuclear, fissile and radiological materials can also serve to meet public fears about nuclear power in general. It is important, therefore, for the proposed centre to also accept the challenge of educating public opinion on all aspects of nuclear science and its applications, promoting research into more safe and secure handling and management of nuclear materials and undertake research and development into a new generation of safe and proliferation-resistant nuclear reactors. As the name of the Centre indicates the proposed institution will provide a platform for pursuing collaboration with other international partners both on a bilateral as well as multilateral basis (such as with the IAEA). This would include the drawing up of improved benchmarks and safety standards, making material accounting more precise and evolve more effective surveillance and monitoring mechanisms. Since Japan and China have proposed setting up similar centres of excellence, Indian diplomacy should engage with these countries to put in place practical programmes of collaboration. Since India and China have the most ambitious nuclear power expansion plans in the world, it makes sense for them to work closely together in ensuring that the national and international environment remains positive for nuclear power.

By Sanjay Kumar

It is learnt that the Global Centre for Nuclear Energy Partnership will have four schools under it, focusing on (i) Advanced Nuclear Energy Systems Studies (ii) Nuclear Security Studies, (iii) Radiological Safety Studies and (iv) Studies on Applications of Radioisotopes and Radiation Technologies. These disciplines have a direct bearing on the safety issue and will also help create the greatly expanded qualified manpower necessary to manage and regulate a rapidly expanding nuclear industry. The broader issue of nuclear security would cover the aspect of proliferation of sensitive materials and technologies to unauthorised entities, including non-state actors. These concerns go beyond the Fukushima-related issues and have been of continuing concern to the international community. In the changed environment after Fukushima, it would be worthwhile to look at both security and safety related issues in a comprehensive manner. It is hoped that global centre will fulfill this role in an effective manner. If one looks at the record of nuclear power since the Fifties, its safety record has been quite enviable compared to other industries, including for example, the oil industry. Oil spills in pristine environments has probably done far more damage than the very few cases of nuclear accidents. Indias own record of managing nuclear power safety has been acknowledged internationally as having been of a very high standard. This does not mean that we can be complacent. In a democratic society, public concerns and anxieties have to be addressed. We are living in a world where the flow of information, good or bad, is relentless and shapes public opinion. The answer to misinformation is more objective and quality information. Prejudice can only be dispelled through reasoned debate. The culture in government has been to withhold information, to keep matters as confidential as possible. In the nuclear field, the fact that our strategic weapons programme was inextricably mixed together with our civilian nuclear programme, meant that the culture of secrecy was even more pronounced than normal. Thanks to the civil nuclear agreement, we have separated our civilian programme from our nuclear weapons programme. While the latter will continue to be cloaked in secrecy, there is no reason why the civilian sector should not be subject to public scrutiny and held accountable for maintaining the highest standards of safety. There is also no reason why the sector should not open its doors to international review and appraisal so that it can begin to enforce internationally recognised norms. Our own domestic public opinion needs to be taken into confidence. The nuclear power is one of the cleanest and safest sources of energy. Technology is improving its safety standards almost continuously. Few industries have the kind of strict benchmarking that the nuclear industry has. Few industries are held to the high standards the nuclear industry is. Fukushima was the result of human failure as much as the victim of unprecedented natural disasters. As long as the possibilities of human error are reduced to a minimum and back-up and redundant systems are put in place, there is no reason why the nuclear power industry cannot continue to play a significant role in our quest for energy security and for arresting global climate change. India must not make the mistake of missing the nuclear bus just when the prospects for its rapid expansion have become promising after many years of stagnation. (The writer is a Former Defence Correspondent for a National Security and Defence magazine. You can contact him on Sanjaytwo@gmail.com.)

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4.

Why India Cant Censor the Internet?

1. Budding India
According to World Bank data, in 2009, out of 100 people, 5 Indians have access to the internet medium; in 2011, less than 1 person are using broadband connection. As one can see, India is still far behind to explore the internet revolution that is sweeping the world. Here, at this budding stage any censorship to the medium will hamper optimizing the medium effectively.

By Pranati Saikia

There has been outrageous commotion lately over the issue of censoring the Internet in India. The whole issue got triggered off when Union Minister Kapil Sibal asked internet giants like Google and Facebook to screen offensive content before posting it online. Before this incident, Sibal was in the category of top five star alumni of St Stephen College for the survey to choose star alumni for a debate between counterparts from the rival colleges but his move created lot of discontentment against him in webosphere. Some withdrew their votes for him in the survey; analysts criticized him and twitter witnessed many insulting and derisive posts like Chuck him across the road against him. However, the Minister clarified in one of his statements in a press conference held in Delhi that his move does not mean censorship. I suggested that these platforms should evolve a mechanism on their own to ensure that such contents are removed as soon as they get to know of it... I have told them that this cannot go on, he said. Nevertheless, keeping the whole issue in mind, one major question arises, Why India cant censor the Internet? In this context there are few important things we have to brood over and see the broad picture in case of Indian scenario:

from text-based to video, and to audio. Unlike traditional media, there is no specific source in the internet medium, in fact the source can be anyone, and the receptor can be from a closed group of friends to lakhs of faceless population. There is no question of copy editor or censor board. Besides, most of the contents are hoisted outside India.

2. Internet is User-driven
The internet is run by the users. The contents are generated by them. Any effort to check the activities of a user will curtail its growth. One should understand that todays Facebook users were once started with Orkut. On the other hand, user-generated content cannot be monitored. In fact, the government should encourage and make effort to connect India to get familiarize with the internet tool. Where the government is failing, these internet giants are forming a platform to introduce the power of internet to the masses.

4. Free speech
The Constitution of India under Article 19 (1) provides for the right of speech and expression to every Indian citizen. Any attempt by the government to interfere or amend this, would not be easy politically and even legally. Unlike many countries where the type of government and governance is different, in India any attempt to censor the internet media itself would not be easy.

5. Globalised world
Terror is not limited to any boundary, and so are the perpetrators. The best way to tackle terror is by better networking and cooperation of governments and private enterprises. Big internet giants like Google, Yahoo ! and Facebook are cooperating with many governments in the world to tackle the menacing use of the internet medium. According to Googles Transparency Report, it has fully or partially complied with 51 per cent of Government of Indias request to remove objectionable content.

3. Internet is not traditional media

The world came to know about the Tiananmen Square demonstration in China by fax machine. This is the power of technology in broadcasting. The internet technology changes rapidly. One can get connected from desktop as well as by mobile, even the media itself varies

5.

Is Media Biased and Corrupt in India?

other profession, there are black sheeps in the media fraternity as well. Of late, there has been accusation that some media houses have failed to maintain objectivity, the core value of their professional ethics, and unbiasedness in their presentation. The Radia tapes scandal was a hard blow to the media where it was found that there was a close association among journalists, politicians and exbureaucrats. The expose brought into light the unethical practice of planting news reports to meet vested interest to a section of people. Thus, peoples faith on the fourth citadel of democracy, the media, was shaken. In political sphere, there has been also accusation on the working of media. Parties like CPI recently wrote to Election Commission of India regarding corrupt practices like paid news in the media. The party said, It is quite easy to identify news coverage in the media as biased and favouring a particular party or a candidate, it has been equally recognized that it is extremely difficult to establish the modus operandi of financial gratification. However, some accusations do not hold water to malign media as biased and corrupt. The media houses too have to see the readers they cater to. They come out with

By Pranati Saikia

The Indian media has always been scrutinized for its role and relevancy. Many discussions have been taken place on this. One question that centered on its neutrality is whether media in India is biased and corrupt? The answer to the question cannot be straight Yes or No. But before one settles for biased or unbiased and corrupt or uncorrupt the Indian media is, it is important to understand the technology formats i.e., television, print, radio or web and its inbuilt constraints; in addition the factors that shapes the media content. In todays information environment, the form of information, quantity, speed, distribution and direction of information immensely affect peoples perceptions, values and attitudes. Hence, the media in general and the Indian media in particular, come under common mans concerns and doubts are aired in its role. Latest statistics shows that there are over 80,000 registered newspapers as on 31st March 2011, and over 500 satellite television channels in India as of 2010. Painting with one brush that all the newspapers and television channels are biased and corrupt would be a wrong and indiscreet conclusion. However, like any

content that interests the readers and hold attention. But here, the media finds itself in quagmire. Gone are the days, when broadcasting of information was unilinear, what media serves to the people, they used to consume it; now people have various channels to fetch information. Lastly, the attention of readers is minimal. It is like hit or miss. In this run for capturing audience, the media houses jump the line and become user-centric rather than media-centric. Now people are dictating contents, and not media is dictating contents. In addition to taste of the people, technology also plays a pivotal role. The presentation of content in television would definitely be different from print. Consequently, the effects on the viewers and readers would be different. Something watched in television might seem exaggerated, however the same content served in print might fail to touch upon the chord of the people. One more reason that journalist fail to follow faithfulness and objectivity in their profession is due to low remuneration. Barring few of the media houses, the nature of work doesnt accentuate the remuneration they get. They are lowly paid. Hence, corrupts breeds which results the degradation of peoples faith in media.

6.

SAARC can Bring Real Cooperation in South Asia

rubber production in Sri Lanka, natural gas in Bangladesh and, with all its waterfalls, Nepals capacity to produce hydro-electricity. Let us take Sri Lanka first. It produces almost 150,000 tonnes of rubber annually. This trend continues with Sri Lanka exporting about 20 percent 30 percent of the rubber production in raw form while 70 percent-80 percent is used by domestic industries. So, given the quantity and quality of the rubber produced in Sri Lanka, they can even produce more quality tyres than the total demand of the South Asian countries and then even export some. If its tyre industry gets a boost from SAARC, or just India, it can produce enough tyres itself and for the whole region. Then countries like India, Pakistan, Nepal and Bangladesh will not have to import tyres from Western countries. They will also have to spend less on freight due to the proximity of the supplier. Bangladesh is among the fortunate to have a substantial volume of natural gas resources. Part of it is discovered, and only part of discovered resources has been proven. But the natural gas situation in Bangladesh is a desperate situation because it is letting its gas fields to hibernate. So it needs swift development and production

By Ravi M. Khanna

At last India and Pakistan, it seems, have woken up to the need for genuine cooperation in South Asia where countries of the region start depending on each other for those crucial products which they now import from the West. This way they will pay lower freights and at the same time contribute to the economic growth of the region. May be the first step in this direction came this week when New Delhi and Islamabad agreed in principle to trade in electricity through a specially-built high voltage direct current link between Amritsar and Lahore. Right now the plan is to transfer 500 MW through the Punjab border with the tariff linked to the market rate. If this kind of pragmatism spreads in the region, the region, given its potential, can become a bigger market than China and the whole of Europe and can also become self-reliant in a number of products and services that they now import from the West. And the West knows that, and may be that is why it does not encourage such logical moves that may not serve their self-interest. Hopefully, the agreement between India and Pakistan is just the beginning. At at first glance, it seems each country has something it can share with the others for which they go outside the region to import. Just consider:

of natural gas in order not to allow it to hibernate. SAARC countries can help Bangladesh do it and at the same time produce fertiliser and also power in some sectors. Such a pragmatic move can help Bangladesh in producing power and also fertiliser to meet the demand of the whole region, eliminating the need for importing fertiliser from the West by India, the biggest importer of fertiliser in the region.. Power is also in shortage in Nepal that has a huge hydropower potential. In fact, the perennial nature of Nepali rivers and the steepness of the countrys topography provide ideal conditions for the development of some of the worlds largest hydroelectric projects there. According to some estimates, Nepals hydropower potential is more than 40,000 MW of which it has developed less than 1,000 MW. Therefore, bulk of this economically feasible generation has not been realised yet. SAARC countries can help Nepal generate enough hydroelectricity for domestic consumption and then also for export to neighbouring countries like Pakistan and India. So, if the SAARC countries begin looking beyond their noses, they can prosper themselves and in the process make South Asia a self-reliant region, perhaps to the envy of the West.

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